Dracut Politics

Curtain Call

2011-05-24T12:43:00.000-04:00

As you have noticed, my blogging here has been rather light the past few months. Truth is, work has become very busy and with two young children, I just don't have the time right now to devote to this blog and covering Dracut politics. Thus, I won't be blogging here anymore but I will keep the site "live" in case I am able to get back to this.

Thanks to everyone for their readership and to everyone who I have met as a result of this blog.

Be well.

Election analysis

2011-05-02T20:51:00.003-04:00

The results were as people expected - incumbents John Zimini and Bob Cox were re-elected to the Board of Selectmen and Matthew Sheehan was re-elected to a second term on the School Committee. Fire Chief Leo Gaudette easily defeated Chris Jenkins for Town Moderator.

But the news of the night was the high school project which won 3,894-1,748 with 316 blanks. It wasn't even close. Mega kudos to the Friends of a New Dracut High School for an amazing effort to get people to back the project and for getting people to the polls. 5,958 (or 31%) voters came out to vote - the largest number of people to vote in a May election in well over 10 years. The previous high was 5,048 in 1999. This may represent a seismic shift in town politics as a new breed of voters was awoken this year. Here's hoping they stay involved.

As for the races, voters felt that things were going well enough to stay the course. Sheehan had a scare winning by 158 votes with 414 blanks (2,844-2,686). If those blanks went to May Paquette in any significant number, Sheehan would have been in trouble.

Zimini topped the ticket with 2,943 votes. Cox followed with 2,661, Tony Archniski got 2,470, and Ted Kosiavelon got 1,842. This is huge for Zimini has many (including yours truly) wrote him off last year. Now he topped the ticket.

I was sad to see Jenkins lose so big to Gaudette (3,774-1,532). Jenkins was at Town Hall tonight and seems like a great guy - I hope he runs for something again but he's not too sure. I don't think a town official should hold an elected position but alas, the voters have spoken.

Linda Trouville and Cheryl Storm were unopposed and won the two seats for Library Trustee.

A rather anti-climatic night but a good night for the high school. Hope for the future won over fear and doom and gloom. Has a new era has dawned?

2011 Dracut Election Results

2011-05-02T20:45:00.004-04:00

Here are the winners:

Selectmen: John Zimini and Bob Cox

School Committee: Matt Sheehan

Moderator: Leo Gaudette

School Project: Yes (by a landslide)

BIN LADEN IS DEAD

2011-05-01T22:53:00.001-04:00

A wonderful night for America...and for the Ogonowski family.

Never taking a stand?

2011-05-01T07:46:00.003-04:00

Today's Lowell Sun has an article on the legislation passed by the House last week that would essentially strip unions of any control over health care. The measure is now in the Senate and the paper asked local senators how they felt about the bill. Our senator, Barry Finegold, characteristically did not take a stand. He said he was "listening to all sides" and "waiting to see what happens."

This seems to be a pattern with this guy - he vacillates and tries to please everyone and offend no one. Take a stand, senator!

Zimini responds

2011-04-30T08:42:00.005-04:00

Gerry Nutter asked John Zimini what he thought of the cartoon in yesterday's Lowell Sun. The basis of the ad, from Tony Archniski, was that Zimini, who calls himself the independent, took thousands of dollars from unions in campaign contributions. The ad, he said, makes it seem that Zimini took all those contributions in 2008 but they were actually made over a 7 year period.

Fair enough.

I think Zimini's donations are based on his ties to the Democratic Party and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray. I can't imagine they have much influence on local issues. Zimini himself gives a lot of money to statewide candidates. In the past 10 years or so, he has donated closed to $5,000 to state office candidates, mostly to Murray. The donations back to him, it would seem, are just your typical political quid pro quo.

I am surprised that Archniski would bring up Zimini's union ties given the fact that Archniski himself works for a union! His union, the New England Police Benevolent Association, has given thousands and thousands of dollars in donations to political candidates in recent years. Granted, it's not Archniski himself giving/receiving donations from them but his union is very powerful and vocal, especially over the recent debate over municipal health care costs. Where will Archniski be on that issue? Will he be with the taxpayers or the unions?

I have no problem with the police union - I like Jerry Flynn actually. But, it just surprises me that Archniski would go on the union issue when going against Zimini. It was a good ad (I am friends with the cartoonist actually) but does it hold up?

My predictions

2011-04-30T08:26:00.002-04:00

As always, I thought I'd make predictions for Monday's election. This is not necessarily how I am going to vote, just who I think is going to win.

Board of Selectmen

This was a tough one as it's been a quiet race (until this week really) with little separating the four candidates running. But in the end, I think Bob Cox and John Zimini will re-elected. Tony Archniski will make it close but I don't think his "change" slogan will resonate since he was part of town government for so long (and had some contentious relations with some folks in town). I don't think Ted Kosiavelon made a case for his election - although he made some decent points in his Sun profile today.

I think Cox and Zimini have a better organization and base. Plus, things are going well in town and their opponents haven't made a case for their ouster

School Committee

I was always sure that Matt Sheehan would be re-elected to the School Committee but Wednesday's Town Meeting solidified that. Sheehan is certainly tied in with the Friends of a New Dracut High School and they will be out voting en masse on Monday for the high school project - and Sheehan benefits from that. Besides that, Sheehan deserves re-election given the hiring of Dr. Scott and the decrease in "drama" on the committee.

May Paquette, a formidable candidate in her own right, just didn't make the case that Sheehan should not be re-elected. She is a better speaker and comes across very well but Sheehan's accomplishments speak for themselves.

High School Project

I think this will pass. The Friends have established a good grassroots network and have people excited and motivated. Yes, the last Prop 2 1/2 override vote in town failed but that was for Town Hall. I think people are more interested in seeing money spent on projects like schools. This will be a no-brainer.

Sun endorsements

2011-04-30T08:07:00.002-04:00

Today's Lowell Sun laid out their endorsements for Monday's election. They endorsed:

Bob Cox - Selectman

John Zimini - Selectman

Matthew Sheehan - School Committee

High School Renovation - Yes

Read the endorsements here.

Selectmen Profiles

2011-04-30T08:00:00.002-04:00

Today's Sun ran profiles of the four men running for the Board of Selectmen. Strangely only Bob Cox's and John Zimini's are on-line as of now. See them below:

Tony Archinski

Bob Cox

Ted Kosiavelon

John Zimini

Daigle on high school

2011-04-30T07:56:00.003-04:00

Roger Daigle penned a letter to the editor in today's paper in which he argues against the renovation of Dracut High School. Focusing on the tax burden and the debt this will incur, Daigle's letter is well written and, for some, may be pretty convincing.

Friends of a New Dracut High School posted on Facebook that Daigle "represents a portion of voters that don't want this project to pass." They said this letter has given them "motivation" to work hard over the weekend.

Here is Daigle's letter:

First of all, I wish to congratulate the "Friends of a new Dracut High School" and the members of the School Committee for opening up the process to the people of Dracut. It's the right thing to do.

I'm not against anything that will provide a "better" educational opportunity for Dracut's children. I, as a taxpayer, disagree with how that goal is achieved. I also disagree with how my tax dollars are being used or misused.

No building is ever old if properly maintained. As one who has been footing my share of the bill for years, who has had four children go through the system, to be told that a structure like the auditorium must be torn down because it is "largely inaccessible to people with disabilities" is totally unacceptable! This, when the two side entrances nearest the stage could easily be ramped at very little cost to accommodate the disabled.

Both the auditorium and the gymnasium have been in use to everyone's satisfaction for 54 years, even with present constraints, which makes me wonder, why now?

Dracut, like the federal government, cannot keep borrowing itself into prosperity, especially now, during our worst recession in 40 years. Ten years ago, Dracut had as its long-term debt the sum of $38,931,226. As of June 30, 2010, Dracut taxpayers now owe $78,415,974. My real-estate taxes during these same 10 years went up 38.3 percent (when my retirement income stayed nearly stagnant). Over the last 20 years, it's up 91.5 percent.

We have 3,747 senior citizens who have had their Social Security COLAs cut off through 2012. Many of them, along with many unemployed, are struggling to make ends meet. You'll have to admit that it's very disconcerting to these same people to see a proposal where 60 percent of the total cost of the project could have been deferred until times got better with little educational benefits lost.

Your selling points have had no impact at all. In fact, I find them reinforcing my contentions. We'll care when you all do.

ROGER L. DAIGLE

Dracut

Moderator race

2011-04-28T22:30:00.001-04:00

Don't forget the race for Town Moderator between Leo Gaudette and Chris Jenkins. Jenkins penned a letter to the editor today asking for folks' votes:

This year, in addition to races for School Committee and Board of Selectmen, there is one more contested race on this year's ballot -- that of town moderator. The moderator presides at Town Meeting and makes several appointments to town boards and committees.

I have been a resident of Dracut for most of my life and have been heavily involved in the community. I am running for moderator because I have the skills and experience necessary to preside at a large Town Meeting. I will preside over Town Meeting in a way that is fair and inviting for everyone concerned while also being mindful of efficiency in the way we govern ourselves. I am also committed to making appointments to the various town committees for which I would be responsible in a timely and transparent manner. I believe I bring the right balance of new blood and familiarity with our polity to be a successful moderator. I respectfully ask for your vote on Monday, May 2.

