Left In Lowell

I meant to announce this earlier, but I’ve been running between two offices and sometimes without internet. But we’ve received confirmation that Deb Goldberg will indeed be attending the May 21 2pm Lt Governors “Inform Your Choice” Forum being held at the Lowell Senior Center (more info here, as well as posters and postcards to download and pass around). This means that all four Democrats running for Lt Governor will be there, and this is a perfect opportunity for anyone, including Democratic delegates looking to make a choice for June’s convention, to have their questions answered in person.

Consider this your thread to ask those questions. We will take them via comments, email, and at the Forum itself.

Among the listed attributes of this applicant: “…as a full-time employee at The Sun, I am already owned and beholden to The Sun, so that learning curve won’t be a problem.”

It’s good to know satire is alive and well. Paul Sullivan gives us this rundown of his best qualifications for the position, including being “a second-generation Irish-American…[who is] accomplished at holding a grudge.”

Satire has a long and glorious history of poking fun and holding up a mirror to the society it’s mocking (why else would John Stewart be so popular?). Despite the over the top request for kickbacks in his column, I give Paul an A for wit. I’m glad that some at the Lowell Sun haven’t lost their sense of humor through all this.

How can a majority of the City Council decide to borrow an additional $4.5 million to built the 900 space garage on Middlesex Street as part of the city’s JAM revitalization project and not have a plan in place to pay for that loan?

Mayor Bill Martin and Councilors Eileen Donoghue and Rodney Eilliott were right in arguing that the City cannot afford the garage as presently planned. I do not disagree with the long list of businesses, non-profits, residents and city planners who advocate that this garage is the keystone to launching the development of that section of downtown.

However, do we really need that particular garage? We should pursue the question raised by some Councilors who asked why only 2 construction bids were submitted when 70 packages were requested. The Council should rescind its decision and ask the City Department of Planning and Development to submit a less expensive garage. (more…)

Join the Stand for Children School Funding Rally on April 26th. All of the area towns are sending busloads of concerned citizens to lobby for education; the cities need to have a presence there as well. There will be a group leaving from Lowell on the 9:10 train to Boston that morning; for more information, visit www.stand.org.

Please allow me to shift gears.

On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Turkish government rounded up over 400 Armenian intellectuals in the city of Constantinople, now called Istanbul. Thus began the Armenian Genocide. The Rwanda Genocide also began in the month of April but in 1994.

In between there were a number of other genocides including the Jewish Holocaust, the Cambodian Genocide and the ethnic cleansing carried out in Kosovo.

All these genocides have the same pattern. The minority residents of a particular nation are attacked by the majority in an attempt to exterminate the minority. A plan is drafted to begin the killing of the ethnic/religious/political/racial minority, this plan is then executed over a period of time, once it is completed the denial or the distortion of the facts begins. How much can one people hate another people to want them eliminated from the face of the earth?

It takes a people decades and generations to exorcise the psychological impact of being driven from your ancestral homeland, attacked and raped along the long journey to a neighboring country that may offer sanctuary.

So today as the survivors of the Darfur Genocide seek shelter in Chad, some in the world watch helplessly while many others, unable to cope, ignore it.

And now, a break from the crazy. I wanted to be sure everyone is aware that Doors Open Lowell, First Saturdays at Western Ave, and even my own Open House (for my studio/office), is happening next weekend - er, a week from this weekend.

The Sun has an article on Doors Open Lowell, which is when owners of historic buildings let the public see the insides.

Then on May 6th (which is also the last day for Doors Open) is another First Saturdays Open Studios with the artists of Western Avenue from noon to 5pm. I have chosen to also hold my own Open House for my new business/artist location at Western Ave at the same time (so that people coming to see me will also get to see some of the wonderful art of the other artists). I will have food, and my own artwork on display, and it’s just a time for business colleagues and friends to come and be jealous at my sparse, rough and industrial, but wicked cool location. I am on the fourth floor; but there are two whole floors of us, please come and peruse! I’ll be there also from noon to five.

The Sun (and from what I’ve heard, WCAP) has confirmed that John Cox will step down as City Manager effective July 31. I’d like to thank him for being kind enough to understand his presence, at best, was causing a breakdown in city government communications, and for being big enough to step aside. It would be even wiser for him to call off his supporters and their goon squad if he has not already done so. Intimidation tactics from some of the shadier elements of the city, and spam attacks on this blog, are not appropriate. In the case of the former, probably even criminal. (I am not referring to the people getting bumper stickers or signs or petition signatures, I am talking about real intimidation. It is an activity that is not unusual in this city and it’s disgusting. Those people should be ashamed of what they are teaching their children.) If no one else will mention it, I will. It’s sick.

So, what follows is the real cause I personally will fight for: who will replace him. I call on the Lowell Sun to keep out of the process this time around. You are not there to make news, you are there to report it. I have seen some fair and balanced writing from the Sun at times lately. I would like to see more of it. I’d also ask the same from WCAP, if it’ll do any good. Let’s not pick a successor on political grounds this time. Or else we will just be here again, resentments burning on all sides, in five more years.

To the City Councilors: please, for the city’s sake, consider carefully who you will hire as the next City Manager. This is your biggest test yet. Make it a wide open search, and choose the candidate who will best administer the city, and not use the position to intimidate, shut out, or hand out favors to particular people, businessmen, or groups. This is a great opportunity, so please don’t waste it. Don’t be afraid to hire someone from outside the city, but if you decide on a local candidate, please choose one that can work with all city residents, instead of the chosen minority.

We all want what’s best for this city. All the fuss has been about our disagreement on what that is. Some think that having the same few voices make all the decisions is better. Many of us think otherwise. This conversation, while bitter and contentious, has shone some light on some pretty dark places. We can continue on that path, or take giant steps backwards. I know which way I’d rather go.