Those looking to live out a festive, Hallmark-style Christmas may not need to venture farther than a small town south of Denver.
“Every year, Hallmark holiday movies drop us into snow-dusted towns full of glowing storefronts, festive markets, and built-in nostalgia,” a holiday-themed analysis stated. “The question is which real U.S. towns actually feel that way.”
Littleton, which stands out for its Main Street charm and thriving local economy, ranked first in Colorado for its Christmas movie charm and placed ninth nationally, according to The Action Network analysis.
“In Hallmark terms, Littleton reads like a Rocky Mountain version of a classic holiday town: festive shopfronts, walkable streets, and a community that feels both lively and close-knit,” spokesperson Kathy Morris said in an email to The Denver Post. “It’s the kind of place where the tree lighting on Main Street draws everyone — including the soon-to-be couple at the heart of the story.”
The Action Network rankings are based on a “Hallmark Likelihood Index” — which pulls data from more than 3,000 towns on population, number of small businesses, historic sites and December snowfall — to determine where a real-life Hallmark holiday story is most likely to happen.
In Littleton, the chances are close to 3.3%, according to the analysis.
The town boasts a population of roughly 45,500 and has more than 36,000 businesses, one of the highest totals in the country, the analysis showed. It also gets about 1 inch of snow each December — just enough for a lightly dusted holiday movie scene.
“We can’t guarantee a high-powered executive is returning to Littleton only to reconnect with her hometown crush — but statistically, Littleton gives her a pretty solid chance,” Morris wrote.
It didn’t matter – the Tewksbury High girls soccer team remained on a mission Saturday during a 2-0 victory at Martha’s Vineyard during a Div. 3 round of 16 game.
For No. 25 Tewksbury (11-5-5), the goals scored by Lyla Chapman and Sophia Nazzaro, assists from Samantha Ryan and Cordelia Zwirek, to oust No. 24 Martha’s Vineyard (15-5-1).
It was a true team victory. The Redmen got off to a slow start, but built momentum in the second half. Both goals were scored within the first 10 minutes of the second half. Nazzaro scored off of a crossed ball from Zwirek and Chapman scored soon after from 20 yards out.
The defensive line of Sophie Brewster, Sarah Marano, Vera Garabedian and Lila Chambers was outstanding.
Natick 2, Westford 1: An outstanding fall for 20th-seeded Westford Academy came to a painful end when fourth-seeded Natick scored in overtime during a Div. 1 round of 16 game in Natick.
Westford caps a 10-6-2 campaign. The Ghosts defeated Brookline in penalty kicks to advance to face Natick.
Pelham’s Nick Landry celebrates after a fourth-down stop against Manchester West during Saturday’s NHIAA Division 2 football quarterfinal in Pelham. Pelham won 7–6. (James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)
Boys soccer
Northbridge 1, Tyngsboro 0: Tyngsboro’s memorable season came to a tough close with a narrow loss in a Div. 4 round of 16 battle.
The ninth-seeded Tigers (10-4-6) weren’t able to send a shot past Northbridge goalkeeper J.P. Bolduc, who notched his second straight shutout.
Football
Pelham 7, West 6: It wasn’t easy and the Pythons had to play great defense all afternoon, but Pelham hung on for a tough NHIAA Div. 2 quarterfinal victory.
One touchdown and extra point kick was enough as No. 4 Pelham (8-2) edged No. 5 Manchester West (7-3) before a large home crowd.
Pelham, which has been banged up with injuries, entered the game having lost two of three game since hammering Manchester West, 35-0, in the regular season.
The Pythons advance and will play at top-seeded Souhegan on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m.
Billerica 20, Beverly 0: Marc Luther led an inspired defensive effort as the Indians posted a home shutout during a Div. 2 round of 16 game Friday.
