Welcome to Amherst Massachusetts

1
Welcome to Amherst Massachusetts

• School Counseling Leadership Institute
• July 14th thru 18th, 2003

2
Amherst You Are Here.

• Amherst is located in the Pioneer Valley 70 miles
  west of Boston.

3
Amherst is Named For Lord Geoffrey Amherst

• Amherst was a British General who
• Gave smallpox infected blankets to local Indians.
• Refused to fight against the colonists in the
  American Revolution.
• Had a rare speech impediment that prevented him
  from pronouncing H.

4
Amherst Town Meeting

• Amherst Town Meeting predates the U.S. Congress
  and has been meeting continuously for over 250
  years.
• Town Meeting focuses on formulating foreign
  policy and also oversees the town budget.

5
Day-To-Day Town Business is Directed by Town
Manager Barry DeCostillo

• Barry appeared out of nowhere several years ago
  to take the reins at town hall.
• He is best known for his elaborate costumes and
  his ability to whip Town Meeting up into a frenzy.

6
Amherst is Looking Up!

• Westover Air Force Base, home of the C-141 Cargo
  Transports, is nearby.
• The novice pilots overhead are practicing their
  takeoffs and landings.

7
The Big Dig Amherst Style!

• Politicians and citizens celebrated the opening
  of the downtown underground parking garage.
• A renaissance for downtown is predicted!

8
Amherst Slot Machine

• Parking Meters are the only form of legalized
  gambling in Amherst.

9
University Long Term Parking Shuttle

• University visitors can pay for parking or opt to
  have their cars transported to the Long Term
  Parking Lot where parking is expensive but secure.

10
UMASS Amherst A Repository of Knowledge

• UMASS, Amherst has the tallest library in the
  world.
• Bricks and windows rarely fall off these days.

11
UMASS Amherst and Educational Innovation

• UMASS is known as a Center for Educational
  Innovation.
• School of Education Dean Andrew Effrat leads an
  innovative initiative to balance the Schools
  budget by finding Blackbeards Treasure.

12
Amherst Town Sport

• Amherst is the world capital of Ultimate Frisbee.
• If Al Queda ever attacks Massachusetts with
  Frisbees, they are in big trouble!

13
Amherst Is A Freethinking Community

• Despite its image as a liberal community Amherst
  voters have supported ultra-conservative Ted
  Kennedy in all of his senate races.

14
Amherst Prizes Diversity.

• Amherst aspires to become a multicultural town
  where all our different colored threads are woven
  into a beautiful rainbow tapestry.
• The average price of a single family home is
  275,000.00

15
Amherst Tolerates and Respects Diverse Lifestyles

• Three openly Republican White men live in town
  and are valued members of our community.

16
Amherst Annual Spotted Salamander Migration

• Most spotted salamanders actually opt to take the
  special tunnels constructed under the Henry
  Street rather than crossing the road.

17
Amherst Town Plant

• Wacky Weed (Cannabis sativa) is Amhersts
  official town plant.
• Both wild varieties and cultivated houseplants
  thrive in our rich climate.

18
Amhersts Musical Tradition

• Local musicians and song writers abound in
  Amherst.
• If current trends continue, by 2005 every Amherst
  resident will have their own song.
• At that point, local musicians may start
  decomposing.

19
Amhersts Belle Emily Dickenson

• There is absolutely nothing funny that can be
  said about Emily Dickenson.

20
Amherst was home to Robert Frost

• Whose dog this is, I think I know.
• Frost taught English at Amherst College.
• He was only slightly funnier than Emily Dickenson.

21
Banned in Amherst

• Bernsteins culturally insensitive masterpiece
  was cancelled as Amherst High Schools student
  play.
• Amherst made the BBC News and the Top 10
  Crabbiest Cities List.

22
A Tibetan Pagoda and Monastery Overlook Amherst

• The Peace Pagoda is on top of a mountain in
  Leverett--less than 10 miles from downtown
  Amherst.
• The views are spectacular.
• The Air Force uses the Pagoda as the turn around
  point for their training flights.

23
Amherst is Vegan Friendly

• Amherst is home to many ultra vegetarian Vegans.
• Many restaurants serve special Vegan meals.
• If you are on a Bus with a group of Vegans DO NOT
  FALL ASLEEP!

24
Amherst Fine Dining and Healthy Food

• You can choose from among our many fine
  restaurants.
• When dining in Amherst, please remember

25
This is Tofu
26
This is Your Brain on Tofu
27
Thank you!

• The preceding was paid for by left over slush
  fund money graciously donated by the Amherst
  for Nader Committee.