MOST MASSACHUSETTS communities use the same process to commission public art as they do to pave a sidewalk or hire a streetsweeper. They put out a call for contractors, review […]
Lily Robinson
Posted inUncategorized
Outdoor dining mixed bag for those with disabilities
THE PANDEMIC shift to patio seating has been a lifeline for restaurants and many patrons are embracing open-air dining. But for people with disabilities, the nearly-overnight redesign of the cityscape […]
Posted inUncategorized
Cape Cod’s housing Catch-22
MELANIE SMALL has been out of a home for about a month. She was living in a rental in Orleans with her 8-year-old daughter until her landlord sold the unit […]
Posted inEconomy
Boston, Cambridge hotels seek OK for tourism fee
HOTELS IN Cambridge and Boston, frustrated with the lack of funding for tourism, are seeking approval for a new room fee that would be used to attract visitors to the […]
Posted inEducation, Health Care
Spilka joins calls for school mask mandate
AS BATTLE LINES are drawn among Massachusetts leaders, Senate President Karen Spilka added her voice to those calling for school children to be masked this fall. “No one wants to […]
Posted inEconomy
End of eviction moratorium brings worry
ANXIETY IS HIGH among tenants, landlords, and housing advocates as the midnight Saturday expiration date for the federal eviction moratorium looms, but what the end of the tenant protection will […]
Posted inEconomy
Work world won’t be the same
EARLY LAST YEAR when the coronavirus pandemic hit, the nature of work was transformed within days. For some that meant replacing office chairs with couch cushions or leaning into $600-a-week […]
Posted inUncategorized
Housing affordability becoming ‘existential crisis’ for Cape Cod
SOARING HOUSING COSTS have become an alarming problem across the state, but on Cape Cod the crisis is even more urgent. While the area’s natural beauty and beaches make it […]
Posted inUncategorized
As VaxMillions drawing nears, doses continue decline
ONE MASSACHUSETTS adult is about to become $1 million richer when the first VaxMillions winner is pulled on Monday. But despite the trove of cash and scholarships on the line, […]
Posted inEconomy
Housing, education top priorities for Boston ARPA money
This is the third in a three-part series on how municipalities are spending ARPA money. Read the first story on small towns here and the second story on hard-hit cities […]
Posted inEconomy
COVID brought long-lasting changes to restaurant industry
FOOD IS A cornerstone of culture, connection, and prosperity, and restaurants are the hubs of our mealtime traditions. But last spring, the coronavirus brought Boston’s lively restaurant scene to a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Activists seek moratorium on prison construction
MASSACHUSETTS HAS THE lowest incarceration rate in the country and its inmate population continues to decline steadily, yet the state is still investing heavily in prisons and jails. A bill […]
Posted inUncategorized
New Bedford makes offshore wind play
AS COMMUNITIES up and down the East Coast jockey for economic opportunities from the emerging offshore wind industry, New Bedford is trying to stay ahead of the pack by doubling […]
Posted inEconomy
‘Future of Work’ report highlights job training, housing needs
SOME 300,000 TO 400,000 people will need to transition to new jobs or industries in Massachusetts over the next decade, and the state will need to produce 200,000 new housing […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Long-awaited arts funding finally arriving
MASSACHUSETTS ARTS appear to be big beneficiaries of $16 billion in federal relief aid that is finally starting to be released after a delayed start and an arduous review process. […]
Posted inGambling
VaxMillions not driving up shots yet
THE NEW VaxMillions lottery so far isn’t driving up the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations in Massachusetts. In the week before Gov. Charlie Baker announced the lottery on June 15, 175,071 […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Former candidate arrested on campaign finance charges
A FORMER Massachusetts congressional candidate was arrested Tuesday and accused of soliciting at least $125,000 of illegal campaign contributions from friends and family members and steering some of the funds […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Rebuilding the arts sector without a vow of poverty
LIKE MANY CREATIVES, Vanessa Calixto works in the arts to fill her heart and in another field to fill her bank account. It’s a tradeoff she accepts to do the […]
Posted inHealth Care
A call to chronicle the horrors of Mass. state hospitals
IT STANDS AS a particularly horrible chapter in the state’s ongoing struggle to ensure adequate treatment for those with mental health issues and other disabilities. Beginning in the 19th century, […]
Posted inGambling
State launches $1m Lottery game to promote vaccinations
STILL ON THE fence about getting vaccinated? Starting July 1 a Massachusetts vaccine card could be worth $1 million. Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Tuesday the launch of VaxMillions, a […]
Posted inTransportation
DCR unwilling to ease I-90 Allston space crunch
STATE TRANSPORTATION officials looking for some extra space to put all of the roadways and train tracks associated with the Allston I-90 project at ground level are facing resistance from […]