Paul McCartney on Tuesday returned to his roots in Liverpool for a concert at the Echo Arena on the dockside along the Mersey River. Read one fan’s report on the concert and hometown atmosphere from the a very active website devoted to McCartney, The Beatles, and their friends. For the obsessives among us,…
Thanks to the sports gurus at the Lowell Sun we are reminded that on this day – December 22, 1995, Clyde Smoll – owner of a New York-Penn League baseball team announced that he would bring the team to Lowell, Massachusetts. The team would be an affiliate of the Boston…
In April, 1861 the troops that had organized in Lowell at the call of President Lincoln, assembled as the Massachusetts Sixth Regiment in front of the State House in Boston. There Governor John Andrew – in a custom followed since revolutionary days – presented them with their regimental colors. As MassMoments reminds…
As you approach the Capitol from the National Mall in Washington, there’s a large statue of General Ulysses S Grant on horseback flanked by dramatic sculptures of two horse artillery sections going into action. But off to the right, at the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds, is another large…
As the delayed season of the National Basketball Association is now underway – MassMoments reminds us that on this day – December 21, 1891 – the game of basketball as designed by James Naismith was first played at what is known today as Springfield College in Massachusetts. As Naismith nailed a peach basket to the lower rail of a balcony in…
Back in the late 1970s when I was a student at Providence College, downtown Providence left much to be desired. Aside from regular trips to the Civic Center (now the Dunkin Donuts Center) to see a Friars basketball game or making the passage to the East Side and the bookstores…
I wrote the first draft of this poem in 1976, and worked on it on and off for a long time. I had in mind the extensive outdoor lighting displays in Dracut (the town) and Lowell, but, especially as it evolved, the dense array of Christmas decorations in Pawtucketville, between Mammoth Road and…
For those of us who believe in government as the civilized way to make decisions about matters in life that affect us all, the action at the Lowell City Council this evening is reason for optimism. Our municipal representatives and professional staff in collaboration with the various labor unions in the city found their…
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is placing candles in the windows of our home. I still use some triple candles used years ago to light-up the Sweeney home on St. James Street. While the white light is my preference, my mother preferred the soft glow of amber in her…
Above from left: Brian Martin, Bill Martin, Jim Milinazzo, Rita Mercier, Niki Tsongas, Richard Howe Sr, Bud Caulfield, Armand LeMay; from October 2010 in front of Lowell City Hall. Tonight is the final city council meeting (for now, at least) for three councilors. The meeting begins at 6:30 pm and…