Click the images below to view larger.
Continue reading City of Worcester – Top 125 Wage Earners for 2007
All posts by admin
Help stop this disasterous idea!
Vote no on Question 1
By John Monfredo, Worcester School Committee member
The State Income Tax Repeal is also known as Massachusetts Question 1. It is an initiated state statute that will appear on the November 4 ballot in our state. Along with the election of a President, Congress and State officials, this question is one of the most important votes that you will make.
As the famous Massachusetts native – Supreme Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. stated: “Taxes are the price we pay for civilization.” If we want the services that many of us take for granted such as police, fire, education, construction of roads, park land and many more then we need to VOTE NO on this question.
NO on Question 2
By Rosalie Tirella
If this were some cool suburban town filled with aging baby boomers, we might have voted yes on Question 2. If some English professor in this cool town wanted to smoke some weed while listening to his old Pink Floyd lp’s, we might have said: Go ahead, old man! Who’s stopping you? Who really cares? You’re in your living room, relaxing after grading all those boring frosh essays on … Question 2!
Vote “Yes”on Question 3! Protect Greyhounds!
By Steven Baer
The sight of dogs at play in a grassy field is a happy image. Humans watch their companions with delight and a desire to visually participate in the innocent play as the “pups” run freely and jump and bow and roll and collide in a carefree way.
And as we watch, we become intrigued when one dog tends to lead the pack, or another is involved in fending off or initiating rough-housing, or another has boundless energy to run, or another tends to jump higher than his or her doggy play pals.
Innocent dog play, however, is violated when self-centered, manipulative people turn a playful run into a wagered dog race, or rough-house play into a wagered dog fight.
Continue reading Vote “Yes”on Question 3! Protect Greyhounds!
Voting for Obama
By Richard Schmitt
Yes you should vote for Obama but you should also know what not to expect if he wins:
Obama has collected more than $600 million in campaign funds. In the last month he has collected more than ever before. As it appears that he may win the election, every one who has the resources to buy access to the highest levels of government, is putting money into the pot so that next year, or the year after, if they need something done for them, they can call the White House and say “remember me I gave a large amount of money to your campaign two years ago.”
If you expect government to be cleaner than it has been, you will be disappointed. Our system still is run by money. Money talks; not citizens. Obama getting elected is not going to change that.
Web-zilla!!!!! (or:The Big “Mack” Attack!)
My dear readers, if there’s anything you’ve learned about InCity Times these past seven-plus years, is that we are ambitious – and a wee-bit technophobic, which makes for really interesting newspapering. Yes, yes, we have heard it all before: Rose, all the newspapers have websites!; Rose, ICT needs to be in cyberspace; Rose, think how great this will be for your writers and advertisers! So for four or so years, we’ve been on the fence about an ICT website – vascilating like crazy! To build an InCity Times website – or not to build an InCity Times website? That was the question!
Life with Tyler, a retired racing greyhound
By Vanessa Costa
I have to give all the credit to my husband, Bill, for adopting Tyler, our retired racing greyhound, seven years ago. We wanted to get a dog, but with both of us working, I was concerned about how much time we could devote to a pet. Greyhound Friends in Hopkinton was having their semi-annual Open House and before hand my husband visited their website (www.greyhound.org) and immediately fell for one red brindle greyhound named Tyler.
Continue reading Life with Tyler, a retired racing greyhound
Francis J. McGrath versus the Worcester mafia
By Steven Maher
It was the type of press Worcester Mafia boss Frank Iaconi abhorred.
Iaconi’s picture appeared on page one of the November 5, 1946 Worcester Telegram under a headline, “Three sued for $57,300 as a Result of Horse Bet Losses”. There was also a photograph of Ward 3 councilman Philip F. Sullivan.
Jules Vohlgemuth was a Belgian immigrant who had saved $19,000 from stock market investments and his wages as a diesinker. George Trudell had gotten Vohlgemuth to lend him the money under false pretenses, and then lost it betting on horses in an Iaconi Franklin Street gambling den. Vohlgemuth sued Iaconi, Sullivan, and Irving Zabarsky under a state law that allowed for the recovery of triple damages for gambling losses.
Continue reading Francis J. McGrath versus the Worcester mafia
Worcester mafia boss Frank Iaconi’s war with the Providence mob
by Steven R. Maher
Nicholas D. Braniff of Webster Massachusetts had a dog named Rowdy. One night in February 1938 Rowdy began living up to his name, barking loudly, furiously and incessantly. It was the beginning of an incredible chain of events that would destroy the political career of Massachusetts Governor Charles F. Hurley, lead to the impeachment of Governors’ Councilor Daniel H. Coakley, and spark an internecine Mafia gang war.
Braniff was convinced that Rowdy’s nonstop barking was being provoked by burglars inside the next door United Optical plant, which manufactured gold eyeglass frames, and where $8,000 in gold was stored. Braniff summoned patrolman Armand Tourangeau, and headquarters was contacted for reinforcements.
Continue reading Worcester mafia boss Frank Iaconi’s war with the Providence mob
Brief History of Greyhound Friends Inc.
On May 8, 1983, Louise Coleman, a rehabilitation counselor for the United States Department of Labor, visited Wonderland Race Track in Revere, Massachusetts, at the urging of an acquaintance who knew that a discarded racer was due to be killed shortly. With no previous experience with greyhounds, Louise adopted Boston Boy, who received a new name Shadow and another chance. Shortly after the adoption of Shadow, Louise Coleman, with the help of several volunteers, started the work of Greyhound Friends, a small non-profit organization dedicated to saving racing greyhounds, The organization was incorporated in Boston, Massachusetts two years later, and since that time more than 7,000 retired racers have found good and caring homes. The dogs were originally housed in Louise’S home and at the Brookline Animal Hospital, but in 1987 the organization received funding from the Ahimsa Foundation to rent a kennel in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. This remains the main adoption center of Greyhound Friends, and it is here that the dogs are prepared for their new lives.When they are received, they are groomed, treated medically, nourished with high quality food, waled and reassured, and outfitted with as new collar an leash. They respond almost immediately to kind treatment and most dogs are readied for adoption in just a few days.Greyhound Friends has many volunteers who help with all aspects of the work.