A View From Battleship Cove

If you had to do it all over again would you?

2014-11-21T20:13:00.000-05:00

So, here we are in the final stretch of the recall process. We've gone from wondering if recall organizers could get enough signatures to wondering if the Mayor would get enough voided out to avoid a recall, to wondering if the Mayor could be on both parts of the ballot, to wondering if his name should go first, to wondering if there should be a preliminary, to wondering how many flaws a recall law can possibly have!

So, like I said we're in the final stretch and we very likely could see an end result that has Mayor Flanagan recalled on the first part of the ballot, only to win election on the second part of the ballot. For all the people out there who think this whole recall process is a waste of money won't this just be an "I told you so" moment. Of course there are those who support the recall that think that Judge McGuire's ruling is idiotic or the fix is in or something. I think the truth is McGuire probably made the right call both on Flanagan being a candidate and on there being no preliminary election. Logically, it doesn't make sense. It seems pretty clear what the intent of the recall law is and having someone recalled in part one only to have them as a candidate in part two seems pretty stupid. Having a preliminary would seem to make a lot of sense because it would narrow down the field of candidates to two and limit the advantage an incumbent with a united base of support might have. But what's intended and what's legal are two different things. Your great aunt could tell you she wants to leave you a nice cash inheritance when she goes but if the will doesn't stipulate it legally you might be out of luck. I spoke to a friend of mine who is a lawyer about Flanagan being a candidate and after he read the ruling he thought McGuire made the right call. After McGwire decision about the preliminary I read his ruling and have to admit it sounds like he got it right again. Also I have to imagine that if the judge ruled the other way, decided despite his legal findings that the intent was clear, these would just become points of appeal for the Flanagan camp.

But hey, all's not lost! If the people who want to recall the mayor get their vote out and unite behind a candidate Flanagan can still be ousted from office! Yeah, good luck with that! Following some of the discussion on the internet, well Facebook really, what I see is people firmly behind "their" candidate and not a lot of people who seem undecided or even unwilling to budge. Don't get me wrong I think most recall supporters are willing to back one candidate, just as long as it is their candidate. Still, it's a recall election in December, at Christmas time. It's impossible to say what sort of voter turnout we'll have, and that means, that really it's anybody's race. Flanagan has an advantage but if any of his challengers can spark the city's voters to come out and cast a ballot, who knows?

But that brings me to my original thought for this post. If you had to do it all over again would you? If you're one of the original 12 who organized this are you now thinking if you knew about all the loopholes and how everything would pretty much go the Mayor's way that you wouldn't have bothered? What if you're one of the ones who signed the petition in some store parking lot. Do you now wish you didn't? Do you now think if you hadn't you could have helped avoid a bunch of BS and expense? If you have a candidate that you like are you now thinking of staying home on December 16th because, heck the Mayor is just going to win so what's the point?

I really don't know how many people read anything I blog anymore but I really would love to know what people feel and if they feel this has all been a wasted effort. My take on this? I would sign the recall petition just as eagerly today as I did then. The "intent" behind the recall act is still valid.People should have a right to replace ineffective leadership, flaws and all I support the principal behind the recall law. If on December 16th the majority vote NOT to recall Will Flanagan then he should go forward knowing the majority of those who care to voice their opinion stand behind him. However, if Flanagan IS recalled in the first part of the ballot but manages to win election, I think it's still a victory for those who support the recall. He clearly won't have the support of the people he leads. Will he get the message? I'm not sure but it would be interesting to see how he would handle that and clearly put the focus on 2015. And this is why I also think you should vote for the candidate you think is the best to lead the city forward because the focus is going to be on 2015. People are afraid to vote for a candidate they don't think can win and a candidate who gets strong support now is going to be considered that more seriously then. If the the whole recall does nothing more than get more people involved in their local government then its been a success and well worth the money spent.

Stolen Flag Highlights Problems

2014-11-12T00:40:00.000-05:00

It's rather disappointing, maybe discouraging is a better word, to learn that the American flag that flies from the flagpole of the Iwo Jima memorial was stolen. I can remember the first time I saw the memorial and how stunned I was by its majesty. I really had to ask myself how did this end up in Fall River? I knew, of course, but I was in some disbelief that somehow, someway, other communities with deeper pocketbooks and maybe more influence didn't figure out someway to get this incredible monument installed in a more 'desirable' location.

Really I couldn't help but to think then that the monument, Bicentennial Park and the entire boardwalk was just an amazing development for Fall River. This development of our waterfront was something we could all be proud of. This was first class, something people from OTHER communities would want to come and see. Seeing the development of restaurants in the area just hint at what the future could hold. At the same time I couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before that element would come in and vandalize the monument or the boardwalk, For a long time the boardwalk and park stayed pretty clean and 'vandal' free. However, the theft of the flag highlights an issue that has been creeping up on us, that the park and boardwalk are being neglected and vandalized on a regular basis.

Over the last year or so I've noticed graffiti that isn't being cleaned up. I see broken balusters on the boardwalk railings, and broken lights (particularly in the area of the Iwo Jima memorial) that just aren't getting fixed. There is this whole broken window theory that basically states if things are not being maintained it's an invitation for vandalism and the more the vandalism goes unchecked the more it invites further vandalism. It makes sense that once you see this element taking hold you have to combat it pretty aggressively. Eventually fixing the balusters and cleaning graffiti are great but if you can't get ahead of the vandals its a losing effort.

The whole area from Heritage State Park to Bicentennial Park is still just an amazing benefit for our community. In warm weather I see all sorts of people utilizing and enjoying it but we need to fix the 'broken windows'. We need to clean up the graffiti, fix the boardwalk, install vandal proof lighting. There's some talk about cameras maybe we should consider it. Perhaps we could find some way to bring in park rangers (possibly a volunteer program?) to tour all our parks and keep an eye on things. The important things is, we need to do SOMETHING. It would be a terrible shame if we let same old elements creep in and rob us of something that truly has been a wonderful highlight for our city.

Who should be the next mayor of Fall River?

2014-11-10T11:52:00.003-05:00

So, here we are facing a recall election with a large group of candidates running. I'm curious to see who people are supporting and WHY! Here's my thoughts on who I think the "top" candidates are and assessments about them:

Mayor WIll Flanagan - Regardless of feelings on the Mayor, I just can't see how he could lead and UNIFY the city if he were to retain office after the recall election.

Dave Dennis - A former City Councilor who always seems to be a candidate for office, ANY office. I just don't know if I can support a candidate for Mayor who always seems to be looking for his next elected position.

Sam Sutter - He's got a great reputation as District Attorney but I'm not sure if that's really relatable experience for Mayor. I'd like to learn more about him but I really feel we need someone who has a solid knowledge of the issues Fall River faces.

Mike Miozza - Current City Councilor, always strikes me as a guy who does his homework and is willing to listen. Seems to be a team player on the council, someone that leaves his ego at the door. I think probably THE candidate that can hit the ground running on day one.

