“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.