Henry and John Thoreau took themselves on a two-week boat trip up the Concord and Merrimack Rivers at the end of the summer in 1839. Henry wrote a book about their adventure, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, published in 1849; he paid for it to be published…
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The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. For real escape through summer reading, there’s no substitute for fiction. Here are a few books worth sharing. My top read this past year was The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. A 13-year-old boy in Manhattan survives a terrorist…
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In today’s NYTimes, opinion-writer Frank Bruni profiles an unusual politician, the long-long-time mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, Joe Riley, who talks about what makes a city tick, civic psychology, diversity, nonpartisan public administration, problem-solving, justice, the arts and excellence, and more. Read the column here, and get the NYT if…
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On the Cultural Road: City of World Culture, Strategies for the Creative Economy in Lowell, Massachusetts A lot of thought, effort, and money were invested in developing this road map for cultural development several years go. The first Lowell Cultural Plan (1986) was at least a ten-year campaign. That report was revised…
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Note to Lowell cultural sector and marketing planners: $50M raised by the ICA in Boston. Add that to the recent expansion in the Boston museum network (MFA, ICA, Gardner) and you get a muscular, world-class attraction in the arts less than one hour away. It was always there, but now…
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The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Every summer I offer up some of the books I’ve read in the past year and happily invite readers’ recommendations to me. I’m always on the prowl for a good read. This summer’s book review will be in…
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The South Common pool yesterday opened for the summer and not a day too early for the heat wave. More than 200 swimmers enjoyed the sparkling cool water. Pool hours are 12 noon to 6 pm. The City staff and lifeguards do a first-rate job on site. I learned that the…
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For someone with such a sunny disposition, it was fitting that summer sunshine this morning graced the dedication ceremony for the Armand W. LeMay Garden at the corner of University and Gershom avenues in Pawtucketville. About 100 people gathered to share in the recognition of one of the most natural…
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What promises to be an important community conversation gathered steam last evening when more than 50 people gathered at Jack and Terry O’Connor’s big white house at the peak of Mansur Street in Belvidere to share views and ideas about how best to tell people in, around, and outside of Lowell that the city has…
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Sitting in my backyard in the sun late this morning, I heard church bells and was reminded of days like this when I was in my carefree 20s, working irregular hours, and enjoying the good weather when we had it. On a day like today I could grab a book and read under…
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