Under first-year head coach Jon Plefka, the UMass Lowell women’s basketball team continues to impress.
Even in defeat.
The River Hawks led after each of the first three quarters only to see Maine rally down the stretch for a 73-65 victory during the America East Conference opener on Thursday night at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.
The River Hawks drop to 6-8, 4-2 at home after a nightmarish 3-25 campaign a season ago.
UMass Lowell received 20 points and six rebounds from Maddie Rice. Jaini Edmonds contributed 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. Paris Gilmore chipped in 11 points to also reach double figures.
A jumper by Edmonds pulled the River Hawks to a 63-63 tie with 2:40 left, but the hosts would only score two points the rest of the way. Maine’s Lala Woods (17 points) canned back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Black Bears (6-8) pull away.
Making the loss extra painful for the River Hawks was the fact that they led the game for more than 31 minutes.
Maine received a 37-point outburst from Adrianna Smith, who sank 16-of-23 shots from the floor. In one of the keys to the game, Maine was 13-for-17 from the free throw line, while UML only had three free throws, making two.
Both teams shot over 52 percent from the floor.
UMass Lowell led 22-16 after one quarter, 39-32 at halftime and 53-49 after three quarters. The River Hawks were coming off a 109-45 win over St. Joseph’s Brooklyn.
Boys hockey
Alvirne/Milford 3, Nashua No. 2: Alvirne/Milford skated to a narrow victory over Nashua North at Conway Arena to capture a holiday tournament.
The Admirals finished the tournament with 7.0 points, just ahead of Nashua’s 6.5 points. Brandon Hiltz scored from Brandon Gianas, Brandon Callahan’s goal came after a pass by Landon Briand, and Dylan MacLeod netted the game-winner after a dish from Luke Green.
Girls gymnastics
Dracut falls: The Middies compiled a score of 117.3 and finished behind Andover (136.6) and North Andover (132.85) in a MVC tri-meet.
Girls hockey
St. Mary’s 3, Central 1: Central Catholic was nipped during a non-league game against the Lynn School.
The Raiders received a tremendous 50-save performance from goaltender Sloan Costa. Chloe Luzzo pocketed the goal for Central (1-3), while the assist was earned by Angela Cardillo.
Editor’s note
High school varsity coaches are asked to submit their game results to sports@lowellsun.com
North Middlesex’s Sophie Hopkins drives to the basket past Nashoba Regional’s Natalie Sanborn. North Middlesex was defeated earlier this week, 56-22. (Gary Fournier photo)North Middlesex’s Ava Callahan, right, defends as Nashoba Regional’s Sarah Quinn puts up a shot during Nashoba’s 56-22 girls basketball win in Townsend. (Gary Fournier photo)
DRACUT — The Zoning Board of Appeals has published a draft decision signaling it is ready to approve the contentious Murphy’s Farm Chapter 40B proposal for apartments in East Dracut. Final approval is expected at the board’s Dec. 4 meeting.
As published, the number of apartments has been downsized from 268 units to 200. The original proposal called for 300 units.
One of the goals of the decades-old 40B law is to increase the stock of affordable housing in the state. Murphy’s Farm will have 20 low-income units and 20 moderate-income units.
Chapter 40B gives the ZBA power to issue comprehensive permits that supersede the normal permitting process.
The draft document lists more than 90 conditions the developer, O’Brien Homes of Andover, must comply with to be granted a comprehensive permit.
If approved by the ZBA and accepted by the developer, an agreement would bring to an end almost three years of public hearings, neighborhood meetings and property tours.
But the developer can appeal to the state Housing Appeals Committee — which operates under the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities — if the proposal would make the project economically unviable.
Asked about the prospect of an appeal, developer Kevin O’Brien said, “The town’s got to do what it’s got to do. And we have to do what we have to do.”
Selectman Tony Archinski, who has attended most of the hearings, told The Sun, “I have spoken to the town manager and secured funding for legal issues should the builder appeal the decision.”
Speaking for the Citizens Against Reckless Development in Dracut, Michelle Boermeester stated, “We appreciate that the ZBA recognized the project as far too dense and moved to condition the development at 200 units. This reduction helps alleviate some of the anticipated density and traffic impacts on direct abutters and on the broader Dracut community. While we would have preferred an outright denial of the permit, the Board’s conditions represent meaningful modifications and will leave it to the developer to decide whether to accept the terms or pursue an appeal.”
She added, “Even so, we remain concerned that the project—despite the reduction—still is overly dense for this area. We also believe the ZBA did not fully address public safety considerations. The current layout includes extended roadways without cul-de-sacs, leaving no margin for error for emergency response vehicles to maneuver, compromising public safety.”
Aside from reducing the number of units in the complex, the proposal would make the developer pay $7,500 for sewer connections for each market-rate apartment. Connection fees for affordable units would be waived. The developer would pay a total of $1.125 million for sewer connections.
Connection to the Kenwood Water District will cost $5,500 for the first unit and $4,125 for each additional unit. The estimated total for 200 units is $826,375. The connection fee for each building must be paid in full prior to connection to the town system.
WOBURN — A case that stretched more than eight years reached its conclusion this week, as retired Dracut physician, Dr. Richard Miron, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges tied to the illegal prescribing of opioids that led to a Lowell patient’s death.
Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office said Miron, 83, became the first doctor in Massachusetts to be convicted on involuntary manslaughter for prescribing opioids — a conviction that stemmed from the 2016 death of 50-year-old Michelle Craib. He also pleaded guilty to defrauding MassHealth and illegally prescribing medication to patients for no legitimate medical purpose.
Miron was ultimately sentenced in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Monday to what amounts to five years of probation, allowing him to avoid prison time.
Miron’s attorney, Stephen Weymouth, said on Wednesday that he was prepared and confident to go to trial in a case that has faced a series of delays over the years, but after a conversation with his client earlier this month, the main concern became the possibility of serving time behind bars.
“From the very beginning he said, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong, and I want to go to trial,’” Weymouth said about Miron. “But then he said he did not want to go to jail.”
Weymouth pointed out that Miron was facing 47 charges, and any one of them could have resulted in a jail sentence. He said that prosecutors had previously sought four to five years in a plea deal, and the involuntary manslaughter charge carried a maximum of 20 years.
“Going to trial would have been a mistake because all it would have taken was one guilty hook and he would have gotten a pretty lengthy sentence, and I just couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t take any chances,” Weymouth said. “If he had gone to trial and lost, who knows what would have happened.”
Miron was indicted by a Middlesex County grand jury in December 2018 following an investigation that began in September 2017 by the AG’s Office, then headed by now-Gov. Maura Healey. Aside from involuntary manslaughter, he was charged with 23 counts of illegally prescribing controlled substances and 23 counts of filing false Medicaid claims.
From September 2015 to February 2016, the AG’s Office said Miron, a solo practitioner of internal medicine, was the largest provider of high-dose, short-acting oxycodone prescriptions among all MassHealth care providers statewide.