CHRISTOPHER JENKINS

Dracut

Mega fine

2011-04-28T22:03:00.002-04:00

Today's Sun is reporting that former Selectman Jim O'Loughlin has to pay the state $7,275 in fines for failing to submit his final 2010 campaign finance reports on time. He eventually turned them in on April 15, almost a year late. The $7,275 was based on $25 per every day the report was late.

More high school coverage

2011-04-28T07:25:00.003-04:00

Today's Lowell Sun has a rundown of last night's special Town Meeting. Joe Wilkie of the Friends of a New Dracut High School warned against complacency in the lead-up to Monday's vote:

Joe Wilkie, chairman of Friends of a New Dracut High School, knows only his supporters showed up to the Special Town Meeting and the opposition stayed home. He's worried about that silent opposition, the residents who question the need to temporarily raise taxes during tough economic times to cover the renovation project.

His group's answer is 75 volunteers already committed to running a grass-roots Election Day get-out-the-vote effort with phone calls, text messages and signs, and Wilkie is already busy recruiting more.

"We hope to energize parents. We hope to energize people who haven't been involved in the process before," said Wilkie outside the high school after the vote. He passed out reusable blue bags from Friends of a New Dracut High School urging residents to "Vote Yes" in Monday's election.

There was certainly a lot of excitement last night. The Sun's description of the meeting as more of a pep rally is true. I was in the overflow room and almost every single person in there was in their 30's or 40's (i.e. parents). I just hope going forward, these folks stay engaged in town politics. We always need new blood and a better, more engaged civil society in town.

1000-0

2011-04-27T20:34:00.003-04:00

It wasn't really a question as to whether or not the high school project would pass Town Meeting...it was a matter of by how much. Close to 1,000 people showed up tonight to vote on the lone warrant article and within 15 minutes, it was over. There were so many people that many of us had to be moved to the music classroom where they piped in the audio.

School Committee Chair Matthew Sheehan, Superintendent Stacy Scott, Friends of a New Dracut High School member Joe Wilkie, and State Rep. Colleen Garry (trough a prepared statement) spoke in favor of the project. Scott was especially good and was very funny as well. Garry's statement was excellent as well (she was at the State House and couldn't be there).

In the end, Moderator Gary McCarthy called for the vote and then, after the yeas, jokingly asked if anyone wanted to vote no. No one did and that was that. The place erupted.

Now we're off to Monday's election...it ain't over yet.

Well done Dracut.

DiRocco and Zimini clash

2011-04-27T08:36:00.002-04:00

Shawn has a good rundown of Selectman Joe DiRocco taking Selectman John Zimini to task for his stance on Louisburg Square (remember that) at last night's Board of Selectmen meeting. Zimini was unable to respond as an item that is not on the agenda can be brought up but not deliberated. That doesn't seem particularly fair to Zimini at all but it shows that blood is still in the water between him and, well, almost everyone else on the board.

You can read all about it here.

Dracut 9/11 Memorial Video

2011-04-27T08:30:00.009-04:00

Tony at richardhowe.com posted a video of the steel beam that was delievered to Dracut earlier this month. The beam was part of the World Trade Center and will now be a part of Dracut's 9/11 Memorial.

Garry votes with unions

2011-04-27T08:08:00.004-04:00

Late last night, the House of Representatives voted 111-42 to give cities and towns the power to make changes to health care plans without having to get union approval...the exact same power private businesses have over private employees. As a compromise, unions will have 30 days to work with cities and towns on any changes.

State Rep. Colleen Garry, who is usually a fiscal conservative, voted against this measure saying unions should not have their collective bargaining rights taken away. I am surprised and very disappointed by her vote, especially since just the other day she voted to reduce the income tax to 5%.

Oh well, it's a good bill. Public employees have been making out like kings and queens for decades, it's time they shared some of the burden we've all bore for them.

Dracut students asks to vote yes

2011-04-27T08:03:00.002-04:00

Nice letter to the editor in today's paper from Zachary Durkin, the class president of Dracut High School's Class of 2013. In his letter, he advocates for the renovation of Dracut High School:

As a student body leader at Dracut High School, I know I can speak for most of my peers and say that a new high school is not a luxury, but a necessity. Day in and day out I have walked the halls of Dracut High, and have sat in the classes where windows don't open, there aren't enough desks, the heat doesn't turn on, and there is a lack of basic technology. Overall, it is an environment not fit for learning. Not only are the students at Dracut High competing with other students throughout the commonwealth and the nation, but also globally. Students in Europe and China have the upper hand when it comes to the use of technology in the classroom, and the skills needed for careers in the growing 21st century.

Also, with new facilities, Dracut students will have new, valuable resources that will help them continue to flourish in athletics, academics and the fine arts.

A "yes" vote on May 2 will ensure that the students of Dracut High School will be provided with a much-needed and deserved modern school that will allow them to become a force to be reckoned with in the global job market.

The talented faculty can only do so much for their students with the limited resources and space they are provided. Just think of the boundless opportunities this renovation will bring to the students and our community. Dracut students are counting on you, please don't let us down!

ZACHARY DURKIN, President

DHS Class of 2013

Nice to see students getting involved in their town.

Lowell Sun Debate

2011-04-26T10:14:00.002-04:00

The Lowell Sun will be hosting a debate today at 4pm between the four candidates for the Board of Selectmen. You can watch the one-hour debate here. I am sure it will be available on-line after as well.

Well done

2011-04-26T10:09:00.004-04:00

It's ain't over yet but last night, the School Committee congratulated the Friends of the New Dracut High School for their grassroots efforts to raise support and awareness for the renovation of Dracut High School. Even opponents of the project (of which there are few) have applauded them for their work.

I am especially impressed with the way in which they used technology. They have an amazing website, constant presence on Facebook, informative e-mails, etc. I just got another e-mail today and it gave you the ability to post the message to your Facebook and Twitter accounts with the click of a button. Nothing innovative or new (I see this all the time) but the fact that even a local group is doing this speaks volumes.

Some may poo-poo the use of technology in local elections/issues but these folks are proving it's here to stay and it works (I hope).

School changes

2011-04-26T09:58:00.002-04:00

At last night's School Committee meeting, Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott announced that he eliminated the position of "head-custodian." The post seemed to be a scheduling one and was a "stipend" job held by a current custodian. Andy Graham, the buildings and grounds supervisor, will assume the role for an additional stipend of $4,000.

I wonder what the stipend was before?? It seems that the job description fits Graham's existing role so should he really be getting an additional stipend? Not good to be asking taxpayers to fork over money for a high school renovation (which I support) and then paying one of your top earners more money to essentially do his job. Graham does amazing work, no one takes that away from him but this just doesn't sit well with me.

See the article here.

School tours

2011-04-26T09:53:00.002-04:00

I was not able to make the tour of the high school last night (although my friend Dave and his daughter Julia were and their picture made the front page!) but today's paper has a good run down of the night. Most people interviewed seemed to support the renovation and the override that will be necessary to pay for it. One resident rightly called it "an investment in our future."

You can read the whole article here.

Kudos to Rep. Garry

2011-04-26T09:48:00.003-04:00

Double kudos I should say. Today's Lowell Sun mentions that Rep. Colleen Garry voted yesterday to roll back the state income tax to 5%. Of course, the measure failed with only Republicans and three Democrats voting for it. Garry said that the voters voted for the roll back to 5% in 2000 only to have it stopped by the Legislature a couple of years later. Garry told the Sun:

I think that there's a skepticism out there. There's a taint that is going to be shown, especially in these next coming weeks with what is going on with Sal DiMasi, that I think we do need to show we're listening to them.

Amen.

Garry is also in the paper for coming out against a state funded website that, among other things, informs minors how to get abortions without their parents knowing about it. She said:

This thing is just so blatant and so unbelievable. It spells everything out. It's too much for a young child reading it.

Amen again.

Election Ballot

2011-04-25T17:54:00.002-04:00

Here is the order of names on next week's ballot:

TOWN ELECTION

Moderator: Vote for One Leo T. Gaudette

(One year term) Christopher A. Jenkins

Selectmen: Vote for two Ted Kosiavelon

(Three year term) Tony Archinski

Robert Cox

John J. Zimini

School Committee: Vote for One Matthew J. Sheehan

(Three year term) Marietta M. Paquette

Greater Lowell Tech: Vote for One Victor A. Olson

(Three year term)

Trustee of Public Library: Vote for One Linda Trouville

(Three year term) Cheryl A. Storm

DWSD Election:

Commissioner: Vote for One Bill Morin

(Three year term)

District Clerk: Vote for One Kathleen M. Graham

(Three year term)

Serving his country

2011-04-25T15:20:00.003-04:00

Fantastic article in today's paper about a Dracut Marine who was awarded a medal for fighting back against a Taliban attack in Afghanistan. You can read the whole article here but below is a taste. God Bless Cpl. Cozy and all the men and women fighting for our freedom.

Cpl. Brian Cozy's squad was positioned atop a hillside in Afghanistan when gunfire erupted around them.

Taliban militants ran between the mud huts below and fired machine guns. The dozen or so Marines fired back, but they were easy targets on the downward slope. Cozy, a 24-year-old Dracut native and machine gunner, lay on his stomach in the open, firing. It was Oct. 21 and Cozy had only arrived in the dangerous Helmand province about a month earlier.

