Unfashionable Sentiments

Urban farming.

2012-01-21T16:40:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting read from Salon.com about urban farming. Wouldn't it be nice if we could take blighted/abandoned lots in Worcester and start farming?

The city's recent Abutters' Adopt a Lot Program will be the impetus for some urban farming.

We're number 2!

2012-01-19T16:30:00.004-05:00

No. 2. Worcester, Mass. - Jacquelyn Smith - Forbes

Apparently we have some really happy workers in Worcester!

A timorous gesture of defiance? How very Worcester!

2012-01-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

"Nevertheless, the habit of naming towns for English towns remained for a while, especially in Massachusetts. The planting of Worcester in 1684 showed it still continuing. A tradition lingered that this name was a gesture of defiance against Charles II, to preserve in Massachusetts the name of that city where he suffered defeat and afterwards had to flee across the southern counties, doubling like a hunted fox. But Worcester in England was a good royalist city, not a symbol of Puritanism. If it was reproduced in defiance, the gesture was a very timorous one indeed. More likely it was thought only another good English name."

-from "Names on the Land, A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States" by George R. Stewart, page 119.

A funny thing happened in the T&G Comment Section!

2012-01-06T15:58:00.000-05:00

I admit that I read the T&G comments, largely in an attempt to understand my fellow Worcesterites. I rarely post because the level of hatred, ignorance and contempt for the English language makes my eyes bleed.

I wanted to read the comments in Thursday's article regarding President Obama's appointment of Richard Cordray to head the CFPB to see how my fellow Worcesterites felt about the CFPB. Surprisingly enough there was an intelligent discussion of House and Senate rules, the Constitution, the possible constitutional implications of any future action by Cordray, and a rehashing of the recess appointment in recent American history.

I applaud the following T&G subscribers: Fitzgm, Alfred J. Lemire, I'm Just Saying..., and IThinkForMyself.

Traveller, -Q, unconventionalcontrarian, maclear, bigredone, v8chip: see the teacher after class. You need to elevate the substance of your posts.

Unelected officials and accountability.

2011-11-28T18:46:00.000-05:00

Slate.com had an interesting article regarding the new Michigan law Public Act 4 that allows the state to take over 'failing' municipalities.

I found a few things pretty scary, namely the new powers granted to an unelected manager. The Act gives him or her the power to slash municipal obligations to pensioners; ignore all unions and the concessions they have won through contractual negotiations; fire all city employees and privatize/slash all services to save money; eliminate the fire and police departments; and most importantly, not answer to anyone, whether it is a voter or an elected official, all in the name of 'progress.'

The good news? Pontiac's Emergency Manager doesn't have to pay the City Council and ripped out all the parking meters because it wasn't cost effective to run them.

This article illustrates Worcester's need for a City Council and electorate that needs to be involved in the daily operations of our City and keep our government from being run by a business manager with zero accountability.

Sometimes giving away our democratic oversight in the name of 'progress' and 'reform' isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

Never in my backyard!

2011-11-28T18:29:00.000-05:00

Remember the public outcry over the Worcester Youth Center moving next to Beaver Brook Park neighbors were worried about the the gang members it would bring to a public park and a nice residential neighborhood?

Remember the crime wave that was going to engulf the West Side when a transitional house for former addicts was opened on Newton Square and the PIP clients were going to hang outside waiting for their girlfriends?

Remember when Paulie made up a whole bunch of BS about the PIP shelter moving to the corner of Chandler St. and Park Ave and hung a banner on his half destroyed/partially renovated three decker and threatened to stop working?

None of those things happened. Perhaps we should throttle down the rhetoric regarding the temporary relocation of the SMOC Triage Center and recognize that the City's homelessness problem hasn't been solved, and needs a real presence in this City.

After all, it is the Christmas season, and we should be full of good will towards our fellow human beings.

BS, courtesy of the WPD.

2011-11-07T21:25:00.001-05:00

The WPD's Press Release regarding the arrests of Occupy Worcester members contained the following gem:

"These types of mass arrests with passive resistance increase the potential for injury to citizens and officers. It creates a confrontational environment that can quickly deteriorate. As a result of the demonstration and arrest, calls from citizens requesting police service were backed up and police response was delayed. Thousands of dollars in overtime was expended to deal with the mass demonstration and arrests potentially impacting youth and community programs."

I'm not sure how passive resistance and a non-violent occupation of the Worcester Common on a Saturday night can create the potential for injury for anyone involved. Didn't we hire a media relations expert for the WPD? Our new hire should be able to come up with a better excuse for tsk-tsking the occupation of the Worcester Common.

Thousands of dollars were spent to arrest 22 people out of a peaceful crowd for what purpose? Perhaps next time the WPD and the City Administration shouldn't overreact to citizens engaging in a peaceful protest. Instead they should focus on the calls from citizens requesting real police service, rather than people setting up tents on the Common. Rumor has it that the WPD had a delayed reaction time to bar fights on Green Street and Shrewsbury Street because they were rounding up the peaceful people.

What should our priorities be?

Q's campaign signs.

2011-10-12T17:42:00.000-04:00

I live near Steve's house and pass his signs every day. They don't bother me, they aren't an eyesore, and there are quite a few of them. It's also his right to display these signs as a sign of support for his preferred candidates and as a way to thumb his nose at a stupid City ordinance.

Who cares? It's an Election season! If he had a few Scott Harshbarger '98 signs, it would be an issue. All the signs are current, and they will probably be down right after the election.

The City should back off and let the First Amendment live.

Occupy Worcester

2011-10-09T20:00:00.000-04:00

I spent the afternoon on the Worcester Common with about 150-200 people interested in beginning a Worcester chapter of the Occupy Wall Street. The general theme was decidedly non-partisan and full of hope for a better America. Participants recognized that the two party system has created a government led by the highest bidders working on behalf of the biggest spenders, without best ideas and definitely without the best interests of all its citizens in mind.

Where will it go from here? The only ones who know will be the ones to show up.

There will be a General Assembly on Monday, October 10th at 5 PM. Come speak your mind!

Today's Worcester Driving Moment.

2011-09-07T17:42:00.000-04:00

Me (pointing at one way street sign after a wrong way driver cut me off in the cross walk): "This street's one way!"

Driver: "I know, but the GPS told me to take a right."

Me: "Maybe you shouldn't listen to your GPS all the time."

Driver: "I know I shouldn't do it, but I'm running late for hockey and my son's only one block down from here."

Me: "Maybe you should go around the block instead."

Driver: "How do I do that?"

Me: "Back up, go down Hamilton Street one block, take three rights."

Driver: "Are you sure that's the right way?"

Me: "More sure than your GPS is."

"My God Worcester Town Board Simple Minded"

2011-08-03T15:18:00.000-04:00

No, Bill Randell didn't end his sabbatical from blogging.

It's a sign from Worcester, NY.
(from: http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2011/08/03/rural-partisanship/)

Wormtown Zombies

2011-08-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

I knew something fishy was happening up near the old Worcester State Hospital.

Found on: http://work.failblog.org/2011/08/02/job-fails-working-hard-to-keep-you-safe-from-zombies/

Live Estate Planning Chat at the T&G Website?!?!?!?

2011-05-25T16:09:00.000-04:00

I hate it when my will gets tossed. Maybe Scott Croteau will help me with any legal challenges to my estate.

Remember when the front page of the newspaper was full of articles, and not grammatically incorrect filler pointing us to frivolous online chats, giveaways, and oversized color pictures? Content and good reporting sells papers, not cheap filler for the front page!

Cursed Worcester potholes!

2011-04-23T17:12:00.001-04:00

Worcester received recognition for our world famous potholes in last week's Sports Illustrated feature article on Dick and Rick Hoyt's running career. Hopefully Rick Rushton and Tim Murray can invite author Gary Smith to tour the streets of Worcester that don't have potholes....wherever they are.

"Curse the potholes in the streets of Worcester, Massachusetts. Twenty feet into the Canal Diggers 5K the ruts are jolting the chair, banging Rick's fragile body and making the front wheel crazy."

If we're going to be known for our potholes, what better platform than the premiere sports magazine in America?

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ABC News with Diane Sawyer has been featuring American made products in its Made in America segment. Worcester's Insignia Gloves received a nod last night from ABC News (story here, in the video, fast forward to the 1:40 mark for Worcester).

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Street Power!

2011-03-30T19:59:00.000-04:00

I didn't get a picture of it yet, but it appears West Pine Lane off of Moreland Street is now Westpine Lane.

I doubt this will be our next marketing slogan.

2011-03-30T19:54:00.000-04:00

Woo-love and pay raises.

2011-03-23T19:45:00.000-04:00

"Let’s give MBTA executives the benefit of the doubt and assume that it may never have occurred to them that anyone would be in a rush to get to Worcester."

Boston Globe Columnist Brian McGrory took a funny but easy shot at Worcester with his column's opening line on March 2nd. I'm happy Brian McGrory accepted Rick Rushton's offer to find out more about Worcester and gave us a little love in the Hub's paper today (03/23/11). I'm not going to write any more glowing words about Worcester or about the trip, despite my secret desire to someday 'earn' a scathing shakedown from Will W.W.

I enjoyed UMass Chancellor Michael Collins' quote about Worcester:

"We arrived at the UMass Medical School, where I found myself with Chancellor Michael Collins, the street-smart academician who surely had kept his wits about him over his years here. “I like every bit of it,’’ he said. Oh, Michael. “What takes three years to get done in Boston takes three months here.’"

Was he referring to his new house and his new pay raise to compensate for losing his housing allowance? During this current age of fiscal restraint and belt tightening, why should the UMass chancellor receive a $60,000 raise to compensate for his 'loss' of a $32,000 housing allowance and taking a hit on his taxes for living rent free in a house valued at over $750,000? Chancellor Collins has done an excellent job in his time at UMass Worcester, but he made $524,300. He wasn't suffering, or living paycheck to paycheck.

None of the employees of the medical school receive a raise when Congress and the Obama Administration passed their tax compromise last December. The continued reduction in taxes for 2011 came out of every worker's Social Security deduction. State workers don't pay Social Security taxes because they pay into the Massachusetts pension plan, so they saw their taxes went up in January. Perhaps outgoing UMass President Jack Wilson should be kind enough to ensure that every employee receives the same courtesy that was accorded to Chancellor Collins.

Today's lesson: The less you make, the less you receive from our government, while the more you make, the more you undeservedly receive from our government.

Get off my Common!

2011-03-18T18:03:00.000-04:00

After reading Jeremy Shulkin's article (03/16/11) on the planned relocation of the City Hall WRTA hub to Union Station, I'm baffled. It's not because of Jeremy's always excellent reporting, it's because of the claims by our city officials that:

"It’s been no secret the current hub outside City Hall did little for drivers and the WRTA. The current location drew complaints about teenagers loitering and caused traffic congestion."

