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LOWELL — Flannan Hehir returned to the streets of Lowell, Chelmsford and Tyngsboro on Sunday morning with a vengeance.After placing third at the 2019 Baystate Marathon in his first-ever 26.2-mile jaunt around the Mill City, the Boston resident had ground to make up in the 36th edition of the event that kicked off in downtown […]
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Jason Cooke
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The Lowell Red Raiders are the Merrimack Valley Conference boys soccer champions following a 2-0 victory over a strong Billerica team under the lights Thursday.
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LOWELL — Superintendent Greg Hudon and the rest of the Lowell Police Department recently welcomed a dozen new officers to the force following their graduation from the Lowell Police Academy on Thursday.
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Aaron Curtis
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LOWELL — Standing at the entrance of UTEC on Warren Street on Friday evening, CEO Gregg Croteau reflects on the nonprofit’s 25th anniversary. What began in 1999 as a space for teens at St. Anne’s Church on Kirk Street, envisioned by a few young adults seeking refuge from gang violence, has now become a cornerstone of Lowell’s identity, transforming countless young lives.
Croteau, who was hired by the original young adults in early 2000, smiles as he recalls their humble beginnings with just a $40,000 city grant. Today, UTEC boasts an $18 million budget, a testament to the organization’s profound impact and growth.
“Twenty-five years is a huge milestone for us,” Croteau said. Before he can continue, his thoughts are momentarily interrupted as he affectionately greets a familiar face walking through the door.
“How are you?” Croteau asks, beaming. “You look the same.”
“Living my best life,” the individual responds.
Croteau continues to greet several more familiar faces, all arriving on this Friday evening to celebrate UTEC’s 25-year milestone with a reunion of former young adults who became part of the nonprofit. A press release highlights the organization’s dedication to developing life skills, emphasizing that the event is a celebration of growth, community, and the powerful journey that began at UTEC over the past quarter-century.
Croteau said he expected about 150 people to attend Friday’s celebration.
“This reunion is not just about celebrating where we’ve been, but also recognizing where we’re going,” Croteau said.
The event, filled with music from UTEC alumnus DJ Money, plenty of food and laughs, showcased the attendees as one big family.
Among those in the crowd was Jocelyn Rosado, who was 14 years old in 2004 and a student at Lowell High School when she began attending UTEC. She recalled facing challenges at home, having been placed with her grandparents after her mother went away. It was a life-changing event.
“I was so close to my mom,” Rosado said. “I was a really quiet individual, really shy, so being separated from my mom changed my whole world. I felt so alone.”
This feeling of isolation sparked a desire to become more social. She found solace at UTEC, where she met people who she discovered could relate to her situation.
“I kinda felt like I was the only one until I was with young adults from UTEC,” she said. “We all related to each other, we all understood each other, we mirrored each other.”
Rosado now serves as a transitional coach for UTEC, a role dedicated to helping young people access essential resources. Rosado points out, “I’m giving them what I found here.”
Melinda Tejeda, who also joined UTEC at the age of 14 during its inaugural year, found the same sense of unity she had been searching for at UTEC.
Tejeda was just 11 years old when her mother passed away. Placed with a family member who she said was more interested in the financial benefits of raising her, Tejeda felt anger toward the world, often lashing out and getting into trouble at school.
“I think coming here gave me that sense of unity, the sense of family I was looking for,” Tejeda said. “It was a pivotal moment in my life where I could have taken the wrong path.”
UTEC also opened doors to experiences Rosado might not have pursued otherwise. She recalled a memorable visit to Lowell City Hall, where she helped advocate for a grant and delivered her first public speech. UTEC additionally introduced her to creative writing and what she said was the Young Women’s Group Project, which helped her forge connections with other females.
Now at 40 years old, Tejeda states, “I have a good life.” She has been a general manager for a storage company for the past eight years, a testament to the positive impact UTEC had on her life, said Tejada, a mother of a 19-year-old daughter.
Among the original young adults who set the wheels in motion in creating UTEC all those years ago, JuanCarlos Rivera, now the vice president of the organization’s Board of Directors, stands with a sense of pride 25 years later. When asked if he expected the organization to achieve such growth, he said, “I always hoped it would.”
“The idea for us is to ensure that after I’m gone and Gregg is gone, there’s always a place for young people to go,” Rivera added. “It’s important to remember that every decade, young people have continued to make this happen.”
Next on UTEC’s agenda is the 25th Anniversary Gala, set to take place on Nov. 20 at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. For more details about the event, visit utecinc.org/25thgala.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X, formerly known as Twitter, @aselahcurtis
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Aaron Curtis
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LOWELL — Authorities have urged city residents to remain vigilant in light of a new scam that has recently targeted individuals in Lowell.
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Aaron Curtis
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Enrollment and infrastructure challenges continue to put pressure on the five-campus University of Massachusetts, where enrollment gains over the last 20 years have pretty much evaporated.
During a UMass Board of Trustees Administration and Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, university officials said enrollment is up this year by a scant 0.1% across its campuses and acknowledged a big gap in funding for needed infrastructure repairs and upgrades.
Over the past 20 years, the average annual enrollment growth rate at UMass has steadily declined.
