Archive for March 16th, 2011

March 16th, 2011

Joint Redistricting Committee Meets

by Marie

The first meeting of the Joint Committee on Redistricting was held today. From the website of the 187th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – a statement from the Redistricting Committee cochairs and the first scheduled meetings on the Redistricting Calendar:

The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting will study and propose a new division of the Commonwealth into 9 Congressional districts under the United States Constitution, 40 Senatorial and 8 Councillor districts under Section 2 of Article CI of the Amendments to the Constitution, as amended, and 160 Representative districts under section 1 of said Article CI…
 
Message from the Co-Chairs
The Joint Committee on Redistricting has created this website to provide information to the citizens of Massachusetts about the redistricting process.  This site includes maps, laws, rules, census data, documents, historical perspectives and a calendar of events and hearings for the Joint Committee.  We welcome all public comments and participation during the redistricting process.
See the rest of the information here on the website.
Thanks to Senator Barry Finegold for the lead from his Facebook post.

CategoryElection 2010, History, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

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March 16th, 2011

New Irish PM to Visit White House, Ireland Fund Gala and NYC Parade

by Marie

Presentation of the traditonal “Shamrock Bowl’”  President Obama – 2010

Since the Eisenhower Administration – the St. Patrick’s Day presentation of shamrocks to the President of the United States has become an important tradition. In 1952 what was then a  ceremonial  ”box of shamrocks” became a custom-made Waterford crystal vase – now a Waterford  bowl of shamrocks. The new Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny will himself be presenting the “Shamrock Bowl” to President Obama this year. While in the United States  - Kenny will greeted by the President at the White House, entertained by Vice-President Biden at his Naval Observatory home and honored as a special guest at the iconic New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Irish PM will also give a speech at an American Ireland Fund gala honoring Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. But Kenny is on a mission beyond the social and the ceremonial.

From today’s HuffingtonPost.com:

DUBLIN — The newly elected leaders of debt-crippled Ireland arrived Wednesday in the United States on an annual mission to capitalize on St. Patrick’s Day.

Prime Minister Enda Kenny – who rose to power on a promise to renegotiate terms of Ireland’s EU-IMF bailout – said his top priority is to reassure American leaders that Ireland remains a good base for U.S. companies, despite the country’s desperate finances and European pressure to raise its business taxes.

Read the full article here at HuffingtonPost.com.

 

CategoryCulture, Current Events, History, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

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March 16th, 2011

March Madness Poem: ‘Nine-Foot Hoop’ by Eric Linder

by PaulM

Here’s a poem by my old friend Eric Linder, a poet and bookstore owner. He had the Chelmsford Bookstore in Chelmsford Center for a long time and now runs Yellow Umbrella Books in Chatham, Mass., right on the main street.—PM

.

Nine-Foot Hoop

.

I put up a basketball hoop

at the end of the driveway.

My friends come over and laugh.

They say, Hey man, that ain’t

regulation, it’s only nine feet.

I’m almost thirty, not that tall.

I’ll never make the NBA. All I

want to do is have some fun,

maybe stuff one once in a while.

.

—Eric Linder (c) 1986

CategoryCulture, Greater Lowell, History, Lowell, Poetry | CommentNo Comments »

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March 16th, 2011

St Patrick’s Rectory, Lowell

by DickH

Along with these photos of St Patrick’s Rectory at 282 Suffolk Street, Tony Sampas sent the following note:

The Irish Cross adorning the St Patrick’s rectory by day and by night. One explanation of the green coloration is that it leached down from the copper flashing. But in America you can believe whatever you like.

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