Monday, September 8, 2008

Wildwood Shortcut

The way home.

Yesterday I was returning from helping a friend with his novel when I passed the Wildwood Elementary School in Amherst. Looks like the wild woods are overwhelming the school's sign.



Here's a little known shortcut from Wildwood School to downtown. Little known to adults that is; school kids know it by heart.

First walk over to the Amherst Childcare Center next door to the school.



Walk behind the child care center from the right side. There you will discover a hidden path.



The path will take you across a beautiful field. Such open spaces are good for your head.



At the end of the field, take this sun-dappled woodland trail into the woods.



Someone has built a treehouse in the woods, and from the age of the wood it looks pretty recent.



I used to build treeforts in Snake Woods in ol' Pine Point which were a danger to life and limb, but this one looks pretty safe. I wonder if an adult helped.

When you come out of the woods you are where Morrow Lane turns into Cottage Street.



Cottage Street is quite lengthy.



However, when you reach the end of it you will find you are right by the entrance to West Cemetery, where Emily Dickinson is buried.



So there you go, take full advantage of this shortcut whenever you pass by the Wildwood School.

Nathan Bech, who is running against incumbent John Olver for Congress, sent out a press release reporting that the candidates have met for the first time, and not under the friendliest of circumstances. According to the press release:



Congressional candidate Nathan Bech (R-West Springfield) took advantage of a parade traffic holdup to introduce himself to opponent John Olver (D-Amherst). The two candidates were a float apart during the Franklin County Fair Parade in Greenfield. It was Olver's first official campaign appearance this year.

"The parade halted when Olver and I were just rounding River Street. His staff has told the media for months that he is too busy to meet me, so I thought this would be a convenient time for him," Bech said.

"I reached out my hand and thanked him for walking in the parade. Olver turned away for a moment and then declared 'this is not a good time,'" Bech recounted. The two finally shook hands as the parade started up again.


Olver is also facing a challenger in the Democrat primary from Robert A. Feuer, a Stockbridge lawyer who complains, believe it or not, that Olver is not liberal enough.

There was a big poster sale in the Campus Center today at UMass. Amazing how after all these years Marilyn Monroe still rules the pin-up world.



Students at the University of Massachusetts love to dance, as Ian demonstrates in his dorm room.

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