From fiscal 2006 to fiscal 2010, it was 3.5%. It dropped to 2.3% for fiscal years 2011-2015, and 1.2% for fiscal 2016-2020. And while annual enrollment is up a smidgen this year, average enrollment is estimated to drop by 0.3% for the fiscal 2021-2025 period, according to slides presented at the meeting.
“As we cross into the new fiscal year, enrollment continues to be a top risk for university,” committee Chair Michael O’Brien, a 1988 UMass Amherst graduate, said. “I’d be remiss if I did not say we need to take advantage of our system-ness and continue to innovate on enrollment strategies to preserve our market share.”
UMass President Marty Meehan said the demand for a UMass education “remains strong” but noted the significant demographic challenges facing universities across the nation as the population of high school graduates continues to decline, “especially in the Northeast.”
“We’ve seen it not only with the non-elite privates, we’ve also seen it with the community colleges — enrollment is down significant over the last decade, as well as the state universities,” he said. “At UMass, we’ve done much better, but like every university we’re looking at these challenges, and if those challenges are left unmanaged, they’d have the potential to challenge our university as well.”
University officials expressed optimism about an “admissions sharing” pilot program in which students who are unable to be admitted at UMass Amherst are steered toward possible admission at the Dartmouth or Lowell campuses.
“It’s a lot of work behind the scenes,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes, applauding the pilot and noting the many phone calls and emails associated with applications and admissions.
Enrollment figures presented Wednesday showed 30,460 full-time students at UMass Amherst. Enrollment at UMass Boston has risen since fiscal 2022 and stands at 13,085, while enrollment at UMass Lowell has declined over the same period to 13,521. UMass Dartmouth has 6,604 students enrolled this fiscal year, and there are 1,425 students enrolled at the UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester.
UMass officials said after Wednesday’s meetings that it has 73,566 total students, including full and part-time, undergraduate and graduate students, at its five campuses. The 65,000 enrollment figure used in the meeting presentations was based on full-time-equivalent being equal to 12 credits, although those credits might be achieved in some cases by more than one student.
At a UMass Committee on Academic and Student Affairs meeting, also Wednesday, Meehan gave a presentation on enrollment that mainly touched on the diversity of the incoming class of 2028.
“Despite the United States Supreme Court decision last year overturning affirmative action in college admissions, UMass continues to educate a student body that is increasingly reflecting the diversity of our commonwealth. In fact, the class of 2028 is the most diverse in our university’s history,” he said.
Exactly half of the incoming class are students of color, up from 48% in fall 2023, according to UMass. At UMass Boston, the most diverse of the system’s campuses, 73% of class of 2028 members are students of color.
UMass Chan Medical School is accepting far more women than men — with 70% of its incoming class identifying as women.
In 2023, UMass identified a $4.8 billion backlog of deferred maintenance needs at its facilities and buildings, with $3.6 billion of that backlog assigned to academic buildings. The university did not receive any income surtax funding in the most recent cycle to address building needs and a top official said Wednesday that current spending rates won’t be enough.
“That’s a 10-year backlog number that we will not be able to address without support from the state,” Lisa Calise, senior vice president for administration and finance at UMass, told the Administration and Finance Committee.
Calise said the UMass president’s office and the UMass Building Authority are participating in a state higher education capital working group to assess future funding options for deferred maintenance at UMass and across the state’s public higher education network.
The university’s current capital plan includes 128 projects totaling $1.8 billion.
Administration and Finance Committee member Robert Epstein mentioned other area colleges that earned high rankings recently.
“We’ve got to try to improve the product itself” at UMass, Epstein said.
Meehan defended the product, which is more affordable than other colleges, and said UMass doesn’t have the same amounts of money to invest in campuses that universities may have when they charge students $80,000 or $90,000 per year.
UMass has a $4.3 billion budget. It received a $760 million appropriation in the new state budget. Student-sourced revenues account for 34% of university revenues, with the state appropriation at 27%, and grants at 19%. Its fiscal 2025 budget covers nearly 16,000 full-time equivalent employees, according to slides presented Wednesday.
Sam Drysdale contributed reporting.
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Michael P Norton
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At a ceremony held Aug. 2 at Middlesex Community College’s Lowell campus, Worcester Polytechnic Institute President Grace Wang and Middlesex Community College President Phil Sisson signed an articulation agreement to provide a clear pathway for MCC students to transfer to WPI. This initiative is central to both schools’ mission to address the evolving educational, cultural, economic and workforce needs of the local and global communities.
“MCC is thrilled to partner with WPI to make the path of transfer to the four-year institution easier for our students,” Sisson said. “In addition to saving money and gaining hands-on experiences early on in their college experience at Middlesex, our students have resources and support available to ensure they are on the right track to reach their goals. This articulation agreement is an example of how MCC provides accessible and equitable opportunities for our diverse population of students, setting them up for success well beyond their time at the college.”
“WPI and MCC are integral parts of the Massachusetts higher education landscape. A transfer program strengthens the relationship between our institutions, fostering regional academic collaboration and development. Moreover, graduates from this program will be well-prepared to contribute to the local economy, particularly in STEM fields that are vital to our region’s growth,” said Wang. “This initiative holds immense promise for both institutions and, most importantly, for the students who will benefit from it.”
