Downtown preacher man

Well, we’re going to hell.

Murray’s Bulger pockets

Boston’s Bulger clan certainly likes to spread their money around when it comes to politicians.  The latest recipient of their generosity?

Lt. Gov. Tim Murray.

According to campaign finance filings, Murray got a total of $300, split evenly between former Senate and UMass President William Bulger of Boston and James Bulger (his son, not his infamous brother, we’re assuming) of Quincy.

Actually, Murray should be honored—only Thomas Menino, Stephen Murphy, and John Hart have received more from family members since January 2007.

City Council Liveblog

6:10: Street hawker ordinance items are referred to subcommittee for further discussion with no debate. We’re waiting for the spin from both sides, but Phil Palmieri is talking to restaurant owners who support the tight ordinance. Essentially, this kills the current ordinance proposal for a month, and allows time for advocates of a looser ordinance to hammer out an acceptable agreement. (Also: Barbara Haller is absent this week, and she could easily be the deciding 6th vote.)

6:29: All about pools right now. Councilors love pools, blah blah blah. Spray parks are an option, blah. Essentially, the city is calling for several pools to be shutdown, and some replaced with spray parks. It’ll allow for better longterm maintenance for the pools we keep, they say, and allow good resources for kids. Basically, Gary Rosen has summed the issue up best so far: The proposal to shut some pools and open spray parks is just a City Administration plan, and it still needs to be discussed by the council subcommittees and council as a whole.

6:40: Everyone is giving their two cents on pools, spray parks, and fiscal responsibility. It sounds like a few councilors are doing the cake and eating it thing, and calling for combination pools and spray parks. “We need balance,” says Joff Smith.

7:11: Wyman-Gordon is going to have further expansion—the first answer the city has gotten from them in a while. See the full report.

7:20: Wow. We NEVER saw this one coming. (Snicker). Germain is asking for an official bid process for a longterm beeh venda at Green Hill Golf Course.

7:25: Councilor Germain is all about PILOT. Seriously. Oh wait, what’s that? He just held his own item. Nevermind.

7:26: Councilor Toomey wants the US rowing championships to be held at Lake Quinsig. Good call.

7:35: Councilor Clancy wants to know how city services will be affected if the state income tax is abandoned. Of course, he says, it would hurt school side more than city side. Because, as we all know, the schools aren’t part of the city.

7:38: Toomey is really staking her claim as the eco friendly/fitness/ councilor. Zip Cars, bike friendly city, improved websites, rowing championships. Now, she’s calling for a comprehensive look at how to make the city more bike friendly, and set regulations for Vespas and the like.

7:46: Mayor Lukes is concerned about businesses operated out of homes, specifically the advertising in front of them. It “changes the character” of neighborhoods, she says. But we can’t help but wonder if her concern includes former homes used as businesses, like her law office.

7:51: Biggy here. The realignment of the fire department stations and apparatus. The big news? As some feared, the Providence Street Fire Station will be closing, and its equipment sent to Franklin Street and McKeon Road. But Providence Street will remain in service as an EMS ambulance hub, operated by UMass Memorial. Predictably, Councilor Clancy is pissed, and calling for a ladder truck to stay at Providence St.

8:01: Now State Rep John Fresolo is on the floor, making an appearance in opposition to the fire station closing. He’s saying he wouldn’t have advocated as strongly for funding for the new Franklin Street station if he knew it meant the closing of Providence Street. He’s also suggesting that the Union/Vernon Hill neighborhoods are being targeted because of their exceptionally low voter turnout.

8:19: Petty is bringing up what’s been all the rage on the talk shows and message boards this week—what the hell was the jet flyover noise on Friday night. People are “very concerned” he says.

8:22: Rosen wants the skating rink to be available this winter, mostly to “show the naysayers that people are anxious to go down to the common for skating…” and not give them another year to bitch.

8:27: Rushton wants a breakdown of the arrests at Irish Times that were highlighted in Police Chief Gemme’s adult entertainment report.  (The Times had about 250 arrests over the course of a year, much more than anyone else). He wants by hour, by type, and if the arrests were inside or outside the club.  (This sounds like it is mostly to clear the air for Irish Times, which reportedly felt unfairly targeted at the time).

8:30: Meeting adjourned.

Street vendors, used needles, and abandoned pools

That tofudog the Daily Worcesteria ate at 1 am last Thursday night might be a crime after tonight’s City Council meeting at 6pm.

The debate over new rules for street vendors continues at the top of tonight’s agenda, and sources say the final vote could go either way.  There’s been background discussions to slightly adjust the new ordinance to allow midnight closings; and there have been moves to mimic Boston’s ordinance, which requires vendors to have an established spot, rather than make them move every 5 minutes.

And, of course, there’s the original “new” ordinance, which would, if taken literally (more on that in a minute), effectively prohibit most vendors in Worcester.

Where the debate stops, no one knows.

Business supporters of the strict ordinance seemed surprised at the last city council meeting on how far it would go, and were overheard saying that wasn’t their intention.  No matter, they still want it passed.  And one of the chief political sponsors of the bill intimated after last week’s meeting that s/he didn’t anticipate it being taken 100% literally in all cases; essentially, that the bill was being passed with the intention of selective enforcement.