Luther finished with 10 tackles, while Luke McKenna had 2.5 tackles for loss for No. 6 Billerica (6-3), which didn’t let No. 11 Beverly (5-4) get its offense untracked. Offensively, the Indians were led by Erik Knight, who rushed for 106 yards on 17 carries.
Billerica advances to face third-seeded Bridgewater-Raynham.
OR 47, Wilmington 39: Old Rochester’s Connor Nelson scored the winning touchdown in the third overtime on a 1-yard run, followed by a successful two-point conversion, to hand the Wildcats a painful Div. 6 round of 16 loss Friday.
No. 4 Wilmington (6-3) was ousted despite a superb performance from quarterback Mark Holleran. He tossed two touchdowns passes and ran for two scores. Julian Martins broke loose for a 35-yard TD run.
Holleran tossed a 15-yard TD to Pasquale Delucia and in overtime a 10-yard strike to Delucia. He also sprinted in from 10 yards out in OT. Two failed two-point conversion attempts hurt Wilmington.
Quarterback Kevin Hardy (4) looks to pass for Pelham against Manchester West in Saturday’s NHIAA Division 2 football quarterfinal. Pelham advanced with a 7-6 win. (James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)
Non-playoffs
Algonquin 41, G-D 13: Liam Richard was 16-for-22 through the air for 153 yards and a TD, but Groton-Dunstable fell to visiting Algonquin Regional on Friday.
Finn Gallagher (1-for-1) tossed a nine-yard TD pass to Carter Maple in the second quarter. In the third quarter, Richard lofted a 21-yard strike to Gallagher.
G-D spread the ball to receivers Gallagher (4-41), Korbin Larsen (4-40), Jayce Szatkowski (1-32) and Jack Burrows (4-30). The Crusaders struggled to run the ball effectively.
Monty Tech 41, Littleton 16: Austin Hegarty scored on a 95-yard pass from Justin Kasey in the first quarter, but it wasn’t enough for the Tigers (2-7) against the Fitchburg school Friday.
Keniat Velez scored on a 2-yard TD run in the fourth. Evan Fitzgerald and Cole Macadie each converted two-point attempts. Damien Sor and Cole Makie played well in the defensive backfield, with Sor grabbing an interception.
Noah Johnson (15) recovers a fumble for Pelham against Manchester West in Saturday’s NHIAA Division 2 football quarterfinal. Pelham earned a tough 7-6 win. (James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)
Prior to the tournament, rain pounded the fairways and greens of Long Meadow Golf Club for hours. Late in the competition, a shower drenched the golfers. But when the Merrimack Valley Conference golf championship ended Wednesday afternoon, no one from Billerica High was complaining about the weather. Billerica captured the team title with a score […]
LITTLETON, Colo. — Multiple businesses at a Littleton shopping center were evacuated Sunday afternoon following an electric vehicle fire.
Crews with South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) responded to a parking lot at 100 W. Littleton Boulevard on a report of a Nissan Leaf on fire around noon.
Update: Current SMFR and EPA response protocol is to let the vehicle burn to cause less of a hazardous environmental impact. No danger to the community. pic.twitter.com/DNfaglTV8l
SMFR said evacuations were issued as a precaution, as there have been no reports that the fire had spread.
However, SMFR said a large amount of smoke was visible in the area.
No injuries or damage to surrounding businesses were reported.
SMFR was requesting that the public avoid the area.
In an update posted to X, the agency stated that crews allowed the vehicle to burn to mitigate any environmental impact and then placed a fire blanket over the car before it was towed.
Businesses in the surrounding area reopened after air monitoring was completed.
Electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if the batteries short-circuit and begin to overheat.
The cause of this EV fire is under investigation.
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John Fabbricatore enforced federal immigration laws in his position as an ICE field office director until two years ago, and now he hopes to help secure America’s borders as a congressman.
The Republican candidate in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District is drawing on his career with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as he runs against U.S. Rep. Jason Crow in the Nov. 5 election. Crow, a Democrat, just finished his third term in Congress as the representative of the district, which includes Aurora, Littleton, Englewood, Greenwood Village and Centennial.
