Captains Log

I Blame The Media For The Unrest In My Country

2014-12-22T16:11:00.000-08:00

I have been very quiet with my blogging but this last assassination of two NYPD police officers and pot shots at Police across the country is very disturbing to me and should be to you.

The media in my option is fueling the unrest and wackos watching TV all day at home are taking action on those who protect and serve our community. What a waste of resources we have paid on protests for folks that did not comply with Police requests .

I have no problem with demonstrating but in my option the media twisted these stories and didn't get the facts right as the Grand Jury found out in the Brown case. Now we have divide between the races again.

I lived with and saw the heinous news feeds during the 60's and the busing in Boston . We are going backwards not forward. I know it is a small minority of troublemakers that are making the news but Media is all over them .

What can we do to stop this nonsense? I don't have the answer on how we can bring us all together as one...Americans. To be honest I'm a little worried but hope this to shall pass.

Sea Ya.
The Capt.

So Many Good and Loving People ...

2014-12-20T11:54:00.000-08:00

I am glad to post again as I haven't done so in a while because between work and family and life. The last few months I have been attending a meeting once a week with what I will call angels on earth. I am very moved every time I am with these folks.
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We have been meeting for the Salvation Army Radiothorn which happened last weekend , Today we learned the final total was 126.000 dollars and money is still coming in. I am so proud to live in a community that opens their hearts in such a way.

As Tom Bomil said this morning to hear Mothers and Fathers swallow their pride and ask for the basic things like food , help with heating bills , rent and toys for the kids for Christmas just pulls at your heart and no one is turned away .

This all happens because of you . the good and loving people of the Merrimack Valley . I wish and hope all of you have that warm and fussy feeling I have about how good and loving people can be.

Looking at the news every night it's seems the world is out of control and evil but in our little part of it . It's a good place to Live .....Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Where is Mayor Patick Murphy's Portairt ?

2014-08-31T07:09:00.000-07:00

This question was raised recently by Lowell resident Joe Smith. Much was said about the portrait the Mayor submitted mostly from some members of the City Council and the Lowell Sun. I liked Mayor Murphy as a Councilor and as a person. He marched to his own drummer and that didn't always sit well with some of his colleagues on the council. The portrait he submitted sits in the vault in City Hall and in my option should be hung next to the Mayors office. Yes it is not the traditional face on portrait that has upset certain people but is shows to me that he did his job and took family in hand went back to his personal life as our fore fathers wanted our public servants to do . Hang the portrait .

Sea ya
The Capt.

LOWELL CITY COUNCIL Might Have Thown Back Three Keeps And Kept a Kibbe

2014-03-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

I have watched the interviews for the new Lowell City Manager three nights in a row this week and at times deprived myself of much needed sleep as I get up so early to go to work. I would like to thank all the candidates that made the cut for coming out to be interviewed. I would have liked to have seen who didn't make the cut as rumors were that the fix was in and these were the most qualified.That being said I thought the Council did a good job asking questions.

I believe this process was jaded from the beginning with leaks of the vote counts and the blog of record reporting what should have been known to only to our elected officials. I want to believe that those we elected will do the right thing for our city but I am not naive that there was a anti Bernie push this past city council election to push CM Lynch out.

We heard from professional city managers from smaller city's and town's that were knowledgeable on all aspect 's of city and town government and I was happy to hear from many of the candidates that they felt the past administration had done a good job despite the economic climate these past few years and would take the gig with a contract if chosen.

I have no horse in the race but feel Rep. Kevin Murphy does not meet the requirements to be our CM.
He is a nice guy and has served his district well along side his fellow Lowell delegation but has no experience in running a city . Yes he can surround himself with what he feels are the best people to help him run the city but in reality that would be like me jumping from my 23 ft. fishing boat in the Merrimack River to a Cruise Ship on a trans Atlantic crossing.

If it is Kevin Murphy I wish him well and hope he leaves Lowell better than he found it.

Sea ya
The Capt.

All Out War On The Homeless

2014-02-15T04:31:00.000-08:00

All across our country our most vulnerable citizens are being pushed out of our sight and into the shadows. Our homeless population is at its highest since the deep depression. Back then President Roosevelt formed the WPA program and put millions of Americans back to work on Federal, State and Municipal projects.

Now we hear of stories like Portland Oregon Mayor ordering there police to dismantle and remove the over 4000 homeless people from there camps and throw away what meager belongings they have. .