Shawn Cadime - He wants to be mayor and seems to have had concerns on the Flanagan administration but those concerns don't come to light until he wants to run for office? There is no doubt that he is good with the finances. Everybody gives him credit for that but that's not the job he's running for and I never thought that he showed much leadership on the school committee

So who do you think the top candidates are? Who are you supporting and why? Is there someone else running that you support? In this recall election your vote CAN make a difference!

Double Dipping and the Need to Consolidate

2014-11-03T14:33:00.001-05:00

Good news Recallers, Judge McGuire has ruled the recall can go forward! Bad news, he has also ruled that Mayor Flanagan can be listed as a candidate for election. Personally I can't see how the judge arrived at this conclusion. Having Mayor Flanagan listed as a candidate is sort of like double dipping. The Mayor now has two opportunities to retain his seat. If his supports can't defeat the recall they can vote for him as a candidate and in effect re-elect him. This is baffling because you could have the majority vote for a recall, which obviously means they are unhappy with the mayor, but still see Mayor Flanagan return to office because he has the most consolidated support. The is very likely to be exactly the outcome of the recall. because while there are a great many people who would like to see the mayor removed from office they do not stand united behind any one candidate. The mayor's supporters however do, and they are likely going to be motivated to come out and vote.

According to the Herald News article, the recall organizers are not likely to challenge the judge's ruling but really SOMEONE should challenge it! It seems very clear that the intent of recalling the mayor in part one should preclude him from being a candidate in part two.

That said, if no challenge to the judge's ruling is forthcoming then there is a real need for the other candidates to regroup and decide just WHY are they running and realize that there is a real need for them to consolidate. This is a time for the people who are running for office to really show some leadership by stepping aside and uniting behind a singular candidate. I doubt this will happen because besides all of the platitudes and spoken love for our city and belief in its future, most of these individuals are running not because they want to be mayor plain and simple. Well news is folks none of you are going to get elected if you split the vote a dozen ways. Who should step aside and who should run? Well, if you've never held office, have no name recognition, and no campaign team behind you, you probably should call it quits. I think that will bring it down to about 4 serious candidates and then it's just setting aside the egos and uniting behind the best candidate to face against the mayor. Easier said than done!

No Confidence in No Confidence

2014-10-28T00:08:00.002-04:00

So, City Councilor Dan Rego has announced that he plans on asking for a "no confidence" vote against the mayor at next Tuesday's City Council meeting. Why? Really what is the point of this? Anybody who has been paying attention for the last few months can probably figure out where most City Councilors stand on this. Is a vote really necessary? As it is the relationship between Mayor Flanagan and the City Council is as tense as inviting your ex to Thanksgiving dinner. Really, what purpose does this serve? Mayor Flanagan is in the middle of fighting a recall, he's the focus of an ongoing investigation for his late night meeting with Councilor Correia, and of course he and his administration are under fire for "window-gate". If the Mayor doesn't realize that people are seriously questioning any confidence in his leadership already, well then this vote isn't really going to change things!

I mean, hey the whole thing is wonderful drama and great entertainment. I suspect now that TLC has canceled "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" that it's only a matter of time before they come calling to make "The Adventures of Fall River Government" the next program in their dysfunctional lineup. But the problem with a no confidence vote, and to a larger extent the problem with Councilor Rego is our elected officials should strive to stay above the fray. Councilor Rego on the other hand has kind of gotten in the middle of it. He's been featured on YouTube, he has posted on Facebook, and now he's calling for a vote of no confidence. When your role on the City Council seems to be more about getting rid of the guy on the 6th floor than working to improve the city, that's a problem.

Lefty's View: There is so much more I wanted to put into this post but I guess it will have to wait for a sequel! I know to some Councilor Rego's request is welcome and maybe overdue but really I think the only think this does it to create more friction between the City Council and the Mayor. Believe me, I support the recall process but it IS a distraction and how can you get things done when the relationship between the Mayor and the Council makes it impossible for them to work together? There is a certain decorum that elected officials should maintain. I think the idea behind a vote of no confidence is more about show boating then sending a message.

Cadime for Mayor?

2014-10-20T14:23:00.001-04:00

There are a few things that Fall River has plenty of; Chinese restaurants, hot dog joints, Dunkin Donuts, and apparently mayoral candidates. Former City Administrator/former School Committeeman Shawn Cadime is the latest to announce a run for the big seat at Government Center, which brings the current number of candidates to 10!

On the surface, Cadime would seem to be an ideal candidate. He has name recognition and a feel for both the city's affairs (thanks to his position as City Admin) and of our school system (thanks to his experience on the school committee), however Cadime never struck me as a leader on the school committee and I'm not really sure if being up on the city's finances makes qualified to lead the city and move it forward. Sure, Cadime could be a great mayor, but we'll need to hear and learn more.

Cadime's announcement might have been billed as the big news story on WSAR today, but the really interesting part of the story was Cadime's insight on the goings on at Government Center. Although Shawn was very professional during the interview with Barry Richards it seems he made it rather clear that Mayor Flannagan often bypassed policies and made decisions on his own. Cadime stated he was often kept out of the loop (remember he's supposed to be City Administrator) and cited personality differences with Corporation Counsel as a big part of the reason that his contract was not renewed. Shawn indicated that the Mayor relied more on the opinion of Corporation Counsel than of his own, which unless its in regards to a legal matter is rather startling. Shawn also said that the money that was bonded for Government Center repairs was very specific in that it was for bathrooms on the 1st floor and work in the treasurers office and that the Mayor decided to use that money for work to the legal department's offices and the Mayor's office and 6th floor. Cadime also said that mayor is the one who authorized the replacement of at least two windows in the Corporation Counsel's office and that Cadime himself wasn't aware until he saw staging set up outside the building! Certainly for those who feel that Mayor Flanagan is acting more like he was ordained king vs. elected mayor, Cadime just bolstered that argument!

Lefty's View: Just by throwing his hat in the ring, Cadime becomes one of the few contenders with a legitimate shot at winning election. Cadime not only has name recognition, as a former member of the Flanagan administration his criticisms of the Mayor will ring with a certain authority. If there are any Mayoral forums leading up to the recall election expect fireworks if Flanagan and Cadime are allowed to exchange barbs. As entertaining as all this may seem the downside is, that if Flanagan is allowed to have his name on the ballot candidacies like Cadime's, Sutter's, Miozza's, etc, will simply split the vote and give the Mayor an easy "re-election".

The Sixth Floor Windows Upgrade!

2014-10-08T13:42:00.002-04:00

WSAR broke a story this morning that in 2013 a total of 22 windows were installed on the 6th floor of Government Center. The windows were installed in the Mayor's office and the Corporation Counsel office. The windows were installed by Global Glass of New England. This is where the story gets interesting because apparently Global bounced a check to a subcontractor that resulted in an investigation by the Fall River Police Department and that's when it was discovered that there is no paperwork at all in regards to this work. Nothing was sent out to bid, no purchase orders were issued. Somehow 22 windows got installed at Government Center and nobody knows a thing about it. Now what gets even more interesting is when WSAR had Mayor Flanagan on to discuss this he states that since no money changed hands no laws have been violated and that Global did the work at their own peril.

