Archive for February 4th, 2011

February 4th, 2011

“Museums” by Jim Peters

by DickH

Frequent contributor Jim Peters submitted the following post about the need for more museums in Lowell and throughout our region.

I recently had the honor and pleasure of having a hamburger at the Old Court with our City Councilor, Patrick Murphy. We discussed a great many things, but one of my own personal favorite topics is the dearth of museums in Massachusetts. Not that every town or city does not have an historical society, but actual museums are not frequent in a drive down an older highway in Massachusetts. Museums are “a window to the soul” of a time period. I remember one in New Hampshire that was a hodge-podge of old “stuff.” It was very entertaining, and they had kept an Egyptian mummy from the mummy era of the 1880′s. It was not in great shape but it appeared to be a mummy and it was in a coffin, for lack of the proper term, with hieroglyphics on it.

I know Lowell has many fine museums. The Quilt Museum is outstanding as are the National Park treasures with their specific programs for people of all ages. What I am talking about is the type of museum that is limited in range, charge little or nothing at all, and tell the visitor about a period of time that may have passed. They are staffed by volunteers who become experts in the areas of interest in the museum. They are much like the Middlesex Museum at the Faulkner Mills in Billerica. That museum is fascinating to see. It is staffed on Sundays between one and four by volunteers, of which I consider myself one. Visit it sometime. Just follow the signs on Rt. 3A.

I would like to see Lowell have a wide range of museums. Included in these would be a Native American Museum which I would like to state to place on land across from the Francis Gate. Also, I see an education museum, perhaps staffed by retired teachers with many interesting stories to tell. How interesting would it be to have students in a museum where they learn about education and how the classroom has changed. That one I would like to see in the Moody School because I have uncovered a document that states that that building was built with its large windows to the sun in the afternoon so that it could shine through and light up everyone’s desk. Honestly, every window in that school was placed with the student’s ability to read, write, and do arithmetic in mind. read more »

CategoryGreater Lowell, History, Lowell | Comment1 Comment »

February 4th, 2011

Whistler House Looking for You Looking at Lowell

by PaulM

Exhibit Criteria and Theme: The Whistler House Museum of Art is seeking entries for LOOKING AT LOWELL, a juried exhibition featuring the Architecture, Landscapes, Festivals, Rivers, Canals and People of Lowell. Entries can be from all media, including oils, acrylics, photography, sculpture, fiber and digital media. Chosen works should depict one or more of the above criteria.

This exhibition is open to all artists. Deadline for entries if March 1; exhibit will be on display March 23 to April 29. For details and an application, contact www.whistlerhouse.org  or call 978-452-7641.

CategoryCulture, History, Lowell | CommentNo Comments »

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February 4th, 2011

Deshpande Foundation Launches Campus Catalyst Program

by PaulM

Deshpande Foundation

Merrimack Valley Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UMass Lowell

Merrimack Valley Sandbox Initiative- Campus Catalyst Competition

Spring 2011

The Campus Catalyst Competition is an exciting new program where the Merrimack Valley Sandbox (MVS) Initiative will provide seed capital, up to $500 each, for innovative and entrepreneurial projects to be done by the students of UMASS Lowell, Middlesex Community College, Northern Essex Community College and Merrimack College. Each student group can submit proposals for teams between 3-5 members.

Proposals will be considered for funding by MVS Staff and advisors on your campus. Each proposal will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Innovation (a new way of looking at an old problem, a unique solution to a challenge, an entrepreneurial answer to a community challenge)
  • Social purpose or need
  • Ability to inspire students
  • Relevance to Lowell/Lawrence or MVS
  • Ability to use the funds efficiently
  • Addresses a community or environmental problem
  • The potential to continue in a financially sustainable way
  • Any project that addresses a community, environmental or “market” at the college college/university or in the community is eligible (no matter how small the impact).

How to apply:

  • Fill out the proposal form according to the directions on the application.
  • Each team should be comprised of members from the same institution
  • Submit proposal and all application materials on a rolling basis anytime between February 14-18, 2011.
  • Teams will be notified by February 28, 2011 if their proposal is accepted;  teams will complete the proposed work by the last week of April 2011
  • Student projects will be presented May 5, 2011 at a Campus Catalyst project festival at a local educational institution. Various awards will be presented.
  • Contact cc@merrimackvalleysandbox.org to submit your application or forward any inquiries or questions.  

Limitations and Restrictions:

  • A Campus Catalyst application cannot be submitted for a project that is already funded
  • Funds cannot be used toward a stipend or for an individual
  • Funds can be used for an innovation of an ongoing program
  • Project proposal can be part of a course
  • Receipts must be submitted to MVS staff
  • Weekly blogging of project : This can also include the use of other forms of technology such as Twitter or Facebook to keep the everyone apprised of the project progress.