Under the new articulation agreement, MCC students with an associate degree who have successfully completed a college-level precalculus or calculus 1 course, a college-level laboratory science course, and have earned a 3.3 or higher GPA, will be guaranteed admission to WPI. MCC students who have not yet completed their associate degree but have a minimum 3.0 GPA and have successfully completed a college-level precalculus or calculus 1 course and successfully completed a college-level laboratory science course may be offered admission in order to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program at WPI.
Upon admission, students will be supported through transfer student programs and opportunities at WPI, including a designated advisor in the Academic Advising Office and a staff liaison in the Office of Undergraduate Studies.
MCC transfer students will also have immediate access to WPI’s Heebner Career Development Center and summer research opportunities. In addition, admitted students will be required to take a semester-long transfer transition program and receive a summer undergraduate course tuition waiver for one course taken in each of two summers, during their enrollment at WPI. Additional opportunities are available for qualified students to pursue graduate programming upon enrollment at WPI.
Information about WPI admissions and application requirements for transfer students as well as transfer agreements can be found at wpi.edu/+transfer. Visit middlesex.mass.edu for more information on MCC.
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Val Villa and Paityn Lemay collected a goal and assist apiece to power the Greater Lowell Tech girls soccer team to a 7-2 CAC win over Lowell Catholic.
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TEWKSBURY — A family residing in the 900 block of Andover Street reported to police that they were startled by sudden footsteps coming from upstairs while they sat in their living room on the afternoon of Aug. 31. When they called out, the footsteps grew louder as the unknown person inside their home ran downstairs and bolted out the backdoor.
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Aaron Curtis
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LOWELL — A groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug. 13 to celebrate the start of a new affordable housing development in the Centralville neighborhood. The project, spearheaded by local developers Peter Marlowe and David Degan, is expected to bring much-needed housing to the area.
The event was attended by city officials, including Mayor Dan Rourke and City Manager Tom Golden, as well as community members and project partners.
Marlowe and Degan, both lifelong residents of Centralville, expressed their excitement about giving back to the community where they grew up. They emphasized the importance of providing affordable housing options for families in the area.
The project involves transforming the property purchased from the East End Social Club into a mixed-use development. It will include new apartments and condominiums, as well as a renovated club space. The developers hope to create a vibrant community hub that will benefit residents for years to come.
Funding for the project is provided through a partnership with Lowell Five Bank and the city of Lowell, who provided significant support with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development financing supporting these affordable housing units. Marlowe thanked numerous individuals and organizations for their contributions to the project, including city officials, engineers, architects, and financial partners.
Marlowe and Degan’s latest project marks another step in the ongoing revitalization of Centralville. With its completion, the neighborhood will be significantly transformed, offering a brighter future for new and current residents of the city of Lowell.
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LOWELL — The Lowell 10U baseball travel team wanted a different start to the summer.
The defending Eastern Mass. champions got knocked out early in the Cal Ripken District Tournament with a rugged extra-inning loss in the district elimination game.
Undaunted, the Lowell 10U young stars turned their attention to the Bay State Baseball League, which brings together the best teams from across Massachusetts in their respective age groups, regardless of affiliation (Little League or Cal Ripken).
Lowell did not disappoint its fans – the team romped to the championship with outstanding play.
The Bay State Tournament runs two multi-round mini-tournaments throughout the summer. Teams gather points to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, where the best eight teams compete for the championship. Twenty-nine teams competed for this year’s Bay State title.
The team went 5-1 in regular pool play, qualifying for the first trophy weekend in Sudbury. Lowell took care of business in the semifinals against Belmont, winning 6-2, and faced a tough Boston South End squad in the title game.
Lowell won in an exciting 1-0 battle against a previously unbeaten club.
In the second round of Bay State Play, Lowell went 4-2 in a tough bracket and again qualified for the second trophy weekend round. Lowell hosted the mini-tournament, putting on a great show for 16 surrounding communities.
The Lowell 10s did it again and took home the gold trophy with wins over a tough Newburyport squad and defending Tournament of Championship winners Reading.
Lowell put itself in position as the No. 6 seed in the Tournament of Champions hosted by Sudbury and Winchester. Lowell went 2-0 in pool play with a decisive 8-1 win over No. 3 seed Winchester and a 2-0 battle against No. 2 seed Chelmsford.
Harry Zahareas had the play of the game against Chelmsford with a game-saving diving catch in right center field. The wins secured Lowell a semifinal spot.
Lowell faced a rematch with an excellent Chelmsford squad. Lowell held on for a 5-4 victory on Nutile Field in Winchester, putting them into Monday’s championship game. The win was backed by solid pitching performances by Sean Drinkwater (2 innings, 3 hits, 2 K’s) and Ryder Swett (4 innings, 5 hits, 6 K’s).
Victor Bellrose powered the offense with a timely two-RBI single. Others providing offense were Sean Drinkwater, Zahir Rodriguez, James Kane and Swett.
Lowell faced off in the championship against top-seeded Boston South End in Winchester.
Lowell rolled to a 9-3 victory, receiving a strong pitching performance from Thomas Florence (5.1 innings, 2 hits, 0 ER, 6 SOs). Junior Ventura closed the door for the final two outs.
Rodriguez paced the offense with a massive two-run triple in the top of the first inning. Ventura added pop to the lineup with two hits and two RBI. Others adding to the big offensive day were Swett (1 hit, 1 run scored), Bellerose (1 hit, 1 RBI), Kane (1 RBI, 1 run scored) and Florence (1 hit, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored).
