Small-town politics

While everyone else is focusing on the local Senate races, where a gaggle of former state representatives are going after seats being vacated by Pam Resor and Robert Antonioni, this week the Times & Courier cast an eye toward the open seat left as James Eldridge asks the voters of Resor’s district for a promotion. [...]

Frankie’s fund

As much as it pains us to report a bad story for the umpteenth time — that old tragedy, teen with his whole life in front of him dies in automobile accident — there is always the silver lining that we don’t mind repeating each time this happens: community comes together to honor high schooler’s [...]

Endorsing the system

Endorsements for the 5th District congressional race are in, and no surprise, Niki Tsongas leads the pack, with Jim Ogonowski second. For Niki, we have the The Boston Globe, Boston Herald (!), The Sun in Lowell, The MetroWest Daily News and several weeklies. For Jim, it’s the Eagle-Tribune in Lawrence and at least one weekly [...]

From the home office in Lowell …

Dueling press releases crossed this editor’s desk this weekend, as the Jim Ogonowski-Niki Tsongas battle moves into its last half-month before the Oct. 16 congressional election.
First there was this from Niki, a hyper-partisan attack on Republicans in general, with Ogonowski’s name thrown in. Some of the charges stick, once the rhetoric is toned down: Yes, [...]

Mary Lavigne dies

Only two days short of 108 years old, Lancaster’s oldest resident died this week.  The funeral is Saturday.
Imagine what she saw in more than a century of life. She moved to South Lancaster in 1922, already an adult on her own. You or your parents may remember a time before the Interstate highways. Mary Lavigne [...]

Wal-Mart won’t be coming down the pike

Big news in Lancaster today — Wal-Mart has canceled its plans for a Supercenter” on Old Union Turnpike.
Company spokesman Christopher Buchanan says the Friday announcement comes after Wal-Mart decided to slow down building Supercenters — its largest stores — in the U.S. The company will still build a Supercenter in Leominster, only three miles away [...]

It’s Eldridge! … in Lancaster

We hear that Niki Tsongas and Jim Ogonowski will be the major-party candidates in the Oct. 16 special election, but that’s not the biggest story in Lancaster. The big surprise — or is it — is Democrat James Eldridge’s showing in today’s primary election.
Here are the Lancaster Democratic results by precinct (Precinct 1 is the [...]