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The Sun Building
The Sun Building on Merrimack Street, by Tony Sampas
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Raising the Debt Limit
I’m not an economist, but the more I try to learn about economics by reading the work of those who are, the more I realize it is a field with wildly different interpretations of the facts and prescriptions for solving the country’s problems. When I read that a failure by…
Read More »July 12, 1979: Disco Demolition Night
You have to be of a certain age to truly understand the passion that disco music incited – both for and against – back in the late 1970s. On this night in 1979, a disc jockey named Steve Dahl, of WLUP-FM, teamed up with the Chicago White Sox to hold…
Read More »Architectural details along Merrimack Street
The artistic eye of Tony Sampas caught these architectural details somewhere on Merrimack Street.
Read More »US Women’s Soccer team beats Brazil
I still have a hard time following soccer, but this apparently was an all-time classic ending. The US was down 2-1 in “extra time” when, in the very last minute of play, the Americans scored the tying goal. The outcome was decided by penalty kicks. This video, from ESPN, shows…
Read More »National Building Museum
One of the lesser known museums in Washington is the National Building Museum. Located on F Street just across from the National Law Enforcement Memorial, the Building Museum contains a number of fascinating exhibits on architecture, design and construction in the United States. For me, however, the best reason to…
Read More »2009 Lowell City Council election results
The late Paul Sullivan used to say that from July 4th until Labor Day, a candidate for Lowell City Council could campaign more effectively at Hampton Beach than in the streets of the city since so many people headed to the ocean for the summer. I suspect that there is…
Read More »Ben Butler at the National Portrait Gallery
During my recent trip to Washington, I visited the National Portrait Gallery which shares space with the American Art Museum. Since both are part of the Smithsonian system, they are absolutely free to visit – a noble example of our tax dollars at work. Besides viewing the art inside the…
Read More »Firefighters of Lowell
“DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE FIREFIGHTERS OF LOWELL~ FAITHFUL AND COURAGEOUS IN THEIR SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC” photos by Tony Sampas
Read More »International Heritage Group opposes bladder dam
Twenty years ago, I was a member of the Lowell Historic Board. During my tenure there, I gained great admiration for the wisdom and judgment of the representatives of the National Park Service who worked here in Lowell. I also learned then and through the years that many of the…
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