Archive for July 30th, 2010

July 30th, 2010

Charles Cowley – Week 6

by DickH

Here’s the sixth in my weekly compilations of Twitter “tweets” from Charles Cowley’s “Illustrated History of Lowell.” I think I missed posting this one when I went on vacation.

July 13 – In 1793 the Proprietors of the Middlesex Canal began work on the canal that ran from Chelmsford to Charlestown.

July 14 – Middlesex Canal was completed in 1804 at a cost of $700,000. It was 31 miles long, 24 feet wide and 4 feet deep

July 15 – Middlesex Canal was 1st canal in US to provide passenger service. From Chelmsford to Boston took one full day

July 16 – “Vast quantities of timber grown around Winnespesawkee Lake” were transported to Boston via Middlesex Canal.

July 17 – 1st boat trip from Boston to Concord NH was via Middlesex Canal & Merrimack River in 1814. First steam boat in 1819.

CategoryHistory | CommentNo Comments »

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July 30th, 2010

Flashback Friday: Lowell Political Gathering, c.1966

by DickH

From left, State Senator Jack Harrington, City Councilor Sam Pollard, City Councilor Ray Gilbride, Mayor Ed Early, unidentified (little help?), City Councilor Tom O’Donnell, City Councilor Dick Howe Sr. – photo from 1966-67 city council term

CategoryCity Council, History | Comment4 Comments »

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July 30th, 2010

Community Innovations Prize

by PaulM

Prof. Bill Berkowitz of the UMass Lowell master’s program in Community Social Psychology is affiliated with the online Community Tool Box based at the University of Kansas. He sent this message to colleagues on campus and in the city:

And now that some of the dust from the Innovative Cities conference has died down, wanted to pass along a small piece of news. The Community Tool Box, where I have been a team member for the past number of years, is sponsoring a Community Innovations Prize Contest; some details are below. Since Lowell is home to a number of community innovations, I hope that some of you will consider applying, and if possible pass along this announcement to your own colleagues and networks as you see fit. Beyond that, I believe that Lowell is poised to be an ongoing source — and potentially a wellspring — of continuous high-impact local community innovations. The potential benefits to the city would be great; and the momentum is already there. What’s needed, as I see it, is a thought-out structure for encouraging, gathering, and processing innovative ideas; some outreach to the community; and some incentives for encouraging idea generation. All of this is both possible and feasible with some thoughtful planning. I would be glad to contribute to such an effort if others were interested, a first step perhaps being to bring together some interested people to talk. With best wishes, ~~ Bill        

 

The Community Tool Box is very pleased to announce an inaugural global prize contest for community innovations. The 2010 “Out of the Box” prize will recognize and honor the most promising initiatives that strengthen community development and community health. The Grand Prize will be $5,000 in cash, plus a free customized Workstation  designed specifically for your group  (Our WorkStations are interactive web sites with value over $2,000.)  A second prize will be $2,000 in cash, with a free WorkStation. Your group’s innovation may involve activities to improve community health, education, urban or rural development, poverty, the environment, social justice, or other related issues of importance to communities. We invite you to enter the innovations contest, and encourage you to share contest information with others doing innovative work to improve life in their communities.

To learn more and to download an application form, please visit our site at http://ctb.ku.edu/en/out_of_the_box.aspx. The opening date for applications is August 1, with a closing date of October 31. An international panel of judges will select Finalists. Award Finalists and their innovative projects will be posted on the home page of the Community Tool Box. Public voting will then help determine the two top “Out of the Box” prize winners; voting will close on January 31, 2011. 

Many of you are already familiar with the Community Tool Box, which has been creating and disseminating practical guidance about community health and development online since 1995. For those of you who have not viewed our site recently, we invite you to visit us at http://ctb.ku.edu, where you will find over 300 how-to-do-it instructional modules, with over 7000 pages of text.

We hope you may forward this contest announcement to others in your own community networks; thank you. And we look forward to the possibility of receiving your own application beginning on August 1.

