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On any given week, our e-mail inboxes replicate the issues of our constituents. For years, emails have poured in about COVID-19, training, local weather change, infrastructure, and extra. This winter, a high concern is the worth of power.
We share this concern and have been working collectively since we had been elected to reform the state Division of Public Utilities (DPU) and break down limitations to inexperienced power.
We’ve made some progress, however there may be way more to do.
Our constituents need to cut back their carbon footprints, however utilities typically increase value and logistical hurdles. The utilities contend that the restrictions of our present electrical grid make it troublesome for them to help putting in rooftop photo voltaic, or battery storage for charging an electrical car, or making a neighborhood photo voltaic co-op.
The outdated grid not solely makes delivering electrical energy inefficient, it’s anti-consumer and unhealthy for the surroundings.
Final session, we filed, fought for and, finally, handed a brand new legislation to create a Grid Modernization and Client Advisory Board. Due to this new legislation, utilities are required to submit grid modernization plans to this board, driving Massachusetts in the direction of a Twenty first-century electrical energy grid with constituent voices on the desk.
However at the same time as we work to make our grid extra environment friendly at delivering energy, we have to convey costs down now. That’s why we filed and handed laws to allow constituents who don’t personal their very own houses, or who dwell in co-housing or a condominium growth, to entry the monetary advantages of photo voltaic web metering.
And for constituents who’re dwelling on mounted incomes, we’ve labored to make sure the Low Earnings Warmth and Power Help Program (LIHEAP) is absolutely funded all through this winter.
However there’s extra.
In Massachusetts, utilities should obtain approval from the DPU for the charges they’re permitted to cost. We had been heartened when the DPU just lately ordered utilities to cut back the worth of pure fuel. Nevertheless, we agree with Power and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper that that is an “necessary reminder that we have to urgently and equitably transition away from risky fossil fuels, which proceed to threaten the monetary safety of our communities.”
When the DPU units utility charges, it additionally units utility income. Massachusetts’ DPU has persistently allowed utilities to make greater income off of Massachusetts ratepayers than neighboring states enable. As a way to forestall the DPU from approving computerized charge will increase as a matter in fact, now we have once more filed An Act Defending Shoppers from Unreasonable Utility Price Will increase (Senate SD313 / Home Invoice 495).
We wrote in regards to the utility sweetheart offers final session together with the president of the Acadia Heart, a clear power nonprofit with which now we have partnered.
However even with this laws, utilities would nonetheless be chargeable for power system planning, proudly owning and working grid infrastructure, and serving clients. Not solely would conflicts of curiosity stay, so would planning silos between totally different utilities, which trigger overspending, diminished reliability, and extra air pollution. There’s additionally no incentive to contemplate fairness and environmental justice issues.
That’s why we’ve partnered once more with the Acadia Heart to file laws to implement the RESPECT initiative. An Act Reforming Power System Planning for Fairness and Local weather Transformation (Senate SD863 / Home Invoice 1696) is an bold proposal to overtake power system planning and reimagine the regulatory framework for utilities.
It shouldn’t break the financial institution to maintain your lights on and your private home at an inexpensive temperature.
For those who suppose you’ve been paying an excessive amount of for power, please know we’re channeling our power towards an inexpensive and clear power future for all.
Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, is state senator for the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester District; to study extra about her work, log on to SenatorJoComerford.org;
Natalie M. Blais, D-Sunderland, is state consultant for the first Franklin District; to study extra about her work, log on to Repblais.org.
People who swim in the winter at Walden Pond are a hardy bunch
Even in February, walkers at Walden Pond often see swimmers determined to do their own thing. It was in the 40s, sunny & the water was “very cold.”
Massachusetts is frequently listed as one of the top 10 states for tourism. Being a pivotal part of our nation’s founding and history, along with a rich cultural centers, this is not exactly news.
But destinations like Faneuil Hall, the Old State House, the New England Aquarium or Harvard Natural History Museum are on everyone’s list. These attractions will be on the front page of any tourist pamphlet or guidebook – and rightly so. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a wealth of other lesser known, unusual or weird things to check out in the Bay State that can be just as interesting.
Here’s a list of 11 things to see and do in Massachusetts that you may not have heard of, from passing curiosities to hidden daytrip destinations.
