Prayers, Pies and Prizes By Leo Racicot I’d be lying if I said our mother looked forward, as did so many of the parents of our Saint Patrick’s School classmates, when the school year rolled around to school community-related activities such as raffles, school fairs, bake sales, paper drives. As…

A weekly report on things I’ve read, heard and seen since last Wednesday.  Book List: The 50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century in the New York Times Book Review, September 27, 2026. One of the high points of my weekend is reading the Book Review although I come away…

Two years ago, Louise Peloquin began sharing excerpts from L’Etoile, a French-language newspaper published in Lowell from 1886 to 1957. At my urging, she has agreed to compile some of her previous posts with added contextual information into a book manuscript to be called, L’Etoile: A Star on Prince Street.…

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Seascraper by Benjamin Wood is a 2025 long-listed Booker novel (really more of a novella) suffused with the gray and misty atmosphere of a British seaside village in the early 1960s, animated by fascinating characters, and enriched by…

There was no Lowell City Council meeting this past Tuesday so today I’ll cover some of the things discussed at the council’s September 22, 2026, meeting which I omitted from last week’s newsletter. I found a couple of procedural discussions among councilors to be both interesting and important. The first…

Time of the End of the Season Part IX 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…

Remembering Cupples Square By Leo Racicot In spite of my lifelong devotion to The Acre and Saint Patrick’s Parish, I was actually born on Pine Street in The Highlands, baptized at Saint Margaret s Church on Stevens Street. Aunt Marie and Nana lived most of their lives in The Highlands…

A weekly report on things I’ve read, heard and seen since last Wednesday.  Podcast: The Varsity featuring host John Ourand interviewing Ted Leonsis, a Lowell High Distinguished Alumni. Leonsis gained fame and fortune as an executive with America Online (AOL). In 1999, he purchased the NHL’s Washington Capitals and since…

Two years ago, Louise Peloquin began sharing excerpts from L’Etoile, a French-language newspaper published in Lowell from 1886 to 1957. At my urging, she has agreed to compile some of her previous posts with added contextual information into a book manuscript to be called, L’Etoile: A Star on Prince Street.…

We’ll start with a housekeeping announcement: Due to the ongoing storm, I postponed this weekend’s tours of Lowell Cemetery. They will now be held next weekend, Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4, 2026, both starting at 10 a.m. from the Lawrence Street Gate (same tour both days). **** The…