Author: Mike

35 Worcester religious leaders on pools: “prioritize poorest neighborhoods”

Saying that “The future of Worcester’s pools is a moral decision,” 35 prominent Worcester religious leaders today issued a statement asking the City Manager and City Councilors to “take into account the impact the loss of pools will have on our young people and low-income families” and to “prioritize Worcester’s poorest neighborhoods for pool renovations and rebuilding both as part of the final plan as well as any timeline which will phase-in pools over the coming years.”

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Rev. Jose Incarnacion reads the statement at a City Hall press conference today. Mike Benedetti photo/CC BY.

The statement comes out as the Council prepares to vote on the City Manager’s new plan to focus funds on replacing the city’s nine decrepit swimming pools with a few huge ones.

The statement and signatories are below.
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508 #82: Kate Toomey

508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Brendan Melican and Bruce Russell talk with Kate Toomey about running for mayor of Worcester.

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Also: no new info on political sign thefts; discussion of the pools issue and a curious incident with the City Manager; Dianne Williamson’s latest cry for help; absurd self-parody from Jordan Levy. We never do get around to discussing how much any of us can bench.

508 contact info

More conversation about this episode on Paulie’s blog.

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508 #81: Tracy Novick

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panelists are Brendan Melican and Worcester School Committee candidate Tracy Novick.[display_podcast]

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This week begins a series introducing Worcester election challengers. We mostly talk about the School Committee and the elections. Other relevant links and notes:

Just the Novick interview:

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Center for Nonviolent Solutions, Worcester

After more than a year of planning and organizing, the Center for Nonviolent Solutions is fixing to open in Worcester.

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The group “seeks to promote alternatives to violence in resolving conflict at the local, national, and international levels.” They’re having a kickoff event at the Worcester Public Library October 17, and will be housed in an office at the Friends Meetiing.

In my time in Worcester, most of the new projects for explicitly “nonviolent” solutions have been started and maintained by very small, often ad hoc groups. These projects have tended to be reactive and short-term. A larger, institutional group that can manage long-term, proactive projects could be just what we need.

All-night Main South prayer vigil, Worcester

Prayer vigil for Main South

There’s a 12-hour prayer vigil for Main South at King & Main in Worcester tonight, organized by The Woo.

I stopped by tonight and joined about 15 others in a little silent prayer, a little spoken prayer, a lot of conversation, and the occasional psalm. As a Catholic, when I think “12-hour prayer vigil” I think of rosaries, litanies, and the Divine Office. This group is coming from a different place, and it’s interesting watching them figure out how they want to use this time. I’ll be back for more in the morning.

508 #80: Heartbroken

508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Brendan and Mike mourn that Gary Rosen is not running for re-election.

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Also: the first issue of Blank Canvas in 2 years is out; Derek Ring took photos of some LaRouche people; there’s a Buddha Hut brunch tomorrow; vegans should check out Chris Gould’s food cart at the Dive Bar; The Woo is holding a 12-hour prayer vigil for Main South; the pond weeds are supposedly no big deal; there was a pot bust in Worcester; we talk about a famous acid bust; Mike is thinking of growing mushrooms.

Also: Intermission.

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All-night prayer vigil, Worcester’s Main South, Aug 14

The Woo, a small “alternative Christian church” on Main Street, are planning an all-night prayer vigil at the corner of Main and King from 8pm Friday, Aug 14 to 8am Saturday, Aug 15. Several members of the congregation live in the neighborhood, and their hope is to “give God a foothold in the area” and pray for the brokenness they see there.

For more info, call Dan at 508-341-1103.

508 #79: Worcester elections 101

508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Mike and Brendan read the papers and cover some of the basics of Worcester’s upcoming election, scarcely 3 months away.

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Note: Not long after this podcast was recorded, Gary Rosen announced he was not running.

Brendan’s Tracy Novick yard sign was stolen, along with all the other Novick signs on his street.

Notable articles from Thursday’s paper:

The InCity Times celebrates their 8th anniversary. The Catholic Radical discusses banking and efforts to unionize local janitors. We mention that this effort may impact cleaning service owner Stephen Buchalter’s campaign. We also review some backstory of Joe O’Brien and Grace Ross, and how Mike Germain won the last election under unique circumstances.

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Hiroshima Day 2009, Worcester, Massachusetts

11 people gathered at Worcester City Hall today to repent, as Americans, for the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to call for nuclear disarmament.

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A recent poll found that 61% of Americans think the bombing was “the right thing” to do. There are two ways to look at this. Was the bombing an effective way to bring WWII to an end? Was the bombing a horrible crime?

I think the answer to the second question is “Yes.” As to the first, Wikipedia is a good place to start. Hiroshima: Was It Necessary? is another introduction.

For another take on disarmament, one expressed by several passersby today, see Randy Newman’s “Political Science.”

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