William Henry O’Connell, Cardinal/Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts On this day – November 27, 1911 – William Henry O’Connell – priest and bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts and Lowell native – was elevated to the Roman Catholic College of Cardinals by Pope Pius X. He was 52 years of…
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I’ve been posting a haiku daily on Facebook as a poetry experiment. It’s always good to go where the readers are. The feedback has been good. This series of haiku is loosely arranged around my observations and experiences at the South Common, across the street from my home. Following are…
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At nytimes.com, economist Robert Reich looks to 2012 and beyond in a longer than usual essay.
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The Daily Mail in the UK and many other media outlets worldwide are reporting on the publication of what is considered Jack Kerouac’s first novel, “The Sea Is My Brother,” written when he was about 20 years old. The book is being published first in the UK by Penguin, and Harper reportedly…
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It was quiet on the Common at 7 a.m. when I made the circuit with our Boston Terrier, Ringo. How cold was it? Not very. Enough for a seasonal edge. The leaf-trees are empty. On the ground all the color has drained from the leaves, which from a distance resemble light…
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“The First Thanksgiving” by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris Thanksgiving Day Quiz: On what ship did the Pilgrims sail to “America”? Where was the first Thanksgiving celebrated? What year? Name the truce signed by the Pilgrims following the landing. Name three foods served at the first Thanksgiving? What Indian tribe was…
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On this day – November 23, 1984 – a mark was forever left on Boston College football history when scrappy quarterback Doug Flutie threw a last-second “Hail Mary” touchdown pass to Gerard Phelan in the end zone, giving Boston College a 47-45 win over the University of Miami. This pass…
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Today’s Sun features a front page, above the fold, article by Jennifer Myers about the COOL-est creative anthology in the city, “Young Angel Midnight,” edited by Ryan Gallagher and Derek Fenner of Bootstrap Productions of Lowell. Writers, musicians, photographers, painters, and more contributed work for the 200-plus page book. The book…
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In his recent column “Occupy Our Consciences” – Washington Post writer, southeast Massachusetts native E. J. Dionne sees the “Occupy” movement as ready to move on to a new phase. He urges the movement not to let conservatives drive a wedge between working-class voters and the occupiers as Nixon did…
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Today’s NYTimes includes a report by Seth Mydans about the latest developments in the Khmer Rouge trials in Cambodia. This is part of our history in Lowell because many of our neighbors from that nation came to the U.S. because of the Khmer Rouge’s epic crime against humanity. These neighbors carry personal stories of the genocide…
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