Author Archive

Gov. Patrick’s Message

See this boston.com report on Gov. Deval Patrick’s remarks at the swearing-in ceremony for his second term as governor. I recall meeting him one day at UMass Lowell when he was campaigning in the Democratic primary election his first time around. He was by himself, being introduced to people by…

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40 Guns

The Lowell Sun yesterday reported that some 40 guns were stolen from a vault in a cellar of a house in Lowell. Is there a limit on how many guns an individual can legally own and store in one place? This quantity is more like an arsenal of handguns and rifles.

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‘Irish Thunder’

While watching the Gator Bowl and now Rose Bowl on TV and occasionally checking Breaking News on the Sun site and the home page of boston.com, I’ve been reading “Irish Thunder’ by Bob Halloran, a vivid account of Micky Ward’s struggles and success. Parts of the book describing life in…

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New Year’s Day & French Canadian-Americans

Check this discussion thread from 2002 on Jacques L’Heureux’s Franco-American Connection website for the cultural significance of New Year’s Day among French Canadians. And why is New Year’s Day an official holiday in Massachusetts? Here’s the Lowell connection from worcester.bettysgenealogy.org : New Year’s Day, however, was not an American holiday. It…

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