March 28, 2008
Technical schools provide well-rounded education
By Judith L. Klimkiewicz
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the inception of vocational education in Massachusetts -- a century of ensuring that students who choose a vocational-technical education are prepared either to continue their education at a two- or four-year college, or to enter the work force immediately and become productive members of society.
While 100 years is an impressive milestone, it is important to look at the changes vocational education has undergone in that century and the ever-changing nature of technical education, which will ensure that vocational-technical high schools will continue the tradition of educating students to become valuable citizens.
Of course, vocational-technical high schools, such as Nashoba Valley Technical High School in Westford, will continue to provide a comprehensive education to those students who wish to enter the service fields of carpentry, electrical, auto repair, cosmetology, and plumbing and heating, with opportunities to work in their chosen fields while still students at NVTHS through the cooperative education program.
However, vocational-technical schools that hope to survive for another 100 years and beyond are those that realize that the world and its needs are ever-evolving, and that the schools themselves must be willing and able to evolve to meet those needs, while at the same time, providing an academic curriculum that will produce well-rounded citizens. Vocational-technical
schools must provide a solid foundation for students who also wish to become professionals in the health, information-technology, business, engineering and entertainment industries, as well.
At Nashoba Valley Technical High School, we strive to offer our students the most viable college and career pathways. Toward that end, we have added, eliminated and enhanced programs to best meet the needs of the 21st century workplace.
Since the turn of the 21st century alone, NVTHS has:
* Graduated a student who now works for the Goddard Space Flight Center, the agency within NASA responsible for satellites and the Hubble Space Telescope.
* Graduated another student who is a mechanical engineering major at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as several students who are studying in the five-year engineering program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
* Added a TV and media production program that, for the unprecedented second consecutive year, won first place in The Associated Press' contest for best high-school news program.
* Instituted an engineering technology program to satisfy an ongoing need for engineers, architects and geological experts.
* Completed a $25 million-plus renovation/expansion that saw every classroom and technical program brought up-to-date, as well as the addition of a science and technology wing and a 500-seat performing arts center.
* Added a theater arts component that recently put on a successful production of Damn Yankees and is planning another musical this spring.
* Partnered with the Weston Observatory, a research laboratory of the department of geology and geophysics at Boston College, which has a working seismograph at Nashoba Tech that can detect earthquakes across the planet.
* Opened a branch of the Jeanne d'Arc Credit Union that has become a valuable business partner for the school's banking/marketing/retail technical program.
* Formed a business partnership with Avid Technology, the Tewksbury-based, Academy Award-winning world leader in video and audio film production.
* Saw its culinary arts program win numerous awards in the Taste of Greater Lowell contest, a feat that students in the program duplicated in this year's Taste of Nashoba competition at Lawrence Academy, and produce its own cooking show for local cable TV.
* Forged a partnership with Little Sprouts Early Education Centers that allows Early Childhood Education students within the health assisting program a chance to gain valuable hands-on experience in Early Childhood Education.
* Expanded its educational opportunities to postgraduate students within the district, allowing them to continue their education in their chosen field at no cost.
And that's just to name a few of the exciting happenings at NVTHS.
Yes, a century is a remarkable milestone. However, we have no intention of resting on our laurels. As NVTHS approaches a landmark of its own -- 40 years of providing a strong vocational-technical education to students in the Nashoba Valley -- we know our best years lie ahead, and we look forward to continuing to provide the type of education that will produce the work force of the 21st century.
Judith L. Klimkiewicz is superintendent of the Nashoba Valley Technical School District.
Posted by Admin at 10:42 AM
March 12, 2008
Override would fund needed services
"Let The Children Guard What The Sires Have Won." The town of Chelmsford motto is proudly worn on the uniform of every Chelmsford police officer.
The Chelmsford Police Department has the huge responsibility of safeguarding the people of Chelmsford. It's a task that all my officers take seriously, and I see their commitment daily. With their dedication to duty, Chelmsford continues to be an extremely safe community in which to live, raise a family or work. The Police Department's core mission of protecting life and property remains our primary duty.
