Solidarity Lowell General Meeting This Sunday!

Solidarity Lowell Events and Actions

Solidarity Lowell Hybrid Meeting SUNDAY!
Sunday, May 21, 5:30-7pm (NOTE date change due to Memorial Day)
In person at Christ Church United, 10 Arlington St, Dracut
For Online Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/s/solidarity-lowell-april-2023-h/1577871892681741/

Hear the latest news regarding our petition for better treatment of Lowell’s unhoused population, which was presented to the City Council at the April 11 meeting. We will also hear from Mark Martinez, Housing Attorney for the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.

Support for Asylum-Seeker Marius
Marius is an asylum-seeker from Togo who we have assisted since he arrived here in 2018.
He and Lillian, an asylum-seeker from the Dominican Republic, had a baby last year. The baby, Yayrah, is in need of gift cards and monetary donations.

Gift cards can be given to Marissa Dupont.
Email marissa@solidaritylowell.com to coordinate drop-off

Cash donations may be made through GoFundMe.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/47gvz-marius

Lowell Events & Actions

Ghost Guns, Modifications, Part Sales, and Statutory Enforcement
Tuesday, May 16 at 6-8pm
O’Leary Library Room 222, UMass Lowell (Wilder Street)

State Representative Michael Day and the extended Lowell Delegation will be there to hear from community leaders and members of the public about gun violence in and around Lowell as part of a statewide Firearm Safety Listening Tour. After a panel discussion, we encourage the public to volunteer comments and ask questions.

Next City Council Meeting
Tuesday, May 16 at 6:30pm, at City Hall and online

Meetings are held weekly in Council Chamber Tuesdays at 6:30pm with public welcome. Attend in person or by using remote participation as follows: Members of the public may view the meeting via LTC.Org (Online; Live Streaming; Or Local Cable Channel 99).

See agenda for details:
https://www.lowellma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05162023-2734?html=true

Items of interest

2.3. Communication – Jacquelynn Coles – Juneteenth Holiday Events.

Motion Responses
A) MOTION RESPONSE – NARCAN TRAINING.PDF
CO-OP team to provide NARCAN training for city council.

B) MOTION RESPONSE – STATE ASSETS WITH ATTACHMENTS.PDF
https://www.lowellma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/24047?fileID=49187|
Identifies state properties in Lowell that could be used for regional homelessness shelter response.

Motions
10.1 C. Nuon – Req. City Mgr. Create A Sustainability Department To Coordinate Efforts Throughout The City That Aim To Meet The Commonwealth’s And The City’s Climate Goals And Create A Plan To Adapt To The Effects Of Climate Change In A Fair, Just And Efficient Manner.

See below for sample email to send to councilors.

To speak, you must register by 4pm the day of the meeting. Those wishing to speak regarding a specific agenda item must register to speak in advance of the meeting by sending an email to the City Clerk indicating the agenda item and a phone number to call so that you may be issued a Zoom link to the meeting if you wish to speak remotely. Email Address is MGEARY@LOWELLMA.GOV. If you have no access to email you may contact the City Clerk at 978-674-4161.

To contact any City Councilor, or the City Manager, by email, use this webform
https://www.lowellma.gov/formcenter/contact-the-city-council-5/city-council-contact-form-45
and check off who you’re writing to.

Sample email regarding Motion 10.1 above:

Dear Councilor
My name is ________ and I live at (give your address). Please support motion 10.1 at Tuesday’s Council meeting. Lowell needs a Sustainability Department!
Thank you.

Mill City Grows Annual Plant Sale
Saturday May 20, 10am-2pm
UMass Lowell Rist Agriculture Farm, 91 Pawtucket Street

Lowell Litter Krewe
LLK is in the running for an award from the We Share a Common Thread Foundation.
Once a quarter, the Foundation donates $1500 to a worthy area non-profit as voted by the community. Whoever receives the most votes via their Give a Click site wins. Please vote, once, before June 30.
https://www.jdcu.org/community-about/our-foundation/give-a-click/?#gf_33

Meanwhile, the LLK has begun their regular cleanups.
To connect with them: https://linktr.ee/lowelllitterkrewe
Sign up to volunteer, check out their schedule and more.

Next events – Spring Cleanup and Concert Series

Saturday, May 20, 9:00am-12:00pm
Muldoon Park
31 Billerica St, South Lowell
1:00pm Rumrunners String Band with Evan Goodrow

Saturday, June 3, 9:00am-12:00pm
Armory Park
46 Westford St, Lowell
1:00-4:00pm Bad Boyz Band with Jasper Crystal Wizard and Saexia

Lowell Fall Election

Solidarity Lowell’s Election Subcommittee gearing up
If you are interested in helping to elect/re-elect progressive candidates for Lowell City CouncilCouncl and School Committee, please email Lisa Arnold (likarnold @ gmail.com) or Dee Halzack (dee.halz @ ix.netcom.com) (delete spaces when using emails cited)

Other Events

Grassroots Training Academy
8 sessions, select Mondays and Wednesdays from May 15-June 14
Organizer: Mass Alliance

