Left In Lowell

Yes, in case you have not heard, Lowell is getting another Dunkin’ Donuts. I, for one, am pleased. As an aficionado (read addicted) of their ice coffee, I can also use another opportunity to drive through. Last time I spoke in favor of a new DD, commentators in Centraville were not pleased.

But this is a different situation. The new location is at the corner of Dutton and Fletcher; where the car wash is now located; in front of Western Avenue Studios. According to the testimony given during the ZBA meeting last Monday, there will be about 56 parking spots, and get this, a drive through that will hold up to 24 cars and it will be open 24 hours a day, for now. (more…)

The bi-monthly (summer schedule) Lowell City Council meeting began with the resignation of one City Councilor and the swearing-in ceremony of City Councilor Joe Mendonca. It took four pieces of correspondence to make this happen: 1) letter of resignation from CC Ramirez, which the Council has to accept and they did; 2) letter from City Clerk to Election Commission; letter from Election Commission responding to City Clerk; 3) letter from Commissioner to CC Mendonca.

Then the City Council accepted the CC Joe Mendonca as a colleague; after getting lengthy standing ovation, he was administered the oath of office. It must have been very emotional for the Mendonca family and his friends and a historical day for the City of Lowell; he came to this country at the age of 6 as an immigrant child from the Azores and now he is a leader in the City. And he committed a common gaffe, in acknowledging all of his friends and family, he forgot his wife. It took a suspension of rules to allow him to acknowledge her.

I think that the City Council can choose not to replace a vacant seat but I do not believe that in recent years (post cable broadcast) has any Council chose to leave a seat vacant until the next election. If I am wrong, I am sure someone will correct me, immediately.

There were a lot of votes taken under the Manager’s Portion, all were approved.

Sub-Committee Report:
Safety: CC Eileen Donoghue, Chair, Bud Caufield, Jim Milinazzo, Rodney Elliott. The emergency 911 facility center at the Politce Department requires renovation; move the center to the garage and update it for the outmoded and outdated equipment and technology. Sub-Committee unanimously accepted recommendation of CM Lynch to bond, about $2M; the City has applied for a grant, $491,000 to subsidize the cost. It will be a modular site that can be moved if and when we build a new police station.

Ad-Hoc University Bridge: CC Rodney Elliott, Jim Milinazzo and Bud Caufield. The bridge which was scheduled to begin in 2010, now has been moved to 2012. The bridge will need to be repaired in 2010. The Sub-Committee asked that Mass Highway give the City an update on when the temporary Rourke Bridge will be replaced by a permanent bridge. Yes, CC Elliott had a straight face. I will never see a permanent bridge replace that one.

Motions:
Police Indemnification: (CCs Broderick, Donoghue and Caulfield) This is the two year on-going issue of indemnifying a police officer who had a jury judgment against him for an incident that occurred when he was on detailed duty, a few years back. Now the officer is paying for this judgment. Apparently as the law reads, the City cannot do anything now that the judgment was made. It was very obvious that the entire City Council wants the City to come up with a plan. This topic has been discussed by the City Council and sub-committee for the past two years; why did it take so long to come up with a solution? The CM will bring a plan back to the Safety Sub-Committee on two weeks; a plan of sorts.

Observation: LTC must have new people operating the cameras. They do not follow the speaker. There seems to be only three angles, one of the Mayor, another of the left side of the Council chambers and one of the right side. It is annoying. Why isn’t Assistant CM sitting at the big boys’ table up front and is forced to sit in the gallery? They should either get a bigger table or squeeze another chair in.

This weekend the 21st Lowell Folk Festival will be taking place in downtown Lowell. If you have not had a chance to check out the list of performers and events, here is the link to the 2007 Lowell Folk Festival.

As a member of the ethnic food groups, throughout the year, we have had a number of meetings with the organizers in preparation for the upcoming weekend. Everything is all set and it should be another successful year.

The Folk Festival has a new partner this year, the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau; the CVB joins the National Council for the Traditional Arts, Lowell National Historical Park, the Lowell Festival Foundation and of course, the great City of Lowell in sponsoring and organizing the largest free festival in the United States.

Last night started off with a Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie screening in a 3D IMAX theater with my mom, after which I headed home with my hands on the final (seventh) book. Once home (past 10pm), I peeked in it with the intention of reading maybe a couple chapters, but after 5 or 6 I had to admit to myself that I was not going to be able to sleep until I reached its 759-page conclusion. The only (all non-spoiler) thing I will say is that it was good, the best, and I bawled my eyes out during multiple parts.

