With the recurring threat of eminent domain and being ignored by a family that doesn't know what to do with it, the old Hawthorne Restaurant building in DTL begins to inflict self-harm. Who will intervene on its behalf?
These photos were taken last week.
Today, the Item reports the city has begun soil testing to see if it's contaminated from and old laundry business - a step towards some sort of progress.
I'm going to guess that no one's going to save the lobsters?
This has been cleaned up, but without the Athanas family paying attention and shoring up the overhang and rest of the corner, it's probably not safe.
I'm going to guess the police put up the crime scene tape, not having any caution tape. But it does send a message about how some of us feel about the few owners downtown who have the power to do something, but continue to hold their properties hostage for who-knows-what.
EDIT: Just found out from a reliable source that the EDIC meeting was cancelled to attend the MBTA meeting. Where was this posted? Changes made, but I like to keep my edits visible. It's more fun that way.
Tuesday is meeting day in Lynn. Usually, they're staggered so one can make the rounds or go to all of them. This is not the case on Tuesday, January 7th.
I can't comment on the qualifications of Stephen Spencer. Perhaps he is the best candidate. However, the quotes in the article about him are for the most part disturbingly irrelevant. I don't know if that's just what the Item chose to run, or if they're all that was said. From my point of view, knowing his family is irrelevant. Having known him beforehand, is irrelevant. The fact that he is from Lynn, is also irrelevant. Cyr more or less says that it's not how it looks. Maybe not. Let's move the meeting.
I understand the article is more about the unfortunate timing of one meeting, but the situation is worse than that. There are three to choose from. The EDIC will be meeting at LHAND.
We can not move the MBTA hearing, but we can move the other two. Furthermore, the MBTA service in Lynn is part of the critical infrastructure EDIC would use as a selling point to businesses and residences looking to come here. EDIC shouldwill be at the MBTA hearing.
I'll be at the MBTA hearing, from 6 - 8pm in City Hall on Tuesday.
I found this on Gizmodo - a gadget blog run by Gawker Media. It's the Flaming Lips front man channeling his inner Eno with Siri. He's not the first to do the obvious, but this track's simplicity and cohesiveness makes it stand apart even if it's short on originality. It's not a gimmick or hyperactive mash-up for the short attention span set like so many others. Listen to the whole thing, which contains samples from, as Wayne says, "...Lips, Erykah Badu, Siri, and Biz Markie backwards." Also, listen to it sooner rather than later. It's supposed to be pulled after a period of time.
Is there an boiler room nearby that no longer carries a fair warning to the dangers lurking inside? It's not a sign to take lightly, nor one that is usually found outdoors and on the ground. I'm even a little afraid to touch it, though it probably hasn't itself come in contact with the stuff.
With one of downtown Lynn's big developers having been indicted on asbestos mishandling and misreporting for one of their Worcester projects, it's a scary thing to see here, peering down from the window of a building they did here -- though this building does not contain any asbestos because it had a reno before Mayo, in the 80's. They do own a bunch of empty properties, though, so who knows? Or, maybe it stuck to someone's shoe coming off a job site -- that's unlikely. Or maybe... oh, I should stop before I get myself in trouble.
How about some music?
This kid Trevor does a really good cover of the Dead Milkmen's Watching Scotty Die, a song about pollution and its consequences. I couldn't find an actual Dead Milkmen or Joe Jack Talcum version with good audio, Besides, Trevor is good, and hopefully one day he won't have to hide in the attic anymore to sing songs.
I don't know much about this organization, but this is an absolutely brilliant idea for a fundraiser in Lynn. There's an abundance of barber shops and hair salons, so why not leverage that?
Submitted by Briana I on Wed, 12/28/2011 - 10:38am
You are invited to the Battle of the Hair Salons & Barbers! This unique event will take place March 31, 2012 at St. Michael's Hall (25 Elmwood Ave in Lynn). Presented by Saving Our Souls Foundation, a faith based organization that is committed to responding to and preventing youth violence in the city of Lynn. Suggested $10 donation. For tickets, call Pamela Burton, Executive Director, at 781.913.0860.
