I live in Leverett where we neither have roundabouts nor the fear of their arrival. For both pedestrian and vehicular safety issues I am absolutely against the proposal for such a development in the busy intersection of Triangle and North Pleasant streets in Amherst. What are you thinking of? Certainly not pedestrian traffic or cyclists, nor children, nor old people.
That busy junction would be particularly confusing and dangerous. Perhaps because we are not used to doing it, it is very difficult to judge the speed at which a car is coming around a circle toward your entry spot.
This is particularly true for an older person like myself. While some drivers observe the necessary caution it is really fun for others to go around fast! I am often fearful on my frequent passage at the UMass roundabout at the North end of the campus. Please, Amherst has enough of these exceedingly costly, exceedingly dangerous traps.
Alice Scheffey
Leverett
We respect The League of Women Voters’ right to voice their opinion on whether to lift the cap on public charters schools, but not to misrepresent how we are funded.
In a March 9 letter, the organization’s claim that charters take a disproportionate share of Northampton’s Chapter 70 state aid leaves out an important fact.
District schools are funded through a combination of local and state revenues. In Northampton, local revenues make up 83 percent of the school budget, while state aid accounts for only 17 percent. But 100 percent of charter funding is taken out of the smaller state aid portion.
No locally generated revenues, such as property taxes, are transferred to charters. This leads some to incorrectly argue that charters are taking an unfair share of school dollars. The formula could be changed so charters receive funds from both local and state revenues, but it would make no difference at all to the district budget.
The funding formula for charters is like this:
Parents choose to enroll their children in charter schools.
Since the districts are no longer educating these students, the amount of money they would spend to educate them is reallocated to the charters. The state reimburses districts for six years after students leave: 100 percent reimbursement the first year, and then 25 percent in each of the next five years. It should be noted that this reimbursement has been fully funded in eight of the past 10 years, with the exception of fiscal years 2015-2017, as the state wrestled with huge budget deficits.
As legislators debate the issue, and voters consider the ballot question, they should understand that the fiscal arguments against lifting charter enrollment caps are overstated.
Lisa Hamilton
Hadley
The author is a parent of a student at the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School in Easthampton.
A recent guest column, “Let’s get real about bike safety,” was interesting. However, bike safety should also include the responsibilities of bicyclists. “Share the road” includes the obligation of bicyclists to obey the law. For example: At a red light, stop. At a stop sign, stop. When a pedestrian is in a crosswalk, stop. A sign that says “No right on red” means do not turn right at that red light. When in a vehicle lane, do not weave in and out. “Share the road” includes respecting the rights of motorists and pedestrians. Also, wear a helmet, wear reflecting gear at night and have bike lights.
Richard Fein
Amherst
Many, many students from the middle and high schools of Amherst walk into town daily. The usual path crosses Triangle Street.
Primos Pizza was one of the first places our children went to on their own. Our children often walked down to the PVTA bus stop at Kendrick Park after their extra-curricular meetings (the school’s late bus leaves before these meetings end).
The intersection at Triangle and East Pleasant streets can be improved by adding a couple green left arrows to aid traffic flow, and a couple “no right on red” signs, to protect anyone who must enter this intersection on foot. Note that the south side by the new building has no sidewalk and lacks visibility.
Cars do have to wait in lines when the intersection is busy. How long? Five minutes at most? Is it ever that long? Three? Impatience should not be rewarded with a roundabout that has no pedestrian signals! The children of the town should not be jeopardized by efforts to “hurry to the next thing.” Traffic should be contained in this intersection, so it is not rushing along Triangle Street where there are earlier crosswalks as well as young, naive jaywalkers.
Creating a dense, mixed-use, sidewalk-less pocket surrounding a roundabout that separates Wildwood, the middle school, and the high school from the town center is unfriendly, short-sighted and dangerous.
No roundabout at Triangle and East Pleasant please. Slow down, be patient, let someone pull out in front of you. Use the time to listen to a good song. And keep a protective eye out for all pedestrians.
Judy Franklin
Amherst
I am growing increasingly concerned about the crosswalk where Lessey meets Triangle street in Amherst, near Amherst Women’s Club.
This crosswalk is harrowing for pedestrians crossing west-to-east as cars are turning a blind corner and coming down Triangle (south) heading to Main Street. This is especially so at dusk or at night. Hundreds of folks cross this street every day including ARHS students, children and families.
This seems like a perfect place for a rapid flashing beacon that pedestrians can trigger when crossing.
However, the Amherst Department of Public Works recommended many years ago to remove the crosswalk and still holds this position. It’s hard to fathom no crosswalk at this location, and for pedestrians traveling west-to-east this would then be a dead end as there is no sidewalk to the left or right.
Please consider signing my petition of concern (http://tinyurl.com/unsafe-crosswalk) and/or contacting the town of Amherst Public Works Committee to keep this crosswalk and make it safer for our community.
Kregg Strehorn
Amherst
We are three fourth-grade girls – Liza, Eliza and Monica – at Crocker Farm School in Amherst. In class we were learning about climate change, and how it is really dangerous. But some people don’t believe that climate change is real, which we find very strange.
Climate change is real, and very dangerous, and it is especially dangerous for our generation, mainly because of rising seas. Now you may ask yourself, “What is climate change?” If you don’t know what climate change is, we are about to tell you.
Climate change is where the air begins to heat up to higher temperatures than ever before. Now what causes climate change? We humans have caused it by doing many things, in fact. We have caused it by burning oil, fossil fuels that release Co2 (carbon dioxide) into the air and cause greenhouse gases to happen. Greenhouse gasses are when the atmosphere traps the Co2 in the earth making it really hot. Now we will tell you about rising seas.