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined Craib’s death was caused by acute intoxication from the combined effects of fentanyl, morphine, codeine, and butalbital — all prescribed by Miron. The AG’s Office said Miron was aware that Craib had previously overdosed on opioids he had prescribed, yet he continued to issue large doses to her on multiple occasions leading up to her death.
Prosecutors also said Miron illegally prescribed opioids to several other at-risk patients for no legitimate medical purpose. The illegal prescriptions Miron issued led pharmacies to unknowingly submit false bills to MassHealth for medication.
MassHealth terminated Miron from its program in September 2017, and he stopped practicing medicine in November 2018, following an agreement with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.
In 2023, Miron’s daughter, Linda Miron, penned a 17-page letter to the AG’s Office urging that the case be dropped. She argued that prosecuting her father — who had already relinquished his medical license and lived under pretrial probation since 2018 — was not in the interest of justice.
“To bring this flawed case to trial does not seem to me to be the best use of the Commonwealth’s resources, and I urge you to drop your prosecution of this case in the interest of justice,” Linda Miron said in the letter. “More broadly, I fear that prosecuting someone who was willing to take on disenfranchised, medically and psychologically complicated patients here in the Commonwealth, when some other physicians refused to take on MassHealth patients, will further discourage other physicians from treating these patients who deserve compassionate care.”
The case marched on until Monday, when Miron appeared in Middlesex Superior Court before Judge Cathleen Campbell, where it was finally resolved.
According to the AG’s Office, Miron was sentenced to two and a half years in a house of correction on illegal prescribing, suspended for five years — meaning he will serve the term as probation rather than prison time, unless he violates probation, in which case the sentence could be imposed. He was sentenced to five years of probation on the involuntary manslaughter charge. For Medicaid fraud, Miron was sentenced to six months in a house of correction, suspended for five years.
As part of his probation, Miron was ordered to pay full restitution to MassHealth and barred from practicing medicine or seeking reinstatement of his license.
According to Weymouth, Miron was glad to put the case behind him and most of all to avoid prison time. He noted that Miron had already given up his medical career and had no intention of practicing again.
In a press release announcing the case’s conclusion on Tuesday, the AG’s Office said the case reflects their “commitment to addressing the root causes of the opioid crisis and holding companies and individuals accountable for their role in contributing to the nationwide epidemic.”
Earlier this year, the release states, Campbell helped negotiate a $7.4 billion settlement in principle with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, which is expected to bring up to $105 million to Massachusetts. To date, the office said they have secured more than $1 billion in opioid-related recoveries, with more than $390 million already received. Those funds are being directed to the state’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund and distributed to cities and towns to support prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery efforts.
The AG’s Office added in the release that valuable assistance with the investigation into Miron’s case was provided by the Lowell Police Department, the State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and MassHealth.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
LOWELL – After winning the Merrimack Valley Conference championship meet every year from 2010-23 (excluding the COVID year), the Lowell High boys cross country team fell to fourth a year ago.
Although Lowell rebounded with strong performances at the divisional and all-state meets, the program anxiously waited 365 days for a little redemption against their league foes.
And that happened Saturday.
Lowell took back the league championship meet title by compiling 42 points, beating out strong North Andover (51) and Billerica (75) teams to earn their 14th title in the past 15 years.
“The fourth-place finish last year never sat well with us,” said head coach Scott Ouellet. “We didn’t know why it went so wrong for us that day. That was as bad as we have ever done. To be honest, we tried a bunch of new things, and it was a disaster. It was a true case of over-coaching. I think that absolutely fueled us today.”
The Red Raiders were on fire with five of the top 14 finishers, led by senior James Kelly, who for the second straight year finished second overall in 16:06 over the 2.95 mile home course.
“This is our home, and we can’t lose here. We just can’t lose here,” said Kelly.
Billerica’s Mason Niles flashes a thumbs-up as he crosses the finish line in 15:54.3 to win Saturday’s Merrimack Valley Conference boys cross country championship at Shedd Park in Lowell. (James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)
Kelly finished 11 seconds behind Billerica sophomore Mason Niles, the overall winner in 15:55. He said he woke up Saturday morning knowing he was going to be crowned the individual champion.
“I gained so much confidence heading into this race. In the MVC (dual meets) I only lost to my teammate once, so I knew that I was going to be the person to beat so I was just trying to race like it,” he said. “Winning this over a lot of good runners in our league really gives me a lot of confidence going into the divisional and All-State meets.
“I’ve had good results this year and I’m running fast so even if I didn’t win, I think I would still have that confidence. (The extra confidence) helps you a lot and it definitely helped me out today.”
After Niles and Kelly came a mix of runners from Lowell, Billerica and North Andover. The Red Raiders were able to pull out the victory thanks to season best performances from Samuel De Souza (4th, 16:11), Tim Schribman (9th, 16:36), Charlie Mirabel (13th, 16:46) and Elijah Calderon (14th, 16:55).
“We got five guys under 17 minutes on a course with two hills, you get that and that’s a sign of a good team,” said Ouellet.
Lowell’s Samuel DeSouza, left, and Billerica’s Sahil Gandhi sprint to the finish during Saturday’s Merrimack Valley Conference boys cross country championship at Shedd Park in Lowell. DeSouza placed fourth and Gandhi was fifth. (James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)
Kelly added, “I knew that we had a good chance of winning it, but we knew that North Andover was a good team. We knew it would be hard, but we did it. They have such a tight pack, so it was going to be really close, but we have been working all season for this.”
Ouellet added that the home cooking benefitted his runners.
“We’re all Lowell kids, the coaches and the kids so being here gives us that extra one percent,” he said. “It just means a little something extra being here at Shedd Park. Every Lowell kid grows up playing sports at Shedd Park, whether it’s baseball, tennis lessons, the parks and recreation department and when I was a kid, we were swimming in the pool and running the cross country races. Every single kid in Lowell grows up playing sports at Shedd Park. To run here today in a big meet with all these people here, there’s just that extra one percent that we get.”
Besides Niles, Sahil Gandhi was fifth in 16:11 and Shane Leslie was seventh in 16:31 to lead Billerica to a third-place finish.
Central Catholic was sixth with Noah Ruggiero finishing 17th. Chelmsford was seventh with Whitley Will finishing 23rd and Tewksbury was eighth behind Steven Oppedisano, who was 11th in 16:42.
The top 12 finishers earned All-Conference honors.
Girls
As expected, Billerica dominated.
Billerica is absolutely loaded with tremendous talent from top to bottom and the Indians have dominated even without their best runner, Gianna McGowan, who is out injured. Despite that, the Indians had its five top runners finish in the top eight spots, while runners six, seven and eight were ninth, 10th and 11th overall, respectively.
Central Catholic’s Kyla Breslin sprints to the finish to win the Merrimack Valley Conference girls cross country championship race. She’s a Lowell resident. (James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)
Only Central Catholic’s Kyla Breslin (1st) and the Chelmsford duo of Mia McCusker (5th) and Kate Leonard (7th) ruined the perfect sea of green and white jerseys crossing the finish line.
