I support Greater Lowell Tech.

Twelve years ago I had the privilege of attending the Greater Lowell Technical High School. During my four years there, I studied culinary arts under the direction of great teachers including Paul Morin, Arnold Price, Sandra Day, and the late Peter Coffin. The education that I received at Greater Lowell prepared me well for the transition to college where I earned my Associates Degree in Science.

The need for well-trained service and technical professionals is ever expanding. From traditional vocational service fields such as culinary arts, plumbing, and carpentry, to technical arts trades such as machine engineering, electronics, and office technology, to human service fields such as early childhood education, medical assisting, and hotel management Greater Lowell Technical High School provides education and training for these fields that are always desirable.

Over the years, Dracut has benefited from the training that Greater Lowell provides our children. For example:

• Electrical- Rewiring and installation of air conditioning units at the senior center

• Auto Tech-Painting of several police cruisers as well as a fire truck

• Carpentry- Students built a screen house and two storage sheds for the Dracut Housing Authority

• Painting- Painted town Hall

•Greater Lowell has given back $385,707.00 over the past ten years towards Transportation costs.

Greater Lowell’s facility is in need of improvements to support the efficient operation of the physical plant and to maintain the educational programming provided by the school. I am writing this letter to support the renovation project at Greater Lowell Tech. I write this letter of support as a proud alumnus, a Dracut Taxpayer, and an honored elected official.

The Dracut Public Schools has an outstanding and wide-ranging educational program.. There are, however, certain programming it cannot offer such as those listed above and others. The regionalization of vocational programming is an efficient way of supporting students who wish to pursue areas of study outside of the existing offerings of our community high schools. This is just one of many reasons that I support the renovation project for Greater Lowell Tech. When it comes to the education of our young adults of Dracut, we need to work together to provide the best learning environment we can.

The total price for this project is $65,310,211.00. The MSBA reimbursement rate is 76.84% or $50,088,316.00, leaving a balance of $15,030,825.00 of which Dracut’s cost is $3,124,909.00. Projects like these are proof of what our tax dollars can do in the state. The community’s financial obligation to its students who attend Greater Lowell is most efficiently met through support for the renovation project.

I ask that on December 11, 2012 the voter’s of Dracut carefully consider the numerous advantages to our students and support the renovation project for Greater Lowell Tech.

Thank You,

Matthew J Sheehan

CC Packet 11.27.12

The City Manager, Administration and the various Councils have Lowell in better financial shape than most cities and towns in the state. We can criticize the Manager for many things but you have to recognize his and his teams ability to handle the finances of the City.

In 6 years we had 4 tax increases of 2.5% last year was 1.5% and this year should be 0% find another city or town that can show you that along with a build up of reserve cash and a Capital Improvement Plan.

Will one of the City Councilors PLEASE file a motion with the Solicitor that ask for a definition of what and how including but not necessarily limited to applies to the Open Meeting Law as to what can and cannot be talked about or brought up at these Special Meetings? After the last meeting where an opponent of a ballot question was allowed a 4 minute speech that was NOT on the agenda, I think clarity is needed.

I Think I am a nuisance to some but this is just a hobby to me and I don’t take myself, my views or my lack of writing skills to seriously unlike the other BLOG who clearly hate being called out for being what they are..POLITICAL!

They are very serious in trying to be movers and shakers in the bubble while I enjoy being a talking head and in the words of ACE Sun Blogger Chris Scott one of the Political “Experts”(?) on Saturday Morning Live with Warren Shaw on 980 WCAP.

Lynne does a great job explaining their “pathway” over on her BLOG and why I am such a nuisance and shouldn’t speculate.

My guess is many consider them to be bigger Nuisances than me!

I have to laugh when people like my friends Jack Mitchell and Cliff Krieger take umbrage to people who say they post or do things for “political” purpose.

Both those BLOGS and this one are political in nature and both Cliff and Jack are very active participants in the political arena.