The odds weigh heavily in Crow’s favor. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report doesn’t consider the fight for the 6th District to be competitive. It’s ranked as solidly Democratic, in part because Crow, 45, won all three of his elections by double-digit percentages and redistricting in 2020 resulted in boundaries more favorable to Democrats.
That’s a change from 2018 when the district was seen as a battleground and Crow won his first race by unseating then-U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, now Aurora’s mayor.
But this time, Fabbricatore, 52, says voters are looking for a candidate who will prioritize the economy and lower taxes — and he contends that he’s the person for the job.
“They want someone that wants to fight,” Fabbricatore said.
He and Crow share certain traits. They’re both veterans: Fabbricatore served in the U.S. Air Force, and Crow was an Army Ranger. They’re hunters, each having longstanding experience with firearms. Neither hails from Colorado originally, with Fabbricatore raised in New York City and Crow in Madison, Wisconsin.
And the candidates, both fathers of two children, reside in Aurora.
Beyond that, their stances on major issues diverge — including on immigration, which Fabbricatore refers to as his “subject matter expertise.”
He argues jobs are going to immigrants compensated with lower wages, taking positions that could be filled by Americans for higher pay. Fabbricatore says he supports “legal, vetted” immigration and more stringent enforcement of existing laws.
“If we actually just enforce those laws, we will be doing much better than we are doing today with immigration,” he said.
In recent weeks, Fabbricatore has raised the alarm alongside former President Donald Trump and other conservatives about the presence of Venezuelan gangs in Aurora — while Crow has called out exaggerations and criticized Trump for distorting the problems in certain apartment complexes.
Crow notes that he represents “one of the most diverse districts in the nation,” with nearly 20% of his constituents born outside of the U.S. He wants to use federal grants and other programs to help immigrants and defend them against racist rhetoric.
He said he backed a bipartisan immigration deal that ran aground earlier this year after failing to earn enough Republican support. It would have boosted the number of border patrol agents, immigration judges and officers that oversee asylum cases, as well as established more legal pathways for migrants and others without documentation.
Fabbricatore said in a Denver Post candidate questionnaire that he would not have supported the bipartisan bill, instead preferring another bill with a greater focus on border security.
Gun violence is what motivated Crow to run for office. He backs a ban on assault weapons and supports universal background checks. He’s also working to pass a bill that would apply the same restrictions to out-of-state residents when they purchase long guns and shotguns as they face when buying handguns — requiring that the gun be shipped to a federally licensed seller in their home state, with a background check performed there.
Gun violence is “just an unacceptable, avoidable, ongoing national tragedy,” Crow said. “We don’t have to live with mass shootings.”
Fabbricatore says he believes in gun rights and is instead pushing for investments in mental health.
The candidates differ on abortion. Crow favors abortion rights, saying he aligns with the majority of Coloradans who back legal access to abortion — and he would support a federal law establishing that as a right. Fabbricatore says Congress should leave abortion’s legal status to the states. He opposes abortion, but he says he recognizes a need for exceptions, including in cases of rape.
“Having been someone who worked in sex trafficking and saw what many women went through, I could never tell a woman that she couldn’t have a medical procedure to end what happened to her,” he said.
Fabbricatore points to the economy as his No. 1 issue, saying it’s impacted by energy policy and immigration. He sees Colorado’s potential to participate in the energy sector through solar, wind, fracking and coal.
He says he wants to leave the younger generations with a prosperous economy, reliable job market and reasonable housing prices.
Crow says the nation’s inflation and interest rates are dropping, but he contends that prices are still “way too high for many Coloradans.”
He points to corporate price gouging as a contributing factor. Crow argues that the labor shortage, which drives up prices, could be addressed through immigration reform.
“There’s more work to do, but we’re on a good path — and certainly need to keep on the path that we are to make sure things are affordable,” Crow said.
