Somewhat Sultry Saturday

Butterfield Terrace 12:30 p.m.

The rains held off today.  A good thing if you're into frisbee, running or cycling.  Not so good if you're a public safety first responder dealing with the final weekend before graduation in a college town.

— Barstool UMASS (@UMassBarstool) May 3, 2014

College Street (Rt 9) 3:00 p.m.

 

Corner Main Street and South Whitney 5:00 p.m.

 

Town center midnight.  Somebody plugged in the Merry Maple

UPDATE:  Sunday morning

So no, thankfully, there were no Hobart Hoedown or Blarney Blowout type incidents last night into the early morning.  

As usual the bewitching hours (10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.) produced the usual alcohol related calls:  Large noisy party at 351 Potwine Lane around 1:30 a.m. and another one busted up 15 minutes later at 310 West Street and around that same time a backyard camp fire/party at 140 Sunset Avenue doused. 

Hobart Lane private security also caught and detained a young man trying to set fire to the dumpster that was torched a couple dozen times last year. 

Police were also requested by a reporting party who sounded drunk, complaining that his girlfriend was escorted into a Party House on the corner of Main Street and South Whitney (pictured above), but he was rejected.

And APD also responded to an apartment complex on East Hadley Road for another caller, who also sounded drunk, complaining he had been, "punched in the face."

Yeah, it's all fun and games until somebody gets punched in the face. 

Baby You Were Born To Run

Leader of the pack:  Crocker Farm Principal Derek Shea

Over 100 runners, walkers, and few young'uns in aerodynamic strollers descended on Wildwood Elementary School this morning for the 4th Annual Spring Sprint put on by the Amherst Education Foundation with all proceeds to benefit the public schools.

 

Clare Bertrand armed and dangerous with bullhorn and starter gun

The weather was threatening but no rain, hail, or funnel clouds descended over the time it usually takes to complete a 5K (3.1 miles).

 

Rounding the first turn with APD assistance

The Cost of Mistakes?

Rob Detweiler: Still on Administrative Leave

The schools are the largest employer in Amherst town government so it's not surprising that a tiny number of employees come and go under somewhat mysterious circumstances.

In the private sector, taxpayers in general --or even customers in particular -- have no right to know why a popular employee suddenly disappears.

Although in most cases, where the reasons are somewhat benign, the business may be forthcoming when you ask what happened to your favorite aerobics instructor, barista or convenience store clerk.

But a public entity using public money owes the general public an explanation. 

   Rob Detweiler Case

Public Documants czar to ARPS attorney Giny Tate 3 years ago (which they ignored):

Rob Detweiler still shows up on ARPS website as Director of Finance and Operations

Amherst Bulletin reports

And Another One Gone

 80 West Street, Amherst

Jamie Cherewatti, aka Eagle Crest Management, North Pleasant Street Partners LLC, Railroad Street Partners and perhaps a dozen more LLCs just purchased the home at 80 West Street (Rt 116) for $160,000.

Yes, the house and property is valued at $207,200 so he paid well below that, but the house is a tad distressed.  I live only a few houses away so it's directly on the way to Crocker Farm School, and my kids have dubbed it "the scary house."

But considering the demographic market Mr. Cherewatti caters to, it could become even scarier.

Two months ago Cherewatti purchased a four-unit complex at 310 Belchertown Road, adjacent to his Echo Village Apartments, which he purchased last year for $3 million.  

Democratic Bully Pulpit

 

Vince O'Connor on the attack

Vince O'Connor is now 1 for 2 after last night's epic fail at an attempt to hack 10% from the Planning Department budget, which was to go hand-in-hand with with his 79-74 victory Monday night to increase Social Service spending (charitable organizations) by $125,000.

So obviously many of the 79 Town Meeting members who supported his motion to bring Social Service spending back into the routine budget disagreed on his version of financing that.

Even though Mr. O'Connor last night backed away significantly from his original plan to cut $200,000 from Planning Department by reducing the amount to $100,000 -- still a 10% cut. 

O'Connor also appeared yesterday afternoon at the Rental Implementation Bylaw Group to discuss his other (of many) Town Meeting articles, #42, which originally would, "suspend the operation and enforcement of the Rental Permit bylaw" until a new more "inclusive" committee is formed.

Yeah just what Amherst needs: yet another committee, working group, or task force.

This too he has now watered down significantly by removing the threat to "suspend the operation" and now simply wants the new committee to make recommendations.  Building Commissioner Rob Morra will take Mr. O'Connor's suggestions to the Town Manager and if he buys in to the grand scheme O'Connor will move to dismiss Article #42.

