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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Why are Nuns Vanishing in America.

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.

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.

Cory Belanger is the first one out of the box for Lowell City Council Race

The City Council Race in Lowell has officially started today with the announcement by Cory Belanger a local bar owner. Cory ran for Governors Council in 2010 and City Council in 2011. Cory was not successful in ether race. This announcement in my option is very early, but as Cory said he started  late in 2011 City Council Race and wants to hit the ground running early.

I appreciate Cory's enthusiasm in getting his message out early, but having run for office twice he will have no legs left for the finish in my option.  Unless Cory has a team that will work everyday on ground work and get out the vote he will burnout.

I like Cory and wish him well but he will have a tough road ahead of him. He has served the city well as a board member and has helped numerous  non profits and is well connected in the city but what surprised me the most was his endorsement of Councilor Ellott for Mayor if elected.

If Cory thinks that he can hang his hat on Rodney s name plate to get elected I believe he has made a mistake. I wish him well.....Let the games begin.


Sea Ya
The Capt.       

Life Gave The Capt. a Right Hook.

I have always lived my life to the fullest and enjoy being surrounded by my family and friends. Those who know me know my mantra  is " We are not here for a long time but here for a good time" . Three weeks ago life gave me a right hook and took my hero, best friend , my Dad. It was fast and he said he always wanted to go that way.  He died snow blowing his driveway even though I told him I'd be over to do it. I learned you can't tell an old Frenchman what to do because he'll do it anyway. In a way I'm blessed he died the way he wanted and not linger sick in a nursing home, because he was not the type of guy to be a bother to anyone.

He was a good man and a devoted husband to my Mom for over 60 years and did a great job raising 5 children. I have no regrets because I know he loved me and he knew I loved him. People have told me the hole in your heart will always be there and I believe that is true, after all he was my Father.

Grief is a powerful thing. I have had friends and relatives pass away and it makes you pause, but losing a parent takes the breath out of you. I know I'll be ok after a while and life goes on but it is surreal that he is gone. I know I'm not the only one to lose a loved one . Loved ones die every day and the pain is as great  .

I do know that I am the man that I am because of the man that raised me and mentored me. I will miss him deeply but wow.......That was a right hook.

Capt's Year in Review

It's was a busy year for the Capt. with a lot of ups and downs. My fishing season was the best in 10 years with great catches and new customers and lobsters in abundance. The band the FunRazars had a great year with a number of gigs for non profits and charity's and we even got paid for a few....LOL

I had a health issue but came though it alright and Janet is great as usual. We lost our little Yorkie Isabellee and that broke our hearts, she was a great little girl.

I took some road trips with my buddy's on the Harley,s and plan to do more next year.

We re recorded the Lowell Massachusetts USA song featuring Ziggy Burns on vocals and raised over 4000.00 for the Salvation Army.

I'm looking forward to 2013 with new energy dealing with the homeless issues in the city of Lowell and working with wonderful compassionate people.

I wish all of you a healthy, prosperous and blessed 2013.

Sea Ya

The Capt.