The roof of an auto body repair shop in Littleton collapsed Saturday morning, fire rescue officials said.
South Metro Fire Rescue crews and Littleton police officers responded to reports of a roof collapse at Bradford Auto Body around 8:45 a.m. Saturday, the fire department said in a statement on social media.
No one was in the building — located at 2659 Main St. in Downtown Littleton — when the roof collapsed and no injuries have been reported, according to South Metro.
The fire department said a 900-square-foot section of the roof collapsed, but the cause remains under investigation.
Firefighter, Technical Rescue, Hazmat and Heavy Rescue crews were all on scene to stabilize the remaining sections of roof, and South Metro handed the building over to the City of Littleton around 10:15 a.m.
The city’s building inspector will work with the business owner to determine the cause of the collapse and next steps moving forward.
UMass Lowell sophomore forward Owen Fowler is transferring to the University of Maine.
The Tewksbury native did not play this past season due to injury. He will stay within Hockey East and play for the resurgent Black Bears, who qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Another UML player, junior defenseman Gabe Blanchard, is also on the move. He is headed to Sacred Heart.
It’s a dizzying time for college hockey fans. Players seemingly enter the NCAA transfer portal every minute.
Also in the portal are five players who played for UML this past season – senior defenseman Brehdan Engum, junior goaltender Luke Pavicich, sophomore defenseman Mark Cooper, and freshmen defensemen Ben Brunette and Adam Cardona.
Joining UML from the portal are senior defensemen Nick Anderson and Pierson Brandon, who combined for 36 points last season for Colgate.
Another skater with local roots is on the move. Methuen native and Lowell Catholic High School grad Andrius Kulbis-Marino, a defenseman, is transferring to Long Island University after four years at Sacred Heart.
Baseball
Dracut 11, Tyngsboro 8: Senior Sam D’Amico struck out seven and allowed one earned run in 4.1 innings to earn the win and also drove in two runs to fuel Dracut to the non-league win.
Sophomore Aiden Therriault notched two hits and one RBI. Adding a hit and RBI each were sophomore Brenden Modeski, senior JP Cataldo, sophomore Jason Fazio and sophomore Riley Johnson. Owen Conant and Tommy Lane also had hits for Dracut.
Littleton 10, Quabbin 0: Mikey Shufrin tossed a six-inning shutout for Littleton, striking out nine and allowing just one hit.
Offensively, second baseman Ben Shufrin and outfielder Tedi Hunt swung hot bats. Ben Shufrin went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI, while Hunt went 2-for-4 with four RBI.
Saugus 4, Shawsheen 0: The Rams were blanked in their season opener although they only trailed 1-0 entering the sixth.
Sophomore Will Trach started on the mound and pitched four strong innings of one-run ball, striking out eight. At the plate, Trach doubled in the fifth inning. Ryan Jamieson went 1-for-2 with a single.
Boys lacrosse
Littleton 15, Hudson 5: Matt Clark tallied four goals and an assist to fuel the Tigers to the easy Mid-Wach win.
Ryan Johnson pocketed three goals, while Liam Parkinson scored twice and set up two goals. Scoring twice each were Liam Smith (assist) and Jack Cormier. Zach Milner picked up three assists.
Tyngsboro 15, Lowell 1: The Tigers romped past Lowell in a non-league battle thanks to senior midfielder Jack Michaud (2 goals, 5 assists) and senior attack Brett Anderson (4 goals, 3 assists), who each had seven points.
Junior attack Luke Teta led the scoring parade with five goals. Adding two goals each were junior midfielder Jake O’Brien (2 assists, 10 groundballs) and sophomore attack Joey Salerno (assist).
Billerica 16, Westford 8: Sophomore Kam Tremblay led the scoring parade in the impressive non-league victory with five goals and two assists.
