January 23, 2008

The next superintendent of Lowell's public schools should be an "outsider."

I don't mean someone who lives outside Lowell. I mean an "outsider" from the educational establishment.

I'm thinking of the CEO types who handle budgets, create marketing strategies, set priorities, eliminate waste, develop accountability measures, demand success and also have a passion for education.

Where do you find such people?

Well, you don't find them by posting the same requirements and qualifications as you did in 1999 when the last search for a superintendent took place. But that's exactly what the Lowell School Committee is doing.

Lowell could never hire a Michael Bennet or a Mark Roosevelt under the job requirements recently posted in the hunt for Karla Brooks Baehr's successor.

Bennet was a CEO who made millions restructuring ailing businesses into successful ones. The Denver school board hired him in July 2005 to rescue a public school system that had built up two decades of failure under traditional superintendents.

Roosevelt is the former state representative who co-authored Massachusetts' 1993 Education Reform Act. He is also the 1994 Democratic gubernatorial nominee who lost in a landslide to Bill Weld and later went on to be CEO of a biomedical research initiative. The Pittsburgh school board, frustrated with a lack of progress in student achievement, hired him as superintendent in August 2005.

In both cases, the schools boards waived the superintendent certification requirements so Bennet, a Yale Law School graduate, and Roosevelt, a Harvard Law School graduate, could be hired.

Needless to say, the Denver and Pittsburgh school systems are prospering under goal-oriented, innovative management.

Bennet wrote the Denver Plan, a living document that outlines the district's vision for every student, teacher and principal. He's overhauled curriculum standards, balanced the budget and pushed through a first-of-its kind teachers' merit-pay system.

Roosevelt is the architect of the Pittsburgh Promise, a scholarship program that guarantees college aid to every high-school graduate. He's signed all school principals to performance-based contracts. He's negotiated teacher raises without raising taxes. And most impressive of all is that he's stripped away $33 million in wasteful spending over three years.

Find one superintendent in all of Massachusetts who has the business acumen -- or the desire -- to save taxpayers a dime while also being committed to improving education.

Lowell needs a new breed of educational executive, a change agent who'll see things from an accountability and performance perspective. Someone who won't tolerate the expenditure of $1.2 billion in seven years with the result being 19 failing schools.

To land a remarkable "outsider" the school board needs to do three things:

1. Summon up the courage to reject the traditional model.

2. Pay an annual CEO salary of at least $200,000.

3. Recruit, recruit, recruit.

There are 50 superintendency openings in New England, 39 in Massachusetts alone. Most communities will be looking to fill these positions with traditional educational "insiders," making the competition for the status quo extremely fierce.

The way I see it, Lowell's got a prime opportunity to make a break from the past by hiring an "outsider" with uncommon, unique ability.

Jim Campanini is editor of The Sun. E-mail comments to jcampanini@lowellsun.com.

Posted by Admin at 11:58 AM

January 21, 2008

Did tough criticism hurt Baehr's chances?

Did tough criticism hurt Baehr's chances?
\IN THE FINAL analysis, Lowell Superintendent of Schools Karla Brooks Baehr was bested by a better candidate.

Mitchell Chester, associate superintendent at the Ohio Department of Education, had more experience, a sterling reputation and support from nationally renowned educators.

His qualifications made the decision by Board of Education members easy.

Baehr, the only in-state candidate of three finalists, faced scrutiny for her public record in Massachusetts. Two issues possibly led to her undoing: Questions about how she handled a principal accused of sexual assault when she was a superintendent in Wellesley; and an anti-charter school label.

Other attacks were lobbed behind the scenes, including a complaint from officials with the diversity program METCO, and several anonymous letters from charter-school proponents targeting Baehr's record.

It's hard to believe that the "attack campaign," as Board of Education Chairman Paul Reville called it, had no effect. But board members swear it didn't determine the outcome.
BAEHR'S FRONT-RUNNER status was a myth, some board members said.

She was the best known because she was the only Bay State candidate. But the more members looked at credentials and references, the stronger Chester became.

Still, many members made note of their "agonizing" decisions. Others took pains to bolster Baehr.

"She should hold her head up," said board member Thomas Fortmann, who was appointed by former Gov. Mitt Romney. "She has my support for any future endeavors."

SO WHERE does Baehr go from here? According to the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, at least three dozen Bay State school districts are searching for a superintendent, including Lowell and Worcester. Baehr has said she won't consider a return to Lowell. There is also talk at the Statehouse that Patrick might find a spot for her in his revamping of the Board of Education, if it wins legislative approval.

THE UNANIMOUS vote for Chester is nothing to sneeze at.

As detailed in The Column last week, the board is deeply divided between appointees of Romney and Gov. Deval Patrick.

But they were able to find common ground in Chester, who has many accomplishments in closing student-achievement gaps between suburban and urban school districts. The issue was key to all members as the Bay State grapples with an alarming chasm between low-income students and wealthier ones in eighth-grade math.

Some, such as member Sandra Stotsky, backed Chester because he supports teacher accountability. Others, such as MCAS critic Ruth Kaplan, voted for him because he said MCAS shouldn't be the only yardstick by which academic performance is based.

THE LOWELL School Committee has yet to define the scope of its search for a new superintendent, such as who will be on the search committee, but that's not stopping aspiring educators.

As of last week, the School Department had received four applications, all from New England candidates.

The School Committee's Personnel Subcommittee will meet Wednesday at 7 p.m. to discuss how it will pick Baehr's successor. A special meeting of the full School Committee will follow the subcommittee meeting.

The names of two School Department employees are making the rounds as candidates: Wendy Jack, the high school's curriculum coordinator and a former assistant superintendent in Hudson and Manchester, N.H., and Paul Schlichtman, the district's research, testing and assessment coordinator.

So are they interested?

For sure, said Schlichtman, a 55-year-old Arlington resident who's been in the system since 2001. He also served as president of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees in 2004.

Jack, 56, said she is "seriously considering" it.

A couple of weeks ago, the name of Ann Murphy, assistant superintendent of student services, surfaced as a possible candidate. Murphy said she hadn't given the prospect any thought.

FIRST IT was off. Then it was on. Now it's off again. This time for good.

Lowell state Rep. David Nangle never seemed to have his heart set on the largely ceremonial sergeant-at-arms position, which was his for the taking thanks to his close ties to House Speaker Sal DiMasi.

Despite a promise to increase the duties, the costume-requiring post promised to be little more than a velvet-lined coffin for the 47-year-old.

Those close to him encouraged the move, pointing to job security, but Nangle wanted to stay a part of the action.

DiMasi's recent fight to retain his bully pulpit as speaker against Reps. Robert DeLeo of Winthrop and John Rogers of Norwood could also be a factor. Nangle, who denied DiMasi faced any coup, will continue to be a loyal soldier for the speaker.

So Steve Geary, Eileen Donoghue and Maria Sheehy, who were expected to pursue Nangle's seat if it were to open up, will have to take on an incumbent if they still want a taste of Beacon Hill.

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JIM CASSIN, superintendent at Greater Lowell Tech in Tyngsboro, didn't mean to slight either Mike Lenzi or Dave Laferriere when he mailed invitations for the recent swearing in of both Lowell reps on the GLTHS School Committee.

On behalf of Lenzi, Cassin mailed invitations to about 30 friends and family members, with no mention of Laferriere. Cassin did the same for Laferriere, with no mention of Lenzi.

But a few dozen generic invitations that were mailed contained both Lenzi's and Laferriere's names.

The swearing-in cost taxpayers about $680 for food, which was prepared by culinary-arts students.

The Lowell School Committee's recent swearing-in cost taxpayers nearly $900, as that total, too, represented the cost of food prepared and served by students in the Culinary-arts Department at Lowell High.

After the City Council's Jan. 7 swearing-in ceremony at City Hall, councilors and guests retired to the Olympia for their share of moussaka and spanakopita. Councilors paid their own way at $18 a head.

FORMER STATE Rep. and City Manager John Cox, who resigned in July 2006, has managed to do well for himself since leaving City Hall.

Cox pulled in $98,250 in lobbying fees in 2007 while working for the Salem-based law firm McGlynn & McGlynn, according to reports filed last week with the secretary of state's office.

Cox clearly still has many connections on Beacon Hill, and lobbying seems to be a good fit.

