Items by LarryK4

• And so this is Christmas...

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 2
  Another successful season for Christmas tree sales by the Amherst/Pelham Boy Scouts. And this year, no $1/tree tax from the Town Mangler. [...]
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  Posted: December 21, 2009, 12:40pm EST
  by LarryK4

• And so this is Christmas...

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 7
  [...]
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  Posted: December 19, 2009, 9:16am EST
  by LarryK4

• But their flag is still there

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 9
  
  So the Cowls family is calling it quits on their signature sawmill operation that represents nine generations of family blood, sweat and tears. The fundamental business model (and anybody who ever took a Business 101 course knows the 80/20 Rule--where 80% of your profit comes [...]
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  Posted: December 17, 2009, 2:14pm EST
  by LarryK4

• Do they really have to ask?

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 26
  My friends at the Springfield Republican are doing a survey looking for the "top local news story of the decade." One of the many possible responses is: "The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 claim the lives of at least 18 people with ties to Western Massachusetts."
  
  You don't' [...]
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  Posted: December 16, 2009, 9:21am EST
  by LarryK4

• Let the scare tactics begin

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 27
  
  So just as he did three years ago to lay the groundwork for an ill-fated $2.5 million Proposition 2.5 Override, the Town Manager is already threatening to take a meat cleaver to public safety items. This time it's that most basic of safety measures a [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 9:33am EST
  by LarryK4

• "The sun will come out tomorrow", and 5 years hence

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 59
  Image borrowed from:http://thetattytruth.wordpress.com/
  
  Life in the news delivery world five years down the road will be: a narrative told by a genius, full of the sound and fury, signifying everything (to everybody). Or, a Hell of a lot of data/information from which a viewer can [...]
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  Posted: December 13, 2009, 9:53am EST
  by LarryK4

• David Pollack remembered

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 6
  
  So it was one of those serendipitous virtual/real world interactions this evening when my family and I went out for dinner at the Amherst Brewing Company in the heart of downtown Amherst, and the tables next to us became a gathering spot for friends of [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 9:23pm EST
  by LarryK4

• Ice Man

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 12
  [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 3:20pm EST
  by LarryK4

• A fitting tribute to Lt. David Pollack, Ph.D.

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 12
  
  
  It has been hung on the wall at North Station since the day Dave graduated. His father accepted his Ph.D. on his behalf on May 22nd.
  
  Dave and his family received a standing ovation from every single person in the Mullins Center... [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 6:22pm EST
  by LarryK4

• NIMBY Experiment

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 12
  Two years ago Amherst spent $8,000 on temporary speed cushions for Lincoln Avenue as an "experiment in traffic calming", and they were about as effective as whistling Dixie in slowing traffic from superhighway Rt. 9 over to Umass, the number one employer in the Valley.
  
  Then in September the [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 9:14pm EST
  by LarryK4

• Election snooze

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 2
  
  Since Senator Kennedy did me a couple of B-I-G favors over the past 25 years, I should be more excited about voting for his replacement. But I'm not.' [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 10:02am EST
  by LarryK4

• Shedding Photons

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 4
  
  Lights by Walmart
  Electricity by WMECO
  Tree by God
  Best of all: no tax subsidy. [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 7:20pm EST
  by LarryK4

• Never forget.

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 18
  
  
  “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”
  Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
  
  
  
  
  “With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 9:19am EST
  by LarryK4

• Shedding Light (but not a lot)

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 13
  
  So I'm far from an art aficionado, but less far from a Yankee farmer with some degree of common sense. The art project "Shedding Light"--sponsored by the Amherst Public Arts Commission--strikes me as pretty dim.
  
  It simply looks like Bob The Builder is inside' [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 8:12pm EST
  by LarryK4

• Come all ye faithful

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 4
  
  So last evening, for a few moments anyway, the seriousness of world and national events--more troops in Afghanistan, Tiger Woods indiscretion, party crashers at the White House--were forgotten. Drown out by a chorus of Christmas songs. [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 9:05pm EST
  by LarryK4

• Death Star christened

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 15
  
  About a month after it finally opened (a month behind schedule) the gigantic, gleaming $52 million recreation center received a formal unveiling this afternoon with Chancellor Holub and President Jack Wilson (neither of them dressed in work out clothes) doing the honors behind a podium [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 6:40pm EST
  by LarryK4

• "Real Revolutions" indeed!

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 8
  
  

  “In real revolutions things get worse before they get better. .. One of the bad things I think is going to happen is, I think civic corruption is just going to rise for towns and regions of under about half a million people. Which is [...]

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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 11:20am EST
  by LarryK4

• The making of a Merry Maple

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 5
  
  As they have done seemingly forever, Shumway & Sons Landscaping (a venerable Amherst surname, in business seemingly forever) donate their time and expertise to decorate the official town of Amherst, errr, Holiday Tree.
  
  And yes, now that a Commenter reminded me, the Merry Maple [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 9:04am EST
  by LarryK4

• Unique address marker

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 18
  [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 11:09am EST
  by LarryK4

• They're Baaaack...

