SALEM — One of the big news stories around the world this week was the refusal by Israeli officials to allow Noam Chomsky, a noted linguist and harsh critic of the Israeli and U.S. governments, to enter the West Bank to deliver a lecture at a Palestinian university.
Lost in most of the news coverage was this item: The 81-year-old Chomsky was traveling with his daughter, Avi Chomsky, a history professor at Salem State College and a Salem resident.
In an e-mail exchange this week with Avi Chomsky, who was in Jordan, we asked her what this week was like.
"The response both in the Arab world and in Israel has been dramatic," she wrote. "He's gotten constant phone calls and interview requests, and pretty much every news article we've read in both the Arab and Israeli press has been critical of the Israeli government. Hotel staff, perfect strangers in the street, pretty much everyone we see stops him to express their outrage."
After being barred, Chomsky went to the University of Jordan to deliver his lecture via teleconference to Birzeit University in the West Bank.
"The scene at the University of Jordan was incredible," Avi wrote. "... He was practically mobbed."
Back home, Avi Chomsky is well-known for her campaign against Dominion, the owner of the Salem Harbor Station power plant. She has gone to Colombia in South America, the source of the plant's coal, and brought workers back here whose families were uprooted by the mines. At Salem State, she teaches courses on Latin America and world history, where she has focused attention on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Thrown under the bus
It's been a rough week for state Rep. John Keenan.
First, he missed qualifying for the November ballot by a single signature. Then came news that he had filed special legislation to grant Biff Michaud his own low-number bus license plate.
So when state Sen. Fred Berry ran into Keenan at a political fundraiser this week, he couldn't resist a good-natured zinger.
"You look like you've just been hit by Bus 1," quipped the Senate majority leader.
Tea, anyone?
Not that anyone's counting, but about 75 supporters turned out Saturday for the inaugural rally of the North Shore Tea Party. Among those in Riley Plaza was John Hayes, head of the Republican City Committee.
Seen at the rally: a man holding an American flag in one hand and a "Defeat John Tierney" sign in the other.
Not seen at the rally: Hayes' wife, Sally, a member of the Democratic City Committee.
Nina's garden
Quite a storm whipped up this week over rumors that the city was planning to remove or relocate a memorial garden on White Street dedicated to the late Nina Vickers, a beloved musician, gardener and friend to many.
Members of the Historic Derby Street Neighborhood Association e-mailed Mayor Kim Driscoll to express their outrage.
It turned out to be just that — false rumors — but it had city officials jumping for a few hours.
That garden, by the way, is beautifully tended by neighbor Steven Hultgren.
Zipcar zeal
The city welcomed its four newest residents this week: "Maglaras," "Mistry," "Caza" and "Salem."
Those are the names of the four Zipcars now parked at Riley Plaza and in the Crombie Street lot.
A few dozen people gathered at East India Square to officially welcome the Cambridge-based car-sharing program to town. Mayor Kim Driscoll performed the ceremonial "first door opening," then everyone went to Rockafellas for a reception.
Zipcar members can rent a Honda CR-V, Mini Cooper, Kia Soul and Mazda 3 — all currently parked in Salem lots — for rates ranging between $9.25 and $11.25 an hour.
Mayor Zac?
Salem High senior Zac Broughton suffered through, ahem, attended his final meeting as student representative to the School Committee this week.
Broughton is senior class president, a leader in the Junior ROTC program and a member of the Harvard Model Congress, just to name a few of his many activities.
The School Committee thanked Broughton for his involvement in the schools and his diligence as student representative to the board. (He turned in written reports at each meeting, which is purported to be a first).
"It has truly been an honor to sit at this bench," Broughton said to the committee Monday night, noting that he has worked with some members for four years. "I'm sorry if I annoyed you during that time period."
Mayor Kim Driscoll, who is chairwoman of the School Committee, presented Broughton with a city seal.
"I fully expect you'll sit in this seat someday — hopefully not too soon," she said with a laugh.
Best of luck to Broughton as he graduates next month and heads off to UMass Amherst in the fall.
Anchors aweigh
Madeline (Letarte) Saunders of South Salem will rise early tomorrow to see her son, Lt. Cmdr. Hobart Saunders, retire from the U.S. Navy after 26 years. The ceremony will take place aboard the USS Constitution, a Navy ship on which an ancestor once served.
The lieutenant commander, who lives in Peabody and graduated from St. John's Prep in 1976, had a distinguished Navy career. He served with the 4th Marine Regiment in the civil war in Liberia, was with the 10th Marines in Desert Storm and did three tours in Iraq, including service with a Marine anti-terrorist unit. Before that combat service, he was injured in 1988 when a car bomb exploded at the USO in Naples, Italy, killing five people.
"I've had a few injuries," Hobie Saunders said.
A proud mother will be joined by Saunders' wife, Laureen; his father, Hobart; and other family members, including son Charles, who also served in the Navy.
"I'm really blessed," Mrs. Saunders said. "They have worked very hard for our country."
Dutch treat
There will be an orange sunset over Pickering Wharf tonight.
Our favorite Dutchman, Chamber Executive Director Rinus Oosthoek, is co-hosting a social gathering tonight at Vic's Boathouse at Victoria Station. Invitations have gone out to the Dutch/Flemish community in the Boston area. The North Shore alone is loaded with Hollanders — if there is such a word.
So go over tonight and have a borreltje (drink) with the gang.
Unsung heroine
Marcia Lambert, the flower of South Salem, was honored at the Statehouse on Wednesday as one of the 100 Unsung Heroines of 2010 by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.
Among numerous activities, Lambert is chairwoman of the Salem Beautification Committee and a member of the Salem Garden Club and the Salem Recycling Committee.
Visitors from Kuwait
Bates Elementary School recently hosted two school principals from Kuwait, Awatif Al-Buriki and Deyaa AlQadeeri, who spent the day with Bates Principal Thomas LaValley.
"We shared about each other's schools," LaValley said. "One of the biggest things they noticed was, 'You don't have an assistant?' And I said, 'No,'" he recalled with a laugh.
One of the women is a principal of a public high school, and the other is principal of a private elementary school.
LaValley took them downtown and gave them a quick lesson on local history up through modern-day witches. They also accompanied him to a school budget meeting.
"They said they have to go through the same thing at their schools," LaValley said.
There were other similarities. "They were saying cell phones are an issue, and they have the same problems, like kids acting out," LaValley said. "I thought it was quite interesting that it's the same all over the world."
They visited Bates because LaValley is on the board of the Massachusetts Elementary School Principal's Association, which has a partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government's Middle East Initiative.
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