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June 18, 2007
Is former Billerica official eyeing Statehouse?
IS STATE Rep. Bill Greene trying to make a hand-off to his longtime political ally, former Billerica Selectman Ellen Day Rawlings?
It is widely speculated that the Billerica rep's eighth term will be his last. Greene has not committed either way.
Rawlings started work at the Statehouse on Monday as Greene's new aide. She replaces Greene's longtime sidekick, Tony Siraco, a Dracut resident who jumped to Lowell Rep. David Nangle's office. Siraco earned $36,750 a year.
Rawlings served four terms as selectman, leaving the board in April.
Could she be plotting a campaign for the Legislature in 2008? Rawlings laughed and said she was having a hard enough time finding her way around the Statehouse.
"Bill hasn't said anything about whether he's running again," she said.
If she does run, it would likely end up in a showdown with Selectman Jim O'Donnell. The two had no qualms about going toe-to-toe when they were both on the board.
WHO PUSHED him?
Legislators at the Statehouse jokingly asked that question when gay-marriage opponent Rep. Anthony Verga, D-Gloucester, slipped down a marble staircase the day before he was set to take a historic vote on gay marriage.
The 72-year-old was taken out on a stretcher. He's expected to make a full recovery, but he wasn't able to vote on whether a question banning gay marriage should go on the 2008 ballot.
The measure was defeated by a five votes, a change credited to intense pressure and arm-twisting by Democratic leadership.
Verga's absence wasn't the deciding vote, but it foreshadowed trouble for those who supported putting the measure on the ballot. While lawmakers were only kidding when they asked if he was tripped, one of them did say the Statehouse stairs appeared extra slippery the day of Verga's fall.
NOT TO be left out of the historic gay-marriage vote on Beacon Hill this week, Niki Tsongas was seen wandering the Statehouse in advance of the Legislature's vote.
Tsongas and Lowell City Councilor Eileen Donoghue both issued statements lauding the lawmakers' courage to block a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would have banned same-sex couples from marrying.
The other three Democratic opponents had a front-row seat.
State Reps. Barry Finegold and Jamie Eldridge both voted against the amendment. Eldridge even gave his campaign staff the day off to come to Beacon Hill and help with lobbying efforts.
Only Rep. James Miceli supported putting the gay-marriage ban on the 2008 ballot for voters to decide.
ALL THE Democratic candidates for the 5th District will get their first real test Tuesday night when they participate in a live debate at Devens Commons, beginning at 7.
The 90-minute debate will open with a question-and-answer session followed by a segment when candidates will question each other. It'll be interesting to see if Tsongas, who is leading most internal candidate polls, gets the majority of questions from rivals seeking to define themselves as experienced in the legislative process. Tsongas has never served in public office, although she was very active in all the political campaigns of her late husband, U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas. Eldridge, Finegold and Miceli are all veteran state representatives, while Donoghue is a city councilor and two-time mayor.
Jay McQuade, the former WBZ radio and TV anchor, will be the moderator. The public is invited to attend the event.
THE LOWELL Devils had just agreed to pony up another $125,000 to play ice hockey in the Tsongas Arena next year, raising their rent to $275,000, and there was hardly a peep from the City Council last week.
Seconds later, the same councilors agreed to collect less money from UMass Lowell so its Division I hockey team can play at the arena for at least one more year.
Councilors fall over themselves to praise the deal, college hockey and UMass Lowell.
To several observers, the message is quite obvious: The arena's hockey future rests with the River Hawks, not the New Jersey-based Devils.
Both college and pro hockey have been money losers for the city. But arena staff have said the River Hawks' shorter 17-game season will allow the scheduling of more lucrative concerts and other events.
Some councilors have said the Devils will likely be gone after next season, or after the 2009-2010 season if they choose to exercise an option for a two-year lease extension by a Dec. 31 deadline.
INCOMING UMASS Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan is wasting no time.
He's picked Mike Kuenzler, the former Lowell police officer and successful sporting-goods business owner, to lead the effort to sell 2,500 River Hawk season tickets.
Currently, there are 820 season-ticket holders.
Meehan's also asked for help from Brian Martin, the former city manager and current athletic director at Lowell High School. A true jock and Lowell booster, Martin once worked for Elkin McCallum, who used to own the Devils.
Meehan's also planning the creation of a hockey boosters organization called The Center Ice Club.
CITY COUNCILOR Edward "Bud" Caulfield is impressed.
"I know Marty Meehan isn't scheduled to take over for a couple more weeks, but already there is an energy coming from UMass Lowell that I've never felt before," said Caulfield. "It's unbelievable."
Caulfield was careful to give former chancellor William Hogan high marks as well.
It's just that Meehan is a different kind of leader.