I think the mayor misses the point. You can imagine that 22 windows probably cost quite a bit of money. On top of that there is the cost of installation. The subcontractor was supposed to be paid $50,000 so you can imagine that the total job is substantially more. Global Glass of New England owes the city back taxes so any money they would get paid would have gone towards their tax bill. Somehow we managed to have 22 windows installed. We didn't pay for them and have no record of authorizing the work and the mayor is happy enough to point out that we're not on the hook for any money and because no money changed hands no laws were violated. Maybe this is his idea of great fiscal management? Maybe we can just have contractors do all sorts of repair work at Government Center, not issue paperwork and then not pay them and say 'hey they did it at their own peril!' The fact that we didn't violate any laws because of a missing paper trail is very little comfort in the face of the fact that we had 22 windows installed, nobody questioned why they were being installed and we never paid for them. Where is the oversight?! How do you not ask questions when you see all the windows in your office being replaced?! But you know the mayor isn't the only one who should have been a little intellectually curious what about the work going on at Government Center, really anybody who would have had this paperwork cross their desk, anyone who would have had to approve a purchase order or contract should have wondered 'gee who authorized that'. It didn't happen.

And really the fact that we didn't violate any laws because no money changed hands may comfort the mayor but I really don't think we should sit back and feel we "scored" 22 free windows. Global Glass did the work they deserve to get paid for it by way of having this applied to their tax bill.

Lefty's View: If you heard the baffling exchange today between Mayor Flanagan and Barry Richards on WSAR you'll probably feel that those crystal clear windows are the only thing offering up any transparency on the 6th floor of Government Center!

Update!!! Here is the link to the Mayor discussing this with Barry Richards. Well worth a listen!

Net School Spending, A Flawed Concept?

2014-10-08T12:46:00.001-04:00

Net school spending is the amount of money that each school district in the state must spend on education. It is arrived at through a formula and includes a combination of Chapter 70 money and a contribution from the local city or town.

The issue with net school spending is when a district fails to fund that net school spending at 100%. Communities can actually 'under-fund' the net school spending requirement to 95% but would need to pay additional 5% the following fiscal year. I suppose there are instances where an unintentional shortfall can be made up the following year but what happens when the community is struggling to hit these requirements to begin with and fall short. How does a struggling community pay 5% OVER what it needs to fund to reach 100% because of a carry over amount? And really what good does it do to pay that 5% (or whatever that shortfall amount is) the following year?

To me, this is a little bit like being required to keep your house at a 65 degrees during the winter but because of unforeseen expenses and maybe some budgeting you end up running the thermostat a few degrees cooler. The following winter you're told you need to keep the temperature at 68 degrees to hit the 65 degree requirement plus the shortfall from the previous year. Heck, if you had trouble heating the house at 65 degrees can you afford 68? And will running the thermostat at 68 degrees this winter really do anything to make the house warmer last winter? Of course not. So my concern is twofold, if you struggled to meet your requirements the previous year is it foolish to think you're going to be able to hit them and shortfall the following year? And if you do pay the shortfall forward how does that really help the student who in 4th grade may have been short changed? I just don't believe adding money the following year is going to really make up for the shortfall the year before.

The other issue with net school spending is there are expenses that we have to pay toward a school department that don't count toward that formula. I'm not an expert but I'm pretty sure health insurance is one of those costs. This is a little bit like buying a bunch of stuff off of Amazon and you're hoping to qualify for free shipping but you have a bunch of purchases that don't count toward "Super Saver Shipping". So your total bill is over the amount but you still need to come up with more money to hit the requirement! With something like health insurance cities and towns have been struggling for years with rising health insurance costs, meaning the total spending for the school department is increasing but it doesn't effect the bottom line for net school spending.

Lefty's View: I really do understand the need to ensure that communities are properly funding their educational system. This is especially true when so much of your local school districts money comes from state funding. However, what that net school spending amount represents as far as a direct impact to the classroom is just not clear. Net school spending does not include health insurance and I believe other real school department costs that the community has to fund. What does it include? When we fund at 95% what impact does that have on the classroom? Net school spending should either represent every school expense or the amount that directly impacts a student's education. If it goes to the amount that directly impacts a student's education we shouldn't be allowed to under-fund it. If it doesn't than a waiver may be appropriate or perhaps, paying back the shortfall over the course of a few years to help ease the financial burden.

MISSING: The Most Famous Signature In Fall River!

2014-09-29T14:04:00.001-04:00

The most famous signature on the Declaration of Independence is the bold script of John Hancock. The most famous signature on the petition to recall Mayor William Flanagan has got to be that of City Councilor Jasiel Correia II. Or is it? According to a story on WSAR the petition with Jasiel's signature is missing!

Before conspiracy theorists start sharpening their knives assuming that "somehow" "someone" in Government Center made this petition disappear, let's think about what would possibly be the benefit of doing so? The recall organizers turned in 181 petitions, it's very easy to verify how many they get back. Most likely, the petition with Jasiel's name on it just didn't get turned in.

Wouldn't that be ironic?!

This missing petition, the one with Jasiel's signature is the center of this entire controversy between Councilor Correia and Mayor Flanagan. If Jasiel didn't sign the petition there would have been no late night meeting (no matter who actually called for it) and there wouldn't be the resulting controversy and special investigation! Of course he did sign it but his signature turns out not be one of the 3,800+ that were counted.

Lefty's View: In the end Jasiel's signature was never that important to the recall effort. However the controversy surrounding that late night meeting with the mayor may well be a key factor moving forward.

Mr. Flanagan And The Unimpressive Press Conference....

2014-09-27T23:28:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, something takes place that is so stupid, so absurd that it makes you blow the dust off your keyboard and sit down and decide to blog about it, even though it has been a lifetime since the last time you felt inclined to do so.

That "something" took place this past Friday at 3 o'clock on the 6th floor of Government Center. Mayor Will Flanagan held a press conference, a day after learning that enough signatures had been certified to move forward with a recall being sought against him. Yet, the Mayor's press conference wasn't to address the issue of the recall, it was instead to have his lawyer inform the public that his client had passed a lie detector test that proves that the accusations that he tried to intimidate a city councilor are false and the mayor is vindicated! The whole thing is starting to look like a circus, with the biggest clown running the show, but let's break this down as I explain just why I found this so stupid and absurd that I had to blog about it.

Timing!

Does anyone besides me find the timing to be just a little dubious? Hey let's spin the narrative here, instead of the mayor discussing the recall, let's bring attention on this really inconsequential lie detector test! It would almost seem that they're trying to link the two things (the recall and the charges of intimidation) together. 'Hey folks, remember as we move forward with the recall that Will passed that lie detector and couldn't have done what Jasiel claims he did!' The problem with that is, they're not related AT ALL, but more on that later

He passed! So, What!