He has represented a number of clients in the past year, including Lowell's Bradford Industries, the United Teen Equality Center, auto insurer Arbella Insurance and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Cox also maintains a law practice in Lowell.

SO MUCH for favoritism.

Lowell resident Martin Elliott, cousin of City Councilor Rodney Elliott, was the subject of an anonymous letter-writing campaign last spring that led to a New England Cable News exposé on alleged fishy circumstances surrounding his property-tax bill.

Martin Elliott's nearly 11,000-square-foot East Avenue lot and house were valued at about only $97,000, even though he had recently built a new 3,300-square-foot, single-family home on the land. As a result, his tax bill was only $1,450 last year. That's less than many condominium owners pay.

City officials contended Elliott got a break because his building permit was not properly recorded. So, guess who saw one of the biggest property-tax increases in Lowell in 2007? Cousin Elliott's property value increased by 125 percent to $310,000. His bill jumped to almost $3,300.

LENZI SHOWED a flair for bombast and props. During his first council meeting on Jan. 8, he pulled a wad of what obviously was receipt paper from his suit-coat pocket and claimed it to be a list of people who had called him with complaints about their property taxes during his first 33 hours on the job.

LOWELL POLICE Sgt. David Tousignant, 60, has prepared for his eventual retirement from the PD in an unconventional way.

Tousignant, the former Criminal Bureau chief who now works in the Detail Bureau, recently received official certification from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, or MIAA, as a high-school boys and girls indoor- and outdoor-track coach.

Tousignant has volunteered as assistant coach for Lowell's indoor and outdoor teams for the last several years. He's hoping that when he retires, he can become a high-school coach in Lowell or elsewhere.

SPEAKING OF coaches, Dracut High football coach Pat Murphy has generated much excitement with his dual announcement that the Middies will take on Division I powerhouses Brockton and Everett next year. Several schoolboy observers are giving Murphy credit for stepping out big time to put the Merrimack Valley Conference and his Middies in the state spotlight. Others wonder if he's being too ambitious, saying big losses to t could damage Dracut's MVC aspirations.

The Column's solidly behind Murphy. Much like the movie Cinderella Man, featuring the rags-to-riches story of boxing champ James Braddock, Dracut could turn out to be 2008's "Cinderella Team." Bring 'em on!

FIRST-GRADERS at the Lincoln Elementary School were immensely impressed that Mayor Edward "Bud" Caulfield came to read to their class last week.

"Do you live in the White House?" asked one of the mayor's starstruck young fans.

"Yes I do," he replied. "The one on Princeton Boulevard."

Caulfield also was asked if his picture is on the dollar bill.

FORMER WESTFORD Selectman Bob McCusker has thrown his hat into the ring.

McCusker is running for one of two seats on the Board of Selectmen against Selectmen Chairwoman Valerie Wormell, Selectman Dini Healy-Coffin, Finance Committee member Kelly Ross, and resident Kirk Ware.

McCusker says he wants to level the playing field for all town employees.

"The custodians and the town manager should have the same insurance and benefits package, there should be no difference, McCusker said. "There shouldn't be any special deals cut because you're the town manager."

Nomination papers are due Tuesday, March 18.

QUESTIONS OF ethics reached the boiling point this week in Chelmsford, after resident Roland Van Liew filed a complaint with the state against Selectman Bill Dalton over an affordable-housing project. Van Liew alleges that Dalton's wife, Linda Dalton, a senior housing-project manager with the Chelmsford Housing Authority, might have influenced Dalton's vote to support the Hillside Gardens 40B.

Van Liew's argument is that because Linda Dalton works for the town Housing Authority, which is supportive of affordable-housing projects, she is biased in favor of the endeavor, giving her husband a similar bias.

Bill Dalton called Van Liew's conflict-of-interest charge a personal attack and blasted Van Liew for dragging his wife into the fray.

Van Liew said his letter to the state Ethics Commission was more of "an attack of common sense townwide," meant to hold town officials, like Dalton, accountable for their actions.

Dalton also was criticized for praising CHA director David Hedison at a recent selectmen's meeting, while neglecting to mention to the public that Hedison is his wife's boss.

Hedison said Dalton's wife has no ties with Hillside Gardens.

"I don't like the idea of (Van Liew) going after my wife because he didn't get the decision he wanted," Dalton said.

RUMORS OF Chelmweb going offline because of a lack of interest have been squashed.

The community discussion board is not only up and running, it has a streamlined new look. When The Column reported recently that the site was set to expire Jan. 25 because of no new sign-ups in about a year, the paper took some heat and a big "told you so" from avid posters. The revamped site includes a slew of new comics, including "The Chelmsford Far Side," which takes some jabs at town officials.

WILMINGTON OFFICIALS are not scared of a little snow.

The town's Board of Selectmen was one of the few boards -- if not the only one -- that met last Monday night despite a snowstorm that dumped nearly a foot of the white stuff on the area throughout the morning and early afternoon.

The Column asked Selectmen Chairman Michael Newhouse whether other towns were being a bit feeble because they canceled their meetings.

"You said it, not me," he said. "Seriously though, there was no real consideration not to have it. Given the timing of the storm, I was quite confident that the roads would be cleared and safe by the time of our meeting. I didn't sweat that."

Newhouse didn't want to cancel on the Wilmington Pop Warner "D" Team cheerleaders, who were scheduled to appear before the selectmen to be recognized for a recent national championship win.

"They had their hearts set on this, and I saw no reason to disappoint them," he said.

DRACUT SUPERINTENDENT of Schools Elaine Espindle is passionate about the construction of a new high school, even though she won't be at the helm when, and if, it occurs. Espindle's contract expires in June, and she will be replaced by Spencer Mullin.

Yet Espindle is still negotiating hard with the Massachusetts School Building Authority to obtain money for a new facility, which could be six or seven years down the road.

Meanwhile, some members of the School Committee are jockeying for recognition. Committee member Nancy Mendonca and former committee member May Paquette were instrumental in lobbying the building authority to get on the list for funding. They are the ones who petitioned Espindle to send a letter of intent to the state agency.

Mendonca has rallied the PTOs in town and has held meetings in which she was the only committee member to attend. But in a column for a weekly newspaper, committee member Dennis "D.J." Deeb credits the entire board for promoting the effort.

BY THE numbers: Of the 4,322 employees listed on the city of Lowell's 2007-2008 payroll, 2,400 reside in the city and 1,892 live in other communities.

Contributing to this week's Column are City Editor Christopher Scott, City Hall reporter Michael Lafleur, Statehouse Bureau Chief Hillary Chabot, Statehouse reporter Matt Murphy, Billerica reporter Jennifer Amy Myers, Westford reporter Bridget Scrimenti, Chelmsford reporter Rita Savard, Dracut reporter Dennis Shaughnessey and Wilmington reporter Alexandra Mayer-Hohdahl.

Posted by Admin at 5:55 PM

January 14, 2008

Can Baehr rack up enough votes for ed post?

KARLA BROOKS Baehr, Lowell's superintendent of schools, is finding the road to the state education commissioner's job bumpier than expected.

Baehr is acknowledged to be Gov. Deval Patrick's choice, but her track record in Lowell and elsewhere is coming under scrutiny from GOP appointees on the state's nine-member Board of Education. Baehr needs six votes to get the job.

Three Romney appointees -- Tom Fortmann, Sandy Stotsky and Chris Anderson -- are said to be concerned with Baehr's anti-charter-school stance, mediocre reform results in Lowell, and her MCAS rollback leanings.

Another GOP appointee, Ann Reale, could hold the key vote to Baehr's fortunes. Reale was budget director during the Cellucci/Swift administration and Romney's education adviser.

When the BOE interviewed the three finalists for the commissioner's job, observers said Baehr came out second best to Mitchell Dan Chester, Ohio's senior associate state superintendent.

A BOE probe into Baehr's handling of a 1991 sexual-misconduct charge against a principal while she was superintendent of schools in Wellesley is also dogging her
The BOE is expected to make a recommendation to Patrick on Jan. 17.

JUST THE facts.

Lowell City Councilor Alan Kazanjian pulled his land deal off Dracut's table recently.

The old Canney Farm, a 14-acre parcel off Lakeview Avenue, was appraised at a little more than $1 million. Town Meeting in November approved the expenditure of $1.34 million from the Community Preservation Fund for the land. The property was to be used for much-needed ball fields.

State law stipulates that the asking price cannot exceed the appraised value.