“It’s easier when you look next to you and it’s just a teammate,” said sophomore Kylie Donahue, who was second. “That’s how you work together and work with them. It’s easier when you have so many girls on your team right with you and we can count on them to work together as a pack.”
Donahue was second in 18:46, just four seconds behind Breslin, who took the title for the second straight year.
“Sometimes I do go out too fast and then break that second mile so today I was really hoping to keep (the pace of the Billerica runners). I know that I have a good last stretch and was hoping to then just outrun them. But those Billerica girls are such tough competition,” said Breslin, a Lowell resident.
Billerica eighth-grader Maya Niles was third in 18:56.5 and was followed by Caitlyn Donahue (4th, 18:58.2), Hartlie Siegal (6th, 19:32.5) and Madelynn Larosa (8th, 19:47.1) to account for the impressively low 23 points for the team score, while freshman Evelyn Wesling (9th, 19:48.1), sophomore Sabrina Gorski (10th. 19:56.1) and junior Emma Ausilio (11th, 19:57.5) also earned All-Conference honors.
“As a team we knew that we would most likely be able to win even if one of us had an off day because our team is so strong,” said Kylie Donahue. “We have so much depth that anyone can just hop in if someone is having an off day. It’s a little bit of pressure individually but as a team we know what we can do.”
Billerica’s Kylie Donahue navigates the course during Saturday’s Merrimack Valley Conference girls cross country championship in Lowell. She ran to second place. (James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)
The eight Billerica runners consist of three juniors, three sophomores, a freshman and an eighth-grader.
“We work a lot on mindset and focus on our team, focusing on each other and finding one another during a race,” said Billerica head coach Cullen Hagan. “We are still really working on that because we can improve a lot there. A lot of the times we’re strung out, so we really need to solidify that, so we run together more. It’s such an advantage when you have a team like this and have teammates who can pack it in like that. It’s always a work in progress and we can always do better with it.
“We try to strive to be the best we can at that present meet. To us, there’s no such thing as a big meet. Today is just another meet. You don’t want to build it up so much, so it becomes this overwhelming thing, because it’s just another race and we have seen these teams throughout the season. We know it’s such a good league and we look forward to the competition.”
Central Catholic finished second with Breslin and Calista King (11th, 20:25). Chelmsford was fifth with McCusker (19:16) and Leonard (19:44). Lowell was sixth with Ella Machado (20th, 20:58) and Tewksbury was eighth behind freshman Maeve Burns (15th, 20:17).
LOWELL — From the sidewalk outside Majestic Barber Shop on Middlesex Street on Friday, owner George Voutselas traced a finger toward the bullet hole in the window frame at the front of the shop that he’s run for five and a half decades. The now-cracked glass that bears the shop’s name stands strong despite this clash with a bullet, which Voutselas points out is still lodged in the wooden frame.
The shooting that caused the damage must have happened in the early hours of Wednesday. The shop is closed that day, but Voutselas had stopped by in the late afternoon to grab something when he noticed the spiderweb cracks stretching across the exterior of the double-pane window.
“I said, ‘What the hell,’” Voutselas recalled.
At first, he didn’t realize a bullet grazing the edge of the glass had caused the cracks. It wasn’t until he called the Lowell Police and they came to investigate that he learned the truth.
“The officer said, ‘That looks like a bullet in there,’ and I said, ‘What?!’” Voutselas said.
Who fired the bullet — or why — is a mystery. At least for now.
It was reported in an emergency radio broadcast on Wednesday afternoon that a spent shell casing was recovered nearby around the intersection of Middlesex Street and Moulton Avenue. The Lowell Police Department was unavailable to comment about the shot that struck Voutselas’ shop.
The window will need to be replaced, and when it is, Voutselas said he’s been tasked with calling police so a detective can come by to dig the round out of the wood.
Voutselas, who turns 84 in December, spent nearly his entire life in Lowell before moving a few years ago to a 55-and-older community in Dracut. His father, Arthur, started the shop in 1921 after immigrating from Greece in 1914. Voutselas bought it in the early 1960s, and he’s been cutting hair on Middlesex Street ever since.
For 55 years, he’s been a fixture in the neighborhood — first just across the street, in a space that’s now a parking garage, and since 2001 at the current location at 50 Middlesex St.
“It’s a long legacy,” Voutselas said. “They even gave me a key to the city when we turned 100 years here.”
The framed key hangs next to the mirror in front of the barber chair.
“I’ve been here a long time. I’ve never gotten hit by a bullet though,” he said with a chuckle.
The cracked window wasn’t the first shock Voutselas faced in recent weeks — and it doesn’t come close to what he experienced last month.
On Sept. 21, he and his family were caught in the chaos of a shooting at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, New Hampshire, that led to the death of one man.
“We met face to face with the shooter, actually,” Voutselas said, recalling the traumatic episode while seated in his desk chair situated next to his shop’s fractured front window.
Voutselas was at the country club for the wedding of his great-niece. The outdoor ceremony took place that afternoon with about 120 guests in attendance. Later, everyone moved inside for the reception.
While the celebration was underway that night, gunfire erupted at Prime, the club’s restaurant. Authorities say Hunter Nadeau, 23, of Nashua, a former employee of the restaurant, walked in and opened fire.
Voutselas would later learn that Robert DeCesare Jr., 59, also of Nashua, stood up to protect his family from the shooter and was gunned down.
“Killed him,” Voutselas said, “right in front of his wife and daughter.”
As reported in multiple outlets from witness accounts, a guest is alleged to have struck Nadeau in the face with a chair, knocking the gun from his hands.
“Thank God for that guy,” Voutselas said. “He saved a lot of lives, probably.”
As this was going on inside Prime, Voutselas and members of his family, including his wife, daughter, and 12-year-old grandson, and the other wedding guests heard the gunfire and were urged by staff to escape through the kitchen. Voutselas recalled his daughter gripping his hand so tightly as they fled.
Amid the chaos, he noticed a man running with them — his face bloodied and unfamiliar.
“This guy is running with us,” he said. “We thought he had just fallen and banged his head. They opened up the door to go out back, and he ran ahead of us.”
Voutselas said he was standing just a few feet away when they became aware of who this man was: the alleged gunman.
“He looked at all of us, and said, ‘Free the children of Palestine, free the children of Palestine,’ and ‘I’m the shooter,’ and he’s going like this,” Voutselas said, mimicking the motion of a gun with his hand. “He was making believe he was shooting at us.”
Voutselas noted that, at the time, none of them realized the gunman had been disarmed. There was fear he might pull out another weapon and start shooting. The group retreated back inside. The suspect fled.
Following a massive police response, Nadeau was tracked down nearby. He has since been charged with second-degree murder and multiple other offenses related to the incident. While a motive has not been publicly confirmed, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella has said they do not believe the shooting was a “hate-based act,” despite Nadeau’s alleged comments regarding Palestine.
Authorities have also said there is no known connection between Nadeau and DeCesare.
