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Articles by John Keough
Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
WORCESTER – Agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) intend to implement a comprehensive plan to target Spanish-speaking churches across the country during the upcoming holiday season between Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, and Christmas, Dec. 25.
Old Grumbly Fan Red Sox Yankees Game One Recap: SOX WIN!!
This old grumbly fan is very happy that my game one prediction was SPOT ON BABY!!! In my Red Sox Yankees preview I predicted a 3-1 Red Sox win and an Aroldis Chapman save! The Red Sox took down their storied rivals in the Bronx in Game one of the Wild Card Series by a score of 3-1. The pitching matchup between Garett Crochet and Max Fried lived up to the hype. Crochet gave the Sox 7.2 innings and allowed just 1 run over 4 hits, with 0 walks and 11 strikeouts.
Turtles All The Way Down
Working in the film industry leads to a more robust debate about AI, and the uses of AI then you see in the general town square. For the most part, ‘regular’ folks and industries are going all-in on AI. There is a recent cooling, thanks to a report out of MIT and a recent use of the term ‘bubble’ by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. For many of the boomer/Gen X leaders of the companies who have gone all in, the term ‘bubble’ brings fears of the ‘dot-com’ implosion in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Elm Park Playground Rehab Finished Ahead of Schedule
WORCESTER – The Elm Park Playground rehabilitation project finished well before the July 31 target date set by the city, and in time for the Independence Day holiday weekend. The city did not put out a press release, nor hold a ceremony like they did for Blithewood Park in June. That event ended with protest, with some escorted away from the playground. The Elm Park Playground has several new features, including an apparatus with a cover and the cement surface replaced with safer material.
America the Beautiful on Independence Day
The greatest speech in my lifetime was not made by a real president. It was made by an actor, in an international summer blockbuster on July 3rd 1996. I was 14 years old, and my life, such as it was, was already a dumpster fire. Foster care, divorced parents, juvenile crime, various types, kinds and volumes of abuse. You name it, I saw it.
Nothing To See Here, Move Along
On the city council agenda tonight, there was only one item, the evaluation of the City Manager. I arrived early to attend the Public Safety Meeting, and stayed in between. The meeting was sparsely attended on the public side yet full for the city administration side. The gallery had the communications team, and the department heads were in the bullpen next to the media section. As the night went on, and councilor after councilor gave their feedback, a common theme emerged: the city’s bond rating.
"No Kings Day" Protest Attracts Thousands in Worcester
WORCESTER – A large crowd gathered on the Worcester City Hall Common on Saturday, June 14, to protest “No Kings Day” in opposition to the scheduled military parade in Washington, D.C. The “No Kings Day” protest drew what appeared to be more than double a similar protest in April. The April protest brought an estimated 4,000 to the Worcester Common. The event on Saturday also appeared to include far more diversity, with a larger contingent of local residents.
Worcester City Council Meeting Shut Down by Anti-ICE Protest
WORCESTER – The Worcester City Council met on Tuesday, June 10th, with the meeting starting late, after the Finance Committee attempting to finish its work on the budget. The director of the Worcester Public Library, Jason Homer, detailed the success of his holistic approach to public access mixed with the need for security, which highlighted the finance session. After convening the city council meeting at 7:05 PM, around 60 protestors interrupted the public comment portion of the meeting.
From Webster Square with Love: An Artist’s Journey
The lights went out. The hall was empty. I was alone. And I cried. The path of an artist—a filmmaker—is not an easy one. After the second annual Dead of Winter Film Festival and the successful premiere of my psychological thriller Solus, many people would think I should have felt joy. Relief. Pride. I didn’t. For me, the gift is in the creation. In the process. The premiere, though beautiful, is the death of that. The end of what becomes. A film, has a life of its own.
A Deeper Look at May 8 and its Legacy for Public Officials
I think that sometimes we all forget that we are in the middle of an election season. Long gone are the days when candidates for office only ran their campaign through surrogates, and in general did not take public positions. In our municipal campaign season, because of the nature of Worcester’s Plan E government, it is also easy to forget that our City Manager is, in fact, a politician. He tells people regularly that he is not, and that he ‘manages’ politicians.