Kazanjian opted to withdraw his sale offer late last year after some in town, including Selectmen James O'Loughlin and Joe DiRocco, questioned whether the sale price would pass legal muster.

Asked last week about why he had decided not to sell, Kazanjian said he doesn't "need the aggravation."

"I feel like I'm coming out as the bad guy here," he said, "and all I was trying to do was work something out with the town. They approached me."

Kazanjian bought the land in 1998 for $575,000. The Dracut sale would have represented a 74 percent profit.

Last week, Kazanjian said he is thinking of putting 29 condominium units on the parcel.

TUESDAY MARKED Kazanjian's first City Council meeting.

Kazanjian, a business owner, real-estate investor and housing developer, twice had to recuse himself from the council chamber because of potential conflicts. He spent his time in the hallway.

"I'm spending more time out there than I am in here," a laughing Kazanjian could be overheard telling Councilor Kevin Broderick after returning from his second self-imposed exile.

The first vote was to acquire properties at 49 and 55 Rock St. from landowner Paul G. Niven, with whom Kazanjian said he has had a past business relationship, for $435,000.

The second was during the council vote on Councilor Rita Mercier's motion to begin setting parameters for deciding what constitutes a qualified bidder for a city tow contract.

Kazanjian owns the city's largest tow firm, which became ineligible to participate in the city's towing program when Kazanjian took his oath of office recently.

NO CALL, no courtesy.

Rita Mercier was dumfounded to learn last week through word of mouth that she had been replaced as a council representative to the Lowell Telecommunications Corp. board of directors. Evidently, in one of his last official acts as mayor, Bill Martin took Mercier's name off the list of appointees, and added his own name and four others. The mayor and city manager each make five appointments to the LTC board. Martin never called the city's top vote-getter about the change.

"I don't know why he did that without talking to me. I had no idea (I was off the board) until someone told me this week," Mercier told The Sun.

On Jan. 16, the 24-member board will meet to select a new executive board. Middlesex Register of Deeds Dick Howe Jr., has been lobbying to become LTC's board chairman, replacing Alan Taupier, who is stepping down. Martin is a Howe ally.

COUNCILORS ON Tuesday also spent considerable time complaining to City Manager Bernie Lynch about property taxes and the city's recent property-valuation process.

Kazanjian and Rita Mercier both complained about an senior citizen in the Acre whose bill skyrocketed. Though never mentioned by name, the resident is former Mayor Tarsy Poulios, whose assessment on his two-family home on Bowers Street rose by about $80,000 this year to $288,000. The land value alone on the 2,600-square-foot lot increased by $50,000.

On Thursday night, Mercier appeared on NewsTalk Live hosted by Sun Editor Jim Campanini where she fielded angry calls from residents complaining about their tax bills. Several wanted to know how the bills could increase by more than $500, when Lynch said the average bill would increase $30 to $70? Mercier urged them to file an abatement.

The city Board of Assessors, which the city manager appoints, sets annual property values. The board consists of longtime members Joel Cohen, son-in-law of late Mayor Ray Rourke; Karen Golden, sister of state Rep. Tom Golden; and Chief Assessor Susan LeMay, wife of former Councilor Curtis LeMay.

It's doubtful the politically connected assessors would lose their jobs over the controversy, even if councilors aren't pleased with the job they are doing.

LYNCH HAS joined the blogosphere at lowellma.wordpress.com.

Lynch said the blog will give him the opportunity to converse directly with city residents on a multitude of city issues, while also giving him an opportunity to express his own opinion on those issues, and on what others opine about.

Besides Lynch, Methuen Mayor Bill Manzi, also blogs.

ED WALSH is off to Italy on a skiing trip, after 350 friends attended a surprise retirement party in Walsh's honor Thursday night at Mt. Pleasant Golf Club. Lowell's former Department of Public Works chief, says he isn't slowing down following his 80th birthday.

"I'll be looking for a full-time job when I get back," he quipped to John Cox, one of five former city managers who attended Walsh's bash. The others were Jim Sullivan, Jim Campbell, Richard Johnson, and Brian Martin.

EVAN DOBELLE, the former Middlesex Community College president, is back in the state system. On Friday, the state Board of Higher Education unanimously approved Dobelle as Westfield State College president from among 140 applicants

Dobelle, who lives in Pittsfield, was most recently employed by the New England Board of Higher Education. he also has left Trinity College in Hartford, City College of San Francisco and the University of Hawaii.

LAST WEEK'S Lowell School Committee meeting was full of warm and fuzzies.

Those expecting a showdown between committee members Jim Leary and Dave Conway, following a contentious week of bickering over the superintendent search process, walked away disappointed.

At Wednesday's meeting, Leary and Conway both had competing motions forwarded to the personnel subcommittee. There was no discussion, frustrating many community members who attended the meeting expecting discussion and a resolution.

Mayor Edward "Bud" Caulfield, the chairman of the School Committee, worked as a unifier, praising both members for taking on the leadership position of drafting a proposal, stating that "both of these motions have merit."

Conway congratulated Leary on the presentation of his motion, saying that they are 95 percent in agreement.

All parties said they just want the most effective process to choose the best candidate for the job. We'll see. The subcommittee consists of Chairwoman Connie Martin, Regina Faticanti and Conway.

THERE ARE bound to be local candidates for the search committee.

One name that has surfaced is that of Paul Schlichtman, the district's coordinator of research, testing and assessment. He's a veteran member of the Arlington School Committee and served as president of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees in 2004. (We got this info from Schlichtmann's Web site, in which he poses with an Elmo doll.)

This could be a good time for local applicants.

The main issue in top vote-getter Conway's School Committee campaign was Baehr's alleged preference for out-of-town hires to fill the ranks of elementary and middle-school principals.

Combined with the past rhetoric of committee members Faticanti and Leary, that certainly will create considerable pressure for the school board to include one or two local applicants among the list of finalists.

DAVID LAFERRIERE'S name was left off an invitation to Wednesday's swearing-in ceremony for recently elected Greater Lowell Tech School Committee members.

While Laferriere missed the ceremony due to a bout with pneumonia, the invitation left out the fact that he was re-elected along with Michael Lenzi last November.

Granted, Laferriere isn't as politically popular as Lenzi is, but he deserved a nod, especially considering his family attended the event.

THE CITY Council that was sworn in Monday features several firsts, according to Councilor Armand Mercier.

Kazanjian is the first councilor of Armenian descent in Lowell's history. Armand Mercier said he is oldest sitting councilor in city history. At 74, Mercier beats out former Councilor Richard Howe, who turned 73 just before he retired at the end of the 2004-2005 council term.

THERE'S A price tag for getting along.

While Westford selectmen won't be holding hands and sitting around the campfire, the town is shelling out $2,400 on a team-building seminar for the board.

The seminar at Middlesex Community College teaches selectmen to "develop mutual respect between board members and learn how to manage conflict and differences of opinion," according to Town Manager Steve Ledoux, who will leave for his new job in Acton on Feb. 22.

Ledoux said Billerica town officials completed a similar workshop in recent years.

FLAGRANT GRANDSTANDING. That is how some have characterized Selectman Marc Lombardo's nearly hourlong speech at last week's board meeting opposing the $230 million power plant proposed for North Billerica.

"I never visioned a power plant in my community, my Yankee Doodle community," he declared.

It is an election year, after all, and Lombardo's passion for the subject did win him admirers who are ready to catapult him to higher office.

As a throng of Billerica and Tewksbury residents -- many members of the anti-power-plant group Billerica Watchers -- exited the Conway hearing room, they made a bee-line for Lombardo's desk.

"If you want to run for governor we are with you," gushed one woman.

ONE OF those supporters will soon be joining Lombardo in candidate debates.

Ed Bunker, a member of Billerica Watchers, stormed out of last week's selectmen's meeting after board Chairman Mike Rosa refused to let him speak about the power plant.

Two days later he pulled papers to run for selectman.

Rosa explained that it was not a public hearing, and if he let Bunker speak he would have to let everyone speak.

"You are hiding behind the truth, you are hiding," Bunker accused.

"There is only one man on this board, and he is standing up (Lombardo)."

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Bunker muttered as he left the room.

Bunker later explained he was frustrated that Lombardo's colleagues won't make a final determination on the power-plant proposal until the final Environmental Impact Report is released.