Beginning in 2002, the financial constraints facing the town -- including the Police Department -- have proved to be more and more challenging. Since 2002, the Police Department has been forced to reduce the sworn complement of officers from 61 to 53. The loss of these eight positions has resulted in fewer officers assigned to shifts and less police visibility throughout the town.
These losses have had a noticeable effect on our department's operations, specifically in the areas of traffic enforcement and community policing. Fewer officers assigned on the shifts results in officers' spending more time in handling calls for service and less time conducting specialized enforcement in problem areas. This is less than ideal, since it forces us to be reactive in our response, rather than being proactive.
According to national studies, Chelmsford is already understaffed when it comes to police coverage. The Department of Justice reports cities and towns with populations between 25,000 and 50,000 residents have 1.8 police officers per 1,000 people. Using these standards, 34,000 residents of Chelmsford need a force with 61 sworn officers instead of the current 53 officers (about 1.5 officers per 1,000 residents). If the override does not pass April 1, the Police Department's staffing levels will be reduced by the elimination of two police officers, one clerical-support position and one part-time maintenance position. The loss of these personnel will result in:
* Two fewer officers assigned to uniformed patrol.
* Traffic Unit officers pulled from assignment to cover patrol shifts.
* Scaled-back criminal and drug-related investigations.
* Reduced training and development classes.
* Reduced clerical support to assist officers and the public.
Over the years, we've looked at our organization and have worked hard to provide the same level of service with fewer personnel. There comes a time, however, when you can't always continue to do more with less. Calls continue to increase, complaints continue to come in, and it's the Police Department's duty to respond to these calls in an effective and efficient manner.
The cuts required should an override fail will, in my opinion, result in a woefully inadequate level of police services for a town the size of Chelmsford. I would respectfully request that the people of Chelmsford vote "Yes" on the override on April 1.
I would like to thank and recognize the town manager, selectmen and Finance Committee for their diligent work over the last year in the budget process. While we are not the only community facing a deficit, the cooperation exhibited by all officials in working together and identifying the problem early on has resulted in a "One Town, One Team" solution. Just like our forefathers, the dedication shown by our current officials will ensure that Chelmsford remains a top-notch community.
JAMES F. MURPHY
police chief
Chelmsford
Posted by Admin at 1:56 PM | Comments (2)
March 6, 2008
Power company is committed to plant safety
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With that being said, we respect and understand the concerns of the residents in Chelmsford and their elected officials. We have developed three other power plants in the state, and they have operated with a solid safety record. I have written to the officials in these communities reiterating our commitment to the safety of the plant and our willingness to have an open and honest discussion with them about our contingency plans as we have already done in Billerica. Finally, long before plant construction commences these plans will be detailed in our final environmental impact statement and reviewed by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the state fire marshal.
Our plant will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by personnel at our Lowell plant, which is less than 10 minutes from the site as stated in the site security and emergency response plans. We will have secured Internet connection with police, fire and our plant. Additionally, sensors and cameras will be monitoring the site and will have the ability to shut down all key equipment remotely. In fact, our primary response with any alarm will be to shut the plant down immediately and then consult with safety officials.
We also have agreed to the recommendations of the Billerica Fire Department to fully enclose our ammonia tank. This will result in a condition of no hazard off the site during an ammonia tank release. We reiterate that that this is an aqueous ammonia system with 81 percent water content comparable to certain household products and not the type of ammonia (anhydrous) found in refrigeration and water treatment plants. Operating personnel will be on-site during all operating periods and for all deliveries, and we will make arrangements for police details when our personnel are not at the site.
On Sept. 11, 2001, and the days thereafter, I spent countless hours with power plant operators around the country, police and homeland security watching over these critical power plants. Safety is in the culture of the electric power industry, and the results speak for themselves. We commit to the same culture with our neighbors in and around Billerica.
JOSEPH FITZPATRICK
DG Clean Power, CEO
Posted by Admin at 12:55 PM
March 4, 2008
Get accurate facts before voting in Chelmsford
I'd like rebut recent letters in The Sun so Chelmsford voters can understand how the rampant misinformation many people in town have distorts the truth and will prevent residents from making the best-informed decision as the override vote approaches on April 1.
