AMHERST — Summer-like weather and an afternoon home football game for the University of Massachusetts prompted complaints about disturbances and loud parties to be brought to police early on Saturday.
At 9:53 a.m., police responded to the first incident at Pi Kappa Phi, on Nutting Avenue, where people were talking loudly and playing loud music and several tables were set up for guests to play various drinking games.
Just 22 minutes later, police took a complaint about a loudspeaker set up in a yard on Phillips Street, where people gathered to listen to music and begin the day’s celebrations. The residents were warned to quiet down.
Fearing Street and North Pleasant Street residents were both issued warnings at 1:35 p.m. after officers went to their homes regarding loud music playing in the yards.
While Detective Joshua Harris said bars were busy downtown, especially following the game and throughout the evening, police didn’t make any arrests related to loud parties until 12:53 a.m. Sunday, when officers were summoned to 47 Hobart Lane.
A private security detail was on scene, but it was unable to bring partygoers under control after people first cut down a small tree and threw it into the road, then tried to knock over a mailbox. The guests also damaged the siding of a neighboring home by hitting it with a beer can.
Harris said the following 21-year-old men were arrested on charges of violating the town’s noise and nuisance house bylaws for holding the party: Patrick F. Hurley of Quincy, Alexandre Gallant Poulain of 47 Hobart Lane, and Thomas Joseph Wallace of Norwell.
During the weekend, police also arrested one person for violating the town’s open container bylaw, issued five summons for minors in possession and five summons for open container bylaw violations and issued four earnings for other liquor law violations.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