Cliff in addition to trying for the open Tech. seat has twice unsuccessfully run for State Rep. and Chaired a POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE that endorsed certain candidates. Jack is staunch Democrat, boots on the ground worker who admits to going after a City Council candidate he felt was being set up for future runs as a Republican challenger and was a member of Cliffs PAC.

Cliff on his Blog today has a Post that in part states:

For John, BLUF: Blogger Gerrry Nutter got confused on WCAP this AM, over why Left in Lowell has again focused on GLTHS.

On WCAP (680 AM) this AM Blogger Gerry Nutter suggested that Left in Lowell picked up the theme of GLTHS as a result of Ray Boutin, vice Cliff Krieger, being appointed to the GLTHS School Committee

Cliff’s hearing may be going (Nice to see he types like me, one to many r’s in GERRY and 980 WCAP) because what I said is the gossip making the rounds by those who support the Superintendent at the tech is Left in Lowell didn’t start focusing on the Tech until Cliff was bypassed and that Jack is being political because he’s blaming the Supt.for Cliff not getting the appointment.

The fact that they were part of Move Lowell Forward the PAC that went after the Tech school before is just more proof that it is Political.

Both of these gentlemen along with their and my own BLOG are political based places and we affect in a very small way the discussion and political undercurrent or as Jack calls it “the bubble” by what we post.

I’ve said several times the TECH is an easy target because they aren’t married into the BIG political picture in Lowell with only few exceptions. Mike Lenzi was a former City Councilor who is part of a large political family and George O’Hare is a former Lowell School Committee member.

Move Lowell Forward made a name for itself attacking the Tech and getting the website to have contracts, full meeting packets and other things available but they never went after the Lowell School Committee or Lowell City Council (unless they wanted to present a White Paper or go after someone who offends the Manager and Mayor) to get them to be more transparent and have open government. Ever try to find the Manager’s contract on Line? The Supt.of Schools contract? Why is transparency so important at the Tech but not here in the City?

Neither gentleman has ever been able to answer that question.

Move Lowell Forward is pretty much dead but find me a time where either Cliff or Jacks Blog went after Bernie Lynch, Pat Murphy or the Council or School Committee as a whole.

It didn’t occur because politically they support many of those people and they don’t want to upset them by criticizing them because they play in the political arena. They work with them on Campaigns (Liz Warren for instance), Cliff is the Republican City Committee Chair. They don’t want to offend the majority, just whack the minority.

The idea that Jack is going after the TECH and Superintendent because Cliff got passed over I admit is a big reach but the fact is they both (and to a degree I also do) play favorites and go after people who they don’t support. They will tell you they go after the GOOD OLE BOYS..Pure BS..

They go after GOBS who aren’t their GOBS and we all have our own GOBS. People we like, trust and don’t want to tick off. We all have our political leaning and we all BLOG about what we like and don’t like from elected officials we like or don’t like or candidates we want to get elected or see lose. I don’t play the ground game so I have the freedom to tick off everyone (just ask the Manager, Councilor Elliot, Jim Leary, Erik Gitischier, Mary Jo Santoro) but they choose to only assail those who aren’t on the same political wave as they are.

So the idea or thought that Jack is going after the Tech as Political payback is as believable a reason then that Jack is going after the Tech so that right and goodness triumphs over the way things are done now.

Where was the outcry about someone leaking the Drivers License/Registration of Mike Lenzi? There was none because they consider Mike an anti Lynch guy, a guy who gets family jobs (Yet did anyone say anything when Bill Martins wife joined the Lowell School System?) and someone who doesn’t respect or play nice with them. Same thing for Mary Jo Santoro, Jack and Lynne admit they have never talked with her and yet they feel it is fine to call for her job.

We don’t like you so we want you to lose your job. That’s fair? It’s politics baby, we all play the same game only some want to claim they do it “for the overall good” BS we do it because its fun and we like to express our views and dislikes or support for certain stances on issues, people, parties, establishments etc. and we all protect are own GOB’s (or in this PC world, GOP’s -Good Ole People).

Face it Cliff like it or not… Of Course it’s Political, that is what we do.

