“The press isn’t here to hear me speak, or print what I say, accurately. No, they are here for our next character” ..Mayor Patrick Murphy at the City of Lights Press Conference.

The Mayor seems to enjoy taking every opportunity to take a shot at the Sun. He was elected without running ads in the paper last time but needs to remember the old say “Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel” and “paybacks a B*!#!

They can destroy a candidate if they wish, just ask Alan Kazanjian !

I apologize to you and all citizens that were affected by this confusing situation. City Manager Lynch responding to an upset citizen who posted on the blog his frustration with the Trash pick-up information on Veterans Day and the day after.

The Manager went to to say:The City’s trash contract, like many other communities, does not include Veteran’s Day as a holiday that results in a one day shift in the weekly schedule. This information was not adequately communicated to the citizens this year and actions are being taken to address this deficiency. In the meantime, we are working with residents and our contractor to remedy the problems that have occurred and have been working to get the right information out to the City.

In an email Blast from the Solid Waste & Recycling Office received Friday night there is a note that states:

Thurs. Nov. 22nd is Thanksgiving Day; City Office will be closed.

[ONLY] Thursday & Friday curbside collection routes will be on a Holiday Schedule, meaning that each will ‘bump’ by one day; Fri. material will be collected on Sat 11/24.

- As a special thank you; for persevering during the chaotic weeks of Hurricane Sandy, Veteran’s Day & Thanksgiving…
This week only, you may place ONE EXTRA BLACK TRASH BAG next to your (closed) city trash cart

So why isn’t this information Posted Somewhere in today’s SUN or a public service announcement done on the local radio…I mentioned it on WCAP but this is the type of information the city needs to be advertising in the SUN..They reach more people than anyone still!

By friend Ryan Rourke at ALL MIXED UP has the following message:
Come by for an mid – morning snack …. Now serving bagels , muffins , pastries , coffee’s and tea’s ! Open at 11 am

Congrats to Brian Chapman President and owner of Mill City Environmental, who was awarded the SBA’s Minority Small Business Person of the Year award for Massachusetts and New England.

The “harassment accusation’ by Supt. Santoro at the Greater Lowell Tech is a complete Joke and School Committee Chair Victor Olson is showing how incompetent and in the bag for Santoro he is by his mishandling of this issue.

On Thursday Evening on ‘advise of counsel” he ruled a motion out of order claiming an investigation was under way YET going by the “Formal” process he and the lawyer referred to..they are not even following that process.

I will have a complete post tomorrow showing that Olson and the Superintendent are NOT following any school processes and that in this situation, THERE IS NO PROCESS! and OLSON by his inactions are allowing the reputation of a fellow member to be damaged and Olson is playing politics and he is leaving Gitschier out to dry as a means of political payback for Gitschier not playing nice.

I like George O’Hare but he again showed this week on City Life and at the meeting that he is out of touch with reality and just wants the old ways to continue. Maybe it is time for George to retire or be replaced. He’s embarrassing himself with his comments.

I leave you today with an opinion I received from several knowledgable Attorneys concerning using the Schools Atty. to investigate any accusations that deal with a committee member issued by the Superintendent summed up in these statements:

As to the conflict issue, as you may know, it’s incumbent upon counsel to avoid even the appearance of a conflict. I do agree that there can be the appearance of a conflict where a longstanding attorney for a public committee is suddenly called upon to conduct an “impartial” investigation. That lawyer might be hired and fired by that committee. That lawyer’s terms of employment/retention might be set by that committee. That lawyer might be privy to conduct and/or statements that could have bearing on the investigation – and become a potential witness. That lawyer may have socialized with the committee members or Superintendent. In other words, there’s considerable potential for conflict. Under those circumstances, the better course, in my judgment, would be to retain a genuinely unconnected/impartial individual or entity to do the investigating.