CategoryEducation, History, Lowell | Comment1 Comment »

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July 30th, 2010

Killing Fields Documentary Reviewed in NYT

by PaulM

Read a review of the new documentary film “Enemies of the People” about the genocide in Cambodia perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979.

Thet Sambath, left, and Nuon Chea in “Enemies of the People.”

CategoryCurrent Events, History, Lowell | CommentNo Comments »

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July 30th, 2010

National Night Out in Pawtucketville

by PaulM

From Deb Forgione of the PCC:

“The Pawtucketville Citizens Council is joining ” National Night Out” on August 3, 6-9 pm, at Father McGuire Park. On site will be a Lowell Police k-9 demonstration, and for or the kids ( adults, too), demonstrations and viewing of a Lowell Police Dept. cruiser, a Lowell Fire Dept. truck, a Sheriff”s Dept. motorcycle, a Trinity ambulance, and a UMass Lowell Police Segway. Don’ t miss the free give-aways and lots of information. Come out and join us for the Pawtucketville Neighborhood Social. There will be free mini-basketballs and finger-lights for the kids at National Night Out (while supplies last) provided by our sponsors UMass Lowell and Ste. Jeanne d’Arc Basketball League.”

CategoryEducation, History, Lowell | Comment2 Comments »

July 30th, 2010

Mass. Economy Outpacing Nat’l Economy

by PaulM

Our blogging colleagues at leftinlowell.com have this link up also, but the Globe story is important enough for broad coverage. Economic analysts at UMass are reporting that the Massachusetts economy is growing at a healthy pace, more than twice as fast as the national economy. This is data from MassBenchmarks, the respected journal to which our own Prof. Bob contributes. Read the boston.com bulletin here, and remember that the Globe sells subscriptions and is on sale on the street and on newstands if you appreciate the reporting.

CategoryCurrent Events, Election 2010, History, Lowell, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

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July 30th, 2010

Legislators Agree – What Will the Governor Do?

by Marie

 Senator Steven Panagiotakos (D-Lowell) one of the Casino Bill conferees – Photo from BostonHerald.com

Just in from the Globe MetroDesk:

House and Senate leaders have just announced an agreement on a bill to expand gaming in Massachusetts that would authorize three resort casinos and a pair of slot parlors at the state’s racetracks.

One casino would be located in each of three regions across the state — east, southeast and west. Two licenses to operator slot parlors would go to the state’s racetracks.

Lawmakers estimate the gambling could generate $300 million in licensing fees for the state. It was not immediately clear what the annual taxes on racing facilities would generate.

The story continues to unfold – stay tuned.

UPDATE from Globe MetroDesk at 7:55pm:

“I cannot support this bill in its current form,” the governor said in a statement issued just minutes after House and Senate leaders announced that they had agreed to legislation that would authorize three resort casinos as well as slot parlors at two of the state’s racetracks.

CategoryCurrent Events, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

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July 30th, 2010

Former Methuen Police Chief Wins His Appeal

by Marie

The embargo broken, Noah Bombard is reporting on the Eagle Tribune blog that fired former Methuen Police Chief  Joseph Solomon has won his case with the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. Solomon was fired over two years ago. This finding must come as a bombshell to Methuen Mayor Bill Manzi.

Staff writers Gretchen M. Putnam and JJ Huggins are reporting on the Eagle Tribune website from the finding:

The state’s Civil Service Commission today set aside Joseph Solomon’s firing as police chief, ordering him returned as Methuen’s top cop Oct. 1. In a 125-page, and sometimes scathing decision, Commissioner Paul Stein found Solomon worthy of a 12-month unpaid suspension but did not believe the city’s claims the chief was guilty of ethical misconduct, poor managerial decisions and mismanagement of federal grant money.

Instead, Stein found Methuen was guilty of “improper overreaching” and “piling on a number of dubious and stale charges without merit which Solomon was obliged to defend.”

They also spoke with Mayor Bill Manzi:

An obviously disappointed Mayor William Manzi chastised civil service, saying “the system is clearly broken.” The mayor said the city will fight the decision in Superior Court in hopes of keeping Solomon from returning until the appeal is heard.

