Lowell Sun- February 23, 2024
Ed Augustus sees housing in Lowell’s future
Nearly 300 units to come online in coming years
LOWELL — State Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus took a tour of in-process and pre-development housing projects that will add nearly 300 new units to the city’s housing stock within a quarter-mile area around City Hall.
“There’s a lot of really cool stuff going on in Lowell,” Augustus told a reporter while riding a Lowell Regional Transit Authority bus to the various locations Thursday morning. “They know what they’re doing and they know what they want, which is half the battle. They’ve got a lot of good momentum.”
The two-hour LRTA bus tour, organized by City Manager Tom Golden and the Department of Planning and Development, stopped at five sites including Acre Crossing, the proposed sites of the Lowell Housing Authority’s Merrimack Street corridor project, the pre-construction of the Hildreth Building in Downtown Lowell, a drive-by of the Hamilton Canal Innovation District and Jackson/Appleton/Middlesex areas, and a visit to the LRTA facilities at the Kennedy Transfer Center on Thorndike Street.
The housing in development ranges from low-income rentals to affordable homeowner units and mixed-use market rate housing, which Augustus said reflected good urban design.
“That’s the sign of a healthy neighborhood and a healthy community,” he said. “You don’t want just one category of housing in a particular neighborhood; you want that mixed income and diverse housing stock. That’s what makes more interesting neighborhoods.”
He noted that the state was vested in housing creation and opportunities through programs like CommonWealth Builder grants, the Housing Development Incentive Program, the proposed Affordable Homeowner Tax Credit, MassWorks, Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, HousingWorks and other One-Stop housing initiatives.
“We’ve got a lot of recapitalizing of the programs that already work and expanding them so that we can say ‘yes’ to more projects,” Augustus said.
The bus first pulled up to the Acre Crossing project at Merrimack and Cabot streets. The project will be home to a five-story Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union office building. It will also consist of 32 newly constructed condominiums, including 24 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom units, that will come on market this summer to first-time homebuyers earning at or below 100% area median income.
The condominium units are priced between $326,000 to $358,000, with homeowner association fees ranging from $300 to $400, said Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership Executive Director Cathy Mercado. Residents will be selected through a lottery, and the application process closes March 12.
She said state programs allow developers to create homeownership opportunities, and thanked Augustus for state-level support.
“The CommonWealth Builder Program, and other innovative funding like the Affordable Homeowner Tax Credit, gives us the opportunity to build all of the units as 100% area median income that makes it affordable for anyone,” she said.
Buyers below 50% median income are considered very low income, whereas buyers at 80-100% median income are considered moderate-income households.
“This is an opportunity for people to say, ‘I own here. I can start building wealth here,'” Golden said.
From a corner window of one of the third-floor Acre Crossing units, LHA Executive Director Tha Chhan showed Augustus the proposed sites of the Merrimack corridor development, which will build 118 low-income rental units on two vacant parcels. The estimated costs to construct the units is $83 million. The project has a funding gap exceeding $12 million.
“LHA has identified funding from multiple sources for this development, including the Low Income Housing Tax Credit,” Chhan wrote in a packet presented to Augustus. “Your guidance and advocacy in securing technical and financial resources would be valuable to our mission … to help us make a positive impact on the lives of those within the City of Lowell.”
The project includes 20 units of veterans’ housing, which has long been a goal of the agency and Councilor Paul Ratha Yem, chair of the City Council Veterans and Housing subcommittees.
The Hildreth Building, built in 1884, was the site of ongoing exploratory demolition during the tour’s visit. David Steinberg, a principal with RCG, a Somerville-based real estate investment company, said the company was creating 50 units on the upper floors and a retail space on the first floor.
“We bought the building in 2022, and hope to finish construction in early 2025,” he told Augustus.
State Rep. Vanna Howard said she had her first professional job at a law firm in the Hildreth Building when she came to Lowell in 1991. She was glad to see it being restored and redeveloped into a mixed-use space.
“The memories,” she said, looking around the cavernous space. “I met my husband here. His law office was on the third floor.”
State Rep. Rodney Elliott remembered the Woolworth store that used to occupy the first-floor retail space.
That sense of connecting the past to the present and future Lowell was on Augustus’ mind as he walked the three-inch thick wood-plank floors.
“Saving historic buildings, building density, creating housing — you’ve checked a lot of boxes,” he told Steinberg.
Assistant City Manager/DPD Director Yovani Baez Rose told Augustus the Hildreth was a “real catalyst project for the downtown.”