GOV. Patrick has promised before not to hitch a ride on the Barack Obama gravy train should the presidential candidate make it to the oval office.

At least not until his term is over.

Patrick took it a step further Thursday as he unveiled his education-reform plan to the press.

"We have a responsibility to take education to the next level, and make changes which will last long after I have finished my second term. Or my third term," Patrick said while looking pointedly at reporters.

Later, Patrick mentioned again he's in it for the long haul, while discussing education changes during his "term ... s."

We get it, governor. You're no Mitt Romney. At least not until that ambassador position opens up.

DRACUT SCHOOL Business Manager Terry Wiggin's Manchester, N.H., home became Obama Central in the week leading up to the New Hampshire Primary.

"More like Obama west," said Wiggin, who said that as many as 60 volunteers were inside his home at one point.

"It was all very exciting. People were staying overnight. College students were coming by to pick up literature and canvass the streets and to work the phones on primary day.

Although he has met the Illinois senator several times in the past, Obama did not visit this time.

Several staff members spent time there, however, as did Chicago Sun-Times columnist Monroe Anderson.

THE TALK in Tyngsboro is Ashley O'Neil, daughter of town Planning Board member Steve O'Neil, is considering a run for the Board of Selectmen.

O'Neil, 21, is a political-science major in her senior year at Emmanuel College. An O'Neil candidacy could pit her against Selectmen Rich Lemoine and Jay Booth, whose terms are up this year.

Lemoine says he's looking forward to seeking a third term on the board. Booth hasn't yet decided if he's going to run for a second term. Neither has pulled nomination papers.

Steve O'Neil is a Lowell police sergeant and real-estate developer.

NUMBERS: Did you know that of the 94 city employees who earned $100,000 or more during the 2006-07 fiscal year, 56 lived outside Lowell? That's according to payroll statistics obtained by The Sun. Stay tuned for more interesting data in the weeks ahead.

Contributing to The Column this week were City Hall reporter Michael Lafleur, City Editor Christopher Scott, Billerica/Lowell schools reporter Jennifer Myers, Statehouse Bureau Chief Hillary Chabot, Dracut reporter Dennis Shaughnessey, Tyngsboro reporter Chris Camire, Washington reporter Evan Lehmann, Westford reporter Bridget Scrimenti and Sun Editor Jim Campanini.

Posted by Admin at 6:41 PM

January 7, 2008

Political Column

Conway, Leary effort makes little music
The Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated: 01/06/2008 06:35:29 AM EST

Sun Staff Report

LIKE JOHN Lennon and Paul McCartney.

That's how Lowell School Committee member Jim Leary describes his brief collaboration with member-elect Dave Conway.

The two teamed up to devise a process for selecting a successor to Superintendent of Schools Karla Brooks Baehr, but the partnership quickly soured when Conway decided to go solo, Leary said.

The dynamic duo had been co-drafting a motion to present to the rest of the committee this week outlining a proposed screening process and timeline to choose the district's next superintendent.

On New Years' Day, Leary sent an e-mail to Conway asking him for a heads-up about any changes, adding that he would send out the motion the following day with their names, and that of committee member John Leahy if he was interested, as co-sponsors of the motion.

Later that night, Conway sent a press release presenting the motion as his own.

"He got upset because I asked him to make changes," said Leary. "Most of what he has in his motion is what we worked on together."
Conway says he "had been working on the motion for quite some time. We shared some ideas over the phone, but that was all."

Conway said their proposals are similar, but he found the wording in Leary's motion to be "too lengthy and confusing."

Both men agreed that, despite their differences and the exchange that followed, all of the committee members should put their ideas on the table Wednesday night to arrive at a process that works best for the district.

"It is time that we put our egos aside and get the best person we can to run our schools," said Conway.

IT APPEARS that Conway's ego may have been a little bruised by his exchange with Leary, who previously had felt he had Conway's support to be the school board's next vice chairman.

Asked if he still intends to give that support, Conway said, "that is debatable. I am still thinking about that."

Leary called Conway on election night to solicit his vote for the position -- which involves filling in for the mayor, the board's chairman. Leary seemed to have the position in the bag until the band broke up.

Committee member Regina Faticanti, for her part, said the disagreement means she and Conway are no longer likely to vote for Leary, paving the way for another School Committee member to get the post.

That person could be Jackie Doherty, who is the most senior board member who has yet to serve in the role and who has been lobbying for the post.

Leary, contacted Friday evening, said he is no longer interested in the vice-chairman's post even though he believes he could muster the votes to win it. He said he is throwing his support to Doherty. "I don't want to begin the new year expending energy on a battle that is not a high priority," said Leary. "We as a committee have to focus on finding the best superintendent we can, and that's what I want to do."

AL PARE, Lowell High's football coach, will get to keep his job after a dismal, injury-riddled 2-9 inaugural season, providing he shakes up the assistant coaching staff.

Pare was initially given a one-year contract. Several sources tell The Column Pare's contract will be renewed only if he agrees to several items:

* He must hire new offensive and defensive coordinators, preferably folks who've played some serious ball.

* He must consider at least one minority candidate.

* And whomever he hires, he must impress upon them that yelling at players isn't an effective motivator.

If Pare's contract is renewed, he automatically gets two more years under union rules.

High School Headmaster Bill Samaras, who has been reluctant to discuss that matter, is expected to make an announcement this week, The Column has learned.

Lowell High cannot afford another season like last year's, or else it could set the program back for years.

TOMORROW IS D-Day for Baehr, as she'll be interviewed by the state Board of Education to be the next state education czar.

It's widely perceived in these parts that Baehr, who clearly has the respect of Gov. Deval Patrick, has the job in the bag. Otherwise, she would not have recently notified the School Committee that she will not seek a contract extension on June 30.

If, for some reason, Baehr's candidacy goes south, at least one School Committee member is apparently interested in having her back: Leahy.

The Column has learned that Leahy allegedly had a conversation with Leary regarding that very subject.

The Board of Education is scheduled to make a decision no later than Jan. 22. The Lowell School Committee is set to make its decision on a new superintendent on or before April 1. The deadline for applying for the job is Feb. 1.

That would give Baehr nine days. But don't count on a "Bring Back Baehr" rally any time soon. As one board member said this week, "that train has left the station and it ain't turnin' around."

THE COLUMN had an impromptu, but interesting, conversation with a Lowell school teacher last week.

The teacher left no doubt that Ann Murphy, assistant superintendent for student services, should succeed Baehr.

Murphy, the teacher said, has worked in the system since 1978, starting out as a special-needs instructor. In her current job, Murphy oversees many department operations, including special education, parent information and crisis plans, just to name a few. She knows it all, the teacher said, from curriculum to finances.

So is Murphy, the wife of state Rep. Kevin Murphy, interested? "I really don't know. I have given it no serious thought," she said.

ONCE A politician, always a politician.

Marty Meehan, who last year bid adieu to the hallowed halls of Congress for the halls of academia as chancellor at UMass Lowell, will analyze New Hampshire primary results Tuesday night for Channel 5.

Meehan will appear on "Commitment 2008" starting at 7:30 p.m. with anchors Ed Harding and Liz Brunner.

Reporters will be around New Hampshire doing live shots. Meehan will be in studio to provide political perspective, along with Ken Chase, Republican who ran unsuccessfully against Sen. Edward Kennedy; as well as Mary Anne Marsh, Democratic analyst, and Ron Kaufman, a Romney advisor.

FOR THE second year in a row, the Billerica political scene is all atwitter with news that a seat on the Board of Selectmen is up for grabs in the April town election.

Selectman Kathy Matos announced last week that she will step aside when her first term expires in April.

Understanding the importance of urgency, police dispatcher Bob Accomando was first to throw his hat into the ring. He was followed by 22-year-old Frank Ciccone II.

The names of several other potential contenders buzzing around the hive include Zoning Board of Appeals member Pat Flemming, who finished fourth in last year's election; Ron Diorio Jr., who made an unsuccessful bid to unseat Selectman Jim O'Donnell in 2006; and Finance Committee Chairman David Gagliardi, a confidante of Matos who finished third in last year's race.

Accomando also owns Ma's Dry Cleaning at the Billerica Mall and backs the $20 million plan that will bring Home Depot to the site.

Some questions: Will anti-Home Depot group Billerica First put up a candidate to thwart Accomando? Will former state representative and two-term selectman Brion Cangiamila, fresh off a failed run for state Senate, jump into the fray now that his political fire has been reignited?

