Rob Watson, proprietor of The Lone Wolf restaurant, and his hard-working staff did a stellar job catering our Harvest Celebration Dinner Oct. 28 at Quonquont Farm.
We trust Rob to always cater our events in a food-safe way. Rob is catering Cancer Connection’s next event in December. We have full confidence in him.
Locally owned businesses are the biggest champions of local nonprofit organizations like Cancer Connection. We rely on local support. We especially count on the local businesses that fund our free programs year after year.
Rob has co-hosted, as well as catered, our annual dinner for 10 years. Over that period, he has helped to raise over $200,000 for Cancer Connection. We’re grateful for his continued support.
And we will enjoy weekend breakfast at The Lone Wolf this weekend.
Kristen Elechko
Cancer Connection
Northampton
The writer is interim executive director of Cancer Connection, and she submitted the letter on behalf of its staff.
The story published by the Gazette Nov. 1 on cockroach infestations at the Lone Wolf restaurant in Amherst makes it quite clear that the Lone Wolf and its owner Rob Watson have been working hard and spending a great deal of time and money for a long time to address the problem in the building of which Lone Wolf occupies a part.
It’s also clear that Watson’s efforts have been stymied for quite some time because the building’s out-of-state landlord failed to address the problem in other areas of the building that harbor the cockroaches, and Amherst town officials failed to bring the landlord promptly to task.
We have enjoyed the Lone Wolf ever since it opened, and hate to see such a successful and community-oriented business hurt through no fault of its own. This kind of bad publicity can hurt the livelihood of the restaurant’s owner, his family and 18 employees. With town officials stating that the Lone Wolf “remains safe to continue to do food service” and that Watson has been very pro-active and cooperative in addressing the problem for a long time, we’re glad that they are finally focusing on getting compliance in the rest of the building from the landlord. Clearly, it’s time for the town to give the restaurant a break, including prompt restoration of its catering license.
Lone Wolf owner Rob Watson has been a strong supporter of local community service organizations like the Cancer Connection and Family Outreach of Amherst for a long time. He has clearly been the “good guy” in this whole matter, and we feel he deserves community support. We are encouraged that Health and Community Services Director Julie Federman and town inspector Susan Malone are working hard to resolve the long-standing issues.
We plan do our small part by eating there a lot more than usual for the next few months and encouraging everyone to do so.
Bruce and Betsy McInnis
Amherst
Sal DiMasi went to jail for abusing the power of his office, the Massachusetts speaker of the House. He steered state contracts in return for $65,000.
Sal DiMasi should serve his eight years. He was found guilty by a jury of his peers and given a sentence of eight years. While it is unfortunate that he has contracted cancer while in prison, this is no reason for his law enforcement friends to request his compassionate release. Yes, he was a very powerful politician who took graft. Power should not be rewarded.
Many people live in prison with cancer. Poor/low-income prisoners would not be in line for compassionate release. Many before DiMasi have served out their terms in solitary confinement while suffering from cancer.
I’m sure that DiMasi is receiving the best care possible. Many other prisoners do not have that privilege. He should serve the remaining three years of his term.
Too bad he got greedy, and went down for $65,000. This is the way our criminal justice system should work. Others have served much more time for much less.
Susan Triolo
Sunderland
The students in Leverett and elsewhere are to be commended on their refusal to take the PARCC test. In doing so, they are refusing to be statistics for faceless bureaucrats to tally.
In 1993 when the MCAS was introduced, it was preceded by numerous hearings and public meetings, giving parents, students, teachers, administrators and ordinary citizens an opportunity to comment on what students should be learning and when, as the frameworks were developed.
The PARCC test is based on the Common Core which has suddenly been thrust on this and other states without any public input or vetting by educators. Who wrote it and what is in it is a secret which is hard to penetrate. It comes with a promise of federal money, and a threat to withhold monies if the states don’t implement it.
The children are wiser than our leaders.
Margaret Walden
Southampton