There are many ways to reuse water
To keep your valuable shrubs and perennials alive during the water shortage and watering ban, reuse water that served another purpose.
Let pasta water cool and pour it on plants rather than down the drain. After rinsing the dishes in the dish pan, do the same. Leftover coffee or tea in the bottom of the pot? Pour it over plants, never down the drain. You boiled your eggs this morning? Cool the water and feed your mums.
The town is offering no suggestions on its website for reusing water during this crisis, so people should write in their suggestions to the Amherst Bulletin!
Mary Cattani
Amherst
As parents of a graduate of Amherst Regional High School, we hold a special place in our hearts for Chris Gould, who was our son’s track and field coach. He instilled many life lessons in his students, notably, those relating to fair play, good sportsmanship, and the importance of team support, civility and respect for your competitors — positive attitudes and values we could use more of in public life.
Therefore, we were concerned to see the headline in the Amherst Bulletin on Sept. 9, which read “New Hurricanes coach has simple approach: ‘Be nasty.’” The article quotes the new, first-year football coach, Chris Ehorn Jr., in addressing the team, as saying, “Nasty. That’s how we play defense,” and, later in the article, “I want people to be scared to play us … A lot of teams won’t like us, and I’m OK with that.”
Well, we are definitely not OK with that approach and message being given to members of our high school football team — “Be nasty.” Instill fear. Are these the values and attitudes that we want to emphasize? Is the focus to be winning at all costs? And where does the high school administration stand regarding this? With all the negative events and messages regarding sports to win at all costs — doping, deflating of footballs, etc. — our expectation is that, in our community, more than ever, messages that promote respect, civility and fair play must be paramount.
A clarification and explanation of the approach of Coach Ehorn is necessary and would be appreciated.
Nola Stephen
and Andrew Effrat
Amherst
As an Amherst resident and taxpayer for over 20 years, I read the Sept. 15 article “Town Eyes $100M in Building Projects” with a great deal of interest.
Leaving aside the question of whether the town needs to build a new elementary school, a new addition to the library, a new fire station and a new Department of Public Works headquarters all at the same time, it occurred to me that some of the expense associated with these projects could be offset by the town selling off valuable land that it no longer needs.
Specifically, once the new elementary school is built, the Fort River School site could be sold to commercial developers. Because the property is already on a bus route and a short bike ride from the University of Massachusetts, it would be an appropriate location for an apartment complex, among other uses.
Why put another public building, such as a firehouse or DPW headquarters, there when the town could build on less commercially valuable sites?
David Glassberg
Amherst
Why isn’t Amherst
hosting Syrian families?
A recent letter reminded me that I have wondered why the town of Amherst and its houses of worship have not sponsored one or two Syrian families, like other U.S. towns.
Susi Friedmann
Amherst
I write to comment on the case of Maria Geryk’s departure as Amherst superintendent.
It just amazes me that we live in a world where we are now possibly sued for “distress in the workplace” and for being “criticized.”
You have got to be kidding. Are we going to let this continue? Are we all just going to sit here and say nothing?
Do you know a superintendent or any CEO of any company or any person in any management job who does not face distress and criticism every day? Do you know anyone that does not face emotional distress every day? I think people should think twice before applying for jobs that they know will be filled with distress and criticism. What have we become?
Dr. Stephen Constant
Hadley
‘Beggars’ merit our
empathy, not scorn
To the distressed grad who returned to Northampton recently, I can only imagine the courage it took to walk through the downtown landscape you described. Your Sept. 12 letter to the Gazette speaks only to your modesty.
How truly awful that experience must have been for you, to be assaulted so indignantly by that “profusion of aggressive beggars.” That’s the trouble with the Third World isn’t it?
There’s no manners, no sense of propriety. It’s difficult to see so many “beggars” on the streets, to be asked for money every few blocks. Homelessness is an issue and one that, unfortunately, is hard to solve.