MATOS' DECISION is potentially good news for Selectman Marc Lombardo, whose term also expires in April.

Incumbents have been hard to unseat in Billerica, more so when there's one incumbent running with two open seats. Mike Rosa easily topped the ticket in last year's six-way race, following Ellen Rawlings' decision to leave the board. In 2002, lone incumbent Robert Correnti finished first to easily retain his seat. It didn't work as well for Cangiamila, who finished third in 1999 behind Peter Coppinger and Correnti, despite being the lone incumbent.

IF ANYONE should know that Lowell's next mayor hasn't been decided until all the votes are cast, it's City Councilor Edward "Bud" Caulfield.

Caulfield won his first term as mayor, from 1996-97, after former Councilor Larry Martin abruptly switched his allegiance from former Councilor Stephen Gendron as the procession of councilors-elect was walking into the council chamber at City Hall for the inauguration. Gendron, now a Planning Board member, had expected Martin's support and his many family members in attendance at the event were shocked to find otherwise.

But given the current political landscape, it's extremely unlikely that such a turn of events will give Lowell's next mayoral term to Councilor Rodney Elliott, Caulfield's rival for the post.

That's why Caulfield was able to pick the priest who will give the benediction at tomorrow morning's inauguration, the Rev. Mario Orrigo of St. Michael's Church in Lowell.

The ever-verbose Caulfield said he also has spent quite a bit of time crafting his acceptance speech, which will be a nod to peace and harmony.

Caulfield said he intends to talk about everything "we should be thankful for" in the Mill City, such as Lowell's two hospitals, UMass Lowell, Middlesex Community College, the Lowell public schools, its tourist attractions and business leaders.

"Then I'm going to ask my colleagues to prioritize some things that I have come up with, such as supporting public safety and improving it as well throughout the entire city," Caulfield said. "We have to address the flooding issues in certain neighborhoods. We have to address our infrastructure. Many of our streets and sidewalks need attention."

Caulfield said none of that will happen unless councilors work together with City Manager Bernie Lynch.

IT LOOKS like Councilor Rita Mercier has the votes sewn up to be vice mayor, the person who serves as council chairman in the mayor's absence and fills in for him at events he cannot attend.

Asked for confirmation last week, a laughing Mercier said she could neither confirm nor deny her selection for the post. But she had been calling around to her colleagues to let them know about the situation.

She likely will garner the support of the same five who will elevate Caulfield to mayor: herself, Caulfield, Armand Mercier and Councilors-elect Alan Kazanjian and Michael Lenzi.

IT TAKES a lot of faith to go on the presidential campaign trail.

Just ask state Rep. Tom Golden, D-Lowell, who canvassed for Hillary Clinton last weekend in Portsmouth, N.H.

One resident began yelling at Golden before he could even begin his pitch, exclaiming, "She's an atheist, and if you support her, you must be an atheist, too!"

Golden didn't engage the man.

He simply waved goodbye and walked down his front stairs, saying, "God Bless!"

WILL MARTIN P. Dunphy please come forward?

Dunphy, who claims to be a Dracut resident, wrote a letter to the editor that appeared in the Dec. 31 edition of The Sun. In his letter, he criticizes the Dracut Community Preservation Commission and Selectman George Malliaros for supporting a land deal with Lowell Councilor-elect Kazanjian, in which the town will pay slightly more than the assessed value for Kazanjian's 14-acre parcel on Lakeview Avenue.

The letter was verified by The Sun through a telephone number that led to an answering machine message. The name of the letter writer, however, appears to be fabricated.

In his letter, Dunphy says he is a "fairly new resident," and says he was "stunned by what I witnessed at Town Meeting recently."

First, there is no record anywhere of a Martin P. Dunphy. Not in the resident's list. Not in the voter's list. Not even in the phone book. Secondly, the tone of the letter suggests that he is not a new resident. In fact, he writes that he voted for the Community Preservation Act when it first came before the town. That was in 2001. Third, the "recent" town meeting actually took place two months ago, but has been rebroadcast numerous times on Dracut Access Television.

ONE GROUP may have arrived a little too late to the dance in the search for a replacement for Dracut Housing Commissioner James Gookin.

According to sources, behind-the-scenes maneuvering began well before Gookin notified the state Department of Housing and Community Development that he would be stepping down.

Sources say Gookin was among a small group that hand-picked his replacement and forwarded the name to Gov. Deval Patrick. Another group, who is rumored to be tight with Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, put a different name on his desk, but only after the first name had been submitted.

THE WESTFORD selectmen's race is heating up.

Selectmen Chairman Valerie Wormell, Selectman Dini Healy-Coffin, Finance Committee member Kelly Ross, and resident Kirk Ware are running for two open seats on the board.

Healy-Coffin, who served with Ware on the East Boston Camps Master Plan Committee, said builder and developer Ware's profession could cause a conflict of interest on the board.

"I don't think that's the right direction the board wants to take," Healy-Coffin said, adding, "I have not taken money from builders or businesses like my other fellow members of the board," a reference to Nancy Rosinski and Jim Sullivan.

Ware, owner of Nagog Consulting, an Acton-based building, developing and consulting firm, said his skills will benefit the town, while officials analyze what to do with Town Hall.

"Isn't it ironic, here's Dini facing an issue where these skills would be critically important," Ware said.

Rosinski and Sullivan both say their decisions on the board aren't influenced by campaign donations.

Sullivan, meanwhile, said Healy-Coffin has held hard feelings against Ware since their service on the camps committee.

"She didn't get her way on the committee and it's been a personal issue ever since," Sullivan said. "If it was anyone else but Kirk Ware running she probably wouldn't be running."

Papers are due on Tuesday, March 18.

THE END of an era for chelmweb.com?

Users of the town's online discussion board claim its domain name is set to expire Jan. 25 due to a lack of interest. No new registrations have been successfully completed in almost a year, according to postings.

A forum for residents to talk about local politics -- and vent about town officials -- one user writes, "The BOS have had their prayers answered."

Regulars on the site are praying that it will be rescued before going off-line.

SOURCES AROUND Chelmsford also are murmuring about this year's election.

Selectman Sam Chase is the only candidate who has pulled papers for his seat.

Word on the street is Fred Marcks could be stiff competition for Chase. Marcks, who recently worked as a consultant for Repeal 40B, the group behind a petition to strip four major provisions out of the state's affordable-housing law, also helped Clare Jeannotte in her successful campaign for selectman in 2007.

Chelmsford resident Tom Fleming, a Lowell police officer, also is rumored to be a potential candidate.

Contributing to The Column this week were City Editor Christopher Scott, City Hall reporter Michael Lafleur, Billerica/Lowell schools reporter Jennifer Amy Myers, Statehouse Bureau Chief Hillary Chabot, Dracut reporter Dennis Shaughnessey, Chelmsford reporter Rita Savard and Westford reporter Bridget Scrimenti.

Posted by Admin at 11:44 AM

January 5, 2008

It's All Over

Well, the debates have come to a close and the Obama supporters at Murphy's Taproom are having their last drinks. After the nearly 4 hour debate, it's time to turn in and get ready for another day in New Hampshire.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 10:39 PM | Comments (2)

Regrets, We Have Many

Gibson gave the Democrats the chance to take something they've said during a debate back. Here's what they said:

Clinton and Obama: Both avoided the question and said there is a stark difference between the tactics of the Republicans and the Democrats.
Richardson: He was asked who his favorite supreme court justice was in a past debate. He said Byron Raymond White, who was against Roe v. Wade.
Edwards: He regrets teasing Hillary about her jacket and he told her she looked great.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 10:24 PM

Is Change Possible in Washington?

Chales Gibson, the moderator of the debates, is not afraid to really give it to the candidates.

"I've covered Washington for a long time and I know President Clinton came to Washington talking about change. President Bush came to Washington talking about change. So many people in the administrations and in Congress say Washington is set up to resist change," Gibson said.

In response to Gibson's assertion that her husband's campaign didn't change the problems in Washington, Clinton quickly pointed to her husband's two terms in office - particularly his balanced budget - as an example of change.

Edwards responded: "If it is personal for you -- and this is extraordinarily personal for me -- if it's personal for you, then you can be successful bringing about the change."