When the gunfire ended, his commander called for the squad to return to base, but as they started to retreat, they came under attack again. Cozy again put himself in danger, manning his machine gun without cover. His commander called for him to move back, but he refused to leave his post until the others were safe.

Cozy was recently awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal For Valor for his heroism that day.

Zimini video

2011-04-25T14:29:00.002-04:00

Selectman John Zimini has gone viral in his re-election bid- producing an on-line video. It's about 13 minutes and you can see it here.

Sheehan letter

2011-04-25T14:22:00.003-04:00

With the elections a little more than a week away, I can imagine that campaign fliers/mailings will be coming in fast. Today we got a letter from Matthew Sheehan's parents advocating for their son's re-election. They outline his work on hiring Dr. Scott and the transparency of the process.

Stay tuned.

Meeting Agendas

2011-04-25T10:43:00.001-04:00

The agenda for tonight's School Committee meeting is here. I'd post the one for tomorrow's Board of Selectmen's meeting but it's not on the town's website (or I am not seeing it).

Open House Tonight

2011-04-25T10:31:00.003-04:00

Don't forget the open house at the high school tonight from 5pm-7pm. Speaking of which, former teacher Bob Rudolph weighed in on the matter in a fantastic letter to the editor in today's Sun:

It has been almost 40 years since I began teaching in Dracut and I learned early in my career that the high school is not only the educational center of the town, but it is also the civic and social center as well.

The building is used by people of all ages for a multitude of town functions. It hosts recitals, town meetings, musicals, scholarship telethons in the auditorium, senior-citizen supers in the cafeteria, town athletic events in the gymnasium, craft fairs throughout the halls, Old Home Day and July 4th fireworks on the surrounding grounds.

It is arguably the most utilized facility in Dracut.

We now have the chance for much-needed renovations and expansion of this aging building. It is a great opportunity to utilize our tax dollars for the betterment of our town. The money we send to the state each year will be coming back to us to fund a large majority of this worthwhile project. This opportunity will not come around again. If we do not take advantage, another town will and our money will fund its project.

I urge everyone to support the Dracut Senior High School renovation project with a yes vote on May 2.

BOB RUDOLPH

Dracut

O'Loughlin back

2011-04-25T10:26:00.002-04:00

Looks like Jim O'Loughlin and Jim Campanini have made up. After eviscerating Erin Smith over her coverage of Dracut, O'Loughlin was summarily removed from his weekly "This week in history" column in Monday's paper. He was replaced by Tyler Dumont. Campanini even told Gerry Nutter:

Tyler Dumont is a high school intern who is now doing the Day in History column. Mr. O’Loughlin is no longer a freelance contributor for The Sun.

So there you go.

One year out...

2011-04-25T10:18:00.003-04:00

It was one year ago this week that it was revealed that School Committee member Ron Mercier allegedly stole gas from his employer, the city of Lowell. It was a year ago next month that Officers Dubois and Wagner were placed on paid leave for being "intentionally deceptive" during the drug theft investigation.

And what is the status of these three men? Nothing. They're still awaiting their fates. They are of course innocent until proven guilty but this is such a sham, especially the police officers. The fact that the only real mention of this in the campaign is that it's an "embarrassment" is an embarrassment.

Any wonder why the people have zero faith in their government? And unions wonder why people want to take away some of their power?

University Ave. Traffic

2011-04-23T08:30:00.003-04:00

Count me among those who feel the expansion of UMass Lowell and the leadership of Marty Meehan is fantastic and a positive for the city and surrounding area. However, the traffic jams the university's buses and students are causing on University Ave. is maddening. To get over that bridge during rush hour, one has to sit in mega traffic and get past a line of buses which are taking up a lane of traffic while parked on University Ave. picking up students. The students themselves cross the street without looking or without concern if there is a green or red light.

One Wendy Cabral of Dracut has the same concerns and had a letter to the editor in yesterday's Sun. Read it here.

High school open house

2011-04-23T08:17:00.001-04:00

There will be an open house at Dracut High School on Monday from 5pm-7pm. Voters can tour the school, hear about the potential renovations, and learn about the project. See more here.

Sheehan and Paquette profiles

2011-04-23T08:09:00.002-04:00

This morning's Sun has profiles of the two candidates for School Committee - incumbent Matthew Sheehan and May Paquette. Sheehan maked a compelling case that he deserves re-election focusing on the hiring of Dr. Scott (and the process) and transparency.

Paquette focuses on her prior 9-year experience on the committee and the experience she would bring back to the School Committee.

This should be an interesting (and close) race. You can't discount Sheehan's accomplishments but Paquette has experience and lots of friends in town. Stay tuned.

Bond vs. Archinski

2011-04-22T21:31:00.003-04:00

In his column in today's Valley Dispatch, Warren Shaw calls out Brian Bond for bringing up the employment record of former Dracut police officer, and candidate for the Board of Selectmen, Tony Archniski.

I don't know, I assume that Bond obtained these records legally from the town and are a matter of public record. If so then I see no problem with them being released. There seems to be a lot of controversy about Archniski's time as a Dracut police officer so perhaps it should be fair game - especially since he now wants to a selectman.

He is Risen

2011-04-22T08:47:00.002-04:00

Yes, Him and me.

Been away from the old blog for a long time, sorry about that. Work has been very, very busy...add on two young kids and, well, that leaves little time for blogging.

Well, we are a few days away from the special Town Meeting to vote on the high school renovation project. There is really no doubt that this will pass town meeting - expect this to be the most attended meeting in years. The big question is whether or not it will pass the election on May 2. I think it will but you never know.

The races for selectmen and school committee have been pretty quiet with very little separating the various candidates. It's mostly faction vs. faction at this point. I will make my predictions next week.

Yesterday's Sun carried a letter to the editor from the School Committee endorsing the high school project. No shock there. One thing I worry about is the Friends of Dracut High School and their relationship with elected officials. I don't know a whole lot about campaign finance laws as it applies to interest groups but the Friends are soliciting funds and seemingly endorsing Matthew Sheehan (they promoted his recent event with the Easter Bunny on their Facebook page). I support this project and the friends group wholeheartedly but they should be careful they are not running afoul of any laws.

The Sun also had an article indicating that some town employees can hold other positions in town (i.e. Leo Gaudette as fire chief and, if elected, moderator). I know nothing about Gaudette but heard he's a good guy and a good fire chief but I have a general rule that I don't think people should hold more than one position in town. Town Moderator is not a super powerful position but it's a principle for me.

Rep. Colleen Garry has come out in opposition to Speaker Robert DeLeo's plan to allow municipalities to make changes to health insurance for workers without union consent. That is very disappointing. She told the Sun that municipalities should negotiate with the unions, which, she said, has been successful in Dracut.

Except of course for the Dracut "Just Say No" Teacher's Union...which so happens to be the largest public sector union in every single city and town. This doesn't seem to jive with her usual fiscal conservatism, it's too bad.

In last Sunday's Column, State Sen. Barry Finegold seemed to come out in support of Lowell's move to raise the voting age to 17 in city elections. He said something along the lines, "It makes you wonder why we let them fight in wars but not vote."

Huh? 17 year olds can serve in the military?

Mercier staying out of the limelight

2011-02-27T22:09:00.002-05:00

During Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting, Dr. Stacy Scott and four of the five School Committee members appeared to advocate for the new Dracut High School project. The fifth member, Ron Mercier, was not with his colleagues. I said on Tuesday that he was either absent or off camera. According to the Column today, Mercier was there but elected to stay away from the cameras.

The Sun reported that he sat in the back at first but then moved to sit with Andy Graham up front and joked with Selectman Bob Cox "about his face not needing to be on camera." The Sun also reported that Mercier's case for allegedly stealing gas from the City of Lowell is still on going with a hearing on April 28 to "determine if all the documents have been received to proceed with a trial."

Dracutonian idea

2011-02-24T08:46:00.002-05:00

Jim Campanini has come up with a new word:

Dracutonian Adjective

1. A fiscally conservative and creative way to handle town finances

He speaks of Selectman Joe DiRocco's proposal at Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting to suspend the CPA tax as a way to "soften the blow" of the tax increase that will come with the renovation of the high school (assuming it passes Town Meeting and a vote on May 2).

Warren Shaw also floated this idea on his radio show a few weeks back.

See the full editorial here.

Election update

2011-02-24T08:35:00.004-05:00

Today's Lowell Sun has an election update. It seems that Fire Chief Leo Gaudette has taken out papers to run for Town Moderator. I am concerned with town officials also holding elective office. I hope Gaudette decides against running - it's a matter of principle. A town employee should not have the authority of an elected position, especially one that impacts the funding of the employee's department. If elected, Gaudette will run the meetings that determine budget matters for his department. It doesn't seem fair.

Ax the CPA?

2011-02-23T08:36:00.003-05:00

Today's Lowell Sun (as well as Dracut Forum) has a good rundown of last night's Board of Selectmen meeting and their discussion about eliminating the CPA tax in order to make the Prop 2 1/2 vote on a new high school more palatable.

See the story here but below is a taste:

Some town officials may be looking to make a deal in an effort to renovate the high school.

Selectman Joseph DiRocco wants to ax the Community Preservation Act tax as a tradeoff for the approval of the $60 million renovation project. Dracut has approved the Community Preservation Act, which adds a 2 percent tax to homeowners' annual tax bill. Those funds can be used for town projects such as open-space preservation and affordable housing.

