A Singular Achievement

ARHS graduate Dylan Akalis receives diploma via Holyoke School Committee member Erin Brunelle yesterday in the backyard of this grandfather's house

As graduation parties go it was all wonderfully typical:  Proud parents, lots of extended family, friends, classmates;  well wishers both young and old, with enough variety of race and ethnicity to make the United Nations proud. 

But the b-i-g difference is this party started before the diploma was issued, with the party's guest of honor the only person present in a cap and gown.   And the person who handed him his hard earned diploma was indeed a public school official, but from another city.

Yes for Dylan Akalis it's been an up and down senior year, but the final outcome -- graduating from Amherst Regional High School in spite of being banned from the June 6 graduation ceremony at the Mullins Center -- was still sweet.

Dylan you may remember was bullied by three black youths (physically assaulted by one of them) for use of the supposedly hip version of the N-word to congratulate a black friend for a stellar basketball performance.

School officials did nothing to stop the harassment, so in self-defense Dylan anonymously posted to a Facebook confessions site a threat about bringing a weapon to school.

As a result the High School was closed for a day (even though authorities identified Dylan many hours before the start of the school day) on Monday, January 27th.  Dylan was handed a 12 day suspension for use of the N-word and invoking a weapons threat.

Most hurtful, however, was the erroneous allegation that Dylan was a racist. 

Feeling betrayed by the Amherst schools the family kept Dylan out for the rest of the year, assuming since he had enough credits Dylan would be allowed to graduate and march with his friends at the graduation ceremony.  Wrong.

Amherst school officials did say they would send a high ranking administrator to the planned June 22 party to officially hand him his diploma.  So that was something.  Sort of.

But when Superintendent Maria Geryk fired Dylan's dad a few weeks back for using the common electrician term "master and slave units" in front of a black school employee, Dylan decided he wanted nothing more to do with Amherst school officials.  Ever.  

Thus no official representative from Amherst Regional Public Schools attended the Sunday graduation celebration.

Too bad, because they could have learned a thing or two about family values. 

Revenge Firing?

Paula, Dylan, Steve Akalis June 6

Bad enough that Amherst Regional High School Principal Mark Jackson forbid Dylan Akalis to march with his classmates at the Mullins Center graduation ceremony last weekend -- but did allow a shrill senior to march who violated Dylan's privacy with a bullying Internet petition.

Or that Dylan essentially lost the last four months of his senior year because school officials favored three black youths who bullied him to the point of making a desperate Facebook threat about "packin" a weapon to school for self defense. 

But now Amherst Regional Public School Superintendent Maria Geryk has gone one better -- or I should say worse -- by firing Dylan's dad, school electrician, Steve Akalis.

As you may remember back in late January when Mr. Akalis was trying to get school officials to do something about his son being bullied, he was suspended without pay for three days for using company time to ever so briefly discuss the scary situation with Dean of Students Mary Custard.

Now he's been fired for using the common electrician (and computer) term "slave unit,"  in the presence of a school employee who happens to be black.

Being an overly polite kind of guy (like most former Marines) Mr. Akalis said to the employee, "No offense, but the slave unit will not work unless the master unit is plugged in."

So yes, I suppose you could interpret that in one of two ways:  either he is invoking the sad history in our country when blacks were enslaved (but somewhat apologizing for it) or he could simply have been saying that she should take no offense ... he was, err, not questioning her intelligence.

Either way, summary execution for an innocent expression used without malicious intent is a tad draconian. 

When it comes to alleged racial issues it seems the public schools have lost sight of the expression, "teachable moment."

Masslive (co) reports

Blowing The Whistle

Competition of a different kind

Since Amherst Regional High School officials overreacted to the initial incident by declaring a "lockdown" over two errant assistant coaches from Smith Vocational High School, no big shock they are now blowing the whistle on the earnest young recruiters ... which may not look good on their resumes.  

Since both assistant coaches signed in the day they visited ARHS obviously they were not trying to hide anything.  And by not signing out they only demonstrated unfamiliarity with a security system that is a tad confusing.