"City officials say this will lead to short bus routes, more direct connections and would fold bus, train and taxi services all into one area. The increase in people at the bus hub may also finally attract retail to move into the empty first floor of the Union Station parking garage. “It’s certainly another building block for the critical mass that makes retail successful,” offers City Manager Michael O’Brien, who adds that increased commuter rail and housing developments will provide “the feet on the street that breathes life into those storefronts.”

People have been complaining for years about the 'scary teenage hoodlums' in our downtown. That perception is largely overstated, hyperbolic and ignorant. But the critics of the current City Hall WRTA transfer point out that the presence of these hoodlums has had a negative effect on businesses around City Hall. If that is true, why would our city officials want to move the riff raff to Union Station, and right across from the new CitySquare? Won't the businesses in Union Station suffer, and complain? Don't attempt to sell me this crap about teenage feet on the street that will save the empty Union Station garage.

I also question the need to split stops between City Hall and the new hub next to Union Station? If riders want to transfer, will they have to walk around the current empty mall or through the future CitySquare to transfer? That is highly impractical and difficult for the elderly and disabled who rely on the WRTA for transportation.

On a positive note, I really like these ideas:

"Along with wayside message boards that will show riders how long until their bus shows up, riders will be able to upload cash directly onto a fare card that will double as a Charlie Card for those heading into or coming from Boston."

"City Councilor Mike Germain brought forward one idea last week, asking that the city look into working with Direct Air to provide a shuttle between Union Station and Worcester Regional Airport."

Perhaps they can also develop a smart phone app that shows schedules and route delays.

Schools and Testing.

2011-03-18T17:45:00.001-04:00

Today's (03/18/11) T&G article by Jacqueline Reis raised some fair questions regarding the selection of charter school students. Last night's School Committee meeting raised the following point:

"Information was presented on students at the newly opened Spirit of Knowledge Charter School, which serves Grades 7-9. The district found data on 85 percent of the school’s students from when they were Worcester public school students and found that those students scored higher on the MCAS exams than the district average."

If the selection process is truly a blind lottery, why are they getting the better range of students? Is it because parents of the better performing students are opting out of public schools in favor of charters schools? Is it because charters have a history of pruning out undesirable students? Or is it merely because our charter schools don't have to educate the more challenging students, like special ed or limited English proficient students? And why did they find data on only 85 percent of the students? These are fair questions to ask and have less to do with pro- or anti-union politics if our tax money is going to charter schools that spend our tax money and keep the profits but aren't accountable to the general electorate.

If charters are more efficient due to better innovations and no union interference, why was a public high school like Brockton High successful in turning around their school? The answer is innovation in the classroom, input from teachers, parents and children, and a cooperative relationship between administration and teachers. Innovation needs to come from the people in the classrooms, not from administrators, politicians and bureaucrats, as Gary Rosen points out in his most recent piece (03/17/11) in Worcester Magazine. I also recommend this article about the test grading process and hopefully we can turn the current debate on extending No Child Left Behind away from arbitrary testing programs and on actual learning.

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And while we are on the subject of learning, would it be too much to ask our local paper to spell Worcester correctly?

I assumed it would be corrected in the online version, but it hasn't been caught by 5:30pm today.

Who benefits?

2011-03-08T17:05:00.002-05:00

This quote, and the thinking that created it, confuses me:

"When Erin McFarlane looks at public workers, she sees lucrative pension benefits she doesn't ever expect to get. And it makes her mad. "I don't think that a federal employee or government employee is worth any more than anybody else who does their job and does it well," said the Slinger, Wis., woman. She's been working a couple of bartending jobs since January, when she was laid off from her job at a Harley Davidson plant after almost a decade. She's not alone in seeing public servants as public enemies in some ways. It's a case of pension envy."

Maybe Erin is angry because her union failed her when management at Harley Davidson decided to restructure after "Harley-Davidson experienced the biggest drop in value. The “legend’s” value dropped by 43% to $4.34 billion, which is most likely connected to the 66% drop in the company profits in two quarters of the last year."

Perhaps the threat of plant closings and turning full time workers into part-time workers has something to do with Harley-Davidson, an iconic American brand, opening up factories in India. As long as we continue to espouse the wonders of free trade and globalization, let's also espouse the wonders of fair trade, environmental regulation, and worker's rights. Without a global campaign against human and environmental exploitation, the Erin McFarlane's of the world will be left angry, underemployed and wondering why they don't have pensions, health care or a chance at employment.

Why are U.S. government workers the only strong unions left in America? Because they are the only ones whose jobs can't be outsourced to India or China. The only threat is privatization, and that hasn't worked very well in Wisconsin. So rather than turn on the last few people in the U.S. willing to stand up for their right to a decent paying job with benefits, why don't you join them, Erin?

I don't know any union members who are millionaires, but I know plenty of billionaires who aren't paying their fare share.

(Chart courtesy of MotherJones.com: It's the Inequality, Stupid)

Scott Brown needs money for his next campaign!

2011-03-08T16:34:00.001-05:00

Knowing who your elected representatives get campaign donations from and how it affects their voting record is the most important question any voter can ask. So who is Scott Brown asking for donations?

David Koch, the billionaire who funds Americans for Progress, Freedom Works, and doesn't believe in big government yet gets billions in taxpayer subsidies. I recommend this piece about David and his brother Charles from the New Yorker, which I wrote about last September.

A cynic would question how much influence a campaign donor has over an elected official, but this prank call from 'David Koch' to Scott Walker shows how eager Walker was willing to talk to and get advice from his top campaign donor. What advice will the Kochs give Scott Brown and the People's Senate Seat?

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Apparently the Kochs don't always get what they want from their campaign donations, which is more taxpayer money, less regulation, and a government compliant with their wishes.

Speaking of Jeremy Shulkin....

2011-02-18T18:12:00.000-05:00

His post today on the MCAS irregularities at Belmont and Goddard was excellent. Keep up the great work!

Seen and unseen....

2011-02-18T18:10:00.001-05:00

There are times where I would rather pass a kidney stone than watch a City Council meeting, and this comes from someone who enjoys politics. I hate grandstanding, I hate back slapping, and I hate speeches to Buncombe. Why Buncombe? (I highly recommend reading Toponymity by John Marciano for that reference.)

Sometimes we're rewarded with moments of bizarre hilarity and great one liners.

Phil Palmieri had an epic moment in last Tuesday's meeting, beginning with his call for a ban on illicit seagull feeding activities in Worcester. Then he complained about the lack of snow removal in his district. (Thanks to Jeremy Shulkin's LiveBlog for the quote- I'd watch the meetings on my computer, but Microsoft Silverlight is needed, and it won't install on my Mac.)

"The problem that I have…it was my impression that this mega-snowblower that the city now owns was going to be in districts with small businesses and major arteries so we could clear those streets…I must tell you, I haven’t seen it in my district."

There are many things we don't see in this world that still happen, Phil. I've seen the mega-snowblower in action on Hamilton Street, which is the southern boundary of your district. It has happened in your district. Please return to your monumental task of banning seagulls from drinking Four Loko in Worcester.

And a big thank you to Konnie Lukes for asking: "Do you have a motion buried in all that snow?"

The future site of CityFarm, and Chairs of Worcester.

2011-02-16T17:19:00.000-05:00

I'm going to miss sights like this now that everything is melting. This has to be the most pathetic parking space holder I've seen all winter. I'm not sure this antique will deter anyone from stealing this space on Abbott Street. (In a related note, Chairs of Worcester posters are still available.)

I'm not going to miss sights like this sidewalk glacier located at 344 Park Avenue, owned by Impala Meadows LLC.

I hope the City is collecting fines for unshoveled sidewalks from the Krock family. It's been over a month, and this sidewalk is still uncleared. I'm not surprised that the sidewalks aren't cleared considering this piece of abandoned property doubles as a homeless shelter during the summer months.

Seeing that this property and all the other Krock owned properties on Winfield Street, Abbott Street and Mayfield Street have been abandoned for over 20 years, wouldn't this be a great site for CityFarm or some community gardens?

Ronald Reagan Will Save Us!!!!

2011-02-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

Fantastic, and just what we needed to put our "savior's" 100th birthday in perspective.

Revering Reagan.

2011-01-26T16:39:00.001-05:00

Today's print version of the Telegram & Gazette featured a rather ballsy 'opinion' piece by Michael Reagan. (I can't find the link for the piece on the website- apparently you only get the misfortune of reading Michael Reagan if you pay for home delivery. Reagan isn't listed in their Syndicated Columnist list on the Opinion Page.)

Michael Reagan has made a career out of revering his adopted father, and I'm pretty sure if he was the adopted son of Gerald Ford, he wouldn't have much of a career in political 'journalism.' He had a few whoppers in his piece, including the title, Ronald Reagan; Our First Black President? He believes that Ronald Reagan was our first 'black' president, but he states:

"Two decades before the election of Barack Obama, novelist Toni Morrison dubbed Bill Clinton "our first black President." She even said that Clinton was "blacker than any actual black person who could ever be elected in our children’s lifetime." Well, I could make an even stronger case for my father, Ronald Reagan, as "our first black President."—but I won't make that claim. I don't want to diminish the justifiable pride African-Americans take in having a President who is genetically and culturally black. Our first black President is Barack Obama."

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Hyperbole like this is meaningless and omnipresent in Michael Reagan's articles, and is the reason I usually don't read his work. It was Michael Reagan's manipulation of the unemployment statistics and whitewashing of Ronald Reagan's actual record on race relations that caught my attention.

"Ronald Reagan was a far better friend to black Americans than Barack Obama has been. Just compare the Reagan and Obama records. Under Obama, black unemployment rose from 12.6 percent in January 2009 to 16.0 percent today. This means that black unemployment has increased by more than one-fourth since Obama took office. And the Reagan record? African-American columnist Joseph Perkins has studied the effects of Reaganomics on black America. He found that, after the Reagan tax cuts gained traction, African-American unemployment fell from 19.5 percent in 1983 to 11.4 percent in 1989. Black-owned businesses saw income rise from $12.4 billion in 1982 to $18.1 billion in 1987—an annual average growth rate of 7.9 percent. The black middle class expanded by one-third during the Reagan years, from 3.6 million to 4.8 million."

Michael Reagan uses the last six years of economic data during the Reagan Administration to make his case, and contrasts Reagan's final six years with the first two years of the Obama Administration, which is a terrible comparison, as Mediamatters.org points out.

(This chart and a longer view of unemployment rates by race can be found here.)

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Michael Reagan proudly points out that:

"In a White House Rose Garden ceremony in 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill honoring Dr. King with a federal holiday on the third Monday of January every year."

