jackiedoherty.org

News, schools, and views from a uniquely Lowell perspective

Theatre in my life

We have season tickets to the Merrimack Repertory Theatre and it’s been a great investment. We’ll be there tonight for the preview of The Missionary Position, a satiric comedy that mixes politics and religion—especially timely for the primaries, not to mention the youth-enhancing benefits of laughter. (I’m also planning to swing by Winterfest for soup tasting before the show—more on that later.) Seeing all the MRT plays has required some schedule juggling, but we’ve enjoyed every production immensely. It has also made me realize the great gift of experiencing live theatre regularly. With that in mind, I took my 11-year-old daughter to the Boston Opera House Tuesday (children free with an adult) for opening night of My Fair Lady. Because I only had to pay for my seat and she got the one next to me, I opted for premium seats (second row center orchestra), which was wise for a venue that large. I guess I’ve grown accustomed to the intimacy of the MRT…Speaking of accustomed, My Fair Lady was fantastic (“awesome” says my daughter). I was especially thrilled to hear again the classic songs I know so well, and the memories they evoked of my mother singing, “I could have danced all night” while washing dishes, or “All I want is a room somewhere, far away from the cold night air,” or “With a little bit of luck,” and “Get me to the church on time!” Who could forget Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison in the film version of this great, 50-year-old musical, although the current cast of British actors does a fine job. I especially enjoyed Lisa O’Hare as Eliza Doolittle with her expressive face and great voice, as well as the spirited performance of Tim Jerome as Alfred P. Doolittle, whose blue eyes literally sparkled out at the audience mischievously.

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Foreclosure prevention group in the news

Today’s Globe has an interesting article about the Lowell Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, a group co-chaired by Frank Carvalho of Enterprise Bank and City Councilor Jim Milinazzo. According to the article, “Lowell saw the largest number of foreclosures in 2007” (270 homes lost compared to 89 in 2006), and the task force has been working for more than a year to help homeowners refinance with reputable lenders or find other alternatives. Two groups actively involved in the effort are the Coalition for a Better Acre and Community Teamwork Inc. If you are a Lowell homeowner facing mortgage payment difficulties, call 888-995-HOPE to learn more about the program.

posted in In the News, Local Groups, Money Matters | 0 Comments

LTC News

Jackie and I just spent a couple of hours down at Lowell Telecommunications at an orientation session where we learned about the benefits of membership and the classes they offer.  It was interesting and informative. The staff are eager to talk about what LTC has to offer and to help guide new members in taking advantage of their services.  If you want to find out more, you can attend another (free) session tonight, at their office at 246 Market Street, beginning at 6:00 pm.  You don’t have to be a member to attend the session. If you do decide to join, you can attend the Annual Meeting (next Wednesday, January 16, 6 pm at the Wannalancit Mills first floor Conference Room). It’s a potluck dinner and awards ceremony and a good way to meet the other members, staff and board of directors.

One thing we learned today is that LTC offers streaming video of all the government meetings (City Council, Sub committees, School Committee, etc.) on their website.  So, if you can’t attend or catch a meeting on TV, you can watch it on your computer at your convenience.

posted in City Life, Local Groups | 0 Comments

New MRT play a hit

I loved the new play at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 2 Pianos 4 Hands by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt, which opened tonight to a packed house. Judging by the quick standing ovation and cheers from the audience, I wasn’t the only one. The musical comedy is worth braving the cold to see and runs until Jan. 27, but don’t wait to get your tickets. (The rest of this weekend is already sold out.)  The play is a fun-loving romp that includes live musical performances spanning Beethoven and Chopin to “Great Balls of Fire” and “Benny and the Jets.” The laugh-out-loud antics and facial expressions of the two talented piano-playing actors (not an easy find) were exceptional in the context of their often hilarious, intense piano feuding. For anyone who has ever played an instrument, taken lessons, or forced someone else to take lessons, this journey will especially resonate. Ultimately, as with most good art of whatever form, there is a universal truth about the human condition that speaks to us all. To experience that truth together, amid laughter and the wonderful sounds of two grand pianos, was well worth the price of a ticket, and I can’t think of a better way to spend a January evening.