Smith Vocational High School, operated by our sister city to the west, Northampton, is one of two vocational schools that attracts away Amherst Regional students (thereby impacting the school's budget via payouts).  

Between Smith Vocational and Franklin County Technical ARHS lost 38 students this year.So maybe there's a measure of payback involved in this bit of hyperbole.

Of course when the shoe was on the other foot ...

The past four months in the Amherst schools have been a three ring circus.  

Continuous lockdowns, racist graffiti in the High School bathrooms targeting a teacher of color, and a racial bullying incident (that did not fit the PC agenda) that lead to a Facebook "threat" that closed the High School.

Fortunately the senior prom went off last Friday without incident (or at least any incidents that required police intervention).  This Friday ARHS graduation is hosted at the Mullins Center, which seemingly straddles three police jurisdictions -- Hadley, Amherst and UMPD.

According to APD Chief Livingstone:

"I have met with school officials and with Chief Horvath of UMPD regarding the High School graduation and after graduation party and I’m confident that the security measures planned will be adequate and sufficient.

 

Our goal is that it is a safe and enjoyable evening for all of those in attendance…"

Hypocrisy?

ARHS side entrance (Dylan Akalis need not apply)

The Amherst Regional High School Senior Prom is this weekend and graduation at the UMass Mullins Center the following weekend.

Dylan Akalis, although graduating from ARHS, will not be at either milestone event.

Perhaps if he invited his male, minority friend to the senior prom -- you know, the one he affectionately used the N-word with -- PC school officials would fall all over themselves to allow a same sex couple to attend.

Dylan's dad reports the family will be out of town over the next two weekends as a preemptive strike in case there's a "racial incident" at either of the school sponsored events.  Not being in the area with your entire family as witnesses makes for a pretty good alibi.

Since Dylan has not set foot on school property since the Facebook "threat" incident closed the school on  January 27th,  that has been the case for the vast majority of the racial incidents involving anonymous notes and/or graffiti left in ARHS rest rooms targeting teacher of color Carolyn Gardner. 

Yes Dylan was around for the first incident that happened in October, but since school officials purposely did not report it to Amherst police and worked diligently to cover it up, the other incidents that followed (after Dylan was long gone) were probably not the work of a copy cat.  

ARHS senior Camila Carpio was given a "social justice" award at the Sojourner Truth Memorial Celebration on Sunday.  She's the outspoken young lady who outed Dylan with a very misleading public Internet petition to ban Dylan from the senior prom and graduation.  

A petition that does not seem to be doing well, with a goal of only 100 signatures: the vast majority of the current "65 supporters" are NOT from Amherst and are not ARHS students.

When I asked the schools for a recent memo sent to them by Paula Akalis they redacted Dylan's name (and school personnel) "per confidentiality regulations."  Since Dyan was never charged with a crime and never appeared before a judge, newspapers would not be allowed to use his name either.  

Yes Ms. Carpio is a private citizen (who seems to covet the public limelight) so she is less bound by regulations than the Schools or a newspaper ... but that still does not make it okay.   

So where's the "social justice" in that?

Blaming The Victim

Talk about cyber bullying! Not to mention lousy writing

 

Camila Carpio, a shrill senior at Amherst Regional High School, started a petition on Change.org yesterday imploring Amherst School officials to ban Dylan Akalis from participating in the ARHS graduation ceremony next month at the Mullins Center.

Oddly enough, Principal Mark Jackson had informed Dylan and family on Friday that he was indeed banned from the June 6 graduation ceremony.

While Ms. Carpio was somewhat correct in saying he was the, "white, male, senior High School student who threatened to bring a gun to school" she is wrong about him "racially harassing black students."  More like the other way around.

She's also wrong about Dylan "not being allowed to return to Amherst High School."  School authorities issued a 12 day suspension after the January 27 "unforeseen circumstances" school closing:  Ten days for the Facebook threat and two days for using the "N-word" (the five letter version ending in A).

The parents decided to keep him out for the rest of the year because school authorities had done little to nothing to the three black students who threatened him -- one of whom laid hands on him.

