Macey Sign Co.: More than Visuals

There's a great story in The Boston Globe Magazine (3/21/2010) about
the Macey Sign Co., and upon reading it, it confirmed how businesses
are run and what types of people many small-business owners
are......Great!

Each Sunday, I look forward to reading Charles Pierce's "Right Move"
op-ed piece and this week he writes a personal piece about his
granfather, Charles F. Gibbons, and the sign company that was located
at 149 Commercial Street, in downtown Worcester; now the DCU occupies
that "old" space.

Also mentioned and quoted in the article is Virginia Ryan, Chair of
the Coalition of Worcester Retirees, who's family owned Sherwood's
Diner, which was located on Foster Street.

Read "Signs of the Times" at http://Boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2010/03/21/signs_of_the_times

Dress for Success: Dressing Up Worcester....One Dress at a Time

When the Dress for Success Worcester space, in the Denholm Building, was being renovated, I watched a woman carefully hand-paint the "Dress for Success" sign above the doors. I admired her patience, attention to detail and, more importantly, the care that she exuded as she painted.

Dress for Success Worcester opened its door in May 2009, and while some folks may not know about them yet, it's a MAJOR deal to have such an organization in Worcester. With over 110 locations throughout the world, Worcester was one of the 12 cities selected in 2008 to become an affiliate, beating over 650 other applicants.


With an erratic economy, and a cut-throat job market, Dress for Success has been able to assist women with free clothing in preparation for their job interview and clothing for once they are employed. The challenge for many women and one which Dress for Success addresses directly is, "how do you get a job without anything to wear, how do you afford something to wear without a job?"

It may seem like a simple statement, but it's not. Looking good and thus feeling good, in preparation for a job interview, is just one of the hurdles that any person has to overcome throughout the job search process.



While Dress for Success Worcester is located in the City, there are "feeder" agencies throughout Worcester County, to the tune of 25, that refer women that are looking for professional clothes.

Since May 2009, Dress for Success Worcester has conducted over 250 appointments with women looking for professional clothing. I'm sure there are more than a few well-dressed women working right now, thanks to Dress for Success Worcester.

As a matter of fact, this coming Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 12 pm to 2 pm, Dress for Success Worcester is holding their Spring Clothing Sale. The event is being held at the Dress for Success Boutique and they'll be selling their extra (like-new, sometimes brand new, name-brand) inventory of business and casual women's clothing and shoes. Everything will cost $5! And the great thing besides purchasing some great clothes, all the money raised goes towards Dress for Success Worcester and its many programs.

Also, beginning tomorrow (18th) through Sunday, March 21, 2010 there's the Gap Give & Get event that benefits Dress for Success nationally and locally.

This weekend, March 18-21, you can save 30% off at all Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic stores (including outlets) AND 5% of every purchase will be donated to Dress for Success. Plus Dress for Success Worcester can win up to $5000 for getting the word out about this event. Please visit their website www.dressforsuccess.org/worcester to print your coupon AND pass on this information to your friends, family and co-workers. Another great way to help, is to become a fan of Dress for Success Worcester on Facebook and share the link that they've posted with your friends.

Since Give & Get began in 2008, Gap Inc. has raised over $9 million for its nonprofit partners, and the company is looking to surpass $10 million this March! Dress for Success is thrilled to be a beneficiary of Give & Get and we hope that you will shop Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Outlet and Old Navy stores with our organization in mind!

So, tell a friend to tell a friend about Dress for Success Worcester because there may be someone sitting right now that needs an outfit to get that job that will allow them to get back on their feet and it may start with that one dress from Dress for Success Worcester.

C'Mon Son: Kid found wandering in the street

This will stir up some pontificating and opinionated folks to take to the Internet!

Child walks away from house!

Hit & Run: 3 Children Injured

The accident that the Telegram is reporting on the top of their website was something to partially witness. What’s more disturbing is the fact that the driver hit the children and then sped-off, not stopping to see how the children were doing or, God forbid, dead.


I travel on Endicott Street daily, and particularly near Millbury Street, folks are always speeding down the street, under Interstate 290, “trying to beat the light” at the Millbury Street intersection.

Today, three children were struck at this intersection, two girls and a younger boy. I happen to see the kids often, and I can tell if I’m running “on time” to pick-up my child from school. They’re good kids that are always looking out for each other and making sure that the little boy is not trailing behind.

I’ve seen them use the crosswalk, and, even, hold each other’s hand when it’s snowing or the roads are covered with ice.

