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In what was expected to be a photo opportunity to announce funds for summer jobs turned spontaneously engaging as Governor Deval Patrick left the stage and ventured into the audience to answer random questions from Lowell High School seniors. After making his points about the need for more jobs for kids and his commitment to helping with that—which included telling students to take out their cell phones and record this number (866-968-8461), he politely answered selected-in-advance student questions read by Senior Class President Natalie Petit. Once he finished answering those questions, however, he surprised everyone by jumping off the stage and moving through the audience, taking questions from randomly selected students on a variety of topics.

Issues raised by the students included dropout rates, gas prices, cost of living in Mass., income gap and middle-class squeeze, environment, gay marriage rights, violence in the streets, lack of scholarships, and the economy. Other questions included asking the Governor for a date to the prom (he replied he’s married), if he can dance (he said yes but that he wouldn’t demonstrate), and what it was like being the first African-American governor of Massachusetts (“way cool”). In his remarks, the Governor restated some messages that had been key to his campaign–that is: We must try new things and see our stake in each other’s success.” He spoke of revitalizing a sense of community, the idea of service and connection with our neighbors. For me, I couldn’t have been prouder of our students, who represented LHS and the city with respect, humor and intelligence, and our Governor. For a summary of his responses to some of their questions, check: more »

You can now access Superintendent Baehr’s recommended FY09  budget for the Lowell Public Schools online. Also online is the re-examination report of the district conducted in 2007 by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA). This most recent report by the state agency praises Lowell schools for significant improvements while also indicating areas of continued concern. As mentioned in this earlier post, the school committee will hold a series of public meetings to review the superintendent’s budget recommendations, beginning tonight with a finance subcommittee meeting at Central Office. The recommended budget calls for staffing cuts and program adjustments to stay within limited revenue (less than one percent increase from last year) while also attempting to enable the district to continue to improve student learning and address concerns identified in the recent EQA audit.

Did you know that May is National Bike Month? In Massachusetts we also have “Bay State Bike Week” (May 12-18) which tries to get folks to rethink their daily transportation choices and opt for two wheels instead of four.  In can be a challenge to bike in city traffic, but if you follow the rules and clearly signal your intentions, it can be safe and rewarding. Of course, a dedicated bike path would be a boon!

It feels like more than 10 years since I first heard about the proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, a multi-use trail for bikers, walkers and skaters that is slated to run from Lowell to Framingham. I was excited, but excitement waned as the years went by, and I really didn’t believe recent reports from friends that work on Phase I (Lowell to Westford) of the trail had finally begun.  I had pretty much decided that I would be too old to ride a bike by the time the trail was finished, but last week, while biking to the Chelmsford library, I saw for myself — the old railroad tracks were gone and the brush cut back to create a swath through the woods – this was on Golden Cove Road where the trail crosses on its way to Chelmsford Center. Checking the website, I saw that the groundbreaking was last October. I totally missed that, and am feeling like a slug for never joining the volunteers and activists who have perservered to make this a reality.  But it’s not too late to get on board, I just sent a donation (you can join for $10, or $25 for a family membership).  The May meeting is on trail beautification and will be held on May 14, 6:30 pm, at the Byam School in Chelmsford, and will include a guided bird walk. 

Since they were four years old, my children have attended the Lowell Public Schools—my oldest is now at the Freshman Academy at LHS and my youngest is in middle school. Thursday, I attended events at the Bartlett, a K-8 school; the Stoklosa Middle School; and the Daley Middle School. On Monday, I attended Special Olympics at the Lincoln Elementary School and read to first graders at the Greenhalge Elementary School.  At every school I visited this week and all the schools not mentioned that I have visited over the years, I have been impressed by the talented, creative, respectful children I have seen performing in programs, listening attentively, and participating in classroom activities. The vast majority of our students are good kids, and every day, wonderful learning takes place all over our city. I know it. I have seen it firsthand, and I have lived it through my own children.

