UNDER THE Trump administration, the era of big government may be over. Since his inauguration, the 47th president is shredding the New Deal, the New Frontier and the Great Society compacts. He’s also targeting illegal immigration through raids and other enforcement actions, which may be having a chilling effect on many sectors, including higher education.
A Gateway City like Lowell, and the other 25 designated municipalities in Massachusetts, depend on the largess of state and federal programs. If there are significant cuts to these revenue streams, local leaders will need to recalibrate budgets, staffing and resident expectations.
Big government brought large-scale investments like the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021, to help the country recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lowell received almost $76 million, which funded, among other things, $10 million worth of brand-spanking new fire trucks and equipment, $7 million for improvements to municipal buildings, some $11 million for improvements to the city’s water and sewer system, almost $6 million for economic development and recovery, and nearly $5 million to support local nonprofits, among other outlays.
Those monies were in addition to the historic $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will help underwrite the almost $300 million new Rourke Bridge. And then there is the $738 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated funding to climate change and energy investments, renewable energy initiatives and extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. This funding, in particular, has been targeted by Trump’s executive order canceling many of the clean-energy programs.
The squeeze is on for towns and cities, and now universities.
In addition to concerns about grant research and funding cuts, U.S. colleges and universities may also be caught in the crossfire of the Trump administration’s immigration dragnets.
According to a well-placed source in higher education, Trump’s immigration crackdown and roundups have families of foreign students rethinking a U.S. education, which generates significant revenue at higher education and graduate-level institutions like the University of Massachusetts system.
Besides Lowell, that educational system includes Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Chan, Law and the Global campuses. Lowell native Marty Meehan became the 27th president of the University of Massachusetts system in 2015.
An enrollment drop in this demographic on any of these campuses could trigger staff and program cuts. And that’s besides the personal exposure and risk that foreign-born students may feel in a country that is launching surprise immigration raids that are ensnaring even legal residents.
This past week, The Sun asked the UMass Lowell administration about its policy on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions on its campus, as well as projected enrollment numbers for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Sun only reached out to the Lowell campus leadership for comment on the evolving funding and enrollment situation.
On Friday, Chancellor Julie Chen sent a statement to the “campus community” that addressed some of these concerns.
Chen’s message said, in part, that the administration was aware of the “heightened interest — and in some cases concern … given the recent flurry of federal activity.”
“Unfortunately, much remains unsettled, and we cannot currently offer many concrete answers or guidance,” Chen wrote. “The University of Massachusetts System, including UMass Lowell, is developing an understanding of the impact of the federal government’s orders on our university and its campuses.”
The letter goes on to say that currently, student aid, including direct loans, Pell Grants and other programs, have not been impacted by the federal government’s policies.
“We continue to analyze how recent decisions may affect research programs, and we will share information as soon as possible on the Office of Sponsored Programs website,” Chen wrote.
So if you are a student on a Pell Grant, that money is currently unaffected even if the research program that brought you to the university may be in jeopardy.
On the issue of ICE actions, Chen offers that anyone who encounters a government agent or law enforcement officer on campus seeking information may direct them to the UMass Lowell Police Department at 978-934-2398. Faculty and staff in these circumstances must follow the guidance of the UMass general counsel.
From early news reports, ICE agents aren’t asking for directions or information, and most people seeing them are fleeing in the opposite direction.
“Finally, it is worth stressing that the most important aspects of UMass Lowell’s mission are ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and employees, while providing a world-class education,” Chen wrote. “This mission is served by broadly providing research and education opportunities, and we remain firmly committed to that work.”
Going to college is like building a home-away-from-home in a space that keeps you safe and brings out your best self. It’s tough to do one without the other.
It’s perfectly understandable that any university leader is trying to navigate uncertain waters with diplomatic language and action. They may have a lot to lose by speaking out or looking confrontational with an administration known for having a vengeful streak.
But according to the aforementioned source, it’s nothing compared to the fears of these students, some of whom are thousands of miles away from home, who may feel like they have a target on their back and nowhere to turn.
And imagine the consuming fear of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, more commonly known as DACA students, or the children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, while trying to focus on their studies.
“We will provide further updates in the coming weeks and months as we receive and assess information related to the federal government’s orders and communications,” Chen said in closing. “Thank you, as always, for all of your contributions to our community, including looking out for and supporting one another.”
Further updates will undoubtedly be swamped by additional executive orders from an administration that operates under the theory of everything, everywhere, all at once. Municipalities and institutions of higher learning may need to be better prepared for more disruptions to their operating models under this administration.
Sad mural
IN OCTOBER 2023, local artist Frank Casazza painted two murals on both sides of the busy roadway under the Hunts Falls Bridge in Centralville, called “Happy Cloud Portal.” In just more than one year’s time, the murals have taken a beating, with water stains, chipping, flaking, fading and general road grime marring the once-brightly colored surface. Now the happy space that was an effort to bring art and color to parts of Lowell that are historically “underutilized” is looking shabby and well, sad.
