Left In Lowell

Today, I received my 3rd parking (meter violation) ticket in a very short period of time. All “violations” have occurred on the same street, Market. At this rate, I think I will single-handedly close any financial deficit the City may have.

I keep forgetting that the parking meter rate is now more in-line with Boston rates rather than Lowell of a few years ago. I need to keep quarters in the car. Lesson learned.

The computer-generated ticket is now placed in a sturdy, sunshine color envelope. In the past, the ticket could have been missed but now now. So next week, I will pay my $15 fine through the on-line payment service available on the City’s web site.

Now that I am a three-time offender, I have had a bit of interaction with the Parking Department; there is a pleasant woman there who kept calling me honey as she was answering my questions about my tickets. I wish she would teach some of her colleagues to be a bit more friendly. I and the rest of us who got tagged this morning are not trying to cheat the City out of a few dollars; we just forgot to put in an extra quarter in the meter.

Yesterday’s Globe had a front page article detailing how little attention is being paid to this special MA-05 Congressional race. Matt Viser’s article outlines some of the “gimmicks” candidates have used to grab people’s attention.

Last night, while doing my weekly “Dialing for Donoghue,” I was amazed at the number of individual who did not even know that there was an election coming up on September 4th. It appears that those of us in Lowell are much more aware of what is going on than those in the surrounding towns.

Who and what is to blame for this apathy? The summer weather? Low approval rating for Congress? The candidates and their campaigns have worked very hard to get their message out.

A good friend of mine has suggested that all of the candidates get together and subsidize a family picnic in the various communities; free food, games, fun but no campaigning, no speeches, no hand shaking. Just fun!

I think part of the problem is the lack of press coverage. The two local radio stations, WUML and WCAP, have provided more than sufficient coverage. The Lowell Sun has done an excellent job of informing and educating its readers; the Eagle-Tribune, not as much. But both the Herald and the Globe have been inconsistent at best.

I was told that the Globe will pick up its coverage in the next couple of weeks as the race winds down. It might be a case of too little, too late.

Wish us luck! If everything goes well this morning, I’ll be spackling walls that we officially own by 1pm.

Which is why I’m donating this open thread for you all to chat. I won’t be on the computer much today!