Archive for September 14th, 2010

September 14th, 2010

Donoghue wins and other results

by DickH

Eileen Donoghue defeated Chris Doherty in the 1st Middlesex State Senate race. With all the votes counted but those from Pepperell, Donoghue received 6069 votes (62%) to Doherty’s 3699 (38%). Donoghue won every community in the district, taking Lowell 4241 to 2387; Dunstable 139 to 105; Groton 391 to 305; Tyngsborough 503 to 431; and Westford 795 to 471 (with Pepperell’s results not yet in). So now Donoghue faces Republican James Bubba and unenrolled candidate Patrick O’Connor.

To our east, Barry Finegold captured the Democratic primary for the state senate seat formerly held by Sue Tucker. Finegold received 4256 votes (38%) to Deb Silberstein’s 3193 (28%), Jack Wilson’s 2904 (26%), and John Kelly’s 912 (Kelly dropped out some time ago but his name was still on the ballot). Finegold won Tewksbury and Lawrence while Silberstein took Andover and Wilson prevailed in Dracut.

I also have the Lowell vote for two contested statewide Democratic races. For Treasurer, Steve Grossman (the statewide winner) was beaten in Lowell by Steve Murphy with Murphy getting 2936 votes to Grossman’s 2635. For Auditor, statewide winner Suzanne Bump got 2765 votes in Lowell, Guy Glodis received 1810, and Mike Lake received 986.

CategoryElection 2010 | Comment3 Comments »

September 14th, 2010

Barry Finegold Gets the Nod in the 2EM Democratic State Senate Primary Race

by Marie
The Eagle-Tribune is reporting that State Representative Barry Finegold has won the Democratic nomination for State Senator in the 2EM District with 4,660 – he was followed by Deb Silberstein of Andover at 3,191 and Jack Wilson of Andover at 2,904.

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

September 14th, 2010

Economics on the Lunchtime Menu at the ICC

by PaulM

The Moses Greeley Parker Lectures, Middlesex Community College, and UMass Lowell have teamed up to offer two important public lectures on economics this fall at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center. Both programs are free and include a light buffet lunch. Here are the details:

Monday, Oct. 18, 12 noon

Eric S. Rosengren, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston will discuss the current economic condition in the region and nation from the perspective of the Federal Reserve. An economist by training, he joined the Bank in 1985 as a member of the research department.

.

Monday, Nov. 8, 12 noon

Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., will talk about “Recovering from the Bubble Economy.” A frequent commentator in major media outlets, he writes a weekly column for the Guardian Limited in the U.K. His blog, “Beat the Press,” features commentary on economic reporting. In his latest book, “Taking Economics Seriously,” he thinks through what we might gain if we took the ideological blinders off of basic economic principles.

These programs begin promptly at 12 noon and run for approximately 90 minutes. Reservations are required and seating is limited to 100. To reserve space, contact paul_marion@uml.edu or call 978-934 -3107.

CategoryCulture, Current Events, Education, Election 2010, History, Lowell, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

September 14th, 2010

UMass & Public Universities Get an ‘A’

by PaulM

 

The Globe’s Kevin Cullen stands up for his alma mater UMass. Read his column here, and get the Globe if you appreciate the writing.

And get this news about how public universities are viewed by job recruiters. This is from boston.com:

Employment recruiters say that public universities are producing the most prepared and well-rounded prospects for entry-level jobs, with better life skills to fit in to their corporate cultures and prosper, according to a survey of 479 recruiters by the Wall Street Journal.  A top 25 list developed by the newspaper included 19 public universities and only one New England institution, MIT, which ranked No. 23. While critical thinking and the intellect of Ivy Leaguers are appreciated, recruiters are looking for practical skills for new product developers, operations managers, engineers, and business analysts, a related Journal article says. The article notes that with recruiting budgets down, companies are visiting fewer and larger schools to be more efficient.

Read the full report and see the list of the top 25 from this boston.com piece.

CategoryCulture, Education, History, Lowell | Comment2 Comments »

Tags:
September 14th, 2010

Middlesex Community College Welcomes Students Back

by Tony

Middlesex Community College welcomed its students back with a huge Block Party. Food, a tug of war, an escape artist and many other fun activities provided the day’s entertainment. Nearly 700 students and faculty attended. Events like these make it easier for students to meet one another and become more comfortable in their learning environment.


CategoryEducation | Comment1 Comment »

September 14th, 2010

Lowell Antique Bottle Show – “Cream Rises to the Top”

by Marie

Lowell Historical Society President Cliff Hoyt reminds us  in an article in today’s Lowell Sun of the upcoming bottle show sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Antique Bottle Club. As Cliff notes – “The Merrimack Valley Antique Bottle Club didn’t have to look far to come up with a theme for this year’s show later this month. Members decided to keep it local.”

