Author Archive

Planning Lowell’s Centennial – (PIP #94) By Louise Peloquin      By rallying together, combining efforts and forging alliances, Lowellians tackled centennial celebration arrangements. L’Etoile – Front page, January 9, 1026 THE SPLENDORS OF THE CENTENNIAL FESTIVITIES __________ Grand four or five-day pageant with 1,200 extras at South Common. – Magnificent…

The Lowell City Council had a busy meeting on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Funding the Lowell High construction and renovation project was foremost among the items discussed. Last month, the council rejected a proposed loan order of $39 million to pay the increased costs of the project. Now, the city…

The Night That Sputnik Soared Over Lowell By Rocky Provencher There was a time that Lowell was a well-known industrial center. It was built from farm land, a city planned with forethought, with mills, housing for the workers, roads, churches, and railroads. Each mill was a manufacturing marvel, a beacon…

The Erudite Sports Enthusiasts By Stephen O’Connor Professor Ernest Harrington, PhD, Trinity College, welcomed the members of the “The Erudite Sports Enthusiasts” to his home in Cambridge where, as I shall relate, a most startling development ensued. The Enthusiasts consist of Professor Margaret Alvarez, Amherst College Doctor of Comparative Literature,…

“It was a very good year” – (PIP #93) By Louise Peloquin      The beginning of a new year always brings forecasts, predictions and plans. L’Etoile tried to cover them diligently, but always with a special local focus. 1926, Lowell’s centennial, was expected to be a very good year. L’Etoile…

The January 13, 2026, Lowell City Council meeting began with a brief presentation by the Lowell City of Learning committee on UNESCO’s recent decision to add Lowell to its Global Network of Learning Cities. This is the first time a U.S. city has received this honor. This network is designed…

Time of the End of the Season By Bob Hodge **** Bob Hodge grew up in Lowell and went on to graduate from Lowell High (1973) and University of Lowell (1990). He was (and still is) one the greatest runners to come out of this region. He’s also a writer…

An Adventurous Palate By Leo Racicot When I was a kid, I wouldn’t have anything much to do with food. I wasn’t an eater and found most meal items our mother presented alien and strange. I remember a slab of cheese looked and tasted like a piece of plastic, and…