He neglects to mention his stepfather's initial opposition to the holiday that vanished in the face of overwhelming support for a national holiday. Michael Reagan is also strangely silent on his stepfather's belief in State's Rights, which was widely used as a code word for supporting Jim Crow and segregation.

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If it isn't Glenn Beck co-opting Dr. King's legacy, it's Michael Reagan misrepresenting his stepfather's legacy for political gain, and it only works if we don't know our history. Perhaps this article was a nod to the Telegram & Gazette's past associations with the John Birch Society. Maybe it was just filler for a paper that has consistently cut back on local content and actual employees in their building producing a local paper. Either way, shame on the Telegram & Gazette for printing such revisionist garbage.

At least they didn't say crumbling mill town....

2011-01-19T17:34:00.000-05:00

Commonwealth Magazine has an in depth piece on the WinnCompanies' involvement in campaign donations and the company's success at securing tax credits and low interest public loans. We've had quite a debate in this city regarding affordable housing projects, and while I love the idea of affordable housing, this sort of cozy relationship makes me very uncomfortable. Is there a better way to create affordable housing without questionable campaign contributions and public money?

Here's the money quote about Worcester's Canal Lofts:

"In downtown Worcester, sitting in the shadow of Interstate 290, there’s an old mill building that has seen better days. A century ago, when Worcester was an industrial hub, the four-story brick complex was an envelope factory. That business faded in the 1970s, and eventually a furniture manufacturer moved in. When the property hit the market a few years ago, two-thirds of the Water Street mill’s square footage sat idle, and several windows had been boarded up. The mill had its location working for it, though. It was a quick walk from Worcester’s train station, and it stood in a neighborhood city officials were trying to fill with new restaurants and residences. The WinnCompanies saw potential, put the mill under agreement, and got the site permitted for the construction of 64 apartments. In June, Winn paid $2 million for the building and a parking lot across the street. The Canal Lofts, as Winn dubbed the project, illustrates the dramatic impact various pools of public subsidies have on Winn’s development projects. Half of the project’s apartments will be set aside as affordable housing units. Because affordable housing restrictions necessarily limit developers’ potential profits, federal and state policymakers have put a number of subsidies in play to encourage affordable development. The Canal Lofts development is a $25.3 million project. Winn is borrowing $16.3 million from a pair of banks, and another $3.3 million in long-term, low-to-no-interest affordable housing loans from various public agencies. That would leave the developer on the hook for the remaining $5.7 million in development costs. But at Canal Lofts, Winn is tapping $2.2 million in state historic tax credits, $2.5 million in state low-income housing tax credits, and another $711,000 in federal low-income housing tax credits. Taken together, the credits lower the amount of cash Winn has to put into the development from $5.7 million to $314,000."

(D) None of the Above.

2011-01-14T15:25:00.002-05:00

Today's T&G Poll (01/14/11) is a little biased, don't you think?

Where's the fourth option? Something along the lines of 'I'm not pleased with his performance' would be nice for those of us who don't fall into any of the T&G's pre-fabricated categories.

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After my post on 01/05/11 regarding Grace-Marie Turner's As I See It, I sent an email to Bruce Gaultney (Publisher), Leah Lamson (News Editor) and Chris Sinacola (Editorial Editor) registering my displeasure with their inability to properly identify Ms. Turner's connections to the for-profit health care industry.

None of them have bothered to respond. Thanks for ignoring me!

New politics and old policies.

2011-01-13T19:04:00.001-05:00

The Washington Post has an interesting piece on the intersection of Tea Party politics and school policy. Desegregation plans, whether by race or by economics, require educators and elected officials to create plans that keep students from spending too much time on buses or concentrate the most challenging students in low performing schools.

"Over the years, both Republican and Democratic school boards supported the system. A study of 2007 graduation rates by EdWeek magazine ranked Wake County 17th among the nation's 50 largest districts, with a rate of 64 percent, just below Virginia's Prince William County. While most students posted gains in state reading and math tests last year - more than three-quarters passed - the stubborn achievement gap that separates minority students from their white peers has persisted, though it has narrowed by some measures. And many parents see benefits beyond test scores."

Using a 'new' political ideology to recreate a system that was showing progress seems counter intuitive. Radical changes, whether they are influenced by the 'left' or the 'right', need to be thought out, studied, and implemented with the best interests of the students in mind, not the political interests Americans for Prosperity (Sourcewatch.org's profile here).

"Things have not gone smoothly as the new school board has attempted to define its vision for raising student achievement. A preliminary map of new school assignments did not please some of the new majority's own constituents. And critics expressed alarm that the plan would create a handful of high-poverty, racially isolated schools, a scenario that the new majority has begun embracing. Pope, who is a former state legislator, said he would back extra funding for such schools. "If we end up with a concentration of students underperforming academically, it may be easier to reach out to them," he said. "Hypothetically, we should consider that as well."

The lesson learned is that you get what you voted for. Next time, make sure you know who's paying for your candidate's campaigns, because they are the ones who will be influencing your policy.

Breaking in a few Christmas presents.

2011-01-13T18:23:00.002-05:00

I went for a hike up and around Newton Hill today on my new snowshoes, and used my new camera to document the results. I was the only person in the park until the very end of my hike, where I found a few kids snowboarding by the tennis courts.

There were a few cross country ski tracks and snowshoe tracks already made on some trails, which made my afternoon easy, because there is some heavy, deep powder covering a firm base.

The summit was amazing and almost unblemished by human tracks, and the view perfect in all directions.

Nobody was out disc golfing.

I even had a flyover by a Chinook (I think?) that was heading towards Worcester Airport. I tried to zoom in for a second picture, but I fumbled.

I'll be back tomorrow for more in preparation for my trip to the White Mountains at the end of the month. I imagine I might need a few aspirin to loosen up tomorrow!

Good idea, bad idea.

2011-01-11T16:31:00.000-05:00

When scary things happen in this country, people rush to react as quickly as possible to threats, real and imagined. The Arizona shootings have prompted the following ideas:

Bad idea: Peter King (R-NY). How will banning guns in the presence of a government official prevent any future shootings? All it will do is add a few more years on the sentence of any would be assassin.

Good idea: Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY). Making extended magazines illegal would make it more difficult for would be assassins to target spray bullets throughout crowds.

Bad idea: Robert Brady (D-PA). A vague ban on threatening speech towards lawmakers? Laws are already on the books to protect people from verbal assault and threats.

Well said, Jon Stewart:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Arizona Shootings Reaction

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>

The Daily Show on Facebook

Perhaps we need to step back, take a deep breath, and stop blaming each other for Jared Lee Loughner's actions.

Fear.

2011-01-10T18:08:00.001-05:00

In light of the shootings in Arizona, perhaps we should re-read this T&G article on Police Chief Gemme's interpretation of the 2nd Amendment and the lawsuit he faces from Hector Pineiro. Mr. Pineiro's family has been the victim of a home invasion, and Mr. Pineiro fears for his safety outside of his Main South office. His solution is a concealed weapon, which is an invitation to more violence.

"Many things have convinced him of the need for a license to carry a concealed weapon. When leaving his office at night, he said he encounters people involved in criminal activities and is asked for money by others."

Some people would say he hasn't been attacked at his office, and doesn't need a gun. Others would say he hasn't been attacked....yet. Either way, making decisions based on perceived threats and fear isn't the best way to live: remember, Mr. Pineiro can't point out a single instance where he was been threatened with violence at his workplace. Sometimes the bogey man isn't what we imagine him to be. Either way, everyone needs to remember the whole text of the 2nd Ammendment:

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

It would be unconstitutional for Mr. Pineiro to bear arms without any government limits, and unconstitutional for the government to deny him his right to bear arms. That sound exactly like Police Chief Gemme's solution to Mr. Pineiro's request.

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A few more thoughts about fear:

-Here's a great chart about things that our news media wants us to be scared of. Be sure to toggle between total deaths vs. fear (bottom right corner).

-Glenn Greenwald has an interesting piece on governmental policies, WikiLeaks, personal freedom, and fear.

Editing.

2011-01-10T17:44:00.001-05:00

There's been an orgy of blame lobbed back and forth across the U.S. political spectrum since the horrible shooting in Arizona. Commentators, bloggers, reporters, networks, organizations, and political parties have been tossing responsibility for Loughner's actions around like a hot potato.

I'm not going to blame anyone other than Jared Lee Loughner. However, there are a few things we can do to be a more civilized society.

-Reinstate the ban on extended clips that Loughner used, which expired in 2004.
-Stop using violent rhetoric in our daily lives.
-Recognize that there are over 300 million people in this country, all with different opinions, backgrounds, and ideas. Listen to each other, and recognize that no one in the political arena will get everything they want, when they want it. Having principles and being able to compromise are two amazing personal traits, but only if you know how to win and lose graciously.
-Do no harm, and be glad that we live in a country where violence isn't necessary to change administrations or remove politicians from power. Be active in your public life, be informed, listen, learn, and vote!!!

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While we are on the subject of the Gifford shooting, here are three major editing fails from two prominent public figures and a news channel:

-Apparently Glenn Beck thinks that Martin Luther King Jr. wanted us to buy from Goldline International:

-Whoever runs Sarah Palin's Facebook page has been editing nasty comments responding to her condolences for the shooting victims. I'd test it out, but I'd have to become a fan of Sarah Palin on Facebook, and that's not going to happen.

-Apparently Fox News doesn't want to talk about Sarah Palin and Gabrielle Giffords either.

Lane confusion.

2011-01-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

Here's the view on Foster Street looking southeast towards Union Station:

Here's the view on Foster Street looking northwest towards the Centrum (It will never be the DCU Centre!):

Why do they feel the need to shrink a two lane road down to one lane and then back to two lanes?

Operation Enduring Craters: Mission Accomplished!!!

2011-01-07T13:39:00.000-05:00

The Pleasant Street sewer upgrade started last spring. Throughout the summer, fall, and even into the winter, Worcester's drivers had to negotiate Newton Square's large crater. Back on September 14th I posted pictures of the crater with the joke that it wouldn't be done until after the first snowfall.

I was right!

Who is Grace-Marie Turner?

2011-01-05T13:58:00.003-05:00

Today's As I See It in the Telegram and Gazette featured an article by Grace-Marie Turner. I'm constantly frustrated by op-ed pieces like this because there is limited context regarding the author, who they work for, what expertise they have on a specific issue, and most importantly, if they aren't local, why are they in the T&G? Once again, the Op-Ed page fails to let us know who Grace-Marie Turner is, so I dug a little deeper. Here are the results.

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According to her bio at the end of the article:

"Grace-Marie Turner is president of the Galen Institute, a nonprofit research organization focusing on patient-centered solutions to health reform. She can be reached at P.O. Box 320010, Alexandria, VA, or at turner@galen.org ."

