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Lowell is noted for its textile history. It’s a great setting for the New England Quilt Museum’s 2011 Quilt Festival. Opening today, this three-day city-wide event offers a feast for the eye in venues from the Lowell Memorial Auditorium to the Whistler House. Festival presenters beckon visitors with this invitation…
Read More »The author of “Nickel and Dimed” writes about poverty in the US on the tenth anniversary of her book being released. The article is from Mother Jones magazine via realclearpoliltics.com. If you use this link and get an ad for Mother Jones blocking the article, then select Subscribe on the…
Read More »With the plans to remake the classic 1987 film “Dirty Dancing” now public, there will be lots of chatter about the original starring Patrick Swayzey and Jennifer Grey. Who should play the parts of Johnny and “Baby”? Should there be a remake at all? There are mixed feeling about the…
Read More »“Glorious architecture, right there at the corner of Wilder Street and Broadway” photos by Tony Sampas
Read More »The 1995 election shows how much the order of finish of the candidates can change from the primary to the general election. The previous election – 1993 – had seen six new councilors elected and that 1993 council voted for the ballpark, the hockey arena, and many other projects that…
Read More »Hometown reporting on Philip Levine’s appointment as US Poet Laureate from the Fresno Bee in California. Levine was born in Detroit and started teaching at Fresno State in 1958. The university didn’t even have a creative writing program at the time. His close friend and fellow poet Peter Everwine,…
Read More »With the passage of yesterday’s deadline for filing nomination papers, the 2011 Lowell City Council field is set with 19 candidates. They are, listed alphabetically with incumbents first followed by challengers: Kevin Broderick Franky Descoteaux Rodney Elliott Bill Martin Joe Mendonca Rita Mercier Jim Milinazzo Patrick Murphy Corey Belanger Paul…
Read More »Poetry is front-page news online tonight. That’s different. The NYTimes tonight reports that Philip Levine is the new U.S. Poet Laureate. Read Charles McGrath’s article here, and get the NYT if you want more. Phil Levine was one of my poet-heroes when I started writing in the mid-1970s. I admired…
Read More »My records indicate that the last time the city of Lowell held a primary election for city council was in 1999. Here are the results with incumbents in italics and the order of finish in the general election in brackets: 1. Rita Mercier – 4820 – [1] 2. Eileen Donoghue…
Read More »If you have an interest in exploring more of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s background and candidacy for the GOP nomination for President in 2012, read the Ryan Lizza article in The New Yorker. Lizza along with five other reporters was invited on a campaign plane trip with Bachmann and some of…
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