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Back in the spring of 2009, the Lowell School Committee was contemplating budget cuts. During the public comment portion of a school committee budget session, one individual – I believe it was a teacher – was speaking critically of the cuts. While she spoke, most of the members of the…
Read More »Geoff Foster of UTEC, who’s coordinating the local effort to lower the voting age in Lowell’s city election to 17 years old, sent the following update on the bill’s progress: On January 16, 2014, under the leadership of Senator Eileen Donoghue, the Massachusetts State Senate voted 30-7 to add the…
Read More »In case you’re looking for my notes on last night’s Lowell City Council meeting, I was previously scheduled to lead a talk at UMass Lowell on the subject of Lowell history so I wasn’t able to watch the meeting in real time. I will catch a replay as soon as…
Read More »Maxine Farkas for Western Ave Studios writes about some of the artists there who work with glass. Remember, this Saturday is Open Studios from noon till 5 pm. Pay WAS a visit for all your Valentine’s Day gift needs. One of the interesting things that has happened at Western Ave…
Read More »This Tuesday night, January 28, 2014, I will lead a discussion at the UMass Lowell O’Leary Library on the topic of Lowell history using the book Legendary Locals of Lowell. The event begins at 7 pm and continues until 9 pm. The O’Leary Library is on the UML South Campus.…
Read More »Last Tuesday, several Lowell City Councilors outed themselves as vindictive bullies in their handling of the appointment of Salmira Mitchell to the Library Board of Trustees. Here’s the context of what happened: City Manager Lynch presented four board appointments to the city council. The first, of Dr. Julia Hans to…
Read More »The politics and history of Lowell often dominate our discussions here, but sometimes it’s the little things around us that make this city such a fascinating place to live. From time to time, we’ve urged people to write about or photograph the things in Lowell that make this a unique…
Read More »Real estate sales in Lowell for the past week: January 20, 2014 – Monday Martin Luther King Jr. holiday January 21, 2014 – Tuesday 24 Bigelow St for $165,000. Prior sale in 1977 January 22, 2014 – Wednesday 67-69 Burtt St for $189,900. Prior sale in 1995 for $80,000 20…
Read More »CC Rourke asks to have Executive Session (to discuss with the manger his staying beyond his stated resignation date) vote taken out of order and have it held early in the meeting. Mayor Elliott relinquishes the chair and says he will oppose going into executive session. Says “we’re kind of…
Read More »Special meeting on hiring process for hiring new City Manager and Auditor. First item: Review Auditor job description and salary range of $85,000 to $100,000. Councilor Martin questions whether salary should be posted/advertised or left until the end and depend on the successful candidate. They add “municipal law experience” to…
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