Here is an interview conducted by the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest:

.
Here is an interview conducted by ALG News:

It all sounds reasonable, until you realize who is interviewing Grace-Marie Turner, and who she works for. Take a moment to read Sourcewatch.org's page on CMPI. Mrs. Turner's interview denouncing the danger of imported, cheaper drugs for Americans takes on a whole new life when you realize she is being interviewed by a front group funded by the pharmaceutical industry.

As for ALG News? Here is Sourcewatch.org's page on Americans for Limited Government (ALG), funded by Howard Rich, the subject of a September 2006 piece on PBS's Now. (In a stunning coincidence, the front page for ALG links to Defundpublicbroadcasting.org.) ALG was in Massachusetts as recently to search for voter fraud during the January 2010 special election. ALG is an astroturf organization designed to push one very wealthy man's view on politics into the mainstream, whether or not these points are valid. Here's an interesting website on Howard Rich's role in South Carolina politics, despite living in New York.

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So what is the Galen Institute? According to their About Us page, the Galen Institute believes:

"-Consumers and their physicians should have authority and responsibility over health care decisions; The vibrant free market will encourage research and innovation and provide better access to new medical technologies; and A market that supports innovation will lead to lower costs, expanded choice, and increased access to better medical care."

According their web page, the Galen Institute is funded by:

"[a]variety of sources, including philanthropic foundations, individual donors, and companies both inside and outside the health sector."

According to Powerbase.org's page on The Galen Institute, they received funding from the following grants:

-The Scaife Foundations, the umbrella for multiple foundations, which is "Financed by the Mellon industrial, oil and banking fortune. At one time its largest single holding was stock in the Gulf Oil Corporation. Became active in funding conservative causes in 1973."

-Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, which supports "[the] organizations and individuals that promote the deregulation of business, the rollback of virtually all social welfare programs, and the privitization of government services."

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Do you really think that the Galen Institute would write an Op-Ed that would favor individuals getting access to health care that was efficient and cheap? Or would they write an Op-Ed in favor of a busted system that denies care, jacks rates, and does it's very best to deny care if it is too expensive? Here's Ms. Turner's money quote from her op-ed:

"ObamaCare imposes a battery of new rules on insurance plans, dictating that they must spend a certain percentage of premium payments on medical care vs. administrative costs. But many firms simply can’t meet the test, for a number of reasons."

Her problem is the new health care law mandates that 80 to 85 cents of every dollar spent by these plans go directly to actual health care, and not administrative costs or profits. What are the reasons they can't comply? Is it because she is funded by for-profit companies that don't want to lose their profit margin?

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If you follow their past behavior, the Galen Institute did their best (along with the rest of the for-profit heath care system) to undermine Michael Moore's Sicko. That's fine, not everyone agrees with Mr. Moore or his movies. But recently, Wendell Potter, a former CIGNA public relations guru, wrote a book called Deadly Spin: An Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Americans and Deceiving Americans. In it, he details how the industry has resisted any sort of reform through astroturf organizations, misinformation, lobbying, and in Michael Moore's case, even researching his family. I highly recommend Michael Moore's face to face discussion with Wendell Potter: Part 1, Part 2. In light of Mr. Potter's revelations, can we really trust a tax exempt foundation like the Galen Institute to be objective when reporting on an industry that finances its own existence?

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You would think that the Telegram would reveal the Galen Institute's connections, but they followed the lead of other papers like the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Examiner. Other papers like the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Juneau Empire identify Grace-Marie Turner in a more responsible manner:

"Grace-Marie Turner is president and founder of the Galen Institute, which is funded in part by the pharmaceutical and medical industries."

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I wish the Telegram and Gazette was that responsible. (Although if they weren't, I wouldn't have anything to write about today!)

What are you doing on May 21st?

2011-01-04T17:38:00.003-05:00

Apparently some people believe that May 21, 2011 is Judgement Day. (They obviously haven't been watching the History Channel's Mayan Doomsday 'documentary' or Sean Hannity.) Despite previous failed attempts at setting the date for the Rapture, some people are going ahead and not making plans for May 22nd.

I was thinking about writing about this 'prophecy,' and was unsure how to go forward with it until I saw a piece of graffiti at Barnes & Noble that said: "Unitarians aren't Christians."

It's probably because they made plans for May 22nd.

Editor's Note:
With a little more research, I found out the Rapture is already happening....to mascots. (Thank you sbnation.com, #29).

Cold Turkey

2011-01-03T15:57:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year from Kurt Vonnegut!

Old Hoss Radbourn and Worcester

2010-12-31T14:05:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Edward Achorn's book Fifty Nine in '84, which has plenty of references to Worcester and it's former National League team. I recommend the book- I plowed through it in an afternoon. While the jacket description highlights Radbourn's romance with a Carrie Stanhope, the book spends most of it's time recreating the Providence Greys' 1884 season. In his prologue, Edward Achorn describes our fair hometown:

"I learned about Radbourn while growing up in Westborough, MA, a small town outside the deteriorating industrial city of Worcester. At some point I came across the odd fact that Worcester of all places, once had a team in the National League- the National League." -page XIV, Fifty Nine in '84, by Edward Achorn

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The Worcesters weren't very successful, nor did they last long in Worcester (they were replaced after the 1882 season by a team from Philadelphia, now the modern day Phillies). Worcester was the site of the first perfect game in major league history on June 12th, 1882, pitched by J. Lee Richmond (while nursing a post graduation hangover.) There's even a monument on Sever Street near the tennis courts.

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While we're on the subject of depressing descriptions of Worcester, my personal favorite is Truman Capote's quote from In Cold Blood:

"One wet afternoon the following November, a Greyhound bus deposited Perry in Worcester, a Massachusetts factory town of steep up-and-down streets that even in the best of weathers seem cheerless and hostile."

The quote is a good description of the local blogging scene lately. There's been more grenades lobbed back and forth the past month than I've ever seen. Perhaps the Telegram's refusal to publish anonymous comments has pushed the fighting into the blogosphere.

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Here's a collection of references to Worcester in books and film. It's a collection of books and films, so it omits my recent favorite song, Elvis Costello's Sulphur to Sugarcane. (Worcester reference at 3:52 mark)

Southwick

2010-12-31T13:24:00.001-05:00

I always look forward to Albert Southwick's column every week in the T&G. It's one of the few pieces on the editorial page that doesn't make me cringe. (I understand why Michael Reagan's 'magical' last name and not his talents as a writer or deep thinker give him an audience. How does Tom Purcell cut it as a syndicated columnist? I'm baffled.)

It's not often that I find a historical error in Albert Southwick's columns, but he had a major one in Thursday's column:

"1910 had been quite a year. In March, William Howard Taft was sworn in as the 27th president of the United States, and the Great White Fleet that President Theodore Roosevelt had sent around the world to demonstrate America’s naval power was steaming toward home. The last U.S. troops were coming home from Cuba. The war with Spain was over except for the Philippines, where the natives remained in rebellion. They apparently had thought that the overthrow of Spanish control meant freedom for them."

William Howard Taft was elected in 1908 and inaugurated in 1909, not 1910, and the Great White Fleet returned in 1909. (Great White Fleet sounds like a description of Sean Casey, Doug Mirabelli and Kevin Millar's running abilities, not a naval excursion. Yes, I miss baseball. Just a month and a half until spring training!)

For Nicole...

2010-12-23T20:07:00.000-05:00

I've been searching in vain for a messed up Worcester street sign, and I finally found one.

Speaking of Senators...

2010-12-12T15:42:00.000-05:00

...we have a profile in courage right here in Massachusetts. Thanks, Senator Brown for helping to gut the most necessary reform we needed after the financial meltdown. Just remember that those campaign contributions won't help in 2013 when you're unemployed.

Go Bernie Go!!!!

2010-12-10T19:08:00.000-05:00

Now this is a real filibuster (Part 1, Part 2), not the fake cloture tactics employed by the Republican naysayers the past two years.

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I usually don't watch Last Word, but last night's segments (Part 1, Part 2) with Ralph Nader and Alan Grayson left me somewhat hopeful...until I realized both weren't in elective office. Too bad we're stuck with John Kerry and Scott Brown, party hacks to the core.

Shadenfrude.

2010-12-09T18:04:00.001-05:00

Apparently our fiscally conservative former candidate for State Treasurer's campaign is in debt and needs your help this holiday season. If you can't make the dinner, feel free to head to her campaign page, which no longer has any campaign information, just a direct link to donate.

Perhaps her friends and family could auction off their Red Sox license plates to help defray her overspending.

I haven't been quoted in the paper since I was 5!

2010-12-02T17:49:00.000-05:00

Today's T&G featured an article about a horrible accident on Hamilton Street early Sunday morning. I didn't witness the accident, but I was quoted at the end of the article.

- I don't have an agenda writing about this. It happened where I work, and I hope that some good will come from this story regarding traffic on Hamilton Street. It could have happened to any of my co-workers, and that's what makes me worry about the delay between the accident, the investigation, the article, and the Worcester Police Department's statement.

- Here's the timeline:
- Sunday, November 28th, 2:36 AM: accident occurs.
- Tuesday, November 30th, 9:00 AM: WPD sends Accident Reconstruction Team to investigate.
- Wednesday, December 1st, 3:00 PM: Shaun Sutner of the T&G begins interviewing people in the neighborhood regarding the accident.
- Wednesday, December 1st, evening: Shaun Sutner's first article appears on the T&G website, which is later edited for Thursday's print and online version.
- Thursday, December 2nd, 8:50 AM: The WPD releases a statement regarding the accident.

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- Last night's online version of the article gave Officer Duffy's home address, which was deleted from the current online version and the printed version. An early commenter pointed out that printing Officer Duffy's address wasn't a good idea considering he was a member of the Gang Unit.

- WPD's Accident Reconstruction Team definitely began reconstructing the accident Tuesday morning, not Monday morning (my co-workers and I weren't exactly sure which morning the investigation began at the time of Shaun Sutner's interview). They were also out in full force today (Thursday 12/02/10), measuring the distances so the investigator can reconstruct the timing and speed of the accident.

- There were no skidmarks anywhere on Hamilton Street or Puritan Avenue. It was late, it was dark, and from the description, it was probably the worst accident in recent memory at an already dangerous intersection. I work at the corner of Hamilton and Puritan, and we witness accidents all the time. There's usually 5 or 6 a year where one of the drivers needs medical attention, but thankfully, no fatalities yet. We've never had to see anyone exticated from a vehicle by the Fire Department.

- There isn't a stop sign on the corner of Puritan and Hamilton. There isn't one anymore because it was knocked down in an accident a few years back and never replaced. While Massachusetts state law mandates that you stop at an T-intersection, most people ignore the law completely because there isn't a stop sign.