Also impressing was freshman Jackson Gearin with two goals and three assists, while senior Aidan Gibbons (2 goals, 3 assists), junior Adam Priest (3 goals, 2 assists) and junior Torin Levy (3 goals, assist) also filled up the box score. Sophomore Nolan Heffernan posted his first win in net. Junior Cam Penti had a huge night on faceoffs.
Central 7, Dracut 5: The Middies played a spirited game, but fell to Central Catholic in MVC action. Central received two goals and four assists from Ryan Tighe.
Registering two goals apiece for the Lawrence school were Chase Akstin and Don Castellano. Jake Lydon made six saves and Joe Buchanan won seven of 10 faceoffs.
Girls lacrosse
G-D 12, Tyngsboro 6: Jenna Koch came out firing, scoring five goals and adding an assist, to power Groton-Dunstable past the Tigers.
Scoring twice each for the Crusaders were Carley Ehwa and Annabelle Shreve. Olivia Smith and Iris Stubblefield each had a goal and assist, while Samanta Duffy earned a goal and eight draw controls.
For Tyngsboro, Bella Adams scored twice.
Chelmsford 13, Peabody 6: Leading the potent Lions’ offense was Taija Bell with five goals, three assists and five draw controls.
Caroline Pitts netted three goals, while Catherine Craig (2 goals, 2 assists) and Katerine Morin (goal, 2 assists) had multiple points. Ava Boucher added a goal and Anna Bierwirth contributed six draw controls for CHS (1-0), which received five saves from Eloise Sosnowski.
Softball
Westford 8, NM 2: Despite doubles by catcher Caitlin O’Brien and pitcher Nataly Rebello, North Middlesex dropped the non-league game.
Center fielder Carolyn Brodeur made a diving catch and went 1-for-3 at the plate. Rebello and Emily Archambault combined to strike out five.
Greater Lowell 17, LC 13: The Gryphons defeated Lowell Catholic in a season-opening slugfest. Amaya Flood was the winning pitcher with five strikeouts thanks to relief from freshman Morgan Haskell.
GLT ripped 20 hits. Paige Matte and Cora Wilder had four hits each. Chelsey Quealy, Sam Brady, Irene Emerson and Lily Locapo each collected multiple hits.
For Lowell Catholic, Chloe Crogan ripped a two-run home run, Kylee McDonough plated two runs and Eva Warren went 4-for-5 with four RBI.
Littleton 22, Quabbin 8: The Tigers poured across nine runs in the fifth inning to blow open the Mid-Wach game in Barre.
Ella Gearty drove in four runs, scored five times and had three hits to power Littleton. Alana Delollis hammered a home run and drove in three for the Tigers (1-0) in their season opener.
Girls tennis
Arlington 4, Wilmington 1: The Wildcats received a victory at No. 1 singles from Savannah Beatrice, who captured a tough 7-5, 6-4 win during the Middlesex League encounter.
Lowell 4, Lawrence 1: The Red Raiders (2-0) opened their MVC slate in style with an impressive win. Singles wins from Siya Patel (7-5, 6-3) and Baylee Anderson (6-4, 6-4) got Lowell rolling.
Then the doubles teams of Sophia Gikas/Dana Sek (2-6, 6-3, 7-5) and Robina Nyangai/Courtney Ogiegor (6-3, 6-2) swept up.
Boys tennis
Arlington 5, Wilmington 0: Playing terrifically in defeat was senior co-captain Sidd Karani, who dropped a tough 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 match for Wilmington in the season opener.
G-D 3, Tyngsboro 2: Singles wins from Ayush Chaudhary (6-3, 6-1) and Brandon Richard (6-0, 6-4) propelled Groton-Dunstable to the narrow win. The doubles team of Steven Chen/Wen Luo won 6-1, 6-1.
For Tyngsboro, Arjun Jatain prevailed 6-3, 6-1 at singles, while Sam Chan/Gabe Pinto won a tough doubles match, 7-6, 6-4.
