Author Archive

St Patrick’s Rectory, Lowell

Along with these photos of St Patrick’s Rectory at 282 Suffolk Street, Tony Sampas sent the following note: The Irish Cross adorning the St Patrick’s rectory by day and by night. One explanation of the green coloration is that it leached down from the copper flashing. But in America you…

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New Homestead Law begins tomorrow

On March 16, 2011, the much awaited revision of Massachusetts General Laws chapter 188 (The Homestead Law) takes effect. Perhaps the most noteworthy element of this new law is that it creates an automatic homestead exemption of $125,000 for every homeowner without the need to file any document. The law…

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Report on foreclosures in Lowell

Earlier tonight I presented a report to the city council housing subcommittee on foreclosures in Lowell from 2007 to 2010. The full report is available on the registry of deeds website HERE. The report scrutinized foreclosures conducted in 2008 and 2009 and calculated the time that passed between the various…

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The Ouellette Bridge

Tony Sampas provides some close-ups of the Ouellette Bridge, named for Joseph Ouellette who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor during the Korean War. The bridge runs from Lelacheur Park on the south side of the river to Top Donut on the north. It’s also known as the Aiken…

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Want to get in shape? Get a dog

Walking speed among the dog walkers increased by 28 percent, compared with just 4 percent among the human walkers. . . human walkers often complained about the heat and talked each other out of exercise, but that people who were paired with dogs didn’t make those excuses. Several studies reported…

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Hugh Cummiskey shot by rioters – 1833

The following account of an 1833 Yankee v Irish riot in Lowell was recently forwarded to me by one of Lowell’s foremost historians. Because it includes details of Hugh Cummiskey being shot by the rioters and because this is Irish cultural week, I’ve reproduced the story below: Riotous. On Friday…

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