I find the frequent comments that town leaders are using "scare tactics" to be disturbing. If anything, officials have gone to great strides to present only facts so people can understand both sides of the issue and learn how the results of the override vote will affect them. I don't consider this a "hard sell."
Another thing I hear is the schools are top-heavy with administrators. However, the facts show that Chelmsford spends 20.5 percent less per pupil in administrative costs than the state average. Another comparison shows that Chelmsford spends less than half the state average in instructional leadership costs. This doesn't sound to me like a top-heavy school system to me.
Then there is the belief that the town must "cut the fat" from the system. I agree that any excess should be eliminated first. Both town and school officials during the past several years have done just that in an open process, doing such things as not filling open positions, searching for ways to streamline operations that reduce costs, and using innovative ways to find new revenues.
There's a lot of misinformation out there, such as Mr. Davidson's incorrect assertion in his Feb. 29 letter that money for the Performing
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Arts Center could have been used to increase test scores and reduce class size.
State law dictates that money such as this can only be used for building projects, but this type of misunderstanding is all too typical coming from people who mean well but are basing their opinion on incorrect information.
So research the issue yourself. Go to the town and school Web sites, or contact the Selectmen and School Committee members. The worst thing you can do is make a decision without having all the correct facts. And that's exactly what the opposition is hoping you do.
JOHN SHAW
Chelmsford
Posted by Admin at 3:02 PM | Comments (2)
March 3, 2008
Mercier hiring item was cheap gossip
Mercier hiring item was cheap gossip
The Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated: 03/02/2008 06:37:31 AM EST
The Sun recently published a Sunday Column item questioning the hiring of Ron Mercier as an operator in training at the Lowell Water Department. The article seemed to suggest that his hiring was influenced by his grandfather, City Councilor Armand Mercier, a charge that is denied by both Merciers, Executive Director Dan Lahiff and City Manager Bernie Lynch. The article is also quite misleading. Its first sentence states: "Another nationwide search ends in a Merrimack Valley community's backyard."
Unlike a school superintendent, police chief or city manager, this is a relatively low-paying position. The job requires working overnight on the weekends. It is unlikely that anyone outside of driving distance to Lowell would relocate for an entry-level position, which makes the first sentence seem needlessly inflammatory.
The article also references "dark rumors" that a back-room deal was made between Councilor Mercier and City Manager Lynch, involving the proposed Division of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. In the same paragraph, however, the writer says Mercier had always supported the measure.
The most interesting aspect of the situation is the editorial in The Sun the next day, which excoriates The New York Times for running an "innuendo-laced" article about John McCain and his "supposed" relationship with a lobbyist. The editorial also notes the Times "journalistic ethical breach" in printing the article even though "not a single fact was published
backing up the allegation." That sounds awfully similar to a certain article in The Sun, which referenced "dark rumors" as its only apparent evidence of wrongdoing. Unless The Sun has evidence showing that a more qualified candidate was passed over for Ron Mercier, the article is nothing more than cheap gossip, which casts aspersions on the character of everyone involved.
The Sun is right to criticize the Times for running glorified gossip as news, they should be careful not to sink to the same level.
BENJAMIN CHAPUT
Lowell
Editor's note: The Sun published both sides of the Mercier story so readers can draw their own conclusions, but the underlying message as to whether this hiring was a quid pro quo remains relevant in light of its timing of the hiring and a key council vote. Mr Chaput makes a valid point, however. The Sun should have checked to see how many Lowellians were passed over for the $31,000 a year job in favor of a Dracut resident who is the grandson of a city councilor.
Posted by Admin at 12:01 PM
December 26, 2007
'Dumb idea,' governor? We don't think so
The state's income tax to a Massachusetts lawmaker is the same as what a heroin fix is to a drug addict.
They both have insatiable needs.
The former depends on income-tax revenue to fund infinite public programs; the latter needs heroin to power an interminable physical high.
Gov. Deval Patrick called a proposed ballot question that would eliminate the $11 billion annual income tax a "dumb idea." He said it would put the state on a path toward fiscal ruin.