So I am headed for a nap. This book had the worst bloody timing, as I have a huge amount of real estate things to do this afternoon, but there you have it. Couldn’t put it down. If you’re a Potterhead, enjoy…if not, well, there’s just nothing I can do for you. So, you can console yourselves with this open thread. I likely won’t have the energy or time to blog today.

Oh, and no spoilers about HP7 of any kind, for those who have not finished. Thanks!

The comments I made in previous post regarding political signs are not an attempt by me or anyone else to suppress political speech, on the contrary. This is the only purpose of this blog; to give everyone an opportunity to express their views, anonymously at that.

However, my City is turning into a flea market because certain candidates for the Lowell City Council and their “enthusiastic supporters” do not care about the visual noise level they have created.

I am in full support with CC Rodney Elliott’s timely motion, made two weeks ago during the bi-weekly (summer schedule) Lowell City Council: “Have the City Manager develop regulations on political signs and forward it to the Zoning Sub-Committee (CCs Kevin Broderick, Chair and Jim Millinazo, and Elliott members) for their review and discussion”; then public hearings and eventual vote at a full City Council meeting.

CC Elliott made sure to emphasize that his intent was not to suppress free speech but rather to put into place a set of rules and regulations that all campaigns understand and can follow. Right now it is the wild, wild west. In a previous post, Commentator EaboClipper linked to a first amendment web site regarding yard signs. I liked the following paragraph because it addresses the problem that Lowell is currently facing: (more…)

Former Lowell City Councilor Peter Richards and his wife Lu are hosting a fundraising event for Eileen Donoghue, candidate for the U.S. House of Representative, MA 5th District. The gathering will be held this Wednesday, July 25, from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. at their home, 114 Billings St., Lowell, MA. Here is the map to their home. Richards, who served with Eileen on the Lowell City Council in the late ‘90s, is still very active in civic life; he is involved with the non-profit Christmas in April/Rebuilding Together Lowell.

The suggested minimum donation is $25 but if someone wanted to meet and greet Eileen, you are more than welcome to come. I look forward to Wednesday, not only to continue to support Eileen’s congressional campaign but also for the opportunity to meet Centraville residents. The Richards live in that densely-populated and politically active part of the City.

Following our successful historic tour and canvass in Lowell a couple weeks ago, Mike in Chelmsford is hosting a canvass in his town, starting with a tour of the Garrison House. Jamie Eldridge himself will joining in the fun (and the door to door). Mike furthers the enticement by saying that if you RSVP to him with your shirt size, he’ll make you a special-edition Jamie t-shirt. You can reach Mike at mike at combsnet.com (replace the word “at” with an @, no spaces).

It sounds fun. I’ll be in Maine, celebrating a graduation and going away party for my cousin (she’s joined the peace corps), so I need someone to fill my spot in for me.

Also, things are going to be crazy-busy for a while, you’re going to have to rely on Mimi. We’re one step closer to buying a house in Lowell (our offer has been accepted) so between inspections and packing and planning, I’m going to be away from blogging a bit here and there.

Addendum: I am not above using this blog to troll for volunteer labor when we move and paint and for other house-preperation tasks. So be prepared! Of course, post-move pizza and beer will be on us, so it’s not without compensation!

Addendum II: Didn’t realize I had a whole lot more information from Kate Donaghue regarding the Chelmsford canvass:

We have a chance to visit the Garrison House in Chelmsford. We have scheduled a private tour for our volunteers of an old garrison that housed British soldiers during the French and Indian War in 1691-1692!

Tour at 10:00 AM.
Meet for canvass at 10:30 AM
Drop ins are welcome throughout the day until 5 PM.

Address: 105 Garrison Road in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, USA.

RSVP to KateDonaghue at aol.com [replace word “at” with @, no spaces]. If you need to make a last minute decision, just show up and we should be able to accommodate you.

If you can’t be there for 10:30 AM, just call my cell and I will meet you with your canvass packet.
The tour is $3 per person and they are opening it up especially for us!

*If you are coming on Interstate 495:*
Take exit 32 in Westford. Follow signs to routes 225/110. After leaving ramp stay in left lane and turn left onto route 110 at the light. Go 2.2 miles to the intersection of rt 110 and Garrison Road. Turn right onto Garrison Road. Go about 400 feet and turn left into the field, where parking is free during events.

*If you are coming on Rt 3:*
Exit route 3 and take Interstate 495 South and follow directions above.