- There's the usual pro-cop/cop bashing 'dialogue' in the comment section regarding the T&G's apparent anti-police agenda. Many readers question whether this story needed to be written, and others claim taht there's a cover-up. Most of them don't have any of the facts, as usual, they are shooting from the hip.

- Any delay fuels speculation and calls of a cover-up, whether or not there actually is one. Shaun Sutner was absolutely within his rights as a reporter to write the article and ask these questions. Without an article, would there be a WPD press release? If there is a cover-up, then why would the WPD investigate this accident on Tuesday 11/30 and Thursday 12/2? I've never witnessed the WPD investigating and reconstructing an accident at that corner, and I have seen many since 2002.

- I went through the WPD's Press Release Page to see if there was any precedent for reporting a non-fatal accident. The WPD doesn't list every accident that occurs in this city, but they seem to list any fatal accident, and pedestrian injured by a motor vehicle, accidents involving the WPD, or anything else that is newsworthy. Here's a list of the traffic accidents on the page:

- 12/02/10: Serious accident involving an off duty WPD officer, major injuries to the other driver, no arrest or citation of either driver and investigation ongoing.
- 07/02/10: Fatal hit and run accident, driver later turned himself in and was arrested.
- 06/18/10: School bus, SUV and WRTA bus in an accident, minor injuries, driver of bus cited.
- 04/27/10: Fatal hit and run accident, vehicle found, no driver.
- 03/25/10: Pedestrian critically injured by vehicle, no arrest of driver and investigation ongoing.
- 03/08/10: Motorcycle and car accident, fatality possibly due to motorcycle operator error, no citations, investigation ongoing.
- 11/27/10: Two pedestrians hit while in crosswalk and transported to hospital, driver cited.
- 11/17/10: WPD cruiser in accident while responding to a call, minor injuries, no citation.
- 11/16/09: Three car accident after pursuit of a stolen vehicle, minor injuries, driver arrested.
- 11/09/09: Motorcycle and car accident, motorcycle driver hospitalized with extensive injuries, citations pending for motor vehicle driver.
- 11/06/09: Pedestrian hit while in crosswalk by taxi, driver left scene due to fear of crowd, driver cited.

-If anything come from this story, I hope it is this: there needs to be a light at the intersection of Hamilton Street and either Fairmont Avenue or Ingleside Avenue. Once eastbound drivers cross Plantation Street, the next stop sign is at Coburn Ave, and the next light at Lake Avenue. That's a long way to go on a two lane street where people speed all the time.

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This was a tragic accident- my thoughts and prayers are with both families, and I wish the young woman a speedy recovery.

I can't wait to read this report...

2010-11-30T16:59:00.000-05:00

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy released a report on PILOT programs. Here's the money quote:

"However, PILOTs are often haphazard, secretive, and calculated in an ad hoc manner that results in widely varying payments among similar nonprofits."

I wonder if there's a section on using off campus drinking to force PILOT payments?

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Haphazard is the perfect description for Worcester, a place where the City Council requests that city colleges ban Four Loko after the state already restricted the product.

Interesting questions...

2010-11-28T14:51:00.000-05:00

The beauty of our democracy is out ability to question it. I recommend Glenn Greenwald's latest piece about the recent Christmas terror plot.

Rest in peace, Jeff Barnard.

2010-11-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

One of Worcester's great voices passed away. Jeff's blog introduced me to the Worcester blogging scene and enriched all our lives with his warped, wonderful view of Worcester. He will be missed.

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep- Mary Elizabeth Frye

"Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am in a thousand winds that blow,

I am the softly falling snow.

I am the gentle showers of rain,

I am the fields of ripening grain.

I am in the morning hush,

I am in the graceful rush

Of beautiful birds in circling flight,

I am the starshine of the night.

I am in the flowers that bloom,

I am in a quiet room.

I am in the birds that sing,

I am in each lovely thing.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there. I do not die."

Please vote tomorrow, otherwise this might happen.

2010-11-01T16:11:00.002-04:00

When Spell Check Fails....

2010-10-27T17:56:00.000-04:00

From today's T&G:

The real Marty Lamb

2010-10-20T20:06:00.001-04:00

I just had the misfortune of watching Marty Lamb's infomercial on Channel 3. Here's what you might have missed if you didn't realize it was a half hour long paid commercial:

-Marty's a on again, off again Tea Partier.

-Marty's a anti-bailout candidate, except whenever he needs the bailout.

-Marty believes in a balanced budget and limiting government spending to the rate of inflation, yet if he wins, he will be a freshman Republican congressman and will vote lockstep with the same Republican party that historically violates these principles.

-Marty believes in budget busting tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

-Marty is running as a pro-business candidate, and accuses Jim McGovern of being anti business. But when asked to detail how McGovern is anti-business, he can't point out any specifics.

-Marty can pack debates with some hecklers, but when faced with a debate he considers biased, he has other 'commitments'.

-Marty's biggest contributor is a Nevada based PAC, Western Representation PAC.

-Western Representation PAC is also supporting Senate candidates Joe Miller (R- AK), Sharron Angle (R- NV), and Congressional candidate Sean Bielat (R- MA).

-Western's founder is Dustin Stockton, who is also a member of the Tea Party Express, which will be coming to Worcester on November 1st, 2:30 pm (location TBD).

-Dustin Stockton's fundraising appeal had this to say about Jim McGovern:

"Barney Frank isn’t the only radical Massachusetts liberal who can be defeated. Congressman Jim McGovern wrote the bill that raised the debt ceiling, selling our children and grandchildren into debt. As chairman of the House Rules Committee, he changed the rules to allow Nancy Pelosi to push Obamacare through in the middle of the night. He is friends with many socialist third-world dictators in our own hemisphere and he has been linked to narco-terrorists in Colombia. Jim McGovern has been arrested twice while serving in Congress. We are the only national group opposing Jim McGovern and you can help us defeat him by making a contribution. With so many races across the country, this race almost slipped through the cracks. Scott Brown overwhelmingly won this district in January and it is a great opportunity to win another seat from a radical socialist liberal." (source: http://christiangunslinger.blogspot.com/, owned by Donald Vance.)

-Western Representation PAX boasts Rusty Humphries, conservative radio host as a speaker and contributor. For those of you who aren't familiar with Rusty's work, here's a clip:

Privatization.

2010-10-04T17:29:00.003-04:00

Of course the market always works, and benefits everyone, while the government is evil and must be stopped.

School reading

2010-09-29T17:26:00.001-04:00

Here's an interesting NY Times piece on Brockton High that challenges some of the trends in education reform and Race to the Top.

What an odd idea- actually letting the faculty of a high school control their own jobs.

Where in Worcester?

2010-09-17T17:53:00.000-04:00

This picture was taken Wednesday afternoon, right around rush hour, facing west.

Operation Enduring Craters.

2010-09-14T18:16:00.000-04:00

Nicole wanted a recent picture of the Newton Square Project. Here it is!

Here's the inside of the bunker. I posted about this on August 27th, and 18 days later, the bunker and crater are still there. Anyone want to make a prediction when this gets filled in? The over/under is before/after the first snowfall. I'll take after.

Employee #337

2010-09-14T18:07:00.001-04:00

I was voter #337 at roughly 5:30 this afternoon at Temple Emanuel. That's not a bad turnout seeing the evening rush hadn't begun, but with the large number of unregistered or apathetic citizens outnumbering the voting public, it's pretty depressing.

13th District Debate.

2010-09-03T10:22:00.000-04:00

According to the T&G article, Gina DiBaro didn't say anything in this debate. Either she is a mime, completely unmemorable, or the author of the article doesn't care to mention her candidacy.

What I read today.

2010-09-01T18:34:00.001-04:00

I just finished two very different, and very long, pieces on some major personalities in American politics.

Michael Joseph Gross of Vanity Fair's piece on Sarah Palin, while probably satisfying for most people who dislike her politics, lacks real sources. It feels like a confidential kitchen rant over coffee, rather than a portrait of a national figure.

On the other hand, Jane Mayer of The New Yorker nailed the subject of the Koch Brothers and the astro-turfing of the political landscape. Even Clive McFarlane referenced her piece today! (I expect a rebuttal from Robert Z. Nemeth sometime in January of 2012.) ThinkProgress.org had two fun pieces on the Kochs combining their love of astroturf organizing and hypocrisy.

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This piece made me see red. By all means, former Senator Simpson- cut off funding for veteran's health care to balance the budget, and eliminate Social Security. I wish you were still retired, along with your co-worker, David Cote.

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I will be attempting this recipe, this recipe or this recipe this weekend....but adding candied bacon and caramel.

Glenn Beck is a Socialist and a Communist!

2010-08-31T11:22:00.000-04:00

Glenn Beck apparently wants to be the next Martin Luther King Jr. Apparently Glenn Beck doesn't know anything about MLK's beliefs. Here's a handy primer for anyone who might be suckered into thinking there are similarities.

Graffiti with a purpose.

2010-08-30T12:49:00.000-04:00

I saw this message in Elm Park yesterday, and I don't think it was part of Art In The Park.

Sign Spotting.

2010-08-27T14:28:00.000-04:00

I wonder if Mike will do another post on Worcester's political signs. If he does, I'm curious to see what he will say about Paul Franco's sign:

Does he not want to be seen at night? Is he playing off the Army's black and gold color scheme? This picture was taken at high noon, with a few afternoon shadows creeping towards the sign. I wonder how it will look at night.

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Sadly, my favorite mixed message picture is no more.

Apparently someone has bought this abandoned house and doing some improvements, which is great. Boarded up houses are never fun, even when they have political signs on the front lawn.

Next Week's Traffic Report.

2010-08-27T14:16:00.000-04:00

In honor of Jeff Barnard's annual school's about to start post, here's a few images of Newton Square:

I don't envy anyone who has to navigate Newton Square next week. It would have been nice to see all this done before the yellow school buses started rolling, and I thought they would get it done. Now I'm not so sure.

I'll try to get some pictures of the inevitable traffic jam next week. Hopefully it won't be as bad as this.

What about the 3rd Congressional Distict?

2010-08-19T13:56:00.001-04:00

This Far Left Side comic strip is the best summation of last night's Shrewsbury League of Women Voters' debate between the Robert Delle, Michael Stopa, Marty Lamb and Brian Herr. (Robert Chipman wasn't in attendance.) I've yet to hear them discuss local issues, only jump on the latest Republican/Tea Party meme. Here are a few howlers from their websites:

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From Michael Stopa's Core Belief: I Believe in American Exceptionalism:

"For that reason, in the dungeons around the globe the sound of our name has often been the sound of hope."

