Report Your Issues!

There are a couple of valuable tools at the general public’s disposal for alerting the proper departments of issues around the City of Lowell.  There are two web-based programs, SeeClickFix and E-Gov which allow users to input general information regarding a problem or issue (for example: a pot hole or a street light outage), upload a picture if they want, and the program will automatically inform the proper department of the problem.  These tools have been in use in Lowell for around a  year, and they are empowering citizens to be proactive in helping to keep our City functioning at its highest level.

Both of these programs have been adopted in order to better service the Citizens of Lowell.  In the last year, nearly 10,000 issues have been reported via these web-based tools for attention by various City departments.  Thousands of users have helped the City to streamline speed of reporting and speed of services.  Please visit these websites to report any issues going on in your neighborhood today!

www.seeclickfix.com/lowell

http://www.egovlink.com/lowell/action.asp

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Updates 6/17/13

Lowell was recently featured in an ABC News piece, “6 Hidden Travel Gems Off the Beaten Path!” ABC recognized the Lowell National Historical Park and had this to say about Lowell’s rich history:

“Learn about the grittier side of New England history at the Lowell National Historical Park, about 45 minutes from Boston. Several exhibits and programs bring Lowell’s mill town past to life.

“There are canal boat rides that demonstrate the lock system, an actual mill re-established to show the textile machinery in action, and museums with exhibits about the ‘mill girls’ who worked in the industry, about the various immigrant populations that have flocked to Lowell over the centuries and into the present, etc. It’s history presented in an enjoyable and meaningful way.”"

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/popular-vacation-attractions-off-beaten-path/story?id=19363519#2

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The University of Massachusetts Lowell is hosting a public forum on its plans to prepare for environmental emergencies and protect public and campus safety on Monday, June 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Trustees Room at Cumnock Hall, North Campus, 31 University Ave., Lowell. Students, faculty, staff and members of the public are invited to attend. The university is updating its hazard mitigation program, which outlines steps it will take to keep the campus and community safe before, during, and after natural and manmade disasters and hazards, including hurricanes and floods.

This project is supported by a three-year grant from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Other UMass campuses, including Boston, Dartmouth and Worcester, are also participating in the project.

Representatives from the engineering firm Woodward & Curran, the university’s partner on this project, will deliver a short presentation on the plan’s development and the work that has been completed to date.

Members of the public are invited to contribute their ideas for possible inclusion in the plan.

For more information, contact the University’s Department of Environmental and Emergency Management at 978-934-2618.

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The Middlesex 3 Coalition celebrates Small Business Week!

Since 2008, in conjunction with the National Small Business Week celebration held annually in Washington, D.C., the City of Lowell has recognized its small business community by holding a One-Stop Business Resource Fair. For the first time in six years the Lowell Resource Fair has evolved into a regional event with the Middlesex 3 Coalition. This event will include a one-stop business resource fair that includes manyorganizations from the five communities in the Middlesex 3 Coalition that provide technical, financial, procurement, networking and other business-support services. The event will also include a CEO luncheon.

When: June 19, 2013
Time: 10 AM – 1 PM
Where: Cross Point, 900 Chelmsford Street, Lowell, MA 01851

(Parking information: 
http://www.lowell.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Parking%20Information.pdf
)

Schedule Of Events:
10:00 to 1:00- One-Stop Small Business Resource Fair (Free)
12:00-1:00- CEO Luncheon with Bobbie Carlton
Co-Founder of Mass Innovation Nights and Founder of Carlton PR & Marketing
and Recognition of Scott Fallavollita of United Tool & Die Co., SBA Massachusetts 2013 Small Business Person of the Year
(First 100 lunches will be generously sponsored by Enterprise Bank)

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2nd Annual Acre Festival!

Please join Acre A.C.T.I.O.N & Western Avenue Studios to celebrate the 2nd annual Acre Festival!

North Common Ampitheater

Saturday, June 8, 11 AM to 4 PM

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City of Lowell Engages Local Artists to Help Promote the City

[LOWELL, MA— May 23, 2013] The City of Lowell has been rebuilding itself through historical redevelopment and the creative economy since the 1980’s.  Now home to a large artist’s community, as well as the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Middlesex Community College, Lowell has become known for its wealth of artistic activity and resources.  So this year, when the City decided to create a marketing campaign, it made sense to turn to that local community.   The result  was a campaign of ads, films, and marketing materials that have made it into malls, the backs of buses, movie theaters, and people’s shopping carts, all designed by established and emerging Lowell artists.