Mayor Flanagan wants you to know that he didn't need to take this polygraph test but that the people in Fall River need to have faith and confidence in their elected leader. Sounds good and I agree with him on both points! The people in Fall River do need to have faith and confidence in their elected leader and he didn't need to take this test. Really, what does this test prove? polygraphs are not considered 100% accurate, they're not admissible in court and there IS STILL a special investigation going on. Really what was the purpose of this test? Also has anyone seen the test results? The questions are either vague or unrelated! "Prior to this year" and "Before 2014", how are questions like that in anyway relevant? Honestly I think it's embarrassing that they would throw a test like that out there and expect you to think that it proved something.

The pointing finger!

The press conference was something like 9 minutes long. In the span of 9 minutes the mayor's lawyer pointed the finger at city councilors Jasiel Correia, Joe Camara, and at Jordan Silvia! Jasiel apparently is "only" guilty of lying and making up these allegations apparently under intimidation. Joe Camara's part in this conspiracy was to bring Jasiel to the police station because if the Mayor were removed from office as City Council President Joe would serve as acting mayor (although really that would only be the case if Flanagan resigned, which he has emphatically stated he would not do) and Jordan Silvia's part in this is to have intimidated Jasiel to either: a. sign the petition or b. fabricate the story about the meeting with mayor. (I'm a little murky on this part because it seems to be they think Jasiel was pressured to sign but even if that was the case I'm not sure how much impact that really would have on the recall effort and I'm betting not much. If they're saying that Jordan pressured Jasiel to make up the details of the meeting with the mayor I'm not sure what the benefit is there since by the time it came out the recall effort already had the signatures they needed and then some and if people think Jasiel is lying is would pretty much ruin his political career and the momentum of the recall effort.. bizarre...).Oh well, the really odd thing here is why would the mayor's lawyer throw out accusations or theories of his own that pertain to an ongoing investigation?

Lefty's View: The whole thing really is just absurd and we the citizens of Fall River shouldn't allow ourselves to be distracted by the mixed message here. A polygraph test really proves nothing, especially one with questions as absurd as this one. And in the end it really doesn't matter what the polygraph states because there is an ongoing special investigation! It seems the only point of this press conference was to try paint the Mayor in a better light and take the attention away from the fact that more than enough signatures were certified for the recall effort to move forward

Election Day Thoughts

2011-11-09T09:38:00.001-05:00

When I woke up this morning Fall River was covered in a fog, which I imagine some will find a pretty fitting analogy. The dust has settled and for the most part there has been little change in Fall River's political makeup.

Shockingly the school committee had no turnovers. It's the same makeup as before with the exception of Paul Hart filling the seat vacated by Marilyn Rodrigues. It's tough to believe with the all the issues in the school department that voters are happy with the status quo. We have had budget disasters, the threat of DESE takeover, controversy over pay raises and THIS was the quietest race of all! Does this vote represent satisfaction with the performance of the school committee and the school department? If so how do you explain Joe Martins being the top vote getter? Joe is very much not a supporter of the superintendent so it seems odd that if Joe is #1, that some other candidates clearly looking for change didn't make the cut. However, I liked Paul Hart when he was on the City Council and think he'll be a positive addition to the School Committee.

Of course the City Council is the place that had the most change and the most surprises. The biggest change is the addition of 3 new city councilors! Dan Rego, Mike Miozza, and Dave Dennis will certainly add a new dynamic to the council especially considering that Leo Pelletier will be one of those not returning. I've already discussed the Leo dynamics in another post but last night the voters decided not to return Leo to the council. It wasn't even close he was several hundred votes from even being close to the 9th place. It's interesting that Leo lost his seat despite finishing in 9th place in the preliminary ahead of Pat Casey, who this time around managed to leap frog over him and take the 9th place spot for herself. I thought Leo could be in real trouble but couldn't quite figure out how people would feel about the indictment, the Herald News editorial and the rest, but I was sure Pat Casey was done. And I know others I talked to felt the same way. But she is safe and Leo becomes the only incumbent not reelected. But that doesn't minimize the change on the council because the people who did make it were ahead of incumbents! Dan Rego took the number 2 spot, which honestly is startling. Mike Miozza finished 7th and Dave Dennis 8th, both ahead of Pat Casey. Just as shocking is Linda Pereira being the #1 vote getter. I don't want to imply she doesn't deserve it, because obviously more people voted for than any other councilor and so she deserves it, but I never got the impression that Linda was the most effective councilor over the last 2 years. In fact I was very much in agreement with the Herald endorsements of Ray Mitchell and Eric Poulin. I was reading this morning that Joe Camara and Ray Mitchell are both eyeing the City Council Presidency and I have to wonder if Linda might be eyeing that herself.

That brings us to the Mayor's race. What can I say? Well obviously there are a lot of people disgusted with outcome. There are a lot of people who felt that Will Flanagan was not the right choice, was not a good mayor and did not deserve reelection. There were more people who felt that the Mayor is hard working, passionate and intent on moving the city forward AND that a two year term is not enough time for a Mayor to do what he sets out to accomplish. I imagine a lot of people will try to figure just what happened here. Was it ever close? Was it the message? Money? What? Cathy Ann Viveiros has run several times before and just can't seem to win. Is it the candidate? Cathy has always struck me as very intelligent and very capable, but I've had more than a few people mention her "baggage" to me. Regardless Flanagan's victory was decisive. I have not been the biggest fan of the Mayor and I can only hope he is serious about trying bring the city together because that has been a big flaw in his first term. The mayor has set his own time line, by saying two years isn't enough he is implying that we should see real change and real results in these next two. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

It's Election Day!

2011-11-08T07:24:00.001-05:00

It's Election Day! Go out and vote and be heard!

I have to say, despite a lackluster election season today has turned out to be a pretty exciting Election Day! Who will be Mayor? What new faces will be on the council? Who will be elected to the school committee? What incumbents will bounce back and hold on to their seats? Or will those incumbents make way for new faces?

I knew, as I think most everyone did, that this year would Flanagan versus Viveiros again. I truly felt that if that was the match up come election day that Will would win easily. I felt that way through most of the summer.But over the last month or so there has been an energy around this race. Suddenly it seems that Cathy could really beat Flanagan, despite his "Shock and Awe" campaign strategy! Now I'm not saying she's going to win. I'm saying I wouldn't put money on HIM winning. I'm saying if you are a Cathy supporter GO OUT AND VOTE because your candidate IS FIRMLY in the RACE. The opposite is true, if you're a Flanagan supporter GET OUT THERE because YOUR CANDIDATE needs your vote. DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED!! It's exciting when the race is close and hopefully it means a better than expected turnout.

The council race also has some interest there are open seats could candidates to fill them that NEED your support. There are long time incumbents on the verge of being voted out. It's up to YOU to decide if they stay or if they go! There is an open seat on the school committee and really maybe a few other seats that need to be switched out. Do you believe in our school committee? If so stay home or vote the status quo. If you don't go out there and vote to change it.

For the past 5 years all I have heard is "we need change".."we need change".."we need change". Fall River voters are starting to sound like a beggar on a street corner. THIS election season I see more opportunity for change than ever before. It will be interesting to see who is in, and who is out, when the votes are counted.

Where in the world is Leo Pelletier?

