Category Archives: Rosalie’s Blog

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Worcester’s cops need to wake up … and smell the Quinn Bill

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By Rosalie Tirella

Wow! The Quinn Bill classes! A total farce! A complete waste of time! A black hole for our tax dollars! A football field of quick-sand! We always felt these classes were jr. high part II and did nothing to make cops more sensitive to their communities or give them better communication skills. Just look at some of our cops and the way they “finesse” all kinds of volatile/deadly situations – specifically Mark Rojas.

But now the City of Worcester knows for sure. Quinn Bill diploma mills (Anna Maria, QCC) tell police officers: give us the money – and we give you a piece of paper that gets you other pieces of paper – the green kind with our founding fathers printed on one side and “In God We Trust” on the other. Police Chief Gemme got himself an extra $40,000 (per year) because he took these classes. And other cops have reaped the benefits – $5 million in total. $5 million per year the City of Worcester must pay (it’s in the police contract) all the Quinn Bill “Scholars” at the Worcester Police Department. Continue reading Worcester’s cops need to wake up … and smell the Quinn Bill →

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Mayoral candidate Joe O’Brien: lackluster, aloof and … a bit of a snooze

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By Rosalie Tirella

Worcester – I caught some of the mayoral debates that are taking place all over our fair city, all the time, it seems. What struck me was how lackluster “the new, fresh” candidate Joe O’Brien seemed. Candidate Kate Toomey didn’t count. Doesn’t count. So I’ll skip her and focus on Mayor Konnie Lukes’ main opponent: O’Brien – the guy who is being touted as the Second Coming.

Unfortunately – or fortunately for Konnie Lukes – this guy isn’t the Second Coming. If you watch the debates, he isn’t even interesting. What’s more, during these mayoral debates and forums, O’Brien comes off as … kind of bored … a bore – an aloof, passionless guy who isn’t enjoying any of this. Watch him and you see a candidate who seems to be doing this from rote, the kind of candidate who sees running for Worcester Mayor as a task, a (thankless?) job. Maybe that’s because O’Brien sees being Worcester Mayor as a stepping stone to bigger and better … offices (state rep, state senator, etc). With his eyes ultimately on a bigger prize, it’s no wonder this ride is a bit of a snooze for Joe O.

If he wins this mayoral race, most likely he will dump Worcester by the next election cycle. He will then be an official politician and can begin his political career in earnest.

At least that’s what people in the know are saying.

State Rep. Joe O’Brien? He lost to Vinny Pedone years ago. Why do it again?

This is O’Brien’s last, best chance of jumping into ELECTIVE politics. He is in his 40s; time is running out. He has to jump at an open seat – a seat with more pizzazz/prestige than regular ol’ City Councilor.

So here we go, Worcester! Let’s all be subjected to O’Brien’s political ambitions.

Again.

Green Island Grrrl, InCity Letters, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

One of our discerning readers writes …

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editor’s note: We found this comment to one of my postings about Christina A.:

All 80 comments have been removed from the T & G [Telegram and Gazette] Sept.10 [2009] article about Christina Andrianopoulos. What is that all about? So much for freedom of speech. Maybe somebody should address this.

– Carrie

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ICT editor’s reply: Carrie, you are so discerning! The Telegram and Gazette should have kept all comments about Christina A. They keep everyone else’s! 9the hypocrites)

There is something so intrinsically insider-ish about the Telegram and Gazette. It’s all who you know and how much dough you have. Get your news else where, Carrie – and pray that Harry Whitin, the old, former editor of the Telegram and Gazette who was pushed out of his editorial chair by owner New York Times Co. – doesn’t come back with the Crowley crowd and reclaim his throne.

Really, old dogs like Whitin oughta just fade away/die and let new voices get heard. But they are such huge egomaniacs they just won’t go away – no matter how old and infirm.– Rosalie Tirella

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

A freakin’ buck for the Telegram and Gazette?!

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Let’s see. I go to a coffee shop. I pick up the day’s copy of the Telegram & Gazette and read it – while I am waiting in line for my coffee! And that’s it! That’s my fill of the T & G! The two or three minutes I spend milling about in line is the exact amount of time I need to “read” this news wasteland. Continue reading A freakin’ buck for the Telegram and Gazette?! →

InCity Voices, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Telegram and Gazette ordains their “chosen” political candidates – doesn’t educate voters

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By Rosalie Tirella

How annoying! I opened up the Telegram & Gazette today at a local coffee shop (I’d never actually put down any money to buy the T & G – and I coerced my relatives into ending their subscriptions – “You can read their crap on line for free!”), I was stunned to see a letter to the editor about ICT that was given just an awful headline. It was as if the editor/copy editor who slugged it had his/her own agenda – to trash us.