Lexington 5, Wilmington 0: The Wildcats ran into a Middlesex League buzzsaw in taking the loss. Anuj Gandhi put up a tough fight at No. 1 singles before falling 7-6, 6-3.
Girls track
Nashoba Reg. 94, NM 47: North Middlesex was doubled up in its season-opening Mid-Wach B meet in Bolton despite a tremendous performance from Samantha DiFonte.
DiFonte captured the long jump (16-3), triple jump (34-1.75) and 100-meter dash (13.3 seconds), and anchored the winning 4×100 relay team in 55.4. Norah Tesini won the shot put (25-5), while Anna Green captured the discus (71-0).
Boys track
Nashoba Reg. 105, NM 39: North Middlesex fell to Nashoba Regional during a season-opening meet in Townsend.
Collin Allard of Wilmington goes for the ball after Ted Boksanski, left, of Winchester knocks down his pass. Wilmington fell 13-3 in the boys lacrosse clash. (James Thomas photo)
A natural goal scorer, MacKenzie finished the season with 34 goals and eight assists, giving her career totals of 86 goals and 36 assists for 122 points. That point total puts her first among Wilmington players and second all-time in the history of the co-op program, which also draws players from Stoneham and North Reading. She scored 34 of the team’s 58 goals this season. A two-time Sun All-Star, MacKenzie helped lead the team to three straight state tournament berths, including an 11-9-1 mark this season. She is also a member of the WHS softball team.
Lily MacKenzie
Giovanna Gulinello
Billerica/Chelmsford
A Billerica junior, Gulinello led the co-op team in scoring with 14 goals and 16 assists, giving her 68 career points. She was named the team’s MVP and to the MVC/DCL Division 1 All-Conference team. Gulinello helped Billerica/Chelmsford qualify for the state tournament, losing in the first round in a 1-0 double-overtime thriller to Belmont. Gulinello is also a member of the Billerica soccer and lacrosse programs.
Giovanna Gulinello
Kat Schille
Tewksbury/Methuen
Also a two-time Sun All-Star in field hockey, Schille helped lead the Red Rangers to a 15-5-2 overall record, including a first-round state tournament win over Wellesley. A talented goal scorer, she finished the season with 13 goals, nine assists and 22 points and finished her career with 30 goals, 16 assists and 46 points. Named the MVP of the team, Schille is also among the top of her class academically and the senior has listed UMass as her top choice for college.
Kat Schille
Lyla Chapman
Tewksbury/Methuen
Just a freshman, Chapman has made a big impact on the ice hockey and soccer teams. This winter, the puck-moving defenseman helped lead the Red Rangers to a 15-win season, including advancing to the second round of the state tournament. She was a big part of the team’s power play and was always on the ice for penalty kills. She finished the season with one goal and 14 assists, which comes after her debut season as an eighth-grader when she had three goals and four assists, giving her 22 points in two years.
Lyla Chapman
Kailey Hannon
Westford Academy/Littleton
A two-time Sun All-Star, Hannon finished the season with 13 goals and nine assists, helping the co-op team upset Winthrop in the first round of the state tournament before losing to Malden Catholic. Last year she finished with 22 goals and 10 assists. A team captain, a two-year MVC/DCL All-Conference selection and a three-time league all-star, Hannon is also a member of the Littleton High field hockey and lacrosse teams. Academically, she is on the Principal’s List, is a High Honor Roll student and a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.
Kailey Hannon
Maddie Sainato
Wilmington/Stoneham
A two-time Sun All-Star and only area goalie to make this year’s team, Sainato was instrumental in leading the co-op team to an 11-9-1 overall record and three straight state tournament appearances. She posted two shutouts on the season and gave up two goals or less in 10 games, including terrific performances against Woburn, Reading and Arlington. Sainato, who comes from five generations of athletes at WHS, has also spent time playing softball, lacrosse and softball.
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.
The Lowell High boys basketball team will be big underdogs when it takes the court Friday.