Places where you can go to spend an afternoon:
For a state so steeped in history, it’s not surprising some things fell through the cracks. Here are few spots to stop by dedicated to historical factoids for the history buff and trivia lover in your traveling group.
4. Dinosaur footprints of Holyoke, Holyoke – This spot takes historic landmarks one step further into the realm of the prehistoric, dating back to the early Mesozoic era. Back then, the climate of this area was hot and semi-arid (think Arizona) rather than temperate like it is today. The valley here offered an important source of water to the animals, as well as ideal conditions to leave behind fossilized footprints. Now, it’s a seasonally open space, from April 1 to Nov. 30, free to the public, where you can literally follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs.
5. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord – Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is the resting place of a number of Massachusetts’ most famous residents, such as Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathanial Hawthorne, many of whom can be found in the section of the cemetery known as Author’s Ridge. But there are more recent historical figures entombed here who often get overlooked – Anne Rainsford French, the first woman ever to get a driver’s license in the United States. French received a license to operate four wheeled gas or steam powered vehicles when she was 21 years old on March 22, 1900. Anyone interested in the history of women’s rights or even automobiles should pay their respects. Her headstone is located near the intersection of Vesper Circle and Division Avenue, next to a small bush.
6. Telephone marker, Boston – A rather unassuming historical marker near the corner of Cambridge and Sudbury Street, on the grounds of the John F. Kennedy Federal Building, honors an event that had massive ramifications not only for national history, but human history. Especially if you’re reading this story on your smart phone. On June 2, 1875, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson were managed to transmit sound over wires for the first time in history. This initial experiment in Boston set the stage for the modern telephone. And everything else it has become.
If you feel your sightseeing tour isn’t complete without a dash of the macabre, there’s more than Salem out there.
7. S.K. Pierce Mansion, Gardner – Built by a wealthy furniture factory owner, this Victorian mansion has seen more than its fair share of death and tragedy, which many think has seeped into the very foundations of the building, with various reports of ghostly voices and other paranormal activity. As recently as 2011, a couple fled the house, having moved in two years prior, reporting frightening paranormal experiences. As of 2015, it’s been restored to its original state and is open for guided tours. Visitors and guests (because yes, of course people will pay to spend the night in a haunted house) have reported voices, screams, moving furniture, slamming doors, foul odors, strange shadows, sudden temperature changes, and more.
8. Dungeon Rock, Lynn – Hidden pirate treasure, ghosts, seances? Sounds like the trifecta of spookiness. Dungeon Rock itself is a rock formation in Lynn Woods reservation, where in 1852, a man excavated a cave looking for pirate treasure supposedly guided by the ghost of the treasure’s original owner. The area got its name from the story of pirate Thomas Veale, who hid in a cave with his loot, until he was killed in an earthquake that filled in the cave. Originally known as Pirate’s Dungeon, it was eventually shortened to Dungeon Rock. Enter Hiram Marble, who upon hearing the story, moved there and began searching for the treasure. He held seances to receive digging directions from the ghost of Veale himself. He never found any treasure, ghostly guidance or no, but it’s still worth checking out.
Random, strange things – good for an Instagram or Tik-Tok post – or postcard.
9. Webster Lake, Webster – A fairly unremarkable, if pretty, lake, Webster Lake’s official name is Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. The lake has the honor of being the longest single-word place name in the country, and third in the world. Originally bearing the slightly shorter name of Chaubunagungamaugg, or “fishing place at the boundary” in the language of the indigenous people, it was a prime fishing spot. When settlers arrived, the name was expanded to its current version, which additionally described its status as a neutral fishing spot for both the settlers and the native people. If you’re wondering if anyone has tried to change the name in the intervening years – yes, in the 1950s. The town shut that down hard. Just about all standard lakeside recreation is available here, and if nothing else, you’ll make your conversation about the day at the lake slightly more interesting.
10. Museum of Bad Art, Boston – You’ve heard of New York’s MOMA, but what about Boston’s MOBA? The Museum of Bad Art is clearly predicated on the concept that beauty is in the eye of the beholder – even if said beholders are quite rare. The collection of, shall we say, unique paintings, began in 1994 when the founder took a painting out of a trash heap. Currently can be found at the Dorchester Brewing Company.