MVS and Deshpande Foundation

The Merrimack Valley Sandbox (MVS) Initiative began in December 2010 as part of the philanthropic vision of Gururaj “Desh” and Jaishree Deshpande. The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship @ UMASS Lowell was created so the MVS Initiative could be anchored in innovation at the university level to foster student leadership and entrepreneurship in partnership with Middlesex Community College, Northern Essex Community College and Merrimack College.

The Deshpande Foundation, based in Stoneham, will provide $5 million over the next five years for the Merrimack Valley Sandbox, which will be one of only three of its kind in the world and modeled after programs the foundation supports at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in Northern Karnataka, India. Through student projects, training programs and the funding of innovative nonprofits, the MVS hopes to inspire entrepreneurship and innovation in Lowell and Lawrence and percolate into the entire Merrimack Valley. In addition, the Deshpande Foundation hopes to raise another $10 million from outside funders to supplement its funding in the region. Lowell and Lawrence are slated to be the central focus of the projects and interventions of the MVS Initiative.

www.merrimackvalleysandbox.org

CategoryEducation, Greater Lowell, History, Lowell | Comment2 Comments »

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February 4th, 2011

Pink and Blue Sunset Sky

by PaulM

Did you see it for one two three minutes at about 5 p.m.?

Pink and blue and pink and pink and blue sky. Sunset pink and blue. Blue sky. Pink and pink and blue sunset. Blue and pink and blue blue blue and pink sky. Pink and blue. Pink and blue. Blue blue blue and pink pink. And pink sky sunset blue and pink. Blue and blue blue and blue-gray blue and gray-blue and blue blue blue-gray-blue blue.

Sunset in Lowell - February 4, 2011

CategoryHistory, Lowell, Poetry | CommentNo Comments »

February 4th, 2011

Greater Lowell/Merrimack Valley: Democrats! Caucus Reminder! Tomorrow!

by Marie

This is a repost of an earlier blog post!

The window for holding the caucuses to elect delegates to the 2011 Democratic Convention on June 4th in Lowell opens this Saturday February 5th and closes on Saturday February 19th. Here is a list of the first group of local  Greater Lowell/Merrimack Valley area caucuses:

Saturday February 5th:

ANDOVER – Saturday, February 5th at 10am, Marland Place at 15 Stevens Street

BEDFORD – Saturday February 5th at 9:30AM, Lt. Job Lane Element. School at 66 Sweetwater Avenue

CARLISLE – Saturday, February 5th at 9:30AM, Town Hall, 27 School Street

GROTON – Saturday, February 5th at 2:00 PM, Town Hall at 173 Main Street

LAWRENCE – Saturday, February 5th at 9:00am, Lawrence Heritage State Park at 1 Jackson Street

LOWELL (all wards) – Saturday, February 5th at 10:00 AM, East End Club at 15 West Fourth Street

PEPPERELL– Saturday, February 5th at 2:00 PM, Charles Lawrence Library at 15 Main Street

TEWKSBURY – Saturday, February 5th at 10AM, Town Hall on  Main Street/Rte. 38 

TYNGSBOROUGH – Saturday, February 5th at 10:00 AM, Multi-Service Center at 180 Lakeview Avenue

Look for other caucus dates and locations here at the MassDems.org website.

CategoryCurrent Events, Greater Lowell, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

February 4th, 2011

“The Fighter” Continues to Bring Attention to Lowell

by Marie

Mickey O’Keefe ( LPD officer who plays himself in the movie), Mark Wahlberg (as Micky Ward) and Christian Bale (as Dicky Ekland) in a scene filmed at Arthur Ramalho’s West End Gym in Lowell.

In the  Globe A&E/Celebrity News, Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein are reporting that NBC’s  ”Today” show is sending a crew to Lowell next week to film a segment about Micky Ward and Dicky Ekland. It’s sure to air as part of the build-up to Oscar night.

We’re told a crew from NBC’s “Today’’ show is headed to Lowell next week to shoot a segment on boxing brothers Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, whose stories are the basis of David O. Russell’s Oscar-nominated film “The Fighter.’’

Be on the look-out in your travels around Lowell next week, especially if you are near the Owl Diner, the West End Gym or particular haunts seen in the Lowell-made movie –  The Fighter. You can always check out Dick’s map of the movie’s on-location-in-Lowell sites - as a well-known national travel blog did just the other day. Check here -http://www.richardhowe.com/2011/02/03/richardhowe-com-featured-on-national-travel-site/comment-page-1/#comment-6367

CategoryCurrent Events, History, Lowell | Comment1 Comment »

February 4th, 2011

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

by DickH

The first Byzantine styled Greek Orthodox church in America Holy Trinity was designed by Lowell Architect Henry L. Rourke and was influenced by Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Completed in 1908, the exterior was refurbished in 2010-11. The scaffolding was just recently removed. (Photos and text by Tony Sampas)

CategoryLowell | Comment2 Comments »

February 4th, 2011

Richie Neal – a pragmatic politician looks at Obama’s energy ideas by Marjorie Arons-Barron

by Tony

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog.