“It’s literally in the core of the downtown in the most prominent locations,” she said. “It’s really an opportunity to bring some life to this stretch. We’re grateful to the developers coming in because it’s been sitting here in a sad state for quite a while.”
The bus, driven by LTRA Dispatch Supervisor Jennifer Howard, took the group on a drive-by tour of the HCID, JAM and Transfer Center before heading back to City Hall.
Howard, who recently moved from Lowell to Manchester, N.H., has driven LRTA buses for almost 10 years. She knows the streets, the buildings and the history, and said she likes what she sees in the city.
“It’s definitely getting there,” she said. “It’s nice to see all the changes.”
Lowell Sun- February 15, 2024
ILLEGAL FIREWORKS - State Rep. Rodney Elliott testifies before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security at the State House on Jan. 20, 2024, in support of his bill H 3634 on Fireworks
Lowell City Council takes on fireworks, dumping and dog waste
By MELANIE GILBERT | mgilbert@lowellsun.comFebruary 15, 2024 at 4:30 a.m.
LOWELL — The council tackled enforcement of quality-of-life issues during its Tuesday night meeting, addressing resident concerns around illegal fireworks and dumping, and dog waste.
Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon responded to a motion made by Councilors Erik Gitschier, Kim Scott and Wayne Jenness requesting a report on the number of violations written for fireworks and plans being taken to stop illegal fireworks usage.
Fireworks are illegal in the state of Massachusetts, even if purchased legally in another state. Hudon noted that community policing and public education versus enforcement was a mitigating factor in compliance.
“Leading up to the Fourth of July holiday we upload informational posts to our social media as well as distribute a press release to illustrate the dangers of using illegal fireworks and appeal to the community to enjoy the display provided by the City of Lowell,” he wrote.
Lowell’s fireworks celebration, traditionally held at LeLacheur Park, launched last July from the area of the Cox Bridge, offering prime riverfront and bridge viewing of the nighttime show.
A report, compiled for Hudon by Crime Analysis/Intelligence Unit Crime Analyst Meghan Ferreira, pulled data from 2019 through 2023, which showed, “Fireworks calls are more prevalent in the month of July than any other month,” with 77-82% of the calls occurring during the five-day timespan around the holiday.
“While criminal charges are infrequent, we’ve had over 30 instances of seized fireworks in the last five years,” Hudon wrote. “Last year, 2023, we saw our efforts reduce our fireworks calls by 25% from the previous year.”
State Rep. Rodney Elliott testifies before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security at the State House on Jan. 20, 2024, in support of his bill H 3634, an act further regulating the discharge of fireworks in densely populated neighborhoods. (Courtesy Office of Rep. Rodney Elliott)
On the State House side, state Rep. Rodney Elliott testified during a public hearing before the joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security regarding his bill to increase penalties for illegal use or possession of fireworks in Massachusetts.
“The misuse of fireworks poses a significant threat to public safety, property, and the well-being of our communities,” Elliott said during his Jan. 20 testimony. “The current fine is less than a parking ticket. By increasing fines for illegal fireworks usage, we not only deter irresponsible behavior but also send a clear message that the safety of our citizens is eminent.”
His testimony tracked with Hudon’s observation that “criminal charges are infrequent.” Since 2019, only 21 criminal violations have been issued by the LPD, and only 11 fireworks cases for the entire court area were filed in Lowell District Court in that same time frame. Besides Lowell, the court also hears cases for the towns of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Tewksbury and Tyngsboro.
Elliott said his legislation aims to address the concerns raised by the many residents who live in densely populated neighborhoods, where the usage of fireworks exacerbates safety issues.
His bill proposes that individuals caught using illegal fireworks in areas with a population density of 1,000 or more persons per square mile will face a fine between $200 and $500, imprisonment up to six months, or both.
According to the state website, there have been 979 fires and explosions involving illegal fireworks in Massachusetts in the past 10 years. Gitschier’s motion asking City Manager Tom Golden draft a letter of support from the City Council for Elliott’s House Bill 3634 unanimously passed.
WHEN PETS ARE FAMILY
PET CEMETERIES (H 4206)
JANUARY 22, 2024 THESOMERVILLENEWSWEEKLY LEAVE A COMMENT
By Bob Katzen
The Agriculture Committee held a hearing on legislation that would require the owner of any property used or to be used for a pet cemetery to file in the Registry of Deeds a dedication restricting the property to be used only for the operation of a pet cemetery.
