That was the year that was

Worcester's top news stories of 2000

By Chris Kanaracus

If you're the type who regularly reads "year in review"-type pieces, you've probably noticed a rather hackneyed refrain in the lead paragraphs. It usually goes something like this: "Whew. What a year. Where do we begin? It certainly was tough to whittle down the year's news into the 10 biggest stories. . ." And so on.

Well, we can't say that trend is stopping with the Worcester Phoenix's year 2000 rundown. It was tough. But we did it. There was certainly a lot to choose from: unbelievable tragedy, promising successes, shocking defeat, and courageous stands. So many choices were in front of us, in fact, that we had to choose 11 instead of 10. Call us indecisive. But to do so, you'd also have to call 2000 a major year for Worcester news.

COLD STORAGE FIRE
AFTERMATH

It's been more than a year, but the specter of the December 3, 1999 Worcester Cold Storage fire, which took the lives of six Worcester firefighters, has yet to recede.

One year and a month removed, it seems it's not that terrible night, but rather the aftermath of the blaze that has told the greater, more layered story.

More than $6.5 million has been contributed so far to a Telegram & Gazette-organized fund for the firefighters' families and additional equipment for area fire departments. A favorite Worcester son, actor/comedian Denis Leary, came home to organize a celebrity hockey game in October. Other efforts may yet produce millions more.

In a more muted sense, the tragedy also highlighted two key problems -- homelessness and abandoned buildings -- that need to be faced in the coming years. City leaders responded by organizing citizen and official-staffed task forces. Both recently released detailed reports proposing multiple solutions to those problems. The two reports seem comprehensive and realistic.

The ultimate fate of two key players in the story -- Julie Barnes and Thomas S. Levesque, the homeless couple who accidentally started the blaze -- is still in question. After spending nine months in jail on manslaughter charges, they were released in September when Judge Timothy Hillman dismissed their cases. But District Attorney John Conte re-filed the charges in late October; the matter is pending before the state Appeals Court and will likely take months to resolve.

Then there's the civil lawsuit filed in April by the widows of firefighters Jeremiah Lucey and Timothy Jackson, against the Cold Storage building's owner, Ding On "Tony" Kwan. The plaintiffs claim negligence on the part of Kwan; the Cold Storage building, like many abandoned properties in the city, was not secured, allowing Barnes and Levesque entry.

Both lawsuits may not be settled for some time. In a perfect world, they'd do so without taking attention away from the six men who died while trying to save people they weren't even sure were inside the building, and who, in a different setting, might have died for any of us. James F. Lyons III, Thomas E. Spencer, Paul A. Brotherton, Joseph T. McGuirk, Jeremiah M.Lucey, Timothy P. Jackson: we salute you.

DR. WILLIAM MEYERS VS. UMASS

In November 1999 at a fundraising strategy luncheon, UMass surgery department chair Dr. William spoke out against the tensions created between doctors and the hospital's administration by cost-cutting prompted by managed care. Meyers's comments, which occurred during a conversation between himself and two UMass Memorial donors, led hospital president Peter Levine to ask for his resignation days later. Initially, Meyers refused and fought his termination for three months. In January, he accepted his bosses' terms, and agreed to leave in early 2001.

Meyers is a highly respected surgeon whose expertise catapulted the hospital's surgery department to worldwide recognition. Obviously, he will land a prominent position elsewhere. But the blowup the whole incident caused in the media and medical circles bears a grim question: was Meyers' fate a harbinger of things to come for other medical professionals?

MEDICAL CITY FINALLY OPENS

Medical City, or Worcester Medical Center, as it's now called, finally opened in March after several different owners, protracted land-taking efforts, and $40.5 million worth of city-subsidized tax breaks. At the very least, the Medical Center, built in part to replace aging St. Vincent's Hospital, took over several blocks of downtown land that had previously only held parking lots and decaying buildings. Boosters claimed such a large facility would not only clear up a mess, but also attract thousands of potential shoppers and diners to downtown businesses. As of yet, such an effect is tough to quantify.

And if you wanted to be catty, the Medical Center provides ample fodder to do so. The building's design, in a word, is awful. The seamless, ultra-sterile brick exterior offers no room for retail space or any type of streetside activity. Add in a possible $14 million in land-taking cost overruns that the city is bound to shoulder, and the Medical Center deal is looking more like a raw deal every day.

