More trees to fall?

Rosemary Street North Amherst

Shade Tree Committee Chair Hope Crolius gamely gave a brief presentation/report on the opening night of Amherst Town Meeting, where she acknowledged that "trees are not everybody's favorite part of the ecosystem about now," but implored the legislative body to "keep your faith in trees, despite any havoc they may have wrought on your cars, houses or lawns."

As she retreated from the podium, Town Meeting, uncharacteristically, applauded.

So as you can imagine, she responded cautiously last night as a homeowner on Rosemary Street, a bucolic subdivision in North Amherst built in the mid-to-late 1990s, made a pitch to whack all the healthy Norway Maple trees because they are an "invasive species," and replace them with a presumably tamer "native species."

Committee member Bob Erwin thought, after the recent devastation to our urban tree canopy, this idea was doubly bad: both the timing of this request and the precedent it may set. The seven member Shade Tree Committee took no position but suggested the homeowner poll his neighbors to ascertain their opinions.

The Shade Tree Committee is a sub-committee of the more powerful Conservation Commission, and either committee can make recommendations to the Tree Warden (Alan Snow) who has state authority to remove trees in the public way. Those who disagree and wish to appeal a decision of the Tree Warden can appeal to the Select Board who has final authority over the public ways.

Tree Warden Alan Snow

The town could charge the homeowner $55/diameter inch to have the trees taken down (most are in the 6" to 10" range) by a private contractor, also at his expense. Or if the town likes the idea of clear cutting and replanting a new species, it could all be done at taxpayer expense.


Unless of course they ask the Lorax for an opinion.

Amherst Shade Tree Committee 11/15/11

Firefighters union, finally, signs contract

AFD Central Station

After more than a year of working without a contract the Amherst Firefighters Local 1764 settled with the town garnering 1% salary increase (retroactive) for last year and January 1, 2012 a 2% salary increase and July 1, 2012 another 2% salary increase. BUT, no increase in staffing!

Currently Amherst is covered 24/7 with a minimum staffing level of 7, half that of our comparable sister city Northampton, which has 14.

The teachers union recently inked a two year contract with a 1.5% pay increase while non union school employees (bus drivers, janitors, secretaries, etc) settled for 0%; and on the town side non union employees (department heads) received 2% and the Town Manager a whopping 10%. SEIU 888 with about 70 municipal members is also being offered 0% but will go into mediation for a contract resolution.

AFD Chief Tim Nelson Firefighter Union President Stephen Gaughan

Town Website breaks the news
Press release from Firefighters Union (note extra paragraph the town nixed on their post...hmmm)
3:45 PM UPDATE: So apparently between noon when I published this and late this afternoon, the town corrected their posting on the website to include the extra paragraph that had been inadvertently left off.

Say it ain't so Scott

Senator Scott Brown: dressed for a hike

I find it hard to believe that Senator Scott Brown would turn down the opportunity to speak at the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association, a conglomeration of every daily newspaper and about half the weeklies in the state of Massachusetts where he is now in pretty much a dead heat with a political rookie rock star, Elizabeth Warren--who is going to speak at the old fashioned Fourth Estate luncheon.

I mean, this is the guy who came to the People's Republic of Amherst--ground zero for entrenched liberal ideology dating back to the 1960s. Can a roomful of journalists possibly be any worse?

Sure newspapers are nowhere near what they used to be for providing news and information to the masses--especially those under age 30--but they are still a formidable institution, rock solid with older folks who always vote.

I don't care if your campaign is three times richer than Ms. Warren's, news coverage is priceless--and free!

Henry Street North Amherst this morning (not sure if they are a supporter or not)

Party House(s) of the Weekend

51 North East Street

I guess we should be thankful that Veterans Day fell on a Friday rather than today, because a long weekend with a Monday holiday combined with the warm weather and bright moon last night would only have made for another excuse to rock the neighborhoods of Amherst.

