News Update

On Campus:

The UMASS Lowell Technology, Engineering, and Math-Science Academy are part of a project that will help test potential courses for TEAMS Academy next year. The courses are going to be such topics as crime scene investigation, and robotics in hopes to get students excited about math and science. The schools participating are Those participating in the experiment are from Andover, Bedford, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Haverhill, Lawrence, Littleton, Methuen, North Reading, Reading, Tewksbury, and Tyngsborough.

UMASS Lowell is granted a $21, 500 scholarship from The Shaw Group in Stoughton Massachusetts. Through this scholarship the company hopes to promote the company's growing nuclear engineering and design operations in Massachusetts.

UMASS Lowell has received a $130,000 grant to promote after school engineering programs. The California-Noyce Foundation, who sponsored the program hopes to support the development of invention workshops' course materials and curriculum. Private donations of $95,000 are also to be used for the program.

Local News:

Joann Weber, the co-owner of the Lowell Spinners has died. Weber, who was only 58 years old had pancreatic cancer and was diagnosed in the spring of 2004. A beloved member of the community, people remember Weber for her generosity and fun-loving spirit. The Weber’s also own a minority share of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, a Manchester, N.H.-based affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.

In Ayer, a mother, with her baby next to her crossed the double yellow lines and collided head on with a tractor-trailer truck. Sarah Bonaldi, 21 died in the crash and her 6 month old son Tyler Brooks seriously injured. They were both taken to Nashoba Valley Medical Center, and Bonaldi to UMASS Medical Center in Worcester where she was later pronounced dead, and her son to Children’s Hospital in Boston where he was listed in critical condition.

Pop Culture:

One of Norman Rockwell’s most famous paintings was found behind a fake wall in a house Vermont. The painting was then auctioned off and sold for $15.4 million dollars. A neighbor purchased the painting; entitled “Breaking Home Ties” from Rockwell while the two were neighbors in Arlington, VT. The price set a record for Rockwell, breaking the previous sale of $9.2 million last May.

Two weeks after this Friday’s release of “10 Items or Less,” it’ll be available for download on a website called Clickstar. Morgan Freeman’s production company teams up with Intel to bring movies to the website for people who do not live close enough to cinema’s. Freeman, who also stars in the movie, says that his town does not have a movie theatre, thus being his reason for being so avid.

Eva Longoria is now officially off the market. She and beau basketball player Tony Parker announced that they were engaged after two years of dating. The couple plans for summer 2007 wedding in France with friends and family. How’s that for some happy news? =D