A group called Mill City Flashmob recently appeared on Facebook. It’s mission: Lowell, the mill city. Socializing with the community. Membership in the group quickly grew (to become a member, go to facebook.com/MillCityFlashMOB). But the true test of any such organization is not how many visitors it can attract on…
Holidays to me are characterized by rituals: Cookouts on the Fourth of July, visiting the cemetery on Memorial Day, enduring the mainstream media’s incessant “War on Christmas” stories every December. Personally, I’m comfortable wishing folks a Merry Christmas, but I also sympathize with those who are hesitant to do so.…
Lots of familiar faces, with the opening photo of the Christmas tree smokestack from Tony Sampas. Thanks to Phil the Ranger and all the LNHP folks for their kind sentiments [youtube]7pQ78UmGFow[/youtube]
This video is going viral on YouTube. A family of wild gorillas stroll into a camp in Uganda and mistake a gray-haired, black-clad scientist for one of their own . . . [youtube]1eXS0o6r-Wk[/youtube]
As you approach the Capitol from the National Mall in Washington, there’s a large statue of General Ulysses S Grant on horseback flanked by dramatic sculptures of two horse artillery sections going into action. But off to the right, at the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds, is another large…
Back in the late 1970s when I was a student at Providence College, downtown Providence left much to be desired. Aside from regular trips to the Civic Center (now the Dunkin Donuts Center) to see a Friars basketball game or making the passage to the East Side and the bookstores…
Above from left: Brian Martin, Bill Martin, Jim Milinazzo, Rita Mercier, Niki Tsongas, Richard Howe Sr, Bud Caulfield, Armand LeMay; from October 2010 in front of Lowell City Hall. Tonight is the final city council meeting (for now, at least) for three councilors. The meeting begins at 6:30 pm and…
Two views of the Swamp Locks from Tony Sampas. The Swamp Locks are on the Pawtucket Canal along Dutton Street, midway between the intersections with Fletcher and Broadway. Together with the Guard Locks further up Broadway and the Lower Locks outside the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, the Swamp…
John Edward, a resident of Chelmsford who earned his master’s degree at UMass Lowell and who teaches economics at Bentley University and UMass Lowell, contributes the following column. Next year will be important for the economy and in politics. I decided to go out on a limb and make some…
This coming Wednesday is the shortest day of the year daylight-wise, so I was surprised last week when it seemed that the days were getting longer. Someone more science-minded than me explained that it wasn’t just my imagination. While the total amount of daylight continues to diminish until Wednesday, sunset…