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 20
  
  Okay, now we can exude the Christmas spirit; the Amherst Pelham Boy Scouts have set up shop on Kendrick Park as they have done for 50+ years (waiting, mercifully, until the day after Thanksgiving ) to sell trees over the next month where profits pretty [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 1:34pm EST
  by LarryK4

• And another one gone...

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 20
  So it was announced at a Wednesday staff meeting that Department Head Epi Bodhi, Director of the Amherst Health Department is retiring. Ms Bodhi will probably best be remembered for the caustic Smoking Ban in Bars battle, dubbed the "issue of the year" by the venerable Amherst Bulletin for 1999. [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 9:35am EST
  by LarryK4

• A Thanksgiving Story

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 6
  (From the archives 11/21/07)
  
  Only in Arlington would posing for the greatest illustrator in American history on assignment for media juggernaut The Saturday Evening Post pass for routine.
  
  Richard (Dick) Hagelberg returned to the family dairy farm after surviving five years in the 9’th [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 10:22am EST
  by LarryK4

• The Media Internet revolution: Version 3.0

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 8
  
  We believe in the nimble, street-level approach to collecting news. We hope to offer great writing from seasoned journalists as well as fledgling reporting from citizens who agree to cover public meetings. Life is a Journey, and we are unfurling our sails.
  
  Mary Serreze
  [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 11:19am EST
  by LarryK4

• 11/22: That other awful day

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 7
  
  From the archives: (Yeah, scary to think I now have archives)
  
  The ornate condolence certificate, autographed by the President, arrived two months after the sudden death of my father—a combat veteran who helped overthrow the Japanese in the Philippines but never discussed it with [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 9:22am EST
  by LarryK4

• Sign sign everywhere a sign

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 22
  Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind / Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign
  
  So this large sign out by state owned Rt 116 coming into North Amherst goes one better on copyright "fair use" borrowing. Not only the white on [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 11:18am EST
  by LarryK4

• A tale of two signs

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 16
  
  
  So four years ago when the town ripped off the state's design logo for signage (that Mass charges $1,200 annually per location) Hickory Ridge Golf Course was paying for this sign in South Amherst, but Cherry Hill in North Amherst got theirs for free (two [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 8:57am EST
  by LarryK4

• Let's break out the booze and have a ball

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 7
  The Lord Jeffery Inn
  
  I owe you a draft beer Mr Marx, payable on opening night spring, 2011 at the Boltwood Tavern--assuming the newly renovated Lord Jeff Inn keeps the concept of a low-key, relatively inexpensive pub as part of the fancy more expensive Inn [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 8:31pm EST
  by LarryK4

• When the State breaks trust

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 16
  
  When Town Manager Larry Shaffer signed a 5-year Strategic Agreement with Umass for roughly $100,000 more than they had been paying Amherst for fire/ambulance protection the year before, he allowed them to take credit for the $100,000 Payment in lieu of Taxes Amherst receives from [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 1:48pm EST
  by LarryK4

• Gotta love local TV journalism

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 27
  Okay, so let's forget attractive young cub TV reporter Jackie Bruno (in a C+ market area) botched Umass President Jack Wilson's surname (not Williams); and how the NJ State Trooper was killed (not by a bomb but by a handgun.) or the assault on two Mass State Troopers (also from [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 2:38pm EST
  by LarryK4

• A proud tradition indeed

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 21
  
  (9:00 PM ) So tonight the forces of fear and oppression won out, and all of us are microscopically worse off.
  
  The academic forum on a twenty-year-old sedition trial where the main culprit was acquitted, but served 18 years on other charges did go [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 8:26pm EST
  by LarryK4

• Yes, this is America

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 27
  
  
  At Least SOMEBODY at the Boston Herald has integrity
  
  So I can’t even remember the last time I disagreed with my friends at the Springfield Republican, but today they kind of blew it with an editorial on Ray Luc Levasseur’s censored Umass [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 9:53am EST
  by LarryK4

• Worth dying for

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 18
  UPDATE: 6:45 PM So the on-again, off-again speech by convicted domestic terrorist Raymond Luc Levasseur at Umass, you know, that bastion of higher education where the market of ideas--no matter how whacked--can be discussed in a civilized manner, is now OFF.
  
  And if I had [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 11:30am EST
  by LarryK4

• Accuracy in reporting

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 47
  
  UPDATE Wednesday morning The Boston Herald Screams
  
  UPDATE Tuesday 10:00 PM The Boston Globe steps up
  
  UPDATE 2:30 PM: So apparently it was not the Umass bureaucrats who reconsidered domestic terrorist Raymond Luc Levasseur's speech and showed some spine by allowing' [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 9:07am EST
  by LarryK4

• How high can you fly?

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 3
  
  
  
  
  [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 7:03pm EST
  by LarryK4

• Should Citizen Journalists be trained?

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 7
  Well of course there should be training! But then the question becomes who does the training?
  
  The Umass on-line certificate program is of course a good start because it sets minimum standards that allow motivated individuals to tap into a proven brand name for journalism.
  