Defensively, shining were Jacob Marion behind the plate, Drinkwater, Zahareas, Lucas Ros, Kal Eang and Emily LeLacheur.
The Lowell 11U Ripken team had a great summer that culminated with a Bay State
league championship. The team started off strong with a district championship in Ripken and a run to the semifinals in states.
The team finished 22-4 in Bay States, outscoring its opponents 271-49, including two trophy weekend victories, and ended the season with 13 straight wins.
The team was led on offense by Wes McDonald (11 HR’s), Matthew Rurak (7 HR’s), Arthur De
Souza (2 HR’s), Jack Duffy (1 HR) and Finn Stevens (1 HR). Among the leaders in batting average were Emilio Cespedes, Drew Durkin and Matthew Matos. Timely hits were provided by Liam Joyce and quality at-bats by Merryn Kay proved vital.
Pitching was led by starters Cespedes, Harry Shea, De Souza, Matos and closer Wes McDonald, with stellar spot starts by Jack Duffy, Louis Molinari, Logan Kelly, Finn Stevens and Rurak.
Overall, the team defense was strong, with many players playing multiple positions. Manager Sammy Valles was assisted by coaches Greg Kay, Brian Shea and Kris Stevens.
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LOWELL — The stage lights of the 37th annual Lowell Folk Festival were turned off after the last acts finished their sets Sunday evening, but the glow of the three-day music, food and arts celebration lingered.
It was a high that Director Lee Viliesis was still savoring.
“I think the festival went really well this year,” she said by text on Wednesday. “The weather was perfect and both audiences and artists were having a great time. That’s all I could ever ask for in an event.”
The free festival is the longest-running in the United States and the 2024 lineup featured 20 performers on four stages, more than a dozen food vendors, numerous exhibits, dance tents and a variety of distinctive cultural experiences.
It also featured more than 200 bucket brigade volunteers, including Milo McFadden, who canvassed the almost 20-block footprint of the festival collecting donations for the extravaganza.
Milo is the 6-year-old son of Danielle McFadden, the president and CEO of the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce. The organization provides online and general fundraising support, marketing and public relations for the festival.
But the Chamber’s primary role during the festival is to coordinate the bucket brigade, in which teams of volunteers fan out across the festival’s venues and grounds to solicit donations in exchange for a string of colored beads and the feeling that comes with helping to support a storied cultural tradition.
McFadden said volunteering for the bucket brigade was her family’s favorite part, which she called a “summertime tradition.” Besides in-kind donations, sponsors and merchandise sales, the festival relies on the generosity of its visitors to help keep the $1.5 million public gathering free and financially healthy.
“We don’t have a specific number of what was raised, but I can say firsthand how generous and enthusiastic festival-goers were – many donating multiple times throughout the weekend!” she said by email on Wednesday.
Local business also enjoyed a festival bounce. Lala Books opened its doors on Market Street in July 2021, a year the festival was canceled due to the COVID pandemic, but owner Laura Lamarre Anderson said the excitement builds even before the festival opens with visitors exploring Downtown Lowell in what she called “full festival mode.”
“We had well over 500 people in the store over the weekend,” she said. “We talked to folks about local authors, popular books, and summer reading requirements, but mostly about how much fun they were having. It was great to see that there were so many people from outside the city who were learning about what downtown has to offer.”
Anderson said Market Street was packed with people on Saturday and Sunday — she even gave a Market Street stage shoutout for Milo’s bucket brigade collection efforts.
“Folk Festival is our favorite weekend of the year,” Anderson said. “Our staff worked long hours and we were all exhausted by Sunday night, but it was totally worth it.”
One of the biggest draws of the festival each year is the food from various local organizations presenting an international flavor. Walking through the JFK Plaza, Boarding House Park and Market Street sections of the festival can make it difficult to decide what to eat when the sights and smells of a hugely diverse menu of food all compete for attention.
Among the most popular food vendors of the festival was Iskwelahang Pilipino, which has had a tent in the Boarding House Park section to serve Filipino food every year since it started in 1987. In the immediate aftermath of the festival, IP’s Elsa Janairo said it is too early to say how much money was raised to support the Filipino cultural school while they do a count. But as far as the amount of food that was served, Janairo said they very well may have set a record, selling well over 1,000 pounds of meat in three days.
“We realized Saturday night that we were on the brink of running out of meat to grill, which has never happened to us before,” said Janairo.
IP ended up needing to purchase more meat for the final day of the festival Sunday. Through the entire weekend, Janairo said the group sold approximately 640 pounds of grilled pork and 865 pounds of grilled chicken by the weight of the raw meat.
Janairo said she received feedback from the teenaged volunteers that did most of the interacting with customers. She said the volunteers told her the customers this year seemed happier than they had sometimes appeared in past years, calling it a kind of “pervasive joy.”
Janairo also loved the palpable camaraderie between food vendors, from lending cooking equipment to purchasing food from other tents to bring back to their own to eat.
“It was great to support each other and be a part of this giant community-building effort, and to be able to establish connections with new customers on top of the ones that come back every year,” said Janairo.
Like IP, most of the festival food vendors use the occasion as the opportunity to fundraise for their various causes. In JFK Plaza was Acha’s Foundation, which Delphine Acha founded to benefit children and prisoners in her native Cameroon, where the food they cooked originates from.