Earlier today, at 3:39 pm, I drove through this intersection and saw the three kids hustling on their way home. I make it by Crompton Park and all of a sudden I hear, “Someone STOP him!” and I immediately put my right turn signal on and pull over. I look in the rear-view mirror to see a small SUV swerving to go around me. Low and behold it’s the same green-ish Toyota RAV4 that Worcester Police Department are now looking for. Normally, when folks are yelling, I take in what’s going on and figure out my exit strategy, but something said to turn around and offer whatever assistance I could.

Luckily the girls were all alive, even though one of the females had a six-inch laceration on her head that was extremely deep and will require a number of stitches.

The other girl was laying in the Endicott and Millbury Street intersection with her book bag, umbrella and coat covering her. She was in severe pain, but kept attempting to stand up, because she wanted to check on her sister and the little boy, who were on the sidewalk near the barber shop, Boston’s Finest.

The little boy’s injuries seemed minor, and it only appeared that he was struck in the mouth and his gums were bleeding.

I must say that Worcester Police Department (WPD) responded very quickly and all of the officers were shaking their head in disbelief that someone could hit three children and then flee.

I ask you to Pray for these kids and their families and I hope the driver of the vehicle that struck the kids is found, arrested and faces the music.

Love is LOVE!

Rosary Trial: What a waste of Money

In the "Rosary" case it's amazing that our federal government would even waste our money to try this case, but the hearing did take place and the defendants were fined $250.00.

Now, I don't know about you, but don't you think it cost more than $250.00 for the police officers that had to drive to the Federal Court House to arrest them, the paper work and electricity used to prepare the court documents and the "time" it cost Judge Timothy S. Hillma to preside over the case? I'm not advocating for charging the defendants more money, I'm just pointing out the waste of money that it was to even try this case. The folks were simply...praying.




Thank you to Pie and Coffee for the video footage.

Casella: Multi-task Recycling

So it's been a few weeks since Casella Waste Management has taken over the contract to handle the recycling in Worcester.

I've seen quite a number of their trucks on the road and I couldn't help but notice how clean the trucks are. Yes, a few of them are new but it appears as if they wash their fleet often.

Check out my neighborhood's recycler as he multi-tasks while collecting the recyclables.

Notice that he picked up the recycling bin, emptied it into his truck and did this all while holding a cellphone and engaged in a serious conversation.

WIM: One Man's Thoughts

Participate in the Worcester Is MAJOR talk show Thursday nights at 9 PM EST.

Snow & Whiners: An odd combination

If you live in Worcester or New England for that matter, you know that there are winters where we get alot of snow, and when I say alot of snow--I mean a foot or more in a 24-hour time span. Well, early Monday morning Worcester got hit with the first Nor'easter for 2008 and got blessed with 10 inches of snow.

The previous day, Sunday, all people were talking about was the snow and, more importantly, the lack of specifics from the various meteorologist on the amount of snow Worcester and Worcester County would receive.

This has become acceptable as its often that the Weather Channel or others get it wrong, but with this storm making its way through Green Bay, WI, as seen during the Packers vs. Seahawks's game on Saturday, I knew we were in for a "good one".

In reading the Telegram and Gazette's website today, I read the story written by Shaun Sutner, Worcester’s late call angers school parents, and was amazed by the frustration that parents had with Superintendent James A. Caradonio’s decision to cancel school at 4:15 AM, Monday morning.

What do you think about the Superintendent making the call at 4:15 AM to cancel school? Post a comment here or feel free to email us at WorcesterIsMajor@gmail.com.

It's Official

This past weekend, word from Dennis Irish was that he’s not going to pursue running for mayor, rather he’s keeping his head-in-the-game by running for Councilor At-Large.

It comes as no surprise that Mr. Irish is saying “No” to the mayoral seat, especially with the City facing a $2 million budget deficit and it doesn’t appear to be shrinking anytime soon.

With the already belt-tightening taking place, where can more cuts be made?

It certainly isn’t in education where Worcester Public Schools are already struggling with over-crowding in classrooms and with the lack of funds to provide books and other amenities that the children deserve and need i.e. computers.

The other areas where cuts can not be made are related to the safety and security of all residents. When there is talk of cutting money from the Worcester Police and Worcester Fire Departments, residents are quick to respond with an boisterous “NO”, but it’s a tough argument when I drive by a construction site and see 2 to 3 officers standing around swapping stories and laughing. Is this where you'd like your tax dollars to go towards? It’s a simple question that takes less than 5-seconds to contemplate and come to a finding of "No".

