“The Perfect Tree” by Henri Marchand

A Christmas tradition here at richardhowe.com is posting Henri Marchand’s “The Perfect Tree” essay which was originally composed for the Sunrise radio program. We begin the holiday season engaged yet again in a debate of vital importance. It’s an annual and endless argument and we look forward to every December—what…

Read More »

100 years of Christmas Eve headlines

It’s been a quiet week in Lowell politics and with this Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday, today I opted for nostalgia over current events. Here is a sampling of Christmas Eve newspaper headlines, weather observations, and advertisements over the past 100 years. Please check back next Sunday when local…

Read More »

‘Oranges at Christmas’

We’ve been posting this brief Christmas essay long enough that it has become a tradition on the blog, along with Henri Marchand’s essay about making fruitcake for the holidays. The piles and bags of oranges are prominent in the produce sections of local supermarkets this month. If you have your…

Read More »

Lowell Week in Review: December 17, 2017

Discussion of two proposed modifications to the city’s zoning code dominated last Tuesday’s Lowell City Council meeting. Both involved parking and both were rejected by councilors. The first would have eliminated the parking requirement for a microbusiness, meaning a business in a small space with few employees. This amendment was…

Read More »