Since this regrettable drama started over 3.5 months ago no media outlet (or blog) has mentioned Dylan's name.  Yet Camila Carpio does so in an Internet petition which has the potential to be viewed by millions.

With factual errors bordering on libel.

Amherst NAACP promotes the petition on their Facebook page

 Camila Carpio ranting at January 28 Regional School Committee meeting

Springfield Republican Reports

No Ceremony For You!

 

Amherst Regional High School in bloom

Perhaps the most memorable rite of Spring around our education oriented Happy Valley is graduation day -- especially High School graduation.

A special time with your friends to celebrate what seemed like endless years of dedication and focus, all together as one BIG happy family, perhaps, for the very last time.

But this coming June, as some 240+ ARHS seniors march down the isle of the Mullins Center in their caps and gowns to the tune of "Pomp & Circumstance," one young man will be absent.

In fact he's been absent since January 27 -- the day Amherst Regional High School failed to open due to an "unforeseen circumstance." 

Dylan Akalis, age 18, a white Holyoke resident who "choiced in" to ARHS was on the receiving end of racial bullying by three black students because he dared to use the "N-word" (5 letter version ending in A) as a term of endearment with a friend who is black.

After repeated fruitless attempts by Dylan and his father (a school employee) to get the schools to protect him, Dylan desperately took matters into his own hands by naively posting a vague "threat" on a Facebook confessions site.

School Superintendent Maria Geryk quickly spotted the anonymous post, but by 3:00 a.m. Monday morning (January 27th) town  Information Technology Director Kris Pakunas had identified Dylan as the poster.

Amherst and Holyoke police interviewed the Akalis family that morning but the High School was closed anyway as a "precaution," while state bomb squad officers searched the building.  No bombs were discovered and Amherst police concluded that Dylan had never actually brought a handgun to school.  Ever.

The three black youth who bullied Dylan went unpunished while Dylan was banned for 12 school days, and his parents then decided to keep him out for the rest of his senior year.  Fortunately he already had enough credits to graduate.

Even the Schools internal investigation corroborated Dylan's story, concluding:  "There were separate behaviors during the series of events that are consistent with the definition of both bullying and racial harassment."

On Friday, May 9,  in a meeting with ARHS Principal Mark Jackson, Dylan's parents were shocked to learn he would not be allowed to march in the ARHS Mullins Center graduation ceremony -- even though Dylan has earned his diploma.

Principal Jackson seemed more concerned about public relations than safety, claiming that allowing Dylan to march with classmates could be disruptive.  However, no media have published Dylan's identify, so you have to wonder how a backlash could occur when the audience would not even recognize him?

Yes, the three black students and their parents know Dylan, but since they are all Juniors why would they attend the graduation ceremony this year?

If Dylan was a teacher of color being racially harassed, the Schools would have provided him a bodyguard.  But since he's just a white inner-city kid who will be attending Holyoke Community College rather than Harvard or Yale, he's on his own.

Makes you wonder how many other kids Amherst Public Schools write off because of the color of their skin?  Or should I say, lack of color. 

A Dangerous Indulgence

AFD on scene UMass Southwest area 2:15 a.m.

The first call came in at 1:59 AM, a routine as rain "still alarm" in a UMass high rise dorm.  Two minutes later it changed from routine to a full blown scramble as reports from UMPD indicated smoke in the building and an "orange glow" on the 14th floor causing a second call to all units, the dreaded "box alarm."

Almost instantly four fire engines and all available ambulances (two out of five) are converging on the scene.

 14th floor room where alarm originated (circled in red).  Beyond reach of Ladder trucks

Meanwhile just down Commonwealth Avenue, a river of students is converging on Kennedy dorm and the rest of the Southwest towers from a concert called, appropriately enough, "Code Black" that just let out at the Mullins Center.

The smoke , thankfully, turned out to be burnt popcorn.

 AFD packing up the hose

Even as all units were still making busy at the base of Kennedy tower two more calls came in for ETOH (intoxicated) students -- one at nearby John Quincy Adams tower and the other on the Amherst College campus.  