We also hear of Columbia SC ruling that non profits must pull permits at the cost of 125.00 to set up soap kitchens in a local park to feed the homeless.

Even right here in Lowell we pushed our homeless out of sight. I don't have the answers on how to stop the growing homeless population in our country. Some of the reasons are lack of jobs and the closing of mental health facility's. Substance abuse and returning war veterans with PTSD.

A friend of mine has a saying " You don't punch down" .

Sea ya
The Capt.

Capt. Pauls Guide to Fishing Guide's down South.

2014-01-24T15:33:00.001-08:00

I've had enough of talking local politics for now. This cold stretch has Janet and I talking about heading south for a spell and I to wet a line. Janet and I have been heading down to the Keys for the last 20 years and hit some Caribbean Islands for vacation.

I love fishing in the Keys. I have fished from Key Largo to Key West Fla. and this is in my option the fishing capital of the world . In February Key Largo has the best Sailfishing as the reef is only 3 miles off shore and after catching your live bait your on them in no time.

Mid April- May is the best time to go for Tarpon because they are migrating from open sea to the gulf to spawn. I have fished under the 7 mile bridge and the Bay of Honda with thousands of Tarpon heading into the Gulf.

Off shore fishing is awesome pulling up Grouper, Yellow Tail Tuna , King Mackerel and huge Barracuda and the prize of all Mai Mai Dolphin, On the Gulf side you catch Snapper, Yellow Fin and many another smaller good eating fish that you can bring to any restaurant and they will prepare it as you wish and only pay for the side dishes.

There are hundreds of guides set up at their booths at marinas and and they are smooth talkers with their shiny 42ft sport fishing boats behind them. They have pictures and videos of huge fish displayed and everyone guarantee's fish. .....If you want to pay between 1500 to 2000 for a day of fishing.

I bypass all those guys and walk the docks and look for guys fileting fish and blood on the boat and guys having a couple of beers all sweaty and stinky. Stop and talk to these guys because they are the real deal and not some Corporate Company that owns a few shiny boats and give you a boat ride with air conditioned cabins.

You can deal with these guys or put your name on a list to split the fishing trip with other guys to defray the cost and it won't be any more than 800 to 1000 for the boat and you will most likely get more than a day you wanted because they love to fish.

I have never paid more than 200 for a full day of world class fishing in the Keys . I have caught 16 Sailfish and a 200lbs Tarpon and Mai Mai to feed a army. Don't fall into the tourist trap and walk the docks,,,,,,,,some guys will take your money because they love to fish and cover their expenses .

Sea Ya
The Capt.

Mutiny at Lowell City Hall

2014-01-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

What a week ay mates? As I posted earlier in the week I was hopeful and anxious to see our new city council in action this past Tuesday night. It was not boring indeed. The Capt. of our city gave his notice to my surprise and abandoned ship.

Capt. Lynch has steered the city on a straight course for the last 7 years and filled our treasure chests and kept us ship shape. There were some disgruntled crew members in his tenure as Capt, but he was a professional and kept to his duty's and looked ahead to the real mission and relied on his officers to handle the day to day operations .

I don't blame Capt. Lynch for leaving. A man can only take so much and being at the wheel can take a toll on you . I'm sure the Capt. looked into the horizon and saw some rough sea's ahead and decided it was time to head for port. He may have also looked at his new crew and they didn't have the same passion as he did for the next voyage.

In the olden days when a Capt. was killed or died men on ship men would get nervous. They looked at who would be the next one to lead them. Sometimes they would mutiny and leave at the next port or they leave the ship because they had no confidence in the rest of the crew who had someone else in mind to be there Capt.

I know I'm painting a picture right now but it is not far from what is happening in my city. I am pissed that we are losing good...no GREAT people. I hope we don't go backward to the olden days.

Sea Ya
The Capt.

City Manager Bernie Lynch Resigns

2014-01-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be truthful as I type this I'm still a little shaken up. I was very anxious and hopeful to watch the first 2014 City Council meeting. Mayor Rodney Elliott ran a pretty good meeting and kept things moving along accept for the motions coming out of order because folks were there to speak.

The meeting went a little long with a long discussion on the location of the Manger and the maintenance of it.

