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The Boston Globe yesterday reported on the unusually large amount of pine cones everywhere this year. I noticed this phenomemon in my family’s back yard and across the street at the South Common. The explanation has to do with regular cycles of production, this one being the culmination of the most recent three-year cycle. Read the article here and consider subscribing to the Globe if you appreciate it.

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Yesterday workers set up scaffolding on the exterior of the Lowell Superior Courthouse. This work is actually the first step of the installation of an elevator on the Elm Street side of the building. Contractors plan to attach the elevator to the side entrance of the building by the parking lot. The structure will be brick and include several windows for design purposes. Through most of yesterday morning skilled workers used the scaffolding pictured below to access the unique moldings that surround two exterior windows. They painted a latex like substance on the molding. Since the courthouse’s first and second floor window adornments are different workers cast each. These casts will be used to replicated molding that will be installed over the new elevator’s windows.

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Following is the eighth section of the long poem “The War Place.” Section seven was posted March 8.—PM

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8.

Invasion of Grenada, 1983

A Marine jet whines,

Its slant chalk scratch

On an otherwise flawless ceiling.

Even L.A.’s smog blown off

By night desert winds.

Scruffy palms, roasting,

Outnumber the faithful at Capo Beach

This bright autumn noon.

One bather treads,

Light in the heave and slide,

Just beyond the break.

Hissing foam sucks back through the stones.

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—Paul Marion (c) 2010

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Sue Tucker’s recent announcement that she would not be a candidate for reelection to the Massachusetts State Senate pushed the campaign in that district to the forefront of local politics. As we head into the week of St Patrick’s Day and all the associated activities, it might be appropriate to review the history of that seat over the past few decades.

Patricia McGovern was elected to the Second Essex and Middlesex Senate Seat in 1980 and served until 1992 when she did not seek reelection. While in the Senate, McGovern became chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. In 1998, after initially launching a campaign for state treasurer, McGovern instead ran for governor, losing in the Democratic primary to Scott Harshbarger although she finished ahead of Congressman Brian Donnelly. (Harshbarger lost to Paul Cellucci in the general election).

When McGovern’s seat came open in 1992, John O’Brien of Andover won a four-way race in the Democratic primary, receiving 7,669 votes to Mike McLaughlin Jr of Billerica’s 4,712, William Wall of Lawrence’s 3,732 and Paul Lambert of Lawrence’s 1,764. In the general election, O’Brien received 32,340 votes to Republican Jay Gaffney of Tewksbury’s 27,383. Gaffney had defeated Brion Cangiamila of Billerica in the Republican primary.

Up through the 1992 election, the district consisted of Lawrence, Andover, Tewksbury and Billerica but redistricting swapped added Dracut and removed Billerica in time for the 1994 election. That year, incumbent O’Brien defeated two Dracut challengers in the Democratic primary. O’Brien received 7,302 votes to Frank Gorman’s 4,419 and Ed Bishop’s 1,340. O’Brien also defeated Republican Maria Maresco of Andover, 25,962 to 16,685 in the general election.

John O’Brien continued to serve in the Senate until the spring of 1998 when he resigned to take a job in the private sector. Because the deadline for filing nomination signatures had already passed, anyone wishing to become the Democratic nominee had to run a sticker campaign in the primary election.

Four candidates mounted sticker campaigns. Sue Tucker of Andover emerged victorious with 3,272 votes followed by Fred Simon of Tewksbury with 2,209, David O’Brien of Tewksbury with 1,804 and John “Jack” Wilson (who was O’Brien’s chief of staff) with 1,180. Tucker went on to win the general election with 23,464 votes to 14,879 for Republican nominee Kevin Anderson of Tewksbury.

Senator Tucker was reelected in each of the next five elections bringing us to 2010 and a new chapter to this story.

