Hold your fire

David Kennedy, architect of Boston’s successful anti-gang strategy of the 1990s and author of a book describing it, is determined to show that the mayhem of urban gun violence can be stopped

By CommonWealth Staff Urban Affairs 0 Comments Jul 10, 2012

DAVID KENNEDY IS an unlikely figure to be leading the charge on behalf of an innovative policing strategy to combat urban gun violence. For starters, he’s not a cop and has no law enforcement background. Though he’s a full professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, the 54-year-old Kennedy has no formal(...)

Environment/ Opinion

Natural gas: Good news and bad news

A growing supply is driving down prices, but the fuel’s dominance is posing challenges

By Gordon van Welie Energy 0 Comments Jul 10, 2012

in january 2011, extremely cold temperatures enveloped New England, and demand for natural gas soared. Why does demand for natural gas matter to ISO New England, which operates the regional electricity grid and manages the wholesale electricity markets? Because natural gas has become the dominant fuel used to generate electricity in our region. The story(...)

Environment/ Opinion

Out front on climate change

Reducing emissions is a worthy goal, but costs should also be considered

By David Begelfer Energy 0 Comments Jul 10, 2012

massinc’s recent research report, Rising to the Challenge: Assessing the Massachusetts Response to Climate Change, was billed as “the first independent assessment of state action on climate change.” We, at NAIOP Massachusetts, believe that it missed an opportunity to provide a more complete, non-partisan account. Although it is acceptable to inquire into the progress that(...)

Criminal Justice

Restaurants in Boston get infrequent inspections

By Colman M. Herman 0 Comments Jul 10, 2012

the massachusetts sanitary code requires municipalities to check restaurants for health code violations twice a year, but the city of Boston often is doing the inspections less frequently, in some cases as little as once in two years. “We don’t have the resources to do every place twice a year,” says Charles Cook, assistant commissioner(...)

Politics

Galvin’s slow motion public records office

By Colman M. Herman 0 Comments Jul 10, 2012

the state office charged with ruling on the appeals of citizens whose requests for public records have been denied operates at a snail’s pace. About 250 appeals are filed each year with the state Division of Public Records, but it often takes months to get a decision even though four full-time lawyers plus a full-time(...)

Criminal Justice

Changes in laws keep teen drivers safer

By Sam Obar 0 Comments Jul 10, 2012

for most teens, obtaining a drivers’ license means newfound freedom and independence. For many decades, it also meant something more sobering: a higher risk than any other age group that they would die on the road. But new statistics indicate that risk is diminishing. Teen driver fatalities have fallen to a record low in Massachusetts(...)

Politics

Glove, glove me do

By Jack Sullivan 0 Comments Jul 10, 2012

Odds are one of the four Republican state senators in Massachusetts has a better chance of getting one of his bills passed than he does of catching a foul ball at a Major League Baseball game. Unless that senator is Robert Hedlund. The 11-term incumbent from Weymouth is a magnet when it comes to foul(...)

Criminal Justice

Sex offenders challenge Lynn’s residency ban as unconstitutional

By Christina Prignano 0 Comments Jul 10, 2012

a court challenge to a Lynn ordinance that bans Level 2 and 3 sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school or park could impact 43 other cities and towns across the state that limit where sex offenders can live or go. A map of Lynn outlining areas from which Level 2(...)

Politics

Risky business

When it comes to cleaning up a mess at the former Medfield State Hospital, can the state police itself?

By Gabrielle Gurley Municipal Government 0 Comments Jul 10, 2012

Correction: The story says a second budget amendment proposed by Sen. James Timilty would require the Division of Capital Asset Management to clean up the former hospital site so it could be used without any restrictions. The amendment, which was subsequently signed into law, actually requires DCAM to review its cleanup plan and then report(...)