jackiedoherty.org

As you might recall, the motion to require that city employees be residents of Lowell was sent to subcommittee (see previous rant).  We heard from City Councilor, Kevin Broderick, who is chair of the Personnel Subcommittee, that they will meet next Tuesday, March 26, at 6:O0 pm, in the council chambers (thanks for the prompt reply, Kevin!).  They will be discussing the residency issue at that time. The meeting will be broadcast live on Channel 10, so tune in or show up to find out what the subcommittee will decide.  Speaking of the city council, a motion came up last night to reduce the council schedule by half, that is to meet every other week instead of weekly.  This was also sent to subcommittee (Rules, chaired by Councilor Milinazzo), but it appears to have majority support (see Dick’s post).  Since I didn’t watch the meeting (I do have a life; I was busy watching the video of the superintendent interviews on LTC), I’m not sure what the rationale is for the motion.   I certainly don’t recall any talk of either of these issues during the campaign last fall.  It would be interesting to track peoples’ campaign rhetoric to their actual actions on the council; it might bridge the reality gap between what is said to attract voters and what the candidate really cares about. But, like I said, I have a life….

Tonight is the final round of the Knowledge Bowl, an academic contest pitting this year’s middle school teams that advanced to the finals (the Sullivan, Wang, and Daley Schools) against each other in a culiminating test of wisdom under pressure for the coveted Knowledge Bowl trophy. Don’t miss this exciting Jeopardy-like competition at the Butler School, 1140 Gorham Street,beginning at 7 pm. The competition will be broadcast live from Lowell Educational Television on channel 22.

Tomorrow night, there will be entertainment of a different sort as eight finalists compete in Lowell High School Idol, a local twist on the popular television talent show. Selected from an earlier elimination show two weeks ago, the finalists will perform at the Irish Auditorium at 7 p.m., which will be broadcast live on channel 22. Once the acts are completed, students AND residents will have the opportunity to vote either by placing ballets in the boxes provided at the auditorium or by calling in votes by telephone (the phone numbers will be announced prior to voting). The first-place winner will receive $500, with second and third-place winners receiving cash prizes of lesser amounts.

For those focused on more serious matters, the school committee will also meet tomorrow at 7 p.m., which will be broadcast live on channel 10, to discuss (and vote) on closing the Varnum School, whether ONE Lowell will remain active on truancy issues at the high school, and transportation services for the Immaculate Conception School, among other things. It’s an important meeting, and as much as the LHS Idol show will be entertaining, I’d rather see folks informed as the committee goes forward on these initiatives. If you are interested in speaking at the meeting tomorrow night, contact the superintendent’s secretary at 978-937-7614 before 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Perhaps it’s a silly holiday, more an Irish-American invention than a true tradition from our Celtic cousins, but St. Patrick’s Day in my family is about getting together, eating corned beef and cabbage, and sharing memories of our father, who died 15 years ago today. Throughout our childhood, our father joyfully celebrated the day: he wore all green—from his socks to his boxers, shirt, necktie, and even the cap on his head—and with it, he instilled in us a sense of pride in our identity, our shared roots, and our loyality to each other. Dad was often heard to say: “There are two kinds of people, the Irish and those who wish they were.” (Mind you, he was born in Boston.) When we discovered he had passed at home early in the morning of March 17, 1993, his green clothes laid out for him to wear that day, we decided to bury him in his greenery, which I know he would have thought cool. Today the Boston Herald published a tribute to my dad, but since I can’t link to it right now, I’m reprinting it here:

“In Loving Memory of Daniel J. Doherty: January 19, 1915-March 17, 1993
It’s been 15 years since our dad died, and every St. Patrick’s Day we are reminded of the man who taught us to fight for our beliefs, take care of our family, and be loyal to our friends. Dad was proud of his Irish ancestry, being a townie, and watching out for his “guys,” a lifelong career that took him from longshoreman to business agent to ILA pension and welfare coordinator. Today, as we celebrate one of his favorite holidays, we remember him with love.”

On a final note, as my 15-year-old son (who never met his grandfather) left for school this morning dressed in green sweatpants, green shirt, and green sweatshirt, I couldn’t help but smile to see that this part of my dad lives on in him. Éirinn go Brágh!

I didn’t get to stay long because of family commitments this afternoon, but I did spend some time with about 30 other Democrats discussing the presidential campaign with Senator John Kerry at the Blue Shamrock.  It was a rare opportunity for me to discuss issues of national importance with our senator, who was completely at ease and candid with the group, many of whom he knew by name. Put somewhat on the defensive by outspoken Hillary supporters in the crowd, Kerry explained his reasoning for endorsing Obama:  namely, he thinks Obama can win the country even though he agreed that both candidates were intelligent and capable. Kerry argued that the “Obama lacks experience” position doesn’t hold weight with him; he also went out of his way to assure the group that whoever doesn’t win the Democratic nomination will work to bring his or her people onboard to support the nominee. As Kerry sees it, the overarching goal is to make sure we don’t end up with another four years of Republican leadership, and in the best interests of the people, the party, and the future of our country, the candidates will work together in the end, regardless of who is the nominee.  Let’s hope he’s right.

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!