These, in addition to the half-dozen that had already occurred since midnight at the Mullins Center, all for intoxicated college aged youth.  Even though AFD Chief Tim Nelson had convinced facility management to have two ambulances (one from Easthampton and the other Belchertown) standing by as part of "Mullins Center Command" they were quickly overwhelmed by calls for service.

 AFD on scene Mullins Center 12:45 a.m.

At one point, around 12:45 a.m., two AFD ambulances were simultaneously tied up at the Mullins Center for intoxicated patrons.  In all the concert required 6 ambulance transports (one by Easthampton FD, 2 by Belchertown FD and 3 by AFD) as well as an additional 21 patients seen by paramedics on scene.

The alcohol induced drain on public safety also impacted police as both UMPD and APD assist AFD at the scene of all medical emergencies, even when it's simply substance abuse calls.

Oftentimes the calls to respond to an ETOH student included the addition information that the patient had fallen, resulting in a head laceration.

Eighteen months ago a young woman under the influence of alcohol fell while walking on Fearing Street, hitting her head on the unforgiving concrete curb, resulting in death. 

Last week my 12-year-old daughter fell from a horse resulting in a head and neck injury (which proved minor).  When my wife called 911, EMS was quick to arrive.  Late last night into early this morning, that vital lifesaving system was heavily taxed -- almost to the breaking point.

Mostly to preventable alcohol or drug related calls. 

   AFD Runs Mid-April 2014

Live Tweeting a disaster:

 

AFD E5 responding to UMPD headquarters for severely intoxicated male prisoner.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) April 13, 2014

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Shelter In A BIG Place

Springfield tornado 6/1/11

If a tornado ever does drop in on downtown Amherst as one did with Springfield almost three years ago, it's nice to know the Mullins Center is close by -- within walking distance for many of us.  

And after today's practice run involving 350 participants (and a bevy of dogs) that will be my destination point should my house fall prey to the destructive power of a funnel cloud, or any other form of catastrophe.

 UMPD Incident Command vehicle

The sheltering drill brought together all manner of emergency services -- UMPD, AFD, UMass Environmental & Safety, UMass EMS, Red Cross, all under the direction of UMass Medical Reserve Corps and UMass Office of Emergency Management.

 Check in started at 2:00 p.m.

 About 100 cots set up on the main floor

All participants were tracked by electronic bracelets keeping a data base of who checked in or out so authorities would have an accurate measure of the shelter's population.  And if loved ones called to find a missing person the data base would instantly indicate if that individual was on site.  

During the 2011 October Halloween snowstorm,  that knocked out power in Amherst for up to a week, the nearest emergency shelter was in Northampton. 

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Where There's Smoke

Ladder 1 and Engine 2 (quint) on scene Mullins Center last night

The Amherst Fire Department closed out a far from monotonous Monday searching for the cause of a fire alarm at the Mullins Center practice rink.  The call came in just before midnight and the combination of audible fire alarms sounding and eyewitness reports of "smoke in the building" caused it to be dispatched as a "box alarm", bringing a swift all-hands-on deck response.

 Engine 4 at Mullins Center

Turns out the alarm was triggered by a burned out fan motor in the ventilation system.

The chimney fire on Strong Street, called in around 8:30 p.m., was the real thing but firefighters managed to contain the blaze before it could do serious structural damage.

An hour earlier our versatile first responders assisted residents on Triangle Street with a flooded basement.

Engine 2 aerial ladder came in handy

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Baby It's Cold Outside

 AFD Engine 4 Mullins Center 1:45 PM

Amherst Fire Department was kept busy Saturday responding to alarms for broken water mains in numerous commercial buildings around town.

Fortunately the break at the Umass Mullins Center occurred earlier in the afternoon rather than just before the basketball game at 7:00 PM, since the sprinkler system also goes down. And that would certainly void the occupancy permit.

