Legislative delays, medical safeguards high on legal marijuana to-do list | “We’ve had discussions about delaying some of the dates to give us more time to fine tune the bill, and in the next few weeks we have to make final decisions on that,” Senate President Stanley Rosenberg said. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Medical Society has shifted its focus from opposing legal pot to pressing for public health safeguards in the regulation of marijuana.
Post-Trump, state business confidence index continues climb | That bullishness, Associated Industries of Massachusetts and economists said, was driven in part by Donald Trump winning the presidency, despite uncertainty around the specific details of his campaign proposals. “The numbers certainly show a post-election bounce,” Sara Johnson, a senior research director at Global Economics, said.
Sun commentary
Bill Randell
Randell: Let’s spend a little more time on cutting expenses in Worcester | “Don’t we owe it to those people who put all of this time and effort into the report to make sure some action is taken? Many times the results of these panels are put aside to gather dust. But there’s no time like the present: In this report there is one thing the City Council can do right now without any special state legislation that would provide relief to the taxpayer. It should be voted on right now!” City businessman Bill Randell with a suggestion or two for City Council.
Sun Spots with Hitch [Vol. 117]: A Very Taxing Worcester Holiday | Taxes are kind of our thing here in Massachusetts. Some of us enjoy taxes so much we simply can’t stop talking about them, especially in Worcester, where the annual dual rate tug-of-war produces a litany of positions, opinions, strange ideas and hyperbole. Come to think of it — must be Hitch’s turn!
Lights were recently replaced at Burncoat High School.
Editorial: In addressing PCBs, offer to test comes with a catch | Worcester School Committee recently decided to allow Mass. Department of Public Health to test the air quality at Burncoat and Doherty Memorial high schools. This seemingly welcome development in the city’s years-long legal battle with the union representing its teachers comes with a catch.
Courtesy Becker College
Jane Grant
Inbox [Dec. 7]: Becker adds to financial leadership, Clark’s LEEP wins national honor, Worcester State study eyes Latino men opportunity gap, UniBank announces Invest Worcester | Interesting and worthwhile things happen every day in our community. Alas, we can’t cover them all. That’s where Inbox comes in, to offer readers an easily digestible compilation of interesting and noteworthy items you and your neighbors keep telling us about. Have a release or a photo you or your group would like to share? Let us know by emailing it to info@worcester.ma. Be sure to include a link to the full release on your site or Facebook page so we can include it and send Sun members your way.
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David DuBois / For Worcester Sun
Bowler Brothers promotional lighters (from the collection at Worcester Historical Museum).
Worcestory Lesson: Hopping on the brewing bandwagon (the first time “As transportation and technology improved, beer became a part of Worcester industry beginning with Geo. F. Hewett in the 1870s. Companies such as M.A. Worcester came along with their warehouse near Mechanic and Summer streets. It was not, however, until the Bowler brothers arrived in 1883 that the city’s first big brewery was born.” As brewing in the city experiences a renaissance, Worcester history expert David DuBois reflects on the first beer boom.
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Q&A: Sam James, the Worcester guy from ‘The Voice’ His latest album hit big on iTunes earlier this month, and for reality show veteran Sam James, the momentum only grows from there. “I’ll tell you what it says a lot about. It says a lot about Worcester. I have such a strong fanbase here and in New England. … I had all my friends and others from this city sharing my tracks on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. You really can’t say enough about the support that I get from this city.” The city-bred singer-songwriter sits down with Patrick Sargent to tell the Sun what’s happening next.