Coffey, Dennis 03.09 - University of Massachusetts Lowell Libraries

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Or political maneuvering to see if you know, (D: Right, right) because obviously I don’t know, you might have been in Nashua, but there was the big vote for the Lowell Connector in 1972 on the city council. (D: Right, right) Were you around for that? D: Yah I was in one way or another. And you know, you’re right, I think the planning people were more sensitive to some of the community concerns. (A: Yah) And redevelopment side of the house you know, just saw hey, you know, taking the relocations and jobs. You know, business activity, you know and spending money. You know, that’s what it’s all about. And I think kind of informally the planning group was sort of siding with the community, but informally. (A: So I mean) Because the CDA Board I think was, was very much in favor of the Connector. A: Yah. So, so. D: We had to tread lightly. A: Yah okay. They had to hide their true loyalties so to speak? D: Right. That’s right. (A: Okay) So I don’t remember any (--) I mean in some of those meetings that we, that we, staff meetings that we had you know, we probably did discuss it, but I don’t remember any particular blow-ups or anything like that. It was more on the informal discussions that you know, people expressed their true opinions. (A: Yah) And I think when Jack Tavares came over to us, because it was after John Wagner left, you know the timing is vague. A: Yah, I don’t even know from Model Cities [unclear]. D: Right. Right. A: I think, I think he was there in, I think Model Cities was put in, in ’66. D: Around there I think. A: I think he was there for five years. So maybe ’71 he went to (--) D: Yah, ‘71, ’72, something like that. A: You don’t know where, I’ve tried to find these guys, but Don Wagner and Bruce Hall? D: Don Wagner, yah I have no idea. I don’t. When he left he went to Cambridge and I have no idea where he is now. Bruce Hall, gosh I think he went to Florida. Bob Malavich didn’t, he didn’t know huh? A: I’m not sure if I asked Bob that or not. 14
D: Yah, because Bob [unclear], A: Now how old would these guys be? Just a little bit older than you? D: Well Wagner, probably ten years older that me, and I’m 55. (A: Okay. Okay) Bruce is probably just a few years older. Kenny Briggs was another one. A: Okay, I’ve never even heard of him. D: You know, he was, he was a planner. He wasn’t around that long. I’m trying to think who else? Those were some of the key ones I think. But yah, I have no idea where Wagner and Bruce are now. Yah. Yah. A: How about the CDA Board? Did you have much interaction with them? D: Ah, somewhat, yah, yah. A: What were your impressions with of different people over there? D: Well I’ll tell you, as I said I was a young naïve person who was interested in politics. You know I had, I had worked on some city council campaigns and stuff like that you know, and you know, I had that enthusiasm. I was, I was disappointed to see the political shenanigans going on, you know. And when they ever fired Jim Silk and brought Vinnie Pitlinsky on, you know, that was the end of the (--) A: What was the rationale behind that move? D: Um, it seemed to me that Pitlinsky had run for, with the Republicans, had run for State Rep and loss of course, and so forth. And the Republicans on the board, and of course you know, it wasn’t like the Republicans and Democrats. I mean it was kind of non-partisan in many respect, but obviously there were Republican interest on the board. And they just wanted to exercise their authority and take control. And Jim was, Jim was a great guy personally. He wasn’t a great leader perhaps (A: Okay) in some respect. And he, his alliance was more with the redevelopment side than it was with the broader interest that the board, the authority should have had. A: Yah. D: But very, a gentleman, very professional and you know, really tried to do the right thing. And the board just drove him nuts. No matter what he did it was never the right thing. And you know, so I mean I say they fired him, you know, he resigned, (A: Right. Right) but obviously he didn’t have a heck of a lot of choice. And you know, five minutes after he resigned they were voting for Pitlinsky, you know. A: Yah. 15
Page 1 and 2: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL
Page 3 and 4: the world of work you know, it was
Page 5 and 6: eally) I went out there for about s
Page 7 and 8: grant, [unclear] planning and study
Page 9 and 10: D: Right, yah, yah, really sketchy
Page 11 and 12: the National Park Service has been
Page 13: There was one fellow in the Governo
Page 17 and 18: A: Okay, yah. D: Bourgeois and so f
Page 19 and 20: community turned around, and why th
Page 21 and 22: going to get killed,” you know. (
Page 23 and 24: D: Yah, right. That’s right. I th
Page 25 and 26: D: Eldred Field. Eldred Field. Eldr
Page 27 and 28: D: Yah, yah there was, there was so
Page 29 and 30: A: Did he ever pull you into the ba
Page 31 and 32: A: I mean would you say Yankees? (D
Page 33 and 34: D: Well Sue, Susan (A: Sue Leggat)
Page 35 and 36: of Kiely. He did a spectacular job
Page 37 and 38: cozying up to him, but we felt you
Page 39 and 40: D: [I wasn’t the brightest bulb o
Page 41: live. We raised our daughter here.

Coffey, Dennis 03.09 - University of Massachusetts Lowell Libraries

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