Mass legislature, messaging, campaign planning, social media, press, lobbying, fundraising and more. For more details, and to apply to attend, see http://tinyurl.com/2023AdvocacyTrainingSeries

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits And Long-Term Affordability
Friday, May 19, 1-2pm
Presenter: Bipartisan Policy Center, Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy
RSVP for link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/low-income-housing-tax-credits-and-long-term-affordability-tickets-629302820677

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is the largest and most significant affordable housing program in the United States. Since its inception in 1987, LIHTC has supported the construction or rehabilitation of about 110,000 affordable rental units per year, providing more than 3 million affordable units for low-income families. Since 1990, the federal government has required LIHTC developments to keep units affordable for a minimum of 30 years. Estimates find that nearly half a million current LIHTC units—representing nearly a quarter of the total stock—will reach their 30-year mark by the end of this decade.

With thousands of units across the country already phasing out of this standard, more resources will be needed to maintain and expand the number of affordable homes available to low-income renters. In this webinar, panelists will provide context on the scale of LIHTC affordability phaseouts in coming years, discuss strategies to preserve affordable units for longer time periods or in perpetuity, and highlight bipartisan proposals to strengthen LIHTC.

Thrive Act Advocacy Day
Wednesday, May 24, 9:30am-2:30pm
The Boston Society of the New Jerusalem (Church on the Hill),140 Bowdoin Street, Boston, MA

RSVP: https://actionnetwork.org/events/thrive-act-advocacy-day

See next item for more on the THRIVE ACT.

State Level Actions

Thank Your Legislators For Supporting the Thrive Act
The state has been using two interconnected strategies – state takeovers of schools and districts and standardized testing – both in high-stakes ways that have worked against teachers, students, and communities. High-stakes standardized testing harms all students by narrowing the curriculum and, for some students, disrupts their future lives. State takeovers disrupt whole communities’ educational programming and school-to-community connections. Both are political strategies, not educational strategies, and they’re based in part on distrust of teachers and undermining the teaching profession.

The Thrive Act (H.495/S.246), filed by State Representatives Jim Hawkins and Sam Montaño, and State Senators Jo Comerford, Liz Miranda, and Adam Gomez, offers an alternative vision. It replaces the failed receivership model with comprehensive support and improvement plans that address root causes with a whole child approach and clear accountability and benchmarks. And while MCAS would still be used as part of a larger accountability process, the Thrive Act makes graduation dependent on successful completion of coursework, which is a more effective predictor of future learning and life success than standardized tests.

ALL Lowell legislators are cosponsors of the bills in their respective houses. Thank you Lowell delegation.

Invite Your Legislator to the June 6 Legislative Briefing
The Make Polluters Pay and Put Gas in the Past Campaigns, two top priorities of the Mass Power Forward Coalition, are joining for a double-header Legislative Briefing on June 6th. Use this toolkit and call on your legislator to join us!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13b-_uKuNY2HIcowBUY6Oz6iTzMLHhXNe5S23DFS8pSs/edit

Want to stay up to date on the campaign? Follow @polluterspayma on Twitter.

To Contact the Governor
Governor’s Office of Constituent Services (617) 725-4005
Call between 9am and 5pm and leave a message.

Or email the governor, using this form: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/email-the-governors-office#email-the-governor-using-this-form-

Our State Legislators’ Info
Speaker Ronald Mariano Ronald.Mariano@mahouse.gov | 617-722-2500 | Rm 356
Senate President Karen Spilka Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov | 617-722-1500 | Rm 332
Rep. Rodney Elliott Rodney.Elliott@ma.house.gov | 617-722-2000 x7313 | Rm B1
Rep. Vanna Howard Vanna.Howard@mahouse.gov | 617-722-2060 | Rm 33
Local office: 25 Central Street, ground floor, Lowell
Rep. Rady Mom Rady.Mom@mahouse.gov | 617-722-2637 | Rm 544
Rep. Colleen Garry Colleen.Garry@mahouse.gov | 617-722-2380 | Rm 238
Senator Edward Kennedy edward.kennedy@masenate.gov | 617-722-1630 | Rm 109-E
Senator Michael Barrett Mike.Barrett@masenate.gov | 617-722-1572 | Rm 109-D
Senator Jamie Eldridge James.Eldridge@masenate.gov | 617-722-1120 | Rm 511-C
Senator Barry Finegold Barry.Finegold@masenate.gov | 617-722-1612 | Rm 511A
(… or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)

Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133

National Actions

Looking for someone who’s trying to do something about gun violence?
Check out Everytown for Gun Safety
https://www.everytown.org/actions/

Join a local chapter, donate, help elect candidates who WILL work for sensible gun safety measures.

Our Federal Legislators’ Info

Representative Lori Trahan
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm
2439 Rayburn HOB | Washington, DC 20515 | 202-225-3411
126 John Street | Lowell, MA 01852 | 978-459-0101

Representative Seth Moulton
https://moulton.house.gov/contact
202-225-8020 | 978-531-1669