Friday and Saturday were as busy as any Lowell Folk Festival weekend, Acha said, but she noted Sunday appeared to be one of the slowest days of the festival she can remember.
While she is still doing a full accounting, Acha said customers spent an estimated $13,000 on food from her tent over the course of the three days, approximately $8,000 of which will go to the foundation after festival expenses are accounted for. That money will be used to fund scholarships for students in Cameroon, as well as for outreach to a Cameroonian prison.
“That started from a request where prisoners didn’t have money for bail … about $20 in American dollars,” said Acha. “Our aim is to go to the prison and speak with the prison warden to see exactly what the prisoners need, and how we can assist them.”
Some of this assistance will involve doing exactly what Acha did over the weekend: cooking a lot of food. Acha said her foundation is working with a Cameroonian prison to try to provide food to a portion of its 4,000 inmates, though the logistics are still being worked out, as they will not have enough food to cook for all of them.
Acha, like many of the vendors, use the festival as their primary, and sometimes only fundraising source each year. While the festival only ended a few days ago, some could be eyeing the countdown clock that has already been reset on the festival website. Only 357 days to go.
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Melanie Gilbert, Peter Currier
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A great blue heron was spotted wandering in the waters near the Swamp Locks Gatehouse and the Pawtucket Canal in Lowell on May 28. (Aaron Curtis/Lowell Sun)
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Aaron Curtis
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LOWELL — Reaching 50 never looked so good to Jimmie Robinson.
The Massachusetts running back made the most of his Monday night, rushing for a pair of touchdowns, including the 50th of his career, while catching a third during an electric first half, as the Pirates defeated the Quad City Steelwheelers, 52-35, in Indoor Football League action at the Tsongas Center.
The Pirates (8-6) avoided a season sweep against the Quad City (6-7), which trailed them by just one game in the IFL standings with the playoffs looming, in front of a crowd of 2,872.
“We’d play every Monday night if we got a performance like this,” said coach Rod Miller. “It was good. The guys have been waiting and eager to play. This was a big game for us and we’re the only show in the nation right now on Monday night. So we wanted to go out and play our last home game and give the fans something to cheer about. We played a decent game tonight.”
Robinson was a key cog in the offensive attack by breaking into the end zone on three occasions in the first half alone, while his team clung to a 27-20 lead at halftime.
Meanwhile, Pirates quarterback Alejandro Bennefield (13-for-15 passing, 132 yards, 5 TDs) and Thomas Owens (4-for-46 receiving, 4 TDs) put the game out of reach with a relentless air attack, combining for four more end zone grabs, including three in the second half to seal the deal.
The Pirates had to overcome some early pressure. Quad City got an immediate boost off a 33-yard field goal by Kyle Kaplan, one of three he had, giving the Steamwheelers the 3-0 lead.
Bennifield helped key the comeback on their ensuing series, rolling down the left sidelines to the 3, before handing the pigskin over to Robinson. The fleet-footed running back rumbled to paydirt, giving the Pirates the 6-2 lead with 8:05 remaining in the quarter.
Robinson was just getting warmed up. The running back turned receiver took a Bennifield pass before jetting 14 yards down the left side boards to the to retake the 12-10 lead. Henry Nell added a PAT, holding the 13-10 edge at the end of the first quarter.
The Pirates stymied Quad City to open the second quarter, with Julius Turner swatting away a pass. Robinson took it from there on the turnover. The running back bolted 26 yards to the house for his third touchdown of the game. It marked the 50th career rushing touchdown of the IFL star’s two-year career. Nell added the PAT to increase the 20-10 lead.
“Jimmie brings consistency,” said Miller. “I say every week Jimmie is the best running back in the league, He’s the best player in the league in my opinion week in and week out. We ride the team on his back. I tell him I’ll get you a stop you get me a score. That’s been our motto going forward and he’s working, So we’re going to keep up that motto.”
Quad City’s Jarrod Harrington gave his team a lift, scoring on a kickoff return to cut the deficit to 20-17, but the Pirates never blinked.
Instead, Bennifield sent Darren Carrington deep to the 4 on their next possession, before finding Owens just two plays later on a 3-yard grab to expand the 26-17 lead. Nell’s PAT extended the 27-17 cushion with 6:37 left in half.
Kaplan booted its second field goal for Quad City, cutting the Massachusetts advantage to 27-20 at halftime.
Bennifield connected with Owens for his second end zone grab just seconds into the third quarter. Nell’s PAT extended the Pirates’ lead to 35-20.
Quad City’s Kaplan added his third field goal 35-23. And when running back Edward Vander rolled in on a 30-yard strike, and subsequent two-point conversion run moments later, the Steamwheelers pulled as close as 35-28 with 4:21 left in the third quarter.
But Owens killed any thoughts of a Quad City comeback. The receiver made a jumping grab of a Bennefield pass for his third TD end reception of the game, giving the Pirates the commanding 42-28 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Quad City threatened by scoring a fourth quarter touchdown with 9:00 to play, cutting the lead to 42-35. But Owens extinguished the Steelwheelers’ hopes catching his fourth TD of the game to hold the 49-35 lead.