Casazza painted the “Art is for Everyone” mural on Middlesex Street, which has held up much better. The “Happy Cloud Portal” has seen better days and may need to be painted over.
Riverwalk restoration update – sort of
THE CITY’S newly expanded Riverwalk, that had only been open two months before a catastrophic structural failure in an adjacent building sent tons of bricks crashing to its surface last March, shows slow signs of restoration that residents hope will lead to a reopening of the path.
The Riverwalk is part of the city’s downtown revitalization project, a 30-year plan to create access and walkways to all of Lowell’s waterways. The city, through the National Park Service, received significant funding to extend the downtown Riverwalk from the Boott Mills under the Cox Bridge, and around the Massachusetts Mills complex, to a new pedestrian bridge over the Concord River by the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, where it would then link up with the Concord River Greenway.
Site demolition and rehabilitation of the deteriorating buildings will eventually allow the river/pedestrian walkway to reopen and it looks like some of that early work is underway.
Just 207 weeks to go…
IF THERE is one lesson my fellow media members are hopefully learning very quickly in this new Trump administration, it should be that if you are putting together any sort of weekly segment or piece about the White House, like this Column, you should wait as long into the week as you possibly can before you commit to a topic.
This isn’t an endorsement of procrastination. At the end of the day it is just pragmatic, because it seems like Donald Trump’s only goal for the next four years is going to be to do or say something even more horrendous than he did the day before. With that being said, please bear in mind this was written on Friday.
It was originally suggested I write about the freezing of trillions of dollars of federal aid, which caused panic across all 50 states when access to Medicaid was cut off and organizations across just about every sector were left in the dark. Thankfully a judge had the sense to impose an injunction to allow the congressionally approved funds to continue flowing as they had, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insists the freeze will continue.
God forbid a president voted in by the people be at all transparent about rug-pulling the U.S. economy.
Then the country was shocked by the tragedy over the Potomac River, where a civilian airline and U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter collided near Reagan National Airport, killing 67 people. Instead of using the moment to bring Americans together, instead of offering condolences to any of the victims’ families, just a few hours after the crash Trump gets on social media and begins playing the political blame game. The following day, he does the most predictable thing he has ever done and vaguely blames “diversity” for everything.
No empathy, no condolences, no solutions and no leadership. Only division and red meat for the base, before the bodies were even pulled from the water.
Now, despite everyone with a modicum of common sense pointing out how tariffs are paid for by American consumers, Trump is moving forward with 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Canada is one of the biggest exporters of lumber to the U.S., and at a time when we need more housing and people can’t afford the housing we do have, Trump is taking action that he knows will make that more expensive.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. takes more than 60% of its vegetable imports from Mexico, as well as about half its fruit and nut imports. At a time when groceries are becoming more and more expensive, Trump is deliberately making them more expensive through tariffs. That doesn’t even address the price of eggs, which are still skyrocketing due to bird flu, but for some reason MAGA does not want to assign the same blame to the president they were willing to give a couple weeks ago.
Among all of this too, this administration announces, with pride, a plan to house 30,000 migrants at Guantanamo Bay, a plan that sounds a whole lot like a concentration camp conveniently located in Cuba, away from prying eyes and accountability at home. If you truly believe this is going to exclusively be home to illegal immigrants, and only illegal immigrants who are actually criminals, I envy your optimism and would like you to direct me to where I can bury my head in the sand next to yours.
The problem with the above opinion is that it only contains a small slice of the BS this man has already put us through, and that is kind of their goal. The entire strategy of this administration has been their classic “Gish Gallop/flood the zone” tactic turned up to 11, where they act extremely quickly with little regard for the constitution to overwhelm the headlines and make you feel burnt out from it all.
A good leader does not do this. If what he was doing was so popular, the Trump Administration would act with far more transparency and respect for the constitution than they have in these last two weeks, but they want you to want to tune out of it all. They want to overwhelm the news and your senses to the point where you just don’t care anymore. You should question the motives of any person or group employing that strategy, and you should not let them win at that game.
So as scary as times may be right now, it is important to stay awake, stay alert and stay true to your principles. Most importantly, do not take for granted the political stability you have grown up with. Historically speaking that is the exception, not the rule, and we are seeing in real time how a single ego can flip the board on that exception.
Can these buildings be saved?
THE RED brick Victorian-Gothic style building on Merrimack Street in Lowell and the white clapboard building overlooking the Merrimack River in Tyngsboro have some things in common, first impressions to the contrary.
The two structures were constructed in the late 19th century. Both were last occupied in 2002 and left to disintegrate without much in the way of intervention.
