DUI Do Over

Richard Sherwood stands before Judge Payne ... again

Richard Sherwood, age 30, was arraigned before Judge John Payne on Monday morning for a drunk driving arrest in Amherst on Saturday night May 9th.  Or perhaps I should say "rearraigned."

 Originally Mr. Sherwood was charged with "OUI 3rd offense" and as it turns out that was his 4th offense!  And when it comes to the American system of justice, details are important.

Sherwood was released on the original $5,000 bail he posted five weeks ago and the conditions remain the same:  no driving, use of a sobrietor, and report to probation officer twice per week.  His case was continued until July 13.

DUI Dishonor Roll

Amherst Police intercepted two drunk drivers on both ends of Saturday, one in the very early morning hours (what most of us would consider late Friday night) and the other one very late Saturday night just before the bewitching hour.

 Geeth Gulavita, age 21, stand before Judge Payne

Click to enlarge/read

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday morning both men were arraigned before Judge John Payne.  Both had their cases continued to July 14.

 Jeffery Lowe arraigned before Judge Payne

Click to enlarge/read

Just Say NO (To No Parking)

Lincoln Avenue/Amity Street intersection outskirts of town center

The Amherst Select Board meeting was invaded last night by a brigade of concerned Lincoln Avenue residents upset about the initial proposal to ban parking along both sides of their street.

Almost all of them agreed there were problems at the Amity Street/Lincoln Avenue intersection and Gaylord Street/Lincoln Avenue, mainly with sight lines.

But those remedies should only impact the immediate area around those intersections and not the length of the entire road which connects Northampton Road (Rt 9) to UMass Amherst, the largest employer in town.

Click to enlarge/read

 Proposed parking scenario widely panned by residents

By removing parked cars entirely neighbors fear it will increase speed along their street by commuters enroute to UMass.

And many of them pointed out they have small driveways and the on-street parking is needed for visiting friends and family.

Concerned neighbors pack Select Board hearing (eleven spoke, all of them opposed)

The Select Board, keepers of the public way, seemed almost embarrassed by the controversy.  Connie Kruger said it was "premature to vote on this", that it required a "more comprehensive look," and the town should go "back to the drawing board."

 Gaylord/Lincoln Avenue intersect

The Select Board wisely retreated and continued the public hearing until their next meeting July  27.  (During the summer months the Select Board meets infrequently).

Here Comes The Solar

Robsham Visitor's Center

Work has begun on the nifty new solar parking lot canopies -- the first of their kind in our area --at the Robsham Visitor's Center parking lot across the street from Haigis Mall in the heart of UMass campus.

The solar units will cover six rows of parking spaces, producing a total of .576 megawatts of electricity. In addition UMass will install three Level Two dual charging stations for electric vehicles to plug in.

The town of Amherst, as part of their "green initiative" is installing a charging station in the lower level of the garage for the town's electric vehicle and a duel system for the general public in the parking lot behind Town Hall.

The Town Manager is also going on a fishing expedition by preparing a broadly worded Request For Proposals for companies to use town property for solar installations. Of course if NIMBYs see ye old landfill mentioned they will be quick to pull the plug by threatening yet another lawsuit.

Anyone remember when going "green" simply meant nice plantings?

 Town Hall greenspace

Amherst Police station plantings

Worth The Wait?

Metacomet Cafe, 27 South Pleasant Street, downtown

After probably the longest delayed opening in the history of the downtown, the Metacomet Cafe, finally, opened their doors for business yesterday -- just in time for a sizzling summer.

Fortunately Amherst no longer rolls up the streets once UMass and the Colleges are no longer in session. 

Menu

Yes, the neon sign lights up

The Cost Of Convenience

 Above North Valley Road, Pelham

 Scarred hillside, North Valley Road, Pelham

Eversource is replacing powerline infrastructure, which of course means anything tall and green that stands in the way is terminated.

"Sorry about that."

Heavy duty machines

Meanwhile, on Belchertown Road (Rt 9) just over the Amherst line:

A Day Of Respect

You can tell BigY is family owned

Oddly enough I've never been a h-u-g-e fan of Flag Day simply because I believe every day should be a day to respect and honor our national symbol.

I once even tried to trade Flag Day for 9/11 with our illustrious Select Board.  A deal they refused to take.

As most of you know by now the Amherst Select Board, keepers of the public way, voted 4-1 on the early evening of September 10, 2001 to allow 29 commemorative flags to fly in the downtown to mark only six anniversaries: Patriots' Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, July 4, Labor Day and Veterans Day.

Since that normally obscure public meeting took place about 12 hours before the first plane found its target in Manhattan, September 11 was still just another late summer day.  And that particular 9/11 dawned sooooo stunningly beautiful ...

But acrid black smoke soon crowed out that crystal clear blue sky leading to a gaping hole in the New York City skyline.

This fast approaching 9/11, the 14th anniversary,  the commemorative flags are not scheduled to fly in downtown Amherst.

Next year they will, however, because it's a "milestone anniversary."  And then not again until 2021, when the average incoming freshman to our three institutes of higher education had not even been born on the awful day.

Since Amherst forgot to put the commemorative flags up today, Flag Day, maybe now the Select Board will take my deal?