The Goddard School located in Auburn Announces $10K Scholarship

The Goddard School® located in Auburn is calling out to all Goddard School alumni. The organization has just announced that it will be accepting applications for its annual $10,000 Anthony A. Martino Memorial Scholarship.

Online Exclusives

Posted by Brittany Durgin

Snowboarding in action – Watch video footage of a past Sofa King New England snowboard contest, as well as footage from the new Contour HD cameras that strap onto your goggles while ripping down the mountain. Find them here with this weeks Two Minutes With… interview.

Behind the Story – Hear how this weeks feature on Deaf culture was written by an interpreter who worked locally for years, but until writing this story had miscommunications of the Worcester Deaf community. Watch the video here.

An intimate language – Watch a video of a conversation first spoken, then signed. See the difference between the two individuals having the conversation.

This is Paradise – Check out a brand new song titled “Paradise” by local BBoyd featuring Gamble & Burke in WooTown Sounds.

Take the Plunge – A community of brave souls gathered at Wachusett to take part in the Polar Plunge to raise funds for Camp Sunshine in Maine. See photos of locals jumping into a pool of water in their bathing suits on one of the coldest days of the winter.

TOPICS are raised – The Clark student group TOPICS is making their cause known. Read about the group and find out how you can help them in celebrating healthy relationships in early March.

Gathering of musicians – Find a photo gallery of images from a Thursday evening at the Westborough Music Sessions and a link to find out about their future gatherings.

Transgender Equal Rights Bill – Read about this initiative here.

City council live blog: 1/25/11 — the double agenda edition (updated)

Posted by Jeremy Shulkin

Twice the agenda in a limited amount of time (the State of the Union is at 9:00). Can we be out before President Obama finishes shaking everyone’s hands as he walks into Congress? Follow all the action with the agenda and in Cover It Live.

7:14: Here we go. The City’s new Public Health Commissioner Dr. Magee is recognized by M.O’Brien in a “very selective process” that included candidates from New York City.

Magee calls this an honor. “We have some real enthusiasm within our department.” He says he came across a report on the hepatitis epidemic at Holy Cross in the 1940s and Dr. Morse’s role in discovering that.

7:18: M.O’Brien talks about Frances Manocchio leaving the City as disabilities and human rights director.

Tonight in bi-partisanship

Posted by Jeremy Shulkin

For tonight’s State of the Union address members of the Senate and House will not sit divided by political party, but rather they will mingle amongst one another in an effort to show bi-partisanship.

From the Globe (it’s behind a paywall):

Democrats and Republicans traditionally sit in starkly defined blocs during the speech, which become evident when half the room rises to celebrate a partisan applause line while the rest sit on their hands.

According to the Globe, Senator Scott Brown will sit with Deleware Democratic Senator Thomas Carper. On the House side, district 2 Democrat Richard Neal will sit with Tennessee Republican Jim Duncan.

But most of the others seem to not have sought a date, with many claiming they’ll just sit next to whoever is around.

Worcester Democratic US Rep. Jim McGovern asked Missouri Republican Jo Anne Emerson to join him, but found out later that she slipped on ice and broke her arm, and won’t be making it to the event.

“As of right now, I don’t yet have a date to the prom,’’ admitted Representative James P. McGovern, a Worcester Democrat. “I’m available, though. I feel like I’m back in high school.’’

Three school committee members push for further Goddard investigation

Posted by Jeremy Shulkin

Brian O’Connell, Dianna Biancheria and Tracy O’Connell Novick have just released a statement asking for a “prompt, comprehensive, aggressive, impartial and meticulous investigation take place as to the circumstances at the school which led to the invalidation of the 2010 MCAS results.”

In their two page release the group praises the progress of Goddard School of Science and Technology, but warns that a year of invalidated test scores could hinder public confidence in the school and limit parents from receiving necessary information about the education of their children. They argue that further investigation is necessary not only to find out what went wrong, but to show what went right:

We are not raising our concerns to disturb the well-earned respect which Goddard has achieved, or to demonstrate a lack of confidence in the school’s leadership or in its personnel. In fact, we believe that a thorough investigation will isolate the source of the irregularity, thus reinforcing the caliber and quality of the many staff members and school leaders who were not involved, and setting a procedure and direction in place for correction of the test process in the future. This will, in effect, make public and visible whatever underlying issues need to be addressed, and, as Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis so accurately observed, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”

This will be brought up for a vote at next Thursday’s school committee meeting. O’Connell, Novick and Biancheria will need to convince one other school committee member to vote with them in order for this further investigation to happen.

More information to come later.

More info in today’s paper.

Monday morning reading

Posted by Jeremy Shulkin

Jordan Levy’s blog hosted by WTAG posted a transcript from an online chat between a listener and a DPW customer service agent. It’s kind of like the “Waiting for Godot” of municipal service — a back and forth between two people, lots of waiting around, nothing really happens and in the end Godot (or in this case a parking officer) never shows.

[11:27:10 AM] Is there anything else I can help you with today?

Guest: [11:28:00 AM] You haven’t helped with anything yet.

Update: Massachusetts State Police Advisory: 1.21.11 Storm Operations

Looks like the worst of it is over, but still be careful out on those roads!

Central Massachusetts: Troop C Barracks reporting snow beginning to subside. Vehicles continue to slide off the road in the Milbury area on Route 495 and Route 146. Troopers are on-scene of a tractor trailer off the road on Route 146 in Northbridge, with no impact on traffic.

Meadow Lane residents find lawyer

Posted by Jeremy Shulkin

This tip in from former city councilor (and Womag columnist) Gary Rosen: Meadow Lane residents have found a lawyer.

Attorney Mo Bergman has been brought in to fight the city’s ruling that they must shovel the sidewalk on a portion of Pleasant street, or face fines and liens as called for by the city’s snow shovel ordinance.

Bergman is a former Zoning Board of Appeals member and made an unsuccessful bid for city councilor at-large in 2007.

The City ruled two weeks ago that state land takings in 1959 which widened Pleasant street now make Meadow Lane residents abutters to both streets.