National Politics Stopped Cold at Memorial Day Ceremony
A crowd of about 75 gathered around the Myra Kraft bridge for wreathes throwing and prayer at the Memorial Day Water Ceremony at Elm Park on Sunday. The event, dedicated to service members who have lost their lives around the world, included members from several Worcester-based honor guards, who came out in full regalia, which set a solemn tone. At both the beginning and end of the event, a man wearing a MAGA hat and carrying Trump signage tried to become a part of the ceremony.
A Deeper Look: Masked Police and Warrantless Arrests
On Thursday May 8th, our city experienced something that for us has been regulated mostly to the news and the internet. We saw a group of men, dressed as federal agents, descend as a team to arrest and detain a woman. In the aftermath, we have a lot of speculation about the woman from a particular group of people.
Chickens, Budgets, HRC Moves, and Hell in Webster Square
Three Things I Think I Think About Tuesday Night In The Esther Howland Chickens Again Local resident Joseph Magiameli’s petition for allowing chickens in Worcester came back to council after they mistakenly (or on purpose?) sent the petition to the planning board. I have spent some time on this issue, which may seem minimal to most, but strikes me as related to the overall issue of our city: a small group of elite decision makers believe they know better than we do.
Distractions, Distractions, Playgrounds and the Budget Looms
Three things I think about on Tuesday Night in the Esther Howland. Distractions, Distractions With one week off of City Council, and in the last few meetings before the budget meetings, there seems to be a desire to get things in as fast as possible. If you have been following along with local independent media, and here at This Week In Worcester, you may have heard that there was a report on the Worcester Police Department by the Department of Justice.
Platform Power, Library Go ‘Round, Tax the... Colleges
Three Things I Think I Think About Tuesday Night In The Esther Howland Mayor Petty returned, but before City Council got started, we had a Public Safety Meeting! The Power of Platforms Before the City Council meeting, The Standing Committee on Public Safety scheduled a meeting for five o’clock. There were two items, both related to the DOJ report, and both involving presentations from Chief of Police Paul Saucier.
College Tax Gets Punted, Cable TV Annoyance, WCCA and Chickens in Worcester
This week Worcester City Council Vice-Chair and Councilor Khrystian King presided over the council meeting. Mayor Petty was not present for this episode of the best live show in New England. College Tax Gets Punted, For Now…. Four orders from District 2 Councilor Mero-Carlson were held until next week. All of them involved local college issues.
Who Wasn't Protesting in Worcester Tells the Story
I went to City Hall on Saturday to check out the #HandsOff protest, one of many such events planned around the country. The vast majority of these events are from traditional Democratic Party organizers, but it is not officially a party-only event. Saturday’s rally in Worcester featured many of the familiar faces we see around Worcester: Jim McGovern, Robyn Kennedy, Khrystian King, Etel Haxhiaj, and Sean Rose all gave speeches while I was there. The crowd was decidedly white, prosperous and older.
Interest High, Cable Annoys, Ojeda and Pacillo Push Back
Three Things I Think About Tuesday Night In The Esther Howland You would think, if you are not as wonky as I, that there would be weeks where things in Ye Olde City Council would be uninteresting. Yet there I was in the Esther Howland, me and all the regulars, and it got pretty interesting indeed. Interest Remains High Interest remains high. There was a few dozen people who came to give public comment (including yours truly, halfway between debonair and frumpy), and they came for different reasons.
Thoughts from Tuesday Night at Worcester City Hall
Well, on my second foray in the land of opinion writing, we had a special meeting to cover. The City Council and City Manager convened a joint meeting to hear Chief Saucier and the City Manager’s reports on the DOJ Report. This meeting was definitely different from the explosive one on December 17th. Different Crowd The crowd was different. First, there were decidedly less officers than on Dec 17th. I would estimate about 50, and the vast majority were command staff, and union leadership.