Though the shooter had fled by the time they went back inside the club, Voutselas recalled how police on scene warned there may be a second gunman — information that was later ruled out. Law enforcement instructed guests to run down a hill to get away from the scene. Women who had been dancing moments earlier left their shoes behind in the rush. The group was taken to the Spit Brook Road Fire Station, where the news of the shooting was already playing on TV.
“It was like a movie,” Voutselas said. “I’m watching the drones, the helicopters, the SWAT teams.”
From there, they were bussed to the Sheraton Hotel on Tara Boulevard, where news crews and a heavy police presence gathered. Voutselas noted that the bride and her bridesmaids had escaped out another door at the club during the chaos, knocking on the door of a nearby residence. They stayed there until they reunited with family at the hotel.
“They fell to the ground and cried,” Voutselas said. “What a scene that was.”
“Now every year they are going to have to relive that whole thing,” he added, referencing the future wedding anniversaries.
Voutselas also reflected on the death of DeCesare. It was later revealed by DeCesare’s mother, Evie O’Rourke, that her son had been dining with family that night. His daughter’s wedding was scheduled just six weeks after the shooting. Voutselas said he heard the family still plans to hold the wedding on the original date, while adding, “But she won’t have a father to walk her down the aisle.”
“The whole world has gone crazy,” Voutselas said. “Now you just go out and shoot people. In the old days, you’d go to the park and duke it out.
“And to do that?” he added. “People are flipping out, but you can’t tell who is going to flip out at the time. They say take guns away from people. Listen, take away the machine guns and all that. No one is going to go hunting with a machine gun.”
While sitting in his shop on Friday, Voutselas recalled seeing photos of Nadeau on the news the day after the shooting. He immediately recognized him as the man they had encountered outside the venue.
Voutselas described the alleged gunman as a bizarre character — “out there,” he said, based on that brief but unsettling exchange.
“His demeanor and the way he talked and the way his eyes were,” he said. “For a while there, I was seeing his face. I was seeing his eyes.”
Voutselas added simply that his family is doing well, despite the tragic and horrific encounter. In the meantime, Voutselas is still trimming hair at his shop, behind the cracked front window with a bullet embedded in the frame, waiting to be recovered.
It’s been an unusual few weeks, and he hopes nothing worse is waiting around the corner.
“It’s crazy,” he chuckled. “It seems like they’re trying to get me. God is pissed off at me about something.”
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
LOWELL — If you have been involved in politics in Greater Lowell over the last half-century, there is a pretty good chance you encountered Ed Kennedy on more than one occasion.
From city councilor, to mayor, to state senator, Kennedy spent nearly five decades representing Greater Lowell in many capacities, right up until the day he died on Oct. 1. Through it all, Kennedy worked with countless residents and officials to leave a mark in his home community that will be felt for decades more.
While many knew him, and knew him very well, one of those who knew the late state senator best was his cousin, Frank Heslin, who grew up with Kennedy and delivered his eulogy at Wednesday’s funeral. As cousins, Heslin said he and Kennedy were as close as siblings. They celebrated many birthdays and holidays together, and when they got older would often go to the Commodore Ballroom to see shows like The Doors.
When Kennedy, in his mid-20s, decided to take a chance at the Lowell City Council, Heslin said it didn’t really come as a surprise.
“He had always followed a lot of what was going on in the city,” said Heslin.
“He loved the action. He loved to help, and he also loved to debate and make decisions and figure out ways to make things better,” Heslin said later.
When asked what he thought his cousin’s legacy would be in Greater Lowell, Heslin brought up the same topic many others did when reminiscing about Kennedy: The Lowell High School project.
In 2017, a citywide debate over the location of the new high school building reached a fever pitch, with the City Council voting narrowly to locate it in Cawley Stadium, and a referendum later that year showing widespread voter preference for the downtown site.
Kennedy, as the city’s mayor and chair of the School Committee during this time, was credited by many in recent days for his major role in pushing for the downtown site, where the new and renovated buildings — some still in progress — stand today. At the time, Heslin said, Kennedy took a lot of flak from other officials and from the local media.
“He was just able to let it roll. He wasn’t going to get too bogged down in it,” said Heslin.
Heslin knew Kennedy beyond politics, though. He described Kennedy’s love for the Rolling Stones, and his love for hiking and the outdoors.
“When I talked with him before he died, I said the thing I am probably most happy about was the same thing as him, how we climbed the northern and southern Presidential Range in 1975 before we each got married,” said Heslin.
Heslin called his late cousin “a sincere and determined person” who made his decisions based on what he genuinely thought to be in the people’s best interest. He highlighted Kennedy’s initiative, the “Mayor’s Holiday Fest for Homeless Youth,” which he started in 2017 to raise money for Community Teamwork, but it ended with the pandemic.
“He really was that way,” Heslin said.
UMass President and former Congressman Marty Meehan met Kennedy during Meehan’s sophomore year at the then-University of Lowell, when both worked at Lowell District Court in 1975. Unsurprisingly, the two would often talk politics, and two years later when Kennedy ran for City Council to start his first tenure there, he brought Meehan on to run his campaign. The two would become close friends through this, even next-door neighbors at one point.
Among Meehan’s many stories about Kennedy, he said part of his friend’s legacy will also be in his role from the state Senate in the long-awaited reconstruction of the Rourke Bridge, which finally broke ground this year.
“Which was ironic, because Ed voted in his first [City Council] term for Ray Rourke to be the mayor,” said Meehan, referring to one of the bridge’s namesakes.
“I never saw him in a political situation lose his temper. He was very even tempered. Even when there were disagreements, he wouldn’t get all worked up about it,” Meehan later added.
Patti Kirwin-Keilty has known Kennedy for most of her life, with both growing up in the same Belvidere neighborhood. She would start working for Kennedy for the first time when he joined the state Senate in 2019. Through that new lens, Kirwin-Keilty saw, and was a part of, Kennedy’s dedication to his constituents.
“For most people, we were the last stop, when they called the senator’s office with an issue,” said Kirwin-Keilty. “He would continually advocate for those constituents when they were experiencing some problem. If we weren’t getting anywhere, he would make follow-up phone calls for a commission or whoever was needed.
“He was an advocate for human beings, for people to get a fair shake, that they receive services they should receive, and that they were treated fairly,” Kirwin-Keilty added.
Alongside Kirwin-Keilty in Kennedy’s office was James Ostis, who started working for Kennedy in 2017 when he was mayor. Ostis would work under both Kennedy and Bill Samaras during their respective mayoral terms, but he would also join Kennedy’s state Senate office in 2019.
While Ostis had a front-row seat to the Lowell High School drama from Kennedy’s office, and his advocacy for the Rourke Bridge, Ostis looked back at a part of Kennedy’s legacy from before Ostis was even born: his advocacy in the nation’s capital for the creation of the Lowell National Historical Park in 1978 during his first City Council term.