2011-11-08T07:05:00.001-05:00

Leading up to today I've had the usual conversations. "Who will win mayor?" "Who will be the top vote getter for the council?" "How do you think so-and-so will do?" Most of these questions I have firm opinions on. Even if I see something close I can rationalize how things may go if this happens or that happens. The one question I have been asked that I really have no certainty for is how do I think Leo will do.

How will Leo do? I thought his 9th place finish in the preliminary could spell trouble for him but I also realized it could mobilize his supporters come November. Then the indictment came along and I thought does this hurt him? It should! It would other councilors. Or does this help him? Do people who like Leo and support Leo now come out and vote for Leo because they see him as a victim? I don't know. I have talked to some who feel this isn't new Leo has gotten into this kind of trouble before and should have known enough to stay clear. However these people are not the ones who usually support Leo. I think the people who usually support Leo feel he's one of them, an average Fall River guy, who just happens to represent them in the city council. He's the guy who gets pot holes fixed, trash picked up, and answers their calls and gets them answers to their questions. How do those people feel?

Let's see... Leo had a 9th place finish, he was just indicted, and the Herald News wrote an editorial saying it was time from him to step down. That all sounds ominously bad on election day. On the other hand Leo just had an event with from what I hear, a very large turnout.

People keep asking me where do I think Leo will finish and I have to say I really don't know!

Bad signs for the local paper?

2011-11-03T09:31:00.001-04:00

We've been hearing for a while that print journalism is becoming extinct. Newspapers seems to be struggling to find new identities in a world where people are reading their news on their smart phone and not at the breakfast table. I saw a story the other day that was a subtle reminder of this, that by itself would mean little if not for another story I saw last night on the Herald News.

The first story was on WPRI's website. (That alone is an indicator of how tricky the media world now is, when a TV station is also providing print news content online!). An post there stated that the Projo's circulation is down. What struck me is that the article also stated the circulation figures from the Herald News and the Standard-Times.

"The Fall River Herald News sold 14,199 copies on weekdays and 15,681 on Sundays, plus 643 e-editions across the week.

The New Bedford Standard-Times sold 21,617 print copies plus 1,197 e-editions on weekdays and 23,807 print copies plus 808 e-editions on Sundays."

I was a bit surprised that the Standard-Times sold that much better than the Herald. I was also surprised that considering the surrounding area how low those totals seemed, at least to me.

Like I said, I found it interesting but by itself I didn't mean much until I saw an article in the Herald stating that they would be moving their printing operations to a regional location along with several other papers. I'm pretty sure that only recently the Taunton Gazette moved it's printing to Fall River and now both, along with the Projo and one of the Boston papers are moving to a regional location. Well despite the best spin this has nothing to do with advantages in technology it is a cost savings measure plain and simple and it's happening all over the country.

It's a sad thing to see local papers struggling to remain relevant because the digital world doesn't cover the types of stories that have made local papers part of our community and a fixture in our homes for decades.

“A message from Mayor Flanagan”

2011-11-02T06:05:00.001-04:00

Apparently there has been an email circulating around with the subject line stating to be 'A message from Mayor Flanagan' but wasn't sent out by him or his campaign and features some videos that don't really show the Mayor in the best of lights.

Sadly, nobody thought to send this email to me….

Mayor Flanagan is upset, understandably that someone is sending out an email that at best is misleading and at worst is intentionally meant to look like it came from the Mayor or his campaign. Alright so the Mayor issued a press release and got himself in the Herald News to set the record straight. Sounds good right? Except that Mayor isn't just setting the record straight and he isn't just denouncing the email he is flat out accusing his opponent of sending it!

He is quoted as saying "it's the modus operandi" established by the Viveiros campaign, and that Cathy "represents all the dirty tricks of the past" He says she should acknowledge her role in it or condemn it.

Unless his press release to the paper offered more detail than what the paper quotes (and it doesn't appear to be posted on his campaign website) how in the world can he come out and accuse Viveiros or her campaign of sending out this email? Without proof isn't what he is doing just as damning, maybe even more so than what he is accusing her of doing? After all IF she was responsible then the worst you can say is that she sent out emails with a misleading subject line. On the other hand if he is wrong he is basically engaging in character assassination!

I also have to ask why would Cathy Ann Viveiros need to send out emails under some misleading context. One of the videos highlights the Mayor's possible interest in running for U.S. Senate and another a report on Flanagan's use of state funds to support private development. Both topics are legitimate campaign points so if her campaign wanted to get this out there why not just send it from the campaign where it would likely get the same amount of notice? Of course I can't say she didn't send it but I can't really see any logical reason why she would.

And other than trying to make Viveiros look bad I can't figure out why the Mayor would want to bring attention to this. He says he has no concern about the videos themselves just the misleading manner it was put out there. He HAS to be telling the truth because he has pretty much guaranteed everyone under the sun is going to want to watch those videos now! Even if you're not worried I can't see why you would help promote anything that negatively reflects on you.

Fifth Time’s a Charm?

2011-11-02T04:28:00.001-04:00

As we entered our latest election season there were two things of which I was certain, that Cathy Ann Viveiros would once again make a run for mayor, and that Will Flanagan would win reelection. Well obviously the first has held absolutely true but the second? I'm not so sure.

Despite my efforts to be unbiased, open-minded and fair, I do not like Will Flanagan. I think he mishandled the entire casino proposal and more than just mishandling it, it was a flat out mistake. I think his wanting to micromanage his own board appointees shows a lack of leadership. His idea of 'transparent government' is a joke. I think his 81 million dollar school budget proposal absurd. I can't decide if threatening layoffs to Government Center workers if they didn't take a pay cut only to suddenly find the money is a sign of incompetence or a deceit. And still I have thought he would be reelected. First, not everyone agrees with MY opinion on the above, and secondly there are things that he has accomplished, getting up to date with the DOR, keeping the Durfee Textile building from becoming 'misdeveloped', supporting and building strong ties with neighborhood associations, to name a few.

My opinion all along has been the Mayor has made several mistakes but no challenger had come forth who was strong enough to take advantage of them. Even recently I have thought that Cathy Ann just wasn't getting enough traction to beat the Mayor and I STILL think she needs to cut back on the intellectual reasoned approach and let fly with a little passion! However I'm hearing from people who are not happy with the Mayor. Some didn't support him before but some did and they are not going to support him this time around. I'm watching the debates where I think Cathy has always done a better job than Will Flanagan. And now I'm looking at the Herald News endorsing Cathy Ann Viveiros for mayor!

I'm honestly surprised, happily so, at the momentum building behind her. Is it enough to win? We'll find out Election Day!

I know it’s been awhile…

2011-11-02T02:57:00.002-04:00

I know it's been awhile since I've blogged anything new. Somehow October has come and gone and I haven't found the time or the energy to comment on a single thing. It seems the ol' blog is just sitting around gathering dust. ..

