If You Build It

Town of Amherst, born 1759.  UMass/Amherst born 1863

This afternoon's meeting of the Town Gown Steering Committee, the first after a preliminary presentation earlier this month from their $60,000 consultant, was by far the best attended meeting since the super-committee was formed almost one year ago, with the audience numbering around 50.

Besides the usual crowd of neighbors living near the University, housing developers, business folks and elected town officials this meeting, for the first time, also attracted many students, most of them fraternity members.

Considering "college aged youth" make up the majority demographic in town it was nice to see that ratio nearly matched at this meeting which greatly concerns the future of the town and our flagship institute of higher education.

 Town Gown Steering Committee

The critical component upon which much hope rests is the Public Private Partnership model.  A private company develops a mixed use (housing and commercial) "student village" that increases housing supply for students (our #1 demographic) and commercial space for goods and services to sell them.

But the key requirement as far as the town is concerned is that the project be on the tax rolls.  UMass is the #2 landowner in town, behind #1 Amherst College.  As a tax exempt educational institution UMass pays no direct property taxes to the town, which has the highest property tax in the area, mostly shouldered by homeowners.

Good crowd on hand, including students

When an audience member asked why businesses seem to do well in Hadley compared to Amherst Committee member David Webber, also Chair of the Planning Board, pointed out Amherst Town Meeting prioritizes open space over development, trying to maintain that small town feel.

And any pro development zoning change requires a two-thirds vote of that legislative body.  So until more progressive members are elected in larger numbers, economic development will continue to be an unrealized dream.

A couple of audience members suggested the University buy the run down tenements on Phillips Street and build a housing project for staff, faculty and grad students.

Back in 2006 UMass purchased 5 fraternity/sorority houses adjacent to Phillips Street, a slum area known as "Frat Row", and demolished them.  The property now sits as open space.

Rolf Karlstrom

Downtown businessman Nick Seamon, owner of the Black Sheep Deli, voiced concern over the idea of commercial projects being built on state property competing with the downtown and pointed out UMass food services is already "swallowing up" downtown food establishments.  He suggested the Town could help downtown business by building a "real garage."

Most of the students who spoke to the committee identified themselves as fraternity members and extolled the benefits of Greek life, pointing out they have more oversight than students who rent single family homes.

Maurianne Adams, a 40 year resident and long time neighborhood activist, told the Steering Committee this year long process was the first time she had witnessed the University and town really coming together to work for their own common good.  She closed enthusiastically:  "This has been a real morale boost for those of us who have lived here for many years."

Of course the elephant in the room was the March 8 Blarney Blowout incident, made even more palpable with the impending release of the  $160,000 Davis Report.

Recent editorials in our two local papers lament the lateness of the report, saying it should have been released before the students' return. 

Uncontrolled students -- as small a percentage as that may be -- feeds the ubiquitous  anti-development behavior of Amherst Town Meeting, and the Blarney Blowout was the ultimate day of debauchery.

The Town Gown Steering Committee should orchestrate a pubic meeting just like today's to discuss the Davis Report with all the stakeholders -- especially students.

Because until we solve the problem of rowdy student behavior, all of these development projects are but a pipe dream.

 Blarney Blowout busts

What NOT To Call A Police Officer

Phillips Street, midnight 9/1/14

As I pointed out in my weekend wrap up, Phillips Street -- the slummiest street in Amherst -- was almost impassable to vehicular traffic just after midnight in the Sunday overnight leading into Labor Day morning.

Problem with that is an ambulance or fire truck can't make it down the street, and when you mix that large a crowd with equally large amounts of alcohol it's not uncommon for an ambulance or firetruck to be needed in a hurry.

So Amherst police, acting like herding dogs, will move in to redirect the crowd.


Obviously Luke V. Gatti did not want to be herded ...

Click to enlarge/read

Page 2 continues:  "a temper tantrum like behavior.  Mr. Gatti then clenched his hands and held his arms in a defiant manner consistent with an agitated state.  He was arrested for Disorderly Conduct."

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Tuesday Judge Payne imposed a $100 (Court cost) fine and placed Mr. Gatti on probation for four months.

 Luke Gatti, age 18, stands before Judge John Payne

About 30 minutes after his original arraignment Mr. Gatti returned to the courtroom to ask Judge Payne for extra time to pay the $100 fine, as he did not want to place it on his credit card. 

Makes you wonder who gets to see a copy of his monthly statement.