"In my mind, it might be a better way to sell the project," said DiRocco.

The high-school renovation project is a contentious issue in town.

Proponents argue it makes fiscal sense to use state money to renovate the high school for about $23 million because it will cost about $29 million for minimum upkeep and repairs to the high school over the next 25 years. The new school would increase property values and attract prospective buyers to the community.

Opponents say homeowners can't afford another tax burden to fund the project, especially during tough economic times.

Town officials estimate an additional annual tax of $219 for homeowners with property worth $300,000 during the highest year of the 25-year loan. The tax for property owners peaks at that rate on the third year and continues to decrease to $114 for $300,000 homes in the 25th year, according to figures provided by Town Treasurer Ann Vandal.

DiRocco wanted the board to send the proposal to eliminate the community-preservation tax to Town Meeting until Selectman John Zimini reminded him that a vote on the matter would violate the state's Open Meeting Law because it wasn't on the meeting agenda. Selectmen Chairman George Malliaros said the board would discuss eliminating the act's surcharge at the board's March 22 meeting.

Selectmen Cathy Richardson and Zimini voiced concern over eliminating the community preservation tax, citing the benefits the town has reaped from use of the money.

Library vision

2011-02-23T08:31:00.003-05:00

I have been tough on the library for its reduction in hours lately but I found some comfort in an interview new library director Randy Robertshaw had with the Valley Dispatch. In response to a question about his vision for the library, he said:

I don't want to come in with my own expectations. I'd rather let the community speak of their expectations. You can bring in your own preconceived notions or you can listen to the public. I choose to listen. I will recommend to have more hours open in the evening during the summer, but these are uncertain times, especially with the snow budget impacting fiscal '11 and '12. We are undergoing a major reformatting of the fiction and nonfiction books, and we're working on a new website that will be easier to update for the staff and more simple for people to use. We're working on adjusting shelving and adding more signage so it's easier to find what you're looking for. It will take some time, but I do like to see things get done, not just talk about it.

Sounds good to me. Again, although I have been critical at times, the library is one of my favorite places in town and I am there all the time. I guess when you like something so much, you hate to see it underutilized.

See the whole Robertshaw interview here.

Board of Selectmen Pitch

2011-02-22T20:20:00.003-05:00

In order for the vote on the new high school funding to go before the taxpayers, 4 of the 5 selectmen must vote in favor. Tonight Dr. Stacy Scott and the School Committee went before the Board of Selectmen to convince them to support the project.

Dr. Scott gave another convincing presentation followed by remarks by the School Committee (sans Ron Mercier who was absent or off camera - I didn't see him). Scott said if everything goes to plan, the school should be complete by 2015 or so. Chairman Matthew Sheehan reminded the selectmen that the state is paying over 60% of the tab and we may not see this money again anytime soon. If we don't do anything, we will have to pay millions of dollars to fix future problems at the school.

The selectmen asked a number of questions about funding, the burden on taxpayers, etc., especially Selectman John Zimini. Selectman Cathy Richardson also questioned why we are focusing on the high school and not the other schools in town. She suggested the schools come up with a capital plan focusing on building needs for the six other schools in town. Town Manager Dennis Piendak told the selectmen that there is a good "bidding climate" out there so the cost may actually come under what we're expecting.

As a trade off to the taxpayers, Selectman Joe DiRocco floated the idea Warren Shaw had about eliminating the Community Preservation Tax as a way for the town and the people to both "give a little." He said he is concerned that the town keeps on going to the people to "give and give and give." Selectman Bob Cox said he supported the project but raised the concern that the town has a number of building projects that are still unpaid for (i.e. police station, library, etc.) and warned that some may taxpayers may vote against the project because of that.

In the end, the board voted 5-0 to have a special Town Meeting on April 27 and to support the project going for a Prop 2 1/2 override vote on May 2 assuming it passes Town Meeting.

Archinski on Facebook

2011-02-21T21:41:00.002-05:00

Tony Archinski, who is running for one of the two seats on the Board of Selectmen, has a Facebook page up for his campaign. He writes:

Dear Friends of Dracut,

Over the past several months, I have been speaking with many friends, neighbors and residents of Dracut about my intention to run for a seat on the Board of Selectmen in the May 2011 election.

Residents of Dracut understand that these are tough times, both financially and politically, and they are looking for a leader like me to help move Dracut forward in a positive direction. That is why I have decided to enter this race, to produce better results.

Public service is not for the faint of heart. It takes an individual with strong character, experience in administration, and a degree of technical expertise, but most importantly, a good public servant is ultimately someone who cares about his community.

I know Dracut’s greatest asset is its people. From Old Home Day to the Dracut Scholarship Foundation to the concerts at the gazebo, are all examples of good people, with good ideas, producing great results. If elected to be your Selectman, my vested interest will always be your vested interest, because Dracut is my home. As a concerned citizen and proven leader whose devoted 25 years to the safety and prosperity of this town, I will always work hard for you.
I would be honored to serve you, the great people of this town.

With Warm Regards,

Tony Archinski
Candidate for Dracut Selectmen

He also has a website here.

Sheehan fundraiser

2011-02-18T17:00:00.002-05:00

School Committee Chair Matthew Sheehan, who is potentially facing three opponents in May's election, is having his campaign kick-off party on Sunday, February 27 from 2pm-5pm at O'Hara's on Lakeview Avenue. The suggested donation is $10.

Campaign 2011 Update

2011-02-18T16:22:00.002-05:00

We have a new addition to the race for the Board of Selectmen. In addition to incumbents John Zimini and Bob Cox and challengers Pete Wide, Tony Archinski, and Kevin Gillan, Christopher Murphy of Litchfield Ave. has now taken out nomination papers.

This does not mean these guys are on the ballot. They each need to get 50 signatures from voters and submit the forms by March 14.

EBT Follies

2011-02-15T17:22:00.004-05:00

Today's Boston Herald has a less than flattering mention of Dracut. In an article about abuse of the EBT (i.e. food stamps) system they mention that someone spent $102 in food stamps at a "Dracut bar." Earlier today on Facebook, Michelle McPhee, who writes for the Herald and has a talk show on WRKO, identified the bar as the Joker's Lounge.

Ugh.

First of the season

2011-02-14T15:37:00.003-05:00

Pete Wilde, running for the Board of Selectmen, was the first person to have a fundraiser of Campaign 2011. He posted on his Facebook page that Saturday's event was attended by Matthew Sheehan, Mike Miles, and Cathy Richardson.

I was somewhat surprised that they would go, especially Richardson. I know these elections are non-partisan but Richarson is a big Republican while Wilde is a Democrat. Plus, he is running against two of Richardson's colleagues. Perhaps she is just playing nice across the board.

As for Miles and Sheehan, there is no love loss between them and John Zimini so I can understand them trying to support an opponent of his. And perhaps Sheehan was trying to also drum up support for his own re-election. He potentially faces three challengers.

Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows.

Campaign 2011 Heating up

2011-02-12T10:00:00.002-05:00

It looks like we may have a heck of an election this May. In addition to the potential Prop 2 1/2 override for the high school renovations, there looks like there will be hot races for the Board of Selectmen and School Committee.

As of yesterday, the following took out nomination papers for two seats on the Board of Selectmen:

Pete Wilde
Bob Cox
John Zimini
Tony Archinski
Kevin Gillan

For the seat on on the School Committee:

Matthew Sheehan
Michael Carleton
Mae Paquette
John Reid

Stay tuned.

New DHS

2011-02-10T10:35:00.003-05:00

The PR blitz for the renovations at Dracut High School is on. Last Saturday Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott was on with Warren Shaw and Shawn Ashe on WCAP and made a very convincing case that the people of Dracut should vote for this project. Shawn has the audio up here.

Next Wednesday, the Friends of a New Dracut High School are having a meeting/rally to organize support for the project. The event will be at the Meadow Creek Golf Club at 6pm. They also have a new website with tons of information on the project.

And just this week the Massachusetts School Building Assistance program voted to give the town $37 million towards the cost of the renovation. The taxpayers will have to pay the rest, about another $30 million. There will be a special Town Meeting on April 27 to vote on putting the measure on the May 2 ballot for a Prop 2 1/2 override. In addition, 4 of the 5 selectmen must also vote to move the project for a vote. If the override passes, each household will pay on average an extra $200 a year in taxes.

I can't imagine this not passing. I mean, Dracut would never turn down money from the state for a building project right? Cough cough Louisburg Square cough cough.

Running Wilde

2011-02-10T10:25:00.003-05:00

After getting smoked in last year's Board of Selectman race, Pete Wilde is being aggressive on the campaign trail this year. He has a kick-off party this Sunday at O'Hara's, he is very active on Facebook, he is getting help from the Young Democrats of the Merrimack Valley, he has a show on DATV, and he is the first candidate out with a website.

Wilde does have some things to clarify, especially some of his statements about his past accomplishments. Some have questioned, for example, his claim that he is a veteran. Candidates for office can have the "Veteran" designation on the ballot but Wilde didn't last year.

Either way, Wilde is working hard. Assuming all the nomination papers are returned, he will face incumbents Bob Cox and John Zimini and former police officer Tony Archinski. There is also the rumor that former Selectman Jim O'Loughlin is thinking of running again.

Stay tuned.

