Before the arrival of yesterday’s crane, there was a lot of discussion about the old tunnels and where the best place to put the crane would be. One of those tunnels is almost certainly the remnants of the Lowell Canal, the original power source for this mill complex.

The level of water in the canals is very low right now so you can see the walled-off entrance to the old Lowell Canal where it branches off the Merrimack Canal (next to Dutton Street). I snapped a photo of it and thought I’d share. More info about the history of the complex is available on this site’s Building History page.

People have been very good about picking up their packages but please be especially prompt just now—Cyber Monday is going to do a number on our mailroom.

Also, from a resident:

Free 24″ electric baseboard heater available to anyone who wants it. Never used and only removed from the box to photograph it. Call Georgi at 978-764-5570.

This is probably too late to do anyone any good, but there is NO downtown street parking after 1:00 PM today. Any cars parked along Market have been towed and the street is blocked off, although I assume residents are allowed in and out. On the bright side, most of the city garages offer free parking today.

Also, there is a concert on Palmer Street from 6:00 to 9:15 PM this evening don’t be surprised at hearing some music in the air.

This coming Saturday is Lowell’s annual City of Lights celebration. The festivities start at 11:00AM and end with the lighting of City Hall at the end of the big parade. Saturday’s weather prediction is 35º and sunny, so dress warmly and come have some fun!

And a reminder for those folks who bring in genuine, cut, holiday trees. When bringing trees through the common areas—lobby, atrium, stairs, elevators, etc.—please wrap them in an old sheet or tarp of some sort so that they don’t leave a trail of needles. This is even more important on the way out after the holiday!

Following the holidays, trees cannot be disposed of anywhere in or around the building, however Lowell offers a number of free drop off sites. Once the city posts information about tree disposal and drop off sites, it should be available at this link (plus I’ll try to post it again): https://www.lowellma.gov/1722/Christmas-Tree-Disposal

For those asking about the heavy police presence in the parking lot early this afternoon, it concerned a Canal Place 2 resident in distress and was resolved peacefully. Our building was not involved or affected.

Voting is tomorrow from 7:00am to 8:00pm. Our polling place these days is the Rogers School Gymnasium at 43 Highland Street, on the south-east corner of South Common. We are in Ward 4, Precinct 2. Lowellvotes.org offers a detailed guide to the candidates. Other info about voting can be found at the City Hall and Secretary of State websites.

Just a reminder that Trick-or-Treat in the building will be from 6:00 to 7:30 this evening. In addition to admiring the kids in costume, there are usually some fun decorations around the building to check out if you get a chance.

And yes, for those who complained about missing them last year, the dancing skeletons on the fourth floor will be back, along with some new friends.

This Saturday is Lowell’s Annual Monster Bash downtown from noon to 3:00. It’s a fun event and summery weather is predicted.

Early Voting will take place Wednesday, Oct 25 – Friday, November 3 for all voters at City Hall in the Mayor’s Reception Room on the 2nd floor. Here are the hours:

• Wed. Oct 25, 8am-5pm
• Thurs Oct 26, 8am-5pm
• Friday Oct 27, 8am-noon
• Sat. Oct 28, 9am-3pm
• Sun Oct 29, 9am-3pm
• Mon Oct 30,  8am-5pm
• Tues. Oct 31, 8am-8pm,
• Wed. Nov 1, 8am-5pm
• Thurs Nov 2, 8am-5pm
• Fri  Nov 3, 8am-noon

Election Day is Tues, Nov 7, and the Downtown votes at the Roger Stem School on Highland Street from 7am-8pm

(If you’re a subscriber, it’s worth clicking on the link in the notification email to see all of the “That” rather than just glancing at the “This” in the email itself.)

A small, rhinestone, stud earring was found in the lobby the other day. If you are the owner, please stop by the office once it reopens to pick it up.

The lobby office will reopen Wednesday, November 1st. The new hours will be Saturdays 9:00am to 11:00am and Wednesdays 6:30pm to 8:00pm.

Please do not put live pumpkins or other veggies outside your door. They attract pests and can damage the carpet. Live pumpkins may, however, be displayed during Trick or Treat hours, October 31st from 6:00 to 7:30pm.

The minutes from the Annual Owners Meeting on the 11th are now available on the JA Wood portal in the Homeowner Documents section under “minutes.”

The heat in the building has been turned on and the AC has been shut down for the season.

The LDNA (Lowell Downtown Neighborhood Association) will be holding their regular meeting tomorrow evening at 7:00pm at LTC, 246 Market Street, across the breezeway from the Visitor’s Center. This is a good chance to ask the LPD any questions about last month’s incident in the building, or to learn more about local candidates for the upcoming election on November 7th.

Jim Wilde is hosting a coffee for our City Councilor Wayne Jenness this Sunday, Oct. 15 at Mack Plaza, corner of Market and Dutton from 10-11:30 am. Wayne is one of our residents. This is an opportunity to hear from Wayne about his accomplishments and  priorities and to ask any questions, or bring up issues with him. There will be coffee, cider and goodies. 

For more general information about the upcoming November 7th election, check out Lowell Votes or lowellma.gov.

The Bay State Marathon is also this Sunday, the 15th, starting at 8:00am, so expect traffic delays, especially along either side of the river. The Lowell Sun predicts traffic on those roads will be “horrendous.” (All the more reason to just stroll over to Mack Plaza rather than driving anywhere!)

We have new gates in the stairwells at ground level. These gates are not to prevent access to the basement and are easily pulled open. The idea is simply that in a panic situation, possibly with limited visibility, a person doesn’t accidentally keep racing down the staircase past the first floor exit and find themselves trapped in the basement. This type of gate is a common safety feature in newer buildings.