Crowning the $215 million facility's April opening was perhaps the worst possible scenario for owners Tenet Healthcare. On March 31, 535 St. Vincent's nurses went on strike, hitting the picket lines in protest against what they claimed was short staffing, unfair mandatory-overtime rules, and other cost-cutting measures. Their fight, which lasted nearly a month, garnered saturation-level, nationwide media coverage.

Eventually, through perseverance and perhaps a little pressure from politicians like Congressman James McGovern, the notoriously anti-union(see "Orderly Protest," April 14) Tenet relented.

For sure, problems associated with health care giants like Tenet persist. But at the very least, with their brave stand the St. Vincent's nurses proved to the world that managed care isn't good for them, either.

MASSPORT TAKES OVER WORCESTER
AIRPORT

There's probably no facility that's been kicked around more than Worcester Airport. While it's never been Logan or even T.F. Green, for the past decade the single-runway airport has been a virtual no-man's land, despite a $30 million-plus overhaul in the mid-1990s.

By January of this year, things were so bad, the quasi-public state agency Massport took over the airport's operations at the behest of city government. Initially, many were skeptical about Massport's true commitment to the airport, this notion not helped any by the impending access road the agency wants to build between I-290 and the airport, which could require the removal of scores of homes.

One year into Massport's tenure, passenger counts have doubled to 100,000, thanks to better marketing and more flights. The year was capped by the December 8 announcement of direct service to Florida. While that's still peanuts in the grand scale of things, we'll take improvement where we can get it, especially when it involves the airport.

UNION STATION'S UNEVENTFUL YEAR

In November 1999, Union Station was unveiled. And while $35 million isn't what it used to be, it can certainly do a lot; the station has never looked better. Too bad it's missing certain, pertinent details: a full slate of trains, bus service, rent-paying tenants, and a parking garage. For a while, what trains (seven daily) did come to the station didn't even stop there. Instead, commuters had to wait about a quarter-mile down the tracks at the Amtrak ticket booth, with Union Station little more than an expensive backdrop.

Evidence like that begs for a fall guy. The inaugural scapegoat was former Worcester Redevelopment Authority head Michael Latka, who, before leaving the post in September, spent the past couple of years laying as low as any public official in recent memory. The WRA was responsible for guiding the station's rehabilitation. Others point to the local statehouse delegation, a body whose job, critics say, was to ensure those trains were here on opening day.

No one seems to have anyone to blame for the lack of development in and around the station, which took another hit on November 28, when tentative developer Finard and Co. backed out of the project. The company planned to build a mixed-use retail and office complex, along with a movie theater, but haven't been able to begin work, since several development-worthy parcels of land around the station aren't cleared yet.

Finally, construction on a project that would transform the rotary in front of the station into a "round off", or smaller rotary, isn't scheduled to begin until 2002. Just what happened here?

On December 22, city manager Tom Hoover and Congressman James C. Mcgovern announced the formulation of a focus group, which will meet weekly to discuss possible solutions to the station's many woes.

TOTALLY MINOR LEAGUE

If there's one comparison Worcesterites are sick of, it's comparing our city with any other one. But despite our apparent need to be the only ones allowed to criticize Worcester's failings, the fact remains that this city sometimes seems a tad self-defeating. No more blatant an example of this quality can be found than in last summer's drive for a minor league baseball stadium and team in Worcester.

Such an idea has been talked about for decades. Historically, the biggest obstacle is the close proximity of the Pawtucket Red Sox to Worcester; minor league teams enjoy territorial rights that bar competing franchises within a certain distance. The only way around it is with the permission of the minor league team's ownership. Pawsox management has said that won't happen because 25 percent of their business comes from fans in the Worcester area.

In lieu of a Sox franchise, city leaders had been knee-deep in negotiations with Chris English, head of an investment group that first announced in July 1999 that they wished to bring an Atlantic League baseball team to Worcester by 2002. The Atlantic League is an independent group that's had mixed success; one team, the Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania) Black Diamonds, drew only 14 fans to a 1999 game. Other teams, though, average more than 5000.

