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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Special Primary Election is Tuesday: Meet the Candidates

Patch has interviewed all candidates to fill John Kerry's seat in Congress: read our Q&As before you head to the polls.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

State House News Service Weekly Roundup: Lounging

Recap and analysis of the week in state government.

Emotionally drained by last week's marathon bombings, House lawmakers raced through budget week, shortening it to a three-day affair that averaged out to about a billion dollars in spending for every hour in session.  The only thing left to do by Friday was figure out where that money was going. It was an impressive display of efficiency and trust or acquiescence, depending on your vantage point. House lawmakers sprinted through deliberations over how to best allocate $33.8 billion, agreeing to bump up the bottom line closer to $34 billion between Monday and Wednesday night. After 37 hours in session - many spent in idle chatter awaiting a thumb's up or down on legislators' preferred earmarks, policy goals and spending priorities from …

paul surette

5:53 pm on Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Mike G, I'm still laughing at the 'bus and the brown guy' reflection. Ha ha ha.   more ›

Friday, April 26, 2013

Rep. McGovern Holds Service Academy Night for High Schoolers

The night is for those interested in learning more about the U.S. Service Academy.

Submitted by Scott Zoback, district press secretary, Rep. McGovern U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern will host a Service Academy Night for high school students and their families interested in learning more about attending a U.S. Service Academy on May 1 from 6:30-8 p.m. at 34 Mechanic St. in Worcester. Representatives from the United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy, United States Air Force Academy, United States Coast Guard and United States Merchant Marine Academy will be participating to directly address questions from students. Including presentations from Service Academy Liaison Officers and a detailed explanation of the Congressional nomination process, students will have an opportunity to ask questions, …

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Patch Interviews U.S. Senate Candidates

We gathered questions from editors across Patch’s coverage area in Massachusetts.

Patch editors interviewed each of the candidates running for U.S. Senate in the April 30 special election. We gathered questions from editors across Patch’s coverage area in Massachusetts. The editors asked both broad questions about policy, as well as opinions on more local, regional issues. Click on the links below to read the questions and answers with each candidate… Stephen Lynch Edward Markey Brett Rhyne (write-in candidate) Gabriel Gomez Michael Sullivan Daniel Winslow

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Larry

6:47 pm on Wednesday, May 1, 2013

"@Larry. Who told you it wasn't?" The experts that document every single word written by or about Jefferson. http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/those-who-hammer-their-guns-plowsquotation "Earliest known appearance in print: No appearances in print found. Earliest known appearance in print, attributed to Thomas Jefferson: See above. Other attributions: None known. Status: We have not found …   more ›

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Massachusetts Congress Introduces Resolution Honoring Bombing Victims

The Massachusetts Congressional Delegation introduced a resolution honoring victims of the attacks in Boston.

Submitted by the office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts Congressional Delegation on Tuesday introduced a resolution commending the heroism, courage and sacrifice of the victims of last week's attacks in Boston. The delegation includes Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. William "Mo" Cowan, Rep. Ed Markey, Rep. Richard Neal, Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. John Tierney, Rep. Michael Capuano, Rep. Stephen Lynch, Rep. Bill Keating, Rep. Joe Kennedy and Rep. Niki Tsongas. The resolution honors the memories of those lost, and expresses thanks to the men and women of law enforcement in the United States for their unwavering determination, courage, and resolve to bring to justice the people responsible for the bombings that occurred during the running…

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Boston, Massachusetts Communities to Hold Moment of Silence Monday for Marathon Victims

Mayor Tom Menino and Gov. Deval Patrick are asking people to honor the Boston Marathon bombing victims exactly one week after the tragic events.

The city of Boston and communities throughout Massachusetts are being asked to join in a moment of silence on Monday at 2:50 p.m.—the time the two bombs went off, within about 10 seconds of one another, near the finish line of the 117th annual Boston Marathon. The minute of silence at 2:50 p.m. will honor the victims and families of those injured and killed by the terrorist attacks. Following the moment of silence, bells throughout Boston and the state will ring, according to a statement from Boston Mayor Tom Menino’s office. “Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Governor Deval L. Patrick and One Fund Boston are calling upon Boston and all communities across the Commonwealth to join together in a Moment of Silence Monday afternoon, exactly one week …

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Kathy

8:54 pm on Monday, April 22, 2013

Amen Craig..... Thank You !!!!!!!   more ›

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Slain Officer Had The Qualities of 'An Ideal Police Officer'

Thousands pack Wilmington Town Common to pay tribute to a hometown hero.

More than 1,000 residents, friends and law enforcement personnel from throughout Eastern Massachusetts packed the Wilmington Town Common for a candlelight vigil Saturday night to bid farewell and say thank you to a hometown hero. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Officer Sean Collier, a 2004 graduate of Wilmington High School, was gunned down as he sat in his cruiser Thursday night on a Cambridge Street, allegedly by brothers Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarnaev, the same men investigators believe are responsible for the fatal bombing attack at Monday's Boston Marathon. Before the start of Saturday's vigil, a hearse carrying Collier's body drove down Church Street, shut down to traffic during the ceremony. The road was lined with …

PAUL FERGUSON

11:05 am on Sunday, April 21, 2013

MAY ALMIGHTY GOD HAVE MERCY ON OFFICER COLLIERS SOUL AND BRING HIM TO LIVE EVERLASTING. AND SO GOES FOR ALL THOSE OTHERS WHO DIED THAT FATEFUL DAY.   more ›

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Town Will Accept Old Syringes, Meds Next Week

"Take Back For Home Sharps" coincides with the Grafton Police Department's Drug Take-Back Day April 27.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Hybrids and Voters in Grafton

Grafton voted for Scott Brown and owns more hybrid cars than the state average.

Grafton is green and red: That’s what we found when we compared data from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to the vote in the 2012 U.S. Senate race. You can see the results in the map above: Large circles suggest towns with more hybrid ownership per capita, and the red/blue color suggests which way those towns voted last year. In Grafton, 21.6 of every 1,000 vehicles is a hybrid, compared to the state average of 18. Patch’s research suggests the state has a good number of what might be called “green Republican” communities. More than 40 percent of the communities where Republican Scott Brown carried the vote have an above average numbers of hybrids. The data is a nice rebuttal to the national trends of hybrid/GOP separation: …

Four Plans to Fund Massachusetts Transportation

The goal is to fund the programs without drastic increases.

Writers of these plans are trying to find ways to pump as much money as possible into the system, while trying to avoid dramatic fare increases, tax hikes and fees. These are the plans in chronological order based on the time of their announcements: Writer: Gov. Deval Patrick, Mass. Department of Transportation Money: $1 billion Date of Announcement: Jan. 14 Patrick unleashed “The Way Forward: A 21st Century Transportation Plan” in Januray. The plan is an ambitious, multi-billion dollar budgetary proposal for state transportation during the next decade. Patrick said the state would need to raise $13 billion in new revenue during the course of the next 10 years, thus amounting to $1 billion for 2014 through a variety of tax hikes and fees. …

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