Or would that be the sound of waterboarding and 'enhanced interrogation techniques? Michael Stopa is also a fan of Atlas Shrugged:

"Another great article, this one about why "Atlas Shrugged" is more meaningful today than ever before. Businesses cannot and will not grow and thrive until government gets out of their way. And that won't happen unless we defeat liberals like McGovern!"

Bonus points for Mr. Stopa: he has a blog with actual updates, unlike Robert Delle's blog.

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From Marty Lamb's Issues page on Illegal Immigration:

"2. Authorizing the deployment of the United States military along the border and building a permanent border.
5. Limit birthright citizenship to the children of United States citizens and legal permanent residents."

We have a permanent border, affirmed by treaties with Mexico and Canada, Marty. Perhaps you mean fence, not border? And have you ever heard of the Posse Comitatus Act, or the 14th Ammendment? I do appreciate his efforts to use his name throughout the website, referring to himself in the third person as "The Lamb Chop" and his signs as "Lambscaping."

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Brian Herr can only talk in bullet points. Check out his sparse ~~Talking Points Cribbed From Watching Fox News Page~~ Issues page:

"o Repeal the crippling aspects of the recent health care legislation and push common sense reforms"

What would those common sense reforms be? Perhaps he doesn't know, because later he says:

"· I will be a true Citizen Legislator and Representative. True representatives seek to understand the general will of their constituents and then serve as a voice for them in Washington."

He used the future tense, so I guess after he is elected, he ask us what the common sense reforms are?

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Robert Delle's casual knowledge of grammar and spelling hasn't changed since I first reviewed his website. Nor has he expanded his list of links, which consists of one: Newsmax.com. Newsmax happens to be the favorite of another spelling challenged talking point candidate, Ms. Sarah Palin:

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Bob Chipman is also a fan of bullet points, and his first Issue is the following:

"No Voice in Congress. Independent and moderate voters are under the discretion of Speaker Pelosi and the democratic controlled Congress."

That's called an election, Mr. Chipman. The Pelosi/Reid Junta didn't invade Washington D.C. and stage a coup of the Republican Congress (despite what Glenn Beck told you). I find it funny that he thinks all non-Democrats are 'independent and moderate.' Like Robert Z. Nemeth, he seems to confuse independent with Republican.

Nativism is alive and well.

2010-08-17T13:46:00.002-04:00

Following up on yesterday's post is an Op-ed from the New York Times' Ross Douthat. Douthat makes the argument that mainstream pressure on immigrants to assimilate is in the best interest of our society. He makes the argument in the context of the 'Ground-Zero Mosque,' but references the Nativist and Know-Nothings of 19th century America and says that:

"Nativist concerns about Catholicism’s illiberal tendencies inspired American Catholics to prod their church toward a recognition of the virtues of democracy, making it possible for generations of immigrants to feel unambiguously Catholic and American."

How he can make the argument that violence, murder, intimidation and discrimination is the best path to promote assimilation escapes me. Salon.com's Joan Walsh has an excellent rebuttal.

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While we are on the subject of the 'Ground Zero Mosque,' here's a blog post from the Village Voice's Foster Kamer putting the location of the Park 51 Community Center in perspective.

And The Daily Show nails it as usual:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Mosque-Erade

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Tea Partiers, pay attention!

2010-08-16T13:51:00.000-04:00

It's never been easy in America as an immigrant. It doesn't matter what year, or even what century we live in. It seems to be an American tradition to hate newcomers.

Ward 9 and Paxton Sign Spotting

2010-08-12T19:55:00.000-04:00

I headed north in Ward 9 and beyond into Paxton, and here's a sign update: (I only count individual properties with signs, not number of signs per property.) I've noticed at least 4 different houses which sport both a Perotto and a Smith sign. I wonder if they inspire some divided loyalties over the dinner table?

State Representative, 13th Worcester:
Joff Smith: 27
Mike Perotto: 18
Gina Dibaro: 17
John Mahoney: 9
Don Sharry: 8
Margot Barnet: 6
Paul Franco: 1

Worcester County Sheriff:
Scott Bove: 8
Tom Foley: 2

Massachusetts 3rd:
Patrick Barron: 1
Marty Lamb: 1
Jim McGovern: 1
Michael Stopa: 1

Ward 9 Sign Spotting

2010-08-11T16:19:00.001-04:00

I headed east in Ward 9 today, and here's a sign update: (I only count individual properties with signs, not number of signs per property.)

State Representative, 13th Worcester:
Gina Dibaro: 11
Joff Smith: 5
Mike Perotto: 4
Don Sharry: 2
John Mahoney: 2
Margot Barnet: 1

Worcester County Sheriff:
Scott Bove: 2

Massachusetts 3rd:
Jim McGovern: 1

Undisclosed:
For Sale: 3
For Rent: 2

Great picture, but not a great image.

2010-08-09T20:22:00.000-04:00

I saw this campaign sign on June Street tonight. It's in a prime location on a busy street in a section of Worcester that has a lot of registered voters. Unfortunately, the sign is in front of a boarded up house that has been abandoned for over a year.

I'm not sure that's the image the Smith campaign wishes to convey.

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If lawn signs are an indicator of electoral success, Gina Dibaro is doing very well in my neighborhood. She has roughly 10 signs in a few block radius, followed by Joff Smith, Margot Barnet, and Mike Perotto with one apiece.

Traded again!

2010-08-03T17:21:00.000-04:00

Tim Collins was traded again this weekend in another 5 player deal. He was also promoted to AAA Omaha.

While some people might think that playing for the Kansas City Royals organization is a bad thing, it means Tim Collins is one step closer to the majors, and will definitely have a shot at a September call up.

Preconstruction Junction

2010-08-03T16:17:00.000-04:00

While biking home from work, I was run off the road and onto the sidewalk by an idiot Wormtown driver in a cell phone in a large truck who apparently needed all two lanes of Franklin Street for her commute. Luckily, I avoided becoming roadkill, and I happened to notice these new additions to the empty parking lot at the corner of Franklin and Foster Street.

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Browsing through the Consigli website didn't reveal any projects that I could find, but I did turn up a brief mention in a Worcester Business Journal article from last June.

Could it be? Could we finally be preparing to tear down the mall? Tear down the mall! Tear down the mall!

Where's Maine?

2010-07-28T14:13:00.000-04:00

Oh, it's somewhere north of Massachusetts. Keep driving and you'll be sure to find it. New Hampshire? Vermont? Never heard of them!

Congratulations for making us dumber, CNN. Apparently Fox doesn't have that monopoly anymore.

Great Question!

2010-07-22T16:37:00.001-04:00

“We may look at [a certain] street and figure out how to make it more user-friendly,” -Robert Moylan, Department of Public Works Commissioner

Are you sure about that Commissioner?

“There’s usually little additional cost associated with accommodating bicycles and pedestrians,” he says. “Sometimes as little as changing the striping on the road. Are we just building more of the same or are we building the 21st century transportation system we want and need?” -David Watson, Executive Director of MassBike

Just think- that giant stretch of black asphalt could have been a bike lane, or three! And while I am on the subject of bike lanes, why didn't they include one during the recent resurfacing of Chandler Street? Maybe it's because the surface isn't finished yet? Biking to work last week down Chandler Street was a major inconvenience due to the half assed finishing job on the street surface. The road surface wasn't even finished and flush with the curbs and driveways, making my minuscule bike space a rutted, uneven, debris filled obstacle course. Kudos to Worcester Magazine's Jeremy Shulkin for another great article!

Too Much Information

2010-07-19T14:00:00.000-04:00

The Washington Post's Dana Priest and William Arkin wrote an excellent expose on data mining and our intelligence community's inability to deal with the sheer volume of gathered intelligence. Glenn Greenwald also touches on the subject, and the sheer volume of links in his piece provide a deeper picture of the intelligence abyss.

PBS had an excellent Frontline piece called The Man Who Knew that pointed out the flaws in our intelligence community pre-9/11. PBS argued that the problem wasn't a lack of intelligence, rather it was the inability of the intelligence community to listen and cooperate with each other. We still haven't heeded that warning, proving politicians prefer immediate resolutions rather than true problem solving.

Here we are almost nine years later, and the sheer amount of information we have collected at the expense of our Constitutional rights isn't helping. It's time to rethink how we keep our nation safe.

Worcester Blog Post Of The Year!!!

2010-07-16T22:34:00.000-04:00

Congratulations, Gabe! I wish I had written that piece!

My only hope for that section of the Canal District (Green Island to all you grrrls out there) is a green space. I nominate the whole section of property from the Smokehouse Urban Barbecue to Fiddler's Green as a future green space. It would be a hell of a lot prettier than the bombed out parking lot view we have now.

Waah!!!! Waah!!!! Waah!!!!

2010-07-16T22:27:00.000-04:00

The more I hear from the Tea Party, the more I feel like they are acting like spoiled children when they don't get their way.

Example? Today's T&G has an article announcing a protest of their own darling, Senator Scott Brown.

Why? Because he voted with Democrats on legislation that (in theory) would offer taxpayers protection against a rapacious Wall Street culture.

This is supposed to be a good thing. Regulation keeps you from getting screwed, Tea Partiers. The last economic meltdown occurred because of a lack of regulation....so we should protest in favor of less regulation?????? The road to irrelevancy is paved with pages from Atlas Shrugged, Tea Partiers!

-----

Rational T&G comment of the week belongs to Ed:

"I've only taken two basic university classes in economics. I mostly read my medical journals for work and history for recreation. I do like to follow the news daily. There are a few things that are extremely obvious even to a non-expert like me! For example, that both the Reagan and Bush era tax cuts to the wealthy led to larger deficits and long term decline in growth. And, that deregulating any industry too much can lead to disasters, since the public is left unguarded against excess. What I fail to understand is this: do these conservative Congressional Republicans really believe that tax cuts for the wealthy work? Do they believe that more and more deregulation is in the interest of the nation's safety and prosperity? That is, have they missed the obvious evidence? Or, do they merely spout propaganda to mislead people so that they get the backing of wealthy donors?"

Traded!

2010-07-14T14:24:00.000-04:00

Worcester's Tim Collins was part of a 5 player trade between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Atlanta Braves.

Tim has been dominant at Double A New Hampshire this year, and now he will probably pitch for Atlanta's Double A affiliate, the Mississippi Braves.

I like this idea.

2010-07-13T14:54:00.001-04:00

"The city is launching a new initiative to encourage economic development with an artistic bent."

Perhaps we should begin with a public transportation system that runs past 8PM, or a cheaper cab system that offers a Passenger Bill of Rights like Toronto.

Imagine trolley cars like this running up and down Main Street, Shrewsbury Street or the Canal District every weekend night. Imagine college students pedaling customers throughout the Canal District. Imagine what a $5,000 micro-grant could do to help the various festivals and free concert programs in the City.

Bravo!

Public-private parternships.

