By Scott Zoback

• THE CHANGING OF THE POLLS: A slew of polling places are slated to move by the next election, but not everyone is happy about the shift. On Tuesday, Councilor Phil Palmieri asked for a report on the real reasons for the changes and for a realistic timetable on when they can get done. Part of his problem was a recent revelation that the adjustments don't have to ever come before the Council for approval. "When I initially met with the clerk ... I was told we were going to vote on it. I don't understand why this is happening ... Councilors have raised a number of questions on an issue we don't vote on, so I thought it was appropriate [to discuss]." Palmieri not-so-subtly questioned if the elections team had done all their research, stating, "It's my understanding the police chief was never asked [about public safety] ...." There's something else at play on that "real reasons" question: Some pols frame the change conversation around safety, saying that allowing easy access into schools is dangerous to children. But that wasn't the stated motivation when Councilor Joff Smith first raised the issue; at that point it was more about access and parking.

• US VS. THEM: The schools will be getting an approximate $2 million windfall as the result of health care reform; city councilors proposed that the money go straight to supplies that were left out of this year's budget. But several teachers in the audience on Tuesday were a bit miffed at how the conversation was framed. Councilor Paul Clancy repeatedly talked about the money being saved in terms of "us" and "them." Translation: It's all about city vs. schools. A few teachers cried out "it's us!" as Clancy said "them," and Councilor Gary Rosen tried playing peacekeeper, referring to "our students." And one observer noticed another Clancy-led "us vs. them" debate, when he raised the issue of East Side vs. West Side flight from the public schools.

• MONTVALE SUSPENDED: There's still no resolution for the tennis court that once played host to historical volleys between Abraham Lincoln and John Adams; it looks like the Montvale Historical District expansion is going to remain unresolved for a time. The Council held the item once again on Tuesday night, and several councilors indicated that it would remain on the table until some behind-the-scenes resolution can be made between the American Antiquarian Society and the neighbors.

• RIN-TIN-TIN HE AIN'T, PART ONE: WPD Officer Mark Rojas, the cop who sparked huge debate when he shot a dog last week (190-plus comments on the Telegram discussion boards), is no stranger to public criticism. In January 2005, Dianne Williamson reported that Rojas, locked in a bitter custody battle, was accused of harassing, threatening and assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her husband in incidents dating to 2003. At one point, Rojas allegedly jumped in the husband's car and began to choke him as the husband called 911. In another incident, Rojas allegedly threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend, her new partner, and himself. While the victims' complaints of harassment to Internal Affairs were dismissed, a District Court judge eventually issued a criminal complaint charging Rojas with assault and battery.

• RIN-TIN-TIN HE AIN'T, PART TWO: And in July 2006, Mark Rojas, a former Vice Squad cop, was one of the officers who arrested activist Kevin Ksen for trespassing after, said Rojas at the time, Ksen blocked the entrance to 5 Sycamore St. and refused to leave. This was in the midst of Ksen and other activists protesting COPS filming in Worcester. Ksen, who claimed he was on the sidewalk, was also charged with resisting arrest. He filed an official complaint with the department in September, claiming he was harassed, bullied, sworn at, and falsely arrested. At the time, Mr. Ksen said in the Telegram that "Officer Rojas quickly grabbed my arms, which were in front of me with the camera, twisted them up behind my back and slapped cuffs on me in seconds. I was pretty amazed how fast I was cuffed." During the episode, he said, officers deleted a photo from his digital camera and threw away the fliers he and his friend were distributing." Ksen's charges were eventually continued and dropped; he questioned the civilian complaint process.

• MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS: The 2007 Elections Department merger with the City Clerk's Office has gone smoothly, by most accounts, even if it hasn't been the money saver that Konnie Lukes thought it would be. According to a report from Chief Financial Officer Thomas Zidelis, the projected costs for fiscal 2008 will be $422,829.10, an increase of $34,690.74 over fiscal 2007's budget of $388,138.36. Lukes said she was disappointed by the amount of the increase; in 2007, City Manager Michael O'Brien said that the merger was designed to be a "budget neutral" move compared to hiring a new full-time elections director after Craig Manseau left town.

• A VERY SPECIAL PENSION ARGUMENT: And Konnie Lukes didn't win any fans on the floor on Tuesday when she questioned the process of awarding a special pension to gravely injured firefighter Mark Stomski, saying that the Council didn't get any real medical documentation of his condition, and that there were few provisions for follow-up medical exams. One of her key supporting points was the case of Fire Captain Michael Coakley, who received a special pension eight years ago after suffering life-threatening injuries, allowing him to receive a full salary equivalent. He ended up running a construction company and winning a golf tournament in the months and years following. Fire Chief Gerald Dio didn't take kindly to her comments, declaring, "I'm sorry he [Coakley] didn't die quickly enough for you," before apologizing to Lukes. But despite Lukes's assurances that she was not questioning Stomski's health, off the floor her fellow councilors accused her of making noise solely for $2,500 — the difference in what Stomski would be eligible to earn through alternative employment in the regular disability pension versus the "special" pension. o