Congratulations to Frank McLaughlin!
Frank was re-elected President of the Lawrence Teachers Union last week with 80% of the votes and David Pinette received 20%.
And, speaking of Frank McLaughlin, The Eagle-Tribune this Sunday had a very interesting article about him and the vanishing library at Lawrence High School, written by Keith Eddings.
This revelation took me by surprise because I had no idea that it was going on. The library space was reduced in order to accommodate the Abbott Academy. A lot has been said about these students for being high-achievers at Lawrence High but, in this case, at the detriment of the other 3,000. Currently, Abbott Academy has 200 students for grades 9 and 10.
One upsetting detail is learning that their librarian retired in 2015 and they now lack a credential librarian. The article states that New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the association, which accredits schools in six states, “requires schools with more than 400 students to employ a full-time, state-certified librarian.” In order to be certified, they should have a Master’s degree in Library Sciences – just like the situation we have with Jessica Valentin at the Lawrence Public Library.
Lawrence residents deserve better than political appointments.
Commission on Disability
Last week I wrote about the lack of support the Lawrence Commission on Disability was receiving from some City Council members and I had the pleasure of speaking in their favor at last week’s council meeting. Although I don’t have anyone close to me requiring services, I feel very strongly that they have unmet needs that the Commission on Disability should be able to alleviate.
After a well-organized campaign by the Commission and outcries by those who care about the disable, the Lawrence City Council voted to support an item known as Chapter 40, Section 22G. Adopting in other municipalities this statute would allow the “{Lawrence} treasurer to create a separate account for the deposit of fines assessed for violations of handicap parking in Lawrence and use those funds solely for the benefit of persons with disabilities.”
The vote was 7 to 2 in favor. These who voted in favor were Kendrys Vasquez, Estela Reyes, Myra Ortiz, David Abdoo, Nilka I. Alvarez-Rodriguez (the sponsor), Brian De Peña and Modesto Maldonado. Not voting in favor were Jeovanny A. Rodriguez who gave no explanation for his vote and Marc Laplante. No council member spoke extensively on this item except District F Councilor Marc Laplante who gave approximately a 30 minutes campaign speech and a speech that sounds like was written by the Mayor. Laplante made several promises that benefit the Commission but I would believe it when I see the promises become a reality.
The City Council Chamber was packed and the speaking list contained 40 people who signed to speak in public participation. Due to a Council Rule only 21 participants were allowed to speak. There was no opposition and nine speakers spoke in supporting the Commission included churches such as Rev. Susan Santos and Rev. Victor Jarvis. Community organizations located in Lawrence and working with the Commission also were in attendance. Such support included from James Lyons, a Community Organizaer from Northeast Independent Living Program, Inc; and Ramon Garcia, a member of the Puerto Rican Political Action Committee and a miltary veteran.
A number of Lawrence residents also testified in support, including Linda Galland, Joan Aguila, and Rosalie Lorenzo who is a disability advocate and the mother of three disable children. All commissioners were present: Chair Richard Rodriguez, Vice-Chair William Sanabria, Richard McCarthy and Michelle Paletta. Vice-Chair Sanabria testified he lives in District F and is an Advocate with Northeast Independent Living Program. As a person suffering from blindness he clearly has an understanding of what is to be a person living with a disability.
Others who were present but could not speak included: Anna M. Rice, Directing Attorney from Dismas House of Massachusetts; Thomas Carpenter, Executive Director of Point After Club; Rev. Jose Lopez-Rodriguez and among others.
Other individuals who could not attend the city council meeting wrote letters of support. Such individuals included Tere Ramos, an education and disability rights attorney working with families in Lawrence and work at Massachusetts Law Reform Institute; John A Chappel, Disability Policy Consulting, formerly the Deputy Commissioner for Community Services and Consumer Involvement at the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission for 25 years; and Maura Mazzocca, who is Co-Chair of Burlington Disability Access and has been provided technical assistance to Attorney Rodriguez.
Congrats to Chair Attorney Richard Rodriguez and the Lawrence Commission on Disability for a great job in organizing the efforts for the City Council to adopt this item. Let us hope the support to the Commission continues.
On a side note congrats to Chair Rodriguez to be selected as one of the few alumni speakers at his alma mater Massachusetts School of Law held at the same day of the city council meeting but he declined to fight for the cause.
If we had only mobilized the community like that to save the Human Rights Commission…
Council on Paulino’s investigation
During the City Council meeting, Councilor Modesto Maldonado asked about the investigation by the four-person commission the mayor had ordered in the death of Lee Manuel Viloria Paulino because we don’t know if it has been concluded. They were to find out if proper procedures had been taken by the police department during the days Lee Manuel was missing.
There was dissention among the councilors and when asked directly, the Police Chief James Fitzpatrick said it was not finished. A vote was taken to send a letter to Mayor Daniel Rivera looking for an answer.
After the meeting, I emailed a copy of the report dated March 28, 2017 issued by Angel Taveras to the mayor, to Councilors David Abdoo and Marc Laplante questioning why they didn’t know about it. The report explained they could go no further because the district attorney had blocked the police department from talking to them. If I had a copy, it was safe to assume the mayor had distributed to all of them.
Well, Councilor Abdoo rushed to answer saying that he would be “requesting a copy in the morning.” (I just sent it to him; why request another one?)
Councilor Laplante was a bit more daring. He said, “Modesto who was asking for a report, apparently different than the one you attached. I don’t think there’s another report, but he is certainly within his rights to ask to see if there is another report.
Councilor Maldonado was asking if the investigation had ended. If they had the report, they could have said so but when the Chief said it had not concluded, no one said a word. Now, Councilor Laplante is confusing the issue by saying that Councilor Maldonado was asking for something different.”
Rain/wipers = lights
This is a reminder from a reader, Carmen Ortega.
We have been having rain and poor weather conditions in the past few days and she has noticed that many drivers don’t turn the lights on when the windshield wipers are working. There is a new law, signed in April of 2015 requiring turning the car headlights on when the wipers are operating, rain or snow.
She wants to make people aware of this in order to avoid unnecessary fines because ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse.