“Thomas has been consistent in this organization since he’s been here,” said Miller. “He’s finally getting healthy and all these guys are starting to peak at the right time. We get Zico back as well I’m excited about where we’re going.”
Nell provided the game-breaking field goal to seal the deal and accounting for the 52-35 final.
According to Miller, the team has enjoyed getting acclimated to its new home at Tsongas Center.
The coach has enjoyed playing in Lowell this season.
“This has been a great experience,” said Miller. “You saw the crowd tonight, some people are getting use to it and get use to this game. We left some people with a good taste in their mouths. Next year we’ll keep increasing the crowds if we keep getting better as a team.”
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Christopher Hurley
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Jimmie Robinson is gearing up for some Monday night mayhem.
The Massachusetts Pirates running back plans to let loose, as his Indoor Football League team plays host to the Quad City Steamwheelers on Monday at Tsongas Center. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m.
The Pirates (7-6) are fresh off a big 44-30 win over the Jacksonville Sharks on Saturday, snapping a three-game losing skid. They’ll look for some payback against a tough Quad City club (6-6) that previously got the best of them, 54-43, in Moline, Illinois, on April 20.
“This will be my first Monday night game in arena football,” said Robinson. “We know it will be a tough game as always. We have to eliminate the mistakes on our end and just play Pirates football. If we do that it’s hard for us to be beat. I’m hoping it will be a sold-out crowd. I’m really excited for it.”
After jumping out to a fantastic 4-0 start, the Pirates have been battling with consistency as of late, winning just three of their last nine. The road win against Jacksonville could go a long way as they regroup for the homestretch and final three remaining regular season games.
“In the losses we’ve had, we were just one less mistake away from winning,” said Robinson. “We’ve played a good group of teams, but I honestly feel like we beat ourselves in those losses. Last weekend, we worked on having a championship mindset, taking it one game at a time and not looking forward to the playoffs. We are controlling what we can control now.”
Robinson will be a key cog in getting the offense in motion. The 5-foot-8, 182-pound running back currently leads the IFL in rushing with 938 yards on 161 carries, and a league best 28 touchdowns. He’s also pulled down 215 yards receiving with three end zone grabs.
Last week against Jacksonville, the fleet-footed running back broke the 100-yard rushing barrier for the first time this season, with 109 on 17 carries while adding a touchdown.
“It’s always a great feeling knowing that I can be a big impact player for the team,” said Robinson. “They trust me when the game is on the line to get things done.”
Since joining the league last season, Robinson has been in perpetual motion, leading the IFL in rushing the past two seasons.
Last year in Worcester, he ran for 28 rushing touchdowns and was third in the league, averaging 65.4 rushing yards per game. The former undrafted free agent signing of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019 led the IFL in total offense per game last year, averaging138 yards. He also had 27 receptions for 316 yards and three touchdowns.
In his rookie year, Robinson set or equaled IFL single-game season highs in touchdowns with six, rushing touchdowns (six), 36 points and 163 rushing yards against Iowa. In Worcester, Robinson set seven single-game, 13 single-season, and eight all-time Pirates records.
He’s only continued to build on his pigskin resume in Lowell this season, running for five rushing touchdowns against the Northern Arizona Wranglers in May 18, and recording his first kickoff return of the season in a game against the San Antonio Gunslingers on June 15.
“It’s a really good feeling knowing that I can bring that kind of energy onto the field,” said Robinson. “Being a guy that can make a play happen at any time.”
But as talented as he is, Robinson knows he can’t go at it alone. The speedy back credits the unheralded play of his offensive line for making it all possible.
“I can’t thank those guys enough,” said Robinson. “We have a big group up front. They really make it way easier for me when it comes to seeing holes. It’s not hard seeing those holes, because of their movement up front. They’re doing a great job doing what they are doing.”
A Native of Palm Coast, Florida, Robinson was drawn to the football field at the age of 8.
“Growing up, that’s all I would see,” said Robinson. “My older cousins made us start playing at a young age. I was playing with guys that were 14-15 years old and I was just 8. I was always the smallest, so I had to be the fastest.”
The IFL is his third professional stop on his football journey. Robinson signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League in 2021.
“I always had that mindset that I could play at the next level,” said Robinson. “I had that goal. So, every time I stepped out onto the football field from Pop Warner to middle school to high school, I always had that in mind. This is what I wanted to do.”
He likes the attitude the Pirates have displayed this season, even when times have gotten tough.
“We have a good group of guys that can all bring something different to the table,” said Robinson. “Offense-wise, we basically have the same group of guys we had last year. We clicked pretty well together. Defense has a couple guys from last year. They’re still learning from each other. They’re making plays and having fun. That’s the biggest thing we talk about every week, having fun and doing your job. I think with this win (last weekend) it’s bringing the energy back to us.”
And there’s no better place to get the job done then in front of packed houses at the Tsongas Center. The running back has enjoyed introducing his team’s brand of football to the masses each week in Lowell
“They’ve been really good,” said Robinson. “The fans have come out and have given us a lot of support. We go to a lot of events in the community. They’ve showed their love back with their support on game day. A lot of the kids have come out. It’s been a great.”
With two road games remaining in San Antonio and Tulsa, Robinson knows his team still has plenty left to play for. But first things first. Bring on Quad City.
“We’re not looking too far ahead,” said Robinson. “Don’t focus on next week, until we finish the job this week.”