And yet, I have also been to expulsion hearings.  I have received emails about students bringing weapons to school, and I have listened to stories about bullying. Clearly, there is a small more »

The Merrimack Repertory Theatre season is coming to a close, but you can still catch their likeable last play, The Four of Us, until May 11th.  The MRT has many creative ways to buy tickets for the upcoming, 2008-2009, season, including a flexpass or customized season pass. Highlights for next year include the Broadway hit musical, The Fantasticks, and another by the popular playwright, Richard Dresser (Rounding Third, Augusta, The Pursuit of Happiness).  I just realized that we have been subscribers for twelve years, since the 1996-1997 season (Three Viewings still sticks in my mind as one of the best plays I’ve seen).  Other favorites over the years were:  Shirley Valentine, The Boys Next Door, Full Gallop, Cloud Tectonics, Three Days of Rain, The Woman in Black, Boy Gets Girl, Intimate Apparel... the list goes on.  The 2004-2005 season was a tough one for us, with The Kreutzer Sonata the one play we liked; however, we hung on and we’re glad we did. Another way to support the MRT is to attend their bi-annual dinner auction on Thursday, May 29, at the Doubletree Hotel.

Another great stage venue is the Image Theater, which has something new planned for May: Tales from a Tavern, a series of seven original short plays by local playwrights. The plays will be held upstairs at The Old Court, May 16, 17, 23 and 24th. Tickets are on sale now.  If you haven’t tried the Image Theater yet, this is a great chance to see interesting, inventive drama right here in Lowell for about $20 a person. Check it out!

I admit I play chicken with my car: when the dashboard light warns me I need gas, I keep driving—especially these days with price an upwardly moving target. This morning I broke all records and paid $71.46 to fill the tank. It wasn’t the first time I felt the personal pain of soaring costs, but it resonated more than ever because over the next few weeks, the school committee must create a budget with revenue that hasn’t remotely kept pace with the cost of educating our children. An article in today’s Sun focuses on the bleak task ahead, so I won’t repeat the details except to ask that you be part of the process. In addition to formal budget hearings set for May 16 at 5:30 pm and May 17 at 9 am in Council Chambers, the finance subcommittee will meet this Monday, May 12, at 7 7:30 pm at Central Office to begin the discussion. Only meetings held in Council Chambers will be televised live, but all are open to the public.

We hope to minimize the impact these cuts will have on the quality of education our children receive and make strategic compromises that will enable continued progress. On that note, an important topic from last night’s meeting was the letter and final report from the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA) regarding their re-examination of the Lowell Public Schools in 2007. The recent audit by this state agency not only removes the district from its previous “Watch” status but also highlights our strengths and weaknesses. The cover letter to the report states: “the level of improvements in these grades (K-8) is exemplary,” although it also notes “weak articulation of district goals, plans, processes and actions between K-8 and the high school.” The letter continues with, “the Council would have preferred to keep Lowell High School, as a separate entity, in the ‘Watch’ status. However, the current decree doesn’t allow such action…”

As we go forward with the formidable task of whittling away staff, services and programs for kids, we must heed EQA’s concerns. The letter also “encourages the Lowell School Committee to increase its advocacy for appropriate levels of school funding.” Given today’s fiscal climate, that advice may fall on deaf ears. Yet, no matter how carefully we scalp the budget, these cuts are going to hurt. I can’t help but worry we’re playing chicken with the education of our children—a critical factor in their future and our own.