Dog Bites Children Story

 New sign at Crocker Farm Elementary School

I'm feeling remiss to even publish the link to this petition on everyone's favorite left wing platform, Change.org, since I'm sure it will probably stimulate a signature or two and School Superintendent Maria Geryk tells me she gets livestreamed email notification with each signature.  Yikes!

I always thought not having dogs on school grounds during school hours was the kind of thing you did not need to put signs up over.  Kind of like those warnings on motor oil not to drink the product.

Considering today's front page Gazette article confirms the dog that viciously attacked two school children on school grounds during school hours still has not been identified, thus forcing the children to undergo rabies vaccination, it's probably not the best time to start such a petition drive.

I was also a little taken aback by the Gazette naming the two children.  Our local hometown newspaper has a policy of not naming sexual assault victims so why should dog assault be any different -- especially when they are juveniles.

I've named (and received bitter criticism over it) college aged youth who died via heroin overdose or falling while under the influence of alcohol or even a suicide victim who used a dangerous (to first responders) chemical cocktail in an enclosed automobile. 

But I would not have named the children involved in this traumatic event, even with parent permission.

Although I would be happy to publish the name of the irresponsible dog owner who selfishly left the scene thus sentencing those two children to a scary procedure.

Anyone have any tips? 

First Lockdown of the School Year

File this under the "that didn't take long" department.  And no, the dog biting incident at Crocker Farm Elementary School last week doesn't count since the school did not go into lockdown.  Although it was a traumatic enough incident.

Sometimes saying only a little about an incident is worse than saying nothing at all.  And in the Amherst Public School system, you never have to worry about them saying too much.

Obviously parents who received this email are wondering why the heck an entire elementary school would enter lockdown simply because one child "fell ill" on the playground.

Click to enlarge/read

What the heck was the illness, Flesh-eating bacteria?

Last year was a travesty of loony lockdowns.  This year is not starting well.

ARPS Employee Handbook procedures

AFD Labor (intensive) Day Weekend

AFD Engine 1

In spite of four additional  professional firefighters funded by UMass over the long weekend allowing for five ambulances to be staffed, we still needed mutual aid assist from Northampton FD for an emergency call at Amherst College in the Sunday overnight.

While UMass still has far too many ETOH (overly intoxicated) runs, the percentages seem to be improving. Last spring oftentimes the majority of EMS runs to our flagship University were alcohol related.

Although I suspect some of those trauma via falls with head injury could have been somewhat alcohol related.

   AFD Labor Day Weekend Runs

And So It Begins ...

 

This Frathouse sign raised a few eyebrows from parents (and generated a few calls to APD)

Yeah, I know a bit of a cliched headline.  But the two most common refrains to my live tweeting and Facebooking the festivities over this l-o-n-g weekend was that line along with, "They're baaaaaaack."

Northwestern District Attorney Dave Sullivan was in Court this morning.  Message to students:  "Respect your neighbors, respect yourself."

I even heard both those comments in the halls of Eastern Hampshire District Court this morning, where proceedings were delayed by 20 minutes in order to properly process the paperwork from 20 Amherst police arrests.

Yes, almost all of the arrests were alcohol related and almost all of those involved Umass students.

As usual the District Court used the "diversion" program (converting infractions from criminal to civil) to more efficiently handle the caseload.  For "open container" infractions the perps will pay $300 town bylaw fine, $100 in court costs, take the Brains at Risk alcohol education program at UMass, and be on probation for four months.

For the "minor in possession:" $100 court costs, Brains at Risk program and four months probation.

 Junior Meach stands before Judge Payne for DUI.  Case continued to 10/23

Surprisingly there was only one Driving Under the Influence arrest, Junior Meech, but that doesn't include the driver in the somewhat spectacular accident on South East Street last night, because he has not yet been processed.

 DUI incident 706 South East Street last night. PD arrested Ailton Correia, 22

UMPD had only one arrest compared to APDs twenty, so maybe UMass/Amherst scientists have developed a good behavior force field that encapsulates the sprawling campus.

Phillips Street was almost impassable Sunday night around midnight

Things That Go Bump In The Night

The car driven by Ailton N. Correia, age 22, was traveling at a good clip down a hill on scenic South East Street and careened off the road hitting a tree immediately in front of a solid brick house.

Many emergency vehicles were on scene

Both occupants were ejected from the vehicle and both were transported to Baystate Critical Care unit in Springfield (rather than a routine transport to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton).

 Officers take measurements for accident investigation

An Amherst Police officer accompanied the ambulances to Bay State and the driver of the car, Ailton N. Correia, 22 was arrested for driving under the influence.

 

Car cut a swath through bushes, across lawn, into tree near house

706 South East Street  Still debris on lawn morning after