Author Archive

Rare Birds

Rare Birds By Charlie Gargiulo Jimmy and Sue were unusual for ten year olds compared to their friends that age. They got along well with other kids but both liked different things than their friends did. Jimmy and Sue often got teased for being old fashioned because they weren’t always…

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Thinking About Aviation

Two weeks ago Friday I found myself at Logan Airport’s Terminal C at 8:30 at night awaiting the arrival of a family member in bound for a Christmas visit. Despite having had two earlier flights cancelled by the mammoth storm that had engulfed much of the country that day and…

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Lowell Year in Review: 2022

Lowell Year in Review: 2022 Here are ten events, local and national, that were significant in Lowell politics in 2022: The first City Council and School Committee elected under the newly adopted hybrid system of local government took office in January. Three councilors were elected city-wide, and eight were elected…

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Baseball on the Moon

Baseball on the Moon By David Daniel The mercury, when I’d left the guard mount a few hours earlier, stood at 30. The air felt colder now and I was glad I’d zipped the liner into my field jacket. It was New Year’s Eve, 1969. I’d pulled guard duty, swapped…

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Who wrote Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue?

Who wrote Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue? By Malcolm Sharps That was the question. Correct. Who wrote Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue? The answer would appear to be a no-brainer: George Gershwin did. But it’s a less straight-forward question than it seems. If I ask the question in another way: who wrote…

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Christmas in Lowell 100 Years Ago

December 25, 1922, fell on a Sunday. The weather was seasonal with no storms to disrupt the holiday. Local merchants were happy with their volume of sales, and downtown streets were crowded with shoppers, especially on the Thursday night before Christmas. All the streetcars were packed that evening with people…

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The Perfect Tree

This essay by Henri Marchand was first heard in 2008 as a radio essay on the “Sunrise” program of WUML, 92.5 FM, at UMass Lowell. Today we continue our tradition of reposting the essay each year at Christmas. The Perfect Tree By Henri Marchand We begin the holiday season engaged…

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