However, attitudes like the one voiced in the Gazette are deplorable. To speak of your fellow man as an object to be shunned is disgusting. Given the contempt in the author’s tone, can we really be sure he is against shipping off those unsightly beggars? It’s so much easier to enjoy a nice night out on the town, a carefully crafted meal, a boutique shopping trip when you don’t have to be confronted with the faces of American poverty.
Far better to pen pretentious newspaper letters bemoaning the loss of your right to walk unhindered downtown. With one of the highest rates of poverty among any developed nation, it should be unsurprising to see so many panhandlers in an urban setting.
Nearly 15 percent of all Americans live in poverty, and with wage stagnation, rising rent costs and an expensive health care system, those figures are unlikely to change.
This letter isn’t meant to advocate we all empty our pockets the next time we visit Northampton, but we should give pause. We all ought to remember that those “beggars” are real people who merit of our empathy.
It’s when we seek to scorn, rather than understand, that we do a disservice to others.
Hayley Bolton
Amherst
t
Practical ways to reduce water use
Fresh water is a scarce resource, and both producing clean water and processing wastewater use a lot of energy and chemicals. I think water conservation is not only vital during this dry season, though this season might be a good launch point for those who have not thought much about water to begin taking simple steps.
One step that I took several years ago was to put a 1-gallon milk jug inside each toilet tank, without interfering with the flushing mechanisms.
Fill the jug with water and put in some rocks so that the jug does not float around. The jug takes the place of the precious one gallon of clean water that instantly becomes sewage every time you flush and the flushing power remains intact (since tanks are usually built with overcapacity).
For the newer and smaller toilet tanks, a half-gallon bottle can substitute without compromising performance. According to the EPA, toilet flushing is the single largest water guzzler at home, consuming about 100 gallons of clean water every day in average American households.
Once these milk jugs are in place, several thousand gallons of clean water can be saved in each household each year, without people lifting a finger.
Much more could be done by more inspired water-savers. When washing hands, vegetables and showering, do not run water at full blast; one-third to one-half of the flow produces a satisfying result.
Car washing can wait until rain comes, then a snow brush and several buckets of gutter water will do the trick.
In the past few centuries, we have been demanding more and more from this small planet, and now might be the time to relent a little.
Less is sustainable, and interesting.
Weiguo Hu
Amherst
Scorecard shows Geryk ahead of children
Regarding former Amherst Superintendent Maria Geryk $309,515 settlement, it was a heated contest, but the final score is now in: Maria Geryk $309,515-Children of Amherst $0.
Benjamin Bailey
Amherst
Senior condo
project a problem
I’m writing in regard to the proposed commercial condominium development on 22-plus acres at the base of Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation.
I’ve enjoyed living on Mountain Road for 11 years. This quiet, mixed income, kindly neighborhood abuts this proposed subdivision project. We’ll be significantly impacted by additional water table and runoff issues.
In addition, we’ll lose peaceful green open and agricultural space, lose wildlife and wildlife habitat and lose quiet. Significant traffic congestion on Sugarloaf Street and at the four-way stop in the village is predictable.
I’m 68 and attended the Sept. 12 meeting at Town Hall — a neighbor left a notice. This development is the largest proposal of its kind in years and deserves more careful community input and a vote. The research on senior housing sighted was only a survey, not serious research.
In the mentioned survey there was no mention of where this “senior community housing” would be placed or what the actual units would cost. This proposed large, visible and dominant subdivision is not affordable housing.
Although the developer wouldn’t say it, it is clear that we are talking about units costing in a range of at least $225,000 to $300,000-plus.
Developer Mark Wightman referred to the Silver Crest condo development in Greenfield as comparable. I reviewed their condos plans and prices. Silver Crest condos are not placed right in the middle of an existing neighborhood or at the foot of a state reservation.
The formal pre-proposal indicated 36 lots and 72 units; the Gazette on Sept. 13 reported 36 units. This is a commercial venture, not a community decision.
The former Oxford Pickle Company land appears to be an alternative. It is private, Merrigan Way road cut in already, and lack of ground water is an issue. Perhaps zoning and other issues could be discussed further?
Dr. Penelope Tarasuk
South Deerfield