The Smith Baker Center in Lowell is across the street from City Hall and the Pollard Memorial Library. The Winslow School in Tyngsboro sits on 5 acres that include the old Littlefield Library, with Town Hall and the current library in its backyard.
The Smith Baker Center is 141 years old, the Winslow School 135. Smith Baker was the First Congregational Church until the city bought it for $85,000 in 1975 when it was occupied by the Council on Aging.
Now wrapped in Tyvek, the Winslow School has always been the property of Tyngsboro, although not always in its current location. It was moved from a position nearer the Evangelical Congregational Church on Kendall Road and two wings were added to the original building in the 20th century.
Tyngsboro Town Meeting voters in May 2023 supported spending $1.75 million to demolish the two additions to the structure, perform lead and asbestos abatement, and move the original portion of the building to a new foundation elsewhere on the property. Thus far, lead and asbestos abatement has occurred, but the two additions remain and the original building remains in place.
In recent months, Town Manager Colin Loiselle, Fire Chief Wes Russell, Police Chief Shaun Woods, and Select Board members Ron Keohane and Ron Schneider have been searching for a likely location for a new fire station. The existing Kendall Road facility has been described as in “deplorable condition.” They are homing in on the five acres where the Winslow School sits.
At its Jan. 16 meeting, the Lowell City Council voted 6-2 to demolish the Smith Baker Center. The city had commissioned an inspection report by Gale Associates, a design and consulting firm, that revealed a building with significant internal and external issues. Gale’s estimated costs for initial improvements to secure the building from ongoing water infiltration and other infrastructure issues ranged from $3.5-4 million.
“The dollar amount that Gale gave us does not actually open the front doors and make it a functioning space,” Department of Planning and Development Director/Assistant City Manager Yovani Baez-Rose said in response to councilor questions that night.
At its Jan. 27 meeting, the Tyngsboro Select Board heard a proposal from the town’s Historical Commission to save the entire Winslow School structure and reclaim it as a community center, pointing to similar conversions at Old Town Hall and the First Parish Meeting House. They would use the money remaining from the Town Meeting appropriation in 2023 to begin restoration work.
Readers of The Column two weeks ago will remember that the Save Smith Baker nonprofit has not given up its vision of a Southeast Asian cultural center and museum. The organization may take the city to court, arguing that the council’s action violates city, state, and federal policies and procedures regarding the building’s disposition.
The group “voted to remain intact and continue our efforts” to acquire the building for use as a home for the nation’s first Southeast Asian Refugee Museum, as a vibrant mixed-use facility that could include arts and cultural centers, exhibit spaces, and cooperative working spaces for entrepreneurial and civic engagement projects for marginalized communities.”
Of course, the parallels between the circumstances of the two buildings can be pushed too far, but they both raise questions about the limits of historic preservation. People of a certain age in Lowell still lament the destruction of Little Canada at the hands of urban renewal 60 years ago. On a smaller, but no less important scale, Tyngsboro residents still mourn the loss of the Tyng Mansion in 1977 to fire.
In an article posted on Substack in 2023, however, Timothy Sandefur raises an important issue: “After all, life goes on—and as lovely as old buildings may be, they are not only expensive to maintain and repair, but they can also stand in the way of worthy innovation and necessary development. “
Sandefur’s article is titled “The Dark Side of Historic Preservation.” He describes himself as the child of “historic preservationists” who grew up on a historic site in California. His description of himself caught the interest of this reporter who is the child of a New Hampshire newspaper editor and an early proponent of Strawbery Banke. He was also the author of several New Hampshire histories and a former president of the Portsmouth Historical Society. This is the same man who argued against the preservation of the Wentworth-by-the Sea, at least with the use of public funds.
Not everything is meant to be saved. The immediate question is whether these two buildings are among those that should be.
Lowell, mill girls get SNL spotlight
LOWELL BASKED in the national spotlight thanks to a mention during a skit on “Saturday Night Live” last Saturday. In the skit, a teacher played by cast member Ego Nwodim shows an educational podcast featuring artificial intelligence actors Bowen Yang, a cast member, and Timothee Chalamet, the guest host, to her students.
The students are bored so Nwodim suggests they learn U.S. history using AI.
Chalamet: “I’m someone who’s had experience working in the textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts in the 1800s.”
Bowen: “What was that like for you, girl? I heard it’s dangerous and those bobbins be flying.”
Chalamet: “Yeah, you definitely don’t want to be like me. A little girl gets your hair caught in there.”
Bowen: “That’s right, I forgot. Little girls worked there.”
Per Nielsen, the episode was watched by 4,958,000 viewers. It was the show’s highest-rated January episode since 2022. SNL is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
This week’s Column was prepared by reporters Melanie Gilbert in Lowell; Peter Currier on the Trump administration; Prudence Brighton on historic preservation; and Assistant Regional Sports Editor Barry Scanlon on Lowell’s SNL spotlight.