Edwards said Washington needs another Teddy Roosevelt, who, he said, didn't make deals with the trusts and monopolies in Washington. Edwards isn't the first person to allude to Teddy Roosevelt this week. Joe Lieberman said John McCain would be the best president since Roosevelt on Wednesday at a coffee shop meet-and-greet in Concord, N.H.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 10:16 PM

Edwards as the People's Candidate

John Edwards continues to position himself as the candidate of the people, of the working class. He carefully inserts that his grandparents "went off to the mill everyday."

On Friday, Edwards held an early morning rally in a former mill in Manchester, N.H. The location further emphasized his support of working class America.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 10:14 PM

Clinton's Feelings

Clinton admits that Obama is very likeable, but she'd like to think that she has some charisma as well.

"Well, that hurts my feelings," she said. "He's very likeable. I agree with that, but I don't think I'm that bad."

Polls conducted by the Univeristy of New Hampshire Survery Center show that voters see Edwards and Obama as agents of change. Obama is the most likeable candidate, they say.

Clinton disagrees. "I stand on my records of experience," she said. "I think I am the agent of change. I think having the first woman president is a huge change."

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 10:10 PM | Comments (2)

Has the Surge in Iraq Been Successful?

Clinton said the surge was meant to give the government of Iraq an opportunity for progress and "political reconciliation."

"I don't see any reason why they should remain beyond, you know, today. I think George Bush doesn't intend to bring them home, but certainly I have said when I'm president I will. Within 60 days, I'll start that withdrawal," she said.

Bill Richardson said there has been little progress in Iraq and the war needs to end. "This is why I'm running for president; because until we end this war, we cannot talk about the issues that need to be dealt with here -- universal health care, improving schools, bringing people together. You can't have change until you end the war, and that means bringing all of our troops home," he said.

Obama said, "It was a mistake to go in from the start and that's why I have opposed this war from the start." Much of the violence has been reduced in Iraq, where, he said, violence was reaching incredible levels a year ago. "We have gone full circle at enormous cost to the American people," he said.

Gibson posed a slightly different question to John Edwards. If his generals told him that he shouldn't leave Iraq, would he still do it? "There will not be political progress until we make it clear that we're going to stop propping the Sunni and Shi'a up with American lives and with the American taxpayer dollars," he said. Edwards will end the war in Iraq within a year, he said.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 9:42 PM

Change, Change, Change

The two leading candidates are going after each other and, right now, John Edwards is letting them.

They are arguing about their health care proposals. Hillary Clinton said Obama has changed positions on health care over time, from a single-player health care system, to universal health care, to a program that doesn't cover everybody.

She later pointed to an Associated Press story. In that story, Obama said John Edwards was unelectable because he changed positions too many times on issues. Clinton was trying to say that Obama did the very thing he criticized Edwards for.

Now it was time for Edwards to strike. He chided Clinton for attacking Obama. He and Obama, he said, want change and Clinton is part of the old system that has resisted change for so long. "We have a fundamental difference about the way you bring about change. But both of us are powerful voices for change," he said.

"Any time you speak out powerfully for change, the forces of status quo attack. That's exactly what happens. It's fine to have a disagreement about health care. To say that Senator Obama is having a debate with himself from some Associated Press story, I think is just not -- that's not the kind of discussion we should be having," he said.

In a reference to her third place finish in Iowa, Edwards said, "I didn't hear these kinds of attacks from Senator Clinton when she was ahead."

Clinton, who appeared slightly suprised by the remarks, replied with a phrase she has been repeating in speeches all over New Hampshire. "The best way to measure change is to look at the changes we've already made," she said, referring to her record as a senator and during her husband's two terms.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 9:26 PM | Comments (1)

No Safe Havens

Hillary Clinton said there will be no safe haven for terrorists. Any state that is harboring terrorists is a threat to the United States, she said.

"There can not be state havens for stateless terrorists," she said.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 9:23 PM

A "Calming" Response to the Nuclear Threat

Charles Gibson made a very blunt statement: "The next president of the United States may have to deal with a nuclear attack on an American city."

In response, Edwards said we are faced with "a very, very serious threat" of nuclear weapons getting into the hands of terrorists. He said it is important for a president to react. But it is important for a president "to do it in a way that's calming for the American people."

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 9:13 PM

No Softballs

No softball questions from Charles Gibson. He jumped right in with a question about the threat of nuclear terrorism.

The first question went to Obama. Would he go into Pakistan to stop Al Qaeda? Yes, Obama said, if he knew they were a threat to the United States.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 9:04 PM

Clinton and Obama

Going into the Democratic portion of the debate, Clinton and Obama are about tied in New Hampshire voter polls. Look for the two candidates to try to make themselves stand out.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 9:01 PM

McCain vs. Romney

John McCain and Mitt Romney are likely the top two contenders to win the Republican primary in New Hampshire.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, remains a few percentage points below McCain in polls. McCain, who came in fourth in the Iowa caucuses, is rallying in New Hampshire. He all but skipped the fields of Iowa to campaign in the Granite State.

Romney has run a series of ads attacking McCain and he kept at it tonight, suggesting his plan for illegal immigration gives an illegal immigrants amnesty.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 8:50 PM

A Changing of the Guards

At Murphy's Taproom in Manchester, N.H., the Ron Paul supporters are filing out. About 75 Barack Obama supporters are taking their place.

Soon the mood in the room will change dramatically, and, hopefully, I can grab a better seat.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 8:46 PM

The Republican Debate is Over

With energy efficiency as its ending note, the Republican debate is over. Next up, the Democrats. Murphy's Taproom is becoming rowdier, as the drinks continue to flow.

In a rather strange moment, the Democrats and the Republicans meet on the stage for a moment. They exchange smiles (some are a little too wide to be real) and shake hands. Hillary Clinton and John McCain chat for a second. Barack Obama and Giuliani exachange a few words.

Back with the Democratic debate in a flash.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 8:35 PM

Change

When it come down to it, Mitt Romney said, Barack Obama’s message is about change.

In an unusual maneuver, Romney compared himself with Obama. “I’ve brought change,” Romney said.

This was followed by a sarcastic comment from John McCain. “I agree,” he said, laughing, “you are the candidate of change.” McCain was surely referring to to a common criticism of Romney. Many say he changed his positions on issues dramatically after joining the presidential race and ending his term as governor of Massachusetts.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 8:30 PM

Tamper-Proof ID

Ron Paul said that a tamper-proof ID for immigrants will eventually lead to a national ID. The government would have to provide people who look like immigrants with an ID because there is no way to tell who is and who isn’t an illegal immigrant in the first few years of the program. Since the government wouldn’t want to get into ethnic profiling, soon everybody, legal or not, would have to have an ID, he argued.

“I think it opens the door for the national ID and we should be very careful about that.”

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 8:26 PM

What is amnesty?

Giuliani says that it is not considered amnesty if you require illegal immigrants to pay fines and impose conditions.

Fred Thompson says that it must be considered amnesty if you reward illegal immigrants for illegal behavior. He considers allowing them to stay to be a reward.

McCain and Romney fought over this issue. Romney implied that McCain's proposal was akin to providing amnesty for illegal immigrants. McCain will impose a $5,000 fine on illegal immigrants. He will allow some to stay, though he said the details of his proposal are still under debate.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 8:15 PM

The Three Candidates You Won't See at the Debate

There are three presidential candidates that have been excluded from the debate tonight. I caught up with the spouses of two of the candidates this afternoon to see what they thought about their husband's being left out.

Here's what I wrote:

Only two presidential spouses participated in the “Women Working Together to Make a Difference" forum Saturday afternoon.

The two spouses had clearer schedules than many of their competitors on Saturday. Their husband's were excluded from the presidential debate that would take place hours later.

Elizabeth Kucinich, the wife of Democratic Senator Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, and Whitney Stewart Gravel, the wife of Democratic Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska, fielded more than a dozen questions over the course of an hour at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, N.H.

Invitations were extended to the spouses of all the candidates, said Cassandra Burckhalter, the moderator of the forum. Due to scheduling conflicts, the other spouses could not attend, she said.

The most obvious scheduling conflict is Saturday night’s ABC, WMUR and Facebook Presidential Debate. The debate begins at 7 p.m. with the Republican debate and will be followed by the Democratic debate at 9 p.m.