“We’ve been talking about how important the creative economy is to Lowell for years now.  It just made sense that we would tap them when we were looking for some creative ideas to promote the City,” said Economic Development Director Theresa Park. 

The campaign first got off the ground when University of Massachusetts professor Karen Roehr approached the City about a grant she had received for her students to design a comprehensive marketing campaign for a business.  Roehr thought the City would be the best entity to promote and approached City Manager Bernie Lynch about the idea. “We weren’t entirely sure what to expect when we agreed to work with the students,” said Lynch, “but we are extremely pleased with the results.”

The UMass campaign designed by Jason Taylor, Juliana DeSouza, and Mike Noonan was incorporated into a series of ads promoting everything from dining and galleries to baseball and affordable housing.  The ads have been appearing in the Burlington Mall, as well as in MBTA bus shelters and on bus tails that have been travelling throughout the greater Boston area. 

 

The success of the UML campaign encouraged the City to reach out again to the community, this time with a pair of marketing contests:  the design of a “Lowell Bag” to be used for distribution at special events like the Lowell Folk Festival, and the creation of a 15-second ad to appear in movie theaters.  

Graphic designer Chase Compton won the bag competition by creating a stylized image of a factory with an entirely upper-cased LOWELL embedded in the design.  The winning picture was screen printed onto bags and sewn by local manufacturer UnWrapped, keeping the whole process “in-house”. 

Three artists shared the award for the best 15-second film.  Former New York ad man Peter Pedulla and local photographer Adrien Bisson teamed up to create a fast-paced montage of “what’s to like about Lowell,” narrated by local actresses Obehi Janice and Jacqueline O’ Kelly. The film is currently being shown at the Showcase Cinemas in Woburn and begins screening in Burlington and Methuen later this spring.  The second film was created by Lowell filmmaker Joey Sylvester and presents a series of scenic vistas of Lowell over which are superimposed the defining characteristics of the City, including creativity and courage. 

While this is the first time the City has created a marketing campaign with local talent, it won’t be the last.  The Office of Economic Development is already working on plans to create a series of films to promote local businesses.  Park had this to say about the decision: “When you have the rich resources that we have here in Lowell, the adage ‘buy local’ is easy to achieve.”

Both winning films, Compton’s bag design, and the ad campaigns created by UMass Lowell can be viewed on the City’s website, www.lowell.org.

Pedulla/Bisson link

https://vimeo.com/62023445

Sylvester link

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About The City of Lowell

A crossroad of commerce and creativity, the City of Lowell is a diverse urban environment. Named one of the best places to live by Boston Magazine, the City is characterized by its established arts community, distinct residences and commercial vitality.  The fourth largest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Lowell is home to an eclectic mix of cultural attractions and events including the Lowell Folk Festival, Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell Memorial Auditorium and the Tsongas Arena.  A leader in urban redevelopment, Lowell offers a variety of residential and commercial space from renovated mills to modern high-rises.  Strategically located at the intersections of Routes 495, 93 and 3, Lowell has established itself as a leading business and entertainment destination throughout Massachusetts and Greater New England. 

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New Trees Enhance Fr. Grillo Park

As part of the Manager’s Neighborhood Impact Initiative/Back Central, five ornamental trees were recently planted in Fr. Grillo Park.

This gem of a green space in the Back Central neighborhood is maintained by Adopt an Island participants Chris and Diane Geggis.  The new Kwanzan Cherry trees will provide a dramatic mid-spring display of pink blossoms and, as they grow, increasing shade for this highly visible park at the junction of Central and Chapel Streets.

More trees will be planted as part of ongoing efforts in the Back Central Initiative area.  In addition, the extension of Richmond Avenue is expected to be complete soon and will improve access and security for Rotary Club Park and for the park’s successful community garden project.

Even more trees will be planted as part of the currently underway East Pawtucketville/West Acre initiative.

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Updates 5/23/13

The City of Lowell’s own Ron LaBrecque has been recognized as a Massachusetts Master Roads Scholar by the Bay State Roads Program. Great job, Ron!