Police Working Hours, Honorary Street Names, and Open Meeting Law
Deep down, I always wanted to be Jimmy Olsen, not Superman. Jimmy was the eternally optimistic reporter who was the best friend of the most powerful man. He reported terrible things with the hope of someone who knows a hero. I think the people of Worcester, are in fact, heroes. They just need a little push. Is the City Council boring? Sure, but not if you pay attention. In this new series, I will focus on my three takeaways from the previous city council meeting. No meeting, no article. Got it?
Interview with Boston Filmmaker Julia Tutko-Balena
WORCESTER – This is part of a series of interviews of those in the New England film industry, produced in partnership with HollyWoot Film Group. All answers are unedited and as provided by the interviewee. Julia Tutko-Balena has been working on independent films for 25 years. Even before that, she loved writing, acting, and directing.
Interview with Rutland Filmmaker Bridgette Cannell
WORCESTER – This is part of a series of interviews of those in the New England film industry, produced in partnership with HollyWoot Film Group. All answers are unedited and as provided by the interviewee. Bridgette Cannell is a videographer, director, writer and producer from central Massachusetts with over 10 years of filmmaking experience.
Interview with New England Filmmaker Chris Esper
WORCESTER – This is part of a series of interviews of those in the New England film industry, produced in partnership with HollyWoot Film Group. All answers are unedited and as provided by the interviewee. Originally from New Jersey, Chris Esper developed a passion and love for film at a very young age. When he was in his teens, he received his first camera and started experimenting with it. It was love at first frame.
Interview with Fitchburg Filmmaker Kris Salvi
WORCESTER – This is the first in a series of interviews of those in the New England film industry, produced in partnership with HollyWoot Film Group. All answers are unedited and as provided by the interviewee. Kris Salvi is a multi award-winning actor director and producer. He recently directed and starred in ‘Machine gun town.’ Kris is based in Fitchburg, and known for helping other independent filmmakers get their projects completed. Q1: What is your favorite movie?
Interview with New England Filmmaker Gabrielle Rosson
WORCESTER – This is the first in a series of interviews of those in the New England film industry, produced in partnership with HollyWoot Film Group. All answers are unedited and as provided by the interviewee. Gabrielle Rosson is a multi award-winning filmmaker from Cape Cod who works across New England. Her short, “She, Who Dared” about early 20th century director Lois Weber, is being developed into a feature film.
UPDATE: Gunshots Injure Two Near Institute Park on Sunday
WORCESTER – A shooting from at around 6 PM near Institute Park, during the 10th Annual Worcester Caribbean American Carnival, led to the early closing of the park and the event on Sunday, Aug. 27. The Worcester Police Department (WPD), responding to calls from the event’s staff and volunteers, secured the park at around 6:30 PM.
Shooting Near Institute Park Shuts Down Festival
WORCESTER – After a shooting near Institute Park, during the 10th Annual Worcester Caribbean American Carnival, lead organizer Jennifer Gaskin, shut the event down before police were called after having been informed about the shooting. The Worcester Police Department, responding to calls from the event’s staff and volunteers, secured the park at around 6:30 PM.
EU ETS for Shipping: United States and Brazil
Click here to listen to the audio. In light of the EU’s proposal to extend the EU ETS to include the shipping industry, we have put together a series of podcasts with our international colleagues across the world. The podcast focuses on the approach being taken in different jurisdictions to the decarbonisation of the maritime industry, with a spotlight on reactions to the expansion of the EU ETS.
Let's make a Killington waterway trail - The Mountain Times
By John Keough I founded Appalachian Trail Adventures (ATA) in 2007, and the company has grown steadily each year, with a focus on providing fun adventures and premier customer service. I have lived and worked in Killington since 1986, and at 51 years old, that’s 34 years spent in the local area. ATA has enjoyed status as the number one tour on TripAdvisor in Killington since 2010, and our overnight customers hail from locations around the globe.
Sanctions And The Maritime Industry
To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. In this first in a series of articles on sanctions and the maritime industry, we provide an overview of the recent advisory notes issued by OFAC and OFSI, the US and UK bodies responsible for the implementation and enforcement of their respective sanctions, and look at what they mean for the maritime and commodities industries.
Sanctions Considerations For Maritime Arbitrators
To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.
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