The last few days there were a lot of discussions in the local media about the City Manager wanting to go into executive session to discuss his contract. Some thought it was premature as his contract does not expire till this August . I thought it was a good move to see how the new council felt about his performance so he could make plans in the event they wouldn't give him a contract.

I have said all along a professional City Manager should have a contract to attract the very best applicants. Bernie has been in my option the very best that I have seen in the time that I have gotten involved in politics .He has brought the city to a sound financial state that is admired by not only the surrounding towns but the state. We have a solid bond rating and low taxes and work has began to address our infrastructure.

There was a fraction of the city that from some reason didn't like him and bucked his every move and I believe put candidates forward to run this last term for city council and they won.

This in my option is a sad day in Lowell s political history. I wish Bernie well as he deserves it
I hope that the City of Lowell will find someone to fill he shoes......It won't be easy

I Hope We Don't Have Rough Sea's Ahead in 2014

2014-01-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

In today's Lowell Sun two things jumped out me. One comparing Councilor Rodney Elliott to Richard Howe Sr. in this mornings Saturday Chat . In my option C.C. Elliott as been disruptive negative and self serving for these last 5 terms . Yes he as gotten the votes but I am concerned about his leadership as Mayor. Will it be the same old Rodney disregarding Roberts Rules? Will he continue to beat on the City Manager?

City Manager Bernie Lynch has asked to go into executive session to discuss his upcoming contract.
Good for him he should know what he is dealing with from the start of this new council. I hope this council has the good sense to give the Manager a new contract.

I have my ear to ground and hear the coffee shop talk as most of us do. We as a city cannot go backwards to the good old boy days. We have a fiscally sound city under the Lynch administration .
We enjoy low to no tax hikes as residents and continue to get the services we need.
I have said it before I don't care who the City Manager is but he deserves a contract .

It will be interesting to see if this city Manager decides to leave ,who will get the gig and if he or she gets a contract. We as a city are on the right course . We are not perfect and I'm hoping this council will not make to many waves and stay the course.

SeaYa
The Capt.

Shedd Park. Lowells Hidden Jewell

2014-01-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

I was driving by Shedd Park today and a smile came across my face as I watched hundreds on children sledding down the hills in the park on the fresh snow. I have many many fond memories of doing just that as a child. I remember asking my Dad after a fresh snow to go to the park and putting on our snowsuits and black buckled boots and loading up our sleds and aluminum flying saucers and climbing that hill over and over.

The kids today have it easier than we did . In our day they didn't have bales of hay in front of the tress and the granite walls. I remember parents would stand in front of the tress facing up up hill when the children came down and tried to catch them before we hit the trees.

Many parents limped off the hill from getting hit in the ankles.....Here is a little History of Shedd Park that I found.....Enjoy

The Story of Lowell’s Shedd Park

By Forgotten New England

The gates are familiar to all who pass Lowell’s Shedd Park at the intersection of Rogers Street (Route 38) and Knapp Avenue in the city’s Belvidere section. And they tell a story of some of the greatest generosity ever experienced by the city of Lowell.

The Shedd Park Gateway, as it was envisioned in 1910. (Source: Lowell Sun: 7/16/1910)

Today, Lowell’s Shedd Park is home to fifty acres of tennis courts, baseball diamonds, picnic areas, and a water spray park. Its pavilion is often used as a stage for public events and concerts. In the years surrounding the turn of the twentieth century, however, the land that eventually became the park was a combination of open fields and dense forests, and it was privately owned.

Field and forest covered the land that would become Shedd Park in 1910. (Source: 1910-11 Lowell City Documents)

The land wasn’t always destined to become Shedd Park. As late as 1896, it was considered for subdivision and development into housing lots.

An 1896 plan showed a subdivision consisting of Hoyt, Belrose, and McAlvin Avenues traversing the core of what later became park grounds. (Source: 1896 Lowell City Atlas)

But, in the end, Freeman B. Shedd, the owner of the land, gave it as a gift to the City of Lowell, with no strings attached. On July 14, 1910, Freeman B. Shedd sent a letter to Lowell’s mayor at the time, John F. Meehan.