2010-07-13T14:24:00.000-04:00

That catchphrase has been tossed around more than a few times by our City Council and City Manager. Hopefully they'll read this article and start to think a little more critically about this issue.

After all, didn't we just extricate the City from a public-private partnership with National Grid?

Would you like some free Crestor with your lasagna?

2010-07-08T15:50:00.000-04:00

I wrote about it last week, and it happened. Pharmaceutical companies will soon be able to ~~bribe~~ provide free lunches for doctors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and not disclose what they are doing. I hope the reconciliation package omits the free lunch rule.

Community Development Corporations.

2010-07-08T15:44:00.000-04:00

I love this question:

“The city is by no means abandoning the CDCs,” Ms. Vachon-Jackson said yesterday at the ceremony. “We'll be taking a look at hard data — vacancies, foreclosures, overcrowding — and form a policy based on that. Does it make sense for CDCs to build new properties, or help us with the foreclosure problem?”

YES!!! The City should be doing everything in its power to solve the foreclosure problem.

Foreclosure = Urban Decay, and we have had way too much of that in Worcester in the past 30 years.

Food and Beer.

2010-07-08T15:30:00.001-04:00

Here's the money quote from Bill Clapper's review of the Armsby Abbey in the Telegram & Gazette:

"Armsby Abbey’s raison d’etre is beer, and the more exotic the beer, the higher Armsby rises to the challenge."

Why didn't Mr. Clapper mention the beer in his review? (I really hope that's a real name and not a nom de guerre...it's so much fun to say!) The Armsby is all about fantastic beer and Slow food. Missing both in the review doesn't do justice to the owner's vision, and ensures that there will be people who go to the Armsby and miss the point. I love the place- I've never had a bad meal, beer or experience there. It's a shame that Mr. Clapper only handed out three stars out of four- I believe the Armsby is one of the best bars in Worcester.

-----

The trolls were out in full force in today's review and last Thursday's article about the negative aspects of the Summer Nationals. There's a wide range of reviews on Yelp, (Thirty 5-star reviews, twenty three 4-star reviews, six 3-star reviews, four 2-star reviews, and two 1-star reviews.) Even though I'm not a fan of trolls, they make for some entertaining reading!

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Speaking of beer, I found this Op-Ed interesting. There's always been a problem with wholesalers in Massachusetts regarding craft beer, and I don't want to see it get worse!

DBag of the Day!

2010-07-07T22:36:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Terry Savage, you win Douchebag of the Day!

I love his logic- giving away another person's stuff for free is wrong.
Charging money for another person's stuff is fine, as long as you make more money.

This is why we have trillion dollar bailouts for large corporations, and nothing for the working poor.

Free lunches.

2010-07-01T12:10:00.001-04:00

I understand that the food industry has been hurt by the ban on pharmaceutical free lunches for doctors. (I make fewer lunches a week thanks to this ban, and end up working fewer hours a year.) I do think it's a good idea, especially when reading this article, this article, and this article.

But we all know that lobbyists have influence, and all it takes is one elected official to start the repeal train. State Representative Brian Dempsey, start that pity party! (I hope your doctor doesn't prescribe Crestor for your LDLs. You might end up with diabetes.)

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While we're on the subject of elected officials and repeal trains, a big shout out needs to go to 'Independent' Scott Brown. Thanks for screwing up the Massachusetts budget, Senator. Apparently yes means no and it also means screw you, Massachusetts.

Food Math.

2010-06-30T15:36:00.000-04:00

There are 1,300 food establishments according to the T&G's Sunday story on food inspection in the City of Worcester. They should be inspected twice a year, which equals 2,600 visits. 2,600 visits divided by three inspectors equals 866.67 visits per inspector per year. 866.67 visits divided by 52 weeks equals 16.67 visits per week. 16.67 visits per week divided by five work days equals 3.34 visits per day.

Are we supposed to believe that our food inspectors can't visit 4 restaurants a day over the course of a year? Are they flooded by so much paperwork or other responsibilities that we can't have adequate bi-annual inspections? Perhaps Part 2 of this story should involve Thomas Caywood and Andrew Veeder doing a ride along for a day with a Health Inspector. The follow up certainly shouldn't be this fluff piece.

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In a related story, This Week's Dumbest Comment on the T&G Website ended in a tie:

"These health inspectors are just another example of the government interfering in a business owner's rights to do business as they see fit. -Posted by T.E.A.partier"

"I like the idea of the restaurants having to post this stuff. And they can provide info showing how they cleaned it up. If it was small stuff that wouldn't prevent me from eating there, as long as I knew they took actions to prevent it in the future. What if the restaurant had a bad employee? I don't think they should be put out of business because they did something unsanitary. Back in colonial times, I don't think they had health inspectors going around checking for sanitary conditions did they? -Posted by Common Sense"

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Suggested summer reading for 'T.E.A. partier' and 'Common Sense' is Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and just for fun, Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. Perhaps reading might change their viewpoint on 'big government' and laissez-faire policies.

I jinxed myself.

2010-06-11T20:38:00.001-04:00

In a post the other day, I said I had never been solicited while downtown.

While on my way through the Common to the Irish Festival, I had a young woman ask me if I wanted methadone. (I declined. Methadone and Guiness don't mix well.)

I guess talking about my clean streak is just like talking about a perfect game as it happens.

Wheels To Water

2010-06-11T18:38:00.000-04:00

The Worcester Wheels To Water Program will run from July 6th until August 15th. (Apparently if you want to swim indoors before 7/6 or after 8/15, tough!) The State beaches, pools, and City beaches will be open Monday-Friday after July 1st.

Here's when you can swim:

MONDAY:
10am-2pm @ Girls Inc.
3pm-5pm @ YWCA (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
4pm-7pm @ Boys & Girls Club (ages 8-17)
TUESDAY:
10am-2pm @ Girls Inc.
1pm-5pm @ WPI
3pm-5pm @ YWCA (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
4pm-7pm @ Boys & Girls Club (ages 8-17)
WEDNESDAY:
10am-2pm @ Girls Inc.
3pm-5pm @ YWCA (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
3pm-6pm @ Central YMCA (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)

4pm-7pm @ Boys & Girls Club (ages 8-17)THURSDAY:
10am-2pm @ Girls Inc.
1pm-5pm @ WPI
3pm-5pm @ YWCA (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
4pm-7pm @ Boys & Girls Club (ages 8-17)
FRIDAY:
10am-2pm @ Girls Inc.
3pm-5pm @ YWCA (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
3pm-8pm @ Central YMCA (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
4pm-7pm @ Boys & Girls Club (ages 8-17)
7pm-9pm @ YWCA (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
SATURDAY:
12:30pm-6pm Family Swim @ Central YMCA
2pm-7pm @ Boys & Girls Club (ages 8-17)
4pm-7pm @ YWCA (under 13 must be accompanied by an adult)
SUNDAY:
10am-2pm Family Swim @ Central YMCA

12pm-5pm Family Swim @ Girls Inc. (all adults must be accompanied by at least 1 child)
2pm-4pm @ Boys & Girls Club (ages 8-17)

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A big thank you should be extended to the organizations that make this program possible. It's certainly not as good as having neighborhood pools, and I hope in future years the City Council will actually listen to the voters and start rebuilding neighborhood pools. The City Council should set the goal of refurbishing one neighborhood pool every year.

Speaking of good eats....

2010-06-09T19:01:00.000-04:00

I had a mushroom, goat cheese and truffle oil pizza along with an order of homemade jalapeno poppers from Flats on the corner of Mayfield and Park. Excellent stuff! Great flavorful crust, tasty sauce, quality local ingredients, and a great slogan: 'Support Your Local Pie Hole.' Best of all, they are open until 2:30AM.

The Corner Grille and The Wonder Bar now have some competition for my favorite pizza in Worcester.

I've never had a problem downtown. I've even had some good meals!

2010-06-09T18:46:00.002-04:00

I never ate at the City Park Grille. Two weeks after they opened, I read that the executive chef quit. That's a major red flag that something's wrong, so I stayed away. I wasn't surprised to see the business close- I was just surprised it happened so quickly.

There have been a few general theories kicking around about City Park Grille's demise:
1. Downtown is a graveyard/wasteland. Nothing succeeds downtown.
2. Worcester is hostile to new enterprises, especially high end dining.
3. It's the City Manager's/City Council's/Dual Tax Rate's fault.
4. There wasn't any parking.
5. It's the Curse of the Nipmucs.

I don't agree with any of these theories, although I am keeping an open mind about the Curse of the Nipmucs. City Park Grille failed because they were supposedly paying $15,000 a month for rent. If any business is going to succeed with that sort of rent, they need paying customers. The only way to draw customers is with a great idea, and great execution (like the Armsby Abbey, Bocado, and 86 Winter which are within a few blocks of City Park Grille). From everything I've heard, City Park Grille failed on both ends, much like McFadden's did before them. If the food isn't good, people won't pay. Rent doesn't get paid, and businesses close. That's the reality of the food business, especially if the owner doesn't have the cash reserves to ride out the first year and improve the business.

I don't understand how the City Manager and City Council were liable for City Park Grille's demise. They don't write private business plans. It's not their job. Should the City Council bail out any failing business on Main Street? Should they advise them on how to properly run a restaurant? Should they eat out at that business every day of the week to keep them in business? Should they be out with flags and cones pointing potential diners to the large parking garage a half block away from City Park Grille?

-----

Perhaps it's a matter of perception (read the comments for more laughable ignorance.) I go through downtown every day, whether I am on foot, bike or bus. I've never witnessed a drug deal. I've never been mugged. I've never been solicited by a prostitute. I've never been threatened.

I would love to see street vendors and performers downtown (how great would it be to have a Completo from Chris while sitting at a picnic table on a Saturday afternoon?). I'd love to see businesses downtown, but I know that businesses will only go where there is profit. As long as local people can't find good jobs for fair wages, downtown will suffer. Until we fix Worcester's economy, schools, and housing, a better life and a better downtown will be a pipe dream away from fruition.

A seven person bike!

2010-05-29T11:43:00.000-04:00

I put down my regular one person bike and went for a ride on a seven person bike this morning at Elm Park with some great people.

There's an all afternoon event on Russell Street in support of Ipsaci Corp. Their goal is to raise money to train medical personnel, teachers and social workers to help women brutalized by the war in the Congo. I picked up The Hurdles of a Young Doctor by Pierre Syvialeghana and had a nice morning ride.

Playgrounds.

2010-05-28T16:03:00.001-04:00

IMAG0112.jpg
Originally uploaded by Unfashionable Sentiments

I wonder how much this new playground cost at Roosevelt School? It doesn't say on the School Improvement Plan, but here's the money quote:

"We plan to reach out to our community businesses to build partnerships which will benefit our students as well as the business. Presently, many of the businesses close to Roosevelt are taking an active role in helping to raise funds to build a community playground on school property."