This story will certainly play out over the next few days and beyond. Read the full article here on the Eagle Tribune website. Stay tuned.

CategoryCurrent Events, Greater Lowell, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

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July 30th, 2010

Not Exactly Proust

by PaulM

Somehow in my household I get the walk-the-dog-duty about 90 percent of the time. Half of that is the by-product of being an early riser; the other half is being a slow evader at suppertime. It’s been so hot this summer that the grass crisped up early on the South Common, especially on the south slope facing the Eliot Church. In another post I described the color of the grass as the color of mountain lion haunches. Walking on that grass day after day has reminded me of the hours I spent in the outfield at the Lowell park in Centralville that I knew as Aiken Avenue Park, but whose official name I believe is Hovey Square Park, on the border of Dracut and Lowell. The two ball fields used to be called Hovey 1 and Hovey 2 in my softball-playing days.

As a kid I spent countless summer afternoons and evenings in the park with two of my cousins who lived across from the park on Aiken Avenue, up the street from Ouellette’s Funeral Home (now Ouellette-McKenna). The outfield grass in high summer was short, scrubby, and bleached-out, but as much as what was underfoot triggered my memories, being in the large open space itself helped bring back those days at Hovey Square. Wide open spaces are rare to find in the city. Wide open spaces with grass are even more rare. (We do have some big parking lots, such as the one at Cross Point.) Crossing the expanse on the Common gives me a sense of liberation. The feeling is like tracking a fly ball in the outfield, running and running until you catch it or run out of room. There’s also the sensation of standing still in the middle of a big open space—waiting for the inning to begin or the next pitch to be thrown. My cousin Tom and I would often play home run derby at the field whose home plate is closer to Aiken Ave. There would be just the two of us: one hitting the ball out of his hand, and the other positioned in right field, which was bordered by tall grass and brush on two sides, making it a better option for smashing home runs. Deep center and deep left blended with the outfield of the other field that it backed up to. We would take turns and play that game for hours. Baseball requires skills that are sharpened by repetition. We didn’t mind it at all. Hit. Catch. Hit. Catch. Over and over.

CategoryCulture, History, Lowell | Comment1 Comment »

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July 30th, 2010

Government workers and government spending

by DickH

Since last summer, nearly every article I read that covers some type of anti-government rally contains quotes from a rally attendee – who works for the government. Or perhaps is retired from the government and collecting a pension. This past Wednesday, President Obama visited the Tastee Sub Shop in Edison, New Jersey to promote a bill that would aid small businesses with loans and tax breaks. (NOTE: The Republicans killed the bill in the US Senate yesterday).

Peter Applebome, a local affairs columnist for the New York Times visited Edison while the president was there and did some “man on the street” interviews. Here’s what one guy had to say:

“I think what we need to do is to stop going into this socialistic society, which is what I think [the president's] goal is,” said [the man being interviewed]. “Maybe he’s not a true socialist, but his ideals and ideas are — this kumbaya thing where everyone gets the same health care and the same benefits. And most of the health care is going to go to immigrants. Well, the country wasn’t built that way.”

Certainly this guy – whose name is Ron Mieczkoski – is entitled to his opinion, but I found it ironic that Mr Mieczkoski is a lieutenant in the Edison police department. That means he’s probably being paid by the taxpayers at least $100,000 per year, with top benefits and the ability to retire at age 55 with a lucrative pension. I don’t suppose his salary is part of this socialist transformation of the country. It’s OK to spend taxpayer money on him, just don’t spend it on anyone else.

I don’t fault government workers – or any workers – for trying to increase or at least retain their wages and benefits. And government workers are certainly entitled to take stands on political issues whatever those issues might be. But government workers who are so passionate about cutting back on government spending would perhaps have more credibility if they voluntarily relinquished some of the benefits they’re already receiving from the government. But that won’t happen because something that benefits them is good government; it’s only the things that benefit others that lead to socialism.

CategoryCurrent Events, Election 2010 | Comment5 Comments »

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