“He testified on something like that, which was so fundamental to the last half-century in Lowell,” said Ostis. “There are all these things throughout history he had at least a little role in, and all of these things he had a huge role in.”
A special election will inevitably be called for Kennedy’s Senate seat, but in the meantime Ostis and Kirwin-Keilty both said their office would continue doing its constituent services work, for anybody who needs it.
When former Lowell City Manager Eileen Donoghue left the state Senate to work for the city, it was Kennedy who succeeded her. For the start of his time in the Legislature, Kennedy remained in his seat on the City Council, in part because there were still important votes left in the last year of the term for the city.
“When he was sworn into the Senate, he certainly could have left the City Council and had a special election to fill the seat,” said Donoghue. “It was not an easy thing to do, but he did that to see through the mission of keeping Lowell High School downtown.”
Donoghue said Kennedy liked to pick big projects he thought would be beneficial for Lowell and put his political weight behind them as much as he could.
“[Lowell High] was just a fairness decision for so many kids that were able to walk to school. I watched the many times Ed was really hit hard in the media, but he would just let it roll off his back,” said Donoghue.
“When they say you can’t be a hero in your hometown, they aren’t talking about Ed,” Donoghue said later.
Councilor Rita Mercier served with Kennedy for his entire second stint on the council. She said while Kennedy was thought to have a rather serious demeanor, “he could laugh with the best of them.”
“He was a kind and thoughtful gentleman. A friend to all who got things done. The City of Lowell is very grateful for his determination and fight to bring much needed funding in to our city. We will all miss him tremendously,” said Mercier.
Kennedy was a member of the Democratic Party, but maintained friendships with even the more conservative local faces, like former radio talk host Casey Crane, who said Kennedy was “the most loyal friend you could ever ask for.”
“You could be personal friends and still be opposites politically. A rare man of character who stood up for the people who mattered to him and made everyone feel like they mattered even if it meant going way out of his way to show you,” said Crane. “I was honored to call him a friend. I will miss him terribly.”
One of Kennedy’s colleagues in the state Senate, Barry Finegold, noted that when the most recent redistricting process moved the town of Dracut from Finegold’s district to Kennedy’s, Kennedy stepped up to serve his new community.
“Ed assured me he took the responsibility seriously and sure enough – he did his homework and became an expert on Dracut almost overnight,” said Finegold. “That was Ed – dedicated and community minded. He was in government to serve the people – which he did with expertise and care.”
Former state Rep. Rady Mom said he was fortunate to know Kennedy for many years, and to have served with him in the Legislature and worked together when Kennedy was on the council. He called Kennedy “a humble man who worked tirelessly for the community and dedicated his life to helping others.”
“He always had Lowell’s best interest at heart and l appreciated his partnership on many issues, including advancing the replacement of the Rourke Bridge,” Mom said. “His passing is a loss all of us are mourning. He will be dearly missed. My thoughts are with his wife Susan, their children Christina and Eddie, and their grandchildren.”
DRACUT — Superintendent of Schools Steven Stone intends to sue Town Manager Kate Hodges and Board of Selectmen Chair Josh Taylor, alleging defamation of character and abuse of power.
The news was disclosed at a special meeting of the School Committee in which committee member Rebecca Duda was removed from all subcommittee assignments because of several documents she posted on social media.
The documents were related to a purported overpayment of retirement benefits to Andrew Graham, who worked for the School Department as a post-retirement employee.
Notice of Stone’s suit was delivered to Hodges and Taylor on Thursday night. The first public hint of the superintendent’s action came Friday morning when Shannon Rowe, executive assistant to the Board of Selectmen, posted the agenda for a selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
The email announced an executive session, rather than a regular session, “to discuss strategy with respect to threatened litigation in the matter of the School Superintendent vs. the Chair of the Selectmen and Town Manager as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the public body’s litigating position.”
The School Committee held its own special, but public, meeting on Friday afternoon to review the department’s payroll process, committee roles and the School Department, the board’s code of ethics and governance norms, and the committee response to criticism and claims.
The meeting was called after nearly six weeks of arguments conducted primarily over Facebook, beginning in August with a description of the Parker Avenue School lease to Community Teamwork Inc.
During that six-week interval, some school board members, a selectman and others posted a daily blizzard of criticism of each other in less-than-respectful terms. In one post, School Committee Chair Renee Young called on selectmen to remove Taylor as chairman of that board.
Neither the town manager nor the superintendent directly participated in the Facebook fight, although their names came up frequently.
School Committee member Linda Trouville may have spoken for many who have witnessed the social media exchanges when she said, “I’ve been taken aback by the slander I’ve seen.”
In the course of the school board meeting, School Committee member Allison Volpe made the motion to remove Duda from all her committee assignments because she posted several public records documents on Facebook regarding Graham.
“I respect you but I can’t trust you,” Volpe told Duda.
In a long introductory section, Duda said, “For approximately the past month and a half, I have been researching post retiree earnings with the Dracut Public Schools and our internal processes as it relates to these employees.”
That and similar statements may be what led to allegations of violations of School Committee norms. One of those norms reads, “The School Committee will lead by example and work to build trust. We agree to avoid words and actions that create a negative impression of an individual, the School Committee, or the district. While we encourage debate and differing points of view, we will speak with care and respect.”
It would be nearly impossible for this upcoming football season to match last fall. Shawsheen Tech went 13-0 and won the Division 5 Super Bowl. Pelham saw its 47-game win streak end, but advanced to the New Hampshire Division 2 title game. The good news is there’s plenty of top returning talent, including returning Sun […]
Of the eight swimmers chosen (six females, two males) for last year’s Lowell Sun All-Star team, seven return for this fall season, including swimmer of the year Mackenzie Gibbons of the Academy of Notre Dame and Chelmsford’s Lily Dunlea, who was named The Sun’s Diver of the Year for the second straight year.
Gibbons holds seven school records, won two events at the MVC Championship Meet, Division 2 sectionals and the Division 1 state meet, where she was crowned the 100-meter backstroke and 100 butterfly champ.
Other all-stars returning are Chelmsford’s trio of Nora Williamson, Mai Pho and Anna Florence, and on the boys side, Billerica’s Peter Hong and Tewksbury’s Alan Dang.
Academy of Notre Dame/Dracut/Tyngsboro
League: MVC
Last season: 1-7
Captain: Mackenzie Gibbons, sr., free/fly/back
Other returning letterwinners: Aura Da Silva, sr., back/fly; Dwayne Wangari, jr., back; Chris Ngigi, so., free; Alaina Foss, so., free/IM; An Tran, so., free; Lara Zyla, so., free/breast; Ian Diaz, so., free/back; Viha Rane, so., fly/free; Emma MacLeod, 8th, free; Olivier Perrier, 8th.
Promising newcomers: Thomas Baldwin, jr.; Julian Gornisiewicz, fr.; Perla Gomez, so.; Wesley Rylas, so.; Sebastian Nova, 6th; Jordana Farrow, 7th.