Who knew what and when and why didn’t they do something?
Spoke yesterday to someone who told me to re-watch the October 11th Greater Lowell Tech School Committee Meeting. They claim they heard the Superintendent state that she informed other committee members prior to that meeting of her feelings of harassment and was told to be patient and let Erik work through getting familiar with the process.

If this is true, the question is which members knew? when did they know it? and why didn’t anyone of them speak directly to Erik Gitschier to inform him that the Superintendent felt this way? Did they want a fellow member to be charged with harassment or worse? Is the political infighting so bad they didn’t care what happened to a fellow member? Was their silence payback for what a few feel has been disrespectful treatment by him toward them? How does this affect the 300 days to file with the state and when do they begin?

PLEASE Get it right what the accusations are:
There is NO charge of Sexual Harassment or Discrimination.

The Superintendents stated: “Ten months I have been tolerat¬ing such requests formally and informally and other behaviors that feel very much like harassment. I feel it’s because I’m a woman,” she said. “No man sitting in this seat would ever have to tolerate this.”

Gitschier responded “I’m sorry that you feel I’m harassing you because that’s not the case by far. I think you’re out of line by making that accusation,” he said.

“It’s a policy issue on how we’re notified. It’s nothing to do with your gender,” he added

The Superintendent is claiming Harassment and Gender Bias! and will no doubt refer the past treatment of the only other Female Superintendent that drove her into retirement.

She is who she is and like it or not did NOTHING illegal.

Lynne Lupien of Left in Lowell has the language of a Lowell girl right out of the Fighter. She and I don’t see eye to eye on most things but while many are smiling over the Superintendents charges, they are totally baseless and like her or not she is in her rights to post these thoughts. There is Nothing illegal in what she said and if it went to a DA they would toss this. Don’t expect her or Jack to retreat or tone down.

In fact knowing her history, with the Salvation Army Radiothon approaching I expect her to post about their anti-gay stance.

She is Not the only one who feels that way either. I posted a message on my Facebook Page about the radiothon and was reminded by my sister , sister in-law, one of my kids godmothers and a two longtime friends that because of their anti-gay stance they will not support the cause either. I left them with this simple reminder.

“Because The Salvation Army much like the Catholic or Baptist Faith is a church they do have theological positions on a variety of topics. These positions are intended for church members or those who are interested in that church.

The Salvation Army does NOT ask a person seeking assistance their sexual orientation nor refuse assisting those in need based on their sexual preference.

Whispers build of change to special election rules
Congratulations to State Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover), who co-chairs the state Legislature’s election laws committee. He said he has heard discussions about reinstating a 2004 law that would let Gov. Deval Patrick appoint a permanent replacement to help keep the seat under party control until at least 2014 and that he is against that. The power to appoint a permanent senator, and that he doesn’t support a change

The move comes eight years after Democratic lawmakers stripped then-Gov. Mitt Romney of his appointment powers in an effort to keep Republicans out of the office, and three years after they changed the law again to let Patrick appoint a temporary replacement.

In typical Democratic one party rule fashion, the head of the Mass State Party actually tried to rationalize the move and convince people it is anything but politics as usual and GOB’s at work when he said.

“I think that would be preferable. It would certainly save the taxpayers’ money if they don’t have to pay for another election,” said Phil Johnston, former chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party

“I think people are campaigned out. I think the governor is very popular and most voters would be happy to support his choice until the next general election,” Johnston added

Senator Elect Liz Warren sent out an email to let people know she is interesting in working across the aisle and compromising. The message included this statement: I learned something important in my race against Senator Brown: voters want political leaders who are willing to break the partisan gridlock. They want fewer closed-door roadblocks and more public votes on legislation that could improve their lives. Lets see if she does that.

Two rumors making the rounds in Dracut, one has former Lowell Tech School Committee member Mike Lenzi running for the seat in Dracut and the other fueled by hints dropped on City Life by State Rep. Colleen Garry, Brian Bond and John Ziminni have former Dracut School Board member Marietta May Paquette running for a seat on the board of Selectman.