Coffey, Dennis 03.09 - University of Massachusetts Lowell Libraries

D: And it played a very significant role. And it was, it was really the Dukakis/Tsongas
connection that really drove that. That some of the business community of course had
been very supportive of Dukakis. He really liked the urban fabric stuff. You know, he
was a great one not for growth control, I don’t know, that term wasn’t vogue at the time,
but you know, let’s bring the investment to where the people are. Let’s stop spreading
out into the suburbs (A: Yah, yah) and that kind of stuff you know, public transportation,
things of that nature, the commuter rail line. You know a number of factors I think led to
the enthusiasm at the state level. Gee I forget the names now. Gail, Gail Bliss, Gail Bliss,
is that her name?
A: That sounds familiar.
D: Yah, he was one of them, and a number of, a number of folks.
A: Now before Dukakis came, I mean Governor Sargent actually I think signed the
legislation.
D: Well you’re right. I’m glad you reminded me of that. Yah. Yah, that’s right.
A: Yah, and so what do you remember about how that developed?
D: Yah okay. Um (--)
A: Did you guys have to prepare any reports for the state?
D: I guess it was Pat Mogan that called me up one day and he said, “What are you doing
Friday,” or something, whatever. And I said, “Well I don’t know, what do you need?”
He said, “Well he said, Jessie Sargent is coming to town, Frank’s wife.”
A: Oh okay.
D: Frank Sargent’s wife. “Jessie Sargent is coming to town and I want you to take her
around so that she gets the right picture.” And so I did you know, we started the mayor’s
office and city manager, and then we you know, we toured her around and showed her
some of the stuff you know, the evolving resources that we were focusing on and so
forth, a number of meetings and so forth. I had to sit outside while she went to a Tea
with the Republican City Women’s Club. [Laughs] But I didn’t mind that at all, you
know. And ah (--)
A: Yah, that might have been pure disaster.
D: Yah, I wouldn’t want to have been in that one. But Nancy Achin Sullivan’s mother
was you know, the chair of the committee you know, yah. (A: Okay) And so you know,
so again it was that kind of informal thing, you know. Then it goes back to Frank. Yah,
this looks real, you know. And I forget who his planners were, who he had involved.
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