Yesterday, on a whim, I cobbled together a Central Square cam from some parts I had laying around. I found a driver online that someone made for the PS3 Eye camera to work with a PC/Windows machine and doubled up USB hubs just to get the length I needed to reach the window.
Twenty hours later, the cam is still there. I'm posting from out of state, so I can't do anything about it slowly tilting up as the less than ideal tape I had handy starts to peel off. I suspect by the time I get back this evening, you may have a lovely view of my ceiling.
I'll need a better quality camera, perhaps with fisheye, if I make it a permanent fixture.
Even though it's live, you still have to press play and wait out a 30 sec commercial. If it says "off air," check back later.
Happy Holidays and all that from LivinginLynn.com, LynnHappens.com and UPSIDEMEDIA!
So Channel 5 and NECN weren't exactly there to deliver our holiday greetings, but to cover a story that had only slight, if any, relevance to Central Square, according to the Item's map of what happened where, in the story of the Statie and the Hooker. It makes for a better looking live-shot, though.
Also in Central Square that night, 40+ artists, friends and neighbors were having an arts holiday social in Turbine with Harvey Mapcase. The next one is January 20th. In fact, the ratio of good in DTL far outweighs the bad, and generally things are okay. What's newsworthy is what's different from the norm, and almost fifty people, most of them artists, gathered in a single space in downtown Lynn, isn't all that unusual anymore. We'll have to make a bigger noise next time!
Jeff Pearlstein (drums) and Neil Carlill of Harvey Mapcase
Tuesday was meeting day. I went from covering a Licensing Board meeting where every excuse was used to prevent bar owners from staying open just an hour later on New Year's, to meeting with the local and mbta police on some Munroe Street incidents, where I mentioned we could have a
positive impact on our safety if we were out in the streets at night.
In DTL, we walk to and from bars and restaurants. In DTL, we're trying
to build an arts scene. I've never known an active art scene that didn't
put on shows or party until who-knows-when. And I don't think most DTL
residents came here just for early morning craft fairs. In fact, many of
us, including myself, find ourselves in other cities and states
attending art events, shows, etc. because of the extended hours of not just
bars - but of the art/music venues and food establishments. Elsewhere, we can be out eating something better than fast food (that I can't even eat, anyway) at just about any time. And then, there's Lynn..
The rollback actually hurts our efforts to build a neighborhood. The
recent traffic incidents on Munroe? They happened at hours that had
nothing to do with the closing of bars. The thefts in the garage? They
had nothing to do with the closing of bars. Getting people out there
more hours, will do a lot to prevent crime, however.
Yet the Licensing Board, which is heavily swayed by police opinion, instead of looking for solutions with bar owners to both keep the public safe and hold onto businesses, only puts up roadblocks and excuses.
They didn't like O'Brien's proposal because they said it allowed for all bars to stay open an extra hour on New Years, but they said they trusted his establishment. Fine. The City Council approves things with amendments all the time. Why couldn't the Licensing Board have amended, and then voted on an amended version allowing for a select number of bars passing a criteria of no trouble in X amount of days to stay open the extra hour?? Somerville has handed out provisional 2am licenses after being a 1am city, and you can't argue with what's happened there.
It's because the answer was going to be 'No' anyway.
Last weekend at Christopher's Cafe, I grabbed a copy of the Lynn Journal, as I often do while waiting for what is arguably the best Spanish omelette in Lynn.
I hadn't read their election coverage, so I started with the front page article, "Looking-At-Large," by Joshua Resnek.
I would like to quote a short section of it, that appears on the front page.
"By the topping the ticket after finishing third in the primary,
Phelan showed that he, and he alone, owns the rights to succeed Mayor
Judith Flanagan-Kennedy who, many are calling, a one term mayor.
