Tag Archives: Gary Rosen

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog

The Worcester Way: The apples before the cart before the horse

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Lots of Worcester Public Elementary Schools have all-white teaching staffs while the schools’ students are predominantly minority kids. We hope new WPS Superintendent Maureen Binienda rights this wrong! Ha!

By Rosalie Tirella

Why attend any one of the Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Search “community,” “open,” “forums” that the City of Worcester is hosting next week and urging us Worcesterites to attend when we all know Maureen Binienda, principal of South High School and a lady at the tail end of her education career, will be crowned prom queen? The brandy new superintendent of the Worcester Public Schools!!!

For the City of Worcester to hold these two community “listening sessions” insults our collective intelligence. We Worcesterites should call ’em out and shout: LUDICROUS!!!

The move is almost as big a joke as the not so long ago hiring of Worcester boy and political insider Ed Augustus as new Woo City Manager AFTER Augustus swore up and down on his granny’s grave that he wasn’t interested in the CM job and would not take it even if it were offered to him as the big prize in a really cool gum ball machine from Unique Finds Antiques and Vintage Gift Store at Webster Square, the neighborhood where Augustus grew up …

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… AFTER the City of Worcester hired The Three Stooges Professional Search Firm to conduct a national city manager search to bring in some great job applicants outside the Worcester (cess)pool to be interviewed by supposedly unbiased city leaders …

… who decided AFTER those poor chumps (I mean job candidates) jumped through a billion quirky Worcester hoops to only learn that this screwy city was gonna hire the insider Augustus, but THANK YOU FOR LETTING US WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS TIME … You must have loved spending time HERE IN WORCESTER, spending a few weeks glad handing and schmoozing and answering a million questions posed by sometimes dense city leaders and honest regular folks, some of the questions very personal (remember the WPS Superintendent candidate who had declared bankruptcy or the most EXCELLENT, HARVARD-educated WPS Superintendent candidate who came in all the way from New Mexico?). … THANKS FOR BEING IN THE WORCESTER DOG AND PONY SHOW, folks! We’re certain you’ll speak highly of our city to friends, family and colleagues wherever you go!

If any serious candidate for any serious, seriously important City of Worcester job Googles Worcester, job search and hiring practices the search will yield: MORONS! BE VERY AFRAID! STAY AWAY!! Maybe the prospective job applicants will take the time they had planned to use to write their letters of interest, polish up their resumes, meet with headhunters and instead book a trip to Disneyland – the experience will be just as Goofy and surreal and mind-numbing! But at least you get cotton candy and pink lemonade and rides in the sky!

Most Worcesterites know our city government is dysfunctional and, like the little kid who’s seen mom and dad fuck each other over left and right, feels 1. This is normal behavior and 2. Is deeply depressed. Why just look at our city!

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Garbage strewn everywhere – some of it hanging from the tree branches. Stabbings galore, used syringes all over our backyards, people brandishing guns, entering homes with babies and mothers in them, mothers corralled into bedrooms, ever watchful babies scarred for life.

The insanity of Worcester city government (and America’s messed up economy) is reflected in the governed. And most Worcester peeps are saying: FUCK YOU! We know we’re zero in your eyes, Worcester city leaders; we know we’ve got to slog through our days while your relatives and cronies get $90,000 a year city jobs and other perks just because they know you. So here’s your shit sandwich, City Councilor Lukes!!! (BTW, Konnie Lukes is one hell of a slumlord!) Screw your combs and yellow city trash bags, City Councilor Gary Rosen!!!

Is it any wonder that after the City of Worcester has decided to CLOSE the WPS Superintendent Search and just interview LOCAL (read WORCESTER pal) candidates and AFTER city bigwigs have made Maureen Binienda Mayor of our politically important Worcester St. Patrick’s Day and after the muckety-mucks have all gone on record in one way or another to tell the world: MAUREEN BINIENDA WALKS ON WATER. SHE IS A WORCESTER IRISH CATHOLIC GAL. SHE KNOWS WHAT LIES IN THE HEART OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS IN OUR MAJORITY MINORITY SCHOOL SYSTEM, A SCHOOL SYSTEM FILLED WITH POOR AND DISENFRANCHISED STUDENTS. … Those students are about to learn Woo lesson #1: In Worcester it’s WHOM you know, not WHAT you know.

I mean, the fix is in.

Mo is in.

As usual, when it comes to hiring people for the City’s most prestigious (read politically powerful and connected), highest paying, bestest, coolest, most freakin’ PLUM jobs, the City of Worcester has shit all over itself.

Again.

It’s put the apples before the cart before the horse and made Worcester, the second largest city in New England, seem provincial, totally closed off, myopic, fearful of the future …

There will never be any NEW VISION in Worcester because city leaders are waiting at our half-empty airport with hot pokers in their fists ready to pounce on the next Melinda Boone – to stab his or her eyes out.

