A candidate for LSC, JARED NICHOLSON showed up at tonight's LSC meeting. Other than he has nice hair, an uncommon trait for the male members of our committee. He didn't seem to display a large vocabulary for an IVY LEAGUE lawyer. In fact there was really one word and it was MUM.
I guess we will have to wait for the DEBATES before we can envision his vision. Still he showed up and that is more than the other to challengers did. Where were they? All three challengers, JARED,NATASHA M&M, and LORRAINE GATELY have recently become friends with me on FACEBOOK. They must know I can be a very friendly guy.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
MILD MANNERED CHUCK'S TRANSFORMATION
Timed to coincide with MARVEL'S debut of the latest installment of the AVENGER'S franchise, LSC has decided to launch it's own COMIC BOOK superhero, CHARLES QUIXOTE! His superpowers include but are not limited to, the configuration of the city charter to appease his personal paranoid delusions of persecution.
A working knowledge of the constitution is not only unnecessary but actually impedes the imagination of this cantankerous character. Alas like every superhero CHARLES has one hidden weakness. CHARLES'S kryptonite if you will, is the fact that HE IS DEAF and he don't want NO HEARING!
A working knowledge of the constitution is not only unnecessary but actually impedes the imagination of this cantankerous character. Alas like every superhero CHARLES has one hidden weakness. CHARLES'S kryptonite if you will, is the fact that HE IS DEAF and he don't want NO HEARING!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
GARDEN GOBBLEDYGOOK
Tom,
Because of delays in reviving the Ford School garden, I said to Dr. Latham: It looks like there will be no garden this year. She agreed. It is not too late to plant. In fact, the first garden was completed in July and a crop was harvested in September.
I asked Dr. Latham if I could retrieve our supplies to start the Cook St. Park garden. She insisted that I show receipts for these items and asked me if Dr. Crane or the School Dept. had paid for them. I said that we either paid for or received as donations everything in the garden. She insisted that I have receipts. Tools, wheelbarrows, shovels, hoses are ours, not yours. I have no receipts.
I need these items this coming week during our clean-up of Cook St. garden this Saturday..
In addition, I question some of the items listed by Mike Donovan:
- That compost bins attract rats: The bins were supplied by Mass. DEP. They have never attracted rats because there are no food scraps in them. They are there to show the children how nature has re-cycled organic matter for millions of years. To remove the bins is not a code issue and would be a mistake.
2. The need of the sink to be connected to the sewer: The sink is there to wash vegetables – agreeing with the new garden rules - and to clean items with soap and water. It's use is the same washing a car in one's driveway. Is a hook-up to sewer required for car washing?
3. Tripping hazards: After the worst winter in memory, there may be boards in the walkways. In six years, as you mentioned, none of the hundreds of kids, senior citizens or teachers tripped on anything.
4. Board of Appeals approvals for the greenhouses: Mike had previously indicated that structures need to be 5' from the building, which they are. If the Board of Appeals needs to approve the aquaponics greenhouse, take it to them. Aquaponics is an excellent way to teach science. The new greenhouse was built to grow plants for sale to families and defer garden costs. It can be removed while you get approval for it at the Board of Appeals.
- Boxes hanging on the wrought iron fence: The fence has not and will not be damaged by boxes of soil, flowers and vegetables. If you are concerned about the fence, repair the exerior of the wall that supports it.
6. Presence of inflamables. What are they? We stored several cans of paint and bottles of hydroponic materials. Is this what Mike means by inflamables?
We spent six years donating thousands of hours and dollars to create an award-winning garden that inspired hundreds of children, staff and families.. While you recognize what we have done by expanding gardening to other schools, we have been treated as an 'enemy of the State.'
Is this a humane way to treat a friend of the children of the Ford School? Had you included us in a cooperative discussion of your concerns, we could have worked them out.
The humane landlord walks a tenant through their apartment saying: "You plugged up the sink," rather than changing the locks and keeping the tenant from their property.
After retrieving what belongs to and is needed by us, I am willing to work with the school garden committee. Hundreds of plants are germinating in my home. I will donate them to the garden if and when we can work out these problems to a friendly, not a punitive, conclusion.
Again, I would like to retrieve hoses, tools and wheelbarrows for the Cook St. garden. Is that possible by the end of this week?
David Gass, Director
Highlands Coalition
ANOTHER FORD STALLS OUT, MUST HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE MODEL
Ford’s ride coming to an end
RICK FORD after making waves about running for COUNSELOR-AT-LARGE is apparently joining what may becoming a family tradition. I am talking about pulling out of races. This new family characteristic first showed up in fellow member bearing the family brand name, JOHN when he declared initially to be seeking the STATE REP seat now held by BRENDAN CRIGHTON.
