New England Public Radio

Amherst Town/Gown Committee Gets Recommendations From Consultants

A joint committee of the University of Massachusetts and the town of Amherst got its first look at recommendations Tuesday from a consultant about how the two bodies can work better together.

One suggestion the Town/Gown Committee heard was to create mixed-use developments with student housing and retail space. These could be located on the campus, near the edges of university property, but run as a public-private partnership. Another recommendation is to attract more start-up businesses and to get entrepreneurial graduates to set up shop in town. George Smith is one of the consultants hired by the committee.

“Who from the town is thinking about these small businesses and economic development?,” Smith says. “Who from the university is thinking about how do you make sure that not only we have this kind of research that has some commercialization potential, but how does it get captured here in Amherst?”

The Town/Gown Committee will review the plan and provide its own feedback to the consultants in the next month. The final report is scheduled to be released by the advisors in September.

UMass Students Protest Police Response to ‘Blarney Blowout’

A group of UMass Amherst students staged a protest today in response to what they call “oppressive tactics” used by police at the “Blarney Blowout” this past weekend. Police arrived in riot gear to those pre-St. Patrick’s Day parties, which the university says led to more than 50 arrests. Charges ranged from alcohol violations to assaulting a police officer.

Close to 100 students gathered outside the UMass Student Union to protest.

“We want to work with our administration, we want to work with the town as a community,” said Preston Davis, a UMass senior who helped organize the protest. “But when they make it an us vs. them type of deal, that’s when we have to stand up for ourselves. You can’t kind of villainize or criminalize us and expect us not to do anything.”

Students marched across campus from the student union to the administrative building, where they presented three demands: an investigation into actions by the Amherst police, a formal apology, and a public meeting with Chancellor Kumble Subaswammy. Chancellor Subaswammy has said some students brought shame on the university during the weekend partying. Associate Chancellor Susan Pearson responded to the protesters.

“Certainly we will work with the town, and if there are credible allegations of excessive force by the police, we will look into them,” Pearson said.

Calls to the Amherst Police Department were not returned.

Updated at 5:15 P.M., a UMass spokesperson says the total number of arrests was revised from more than 70 down to 58. That includes arrests from the Amherst police and university police, and includes both students and non-students.

Fallout Begins From ‘Blarney Blowout’

Officials in Amherst, Massachusetts are totaling up the costs of Saturday’s “Blarney Blowout.” The series of pre-St. Patrick’s Day parties saw more than 70 arrests and police in riot gear breaking up large gatherings.

Amherst Town Manager John Musante says overtime for police and other public safety personnel will cost the town thousands of dollars. He says he is satisfied with the response by University of Massachusetts officials, before and after the rowdy, drunken partying.

“The messaging, in multiple ways, was very clear,” Musante says. “Enjoy yourselves, enjoy yourselves responsibly. If you violate the law or other people’s rights, or destroy property, whatever, you will face consequences. Now some young people will be held accountable.”

Musante says starting Saturday morning, police responded to 240 calls, but none of them were to bars in downtown Amherst where many students also gathered.

Some of those who were caught up in the crowds now have legal issues to deal with:  About two dozen of them were arraigned in district court Monday.  Charges include failure to disperse, alcohol violations and assault and battery on a police officer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chancellor: ‘Blarney Blowout’ Unruliness ‘Brought Shame” on UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst students are set to return to class Monday following a drunken and rowdy “Blarney Blowout” weekend that included more than 70 arrests on or near campus. The university’s chancellor is scolding the students involved.

EARLIER: Dozens Of Arrests As UMass ‘Blarney Blowout’ Turns Unruly

Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy sent an email Sunday to UMass students, faculty and staff.

“[Some students] brought shame on our fine university and run the risk of devaluing the college degree that all of our students work so hard to achieve,” Subbaswamy wrote. 

Not all those arrested this weekend were students, but those who were will face consequences, Subbaswamy said. He promised “swift action” to address violations of the school’s Code of Student Conduct.

Subbaswamy also addressed the impact such a weekend has on the school’s often strained relationship with the residents – and the town – of Amherst.

Four Amherst police officers received minor injuries Saturday. The “Blarney Blowout” last year also led to arrests, although are fewer than this year.

That will all no doubt be a topic of conversation Tuesday evening, at a previously scheduled meeting of the Town-Gown Steering Committee. The panel is tasked with coming up with a plan for Amherst and UMass to work together on housing and economic development.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dozens Of Arrests As UMass ‘Blarney Blowout’ Turns Unruly

Police have arrested more than 40 people participating in the pre-St. Patrick’s Day “Blarney Blowout” around the University of Massachusetts’ flagship campus in Amherst. 

Four police officers were hurt as they worked to disperse hundreds of unruly students who were throwing beer cans and bottles at police on Saturday as large crowds gathered at an off-campus apartment complex, according to the Amherst police department. The officers did not require serious medical attention.

Police from the city, university and state troopers in riot gear converged on the crowds around noon. The Republican in Springfield reported that the police began to march toward the crowd firing paintball-style guns loaded with pepper spray after students began setting off fireworks.

Most of the people in custody have been charged with failing to disperse.

“It is extremely disturbing and unsafe. Perhaps one of the worst scenes we have ever had with drunkenness and unruliness,” Amherst Police Capt. Jennifer Gundersen told The Republican. “It is extremely upsetting. It is very dangerous.”

UMass spokesman Ed Blaguszewski said university police arrested three people, none of which were students. In a statement, the school “denounced the unruly behavior” and noted that the crowds “occurred for the most part off campus.”

“[S]tudents arrested by Amherst Police or UMass Police will have the details of their behavior reviewed by the Dean of Students under the Student Code of Conduct,” the statement said. “Sanctions can include suspension or expulsion from the university.”

The university said it reached out to students, landlords, parents, faculty and staff this week to “communicate the importance of students acting safely and respecting the property of others.”

New England Public Radio’s Sam Hudzik contributed.

Obama Goes For $10.10 Minimum Wage, As Amherst Residents Aim For $15

President Barack Obama visited Connecticut Wednesday to push for a federal minimum wage hike to $10.10 an hour. A group in Amherst, Massachusetts, is being a bit more ambitious, hoping to push the town’s minimum wage nearly $5 higher than that.

Petitioners in Amherst submitted enough signatures this week to trigger a special town meeting on their proposal. If the raise passes town meeting, it will head to the state legislature for approval.

“If this were to be approved by town meeting, it would be submitted at a time when the legislatuire is considering minimum wage statewide legisaltion,” says Amherst Town Manager John Musante.

Musante declined to take a position on the proposal or speculate on its chances of passing. But he points out that it would nearly double the current $8 an hour minimum wage.

The special town meeting will be held March 19th.