Where's he been? To set the record straight, governor, the state's already on a path to fiscal ruin, so don't blame it on a proposal ending the income tax.
Don't you get it, governor? People are fed up with the Legislature's overzealous spending and inability to contain costs that are making it more difficult for a Massachusetts couple to buy a home and raise a family. Even single people are moving out in droves because they find the Bay State to be a repressive tax-and-fee environment.
Here's a Patrick quote, published in The Boston Globe, on why
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the state needs the 5.3 percent income tax to survive:
"People talk about it being their money. They're right. But it's also their broken bridge and their broken road and their broken neighborhood and broken school."
The governor forgot to mention that it's also their broken government.
People are madder than hell they can't get an honest break for an honest day's work in Massachusetts.
Every time they turn around, the state has a new problem, whether it's $19 billion in overdue bridge and road repairs, Big Dig repairs, increases in public health care and pension costs, local funding shortfalls, etc. They are starting to question what government did with all the money all these years that Massachusetts is in such bad shape. Who made the shortsighted decisions that got us into this mess?
Yes, maybe Patrick is correct, that eliminating the income tax would create more fiscal chaos than it is worth. But it's not a dumb idea, governor. It's a wake-up call from citizens sick and tired of politicians addicted to spending other people's money rather than making courageous votes to institute long-term solutions for our fiscal woes.
Rising public-sector salaries and benefits are outstripping the private sector's ability to keep up with those costs. The Legislature, meanwhile, remains unwilling to tackle the special interest groups -- employee unions -- that are killing the golden goose.
Governor, don't make the mistake of underestimating the underbelly of the Massachusetts population that is growing discontented with public policymakers like yourself.
Since 2002, when this question last went before the citizens on a statewide referendum -- and lost by a 48 percent to 40 percent margin -- a lot has changed. The state has gone from three consecutive surplus -- and record spending -- budgets to a projected $1 billion deficit. How? Why?
If this question were to go on the ballot today, it would likely gain approval from a majority of people disgusted with the state's inability to learn from the last recession.
So, governor, it's not a "dumb idea." It's a good idea if it motivates Beacon Hill to learn how to spend the people's money wisely.
Posted by The Sun Newsroom at 2:05 PM
November 8, 2007
Shelter residents trying to rebuild their lives
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I was a resident of our Lowell shelter for almost two years.
I was very grateful for the services provided by the center, and now reside in a beautiful studio apartment provided for me through the center and the Lowell Housing Authority.
Many of the clients of the center are honest, decent people who, through personal misfortune, are very appreciative to have the shelter available to them as they struggle to rebuild their lives.
Granted, issues do exist, and I feel that through dialogue and cooperation among the neighborhood business owners, residents, staff and clients here at the center, problems can be resolved to everyone's mutual satisfaction.
Please do not shun us. Instead, embrace us.
We do want to be an asset to our neighborhood and community.
BARBARA A. DROLL
Lowell
Posted by Admin at 5:41 PM
October 25, 2007
Calling voters is a key part of campaign strategy
I am writing in response to a letter which appeared in the Oct. 22 Sun and numerous BackTalk postings that have complained about being called by campaigns in the recent special election to succeed Marty Meehan. Voters need to realize that aside from actually casting a ballot, which is of course secret, electioneering is in fact a very public exercise. The democratic process is largely one of persuasion and getting people to the polls. This is especially true in a special election in which part of the message has to be the basic fact of what day the election is being held.
Campaigns do not like leaving much to chance, and both survey and anecdotal evidence suggest that, contrary to the "BackTalkers" many people actually do bother to take time to vote precisely because they were asked to do so. Yes, that generally means they vote for the candidate whose campaign contacted them. One other thing, it is important to note is that political campaigns and charities are exempt from the provisions of the "Do Not Call" list.