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Christopher Hurley
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James Kotowski delivered a top-five performance on the national stage.The UMass Lowell grad track star earned fifth-place honors at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, reaching a personal-best and school-best distance of 75.69m in Sunday’s finals.The 5-foot-11, 185-pound track star recently graduated at UMass Lowell with Bachelor of Science degree […]
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Christopher Hurley
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Sam Castronova threw six touchdown passes, including three in a fourth-quarter shootout, as the Massachusetts Pirates fell on Saturday night to the San Antonio Gunslingers, 52-51, at the Tsongas Center.The Pirates (6-6) led for virtually the entire game, building a 10-point lead 38-28 entering the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold off a surging San Antonio […]
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Christopher Hurley
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LOWELL — U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan and leaders of local Boys & Girls Clubs celebrated $2.2 million in federal funding Trahan secured for the clubs in the 3rd Congressional District in a fiscal 2023 funding package.
The funding negotiated by Trahan was used to support five Boys & Girls Clubs in her district, including the clubs in Lowell, Lawrence, MetroWest, Haverhill and the Fitchburg, Leominster and Gardner club. It is being used to fund new and existing workforce development programs at the clubs, including career pathways exploration, job skills training and work-based learning experiences for teenage club members.
Trahan came to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell Tuesday evening to highlight the funding. She said all five clubs collaborated to request the $2.2 million, which was split evenly with each club receiving about $400,000.
“It’s going to fill such a major need. I just learned of all the programs all the individual clubs are embarking on around the workforce, apprenticeships and career pathways,” said Trahan. “If you think about all the legislation we just passed, whether it was infrastructure, or CHIPS and Science, or inflation reduction with investments in clean energy, we need more workers.”
Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg, Leominster, & Gardner CEO Elizabeth Coveney called the federal funds “a transformative investment” in their workforce development projects.
“This support will enable us to expand our programs, fostering the next generation of leaders right here in our district. We are profoundly grateful for Congresswoman Trahan’s vision and commitment to our mission, and we look forward to seeing the remarkable impact of this funding on our Clubhouse and beyond,” said Coveney.
David Ginisi, the senior director of marketing and development at the Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg, Leominster, & Gardner, said the funding for their club would be used for evolving their programs for their teenage members to help them explore a range of potential career interests.
“We are looking to build a state of the art podcast studio with this. We are looking to create and establish licensing programs. Lifeguard licensing, drivers’ licensing, CNA programming, giving these kids the opportunities to develop skills that will better prepare them to enter the workforce as they move on and mature,” said Ginisi.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell Executive Director Joe Hungler said the funds would help give his club’s members the resources and exposure to set themselves up for a good career in the future. As he spoke, construction surrounded the building as the club builds a new teen center.
“Our goal is to make sure that as we build this new teen center with a separate teen entrance, there is the awesome programs that will inspire our youth by exposing them to different careers and what is possible,” said Hungler. “As well as to make sure they get the skills they need and the experiences and the connections. A lot of kids could be one of the smartest kids in the world, but if they can’t get their foot in the door, you can’t get to the interview.”
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Peter Currier
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Alina Müller kept Boston’s Walter Cup hopes alive.
The Boston forward scored the game-winning goal in double overtime, as Boston topped Minnesota, 1-0, in Game 4 of the Professional Women’s Hockey League Finals on Sunday. The game was played in front of over 13,104 fans at Xcel Energy Center.
A must-win victory, Boston has tied its best-of-five series for the Walter Cup, 2-2, forcing a fifth and deciding game Wednesday back at the Tsongas Center in Lowell at 7 p.m.
A tight-checking affair, the two teams were held scoreless through the end of regulation, with both goaltenders shining. Boston’s Aerin Frankel made 33 saves, while Minnesota goalie Nicole Hensley made 32 stops for the shutout.
But in the end it was Müller who would have final say, scoring at 17:26 of double overtime.
Minnesota had a goal disallowed for goalie interference shortly before Boston’s game winner.
Boston came out firing in the first period with Loren Gabel leading the charge. Relegated to spare forward status to open the playoffs, Gabel added a much-needed spark to the team’s checking line with several good looks to open the game.
Meanwhile, the Boston defense kept close tabs on Minnesota sniper Taylor Heise. The tight checking of Jessica Digirolamo helped hold the PWHL playoff scoring leader without a shot in the scoreless stanza.
Denisa Křížová had Minnesota’s best opportunity in the closing seconds. The left winger was setup off a brilliant rush by Kelly Pannek but was turned away on a big save from Frankel. Boston outshot Minnesota 9-8 at the end of the first period. It marked only the second time the team had outshot its opponent in the series, something they continued to do in the following period.
Minnesota was held off on a pair of powerplay opportunities to open the second. Pannek provided a great scoring chance feeding Grace Zumwinkle in the final minutes. Zumwinkle’s shot was initially stopped by Frankel, with the loose puck drifting dangerously out in front of a wide open net, before being swatted away by a Boston defender.
Boston continued to struggle on its first two powerplay chances, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. Amanda Pelkey sent in Gigi Marvin with a great cross-ice feed, before getting denied by Hensley. The netminder made 19 saves in regulation, including stoning Susanna Tapani on a setup from Hilary Knight moments later. Boston outshot Minnesota 9-3 in the second period.