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The full schedule of activities for Jack Kerouac Day (he was born on March 12), which has become a “Kerouac Weekend,” is available at  www.lowellcelebrateskerouac.org

This Thursday at UMass Lowell, music and movie producer Jim Sampas, who grew up on Wilder Street, will be on campus to offer a master class/listening session at which he’ll tell the behind-the-scenes story of making the soundtrack for the recent documentary film about Kerouac’s novel “Big Sur.” He worked with musicians from Death Cab for Cutie and Son Volt. His talk is at 11 am in Durgin Hall, 114 (note that seating is limited and reservations are required—contact paul_marion@uml.edu to reserve a seat). At 3 pm, Jim will be joined by fellow film producers Curt Worden and Gloria Bailen for a 3 pm showing of their Kerouac film, “One Fast Move or I’m Gone,” in the O’Leary Library auditorium, room 222. Admission is free.

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The Lawrence Eagle-Tribune is reporting on breaking news that

Embattled school Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy has been indicted on seven counts of fraud and embezzlement and one count of possession of alcohol on school premises.

Also indicted:

…his son Wilfredo Laboy II, his former special assistant Mark Rivera, and failed mayoral candidate Israel Reyes. Rivera stands charged with seven counts of larceny of property over $250 while Reyes faces two counts of the same charge. Wilfredo Laboy II is charged with a single count of perjury.

Read the “breaking news’ story here: http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_068133631.html

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Local Playwright Jack Neary writes about Oscar Night in this entry cross posted from his own blog, Captain Show Biz.

A few random thoughts after watching the Oscars last night…

How did I ever watch this show before DVRs? Commercials and uninteresting (to me) awards are skimmed over effortlessly, or with only the effort it takes to depress one’s thumb on the appropriate button on the remote. As long as you’re able to hold off watching for a couple of hours, you can then watch the whole thing in 90 minutes or less. That dance sequence, for example, in my house, lasted twelve seconds.

What happened to Farrah Fawcett in the We Are The Dead section? Didn’t she pass this year? Yeah, she did. About four minutes before MJ. She made movies. Where was she in the tribute?

What was George Clooney so pissed off about? The first couple of shots of him were funny, because it appeared as if his gloominess was jocular. Then, after about the twentieth shot of old George frowning, it became troublesome. We don’t want George to be unhappy! This was his opportunity to be Nicholson (and where was he???). George, knowing he was gonna lose the Best Actor award to Jeff Bridges, could have yucked it up, totally relaxed, all night. But, nope…he just sat there seemingly annoyed. I’m worried. I hope everything is all right. Maybe he has too much MONEY!

Mo’Nique, who provided us with the most harrowingly brilliant performance of the year, fooled everybody by coming up with a dignified, contained, brief acceptance speech. Good for you, Mo!

Jeff Bridges, on the other hand, acted as if he’d just shown up at the affair by accident. I just don’t understand why a lot of American actors (not the Brits–they’re always prepared!) are so casual about the time they’re given accepting these things. It’s one thing to be loose as a goose, Dude. But, come on–review a few Tom Hanks speeches and be prepared! Like Sandy! Bullock was totally in control and terrific in her acceptance speech, even when she almost lost it when she was thanking her mother. And Waltz, too, was great accepting. Jeff! You let us down!

Now, tell me this…before she went out there, did Streisand find one of the Price Waterhouse guys and demand to know the winner of the Best Director award before announcing it? Or did she just have the cojones to go out there and practically give it to Kathryn Bigelow BEFORE she even revealed the winner? Would have been damned uncomfortable if she had opened the envelope and it said, “James Cameron.” Fortunately, it worked out. Until Kathryn’s speech. She, like Jeff, was overwhelmed and unfocused. Hate that. Her ex-husband was kind of obnoxious when he accepted for TITANIC, but I don’t think he bumbled about as she did.

Really thought Steve and Alec were superb. Nice material, well-delivered. Some guy in the Herald today dumped all over them and said that the show should have been hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and Ben Stiller. That kind of criticism shows a decided lack of awareness of what show business and comedy is about.