“I began my career with the City
of Lowell as a draftsman in 1969.
I worked in the City Engineers
Office drawing maps for assessment
purposes. Several years later I started
to do construction inspections for
underground telephone, electric, water
and sewer lines for new subdivisions
that were being built throughout the
city.

When the City of Lowell began
to construct new schools, there were
not enough Clerk of Works/Engineers
to oversee each school to be built. I
was sent out for three years to oversee
the construction of three new schools.

After getting back into the office, I
handled inspections of city streets that
needed to be reconstructed, and also
collected estimates and quantities for
the new contracts.

I spent many years gathering
quantities and estimates in order to
write contracts for streets needing
reconstruction. I have also spent
many years with the Baystate Roads
Program, improving my skills through
its many workshops.

After 43 years with the City
Engineers, I’m now the Sr. Assistant
City Engineer for the City of Lowell. I
supervise the reconstruction of streets
and review new contracts for bid,
many of which are for Chapter 90
funds.”

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Public Meeting Notice

The Department of Planning and Development invites you to participate in a meeting regarding the restoration of two-way traffic in downtown Lowell.

The City’s consulting engineers from Nelson Nygaard and TEC will present their proposals for the restoration of two-way traffic to Merrimack, Market, Central, and Shattuck Streets as well as
the extensive traffic analysis they have conducted to establish the feasibility of this change.

The City is very interested in hearing from Downtown stakeholders regarding your reactions to the proposal.

Should you have any questions about the meeting or the project, or if you require any special accommodations to participate in the meeting, please contact Transportation Engineer Eric Eby at 978-674-4252 or eeby@lowellma.gov.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 29th at 6:00 PM in the Mayor’s Reception Room in City Hall.

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The Lowell Election and Census Commission announces that absentee ballots for the June 25 Special US Senate election are now available.

Under Massachusetts Law, voters may cast absentee ballots for the following reasons only:
1) absence from the City during polling hours (7am – 8pm); or
2) physical disability preventing you from going to your polling location; or
3) religious belief

To request an absentee ballot, you may request an absentee ballot application from the Election & Commission or send a letter of request including the following: your name and Lowell address where you are registered to vote, the address where the ballot is to be sent, your signed name, your printed name, and reason for voting absentee. Our address is 375 Merrimack Street, Room 5, Lowell, MA 01852.

Voters who are not current in the census will only be allowed to vote if they submit their ballots with a copy of identification and sign an affidavit that they still reside at the given Lowell address.

The deadline to apply for absentee voting is 12:00 noon on Monday, June 24 but voters who are requesting voting through the mail are urged to apply well in advance of the deadline. Only ballots received by the close of the day on Election Day will be counted.

For further information on your voter registration status or absentee voting procedures, please call the Election Office at 978-674-1200.

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Tonight, Lowell students will be competing in the “Louder Than a Bomb” slam poetry festival in Boston!

Louder Than A Bomb was started in 2001 in Chicago by poets Anna West and Kevin Coval. It’s since grown to be the largest youth poetry festival in the world, and even inspired a full-length feature film.

Louder Than A Bomb aims to bring together a diverse group of teens through a friendly competition that emphasizes self-expression and community via performance poetry.

In 2012, MassLEAP kicked off the very first Louder Than A Bomb in the sate of Massachusetts!

Finals: Thursday, May 23, 6 pm – 9 pm
Boston University Theatre | Huntington Theatre Company
264 Huntington Avenue, Boston

For tickets: http://ltabmass.brownpapertickets.com/

Further reading: http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2013/05/20/poetry-slam-competition-louder-than-bomb-nears-finals/twNbEAod8ZQg7ma4nf5CIJ/story.html

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Some news out of Cultural Affairs!