More than 460 people attended last night’s annual Celebration of Teaching Awards—one of the largest since the program started eight years ago. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lowell, the dinner has become an annual way to celebrate the many caring teachers in the Lowell Public Schools, as well as provide them with the opportunity to nominate their own favorites for “best teacher of the year.” Each school nominates a teacher, providing background information about their accomplishments, which often includes funny, heartwarming notes of endorsement from students. The rotary then selects one winner for each of three categories: elementary, middle, and high school. The winners receive a $500 cash award and the priceless honor of being selected by their peers for excellent teaching. Last night’s Teacher of the Year awards went to: Mary Beth Leavitt, Bailey Elementary School; Chris Georges, Daley Middle School; and Donald P. Hayes, Lowell High School. Congratulations to the award recipients, the nominees,  and all teachers who make a positive difference in our children’s lives. For the nominees by school, check: more »

If you didn’t know, I support Hillary Clinton for president. Yet, in the final stretch, I am truly in the “anyone but McCain” camp and would easily switch to Obama if he were the Democratic nominee. During this campaign, as with most presidential campaigns in my lifetime, the top candidates all disappoint me at some level. I have always hated McCain’s hawk-like approach to international relations and disagreed with his position on a woman’s right to choose, but I used to think he had integrity at least—until he changed his position on waterboarding and began trolling far right for votes. Clinton has also let me down at times; most recently, her plan to take a holiday from the 18-cent federal tax on gas, as if that solved the unholy government-oil industry partnership that enables companies to gorge on gluttonous profits at the expense of people and the environment. For his part, Obama has had moments where he has been a refreshing, candid voice on the campaign trail, but he too has slipped into the same-old mold of attack, counter attack, and rhetorical pandering. It seems they will all do whatever it takes to get elected. Perhaps it’s not possible to hold high standards, be true to your convictions, and get yourself elected president of the United States. Even when you’re trying to do the right thing, maybe especially so, it’s not easy to be popular and raise big bucks. That said, I was pleased to read in yesterday’s Globe that recent polls suggest many Americans don’t hold Obama at fault for the words of his former minister. When the hate-filled sermons first filled the airwaves and Obama stood by Reverend Wright, he was showing loyalty to a man and a relationship that spanned decades.  (I’m ok with loyalty.) Later, when the reverend went public to reiterate his hateful views more clearly (with friends like this who needs enemies), Obama denounced him, and I’m okay with that too. At the end of the day, we vote for who we believe will fight for our values, lead our country with wisdom, and collaborate to get the job done—because in a democracy, leadership is very much a collaborative effort. And as far as I can remember, our choice for president has always been limited to a few, less-than-great candidates. But maybe that’s more an indictment of the process than the candidates themselves…

Plan now for two events next Saturday, May 17: the city’s semi-annual hazardous waste collection will be held at Cawley Stadium (across from Douglas Road only) from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Items accepted include: oil-based paints, stains and varnishes, strippers, anti-freeze, pool chemicals, driveway/roof sealers, car batteries, propane tanks, tvs and monitors, etc.  For more information, check here or contact Gunther Wellenstein, recycling coordinator, at 978-970-4010 ext. 4309. Take a few minutes today to organize those hazardous materials that have been hanging around your basement or garage, so you’ll be ready to dispose of them safely next week.

Also next weekend, Open Doors gives the public the opportunity to get inside some of the major historical restoration projects that have occurred around the city. Sites, such as the Tenth Street School which has been renovated into a beautiful townhouse, the Allen House at UML, and the Market Street condo projects, are just some of the properties that will be open for public viewing. (More on Open Doors to follow in a later post.)

Last week, a reader gave us the wonderful poem, “Daffodils”, by Wordsworth in response to my Spring poems by Robert Frost.  That reminded me of my favorite Wordsworth poem: 

The World is Too Much With Us (1806)

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.–Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

I remember when FAX machines were new, and I found them rather annoying (I’ve never been an ‘early adopter’ of technolgy).  There could be no more decent intervals between a request and fulfilling that request, no more thoughtfully composed business letters, less space in which to solve problems or search for answers.  As it turned out, that was just the beginning.  What would Wordsworth make of us today, with our consumer culture and our blackberries, cell phones, internet and faxes? And blogs, of course! Yet, for me this poem is not just about materialism; it speaks to a loss of innocence, of belief that things like art, beauty and poetry can matter.  Yet, I am still a romantic; perhaps, through blogging and grassroots communities, we can come around again to appreciation and care for nature, as well as poetry.