Supporters said the bill would preserve existing pet cemeteries by preventing the construction and development on the property that is or holds out to be a pet cemetery.
“Our pets hold a special place in our hearts, and the places where they are laid to rest deserve the same level of reverence and protection as any other memorial site,” said sponsor Rep. Rodney Elliott (D-Lowell). “This legislation ensures that pet cemeteries are upheld with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Lowell Sun-August 8, 2023
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant for Lowell Bridges
LOWELL — There’s the Merrimack River, and then there’s the river of money that is about to flow through Lowell in the coming years thanks to federal and local partnerships that secured millions of dollars for the city’s bridges.
On Monday, the federal delegation of Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan showed up at City Hall with a check for $21.4 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law federal funding for four Mill City bridges that span canals fed by the mighty Merrimack.
Trahan called the funding a “once-in-a-generation infrastructure package” that will “transform cities like Lowell that have long been left to fend for themselves.”
The four city-owned bridges that are part of the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program, called RAISE, that is embedded within the legislation, includes:
• Broadway Street Bridge over the West Canal in the Acre
• Market Street Bridge over the Merrimack Canal in Downtown Lowell
• Lawrence Street Bridge over the River Meadow Brook in Back Central
• Swamp Locks Pedestrian Bridge over the Lower Pawtucket Canal in the Acre
An enthusiastic crowd packed the Mayor’s Reception Room on the second floor of City Hall to hear the remarks from the federal delegation and city leadership on the RAISE grant funding project, as well as to witness the ceremonial celebration of a facsimile of the check, which Trahan called “just the start” of securing more funding for critical infrastructure projects.
“I look forward to seeing these critical projects completed in the months and years ahead, and working with everyone here this morning to make sure we keep delivering the resources necessary to make Lowell an even better place to raise a family, to work and to call home,” she said.
This isn’t the first time Senators Warren and Markey have delivered a significant investment for Lowell bridges. In 2015, the duo worked with then-Congresswoman Niki Tsongas to secure a $19.2 million Department of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER grant, for five canal bridges. The Central Street Bridge was the last bridge in that reconstruction and rehabilitation project.
The other four bridges were the Merrimack Street bridges over Western Canal and Pawtucket Canal and the Pawtucket Street bridges over Pawtucket Canal and Northern Canal.
This is the second time this month that Lowell has hosted visiting dignitaries bearing gifts. Last week, Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll beat a path to Lowell’s door to sign the Chapter 90 bill that includes $1.87 million for Lowell. The bill will reimburse municipalities for maintenance on bridges and roads and authorize funding for transportation infrastructure grants.
The ending of that project and the launch of a new one was serendipitous, said Trahan.
“The Central Street Bridge represents the last of the five bridges funded through that grant so it’s perfect timing for this new federal investment to roll into this city,” she said, to applause.
Both Warren and Markey called the bridge money “historic,” and highlighted the role the Merrimack River and the canals play in the Lowell’s founding and future.
“Canals and the river are part of what make Lowell Lowell,” Warren said.
Markey said his family settled in Lawrence because of the Merrimack River.
“I would not be here if not for the Merrimack River,” he said. The Senator often weaves in personal anecdotes to his public remarks.
“I’d still be on a farm in Iowa somewhere,” Markey said. “It’s the Merrimack River that brought the Markey family to Lawrence. Lawrence, like Lowell, dammed that river and built the bridges in order to have the infrastructure that draw families to this region.”
He called the bridges “vital connections” for economic and population growth — especially immigrants.
“It’s all about community, family,” he said. “It’s all about families and having a welcome mat for the new generation of immigrant families. We know that immigrants will make American great again. We know that in Lowell – the city of immigrants.”
The detailed and complicated application was completed by the Department of Planning and Development’s Transportation Engineer Elizabeth Oltman, whose efforts City Manager Tom Golden specifically recognized in his remarks, saying “she did a fabulous job.”
Oltman said she had never done a grant of this size or expertise before, but a team effort made the process possible.
“I was the primary grant writer,” she said. “I worked with the team to pull everything together to make sure we had the i’s dotted and t’s crossed.”
She said it may take at least six years to complete all four bridges with the pedestrian access Swamp Lock Bridge, which has already gone through a design phase, being completed first.
That news cheered Lowell National Historical Park Superintendent Julie Galonska, who looked forward to the Market Street Bridge repairs, too, both of which she called “gateways” to Lowell.
