Harsh doses of reality

How much did the Daily News of Newburyport resist using a variation of that famous NY Daily News headline?

Rep. Mike Costello gave city leaders a harsh dose of reality Wednesday night: The state is unlikely to bail the city out of its school funding crisis this year, so they had better find solutions from within.

At a public forum organized to discuss local education funding at the Nock Middle School, members of the community attempted to lobby state and federal representatives for additional help.

"Quality education for children and proper funding is desperately needed from the state and federal governments," said former School Committee member Dick Sullivan, who organized the forum.

But the delegation on hand, which included city and state legislators and representatives from the governor's and Congressman John Tierney's offices, didn't have the answers local officials may have hoped for.

Costello, D-Newburyport, urged community members to push for a Proposition 21/2 override, enroll in the Group Insurance Commission plan immediately and to look closely at transportation costs of special education students. Small changes on the local level could mean savings, Costello said.

"The last override was not articulated well; fixing the problem can't come from the state," Costello said. "Let's face it, saying you can turn this around without an override is irresponsible.

"Secret agency man"

I missed this earlier in the week: A must-read from Banker and Tradesman (yes, really).

Sunshine is still in short supply at the Turnpike Authority, apparently.

Another Alan Moore interview

It seems there's one every 18 months or so. Maybe it's the long hair, his worship of a sock puppet snake, or the multiple rings on each longer finger.

Anyway, novelist Susanna Clarke interviews Moore, who's written V for Vendetta, From Hell, and Watchmen and pretty much every other influential comic in the last twenty years.

Oh, and he also sings. That's him in "The March of the Sinister Ducks." (Lyrics here.)

Pittsfield's voting on casinos on Nov. 6

From the Berkshire Eagle: "The non-binding referendum asks voters if they approve of legalized casino gambling in Massachusetts; the question will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot for the general election. It is the only ballot question on the warrant, which the City Council approved last night. Since the measure is non-binding, the city is not bound by its results."

AP's got the details

Or most of them, at least, on the casino bill.

The bill would require bidders to own land and put up a minimum investment of $1 billion, the second source said, ensuring the proposals would be resort-style casinos. License auctions would be staggered, likely over a period of nine months...

Daniel O’Connell, state secretary of housing and economic development, told Taunton area business leaders on Wednesday the governor’s plan also would include a protection and mitigation fund for neighbors.

"It’s very important for a host community to weigh the pluses and minuses and decide if they want this," he said, according to SouthCoastToday.com...

Region 1 on Patrick’s map includes Suffolk, Essex and Middlesex counties. Marlborough is on the western edge of Middlesex County. Suffolk Downs racetrack in Boston and Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere are in Suffolk County. Operators of both tracks have signaled they’ll bid for a casino license....

Giant armored polar bears

Oh yes.

Casanova #8

For free on the internets. Forget downloading it. It's right under the MySpace entry. And the writer's note:

Comics are made for moms to take them away from us. Maybe it's the mobbed-up history comics have, maybe it's residual legacy from Kefauver and Wertham, or maybe it's that comics are small enough and invisible enough to fly under the radar of the Common Culture and have managed, in a lot of ways, to remain unhygienic, a little savage, and a bit too crass to sit at the table with the other civilized mediums.

It goes without saying, then, the following link is "not safe for work." But it is one of the best damn comics out there.

tales of two aides

One top one, whose six-month anniversary is coming up. And a former top aide, who's under a State Ethics Commission investigation.

Meanwhile, NY looks to get its own biotech legislation jumpstarted.

A look at what happens...

...after state officials leave town following an announcement involving a big check:

But before an actual design of the estimated $50-million-to-$55-million interchange and surrounding development is finalized, officials from Andover, Tewksbury and Wilmington will wait for early environmental and engineering work to get under way in the area, which is located in the southern-most portion of town between the Dascomb Road and Route 125 exits on I-93.

“There’s going to be a reality check,” said Bob Halpin, president of the Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council. “This will be a process now where real engineering is done and cost constraints and physical restraints will kind of lead people to a final design.”

Keeping pollsters busy

See, gambling is providing economic development. Albeit the very, very targeted kind.

UPDATE: A Rhode Island state senator, citing Massachusetts' moves, proposes round-the-clock gambling.

Quincy people just aren't having a good week

A Sox fan is assaulted in New York.