Legislature to People: Mind Your Own Business

2011-01-24T17:02:00.002-05:00

Gerry Nutter just posted this too and I am glad he's as outraged as me.

Last week, the Legislature voted on a series of Republican measures designed to bring more transparency to the legislative process. Each one was common sense and in line with the 21st century. But our Legislature still thinks it's 1955 and can continue to hide things from the people. They're doing the best they can to make sure the people of Massachusetts don't stick their noses in the people's business.

Our local legislators, Sen. Barry Finegold and Rep. Colleen Garry, voted no on the following (note some of these were only proposed in one house)

1. Putting Committee Roll Call Votes on-line

2. Requiring roll call votes for tax increases (did not come up in Senate)

3. Equal representation on the Ethics Committee (did not come up in the Senate)

4. Giving legislators 24 hours to read legislation (did not come up in the Senate)

5. Limiting testimony time on legislation (did not come up in the Senate)

6. Passing annual resolutions letting cities and towns know the minimum amount of state aid they should receive so they can plan their budgets for Town Meetings (did not come up in the Senate)

7. Establishing a non-legislative commission to handle Redistricting (did not come up in the House)

You should read today's Sun to see why some people voted against these measures. For example, some said the current process of having people come to the State House to get committee roll calls is "sufficient and has worked well for years."

These people are living in another century.

Easier way

2011-01-23T19:30:00.002-05:00

Warren Shaw often gives me a hard time for my long URL. It's now much easier to get to this site - just type www.dracutpolitics.com and you're here.

State Senate Numbers

2011-01-23T12:42:00.003-05:00

Here are the financials (October 16-December 31, 2010) for the State Senate race between Barry Finegold and Jamison Tomasek.

Finegold:

Receipts: $39,150
Expenditures: $101,348.73 (he had $62,299.36 on hand)

Tomasek:

Receipts: $6,292.29
Expenditures: $10,670.04 (he had $5,187.92 on hand)

They both have some libalities: Finegold owes $15,510.81 in credit cards and Tomasek owes himself $7,500.

Finegold raised $4,350 from folks in Dracut, namely the Gorman family. Local politicos who donated to Finegold include Michael McLaughlin ($200), Ken Martin ($200), Mike McNamara ($100), Brian Bond ($100), Committee to Elect Gerald Surprenant ($75), Mae Paquete ($100), and the Committee to Elect John Zimini ($50).

Tomasek got no donations from Dracut (at least over $50).

The lack of support from the state GOP highlights concerns from many that the state party was only concerned with the governor's race and ignored everyone else.

Campaign Finance Reports

2011-01-23T08:20:00.003-05:00

I happened to be on the Town Clerk's section of the town's website looking for something and discovered that they have posted the campaign finance reports of those who have run for local office. You can see it all here.

Nice work, as usual, to our amazing Clerk Kathy Graham.

If anyone from the clerk's office happens to read this, the link to Jim O'Loughlin's report is broken.

Running again?

2011-01-23T08:14:00.002-05:00

Today's Column jumps on the rumor that former selectman James O'Loughlin is considering a comeback to the board. He told the Sun:

"You never say never but...You know, I don't even know when the dates are to take papers out." Later he also said, "I have no idea. I won't be making a comment on that."

He did tell the Sun that he has received "some encouragement" from folks in town.

For the record, nomination papers are available on February 1 and the signatures (50) must be returned to Town Hall by March 14.

Garry's numbers

2011-01-21T18:37:00.003-05:00

The other day I posted the year-end financials for Matthew Sheehan and George Boag. State Rep. Colleen Garry has submitted her year-end report and it's much better, no surprise, than Sheehan's or Boag's.

As of December 31, 2010, Garry had $16,702.04 in her campaign account. Between October 16 and December 31, she raised $3,600 ($2,000 from the state Democratic party) and spent $8,120.82. Her expenses were on advertisement materials and a consultant: $7,120,82 to a website called campaignsthatwin.com and $1,000 to Michael McGovern of Lowell.

See the reports here.

Library closing...again

2011-01-18T17:55:00.002-05:00

The Library announced on Facebook that it's closing tonight at 5:30pm because of the weather.

They were closed last Wednesday because of the snow and yesterday because of the holiday. I was there today for a few hours correcting papers and tests, glad they were actually open.

Sigh.

State Rep. race numbers

2011-01-18T17:35:00.002-05:00

Final financial reports for the 2010 election are due and state representative candidates George Boag and Matthew Sheehan have filed them. State Rep. Colleen Garry has until January 20 to file her report.

Anyway, Boag and Sheehan did not have any fundraising luck from October 16-December, the period covered by the report. Boag raised $260, all from himself whereas Sheehan only raised $50. Boag spent $450.59 on ads and supplies at Staples while Sheehan spent $1,959 on ads and signs.

As of December 31, Boag has $25.01 on hand, Sheehan has $187.20.

High school debate

2011-01-14T11:37:00.003-05:00

Today's Lowell Sun discusses the town's plan to renovate Dracut High School. The total cost will be $61 million with the state paying 60% of the tab leaving the town responsible for $23-24 million. Town Manager Dennis Piendak is quoted as saying this would be the largest project in town history.

I would vote for this project despite the fact that it will raise our property taxes and we're still paying off other building projects, namely the library and police station. I also voted for the Town Hall override which failed.

The project must first pass Town Meeting (which it should overwhelmingly) and then be put to a vote. That may be tougher. My neighbor was upset that her property taxes went up this year and she may be a bell weather of other voters.

Anyway, see the whole article here.

O'Loughlin on civility and centrism

2011-01-12T11:24:00.003-05:00

Gerry Nutter wrote the other day that Warren Shaw is hearing speculation that former Selectman James O'Loughlin is thinking of running again this May. It would make sense, then, that O'Loughlin has penned a couple of columns in the Sun recently calling for civility and a return to a higher level of statesmanship. Today he writes about how the level of debate in politics has gotten nasty since the days of Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill when the two political foes would be best friends after 5pm:

Somewhere along the way, the political jousting became more personal and lasted well past 6 p.m.

I can relate on a personal level. Having served for many years as a Dracut selectman, I saw the changes occurring. There was a time when I could debate an issue with my colleagues, and debate vigorously, and when the meeting ended we would always find time to share a drink, a few laughs, and a handshake. The debate was on the issues, not the individual. Just as a change was occurring on a national and state level, you could see the change on the local level. Debates were becoming more personal in nature.

O'Loughlin also calls for a rejection of political extremism...and then goes on to criticize mostly Republicans!

Anyway, perhaps O'Loughlin is trying to rehabilitate the perception of some that he got too negative and testy in recent years. Fair enough. However, if he is going to call for civility and a change in tone, he may not want to leave comments like the one he did on Gerry Nutter's blog. Gerry has since deleted the comment saying it wasn't O'Loughlin but others say it was him.

Either way, a man can change and perhaps O'Loughlin, if he does return to politics, will lead the charge for civil debate. Truth be told, however, things do seem a lot tamer in the past year or so on the Board of Selectmen and School Committee. Maybe we've already begun here in Dracut.

SNOW DAY!

2011-01-11T18:48:00.001-05:00

No school tomorrow in Dracut!

New DHS

2011-01-11T13:39:00.003-05:00

I stumbled across a Facebook group today called "Committee for a New DHS." It says:

In the near future, people in the town of Dracut will be faced with a decision on making much needed improvements to our existing high school located at 1540 Lakeview Avenue.

Starting around Thanksgiving and through the holidays, I heard many people talk about the project and potential for serious and meaningful improvement within our school system.

With that, I am starting this page in the hopes to get people in town talking and prepared to work hard towards taking action.

Parents, Grandparents, business owners, elected officials, students alike can all be active participants in getting things done.

Information will be posted and updated often.

I look forward to seeing and helping develop an active dialog with anyone that joins our efforts!

Thanks
Joe

Sounds good to me. Check it out.

Shaw on Piendak

2010-12-31T22:27:00.003-05:00

Warren Shaw has a nice column on the impending retirement of Town Manager Dennis Piendak. Shaw gives Piendak credit for his low key retirement announcement, saying it is indicative of how he has conducted himself over the past 24 years:

So it should come as no surprise that on the night he decided to make known his retirement plans, nobody from the media were in attendance.

The announcement came as you would expect it to, at an open and public selectmen's meeting without any advanced warning to anyone.

Shaw goes on to say he is not interested in the job (despite the rumors) and that politico Mike McLaughlin is a tad too "long in the tooth" to be the Town Manager.

Good column, see it all here.

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #1: O'Loughlin loses re-election

2010-12-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

The biggest shocker of the year, and in my opinion the biggest story of the year in Dracut, was 18-year incumbent Selectman James O'Loughlin losing re-election in May. I was convinced that he was going to be re-elected and even predicted that he would top the ticket. There were five people running for 2 seats and in the end, newcomer Cathy Richardson came in first followed by incumbent George Malliaros. O'Loughlin finished third followed by Brian Bond and Pete Wilde. I was at Town Hall that night and town employees were shocked and almost distraught. One guy who came by to hear the results was incredulous that O'Loughlin lost. He just kept saying over and over, "Jimmy O lost?"

