Friday, May 18, 2012
In order to test sensors that detect biological agents that terror groups could release into subway systems, Homeland Security and the T plan to release dead bacteria at three Red Line stops during off-hours.
The MBTA and Homeland Security plan to release dead bacteria into three Red Line stations this summer to test bio-terror sensors. The agencies held a public meeting about the plan Wednesday. The bacteria, bacillus subtilis, is not infectious even in its live form, according to government documents. The bacteria is used in farming, as a food supplement for humans and livestock and as an ingredient in organic dog food, according to a government Q&A, attached as a PDF. The tests will be done in Cambridge and Somerville at the Davis, Harvard Square and Porter Stations. According to WCVB, some residents who attended Wednesday's public hearing at the Cambridge YMCA expressed concern about the plan. They also criticized that exact dates for the …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The council also talked about new parking meter technology and approved $1 million for public parks during the May 16 regular meeting.
The Boston City Council supported two hearings related to Boston Public Schools: one on efforts to diversity the teacher workforce and the other to discuss recess as an important part of the school day. Councilors also talked about bringing the latest technology to parking meters, and approved $1 million for park maintenance. Diversity Boston Public Schools has made efforts to increase diversity in its teaching staff but it still doesn't reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender demographics of the student body, At-Large Councilor Ayanna Pressley said in her order filed for a hearing on the issue. The racial diversity among students isn't mirrored among teachers, she said. The hearing discussion would center on what's working, where they're …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Public hearings will be held on student assignment, school quality and student transportation, as it relates to the Boston Public Schools system.
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Tuesday, May 15
Editor's note: Below is a letter sent out by At-Large Boston City Councilor John Connolly. I am writing to invite you to be a part of a series of upcoming hearings to be held by the City Council’s Education Committee. Beginning on Tuesday, May 22nd, I will chair hearings on three related topics: the current student assignment lottery, what makes a quality school, and student transportation. I want to make sure that your voice is heard on each of these important issues. If you are interested in testifying at one of the hearings, please email me or call (617) 635-3115. The schedule for the hearings will be: Student Assignment: Tuesday, May 22, 4:00 PM School Quality: Wednesday, May 23, 4:00 PM Student Transportation: Thursday, May 24, 6:00…
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Indian claim stirs outrage among some Patch readers against US Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren.
The controversy over US Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's claim to be part Native American is not going over well with Patch readers in the Greater Boston area, according to an unscientific Patch poll. As of Thursday morning 52 percent of the 304 Patch readers who took our unscientific poll said they believe US Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is more of a hypocrite than incumbent Republican US Senator Scott Brown. Meanwhile some 19 percent who took the poll said they believe Brown is more of a hypocrite for voting against President Barack Obama's health care law while taking advantage of a key provision in it: the provision that allows him to keep his elder daughter on his congressional health insurance plan. 30 Comments Left on May 3 …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Former classmates of the presidential hopeful have come forward with accounts that portray him as a bully, but we're wondering if you think it's fair to judge him on his alleged bad high school behavior.
“He can’t look like that. That’s wrong. Just look at him!’’ Mitt Romney said that to his high school classmates about a boy, John Lauber, with bleached blonde bangs, according to a story in the Boston Globe. A few days after that statement, he allegedly "led a group of boys out of his dorm room at Cranbrook School and into Lauber’s, where the group tackled him and held him down. Romney cut his hair with scissors as a teary-eyed Lauber screamed for help." Another highlight of his possible wrongdoing includes saying "atta girl" every time a particular student that some perceived as effeminate or gay raised his hand. Romney made a general apology, quoted from the Globe as, "If there was anything I said that was offensive to someone, I …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Five states and the District of Columbia offer a full gamut of rights to gay people, according to The Guardian.
In the wake of North Carolina's decision to amend its Constitution to ban same sex unions and President Obama's recently declared support of gay marriage, The Guardian website has created a model looking at gay rights in each state. According to the graphic, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, along with Washington state, Iowa and the District of Columbia, have the most rights afforded to gays. Massachusetts allows: Massachusetts prohibits: Also, Massachusetts' hate crime laws include crimes committed based on gender identity or sexual orientation. In addition to comparing states' level of gay rights, the Guardian graphic allows you to log in through Facebook and see what rights are afforded in the states where all your Facebook …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
City Councilor Mike Ross said Charles Street on Beacon Hill is an example of a business district where retail is being strangled by too many street-level banks.
Clusters of banks can strangle the retail vitality of certain Boston streets, warned City Councilor Mike Ross. Ross said Charles Street is an example where too many "big box banks" are buying up storefronts at inflated prices mom and pop shops can't afford. The resulting row of banks deadens what could be lively retail zones. "It’s not right for every street to make this 'No Bank First Floor' zoning change, but I believe it’s right for Charles Street on Beacon Hill," said Ross, who represents District 8. Ross said that banks close at 5 p.m. and aren't open on weekends, all of which has a deadening effect for the neighborhood businesses. He made his remarks at Wednesday's City Council meeting. The matter will be taken up by the Committee on…
Thursday, May 3, 2012
It’s been an interesting week in the U.S. Senate Race between Democrat Elizabeth Warren and incumbent Republican Scott Brown.
First it was revealed that Harvard University once touted Warren’s marginal Native American heritage as proof of their faculty’s diversity. That story was followed up with another revealing one that Warren had listed herself as a minority professor between 1986 and 1995 in the Association of American Law Schools desk book, a major reference for legal professors. On Tuesday it was revealed that Brown, who ran for office vowing to kill President Obama’s health care law (and who has since voted three times to repeal it) took advantage of a key provision in it: the provision that allows him to keep his elder daughter on his congressional health insurance plan. Meanwhile, both candidates downplayed their wealth this week as they revealed their …
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Boston City Council's weekly meeting was short on time, as councilors rehashed redistricting districts.
The Boston City Council's weekly meeting was quick and to the point this week with District 2 City Councilor Bill Linehan once again producing a redistricting map that several of his colleagues did not like for their districts. Linehan did say additional public meetings and hearings will be held prior to a Boston City Council vote on a new redistricting map to represent Boston for the next 10 years. Said Linehan, "This particular task has been going on for nine months now. This map here demonstrates in my mind all of that work. It presents a map in which discussion, presentation and public discourse was fully vetted. It truly is a map that a majority of our body could support. No map will achieve unamimous support." Then District 4 City …
Monday, April 30, 2012
Don't forget to pay your quarterly tax bill this week.
Welcome to May! The temperature's rising, the days are getting longer and your quarterly property tax payment is due to the city. You can read a property tax FAQ on the city of Boston's website. What happens if you don't pay? The vig starts running; the city will assess a 14 percent per annum interest rate on the amount owed. And no, the city won't accept the Steve Martin "I forgot" defense. Click here to pay your tax bill online. And cheer up, because once that payment's processed, you get a whole three months until the next installent comes due.
john
9:09 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
look up "operation sea-spray". In the 50's, serratia was released in a test because it was thought to be harmless. It wasn't. more ›