Left In Lowell

Please join us for UTEC’s 10th Anniversary, celebrating 10 years of Peace, Positivity, and Empowerment!

Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Time: 6:00-8:00 PM
Location: 34 Hurd St. Lowell, MA 01852

Tickets are $50 in advance, $75 at the door

Please join us for this very special evening:
- UTEC pays tribute to our founding Board President, Steve Pearlswig.
- The 2009 Adult Ally and Youth Leader of the year will be recognized.
- UTECs Fresh Roots culinary team will provide light refreshments.
- Teen stories, performances, and auctions throughout the night.

To purchase tickets online, click here:
Or mail checks to: Jessica Wilson, UTEC, 34 Hurd St., Lowell, MA 01852

According to a Christopher Scott story in today’s Sun, “City Councilor Jim Milinazzo has the five votes needed to become mayor on Jan. 4, and then some.”

Scott reports that CC Milinazzo has the supports of CCs K. Broderick, B. Martin and CC-elects F. Descoteaux, J. Mendonca and P. Murphy. He also reports that “Councilors Rita Mercier and Edward “Bud” Caulfield…will vote for Milinazzo as well at the first meeting of the new 2010-2011 council.” What a difference two years makes. Additionally, it appears that CC K. Broderick will serve as vice-mayor.

Well, this is a good omen for this new City Council: to begin their new term with little or no dispute as to who will lead them. But those of us who have been around for a while, know that in a Lowell mayoral election, it is not over until that vote is taken. Since there is little or no controversy, I do not think history will repeat itself.

Good luck CC Milinazzo!

Yesterday in New York City, a police car assisting Vice President Joe Biden’s motorcade collided with another vehicle. And on Monday, a sheriff’s vehicle escorting Biden’s motorcade in New Mexico was hit by a car that went around the police vehicles blocking the intersection.

Coincidence? I think not. A month ago, while travelling, I too was impacted by the Vice-President’s motorcade. No, I did not hit one of the police cars but I was forced to stay on the grounds of my hotel, located near the airport, for over 45 minutes waiting for the Vice-President’s motorcade to travel by on its way to the airport. It took less than 3 minutes for the motorcade to go by but they shut all of the roads near the airport for 45 minutes.

My inconvenience was nothing compared to those who miss their flights. The staff member who coordinates the Vice-President’s motorcade travel with the local police department needs to sharpen his/her skills.

A friend who lives in Lowell sent me this link to a LGBT blog towleroad . This past weekend in Puerto Rico a 19-year-old gay man, Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado was murdered, his body was partially burned, his head decapitated and his limb dismembered. The story was disturbing on many levels.

In addition to the brutality of this hate crime, I found it disturbing that this story did not make the mainstream media. After I received the e-mail from my friend, I went on line and searched. Yes, you could find the story on some web sites, such as CNN, but I had to search for it.

Have we become desensitized to these types of crime? Is Puerto Rico too far away from the mainland for us not be concerned?