  But once [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 10:29am EST
  by LarryK4

• UMass Library Under Fire

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 23
  
  No, not from "cleared" Gitmo detainees relocated to the People's Republic of Amherst, just from the usual suspects--right wing radio shock jocks who moonlight as Boston Herald columnists.
  
  And yes these are the same folks who flamed Umass Amherst last spring when Nitwit left' [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 10:05am EST
  by LarryK4

• Incoming!

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 29
  WBUR Boston radio reports (NPR affiliate)
  Cartoon in today's Amherst Bulletin (also loaded with Letters and Columns on Gitmo)
  Ruth Hooke addresses Amherst Town Meeting
  
  UPDATE: 9:20 AM So conservative Boston talk radio station 96.9 WTKK called and will be' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 10:36pm EST
  by LarryK4

• To Be Continued...

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 3
  Town Meeting that is. Tonight @ 7:30 (well more like 7:40)
  
  Article #9 expanding the potential for medical establishments to locate in a research park will take at least an hour as the NIMBY's bring all guns to bear (fortunately they do not use IEDs.)
  
  Articles #11-13 are' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 9:03am EST
  by LarryK4

• Amherst Town Meeting Fiddles...

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 28
  Select Board Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe explains the Interstellar Alien Landing Port
  
  But seriously folks, tonight the campaign for a multi-million dollar tax Override began.
  
  The Finance Committee gave a verbal report that parroted the Assistant Town Manager's presentation a few weeks back to the illustrious [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 11:01pm EST
  by LarryK4

• An American institution

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 12
  
  
  So, ugh, Amherst Town Meeting starts tonight--the 250th.5
  
  Only 14 articles compared to around 40 in the Spring so it should not take all that long. And the only article that will generate interest is #14, last on the list, thus no chance [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 10:30am EST
  by LarryK4

• Hear ye, hear ye: Town crier needs material

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 7
  What things would you do as editor of a Citizens Journalism effort to increase public input?
  
  I would establish ‘beats’, ‘channels’, or compartmentalized sections on the site (just as a newspaper has national, local, sports, entertainment, living sections etc).
  
  All of these sections would have their own Forum [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 8:13am EST
  by LarryK4

• Downtown fright fest

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 6
  A hundred or more families turned out for Halloween Kids Parade March last night.
  
  
  
  Heaven must be missing an angel. [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 8:27am EDT
  by LarryK4

• Tragic Catch-22

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 15
  
  No matter the sentence imposed by our system of justice on 75- year-old Parvin Niroomand, who drove W-A-Y over the centerline into the opposite lane to impale 33-year-old cyclist Misty Bassi on a bright sunny Memorial Day morning and then fled the scene, nobody wins...absolutely [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 2:32pm EDT
  by LarryK4

• Waiting to kill

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 0
  
  [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 1:34pm EDT
  by LarryK4

• Still sinking in a sand trap

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 35
  
  So at Monday night's illustrious Select Board meeting our highly-paid bean-counter bureaucrats presented a how-we-doing budget analysis now that FY2010 is one-quarter completed.
  
  (Naturally ACTV screwed up the live broadcast so us taxpayers have yet to see it, but I grabbed a PDF of' [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 9:33am EDT
  by LarryK4

• Blockbuster fast forwards to extinction

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 15
  
  So after a dozen years dominating the Happy Valley video/DVD rental market the Blockbuster in the Stop and Shop Hadley stripmall is going the way of the Dodo bird. A tad too late for 'Video To Go' the iconic, slightly funky, video store that opened [...]
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  Posted: October 25, 2009, 9:04am EDT
  by LarryK4

• Becoming a Citizen Journalist in Amherst?

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 20
  There’s always room for one more; and God knows I could use the help.
  
  First off, establish a blog…and then behold the power. Like many things involving the Internet, they are free. Perhaps the main reason print news industry has become a “dead man walking.”
  
  Writing is of [...]
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  Posted: October 24, 2009, 10:48pm EDT
  by LarryK4

• The Gitmo shuffle

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 41
  
  Obviously the cataclysmic events of 9/11 brought national attention to the Amherst Select Board decision from the night before restricting the display of 29 commemorative American flags in the downtown.
  
  Around 6:00 AM that morning the AP sent out a brief one-paragraph article about [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 8:57am EDT
  by LarryK4

• Ruth Hooke on welcoming Gitmo guys to Amherst

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 18
  Whew! So yesterday's 443 hits set a new world's record (about half coming from Boston radio station WTKK 96.9) surpassing last year's 412 when the AP covered Ms. Awad resigning as Amherst Select Board member citing stalking and harassment by little old me as the reason. This of course set' [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by LarryK4

• Selectman Weiss speaks

  —Only in The Republic of Amherst

  Number of comments: 24
  Mr. Weiss's Chariot.
  
  So Boston radio personality Michael Graham wanted to hear Mr. Weiss out on this proposal to allow (2) "cleared" Gitmo detainees to resettle here. Happy to oblige him.
  
  The warrant article (#14) Town Meeting will vote on does not contain any' [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 10:14am EDT
  by LarryK4