So, what are we supposed to do? How can we get elected officials to take a closer look at the issues facing Worcester?

The answers are simple: learn what the candidates’ platforms are and, secondly, get off your derriere and VOTE!

With municipal elections taking place on November 6th, that date is right around the corner, so be proactive, do your research and then get out and VOTE!!

Primary results: And then there were 12

Bitter Sweet

Today is September 11, 2007, and it is a bitter sweet day for us at Worcester Is MAJOR.

This morning we sat quietly in prayer remembering those 2,750 people that lost their life from the terrorist attacks, and it's still shocking that it happened in the first place and then to think that it's been 6-years. Wow! Remember, Love is LOVE......

The opposite side of the wafer is that today is Primary Election all over the US, but it's especially sweet in Worcester! Happy Election Day!

We hope you remembered to vote and don't take the approach that so many take...."it doesn't matter who wins, because they won't change anything" or " I'm not feeling any of the people running for office".



Polls are still open until 8 PM EST, so that leaves a solid 2-hours. Please go out and VOTE, we need you to let your voice be heard.

One more day!

Well, it's been 5 days since I last posted and there has been some noise from various "camps" in Worcester about the primary taking place tomorrow, Tuesday, September 11, 2007.

For one thing, it's hard for me to believe that it's been 6-years since the terrorist attack on the US, because it seems as if it was just yesterday that I was in Wellesley, MA, when I heard the news and received the telephone call from my wife that 7 of her colleagues were on American Airlines flight 11, bound for Los Angeles, CA.

Our prayers and thoughts continue to go out to the families of those that were on the airplanes, in the towers and those men and women that entered the towers, responding to the scene to save those that were alive after the first plane crashed into the North Tower.

In local news, the primary elections are taking place tomorrow, and we strongly encourage all persons registered to vote, to do just that...get out and VOTE! Let your voice be heard and, if you're not registered to vote, you still have time to do so and more information can be found at the Secretary of the State website.

Thoughts about the primary elections will be posted tomorrow throughout the day, so check back often.

District 3 Candidate: Susan Kiely

Dear Resident(s) of District 3,

Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Susan Kiely and I am
a candidate for District 3 Councilor. I am aware, as I'm sure many of
you are, that running for the councilor seat in this District is a
formidable task to undertake. I am asking you now to please take a few
minutes to read through this letter so that my reasoning for seeking
a seat on Council is better understood.

Starting in 2004, until present, I have had cause to interact with the
City Council and a number of Committees. While the issues that
brought me to that interaction were important to me, they
are not the reason I chose to run for Council. It was the interaction
itself with both Council and Committees that brought me to this
candidacy. Residents in District 3 neighborhoods were frequently not
being notified and/or included in projects/decisions being made by
Council/Committees until those projects/decisions were at a point
where the inclusion of residents was merely to cover a legal
technicality. Frequently, there was an adversarial stance taken on the
part of City officials when information was requested by residents.
And, far too often, the information obtained was subject to change
without residents’ knowledge.

It is my belief that there needs to be a change of perspective on City
Council. District 3 voters are a major factor as to whether that
change occurs or not. I believe there are functional aspects in the
way that the present City Council works that need to be revised in
order for this City to develop in a productive, harmonious way. Some
of these aspects are:
Councilors accepting or voting on items based solely on a Committee's
recommendation without having any, or full, knowledge of the item
they are voting on, particularly when that item holds the potential
to have negative ramifications, be they financial or quality of
life, for residents of the City.

No restriction as to the length of time a Councilor may remain
Chairperson/Member of a particular committee. This lack of
restriction on appointed time allows for a Councilor to become
dictatorial in the area he/she is Chair/Member of. It disallows input
from fellow Councilors and limits the inclusion of residents. This is
particularly detrimental to the City when the Committee is one under
which a number of City departments with high priority and high cost
issues are covered.

A District Councilor is not required to recuse themselves from a
Committee when that Committee is addressing an issue of concern to
residents in the District that the Councilor represents. Residents
of that District lack representation on Council when the issue is one
that holds conflicting interests, i.e. positive for the City, negative
for the District neighborhood.

Discussion of item(s) at a Committee meeting when that item(s) is not
listed on the Committee agenda available to the Public and with no
notification given to residents affected by that item(s).
Insufficient documentation of what occurs at Committee meetings not
televised.

