Will Dracut students be getting their fourth (or fifth if you count Elaine Espindle's second tour) superintendent in less than 7 years? We will find out tonight if Stacy Scott is heading west to Framingham as the Framingham School Committee is making their choice at their meeting tonight.
Sigh.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
McLauglin again
Today's Boston Globe has a scathing editorial of Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and his connections to Mike McLaughlin. It outlines how Murray, an unknown outside of Worcester, got connected to Boston politcos thanks to McLaughlin.
You can read it all here but below is a delicious taste:
Before running for lieutenant governor in 2006, Tim Murray had never been elected to anything outside his Worcester base. He approached Boston City Councilor Stephen Murphy for advice on how to build a statewide network, and Murphy helpfully pointed to McLaughlin, a Merrimack Valley power broker who had skirted corruption investigations going back to the 1980s.
McLaughlin’s bad reputation was so entrenched that Guy Santagate, the city manager who took Chelsea out of state receivership, reportedly resigned rather than work with McLaughlin as director of the Chelsea Housing Authority. Indeed, McLaughlin’s appointment to the housing authority was such a fateful warning of a return to corruption that the Globe editorialized against it back in 2000. Yet Murray, who turned 32 in 2000, says he was too young to know of McLaughlin’s past.
McLaughlin’s reward came when Murray became lieutenant governor and Governor Patrick made the former Worcester mayor the state liaison to municipal officials. Matthew McLaughlin, who had six speeding tickets and a suspended license for refusing a breathalyzer test, got a $60,000 per year job on the Board of Appeals, which reviews drunken-driving convictions. McLaughlin’s recommended candidate got the state seat on the Dracut Housing Authority, and proceeded to try to oust the executive director, in a move widely seen as clearing the way for a friend of McLaughlin’s.
A McLaughlin associate told the Globe that the housing chief bragged about his ties to Murray, and funneled other job candidates toward the lieutenant governor. After it became known that McLaughlin was earning $360,000 per year, making him among the highest-paid government officials in the state, Murray, who says he did not know of the salary, tried to minimize their relationship.
You can read it all here but below is a delicious taste:
Before running for lieutenant governor in 2006, Tim Murray had never been elected to anything outside his Worcester base. He approached Boston City Councilor Stephen Murphy for advice on how to build a statewide network, and Murphy helpfully pointed to McLaughlin, a Merrimack Valley power broker who had skirted corruption investigations going back to the 1980s.
McLaughlin’s bad reputation was so entrenched that Guy Santagate, the city manager who took Chelsea out of state receivership, reportedly resigned rather than work with McLaughlin as director of the Chelsea Housing Authority. Indeed, McLaughlin’s appointment to the housing authority was such a fateful warning of a return to corruption that the Globe editorialized against it back in 2000. Yet Murray, who turned 32 in 2000, says he was too young to know of McLaughlin’s past.
McLaughlin’s reward came when Murray became lieutenant governor and Governor Patrick made the former Worcester mayor the state liaison to municipal officials. Matthew McLaughlin, who had six speeding tickets and a suspended license for refusing a breathalyzer test, got a $60,000 per year job on the Board of Appeals, which reviews drunken-driving convictions. McLaughlin’s recommended candidate got the state seat on the Dracut Housing Authority, and proceeded to try to oust the executive director, in a move widely seen as clearing the way for a friend of McLaughlin’s.
A McLaughlin associate told the Globe that the housing chief bragged about his ties to Murray, and funneled other job candidates toward the lieutenant governor. After it became known that McLaughlin was earning $360,000 per year, making him among the highest-paid government officials in the state, Murray, who says he did not know of the salary, tried to minimize their relationship.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
I'm back...
It's been close to a year since I last blogged. I admit that I haven't been following Dracut politics all that closely as of late but there are some things that worry me about our fair town. Some months ago my father asked what was going on in Dracut, there was so much negative news coming out (this was around the time the Mike McLaughlin thing hit as well as something else which I cannot recall)
1. Three small businesses have closed or are closing recently - the Book Vendor, Little Trends, and the hair salon across from Hannaford.
2. L'affair McLaughlin has shined some light on the old "Somerville with Trees" reputation we once had (have?)
3. There was a shooting outside Hannaford today. A shooting!
4. Some of our political leaders seem more interested in politics and one upping each other than in working to improve Dracut. There doesn't seem to be a a lot of "big picture" thinking or dreaming going on.
5. Our superintendent is looking to leave after less than 2 years on the job.
I love my adopted hometown and plan on staying here for the rest of my life. My wife and I just bought a home over off Methuen Street so we're in this for the long haul. Thus, I want to be a part of the solutions and conversations that help make Dracut better than it is today. We have a great town and great people but like any city or town, we can improve. Certainly some things are out of our control - the national economy is still recovering, the town budget is beholden to the shrinking state budget, etc.
I have no idea the direction this blog will go but like before, it will center around Dracut, politics, the economy, schools, etc. Just stay tuned, it should be fun.