Coach Nicole Musher (3rd season): “We are excited to have our two-time state champion, Mackenzie Gibbons, back for what I’m sure will be a great season. We are also welcoming new members from Tyngsboro High School. This year, we are focused on growth for our newer swimmers, as well as integrating our co-op teams, Dracut and Tyngsboro, for future success. Although our team is still fairly young, we are optimistic, and excited, to see what this year brings.”
Academy of Notre Academy swimmer Mackenzie Gibbons is looking for a big season in the pool this fall. (Courtesy photo
Billerica
League: MVC
Last season: 2-6
Captains: Allison Gargalianos, sr., diving; Yuwal Kumar, sr., breast/free; Sophie Barriault, sr., free/IM; Peter Hong, jr., breast/fly
Other returning letterwinners: Kiera Harvey, jr., fly; Kaelyn Kerr, so., back; Andy Gerasimov, sr., free; Sammi White, jr., back; Ishaan Dadhirao, jr., free; Ryann Kobrenski, fr., diving; Elizabeth Agpar, so., back; Arjun Mahajan, sr., back; Hailey Romanik, fr., free/breast; Emily Manganiello, fr., back; Pedro Da Silva, sr., breast.
Coach Brooke O’Connor (1st season): “With the majority of the strong swimmers returning, we continue to get faster on the swim side, especially with a couple of experienced eighth-graders to add to the events.”
One of the captains of the Billerica swim team is junior Peter Hong. He’s a returning Sun All-Star. (Courtesy photo)
Coach Harriet Kinnett (30th year, 292 wins): “The swimmers and divers have been working hard at practice. Our talented upperclassmen are ready to step up and fill the roles of our graduated seniors. We should be competitive in the Merrimack (Valley) Conference.”
Promising newcomers: Lucille Berni, so., free; Aliyah Burgos, so., free; Julianne Fox, fr., IM/free; Nathan Kim, so., free/back; Alissa Kim, fr., free; Quoc Le Thoueithaisong, sr., free; Sovanreach Ly, so., free; Joseph Maniscalco, so., free/back; Jennifer Nguyen, fr., free; Violet Zapata, fr., free.
Coach Jennifer McGlauflin (16th season): “We’re excited to build on the strong team culture that’s earned us the conference Sportsmanship Award the past two years. This season our focus is on continuing that tradition while also raising our competitiveness by pushing for best times, stronger finishes and being more competitive in dual meets. With our mix of experienced returners and new athletes, we’re looking forward to steady growth and a season we can be proud of.”
Captaining the Lowell High swim team this season are, from left, Kelly Souza, Jaiden Long and Olivia You. (Courtesy photo)
Promising newcomers: Soufiane Bridaa, fr.; Camdyn Rae DeLano, fr.; Jesse Torres, fr.; Ella Corthell, 8th; Mason Borushik, so.; Joseph Todd, so.; Kyle Chiu, fr.; Dylan Dang, fr.; Gabe Pinheiro, fr.; Evathia Kazanis, 8th.
Coach Jason Smith (23rd season): “We graduated a very strong class, so our young team will have some big spots to fill. However, we have had a great first week of practice, and hopefully that hard work will pay off and we will be ready to compete starting with our first meet against Chelmsford.”
Talia Lowney got tricky and the Greater Lowell Tech girls soccer team remained hot. Lowney registered a hat trick to fuel the Gryphons to an impressive 7-1 win over Lowell Catholic.
DRACUT – The Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board have accepted the 2024 Open Space and Recreation Plan document, ensuring the town remains eligible for a variety of state grants to safeguard the town’s natural and recreational resources.
Selectmen voted to accept the 94-page document on Sept. 10 and the Planning Board on Sept. 11. The staff of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments spent the last year updating the 2009 plan through public forums and surveys of townspeople.
The document states, “In the years since the 2009 plan, Dracut has made significant strides in preserving its open spaces and expanding recreational opportunities. Efforts have included improved outreach and engagement through Open Space Committee Landowner Seminars, committee sponsored walks and events, and a printed guide to conservation areas and hiking trails in Town.”
The results of the staff’s work on the current plan will be returned to NMCOG marked “recommended” by the two town boards. It will then be forwarded to the state for its records.
The document states, “The plan is dedicated to enhancing accessibility, safety, and community engagement within the region’s diverse conservation areas and recreational spots.” Eight priorities are identified.
Among the priorities are improving accessibility to all trails, picnic areas and waterfront locations; preserving existing conservation land; and encouraging more community involvement in these efforts.
Priorities also include enhancing environmental education and stewardship, developing and maintaining accessible facilities, assessing road safety around open space and recreation areas
The plan urges town boards and committees to work collaboratively to meet the community’s open space and recreational goals. It particularly stresses the need for collaboration among the conservation, open space, and recreation committees.
DRACUT — With school out and summer in full swing, it is time to start our summer reading as we sit by our pools or at the beach. The students in Laurie Archambault’s kindergarten class last year at the George Englesby Elementary School no doubt have started their summer reading. When I visited them last March for Read Across America Day, they were super excited to show me their classroom and excited about learning how to read.
DRACUT — Firefighters were busy on back-to-back days this week after they were called to extinguish residential garage fires that broke out less than 16 hours apart.
No injuries were reported and no residents were displaced due to either blaze, according to the Dracut Fire Department.
“With some very good, aggressive firefighting, we were able to knock the fire down and limit the damage in both instances,” Dracut Fire Chief Richard Patterson said.
Firefighters were called to the first fire at 67 Mailloux Terrace at about 9:35 p.m. Thursday. Crews arrived to find smoke showing from the single-family home’s attached garage and mounted an aggressive attack. Fire damage was contained to the garage, while the home suffered minor smoke damage.
An investigation determined the cause of the fire was “careless disposal of smoking materials,” firefighters said.
At approximately 1:05 p.m. Friday, firefighters were back in action, called to 854 Mammoth Road, this time finding flames showing from a garage underneath the single-family home’s living quarters. Crews made an aggressive attack and knocked the fire down before it could spread beyond the garage, according to firefighters.
The cause of Friday’s blaze remains under investigation.
Firefighters from Pelham, N.H. provided mutual aid at the scene of both fires, while firefighters from Tyngsboro and Lowell provided station coverage in Dracut during Friday’s blaze.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X, formerly known as Twitter, @aselahcurtis
LOWELL — Every quarter, Jeanne d’Arc Credit Union’s We Share a Common Thread Foundation donates $1,500 to a worthy nonprofit through its “Give a Click” program. The organization with the most votes wins the grant. Cast your vote for one of these three organizations: The Friends of the Pollard Memorial Library, Home Health & Hospice Care and Methuen Memorial Music Hall.
Readers can give a click at jdcu.org/community-about/our-foundation/give-a-click, which features videos about the nonprofits featured this quarter and an online ballot. Once voting closes, votes from the same IP address will be reviewed for legitimacy in order to keep voting fair for all nominees. Voting ends June 30.
Divas and dogs
CHELMSFORD — Save the date for the fashion and Fido fundraiser Divas and Dogs on the Runway, Thursday, April 25, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Chelmsford Elks, 300 Littleton Road.