But the Party Boys and Girls needed no such excuse, as Friday into early Saturday seemed to be the party night of choice. Safe bet none of them were veterans.

And this week we have--to no great surprise--repeat offenders:

According to APD narrative (12:51 am)

Loud large party observed upon arrival at 51 North East Street. Residents and guest would not cooperate with officers. Tenants placed under arrest for TBL (Town Bylaw) noise.

Jackson McCabe Barber, 21 Taft St, Marblehead, MA, age 22
Samuel Casey Johnson 37 Pyramid Lane, Scituate, MA, age 22

Property ownership card for 51 North East street

571 Main Street (Midnight Friday)

571 Main Street (Painted Lady)

Loud large party at listed location. Daniel Morgan was less than cooperative and confrontational. Miles Mulman attempted to clear the house but failed to do so in adequate time. Due to Morgan's lack of cooperation he was placed under arrest for TBL noise violation and Mulman summoned for same offense.

Miles Mulman, 10 Palmer Rd, Marblehead, MA, age 22
Daniel Morgan, 100 Sampson Parkway, Pittsfield, MA, age 21
Property card for 571 Main Street

219 East Pleasant Street 12:37 AM

Loud party at listed address with yelling and screaming

Arrested for unlawful noise:
Hunter Alexander, 67 Cypress Street, Norwood, MA, age 19
Catherine McAuliffe, 219 East Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, age 19
Suzanne Katherin Metro, 16 Barker Rd, Acton, MA, age 20

Property Card for 219 East Pleasant St

All too typical scary weekend for AFD Click to view (ETOH is code for passed out drunk)

Amherst Remembers

A healthy Town Manager addresses the sparse crowd

Empty chairs probably outnumbered the veterans or spectators who never put on the uniform, but at least Amherst took the time to remember and say "thank you." I wish I could say the same for our citizenry.

UMass doubles down on AFD

AFD Central Station

Over the past couple weekends our overstretched emergency services first responders--you know the ones who proudly emblazon "Amherst" on all their vehicles--had to rely on neighboring fire departments to cover calls because all five Amherst ambulances were tied up dealing with inebriated students.

A few years back, UMass, our largest employer, essentially banned alcohol on campus--thus pushing the problem into surrounding neighborhoods and Amherst town center (much to the delight of some bars and slumlords).

Now our economic Juggernaut has arrogantly decided to reduce Health Services hours on campus thus shifting even more of the burden onto our already stressed-to-the-breaking-point Fire Department. This is unacceptable. Either UMass should donate enough money to hire a few additional Amherst firefighters or continue to be responsible for their students health needs.

According to their $100,300 annual salary Senior Public Relations Manager Ed Blaguszewski, "The reduction in hours could mean a bump in ambulance service calls to take students to area hospitals. It’s too soon to tell.”

Easy for him say--he lives in Greenfield!

UMass Health Center

No dogs at Puffer's Pond

Jake and Jada

Tonight, under a full moon, the Amherst Conservation Commission voted 4 in favor 1 opposed with 1 abstention to nix the off leash policy for dogs at Puffer's Pond North Beach, usually referred to as "Dog Beach," and simply ban dogs from both beaches (and in the water) at the popular North Amherst seasonal destination spot.

The Commission spent the vast majority of the 75 minute discussion period talking about the off leash policy at Amethyst Brook and Mill River Conservation areas.

The first vote on a motion by member Todd Walker (a long distance runner who uses the trails frequently) to enact a leash law at both Mill River and Amethyst Brook--a measure supported by animal control officer Carol Hepburn and Conservation Director David Ziomek--failed with a 3-3 vote.

The compromise motion that overwhelmingly passed 5-1, which Mr Walker considered "no compromise at all", maintains for another six months the ten year old status quo, but restricts the hours for dogs to roam free from dawn until 10:00 AM. New signage will be erected with the off leash hours and rule that dogs must always be under voice control. The commission also strongly encourages the town manager seek to establish a dog park.

With a population in town of around 1,400, it's too bad dogs can't vote.