So, if this - or yellow boxes, or having city swimming pools - is on your hotlist of what matters, show up to tonight’s council meeting to voice your opinion.  Otherwise, we’ll be blogging it all live so you can watch from your comfy air-conditioned couch while we swelter in high back wooden church benches.

See ya at 6!

Blog Log Digital

Posted by “Jim Gonyea” on notestoleicester.blogspot.com

In recent news Doug’s political headquarters in Worcester was vandalized. There was an article on the Telegram website.. Once you’ve read the article, take a look at the video posted at You Tube. You can make your own decisions about the affair, but it’s hard to believe that the vandalism wasn’t planned. It’s hard to believe it wasn’t politically motivated. Random vandalism doesn’t hit one storefront and a political HQ at that. I don’t claim that Doug’s opponent was involved. I do claim a supporter of his opponent was involved. Hopefully the Worcester PD will be able to find the individual responsible and arrest him.

What 18 hours do we mean?

When city pols and wonks talk about an 18-hour city, it invokes images of late-night street life: of bars, cafes, and people into the wee hours.

So it’s a good thing that the renovated Worcester Common is going to play into that, right? Rob Antonelli, the city’s Assistant Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, says of course it will.

“There is no doubt in my mind that this will make the Worcester Common a better overall function location and a better meeting location,” he said. “It will give us year-round, 18-hour-a-day use for events.”

But Antonelli and friends may want to re-check what 18 hours they’re talking about.

Sez the official rules and regs for the Worcester Common:

“It shall be unlawfull for any person…to commit any trespass between the hours of 10:00pm and 5:00am except with a written permit from the DPW/Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Division.”  (Using the park as a “walkthrough” outside of those hours is allowed, but nothing more).

Now technically, that does leave the park with 17 (not 1 open hours, but those are hardly the hours people think of when they hear “18-hour city.”  5am?  Are the people in charge really talking about a vibrant 5am cafe culture?  And if those are the hours we’re talking about, are we hoping the city shuts down at 10pm?

While we’re on the subject, there are some other rules you should know about at city parks:

• Phonographs are specifically mentioned, along with bullhorns, radios, loudspeakers and amplifiers as being disallowed at any volume that would disturb others.
• No frisbee throwing, or “active leisure activities” are allowed on the Common.
• No active ball games are allowed in any park, except in designated areas.
• No roller blading, roller skating, or skate boarding is allowed on any city park walking paths.
• No “group outings/picnics” can be held on any park, playground, or beach under the DPW jurisdiction.

Live on WTAG: Fireworks now

You want real fireworks?

Tune into AM 580, FM 94.9, or wtag.com for 3 hours of feistiness with Scott Zoback and Mike Messina.  Call in to throw anyone you want under the bus.

The Daily Wuss will be back full force on Monday morning.

Video from the Belanger HQ attack

Just posted on YouTube, video from this week’s attack on State Senate candidate Doug Belanger’s campaign HQ:

Embedding is disabled, but here is the video link.

Scratch That

We just received the following email from some character calling himself “Scratch Marx.” It’s so bizarre, we’ll reprint it hear in its entirety.

Candidate Moore Office Receives “Guerilla” Tactics This Morning

Local anti-union activist Scratch Marx was seen passing out bananas in front of the headquarters of Millbury state candidate Michael Moore this morning.

After Mr. Marx read that the “Millbury Monkey Boy” may have been behind vandalized the windows of Mr. Moore’s chief rival, Doug Belanger of Leicester, he promised “I would call attention to the union goons, thugs and anonymous union lifers who use scare tactics that Mugabe would honor when they get behind a candidate.”

Mr. Marx referred to the Worcester County House of Correction as the Head Monkey House and criticized Mr. Moore as a “Muppet” beholden to the “Chief Muppeteer” Sheriff Guy Glodis. “Those guys put their selfish union agenda ahead of taxpayers’ interests every time,” exclaimed Mr. Marx, as passersby picked the curious yellow fruit he was giving away today at the Grafton Street rotary.

” His is a classic apparatchik who will bend over for them every time, ” Mr. Marx went on. “And the taxpayers lose.”

This campaign is getting fun.

Maxwell Station

Big breaking news, coming live from the Jordan Levy Show.

Maxwell Silverman’s, is taking over Union Station’s Grand Hall and the old Restaurant space as an event and banquet hall, conference space, and cafe.  Proprietor Gus Giordano is live on WTAG right now, talking about his plans, which include a three-part plan: Conference center space in the old Union Station: The Restaurant area; Lucciano’s Cafe, a coffee shop in the front of that spot; and will be running the main hall as a banquet/event hall.  He’s already booking several events, including Herman’s Hermits, and is talking about upgrading the sound system and infrastructure.

This is big on a number of fronts.  Not only is it a huge change in how Union Station has operated (is that Byblos lounge ever going to open?), Giordano recently ran the first alcohol-friendly catering services (for free) at a Green Hill golf tournament—is he honing in on being the favored provider up there?

And Giordano just announced a huge special for Union Station: for the first 60 days, any event booked will have no banquet hall fees.  Giordano says it’s a $4,000 savings.