Phelan worked hard to outdistance the up and coming Dan Cahill, who
finished second and the very popular first timer Buzzy Barton who came
in third.
Net’s victory pushed Paul Crowley off the council, a disappointment for many of us who respect Paul and who like him.
Back to Phelan … he showed how deep his strength is, how broad his base is, and how strong he really is in the final analysis."
Pick up almost any newspaper in America and turn a few pages in, and you'll come across an op/ed page. The Item has one, if you'd like a local example. Compare the snippet above to the paper's editorial and you'll see what I mean.
"Looking-At-Large" by Joshua Resnek is clearly the work of an editorial writer or that of a columnist, even if the use of ellipses makes it appear more like a blog entry ... such as this.
I'm not arguing Resnek's opinion, which he is of course entitled to. I'm not arguing that this opinion does not belong in the Lynn Journal, either. My argument is simply that by starting it on the front page where one expects to find hard, objective news - by replacing hard, objective election coverage with opinion, the Journal does its readership and this city a disservice. But if the Journal and Resnek would rather stick to opinion, than the responsible thing to do is clearly redefine to the public what the publication really is - to label it accordingly on the front page.
I think the Journal does a great job covering school sports, taking photos at local events, publishing obits and the other services a local paper usually provides, though. That's why in my opinion, it should move opinions to a clearly marked editorial page and label columnists as so. It's what an ethical journalist should do. It's what a proper newspaper does. And I don't want Lynn to be a one newspaper town.
A reaction to Friday's very early Councilor-at-Large debate from only reading the Item.
Thanks for the coverage. I can never make these weekday morning breakfasts and it appears I missed a good one. I'm a business owner (UPSIDEMEDIA/LynnHappens) and Chamber member by night, and public employee by day.
While I understand and appreciate the target audience of this debate and the venue, I'm still on the fence over charging an admission fee to be part of a debate audience for a city election.
The topics they sparred about are the sort that I can't help myself from
jumping in on. Some - most of the proposed solutions - for bringing
businesses downtown, come close to what's necessary but don't quite reach the mark.
Streamlining the processes in city hall and providing a road map for
permitting that doesn't have business owners running in circles: YES.
This just may be issue #1 because it benefits all other issues, and every candidate seems to agree more or less, but we also need a clear road map towards
implementing any solution. Also, employee training is important, but not good enough on its own. I've had to take a lot of
hollow professional development courses in my own field. That's not a guarantee that anything's going to change as far as this taxpayer is concerned. How about a
poster-sized chart on the wall with 'stops' along the route one must
take towards their grand opening? No course is needed for that, and it won't cost much. It can mirror one online, and one in pamphlet form. Hand people a checklist version to note progress along the way. A proper graphic designer would know how to keep it simple. Then, have the Mayor's feedback forms nearby, and simply ask City Hall employees to be as welcoming as possible to newcomers. After all, they are putting money into our city, and we need it. Lastly, make it possible to run the route - faster. That doesn't have to mean you skip over essential parts of the process. For example, if a variance is needed, a fair hearing taking in the necessary considerations should be held, but a hearing should not be a brick wall stopping progress in its tracks, it should be a way to figure out how to go forward so that more people benefit than not - and even if it means scheduling more ZBA meetings, it should happen soon.This is an important issue. Fixing it and becoming more resident/business/newcomer friendly can bring more revenue for schools and other services. It only helps everything!
We have rather large municipal lots. Councilor Duffy, we don't need, nor want, angled parking downtown. The streets are not wide enough in most cases, except perhaps Market Street, and knowing how to parallel park is simply part of knowing how to drive. The clear solution for anyone with a distaste for street parking is a make-over of the downtown lots and the way they're run, and Dan Cahill's push to replace the Off Street Parking Commission with a standard Parking Department that has greater oversight from the Mayor and Council is one important part of the solution, because it makes the Parking Department slightly more accountable to the voters. Duffy, if you prefer to park at an angle, maybe have the municipal lot spaces angled, and a stretch of Market Street. It would work there. (I once pointed out an issue of poor/confusing signage
downtown and neither Parking Commissioner Jay Fenton nor Council
President Phelan seemed aware of exactly what was on the signs downtown.
