The summer issue of CommonWealth is now available online in its entirety in both HTML and PDF formats. Click here to see the full contents, or click on a link below to go directly to the story of your choice. (One-time free registration required.)

Coverstory1 Here’s a brief summary of what’s in the issue:

The cover story by Alison Lobron and Bruce Mohl focuses on Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s long ride in office and whether he can fend off his three challengers to win an unprecedented fifth term. Accompanying the story is a sidebar on the city’s two golf courses. The mayor says the courses are turning a profit, but records indicate otherwise.

Jack Sullivan reveals the MBTA is struggling with defective concrete railroad ties on its commuter lines that are costly to replace and may pose safety risks.

Gabrielle Gurley profiles Greg Bialecki, the state’s secretary of housing and economic development, who is trying to build support for statewide zoning reform.

In Conversation, Michael Jonas talks to social historian Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, who says a return to 18th-century thrift, as espoused by Benjamin Franklin, is the answer to 21st-century economic woes.

In What Works, Alison Lobron asks whether California’s ban on non-compete contracts gives it an innovation edge over Massachusetts, where the contracts are commonplace.

Economist Edward Moscovitch suggests charter schools are no magic bullet for school improvement, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone condemns Verizon’s push for cable licensing reform, and two Utah officials trumpet the economic benefits of a four-day workweek for state workers.

Robert David Sullivan maps where Massachusetts fits nationally in terms of Internet access and which of the state’s towns have the most tax-exempt land. He also reports that legislative candidates spent $12.46 million last year — $64,295 more than the previous year — even though fewer candidates were facing opponents.

Shawn Zeller’s Washington Notebook explains why the Bay State’s health care plan isn’t the road map for reform in Washington. Finally, Alison Lobron’s Real Talk column suggests volunteerism isn’t as easy as it should be.

Photo of Tom Menino by Mark Ostow.