Worcester – Page 60 – Pie and Coffee

Prayer for an End to the Iraq War

Editor’s note: This will be part of a Holy Week prayer service at the Federal Building in Worcester.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, under the inspiratrion of Blessed Franz Jagerstatter, who gave his life to denounce an unjust war, on the fifth anniversary of the latest US escalation of its 17-year-long war on Iraq, we gather to beg Your forgiveness for the sin of this war and to ask for Your grace to end it now. We make these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen.

For the over 88,000 Iraqi citizens killed since 2003, we pray:
Lord, have mercy.

For the 4,100 US soldiers killed in Iraq since 1991, we pray:
Christ, have mercy.

For the 200,000 Iraqis killed in the first Gulf War, we pray:
Lord, have mercy.

For the 1.5 million Iraqis, including 800,000 children, killed by US-sponsored sanctions between 1991 and 2002, we pray:
Kyrie, eleison.

For the thousands of Iraqis killed by “no-fly zone” bombings between 1991 and 2002, we pray:
Christe, eleison.

For our failure to speak out more forcefully against the sin of this long war on Iraq, we pray:
Kyrie, eleison.

Recalling that Pope John Paul II called war on Iraq “useless slaughter” and “unjust, immoral, and illegal,” we pray the rosary to Mary, Queen of Peace, that the ears of all those in the federal government might finally be opened to attend to the plea of millions of Americans who want the war to end now.

Pray a rosary:

The First Sorrowful Mystery: Christ’s agony in the garden.
Help us to end the agony of the Iraqi people and to return all American soldiers safely home.

The Second Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus is scourged.
Help us to end the torture our nation continues to inflict on prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere.

The Third Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus is crowned with thorns.
Help us to never again drop cluster bombs, depleted uranium, and other weapons onto the heads of the Iraqi people.

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus carries the Cross.
Help us to take up Christ’s cross of nonviolent love (even at the risk of criticism and jail) to end the Iraq War.

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus dies on the Cross.
Help us to love our enemies as profoundly as Christ did from his Cross and to reject this and all wars.

Close with the Salve Regina.

508 #26: Sunshine Week

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel includes Kevin Ksen and Brendan Melican.

[display_podcast]

Worcester Indymedia is filing several public records requests to mark Sunshine Week; we’ll follow up on a future show and see if government is responding as the law requires.

Brendan defends the American Antiquarian Society against a proposed expansion of a nearby historical district. (More about the founder of the AAS.) Today is the birthday of one of Mike’s Facebook friends. Former City Council candidate John Mahoney still seems to be spamming people.

The Hanover Theater opens in Worcester tonight; check the WCCA TV13 website for a video clip shortly after the festivities begin. (Brendan mentions David Copperfield in connection with this.)

Census forms are finally out. If there aren’t any changes to be made on your form, you can let the city know via the web.

Mike will be at a prayer service next week that might turn into civil disobedience. And it might not.

Tracy Novick talks about the current crisis in local school funding; she’s been blogging about it.

You, too can leave a voice message to be played on the show. Just call 508-471-3897.

mp3 link, other formats, feed, low-fi versions

To get an e-mail each week alerting you of the new episode of 508, join the e-mail list:

We won’t share this list with others.

Opponents of Iraq War to Risk Arrest at Federal Building in Worcester

On Wednesday, March 19, 2008, the fifth anniversary of the most recent escalation of the 17-year long American war on Iraq, local residents will enter the US Federal Building on Main Street in Worcester to offer Catholic prayers for an immediate end to the war. Their prayer comes as the culmination of a 43-day Lenten prayer, fast, and vigil carried out in conjunction with people in 11 other US cities, including Des Moines, Iowa, Buffalo and Rochester, New York.
Continue reading “Opponents of Iraq War to Risk Arrest at Federal Building in Worcester”

Hearing loss

The daily Lenten prayer and fasting for an end to the Iraq War continued today in Worcester, with 4 people participating. (I think a few dozen have been involved at some point.) We found a nice ring outside the cathedral; you can pick it up at the rectory if it’s yours.

When we went down to the federal building to continue the vigil, a friend and I went inside to talk to whoever was there. (From my limited experience, this seems to be standard operating procedure for continuing vigils. Sometimes this can bear unexpected fruit.)

My friend mentioned the recent report that upwards of 5% of Iraq and Afganistan War vets are collecting disability for hearing loss due to roadside bombs and the like.

One guy said, “And that’s a problem for us?” (Which seemed an odd thing to say.)

Another guy responded, “Yeah–we gotta pay for it!”

My friend pointed out that hearing loss also probably messes up a lot of these vets’ lives.

Other than that, things passed without incident.

508 #25: Cable, Kate Toomey, Facebook, Trains, Police, Census, Trash

508 is a show about Worcester. Today’s panelists are Brendan Melican and Scott Zoback.

[display_podcast]

We start off by discussing Worcester’s new contract with Charter for cable services. Scott talks about printing City Councilor Toomey’s Facebook updates in Worcester Magazine.

Worcester commuters may take trains to Boston via Fitchburg. Brendan talks about the Worcester police shooting a man. T&G has an mp3 recording of police radio of the incident.)

Mike talks with Election Commissioner John Stewart about the city census.

Kevin Ksen phones in about the successful Stop Unwanted Trash campaign.

