October 10th, 2011
by DickH
Tony Sampas shared the above photo and the following information regarding this Saturday’s program at the Lowell National Park Visitor Center
Duke professor Joseph P. Donahue PhD (left) with UMass Lowell’s Todd Tietchen PhD (right) at the Lowell National Historical Park’s Visitors Center following Todd’s talk: “Kerouac Today – The Continuing Legacy,” Saturday October 8. Todd’s dynamic presentation to a packed hall was made possible by the Parker Foundation. Other partners in this year’s successful Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival were the MA Cultural Council, COOL, UMass Lowell, and Lowell National Historical Park. Note the Last Whole Earth Catalog, an object of discussion during the lecture, resting to the right of Todd.
Current Events, Lowell | 
No Comments »
October 10th, 2011
by PaulM
Boston.com is reporting that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticized “Wall Street” protesters in NYC and elsewhere for acting in a way that is dividing the country. Read the bulletin here, and get the Globe if you want more. I wonder if he thinks the Tea Party protests were divisive?
Current Events, Election 2012, History, Lowell | 4 Comments »
October 10th, 2011
by PaulM
Patricia Leigh Brown of the NYTimes today writes about the refugee farm program that began in the Merrimack Valley with the late John Ogonowski of Dracut, who was killed on September 11 when his plane was hijacked. Read her West Coast-based report that references the origin of the program here. Thanks to regular reader and contributor Charlie Nikitopoulos for the tip about this article.
The country’s pioneering refugee farm program, in Lowell, Mass., was founded by Tufts University and continues to thrive.
Visoth Kim, a Khmer refugee from Cambodia, now 63, farms land in Dracut, Mass., owned by the widow of John Ogonowski, the pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 that crashed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Mr. Ogonowski, whose ancestors were Polish immigrants, made land available to Hmong and Cambodian refugees, teaching them modern irrigation techniques in exchange for fresh vegetables.
Mr. Kim, who witnessed mass starvation in Cambodia, losing a brother, refers to his two-acre plot as “my plenty.” His fellow farmer Sinikiwe Makarutsa grew up in Zimbabwe and now grows maize on land rented from a local church. She made enough money to buy a tractor and rototiller.
Ms. Makarutsa was inspired to farm, she said, after tasting supermarket tomatoes. She uses the Zimbabwean phrase “Pamuzinda” to describe her seven-acre plot.
Roughly translated, she said, “It means ‘where you belong.’ ”
Culture, Greater Lowell, History, Lowell | No Comments »
October 10th, 2011
by Marie
This item is a cross-post from my recent post on the Lowell Historical Society blog site here.
I came across this newsworthy historical tidbit today. The first radio station of note in Lowell was known as WLLH radio. Wikipedia and other sources tell us the story of the origins of WLLH and its current status.
On this day – October 10, 1934:
WLEY was a radio station operating in Lexington, Massachusetts until 1933 when it was purchased by Alfred Moffat, who moved the station to Lowell on October 10, 1934 and changed the call letters to WLLH. Moffat boosted the station’s daytime power to 250 watts from a transmitter and studio location at the Rex Center in downtown Lowell and then affiliated it with the Yankee Network. In 1936, the station also began an affiliation with theMutual-affiliated Colonial Network. He also began efforts to establish a second transmitter in Lawrence, which signed on the air temporarily with 100 watts on December 1, 1937 - a license for the Lawrence transmitter was issued on March 4, 1941. WLLH moved to 1400 kHz on March 29, 1941 under the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement.
Johnny Carson’s well-known side-kick Ed McMahon – a Lowell High School graduate - began his career in 1942 as an announcer for WLLH. Local sports coverage was popular with listeners – from high school football to the Lowell Spinners in later days. Many will remember another popular radio figure – Tom Clayton and then in later years the late Paul Sullivan and his Morning Magazine show. Sullivan – also affiliated with the Lowell Sun – later starred on nighttime radio at WBZ-1030 AM in Boston.
The station that now operates as WLLH-1400 AM is quite different from its original format and is owned by Gois Broadcasting, LLC. The station airs in the Spanish language in a tropical music format.
Culture, Greater Lowell, History | 7 Comments »
October 10th, 2011
by DickH
An image found on Facebook.
Discuss.
Current Events, Election 2012 | No Comments »
October 10th, 2011
by DickH
The Billerica Democratic Town Committee held its fourth annual family outing yesterday at the Billerica Lodge of Elks. Originally scheduled for August 28, the affair was rescheduled because of Hurricane Irene. Weather-wise, yesterday was a much nicer day. Three of the Democatic candidates for US Senate – Alan Khazei (above), Tom Conroy (below), and Herb Robinson (photo here) – mingled with the crowd and gave variations of their stump speeches. Ken Donnelly, who represents Billerica in the Massachusetts State Senate, was also there and gave a great speech about the never ending fight to balance the playing field for the working families of Massachusetts. Congratulations to Billerica town committee co-chairs, George and Anne Noel for a well-done event.
