December 4, 2009
Wearing red slogan-clad t-shirts, holding personalized signs and chanting in both English and Albanian, hundreds of TJ Maxx distribution center workers stood outside their building on Goddard Memorial Drive raising awareness for their demands during contract negotiations. Employees from other TJX companies and distribution centers around the state were also on hand to participate in the rally.
The union, Unite Here New England, represents over 9,000 employees of the textile, manufacturing and laundry industries across Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Union members cite TJX Co.’s record profits this third quarter as reason to provide a better contract for its workers.
We’ll have more information on this, including TJX’s stand, after the weekend.
December 4, 2009
The Worcester Regional Transit Authority will hold informational meetings on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 1:00 pm at their 287 Grove St. office, and another on Dec. 10 at 5:30 pm at the Quinsigamond Village Community Center, located at 16 Greenwood St.
The meetings will be regarding the WRTA’s proposed “service adjustments” for ten of its routes next year. The whole press release is provided after the jump, including the list of bus routes affected and how they’ll be changing.
Keep reading →
December 4, 2009
Matt Wright/Worcester Mag
Brittany Durgin/Worcester Mag
Matt Wright/Worcester Mag
Brittany Durgin/Worcester Mag
Matt Wright/Worcester Mag
Brittany Durgin/Worcester Mag
Matt Wright/Worcester Mag
Brittany Durgin/Worcester Mag
December 3, 2009
It was a moving scene at the Hanover Theatre this afternoon for the Massachusetts Firefighter of the Year Award Ceremony. Gov. Deval Patrick and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray handed out awards for Meritorious Service, Valor and the Medal of Honor, posthumously, to Boston Fire Lt. Kevin Kelley. This was a tough one. Kelley was the officer on Ladder 26 being driven back to the station after a call when brakes failed. The truck careened through the streets before crashing into a brick high-rise, killing him and injuring the other firefighters on board. Kelley’s wife and two of his daughters were on hand to accept the award.
But most of the audience was there for the 10-year remembrance of the six Worcester firefighters who were killed in the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire on Dec. 3, 1999. The firefighters’ families were recognized with a standing ovation, and scenes from the fire and the aftermath were flashed on the screen set up at the back of the stage.
The late Sen. Ted Kennedy’s wife, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, accepted the State Fire Marshal’s Award for Excellence in Leadership on his behalf. Sen. Kennedy spoke at the Dec. 11, 1999, memorial ceremony in the Centrum, and some of that speech was replayed.
Victoria Kennedy, in her remarks, said, “Even if [Kennedy] hadn’t won this award, he would have been here today. That’s why I’m here.” (Applause.)
December 1, 2009
7:12: Still waiting for the meeting to start. On the plus side, there are cookies outside to welcome the Library Board hopefuls. There’s a big crowd tonight, because of both the Library Board nominations as well the big topic: setting the tax rates. People against the tax hike for businesses are in the audience holding signs: “In a dual, one walks away…the other… has not much life left” and “Trying to stay in business in Worcester!!!!!” are two of them.
7:13: Here we go! First item of business: Electing Library Board members. Jabian Gutierrez is the first one selected by city council vote.
7:26: Dante Comparetto is the other.
7:27: In light of the strong candidates for the board, Palmieri asks if the Library Board can be expanded to allow more of these qualified people on.
7:28: Clancy acknowledges that many qualified people want to be on the Library Board, but that other boards and commissions have vacancies that are hard to fill. He wants the city to contact these other strong candidates to encourage them to run for other boards.
7:33: Moving on: Determining the tax rates for residential, commercial, industrial and personal properties for the 2010.
7:34: Gary Vecchio comes to speak. He’s the president of the Shrewsbury St. Neighborhood Association, and he asks the council to vote for the lowest residential tax rate. Keep reading →
December 1, 2009
Posted by “Pink Granite” on pinkgranite.blogspot.com
There was hugging, cooking, laughing, uncorking, talking, stirring, pouring, basting, drinking, mashing, explaining, mixing, tasting, checking, photographing, oohing, aahing, discussing, improvising, carving, serving, herding, toasting, remembering, eating, watching, laughing, crying, hugging, goodbyeing. It was all good. For all of this, and more, I am thankful.