Rising seas are made by ice caps melting because of the hot weather. When ice caps melt, they melt right into the ocean. Scientists say that ice caps melting at this rate could mean that 75 years to who knows when, big chunks of land will be underwater, like a big chunk of Florida, and almost all of Cape Cod. But that’s just a little bit of what could happen. Hopefully now you understand that climate change is real, and bad so now you can help try to stop climate change.
You can plant trees and not cut down trees, or you could bike places that aren’t very far, instead of driving. You can also stop using aerosol sprays and use pump sprays instead. Buy appliances that are designed to use less energy, use the air conditioner less in the summer, turn off TV sets, computers and lights when we are not using them.
We hope that you will care about global warming because we want to grow up in a world that is safe and healthy.
Liza Beigel
Monica Som
Eliza Tuthill
Amherst
The story “Offshore wind projects see fresh interest,” in the March 4 Gazette, reminds us of the United States’ failure to embrace the economic potential of renewable energy.
It describes one U.S. company facing competition from very experienced companies from Denmark, Germany and Italy in the effort to develop the huge wind resources off the U.S. East Coast. Whether it’s because we continue to look for reasons why climate change isn’t happening, or because it just somehow isn’t “American” to invest in large scale renewables, we have dragged our feet in fields like offshore wind.
Other nations, particularly in Europe, haven’t been burdened by these anxieties and have invested heavily, while European businesses have eagerly developed and are marketing the technology world-wide, and in our region in particular.
Christopher E. Riddle
Amherst
Seeing two “Hillary for President” signs stolen in the night left me with two thoughts. Bullies are, at heart, cowards. And sign thieves don’t realize that they just increase funding for their opponents when signs are re-ordered. Not the brightest bunch of folks. How sad that any American would want to take away the right of another American to show support for a candidate. Bullies always have followers. Hopefully not you.
David Moskin
Hadley
Twas the day after Blarney, and all through the town, not a student was stirring, none making a sound.
Some woke in drunk tanks, others strange beds, most of them suffered, from pounding of heads.
And all through the Valley, locals did quake, in eager anticipation of the coming spring break.
William Servos
Pelham
The majority of Congressmen Richard Neil’s and Jim McGovern’s constituents voted for Bernie Sanders in the Democratic caucus.
Both men appear committed to voting for Hillary Clinton at the Democratic convention. If that is their intention, they no longer represent the will of their constituents.
The candidate for the Democratic Party should not be elected by a political machine. He or she should be elected by the people, and the people have spoken in western Massachusetts by simple majority.
Michael Childs
Amherst
Recently you had a reader write in and complain about having their Black Lives Matter sign stolen.
She said this shows just how racist people are around her area of Florence. I wonder how many Trump signs were stolen, or Cruz signs, or any political sign that dared to differ with the liberals in the area.
I bet most people who vote Republican would be afraid of having their houses burned down or their vehicles damaged by the “open minded, tolerant” folk in the Northampton area if they were to put out a sign supporting their candidate.
Can Republicans cry about being “victims” too? Or are they expected to act like adults?
John Ortiz
Sunderland
Now that Super Tuesday has passed, it is time to take a deep breath and look back at one of the other issues that roiled the journalistic waters in the Pioneer Valley a short time back.
I am referring to the decision by the trustees of my alma mater, Amherst College, to give Lord Jeffery Amherst his pink slip as the unofficial mascot of the school.
Reportedly, a committee has been formed to select a new mascot and there is a rumor that the moose is a strong contender for the job. But surely this cannot be true.
The moose was the symbol of Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party in 1912, and, as you might know, Teddy’s administration did some nasty things to insurgents in the Philippines during his tenure. No, we sons and daughters of Amherst can’t have a moose represent us.
Choosing a new mascot can be such a quandary but now I think the good old Commonwealth of Massachusetts has come to the rescue. Just as we are seeking a replacement, the state has announced it will soon re-introduce timber rattlesnakes onto an island in the Quabbin Reservoir right in our backyard.
What could be more appropriate than this new local species for a new mascot? I hereby propose that Amherst College athletic teams become known as the “Rattlers.”
I know a serpent is not nearly as elegant a mascot as Lord Jeff was, but the snakes are natural and local and we should support area wildlife. Just imagine for a moment the possibilities. Everyone in the stands could have purple and white rattles and, at the appropriate moments, shake them menacingly at our opponents. At the same time we could all go “hisssss.” (It would be understood we are encouraging our team and not denigrating our foe.)
A student could volunteer to don a snake outfit and perform as mascot. There is already precedent for this as a student wears a banana outfit each time the Amherst Zumbyes perform.
I bet it would be great fun to lead the rattles.
I have not heard what the plans are for the Lord Jeffery song. I know there are some references to him in the tune but I hope they can figure out a way to save that chorus.
If the trustees believe Lord Jeff as a mascot has created strained feelings in the college community, I would suggest that through the decades the song and especially the chorus have played a major role in creating school spirit and pride. Some way should be found to preserve it as part of the school’s tradition.
Finally, the Lord Jeffery Inn will soon have to acquire a new name. I expect it will be something appropriate but bland such as “The Inn on the Common,” or the “Inn on the Green.”
If the trustees desire to keep an historical aspect to the building, let’s call it the “Calvin Coolidge Inn.” I acknowledge this is a highly subjective wish on my part and as likely to happen as me winning Powerball.
But he is the only president to graduate from the college and I hope the trustees would at least consider it.
OK, mascot committee, it’s now over to you.
Rich Szlosek
Northampton
The author is a 1961 graduate of Amherst College.
