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In view of the foregoing facts I find myself compelled to report to your Honorable Board my firm conviction that there is danger, both constant and grave, in the water of the Merrimack River at Lowell.” William T. Sedgwick Professor of Biology at MIT Biologist to State Board of Health…
Read More »The Elusive Nature of British Punk By Malcolm Sharps You say you wan’ a revolution. Well, you know, we all wanna change the world. …
Read More »Boarding School Blues: Ch. 53 By Louise Peloquin Ch. 53: A turtle’s heart Maman and Blanche thanked Madame Briard for the lovely collation and quickly took their leave. Before bidding her guests farewell, the hostess extended another invitation. “You must return to my library once my latest accession arrives, an…
Read More »Heat pumps have been much in the news recently as an alternative to traditional gas- or oil-fired boilers for home heating. I became especially interested in heat pumps two years ago when my gas-fired boiler needed replacing. I knew that a heat pump was the environmentally preferred home heating option,…
Read More »Spring training reminds me of the magnetic pull of baseball in our culture, even for those of us who don’t follow the game closely. So an essay by Paul Marion on his paulmarion.com website, illustrates why baseball is so important in our culture and our lives. Organized Ball By Paul…
Read More »Today, I’ll jump from local to world events for a brief comment about the Chinese balloon that was shot down by the US off the coast of South Carolina on February 4, 2023, after transiting much of the United States. I assume it was an intelligence collection platform that vacuumed…
Read More »Living Madly: By Any Other Name By Emilie-Noelle Provost Every year around Valentine’s Day, when advertisements for engagement rings and wedding venues start popping up in newspapers and on billboards, I start thinking about names. When I was 11 years old, a friend and I would sometimes walk through the…
Read More »Boarding School Blues: Ch. 52 By Louise Peloquin Ch. 52: Eve of Destruction The initiation to skiing left its mark. Within twenty-four hours, indigo, violet and maroon splotches popped up all over Blanche’s and her brother’s bodies. Proud of his battle wounds, Antoine wowed Byron and Maggie by showing them…
Read More »Two years ago, I faced some major home maintenance challenges. My roof, boiler and hot water tank all needed replacing. It was not an emergency, but that’s what I wanted to avoid. The contractors I consulted urged me to first contact Mass Save for a home energy audit which was…
Read More »The imagery of this poem by Frank Wagner is grim but it ends on an uplifting note. It also echoes an emerging movement in burial practice: Natural Organic Reduction, also known as human composting. It’s an option in six states and there’s a bill pending in the state legislature to…
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