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

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

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

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.