A million electric cars on the road by 2012? Utilities getting 80 percent of their fuel from clean sources by 2035? These and other clean energy goals are exciting to contemplate as part of the President’s agenda, especially given volatility in the Middle East. But how realistic are those goals? Especially since the Republicans have made clear that major comprehensive energy legislation is a non-starter. And especially because, as Congressman Richie Neal of Springfield recently noted at a New England Council briefing, you can trace the demise of Democrats in the House, 63 seats to be specific, to the cap-and-trade provision of last session’s House energy legislation. Throughout the autumn, the talking heads were all over the issue in opposition and legislators treated the bill as “cap and tax.”

President Obama has cleverly linked advances in clean energy to our becoming more competitive with the Chinese. The idea works philosophically, but what about practically? Neal notes that getting to clean energy will be a long slog. We will be dependent on fossil fuels for a long time. Wind power, for example, may work in North Dakota, Texas and Oklahoma, Neal point out, but elsewhere will be but a small contributor to energy supply. Right now, it’s less than one percent. Solar is a long way off, and China has already stolen a march on us in that department.

When it comes to energy, all politics is regional. If you’re from a coal or oil state, regional alliances trump partisan affiliation. President Obama suggested ending tax subsidies to fossil fuels, yesterday’s energy, and providing tax subsidies instead to fund clean energy development, tomorrow’s energy. Using the tax code to encourage alternative energy may provide poetic symmetry but, given the pressures of regional politics, it’s not going to happen overnight. Or over many cold nights.

Congressman Neal makes it clear why he came within a hair’s breadth of becoming the Ranking Member on the House Ways and Means Committee. He’s keenly intelligent on the substantive issues and savvy about the personalities and pressures of legislative maneuvering. I’d like to think he’s wrong about the prospects for progress on energy and the environment this session, but I fear I must defer to his wisdom and experience.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below

CategoryUncategorized | CommentNo Comments »

February 4th, 2011

Up on the roof

by DickH

On the roof, it’s peaceful as can be . . .

James Taylor never experienced ice dams. Through the years I’ve become an expert on these frustrating winter constructions. For the uninitiated, ice dams occur when the snow on your roof melts from the bottom due to the space beneath your roof being warmer than the outside air. The water that results from the melted snow rolls down the shingles until it hits the part of the roof that extends over the soffet. (The soffet is the overhang that juts out from the exterior wall of your house). Because the soffet is extended over the outside air, it’s cold. When the melted snow hits that part of the roof it freezes, with some cascading over the edge to form ever lengthening icicles. The frozen ridge of ice at the edge of the roof creates a literal dam, blocking the path off the roof for the rest of the melting snow. This causes the dam to get higher and wider. Pretty soon, the melted snow starts backing up over the warm part of the roof where it works its way beneath the shingles and into your house. It often starts as a drip, drip, drip from a ceiling light fixture or a big wet spot on you ceiling. It’s very annoying.

The immediate action for water coming in, once buckets are in place, is to open up a gap in the ice so the water can drain off. If the roof is above the first floor, it’s best to hire someone to do this for you. There usually they’ll take a hammer and hack away at the ice until it chips off. Another approach is to dump chemical snow melt along the edge of the roof and let it do its work. You can fill up a tube sock with the stuff and leave it laying across the ice where it will melt a channel through it.

Removing the snow from your roof will solve the problem, at least until the next snow storm. With no snow to melt, there will be no water backup. I’ve used “snow rakes” before – they’re the long-handled contraptions with a blade at the end, designed to allow you to stand on the ground and pull snow off. I’ve found that removing only a few feet of snow from the edge only pushes the ice dam further up the roof, so in my experience, it’s all or nothing.

There are several long term solutions. Heated wires that you place in a zigzag pattern along the edge of the roof and plug into an outside outlet as needed have worked pretty well for me. They’re easy to install and keep channels through the ice open for water to drain. If you’re replacing your roof, consider installing ice/water shield, a rubberized coating that usually is placed on three feet along the edge, over the entire roof. The experts will say ensure your attic is well insulated and well ventilated so that it’s temperature will remain the same as the outside air and stop melting the roof snow from below. I think if you had a warm roof to begin with, you’ll always have a warm roof.

It’s frustrating. The only real solution is spring. Until then, we can always listen to JT.

CategoryCurrent Events | Comment3 Comments »

February 4th, 2011

Dicky Eklund, Knock Down or Slip?

by Tony

Earlier this week Channel 5′s Chronicle did an entire show on Dick Eklund, Micky Ward and the movie The Fighter. Watching it reminded me that I had never seen the famous slip/knock down of Sugar Ray Leonard by Dicky Eklund..so I check it out on YouTube and found this video.

Now you may accuse me of being a “hometown-er”, but I think the referee should have ruled this a knock down and not a slip. Watch the video and tell me what do you think?

CategoryGreater Lowell, Lowell, Uncategorized | Comment5 Comments »

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