Author Archive

‘Venice of America’

Around 1996, there was a lot of activity flowing from an idea about transforming Lowell into “The Flowering City,” with a new effort to enhance the parks, forest, waterways, gardens. The thinking was that the community was ready to shift its attention from 20 years of bricks-and-mortar rehab and redevelopment…

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Anti-Trump Rally: 6 p.m. Report

About 200 people rallying in the Free Speech Zone at 5.30 p.m. Happy to see the second shift show up outside the Tsongas. After 45 minutes, frostbite was setting in, so I gladly handed off my piece of the stand-out to the next group. Thousands upon thousands in line from…

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‘Oranges at Christmas’

This essay was first heard on the “Sunrise” radio program of WUML, 92.5 FM, at UMass Lowell around 2007. Executive producer Chris Dunlap assembled writers in the area for the daily essay feature, a popular component of the morning public affairs show. I’ve shared this essay with rh.com readers for several…

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