It's not that I don't have anything to say or have run out of opinion to share. A big part is life just catching up with me. The year has been eventful, some good, some bad. The good has taken my attention away from blogging. The bad has sapped my interest and motivation to blog. There are other factors. It seems that blogging in general has just STOPPED. It's not that I'm not blogging, it seems NOBODY is. That's depressing because I miss the opinion and creative thought that was shared. Part of this is because of the local paper's comment section makes it easy for everyone to put in their 2 cents. I would say that is a good thing, but honestly I don't think the comment section nurtures thought out opinions as much as it does attacking commentary. It's more arguing than debate and the paper does a poor job of moderating it. Then too there is facebook, which honestly I have thought about trying to build a presence on but a lack of motivation to blog has also meant a lack of motivation to really give that much attention. Then there is also the FOCUS of this blog, which has always been Fall River. Lately, Fall River seems to be in a malaise. I don't see exciting things happening. I don't see the city moving forward. A few years ago it seemed to me the city was rising from the ashes, but now it seems like it's too tired to make the effort.

I know the feeling…

Well, I'm going to try to blow off the dust and brush off the cobwebs and get some new content on here. After all I did pay for the domain name I may as well use it. At this point I'm not sure how many people are stopping by and how many people are reading but if you still are, I thank you, and if you haven't been hopefully some new content will bring you back.

Lefty

Why Make Up Missed Time?

2011-09-28T09:29:00.002-04:00

Apparently parents at the Talbot Middle School are not happy about the way the school department handled a recent shutdown. The school department shut down the school to conduct air quality tests after learning some of the caulking used in the building contained PCB's.

Now I understand parents being irked by the last minute notice and by the inconvenience of it all. I don't know how long the school department has known about the caulking and if it could have been done before the school year. I would have to say I hope not because that would mean they decided to let kids attend school knowing of a potential risk, which I think would be a MUCH bigger issue. So I am going to assume that the PCB's came to light after the school opened for the year and the decision was made to be safe and not sorry. And the good news is the tests have come back and the PCB levels are well below any levels of concern. What I don't understand is the feelings of some parents quoted in the Herald News who don't believe their kids should have to make up the lost time.

Are you kidding me?!

These parents think the closing was badly handled, it's not the kids fault and they shouldn't have to make up the time.

In a city where the state school department has one hand on the "takeover" button, where drop out rates are still too high and MCAS scores are still too low their parents feel that their kids should have LESS school?

When it comes to education in this city our kids already have two strikes against them. And it's not because we have lousy teachers. (Because I don't believe that.), It's not because we have poor leadership. (Although I believe there is certainly room for improvement.) It's because we're a poor community with all the social economic problems that come from that and because we can't providing more funding to combat some of these issues.

Let me tell you something, if it were up to me I would strongly consider making EVERY school in this city an expanded day learning school, because our kids need more education not less. And parents need to stress the importance of education. When a parent basically compares education to some burden like paying the rent it sends the wrong message.

"Gee the heating system in my apartment let go and I had to move out for a week, so I shouldn't have to pay rent for that week."

"Gee they closed school for a week to make sure it was SAFE, my kid should have to make that up!"

Education is something that is NEEDED, it's essential and we shouldn't be fighting for less of it, we should be making sure our kids get everything they can from it.

"Gee the stove was broke and the appliance guy didn't fix it until 2PM.. so Johnny shouldn't have to eat lunch."

Obviously most parents would say hey we're back in business let's get some lunch together! If I were a Talbot parent I would be fighting to make sure the school department didn't throw 5 lousy half days on to the end of the year. Personally I would probably be fighting for some Saturday classes. Five Saturdays in school NOW seems better than a full week in June.

I'll bet no matter how they go about making up these days a lot of parents will just keep their kids home. And in the end, it's not the 5 absences that will have a negative effect on a child's education. It's the attitude behind them.

Mayoral Race

2011-09-05T09:57:00.000-04:00

If I had my way the primary election would result in Cathy Ann Viveiros and Stefani Koorey making it through to the general election. I don't think, however that this will be the likely outcome. Mostly, because I imagine Mayor Flanagan will safely be one of the top two vote getters. Not that I think he should be, more because of the advantages of being the incumbent. The Mayor still retains a core of support and if nothing else has made efforts reaching out to neighborhood associations that should serve him in good steed come election day.

Of course two years ago I would have bet the outcome was going to be Mayor Correia and Cathy Ann Viveiros facing off in the general election. It just goes to show you that sometimes the unexpected happens and "conventional wisdom" is just flat out wrong.

The thing that amazes me the most about the current race is that nobody has really seperated themselves from the pack. I've watched to forum at White's and listened to the WSAR forum and watched the Richard Urban Show, and never once thought someone had clearly run away with it.

Obviously the disadvantage to being an incumbent is you have a record to defend and for the most part Will Flanagan has managed (at least in these forums) do a passable job at that. Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying he's done a great job at it, just that he's kept his opponents from scoring any direct hits. Now those who really pay attention will say that I'm wrong that he evaded, or soft shoed his way through and I would agree with that. But it's a soundbite world and the average voter will pick up on the buzzwords, 'jobs' 'safety' etc. and never focus on the lack of substance in those responses. But other than doing that I don't feel that he has inspired people with his vision or leadership. I don't walk away blown over by his passion (although I did see glimpses once or twice), instead much like two years ago I walk away mostly unimpressed by Will Flanagan.

There seem to be 3 great certainties in life, death, taxes and Cathy Ann Viveiros will run for mayor. I knew when she lost 2 years ago that she would be his challenger in this race, and so did everyone I talked to. Fortunately the Mayor has made plenty of mistakes for Cathy to seize onto but for some reason her passion doesn't come through, her leadership fails to inspire. I almost wish someone would piss her off before these things so she would go out fiery and worked up. I think back to her debate against candidate Will Flanagan, and that night she did seem to be energized, passionate, ready to win. Sadly I think by then too many people had already made up their mind. Then like now the thing that impresses me about Cathy is her ability to give an answer, share a vision and give specifics and details that she has really done her homework, thought long and hard about the subject and has a knowledge that her opponents often seem to lack.

Stefani Koorey is, too me, the most interesting candidate if for no other reason than because I don't think people know what to make of her. Maverick? Vested outsider? Critic? Advocate? Is she serious? Is she nuts? Right from the start I have felt that she faced an uphill battle to wage a successful campaign. She doesn't have the name recognition or background that we look for from our political candidates. But Stefani is certainly is very intelligent woman who can speak knowledgeably on many of the issues that face Fall River today. She is perhaps the current administration's biggest critic and certainly has become a watchdog over local government. She has been very involved, attending countless city meetings. She is also a dedicated advocate in many causes. She has an "outsider's perspective" which basically means she sees the positive and isn't held back by years of self-doubt about the city's future. It's easy for some to dismiss a candidate who is critical of the current administration, but mostly unknown before running and has no previous experience in government. But two years ago we elected that person as Mayor of Fall River. Could we do it again?

I get the biggest kick out of Carolyn Burton. I don't mean that at all in a dismissive way. Nobody does a better job of taking on the "citizen politician" mantle. She tells us, she is just one of us an average Fall River citizen who is concerned about the city and she's 100% believable (at least to me). She lacks polish, she lacks specifics yet she has such terrific passion, such charisma and such and honest belief in common sense that you wonder if she could overcome her own shortcomings and actually move the city forward.

