By: Christine Morabito – January 2014 Raising the minimum wage – sounds like a good idea. Fair? Compassionate? Would you feel differently if you knew it would hurt the very people it claims to help? If you were to peek behind the curtain, you might see your favorite politician in the warm embrace of the […]
By: Cheryl Hajjar – December, 2013 As the Yuletide spirit is among us, and the frenzy of holiday shopping has begun, 17 budding entrepreneurs from the Merrimack Valley are preparing to participate in a 12 week program called the 2014 Winter Accelerator Program. Hosted by The Merrimack Valley Sandbox, this is their third program since […]
By: State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – December, 2013 Thus far this session, the Massachusetts Legislature continues to make progress on several issues of public interest. House and Senate legislation is moving forward which pertains to on-line voter registration and early voting in Presidential elections; welfare reform; increasing the state’s minimum wage; reforming the […]
It’s a weekend afternoon, and a young father and mother walk through the doors of the newly opened “Frank’s Barber Shop” on 150 Main Street in North Andover. Two boys are in tow; knees dirty, shin pads in place, snug, along with jerseys which are draping loosely on the shoulders of both. On their way […]
By: Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives – December, 2013 At the end of this year’s legislative session, the Senate took up a bill to increase Massachusetts’ minimum wage rate from the current $8.00/hr. to $9.00 in 2014, with automatic increases to $10 in 2015 and $11 in 2016. These increases would also be tied to the […]
By: Christine Morabito – In July of 2013 the Massachusetts legislature did something both historic and fiendishly clever. When voting to increase the gas tax (not historic) they also voted to index the tax to inflation, meaning the tax will continue to rise, and rise without lawmakers having to perform the unpleasant task of voting […]
Dickinson approved vendor contracts and payments to Advizex after entering into employment negotiations with the company The State Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement in which Delwin Dickinson, the former Hosting Services Director for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Information Technology Division), admitted to violating Mass. G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by awarding […]
By Tracey Zysk – November, 2013 On April 24, 2013 the unthinkable happened. I had just completed a very long day of work. In fact it was my busiest day of the week. I had walked twenty four dogs and was absolutely exhausted. I was looking forward to going home, spending time with my adorable […]
By: Opinion Columnist Dr. Bharani Padmanabhan, October, 2013 Read Part 1 HERE Inevitably Sir Donald Berwick’s mindset ended up causing the Mid Staffs Scandal. The hospital at the center of this heart-rending scandal is Stafford Hospital, then under Sir Donald’s good friend Sir David Nicholson at the Staffordshire Health Authority (part of NHS West Midlands). […]
By: Dr. Jin Sung – October 2013 Functional Chiropractic Scientific studies are showing that genetically engineered foods, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), can damage the organs of the body, including the liver, kidneys and brain. Researchers also found significant changes that affected weight gain, eating behaviors, and immune function. You won’t get sick from one […]
By: State Senator Kathleen Ives (D) Newburyport October, 2013 Last week, I gave testimony before the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture in support of two important pieces of legislation before the committee. I spoke in support of House Bill 695, “An Act Preventing the Disposal of Hydraulic Fracturing Wastewater” and House Bill […]
By: Cheryl Hajjar – October 2013 Having it all. That quintessential line brought on by the feminist movement that has been driven in every young girl’s mind including myself over the last 25 years. Lucky us. In today’s world, there are many more opportunities for women than ever before in history and we as women […]
By: Rebeccah Pearson, Newburyportguide.com – September, 2013 The Compass Rose Inn of Newburyport, located on Center Street, brings you a world of comfort and one on one customer satisfaction for either a night on the town or business meeting in the area. For 8 years now, The Compass Rose Inn holds to this day […]
By: Staphanie Davis – September, 2013 “If it moves, tax it; if it keeps moving, regulate it; if it stops moving, subsidize it.” – Ronald Reagan On Beacon Hill, motor vehicles, cigarettes and technology are prime movers, judging by the latest round of tax increases including: a 14% gas tax hike from $0.21/gallon to $0.24/gallon; […]
WALKING TOURS Change is in the air, and so we begin the fall season. Andover is one of the jewels of the north shore so let us check out some very interesting things to do and places to go. September 22, from 12-1:30 p.m., the Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS) invites interested residents to a […]