Ice Storm wrap up
Like much of Central Massachusetts, we found ourselves without electricity and therefore heat by 10pm on Thursday night. We were lucky to get our power back up Sunday at 2pm, lucky is relative considering there are many who are still without. All things considered, we did OK right from the beginning. Ice buildup in our area was minimal but travel a quarter mile in any direction and you would find yourself faced with serious property damage and tree loss. A mile up the road, the town of Paxton was mostly unrecognizable, still covered in ice with some parts impassable, as recently as Sunday evening.
Knowing the power was still out I grabbed, eight bundles of firewood on my way home from work Friday night. That lasted us through Sat night, keeping the house at a livable 47 degrees. The funny thing about this ‘disaster’ was [...]
Original post by Brendan
Traveling Heimstone
When I was asked be a part of the Traveling Heimstone Project I was overwhelmed with excitement. What girl wouldn’t want to have gorgeous designer clothes sent to her door for her to play dress up with? The Jacket making it’s journey around the world was a surprise until we received it. I had picked […]
Original post by punky
Transparent and opaque are not synonyms
WPD Chief Gary Gemme would make a terrible teacher, not that he’s any better a cop.
Today, the WPD was kind enough to start the trickling out of public records relating to Worcester Police Officer Mark Rojas. Worcester Magazine has the story on a press release about the… uh, press release.
The Worcester Police Department has just released a statement that the department intends to release the records this week, though samples of the records to be released include heavy redactions—including a full page blacked out in one case. In the statement, the department also criticizes the Telegram for “polarizing the debate.”
According to the WPD:
“Under normal circumstances it is not unusual for a request of this magnitude to take months to comply with, and the past several months have not been routine,” the statement reads, discussing the ongoing investigation of court overtime abuse. “While the…Attorney General is reviewing the criminal liability…[WPD] [...]
Original post by Brendan
Young Park broke my heart
I’ve got a habit of trying to spin any conversation into a conversation about Worcester, being one of those ‘all roads lead to Worcester’ types. But it’s even more fun when someone else does the heavy lifting for you. So how exactly could an Inc. Magazine article about Boston Super Chef Barbara Lynch, turn into a Worcester tale?
Two years ago, a partner in Berkeley Investments was having dinner at No. 9, and he asked if I would be interested in opening a restaurant in an old wool warehouse his company owned. They were putting in 96 condos and had 16,000 square feet of commercial space. They gave me such a great deal, I would have been crazy not to take it.
Those cheating whores.
The project she’s referring to is FP3 and if anything it stands as proof that Berkley Investments properties continue to carry a ton of potential. [...]
Original post by Brendan
2008 Election: Going All-In Edition
It always seems like a good idea to make some predictions surrounding a big election day if for no other reason than to piss people off one last time before the big day. I’m sticking with state issues this year as national politics couldn’t get any less interesting. The presidential race in particular has proven itself more sitcom than future of the free world.
So lets start at the bottom with the Massachusetts ballot questions.
Question One: State Personal Income Tax
This proposed law would reduce the state personal income tax rate to 2.65% for all categories of taxable income for the tax year beginning on or after January 1, 2009, and would eliminate the tax for all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2010. The personal income tax applies to income received or gain realized by individuals and married couples, by estates of deceased persons, by certain trustees [...]
Original post by Brendan
$900
$900 is the amount I would be fined for leaving the house today according to this proposed ordinance featured in todays T&G.
The ordinance, developed by the Police Department, Worcester District Attorney’s office and city officials, would fine people $300 for carrying knives.
What exactly leads the Worcester Chief of Police Gary Gemme and District Attorney Joe Early Jr. to believe that an individual who as decided to commit manslaughter will be detered by a $300 fine? Seriously, thats the best you could come up with?
Rank and file members of the WPD and DA’s office seriously need to think about distancing themselves publicly from their respective superiors and unions as they continue to make decisions which have little to no impact on their stated goals, but instead foster a sense of contempt and distrust amongst the public they serve. This ordinance is silly and stands to make much of [...]
Original post by Brendan
You can even cut a tin can with it!
I heard this Tuesday while watching the City Council meeting and thought I must have heard wrong. But if it’s in print its gotta be true, right?
From WoMag:
The City Council voted on Tuesday to get a draft of an ordinance that would prohibit the possession of “certain knives and weapons known to be used in criminal activities.”
Work with me here kids, is it not the case that any knife becomes exactly the kind of knife used in criminal activities immediately upon entering an unwilling liver (with the exception of foie gras)? Why is it so hard for politicians to understand/admit that criminal activities are dependent on humans, not inanimate objects.
Original post by Brendan
Polar Classic Sodas
At some point during todays 508 podcast I mentioned a line of Polar Classics ‘premium sodas’ I’ve been buying at Russo’s in Watertown. Does anyone know where I can pick these up in Worcester? The sodas are delicious, made with cane sugar instead of HFCS and the screened bottles are nice to look at. But I’ve never seen them around here, although I admit I haven’t looked very hard.
(pics ripped from this site)
Original post by Brendan