I was asked to take photos to show them. I at first was agreeable, but
then refused to do the homework. There's two individuals in City Hall
who first need to spend more time downtown before they begin to think
about what's best for downtown.)
On non-profits, I believe there is some misdirected blame, here, but some legitimate frustration as well. It's not right to lump all of the non-profits together as a group. Some non-profits have brought large numbers of employees downtown and have helped to fill the streets with lunchtime customers while also performing services that people need. Some hold regular events in Lynn establishments as paying customers, and have become involved as catalysts for the arts. Some are arts organizations, even. We need that. We need the jobs they provide, too. But we also need businesses occupying more spaces downtown. What we shouldn't have, is too much of an imbalance. If you include the numerous religious organizations in storefront and office spaces downtown, then perhaps there is an imbalance. And when you consider that some Lynn non-profits consistently hold gala events, fundraisers and more outside of Lynn, one has to wonder who their target audiences really are. What do we need? Another non-profit with a mission to attract for-profits? If we fix number 1 on this list, we may not.
This one's not covered in the debate as far as I can tell from the article, but we need to get rid of residency requirements for City Hall and city department employees. (I'll tackle residency for police/fire some other time.) It's absolute nonsense that this city can not hire the grant writer it wants because the prospective hire doesn't live in Lynn. It's not the sort of position that should require living here. Neither are most of them, if they are to be judged on job performance rather than having been "Life long Lynners" of known families. I think it's so ingrained in the culture here, that people don't even realize their preference for sticking with the people and families they know half the time. And lets stop the practice of declaring oneself a "Life long Lynner," or saying "I've lived in Lynn my whole life" at the start of any debate, or even at the podium at Public Hearings in City Hall. I wasn't born here, nor was I raised here, but as long as I pay taxes here what I have to say is just as valid.
Buzzy, I think I agree with you that we need to spend money to make money, but this is where it isn't simple. This is where the city has to stop hiring its local friends and look for a marketing firm located elsewhere, preferably in the midst of where our target audience is. We're not going to bring new businesses to Lynn by marketing to our selves. Secondly, while a worthy endeavor, this task is very, very, hard. If the message isn't crafted just-so, a marketing campaign will do more harm than good. Again, another argument for looking beyond our borders for the best of the best so that we can defy people's expectations of Lynn and the more immediate North Shore (closer to Boston). We have some stereotypes to battle.
Getting back to issue #1, Phelan, we need a guide, but not a
"guidebook," not even a booklet. If it's not short and simple, we're
doing it wrong. Cahill, we agree on many things, but something else is
wrong if we need our City Hall employees to take extra "Professional
Development" courses in how to be City Hall employees. Frankly, if
there's enough material to put together a course on in how to steer
people through City Hall, then the process is just broken. Well, maybe taking all of City Hall on field trips to see how other cities are doing business might not be half-bad. We might have something to offer them, as well.
Finally, life-long Lynners, please don't take offense. Some of you are my friends. Just put yourselves in the shoes of someone who grew up elsewhere, if you can. Try to see things from the perspective of a new arrival to Lynn. Why? Because we need to attract more businesses and their employees to our city, for jobs, for our schools, for our quality of life, for the money for DPW to clean up parks, and to invigorate ourselves with the vibrancy one should expect for a diverse city of 90,000 people at the gateway to the North Shore.
One more thing - I said my top post would remain the previous one until it was resolved. I'm not running for office, so I can go back on my promises. However, I'm not going back on the issue. Stay tuned.