Freeman B Shedd, (Source: 1910-11 Lowell City Documents)

He said:
“I have acquired title to a tract of land containing fifty acres, more or less, which is situated south of Knapp Avenue and adjoining Fort Hill park, that I offer to the City of Lowell for its acceptance under the following conditions:
“First: That it shall forever be used as a park and recreation or playground for the citizens and children of the City of Lowell, and for no other purpose.
“Second: That no building or structure shall be erected on the land except such as is adapted and required for use in connection with said park and playground.
“Third: That the city will, within a reasonable time, proceed to develop and prepare the ground for such uses on the lines indicated by accompanying plan furnished by E.W.Bowditch, civil engineer of Boston.
“Fourth: That I shall have the right to erect, subject to the approval of the park commission, a suitable gateway and entrance, with a tablet or tablets thereon with the following transcription: ”Shedd Playground. A gift to the City of Lowell by Freeman Ballard Shedd, A.D. 1910.”
And, with that he closed the letter, and awaited the city’s response to his offer. Real estate experts of the day valued the land at $50,000. There were really no strings attached. Freeman Shedd, a lifelong resident of Lowell, and was simply and in the words of the day, an ‘ardent lover’ of his city.
The vote to accept Shedd’s park was unanimous, and a rising vote of thanks was offered to Freeman Shedd. An appropriation of $10,000 was voted by the City Council on November 4, 1910 to clear the land and build a roadway to the entrance. Work commenced quickly. A roadway was built to grant better access to the future park. Ground was cleared; trees were felled. The skating rink was created. The Council intended, within 10 years to make the park one of the best outside Boston. Freeman Shedd again stepped forward to make that happen. Shedd’s will left $100,000 to the city for the development of the park, provided that his daughter, Mary Belle, left no descendants when she herself died. Mary Belle Shedd did, indeed, died childless in 1921, but was survived by Freeman Shedd’s wife, Amy. When Amy Shedd died in 1924, the $100,000 reverted to the City of Lowell and Shedd Park was further developed.
The original Bowditch plan for Shedd Park called for an open air theater, roughly where the little league baseball diamonds sit now along Knapp Avenue, a pond with a beach roughly where the Senior League baseball diamond sits now, and gender-specific gyms and tennis courts. A field designated for baseball and football was to reside further down Boylston Street, where the current picnic area is. Original plans also called for an underground tunnel to pass under the B&M railroad to connect the park with Wigginville, now better known as South Lowell.

The original Bowditch plan for Shedd Park – 1910 – Lowell Sun, 7/16/1910

In the last days of November and into early December 1910, a 6″ inch service pipe was laid into the park, and from it approximately four million gallons of water were let onto the land to flood about five acres of land for a skating rink. City residents loved it. The Water Department wasn’t so thrilled. Although the Park Department paid for the pipe and its installation, they refused to pay the water bill.

The skating pond at Shedd Park in 1910. (Source: 1910-11 Lowell City Documents)

Outside downtown Lowell, there are few Lowell landmarks as universally well-known as Belvidere’s Shedd Park. At over 50 acres, the park is among the largest in the city. Its story, enhanced by generations of memories among Lowell residents, traces its origins to one of Lowell’s most generous sons, who grew up to leave Lowell’s one of its greatest gifts ever.

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” ― Charles Dickens

2013-11-30T17:11:00.000-08:00

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. As a human being it's hard to live up to Mr. Dickens quote. As he said try to keep it all the year.

I find the older I get I become effected by seeing the homeless the underprivileged the bullyed and the handicapped. Some of my hard core buddy's will say Capt. your getting weak and maybe I am. Nobody gave me a thing and I never asked for a thing. I just found a way to make a buck but my heart still goes out to those that can't.

So what I'm saying is as we approach Christmas and we are inundated with numerous charity's , give if you can as the need is great but try to keep Christmas in your heart all year.

Sea ya
The Capt.

Give me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses as Long as they don't come to Lowell.

2013-11-16T04:33:00.000-08:00

Give me your tired,your poor and huddled masses. These are the words inscribed at the Statue of Liberty at Ellis Island that greeted thousands of immigrants and refugees.

This past week I sat and watched the Lowell city council pass an ordnance to eliminate panhandling in the Historic section of Lowell. Not to long ago this same council voted to eliminate homeless camps in Lowell.

Let me address the homeless issue first. We knew where the camps were and agency's ,churches and activist's would do outreach and check on them and helped to house some of them. The city gave them a weeks notice to clear out and then the city removed there homes......AHHHH that looks better.
What happened is those fragile human beings went deeper into the woods and those who cared for them can't get to them .

