At the Lowell City Council on Tuesday, July 22, 2014, Mayor Rodney Elliott made a motion requesting the City Manager have the Chief Financial Officer and Superintendent of Schools produce a report regarding the costs incurred to educate newcomer students. Besides Mayor Elliott, Corey Belanger was the only City Councilor…
Read More »
In the year 1215 a bunch of English nobles staged a tax revolt against the king and threatened his overthrow. Attempting to buy time, the king agreed to sign a petition they composed that set out their rights and privileges in relation to the monarchy. As soon as the crisis…
Read More »
The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. President Obama said again today that Israel has a right to defend itself against the 1500 missiles Hamas has recently lobbed from Gaza into Israel and tunnel incursions to kill and capture Israeli citizens. But this morning he expressed concern…
Read More »
Meeting opens with Councilor Mercier requesting a moment of silence for the seven victims of the Branch Street fire. Mayor Elliott joins in with heartfelt remarks on effect of the tragedy and on the way the entire city pulled together in response to it. He presents commendations to the Lowell…
Read More »
This is a re-post from July 2013, pulled from the richardhowe.com archives—PM The media coverage of family friction involving the owners of the Market Basket supermarket empire sent me back in the Time Tunnel to the mid-1960s, maybe 1965, when the Ford Mustang was the sports car of the moment…
Read More »
With no city council meeting this week due to the summer schedule, city political activity was a bit light. On Tuesday, the city officially posted the job of Assistant City Manager which I think is a good thing. Beginning with Jim Sullivan in 1971, almost every city manager had a…
Read More »
The following real estate sales occurred in Lowell last week: July 14, 2014 – Monday 14 Bristol St for $230,000. Prior sale in 1973 185 Ludlam St for $290,000. Prior sale in 2002 for $215,000 24 Lyons St for $55,000. Prior sale in 1963 July 15, 2014 – Tuesday 36…
Read More »
The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. A sovereign nation must be able to control its borders. The United States cannot simply throw open the gates and let anyone come in, even children. That said, there needs to be a humane approach to the nearly…
Read More »
The news about Gov. Deval Patrick seeking ways to aid children caught in a crisis situation along the southern border of the U.S. reminded me of an example of a member of Congress from Lowell trying to help children in distress during WWII. This is an excerpt from my essay…
Read More »
The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus (1849-87) Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From…
Read More »