By Scott Zoback

• MR. ED: Sen. Ed Augustus' out-of-the-blue announcement that he would step down at the end of his term came as no surprise to many political observers. Rumors have been swirling since at least 2006's election of Tim Murray to Lt. Gov. that this would be Augustus' last term, whether he got another posting at the state level or not. But Augustus repeatedly denied all talk that he would step down, saying that he was happy in his role. And they were active denials: At the City Council inauguration in January, Augustus pulled a Worcester Magazine reporter aside to deny new gossip that he was leaving office, before the talk had even made the rounds. This, despite the fact that Augustus has said he made his decision before the New Year. And as late as last week, Augustus was telling other pols that he had no intention of leaving office.

• SITTING IN AN EMPTY CHAIR: Augustus' departure, coupled with the loss of other influential local legislators, such as Sen. Bob Antonioni, leaves a gaping hole in political influence in the area. A number of people want to fill that hole. Within minutes of Augustus making his official calls to fellow politicians and officials, would-be candidates and their would-be backers were throwing their names into the fray, just to see what would stick. The two most prominent names off the bat were State Rep. Karyn Polito (R), and State Rep. John Fresolo (D). And although Fresolo has reportedly backed off a bit, sources say he had been throwing his name out for weeks before Augustus' announcement, meeting with officials to see if they would support him for a hypothetical run. Other potential Democratic candidates include Michael Moore, and Doug Belanger. Polito is the intriguing candidate as a Republican who has built up some local support on the Democratic side of the aisle. And that says nothing there are the half-dozen or more hopefuls waiting in the wings to run for Fresolo's seat, should he jump to the Senate race.

• AN EMPTY CHAIR, part 2: Even more heated is the scramble to fill Sen. Bob Antonioni's seat. At least nine candidates have either announced their intentions or been rumored to run for the office over the past week. Two of the highest profile would-be senators on the Democratic side are State Reps. Jennifer Flanagan (Leominster) and Harold Naughton (Clinton). Former Democratic Gardner Rep. Brian Knuttilla has expressed an interest in the seat, as has Stephen Kerrigan of Lancaster. There has also been talk of former Republican Fitchburg Mayor Dan Mylott and Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella making a run. State Rep. Stephen DiNatale was reportedly considering a run, but backed out. And, like the race for Augustus' seat, the secondary story is in who will run to fill the seats of any state representatives who try to make the jump. Several potential candidates have already shown interest in Naughton's and Flanagan's seat, should they run.

• BUYERS WANTED: The University Park Lofts were supposed to be something special: urban loft-style living in a neighborhood you wouldn't expect it in. Built in an old Crompton and Knowles factory behind University/Crystal Park, within walking distance of Clark University, and kitty-corner to proposed development at 93 & 95 Grand Street, as well as the Royal Worcester, the units have barely sold, amid tenant allegations of mismanagement. The 37-unit project still has 29 empty units, and now it looks like there will be a fire sale to unload them. On Feb. 27, Berman Auctioneers will put the 29 units on the auction block for either individual or bulk purchasers. The units had been going for as low as $129,900 already; one current tenant reports that prices for this auction will start at $110,000. Buyers are asked to have a check for $5,000 per condo when buying. For more information, visit www.bermanauctions.com/worcester_university/

•DON'T OWN WHERE YOU LIVE: There was a lot of conversation at Tuesday night's City Council meeting about how to deal with properties owned by landlords who don't live there. Councilor Michael Germain suggested looking at charging landlords a registration fee and property certification for non-owner occupied units (although questions abound on how to legally inspect renter-occupied apartments); Councilor Rick Rushton asked the city manager to investigate holding owners of abandoned/foreclosed properties responsible for the costs of maintaining them.

• YOU DON'T CALL, YOU DON'T WRITE: Private-public partnerships work a lot better when the sides are talking. But according to City Manager Michael O'Brien, his phone calls and letters to Wyman-Gordon head Christopher Ayer have gone unreturned. He told the council that he is now using "emissaries" to try to communicate with the company regarding development plans and strategies for their sprawling property near Kelley Square.

• AND THE WINNER IS: The New England Press Association held its annual Better Newspaper Contest Awards Ceremony in Boston last weekend and Worcester Magazine stood tall. The paper and staff pulled in three first place wins Saturday. A&E Editor Charlene Arsenault pulled in first place for Arts & Entertainment reporting; Senior Reporter Scott Zoback took first place for social issues feature story; and photographer Jeff Loughlin took first for pictorial photograph. In addition, Worcester's own Janice Harvey took a third place win for humor columnist of the year and Charlene cleaned up with another win, a third place for human interest feature story. o

Lisa Egan contributed to this column.