“The Lowell National Historical Park is really the core of downtown,” she said. “We tell the story of the Industrial Revolution here in Lowell and its legacies. The canals and the river are a huge part of that. So these bridges that go over canals are very integral to our experience within the National Park for visitors and for local folks. The Market Street Bridge is right by our Visitor Center. The Swamp Locks Bridge, one of our lock-and-dam structures, is where our canal boat tours are.”
As the room cleared out after the ceremony, Oltman said the grant project was an eye-popping experience.
“It’s amazing the amount of money that is coming from the federal government to do these types of projects,” she said. “I already have the next grant in mind.”
Lowell Sun-August 4, 2023
Healey signs transportation funding bill in Lowell
LOWELL — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey came to Lowell Friday morning to sign the $375 million annual Chapter 90 conference committee infrastructure bill that will reimburse municipalities for maintenance on bridges and roads and authorize funding for transportation infrastructure grants.
The Massachusetts state legislature approved the bill July 27, sending it to Healey’s desk to sign, which she chose to do in back-to-back ceremonies in Lowell and Amesbury to highlight much-needed infrastructure projects in both communities.
Lowell Mayor Sokhary Chau said at the signing ceremony at City Hall Friday that through the bill, Lowell will receive $1.87 million in funding that will be used on a list of ongoing infrastructure projects in the city, most of which will be bridge work. Most of the funding will be in the form of Chapter 90 funding, a state program that has helped municipalities to fund transportation infrastructure projects since 1973.
“We are grateful to Gov. Healey and Lt. Gov. (Kim) Driscoll for continuing this tradition with a city like Lowell, the Gateway City,” said Chau.
Healey said before signing the bill that the transportation funding will be put towards projects that citizens and officials believe to be critical to their communities. The ceremony was planned to take place outside next to the Beaver Street bridge in Lowell, but was moved to City Hall because of rain. The Beaver Street bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since 2019, and is one critical project that Lowell will use the funding on.
“MassDOT recently approved $1.6 million to replace the superstructure of the bridge over Beaver Brook, and getting this bridge back on-line, we know, is going to make a difference for the neighborhood and the city,” said Healey.
The bill will allocate the $375 million into two major categories, with $200 million to be used as Chapter 90 transportation funds for road and bridge projects statewide, while $175 million will be allocated to public transit infrastructure projects, electric vehicle infrastructure and Complete Streets projects.
“We are committed to building on these programs and others, to grow our state and local partnerships with all of our communities as we move forward,” said Healey.
Driscoll said when she was the mayor of Salem, she was often concerned about safety as it relates to transportation, which this kind of funding will help bolster.
“These are the investments that really matter. I think about the things that kept me up at night when I was the mayor, and it was safety, and making sure we had the resources to make these investments, particularly in our older communities,” said Driscoll. “It is great being in local government in a community that is nearly 400 years old, except for when you think about the infrastructure.”
Lowell’s City Manager Tom Golden said that Chapter 90 funds help Lowell make the financial commitments to do these transportation infrastructure projects, like the recently completed project to repair the Central Street bridge.
“To MassDOT, and this administration, thank you so much for helping us with the Central Street bridge,” said Golden. “We ran into a few issues at the last minute, and this administration and MassDOT has always been there, ready and willing to help.”
Here is a list of 2024 Chapter 90 apportionment to local communities as outlined in the newly signed bill:
Acton: $711,623.08
Ashburnham: $336,737.35
Ashby: $223,809.80
Ayer: $268,135.39
Billerica: $1,323,747.43
Dracut: $818,361.53
Carlisle: $252,918.28
Chelmsford: $1,157,400.91
Dunstable: $185,313.59
Fitchburg: $1,106,175.10
Groton: $512,233.45
Lancaster: $323,209.91
Leominster: $1,132,023.23
Littleton: $402,476.79
Lowell: $1,872,635.93
Lunenburg: $418,064.75
Pepperell: $412,844.15
Shirley: $250,076.29
Tewksbury: $918,999.22
Townsend: $409,413.42
Tyngsboro: $437,315.37
Westford: $889,839.94
Westminster: $421,938.06
Wilmington: $786,073.56
Lowell Sun Editorial - June 20, 2023
Representative Elliott Files Legislation to Protect Youth Sports Referees
We’ve all either witnessed, participated or heard about it – the out-of-control harassment, intimidation and physical violence directed at sports referees, from youth leagues to professional sports.
