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.)

Grand Hustle: Providence Street Playground pt. 3

I love how the Telegram and Gazette, with Rondo-sized assists from Paul Clancy, District 3 Councilman, Robert Antonelli, Assistant Commissioner of Parks and Public Works, and Robert Moylan, Commissioner of Public Works and Parks, are reporting that the playground on Providence Street is "only" costing between $200k to $300k.

These are the same men that said that there would have to be improvements made to the surrounding area, sidewalks installed and the cost would be around the $455k mark.  Nice way to coveniently forget about $255k to $155k!

The kicker to the T&G article is, "Mr. Antonelli acknowledged that some neighbors remain opposed to the playground, though Mr. Clancy said he had only received one negative e-mail about the project since construction started last year".

Mr. Antonelli has a better memory than Paul Clancy, because he can remember the push-back from area residents at the meeting that took place at the Vernon Hill School on February 27, 2008, where residents in attendance told them they were full of shit building a playground when there were better ways to spend more than $100k.

Maybe the money didn't come from property taxes, but the playground was proposed as,"gesture to show the city's gratitude" to the residents affected by the expanded Ballard Street compost site. Neighborhoods such as those in the areas of Gibbs Street, Granite Street, Dane Avenue and Svenson Avenue, to name a few, are affected whenever the compost site emits odor.

The then principal of the Vernon Hill School, Ms. Joanna Bowolick, was all for the playground because it would benefit her students directly, but she wouldn't be a the school long enough to see the first backhoe at the site.

 The BIG kicker came in December 2008, when the proposal for the playground was approved by the City Council, after Paul Clancy very slyly had the proposal brought up at a City Council meeting right before Christmas.  Hey, he knows when people are sleeping and he knows when they're awake, and Paul Clancy banks on the fact that most of his constituents are asleep at the wheel.  True Masshole modus operandi.

The playground was approved, Clancy is pleased, Moylan is pleased, Antonelli is pleased and the people that live in the area are pleased, but do they know that they've been Grand Hustled?

Grand Hustle 101: Providence Street Playground (cont.)

Remember when I wrote about the proposed $455k playground that is going to be built on Providence Street to benefit the Vernon Hill School? I wrote about it here, here and here .

Well, the construction has gotten under way and while there are new sidewalks and, generally speaking, there is no way that this playground cost $455,000!

If so, then I know that the playground has been aptly named "Grand Hustle".



I think it's time for Worcester to have it's own version of "The Ultimate Hustler" reality television show and topping the list of participants, in no particular order we would have:

• Paul P. Clancy, Jr., District 3 City Councilor
• Robert L. Moylan, Jr., Commissioner, Department of Public Works & Parks
• Michael V. O'Brien, City Manager
• Konstantina B. Lukes, Councilor-at-Large
• Melinda J. Boone, Superintendent, Worcester Public Schools
• Mauro DePasquale, Executive Director, WCCA TV13
  

I don't watch reality television shows, but rest assured that I'd be sure to tune in or set the DVR to record that bad boy! It would be straight comedy and great entertainment.



Maybe we can convince Andrea Ajemian and Kaz Gamble of "Worcester Love" and "We Got the Beat" to direct and film the show, and have Mike Benedetti of "508" be the host? But only if we can have Brendan Melican be the Trump-like boss that kicks people off the show or has the group complete an task such as carrying two fifty-pound weights, one in each hand, up and down George Street until there's only one person standing.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

The Great Divide

I'm not sure when my parents and family would say that I grew up, but it would be at an early age.

Although someone may look at me or even speak to me, one would assume that I'm old than my age, but that's what happens when one assumes.

The recent playground debate, that's still be discussed, and some would say being "argued" about, is a debate that may divide more people and a community than one may expect.

The divide comes in the form of a DPW Commissioner, Robert Moylan, Jr., and a Councilor, Paul Clancy, Jr., that promised a community that an expanding compost site would be void of odor and impact on them, but such has NOT been the case.

The compost site was met with resistance, but not enough due to neighborhood apathy. Maybe that's the secret with becoming a "power-broker" in the City of Worcester; set up shop in the City, tell people what they want to hear while advancing one's own agenda. Oh, wait a minute! That's already taking place.

Maybe the residents need to be weaned from the "pacifiers", and learn to not accept the" same old, same old".

While there are some people that are advocating for the playground at Vernon Hill School (pictured above) "By Any Means Necessary", some fail to recognize that the City is not out-of-the-woods when it comes to the budget & particularly in upcoming fiscal years 2009 and 2010.

As written in the comments section of Clive McFarlane's opinion piece, I strongly recommend Commissioner Moylan and Councilman Clancy to hold an "open forum" to discuss the playground & how the money should be spent.

Trust me, there are some very good alternatives for spending $300k, and they need to be considered.