Young As You Feel

 Marge Crossman Amherst High School Class of 1937

Yesterday Marge Crossman, a lifelong Amherst resident with a life longer than most, celebrated the 75th anniversary of graduating Amherst High School back when it was a stand alone schoolhouse only for Amherst residents rather than the Regional operation it is today.

Back in the early 1990s Marge founded the Amherst Citizens for Responsible Government a, gasp, conservative coalition of taxpayers concerned about wasteful government spending driving up property taxes and forcing long time residents to sell their homes.

The group would meet at the VFW on Main Street and numbered in the hundreds, mostly senior citizens (Marge was in her early 70s when she founded it) but a gaggle of younger upstart activists as well.  The Amherst Bulletin once asked Town Manager Barry Del Castilho what his major concern was for the upcoming year and he replied, "Dealing with the ACRG."

Current residents will be surprised to learn the Amherst Regional High School $22 million renovation Override actually failed at the ballot box on the first attempt (1994), due to the efforts of the ACRG, who thought it was too big and of course too expensive.  A few months later the town came back a second time and it passed, but a message had been sent.

I asked Marge yesterday what was most memorable historic event of her lifetime?  "The bombing of Pearl Harbor," she replied--but then quickly added, "I had two brothers in the service at the time."

For us baby boomers who never lived through the horror of World War 2,  the resounding answer would be 9/11.  Let's hope when we hit "almost 93" that no other event will have surpassed it.


Izzy Lyman reports

Miss Emily Returns

Miss Emily Dickinson at the Amherst Farmers Market (she refused to comment)

 

Proves The Rule

621 E Pleasant (Illuminated sign reads "Babetown")

UPDATE: September 17

So yes, the childish comments that started coming in yesterday alerted me that this fairly routine, slow- -news-day post from almost three months ago (or "forever" in Internet time) was suddenly getting an avalanche of renewed interest -- probably from one of the denizens who must have Googled the address or possibly the silly sign title, "Babetown" to discover this post and then reposted on Facebook.

Interestingly this particular post originally barely registered on my sitemeter for traffic generated.  But NOW, it has broken in to my Top Ten list (see "popular posts" widget over on the lower right side) of all time, out of almost 2,200 posts.  Well done boys.  Keep up the good work!

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 Original Post: June 23

A day after the Planning Board Zoning Sub Committee heard an angry earful about student party houses at their annual public hearing--especially the conversion of single family homes to two family homes with a doubled capacity for eight unrelated housemates to congregate under one roof--police were called to 621 E Pleasant Street for loud noise and a bonfire.

And when firefighters arrived late Thursday night to put out the poorly contained fire, a couple dozen of the college aged youths gave them a hard time for disturbing their fun.

Hey when you have a full sized skateboard halfpipe in your backyard you would be able to enjoy it anytime of the day or night, neighbors be damned!

Everybody into the Pool

 Mill River Pool in North Amherst opened today, ahead of schedule

Apparently town officials were embarrassed the War Memorial Pool would not open as scheduled, now hopefully set for June 30, so perhaps they lit a fire under Leisure Services to get the Mill River Pool open early, just in time for the hottest days of the year, thus far.

Last night the Leisure Services and Supplemental Education Commission "site visit" to the War Memorial Pool construction site was cancelled because of "extreme heat".  Perfect metaphor for why the pool project is behind schedule.

Since the town wading pools are not open, I took the kids to the always reliable Hampshire Athletic Club.

Shutesbury Library Drama Continues

Shutesbury Community Church managed major renovations with private fundraising

Andy Warhol once said "Everyone would be world famous for 15 minutes," and lawyers in the contentious Shutesbury Library $1.4 million override election had their 15 minutes before a trio of judges at the Boston Court of Appeals on Tuesday morning trying to convince the justices that Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup was either as wise as King Solomon or wrong as a stopped clock.

Boston attorney William McDermott, representing two of the original 10 class action Yes voters, squandered precious time trying to get the justices to allow into evidence interrogatories that Judge Rup had not allowed on a technicality (they were unsigned). The justices pointed out to Attorney McDermott that if the Paczkowskis voter status is upheld the Pills (yes) votes would be moot.