posted in Art, City Life, Local Groups | 0 Comments

Merrimack Rep scores

Well, the metaphor about scoring doesn’t work for boxing, but it’s sports-oriented and it’s the truth.  The latest play from the MRT is a winner, but I’m sorry to report that Sunday was the final performance of Tunney/Shakespeare in Six Rounds by David E. Lane.  I went at the last minute, having missed my regular night and switched my tickets twice (luckily they are very forgiving toward regular subscribers), and I’m so glad I made it.  I couldn’t figure out how boxing and Shakespeare could intersect in a meaningful way, but the playwright wove the facts about world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney into an engrossing narrative about life, luck, and philosophy that is a total knockout (there, that one works!).  Tunney came across Shakespeare accidentally when in the Marines and heading off to war in 1918 and reading the plays literally changed his life.  He uses lines and scenes from the plays (not all of them the big names like Hamlet either; he draws on The Winter’s Tale, Troilus and Cressida and, especially, Coriolanus) to highlight turning points in his own life and to illuminate the behavior of other boxers.  He credits Shakespeare with his successes both in and out of the ring, but also with an ability to see beyond success, to capture small, rare, hard-won insights into the meaning of life.  Actor Jack Wetherall was flawless in delivery and timing and portrayed a genial, thoughtful, big-hearted man, a thinker as well as a man of action.  We couldn’t believe this was David Lane’s first play! I’m just sorry I can’t go see it again right away.

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New role with state group

I have seen firsthand the difference a group of people united around a cause can make—in my neighborhood with the Friends of Tyler Park and in my life as an involved member of the Citywide Parent Council (which ultimately led me to run for school committee). The Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) is a group with some clout among state leaders and legislators, and as an advocate for better public schools, I got involved with the organization as soon as I was elected. First, I completed the MASC orientation training required by law for incoming members.  Then I became a member of the advocacy subcommittee. I have also served for two years as the Lowell delegate voting on MASC resolutions (more on resolutions in a later post). At its November conference, I was elected Chair of the MASC Urban Division, leading one of nine divisions of the organization. The division includes sister cities such as Worcester, Haverhill, Framingham, Somerville etc—many of whom share similar challenges around educating urban populations. Lowell will host our first division meeting in March, which will focus on the needs of English Language Learners (ELL). As a gateway city, the district is well suited to lead this discussion since Lowell has the highest population of non-English-speaking students, and they perform better than the state average. That said, there is much work to be done because this population is also the most at-risk to fail or drop out of school.  As chair, the new role affords me the opportunity to lead efforts with other, like-minded MASC members to improve educational opportunities for urban youth. It will also bring some much-deserved recognition to the expertise Lowell schools have, particularly in meeting the needs of our newcomer students. I welcome the opportunity and the challenge to continue to unite people around causes that impact positive change in our schools.

posted in Education, Local Groups | 0 Comments

Alternative sources for news

I subscribe to the “News from the Lowell Cultural Roundtable” – an email list filled with all kinds of cultural and civic events. It’s a great way to stay connected with what’s going on in the city, which is helpful since I dropped my newspaper subscription recently.  The volunteer coordinator of the Cultural Roundtable, John Greenwald, includes a “Consider this” quote in every message, always pithy, frequently amusing; here’s the one from yesterday:

The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. –Thomas Jefferson

If you would like to subscribe, just email johnedit@comcast.net. Be forewarned, emails can be more frequent than once a day, but always with descriptive subject lines so you know right away whether to delete or read on.