Calling
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voters is an essential piece of any campaign strategy and is often done in three rounds. Not everyone is called, and it is up to each campaign to decide which voters to call based on the dynamics and variables of a particular race. First round of calls is to identify who will definitely or likely vote for the candidate, who is undecided, and who will definitely or likely vote for the opponent. You are of course free to decline to answer this question, but please do so politely. Those who are calling you are most likely volunteers just working for a candidate they favor, and may even be your neighbor. They are not telemarketers and will generally be gracious about taking a moment of your time. Campaigns create their own internal "do not call" lists for their own purposes and you are welcome to ask to be put on that when they call. The second round is to try to persuade those who identified as undecided to come on board for the candidate. The third round is what is called GOTV (get-out-the-vote), which is to remind identified supporters, especially those who don't always vote, to come vote on Election Day. This was even more important in the recent congressional race, being that it was a special election.
I want to turn and address campaigns for a moment. You need to uphold your end of this deal also and show that what I have written is true. There was a particular campaign in the primary which called several times to ask if the candidate could count on my support, despite the fact that I made it very clear I was volunteering for another candidate. As a citizen and a political junkie it did not bother me too much personally, but as someone who has experience on the campaign side I was starting to wonder whether this campaign had its act together. Lists need to be constantly updated and cross-referenced and the technology now exists to do this very effectively.
Those of you in Lowell and other communities with local elections next month may very well continue to get calls. There are some ways to make you less likely to be called, such as consistently voting, which will tell a campaign you don't need to be reminded to vote. In partisan elections being registered in one of the parties will also cut down on the calls as both sides will likely make some assumption about your voting habits. Voting is every citizen's civic duty, and achieving victory in an election means contacting voters personally. I'm sure we all prefer to live in a democratic rather than dictatorial system and this is part of the deal.
CHRISTOPHER JENKINS
Dracut
Posted by Admin at 2:25 PM
October 23, 2007
Too many candidate phone calls
Thank goodness this special election is over. I cannot begin to count the number of phone calls that came to my house encouraging us to vote for either Tsongas or Ogonowski -- even as late as 5:30 p.m. on Election Day. This has been the worst case of phone harassment that I have experienced. Candidates, beware -- I will not be voting for anyone who subjects me to constant harassment via telephone.
NANCY TUSCANO
Billerica
Posted by Admin at 10:46 AM
October 18, 2007
Shelter, JAM Plan can coexist
Shelter, JAM Plan can coexist
The Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated: 10/18/2007 11:35:20 AM EDT
I know that Dan Phelps likes to play the fool, and maybe some readers will think his column in Monday's Sun was funny (it wasn't); however, I would like to offer some suggestions for the shelter, the city, and local businesses to coexist in the JAM area.
Having recently worked in Boston in the vicinity of the Saint Francis House on Boylston Street, I saw a 20-year-old shelter within a block of a Starbucks, Registry of Motor Vehicles building, Chinatown restaurants, CVS and the Ritz Carlton Hotel & Towers (home to Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox). Now the shelter began to operate while that area was still essentially the "Combat Zone," but the city of Boston has worked to improve that area while not displacing the shelter. I do not compare the Hamilton Canal District to downtown Boston, but I think that some strategies may be available to Lowell by studying what Boston has done in that area.
In addition, the Pine Street Inn in the South End of Boston opened in a derelict warehouse district many years ago. As Boston continues to redevelop, the shelter now sits a stone's throw from high-end condos, art galleries and artists lofts, and office and retail spaces. Again, perhaps some strategies and lessons can be learned.
The Transitional Living Center isn't going anywhere, but if the residents, businesses, city officials and shelter staff work together, then the JAM Plan/Hamilton Canal district has a chance to succeed.
MICHAEL J. PAGLIA
Lowell
Posted by Admin at 4:51 PM
Spend the same on all students
Spend the same on all students
The Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated: 10/18/2007 11:35:57 AM EDT
The Special Education Program is the program that is eating the school system alive fiscally in Billerica, leaving crumbs for the 80 percent of the students not in the program. That SPED comes first seems to be the budgetary rule while the average and bright students are short-changed. Which group will make the greatest contribution to our society in the long run? No more money should be spent on a special-education student than any other student. Do bright students deserve more? Not in the current system. It is my opinion that we are misusing our educational dollars and will pay for it in the future.
