The Sun has apparently concluded that the recently increased parking fees in Lowell are newsworthy. Last night's story reported on School Committee member Jackie Doherty's assertion that the school department might be entitled to free parking at the Ayotte Garage given the history of how the land for the garage had been acquired with school building funds. Unfortunately, Mayor Armand Mercier cut her off during the meeting and told her she'd have to file a separate motion to discuss this further. Hopefully, she will. Tonight's Sun had a front page story, "Garages filled - with deals," that reviewed numerous instances where the city enticed developers to locate in Lowell by providing free or reduced cost parking at city garages. Ironically, the rush to raise parking rates is due to the city's desire to build a garage on Middlesex Street as a catalyst for development. Once that garage is build, no doubt, the city will offer free or heavily discounted parking to developers in that area to entice them into doing their projects. The same people who contemptuously ignore the history of Lowell High's involvement with the construction of the Ayotte Garage as "old news" shouldn't be so dismissive.