This just in by phone from Senator John Kerry’s office: He will be at the Blue Shamrock, 105 Market Street, at 12:30 on Sunday, March 16, to meet with residents for a general gathering. Perhaps he’s visiting the Mill City in preparation for the Democratic State Convention, which will be held in Lowell on June 7, or to line up support against potential challengers in next fall’s election? Perhaps he just wants to chat with Lowell folks for something to do on a Sunday afternoon. One thing for sure: it’s not easy to get his ear, so it’s worth a trip downtown if you want a few minutes with our senator. (I visited D.C. last year with a delegation of Mass. School Committee members and we ended up speaking to his aide.) In fairness, Senator Kennedy’s not that accessible either–unless you’re lucky and quick with elevators–but that’s a story for another day…

Tonight, the school committee will interview the two outside finalists for superintendent at 6:30 pm at City Hall.  Again, these will be broadcast live on Channel 10.  Last night, several parents from Stand for Children and the Citywide Parent Council sat in on the internal finalist interviews; tonight may be more difficult given family schedules, but there are ample opportunities to watch them through the LTC website and Channel 10 rebroadcast schedule.  (See previous post for details on the rebroadcast of all the interviews). 

When it comes to the next leader of our schools, we should listen to parents. They are the ones with the most at stake – the education of their children. They are the ones who intimately know the current climate of our schools and who work with teachers, principals, central office administrators, coaches, guidance counselors and parent liaisons; in the case of the CPC Executive Board, they have worked very closely with Dr. Baehr, meeting with her monthly to discuss issues of concern to parents. The Citywide Parent Council has compiled a list of qualities they would like to see in the next superintendent. Their list is right on target with its emphasis on creativity and a proven track record for positive change; check it out. more »

Tonight, the school committee will interview the two local candidates of the four finalists for the position of superintendent of Lowell Schools.  The interviews will be held in city council chambers beginning at 6:30 pm and will be televised live on Channel 10.  (The second set of interviews will be held tomorrow night, same time and place and also broadcast live.) The rebroadcast schedule is:

Both sets of interviews will be available for viewing on  LTC streaming video by Monday, 3/17, so people can watch them anytime from their computers.

Each interview will get a total of 4 replays on alternating days, beginning with the Thursday interviews (Schlictman & Jack):  Saturday, 3/15 at 1:00 pm; Monday, 3/17 at noon; Thursday, 3/20 at noon; and Saturday, 3/22 at 2:00 pm. The Friday interviews (Scott and Bonner) will air as follows:  Sunday, 3/16 at 1:00 pm; Tuesday, 3/18 at 10:00 am; Friday, 3/21 at 3:00 pm; Sunday, 3/23 at 2:00 pm. 

Despite the cynical comments by Sun editors, who seem to think the committee has made up its mind without even interviewing the candidates, each of the four will have a chance to answer questions and state their qualifications for the job in a public forum.  Residents have a role in this process; it is important to watch the interviews and communicate your impressions by contacting the entire committee  and/or writing a letter to the editor.  The school committee will make its decision on Monday, March 24, in a meeting at council chambers, televised live on channel 10, beginning at 6:30.

Last night’s Lowell Green Drinks volunteer event at the Brewhouse brought dozens of folks out to learn more about how to get involved in this growing movement as well as get firsthand information from local groups working to improve our environment, such as Keep Lowell Beautiful, Clean Canals, Toxic Use Reduction Institute, Interfaith Power & Light, and members of the city’s new Green Building Commission (website under construction). The commission, which the city manager established in October to help make Lowell a “greener” city, is comprised of a public-private team of business professionals, concerned citizens, students, and university representatives. At last night’s meeting, they distributed a flyer of Ten Easy Steps to Save Energy and Money, which you can see for yourself by checking: more »

As Mimi reports on LiL, last night’s special school committee meeting updating the superintendent’s search timetable and process was productive.  Dr. Baehr’s suggestions were helpful and as Mayor Caulfield acknowledged, “the classiest thing he’s seen in a long time.”  I also want to commend the parents from Stand for Children and the Citywide Parent Council who turned out yet again to witness and participate in these events.  One parent asked that the committee resist the temptation to “act hastily rather than be deliberative, to take time to know the candidates, and to fulfill their responsibility for due diligence during this process.” 

Here is the schedule:  Thursday, March 13, 6:30 pm, first two interviews (Schlictman and Jack); Friday, March 14, 6:30 pm, final two interviews (Bonner and Scott).  The interviews will be broadcast live on LTC, Channel 10 (we will post the rebroadcast schedule when available).  Bonner and Scott will be invited to visit Lowell schools to get a better feel for the district while also interacting with staff and students.  All candidates will be asked to bring a portfolio of representational work (evaluations, communications, reports) to their interviews.  In-district and out-of-district site visits will take place next week, along with a conference call between the respective school committees.  Some school committee members will visit Hamden, CT (Dr. Bonner’s district), while others will participate in a conference call with Dr. Scott’s school committee. I feel strongly that the site visit and the conference call will likely reveal different information and should be used for both candidates.  The committee will meet on Thursday night, after the interviews, to discuss salary range and get legal advice from the city solicitor, so perhaps there will be further discussion on this part of the due diligence…

Finally, the vote for the next superintendent will occur on Monday, March 24, 6:30 pm, televised live in council chambers. The current plan is for a simple roll call vote.  John Leahy asked for some discussion by members before voting. Other members indicated that these votes had always been done without explanation, and Mayor Caulfield said it was “inappropriate” to have a discussion.  Dr. Baehr noted that some districts discuss before voting but it must be done within legal guidelines due to personnel confidentiality laws. Jackie made a motion, which passed 4 to 2 (with Mayor Caulfield and Regina Faticanti against), that the law office provide the committee with the legal parameters regarding what can and cannot be said on the floor before members vote. That discussion will continue Thursday night after the first round of interviews.