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Media in Lowell
- Chelmsford Mass News
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- WCAP radio :: Talk radio in Lowell - still locally owned, and in transition.
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The Arts in Lowell
- 119 Gallery - Art gallery with exhibitions of many local artists, interesting events, and living, breathing culture.
- Arts League of Lowell (ALL) - Artist community group, a recent but welcome addition to the arts scene in Lowell.
- Brush Art Gallery - Come and meet working artists in their natural habitats!
- Cultural Organization of Lowell (COOL) - Great local calendar of events.
- Lowell Opera Company - Community opera.
- Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra - Local community orchestra.
- Lowell Poetry Network
- Lowell Rocks - List of live music events
- Merrimack Repertory Theatre - A local theatre "presenting an exciting mix of contemporary and new plays in historic downtown Lowell."
- OUtlET - Paper and online 'zine making a splash locally with events in art, poetry, music, and everything in between!
- Revolving Museum Contemporary, local, public art space with a plethora of children's programs and art by and for the community.
- The Fine Print - Socially aware, themed, arts and issues periodic publication available throughout Lowell.
- The Image Theater - Theatre company which puts on all original works by local playwrights.
- Whistler House Museum - A great collection of contemporaries of Whistler at his historic birthplace.
June 8th, 2006 at 3:56 pm
A few comments:
- There are a lot of city employees! And more are coming.
- The budget apparently builds in raises, as Salary accounts generally increase between 3.5% and 5.0% in various departments, and even higher where employees are added.
- The wage increases appear to be top-heavy in most departments
- Apparently there is none of the labor reduction in the parks department, promised when the turf was replaced at Cawley.
- There is a large increase in claim payments, one in particular, out of the law department
- It is not clear how the subsidy reimbursement from Medicare D is being accounted for.
- Total increase in tax levy is 3.5%, and supposedly some of that will be from “growth”, so tax rate X valuation should be pretty steady
- Still $500K shown transferred from parking to general account, whereas that money will be needed for the parking garage bond. (If the council cuts $500K in expenses and eliminates this contribution to the city budget, then garage funding may be OK, and tax rate will be unaffected).
- Budget is set with a large expected increase in State funds, so there is some risk it will not balance without a large tax increase if it doesn’t materialize
June 13th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
Current cherry sheet estimates - note the Senate proposal, used in the Lowell budget process, is the most generous to the city.
http://www.dls.state.ma.us/cherry/07/csr07160.doc