We’re out

We’re out.

WRTA Budget Questions

Routes are being cut, modified, etc. to save the WRTA $510,000; they’re adding a new ‘flex’ route that will cost $90,000.
Joe Petty is asking for quarterly reports on passenger loads, and on if the flex route is working.
Palmieri suggests that the flex routes be spread more throughout the city.  He says the trick is to [...]

Budget reaction

CLANCY: “They [fixed-income people] can’t afford to spend as much as they did last year.”
Again, the budget hearings start next Tuesday at 4pm, and will continue each Tuesday thereafter.
The budget must be approved by June 20.
The week-by-week schedule will be posted on city’s website tomorrow.
A preliminary schedule for what will be discussed on May 13: [...]

Budget Presentation

We’ll be publishing the complete budget summary later tonight, but some highlights from City Manager Michael O’Brien’s presentation.

EDUCATION: “What we’ve done is give the equivalent of 103%,” says O’Brien, referencing the earlier speaker.
New police and fire classes, restores crosswalk maintenance, opens poos and beaches, opens the library for some Sundays..just some of the highlights O’Brien [...]

Budget Hearings

Budget hearings will be Tuesday, May 13th at 4-6pm and each following Tuesday through June 3.

Weekly school budget speech

Another week, another speaker on the school budget.
This week, a parent representing Worcester Stand for Children.
“We’d like to acknowledge the work the city council has done thus far [to begin] to adress the [problems.]“
Still, she says it’s “not sufficient.”
The savings from health insurance, she says, are NOT equal to the 103% of foundation the group [...]

Booze at Green Hill Golf Course

Order on the table to thank Maxwell Silverman’s for helping out with an upcoming golf tournament. Their help, controversially, includes serving alcohol, as long as the city’s petition to do so is approved by the License Commission on Thursday.
Mayor Lukes is taking the occasion to pontificate a bit about not wanting alcohol at the [...]

Packed house at City Council

Packed house for the budget presentation tonight.
We’ll be giving you the play by play for the rest of the evening, so grab your beer and your golf clubs: it’s gonna be a fun one.
7:28

The Worcester City Clerk’s vault

What’s in David Rushford’s vault?
A lot of random bizarre crap and chatskas, and some legitimately cool stuff apparently.
You can check out the full list, but some favorites include:

An antique South High brass pin pendant
A brass non-freezing Air Gauge by the Rockwell Sprinkler Company, donated by ex-City Clerk Thomas Donahue
Six ‘lost and found’ public notices from [...]

Worcester video link dump

A few videos we’re late to the party in posting:
First, our Best of Worcester party two weeks ago.  WorcesterLove.com did a great job with the video, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite.  (The video was apparently linked on Boston.com for a hot minute.  Anyone who can find the link wins a gold star)
[...]