Letters

Published on May 02, 2008

45 minutes spent during Earth Day

To the Bulletin: It was a beautiful day ... so I opened my Clark House sixth-floor balcony sliding door for some refreshing spring air. I was breathless with anticipation.

But what really took my breath away was exhaust fumes from an 18-wheeler trailer truck parked on the corner of Lessey and Main streets (right across from the police station) with its motor running.

I'm not sure exactly how long it was there, but I clocked 45 minutes, from 4:55 p.m. to 5:40 p.m., all the time spewing exhaust into the Earth Day air.

My call to the police station was friendly and cordial, but futile. I was told there was nothing they could do since there is no bylaw in Amherst prohibiting trucks from idling. They did find out that a delivery was being made to a local deli. I called the deli and was told by the manager, in a likewise friendly and cordial but futile conversation, that he saw no one in the store making a delivery. When pressed, he did promise to ask the delivery drivers to turn off the engines while making deliveries.

So, anyway, I just wanted to share how I spent a small part of Earth Day in our environmentally savvy and politically correct town. Maybe by Earth Day 2009, there will be a bylaw in place to prohibit idling engines - at least on Earth Day.

Batya Bauman
Amherst

A voice from the silent majority

To the Bulletin: I'm disappointed by what I have heard and read over the past few weeks regarding the Fourth of July parade.

I'm disappointed in the fact that there are 365 days in the year and we can't agree that there can be one day dedicated to celebration alone and the rest available for protest. I'm disappointed in the fact that the people claiming to be excluded from the parade weren't so eager to march and protest on the Fourth before someone else had done the work to create a parade. I'm disappointed that in this town when someone wants to celebrate there always seems to be a person waiting to knock them down. I'm disappointed in the fact that the town manager's press release was written before the Select Board meeting. I'm disappointed that there appears to have been a backroom deal somewhere along the line. I'm disappointed that several Select Board members, who are elected, obviously had issues with the unelected town manager's decision and apparently were not allowed a say in the decision. I'm disappointed that in this time of financial troubles the town manager is adding expenses to the town, when we can't adequately fund our police, fire and school departments and there are private parties willing to foot the bill for a parade.

Most of all I am disappointed in the fact that I have yet to speak to anyone who strongly feels that the parade should be taken over by the town because a small, noisy minority feels abused, and yet they are not speaking up against these protestors and their attempts to turn an event in our town into a vehicle for their personal views.

I feel that there is a large silent majority in this town who have become tired of dealing with fanatics on either side, left and right, and therefore have tuned out. I want to take this moment and say to them that the toleration of these frivolous complaints from these fringe elements is what gives these elements their power.

Until we stand up and say in one voice that we are finished letting the noisy few dictate what is acceptable in our town, then we are lost as a town and we will remain at the mercy of these select few who put their personal beliefs and politics above anything and anyone else.

Robert Phillips
Amherst

It's the town's parade ... hurrah to Shaffer!

To the Bulletin: Thanks to Larry Kelley for clarifying the purpose of the parade that he and the private Fourth of July Parade Committee will run on July Fourth again this year.

It is "to celebrate military personnel, veterans, police and firefighters" (Daily Hampshire Gazette, April 23). The Parade Committee will forbid parade signs saying, "Get out of Iraq" or "Refuse to Serve." Ibid.

Yet many U.S. military personnel and U.S. veterans actively oppose the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Although this parade honors veterans, therefore, and although veterans have the same freedom of speech as other citizens, the Parade Committee will forbid even a veteran to march with a sign saying "Out of Iraq."

Town Manager Larry Shaffer is accordingly to be commended for having the town run the July Fourth parade starting in 2009. So Amherst's next Independence Day parade will allow Amherst residents our 1st Amendment freedom of speech. This is as it should be.

The Eric Carle Museum, the Yiddish Book Center, our locally-owned businesses, our dancers and farmers and scientists of all ages - hundreds of wonderful organizations and thousands of creative individuals call Amherst home. Our Fourth of July parade can become a witty, colorful celebration of what Amherst does with the freedoms Americans have.

Might Amherst's Police Department want to feature, e.g., its new, automated incident report system?

There remains the question, whether town employees and vehicles may participate at town expense in private parades. The answer must be no.

Certainly, some Amherst police and firefighters belong on the job at private parades to ensure public safety. But let town employees participate in private parades, if they wish to, as private citizens.

Mr. Kelley and the committee do a superb job of organization. Here's hoping that they're willing to bring their skills to next year's town parade.

Sarah McKee
Amherst