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Originally published April 19th 2024 I’ve pledged (to myself) to write 52 columns this year. Dave Rogers, the avant editor of The Daily News, first presented me with this chance last fall. I’m grateful for his generous offer to a novice writer who’s somewhat conservative, a tad long winded, and carries a few extra pounds.…

Curious Traveler: CJ Fitzwater Here on the edge of the Great Salt Marsh, I stand an old lady, seasoned by the winds and tides, nearing my 100th year. My pink facade, once bright and cheerful, now whispers tales of time’s passage since my birth in 1924. I was more than just a structure; I was…

In January, I received an email from Larry Bertram, inviting me to speak at The Bard Owl Café. It’s a poetry club that meets at the Merrimac Council on Aging on the third Tuesday of the month at 1:30 p.m., and brings together local poets like Chris and Peter Bryant, a couple dedicated to the…

Curious Traveler: C.J. Fitzwater Mar 14, 2024  Boston has a unique holiday that intertwines the celebration of Irish identity with a pivotal moment in American history. Observed on March 17, the same day as St. Patrick’s Day, Evacuation Day is a holiday that commemorates a significant event in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War:…

Oceanographer Robert Ballard undertook a secret mission funded by the U.S. Navy to locate two sunken nuclear submarines from the Cold War era, the USS Thresher and the USS Scorpion. The mission aimed to assess environmental risks from their nuclear reactors and investigate possible Soviet involvement. With his extra time, Ballard was allowed to search…

On Sunday, March 10, the United States, with the exception of Arizona, parts of Alaska and Hawaii, engages in the practice of daylight saving time (DST). This biannual adjustment, occurring on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November, leads to widespread disruption, affecting our mental and physical well-being. I went down…

CJ Fitzwater  “As you get older it is harder to have heroes, but it is sort of necessary.”- Ernest Hemingway My first winter in the car business in the mid-1990s, 30 years ago, instantly cemented my disdain for the powdery precipitation that leaves behind water in solid form. I had already formed my own opinion…

Dinner Date: CJ Fitzwater “Everything dies, baby, that’s a fact. But maybe everything that dies someday comes back“ -Bruce Springsteen, “Atlantic City” I met newly inducted Amesbury Hall-of-Famer, and hockey legend George Dodier a year ago after winning a hand sander at the inaugural Support Our Stadium brunch. When I stopped by his home on…

Curious Traveler | C.J. Fitzwater  Feb 15, 2024  I approached the back door of a tidy old-style colonial with an oversized lot located in Newburyport’s south end. At the right of this home is a remodeled historic center chimney home, dating back to the 18th century, adorned with a distinctive white paint and a black band…

Originally published March 21st 2024 In the summer of last year, Gavin Marengi set off for Nashville to take the stage at The Basement, a unique venue nestled beneath a record store. With space for 150 people, mostly standing room only, and characterized by its low ceiling, the venue creates a cozy atmosphere where artists…