11. Head of the Egopantis, Shirley – Apparently, Massachusetts has – or had – its own cryptid. The egopantis was large creature that supposedly terrorized the settlers of the area, before being shot and killed by a local soldier. Now, its head is on display at the Bull Run Restaurant. Whether or not you believe you’re looking at the head of a mythical creature, the Bull Run is certainly worth a visit. The tavern was originally built in 1740 and allegedly got its name from an argument and brawl that broke out among the patrons shortly after hearing news about the First Battle of Bull Run in Virginia during the American Civil War.
Local News
Fatal opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts decreased by over 10% in 2023, marking the first annual decrease in four years, preliminary data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show.
Overdose fatalities decreased from about 2,647 in 2022 to 2,373 reported between December 2022 and December 2023. Nationally, reported deaths decreased by 5.1%.
Opioids like fentanyl and morphine remained the most deadly threat to residents of Massachusetts, but deaths involving opioids decreased significantly from December of 2022, according to the CDC. Deaths caused by cocaine and methadone increased slightly, data show.
The state’s Department of Public Health (DPH) said it continues to invest in harm reduction programs like expanding access to naloxone, fentanyl test trips, and sterile consumption supplies. Just in 2023, more than 262,100 naloxone doses were distributed through community-level naloxone distribution programs and more than 9,100 overdoses were reversed using the medication, DPH said.
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, binds to opioid receptors and rapidly reverses the effects of other opioids. In March 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan nasal spray for over the counter use.
Despite the overall decrease in deaths, DPH said that more needs to be done to protect communities of color, which suffer the brunt of fatal overdoses.
In 2022, overdoses rose by about 2.5%, with Black, non-Hispanic people making up the largest increase, according to DHP data.
To combat inequity, the state plans to continue operating peer recovery support centers and funding Mobile Addiction Service programs in Brockton and Lowell, which provide medical care and harm reduction services to individuals at high risk of overdose.
In March, the Healey-Driscoll administration also launched a grant program for substance abuse prevention, targeting historically underserved communities.
2023 is the first time annual opioid deaths have decreased in the state since 2019. The latest figure is still an increase of about 7.9% when compared to 2019, according to CDC data.
This is the eighth year the Commonwealth will surpass 2,000 opioid overdose deaths per year. It surpassed the figure for the first time in 2016.
All New England states saw a drop in fatal overdoses in 2023. In Connecticut, deaths dropped by 10%; New Hampshire by 13%; Maine by 16%; Vermont by 8%; and Rhode Island by 15%.
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This Friday marks the 20th anniversary of the first legal same-sex marriage in the United States, which took place right here in Massachusetts. Chief Justice Margaret Marshall wrote the majority opinion that allowed same-sex marriages to begin on May 17, 2004.
Reflecting on the anniversary during an appearance on Boston Public Radio on Thursday, Marshall pointed to a recent study by the Rand Corporation that examined the impact of legal same-sex marriage over the past two decades. The research found it had no negative effects on the state of marriage, divorce or cohabitation among different-sex couples.
However, Marshall expressed concern over the growing uncertainty among same-sex couples regarding the security of their marriages in the current political climate.
“My greatest concern now is the number of times that people — gay people and people who’ve been married, not married — have come up to me and say, ‘Are we safe?’” she said.
While Marshall believes Massachusetts remains a safe haven for same-sex marriage, she acknowledged the national implications of judicial decisions.
“I believe in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, we are safe as we can be anywhere,” she said. “However, we are a national country. It goes across the country, and judges have influence.”
One such decision was the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, which in 2022 eliminated the constitutional right to abortion after nearly 50 years. Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that the same rationale could be used to challenge rights to same-sex marriage.
“All of us are taught, lawyers and judges, that you decide the case in front of you,” Marshall said, criticizing Thomas. “I do find it a kind of lack of discipline to say nothing else … arrogance, perhaps, that you are opining on something that is not even before you.”
Despite setbacks, Marshall remains hopeful.
“I do believe the arc of justice turns in our nation,” she said. “I am well aware of the many, many steps that we have taken back and the many unfulfilled promises.”
Addressing young people, Marshall urged active civic engagement. “Do something, do something. And I don’t mean go on social media and sign an online petition. Get out there, get to know your elected representatives. The people in the legislature are the heart and lungs of democracy,” she advised.
“Show up, go on marches, protest, speak out loud. You have no idea what changes will come.”
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