Amherst Residents from ASC - Please read regarding Warrant Article 27

Thank you to the parents who attended the most recent Town Deliberative session.  Below are some facts related to the Warrant Article.  The ASC board supports this Article and we ask our members to become educated on this issue but more importantly, come out and vote on 3/8/2011.

Article 27 is seeking to MOVE $390,000 from the Land Use Change (LUCT) Fund to the Recreation Asset Acquisition fund so that we can move quickly to replace Cemetery Fields.  The LUCT fund was established by the voters in 2001 (Article 12), and was passed at a 2-1 margin.  Article 12 very clearly stated that ½ of the money was intended for Conservation land purchase (which has already happened) and ½ of the money was intended for Recreation land purchase (which is now being proposed). 

Essentially this article does three main things:

1.       Uses existing funds intended for recreation
2.       Will be used to replace Cemetery Fields
3.       There is no Tax Increase

The website links below will take you to a couple of sites that will allow for an exchange of information.  The first is a Facebook page.  If you are a Facebook user, please go in and "like" this page so that we can show a strong support.  Also, please actively participate…ask your questions.  We are certainly not asking any of you to go blindly and say "yes" for something unless you understand it.  Here is the page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yes-on-Article-27/135379129862240

The second is a website put together for the same reasons:

http://yesonarticle27.com/

Please take the time to review…and help us get the word out.  What we need from each of you is for you to send this on to four of your friends who are not related to soccer…and for them to send it to four of their friends, etc.  We need this thing to take off so that we can have great field and playground space in our town!

Thank You

ASC Board of Directors

ASC Tournament help needed - Are you good with desktop publishing or a similar program?

Hello ASC,

The tournament committee for the 19th Annual Memorial Day Classic has met and the planning is well under way.  I am still looking for a volunteer who may be good with desktop publishing, adobe professional or a similiar program that would be willing to put together the tournament program for me this year.  This will count towards your volunteer hours so you will not have to work the holiday weekend :).  The files and ads will be sent to you.  If you are interested please let me know and I can send you more information.

Thanks
Lisa Davidson <4davidsons99@comcast.net>
Tournament Director

ASC Spring 2011 Sign-Ups & Information

Hello ASC,

It's hard to believe but spring is just around the corner.  The teams have been registered with the league and rosters are due by the beginning of March.   It is time to register for the Spring season of the Amherst Soccer Club.  Spring dues are listed below.  The first regular league game will be the weekend of 04/16.  We are awaiting field allocations from the town and will send out practice schedules as soon as this information is recieved.   Please send registration payment to: 

                       

                            Program Sign-Up, Amherst Soccer Club, PO Box 853, Amherst, NH 03031.

The deadline for the Spring dues is February 28, 2011. Also as a reminder, ASC hosts their 19th Annual Memorial Day Classic over the Memorial Weekend.  This is our clubs only fundraiser which helps to keep fees down. All players are asked to volunteer approximately 6-8 hours over the weekend.  If you would like to complete your hours ahead of time, please contact Lisa Davidson, Tournament Director at 4davidsons99@comcast.net.

Spring Dues:

U11 Teams (8v8) -$225  DOB 08/01/99-07/31/00  
2 nights practice sessions per week (2 hours each)
8 league games on weekend
1 tournament-ASC Memorial Classic Tournament

U12 Teams (8v8) -$225  DOB 08/01/98-07/31/99     
2  nights practice sessions per week (2 hours each)
8 league games on weekend
1 tournament-ASC Memorial Classic Tournament

U13 Teams (11v11) -$250 DOB 08/01/97-07/31/98
2 nights practice sessions per week (2 hours each)
8 league games on weekend
1 tournament-ASC Memorial Classic Tournament

U14 Teams (11v11) -$250  DOB 08/01/96-07/31/97
2 nights practice sessions per week (2 hours each)
8 league games on weekend
1 tournament-ASC Memorial Classic Tournament

Please contact me with any questions.