Admission is $35 per person and includes music, appetizers and a silent auction and raffle. A cash bar also will be available. Tickets can be purchased at chelmsfordgardenclub.org/events/#divas or on Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Mary Donnellan Interiors, 2 Central Square.
The event is sponsored by the Chelmsford Garden Club, and the funds raised are used in town beautification projects such as the Chelmsford Public Garden, the Red Wing Pollinator Garden, as well as providing financial support for Chelmsford student scholarships, the Newhouse Wildlife Rescue and the Chelmsford Open Space Stewardship, which maintains the town’s conservation lands.
For more information, email ChelmsfordMAGardenClub@gmail.com.
Spring bird walk
DRACUT — Mike Baird, a well known local birder, will guide his annual spring bird walk at Yapp Farm on Saturday, April 27 at 8 a.m., 650 Marsh Hill Road.
Baird has more than two decades of experience as a birdwatcher. The Dracut Open Space Committee hosts two bird watching events a year. The second event is in the fall.
Participants should bring binoculars and dress for the early morning weather. For more information, call 978-452-7924.
Fine art exhibit
LOWELL — Coffee and Cotton presents “Unexpected Things,” by artist Michelle Ward, fourth floor of Mill No. 5, 250 Jackson St., through the end of the month.
Ward works in acrylic, using various tools and techniques in her paintings to explore the natural world.
TYNGSBORO — Senior citizens and other residents with mobility or transportation challenges can sign up for shuttle service to and from the May 7 annual Town Meeting.
To take advantage of this free service, residents must register by April 30 to enable the town to plan the route to and from the event. Residents using this service will receive an estimated morning pickup time at their homes. At the conclusion of Town Meeting, they will be dropped off. There will be no return rides before the Town Meeting is over.
To participate, contact the Council on Aging at 978-649-9211 or visit the center at 169 Westford Road. If there are no registrations by May 1, this service will be canceled for this meeting.
BILLERICA — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced it will implement temporary lane shifts on Boston Road (Route 3A) northbound and southbound from Simmons Lane to Danforth Village in Billerica. The lane shifts are scheduled to start on Monday, March 18 and are expected to continue until Sunday, Sept. 1.
The temporary lane shifts are necessary to allow the contractor to safely and effectively perform roadway reconstruction, paving operations and other incidental work for the reconstruction of the Route 3A. The town of Billerica will also be performing a cleaning and relining of the water main.
Drivers who are traveling through the impacted areas should expect delays, reduce speed and use caution. All work is weather dependent and subject to cancellation or modification.
LITTLETON — The Reuben Hoar Library, at 35 Shattuck St., will be transformed into a unique, custom-designed 18-hole mini golf course on Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants of all ages can try their skills on the course for $5 per round.
Tickets can be purchased at the library on the day of the event. The course will feature 18 different tee markers, deflectors, obstacles and fairways between the library stacks to allow guests the opportunity to explore the library while scoring a hole-in-one.
Organized by the Friends of the Reuben Hoar Library. For information, call 978-540-2600.
Tap water testing volunteers needed
Are you concerned about lead or copper contamination in your drinking water? Through a National Science Foundation grant, the Merrimack River Watershed Council is helping UMass Lowell find volunteers who live in the communities of Dracut, Lowell and Lawrence to collect water samples from their home taps for testing.
A 20-minute virtual workshop on the tap water testing volunteer project, that will explain the project’s goals and the basics of water sample collection, will be held on Tuesday, March. 19, at 7 p.m.
Volunteers will test drinking water for a wide variety of contaminants, such as heavy metals and other pollutants, using a handheld device. Collecting a sample is easy, and participants will be provided with all of the required equipment and information. The samples provided by the volunteers will help validate and improve the new technology. The test is free, and the results will be emailed to you.
LOWELL — The Middlesex Community College theater department presents “Alice By Heart” at the Richard and Nancy Donahue Family Academic Arts Center, 240 Central St. There is metered street parking, as well as public parking at the Early Garage at 135 Middlesex St.
“Alice By Heart” is a retelling of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” as a musical from the Tony and Grammy award-winning Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, co-written by Jessie Nelson.
Curtain times are Thursday, April 18 through Saturday, April 20 at 7 p.m., as well as 2 and 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 21.
Seating is limited. Tickets are $10 for MCC students and senior citizens, $15 for MCC faculty and staff and $20 for general admission. To purchase tickets, visit middlesex.universitytickets.com.
Chelmsford High junior Thomas Brown has been named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Wrestler of the Year.
The 285-pound Brown shared the honor with Haverhill senior Brent Nicolosi (165) and Central Catholic senior Nate Blanchette (175).
A total of 11 athletes were named to the league’s all-conference first team.
Making the squad were Tewksbury sophomore Jack Lightfoot at 106, Tewksbury sophomore Nicholas Desisto at 113, Billerica sophomore Peter Rincan at 120, Lowell sophomore Emmett Logan, Lowell senior Chris Dubey at 132, Lowell senior Hussein Alobaidi at 150, Chelmsford senior Jose Bethel at 190 and Tewksbury junior Manny Mengata at 215.
On the girls side, picked for the first team were Tewksbury sophomore Brooke Lightfoot at 114, Lowell junior Amanda Moundele at 165 and Lowell junior Amelyiah Martinez at 235.
Nine locals were selected to the second team.
They were Tewksbury sophomore Ben Barrasso at 120, Tewksbury sophomore Sean Callahan at 132, Billerica freshman Jackson Gearin at 138, Lowell senior Jordan Seng at 144, Tewksbury senior Cameron Heichman at 144, Chelmsford sophomore Michael Canada at 150, Tewksbury senior Hunter Johnson at 157, Billerica senior Jizaiah Candelario at 165 and Chelmsford senior Ian Mwangi at 215.
Boys track
Billerica’s Shaun Corum has been named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Division 2 Coach of the Year.
A total of 15 local athletes were named to the first team.
From Billerica, Dhaethmy Dorival (4×200), Gryffin Bordeau (4×200), Jacob Peck (4×200), Patrick Hall (two mile, 4×800), Ryan Leslie (two mile, one mile, 4×800) and Tyler Fortune (4×200).
From Chelmsford, Will Larsen (600, 4×800) and Nathan Hart (600, 4×800). From Dracut, Sam Botsis (long jump, 300). From Lowell, Alex Rodgers (4×800), Jack Courtney (4×800, mile, two mile), Jovani Ubri (4×800), Khai Yin (55 high hurdles, 4×200) and Timothy Schribman (4×800).
From Tewksbury, Colby Mengata (shot put).
Fourteen locals were selected to the second team.
From Billerica, Mason Niles (4×800) and Shane Leslie (1000, 4×800). From Chelmsford, Marco Lombardo (4×800), Xavier May (4×800, two mile) and Luke Tremblay (600, 4×800).
