Then and now

By Carol Gerwin 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

All is well in the Commonwealth–or so the state’s political leaders would have everyone believe. Certainly there is a lot to crow about compared to five years ago, when CommonWealth published its first issue: Incomes are up, unemployment is down, the real estate market is booming, and the citizenry is, for the most part, content,(...)

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Getting Unelected in Holland

By Mary Carey 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

HOLLAND–It is a quaint, wooded town of 2,300, nestled between Sturbridge and Brimfield on the banks of the pristine Hamilton Reservoir. A white, steepled church, a school, the town hall and a tiny library are all there is to the center; down the hill are a gas station and a pizza place, completing Holland’s commercial(...)

Uncategorized/ Opinion

State rules shortchange urban waterfronts

By Gregory Bialecki 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

Last December, after much wrangling between state officials, city officials, developers–especially my client, Hyatt Development–and environmentalists, state Environmental Affairs Secretary Robert Durand approved a plan for the development of Boston’s Fan Pier. The Fan Pier design, which allows for a mix of housing, hotels, office buildings, shops, restaurants, and a new home for the Institute(...)

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Paul Grogan and Alvaro Lima give Bostons inner city the business

By Robert Keough 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

Over its five years of publication, CommonWealth has displayed a consistent interest in city living–specifically, how cities from Boston to Pittsfield can stay or become safe, vibrant, satisfying places for people to live, work, and raise children. And it’s safe to say that many, if not most, Massachusetts cities have seen their fortunes improve over(...)

Economy

Small cities face big economic challenges

By Beth Siegel, Barbara Baran and Suzanne Teegarden 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

In the shadow of Mount Greylock, high in the rolling Berkshires, Pittsfield opens the commercial gateway to western Massachusetts. . . . Today the city has a prosperous, tranquil look of general comfort and cultivation. . . . The homes of the well-to-do line its elm-shaded streets with substantial dignified residences and smooth lawns. .(...)

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Counterpoints

By Antonio F.D. Cabral 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

Sen. Glodis writes that he considers learning English a right of English-language learners–a right they are entitled to have redeemed as quickly and effectively as possible. I fully endorse and adopt this principle as a starting point for a constructive discussion of transitional bilingual education. I would add to this that all children have the(...)

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Argument

By Guy W. Glodis 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

I have filed legislation that will reform bilingual education in Massachusetts because statistic after statistic, fact after fact, clearly demonstrates the inability of our current system to meet the needs of today’s students. Our reliance on the current format is a mistake of epic proportions and we, as a government and as a society, have(...)

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Tracking lobbyists online

By Stacie N. Galang 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

Picture this: You’re a member of a health care advocacy group and you need to know the status of a new bill on health care reform‹now. So you boot your computer and surf over to the state’s Lobbying-on-Line Web site. With a couple clicks of the mouse, you see that a pharmaceutical company has hired(...)

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The Speaker succession well never see

By Michael Jonas 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

When the state House of Representatives voted in January to scrap the eight-year limit on the Speaker’s position, lawmakers came under blistering attack for summarily jettisoning the one true check on the exercise of unlimited leadership power. But if the move had newspaper editorialists and government watchdog types in a tizzy, many legislators seemed to(...)

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Swapping needles

By Michael Jonas 0 Comments Apr 1, 2001

Backed by an arsenal of data and degrees in medicine and public health, Dr. Howard Koh, the state’s public health commissioner, considers needle-exchange programs a proven way to keep intravenous drug users free of the deadly HIV virus until they’re ready to seek treatment for their addiction. Billy Breault, armed with a passion for his(...)

Spring 2001