The major sticking point between English and the city was the location of a proposed 6000-seat stadium, the bill for which the city would largely foot. To find the best spot, city manager Tom Hoover formed a Stadium Task Force. But the Force's progress was too slow for English, who under the moniker Touch `Em All Markets LLC hired the Worcester Business Development Corporation, a non-profit group headed by the well-regarded David Forsberg.

Forsberg also happened to be a task force member. The WBDC, in turn, happened to own a parcel of land on Prescott Street that quickly became the favored choice of TEAM LLC. Immediately, other task force members smelled a rat.

For his part, Forsberg expressed confusion at the response. "We thought we had our good-citizen hats on. We don't have an agenda," he told the Phoenix in late May. In a sense, it's easy to agree with him. The Prescott Street site has been contaminated for years, and recent development in the area (a new Marriott hotel, a proposed office park) would tie in nicely with a ballpark. Add decent highway access and you've got a winning package. The WBDC's suggestion was nonetheless rebuffed by the city.

During a May 24 appearance by Shaw on the Jordan Levy Show, the city's true intent became clear. Asked by Levy if he'd prefer an MLB farm team to an Atlantic League franchise, Shaw replied: "I would much rather see the Central Mass delegation propose in [the Fenway funding bill] a waiver that would enable the city of Worcester to entertain Triple A-affiliated ball."

Talk about a bombshell. Then, state representative William J. McManus II announced he'd push not only for a waiver within the Fenway bill, but $26.5 million in cash to pay for the Worcester stadium. It was apparent that the Atlantic League wasn't the city's top pick. Weeks later, English dropped out of negotiations with the city. And as for that Sox AAA team? While the legislature signed off on a $275 million funding bill for a new Fenway Park in July, Worcester's stadium funding was nixed.

Talks continue with the Atlantic League, according to city sources, but things certainly have been quiet. Strike three?

WORCESTER'S NO PLACE TO BE A
MAVERICK

In an election year as predictable as most around Worcester, one maverick state rep proved things don't always have to be so damn boring. Over three terms, 13th District representative William J. McManus II always leaned to the right on certain issues, such as gun control. He also developed a reputation for getting things done, self-serving or not, thanks to a key post as co-chair of the state's Steering, Policy and Scheduling Committee and friendships with both governor Paul Cellucci and House Speaker Thomas Finneran.

But in the view of the Democratic City Committee, McManus, 37, tipped too far with his endorsement of Cellucci, a Republican, in 1998. That move, plus labor-rankling votes McManus took against prevailing-wage agreements for a 1998 courthouse bond bill, got him booted from the committee. In a move you could call either shrewd or desperate, McManus re-enrolled as an independent.

Liberal-minded Democrat James Leary, a lawyer, stepped up to take on McManus. Leary, 33, campaigned door-to-door relentlessly and managed to snag the backing of the Democratic establishment and nearly every local labor organization. He also benefited from a famous family name; his cousin is actor Denis Leary. In the September primary, James Leary handily defeated veteran local pol Timothy J. Cooney by more than 900 votes.

Meanwhile, McManus laid low, not showing his face on the campaign trail until just weeks before election day. Those last weeks, though, contained ample fireworks. In an interesting twist, McManus claimed Leary's labor ties showed he was beholden to special interest groups. Leary fired back that McManus was a perennial no-show for his constituents, and was more concerned with landing a plush appointment than with taking care of his district.

Most pundits and media outlets (including the Phoenix) saw the race as a squeaker. All were wrong; Leary blew out McManus, 71 percent to 29 percent. And we haven't seen McManus since.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Talk about shock waves: Worcester's political landscape hadn't felt anything of the sort in years, until well-liked state senator Robert A. Bernstein announced he wouldn't seek a fourth term. Long considered the de facto leader of the local delegation, Bernstein's move was surprising in that nothing seemed to prompt it: No scandal, no challenger, and basically no criticism. Some observers at the time suggested the seat was Bernstein's for life if he wanted it.

Instead, the 1st Worcester District post was up for grabs. Three-term state rep Harriette D. Chandler, 62, filed her nominating papers the day after Bernstein's March 9th announcement, as did Republican Chris Loconto, 33, a lawyer and former assistant district attorney.

It soon seemed Chandler would have stiff competition in the Democratic primary; shortly after her entry, lawyer Joe Early Jr., son of former congressman Joe Early, stepped up.

