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City Council Circus Delays NECCO
Plan
All content nd pictures are (c)
Copyright, Valley Patriot Inc., 2006
(LATINO NEWS THIS MEANS YOU!)
06/13/06
 It was the usual circus at last
nights meeting of the Lawrence City Council’s
Housing Committee as Councilor Nilka Alvarez, (who is
supposed to chair the meeting), completely lost control,
allowing the meeting to degenerate into name calling,
accusations of racism, a spate of misinformation, and a
constant stream of personal attacks on David Hartlieb
(president of Northern Essex Community college) and Mayor
Sullivan.
At issue is Mayor Sullivan’s recommendation that
Northern Essex Community College purchase the city owned
In-Town Mall on Common St.
The decaying structure currently houses FIVE businesses
which pay far below market value for rent, and one non
profit (run by Isabel Melendez) which pays NO rent to the
city at all. The structure also has rats, a leaking roof
and asbestos.
Northern Essex Community College plans to tear down the
existing building to construct a multi-million dollar
health and technology center, complete with
parking.
Mayor
Sullivan chose the Northern Essex plan for the building
over local businessman Benny Espaillat (who lives in
ANDOVER) who wanted to leave the structure in place.
Unfortunately for Mayor Sullivan and Northern Essex
Community College, the proposal has to be approved by the
amateur, part time city council.
The Usual Suspects
Opposing
the NECC plan for a multi million dollar health and
technology center were, of course, State Rep. Willie
Lantigua, former councilor Carlos Matos, former councilor
Israel Reyes, local radio host Nazario Esquea, Bryan
DePena, Jose Balbuena, Isabel Melendez (who owes the city
thousands of  dollars in rent) Marcos
Devers, and
the usual group of race baiting malcontents.
Accusations and Misinformation
City Councilor Nilka Alvarez began the meeting saying
that "because of the number of people who want to
speak on the issue," she was going to limit each
member of the public to "two minutes". But
Alvarez, who never really had control of the meeting,
allowed the first speaker to go on for more
than six minutes, the second speaker for eight and when
former City Councilor Julia Silverio took the microphone,
Alvarez allowed her to make accusations of racism against
mayor Sullivan as well as the faculty and president of
Northern Essex Community College for more than 22
minutes.
Speaker after speaker took the microphone to attack
and insult NECC president David Hartlieb, Mayor
Sullivan and the faculty of the college. Former councilor
Julia Silverio, well known for her racist views on city
government, questioned Hartlieb's integrity saying that
the college did not benefit "Latinos" and that
the only "Latinos" who worked at the college
were janitors.
Council President Patrick Blanchette complained about the
amount of time being wasted on speakers who were
obviously going over the never imposed
time limit. We've gone from six minutes, to eight minutes
to twenty two," Blanchette complained. The council
president, who is only a regular member of the sub
committee obviously frustrated said he would not
vote to table (delay) a vote on the college
When Lawrence Planning Director Michael Sweeney asked for
"three minutes" to rebut some of the wild
claims made by Silverio, Nazario Esquea, and the rest
of the mob, she agreed. But a minute and a half into
his rebuttal Alvarez laughingly cut him off saying
"can we move this along". Sweeney refused
saying he had only asked for three minutes and wanted to
rebut the misinformation given by supporters of Benny
Espaillat.
Councilor Nick Kolofoles, trying to pander to the
"Latino" mob, asked Sweeney for a master plan
for Essex Street within the next week. "With all due
respect," Sweeney asked, "do you have any idea
what you are asking me for? It's just completely
impossible."
Kolofoles seemed dazed and confused throughout the
meeting, asking questions that had already been answered
several times. He obvoiusly had no idea what a master
plan is and how long it takes to put one togeter.
Spanish language talk hosts like Nazario Esquea, Milagros
Dominguez (Dirma Espada) and Santiago Mattias had been
whipping up racial hatred for weeks over the issue,
telling their radio audience that Mayor Sullivan was a
racist and that, because Benny Espaillat was
"Latino" he should be "given" the
building to "do what he wants."
The circus lasted for more than five hours and in the
end, councilors tried to kill the Northern Essex proposal
by voting to "table" (delay) a vote on the
issue for two weeks.
"Is it any wonder why professionals from outside the
city of Lawrence do not want to come and do business
here?" asked planning director Michael Sweeney after
the meeting. "Can you just imagine being the
president of a college, coming to Lawrence to propose an
$20 million project and having to listen to this for five
hours?"
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The May, 2006 Edition of
the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2006, Valley Patriot, Inc.
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