Some of those same people are panhandling in our city because they are on there own now.
Yes some of them have substance abuse problems and mental illness but what we did was push them out of the way because it made us feel uncomfortable and it was an eyesore. Let me tell you there are plenty of eyesores in this city,just drive around.

We need to have some compassion for the less fortunate .We will never eliminate it totally because life sometimes throws us a right hook and anyone of us can end up like them in a blink of an eye.

Pray for them and help them if you can.

Sea Ya
The Capt.
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Respooling my Fishing Reels and Thinking About Things

2013-11-08T15:46:00.001-08:00

I was down in man town (my cellar) getting my freshwater reels ready for my trip to Maine this weekend for some deep water Trout fishing and thinking about this past weeks city elections.

I was bummed out that Marty Lorrey and Joe Mendonca lost ,both great guys that served the city well. Vesna Nuon unfortunately had a little baggage that came up and the Lowell Sun beat him up pretty good .

The four newly elected councilors I wish them well and congratulate them on a well run campaign.
Jim Millinazzo is known to me and he brings experience to the chamber. I am looking forward to what the other three will bring to the chamber as well.

Today I heard that councilor Rodney Elliott has secured the 5 votes he needed to be Mayor of Lowell.
I like Rodney personally and as Chairman of the Flood Sub Comm.he has helped my neighbors in the Rosemont and Clay Pit Brook residents to resolve our flooding issues, I sent a text to Rodney today saying although I didn't agree with him on all his stands on issue's He deserved to be Mayor for all his years of service to the City of Lowell.

I believe that as Mayor Rodney will reign in his antic's that he has displayed in the past for the good of the city and unite the council.

As for the City Managers contract. I have said it before that I am in favor of a contract for a City Manager. Just some food for thought from a aging Fisherman . Why not give the City Manager a contract now. We have done it early before. Damm. I cut my finger on 10 lb test line.

Sea Ya
The Capt.

Thoughts before Lowells Election Day

2013-11-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a awhile since I blogged because I've been very busy with winterizing my boat and taking care of my Mother and her home and mine. I went to a few political parties and it was great to see people that supported me on my run for city council in the past. It was also very nice to hear from many people that they wished I would have run again this time.

There is no better time if you are engaged in the community than election season. There is no lack of conversation , between what the Lowell Sun prints and WCAP reports and the local blogs write. There is a very good slate of candidates this year and the majority of them are working hard to get their message out.

The issues are the same, Public Safety and do you support the City Manager and would you give him a contract. Economic Development always comes up also. I will support those candidates that support a professional City Manager and that will give him a contract. It doesn't matter to me who the City Manager is.

The candidates are doing all they can with the resources they have to get elected, now it's our job as citizens and voters to support them. Please remind your friends and family there is an election on Tuesday and to please vote. Two years ago only 9800 voters showed up out of 58000 registered voters ,that is a sin.

I wish all of the candidates good luck and thank them for putting themselves out there for the good of our city. It is a lot of work and win or lose you should be proud of yourselves.

Sea Ya
The Capt.

Labor Day and the Election Season Begins

2013-09-02T15:31:00.001-07:00

I was visited by a number of candidates for Lowell city council this weekend. Some I allowed to put signs in my yard and some I did not. I'm not being a hard ass but I care about who will represents me and the 106.000 residents of this city.

I appreciated all of the folks that took out papers to run because it takes guts and hard work to run a campaign. Some candidates have come to the door and introduced themselves and made small talk and some have come with literature and asked what issues I was interested in.

Campaigning is not for the faint of heart, it takes support from your family and friends and the most hardest thing for me was asking for money. It takes a enormous amount of time to do it right to get your message out.

Every Candidate must find his or her niche to get votes and bring voters to the polls. My last run for City Council 2 years ago 9800 voters showed up out of 58.000 registered voters , That is a sin .

The candidates and there supporters and the local media must push the local elections and participation.
I wish all the candidates well and will attend the forums and engage them when I can and urge resident to turn out and vote.

If I may share a story about a city council candidate knocking on doors during his campaign. He came across a older womans home with broken front steps and her husband had been deceased for 3 yrs. She was very kind and appreciated him coming to her door. Within a week the Candidate had a friend come over and fix her steps.....That my friends is Campaigning

Sea Ya
The Capt.

A Very Bad Rubber Ducky

2013-07-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

Now let me start out by saying I don't believe in curses and evil objects, and that we make our own luck in life and we do the best we can to make everyday as positive as we can.