 

 

posted in Local Groups | 2 Comments

Thoughts on the Education Forum

I finally watched the broadcast of the Mary Bacigalupo Forum (schedule) and have taken some time to read over the materials that were given out at the forum as well as to visit the NNPS website.  I am still trying to figure out how the ideas of Dr. Epstein can be applied to Lowell, how they fit in with ongoing work, including that of the Forum subgroups, and what steps can be taken immediately.  Dr. Epstein’s model is to “develop, nurture and sustain partnerhips to make a difference for all students” and is contingent on a school or district joining the National Network of Partnership Schools (for a modest fee) and taking advantage of resources, sharing of best practices and other assistance.    What I like about her method is the constant collection of data from members and reporting back what works and what doesn’t. (At last year’s forum, Dr. Howard stressed the need to constantly refer to the data to figure out what to do and how to do it – one of the subgroups created at last year’s forum is the Data Assessment Committee.)  The other aspect of the NNPS model is the Action Team for partnerships (ATP) that is tailor-made to fit in with existing school site councils and school improvement plans.  The ideal application of the ATP would bring PTO parents, school staff, district and community partners together to focus on one or more specific problems, such as attendance or behavior.  This kind of results-oriented approach has been a proven success for many NNPS schools.  In short, I think the Epstein model could work for Lowell, either on the school, or maybe later on at the district level.

posted in Education, Local Groups | 0 Comments

Gang advisory board making progress

Too often the issue of gangs comes up only when there’s been youth-involved violence. Most people don’t know the City Manager’s Gang Advisory Board has been meeting monthly for a year to develop solutions to the gang problems facing Lowell, and those efforts are showing results. This morning, the board decided to hold a Community Summit in January to share the board’s accomplishments and goals, look for suggestions going forward, and challenge citizens to be part of the solution for developing youth opportunities and preventing gang involvement. (Stay tuned for more specifics regarding the date, time, and summit location.)  

In the meantime, here’s an update on a board-related action: A concern identified at a recent board meeting regarding the relationship between the Lowell Police Gang Unit and the United Teen Equality Center’s (UTEC) Street Workers led to a meeting between the two groups. Both groups target gang-involved youngsters; the police gang unit focuses on crime prevention and enforcement while UTEC street workers look to build relationships with teens, connect them to community resources, and foster peacemaking. Although UTEC leaders have been meeting regularly with Police Superintendant Lavallee and his command staff, there was a disconnect between the rank and file members of both groups along with a sense of distrust—even cross purposes. According to UTEC Executive Director Gregg Croteau and Police Deputy Artie Ryan, getting these groups together has been a major first step in collaborating their efforts around gang prevention. Both Croteau and Ryan noted that at the meeting, the police officers and street workers realized their focus and perspectives may be different, but they share many common goals in working with the city’s troubled youth. The two groups will continue to meet and develop a partnership as advocates sharing resources in a community effort against gangs and youth violence.

posted in Local Groups, Youth | 0 Comments

Youth rock political forum

I loved the UTEC city council candidates’ forum last night and was glad to experience it firsthand. For a complete take on the event, check Marie’s post. This is the second time I’ve watched council candidates face the exuberant, joyful UTEC teens. Last time was in 2003 and some of the candidates looked as uncomfortable then as they did last night—kind of like deer caught in the headlights.  But UTEC has gone high tech since that earlier debate; last night’s performance was a multi-media, high energy event that was truly fun. The “Price is Right” game show format for deciding who answers questions first, the fact that it was held at UTEC’s  new facility and taped by LTC for later broadcast, and the entertainment were all added features to this year’s event, which truly made it a rocking political experience. The teens were loudly supportive of each other and the candidates. They also had some great questions about jobs and stores for youngsters, teen homelessness, transportation, and the city manager’s contract. As expected with 30-second sound bites, the answers tended to be short on substance as well as time. By far, the best part for me was the incredible energy of the students and the singing, dancing, and poetry performances. For a broadcast schedule, check: more »

posted in Local Groups, Local Politics, Youth | 1 Comment

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