I can't help but wonder if the Republicans in town were excited about the election of Scott Brown in January and were highly motivated to elect one of their own (Richardson) to the board. However, O'Loughlin had a lot of public, bruising fights the past couple of years, especially with John Zimini, Brian Bond, DATV, and Ken Martin and his reputation had taken a bit of a beating. He was not afraid to raise his voice or criticize people at meetings (yours truly was one beneficiary) and to some, it may have been a little unbecoming for a sitting selectman.

But, this does not take away from the fact that O'Loughlin was a masterful selectman. Recall his getting the Dracut Housing Authority's consultant back in September 2009 to publicly acknowledge that the concerns of Martin, Ken Cunha, et al about Louisburg Square were unsubstantiated or overblown. You can't also take away the fact that O'Loughlin does a lot of good at the Dracut Food Pantry and has raised some fine children. My wife knows his daughter and she told me that O'Loughlin's son is working with the poor in some regard. I see him Jim at Mass at Saint Francis often so he is a faith filled man.

It's too bad that his temper and rough persona got the best of him at times. He can be very intimating to talk to and I would be nervous just watching the selectmen meetings waiting for an argument or back and forth between O'Loughlin and Zimini. I will say that the meetings do seem like tense now that he is gone. But, Jim O'Loughlin served the town well for many years and we wish him well and thank him for his contributions.

Bullying in Dracut?

2010-12-29T09:31:00.003-05:00

As a teacher, one of hot topics right now is bullying. My school had a very moving assembly this year by a parent whose son committed suicide because he was being bullied. After the suicide of a South Hadley student earlier this year, the state passed a tough anti-bullying law. Too often, it seemed, that teachers and administrators passed off bullying as "kids will be kids." There have been tragic results.

Yesterday's Lowell Sun highlighted an alleged bullying case at Lakeview Junior High. One girl punched another girl because she said she was being bullied by her. The girl was suspended for punching the other girl.

The family of the girl who said she was being bullied contacted the principal of the school, Theresa Rogers, who, according to the Sun, told them that "police assistance might not resolve the problems." Hmmmm. They also brought the situation to Dr. Scott who said bullying was not taking place. The family even showed him copies of pages from the girl's Facebook page and Scott said "it's difficult for school officials to substantiate those claims when some students keep their Facebook accounts private."

Look, I have no idea what happened here other than what I read in the paper. I am sure the schools responded responsibly and fairly but something just doesn't sit right with me with this matter.

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #2: Mercier Gas Theft

2010-12-29T00:00:00.001-05:00

Back in April School Committee Member (and former chairman) Ron Mercier was accused of stealing gas from his employer, the City of Lowell. Mercier worked for the city water department and was caught on tape, along with another employee, allegedly taking gas from city owned pumps for his personal use. There were stories that he called in sick the day he stole the gas and sent pictures of him on his boat to fellow workers.

Mercier was summarily fired from his job and is now pending trial in Lowell District Court (he was arraigned in July and pleaded not guilty). Shortly after this incident, the School Committee met and Mercier announced that he would not resign despite the public pressure to do so. Over eights months have passed and he's still on the board with little to no mention of his alleged crime anywhere. I said, as did many people at the time, that Mercier should resign if the charges are true. Somehow, someway he has survived.

The town does have a recall procedure but it's very cumbersome and hard to pull off. Unless he is convicted, I am guessing he is going to stay on until him term expires in 2012 - almost a year and a half away. Not good. Not good.

Mercier, this action notwithstanding, is a good guy. He is a young guy (younger than me) and has a young family. He needs to put this behind him so he can move on with his life. His career in politics is presumably over and he'll never get another public sector job again. Furthermore, the people of Dracut, especially the students of our public schools, deserve better. Yes, he hasn't been convicted of a crime but he was fired and Bernie Lynch would not fire someone unless he had solid proof of the theft. Too many public officials have broken the public trust lately. If Mercier truly cares about the people of Dracut, he will resign.

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #3: The Return of Elaine Espindle

2010-12-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, former Superintendent of Schools Elaine Espindle decided on her own in 2008 not to seek a new contract. No, she was not forced out by the School Committee. However, the situation had become so tenuous for her because of politics on the School Committee that she decided to retire. Former member DJ Deeb was particularly rough on her (remember him taking her on about the contract for Mr. Generoso?) which he said was him just doing his due diligence. Perhaps, but he and others made life very uncomfortable for her and she decided to leave despite her popularity with parents and school employees.

Bring in her replacement Dr. Spencer Mullin, practically hand picked by Deeb who (as Deeb even admits) was an unmitigated disaster. Mullin retired halfway through his contract and the School Committee decided to bring in a temporary replacement in March of this year to serve through June 30. The committee received a number of applications but Member Mike Miles motioned that they just go ahead and bring back Espindle without interviewing any of the candidates. There was some concern that the process to hire a temporary replacement was just a charade and if they were going to hire Espindle either way, they should have done so without soliciting applications.

But, either way Espindle was back and Deeb was long gone having been defeated for re-election in 2008. It was a great comeback story and a major vindication for her. She served until late June when Dr. Scott was hired and went off quietly back into retirement. Hollywood couldn't have written a better script.

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #4: Drug investigation drags on...and on...and on...

2010-12-27T08:33:00.003-05:00

This February after 7 years of waiting, the town finally got some closure on the 2003 theft of drugs from the Dracut Police Station.

Or did they?

Former Tewksbury Police Chief Al Donovan, who led the investigation, found that two Dracut officers, William Dubois and Leonard Wagner, were "intentionally deceptive" during the investigation into the theft. However, since the statue of limitations had expired, no charges could be brought.

Instead, Dubois and Wagner have been on paid leave for months and months earning tens of thousands of dollars in pay while the administrative hearings into their actions have been constantly delayed for procedural reasons. No one denies that they are entitled to due process but this is absurd. Taxpayers are getting sick and tired of public employees constantly getting kid glove treatment. If these guys were in the private sector, this would have been resolved long ago. This is not how Town Manager Dennis Piendak wants his career to end - to be seen as part of a process that dragged its feet while men, who allegedly aided and abetted the theft of evidence from a police trailer, earn thousands of dollars for staying home. The Sun reported last week that a deal may be in the works to settle this case but we shall see.

New Town Manager?

2010-12-26T13:19:00.004-05:00

Today's Column points out the people that they think will not be Dracut's next Town Manager. Most of the names are obvious but two surprised me. They were:

Gary McCarthy
Glen Edwards
Warren Shaw
John Cox
Michael McLaughlin

McCarthy just retired from the Dracut Water Supply District but even if he was interested, the Column points out that the Town Charter prohibits anyone from becoming Town Manager "who has served in an elected or appointed town position in the past five years." I did not know this provision existed. In addition to working at the DWSD, McCarthy is also Town Moderator. This same provision, the Column points out, excludes Edwards who is Assistant Town Manager/Town Planner.

Shaw, it seems, is quite content being out of town politics; Cox would never come to Dracut after serving as a State Representative and City Manager (plus his brother is, for now, a selectman and would be his boss); and as for McLaughlin...well, come on.

Look for the next Town Manager to come from out of town and from outside the political world ala Dennis Piendak.

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #5: Hiring of Dr. Scott

2010-12-26T08:29:00.004-05:00

Last November, Superintendent of Schools Spencer Mullin shocked everyone when he announced that he was retiring in March. While people were angry at Mullin bailing early, you couldn't help but wonder if there was some sense of relief. Despite being a capable educator, Mullin's tenure as superintendent had been a disaster. His budgets had to be constantly rewritten, he was lambasted for his dismal communication, and he was criticized for never attending school activities (or, if he did he would just sit in the back and leave right away).

The final nail in Mullin's coffin was when he took his last days as superintendent as personal days without notifying the School Committee. No one could get in touch with him after he e-mailed his intentions to the committee. Member Mike Miles said at the time, "That's the real Spencer Mullin. Everybody gets to see the real Spencer Mullin one more time on his way out the door."

The School Committee was aware that the process that selected Mullin in 2008 was a PR disaster and this search had to be open and transparent...and it was. Chairman Matthew Sheehan and the committee, after some initial bumps in the road about the process, did a wonderful job selecting a new superintendent. They had open interviews, there were receptions with residents so people could meet the candidates, the search committee was diverse, and they hired an outside firm to advise them.

The result was Dr. Stacy Scott from Maryland. Scott, originally from Massachusetts, had applied for a number of superintendent jobs in the past, most prominently in Milwaukee. He also took a major pay cut to come to Dracut. This all led people to thinking that he won't be around for long - he just needed superintendent experience under his belt so he could move on to bigger places. We shall see.

Either way, there seems to be a lot less drama this year and little public controversy.

Deal in the works?

2010-12-24T09:50:00.002-05:00

Yesterday's Lowell Sun reported that the town may be in settlement discussions with the two police officers who were found to be "intentionally deceptive" during the investigation into the 2003 theft of drugs from the police evidence trailer. Town Attorney James Hall had no comment on the story.

The two officers, who have earned tens of thousands of dollars while on paid leave, have had a number of hearings with Town Manager Dennis Piendak but even more have been cancelled or postponed for various administrative (i.e. delay tactics) reasons. It is union filibustering at it's best and many are growing frustrated with the slow progress. Yes, they deserve their due process but this is absurd. Get it done!

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #6: Senior Housing Goes Down Again

2010-12-24T00:00:00.001-05:00

For the third time in a year, a project to build senior housing in town as appeared to go down in flames. Last year it was the property at 1476 Mammoth Road (Louisburg Square), earlier this year the proposed purchase of the Richardson land on Greenmont Ave. fell through, and now the project over on Nashua Rd. will soon be relegated to the dustbin of history.