Three weeks ago while at the boat I looked down between my boat and the dock and there was a yellow rubber duck, I said to myself how cool that this rubber duck made it's way all the way down river probably from a fundraising event and ended up next to my boat.

I took the little guy and mounted him to my bow cleat and it looked pretty cool and funny at the same time.
That day we caught no fish and no bugs in the traps but thats fishing and we paid no mind. The next day my boat sank at the docks. A week later while towing the boat to be repaired with the rubber duck still on the bow my truck broke down.

I'm still thinking I'm in a bad moon and things will get better. Saturday Tom and I started to work on the boat and I looked at the rubber duck on the bow and thought to myself that is a unlucky ducky and cut it off the bow. We started to think of all the bad things that have happened and all things pointed to the rubber duck.....That it, it was the Rubber Duck , it,s cursed

Now that we know it was the rubber duck that gave us the bad luck Tom came up with a the brilliant idea of blowing it up with a M80. Great idea I said and we cured that rubber duck.

We had to head out to West Marine to get some supplies to fix the boat so I put the rubber duck in Toms saddle bags so we could kill the rubber duck later and off we went for a nice putt on the bikes on back roads to Woburn.

When we made our purchases and Tom opened up his saddle bags and saw the rubber duck and said are you an asshole this thing is cursed. I said it's a rubber duck and we'll kill it later. No way Tom said and threw in on the bark mulch in the parking lot. We laughed and off we went back to the boat.

So off we go enjoying our back road ride that Tom has traveled hundreds of times before with me 30 yards behind him. All of a sudden I see Tom hitting his brakes hard and thinking what is he braking for and then I see it in front of him... The railroad gates were down he was going to hit them and I was right behind him.

I hit my brakes and saw Tom hit the gates and when he did the gates went up and hit his front fairing and windshield. Tom pushed back from the gates and at that instant the commuter train flew by.

It was all in slow motion and when we drove across the tracks we pulled over and just looked at each other a said what the heck just happened .

It was the Rubber Duck

Sea Ya
The Capt.

Update on the fishing vessel the Janet Marie

2013-07-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

Having just returned from working on the boat I'd thought I would give you an update on our progress on trying to return her to the sea.

After her salvage we were able to get her to my boat mechanic to save the motor 2hrs after she came up and he was able to flush the motor out and get her started....Good news.

I then hauled her back up to So. Hampton N.H. to a great old school fiberglass guy that works on Novy fishing boats and he repaired the soft spot on the hull and did a great job and treated me well.

Today my buddy Tom and I removed all the contaminated fuel out of the tanks as they were full of water and replaced all the fuel lines and filters.

Next is the electrical .....this is not good
All my electronics are dead but not gone I hope. Wiring is starting to turn green from the salt water and needs to be addressed very soon. I hope that just the contacts on the fuse panel need to be cleaned but won't know till I get deeper into this project.

I appreciate all of the kind words and motivation you have all given us on getting her back on the sea.
I also apologize for not being able to fulfill my commitments to the Non Profits I donated to this year but they are still good when then Janet Marie is ready.

Sea Ya
The Capt.

The sinking of The JANET MARIE but the old Sea Chest watched over her.

2013-07-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have enjoyed telling you of my adventures at sea and sharing boating tip on this blog but this past Tuesday I believe my seafaring days are over for this season. I received a call at 8am on Tuesday morning from the marina that the Janet Maria and gone down at her slip, I couldn't believe my ears, this was my baby ,my extra cash for the summer, my fresh lobsters.

I drove down to the marina and I must admit exceeded the speed limit to find my baby 3/4 of the way underwater. The only thing from keeping her from sinking to the bottom were the lines tied to the dock. My heart sank. There I was all alone on the dock looking at my pride and joy under water.

I called my crew and told them that she had gone down and like the loyal friends and crew that they are left their day jobs and headed for the docks. I was bumming hard thinking about the damage that was being done and the equipment that was lost and how this could have happened. I was numb.

I looked through the tea stained river water to see what was left but my heart sank when I didn't see the sea chest that my Father had built for my boat 17 years ago. My Father passed away 6 mon. ago and was a carpenter and made a sea chest for my boat when I bought it. It was rough and stained with teak with multiple layers of poly. I receive more comments on that sea chest from the fisherman at the dock

I walked down the pier and looked down into the boat, all of my gear that wasn't screwed down or tied was gone. It all floated out of the boat and down the river. Out of the coner of my eye to the stern it caught my eye ,there it was. While everything in the boat floated away the old sea chest ended up wedged behind the stern and a boat fender, I smiled. Thanks Dad for watching over my boat.