1. Three small businesses have closed or are closing recently - the Book Vendor, Little Trends, and the hair salon across from Hannaford.
2. L'affair McLaughlin has shined some light on the old "Somerville with Trees" reputation we once had (have?)
3. There was a shooting outside Hannaford today. A shooting!
4. Some of our political leaders seem more interested in politics and one upping each other than in working to improve Dracut. There doesn't seem to be a a lot of "big picture" thinking or dreaming going on.
5. Our superintendent is looking to leave after less than 2 years on the job.
I love my adopted hometown and plan on staying here for the rest of my life. My wife and I just bought a home over off Methuen Street so we're in this for the long haul. Thus, I want to be a part of the solutions and conversations that help make Dracut better than it is today. We have a great town and great people but like any city or town, we can improve. Certainly some things are out of our control - the national economy is still recovering, the town budget is beholden to the shrinking state budget, etc.
I have no idea the direction this blog will go but like before, it will center around Dracut, politics, the economy, schools, etc. Just stay tuned, it should be fun.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Curtain Call
As you have noticed, my blogging here has been rather light the past few months. Truth is, work has become very busy and with two young children, I just don't have the time right now to devote to this blog and covering Dracut politics. Thus, I won't be blogging here anymore but I will keep the site "live" in case I am able to get back to this.
Thanks to everyone for their readership and to everyone who I have met as a result of this blog.
Be well.
Thanks to everyone for their readership and to everyone who I have met as a result of this blog.
Be well.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Election analysis
The results were as people expected - incumbents John Zimini and Bob Cox were re-elected to the Board of Selectmen and Matthew Sheehan was re-elected to a second term on the School Committee. Fire Chief Leo Gaudette easily defeated Chris Jenkins for Town Moderator.
But the news of the night was the high school project which won 3,894-1,748 with 316 blanks. It wasn't even close. Mega kudos to the Friends of a New Dracut High School for an amazing effort to get people to back the project and for getting people to the polls. 5,958 (or 31%) voters came out to vote - the largest number of people to vote in a May election in well over 10 years. The previous high was 5,048 in 1999. This may represent a seismic shift in town politics as a new breed of voters was awoken this year. Here's hoping they stay involved.
As for the races, voters felt that things were going well enough to stay the course. Sheehan had a scare winning by 158 votes with 414 blanks (2,844-2,686). If those blanks went to May Paquette in any significant number, Sheehan would have been in trouble.
Zimini topped the ticket with 2,943 votes. Cox followed with 2,661, Tony Archniski got 2,470, and Ted Kosiavelon got 1,842. This is huge for Zimini has many (including yours truly) wrote him off last year. Now he topped the ticket.
I was sad to see Jenkins lose so big to Gaudette (3,774-1,532). Jenkins was at Town Hall tonight and seems like a great guy - I hope he runs for something again but he's not too sure. I don't think a town official should hold an elected position but alas, the voters have spoken.
Linda Trouville and Cheryl Storm were unopposed and won the two seats for Library Trustee.
A rather anti-climatic night but a good night for the high school. Hope for the future won over fear and doom and gloom. Has a new era has dawned?
But the news of the night was the high school project which won 3,894-1,748 with 316 blanks. It wasn't even close. Mega kudos to the Friends of a New Dracut High School for an amazing effort to get people to back the project and for getting people to the polls. 5,958 (or 31%) voters came out to vote - the largest number of people to vote in a May election in well over 10 years. The previous high was 5,048 in 1999. This may represent a seismic shift in town politics as a new breed of voters was awoken this year. Here's hoping they stay involved.
As for the races, voters felt that things were going well enough to stay the course. Sheehan had a scare winning by 158 votes with 414 blanks (2,844-2,686). If those blanks went to May Paquette in any significant number, Sheehan would have been in trouble.
Zimini topped the ticket with 2,943 votes. Cox followed with 2,661, Tony Archniski got 2,470, and Ted Kosiavelon got 1,842. This is huge for Zimini has many (including yours truly) wrote him off last year. Now he topped the ticket.
I was sad to see Jenkins lose so big to Gaudette (3,774-1,532). Jenkins was at Town Hall tonight and seems like a great guy - I hope he runs for something again but he's not too sure. I don't think a town official should hold an elected position but alas, the voters have spoken.
Linda Trouville and Cheryl Storm were unopposed and won the two seats for Library Trustee.
A rather anti-climatic night but a good night for the high school. Hope for the future won over fear and doom and gloom. Has a new era has dawned?
2011 Dracut Election Results
Here are the winners:
Selectmen: John Zimini and Bob Cox
School Committee: Matt Sheehan
Moderator: Leo Gaudette
School Project: Yes (by a landslide)
Selectmen: John Zimini and Bob Cox
School Committee: Matt Sheehan
Moderator: Leo Gaudette
School Project: Yes (by a landslide)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
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