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Author Jay Atkinson last night launched his new book “Paradise Road: Jack Kerouac’s Lost Highway and My Search for America,” about his adventures re-tracing Kerouac’s “On the Road” routes in the US and Mexico in the late 1940s. More than 100 people crowded the second floor party and performance room at the Old Court pub at Middle and Central streets. Legendary musician and composer (79 years old) David Amram played a jazzy “Amazing Grace” on a long tin whistle or recorder of some kind after Rev. Steve Edington (president of the local Kerouac organization) opened the celebration with a reading of Governor Deval Patrick’s proclamation recognizing the annual observance of Jack Kerouac Day in Massachusetts, March 12. The audience as chorus joined in with loud “whereas’s” in what became a spontaneous piece of performance art.

Jay’s book opens with nine pages of praise for Lowellian Roger Brunelle, who has preserved the Kerouac story in the city through his tours and teaching. Roger invented the guided tour of Kerouac places about 25 years ago and has since given hundreds of tours to thousands of people from near and far. The book begins with Jay and Roger among the ghosts of the night in Pawtucketville and goes on in chapters set in New York, New Orleans, California, Mexico, and Colorado, an updated report on the condition of America and the writer’s own condition. With various old friends, he makes the grand tour in segments as an homage to his famous “neighbor” born two towns away from Jay’s own Methuen, his home plate and home row. In true Atkinson form, the writing is vibrant, active, and learned in a casual way—he knows what he needs to know. At the outset of the journey, “Uncle Dave” Amram gives him a wise piece of direction: “Remember, son, you’re not a Civil War reenactor. Just go, and have a funkitissimo time of your own.”

Kerouac Day/Weekend events continue today at 2 pm with open mic readings at Dharma Buns sandwich shop, 26 Market Street. David Amram will accompany the readers on a variety of instruments. Jay will show his “Paradise Road” video at 2.30 pm. Don’t miss the wall display of portraits of writers and musicians by Mary Capriole and Kerouac-inspired photographs by UMass Lowell graduate Joe McFadzen. Later tonight at Cafe Paradiso, 45 Palmer Street, the music and readings begin at 7 pm and carry into the late hours. Seating is limited for this event due to the size of the venue. Check with george@copleymedia.com for seat reservations for 7 pm and 9 pm performances.

The events are presented by Lowell Celebrates Kerouac! Inc. in collaboration with many partners. Visit www.lowellcelebrateskerouac.org for more info.

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The Friends of the Tewksbury Patriotic Activities Committee is sponsoring a Candidates Breakfast this coming Saturday March 13th from 8:00AM to 11:00AM at the Tewksbury VFW on Vernon Street. Inspired by the traditional St. Partick’s Breakfast held annually in South Boston, this breakfast is more about fun and roasting that serious political jousting among candidates. 

Among those that have confirmed their attendance and participation at the breakfast are 5th District Congresswoman Niki Tsonas, Senator Sue Tucker, State Representatives Barry Finegold and Jim Miceli, GOP candidates Jamison Tomasek for State Senate and Mario Marchese for State Representative as well as candidates for local town office. With Senator Tucker’s recent retirement announcement there is a distinct possibility of many more candidates to round out the program. Stephen Bjork local comedian and columnist will act as moderator.

The event is open to the public. Tickets - available at the door - are $5 per person with politicos paying slightly more! Proceeds from ticket sales and a 50-50 raffle will help fund the town’s Memorial Day parade, Fourth of July fireworks and Veterans Day ceremonies — events that according to event chair Jerry Selissen - can no longer be funded through Tewksbury’s municipal budget.

Read more here in a recent Lowell SUN article: http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_14511749?IADID=Search-www.lowellsun.com-www.lowellsun.com#ixzz0hcZ0c3xZ

NOTE:

The Lowell City Manager’s St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast will be held on Wednesday March 17, 2010 at 7am at the UMASS Lowell Inn and Conference Center to benefit the A.O.H. - Ancient Order of Hibernians.

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The Sunday SUN political column item about the fall-out from Senator Sue Tucker’s decision not to run for re-election has me confused. It’s both the analysis and and some “facts” that I wonder about. I’ve included the Tucker Senate seat item here as the column is not availble in the Sunday on-line edition - only in the subscribed “electronic” version. My comments are in bold italics.