AFD Engine 1 & Engine 4 Fisher Home Hospice Center North Amherst 2:05 PM

The Fisher House Hospice Center was also a concern since the power had to be shut down briefly while AFD did their investigation with that water main break.

AFD Engine 1 at 25-35 University Drive 2:20 PM

Jessie's House family shelter alarm also for broken water main.  Plumber en route.  AFD command terminated.  #AmherstMA.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) January 4, 2014

AFD responding to UMass Life Science building for fire alarm and water activation alarm.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) January 4, 2014

Sunday:  The carnage continues ...

AFD Engine 1 responding to Ginger Garden Chinese restaurant Rt 9 #AmherstMA for "cracked sprinkler head".
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) January 5, 2014

DUI DIshonor Roll

Over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for DUI in 2010

The last two (alleged) drunk drivers of 2013, Jocelyn N Gozdowski age 22 and Gergory T Fitzpatrick, age 37, are fairly typical as DUI arrests go, but surprising not-so-typical since they close out the calender year bringing the total number of arrests to 127, down from 148 in 2012, or a drop of 15%. 

Could be the word has gotten out and people think twice about drunk driving through Amherst; or overworked APD didn't have the people power to target drunk drivers.   So maybe we just got lucky, unlike Daniel Haley. 

For instance our "typical" DUI, Mr. Fitzpatrick, was bagged Saturday night just after the sold out Mullins Center UMass basketball game ended.  He was pulled over on Triangle/Kellogg Streets only a mile or so from the facility.  How many drivers were on Amherst roads at that moment? 

How many innocent citizens going about their daily business without a care in the world?  Until suddenly you see those headlights bearing down, head on ...

Drunk Runs Escalate

 AFD and UMPD assist intoxicated UMass student early Sunday morning (12:53 AM)

Saturday night was even worse than Friday for all things alcohol in our little college town; but fortunately the calls were spread out -- just barely enough -- so mutual aid from a surrounding Fire Department was not required.

Of course it helps greatly that AFD brings in extra staffing on weekends, almost doubling from the weekday level of 7 first responders up to 13.  With that, five ambulances and a fire engine can be simultaneously staffed.

Ominously, the first ETOH call came in Saturday at 7:53 PM from the Mullins Center, during a UMass hockey game, for two intoxicated college aged youth, one male and one female.  The night before the first (of six) ETOH cases started later, at 9:18 PM.

Before the dawn of Sunday morning AFD would do 8 runs to UMass vs 6 the previous night.

But the one incident that stands out in my mind and makes me question whether things will ever get better occurred at Amherst College:  A3 is dispatched for an ETOH male at Crossett Dorm at 11:13 PM and upon arrival at the scene requests assistance from Engine 1.

 AFD Engine 1 and A3 Amherst College Saturday night 11:15 PM

While paramedics are all inside dealing with the patient, a pack of boisterous students in preppie attire walk by.  I hear one of them say loudly, "Go ahead, that would be awesome."

One young man sprints across the street to position himself alongside Engine 1, holds out his iPhone at arm's length taking "selfies" while holding up a can of beer in the other hand.  

Two hours later AFD would respond again to Amherst College for an ETOH female with a head laceration due to a fall.  Which of course could have been fatal.

I wonder if the smart ass who took the stupid selfies a few hours earlier gets that?

   AFD drunk runs mid-Oct by larry_kelley_1

 

Yes, 22 ETOH calls, almost two-third of them to UMass, is a new record for this year.

Ban The Blarney

 

McMurphy's downtown Amherst 3/10/12 10:45 AM

UPDATE (Sunday afternoon):   

Looks like the "Half Way to Blarney Blowout" promotion disappeared from the McMurphy's Facebook page over the past 24 hours. What's up with that? Something I said, hopefully.

Original Post:

"You're name is mud" may still be a familiar expression as the negativity is obvious -- even if you don't know the sad story of Dr. Mudd and his cold hearted patient, John Wilkes Booth. 

The term "Blarney Blowout," unlike the innocent doctor just doing his job,  has also earned a mud like moniker.  A well deserved one.