I have to admit I just don't get Richard M. Renzi. With his suits, stylish glasses and perfectly coiffed hair I'm ready to award him best dressed candidate. However with his almost monotone voice he comes across to me as a cross between Alec Baldwin and a televangelist. Neither would I want for mayor. He has big ideas some of them good, but no specifics on how he thinks he could implement them. There is no way this guy could be elected mayor and implement what he wants. Government doesn't work that way. He also projects a supreme confidence in his ideas and ability to lead, which I'm not sure is the right tact for someone who hasn't even lived in the city a full 6 months yet.

With election day quickly coming upon us I'm still not sure anyone has really stepped up and really convinced us why they should be mayor. Will Flanagan hasn't really defended his record or promoted his accomplishments and while others have been quick to point to his faults they haven't always shown how they will do things differently or accomplish more than he been able to.

Who are you leaning toward on election day?

"You know what they should do?"

2011-08-31T16:45:00.002-04:00

Mike Moran's latest column in the Herald takes a somewhat critical somewhat complimentary look at the Green Futures proposal for the former Hess LNG site. He gives them credit for suggesting a plan for the Weavers Cove site, although calling it naive. At the same time he seems to be saying that those who say "you know what they should do" are basically looking to waste your time with their ideas that they can't possibly implement. Politicians and government can really only play a supportive role and it's private business that makes the difference. I take a different point of view on this.

Government has to play more than a "supportive" role in development. If we want a vibrant downtown, then it's up to local government to work to make that happen. That means marketing, changing zoning, looking for ways to finance redevelopment, courting businesses that we feel fit that vision. You can't sit back and wait for private business to say "you know what they should do" and then hopefully go and do it. The same principal applies to the waterfront. Citizens, activist groups, idealistic politicians, etc. who share there ideas aren't living out some pipe-dream they are hoping to inspire someone who can implement a vision. In the case of Green Futures vision for the LNG site, obviously they are building on the seeds of a vibrant recreational and commercial waterfront and pointing out that it should be included in the "vision" we have for the rest of the waterfront.

Once upon a time someone said, "you know what they should do?" and then said we should tear down the elevated Rt. 79 and now we're moving closer to that reality. More recently someone said "you know what they should do?" and then said we should paint the Braga a new color to brighten up the skyline. Certainly painting the bridge isn't going to have the same impact as getting rid of the elevated highway, but the point is neither change would have happened if someone didn't first say "you know what they should do?"

A blue Braga isn't going to change the future of Fall River but removing that elevated roadway will. A boulevard along the waterfront is going to open up land and development possibilities that haven't existed before. Someone's pipe-dream is becoming a reality. Weavers Cove has to be one of the most important parcels of land in the city. It's in a prime location. It has great highway access can be connected to rail and proposed bike paths. It would be a shame to see the city not try to have a hand in developing that site in ways that fit with our vision of the future of our waterfront. What's for worse than saying "you know what they should do?" is saying "you know what they should have done?"

Benefit to the Community

2011-08-31T06:40:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday the Herald News ran an article asking city council candidates to share their thoughts about what to do with the surplus of former school buildings. The candidates had a choice of 3 options:

1. The highest bid

2. Benefit to the Community

3. Potential for future tax revenues.

I know what my answer would have been. I've stated many times that the most important consideration when looking at options for these buildings is finding the best fit for the neighborhood and the city. It's a somewhat pleasant surprise to find that 9 respondents, including four current city councilors share that basic viewpoint.

Two councilors, Mitchell and Poulin use the example of the former police station to highlight the pitfalls of going after the highest bid and it's an example I myself have cited constantly. The city bypassed the option of taking a smaller bid from an experienced developer with a great track record and instead ended up accepting a higher bid amount that has resulted in an eyesore that is now a safety hazard! The idea of getting your money upfront is appealing but it won't take long before the money is all spent and we'll be left with the consequences of our shortsightedness. The one candidate who answered that the highest bid is the way to go is Bob Boutin, an experienced realtor. He brings up good points in his answer. He says we should get valid appraisals and that the city needs to be professional in the business of selling these schools. I would dare say the way the potential sale of the Belisle was handled looks like a comic fiasco that does nothing to make others want to even consider trying to submit a bid. He also points out that the present zoning could possibly hinder sales. Now I still say highest profit is wrong thinking, but these points are not contrary to the idea of benefiting the community. If we have a fair, accurate appraisal we know what the building is worth and parties submitting offers for less than the appraised value should have to justify their reasoning. If the Osborn Street School is worth $750,000 (let's say), and a party bids $100,000 but offers a plan to restore the structure and cites those costs as the reason for the low bid, well perhaps that is enough reason to accept a low bid. If medical offices wanted to locate there and in doing so would create 35 new jobs THAT might be a reason why you would accept a lower bid. As long the intended use was complimentary to the neighborhood and the city and as long as we had assurances (contractually) that a low bidder could not flip the property for a higher profit and that they would do the required work within a set timeframe the bid amount should be secondary.

Only one candidate answered "potential for future tax revenues". It's an interesting answer and one I'm not sure how to calculate. Of course it would exclude selling these buildings to any non-profit organization and it exchanges what is best for the neighborhood for maximizing profits, which I flat out disagree with. I think I read that Meditech pays somewhere between $400,000 to $500,000 in taxes to the city, but their building sits on 17 acres and has 120,000 square-feet of space. None of the former schools is comparable to that. Taking a look at the property record for the Belisle School shows an assessed value of $3,288,500 and if you applied the commercial property tax rate to that you would get just over $70,000. Well that sounds decent enough if you can find someone to buy the school and use the property as is and they don't get it re-assessed (because I think that assessment is probably too high) and they don't somehow get a TIF agreement for coming to Fall River. Chances are the Belisle is going to fall victim to the wrecking ball and become Belisle Commons or some other name for some cul-de-sac. (By the way keep your eyes open on this one to see what well connected developer manages to get a deal on the former school property.) The property is roughly 6 acres, so how many houses can we fit on it? I wouldn't doubt if you could squeeze 24 houses there which not including streets would mean about ¼ acre a house. That's actually pretty generous for Fall River! Well let's assume 24 houses all worth about $250,000 each that would give you a tax bill on each house of just over $2,500! Multiply $2,500 by 24 houses and you get a nice 60k in new taxes! Sounds good right? Well 24 homes probably mean 24 families. If each family had 2 kids that's 48 more kids in the school system. 48 more kids are enough for 2 classrooms! So it's reasonable to assume that so many new kids could mean the addition of at least one teacher in the school department. That's at least 45k a year (salary plus benefits). These kids would require materials, books, paper, etc. and there is a cost to that. These homes will require trash pickup, snow plowing, road salting, electricity for street lights what's the cost of all that? Suddenly you're not looking at 60k in new revenue and you're starting to wonder if you'll break even! So needless to say I have my doubts that we should be pinning our hopes on the greatest potential for future tax revenue.

