For the Fourth of July, Independence Day, here’s a poem from the nation’s capital. I wrote this prose poem after a family trip to Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2004. There were John Kerry-for-President signs in the windows. GOP posters for “W,” too. Barack Obama was a figure on…
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It’s no secret that I’m a longtime admirer and supporter of Marty Meehan. From Lowell High School days when Marty was sitting in my English class and dashing about as a student leader to later years when after being on opposing sides in a Democratic congressional primary we became work…
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This is the third in a series of columns by John Edward, who teaches economics at Bentley and UMass Lowell, on economic issues related to the upcoming presidential election. The first column, “The 100 Percent,” appeared on May 16, 2016; the second, “Voodoo Two,” on May 23, 2016. In 1987,…
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The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. It took more than two centuries for the United States to have its first woman representing a major party as its presumptive presidential nominee. Last night, when it happened, when history was made, it was deeply affecting. To…
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The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Jim Braude and Barbara Anderson Supporters and opponents of the late anti-tax advocate Barbara Anderson gathered Sunday in Randolph to remember her good natured individualism, civic activism, political savvy, professionalism and not insignificant success in lowering the tax burden…
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Following Lowell politics is a chore; understanding Lowell politics is even tougher. In last Sunday’s Week in Review post, I touched upon some of the political forces in the city and how they manifested themselves in the City Council’s debate on the State Senate’s Transgender Anti-Discrimination Bill. It’s a topic…
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The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Donald Trump will be the Republican Presidential nominee unless the sun over Cleveland rises from the West on July 18th. So what’s a newly defined “reasonable” Republican to do? People like the Bushes 41 and 43, Mitt Romney,…
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Urban planner Jeff Speck is a friend of Lowell’s. He likes the city. He has praised the renaissance of the city. His advice is worth considering. His knowledge, based on working around the country and the world, is valuable. It’s a mistake for anyone to paint him as some kind…
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The entry below is being cross-posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Storm clouds gathered over Serengeti, New York. The weaver birds and bee-eaters stopped their day’s work and gathered nervously in the limbs of the acacia trees. Even the flamingos out on Lake Nakuru stopped their soaring flight and…
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The enter below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron. Secure the checkpoints. Close the borders. Keep all Muslims out. Is anyone surprised to hear such calls from Donald Trump? The unspeakable horrors of the terrorist bombings today in Brussels strikes fear in all our hearts. We’re coming up on…
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