InCity Letters, InCity Voices, Uncategorized

It’s OK to hang out on street corners, Gary! (for now!) …. First Circuit Court grants partial injunction against Worcester anti-panhandling ordinance

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First Circuit Court grants partial injunction against anti-panhandling ordinance in Worcester

Ban on begging “30 minutes before dark” would have prohibited asking for money around 4pm each day during the Christmas season.

WORCESTER — The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has granted an injunction against part of an anti-panhandling ordinance that went into effect in Worcester earlier this year. While judges review the case further, the ordinance’s ban on “soliciting any person in public after dark, which shall mean the time from one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise” cannot be enforced.

“We are grateful for this first step,” said ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts cooperating attorney Kevin Martin, from the law firm Goodwin Procter LLP. “If the Court had not issued this order, people—including not only the homeless but also others such as Salvation Army volunteers—would have been barred from seeking charitable donations starting at about 4 p.m. each day during this holiday season.”

In May 2013, the ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts and Goodwin Procter filed suit in federal court in Worcester on behalf of three Worcester residents to block two anti-panhandling ordinances enacted by the City of Worcester, claiming the ordinances violate the constitutional right to peacefully solicit donations in public and to engage the public in political and other speech. The federal district court denied plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction—which would have prevented the City from enforcing the ordinances while the suit proceeded—and plaintiffs appealed that denial in November 2013 to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The appeal is expected to be argued in January 2014.

One of the new anti-begging ordinances prevents people from doing things such as holding a sign asking for help starting a half-hour before sunset, or performing music while having a hat or cup for donations, or soliciting donations for any cause if they are within 20 feet of the entrance to a bus stop, theater, ATM machine or any other “place of public assembly.”

The second ordinance prohibits standing on traffic islands, a location favored for years by people soliciting donations and engaging in protected speech, including Worcester-area politicians and their supporters, various churches, the Salvation Army, and firefighter organizations raising funds for charity.

For more information about the case, go to:
http://aclum.org/worcester_panhandling

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Gary Rosen …

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… Worcester panhandler extraordinaire!

Arrest this bum!

We adore Gary who asked us to “say a little prayer” for him as we snapped this photo of him smack dab in the middle of a very dangerous Newton Square. But lately he has disappointed us with his stance on Worcester’s panhandling ordinance (he’s for it. boo! boo!) and the proposed ban-exotic-animals-from-circuses-that-come-to-Wusta ordinance (he’s against it, trusting the City of Worcester to determine if Ringlings’  elephants and tigers are healthy enough to perform. He also thinks these complex, wild animals get good care in their train box cars!).

Gary, Gary, Gary … .                – R. Tirella

 

 

 

 

 

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Just wondering …

By Rosalie Tirella

… what Worcester School Committee girl (she is definitely no grown up!) Tracy Novick and Gary Rosen must be thinking re: race and WPS Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone.

They certainly appear to be racist. Former city councilor Rosen writes that he guarantees – just absolutely guarantees! – that Dr. Melinda Boone (Worcester’s first female, black school school superintendent) is using Worcester as a stepping stone to … moving back South so she can put her legs up and relax with all her old friends and colleagues down home.

Pathetic.

Would Rosen have written that about any white Worcester mover-shaker guy who just landed one of the most demanding and high-paying city jobs Worcester has to offer?

Rosen, in his writing, intimates that Dr. Boone is lazy and not completely honest with the city (shuckin’ and jyvin’). He writes Dr. Boone is covering up, stone walling, fibbing, shutting out the city … . He makes her seem so nefarious … . All his comments are tinged with racism.

Then there’s Novick. She slaps a Freedom of Info request into Dr. Boone’s hand at a public meeting. When she writes about Dr. Boone, she always writes “Boone.”

There’s rudeness to Novick’s ways.

You would think these two folks would be proud of: Worcester’s first black school superintendent! Dr. Boone is a great role model for our minority majority Worcester Public School population. The kids love when she visits their schools!

You would think these two “educators” would be this agressive when it comes to: HIRING MORE MINORITY TEACHERS for our school system. Springfield, Hartford, Boston – these urban school systems have lots of minority teachers in all their schools. Worcester public schools look like the set of Leave it to Beaver.

Changes must be made. Change is already here in Dr. Boone.

Novick and Rosen are dragging the City of Worcester down.

The racists.

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog

Worcester School Committeewomen Tracy Novick and Dianna Biancheria and The Goddard School MCAS witch-hunt

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By Rosalie Tirella

Let’s take another look at the political subtext of the nasty/arrogant behavior of Worcester School Committeewomen Tracy Novick and Dianna Biancheria, re: The Goddard School MCAS brouhaha that they have managed to create, insulting WPS School Superintendent Dr,. Melinda Boone, the City of Worcester, Goddard School staff, students and families.