TREMORS SHOOK the political landscape of the Merrimack Valley last week with state Sen. Susan Tucker’s decision not to run for re-election. Many politicos did not see her departure coming.Democrats are scram­bling to line up her support­ers and stave off a flurry of entrants.

The scorecard:

 • State Rep. Barry Fine­gold, an Andover Democrat, has done little to hide his ambition for higher office since running for Congress in 2007. Aides to Finegold said he is still debating, but multiple sources said his candidacy is very likely. The district also includes Dracut, Lawrence and Tewksbury.

 

Finegold would be the conventional front-runner.

He will have the money lead against almost any oppo­nent — $93,000 in his cam­paign account today — and would run from a strong base in Andover and a sec­tion of Lawrence. Wouldn’t his longtime representation of precincts 3 and 3A in Tewksbury be a part of this strong base?

 

Finegold’s money advan­tage could discourage state Rep. Barbara L’Italien, another Andover Democrat, from running, though she said she is still considering her options.

 • Democrat Deb Silver­stein, chairman of the Andover School Committee, announced Friday that she’s in.

 

• Other Democrats con­sidering entering the race are David Abdoo, a former Lawrence city councilor who ran unsuccessfully for mayor last year; Francisco Urena, Lawrence’s veter­ans- services director; and former Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan.   The former Mayor of Lawrence when I last checked was a Republican - he night have gone “Independent” but certainly not Democratic.

 

 • Three Republicans pulled nomination papers before Tucker’s move: CPA Jamison Tomasek of Andover, telephone union president John Kelly of Dracut, and Mark Baldwin.  The IBEW/Union leader John Kelly had pulled papers to run againt Tucker in the Democratic Primary - he’s not a Republican.

 • Rep. Colleen Garry, of Dracut, is sitting out.

 

 • Word coming out of Dracut late last week was that Selectman John Zimini might run, but Kelly supporters will likely try to discourage his entrance and keep from splitting the Dracut vote. There is some speculation among politicos that Kelly might change his mind about the Senate race and go against Rep Colleen Garry in her Democratic primary.  

 • Tewksbury’s state rep, Jim Miceli, said he’s heard no chatter about any candi­date emerging from Tewks­bury. (Miceli lives in Wilm­ington, outside the district.) No name from Tewksbury has emerged and I don’t expect one. The Friends of the Patriotic Activities Committee Candidates Breakfast scheduled for Saturday March 13th at the VFW in Tewksbury might be a “hot spot” to get a scoop or check out the serious candidiates in the field.

Several people close to Tucker said she had consid­ered retiring two years ago. The Senator herself mentioned that she’d thought about retiring in the past.

  Tucker spent more than 22 years in the House and Sen­ate, making her claim of wanting to spend more time with her grandchild credible — even if it’s going to be a tough year for incumbents.

Nomination papers are available for this seat in the local town clerk and city elections offices and from the Secretary of State. Signatures need to be presented to local election officials by April 27, 2010 for certification. Candidates for State Senate need 300 certified signatures. There is time for this candidate scramble to play out - but not much time. Stay tuned.

Regarding Senator Tucker - as I wrote in my blog post on Thurday night: 

I live in Senator Tucker’s District and can speak from experience about her years of excellent representation and service. Her leadership on the issues of housing, senior citizens, education has been outstanding. She still has nearly a year left to continue her important legislative and constituent work.

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Senator Sue Tucker

An announcement is imminent as another member of the Massachusetts Legislature decides not to run for re-election. The dominos will fall in the Merrimack Valley when Senator Sue Tucker finishes her personal calls and her decision becomes public tomorrow. Senator Tucker - a Democrat - represents the Second Essex and Middlesex District which includes the city of Lawrence and the towns of Andover, Dracut and Tewksbury.

Senator Tucker will be the third woman currently serving in the Massachusetts Senate to chose not to stand for re-election - she joins colleagues Senators Joan Menard of the First Bristol and Plymouth District and Marion Walsh of the Suffolk and Norfolk District. There are currently twelve woman in the Senate including the Senate President Therese Murray.