Neither Gravel nor Kucinich were allowed to participate in Saturday’s debate. ABC told the Associated Press that candidates had to meet a certain level of support in order to participate.
Kucinich filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission on Friday. “ABC should not be the first primary,” Kucinich said in papers filed to the FCC that were obtained by the Associated Press.

Republican Duncan Hunter, though he wasn’t at the forum, was also excluded from the debate.

“I think it’s appalling,” Elizabeth Kucinich said after the forum. “It’s on the verge of subverting the democratic process.”

Whitney Stewart Gravel agreed. She and her husband have been told they can’t participate in debates because they haven’t spent enough time in New Hampshire, they don’t rank high enough in polls and they haven’t raised enough money. “Should political speech be limited based on money?” she said.

Both Elizabeth Kucinich and Whitney Stewart Gravel said they meet polling requirements in some polls.

At the forum, both spouses stressed the importance of an equal playing field for all candidates. They advocated for publicly-funded campaigns. “The private financing of elections means the private ownership of government and elections,” Elizabeth Kucinich said.

They also asked voters to vote for the candidate that truly represents them, rather than the candidate who they think could win in a general election. “You’re not voting for a candidate, you’re voting for yourself,” Elizabeth Kucinich said.

The forum also touched on healthcare, the war in Iraq, education and obesity.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 8:03 PM

The Third Rail

Gibson just used the term “the third rail” to describe health care. Many times, that term is reserved for social security. Like a third rail on a train track, if a politician touches social security, he’s going to get zapped. A third rail is an issue that nobody wants to deal with because messing with it often makes Americans nervous and angry.

-Andrew

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 8:02 PM

Government-Run vs. Publicly Funded

“We don’t have to have government take over health care to get everybody insured, that’s what the Democrats want,” Mitt Romney said. It will be interesting to see how the Democrats respond to questions about whether government run health care is the way to go during the second part of the debate.

Some experts say associating the word government with health care is a way of scaring Americans into thinking that Big Brother will be in control of their care. Others prefer to use the term publicly-funded.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 7:53 PM

Health Care

A bold statement by Rudy Giuliani: “With all its infirmities and problems, we have the best health care system in the world.” Gibson, the moderator, asked him if he thought this was really true. Giuliani began to back pedal a bit. It doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be improved, he said.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 7:47 PM

Some responses to Bush's Question

“Everyone has kind of a wish list. I think it’s most important though that our first principles are based on the constitution of the United States.”
-Fred Thompson

“We should be bound down by the constitution. We ought to treat others the way we would like them to treat us”
-Ron Paul

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 7:42 PM

A Question From Bush

Charles Gibson broke a promise. Apparently, he told campaign people from all of the Republican candidates that he would not ask a question by video. But the president seems to be an exception. The president posed a question, via a prior press conference, to the candidates.

What are the principles that you will stand for and are they constant?

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 7:32 PM

It's Debate Time

It is a rather unusual way to watch a debate, but here I am, reporting from Murphy’s Taproom in Manchester, N.H.

The bar is packed, standing room only. The room seems to be leaning toward Ron Paul (A Ron Paul volunteer told me there are a bunch of campaign workers here). But there are many other campaign workers represented.

The Republican portion of the ABC, WMUR and Facebook Presidential Debate is underway here in Manchester. Saint Anselm College, where the debate is taking place, is just down the street. More to come.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 7:30 PM

January 3, 2008

New McCain Ad in New Hampshire

Republican John McCain is running an advertisement in New Hampshire, which reminds voters that they chose him as the Republican primary winner in 2000 over George Bush.

In the ad McCain says, “Eight years ago, New Hampshire stunned the political world. You turned convention on its head because you didn't care what the experts or the media said. My friends, it's a different time, but it's the same place. You haven't changed and neither have I.”

McCain is hoping the “political world” will be stunned again this year with a win over Republican Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 4:46 PM

But What About Vice President?

Voters in New Hampshire will have the opportunity to choose a vice president when they go to the voting booth on Jan. 8. Only, it probably won’t count for anything. Presidential candidates choose their own vice presidents.

But just the same, three candidates are on the ballot for vice president in the New Hampshire primary.

The vice presidential candidates are:
John Barnes Jr., a Republican from Raymond, N.H.
William Bryck, a Democrat from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Raymond Stebbins, a Democrat from Weymouth, Mass.

All three told The Telegraph of Nashua, N.H., they know they won’t actually become vice president. But, they said, they act like third-party candidates in the race, shining the spotlight on important issues. In some ways, they’ve picked up where Ralph Nader left off.

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 4:38 PM

Lieberman Campaigning for McCain

Joseph Lieberman rallied John McCain supporters at the Brown Bag Deli in Concord, N.H., on Thursday morning.

“I don’t think there’s been a presidential candidate like him since Teddy Roosevelt left the Whitehouse,” Lieberman said as the crowd chanted McCain’s name.

Lieberman, a self-described independent Democrat and a senator from Connecticut, crossed party lines to support McCain, a Republican and senator from Arizona. Lieberman recently endorsed McCain. Both he and McCain support the troop surge in Iraq.

“Why did I cross party lines to support John McCain?” he said. “I did it because we all have a stake in this.”

Washington, Lieberman said, is being “washed down by partisanship.” McCain, he said, will “always put America first.”

McCain, 71, is the oldest candidate in the race for the presidency. If elected, he’ll be the oldest president ever inaugurated. At the Brown Bag, Lieberman had a chance to brush off concerns about McCain’s age, which has been the subject of a number of recent news stories. “This 71-year-old guy has more energy than anyone I’ve ever met,” he said.

The end of his short speech was reserved for some on-the-spot humor. Lieberman caught sight of a few signs behind him that said “Irish for McCain.” Laughing, he said, “Not only did I cross party lines to support McCain, I’ve become Irish too.”

-Andrew Restuccia

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 4:34 PM

McCain Drops, Clinton Surges

All eyes may be on the cornfields of Iowa today as that state prepares to caucus.
But a new poll from Suffolk University shows the Republican race in New Hampshire tightening between Sen. John McCain and Mitt Romney, while Sen. Hillary Clinton has widened her lead.
The Suffolk tracking poll released this morning shows Romney gaining two points in the last day, while McCain has slipped 3 points. McCain still leads Romney 29 percent to 25 percent, while the other Republican candidates have dropped off.
The change is within the margin of error, but it points to a Granite State GOP primary going down to the wire five days from now.
On the Democrats' side, Clinton has opened up a 16 point lead over Sen. Barack Obama, both moving up in the poll conducted between Jan. 2 and Jan. 3.
Clinton lead Obama 39 percent to 23 percent,according to the survey.
But, of course, all the could change for either candidate with a momentum shift out of Iowa.
— Matt Murphy, Statehouse Bureau

Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 12:54 PM

January 2, 2008

Wirtanen 'shining the light of truth' on LTC

HE'S BAACK.
Lowell attorney Tom Wirtanen has ended his self-imposed exile from the Mill City's civic life, returning to the scene just in time for the Lowell Telecommunications Corp.'s search for a new executive director to replace Robert Haigh, who resigned Nov. 15 amid speculation that the timing of his departure was forced.

Wirtanen resigned from the LTC board of directors with great flourish in February, irate that his fellow board members were not following his advice on what those of us in the Fourth Estate refer to as "boobgate."

His LTC departure came shortly after Wirtanen ostentatiously quit the city Election Commission to protest City Manager Bernie Lynch's decision to stop providing health benefits to board and commission members, a practice Lynch said violated state law.

Wirtanen lately has unleashed a torrent of e-mails and faxes to LTC content producers and staff revisiting his complaints from February and beseeching his recipients to force out all the board members who refused to heed his advice and to fire Haigh from his nearly $83,000 per year job sooner.
In an interview this week, he had particular scorn for Middlesex Register of Deeds Richard Howe Jr., a member of the LTC board's executive committee who Wirtanen referred to as "the crown prince."

Howe's intervention back in February derailed Wirtanen's attempt to get his way with "boobgate".

There is some thought that Wirtanen intends to seek re-election to the LTC board or will apply to be the organization's next executive director.

Wirtanen said he is "very, very unlikely" to attend the Jan. 16 annual meeting during which both issues will be decided, however. He added that neither he nor his documentary videos will grace LTC again unless some significant changes are made.