These two women are using the Goddard School to work out their issues re: The MCAS test in general (Novick, who loathes them and wants to do away with them – even though most educators and inner-city families want some kind of standardized test measuring the academic progress of students), the Mass Dept of Primary and Secondary Education (Novick has a vandetta against Mr. Chester and imtimated that he was corrupte), desire to oust Dr. Melinda Boone/racism (Novick and Biancheria resent this intelligent, caring and powerful African American woman), power/control (Novick and Biancheria do not know their boundaries and want to take it away from Dr. Boone – witness how the immature and shrill Novicik “slapped” her information request/letter in Dr. Boone’s hands at the last Worcester School Committee meeting. “unbelieveable” is how one political observer viewed Novick’s rudeness) and finally, both women’s disdain for then Mayor and now City Concilor Konnie Lukes who was instrumental in keeping the school superintendent search two years ago, fair, open, professional – and country-wide.

Good ol’ political Worcester boy Steve Mills did not get the job. The Worc. School Superintendent Search Committee, headed by WPI president and a lot of impressive/diverse Worcester business and educational and community leaders, chose Dr. Melinda Boone, who hails from Virginia – and is a beacon of professionalism and fairness. She is a role model for all our public school students – especially our kids of color. Novick – white, privileged, stay-at-home Mom who has never lived in the inner city and has never been poor/working class – has no idea how important a symbol Dr. Boone is for the WPSchools – a majority minority school district, where a majority of students are eligible for free or reduced-lunch (read poor) and whose parents know (to their very cores) that their kids’ school are neighborhood beacons of hope and caring, as well as education.

Konnie Lukes, John Monfredo, Joe O’Brien, Jack Foley and Mary Mullaney know this.

Novick has her head so far up her tight little asshole, she is incapable of seeing the truth. Biancheria is too dumb to have the kind of complex motives that Novick has – who will probably use the Goodard MCAS “scandal” to run for Worcester City Council soon (we hope she loses). Biancheria just feels left out, out of the loop, she says.

In other words, Dianna B.’s ass isn’t getting kissed often enough.

Dianna Biancheria worked at the Worcester public School Administration building on Irving Street. She was put into her high-paying position (a sinecure if ever there was one) by her ally and all around Worcester big-shot player, by former Worcester Mayor, Ray Mariano. Then she lost her job and all that money.

Dianna B. immediately ran for Worcester Public School Committee just to keep her fist in the money pie – and won, with the help of the Ray Mariano Political Machine. She – like all Worcester School Committee members – gets (around) a $15,000-a-year check for sitting on the Worcester School Committee.

Having watched the Goddard “showdown” a few weeks ago in which Dianna and Novick and strange political bed-fellow Brian O’Connell’s petition to see all the state records re: the Goddard MCAS test results (which classrooms was the “coaching” going on in, which tests were affected, which students were being inappropriately aided by which Goddard School teachers) get voted down 4 to 3 should have ended this creepy affair.

Nope. Novick and Biancheria are going to the state, filing freedom of information letters and the whole nine yards. Just to out to the community the Goddard students (how sad for the families!) and the teachers (whom everyone says are first-rate) to get what they need: their bizzarro egos fed, their misplaced need for control met and their (unconscious) racist, provincial desire to ruin the career (same motive of former Worcester city councilor Gary Rosen – the little dildo) of Dr. Melinda Boone, a woman way too classsy for these three.

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog

The Worcester Police Department and Worcester’s provincialism

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By Rosalie Tirella

I got a chance to catch last week’s Worcester City Council meeting. Appalling! To see all our city councilors get up to kiss Police Chief Gary Gemme’s ass – after he throws out his “you- should-thank-God-for-the-WPD crime” report. For without us, Police Chief Gemme was telling the council (not so blatantly, of course) this place would be Dodge City!! This place would be overrun with crime and criminals!” (truth: Worcester has a lower crime rate than Hartford, Springield, etc because Woercester has more upper income folks/families living in our city limits than cities like Hartford or Springfield do. And rich people don’t commit the kinds of crimes poor/desperate people do. Springfiled, Hartford – even Providence – have many more poor people – poor neighborhoods – than we do. In fact, Hartford is one of the poorest cities in New England and one of the poorest in the USA!). Continue reading The Worcester Police Department and Worcester’s provincialism →

InCity Letters, InCity Voices, Uncategorized

Gary Rosen replies …

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Rosalie,

Although I decided not to go through the rigors of a political campaign this fall, the election for State Representative in the 13th Worcester District is one year away (the fall of 2010). I shall use the next few weeks and months to assemble a strong campaign committee, recruit volunteers, raise money, and plan the strategies we’ll need for a successful result next fall.