Posted by “Mike” on thatsthepits.com
How much more does President Obama want to happen at one time? The United States has a bad economy that needs to be worked on, and another stimulus giveaway isn’t the answer. The country has a deficit over a trillion dollars and the President is trying to add more to it. A foreign war also exists in Iraq and Afganistan and the President is about to send another 34,000 troops. He finally decided after about four months of thinking about it. So why rush a massive bill like Healthcare Reform? This bill is opposed by almost 60%of all Americans who feel strongly that this massive 1550 plus page bill will cost too much. Furthermore, several other points of the bill anger people, including the Public Option. If the Public Option passes, I hope to see all Americans vote the Democrats out of office as a protest to massive spending of money we don’t have.
Keep reading →
November 25, 2009
The battle over the tennis court at One Montvale road spilled over into last night’s city council meeting–sort of. With the property’s owners, Adi Tibrewal and Elizabeth Todd, in attendance councilors Smith and Palmieri addressed the concerns of both the Montvale Historic District and the home owners, with both of them mentioning the need to get more “facts.”
Councilors Smith and Petty requested that the city study the impact of expanding the district, as well as explaining how this situation–having a “historic” tennis court in your backyard–is affected by the city’s current zoning laws.
As for Tibrewal and Todd, they showed without knowing their situation would be brought up. “We wanted to talk to Smith and Petty face to face,” said Todd, and after speaking with both Palmieri and Smith, they were told to hang around for the meeting.
And so while nothing actually changed during the city council meeting (a vote on the matter has been postponed since March of 2008), Todd is hopeful that something good will come out of her and her husband’s appearance: Palmieri’s impassioned speech in their defense tacked on the idea of bringing real estate agents and attorneys together to hash this out, hopefully for private meeting between all parties on Tuesday.
November 24, 2009
7:09: It begins! It’s crowded and busy out in the hallway, and there’s a good-sized crowd in the seats
7:10: Eddy starts us off with a resolution to honoring judge, city councilor, and mayor Paul Mullaney for his commitment to the community, and his 90th birthday. ”It’s far too often that we don’t speak enough about the people who made this city what it is today,” says Eddy.
7:13: Mullaney speaks. “It gives me a great feeling for Thanksgiving and the holidays to follow.” He attributes his long life to never having a cigarette and adds “I never had a drink of alcohol–until I got to the city council.”
7:15: Rushton stands up to complement Mullaney as well. Says that his father-in-law ran against Mullaney for congress in 1974, and that it’s a testament to both men that they could have a “spirited debate” on the council floor and then walk away friends.
7:18: Toomey stands and calls the judge a role model. Her uncle and Judge Mullaney were on the council together too.
Keep reading →
November 24, 2009
The Worcester Police Department have joined the masses and are now on Twitter. Along with posting media releases and real time updates, the department “will also enter crime updates and alerts, road closings and other community related information.”
Joining the social media site is another step for the department to continue to be a “transparent organization while utilizing modern media outlets.”
To follow the Worcester PD on Twitter head over to their site at http://twitter.com/worcesterpd.
November 20, 2009
The United States Department of Agriculture has informed the Worcester legislative delegation that the USDA will use only tree trunk injection to treat Asian Longhorned Beetle host trees in Worcester. Commissioner Scott Soares of the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture informed Chandler of the decision in response to a letter supporting tree trunk injection sent by the delegation including Sen. Harriette Chandler, Rep. Vincent Pedone and Rep. James O’Day. The delegation opposed the use of soil application because of the potential environmental harm it posed to public water sources due to leeching. Soil injection deposits seven times the amount of Imidacloprid, the pesticide used to combat ALB, into the soil than trunk injection puts directly into the tree. Worcester has already lost more than 25,000 trees due to the Asian Longhorned Beetle and an additional 1,400 have been tagged for removal.