The latest instance of JOHN'S latest effort to keep it up would be his withdrawal from entering the WARD 7 race. If I remember correctly he passed on an opportunity to occupy the seat held by his father. I thought I read that in the ITEM but I am too lazy to check it out besides I do not want t waste one of my ten free articles for the month to fact check. That race quickly filled up with what would have been two extremely formidable opponents in JAY WALSH and BRIAN FIELD.
With all due respect for RICK'S stated reasons and they are valid ones, I can't help but wonder if FEAR OF LOSING an election played a more significant role. Not only are there three incumbents to run for the four seats, two of the challengers would have been formidable opponents. First there is RICK STARBARD, a two-term (maybe three in which case would make him an even stronger candidate) member of the LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE giving him a large city-wide base.
Then there is BRIAN LAPIERRE, a TEACHER'S UNION representative, who seems to have a well organized political team dare I say MACHINE behind him. Both of these candidates have a SUPERIOR grasp of the issues surrounding EDUCATION, critical for furthering community development.
No RICK'S drive to work might be long now but an embarrassing loss might have made the journey unbearable.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
DEMAND ALL HAVE A ROLL IN OUR SCHOOLS
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Monday, April 27, 2015
HOW TO BREAK THE CODE
A code has been violated
But it's the code of silence
That's why I'm most hated
And my poetry makes them wince.
I talk about things they don't want to hear
For the discovery of the truth
Is the thing they most fear.
I admit at times I'm uncouth.
My only job is to raise questions to ask,
Theirs is to provide answers
Equal to the task
But it's the code of silence
That's why I'm most hated
And my poetry makes them wince.
I talk about things they don't want to hear
For the discovery of the truth
Is the thing they most fear.
I admit at times I'm uncouth.
My only job is to raise questions to ask,
Theirs is to provide answers
Equal to the task
LESSONS ON THE LAW
MR. FORD is a BRAVE man. Surely the CODE VIOLATIONS he is wanting to bring up at the BUILDING AND GROUNDS SUBCOMMITTEE are the violations to the CRIMINAL CODE. Yes, LPS has illegally taken possession of property that wasn't theirs.
That's okay they're used to crumbling the CONSTITUTION particularly the 14th AMENDMENT as it relates to GORDON COLLEGE.
That's okay they're used to crumbling the CONSTITUTION particularly the 14th AMENDMENT as it relates to GORDON COLLEGE.
TALK OF THE TRIFECTA OF TROUBLE
HOW EXCITING!
The next Lynn School Committee meeting is Thursday, April 30th at 7pm.
Personnel, policy, building/grounds and finance sub-committee meetings will precede the regular meeting starting at 6pm. The FY16 budget and net school spending is on the agenda for discussion during the finance sub-committee meeting scheduled for 6:30pm.
See the link for the full meeting agenda.
To round out the discussion we will learn about their plans about having the PUBLIC HEARING on GORDON COLLEGE!
For dessert they'll be talk about the FORD SCHOOL garden. But since everything will be happening in sub-committee there will be no talking at the table. It would probably give them indigestion.
FEAR NOT, I AM SURE TO LEAD SOME LIVELY AND ENTERTAINING AFTER-DINNER CONVERSATION!
THE PARTY HAS JUST BEGUN!
Sunday, April 26, 2015
SCHOOL OFFICIALS TO COVER UP MURDER BY ONE OF THEIR OWN
I am not sure who is the perpetrator of the crime (probably a conspiracy with multiple perps) but I sure know the victims. The LOCKOUT of the HIGHLANDS COALITION from what was once the interface between the community and LPS could possibly result in the SADISTIC, SUFFERING of SEVERAL seedlings and quite possibly their ultimate demise.
A plethora of plants that could have been potential ribbon winners at NEXT years TOPSFIELD FAIR will see their lives cut short, starved to death, all so the LPS administration can pursue an isolationist policy. Don't worry little ones, your rotting corpses will probably covered over with blacktop soon. Your entombment will serve as a mausoleum for all those who worship a controlled community!
LANDSCAPING YOUR GARDEN WITH A COURT(YARD)
Sources tell me that the hold-up over some of the disputed items being held hostage in the INTERNATIONAL GARDEN at the FORD SCHOOL over failure to produce receipts for items, (wheelbarrow, rakes, and such) that were donated. Well HIGHLANDS COALITION good luck with that.
I wonder though if LPS were held to the same standard for those items in question if they could produce any paperwork?
Oh well, that's what courts are for.