Minnesota was unable to breakthrough on three separate powerplay opportunities in the third, despite outshooting Boston 9-5, and 20-19 overall by the end of regulation.
Zumwinkle continued to be a cause for concern with several big rushes in the first OT session. Boston also had a golden opportunity to end it on the powerplay, but came up just short with Sophie Shirley getting stymied by Hensley on a point-blank save. The Boston powerplay were held scoreless in all 15 chances during the playoffs.
Minnesota outshot Boston 7-5 at the end of the first OT session, holding a 27-24 overall lead at that point.
Zumwinkle and Křížová kept Boston on edge converging on a 2-on-1 break with 11:30 left in the second OT, with Frankel standing firm.
Sophie Jaques appeared to put the game away in double OT burying a cross-ice feed from Taylor Heise at 17:26 but the goal was overturned due to goalie interference.
Boston changed up its forward lines for Game 4. Jamie Lee Rattray returned to the second line, Sophie Shirley and Gabel to the third line, and Pelkey to the fourth line. Minnesota made no changes to its lineup.
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Christopher Hurley
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The founder may be gone, but his legacy lives on.
When it came to handling business, Reginald Walker always put family first.
The owner and operator of Walker’s Gymnastics & Dance in Lowell passed away on May 11 at his Lowell home, surrounded by his family. He was 86.
A loving husband, father and grandfather who was known to most as Reggie, Walker always greeted those who entered his Plain Street studio with a warm, engaging grin. To him, they were more than students and clients, they were family and friends.
“They all remember his welcoming smile and his generosity,” said Denise Walker, his daughter.
Born in St. Albans, N.Y., in 1937, Reginald Walker was a longtime resident of Lowell and a communicant of St. Margaret Church. In his early years, he attended Lowell Tech and graduated from Keith Academy. He went on to proudly serve in the U.S. Navy on the USS Guardian as a radio man.
Walker fielded the SOS call from the Italian luxury ocean liner Andrea Doria, which was sinking off the coast of Nantucket, after a collision with the MS Stockholm on July 26, 1956. He was the first to relay the distress call, helping rescue 1,660 passengers and crew.
Shifting into the gymnastics and dance field two decades later may have seemed puzzling to some at first glance. But in the end, it was all relative.
Walker forged the family business with Denise in 1978, building a successful operation from the ground up. It all began when she caught the gymnastics bug at an early age.
“Ever since I was a child, I had an itch,” said Denise Walker. “I wanted to go to the Olympics, and I fell in love with gymnastics, so I took that route. I had so much support from my family.”
Walker’s talents took her to the national stage, competing in the Olympic Trials in 1976, earning a spot on the team as an alternate. Her father was there following her every move, from countless road trips to Connecticut and beyond.
Gymnastics also allowed her to do extensive traveling competing with other teams overseas.
“At one point my sister was one of the top 10 gymnasts in the United States competing for Team USA,” said Rick Walker, her younger brother.
A seventh-grader at St. Margaret’s, Denise attended Catholic school in Connecticut at age 12. Following the Olympic Trials, she returned home her senior year, graduating from Lowell High in 1977. But after attending the University of New Hampshire for a year, Walker opted to return to the Mill City for an intriguing new opportunity.
“Dad always wanted to have a business,” said Denise. “I said, ‘You run the business, I’ll run the floor.’ And it went on from there.”
“That’s where the whole thing started,” said Reginald, Walker’s oldest son. “His dream, her talent. I got pulled in a couple years later.”
Daughter Janine Walsh was recruited to run the business side of the operations, while the older brother was brought in to help in the coaching department.
“As a family, we always made it work,” said Reginald. “We each had our jobs and complemented each other well, and when business was done, it was time for family.”
Now 45 years after first opening its doors, Walker’s Gymnastics & Dance continues to thrive.
“We’ve been a staple of Lowell,” said Reginald, 60. “We’ve trained thousands of kids. I’m at least third generation now. I have grandmother’s that say, ‘You coached me.’ ”
The father and son also helped make gymnastics history, creating the Bay State Classic. The tournament became only the second event to be held at the Tsongas Center when it first opened in 1998.
“It was cool,” said Reginald. “We hosted over 500 kids. It was a great event. It brought a lot of business into the city and was another dreamchild of my father. We brought it together to make it happen.”
Gymnastics remains the family business, and business is quite good.
“My father was a dreamer and an entrepreneur,” said Reginald. “Walker’s Gymnastics is probably one of the top six gymnastics schools in Massachusetts. There is a legacy there. It’s a very family-friendly operated business. We all did our part. There was the big guy, who we miss, his wife Ruby, myself and my sister Janine. We all did our roles. We complemented each other. Family business is family business, but we made it happen.”
The eldest statesmen, their father could often be found sitting prominently at the front entrance, which led directly into the spacious gym. In a fitting tribute, his funeral procession took a special detour taking the late owner past the gym one last time on the way to St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
Although he is no longer at his post, his memory remains. His son recently hung a framed picture of his father on the entrance wall, which reads “Welcome, Reginald Walker founder, 1978.”
“Now when I go to work, I kiss my palm, slap the wall and try to remember why I’m there,” said Reginald. “He had a good sendoff.”
“The business is still going, even though he’s passed,” said Denise. “And we have many, many memories.”
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Christopher Hurley
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