The City of Lights parade is this Saturday, the 26th, beginning around 4:30pm.  Other events will be going on throughout the day.  There will be no parking on Jackson Street beginning at 10:00am and no parking on Central and Merrimack Streets beginning at 2:00pm.  Parking will be free in all city-owned garages all weekend.  I haven’t come across official confirmation, but I think it’s a safe bet that parts of Arcand Drive, Merrimack Street, Central Street, and Jackson Street will be closed for the duration of the parade—so please plan accordingly if you’re going to be driving anywhere.

Also, I just got a request for heating/cooling advice:  “Resident is looking for recommendations for an experienced technician who has done HVAC in CP1. Resident would also like to know if others have the experience of the heating unit blowing cold air more often than hot.” 

 A-1 Maintenance Master is always the one I hear recommended (there’s a link for them on the Useful Links page).  They are extremely familiar with the heat pumps in this building and are very nice.  I personally haven’t had any problem with our units blowing cold air but I’ve used A-1 in the past to inspect our systems, and to correct a wiring mistake on a thermostat installed by another contractor.  If anyone else has any thoughts on the subject, please feel free to post them in the comments.

Another request for recommendations:

“A resident is looking for a licensed plumber (preferably with experience in CP 1) to install a water heater.
They are also looking for a licensed electrician, also preferably with experience in CP 1.”

As always, feel free to reply in the comments or e-mail me with info to pass along.

There have been requests for plumber suggestions before and the response has been strongly in favor of Frank Potvin.  I don’t recall much in the way of electrician requests, although someone noted Village Electric in the same group of comments linked above.

You can also find a brief discussion about tankless water heaters here.

A resident is looking for suggestions for a really good house cleaner.  If anyone has someone to recommend, feel free to post in the comments or e-mail me and I’ll pass it along.  Or you can contact Chris directly: cbs33@comcast.net.  Thanks!

The lobby office will be closing early tomorrow (Thursday) this week to allow for this month’s board meeting.  The office will be open from 6:00 to 7:00.  The board meeting begins at 7:00.  Residents are always welcome at board meetings (although there are occasionally times when part of the meeting will be held in private for legal reasons).

The Annual Monster Bash and Halloween Stroll is happening downtown this Saturday from 12-3.  More info here.

Trick or Treating will be held in the building on Monday from 6-8.  Everyone should have received a little orange pumpkin picture to put on their door if they’re welcoming trick-or-treaters this year.

And does the current maze at the garage remind anyone else of a haunted house?  I keep thinking it just needs some pumpkins and scarecrows to be perfect for the season! 😉

Just calling a few local items to your attention.

The last official Lowell Walk  of the year is this Saturday, the 15th. This one covers part of the Concord River Greenway and meets at the Lowell Cemetery Lawrence Street gate (opposite 1025 Lawrence Street) at 10:00am.

The Baystate Marathon is Sunday morning (starts at 8:00) and will mean traffic delays.  Please take that into account if you have plans to drive anywhere.

And the Lowell Downtown Neighborhood Association’s monthly meeting is Monday at 7:00 at LTC across the breezeway from the Visitor’s Center.

If you’re looking for more things to do around town, I recommend Howl Magazine for ideas, or subscribing to the COOL weekly newsletter.

Enjoy the weekend, All!  We’re just about at the end of the nice weather.  (We haven’t turned on the heat in our unit yet but I understand it’s available again.)

First of all, fire alarm testing will be taking place on Thursday, the 29th.  Ron and the technician must have access to all the units.  If you haven’t already returned your completed permission form to the office, please do so ASAP.

There will be a board meeting next Wednesday, the 28th, at 7:00 PM in the lobby office.  Residents are welcome.  The agenda is posted on the first floor bulletin board next to the elevator.

There is a meeting of the Downtown Neighborhood Association scheduled for Monday evening at 7:00 at LTC, 246 Market Street. That agenda can be found here.

Finally, the first Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race will be starting tomorrow morning right out front on Market Street.  There will be activities and live music, as well as some bizarre, human-powered, race vehicles passing by, between 9:30AM and 4:00PM.  Sounds like a lot of fun—even spectators are encouraged to come in costume!  The Lowell Sun recently published info and a detailed schedule.

Just got this question from a resident:

I’ve noticed a chlorine-like smell in our neighborhood air lately. Anyone else notice this? Anyone know what it is?

I haven’t noticed anything.  Has anyone else?  Feel free to respond in the comments.

If I had to guess, I’d say they were doing some heavy-duty cleaning in our building’s back end section, the former power plant area that’s being rehabbed into luxury condos.  But I’m only guessing.

I recently acquired a 78rpm record from early in the last century and then realized we got rid of the only turntable we had that played 78s when we downsized and moved to Lowell.  Is there anyone in the building who has the equipment—and the willingness—to let me hear this thing before I decide if it’s worth having it professionally transferred to digital?  And does anyone have any recommendations about a transfer company to use?

Thanks for any info!  Feel free to reply in the comments or e-mail me at admin@canalplaceone.com

This year’s final First Thursday is coming up this week, with several events centered over near the Swamp Locks on Thorndike/Dutton.  A special Lowell Walk, live music, ethnic food, and a creative lighting of the Swamp Locks canal complex are all on the schedule.

After the recent power outage downtown, there’s now a link on the “Links” page of this site that will take you to the National Grid Outage Map where you can find out if they know of the problem and if a repair crew has been assigned.  Of course, if you’re dependent on your home computer to get online and the power’s out, this isn’t going to do you much good, but for those of you with smart phones, it may be useful.

Lowell has replaced their old emergency notification system with a new one called Civic Ready.  You can subscribe to receive announcements about a range of issues via  e-mail, phone, or text messages.  I found the old system very useful for learning of snow emergencies, water main breaks, and other traffic/parking issues. Here’s hoping the new one is equally helpful.

The Cultural Organization of Lowell recently opened a cute little storefront on Merrimack St.  The hours are still in flux, but I recommend checking it out.  Should be a great place for Christmas shopping this season (and they have my dance history book available too!)

And speaking of unique shopping opportunities, try stopping by the weekly Sunday farmer’s market at Mill no. 5.  It’s got a tempting selection, live music, and great atmosphere.  Next Sunday’s holiday weekend Farmer’s Market should be extra special.  And next Saturday is Open Studios at Western Ave as well as a flea market at Mill no. 5—both events run noon to five.  Lots of fun things to do within walking distance as the summer comes to a close!