Thanks

Lisa Davidson

Treasurer

Amherst ASC Residents - Very important notice

Good Morning ASC…..

The other night we met with representatives from other town sport/recreation groups to discuss the upcoming (tonight) deliberative session and the larger issue of lack of adequate recreation space in Amherst.  The short term goal as agreed by the group is to get the word out to our members that we need your support for tonight's deliberative session.  More to follow about the long term goals.  We need our members to make informed decisions and the only way to do that is to attend the meeting and hear both sides of the story.

    

We need 10-15 people to attend the deliberative session tonight at 7:00 at the high school.  Amendments can be changed for the March 8^th ballot at this meeting. There is an amendment, # 27, that will transfer $250,000 to the Rec. department specifically for land acquisition. The risk is that a group that doesn't feel there is a need for field space can change the amendment to a much lower dollar figure effectively killing the amendment.  This money is already sitting in a fund and is not going to be a tax burden.  We need enough people in favor of a land purchase to be able to "protect" the amendment with their vote.  This is a larger issue than ASC. Visit any bordering town and you will agree that we are behind our neighbors in fields/playgrounds/recreation areas available to our citizens….and Cemetery Fields closure is imminent.  This is step 1 in our work to get #27 passed on March 8^th. Please respond with your attendance!

The ASC Board supports this amendment.

A group of representatives from the Amherst Patriots, Amherst Lacrosse, COE-SVU, Jasper Valley, Amherst PTA, and others will be meeting in the lobby @ 6:50 to show a united front.

Eric Facey/ Pete Camello

ASC Board    

Fwd: Update-LUCT Warrant Article-Amherst residents Please read

Team:

Please read the following information from the club and lend your support so our kids will have fields to play on in the years to come.  Thanks.

Coach Mark Smith
(c) 603-493-7179

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Matthew and Lisa Davidson <4davidsons99@comcast.net>
Date: Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 9:03 AM

 

To: Amherst Residents

 

Pete Camello and Molly Dix attended a meeting with the Amherst Recreation Department and the local sports clubs.  The Recreation Department asks all of us to rally and attend the deliberative session on Wednesday this week to support the warrant article to use $250K from the LUCT fund for buying land for future playing fields.  Please read the attached memo to learn more about this money, and legislative changes at the state level that could impact our ability to use this money going forward.

 

At the deliberative session the article will be open to revision and WE NEED YOU to come and help.  At this time, this money exists for this purpose but can only be allocated once a year, and with legislative changes the intended uses for this money could also change.  PLEASE COME AND HELP, this is one of those times that numbers help, so please do not assume others will take care of this for you.  We are all Amherst Soccer Club, our kids all use the fields, and we need to plan for the future.  A recent study showed Amherst is 10 fields short for our activity level, and that is with Cemetery Fields still available.  When that is taken out of use (soon), we will have serious scheduling issues. 

 

The selectmen support this warrant article 5-0 but we need attendees at the meeting to vote to put the article, as written, on the ballot.  Please attend the meeting to vote and get this article on the ballot as written.

 

Also, tonight is the meeting at Andrew Zell's (President of Amherst Patriots) home (7:00pm – 8:00pm).  If you would like to join Eric and Peter at tonight's meeting please give Pete a call at 566-2698 or send him an email.

 

Amherst Soccer Club Board of Directors

 

 

Future fields in Amherst

Amherst Soccer Club members and Amherst Residents please read and come out and support. With the closing of Cemetery fields in the next couple of years, field space is going to be tight.

