Middle School Lockdown

APD & AFD on scene ARMS 10:45 AM

Okay parents set your stopwatches to see how long it takes school officials to let us know the Amherst Regional Middle School went into lockdown this morning for just about an hour.

Amherst police first responded to the school and then called for Amherst Fire Department to do a "psychological evaluation" on a young male student.

After about a half-hour on scene he was transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Yes, having both police and fire personnel come through your front door to deal with a troubled student is certainly worth going into lockdown.

But it would be nice if all parents were notified, so rumors don't get started.

 AFD Engine 2 and NFD A1 on scene UMass Totman Gym 11:25 AM

Not long after that Northampton Fire Department had to send an ambulance our way -- the 2nd one of the morning to come to us via mutual aid -- because AFD was so swamped.

 AFD Engine 4 on scene Fort River School 1:40 PM

And then around 1:30 PM, AFD Engine 4 and Chief Nelson responded to a (false) fire alarm at Fort River School.

Three different school responses all within hours of each other.  No wonder we're known as an "educated community."

Too bad we don't show it by adequately staffing our beleaguered first responders.  

UPDATE:  4:30 PM email sent to parents

If It Sounds Good ...

Calvin Terrell (left), Middle School Principal Mendonsa  (rt) explaining themselves to large crowd of peeved  parents

In addition to screwing up the story of good old Lord Jeffery Amherst and his famously infected blankets, Mr. Terrell also had a fanciful spin on why police did not expeditiously move in at the 1999 Columbine massacre.

Naturally it was a race thing.

Although he is correct that the horrific high school mass murder was a watershed event, forever changing the way police react to such situations.



Just as 9/11 was a sea change for airline personnel who were originally trained to be compliant and go along with hijackers -- give them whatever they want.

After all, whoever heard of using commercial passenger airliners as guided missiles.

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A Satisfied Customer

 Youth Adventure Academy at play July 25

Rather than the Amherst Regional Public Schools spending $38,000 to scare the Hell out of our kids, I wish they would put it to more wholesome team building activities like this Amherst & UMass Police Youth Adventure Academy, which my daughter obviously enjoyed.  Thoroughly.

The recent mandatory Middle School assembly with Calvin Terrell, not so much.

The Final Straw?

CPA Committee voted 7-0 (with 2 absent) to support Ballot Question #5

No surprise the Amherst Community Preservation Act Committee voted last night after little to no discussion to support the ballot question doubling the CPA tax, err, I mean "surcharge," from 1.5% to 3%.  Unanimously.

Which is kind of like the fox guarding the hen house requesting the farmer, "send more chickens!"

Amherst currently has the highest tax rate in the area ($20.97/$1,000 valuation with average tax bill of $6,712/) second only to Longmeadow (at $23.15 valuation with average tax bill of $7,558)  In fact, Longmeadow has the highest tax rate in the entire state.

And our public safety departments are stretched beyond the breaking point.  We badly need 5 additional police officers, five additional firefighters and a new $12 million fire station in South Amherst.

CPA money, however, can only be spent on open space/recreation, historic preservation and public housing.  All of which are admirable, but hardly a priority over public safety. 

In 2008 the attempt failed by only 172 votes out of 10,416 cast.

In the next coming weeks a series of dominoes will fall in support of this financial burden on already overburdened taxpayers including the Historical Commission, Conservation Commission, Leisure Services and Supplemental Education (Rec Dept), Housing & Sheltering Committee and of course our illustrious town "leaders", the Select Board.

Last night, moments before taking the vote, CPA committee Chair Peter Jessop said, "It's important this be a unanimous vote."  The Committee also voted unanimously to authorize Mr. Jessop to act as a PR flack to promote the measure with the mainstream media (what's left of it).

Area Tax Rates & Average Total Tax Bill:

Amherst $20.97/$1,000 total $6,712

Hadley $10.64/$1,000 total $3,278

Northampton $15.39/$1,000 total $4,597

Belchertown $17.72/$1,000 total $4,303

Sunderland $13.98/$1,000 total $3,850

So. Hadley $16.41/$1,000 total $3,682

 
In 2007 Amherst Town Meeting spent $268,000 ($128,000 of it CPA money) to "save" the privately owned Kimball House (brick building foreground) now dwarfed by home in rear

Property Tax Rates For The Entire State (knock yourself out)

DUI Dishonor Roll

 Anthony W Alicea being arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court

The spectacular alcohol induced crash in North Amherst early Sunday morning was not the only DUI arrest over the weekend.

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This one history will little note nor long remember.   Although with impaired drivers, the spectacular incidents are always just around the bend.

A Cop Has To Do What A Cop Has To Do

 

Justin Knolls being arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court

So it's not just Amherst PD and  UMass PD who sometimes  -- although very infrequently -- have to resort to the use of force that includes pepper spray to bring an out of control perp into compliance.

Especially when he's a danger to himself, a large group of party goers and responding police officers who like to return home to their family after work.  Even more so when he stands 6 foot 2 inches tall, and weighs 225 pounds.

AFD responding to APD sally port for a prisoner hit with pepper spray.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) October 5, 2014

Since Amherst College does not have their own holding cell they use Amherst Police Department's just around the corner at 111 Main Street.  When Justin Knolls was brought in Amherst Fire Department had to respond to the sally port to treat him for pepper spray. 

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday Mr. Knolls was provided a public defender and his case (which includes a felony charge) was continued to next month.

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"Showing Off"

Car vs tree (tree always wins)

At the scene of the accident that demolished his car and sent two passengers to Baystate Medical Center -- one still "critical" -- Sean M Foster admitted to police that had consumed alcohol and was "showing off" when he lost control of his vehicle in North Amherst and intersected with a tree.

You have to wonder if his lawyer will try to have his confession thrown out since he was legally drunk at the time with a Blood Alcohol Content reading of .20% (2.5 times over the legal limit).

 

Sean Foster, age 22, awaiting arraignment yesterday in Eastern Hampshire District Court