Author Archive

Lowell Politics Newsletter: Feb 4, 2024

At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Lowell City Council moved efficiently through a short agenda, completing the meeting in just 90 minutes. One thing that contributed to the meeting’s brevity was the presence of just five motion responses on the agenda. With 15 new motions passed the same night, simple math…

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When Nothing Can Help

When Nothing Can Help By Malcolm Sharps One of the rare curiosities of Central European travel is to make the crossing from Hungary to Slovakia underground by way of the Dobsina-Aggtelek cave system, which in all is 21km in length. On my first visit to Aggtelek, I met with no such lucky opportunity;…

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Lowell Hosts

Lowell Hosts- (PIP #17) By Louise Peloquin Lowell is known for its success in managing large crowds. To provide one example, the Lowell Folk Festival, started in 1990 after two years of hosting the National Folk Festival, is the longest-running free folk festival in the United States. Every July, thousands…

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Richard Howe Substack: Jan 28, 2024

The Lowell City Council met on Tuesday night with a potentially long agenda being handled in an expeditious 2.5 hours. Because of last week’s ruling by the City Solicitor that all unanswered motions from the last Council session died at the end of that session, this week’s agenda contained a…

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Lowell 1926: Parochial Schools

Another in a series of excerpts from the 1926 Lowell City Directory. This post contains information on parochial schools in Lowell: Greek Parochial School – Broadway, corner of Worthen Immaculate Conception School – 2 High Street – Grey Nuns Keith Academy – Thorndike Street Notre Dame Academy – 311 Adams…

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Lowell 1926: Public Schools

Another in a series of excerpts from the 1926 Lowell City Directory. This post contains information on the Lowell Public Schools: School Committee Mayor John J. Donovan, chair Paul L. Harris, M.D. John J. Preston Edward J. Rogers Alice F.D. Pearson James H. Riley Arthur Giroux School Committee meets the…

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The “golden belt” called a reputation

“The “golden belt” called a reputation  (PIP #16) By Louise Peloquin Would journalists today report on elected officials as they did 106 years ago? ********* L’Etoile March 18, 1918 Lewiston, ME. Governed by Ours This city of 30,000 souls has a majority of Franco-Americans at its municipal council. – This…

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Richard Howe newsletter: Jan 21, 2024

Tuesday’s Lowell City Council meeting featured City Manager Tom Golden’s “State of the City” address. There’s nothing in the City Charter or the Council Rules that requires such a speech, but back in the 1990s City Managers began delivering them and that has continued. At first, the State of the…

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Happy Birthday, Mr. Poe

Happy Birthday, Mr. Poe By David Daniel On this day, sir, in 1809, you were born in Boston, a child of actors. Before long, your father split to chase his own dreams and your mother continued acting to support herself and you—performing the roles of young women—Ophelia, Juliet … young…

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Living Madly: Dearest Winter

Living Madly: Dearest Winter By Emilie-Noelle Provost My husband, Rob, and I collect landscape paintings. We have several hanging in our house. Some of our paintings were created by local artists, but we also own many by national and even international painters. I’m not an art expert. I most often…

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