Author Archive

SPRING TRAINING By Terry Downes After bitter months of snow As days creep long and longer, Above the Mason-Dixon Line The need grows strong and stronger, To see the pitcher climb the mound And watch the batter takes his place, To hear the thunder of the crowd And wonder who…

Review of The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943 Book by James Holland Review by Richard Howe One of my ongoing Lowell history projects is to document each of the memorial squares spread throughout the city. Until the early 1990s, these squares were mostly dedicated to individuals from Lowell…

A 1925 Call to Save Our Industries — (PIP #60) By Louise Peloquin      Lowell’s quest to preserve local business and industry has always made the news. The following story and supporting editorial are century-old examples. L’Etoile – February 21, 1925 Lowell must keep its industries      Our large local…

Today’s newsletter will focus on title theft, the label now used for an attempt to fraudulently transfer ownership of real estate. This came before the Lowell City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting in the response to a motion on this topic. (The Council addressed other topics deserving of attention, but…

On Sunday, February 23, 2025, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church presented “Freedom Seekers: The Underground Railroad and St. Anne’s Lowell” a speaking program that featured UMass Lowell History Professor Robert Forrant and Jacquelynn Coles of the Black Lowell Coalition. The event was part of St. Anne’s year-long bicentennial celebration and was…

Malcolm Sharps and the Long Road By Stephen O’Connor Nous devrions pourtant lui porter quelques fleurs…                                                                                     —Swinburne It was 1979. I had been on a train all night from Paris to Montpellier, 735 km. This was before the days of the TGV that now flies along the…

Long ago Lowell buys local – (PIP #59) By Louise Peloquin The “buy local” rallying cry is not new. Since the time Lowell was called “The Venice of America” the city has prided itself on promoting its products. (1)  This is the first in a series on the topic. L’Etoile –…

Tuesday night the Lowell City Council endorsed a motion by Councilor Rita Mercier that “the mayor enter into negotiations with the city manager and city council in executive session to discuss extending his contract, pay scale, etc.” As it appeared on the agenda, the motion did not specify the length…

On Friday, February 14, 2025, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance spoke at the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Held each February since 1963 in Munich, Germany, the conference provides a platform for leaders to discuss the most pressing security challenges facing the world and is a venue for diplomatic initiatives and…

A recent Lowell Sun article about the coming rehabilitation of the former Royal Theater building at 484 Merrimack Street recalled a passage from Legends of Little Canada, a memoir by Charlie Gargiulo about growing up in that neighborhood just before and as it succumbed to the Urban Renewal wrecking ball.…