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Now we have a Lowell Film Festival and it looks great! This FREE event takes place this weekend, April 4 and 5, check out the schedule to see times and venues. There is an opening reception Friday night at the Revolving Museum. The theme of Globalization and Immigration couldn’t be more timely or more perfect for Lowell.  The “Headliner Films” on Friday (Sacco and Venzetti) and Saturday evening (Bamako) have limited seating which is going fast.  To reserve for these showings, email getinthefilm@lowellfilms.org.  Other offerings include The Green Square Mile, about the Irish of Charlestown; Sentenced Home, about deported Cambodian teenagers; and The Busker, which I’ve been wanting to see for years.  So, I’m kicking myself for having other plans this weekend. I’m going to miss the whole thing.  I hope others can take advantage of this unique local event.

Since we’ve gotten over the hurdle of finding a replacement for Supt. Karla Brooks Baehr (assuming contract negotiations over the next few days go well with Dr. Scott), we can get back to the business of the schools, which right now means putting together a budget amid rising costs and diminishing resources. Searching for a new leader is time consuming and important; the repercussions of the decision will be felt for years to come in our schools and in our community. The school committee selected a bright, innovative, and committed professional with a track record of successes and skills that will enable her to build on the progress the district has made under Dr. Baehr. In the meantime, several other key organizations in the city are also conducting their own searches for leaders: UMass Lowell will host inauguration events next week to honor its newest leader, Chancellor Marty Meehan. UML is also in the process of hiring a new provost. In addition, Lowell Telecommunications Corporation (LTC) is currently sifting through resumes of applicants for their executive director position—all key roles that will impact our community in many ways. As I said at the school committee’s special meeting to vote for the next superintendent, “This decision is a leap of faith.” You research the candidates and listen closely to the answers, and at the end of the day, you make the best-educated decision you can. The same process applies for electing our new president—each vote requires care and attention—because the resulting leader will impact our nation for years to come. 

Let’s take a break from the superintendent search to talk about what the Image Theater is up to.  They  always think out of the box, and their next project is a presentation of seven short plays, “Tales from a Tavern,” to be performed upstairs at the Old Court on May 16, 17, 23, 24 (don’t worry we’ll remind you when it gets closer).  The exciting thing is that they will be holding auditions next Monday, 3/24, and Tuesday, 3/25 at 7:30 pm. They are looking for “versatile actors (4 men and 4 women of varying ages) who have the ability to play more than one role.”  To make an appointment call Jerry Bisantz at 978-886-2125 or email jbisantz @ comcast.net.  Just don’t forget about us when you become famous!

Perhaps I am connected to my immigrant roots more than most Americans. As a girl, I remember listening to my mother’s stories about her early struggles in Boston schools because she didn’t speak English and how her family worked long hours under poor conditions to get ahead. (By the time my mother, who was born here, was in the third grade, she had changed her name from Giovanna to Jennie to be more American.) My mother-in-law was an immigrant. Her family came here eight decades ago from Northern Ireland to make a better life for themselves and their children. As for me, an English-speaking, college-educated, home-owning American who lives in Lowell—a gateway city in a state with a declining population except for immigrants—the rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric seems both economically and socially short sighted. So, I was thrilled to read Jeff Jacoby’s editorial in yesterday’s Boston Globe where he cites statistics from the Public Policy Institute of California study regarding the impact of immigration on crime in that state. Jacoby writes: “Within the age group most often involved in crime (ages 18 to 40), US natives—astonishingly—are 10 times more likely to be in prison or jail than immigrants…Even when the focus is narrowed to inmates who were born in Mexico and are not citizens—the demographic group most likely to include illegal immigrants—the rate of incarceration is only one-eighth that of men born in the United States.” These numbers support what I have always believed about the vast majority of immigrants whether documented or not: Most immigrants, like my family, are here to work hard, get their children educated, and try to grab a piece of the American dream for themselves and their loved ones. 

If you’re paying attention to politics these days, maybe you feel as disheartened as I do. No matter where I look—whether it’s state, local or national—it seems true public service is thwarted by power plays, personal allegiances, and partisan maneuverings where the common good is the victim in pursuit of another agenda. Perhaps it was always this way and I just wasn’t paying attention (most of us aren’t), but as someone who is intimately involved at the seemingly benign level of the school committee, it is discouraging when our leaders do not rise above human frailty and do the right thing. 

At the state level, we have House Speaker Sal DiMasi locking horns with Governor Deval Patrick, and although I recognize these men may have a sincere difference of opinion regarding gambling, why have so many other pressing initiatives been blocked without even a hint of compromise? (Okay, so maybe DiMasi’s recent concession regarding closing corporate tax loopholes is a good step, albeit a baby one, but it should have happened last year.) There is so much more work to be done to revitalize the state’s economy, stabilize its revenue base, and stop the citizen drain: If we are to have any hope of progress, we must demand our leaders forgo their egos and work together to make it happen.