This promotion encourages exuberant college aged youth to consume copious amounts of alcohol starting very early in the day, all in the name of profit.  What could go wrong?

In July an Amherst man was acquitted of rape using the "morning-after-regret" defense.  Of course the morning after was a follow up to a day of partying during the "Blarney Blowout" 2011 edition.

And we already know the pernicious public safety impact of the 2013 event, when thousands of youth packed the quad area of Townhouse Apartments requiring a bevy of police (town, state and UMass) dressed in riot gear to bring under control. 

UMass/Amherst recently became serious about the dangers of out-of-control partying.  Cancelling Fantazia at the Mullins Center due to concerns over the drug "Molly" certainly demonstrate that. 

The 5-member Amherst Select Board are also the town's "Liquor Commissioners" (and ironically enough, "Sewer Commissioners".)

If Umass can impose its will on the privately operated Mullins Center to cancel a potentially dangerous production, the Select Board should follow suit and come down on McMurphy's Uptown Tavern like a ton of kegs.

And that's no blarney.

Giving responsible drinkers a bad name

Water, Water Everywhere

 

The town has issued a breaking news alert, unusual in that it really is breaking news, warning of bad things found in Amherst water.  No they have not issued a "boil water" alert, and the problem seems to be isolated to a small section of the system in the southern end of town.

DPW Chief Guilford Mooring confirms, "The heat (weather) is a factor and we will probably have to chlorinate the south side of Town for a while."  But he also pointed out reassuringly, "We had very low counts of total coliform colonies in the failed samples."

Back in late October, 2010 the public water tested worse than this time around and the town came within a drop of declaring a "boil water" alert.  At the time UMass was hosting a pair of sold out Phish concerts at the Mullins Center.

The town fired up its Emergency Operations Command to deal with the potential crisis, but follow up tests showed the problem went away.

Third Watch

 AFD at Mullins Center 1:30 AM for patient with "altered mental status"

Amherst police and firefighters were kept on the go last night (Friday) into early Saturday morning instigated by warm temperatures, alcohol, and opportunity:  That brief luxurious time period just after UMass classes are complete, but finals have not yet started. 

And yes, trouble areas were mostly the usual suspects:  a few outside unpermited bonfires on Phillips Street (#45 and #51), a loud party at 15/17 Fearing Street, a passed out drunk in front of College Pizza, and of course a DUI.

Around 12:45 AM a patrol car observed a vehicle driving erratically on South Pleasant Street dead in the heart of downtown.  He took a right on Northampton Road (Rt 9) with the patrol car in close pursuit, was pulled over and descended on by a swarm of cruisers.  The college aged youth flunked his Field Sobriety Test, was arrested and his car towed.

 Ernie's Towing escorts DUI vehicle to impound 1:15 AM

I retraced the trajectory of the vehicle, a potentially deadly weapon, and could not help but notice the downtown was especially active.  How many could have been seriously injured if he lost control and plunged into the crowd in front of Antonio's?

Antonio's downtown Amherst 1:00 AM

Dispatch recieved a call from a young lady around 2:10 AM complaining about a "loud party" at 69 Meadow Street. The Anonymous caller only wanted it "quieted down, but doesn't want anyone to get in trouble."  

Party hardy types apparently were not on the same page, as APD arrested two for "disorderly conduct".

 

69 Meadow Street, Amherst 

Making The Sausage

I did an interview yesterday with a nice young man from the UMass Journo program for his final paper -- specifically involving my favorite course, Journalism Ethics.

The easy question concerned whether I ever hesitate publishing names and addresses of perps arrested for bad behavior.  Well, no. 

But as usual it's the gray area questions that make you think.  Such as: do I give unfair out-of-proportion weight to one story or series of stories?  That I get accused of all the time.  Again talking Party Houses, DUI, and in general, rowdy student behavior. 

As of this morning, over 6 years, I've published 2,539 posts.  I did not even start my popular "Party House of The Weekend" series until November, 2010 and I have published under 200 of those, or less than 10%.

Or as a professional flack would say, "90% of Larry's stories do not concern rowdy student party houses."