"I would love to contribute down there, but things have to happen first," he said. "If it happens on the 16th, and the producers, the members and the staff stand up like I did, like I led by example, and take it back, then just maybe I'll go back there and help them clean up the mess. If not, then they have only themselves to blame, don't they? Then they have no complaint, because they didn't stand up. All I'm doing is shining the light of truth upon them."

HOWE SAID Wirtanen's light of truth is unlikely to do him much good -- at least if he intends to return to the LTC board as an elected member.

According to the organization's bylaws, Howe said, the board nominating committee puts forward a slate of candidates upon which LTC content producers then take an up or down vote. Wirtanen's name is not on that slate, which is now full, Howe said.

"It's my understanding of the bylaws that it's only in the absence of a full slate that nominations are allowed from the floor," he added.

Howe also said he has no hard feelings toward Wirtanen.

"He's to be pitied," Howe said. "He's crying out for attention."

As for being the LTC "crown prince," Howe said will not actively seek to be the organization's next president and board chairman, but if he is nominated, he would not refuse it.

If elected, Howe might be walking into an ethical dilemma. Should an elected official be influencing and overseeing the board that controls local access public television and its programming?

And isn't Howe up for re-election soon as Middlesex registrar?

SENATE PRESIDENT Therese Murray isn't known for her warm, outgoing personality.

So it was quite a shock when she charged into the press gallery during a holiday party bearing a case of champagne and mingled with members of the Fourth Estate for a glass of bubbly.

She even chided Senate Ways and Means Chairman Steven Panagiotakos, a Lowell Democrat, for showing up to the shindig empty-handed.

COULD IT be?

The wait for the much-anticipated decision on whether to appoint state Rep. Dave Nangle, D-Lowell, to the lofty position of Sergeant at Arms could soon be over.

House Speaker Sal DiMasi said he would hold off on the appointment until the House and Senate were back in formal session. That session begins Jan. 2.

THE LENGTHS to which Panagiotakos will go to win state money for his constituents were tested this summer by a $500,000 grant he helped win for the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust for the Concord River Greenway.

In an effort to convince state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles to see the value of the project, Panagiotakos said during the grant's award ceremony, he and his top aide, D.J. Corcoran, had to go water skiing with Bowles in the Boston Harbor. The trip was made on Bowles' boat, Panagiotakos said.

Panagiotakos made clear that he and Corcoran never actually engaged in the sport themselves, but he credited Bowles' skills. ("He was even up on one ski.")

Bowles in turn credited Panagiotakos and Nangle, whose district is home to the Greenway, for being "relentless advocates for your city."

FRESH FROM his spirited but unsuccessful campaign for Lowell City Council, Mehmed Ali has apparently turned his political talents to another purpose.

In this instance, the director of the Lowell National Historical Park's Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center turned his attention to ensuring that Dan Holin would not serve as interim facilitator of the Lowell Plan's new cultural committee, which is tasked with carrying out the recommendations of a consultant's study, commissioned by the Lowell Plan, which focused on improving Lowell's cultural economy.

Ali reportedly viewed Holin, executive director of the Concord-based Jericho Road Project, as an out-of-towner who would be inappropriate in that role -- an issue that surfaced during the committee's first meeting earlier this month.

Ali declined comment on the subject, but rumor has it he lobbied other committee members to oppose Holin, earning himself a rebuke from Lowell Plan President Jim Cook and national park Superintendent Michael Creasey, who has since replaced Ali as his representative on the committee.

Holin could not be reached. He continues to serve on the committee.

Cook declined comment.

Rosemary Noon, wife of UMass Lowell community-relations guru Paul Marion and former executive director of the precursor agency to the Cultural Organization of Lowell, has been tapped to oversee the committee's work.

TSONGAS ARENA General Manager Craig Gates' Dec. 21 appearance on the WUML 91.5 FM's Lowell Sunrise program featured some eye-opening remarks about the Lowell Devils minor league hockey franchise.

Gates asked to appear on the show to respond to City Councilor Armand Mercier, who the previous morning had argued that the city is losing too much money on the arena and would better off if struck a deal with UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan to give the facility to the university.

During his appearance, Gates said Mercier was one of the eight councilors who adopted the Lowell Devils lease in June 2006, which is now blamed for many of the arena's financial woes.

"Our biggest problem turning a profit is the Devils' 40 home games," Gates said. "The Devils don't do a good job bringing people in. We did turn a profit before the city gave the deal to the Devils and the Lock Monsters," he said, referring to the hockey franchise that preceded the Devils in Lowell. "I feel like the orphan child," Gates said. "No one wants you."

Councilors agreed to cut the Lock Monster's rent in half in 2004 and then further reduced the rent for the Devils in a last-ditch attempt to keep professional hockey in the Mill City.

"If it were up to me, I'd keep the River Hawks and give the Devils a map to wherever," Gates said.

THE ADDITION of Kellie Hebert to Lynch's administration marks the third person from the former Chelmsford town manager's staff to make the move to Lowell in the past year.

Besides Hebert, the assistant to the town manager in Chelmsford and the incoming human-relations director in Lowell, there's Andy Sheehan, the new assistant to the city manager and former Chelmsford community-development coordinator, and Donna McIntosh, Lynch's executive assistant in Chelmsford, who is doing the same job in Lowell.

All three saw their salaries boosted significantly by their new jobs with the Mill City.

The addition of Sheehan and McIntosh -- whose positions were created by a controversial budget vote in June that saw Councilors Edward "Bud" Caulfield, Armand Mercier and Rita Mercier dissent -- caused Lynch some political heat.

But to date no such stink has been raised over Hebert's hiring, which was announced Wednesday.

Perhaps that is because she is a Lowell resident who formerly worked for the city, though McIntosh also lives in Lowell. Sheehan lives in Acton.

TOMORROW MARKS the end of Edward Walsh's career as Lowell's Department of Public Works commissioner.

The popular and feisty Walsh may be 80, but the avid downhill skier likely won't be slowing down.

Walsh's friends have scheduled a party in his honor early next month at Mt. Pleasant Golf Club in Lowell.

He will be replaced as DPW commissioner by Assistant City Manager T.J. McCarthy, in a controversial staffing move that Lynch was able to push through during the same June budget deliberations that saw the establishment of Sheehan and McIntosh's positions.

At the time, Lynch had wanted to force Walsh's hand into retiring early as a cost-cutting move. According to Walsh, the manager tried to get him to take a random drug test which Walsh refused.

The DPW chief said he told Lynch he had never been asked to take one in all his years of public service to the city so he wasn't going to take one now. Lynch's actions infuriated Walsh supporters and prompted a group of them to ask Mike Lenzi to run for City Council. Lenzi is a longtime friend of Walsh's.

Lenzi, who was elected in November, downplays the Lynch-Walsh feud and said he ran for office to best serve the city's interest and nothing else.

ONORINA MALONEY, who resigned from the Groton town clerk position on Friday, and incoming Interim Town Clerk Michael Bouchard have something in common -- Sophie the dog.

Maloney, who liked making her office appear homey and welcoming to visitors, has had a stuffed animal resembling a small chocolate Lab named Sophie lying on a cushion underneath her desk. Upon her departure, another town worker has "adopted" Sophie.

Coincidentally, Bouchard's real dog's name is Sophie, too.

LITTLETON RESIDENT Jeffery Yates is now a permanent member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Yates, an architect, was appointed to the board last week, after serving as an alternate member for the past seven months.

"We're excited to welcome him (Yates), said ZBA Chairwoman Sherrill Gould. "He has extensive experience with planning and zoning matters and makes a wonderful contribution."

Yates replaces Chris Meier, who moved out of town.

The board's new alternate members include Cheryl Hollinger, Rod Stewart, Marc Saucier, and Matthew Field.

KARIN SWANFELDT, executive director of Ayer's Council on Aging this week said the expected cost of a 2,000-square-foot office and counseling space addition at the town senior center could cost nearly $1 million.

The construction estimate was just under $700,000 when Swanfeldt first proposed the idea in 2005.

Lowell architect Jeff Cook could have bid-ready plans ready by February but then Swanfeldt has to find funding -- not an easy task.

She's already started lobbying state Rep. Bob Hargraves and state Sen. Pam Resor.

Contributing to The Column this week were City Hall reporter Michael Lafleur, Statehouse Bureau Chief Hillary Chabot, Groton reporter Hiroko Sato, Littleton reporter Bridget Scrimenti, Ayer reporter Jack Minch and Sun Editor Jim Campanini.

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