The Sun’s Political Column today starts off with speculation of who may be in the Council race now that at least one seat is open. Here’s how they list the contenders:
IN: Paul Belley – Finished 12th and has been actively campaigning already.
Fred Doyle – Perennial candidate who will attack Rita Mercier and the City Manager has his strategy to win
Thinking about it: School Committee members John Leahy and Dave Conway, Former Senate candidate Chris Doherty, Former Gov. Council candidate Corey Belanager, Republican State Committee woman Mary Burns.
They list 21-year-old Matt Vieira has thinking about it but Matt already has stated he was in and has a Facebook Page “Elect Matt Vieira for Lowell City Council” with 242 “friends”
The Column takes its weekly shot at the Lowell School Committee, commenting that it has so far received only 4 “Whopping” applications. It speculates that Current Lowell School Dept. District Co-ordinator for Research, Testing and Assessment Paul Schlichtman may apply or has applied.
It states that the MA. Teachers Union magazine the “ADVOCATE” has an “uncredited by-line” article dealing with Dr. Scotts departure (GN: Campy didn’t have the guts to sign his name?) and (SURPRISE) quotes by Teachers Union President Paul Georges in support of Dr. Scott.
The column highlights the friendship between Bob Gilman and Mayor Milinazzo and fellow Blue Ribbon member Jim Cook. It states that Jim Cooney at a Lowell Plan meeting took exception with Cook being a member of the Blue Ribbon Panel and highlighted that the School Committee actually put members on that work in the public schools to help select a School Supt. (I suppose Campy wanted them to just name Newspaper people?)
It talks about Saints effort to get a partner by a self-imposed deadline of this week and that Scott Boyle WILL NOT apply for the head Football Coach Position at Lowell High School this time.
It ends its Lowell coverage on a positive note. Stating that a Lowell High School student will sit in as the Governor during the annual Government Day exercise on Beacon Hill.
Onto other things…
I don’t know Mr. Schlichtman and have only spoken with him via email. I do know that he has been a finalist in many area Supt. searches.He is a highly educated man and a former School Committee member. Someone I know in the education field suggested to me that his lack of direct supervising of personal works against him and he should consider being an Asst. Supt. or Dept. Head with direct reports before trying to be a Supt.
The Greater Lowell Technical School has a Technology sub-committee meeting at 5:30 at the School on Wednesday March 9th to discuss broadcasting the meetings live. It will be followed at 7:00 with the Regularly schedule full School Committee meeting.
There will be a meeting on Monday at 7:00 in the Mayor reception room hosted by the Mass Dept. of Transportation dealing with improving sidewalks and crosswalks in and around the McAuliffe & Robinson Schools.
Dracut for some reason hasn’t been posting its Agenda for the Selectmans meeting on-line. It used to be up there but hasn’t for the past few meetings. I am told they do Post it on the town bulletin board outside Town Hall.
Selectman candidate Pete Wilde has already started running commercials on WCAP and is urging support for the High School Project. It is an interesting approach to be airing ads before papers are due and shows he isn’t afraid to support an issue that will result in a tax hike for the citizens.
It looks like the Selectman may be divided over the removing of the CPA Tax by a 3-2 vote. Unless John Zimini is convinced that people will not vote for the High School renovation project unless the CPA Tax is eliminated.
Dracut Forum was attacked by a virus and Shawn did the responsible thing, asking Google to block access until it was cleaned. Don’t believe the BS being launched by other sites regarding this issue.
