West of 495

Boston area makes up lost ground

Cynic — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:57:55 -0500

After falling far behind other areas during the boom years, Boston has been making up lost ground during the Great Recession. That, at least, according to a new study from the Milken Institute that ranks metropolitan areas by their success at creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth, with a heavy emphasis on technology.

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Worcester man sues city, Fox for $10 million over alleged "Cops" filming

adamg — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:57:15 -0500

The man, identified in his suit only as John Doe, claims that in 2006, a "Cops" camera crew accompanying some Worcester officers illegally broke into his house and filmed the cops arresting him as he lay in his bed, naked and cowering in fear.

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Worcester police go after people who buy ink by the barrel

adamg — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:29:32 -0400

The Worcester PD really, really didn't like a story in the Worcester Telegram about possibly bogus master's degrees held by members of the local constabulary. Daily Worcesteria reprints a police statement, which not only says the department will give first dibs on news to local TV and radio stations but adds:

... Unfortunately, the dark, dirty, and poorly lit newsroom is affecting their neutrality, professionalism, and integrity. Because of this, the media policy of the Worcester Police Department must use all relevant media to get the message out to the community and remain transparent as an organization. ...

If you have followed the decline in the standards at the T & G you recognize their new standard operating procedure. This adopted SOP is based on a dysfunctional hat-trick: hyperbole, fiction, and innuendo. ...

Globe finally notices something fishy with Evergreen Solar

Brett — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:19:58 -0400

Front page material, even.

It's something I noticed in April of 2008, and wrote again about in March of 2009.

Interesting that new details are coming out, like the fact that a third of their workforce are temporary. I wonder how many of them are "independent contractors"...

The Globe also completely fails to mention that after securing money from the state and letting Patrick brag about the new jobs it was bringing in, Evergreen Solar built a $55M plant in Michigan which they claim will have 100 employees. Evergreen Solar received 2 million dollars from Michigan in tax credits last year.

Worcester husband and wife, wanted for 2 Springfield robberies, run out of gas and get caught on I-91

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:19:42 -0400

A state trooper found Carlos Montalvo, 25, and Amanda Montalvo, 24, sitting in their blue Honda sedan in the breakdown lane and stopped to assist.

Come for the Big E, stay for the bank roll.

Proposed Voter Choice (IRV) Ballot Question would bring more voices and choices into MA elections

amfriedman — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:01:08 -0400

A “Voter Choice” initiative petition turned in to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office on Wednesday would give Massachusetts voters a chance to change to a voting system that lets voters rank their choices instead of voting for only one candidate. The change would apply to key races, including for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary and treasurer, among others, starting after January 2012.

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Nomination for Best Globe Story Comment of the Year

Brett — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:23:57 -0400

Right in the story about the crashed plane on 495:

I just want to say that while I'm very grateful that the pilot and passenger are all right, I'm tired of all these pilots acting as though they don't have to obey the rules of the road! Swerving between traffic, ignoring red lights, landing on highways -- it's going to cause a tragedy one of these days!

In conclusion, I hope that everyone will support the creation of more airplane lanes on our streets.

Meet Julie Powell

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:25:39 -0400

Julie Powell went to Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. She is the Julie in the pair Julie & Julia, the author of the book by that title, and the person Amy Adams plays in the movie by Nora Ephron.

[float=right][IMG=112x160]http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk143/nfsagan/juliepowell.jpg[/IMG][/float]Powell is the young woman who cooked all of the recipes in Julia Child's French Cookbook, one recipe every evening after work at her dead-end office job, and blogged about it. Then she re-wrote the blog into a best selling book.

Powell still keeps a blog. Last week she wrote about the movie premiere in LA, a "screening" she modestly calls it, in a post titled Tales from The Red Carpet. Many of the comments on her blog are readers of her book who took inspiration from it.

Powell also recently wrote this article for The Atlantic's food blog, Being Julie, Not "Julie".

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Moose no longer loose in Worcester

adamg — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:29:57 -0400

Entire city becoming a giant wildlife park.

Six Flags Sucks

U Need To Know — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:39:08 -0400

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