The Red Raiders have enjoyed a terrific season in the powerful Merrimack Valley Conference, but the No. 9 seed (16-6) will be playing in enemy territory against the top team in Massachusetts.
North isn’t just the defending Division 1 state champions. The top-seeded Polar Bears (21-0) are undefeated and rarely tested.
Lowell will attempt to pull off the upset in a round of 8 game in Worcester at 6:30 p.m.
Lowell has eliminated Beverly, 83-57, at home and then MVC rival Andover on the road, 54-45, thanks to an impressive third quarter.
Tzar Powell-Aparacio and Xavier Rivera has been dominant in the postseason for the Red Raiders, as they were in the regular season.
Not surprisingly, North has cruised to two state tournament victories over King Philip, 90-64, and Waltham, 78-40. The Polar Bears seem to play at a different tempo than their opponents, the faster the better.
Here are other state tournament games involving local teams this weekend.
Friday: The Littleton girls basketball team will play in Division 4 round of 8 action. The No. 5 Tigers (17-5) and senior star Victoria McCoy will play at No. 4 Millis (17-7) at 6 p.m.
Saturday: Tewksbury and Shawsheen Tech will play in Division 2 and Division 3 final 4 games, respectively, at Stoneham Arena.
No. 1 Tewksbury (20-3), which has outscored opponents 22-3 in three tournament games thanks a dominant first line, will face No. 4 Woburn (15-5-1) at 7 p.m.
In the game before, No. 2 Shawsheen Tech (22-1-0) will face No. 6 Marblehead (15-9-1) at 4 p.m. The Rams and goaltender Mike Cedrone have been stingy in three tournament wins and are coming off two shutout performances.
In a Division 4 round of 8 girls basketball contest, No. 2 Tyngsboro (21-1), sparked by Gianna Donato and Carly DiMento, will entertain No. 7 Bourne (20-2) at 5 p.m.
Sunday: The Pelham boys basketball team will attempt to net its second straight state Division 2 championship. The top-seeded Pythons, led by Zach James and Dom Herrling, will clash with No. 2 Hanover at 1 p.m. at Lundholm Gymnasium on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.
Living in Littleton, Colorado, with its historic downtown area, vibrant arts scene, and numerous outdoor recreational opportunities, provides a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. Explore the local boutiques and eateries or take in the stunning views along the South Platte River, there’s always something new in this welcoming community. So whether you’re searching for apartments in Littleton, homes for sale, or want to learn more about what Littleton is known for, this Redfin article will be your guide.
1. Hudson Gardens
The city is home to the stunning Hudson Gardens, a 30-acre botanical paradise featuring various plants, flowers, and walking trails. Visitors can enjoy concerts, events, and educational programs in this picturesque setting, making it a popular attraction for locals and tourists.
2. Western Welcome Week
Littleton hosts the annual Western Welcome Week, a 10-day celebration of the city’s heritage and community spirit. The event features parades, concerts, art shows, and various family-friendly activities, bringing together residents and visitors to celebrate the city’s vibrant culture.
3. Art District
The Downtown Littleton Art District showcases a diverse range of galleries, studios, and public art installations, fostering a creative atmosphere that attracts local artists and enthusiasts. For instance, the Depot Art Gallery is a prominent hub within this district, featuring works by regional artists and hosting regular exhibitions, contributing to Littleton’s burgeoning artistic landscape.
4. Bike trails
The city boasts an extensive network of bike trails, offering scenic routes for cyclists of all skill levels. These well-maintained paths wind through parks, along waterways, and into the surrounding countryside, providing a healthy and enjoyable way to explore the natural beauty of Littleton.
5. Local breweries
Littleton is known for its thriving craft beer scene, with various local breweries offering unique and flavorful brews. Visitors can enjoy brewery tours, tastings, and events, experiencing the city’s passion for quality craft beer and its vibrant community of beer enthusiasts.