What’s new in the past year in Lowell:

o UnchARTed opened a permanent gallery space on Merrimack St.
o The Zeitgeist Gallery opened on Market St. with a co-op gallery & vintage clothing store
o HOWL in Lowell started up as a new on-line arts and culture magazine
o The Brush Gallery turned 30, the Quilt Museum and Angkor Dance each celebrate 25 years!
o Western Avenue Lofts opened offering 50 affordable live/work spaces for artists
o The MRT completed a major renovation of their theater
o 119 Gallery installed a new mural on the side of their building
o The ATHM partnered with the Smithsonian to bring astronauts to Lowell!
o Middlesex Community College and the NPS partnered with Cambodian Master Ceramicist Yari Livan in the creation of a traditional wood fired kiln
o Lowell hosted the New England Music Awards

What can we look forward to:

o Arts League of Lowell opens their permanent home in the Gates Block on Market St. The new space has a members gallery, a cooperative gallery, classrooms, Van Gogh’s Gear art supplies and 36 artists’ work studios
o Renovations at Western Avenue Studios that will increase the number of studios to 245 and create new event spaces. WAS will now be the largest community of its kind on the East Coast
o The opening of two new Maker spaces in the Canalway Cultural District, one for fashion and one for community makers
o A new mural at 119 and the introduction of an Artist in Residence program in the fall
o Angkor Dance begins work on a 10 year plan that will include the creation of a school for traditional dance

Articles in the Boston Globe on Lowell arts:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/02/21/somerville-and-lowell-yourselfers-making-work/Ip5PbMWLdSAbMGIiApdgsM/story.html

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/08/16/art_renaissance_building_in_lowell/

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/04/08/lowell-mill-built-with-fun-house-style/xUcT65ZyoIMR3e3az7sYXI/story.html

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“Hydro” is the new piece that was selected for Point Park in the Hamilton Canal District. It represents water flowing through turbines to generate power, a vital part of Lowell’s industrial history.

 

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Pollard Memorial Library – Board of Trustees Opening

There is an Open position on the Pollard Memorial Library’s Board of Trustees. The position is volunteer based, helps oversee the general care, administration, and policy making for the library, and meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month.

Please contact Lynda Clark (lclark@lowellma.gov, 978-674-1001) for more information.

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Doors Open in Lowell!

Doors Open May 17-18

Now in its 12th year, Doors Open Lowell is the community’s signature preservation, architecture, and design event and was the first of its kind in the United States when it debuted in 2002. Presented as part of National Preservation Month, it’s a celebration of urban living and culture where people and preservation have made Lowell a creative and exciting place to live, work, and visit.

So come on out this weekend, put on your good walking shoes, grab a camera, and invite some family and friends along as you discover a different side of Lowell…the inside!

For a full schedule of events, please visit http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/events-1.

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Athenian Corner Serves Up Huge Energy Savings

The Athenian Corner, a local mainstay here in downtown Lowell, has a nice feature on www.energy.gov website, detailing the success the small business has enjoyed since utilizing the BetterBuildings Lowell Energy Upgrade (BLEU) program. 

Some facts:

• The Athenian Corner, a family-owned restaurant in Lowell, Massachusetts, made energy efficiency upgrades that are saving it more than 41 percent in energy costs.
• The upgrades also helped improve the comfort of the restaurant, leading to increased business for the Athenian Corner.

Please visit
http://energy.gov/articles/family-owned-restaurant-serves-huge-energy-savings
 for the full article!

 

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Coyotes Deployed at Edwards Soccer Field

 

A pack of coyotes is being deployed at the Edwards Soccer Field to discourage flocks of wild geese from taking over the turf and turning it into a hazardous waste field.

With its proximity to the Merrimack River and wide open spaces, the field has recently become a favorite landing spot for the fast-growing numbers of wild geese in the area. These hardy waterfowl have become the bane of parks and open spaces in recent years, digging up grasses and leaving behind their droppings. With the soccer season starting, these birds, with their bad habits, have become unwelcome visitors.

In an effort to chase away Mother Goose and her many followers, the Parks Department has purchased several faux coyotes which will be positioned to keep watch over the field and do their 3D “menacing predator” best to scare away the geese.

This effort is the latest in a number of improvements done to Edwards Soccer Field since its development by the City in the early 1990s.

Over the years improvements included construction of the concession stand/restroom facilities, parking area, fencing, gates and storage containers. A $75,000 irrigation system was installed resulting in improved field condition and expansion of the league’s hours of operations. Recently the City invested approximately $40,000 to connect the concession stand to the City’s sewer system, replacing the $7,800 holding tanks installed in 2006.

This season, the Department of Public Works will repave the entry and install new curbing.

Our new coyote patrol will be keeping a sharp eye on Edwards Field and making sure the goose gang doesn’t do damage to our many investments to this great asset.

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