Gas problems
Last August, approximately three or four weeks before the gas explosions, there was another incident involving a gas leak in the neighborhood of Jackson St. and Knox St. in Lawrence. Some 100 homes were evacuated as a preventive measure while the gas company fixed the problem.
I recalled at that time that I vaguely heard something during a previous council meeting about gas leaks but put it out of my mind. Then, after this emergency situation, searching through City Council agendas going back to March 7, 2017 when I found #89/17 Gas Leak Repairs and Emergencies Response – Counc. Rodriguez.
Councilor Rodriguez explained that it had been tabled never to be spoken about again.
Once again, putting out fires in Lawrence instead of facing the problems.
Need an attorney?
Mayor Rivera tried scaring the public from attorneys not of his choosing as being SCAMMERS. Well, here’s some information about pro bono lawyers. The Lawyers Clearinghouse, an arm of the Boston Bar Association is providing pro bono legal assistance to nonprofits and their low income clients. Contact http://lawyersclearinghouse.org
Lawrence residents may need help in light of the recent gas explosions in the city. The legal assistance would be completely free and their services have always been superb. They want to help businesses and individuals affected by the explosion and aftermath, especially what rights they may have under their insurance coverage and commercial lease.
I Told You So!
I have written, in past editions of Rumbo, on the illogical reasoning in which the City Council voted to create and accept the Sanctuary City Act for Lawrence – they called it the Trust Act. I believe in it as a way for the City to primarily concentrate on criminal aspects of our city instead on immigration, but it drew attention to the city in many ways.
This week, a number of raids and arrest have taken place. While I loudly applaud the arrest associated with the drugs and trafficking crime, I am also in the “I told you so” mode, to our elected past and present leaders, for the arrested in the immigration aspect of the raids this past week that had nothing to do with drugs or trafficking.
I have read the press releases of the Department of Justice and have read statements made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in which they admonish Mayor Rivera.
For me, and I should assume for many residents and law enforcement, the effect of this Sanctuary City Act, is that we are truly losing out on a number of grants and funds that could assist our police officers.
- On October 3, 2018, the Justice Department awarded Massachusetts programs over $8.4 million in federal grants to combat opioid Crisis. Lawrence received no funding, but the cities of Boston, Holyoke, Worcester, the counties of Plymouth, Franklin, and other programs and district attorneys received funding.
- On October 3, 2018, the Justice Department awarded more than $30 million to Project Safe Neighborhoods to combat violent crime with none of those funds making it into Lawrence.
- On October 2, 2018, the Department of Justice announced more than $70 million to support school safety and $64 million to improve state criminal record systems. None of those funds are coming to Lawrence.
- On October 1, 2018, the Justice Department awarded almost $320 million to combat opioid crisis. None of those funds are coming to Lawrence.
- On August 29, 2018, the Office on Violence Against Women Justice Department awarded $32 million through the Improving the Criminal Justice Response Program. None of those funds are coming to Lawrence, although the City of Lowell is a recipient.
The fact that this city decided to pick a fight with the nation’s president over political party ideology has cost this city its ability to truly benefit from obtaining funds from the federal government for crime fighting. But hey, I told them this was a bad idea long before Trump came into New Hampshire shouting that Lawrence was a drug haven.
Now, the authorities said it again: Lawrence is a clearing house for illegal drugs pouring into New Hampshire and Maine. Let’s see how Mayor Rivera is going to react this time.
Where is the rage?
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released 2018 MCAS results last week. The DESE presented a 230-plus schools list where performance fell short on the latest round of MCAS scores or other measures, under a new state accountability system.
Among the more than 230 schools on the list, the City of Lawrence had eight schools fall short. They are Alexander B Bruce, Arlington Middle School, Community Day Arlington, Francis M. Leahy, Gerard A. Guilmette, Parthum Middle School, South Lawrence East Elementary School, and the Spark Academy School. Lawrence, and two other school districts were classified as in need of broad/comprehensive support. None of the schools in Lawrence were recognized for high achievement, high growth, or significantly exceeding their targets under the system.
A new format was developed to evaluate schools throughout the Commonwealth. State education officials said the accountability system is “more comprehensive” than the previous system.
I guess Lawrence did not benefit from the Massachusetts DESE taking over the Lawrence Public Schools or by the placement of current school receivership board (the so-called Lawrence Alliance that took control from the school committee), by Commissioner Jeff Riley, or even by the goal line being moved once again by DESE. Just like he has done throughout the Merrimack Valley Gas Fires, Mayor Rivera should hold a press conference to address how his receivership board is going to tackle this issue.
I want to know if there is outrage in Lawrence from these parents. Imagine you live in the areas surrounding these educational institutions and sending your children to these schools knowing that the education they are about to receive, every day, is way below sub-par. For most parents, there is nothing to imagine – they are living through it.
It’s especially distressing to knowing that variances (to switch to other schools) are few that are approved by the Lawrence Public Schools; meaning parents can’t even demand that their children be transferred to better schools in or out of the district. Parents should worry about their children’s future because the LPS is getting able and eager young minds willing to learn and producing sub-par educated future citizens.
There are laws in Massachusetts that protect children from abuse, just the same way that law enforcement and human services agencies file charges against abuses to our children. I believe that this is a form of abuse – given subpar education is a crime! We, as a society, want to take guns off the streets and schools to protect our students. We fight and debates laws to do so. But when it comes to the harming of not educating our children – most politicians do nothing.
The only individuals I remember fighting for better education was State Representative Frank Moran, in his unsuccessful attempt to have Lawrence open up to more charter schools because as he stated “…as parents, would you like to send your child to the best education?” Well, we know that Mayor Rivera, and most of those that went to voters asking them to vote against charter education, did only because of self-interest.
Shame on all of you who continue abusing our children, inventing theoretical curriculum, imposing unsuccessful practices, and using the Lawrence Schools system’s failure to call for more funding for your friends’ contracts and hiring of so-called “specialists.”