At the local level, we have counselors proposing nonsensical mandates, such as more »

Far be it from me to give the local rag any good publicity, especially for a blog, considering the editor’s contradictory attitudes toward blogging (from fear and loathing to ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ and anywhere in between.)  But, I have to give a hearty ‘thumbs up’ to Gourmet Gal.  First of all, she keeps the blog consistently updated – crucial to keep your readers as every blogger knows. Second, she is a smart, funny writer, knowledgeable about her topic and willing to travel throughout the Merrimack Valley and even a bit beyond on her so-called ‘food safaris.’  Third, she gives good information, from the opening of something new (wine and cheese in Kearney Square???) to the regretted demise of something old (the Gazebo Cafe is closing).  If you’re a bit of a ‘foodie’ or just like to keep up with the restaurant scene, you’ll like Gourmet Gal. 

It’s been a week since I posted on Lowell’s Winterfest, and I’ve cooled off enough to write about my disastrous attempts to enjoy the festival this year. First off, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I had 8 p.m. tickets for the MRT last Friday night (The Missionary Position—timely and well worth the price of admission) so my visit to the Soup Bowl competition, which didn’t open until 7 p.m., was cutting it close—even for me. When I got there at 7:03 and saw the line of people snaking its way through the parking lot, I realized soup tasting wasn’t happening for me this year. Then Saturday night, my daughter and I waited in the cold rain for 40 minutes cramped into an entranceway with about 100 other folks trying to get into the Tsongas Arena for free skating (we had our own skates). After all that waiting, we left in frustration to find a restroom, only to return an hour later (when the line was down to 10 teenagers) to discover the doors were locked. No one from the arena would explain why the schedule indicated another hour of skating yet they had stopped letting people in despite repeated attempts to get them to speak with us at the door. In fairness overall, I have to say the fireworks display was outstanding, and my daughter enjoyed the indoor activities earlier on Saturday—especially making earrings with her dad. But for me, Winterfest 2008 was a cold downer—too many people and not well organized—at least in terms of the skating.

Last year, Jackie and I saw the Image Theatre do a ’staged reading’ of Patrick Fenton’s play Kerouac’s Last Call, which we loved (and blogged about). Now Jerry Bisantz and his crew are bringing it back as a World Premier production.  This play has it all – drama, humor, pathos, historical resonance, cultural insights, and for us in Lowell, it’s a chance to see it before it hits the big cities.  Here is the description from the Image Theatre website: 

“Last Call” recalls a party held at a friend’s home in Northport, NY in 1964, just before the writer’s move to Florida with his mother.  It is based on an actual reel to reel tape recording of that night recorded by neighborhood friends, a tape that Mr. Fenton is honored to have heard. It depicts the Jack at the end of his road, with glimpses of  the  forces that drove him, the people who moved him, and his own strong opinions  on fame, his travels,  and the “new” generations of readers who idolized him. Populating the play are characters from his past and present, and the play is filled with the music that accompanied his travels across America. Mr. Fenton’s words are reminiscent of Kerouac’s own writings….

It’s at the Old Court, this weekend and next, tickets are $20 at the door, or $19 if you call ahead:  978-866-2125. Seating is limited! As with all of the Image Theater productions, especially those at the Old Court, things are informal and friendly. At last year’s production, we got to meet the author and read articles he wrote about Kerouac. 

What I said in the previous post about the importance of the school committee subcommittees where much of the real work of the body takes place is also true for the city council.  By checking out the City of Lowell website under Government, I was able to find out how many (24, none of which appear to be ad hoc), what type and who is on the city council subcommittees.  (By the way, it would be nice to see the same kind of links for subcommittees, agendas and member biographies for the school committee as are available for the council.) 

The city council, much to their credit, does broadcast subcommittee and board meetings on LTC Channel 10, and these are available on the LTC website as streaming video.  I just watched a fascinating broadcast of the Finance Subcommittee from last week.  I guarantee you’ll become a fan of the City Auditor, Sheryl Wright, who has worked heroically to uncover bizarre accounting snafus and bookkeeping errors that go back years and sometimes decades (outstanding checks going back to the ’80s, IRS penalties for non-filing of W-2 forms, etc.).  It’s really worth watching, which is another reason why we need these meetings aired.

Okay, it’s going to be cold: expect it. Lowell is the only city I know that loves to have its festivals during extreme weather conditions—the hottest time possible for the Folk Festival and the coldest for Winterfest. To keep warm, wear long underwear, thick socks and gloves, and invest in high-tech hand and foot warmers (less than $2 each). Also, take breaks inside. Some of my absolute, can’t miss, favorite things to do at Winterfest include watching the human dogsled races (in small bursts of time because you will get cold out there), tasting the offerings at the Soup Bowl competition (absolutely fantastic medley of warm, filling soups from area restaurants for about $5), skating at the Tsongas Arena (free including skate rentals), checking out the artwork for sale, and drinking while enjoying performances in the tents. Finally, the absolute do-not-miss event that culminates the whole wonderful winter experience is watching the fireworks light up the sky over City Hall on Saturday night. So, grab your mittens, your kids, and your honey, and head downtown. See you at Winterfest!