Home

Selected Stories

CommonWealth Magazine •

Poll: Parents still struggling with COVID aftershocks on children

ALMOST HALF of parents across the state remain concerned about their child’s mental health as a result of school disruptions caused by COVID-19, according to a statewide poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group.

The poll, the sixth in a series sponsored by a grant from the Barr Foundation, surveyed 1,469 parents of K-12 students in Massachusetts, asking respondents about COVID-19 safety in schools and gauging parent satisfaction with the transition back to in-person learning. The poll found
CommonWealth Magazine •

King sculpture on Boston Common breaks ground

A LARGE GROUP of dignitaries held a ceremonially groundbreaking at the Boston Common on Wednesday for the “Embrace,” a sculpture commemorating the moment when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife heard he had won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Wednesday was the 95th anniversary of the birth of Coretta Scott King and the completed sculpture is set to be unveiled on January 15, 2023, the 94th anniversary of the birth of the civil rights leader.

The 20-foot-high, 40-foot-wide sculpture depicti
CommonWealth Magazine •

Mass. receives $525m under opioid settlement

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS in Massachusetts will receive $525 million to combat opioid abuse as part of a settlement with four of the nation’s largest drug distributors.

The funds represent the Massachusetts share of a $26 billion settlement with drug distributors McKesson, Cardinal, AmerisourceBergen, and Johnson & Johnson. Of the total, $210 million will go directly to municipalities and $310 million will go to the state Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund. The first two payments are expect
CommonWealth Magazine •

Bill tackles insulin affordability

THE COST OF treating her Type 1 diabetes for 15 years has taken a toll on Claire Clendenen’s life. Clendenen, who works in public health in Boston, just recently paid $700 for a three-month supply of insulin.

“Carrying around this huge fee on your shoulders, the cost, the accessibility, the constant fights with insurance companies, the phone calls to your doctor’s office. There’s so many hurdles that we have to jump through to live,” said Clendenen, the Massachusetts chapter leader of T1 Intern
CommonWealth Magazine •

What passengers on the fare-free 28 bus have to say

PASSENGERS ON the MBTA’s Route 28 bus say they enjoy the opportunity to ride for free under a pilot program greenlighted for two more years this week by Mayor Michelle Wu, but they also have some concerns.

In a series of random interviews of people waiting for and riding the bus, riders said they are aware someone is eventually going to have to pay the cost of their rides – the two-year pilot will be paid for with $8 million in federal funds that will eventually run out — and some said they are
BostonGlobe.com •

As rat sightings rise in Newton, officials stress prevention - The Boston Globe

Linda Walsh, deputy commissioner of the Newton’s Health and Human Services Department, said the way residents have spent more time at home during the pandemic has played a role in the trend of more reports of rat sightings.

“This is a public health crisis,” said City Councilor Tarik Lucas, speaking at the Newtonville Area Council meeting June 10 about a spike in rat sightings. It was one of many topics discussed under “burning issues” on the agenda.

Some city officials are sounding an alarm ab
BostonGlobe.com •

Newton Theatre Company takes a bow at outdoor performance of ‘Mary Stuart’ - The Boston Globe

Melissa Bernstein, the founder and director of Newton Theatre Company, said the Zoom format was not ideal for theater.

Theater organizations, from local to Broadway, were heavily impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. After March of 2020, all of Newton Theatre Company’s in-person shows were canceled, forcing a move to virtual performance.

After a year of darkness, the curtains rose at the Newton Theatre Company, revealing a cast of eager faces on stage and an audience ready to watch.

“The pur
BostonGlobe.com •

Historic Newton’s History Book Club plans in-person return - The Boston Globe

“When we were meeting in person, we usually got 15 to 20 people,” Peter Terris, the moderator of the club, said. “But when we went virtual, the numbers shrank.”

Michael Collier, a seven-year member of the group, said with the virtual format “in principle, more people could join, but actually, they don’t” and added that they’d “love to have more people.”

After more than a year of remote meetings, Historic Newton’s History Book Club is eagerly planning to return to in-person meetings in the fall
BostonGlobe.com •

Newton musicians get ready to perform live and in person again - The Boston Globe

Venues across the state were forced to shut their doors to musicians and regular customers alike over the last year. In Newton, Union Street Restaurant and Bar General Manager Steven Sanchez is excited to bring live music back in full force.

“A musician’s ultimate passion is to play live,” said Douglas Giorgiani, a bass player from the Boston-based group F Major Band, which plans to play in Newton venues as soon as they can book a show.

Now that Massachusetts has reopened its economy, performa
News •

Across Massachusetts, shrouded corporations are scooping up single-family homes

Christine Thompson lived in a cozy three-bedroom, single-family house on a quiet residential street in Springfield for more than 50 years.

But in January, the 72-year-old widow was forced to move out after the unexpected death of her husband left her in financial ruin, leading to a foreclosure auction.

Now the house is owned by a limited liability company called Ruby Realty, LLC, whose owners manage hundreds of rental units in western Massachusetts. Thompson lives about 20 miles away in a rent