What bothers me the most is the candidates that didn't answer. This is crunch time and hopefully voters are trying to make informed decisions. Most appalling is the 2 candidates for office that currently SIT ON the real estate committee, including the chair Pat Casey! (Committee members Poulin and Kilby did submit answers.) Certainly voters might be interested to know the opinions of the members who currently sit on the committee, especially considering its dismal track record.

TRUST

2011-08-29T16:09:00.000-04:00

Despite my lack of blogging, I have certainly been watching the mayoral race. Honestly I have some pretty firm opinions on who is going to make it past the primary and who isn't. Right from the start I have thought that Stefani Koorey was going to have a real battle on her hands to get some name recognition and build a base of support. However this campaign video on Youtube is probably one of the best things to come from her campaign (or anyone else's).

You Can Always Go... Downtown!!

2011-08-03T11:42:00.001-04:00

A friend brought an article that is in the OJornal to my attention. The article brings attention to the many vacant storefronts downtown. The article points out that once thriving Columbia Street is also falling victim to hard times and vacant storefronts.

How do you revitalize downtown has been a topic of discussion probably longer than any of us can remember. In my last post I stressed that this was one of 5 areas that I thought we should utilize resources to develop and market.

But good things do seem to be happening downtown. Last weekend I was driving down South Main Street in the evening and was amazed at the amount of cars and the amount of traffic I saw. I talk to co-workers who live nowhere near Fall River who drive down to listen to bands at a downtown venue. There is a comic and card shop that also seems to be known outside of our community. I don't recall who gets the credit, either Mayor Flanagan or former Mayor Correia but the idea of trolley/restaurant tasting tours is something we need to continue to do. We lost First Night, which on those occasions that I attended, I thought did a lot to help introduce people to downtown. The problem with First Night is that it was usually so cold but why can't you have a Downtown Summer Festival that would run from late afternoon and flow into evening with live music venues and street vendors, performers etc? What happened to Artist Storefront program which got a lot of hype but doesn't seem to be as embraced as it needs to be? My friend pointed out that a simple Google search brings up all sorts of empty storefront ideas including an indoor Farmer's Market. I have said in the past that a temporary Lizzie Borden exhibit with mock courtroom should be set up and the city SHOULD exploit the interest in the Borden case. And of course the case itself has some wonderful downtown ties.

Lefty's View: As corny as this is, as I write this post, I can't get the 60's song "Downtown" out of my head. If you're not familiar with it, it basically says downtown is a place to go to get away from it all. It speaks of bright lights, movies, music, all-night shops and the bustle and energy of someplace you want to be. Now I'm not saying Fall River's downtown can be transformed to rival New York but I do think we have to embrace the idea of making downtown someplace you want to be and a place where things are happening that you don't want to miss.

Five Better Places for Economic Development

2011-07-31T16:36:00.003-04:00

So as I discussed in the last post Boston's Urban Land Institute is donating its service to the Fall River Office of Economic Development. FROED has decided the best place to focus these services on is a roughly 70 acre parcel owned by the Atlantis Charter School. Now coincidentaly I wrote my post a week after the article originally appeared in the Herald News and I noted that there had been no confirmation that Atlantis Charter would even consider selling. Hours after I posted the Herald had a new article saying that ACS would indeed consider selling if the deal was good for Fall River.

The fact that Atlantis Charter is willing to sell makes FROED's plan more plausible but (in my opinion) there are five locations that the Urban Land Institutes's service could be better put to use.

1. Weaver's Cove - Now that LNG is no longer being considered finding ways to market the former Shell Oil site has to be a priority for Fall River and you would think for FROED.

2. The Waterfront - There has been LOTS of discussion about developing Fall River's waterfront and a lot of back and forth about the right and wrong way to do it. Why not use ULI's expertise to come up with a plan to market and develop our waterfront.

3. Downtown - If there is any part of Fall River that needs some expertise to market and develop it's downtown. Perhaps ULI could come up with ways to help market Fall River's downtown and revitalize it in ways we often discuss but so far have not found a way to do.

4. Former School Property - The one thing we've all learned about our city council is they can't sell schools. The city is "blessed" with a surplus of interesting old school buildings that all require unique and innovative ways to market them. Perhaps FROED could have partnered with the City Council to use the ULI resources to find the best uses for each building and the best way to market them.

5. Weaver Street Mills - This is my own personal soft spot. You see for the past 10 years I have had jobs that have had me going up Route 79 and onto Route 24 (and of course back again). I have been driving by these mills for years and for years I have thought that they were perfectly placed for development. Not self storage or warehouses but office space some retail, loft apartments. Now with a new bridge ready to open this area seems even more tangible to market. Also marketing THIS area could tie in to revitalizing the Brightman Street area that has been devastated by the traffic changes dictated by the new bridge.

Lefty's View: Even if ACS is willing to sell that doesn't mean they will sell. Why invest resources to market and develop a site when there are other sites that area where marketing and development are sure to have an impact?

You can't sell it if it's not for sale...

2011-07-27T04:28:00.000-04:00

Let me ask you, why would you waste time and energy and resources and squander advice and expertise to try to come up with ways to market and develop a piece of property that might not even be for sale?

An article that ran in the Herald News about a week ago said that Boston's Urban Land Institute would be providing free services to Fall River. The article goes on to say that Fall River Office of Economic Development officials hope to market a large tract of land off of Jefferson Street that is currently owned by the Atlantis Charter School.

The article has a sprinkling of quotes about how beautiful the land is and the possibilities for office and commercial use but it's this quote from Ken Fiola that inspired this blog post…

"If we can come up with the right development scheme, we can at least begin discussions with the charter school," Fiola said of possible re-use.

What? We're going to take all this time and assemble panels and devote who knows how many man hours and come up with ideas and plans AND THEN BEGIN DISCUSSIONS with the property owner? Are you kidding me??

In fact in the entire article there is not ONE SINGLE COMMENT OR QUOTE from anyone representing the Charter School. That is either a glaring oversight by the Herald News or a very telling revelation.

Now Atlantis Charter purchased this property to be the site of a future campus that would allow them to expand to grade 12. As far as I know that is still their plan and unless they continue to want to occupy multiple buildings and figure that it might be cheaper to buy some surplus school building to serve as a high school. If that's the case they certainly haven't shown any interest in any of the former schools and again why wouldn't there be some comment from them if they had any interest in selling the land?

Why wouldn't you use these resources for parcels of land that you KNOW are going to be sold and where we could really use some assistance in marketing them and coming up with a strategy to bring in investors? Why wouldn't you offer to work with the city council with these resources in order to market the former school buildings? Why wouldn't you possibly use these resources to come up with plans to market the Weaver's Cove site? Why wouldn't you have worked with First Bristol Corp to see if perhaps there were office and commercial opportunities for THAT Jefferson Street location? Why does Ken Fiola even have a job?

Perhaps the Atlantis Charter School has expressed interest in moving the property, if so this could be really beneficial. However if Atlantis isn't interested in selling the property than not only are we wasting valuable assistance but we have to once again question the value of the Fall River Office of Economic Development, at least under its current leadership.