Author Archive

Nana by Leo Racicot I liked few things better than being with my Nana, sitting beside her in her kitchen, waiting for everything to cook. I can still hear the good heat bubbling up from aromatic casseroles, my whole boyhood exoticized by almonds, the scent of sesame, strong licorice, black…

What’s on Tonight? By Jacqueline McDonald The sun set in the winter of 1968 on my part-time job as the uncredited TV reporter for the Lowell Sun.  The unsupervised job was to copy licensed show summaries and format them for the paper’s TV section. Not much fun in that. Instead,…

Dry Spell – (PIP #81) By Louise Peloquin       Weather news has always ignited readership interest. L’Étoile – October 28, 1924 THE DANGERS OF THE PROLONGED DROUGHT _____ Hunting permits could be suspended in order to avoid the dangers of forest fires. _____      For several weeks now, drought has…

Last Saturday I traveled to Springfield for the Massachusetts Democratic State Convention, a decidedly niche event for most readers. However, with no city council meeting this week and with the city’s preliminary election behind us, today’s newsletter will look ahead to next fall’s state election. Unless you’re obsessed with politics,…

Back in the USA By Rev. Steve Edington There was never the slightest doubt in my mind that I’d be on the plane from London’s Heathrow airport to Boston when it was time to leave. Five of the major reasons were getting on board with me: My wife, son, daughter-in-law,…

On Saturday, September 20, and Sunday, September 21, 2025, both at 10am, I will lead walking tours of historic Lowell Cemetery. The tours cover the same material and both begin at the Knapp Avenue entrance of the cemetery (use 77 Knapp Ave on your GPS).

Living Madly: Night of the Treefrogs By Emilie-Noelle Provost The other night, I heard a chorus of gray treefrogs coming from the oak trees in my backyard. Native to the Northeast, these small frogs normally begin their mating calls in May after hibernating all winter. But because environmental conditions in…

Is target practice necessary? – (PIP # 80) By Louise Peloquin          Coverage on Lowell police training.  L’Étoile – December 5, 1924 THE POLICE DOES NOT NEED REVOLVER PRACTICE ——- Deputy Downey says using this arm is a rather simple affair. ——-      Responding to journalists yesterday, Deputy Superintendent…

The Lowell City Council resumed meeting last week for the first time since August 12, 2025. Before getting to that, let’s look at last Tuesday’s preliminary election results. Preliminary elections were required in just three council districts. Here are the results with incumbent councilors indicated by “(I)” and the candidates…

Papa By Leo Racicot My father, Leo-Joseph Albert Racicot, was the son of Eliza (Dupuis) and Alphonse Racicot. A quick dip in the genealogy pond a couple of years ago told me Alphonse’s grandfather, Bon’homme (Bunnum for short), who hailed from Languedoc, migrated to Quebec, Canada sometime in the middle…