Both Democrats fashioned formidable political machines in short order, and for a state senate race, spent boat loads of dough: about $300,000 between the two of them.

Early, 42, took an aggressive, if predictable approach: Chandler represented the "old school" Statehouse crowd that had raised taxes to unheard of levels and failed to provide affordable health care for Massachusetts's residents, and he wanted to throw the bums out.

In response, Chandler pointed to her record as co-chair of the legislature's Health Care Committee, and painted Early as a big-mouthed dilettante.

In the end, Chandler won the September 19 primary in a squeaker, even scoring the town of Clinton, which most had pegged as Early's due to his father's popularity there. For Early, Jr., primary day was doubly upsetting; while out campaigning near Our Lady of Mount Carmel church, his father suffered a mild heart attack. Early, Jr. spent the night at the hospital by his father's side.

Few observers put much stock into Loconto's bid. While not quite a quixotic figure, it seemed he had little hope within the largely Democratic district, not to mention only about $10,000 in comparison to Chandler's $43,000 at the start of the final stretch.

Nonetheless, Loconto waged an exhaustive door-to-door campaign all year (aided by a cadre of the area's Young Republicans) and hammered Chandler's record relentlessly during a series of forums and debates. During at least two (a WCCA-13 TV event and a debate at Assumption College) Loconto noticeably rattled the more experienced Chandler.

It wasn't enough. Chandler breezed by Loconto with more than 70 percent of the vote. She'll take office in January. As for Loconto? The fire and savvy he showed during his first stab at office suggests he'll be "back in two."

MARIANO GETS DESTROYED

In political terms, there was no greater shock all year than on the night of September 19th, when incumbent Clerk of Worcester Superior Court Loring Lamoureux destroyed his opponent, Worcester mayor Raymond V. Mariano in the Democratic primary (The race was decided on this night, though, due to no Republican challenger).

Nearly every pundit had Mariano pegged as the likely winner due to his high name recognition, sizable war chest, and the backing of more than 100 politicans across the state. Lamoureux, a virtual monk compared to the flamboyant mayor, had always received high marks for his work from the legal community, but his re-election seemed doomed by the feeling not many ordinary people even knew who he was.

For the record, the clerk of Superior Court is responsible for receiving and handling the paperwork for each of the thousand cases the court sees each year. The post pays $88,000 and carries a six-year term. Many observers questioned why Mariano, who has no law degree, would pursue the clerk's job. With their free hand, they pointed to that fat salary.

If money was his animating influence, Mariano never copped to it. Instead, he maintained the court's operations were in dismal shape, and he was the one who could fix it.

The accusation was a little odd, considering Lamoureux's office had received the only `A' rating in a Lawyers Weekly article that surveyed clerks' offices across the state. Regardless, all summer long Mariano's camp hammered Lamoureux via print, radio and television ads and mass mailings to area homes. Among the charges levied were a claim the courts were massively backlogged with cases, that Lamoureux had mishandled evidence, and that the clerk had failed to perform his duty as a public advocate for the court system.

This last notion came up repeatedly during a series of debates between the two. Mariano pointed to his lengthy public service record, saying he'd bring more resources to the local courts with the oratory and people skills he learned as mayor. Lamoureux mostly scoffed at the idea, maintaining a clerk doesn't have time to be a public advocate during an already busy 40-hour work week.

In the end, it was a classic rope-a-dope campaign strategy that may have won it for Lamoureux, whether intentional or not. While Mariano's campaign took a scorched-earth approach, Lamoureux's maintained a pragmatic, calm (if occasionally smug) aura that resonated with voters. Local observers won't soon forget this exchange between Lamoureux and Mariano during an appearance on WTAG (AM 580)'s Jordan Levy Show:

Mariano: Lawyers Weekly didn't rate the clerk. They rated the politeness and efficiency of his office.

Lamoureux: Well, I think I should be able to take some credit for a good rating, since I'd no doubt be criticized if it were a bad one.

Ka-ching! Instead of a predicted Mariano win, it was Lamoureux who was victorious, and by a throttling 70 to 30 percent margin. As soon as the dust settled, everyone within distance of a microphone or reporter's notebook was calling it Mariano's swan song as a politician.