Adults acting like spoiled children – hurling insults at these often little-paid or volunteer arbiters, especially at the youth to high-school level – has taken its toll on the officiating ranks.
In an effort to discourage this behavior, which can border on the outrageous to outright unlawful, one local state representative wants to take a stand by sending an unmistakable message that these extreme sideline antics won’t be tolerated.
As a longtime local youth sports coach and referee, Rodney Elliott has endured his share of harassment, intimidation, and threats.
In soccer matches he officiates, Elliott, a high school certified ref, said he’s seen an increase in red and yellow cards for unsportsmanlike conduct and other behaviors.
“It’s not restricted to spectators or parents,” Elliott said of the assaults. “It’s coaches and players and it’s a trend that needs to change.”
Other states have adopted similar legislation, with potentially positive results, so Elliott said he views legal action as a necessary solution.
The Lowell Democrat’s filing of “An Act to Prevent Assaults on Sports Officials” would amend state law by fining or imprisoning those who commit assault on an official before, during or after a game.
The bill is one of other similar pieces of legislation currently being considered before the House Judiciary Committee.
Elliott told the newspaper that an incident at Cohasset High School in December, where a basketball player allegedly punched a referee, and a more recent episode at a Taunton West Little League game that subjected two umpires to verbal assaults and threats of violence, served as the catalyst for seeking a legal remedy.
The issue has seemingly worsened in recent years, as Elliott said he sees the violence as a growing, nationwide trend. There are now much fewer people becoming referees, he said, meaning many leagues end up canceling or postponing games simply because there’s no one available to officiate.
An article by Jon Solomon, the editorial director of the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, published in April 2022 by Global Sports Matters, supports Elliott’s observations.
Solomon interviewed Barry Mano, the founder and president of the National Association of Sports Officials, on the decline of referees due to verbal abuse.
Local leaders react as Maura Healey celebrates historic inauguration Healey is state's first elected woman, lesbian to become governor
The story of Gov. Maura Healey’s administration is yet to be written.
But if the energetic crowd at the TD Garden on Thursday night is any indication, there’s a lot of people excited for the stories to be told and the work that lies ahead. Under a sports theme, a nod to Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll’s days on the basketball court, was history.
For the first time in state history, women occupy the governor and lieutenant governor positions. Additionally, Healey is now the first woman elected governor and first lesbian woman to hold the office in Massachusetts — the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004.
Healey’s election is also a step forward for LGBTQ representation in state houses across the country, following the election of Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a bisexual woman elected in 2016, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a gay man, elected in 2019. A second lesbian woman, Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon, was also elected in 2022.
The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus performs at the TD Garden in Boston on Thursday as part of the inauguration celebration for Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
Sitting in the front row of the TD Garden, Judy Maruca of Charlton said she thought Healey did a tremendous job as attorney general and was excited to be a part of the historic event. She added that she enjoyed seeing the peaceful transition of power with now-former Gov. Charlie Baker.
“I think she’s a strong negotiator and a passionate advocate for housing,” Maruca said of Healey.
The history of Healey’s inauguration was not lost on Maruca. The energy inside the TD Garden in Boston at the Jan. 5 inauguration ball for Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll was absolutely electric as thousands gathered to celebrate history in the making. The festive basketball themed fete featured speeches from the dynamic female duo, musical acts and performances from the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, Grammy award winning artist Brandi Carlile, who brought her wife up on stage for a duet, and many more. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
“It bothers me that [gender] is even still an issue that that should be a factor in how somebody performs a job. There’s reason to celebrate and there’s reason for us to continue to ask why it’s still relevant,” Maruca said.
Supporter Sue Smith-Scott of Charlton said she liked that Healey wasn’t afraid to stand up to the administration of former President Donald Trump.
“The first time I heard her speak was at the [Boston] Women’s March, right after Trump was elected,” Scott-Smith said. “And she gave me hope.”
Speaking from centerstage, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said, “For all the little girls out there, we may be the first all-female team leading the state, but we will not be the last.”
The energy inside the TD Garden in Boston at the Jan. 5 inauguration ball for Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll was absolutely electric as thousands gathered to celebrate history in the making. The festive basketball themed fete featured speeches from the dynamic female duo, musical acts and performances from the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, Grammy award winning artist Brandi Carlile, who brought her wife up on stage for a duet, and many more. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
As Driscoll’s “teammate” Healey took the stage, she pledged both she and Driscoll were committed to having Massachusetts be “truly a commonwealth.”
