Power of Positive Thinking

Amherst Town Hall:  Flying the UN flag for over 40 years

After the controversial year in the Amherst public schools, amplified by mishandling, it's obvious they could use some Public Relations input.  But I'm not so sure a traditional PR flack is the answer -- especially when it's only a part-time position.

What the town and schools really need is a PR savvy department-head-level position, filled by a person with common sense who can give recommendations to executive decision makers BEFORE they make a major faux pas.

Cancel "West Side Story" because it offends a 17-year-old Hispanic girl?  Condone the  only High School production of "Vagina Monologues" in the nation and allow teen aged girls to shout the "C-word" at the top of their lungs (what's next, the N-word?).

Not just "no," but "Are-out-of-your-fu@king-mind" kind of No.  A booming, resonating NO that gets the attention of a clueless PC Superintendent and prevents a public relations disaster played out on a national stage.

The Town also needs such a gatekeeper, perhaps even more so than the Schools.  At least the Schools have a mayor-like leader who pretty much does as she wishes and to Hell with diffident School Committees.  

In town government power is schizophrenically split between the part-time amateur elected overseers, the venerable 5 person Select Board, their appointed CEO the Town Manager and the doddering white clan of 254 do-gooders, Town Meeting.

Refuse to fly commemorative American flags on 9/11?  Well you might as well ban a July 4th Parade or place a tax on Boy Scouts selling Christmas trees. 

Monumental mistakes even a Madison Avenue flack would have trouble smoothing over.

We're Number 37!

 APD keeps the streets safe

Yes of course Amherst is a safe community -- probably more so than some of the other 36 Massachusetts cities and towns rated higher for safety. After all, we were one of the first to go "nuclear free" in the 1980s and just last May, "drone free".

If you can't trust a company that sells home security systems, who can you trust?

But I would feel a little more comfortable celebrating the distinction if they knew that Amherst was located in the western part of the state and not "central Massachusetts".

As a "college town" Amherst has the lowest median age population in the entire state, so our main problem seems to be a byproduct of alcohol (and other drugs) mixed with the exuberance of youth.

And they don't sell a home system to neutralize that.

DUI Dishonor Roll

 

In 2011, 114 of the 9,878 nationwide drunk driving fatalities occurred in Massachusetts

If you are drunk enough to get lost on a main thoroughfare (Rt. 116) in South Amherst, probably the last person you want to show up to give you directions is an Amherst police officer.  She was directed/escorted back to 111 Main Street, APD headquarters.

It would be almost humorous except for the fact Tameeka Zuvers-Crews, age 44, was attempting to pilot a potentially deadly weapon.

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Also in the wee hours of Monday morning:

 

I Am What I Am

 ARPS Superintendent Maria Geryk, the town's highest paid employee

As part of the state mandated comprehensive evaluation of Amherst Regional Schools Superintendent Maria Geryk that played out last week at the circus-like Regional School Committee meeting the Superintendent had to present the committee with a "self evaluation".

Out of the five overall goals she considered two of them "met" and the other three showed "significant progress."  All in all, not too bad as self evaluations go. 

The Regional School Committee seemed to agree and 7 of the 11 gave her a sterling review with 2 abstaining (being only recently elected) and 2 seemed to disagree.

Pelham SC members: Tara Luce abstained, Trevor Baptiste voted "no" and will issue his own evaluation

No mention or discussion of the racial incidents that fractured decorum over this past school year or the unjust treatment of a white student bullied by three black students, or even the inept implementation of a ban on nuts.

There was some mention of the many "lockdowns" during the year and follow up meetings with police to "adjust procedures".  So let's hope that solves the problem.

And next year the High School and Middle School will have cameras installed in the hallways, although the problem with racist graffiti occurred in the bathrooms, where you can't very well install cameras.

   Maria Geryk Self Evaluation

DUI Double Trouble

 Blake Spencer, age 24, stands before Judge John Payne

This morning in Eastern Hampshire District Court Judge John Payne sentenced Blake A. Spencer, age 24, to ninety (90) days in the House of Correction, otherwise known as the "big house" ... but suspended the sentence for two years.

The Judge then admonished Mr. Spencer to stay for away from trouble in the meantime as any altercation with the law over the next two years will instantly trip the 90 day sentence.

Spencer was originally arrested by APD in mid-February, 2013 after he was seen stumbling to his car at Village Park Apartments while screaming obscenities. He was pulled over and arrested for DUI.

Since it was only his first offense the case was continued without a finding for a year. In April he was arrested in Belchertown after crashing into a guard rail and leaving the scene.

The officer noted the strong smell of alcohol, glassy eyes, and he seemed to have trouble understanding the simple verbal request for a license and registration.

Most telling of all, he took the Breathalyzer back at the station and blew a .12 (50% over the .08 threshold).

In addition to the two years probation with a 90 day jail sentence hanging over his head, Spencer will complete a 14 day in-house treatment program for his alcohol problem, pay $600 in standard fines, and lose his license for two years.

What Our Flag Represents

9/11/2012 New York City financial district

My only concern with painting a crosswalk to resemble an American flag is that flag protocol forbids letting the flag touch the ground, and especially frowns on  treading all over it .   

But obviously those are (unenforced) rules and regulations for an actual American flag, the kind made of cloth or polyester and designed to be flown.

Besides, if it's good enough for New York City on the most sacred of anniversaries than it's good enough for me.  

Apparently not, however, for our sister city to the west, that other bastion of enlightened liberalism, Northampton.  "NoHo" to hipsters, or just plain "Hamp" to longtime residents.  

I would expect flag phobic Amherst to summarily dodge the idea of a patriotic crosswalk in the downtown, but I'm a little surprised by the Northampton Board of Public Works suddenly saying it's not in their jurisdiction to allow a patriotic crosswalk when they already allowed the rainbow one.

In my ill fated speech to Amherst Town Meeting seven years ago I invoked that same comparison, to no avail.



Let's hope Northampton comes to their senses before they start being compared to Amherst.  On a national stage. 

"Proficient to Exemplary Rating"

Maria Geryk, Amherst Town Meeting 5/7/14

Anytime a high ranking appointed public official is evaluated by elected amateurs -- especially a particularly docile board like the Regional School Committee -- I always factor in the tumultuous 1968 election where LBJ "won" New Hampshire, but only by 7 percentage points over upstart Eugene McCarthy (49% to 42%), and later dropped out of the race.

Is this year-end evaluation of Amherst Regional Public Schools Superintendent Maria Geryk really more "Exemplary" than "Proficient"?   Should she have scored a LOT higher?  

Or considering the tumultuous year at Amherst Regional High School, a LOT lower?

(Safe bet she will not be dropping out.)

   Maria Geryk Evaluation