Love you and miss you Dad.

Sea ya
The Capt.

Lowell Election Season as I Sea It.

2013-07-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

Ahoy

I have been busy with my road trips to biker events and taking care of my Mothers affairs and have not blogged in awhile. I must say that things are a little slow moving for an election year. The last special election for State Senator had a dismal turnout and hope that this will not be the case this fall as it was when I ran for city council 2 years ago when 9800 voters showed up out of 58,000 registered voters in the city of Lowell.

From what I sea the challengers have been silent and have not made any moves on any stands they might have on any one issue. I have heard on some media outlets of some talk for a strong mayor and changing our city charter. My hope is we have enough candidates to have a primary.

We have some good challengers for city council so far but I'm waiting for the forums to hear their views on issues. While I'm on the forum issue...Please Please limit the amount of forums we have. There is no need in my option to have every neighborhood group to have a candidates forum. In some of the forums I participated in the candidates outnumbered the audience . It was dumb and a waste of the candidates time.

I wish all the new candidates and the incumbents luck and know the work that goes into running a campaign.
I will be supporting some old and new candidates this year for city council and urge the voters in the city of Lowell to turnout this November.

Sea ya for now
The Capt.

Captains Thoughts Before I Hit The Road to Ohio Bike Week.

2013-05-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Let me start with the homeless issue. Yes I was critical of the 7 day vacate notice and was public about it on WCAP and WBZ and the Lowell Sun but I am happy that most of the homeless have found housing and those that chose not to will eventually come in.

I know it is definitely election year watching the City Council meeting with the antic of certain city councilors and pandering to the residents of Lowell. In my opinion it is painful to watch and hope the voters will take note and remember on election day.

I like the idea of 2 way traffic coming back to Merrimack, Central and Shattuck. I hope this move will revitalize the downtown. We also need Enel to get off their butts and fit the bridges over our canals

Chickens, Chickens, Chickens. I have not heard more conversation about anything in 30 yrs living in this city. In my opinion you want chickens go to the MSPCA at Nevins Farm and donate so they can find good homes on a farm.

I also wish all the Candidates running for City Council and School Committee all the best, I takes courage and commment to put your name on a ballot and tons of work and support from family and friends and supporters. I wish you all the best.

My Harley is packed and heading out for a trip to Lake Erie Ohio for their Bike week at 7am Saturday morning. Please be good to each other while I'm gone.....Love Ya.

Sea Ya
The Capt.

Boating Season Begins And For Some It Ends The Same Day

2013-05-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

At last it is here. After working on the boat these last two months I finally finish it. Every two years I go through the whole boat with a new paint job,polish the brass and chrome and go through all the wiring. Of course there are things to do and buy every year because a boat is a hole in the water you throw money into but I like to make sure the boat looks good and I know what I have for upcoming problems.

Launch day will be next Sat. where I put in at Cashman's Park in Newburyport. They have a great boat ramp and it is well maintained. Sometimes they charge a 5.00 fee if the harbormaster is there but I go early to avoid the rush.

Launch Day can also be very entertaining if you're the person watching from the sidelines. For the amateur boater it can the worst day of his life and embarrassing for the seasoned boater when they get a brain fart.

Over the 25 years of boating and launching I've seen it all.....I think. Here are some of the funny and not so funny things I've seen

There are the people that can't back a trailer up tying up both sides of the ramp, some jackknife the trailer and twist the ball end of the trailer and thats it for them for the day. Then there's the guy that backs down and has no rope tied to the bow and the boat floats away. Then there's the guy with a boat on a roll off trailer and doesn't have it tied off and backs down and the boat rolls off and snaps the lower end of his motor off and the boat lands on the ramp. Then there's the guy that backs down but forgets to put the drain plug in and his boat sinks.

Between all of these things and the yelling and screaming and finger pointing it can be entertaining if you're not the guy waiting to launch your boat. So if you happen to be driving by a busy boat ramp stop by and watch the show.

SEA YA
The Capt.