Attorney Alan Seewald, hired by 3rd party "intervenors" from the No side, shared 15 minutes before the justices with Shutesbury town attorney Donna McNicol who argued the Board of Registrars correctly allowed the yes votes of Shoshana Holzberg-Pill and her brother Jacob Holzberg-Pill as well as the No votes of Richard and Joan Paczkowski, long-time residents who winter in Florida (bringing the vote to a 522-522 tie).

Oddly, Attorney MacNicol as part of her defense of the Pills also defended the behavior of Christopher Buck the only vote thrown out by the Board of Registrars and barely mentioned in the original case brought before Judge Rup.

Alan Seewald, the Pro from Dover, defended Judge Rup's decision but was questioned sharply by justices about "disenfranchising" Shoshana Holzberg-Pill and her brother, who attended the hearing, Jacob Holzberg-Pill.  But Attorney Seewald had never requested Judge Rup simply throw out the Pills yes votes only that, "If your honor were to disenfranchise the Paczkowskis, you must do the same with the Holzberg-Pills."

Shutesbury Town Administrator Becky Torres, a new-library supporter, also attended the appeals hearing.

The Appeals Court is expected to rule before June 30 thus giving the town time to tap into the $2.1 million state grant dangling in the wind since the heated political theater began.  If the court upholds Judge Rup's decision the vote ends up 522-520 in favor of NO.  If the court reinstates the Pills votes but fails to overturn the Board of Registrars decision on the Paczkowskis, the vote will be 522-522 tie, ballot question fails.

In order for the election outcome to change the appeals court has to allow the Pills votes and disallow the Paczkowskis, a seismic overrule of Judge Rup and about as likely to happen as a snowstorm blanketing the area later today.

Look for a safe, tidy compromise:  the justices will reinstate the Pills votes, but keep in the Paczkowskis thus bringing the tally, once and for all, to a 522-522 tie, the $1.4 million override fails.

Quaint Shutesbury M.N. Spear Memorial Library

Dog Days Indeed

Original Railroad bridge (now a bike path) about to be replaced but with no increase in width and negligible increase in height

So in addition to the major traffic snafu at Atkins Corner redirecting traffic from RT116 in South Amherst, now at the other end, near town center, the closing of Snell Street--a major shortcut between busy RT116 to even busier RT9--is gearing up to increase frustration levels.

The state rented a construction trailer now parked near the bridge 

A public hearing on the $315,000 project is scheduled next week at Town Hall (6:30 PM June 26 in the Town Room), so at least we can complain about not widening or increasing appreciably the clearance of the current structure that routinely scalps trucks. But the plans are already set, so it's unlikely for anything to change.

 Woodside Avenue bridge:  The bridge to nowhere

The state told the contractor the road cannot be closed until the new bridge is on site, ready for placement, so estimates for the road closing are in the range of only a week...perhaps two.  But then the War Memorial Pool was supposed to open this Saturday and we know that' s not going to happen.

And let's hope, unlike the new bridge installed 12 years ago over the bike path 100 yards away, that this one is actually used for its intended purpose.

The Cost of Social Justice

Buses wait for their precious cargo at Crocker Farm School

Amherst Regional Public Schools teach social justice; in fact, some would argue our schools preach social justice.  But when it comes time to actually walk the walk and put money where your mouth is, school leadership acts like a Robber-Baron Scrooge squeezing pennies out of those who can least afford it.

Yes, the highest paid administrator in the most expensive public school in the entire region forced the lowest paid employees in the system--bus drivers and custodians-- to sign a legal gag order to receive $18,840 in total wages they were legally owed after the business office miscalculated annual days worked over the years.

But why such heavy handed secrecy?  Perhaps because other low paid full time staff--secretarial and clerical employees, audio-visual technicians, and media aides--are currently unaware they too were unfairly shortchanged over the years and could also demand equal compensation. 

Astonishing.

The sad back-story told in emails

AFSCME Gag Order Amherst Schools