You, too can leave a voice message to be played on the show. Just call 508-471-3897.

mp3 link, other formats, feed, low-fi versions

To get an e-mail each week alerting you of the new episode of 508, join the e-mail list:

We won’t share this list with others.

Case study: Cutting too many reporters

When you cut your news staff to the bone, you’ll sometimes have to cover a subject without having any reporters who have a general understanding of it, have contacts in the field, and so on.

In this case, that subject is Worcester’s contract (PDF) with Charter Communications.

In the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Nick Kotsopoulos wrote:

Charter will pay the city a 5 percent franchise fee, the maximum allowed under federal law. The 5 percent fee is based on Charterâ€™s annual gross revenues for cable television. In the last fiscal year, Charterâ€™s gross revenues totaled about $1.2 million.

He seems to be paraphrasing this bullet point from the City Manager’s letter to the City Council:

It provides for an annual 5% franchise fee (maximum allowed under Federal law). This is 5% of Charter Communicationâ€™s annual gross revenues for cable television. In FY07, it totaled approximately $1.2M.

The City Manager’s statement is ambiguous; it’s not clear what totalled $1.2M. Kotsopoulos guessed the Manager meant the gross revenues were $1.2M, but Kotsopoulos guessed wrong.

Anyone familiar with all the reports and debate over the cable contract would see that 5% of $1.2M revenue is only $60K a year, hardly enough for the City to pay for the Public Access, Education, and Government channels and its other telecom projects. That would mean a jaw-dropping cut in funding for these things, and would deserve to be a major part of the article.

Of course, the Manager was referring to $1.2M in franchise fees, not revenue.

I work for one of the local PEG channels, and when I first read the T&G article, and before confirming the stat was wrong, I was stunned, thinking I was out of a job.

508 #24: T&G

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel includes Bruce Russell and Brendan Melican.

[display_podcast]

Brendan talks about the impending layoffs at Worcester’s daily paper, the Telegram & Gazette. City census forms are out; for people who haven’t changed their address there will soon be a web-based form on the city’s website. You can save a stamp by dropping your form off in the yellow mailbox in front of the library.

Bruce talks about the bus.

Brendan continues his critique of the coverage of a local college promo video.

Mike praises the Toxic Soil Busters, part of the Worcester Roots Project that can help you with toxins in your yard.

Mike talks to Kevin Ksen about a project to stop unwanted T&G sales circulars from accumulating on the city’s sidewalks.

mp3 link, other formats, feed, low-fi versions

If you’d like to leave a recorded message to be played on the show, call 508.471.3897.

To get an e-mail each week alerting you of the new episode of 508, join the e-mail list:

We won’t share this list with others.

508 #23: Homeless transsexuals

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Jesse Pack, Cha-Cha Connor, and Brendan Melican.

[display_podcast]

City Councilor Kate Toomey sent Mike birthday greetings on Facebook!

Jesse is starting a “support fund” for area transsexuals facing homelessness and other difficulties. The homelessness rate among transsexuals is very high.

Cha-Cha talks about her performance in the US premiere of â€œA Journey to Kreisau,â€ a dramatic presentation about Nazi resister Helmuth James Graf von Moltke, written by Worcester theater icon Marc P. Smith. She connects the performance to both immigration issues and Worcester’s “Canal District.”

Brendan mentions a police harassment settlement involving “disturbingly graphic photographs showing severe facial swelling and bruising.”

Dan Kelley calls in complaining about Mike’s use of the word “complicit.” (Anthony Hmura complains, at greater length, here.)

Brendan comments on this photo of Bruce:

Mike criticizes Worcester Magazine for publishing Kate Toomey’s Facebook updates; he defends them against the InCity Times‘ claim that they got this story “wrong.”

Jesse talks about a press event he held with Cha-Cha to ask the CDC to release some HIV stats.

Mike briefly dropped by the Worcester Local First kickoff event. Mike mentions a Boston Globe article about how the number of 25-34 year-old residents of Massachusetts is in decline.

The New York Times reported on a former Worcester resident living in a box on the Lower East Side.

mp3 link, other formats, feed, low-fi versions

Helmuth James Graf von Moltke

Last night was the US premiere of “A Journey to Kreisau,” a dramatic presentation about Nazi resister Helmuth James Graf von Moltke, written by Worcester theater icon Marc P. Smith.

There are 2 more local shows, Feb 19 & 20, 8pm, at the Hibernian Center/Fiddler’s Green (19 Temple St).

I am amazed I’d not heard much about von Moltke before, given that his estate was a center of anti-Nazi activity. In my circle, if you bring up resistance to the Nazis, you are going to hear about the White Rose, Bonhoffer, and of course Jagerstatter, but not von Moltke.

I’m a bit humbled by my ignorance, but mostly eager to read more about him, and excited to realize that there are still so many great men and women of history for me to discover.

The dog that could not read

Today we had six people praying and fasting for an end to the Iraq War. At the cathedral, we had more positive comments than ever.

Outside the federal building, an old guy was stopped at a red light with a dog in his lap. The way the dog was leaning out the window, he looked like he was driving. “He can’t read your sign!” the old man pointed out with a smile.

Another man stopped by and said, “We can pray all we want and fast all we want, people are making so much money from it it’s never gonna end.”