Tina Fey and Robert Downey, Jr. Hysterical. I’m sure Fey wrote that bit. Is she or is she not at the top of her game? God, they were funny.

I didn’t expect that Taylor guy to be so poised. Of course, out there as he was with poor, frightened Kristen Stewart, it was pretty easy to look poised.

I know Meryl’s been nominated a million times, but how about Randy Newman? I think he’s been nominated every year since Walt Disney died.

I’m still worrying about Clooney. Has anybody called him today?

Sandra Bullock needs a big, big sandwich. Man, did she look skinny. But sharp. SHARP!

Not a big HURT LOCKER fan. More of a fan of INGLORIOUS BASTERDS and UP IN THE AIR.

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Yesterday’s mail brought a short note from the U.S. Census Bureau informing me - or RESIDENT AT my address - that I will receive the 2010 Census form by mail in about a week and asking me to promptly fill it out and mail it back. It goes on to say

Your response is important. Results from the 2010 Census will be used to help each community get its fair share of government funds for highways, schools, health facilities, and many other programs you and your neighbors need. Without a complete, accurate census, your community may not receive its fair share.

And as someone who has used past census records for historical research, I would add that we have an obligation to future generations to ensure that life in America in 2010 is fully and accurately documented through the census, a practice that dates back to the founding of our country.

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With St. Patrick’s Day only a week away, Steve O’Connor offers a blueprint for becoming a true Irish romantic, no matter what gene pool you’ve emerged from, in this essay originally written for WUML’s Sunrise radio show and subsequently published in Irish American Magazine:

Somewhere between Valentine’s Day and Saint Patrick’s Day, I cannot help but reflect once again on the terrible burden of being of Irish “distraction.” We are all, to some extent, stereotyped by ethnic group. If you happen to be Chinese, many people just assume you’re good at math and handle a mean ping pong paddle. If you’re Italian, you have to keep listening to the sort of Godfather jokes that once got Ronald Reagan into a little trouble. Now if you happen to be Irish-well I don’t have to remind you of the cruel stereotypes that have haunted the Irish for centuries. Supposedly, we Irish are all passionate romantics, supremely endowed, and spectacular lovers. I realize that men of other ethnic groups are sometimes…what’s the word, jealous of the reputation that we Irishmen have with the ladies, but when you hear this kind of thing day in and day out all your life, you get a little fed up.

And of course it’s not easy to live up to all the hype. Women have high expectations. His name begins with O apostrophe! That means he’s going to be stroking my hand and whispering tender words of passion while I melt into a puddle of feminine bliss. Of course if I were to tell you the sort of things we whisper, I might be giving away secrets that have been guarded for centuries by Irishmen as carefully as the Da Vinci code.

However, the obscene sum of money that Dick Howe has paid me for my observations makes it incumbent on me to reveal something of these secrets to those of you who are handicapped by your own ethnicity in being romantic. (Yes, I’m talking about you Frenchmen, who feel it’s every woman’s dream to sit with you for weeks watching men in tights ride around your country on bicycles. And then your testosterone level always plummets when the damned American wins again!) OK. You have a date. Congratulations, but don’t blow it! First of all, take her to a romantic spot. What do I mean by a romantic spot? Well, let’s say one that serves Guinness.

If you happen to go to The Old Court, the seat under the photo of Michael Collins, resplendent in the uniform of the Irish Free State, has been known to create a certain aura of mystery and romance. Slip the barman a fiver and ask him to put on the Chieftains playing something like: If I had Maggie in the wood, I’d do her all the good I could. As you can see, subtle is the ticket.
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The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, N.H., is one of the Merrimack Valley’s small cultural treasures. Today’s Globe includes a review of an exhibition of watercolors (”From Homer to Hopper: American Watercolor Masterworks”) that sounds like the show would be a good reason to take a ride north next weekend. Read the article by Cate McQuaid here, and subscribe to the Globe if you appreciate it.

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