Clock Ticking For The Homeless In The City Of Lowell

2013-05-02T16:00:00.001-07:00

Let me begin by saying I am not a professional in dealing with this issue. My friends and I go down the to the camps and bring them pizza and new socks and clothing 3 times a year and have become friendly with them over the years. It is a humbling experience seeing human beings living in these conditions in the richest country the the world and they are polite and grateful for the merger things that you and I take for granted..

Yesterday I caught wind that the homeless residents were served notice that they had 7 days to vacate their campsites with services that were available to them pinned to their dwellings. This all came about with motion brought forward by Councilor Marty Lorrey asking the City in cooperation with state and federal agencies to find housing and help with medical needs they may have.

I applaud the Councilor for bring this motion forward, but a 7 day vacate notice in my opinion is not enough.
This past Monday all the agencies that deal with Homelessness met at City Hall and agreed on this plan and fanned out across the city to solve this problem in one week....are you kidding me?

I went before the City Council and spoke on behalf of the Homeless that they need outreach on a one on one basis and that they all had different needs and you can't just displace them . I understand that they live on UMASS Lowell property and DOT property and city land but this is their home.

Some have substance abuse issues and mental issues and some just like living outdoors and I also understand that we can't have people just living outside with no sanitation and open fires. This issue should have been on these agencies radar all along. I know they do good work along with the Christian agencies but this in my opinion is too fast a move for these fragile people.

Senate Passes Warren’s Amendment For Fishing Industry Relief « CBS Boston

2013-03-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Senate Passes Warren’s Amendment For Fishing Industry Relief « CBS Boston

Why are Nuns Vanishing in America.

2013-02-24T15:29:00.001-08:00

Cruising my Facebook account my friend Marie Sweeney had a link to a Boston Globe article about What American Nuns Built. Being a product of a Catholic elementary school education I found it a great read but a troubling one also.

The number of American Nuns have dropped from 180,000 in the 70's to 56,000 in the present. The average age is 60 years old. Why is the number so low while the number of young women entering the Orders have increased in South America and Africa.

I suppose in those countries there may be a deeper faith in the church and also a way for these young women to get an education and a stable life. I realize this life is not for everyone especially young women from America with all that we have and the distractions of everyday life.

Did the Catholic church do a bad job in recent years in recruiting young women to this vocation?
My Aunt Theresa is a Grey Nun from the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa and has served her community for over 65 yrs. She taught at St, Josephs High School and later became Principal until the school closed.

I hope she won't get mad by me telling you she is 85 yrs old and still loves her life and her community. I'll leave you with a comment from the Globe Article which I agree with whole heartily.

The education provided by the Catholic Schools when the students were taught by nuns was far superior than anything that is being provided to the children of this generation. The biggest thing with the loss of Nuns is now a Catholic education is no longer within reach financially for most families. The nuns being teachers allowed for much more affordable tuition as they were not collecting salaries for the most part. Going to a Catholic School now and being taught by a lay teacher is essentially the same as going to a public school and having a religious class thrown in. The nuns were the finest teachers this nation has ever known. They knew all subjects and we were educated at a superbly high level. Oh and they gave us discipline. The loss of nuns as educators has left a true vacancy in our nation. Oh for the old days and old ways.

The Fading Lowell Sun baits City Council to Fight.

2013-02-18T12:06:00.001-08:00

Wow I just read today's Editorial in the Fading Lowell Sun, talk about chumming the water. " STEP DOWN OR GROW UP". The Fading Lowell Sun wants unity on the Council but continues to writes about the tensions between the Mayor and his colleagues. To quote the Fading Lowell Sun Editorial ; ON TUESDAY NIGHT, COUNCILORS SHOWED UNCOMMON RESTRAINT BY REFRAINING FROM GIVING THE MAYOR A DOSE OF HIS OWN VITRIOLIC MEDICINE'.

Good for my City Councilmen for not acting childish,and do the business of the city. I personalty hate the petty bickering and antics of some Councilors. In my option a certain Councilor does the bidding of the Fading Lowell Sun. This is not what is in the best interest of the city.

Yes the Mayor will not seek a 3rd term but why should the Fading Lowell Sun throw out some stinking bait that no one will bite on. Because he didn't buy over priced ads in there paper thin paper?

I may be only a Neighborhood Activist, Bike Riding, Sea Dog, but I can see a bully when I see one and it,s not the Mayor...

Sea Ya

The Capt.