And this man that you have labeled as old is going to use that foolish statement as encouragement and motivation. As a former teacher at Wachusett Regional High School, many families still remember and respect me for the fine education I gave their children. And soon I’ll be getting some needed exercise this fall into the early winter by leisurely walking the town of Paxton, knocking on doors and talking to registered voters.

But don’t worry, Rosalie, I have the intellect, ability, energy and character to serve the people of the 13th Worcester District quite well.

Best Regards,

Gary Rosen

Green Island Grrrl, Rosalie's Blog, Uncategorized

Joff Smith, “Rick” Rushton and Gary Rosen! Gak!!!

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By Rosalie Tirella

Yup! That was my first, true, gut – “visceral,” if you want to get fancy – reaction when I heard that these three guys are most likely going to run for State Rep. Bob Spellane’s seat when he vacates it next year to become a grown up.

While I have always liked City Counilor at Large Gary Rosen, at 64 years old, he’s simply too old to run for this seat. It’s like he’s embarking on a political career when he should be … gardening. It’s strange: Gary dropped out of the Worcester mayoral race last month because he said he wasn’t up to campaigning. Too energy-sapping. Too much work. But he would have done pretty well (won reelection to his city councilor at large seat) if he had just kept his name on the ballot and spent the rest of the fall sorting his sock drawer. But yeesh, Gary, a run for state rep slot? How many people in Paxton know you? How are you gonna reach all these voters? Think of all the Gary-Rosen-for-State-Rep combs you’ll have to pass out!

It just goes to show you: some people are 9 parts ego and 1 part human being. Continue reading Joff Smith, “Rick” Rushton and Gary Rosen! Gak!!! →

Green Island Grrrl

Cheers to WPI!

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By Rosalie Tirella

What a surprise! WPI, following the lead of the great Charles Monahan and his downtown college, has volunteered to make PILOT payments to the City of Worcester. $9.1 million! The money will be used to (re)open our flagship library on Salem Square. So now kids can go to their libray on Sundays or Mondays or Wednesday mornings (the times the library is now closed). InCity Times has been asking for this kind of commitment from Worcester’s private colleges for YEARS! And now, deep in the midst of a national, state and city financial meltdown, WPI has decided to do the right thing!

Thank you, WPI! Thank you, City Manager Mike O’Brien for brokering this ground breaking agreement! Thank you (and we never thought we’d be writing this) District City Councilor Phil Palmieri for hammering away at the colleges/nonprofits council meeting after council meeting. City Councilor at Large Gary Rosen has also been wonderful, even suggesting that the colleges support our library system. And also thanks to District Four City Councilor Barbara Haller who was pro-PILOT (Payment in Lieu for Taxes) from the get-go, years back.

But I also want to take time out to give special thanks to two people who pretty much got passed over last night when the Worcester City Council gave itself MOST of the credit. Special thanks to InCity Times supporter and hero Anthony Hmura of Leader Signs on Canterbury Street. I remember when I started my newspaper almost 8 years ago – and got a call from a ballsy ol’ man named Tony, who saw the first copy of ICT and wanted to be part of the mayhem!

“Let’s get the college’s to pay us money – the leeches!” he screamed. It was a bit over the top, but after listening to Tony, I was on his side. The private colleges in Worcester are truly multi-million dollar corporations and it was wrong for them not to pay the City of Worcester any taxes. Yes, they were tax exempt because they expanded people’s minds, trained them for careers and all that good stuff … but really! Pay something for all the city services you use: fire trucks, police, clean water, snow plowing, street cleaning/sweeping, etc.  What’s more Tony, a sign maker for more than 50 years, brought a class-consciousness to  the table; the college kids came to Worcester from places like suburban New Jersey and Connecticut and took one look at Worcester and decided to make her their personal garbage can/urinal!

So the anti-college/pro-PILOT Tony Hmura ads ran in InCity Times – many of them a tad … primative. Like the time we got a clip art photo of a fat cat smoking a cigar and wrote HOLY CROSS COLLEGE over it. Or the time we told Father McFarland, president of Holy Cross, to put up or shut the hell up! We told him to do the Christian thing and help the poor people in the South Worcester neighborhood that Holy Cross was nestled in. We ran photos of crushed beer cans, stories of South Worcester folks who shared apartment buildings with Holy Cross students who fornicated in the hall ways! And we got a reaction from folks! Thay were pissed off too!

Then the other papers followed Tony Hmura’s lead with shall we say more measured pieces. And so the rumblings for PILOT grew and grew and grew. Soon East Side activist Gary Vecchio jumped into the fray and demanded the colleges pay PILOT. Gary was relentless! He was all over the airwaves, TV, newspapers!

And finally, after all the work and fulminating …. WPI gives us $9.1 million! Hurrah!

Thanks to all!