One of the most popular types of bottles collected is the milk bottle. Perhaps it is the nostalgia for days gone by when milk was delivered to nearly every home in those ubiquitous glass bottles. There were many local dairies – each with its own bottle, style, name and logo. Can you hear the clanging of the bottles? Remember your own milkman? Our milk was delivered by the Heidenrich brothers – Carl and Frank –  who had a dairy farm in Tewksbury.

The focus of the Antique Bottle Club show on Sunday September 26 from 9am to 2pm at the Lowell Elks Club is the collection of  Lowell Historical Society member Tom Paskiewicz. Tom has been collecting since the late 1970s  – he started with a Moxie bottle. He soon found he needed to specialize his collection and looked to Lowell and Billerica bottles. An interesting subset in his collection is the “pyro” style of milk bottle which will be on display Sunday.

Check out the Merrimack Valley Antique Bottle Show article with Cliff’s knowledgeable comments on bottle collecting and then check out the show at the Lowell Elks. You can even buy a  bottle and start your own collection.

Read the Lowell Sun article here: http://www.lowellsun.com/lifestyles/ci_16071052#ixzz0zVAu3wlg

Also check out the Lowell Historical Society web site here: http://ecommunity.uml.edu/lhs/index.html

CategoryCulture, Current Events, Greater Lowell, Lowell | Comment2 Comments »

Tags:
September 14th, 2010

Primary Election Day

by DickH

It’s finally here. Through the day I’ll update this post with my observations. Please use the comment feature to do the same.

As I emerged from the house for my early morning run, I found a neon green card protruding from under the door mat urging me to “Vote Chris for State Senate” in the Democratic Primary. This slip of paper was slightly damp which suggests someone left it last night. Doing a lit drop the night before the election (or the morning of) is a new phenomenon around here. In years past, the big drop would have occurred this past weekend, but despite the beautiful weather of Saturday and the cloudy but not raining conditions on Sunday, no literature was dropped here. I suppose the night-before/morning-of drop would be an effective last minute reminder to vote.

On my run, I had to evade one skunk, three dogs and one Budget rental truck which was rumbling from the Daley to the Bailey School at 5:15 am. Note to the election commission: the voting machines are safely in place in the precincts in the upper Highlands. As I passed the Daley School, I noticed two “Mike Lake for Auditor” signs stuck in the grass in front of the school. Leaving unattended signs at the polling place is a practice regularly followed in Boston and Cambridge (and perhaps elsewhere) but it’s never been done here. I don’t expect the signs to be there when I return to vote later today.

CategoryElection 2010 | Comment8 Comments »

September 14th, 2010

Bob Herbert Promotes Bob Reich’s Analysis

by PaulM

NYTimes columnist Bob Herbert today cites Robert Reich’s new book “Aftershock” as he writes about the out-of-whack economic picture in the country. Read his column here, and get the NYT if you appreciate the thinking, whether you agree with him or not.

There was plenty of growth, but the economic benefits went overwhelmingly — and unfairly — to those already at the top. Mr. Reich cites the work of analysts who have tracked the increasing share of national income that has gone to the top 1 percent of earners since the 1970s, when their share was 8 percent to 9 percent. In the 1980s, it rose to 10 percent to 14 percent. In the late-’90s, it was 15 percent to 19 percent. In 2005, it passed 21 percent. By 2007, the last year for which complete data are available, the richest 1 percent were taking more than 23 percent of all income.

The richest one-tenth of 1 percent, representing just 13,000 households, took in more than 11 percent of total income in 2007.

That does not leave enough spending power with the rest of the population to sustain a flourishing economy. This is a point emphasized in “Aftershock.” Mr. Reich, a former labor secretary in the Clinton administration, writes: “The wages of the typical American hardly increased in the three decades leading up to the Crash of 2008, considering inflation. In the 2000s, they actually dropped.”

CategoryCulture, Current Events, Election 2010, History, Lowell, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
September 14th, 2010

Councilor Descoteaux on MassINC Panel, Sept. 29

by PaulM

Lowell City Councilor Franky Descoteaux

The MassINC Associate Board presents:
The New Faces of Politics in Massachusetts
Roles and Responsibilities in a New Political Landscape


Keynote Address
At-large City Councilor Ayanna Pressley,
Boston City Council
Panel Discussion Featuring
Councilor Brendan Crighton, Lynn City Council
Councilor Franky Descoteaux, Lowell City Council
Representative Todd Smola, First Hampden District
At-large City Councilor Jass Stewart, Brockton City Council
Moderated by Bianca Vázquez Toness, Reporter, WBUR

Wednesday, September 29, 2010;  Program begins at 6 pm

Networking reception follows at Ned Devine’s , 1 Fanueil Hall Market, Boston

Space is limited; register at www.massinc.org

The event will explore the advantages and challenges of being a young elected official in Massachusetts. Six young political leaders will discuss their experiences in office as newcomers in an insiders’ world; the responsibility they feel to their younger constituencies and to those people interested in following in their foot steps; and the ways to bring lasting diversity and innovation to the political process.

CategoryCity Council, Election 2010, Greater Lowell, History, Lowell, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

Tags: