Guest columnist Eric Cochrane: Why do some want Amherst to be intentionally stuck in time? Published: 4/25/2021 4:00:04 PM In the opening scene of “Back To The Future,” Marty McFly gets approached by a woman from the Hill Valley Historical Society, asking him to sign a petition. This petition is to keep the downtown clock tower, which had not worked in three decades, exactly the way it is. While this scene makes sense in terms of setting up for the climax, what real purpose does it serve if a town’s clock tower is intentionally stuck in time, with no hope for progress?