There's no doubt hizzoner got tattooed pretty badly. And, perhaps, his many connected friends won't pull his wagon so eagerly next time. But somehow we think Mariano, 49, will be back. As for Lamoureux, 68, that final six-year term before retirement is all his. Except this time, perhaps more voters will be keeping an eye on what exactly it is he does.

ARTS DISTRICT GETS SECOND WIND

In 2000, Worcester's long-wished-for Arts District got a second chance. First conceived in 1998 as a way to spruce up the dingy Green Island neighborhood, the push failed when a handful of local businesses raised a stink. But the notion lives on: this time, backers hope to center an arts community around Main South, specifically in the old Mart building and Odd Fellows Hall on Main Street.

But that wasn't the first choice. Initially it was the former David Burwick furniture store on the corner of Main and Madison Streets. Backers the Community Builders Inc. pulled out of a deal to renovate the structure in March, when it was found existing damage was too great for the project to be cost-effective.

To expedite the conversation between city officials and local artists, Christine Proffitt, 30, was hired in September as Worcester's cultural liaison officer. Proffitt is a former grant writer and special events coordinator at the Worcester Art Museum. It's still a bit early to levy any verdict one way or another on Proffitt, who will earn a bit over $50,000 per year, but she comes across as a dedicated and energetic presence. Let's just wait and see how much support she actually gets from city leaders.

SHAW RESIGNS

One story that broke late in the year won't show its true importance until the next. In December, Worcester's chief development officer, Everett Shaw, announced his resignation effective January 5. His move came as both a surprise and as something to be expected. For while Shaw had recently scored a bit of a coup by convincing city manager Tom Hoover to begin realigning several of the city's development boards under one office, which Shaw would head. Last week, the plan took a big step when the city council approved a transfer of the Worcester Redevelopment Authority to Shaw's office.

But the Connecticut native also took his share of licks during his two-year tenure, in part due to his alarming penchant for committee-forming. While some praised his willingness to involve rank-and-file citizens in the development process, others just thought he was wasting time. Add a reputation for being late, and even a no-show to key events, and Shaw's resignation isn't so surprising.

Yet what he did accomplish is now in the hands of the next development officer, who hasn't yet been named. Rumors about top candidates for the job are many; former state senator Robert A. Bernstein, Chamber of Commerce official Philip J. Niddrie, city solicitor David Moore, and former state rep and city marketing director Kevin O'Sullivan have all been floated as possibles. Given what's at stake, let's hope Hoover takes a long look at those resumes.
LIVE MUSIC LIVES IN WORCESTER

This was the year of the Palladium. MassConcerts promoter John Peters took the once-crumbling 2300-seat theater and transformed it into one of New England's premier venues for all-ages, dance, and national music acts. It very well could be downtown's greatest cultural asset these days, for what little respect it tends to get.

For sure, though, the building has its failings. Acoustically, it's no Symphony Hall, and sight lines from the balcony can be poor. Also, we think $4 beers are a tough sell in Worcester, a.k.a. El Cheapo Town.

Those quirks haven't stopped thousands of fans from all over New England from coming to Worcester for shows like the annual Metalfest, B.B. King, and even Prince, who kicked off a surprise tour at the theater in November. In addition to big-ticket acts, the area's all-ages music scene gets a boost with shows in the Upstairs room, which holds about 400 fans.

The theater's current success is a far cry from past years, when the fare included second-run movies and sparsely attended concerts by has-beens like Rick Derringer and Billy Squier. Rumors the building had a wrecking ball in its future popped up more than once. Yet not everyone has acknowledged the Palladium's vitality. In July, the 50-member Centre City Development Corporation, an advisory committee formed by development officer Everett Shaw, released an exhaustive plan to liven up downtown. The plan itself is excellent, with a few exceptions, none more glaring than a recommendation that the city purchase the Palladium and convert it into a home for traveling Broadway shows. Huh? Despite some people's apparent need to be clueless, there's little doubt the Palladium will rock on, and on, and on in 2001. We'll see you all there.

Chris Kanaracus's New Year's resolution is to rock on. Hear him discuss the year in review this Saturday, January 30 on "The Dave & Dave Show"(WORC-AM 940 and 1310) from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.