“We know like any great team, and I will always be a point guard, it’s about the assist,” Healey said to cheers. “That’s the statistic that matters — the assist — and I know I can count on you people, all across the great state of Massachusetts to do just that.” On the floor of the event, a number of local dignitaries shared reflections of the historic affair.
State Rep. Michael Kushmerek, D-Fitchburg, said the moment was about the “peaceful and democratic transfer of power from one administration to another.” State Rep. Michael Kushmerek and (left) and Fitchburg State University Special Assistant to the President for Community, Governmental Affairs and Special Projects A. J. Tourigny joined in the festivities at the TD Garden in Boston on Jan. 5 for the inauguration ball for Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. (DANIELLE RAY/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
“Everybody’s working together seamlessly to make sure that from governor to governor, from Legislature Legislature, that everybody is set up for success to ensure that businesses and residents are going to prosper,” Kushmerek added.
Leominster School Committee member and Executive Director of Ginny’s Helping Hand Brandon Robbins expressed optimism about the state’s future under Healey and Driscoll’s leadership.
“As a School Committee member, education is a top priority for me,” Robbins said. “The administration’s track record for support of public education is strong, and the commitment to funding mechanisms such as the Student Opportunity Act was clear in the governor’s inaugural remarks.”
Robbins added, “Their victory and administration provides an opportunity for everyone of us to see themselves in our leaders. I am excited as they ‘move the ball forward’ and bring our commonwealth forward.”
Lowell Mayor Sokhary Chau said, “There is a new paradigm of openness and inclusion in Massachusetts. Gov. Healey and Lt. Gov. Driscoll are true leaders making history, putting our commonwealth on a new and successful path. Tonight demonstrates the America we love.”
Like Kushmerek, Lowell’s newest Democratic state Rep. Rodney Elliott was in attendance for the swearing-in ceremony and the nighttime celebration. Elliott said both events marked a significant moment in the state’s history.
“At both events you could feel enthusiasm, energy and electricity in the air. We face a lot of challenges but I feel the governor and Legislature are ready and prepared to tackle issues of mental health, affordable housing, infrastructure, and I am very enthusiastic to be part of the House to play a role,” Elliott said after the ceremony.
For state Rep. Natalie Higgins, D-Leominster, it is an incredible moment to have two women leading the commonwealth with the first LGBTQ governor in the state.
“While Massachusetts continues to bring equity to the forefront of our legislation, we don’t always see that equity play out in our reality. While over 20,000 men have been elected to the Massachusetts Legislature, only 232 women have been elected in that same time,” Higgins said. “Further, while Massachusetts has long been a leader on LGBTQ+ rights, we continue to face increased discrimination of our LGBTQ+ neighbors and legislation targeting LGTBQ+ people in schools, libraries, healthcare and more. This week fills me with so much hope as a queer woman in this Commonwealth, and I know it will pave the way for many more firsts.”
Although Democrat Margaret Scarsdale, the 1st Middlesex District state representative-elect, was unable to be seated this week with the rest of her colleagues, she too paused to reflect on the historic moment. She was in attendance as Healey took the oath at the State House.
“What more powerful and meaningful way to once again demonstrate that Massachusetts is a leader than by our inauguration of Maura Healey, our first woman governor and first openly gay governor,” Scarsdale said Friday. “These are not just symbolic firsts: They are a forceful reaffirmation that we understand the importance and power of diversity, of welcoming all voices to the table. Diversity empowers everyone, and is the path towards a better future for all our residents. Gov. Healey is a dedicated and proven leader, and I look forward to working with her administration.”
Headlining the evening’s festivities was six-time Grammy Award winner and Americana extraordinaire Brandi Carlile. Healey said that if she was allowed to have one performer at inauguration, Carlile was her choice.
“I really admire how much she’s put herself out there,” Healey said. “I admire her voice — not just her singing voice of course — but also the voice she gives to so many, so many women, young LGBTQ people. So many people, from whatever walk of life, may have felt vulnerable, may have felt marginalized, may have been made to feel less than.”
In between songs during her set, Carlile said Massachusetts had chosen a “hellraiser” in Healey and shared her own story as a lesbian woman. When she wanted to marry her wife, Catherine Shepherd, she said they did so in Massachusetts, a place they could feel “legitimized.” Throughout the performance, people from the audience could be heard encouraging to Carlile to move to the state permanently.
Lowell Sun Newspaper
January 6, 2023