I'll bet it's cheaper than the Providence Street playground.

I'm not surprised.

2010-05-24T15:30:00.000-04:00

There was an interesting piece on Boston.com yesterday about the State Probation Office and patterns of nepotism and cronyism under the direction of Jack O'Brien.

Central Massachusetts made the article with a reference to former Worcester Courthouse Probation Officer Ashley Losapio and references to West Boylston's State Representative James J. O’Day, Charlton's State Representative Geraldo Alicea, and Clinton's State Representative Harold P. Naughton Jr.

Wow.

2010-05-24T15:12:00.000-04:00

I saw this link on Facebook today.

I'm speechless.

More Crime in Tatnuck.

2010-05-24T15:10:00.000-04:00

A dangerous criminal was on the loose on the West Side of Worcester yesterday morning. The comment section accompanying the article was especially entertaining.

Worcester's reaction to black bears reminds me of this MST3K short, Catching Trouble (fast forward to the 3:40 mark for the black bear):

Worcester Public Schools and the Kansas City Royals.

2010-05-14T18:06:00.002-04:00

The Kansas City Royals fired manager Trey Hillman after a 12-23 start to the 2010 season. For his career, he was 152-207 as a manager for the worst team in baseball. Hillman was the 13th Royals manager since the orgainization's last postseason appearance in 1985. During that 25 years of futility, the Royals only had 7 seasons over .500. There is something wrong in Kansas City, and it isn't the managers. (Side note if you're a sports fan- take the time to read through Joe Posnanski's blog. He's one of my favorite sports writers.) That sort of futility shows that there are problems with the organization, its ownership, and the way Major League Baseball is structured.

So why fire the manager? I believe it's a cosmetic move to let fans know that something is being done to solve the problem. The Royals have been rebuilding and developing minor league talent since the mid 1990's. In 2003, Tony Pena managed the team to a winning record, surprising the baseball world. The next year, the Royals were the same old Royals, and the following season, Tony Pena was fired. (Where did Tony Pena end up? As the bench coach for the Yankees. No wonder the Yankees haven't won a World Series Championship this millenium...wait, never mind, damnit!)

The problem in Kansas City lies in its front office. Their ownership hasn't hired a general manager that has been able to develop good major league talent and retain it. Due to the payroll cutting tendencies of David Glass (CEO of Walmart), the Royals have struggled since 1993 to field a winning team. Whatever talent the Royals have developed has been traded away for less value because of the Royals' cost cutting business model. How can this organizational incompetence be Trey Hillman's fault or any of their managers' fault?

Three years from now, David Glass will probably end up firing current manager Ned Yost. Ownership will say that this time, the 'new' manager that will bring pride, titles and fans back to Kauffman Stadium.

Why am I writing about the Kansas City Royals? Perhaps it's because I liked their teams in the early '80's. Perhaps it is because I enjoy watching Zack Greinke pitch. Perhaps it's because I'm still bitter they fired Tony Pena after 2+ seasons despite Tony winning the 2003 AL Manager of the Year with a team of nobodies. Perhaps it is because David Glass owns the team, and I dislike Walmart.

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Perhaps it is because this situation reminds me of this story. I'm not saying the public schools are as incompetent as the Kansas City Royals. I believe the changes at Chandler Elementary, Union Hill, and now Clark Street are cosmetic changes just like the firing of Trey Hillman and the hiring of Ned Yost in Kansas City.

Neither Mark Berthiaume or Denise Bahosh had the solutions for societal barriers to education that exist outside of Chandler Elementary or Union Hill. I doubt that either Marie Morse or June Eressy will be able to raise test scores quicker than the previous principals within the three years they have to turn around Chandler Elementary and Union Hill. The idea that improving education is a race and a competition ignores the reality that educating the entire populace is far more complex than new leadership or a new assessment test. What happens in the school can be stymied by larger societal forces outside school- poverty, apathy, ignorance, unemployment, language barriers. Education isn't a business, nor can the business model pertain to educating everyone in the public schools (Jeff says it best here.)

In 2013, I hope I don't have to read a story about Principals Morse and Eressy being fired or replaced because they couldn't raise test scores in underfunded inner city schools quick enough to please politicians and bureaucrats and give voters a sense that something is being done to solve the problem.

After I'm done reading about the fate of our schools, I'll flip to the Sports section and see that the Royals have a new manager....again.

How to explain the new Arizona law to children.

2010-05-12T23:06:00.000-04:00

http://twitpic.com/1n8jia/full

Sinkholes.

2010-05-12T22:39:00.004-04:00

I came home from practice and read Dee's post regarding the Providence Street Playground. I also read Nicole's cost estimates for Providence Street, and I have to congratulate Worcester's Department of Public Works and Parks for another job poorly done.

A few years back, the City decided to daylight Beaver Brook throughout the length of Beaver Brook Park. As part of the park makeover, they refurbished and relocated three of the four baseball/softball fields and the football field. It took quite a bit of pressure to get DPW and Parks to address issues with the park redesign (details here, 2nd story down.) As a 'compromise', Parks eliminated plans for the 4th baseball/softball field located on the site of the former football field due to safety concerns and flooding concerns.

When I was a kid, the open space behind the Little League's "A" field was a swamp that filled up with overflow from the brook every big rainstorm. Then it was plowed under and became the Worcester Vikings' football field, which still flooded constantly. During the 2005 redesign, Assistant Parks Commissioner Robert Antonelli assured the league that only 'historic rainfalls' will cause flooding of the open space once the work was completed. Currently, that field is an open space the size of a football field and has a built in irrigation system and drainage.

Two summers ago, I witnessed a July thunderstorm that filled the entire open space and the whole right field of the "A" field with a foot of water in less than a half hour. It's not the only time I've witnessed 'historic rainfalls.' I can think of at least six instances in the past four years where I have personally witnessed Beaver Brook overflowing into the open space and the Little League field.

The open space gets a lot of use, and today I noticed two new additions to our practice space:

We now have sinkholes, four years after the project was completed. Both holes, which range from six inches deep to over a foot in depth, are centered around sprinkler heads. Both holes are expanding and very soft, so perhaps I will find this when I get down the field tomorrow:

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I don't hold out much hope for the condition of our $500,000 Providence Street playground four years from now, and it's not because of vandalism. I wonder how I should report this on the DPW help page. Pothole? Water Meter/Lawn Irrigation? Item on Public Way? Items in Waterway/Brooks? There doesn't seem to be a Shoddy Workmanship form.

Gary and Clive vs. The Budget.

2010-05-03T22:10:00.002-04:00

Gary Rosen and Clive McFarlane tackled the city budget this week, and both came up lacking. Perhaps it's the limitations of print media- if they could link to the budget, perhaps they could point out specific cuts to the budget. Very rarely do you find print media in Worcester specifically pointing out where our tax dollars are wasted. Instead, you get generalizations like these:

"City officials need to take some creative, courageous and painful steps that surely will anger special interest groups and some employee unions. But cutting spending, eliminating more overlap and waste, streamlining city government, and finding new revenue sources are what’s best for Worcester’s future." -Gary Rosen

That's the best you can offer as a former City Councilor, WPS employee and School Committee member? Give us concrete details. Call out positions and people by name. Do some legwork and get some sunlight and accountability to save our tax dollars. Otherwise I'm going to have to question an article that regurgitates Research Bureau talking points (privatize everything, PILOTs, soak our unions, and lower taxes for businesses.) I've always voted for Mr. Rosen- he was always accessible to his constituents, and for the most part, we've agreed on the major issues. As a journalist, he leaves a bit to be desired, unless he starts to use his experience to better tell his readers about the issues facing the city.

Clive McFarlane went a few steps further in his piece, but still fell short.

"I did, and here is what I found: Too many departments top heavy with chiefs, assistant chiefs and assistant to the assistant chief and assistant to the assistant to the assistant to the assistant to the chief."

Which ones???? Point it out to us. Please use your journalist skills and list the departments and positions. If you don't, it feels like you're just filling out another column....much like the irrelevant golf columns.

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These are two of our better journalists, and writers I respect. I had high hopes for both columns, and came away disappointed. I know this is a city that behaves like a small town, but good government should trump any desire to avoid calling out individuals who are getting fat at the public trough (if they exist.)

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Postscript:

Rosalie Tirella had her say about the budget, specifically the WPS side of the ledger. Let's just be nice and say I don't agree with her take on things.

Worcesterites in spandex, sporting tails.

2010-04-27T18:53:00.001-04:00

I'm not a fan of Walmart. I've never bought anything there, nor will I darken the door of Worcester's new Walmart. If we're going to be a Walmart in Worcester, the only benefit will be the first Worcesterite captured on People of Walmart.

I wonder if I will know them?

Paywalls.

2010-04-27T18:34:00.001-04:00

I've been playing a new game with myself as I read the T&G every day. Is this article worth my money?

Today's Dianne Williamson's column falls into the "Not worth my money!" category. Did the editors screw up and post Laura Porter's column instead of Dianne's? (No offense intended, Laura. I just have higher expectations for the lead columnist on the front page of the Local section.)

Judging by the comments, I am in the minority when it comes to dislike for this column. Perhaps it is because I own a Droid, was able to read the instruction manual that came with it, and even read the extended manual on that-there-Internets-thing-a-ma-bob.

What a surprise.

2010-04-27T18:23:00.000-04:00

I posted about 165 Grafton Street and the CSX plans back in March. While reading through Jeremy Shulkin's excellent notes on the Public Works and Transportation meeting regarding CSX, I caught this nugget from Phil Clancy:

"A new plan has been proposed that would limit truck traffic on Grafton St. The new plan calls for closing the tip of Coral St. (between Union Place and Grafton St.) to anything but CSX traffic (to do this Frank’s Flower Shop will be taken by the company). It’ll be easy for trucks exiting I-290 East to get off and enter the CSX site right away, as well as enter I-290 East, but I must have missed how they’ll get to I-290 West. CSX estimates this will cost $2 mil for “modification.” Councilor Paul Clancy asked about business relocation, which CSX seemed ok with. He also asked about keeping that closed portion of Coral st. open to one-way traffic."

I figured Ron Gestone (owner of 165 Grafton Street) wanted his parcel of land included in the CSX expansion. Who wouldn't want to unload a property with an empty storefront onto our new neighbors, especially when there is a $2 million price tag associated with the redesign? 165 Grafton Street is valued at $191,800. Anyone want to make predictions on the final sale price?

I'm curious why Councilor Clancy wants to know about business relocation. There isn't a business at 165 Grafton Street. It's still empty! Perhaps the plans call for the removal of the buildings at 169 and 177 Grafton Street, which actually house active businesses.