Election 2012, Greater Lowell | No Comments »
October 10th, 2011
by Marie
Former Lowell Sun scribe and longtime political writer for the Nashua Telegraph, Kevin Landrigan has covered many a New Hampshire Presidential Primary Race cycle – for Democrats as well as Republicans. In his column today Landrigan sees the current GOP race as a “hurry up and wait” season. He describes and divides the various periods of the race this way: the Ames Straw Poll; the Perry Pause; the Huntsman Hunt; the Early Debate-a-thon; and the Hamlet Impersonations. And then there’s the biggest factor in this hurry-up-and-wait season and that’s ”the 800-pound gorilla in this N.H. GOP primary field” – former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. The WMUR-TV poll released Friday shows Romney still holding a 3-1 lead over the field with 42 percent to flavor of the week Herman Cain’s 13 percent with 11 percent for Paul, 8 percent for Huntsman and Perry with 6 percent. Landrigan’s take on this political season is interesting and experienced.
Check out Kevin Landrigan’s column here at nashuatelegraph.com
Election 2012, Greater Lowell, History, Politics | 2 Comments »
October 10th, 2011
by Marie
My favorite Washington Post opinion writer – Massachusetts native E. J. Dionne, Jr – writes today of Elizabeth Warren’s succinctly stated case for liberalism and George Will’s skilled attempt to knock it down. An admirer of both people – both by the way reputedly skilled debaters – Dionne notes that Warren’s gone-viral declaration “there is nobody in this country who got rich on his own” is actually accepted by Will even as he tried to skew her words far beyond her intent or substance. Dionne writes:
“Everyone,” he writes , “knows that all striving occurs in a social context, so all attainments are conditioned by their context.” Indeed. He gives us here a rigorous and concise summary of what she said.
Will then adds: “This does not, however, entail a collectivist political agenda.” In intellectual contests, this is an MVP move. Having accused Warren of setting fire to straw men, Will has just introduced his own straw colossus.
There is absolutely nothing in Warren’s statement that implied a “collectivist political agenda.”
Dionne concludes:
In light of my respect for Will, it seems only appropriate that I close by offering words of admiration — for him, and for Elizabeth Warren. Will doesn’t waste time challenging arguments that don’t matter and he doesn’t erect straw men unless he absolutely has to. That Warren has so inspired Will, our premier conservative polemicist now that William F. Buckley Jr. has passed to his eternal reward, is an enormous tribute to her. And remember: On the core point about the social contract, George Will and Elizabeth Warren are in full, if awkward, agreement.
Read E.J. Dionne’s full political opinion piece here at WashingtonPost.com.
Election 2012, History, Politics | 2 Comments »
October 10th, 2011
by PaulM
On TV yesterday, I watched parts of various games, and gave the Patriots quite a bit of time. Beating the Jets is always a good thing. I haven’t felt good about that team since Joe Namath stopped playing. Although the Jets got close a few times, the contest was a methodical effort by Brady and company. BenJarvus Green-Ellis proved that running is still an option for this season. What about his name? Like one of the classic rhythmic sports names, Van Lingo Mungo.
I hope Milwaukee defeats St. Louis and gets to the World Series. St. Louis fans have had some post-season fun recently. It would be great for Milwaukee to win the World Series. Milwaukee was one of the Innovative Cities highlighted at the 2010 Innovative Cities Conference in Lowell. It’s an older gritty city that has a lot in common with Lowell, although it is larger. Milwaukee hasn’t been in the World Series since 1982, when they were still in the American League and lost to the Cardinals, coincidentally (Thanks, Wikipedia). I hadn’t paid attention to the National League pennant race through the summer. I didn’t know the Brewers led the NL in home runs.
I didn’t like the early game choices. I briefly saw Michael Vick in the 1 pm game on CBS. I can’t watch that guy. Glad the Eagles lost to Buffalo, another city whose people could use a big winner. I also could not watch much of the Steelers vs Tennessee. Not a fan of QB Ben Roth’bgr. Best moment for me was the fake punt and pass by Daniel Sepulveda to safety Ryan Mundy for a Pittsburgh first down. On the other hand, every week I could watch Green Bay, my favorite team as a kid.
Culture, History, Lowell | 1 Comment »
October 10th, 2011
by PaulM
Culture, History, Lowell | 2 Comments »
Recent Comments