My DUI Dishonor Role started 18 months ago, so there have been only around 30 of those posts, and only about half the "winners" are students.  So once again a very tiny percentage of overall articles.

And the widget on my main page that calculates my most "popular posts" of all time show 6 out of 10 are not related to rowdy student behavior. Thus I never feel pressured to come up with stories to fit that preordained narrative.

These days I have three levels of response to a story:  Level one is no more than a tweet.  Something I hear on the scanner or a quick photo of something that is borderline interesting, but not worthy of much more than 140 characters (but a photo is still worth 1,000 words).

Level 2 is it's worth more than a tweet, so it gets posted to my Facebook page (always a photo) as well.

And Level 3 is something that has risen to the level of posting here on the blog with a link (and intro headline) crossposted on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.  But yes, I occasionally have a slow news day where something whimsical still gets Level 3 treatment.

 

"Electric Flurry" photo tweeted last night around 10:00 PM

Last night, normally a Level 2 story, is a good example.  I expected the concert at the Mullins Center to be more of a problem than it turned out to be.  At 10:00 PM I tweeted a photo of the concert in progress with the report that AFD had already transported one to the hospital.

And then, the next morning (today) I posted on Facebook another photo from later in the concert when foam was being sprayed on concertgoers with the report that the event actually went quite well and the crowd was very well behaved.

Electric Flurry follow up photo posted to Facebook this AM

So sure, if it had been the disaster like some of the previous techno concerts I would have used a heavier Level 3 response.

And railed against the Mullins Center, UMass and clueless parents over youthful patrons tying up emergency responders due to their irresponsible activity, which I find unacceptable.

Now, however, the Mullins Center "Electric Flurry" concert has just risen to a Level 3 story anyway.   

And yes, today has been a slow news day ... so far.

(Repeat) Party House of the Weekend

 1190 North Pleasant Street, Saturday afternoon

With the official inauguration of UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, SoccerFest, Amherst's Sustainability Festival, events at Amherst College and the Ice Stars for Warriors event at the Mullins Center, our quaint little college town was in overdrive this past weekend.

As was revelry of the obnoxious kind. 

 

APD heading toward N Amherst bus stop for throng of students acting up

 

APD swoops in to suggest students get off the roof of former Watroba's

In all, Amherst Police made 38 arrests!  All but two for rowdy activity fueled by alcohol:  13 for noise  at numerous party houses, 13 for open container or underage drinking, 7 for "disorderly conduct" and one for DUI.

First up, the Bad Boys at  62 Summer Street -- all six of them!  

Arrested for noise violations Saturday night around 11:00 PM:

#####

220 North East St, Amherst

Next up, and about an hour later  (midnight Saturday) but in another part of town, 220 North East Street:

owned, naturally, by an LLC. 

 

Late Friday night into early Saturday morning Towne House Apartments --  #87 in particular -- was once again the scene of a large enough party to attract a police response. And four arrests:

 #####

Alpha Tau Gamma, 118 Sunset Avenue

And of course what would a rowdy weekend be without some assist from a Frat: Alpha Tau Gamma, where an outdoor party was warned by APD Saturday at 1:00 PM and again at 5:00 PM.   Still, in the early morning hours of Sunday, one overly combative Jacob Scott Dennis, 15 Aztec Way, Sharon, MA, age 22, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest and Simple Assault. 

The Hobart Hoedown failed to materialize (stationing a cruiser at the entrance to the complex helps) but an altercation did occur at 51 Hobart Lane 2:30 AM Sunday morning with police arresting perps for Disorderly Conduct:

Dominick M Ferrante, 88 Old Greenfield Road, Shelburne Falls, MA, age 21 and Tyson Dowdy, 4 Chapman, Greenfield, Ma, age 23

Once again a ubiquitous police presence -- UMPD, APD and State PD -- managed to keep a lid on any major disturbances, although if you are a neighbor to any of these cited party locations, not much consolation.

 

State Police K9 unit responds to disturbance near Old Towne Tavern