One high-up university insider said: "Chancellor Hogan was all about the interior. Marty is going to be all about the exterior."
Or, as Caulfield put it: "That university is going be known from Maine to California and all points in between."
Meehan is depending on Hogan's counsel a couple times a week as he transitions from the halls of Congress to the halls of academia.
"He built a solid faculty. Some of the science, plastics and engineering professors I've met are pretty impressive in their fields," Meehan said. "My job is to make the connection between those university functions and economic development in the region."
THE NEWS couldn't have been better, or more timely, for Lowell Deputy Police Superintendent Dennis Cormier last week.
Cormier's been at loggerheads with the city for six months, since the city determined that his back injury wasn't suffered in the line of duty. Cops and firefighters found to be injured on duty collect full salary without having to pay local, state or federal taxes.
Cormier used accumulated sick and vacation time for six months, without working a day.
He was dangerously close to exhausting his supply until a North Andover doctor determined his injury was indeed job-related.
Cormier is back on the injured list, collecting $2,170 a week, tax free.
As Cormier's accumulated time dwindled, he asked the Lowell Superior Officers Union if other members would donate a few of their unused sick and vacation days to Cormier, which is allowable.
A notice was initially posted in the police guard room but it was defaced. Union president, Lt. Barry Golner, then sent an e-mail seeking help on Cormier's behalf and got a few takers.
IF ONE has the time and inclination to roam the fields and courts of the Merrimack Valley undercover, one will likely uncover a coach or two in contact with players during the off-season, when -- under the strictest interpretations of Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rules -- he or she probably should be elsewhere.
The mass mailing of a DVD allegedly showing Lowell High football coach Al Pare and an assistant supervising an off-season practice in violation of MIAA rules does contain evidence of an infraction.
Far more disturbing to the LHS brass, though, is that some person dislikes Pare enough to spy on a Lowell High conditioning program.
The filmmaker remained anonymous while mailing copies of the minute-long DVD to Lowell's opponents and reportedly hand-delivering a copy to the MIAA.
Such clandestine actions suggest the person is out to get Pare, not moved by any genuine regard for the welfare of student-athletes.
The filmmaker's intention apparently was to portray Pare as a cheater, conducting top-secret off-season practices.
Pare was hired in a politically charged atmosphere as Lowell's new football coach in February.
"I talked to our TV people at the school and they said it looked professionally done," said Lowell High Headmaster William Samaras. "To make each copy probably cost $30, and there are 20 or 25 copies out there. I don't think I could hate anybody that much to spend that much money."
CITY COUNCILOR Armand Mercier made emory boards famous.
Unsuccessful City Council candidate Mike Zaim used computer mouse pads to spread his name.
This year, the award for catchy campaign gizmos goes to Mehmed Ali, one of the challengers.
Ali is distributing soft little keychains in the shape of a boxing glove.
The blue mitt declares "Vote for Ali -- He'll Fight for You."
PARTY REPORT.
Connie Martin, a candidate for a fifth consecutive term on the Lowell School Committee, gathered friends and supporters at the Whistler House last Thursday and raised about $3,500.
School board incumbent Jackie Doherty also held a campaign party at her home in the Highlands, which featured a backyard setting and soft band music.
Jim Milinazzo, a candidate for re-election to the City Council, will hold his soiree at Fortunato's on Wednesday.
The same night, just across Middle Street, Kristin Ross-Sitcawich, seeking election to the City Council again after finishing out of the money in 2005, will build support at Caffé Paradiso.
CONTINUING THE trend of maximizing the Internet to reach voters, Finegold recorded a Father's Day message with his family for YouTube to be posted online today.
The video clip coincides with his first mailing touting his support for working families and their needs.
The video features Finegold sitting with his wife, Amy, and their two daughters, Ava, 3, and Ella, 1, in front of a huge "Finegold for Congress" sign.
The setting was no "fireside chat," but Ava steals the show, fidgeting in Finegold's lap for 42 seconds before delivering the closing: "Happy Fatha's Day."
CRAMPED. THAT'S how most Westford town employees would describe their office environment.
However, the quest for more municipal space caused a small squabble at Tuesday's selectmen's meeting.
The Affordable Housing Committee told selectmen it wanted room at the Town Farm building.
But with a split 3-2 vote, the board allowed the Recreation Department to occupy the first floor.
"We were passed over a little bit," said Elaine Nickerson, chairwoman of the Affordable Housing Committee.
There's no animosity between the two departments, while the Affordable Housing Committee might still have a shot at occupying the second floor of the building once it's renovated.
This week's Column was written by Statehouse reporter Matt Murphy, Statehouse reporter Hillary Chabot, sports reporter David Pevear and Westford reporter Bridget Scrimenti.
Posted by Admin at June 18, 2007 5:40 PM