She served in the House of Representatives representing Andover from1982 to 1992.  When John O’Brien left the Senate for the private sector back in 1999, Tucker ran in a field of Democrats  to win the Senate seat. A member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee the Senator serves on a number of  Joint Committees including Education and Telecommunications, Ulitities and Energy and is the Chair of the Housing Committee.

Stay tuned as the potential candidates test the waters. The only currently declared candidate for the Democratic nomination for this seat - John Kelley of Dracut - won’t be alone for long! Expect State Representative Barry Fingold to take the plunge - he has over $100,000 in his war chest - a good start to a State Senate campaign!

Note: I live in Senator Tucker’s District and can speak from experience about her years of excellent representation and service. Her leadership on the issues of housing, senior citizens, education has been outstanding. She still has nearly a year left to continue her important legislative and constituent work.

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Over at ThePhoenix.com David Bernstein talks about the recently formed Cultural Caucus - a coalition of arts-friendly legislators committed to “broaden and deepen support for the arts, humanities, and sciences that they deem central to economic vitality in Massachusetts.”  Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz of Boston and Rep. Smitty Pignatelli of Lenox are the Caucus co-chairs.

According to Bernstein, the Cultural Caucus: 

appears poised to christen its political life by inserting itself into what could be the most intense statewide political battle of the spring legislative session: the move to allow casino gambling in Massachusetts.

The threat that gaming poses to arts and culture may not seem obvious, but that’s exactly why the arts community is asking the caucus to be its white knight.

 

Read more: http://thephoenix.com/Boston/news/97963-cultural-caucuss-big-gamble/?page=1#TOPCONTENT#ixzz0h9BRWac1

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The Herald caught up with David Hoberman at Suffolk University yesterday. Hoberman is the producer of “The Fighter” – the Micky Ward bio-pic that was filmed in Lowell last summer. While most of Hoberman’s remarks to the Herald dealt with the potential benefits of extending the Commonwealth’s current movie-making tax credit, Hoberman also had this to say about the Micky Ward movie:

And speaking of the Mark Wahlberg made-in-Lowell biopic of boxing champ “Irish” Micky Ward, Hoberman said the flick is on the card for release in the fall.

“I do believe the film has Golden Globe and Academy Award potential for its performances, so that’s why we’re releasing it then,” he said. “You always see a big influx of films released then because of the awards.”

Hoberman said he fell in love with the story of Ward and his down-and-out half-brother/trainer Dickie Eklund, played by Christian Bale, when the original writers brought their documentary to Hollywood oh so long ago.

“It was a fascinating project from the start because it’s a true story and all the people are still alive - which is rare,” he said. “The sisters, the mom, everyone was there running around. Some didn’t understand what we were doing, some appreciated it, some hated it. But I think that at the end of the day, what was depicted was honest and it shows that we all set out to make a really great film.”

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Current UMass President Jack Wilson announced yesterday that he will retire from that post in 2011. In it’s report on that story, today’s Boston Globe identifies current UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan as one whose name is being mentioned as a possible successor. However, the Globe quotes Meehan as saying he’s uninterested in the President’s job and wants to focus on the job he already has in Lowell.

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The Boston Globe reports this morning that University of Massachusetts President Jack Wilson will step down from his position in June 2011. Read the article here and subscribe to the Globe if you appreciate it.

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It’s difficult to keep up with everything that is going on in Lowell and the Merrimack Valley. Following is the link for all the Kerouac-related literary, musical, art, and film programs planned for March 11-13. The festivities include the annual reading of the state proclamation recognizing March 12, the author’s birthday, as Jack Kerouac Day in Massachusetts. (There’s a Robert Frost Day, too, later in the year). Kerouac Day is a Friday this year, and it’s only a symbolic holiday, so the schools and banks are open.   See the schedule posted by Lowell Celebrates Kerouac! Inc. here. Most events are free.

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Like him or not, the NYTimes Tom Friedman offers a thought-provoking capsule version of our current national condition and the challenge facing President Obama. As a writer, I’m particularly interested in the idea of the “narrative” mentioned by Friedman and how the President and the Democratic leaders are having such a hard time explaining their actions in ways that make sense to the majority of people.—PM

Read today’s column by Friedman here.

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