The latest project fell apart as the developer, Steve Coravos, needed to come up with hundreds of thousands in dollars in fees from the town. He appealed to the Sewer Commission and the Board of Selectmen for a reduction but to no avail. He dramatically walked out of the selectmen's meeting last month in disgust.

Either way, this speaks to a bigger problem in town. It seems nothing gets done lately without rancor. When I moved to town in 2005, the town had just built the junior high and Veterans Park, the library was under renovation, and the new police station was under construction. Granted, Canney Farm was completed (but not without controversy) and the high school looks to be headed towards a possible renovation but Town Hall is still unresolved, the Town Hall annex is an eye sore, the school administration building is non-ADA compliant and tired, and the old police station remains empty. The town needs some imagination and cooperation among its leaders to keep Dracut moving forward. The 2011 elections will be tough with two seats available and the town manager search on the agenda for the 2011/2012 term. Get your popcorn ready.

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #7: Piendak announces retirement

2010-12-23T08:29:00.002-05:00

It wasn't exactly a surprise and many people had been expecting it for sometime but earlier this month Town Manager Dennis Piendak announced that he would be retiring in April, 2012. He made the announcement almost 18 months in advance so the town would have plenty of time to find a replacement. Piendak's successor will only be the third town manager in town history. Piendak's predecessor only lasted six months before being ousted for misconduct.

Widely credited as the best town manager in the region, Piendak is known for his solid management skills, prudent fiscal management, and overall good demeanor. While many area towns have had to resort to major budget cuts during the Great Recession, Dracut has been left relatively intact thanks in part to union concessions and Piendak's control of the purse.

He will be hard to replace but the town has plenty of time to make a wise and prudent decision.

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #8: Return of Tony and Ann's

2010-12-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

This really wasn't a political or government moment but when Tony and Ann's, the beloved pizza shop from Chelmsford, re-opened after being closed for many years, there was a stampede of people to town. The new Tony and Ann's, now run by the family of the late Tony Privitera, opened on January 9 after what seemed to be an enternity at the corner of Broadway and Arlington Street.

For weeks the lines snaked out the door and down the street, cops had to direct traffic, no parking signs had to be placed on abutting property, and the wait for pizzas was hours and hours and hours. The shop has over 5,000 followers on its Facebook page with people from all over the country requesting delivery information! It took months for the fervor to die down and for normal wait times to resume. The first time I went, I waited over an hour just to order and was told to come back in 3 hours! They had to close early a number of times because they ran out of food!

It was a feel good story during the dead of winter and in the midst of a bad economy. Here was a local business, with legions of fans, resurrected and selling pizza like gangbusters. I wonder if the Board of Selectmen is kicking themselves for not tacking on the additional .75% meals tax when they had the chance! Imagine the revenue from Tony and Ann's alone.

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #9: Leadership changes

2010-12-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

2010 may be known as the Year of Change as a number of town leaders retired, resigned, lost re-election or, in one case, passed away.

1. Superintendent of Schools Spencer Mullin retired in early March (although he left days before his official date without telling anyone on the School Committee until he was gone tarnishing his already spotty legacy).

2. Steve Stone and Linda Trouville, longtime school department employees, resigned shortly after Dr. Stacy Scott replaced Mullin. Stone went to work in Peabody and Trouville became principal of St. Louis School in Lowell.

3. Library Director Dana Mastroianni abruptly resigned in July. Her replacement, Randy Robertshaw, came on board last month but not until the search committee refused to release any names or do a public search. Robertshaw previously worked in Tyngsboro before moving to the Midwest.

4. Dracut Water Supply Superintendent and longtime town employee Gary McCarthy retired this summer. McCarthy is widely credited with turning around the DWSD after the Lowell water theft scandal. He was replaced by his second-in-command Mark Riopelle.

5. Longtime Finance Committee Chair Gary Marsella passed away unexpectedly in July. In recent years Marsella had aligned himself with Selectman John Zimini and had gotten more and more involved in the politics in town. His death was a complete shock and many remember him as a kind and gentle soul who loved Dracut and his family.

6. This will be its own post later but in May, 18-year selectman Jim O'Loughlin lost re-election to newcomer Cathy Richardson. This was a major realignment in town elective politics.

Top Ten Moments of 2010 - #10: Canney Farm Opens

2010-12-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

Back on June 29, the newest park in town was dedicated on the land formerly known as Canney Farm. Christened Dillon-McAnespie Park (named after two Dracut fire fighters who died in a fire truck accident 75 years ago), the park was the brainchild of Brian Bond. It features a number of basketball nets, a playground, ballfields, and walking paths. It's not nearly as big as Veterans Park but it's pretty and gets a lot of use. In addition, as Town Manager Dennis Piendak points out, one can now walk from the park (located on Lakeview Ave.) all the way to Veterans Park without having to walk on the street once.

I took my kids to the park a number of times this summer and I overheard one person say that Market Basket was interested in buying the land. Now I have no idea how true that it is but either way, it speaks to the need to preserve open space in town. There is a lot of pressure I am sure to get more businesses in town to offset the town's reliance on residential property tax but in doing so, we risk losing our rural nature (which is already at peril).

So kudos to Bond and all the others who made this possible...and keep 'em coming.

Top Ten Moments of 2010

2010-12-19T21:43:00.003-05:00

Like last year, I will be posting the top ten moments of 2010 in Dracut politics. I realize I've been quiet on the blogging front this year but there is still plenty to remember.

Number 10 comes tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Christmas presents

2010-12-19T09:57:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. It's been a long time since my last posting. It's been insanely busy at work lately.

Anyway, today's Column has its annual Christmas presents to local pols. For Dracut:

For State Rep. Colleen Garry, who's had a tough year with the death of both parents. A basket of puppies to cheer her.

For Dracut Town Manager Dennis Piendak: A part of Pajamajeans to get used to the idea of casual wear as he prepares for retirement in 2012.

For the residents of Sesame Street in Dracut: A lifetime supply of air fresheners and Lysol for their ongoing battle with a neighbor's home where officials found more than 150 cats in the spring.

Speaking of Christmas gifts, Gerry Nutter has his own version over at his blog. Former Selectman Jim O'Loughlin swung back hard at Gerry's gift to him. See it all here.

Garry on DiPaola

2010-11-29T20:52:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's Lowell Sun reported on the suicide of former Middlesex County Sheriff James DiPaola. Prior to being elected sheriff, DiPaola spent time in the House of Representatives. State Rep. Colleen Garry credits DiPaola for helping her launch her run for state representative in 1994:

"I'll always remember when he was in the Legislature and I was an aide and a new seat opened up," Garry said. "Everyone said I had no chance of winning, but (former state Rep.) Ed Connolly said, 'If you want to beat a machine, then go see Jimmy.' He sat down with me in his office for over an hour and told me what I needed to do to win it. He took time to boost my morale and I'll never forget that."

Taking a bow

2010-11-26T07:56:00.002-05:00

Today's Lowell Sun has a nice article on Dracut High's finest, Leon Grande. The director of the school's band, drama club, etc, etc is retiring after this year so yesterday's Thanksgiving game was his last Halftime Performance.

You can read it all here, it's great.

But, I do have one concern. The article said Grande is 56 years old. And he's retiring?? I think we now know why the public sector is broke...we allow people to retire at 56?!?!?!?

Library hours

2010-11-26T07:40:00.002-05:00

The Dracut library is cutting hours again - this weekend. They will be closed all of today and tomorrow. I looked at other libraries in the area and most are open both days with only two closed today (Westford and Billerica).

Not good. Not good.

Town Meetings works

2010-11-21T12:21:00.002-05:00

In last Friday's Valley Dispatch, Warren Shaw discusses the recent Town Meeting and how the effort to reduce the quorum at future meetings to 50 failed thanks to a resident. The quorum was reduced to 200 (from 250) but that amendment came from a regular Joe, the way these things are supposed to happen. Too often these meetings are stacked and run by elected officials and town employees, it's nice to see "one of us" make a difference.

Shaw also points out that Town Manager Dennis Piendak's retirement is not too far off. With two seats up for re-election on the Board of Selectmen in May, Shaw asks whether or not the town wants the process to select a new Town Manager to get bogged down in politics.

Who do you want choosing the next town manager?

The School Committee just went through a smooth, very transparent process in selecting Stacy Scott as our superintendent of schools.

It wasn't long ago that a previous school board badly handled a search and our schools are still in recovery.

A mishandled town manager replacement process could undo all of the good brought about by Piendak's professionalism.

Sesame Street on WCAP

2010-11-21T12:20:00.003-05:00

I caught some of Warren Shaw's interview with the folks over on Sesame Street yesterday. Thankfully Shawn had all of the audio up over at Dracut Forum, you can listen here. Good stuff.

Irony?

2010-11-21T12:04:00.005-05:00

Now I will be the first to say that Jim O'Loughlin was a good, smart selectman. He knew his stuff and he was brilliant at it. He also does a damn good job at the Dracut Food Pantry.

But...

