August 28th, 2010
by PaulM
web photo courtesy of washingtonpost.com
I saw the aerial-view pictures of the “restore America’s values” rally in Washington, D.C. The organizers and attendees deserve credit for an impressive looking gathering. A lot of people. They put their shoes on and showed up to make a point and pump themselves up.
The population of the U.S. is somewhere north of 307 million. There are more than 170 million registered voters out of a voting-age population of more than 212 million (figures from answers.com). In our democratic republic all the registered and voting-eligible folks have an opportunity to speak out, hold signs, distribute leaflets, write and publish their views in print and on the web, call talk shows, upload videos to the ‘net, donate to candidates and causes of their choice, vote in primaries and general elections, and otherwise express their political views.
Participation is possible at the local, state, federal, and global levels.
Please discuss.
Culture, Current Events, Election 2010, History, Lowell, Politics | 
3 Comments »
August 28th, 2010
by DickH
School Street Cemetery
Thanks to Kim Zunino for her informative tour of the School Street Cemetery this morning. Dedicated 16 years before Lowell was incorporated as a town, School Street, also known as “Lowell Cemetery No. 1″ is the city’s oldest public burial place. Roaming around the markers, names from the pre-Lowell period of our city’s existence are much in evidence such as Spalding, Bowers, Butterfield and Parker. The oldest grave in the cemetery is that of Rachel Parker who was buried in 1811. The most recent burial was in the 1950s.
Otis Allen family lot, School St Cemetery
History, Lowell | No Comments »
August 28th, 2010
by DickH
Middlesex County 4H Fair
Regular reader Mary G visited the Middlesex County 4H Fair in Westford, shared some pictures, and had this to say:
One thing that comes to mind when I attend the 4H Fair every year, is how impressed I am with the pride that these young contestants show for the animals they have so lovingly raised…. It’s great to see this county event so close to the city.
Current Events | 1 Comment »
August 28th, 2010
by PaulM
The Moses Greeley Parker Lectures, Middlesex Community College, and UMass Lowell have teamed up to offer two important public lectures on economics this fall at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center. Both programs are free and include a light buffet lunch. Here are the details:
Monday, Oct. 18, 12 noon
Eric S. Rosengren, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston will discuss the current economic condition in the region and nation from the perspective of the Federal Reserve. An economist by training, he joined the Bank in 1985 as a member of the research department.
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Monday, Nov. 8, 12 noon
Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., will talk about “Recovering from the Bubble Economy.” A frequent commentator in major media outlets, he writes a weekly column for the Guardian Limited in the U.K. His blog, “Beat the Press,” features commentary on economic reporting. In his latest book, “Taking Economics Seriously,” he thinks through what we might gain if we took the ideological blinders off of basic economic principles.
These programs begin promptly at 12 noon and run for approximately 90 minutes. Reservations are required and seating is limited to 100. To reserve space, contact paul_marion@uml.edu or call 978-934 -3107.
Current Events, Election 2010, History, Lowell, Politics | No Comments »
August 28th, 2010
by PaulM
Just one more column. Timothy Egan of the NYTimes goes after the fact-less and clueless in our civic culture who are giving the term “know-nothing” a new spin. Read Egan here, and look for the NYT if you appreciate the reasoning.
Current Events, Election 2010, History, Lowell | 9 Comments »
August 28th, 2010
by PaulM
Bob Herbert and Charles Blow of the NYTimes today comment on the Glenn Beck rally in Washington, D.C., that coincides with the anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Read Bob Herbert here and Charles Blow here, and consider buying the NYT if you appreciate the views.
Current Events, Election 2010, History, Lowell | No Comments »
August 28th, 2010
by PaulM
In September 2001, my wife and son for the first time picked grapes to make jelly from the venerable vine that crawls all over our modest backyard arbor. We had been coaxing the vine back to health for a couple of years before we got a large enough yield. In fact, they harvested the grapes the weekend following 9/11, which is why I call it our “9/11 vine” even though it’s been in the ground for decades.
This year the grapes turned deep purple more than a week ago, as early as I ever remember them ripening. I don’t know if the extra hot weather this summer speeded up the schedule, but that’s probably the cause. We let the vine go for a couple of years after our Portuguese-American friend Tony stopped coming over to clip the vine to get it ready for the next season. A colleague from work, John, came over with his brother this spring and clipped and snipped in a knowing way, which brought the vine back into production. John said it will take a couple of years to return to where we were with lots of grapes, but the crop this year is promising. I haven’t walked in Back Central for several weeks—the arbors there must be all weighted with deep purple.
Culture, History, Lowell | 4 Comments »
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