I wonder though if LPS were held to the same standard for those items in question if they could produce any paperwork?
Oh well, that's what courts are for.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
DAY IN THE LIFE
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| KHMER NEW YEAR FESTIVAL |
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| FRIENDS OF HIGH ROCK TOWER |
A lot of things were happening around Lynn today. My part-time photographer was moonlighting as CHOMPS for the NAVIGATORS today at a couple of LITTLE LEAGUE parades around Lynn today. To top that off my browser is having trouble receiving multimedia messages so even the crappy pic I took is not available right now.
On the way to my first stop this AM I ran into my old friend CEFERINO ROSA supervising some youth who were part of the citywide clean-up that 500 thing. It is heartwarming to see our youth being taught civic responsibility. We all need to be taught to have pride of place. How can you know where you are going if you don't have pride in where you are at?
Here goes a smooth transition to a rather rough patch. My first stop of the day was at a FRIENDS OF HIGH ROCK TOWER meeting at the library. While there I learned that LYNN had the FIRST public high school in the country in what is now the refurbished GIRLS INC.(Actually I may have heard this before and just forgot). Probably in some archives stored in some basement closet there are records of some WATCH predecessor. History is so important.
Culture is important as well and since you can't learn what you already know, attending today's KHMER NEW YEAR celebration was clearly an edifying experience. Plus gladhanding with all those politicians out there seeking votes gives me a few political chips down the road. Although the last one I shook hands with, CITY COUNCILMAN HONG NET is probably my best friend and most responsible for organizing the festival. The first one I met was CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT DAN CAHILL. MAYOR KENNEDY shook my hand as well dressed as she was in a borrowed pink ceremonial dress. BRENDAN CRIGHTON was there doing double duty as a CITY COUNCIL and as a STATE REPRESENTATIVE (so we shook hands twice). Though I never got to shake hands with him, I did get to listen to STATE SENATOR TOM MCGEE speak.
Now we come full circle, during our conversation this morning CEFERINO was telling me about his initial meeting with new LSC candidate JARED NICHOLSON who I just happened to run into at the KHMER festival. SMALL WORLD. Anyway JARED didn't talk to me in SPANISH like he did with CEPH (quite impressive) but he did promise to sit down sometime to discuss stuff. Looking forward to it.
ABSENCE DOES NOT ALWAYS MAKE THE HEART GROW
Do you all remember those letters I sent out recently to all the LSC members, the MAYOR, and even DR. LATHAM? Well surprise, my mailbox has remained empty. Imagine that?
Say what you want about CHUCK (and I have said PLENTY) at least he has the courage to respond PUBLICLY, at least once I get him riled up. That way everybody can see just how wrong he is.
Yeah, I'm going to miss him when he is gone. What will I have to write about? No one else appears brave enough to do battle.
Say what you want about CHUCK (and I have said PLENTY) at least he has the courage to respond PUBLICLY, at least once I get him riled up. That way everybody can see just how wrong he is.
Yeah, I'm going to miss him when he is gone. What will I have to write about? No one else appears brave enough to do battle.
Friday, April 24, 2015
CHARTERS TO TAKE A CHANCE? - FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE
LETTERS
Leveling the public-charter playing field
I APPLAUD the decision by the Massachusetts Charter School Association to encourage its members to recruit English-language learners and special-education students (“Charter schools take a commendable step,” editorial, April 20).
Charter schools will show their commitment to this initiative by taking the following actions:
■ Actively reaching out to parents of English-language learners and students with significant DISABILITIES
to ensure that they feel welcome and invited to APPLY.
to ensure that they feel welcome and invited to APPLY.
■ Stopping the practice of telling parents of students with disabilities that there are some services that they don’t provide, and instead assuring parents that they will provide all services needed for their children.
The new undertaking praised in the Globe editorial, if properly implemented, will help charters to attract and serve students with limited English proficiency and significant disabilities.
Many charters also find ways of causing students with BEHAVIORAL issues to return to district public schools, whether by suspending them or advising them to leave, and these practices also need to stop. Finally, it’s important to note that because parents have to apply to charters for their children, charter enrollment is limited to students of parents who are motivated and able to complete the process.
issues to return to district public schools, whether by suspending them or advising them to leave, and these practices also need to stop. Finally, it’s important to note that because parents have to apply to charters for their children, charter enrollment is limited to students of parents who are motivated and able to complete the process.
Once these practices are changed, and charter schools enroll similar proportions of English language-learners, students with significant disabilities, and students with BEHAVIORAL issues, then comparisons of charter results with district school results will be valid.
issues, then comparisons of charter results with district school results will be valid.
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