Hot For Teacher

So get this...

Apparently Kaitlyn Pearson, a 23 yr old Fitchburg, MA special needs teacher's aide was placed on administrative leave on Jan 17 after an anonymous packet containing Pearson's modeling photos were mailed to both the local paper, Sentinal & Enterprise and Fitchburg school officials. This created a whole bru-haha that set the city buzzing.

Facts are: Kaitlyn did pose for "racy" pictures. They certainly do not constitute "pornography", but she was photographed scantily clad, embracing other semi clothed women. The question here is what does this have to do with her teaching duties? Her reputation as a teacher's aide is excellent. She is well respected by her colleagues and is reportedly a devoted teacher.

A local principal of another middle school, not the school Pearson works in, wrote a letter in her defense:

In the letter, Principal Fran Thomas Jr. of Memorial Middle School said that while he doesn’t know Pearson, he objected to the “cowardice” of the anonymous packet sender. “As a parent and an 
educator, I am far, far, far, more concerned about a student being in a classroom with petty, vindictive, sneaky, gutless bullies than with a former model.” Sneaks, he said, are the ones who shouldn’t be working in schools.

As The Boston Herald's Margery Eagan pointed out today: If Scott Brown can pose nude for Cosmopolitian and be voted into the US Senate, with rumors swirling around his possible Presidential candidacy in 2016, why is it such a crime for Kaitlyn Pearson to model in her spare time?

Evidently the powers that be agree. In a recent press release, Fitchburg Superintendent Andre Ravenelle said that "after reviewing all relevant information" the school reinstated Kaitlyn Pearson on Tuesday.

Amen. It's nice to see that for once, doing the right thing ended up being the right thing to do.

Bring It Home Boys.

• The winter is coming. Fall has taken hold of this locale and dropped the cold air into the region like a crop duster spraying for mosquitoes. I've had to put the heat on! Time to break out the winter and  hooded coats we haven't seen since March cuz old man winter is settling down for his long Winter's nap and has grown a beard too. You think he's a Sox fan?

• We had some excellent rotisserie chicken take-out last night. The Modern Rotisserie is an upscale, gourmet take-out market in Newton, MA that we thought we'd try. The food was excellent! I got a breast and two sides; Mac and cheese (topped with Cheese-It's) and stuffing with gravy. Nothing says lovin like the cozy, delicious gourmet comfort food I had last night. Two thumbs, way up for some take-out !

• Frack is behaving! That boy has been feeling his "Senior-itis" for a few months now and he's quite possibly starting to reign it in. It's about time, too because he's been, shall we say, difficult. Frick was difficult too, but not like him. He's just stubborn. Are girls easier than boys? I'm not remembering her being too difficult. Selective memory, I think.

• I've started the Holiday shop. Now that everyone is older, the gift-buying is getting harder. Everyone has everything they need. I think a family trip is what's needed instead of a bunch of crapola that they don't need. Some team building in a warm destination is the best money spent for this family. 

And finally....

• We live to take the World Series home to Boston, where it belongs. Johnny Gomes...You be da MAN!!! Let's take it one game at a time secure in the knowledge we will see the World Series at Fenway again! Good luck tonite to the Sox and the Nation! Like it said in my Herald this morning: "sleep is overrated.".

Mumbled Messages

Remember Mumbles from Dick Tracy?

Mumbles was a Dick Tracy Character from the iconic Dick Tracy Cartoon who first debuted in the 40's. Quick bio: Mumbles was a gangster who was part of a quartet of musicians who committed crimes. Dick Tracy and the cops chased Mumbles and his gang for years. Mumbles did not have a speech impediment, but earned his nick name from using "sloppy speech".

Mumbles is also the nick name of the beloved Mayor of my fair City of Boston. Mayor Tom Menino has held his desk at city hall for 20 years. During that time, Mayor Menino would mix up and mash together certain names, words and constantly fumble minor facts into a bit of a jumble. The press would always have a field day, and they would play the video sound bites of his gaffe's on the radio and the TV news. Even the print papers would publish Mumbles "more infamous" blunders.

Flash forward to today:  So I'm reading my Boston Herald this morning and my favorite old Herald scribe hit me right between the eyes, as he has so many times before. His message powerful and sent clearly and articulately. I decided it was too good not to share here today. Quick Bio: Joe Fitzerald used to write sports, back in the day when Candy was a young and bright eyed journalism  undergraduate working at TV38. I read him every day. He has a knack for spinning a story and making you feel like you are having a conversation with him at the local diner counter over morning coffee. Joe was moved to the middle of the paper doing human interest stories about 5- 10 years ago. Joe recently lost his beloved wife of may years to Alzhimers at the age of 65 last October. He poignantly wrote about their life together.

The old Joe reared his head this morning with his message. You see, Joe is everybody's newspaper man, and even though Mayor Menino made embarrassing bumble and jumbles when talking, that's only a small part of the story of the man; the Mayor. Joe tells the story to not us, the Herald readership, but to his "pal Johnny", a sixth grader here in Boston.

I won't tell you everything, but I will share with you the words Joe printed of our imparting Mayor of Boston's wife, Angela Menino,

“Tommy’s always telling me, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Even though he doesn’t show it, I know it has to hurt.

“When we were kids we all had something that other kids could pick on, remember? Maybe we had an accent, or wore glasses, or were fat. There was always someone eager to make fun of it. Me? I wore braces.

“I can still remember one bully who loved making fun of me. I tried to be a good sport and laugh along with everyone else, but I also remember how much it hurt inside. And that’s what I think of when I see what they do to Tommy.”

I encourage you to take a moment and click the link HERE to read Joe's column, because it's a great lesson in humility and compassion. Isn't it the responsibility of the press to tell a good story? One that has relevance and is inspiring? Mr Fitzgerald has a real knack for that. All good newspaper men do.

As for Mumbles? Don't worry about him. His record speaks ever so clearly for itself. He knows what's really important. It makes me think we all should.