ASC members, please see email from Andrew Zell, current President of Amherst Patriots.  Andrew has taken the lead on the Amherst field issues and he needs our support.  Last year the town voted down a proposal to purchase land for future fields.  The board of ASC was active and present during last years deliberation session but this year we need our members to come out as well.  Eric Facey (board member) is attending a meeting at Andrew's home on 2/7 to hear more about what is planned for the upcoming deliberative session on 2/9/2011.  If anyone feels strongly about this issue and would like to attend the meeting on 2/7 please join Eric in attending.  Board members Molly Dix and Peter Camello are attending a meeting tonight to hear more from the Amherst Recreation Commission.  We will communicate our findings to the club.  We would appreciate your support on this very important issue.  Thank you.  – ASC Board

Hi all,
>
> My name is Andrew Zell and I am the President of The Amherst Patriots. I
> have watched over the past 6 years (the time I have lived here) as our area
> youth is constantly and consistently pushed to the sideline. I think it is
> time to stop this and let the town know how important youth sports and youth
> activities are to all of us, if not the rest of Amherst. I honestly believe
> the decline in enrollment in our schools is directly tied to the facilities
> in Bedford...I believe this because 6 years ago when I was looking for a
> place to move Bedford was equal to Amherst and only lost out because they
> didn't have their own High School. Now that they do, and given the history
> of lack of support for youth activities has tipped the scales significantly
> over to Bedford. Either we need to turn the tide back or ultimately our
> houses will quickly drop in value (more quickly than it already is), and our
> taxes will continue to go up to cover the spending.
>
> I believe the only way to combat this is for us all to organize, in the
> short term to influence the February 9th deliberative session, and in the
> long term to push through changes allowing our youth to have areas to play.
> You see below an e-mail from the Recreation Department who want to move
> money into a capital reserve to quickly purchase land to replace Cemetery
> Fields. Please review.
>
> I will be holding a information session at my house on Monday, February 7th
> from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. At this session we will discuss how we can impact the
> February 9th session, but more importantly how we can organize in the future
> to help shape the Town of Amherst which is currently being held by a very
> small group of people who are EXTREMELY organized.
>
> You are all the heads of the various organizations in town: Amherst Lacrosse
> Club, Amherst Baseball Club, Amherst Soccer Club, Granite FC, Jasper Valley,
> and the Amherst PTA. What we are asking for is 4 people from each group to
> attend the meeting at my house as well as the deliberative session at the
> high school. Realizing that some of you have members from other towns,
> obviously we need Amherst Citizens at these meetings. The goal is to have
> people who are willing to stand up and announce that this move is important
> both to the individuals as well as the organizations that they represent.
>
> Please reply to me and let me know if you can gain the help of 4
> individuals, give me their names, e-mails and phone numbers and I will take
> it from there.
>
> I truly believe that if we band together we can make significant change in
> our town for the future. The change won't be instant, it will take us
> years...but the old saying of together we succeed and Divided we fail really
> hits home here. Let's band together and get this done.
>
> Please scroll down to review the information about what we are looking to
> support in February.
>
> Thank you for your time.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Andrew Zell
> Andrew.zell@hotmail.com
> Home Phone: 603-424-2374
>
> ________________________________________________________________
>
> On Wednesday, February 9th, a Deliberative Session will be held at
> Souhegan High School at 7PM. At the meeting, Amherst's town budget and all
> warrant articles will be brought to the floor for discussion. One item of
> particular interest will center around an article to transfer $250,000
> from the Land Use Change Fund (LUCT) to the Recreation Capital Reserve
> Fund (established to acquire & develop property, such as new recreation
> fields, etc).
>
> This is of particular importance to anyone concerned about the lack of
> adequate fields and facilities in Amherst. Given the urgent need to
> find a suitable replacement for Cemetery Fields, we are contacting all
> organizations in Amherst that have an interest in supporting this
> article, and asking they organize 4-5 people to come to the HS and
> express their strong support for this article.
>
> Given that the public has an opportunity to amend the general fund
> budget along with any warrant article, it is important we demonstrate
> visible support for this article. Without ready access to the $250,000,
> the Recreation Department may not be able to move quickly on property
> suitable to replace Cemetery Fields. Importantly, this article has no
> direct tax impact.
>
> Following the Deliberative, will be the vote on March 8. A voters guide
> will be published in the Amherst Citizen just before the budget vote. It
> will include the recommendations of the Board of Selectmen along with
> the Ways & Means Committee. It will include any amendments that were
> approved at the Deliberative Session.
>