*From Chelmsford center:*
Take route 110 West. Go about 3 miles and turn left onto Garrison Road.

In 1691-1692, the town of Chelmsford encompassed not only the Chelmsford of today, but all of what is now Westford and Lowell as well. British soldiers were garrisoned at 19 locations in Chelmsford, partly to protect the colonists from the Indians, and partly to insure that the colonists remained loyal to the king. One of the garrisons was the building now known as the “Old Chelmsford” Garrison House.

The Garrison House was formerly owned and occupied by Benjamin Haywood. It was built in 1692 and was said to have been purchased by Benjamin from Thomas Adams in 1726.

http://www.garrisonhouse.org

Today you will hear Ed O’Reilly on Thinking Out Loud. I have to say, despite the uphill battle before him in challenging John Kerry for his Senate seat in the Democratic primary, that you feel a lot of optimism when you listen to what he has to say. I’ve met him on several occasions now. I’m a big fan of competitive primaries, but even I at first thought he was totally crazy. Challenge a juggernaut like Kerry?

But then, I think of how many people have been severely disappointed in Kerry, and I start to wonder. Well, on today’s show, you can judge him for yourself. Listen live at 10am on WUML 91.5FM, or stream it live. We should also have the archive up afterwards.

I attended a couple of City Council candidates’ parties this week and did my volunteer phone-banking for the Donoghue campaign. So, I am in full political mode.

Kristin Ross-Sitcawich: Kristin had a Midsummer Garden Gala on Wednesday. Krstin and her husband Richard are tireless campaigners. I have attended a number of parties at her house, mostly for social occasions. It has always rained. But there were plenty of tents, so I did not get wet while I was busy talking and listening.

State Senator Steve Panagiatakos was there; he has attended, when possible, most of the City Council candidates’ kick-off parties. That is one of the reasons why he is universally respected throughout the City. He makes a point of being available, meeting and talking to as many of his constituents as possible.

City Councilor Rodney Elliott was also there. While he complimented me on my culinary ability, I complained to him about the uncontrolled proliferation of political signs throughout the City. CC Elliott had submitted a motion on temporary signs, requesting that CM Bernie Lynch present suggestions to the Zoning Sub-Committee for review. I will have more to say about this in a future post.

Independent Congressional candidate Pat Murphy was accompanied by WBUR’s political reporter, Fred Thys. Boston’s NPR station is doing a piece on Murphy that is scheduled to be aired next week. Apparently, they find him as interesting and refreshing as we do. He is getting much more comfortable on the campaign trail.

That same evening, I had the opportunity to congratulate soon-to-be Lowell City Council Joe Mendonca. Dick and Jackie, who know Joe well and have worked him, have nice pieces on their respective blogs about his capability and his character. Joe is a positive thinker who wants to work to move this City forward. In this age of television, many of us judge others superficially. Joe’s personality may not be as boisterous or self-promoting as some sitting City Councilors, but believe me, he is intelligent and quite knowledgeable.

Lowell City Council candidate David Koch, his wife and 2 of his 8 children were also there. It was the first time I had a chance to speak to him. He was born, brought up and lives in Lowell’s Back Central Street area. Koch is a small business owner with a very large extended family; he already has a full campaign team in place. His enthusiasm is catchy. Last night, he had his kick-off party, which I was able to attend, very late but nevertheless made it. Koch, like Mendonca, Murphy, Kristin and others are a part of that generation that want to focus on ideas, planning, execution and results. Lowell is fortunate to have relatively young, up and coming politicians who want to serve the public.

The Lowell Sun’s Chris Scott is reporting on the paper’s web site, breaking news section, what we all have been anticipating, Lowell City Council George Ramirez will resign this Friday and 10th place finisher in the 2005 race and current challenger in the 2007 race, Joseph Mendonca will serve the remainder of the term.

Mendonca should be sworn in next Tuesday during the regular bi-monthly (summer schedule) meeting of the City Council.

Both the news of the resignation and the way it was announced were expected. Ramirez’s decision not to seek re-election this year was done through the Sun’s breaking news section and so wasn’t the announcement of his return to State Government. Here is Lynne’s post and subsequent commentaries on that appointment.

Scott reports that “Ramirez said stepping down was not a requirement of his new employer but a personal decision. He said in an interview today he can ‘foresee’ potential conflicts of interest.”

And for the answer to the question we are all asking, “Asked to comment on City Manager Bernie Lynch’s performance, Mendonca said: ‘I feel he’s doing a fine job’.”