Kind of a toothless threat since Town Meeting overwhelmingly supported the Rental Permit Bylaw last year  and like all new bylaws it also had to pass muster with the Attorney General.  And yes some folks (parties with a vested interest no doubt) tried unsuccessfully to sabotage that.

Plus Article #42 is last on the list of a l-o-n-g Warrant.   When the weather turns terrific with thoughts drifting to summer vacations, the last thing Town Meeting members want to do is listen to Mr. O'Connor drone on, and on, and ...

If It Ain't Broke ...

 

Maurianne Adams, Phil Jackson, Rob Morra (Building Commissioner)

The Rental Bylaw Implementation Group heard a detailed report this afternoon from Building Commissioner Rob Morra on the implementation of the new Amherst rental registration and permit bylaw which went into effect January 1st

Originally it was thought the town had 1,570 rental properties that needed to comply, but after a mailing to all of them Morra reports a number of phone calls from homeowners who should not have been on the list.

After the dust cleared, about 1,300 properties remained.  So far just over 1,000 have paid the $100 fee, filled out the forms and received their permits.

18 have already gone before the Zoning Board of Appeals for a parking permit or to remove a "owner occupancy" condition on their original Special Permit and another 40-50 remain in the pipeline for Zoning hearings.

But that still leaves around 250 who are not in compliance and do not seem interested in coming into compliance.  Next week the town will send them a "more formal notice of violation" with a short two week time frame for coming into compliance.

If not, the Building Commissioner will issue fines which will be enforced by Eastern Hampshire District Court.

Morra reports that the 250 outliers are almost all "absentee owners" and that local well known landlords have been extremely cooperative, as has the Zoning Board of Appeals with rental housing related cases.  

Amherst police Chief Scott Livingtone has agreed to work with the town's Information Technology department to allow Noise and Nuisance tickets and arrests to be made available on the Amherst Rental Permitting page of the town website.  Morra hopes this will happen over the summer.

Currently the database only includes building code and zoning violations.  Considering the impetus for the entire permit system was the noxious influence party houses were having on neighborhoods it only makes sense to include police data.

 Vince O'Connor, a 40 year Amherst rental tenant

The Committee also heard from Town Meeting member Vince O'Connor, who filed a petition article (#42) to, "suspend the operation and enforcement of the bylaw" until after a new more inclusive committee is appointed by the Moderator consisting of 8 Town Meeting members -- four of them tenants (but one has to be an undergrad student) and four homeowners (at least one a rental housing owner).

In other words a do over.

O'Connor has now amended the article to take out, "suspend the operation and enforcement" of the bylaw and the new committee of eight would simply review the current Self-Certification Checklist and make suggestions to the Town Manager, Select Board and report to Town Meeting in the Fall.

Morra and three-out-of-four members of the Rental Bylaw Implementation Bylaw Group, while remaining polite, did not seem overly impressed with Mr. O'Connor's idea. 

You Can Always Go ...

 Children's Memorial Flag (in red)

Downtown Amherst is a tad more colorful at the moment with the bright red Children's Memorial Flag flying from the flagpole near Town Hall and the strip of lawn between the pole and the historic old brick building sprouting colorful pinwheels.

April is "Child Abuse Awareness Month," and the Northwestern District Attorney's office and the town are doing their part to make folks aware.  The same tagline used for terrorism probably applies equally well to suspected child abuse:  "If you see something, say something."

DPW workers forgot to take down one of the 25 or so commemorative flags that went up for a few days to remember Patriot's Day.   Probably because it blended in to the Bank of America color scheme.  Maybe after Labor Day they will forget to take them all down until, say, September 12.

 A lone commemorative flag in the heart of the downtown

The League of Women Voters book sale is coming to the town common this weekend, and workers have already erected the huge tent.  This annual event, marking its 66th year, predates the annual Farmers Market or weekly Sunday anti-war protests by decades. 

Amherst League of Women Voters subscribe to the Big Tent doctrine

 Sweetser Park fountain, bone dry

And while the Gazette certainly got all excited on Friday about Sweetser Park fountain bumbling again, it did not last long: the pump died.  DPW Chief Guilford Mooring said a new one should be installed by this coming weekend.

Sweetser Park fountain in Amherst bubbling again after remaining dry all last summer http://t.co/zYAIRKRg1q
— GazetteNET.com (@GazetteNET) April 26, 2014