From Lowell, Abdul Jalloh (4×400, 4×800), Denzel Kisekka (4×400), James Kelly (two mile), Andrew Kieng (4×200), Nana Opuku (long jump, high jump), Raymond Dafe (600, 4×400, 4×800), Ryan Conley (4×400, 4×200), Samuel Ansah (300, 4×200) and Victor Duong (two mile).
Girls track
Cullen Hagan of Billerica has been named the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Division 2 Coach of the Year and Billerica received the Sportsmanship Award.
A total of 10 local athletes were selected to the all-conference first team.
From Billerica, Brianna Phelan (4×800, 1000, 4×400), Caitlyn Donahue (4×800), Gianna McGowan (two mile, 4×800, mile), Kylie Donahue (4×800, two mile) and Nyrah Joseph (55 high hurdles, high jump, 4×400).
From Lowell, Anneliese Nogueira (4×200), Britney Ogiegor (4×200, 55 high hurdles), Drea Defreitas (4×200, long jump), Ella Machado (mile, 4×800) and Quinn Petzold (4×200, 300, long jump).
Making the second team were 17 local standouts.
From Billerica, Anabelle Mendez (4×400), Grace Carter (4×800), Hartlie Siegal (mile, two mile), Keelin Foye (shot put), Lilian Mackwell (4×800), Lily Bower (long jump, 4×400) and Sabrina Gorski (4×800).
From Chelmsford, Naomi D’Souza (300, 4×400), Kate Leonard (1000), Sophie Lamar (4×400), Sophia Kukla (4×400) and Amelia Stroud (4×400). From Dracut, Lindsay Grier (55 high hurdles). From Lowell, Jacqueline Peirce (4×800), Sabrina Cady (4×800) and Serena Nguyen (4×800).
From Tewksbury, Cassidy Paige (55).
College track
Camara honored: Fitchburg State indoor track senior Makany Camara (Lowell) was named to the 2024 USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field All-Region East Team.
Camara collects her third USTFCCCA accolade in the high jump after finishing third overall in the event at the 2024 DIII New England Championships with a season-best mark of 1.66 meters on Feb. 25, while adding a second place mark of 1.66 meters at the 2024 MASCAC Championships. In addition, Makany placed fifth at the 2024 Tufts National Qualifying Meet earlier this year (1.64 meters).
College softball
White honored: A strong relief showing against George Mason has earned UMass Lowell senior Ryley White (Wareham), a former Dracut High star, America East Pitcher of the Week honors.
White made a relief appearance in the second game of a doubleheader against George Mason, pitching 3.2 innings to secure a comeback victory. She registered a 2.18 ERA, allowing three hits and striking out five in the effort.
White is now 3-4. She leads the River Hawk staff with 47 strikeouts, while holding opposing batters to just a .285 batting average.
DRACUT — No relief is in sight from the town’s projected fiscal 2025 deficit, which is now expected to be about $3 million, up from a $2.1 million projection given as recently as November.
“The math simply does not work,” Town Manager Ann Vandal told The Sun.
“Without an infusion into the revenue stream, we will be making significant cuts in the budget that will disrupt customer service,” she added.
State aid numbers released to cities and towns two weeks ago “are in line with our assumptions except for Chapter 70 aid,” Vandal said. Chapter 70 funding is expected to be level-funded in fiscal 2025 instead of an anticipated increase.
“At this juncture, state aid is expected to rise by only 1.2% and this coupled with the 2.5% we are allowed to raise via taxes will not be sufficient to meet our obligations,” the town manager said. By law, cities and towns can only raise their tax levy by 2.5% annually.
Although exact numbers will not be certain until the state Legislature approves and the governor signs a final budget, she and her team are working with the $3 million deficit projection..
In addition to the Chapter 70 funding issue, Vandal said they have to account for “double-digit increases in most fixed costs.”
At recent meetings of the Board of Selectmen, she has highlighted a 25% increase in trash removal costs. But she is negotiating to bring that figure down. Other problem areas include insurance, assessments for charter schools and Greater Lowell Technical High School, and employee benefits.
In the coming weeks, Vandal and Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director Victor Garofalo will be working to find one-time sources of revenue, but any such revenues will become part of an already-anticipated deficit for fiscal 2026.
In fact, Dracut may be facing years of deficits. Vandal expects, however, “to present a balanced budget to the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee that will include some painful cuts, the use of one-time reserves, and recommendations on solutions to resolve the lingering revenue shortfalls.”
One group that has already openly expressed its fears about the consequences of budget cuts is the police department. More than 20 sworn officers, including Police Chief Peter Bartlett and Deputy Chief David Chartrand, attended a recent meeting of the selectmen’s Public Safety Subcommittee to express their concern.
The town’s police force is understaffed compared to area towns of similar sizes to Dracut. Dracut, with a population of 32,056, has 45 officers, some of them on injured leave, and Chelmsford, with a population of 35,906, has 56. Tewksbury, with a population of 31,000, has 67 officers. That’s according to figures given by Selectman Joe DiRocco.
TEWKSBURY — The Tewksbury Select Board met on July 18, 2023 at town hall.
The board approved a common victualler license application for Brothers Sports Bar & Grille at 553 Main St. Brothers has a location in Dracut and is purchasing the Skybox Sports Bar and Restaurant. The restaurant will be more family-style than Skybox, and will seek a liquor license in the coming months.
The board set Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, as the date for special Town Meeting. The warrant will be open through Friday, Aug. 18, at 12:30 p.m.
The board discussed openings on various town committees and boards. Residents can apply on the town website to serve on the Conservation Commission, Economic Development Committee, Green Committee, Historic Commission, Local Historic District Study Committee, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Beautification Committee, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
The board voted to designate firefighter Michael Donovan as a special municipal employee to work as a traffic control guard for the Tewksbury Police Department.
The board took up the long-awaited designation of retail marijuana establishment licenses. With three licenses potentially up for grabs, eight pro-ponents completed the Select Board application process and passed Planning Board review, some of whom had been working towards the licensure stage…
TEWKSBURY — On June 12, the Tewksbury Select Board kicked off the first of three nights of hearings to review adult retail marijuana license applications for several companies vying for one of the town’s three retail marijuana licenses and a host community agreement with the town.
“The issue here is about the qualifications and the background of each of the applicants,” said chair Todd Johnson.
Sundaze, owned by Brad Tosto, Peter Wilson, and Stephen Doherty, presented a proposal for 2504 Main St. in the South Village District. The applicant highlighted their experience in business operations, financial accounting, and regulatory compliance. The company held community outreach meetings in late 2022.
The company submitted a business plan to the board, outlining its mission and community engagement strategy. The proponents highlighted plans to hire local employees and create an elegant storefront, along with a security and diversion plan that calls for a full-time security director. Tosto noted that the town has been trying to fill vacant storefronts. A traffic study found no significant impacts for the location.
Lazy River Products, owned by William Cassotis, Mark Leal, and Kevin Platt, presented a proposal for 553 Main St. in the Ocean State Job Lot plaza. The company held a community outreach meeting in fall of 2022.