FREDERICK LIBERATORE, Billerica
Posted by Admin at 4:49 PM | Comments (8)
October 11, 2007
Thompson will bring change
Thompson will bring change
The Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated: 10/11/2007 11:31:21 AM EDT
On Tuesday, before you vote for Congress, consider the achievements of both the Democrats and Republicans: $700 billion in trade deficits, a $9 trillion federal debt, the Panama Canal in the hands of communist China, a broken Social Security trust fund, millions of illegal immigrants in our neighborhoods, our nation's factories and jobs being sent overseas and a gamble on a future democratic Iraq with the lives of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers!
Let's stop this madness and send a new perspective to the People's House of the United States. Vote Kevin Thompson of the Constitution Party.
JIM ECKLAND
Lancaster
Posted by Admin at 4:15 PM
September 24, 2007
Governor's comments made a valid point
The Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated: 09/23/2007 06:37:23 AM EDT
Gov. Deval Patrick drew harsh criticism from Sun editors for comments he made during the recent 9/11 memorial observance. However, it seems to require considerable rhetorical gymnastics to construe the governor's remarks as trivialization of the event or as an attack on the victims.
The offending statement? "Because among many other things, 9/11 was a failure of human understanding. It was a mean and nasty and bitter attack on the United States. But it was also about the failure of human beings to understand each other, and to learn to love each other. And it seems to me that that lesson and that warning is something that we must carry with us everyday."
There is certainly a more straightforward understanding of the governor's words: Violence in general, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks in particular, reflects a basic lack of human understanding and love. People who take the time to understand each other and love each other do not intentionally harm one another.
The point is not whether bin Laden or the 9/11 terrorists had some superficial understanding of American culture; it is whether they -- or any of us -- truly has a deeper understanding of our common humanity. It is clear that the terrorists lacked this deep understanding, otherwise it would have been impossible for them to carry out the attacks. Yet only through such deep understanding, which is itself indistinguishable from love, can we each do our part to prevent atrocities like 9/11 from happening over and over again.
It is essential that we acknowledge the evil of 9/11 and the suffering of the victims, their families, and indeed the nation as a whole. But in order for any of us to truly heal we must also be able to take the larger lesson to heart: In order to end the cycles of violence we must call upon our own capacity for deep love and deep understanding. As we try to move forward from the trauma and tragedy that was 9/11, we must never lose our compassion for any of our fellow human beings, no matter how difficult this may seem.
TIMOTHY LITTLE
Lowell
Posted by Admin at 11:15 AM | Comments (1)
September 20, 2007
A call to the average Massachusetts citizen
We must do better with our national politics, and it is up to each one of us to do his part to improve things.
Do we want the best politics that money can buy, or do we want the best policies in the interest of the common man?
If it's money, leave the job to the lobbyists, they have plenty. If it is for our interests, we must work for it.
Are we satisfied with listening to sound bites to get our information, or do we have the perseverance to dig deeply and evaluate the policies the candidates are promoting? If it is only sound bites, stop reading here. If it is substance you seek, then search it out.
I have been pleasantly surprised with the wise policies and depth of conviction of Independent congressional candidate Patrick Murphy. You can find much more on his Web site, but I will try to summarize how I interpret a few key items from his proposals.
In improving education, we must consider the total environment of learning -- educators, classrooms, health and family support. Federal government support would be best applied in early childhood.
He recognizes the perils of the proposals to "save" Social Security, and how the current funding for it most harshly affects low- and middle-income workers, and he proposes a solution that remedies these ills.
He has a well-thought-out approach to restructuring the health-care system to incrementally provide universal coverage, while achieving the cost savings through a well-managed single-payer system.
In reference to the most critical issue facing our nation, he postulates that the ultimate solution to the problem must come from within Iraq, and he defines a wise strategy to accomplish that -- neither "cut and run" nor "stay the course." He also calls for a "shared sacrifice," wherein all citizens must share the responsibility for the solution, and in doing so, force Congress to assert its constitutional responsibility with regard to this, or any future wars.
I encourage everyone to take a serious look at this unique candidate. Then do your part to spread his message, and the average citizens of the 5th District might just start a needed revolution of the politics of this country.
JOSEPH SMITH
Lowell
Posted by Admin at 12:36 PM