My stands on certain issues are as follows:

The "Vision" for the future of Worcester: In reading through hundreds
of City documents I found that the visions of City Officials were
often dictated by a Field of Dreams mentality, "Build and they will
come". Repeatedly "they" did not, or are not, coming to Worcester.
Projected revenue was/is lost. As was /is revenue from City fees for
construction permits and connections when decreased fee rates are
part of the bargaining factor. Visions need to be reality based in
order to succeed. The reality is that Worcester is neither an affluent
community nor a tourist mecca. Far too often, after following a paper
trail for a project, it was apparent that City officials
viewed "Worcester" as an entity independent of its residents. Yet we
are the ones that feel the financial/quality of life burden when
these visions fail. A project such as City Square looks admirable on
paper. Yet so did the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor,
the Northern Gateway Visitor Center, the Quinsigamond Village
Revitalization and the Rte 146 Greenway projects in 2000. Seven years
and multi-million dollars later the 146 Greenway is overrun by weeds,
littered with trash and the fence along the roadway is falling down.
The proposed Blackstone Corridor Bikeway, the Gateway Visitor Center
and Quinsigamond Village will all be dwarfed by a Wal-Mart
Supercenter. I believe that residents should have the right to vote
on projects, such as City Square, when that project requires the City
to take on substantial debt.

Small Business: It is recognizable that large businesses are essential
to the City for their revenue and employment, yet so are
small businesses. In a city where public transportation is limited to
buses, small neighborhood businesses are an important asset to
residents for both the convenience of purchases and employment. Small
businesses should be encouraged to start-up by being afforded the same
financial incentives as large corporations. A case such as the Hilton
Hotel/Restaurant developer being charged $25,000 for sewer connection
fees while a local person looking to open a small business is told
their connection fees will amount to $117,000 is unacceptable. No one
can project with certainty the longevity of a business within
Worcester; therefore the size of a business should not be a
determining factor in what incentives are extended.

Section 18/Retiree's Health care: Worcester, as is true with many cities these days, is experiencing financial difficulties. While it is necessary to cut costs, it is not right to lose sight of prior commitments made when making those cuts. In regards to
Worcester's retirees’ health costs, I do not believe that the way in which Section 18 was adopted was the correct way.
Persons in retirement now, or due to retire within a certain length of time
after the adoption of Section 18, should not be required to assume
additional health care costs. The financial overburdening of the
elderly is becoming a national epidemic for which I believe we will pay a much higher price later for any savings realized now. I am not, nor is any member of my family, a City retiree or employee.

Low-income housing: Worcester exceeds the State mandate for required moderate to low income housing units. However, the low income population within Worcester exceeds the affordable housing available and this population continues to grow. In recent years, the City Council has approved restrictive zoning changes (includes part of District 3) and,
while there can be benefits to restrictive zoning such as encouraging a higher-income population to remain in or move into that City neighborhood, it tends to limit the building of affordable housing units in an already overbuilt and congested area.

Councilor's raise: The saga of the on again-off again pay raise
fiasco, how fortunate Councilors are that the Section 18 discussion
came up. Sarcasm aside, after dealing with numerous City Councilors for 3 years now, I am well aware that they put in far more hours than are required. While the raise was ill-timed and rather devious in nature, the raise itself would appear to be an appropriate wage for the job done. With that said, I am under the impression that the raise will be rescinded and am running for Council based on a compensation of $18,000. If elected, I would not accept more than that amount, but would not judge poorly those Councilors who do accept the raise.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I hope you now
have some idea of who I am and why I am running for Council. Please know I will not be fund raising nor will you will see signs with my name on them. I will go door-to-door to meet people and you are free to call or email me should you wish to know my stance on an issue of importance to you.

Thank you and take care,



Susan Kiely
25 Gibbs Street
508-579-1125
kjs72@juno.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We at Worcester Is MAJOR! appreciate Susan Kiely allowing us to publish her letter to the residents of District 3 and residents of this great city!

Worcester: 2nd largest city in New England

The City of Worcester has regained the number 2 distinction as the second largest City in New England, overtaking Providence, RI for the title. Long referred to as the "little" brother to Boston, Worcester's population has grown to 175,454, beating Providence by 199 people. So, what does this mean, don't move and leave the City as the next census will be conducted in 2010.

Read the entire article on the Worcester Telegram & Gazette News!