Mother Nature knows what we already know!

While walking on Pleasant Street yesterday, I noticed how dark the sky was above City Hall.

It made me think: Maybe with all the wheeling and dealing that takes place at City Hall, there might be some bad "juujuu" in the building?

Elsewhere in downtown, the sky was blue and the birds were singing.

DPW& P: Let me Notify You!

One of the issues I've had for some time is the lack of communication from the various offices in the City. 

Back in 2007, after my family and I had moved to our new home off Granite Street, I noticed a foul odor that permeated the air on an unbelievably warm day for January. (The date was Jan. 6, 2007, and the temperature set a new high of 65-degrees.)

It took a month to get to the right person, namely DPW&P Commissioner Bob Moylan, but when I was able to speak with Moylan, he said that he'd look into the issue, and he certainly did.  He formed a Compost Advisory Committee and held meetings at the DPW&P office, took the group on two site visits to educate and show the group how composting works along with its benefits, and what his staff was doing to alleviate the foul odor from returning. Hat tip.

Now, with a forecast that looks like Worcester County is in store for another major snow storm, I'm glad to see that DPW&P is notifying residents that Wednesday's trash pick-up is being postponed until Thursday, and subsequent pick-ups will be pushed back a day,

Also, the Winter Parking Ban is in effect, but for some reason, the notification refers to the winter parking ban from Friday, Jan. 7th. (Hey, nobody is perfect.)

So, the notification process has gotten better; we still have a long way to go, and Konnie Lukes still needs to admit that she was not getting her proper daily dosage of caffeine when she commented to Daily Worcesteria, when referring to Worcester blogs, that, "they aren't worth paying attention to." (It's alright Konnie, I still like refer to you as 'Da Face' on the City Council.)

Risking It All

Sometimes living in Central Massachusetts is seen as "risky", but I
tend to disagree, because while there are other cities that are
dealing with their own share of budget woes, Worcester and City
Manager, Michael O'Brien, are "workin' with what we have", and that's
not alot.

Yes, the playground that is being built at the Providence Street
School is a waste of $400k; there's the ice skating rink that has
doubled as a "cafe-like meeting place" that beautifies the rear of
City Hall. (if only all 'rears' could be beautified in such a manner,
we'd have a much better looking city.)

Then there's the forthcoming elections where Konnie Lukes is running
as the incumbent and is being challenged by Gary Rosen, Kate Toomey,
and John O'Brien. Thank goodness we have a great race slated, but it's
not going to be a drama-filled race similarly to the Preakness, because
we know that Worcester residents don't turn out to vote because many
feel,"that the people may change, but the same things go on in the
City." (Yes, apathy runs rampant and those running for City Council
know this.)

Then there's the issue of the Seniors who get silenced more than Mike
Vick at his trial hearing. They, the Seniors, show up to City Council
meetings in vast numbers and take their seats only to be kicked out of
a meeting because they get a little rambunctious. Don't they deserve to
let their voices to be heard?Haven't they earned it?

So, as July winds to a close, I think it's only appropriate to write
that as the election season ramps up, and back-to-school shopping
leads to thought of a dreaded winter, we must take solace in knowing
that those in charge are, "workin' with what we have"!

CORI Reform: Slow Your Roll

This evening inside the City Council Chamber, at City Hall, there's going to be a meeting at 6:30 pm to discuss Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and how it is used for hiring full-time and part-time employees, as well as volunteering.

The meeting is being sponsored by the Worcester CORI Reform Coalition and a number of organizations such as Neighbor to Neighbor, American Civil Liberties Union-Worcester County Chapter, Office of Congressman Jim McGovern and Senator Harriet Chandler, to name a few.

Even City Manager, Michael V. O'Brien, has weighed in on CORI usage in today's T&G and asks for the City to pump the brakes to look more closely at how the City uses CORI throughout the hiring process.

CORI Meeting June 2, 2009

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After the Storm

It happens without fail....after a winter storm, the most beautiful sunsets takes place.

Enjoy these pictures of Front Street by City Hall.