In today's Lowell Sun O'Loughlin pens a column in which he bemoans the loss of civility, statesmanship, and inspirational public speaking. The impetus of his column is the 50th anniversary of the "election" of John F. Kennedy. Quoting him, as well as Bobby and Ted, O'Loughlin compares them to Republicans Joe Miller, Christine O'Donnell, Sharon Angle, and Democrat Frank Caprio, all of whom had less than stellar campaigns this year as well as many verbal gaffes.

Fair enough. But aside from O'Loughlin's praising of the Kennedys (gag me), I find it ironic that he is critical of others for the words and language they use. Despite being a good selectman, O'Loughlin was at times like a bully when he spoke at meetings. I was one target of his criticism when he didn't like the way I wrote about a meeting at which he got into a screaming match with Housing Authority Chairman Ken Martin. He said something about how people like me need to do things like this to "feel better about themselves." I also recall his lambasting of people who were pushing for the purchase of a police dog. I also recall him publicly calling out the head of Dracut Pop Warner during a meeting. I also recall him going after fellow Selectman John Zimini time and time again. How about his fights with Brian Bond?

I don't know, reading this column struck me as too ironic. I mean, I would never write a piece criticizing Americans for their eating habits!

House politics

2010-11-17T11:40:00.003-05:00

On his blog today, Dick Howe points out a Lowell City Ordinance with regard to abandoned property. The ordinance "requires the lender, at the commencement of any foreclosure action, to register with the city, to identify a resident (i.e., within 20 miles) agent responsible for the property, and to maintain the property. Noncompliance results in a substantial fine that continues to grow over time."

I wonder if Dracut has a similar ordinance. With all the talk of the town ordering the House of Horrors to be torn down on Sesame Street, I remind folks of the house at 124 Hampson Street owned, according to the town's website, by Shirley Neofotistos. The house is at the corner of Hampson and Phineas Streets and is abandoned and is in complete disarray. There has been a for sale sign out front for years and the house itself is appraised at $14,900. It is a complete blight on the area and something needs to be done.

See a picture of it here. It looks worse in person.

Lo Kai gone?

2010-11-13T07:59:00.003-05:00

Look, I would crawl over broken glass to eat the buffalo tenders at the 99...but I wouldn't want one in Dracut. I am very concerned about chains stores/restaurants coming into town and I really hope Teddy Panos of WCAP is wrong that the Lo Kai is going to be sold to the 99. Both the Lo Kai and the 99 deny the story so it's their word against Panos. See today's Sun for the story.

We need more locally owned places in town, not more chains. Two CVS stores, 4 Dunkin Donuts, and one Hannaford is enough thank you.

Selectmen fireworks

2010-11-10T06:42:00.002-05:00

I caught a bit of last night's Board of Selectmen meeting and boy was it worth it. Every meeting begins with "Community Input" but no one ever speaks. However last night, residents from Sesame Street spoke and came out blasting the town and the selectmen for, according to them, not doing enough about the House of Horrors (i.e. the house with the cat urine).

The residents spoke one after another criticizing the board and town employees (Health Director Tom Bomil was a favorite target) for giving promises to do something about the house to no avail. At 15 minutes Chairman George Malliaros stopped the speaker as that is the allotted time for community input. Selectman John Zimini motioned for the time to be extended which passed.

I caught the last part of the meeting where Malliaros was explaining how the town can't really order the house to be torn down and thus their hands are kind of tied. While he and others have suggested the owner tear it down, the town would have a great deal of liability if it ordered her to do so. Malliaros said there are a number of houses in town that are in horrible condition - should the town go around tearing those down too?

I can't imagine this pleased the residents but I am sure he's right. Perhaps the residents can do a class action lawsuit against the owner? But again, on what basis?

I don't envy the selectmen and town on this one.

Agendas et al

2010-11-07T09:23:00.002-05:00

When the state recently changed the Open Meeting law, it required boards and commissions to post agendas, minutes, dates of meetings, etc. well in advance. I must say of all the boards in town, the one that is the most transparent and open is the School Committee. They always have their meeting times, agendas and recent minutes posted on their website as well as other pertinent information. Their website is clean and easy to find information.

The town's website, however, could use some work. You really have to dig around and go to different places to find information on boards, agendas, minutes, etc. It's an old and tired website and could use a face lift, I don't think it's been changed a bit since I moved to town in 2005. The Board of Selectmen do a decent job posting their agenda, meeting time, and very detailed minutes. But other boards are sporadic. For example, I cannot find any agendas or minutes of the Library Board of Trustees anywhere. Agendas for other boards like the Planning Board or Conversation Commission are hard to find but they do a nice job posting minutes.

I don't think anyone is hiding anything but the town, as I've said in the past, could be a little more transparent and its website more user friendly.

Piendak staying, McCarthy leaving

2010-11-07T08:42:00.000-05:00

Today's Column reported that Town Moderator Gary McCarthy announced at Town Meeting last week that he will not be seeking re-election in May. This is no surprise really as he recently retired as the head of the Dracut Water Supply District.

The Column also mentions that Town Manager Dennis Piendak asked for a moment to make an announcement at Town Meeting but, he joked, "it's not what you think." That is, his retirement. It's no secret that Piendak is on the cusp of retirement and many folks are nervous about Dracut losing the finest municipal manager in the state.

Post-election thoughts

2010-11-04T11:07:00.004-04:00

So despite the Red Wave, Tsunami, Title wave (pick your cliche), Massachusetts maintained its True Blue status on Tuesday. I can't say I am all that surprised. In fact, I predicted on my other blog that all of the Democrats would be elected except for the Auditor's race (which I got wrong).

Here in Dracut, Rep. Colleen Garry was easily re-elected to a 9th term and Sen.-elect Barry Finegold will soon be representing us in the state Senate. Interesting factoid - most of the Democrats who lost to Niki Tsongas in the 2007 special election primary are or will be in the Senate (Rep. Jim Miceli is still in the House).

But despite Garry's re-election, Dracut was very red. The only other Democrats to "win" Dracut were Bill Galvin, Martha Coakley, and Jim DiPaola, all of whom had token opposition. In addition, the three ballot questions all won Dracut. I did think that Garry's main opponent, George Boag, did pretty well for a first-timer. He got 3,628 votes to Garry's 5,942. Independent Matthew Sheehan didn't do all that well only getting 1,232 of the vote. Percentage wise, the numbers worked out as follows:

Garry: 53%
Boag: 32%
Sheehan: 11%

I wonder if Sheehan regrets running. He has to run for re-election to the School Committee in May and these poor numbers may cause some opponents to smell blood in the water. But, you could also look at it that Sheehan is doing a good job with the School Committee and the voters are fine with him doing that job, just not state representative. Sheehan has had a good term, serving two years as chair, running a smooth search process for Dr. Scott, and keeping a lot of the drama out of the schools. He can make a compelling case for re-election.

Boag told Gerry Nutter and the Sun that he has no intention of running for selectman, just state representative (if he decides to run again). I think that's a mistake. Serving on the Board of Selectmen or School Committee will give him a bigger profile and visibility. Voters do like their politicians to have some experience and if Boag wants to run again, he needs to show some experience and accomplishments. Obviously the people of Massachusetts are not drawn to the "change" idea, they have stated that they're happy with the Democrat monopoly. He needs something else to help convince the voters he deserves to be their state representative.

The Democrats sweep

2010-11-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

Looks like it will be Tsongas, Finegold, and Garry just as I predicted.

Golnik takes Dracut

2010-11-02T21:16:00.001-04:00

Golnik: 5,441
Tsongas: 5,107
Brown: 300
Clark: 71

Baker takes Dracut

2010-11-02T21:12:00.002-04:00

It wasn't Scott Brown numbers but Charlie Baker has won Dracut:

Baker: 57%
Patrick: 31%
Cahill: 11%
Stein 1%

Looks like Garry

2010-11-02T21:10:00.002-04:00

With all 10 precincts reporting, Colleen Garry has won Dracut:

Garry: 5,942
Boag: 3,628
Sheehan: 1,232

Tyngsboro still needs 3 precincts to report but Garry has the lead. It looks like she'll be re-elected.

State senate update

2010-11-02T21:02:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune reporting Jamison Tomasek won Dracut and Tewksbury. He won't win Lawrence so it's up to Andover?

Finegold's seat

2010-11-02T20:58:00.001-04:00

Very interesting: Rep. Barry Finegold's seat going to the Republican?

davidguarino Dem Rep. Barry Finegold's seat going to Repub, apparently. So that's four GOP pickups in MA House?

Sllllllloooooowwww

2010-11-02T20:54:00.000-04:00

Almost 9pm and no word/results on state representative and state senate races. Arrrrr. Tension.

Garry ahead early

2010-11-02T20:44:00.001-04:00

7% reporting:

Garry: 539
Boag: 420
Sheehan: 79

Remember...

2010-11-02T18:12:00.000-04:00

Back in January, Scott Brown took Dracut 70%-29%.

Good turn out

2010-11-02T17:14:00.003-04:00

I voted today around 4:45pm at the junior high school. I was the 772nd person in my precinct to vote today and it was the first time I can remember that I had to wait for a booth to open up. The parking lot was busy with tons of people coming in and out...a good sign perhaps for Republicans. I asked one of the pollworkers if turnout was good and she said it was.

School Committee members Matthew Sheehan (running for state representative) and Mike Miles were holding signs for Sheehan. There was a good contingent of Republican sign holders too.

Less than 3 hours to go. I love Election Day.