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 the bids that come in, and select one, typically the cheapest one. There is little or no public input into the process. Lynn, with the […]
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 poses new challenges for navigating spaces rarely designed for accessibility. Claire Bergstresser, an East Cambridge resident who uses a manual wheelchair, said curbs are her […]
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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 and she had to move out. She was given advance notice and had about a year to look for a new place, but inventory was […]
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 communities. Cambridge officials have already signaled their support and the Boston City Council, after holding a hearing on the proposal Monday, is likely to take […]
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 go back to the dark early days of this public health crisis, and so we must do everything possible to keep people safe and our […]
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 actually mean is uncertain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed a nationwide moratorium on evictions 11 months ago. The state had earlier put […]
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 unemployment checks. For others it looked a lot scarier. Dream Nail Lounge in Lynn was thriving the first few months of 2020. Owner Yajaira Toribio […]
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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 an attractive place for the well-off to splurge on vacation homes, it has also driven up housing prices so sharply that its year-round community is […]
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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, most eligible residents still haven’t signed up for the lottery and vaccination rates continue to decline. Thursday was the last day for fully-vaccinated residents to […]
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 here. AS AMERICAN RESCUE Plan Act funding begins to flow, Boston is expecting $558.7 million in municipal aid. The sum represents an opportunity to direct […]