Then I read other Telegram and Gazette stories and thought: You know what? This awful rag doesn’t even need to be read – just scanned. Here it is, political season and you know: the T & G’s reporters, columnists, editors and copy editors will make Mayor Konnie Lukes look bad and her main opponent, candidate Joe O’Brien, look good. The T & G has never given Lukes the play that L.G. Tim Murray got when he was mayor of Worcester. And Murray – the little fart – Continue reading Telegram and Gazette ordains their “chosen” political candidates – doesn’t educate voters →

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Just Joe (O’Brien), mayoral candidate/spoiled little boy

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A few days ago, we wrote about Joe O’Brien walking right by us after we had let his puff piece/bio run in my paper, InCity Times. I thought: What a spoiled little boy! This immature guy cannot be our next mayor! Now we hear this: When Joe O’Brien was finishing his stint on the Worcester School Committee he mailed Mayor Konnie Lukes the nastiest letter. Then, for good measure, he sent it to the Worcester school committee clerk – to be “on the record.” Continue reading Just Joe (O’Brien), mayoral candidate/spoiled little boy →

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Has Blow Mag (Worcester Mag) jumped the shark?

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By Rosalie Tirella

The boyfriend and I decided to go to Blow Mag’s (Worcester Mag’s) Turtle Boy event last night in the Canal District (fancy pants talk for Green Island). We went a few years ago and stayed ’til the end because, while there weren’t tons of people (for all the full-page Worcester Magazine ads/hype Worcester Magazine gave their event), there were enough folks at that Turtle Boy to make the night feel like a true night out – a true event.

This time around – last night’s Turtle Boy? A total bust. Deadsville. Nowhere land. As of 8 p.m., there seemed to be about 30 people doing the Turtle Boy! A handfull of folks! So depressing! So disheartening! We’d look into the clubs and bars where the bands/musicians were playing and we’d see TWO people at the bar or 14 people at tables listening to the tunes. Music/bands that were hyped and hyped and hyped in full-page, color ads (a cover story, too!) in recent issues of Worcester Magazine. We couldn’t believe our eyes! Continue reading Has Blow Mag (Worcester Mag) jumped the shark? →

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

The end of an era?

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By Rosalie Tirella

Is it the end of an era? Due to Worcester’s budget woes and DPW never ever repairing our crumbling neighborhood swimming pools – even during boom times (because most were in the inner-city and enjoyed by poor people?) – it’s bye bye, neighborhood swimming pools! So long, Crystal Park pool! Toodle-oo, Holmes Field pool! We’ll miss ya, Tacoma Pool in Great Brook Valley!

While we approve of City Manager’s Mike O’Brien’s recently proposed aquatic plan, which calls for a new and excellent family pool at Crompton Park (for next year) and the eventual building of a few other city swimming pools (to complement the two state pools and Crompton’s pool), along with a couple of spray parks, I still feel sad about the demise of the pool-for-every-neighborhood concept (especially for our inner-city neighborhoods). So here goes:

Goodbye, you old Crompton Park pool! I knew you well! As a pudgy kid from Green Island, I spent countless hours during the 1970s doing summersaults and cannonballs into your lovely blue, hyper-chlorinated water! Continue reading The end of an era? →

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Even more on Christina Andrianopoulos: the truth about “Vorres Productions”

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Rosalie, Im writing to you and opt to remain anonymous … . I have posted three true, factual comments on the Dianne Wiliamson story regarding both Christina Andrianopoulos and [Anthony Vorres, producer of the TV show] this “Vorres Productions.” Both times they have been strangely “removed” from the post. So much for freedom of speech. I also wrote “Don’t let the facts get in the way of your story, Dianne”

You just seem to have the “balls” to get the truth out. Continue reading Even more on Christina Andrianopoulos: the truth about “Vorres Productions” →

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Maybe Cheese Whiz waz right about candidate Joe O’Brien!

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By Rosalie Tirella

Maybe Cheese Whiz waz right! Maybe mayoral candidate Joe O’Brien is the Preparation H of Worcester!

Nothing like walking straight by a person who has just given great play to an op/ed piece written (or so your aides claim) by you (which I just did in my InCity Times rag) and giving her (me) the snub! Nothing like a frosty little walk across the room with a big bug up your ass, Joe! (I saw O’Brien at a local eatery a week or so ago.) This tells me: Hey, this guy, Joe O’Brien, has none of the class of … Mayor Konnie Lukes. He certainly has none of her warmth – and she is a warm person, besides being a fiscal watchdog. (The T & G and Blow Mag never make mention of this fact.) Continue reading Maybe Cheese Whiz waz right about candidate Joe O’Brien! →