Author Archive

Martin Luther King Jr in Lowell

In honor of today’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, here’s a reminder that King visited Lowell on April 12, 1953. Rev. Otto Loverude, the pastor of the First United Baptist Church on Church Street, had invited King who was then a student in the doctoral program at Boston University…

Read More »

City Council Report: Jan 19, 2020

On Sunday mornings I plan to post the MINUTES of the previous week’s Lowell City Council meeting followed by the AGENDA for the upcoming council meeting. Both are edited to emphasize Council motions and responses and other reports or items that deserve attention Minutes of Jan 14, 2020 Lowell City…

Read More »

Lowell City Council Agenda: Jan 14, 2020

Here are the City Council motions and a report on the 75 Arcand Drive eminent domain taking from the agenda for Tuesday’s Lowell City Council meeting: CITY COUNCIL – MOTIONS Nuon – Req. City Mgr. provide update regarding review of inspection and enforcement procedures within Developmental Services to determine if…

Read More »

Seeing Through the Double Standard

Seeing Through the Double Standard By George Chigas The use of the double standard (in this case, when a state applies the rules of war differently depending on which side you’re on; but it also applies to multiple other contexts: personal, home sports teams, etc) is an age-old form of…

Read More »

January 7, 2020 City Council Minutes

  Minutes of last week’s Lowell City Council meeting from City Clerk Michael Geary: ROLL CALL – Roll Call showed 9 present. M. Leahy presiding. Councilor Conway requested moment of silence in darkened chamber for Mary Elizabeth Pyne and Marian L. Sorenson. CITY CLERK 2.1. Minutes of City Council Meeting…

Read More »

“US or Them” means No one

“US or Them” means No one By George Chigas Shortly after midnight on January 3, 2020, a US drone attack killed Iranian general and chief military strategist Qassem Soleimani as his convoy was leaving the Baghdad International airport. The assassination follows months of escalating violence subsequent to the Trump administration’s…

Read More »

Electing Lowell’s Mayor: 1966-2018

The first act of the incoming Lowell City Council at tomorrow’s inauguration ceremony will be to elect the city’s next mayor. The process involves each councilor when called upon announcing his or her candidate for mayor. The first councilor to receive five votes becomes mayor. Here are brief sketches of…

Read More »