Saturday, May 11, 2013
Results from a recent executive survey ranked Massachusetts 47th for business.
A CEO magazine ranks Massachusetts as one of the worst states in the nation for business. Chief Executive Magazine ranked Massachusetts 47th based on a survey of corporate leaders. Survey respondents reported the Bay State is one of the worst for taxation and regulation. The state Republican Party is pointing to the survey and saying that Gov. Deval Patrick and the Democratic-led Legislature are bad for the economy and business. What do you think about Massachusetts’ business climate? Is this a good state in which to do business?
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Extensive repairs costing as much as $2.4 million to Marblehead's 'icon' must now be approved by voters in June.
In a relatively short three-hour Town Meeting, Marblehead leaders voted unanimously Monday night to approve spending up to $2.4 million to repair a deteriorating Abbot Hall clock tower. The proposed repairs to the more than 200-year-old structure must now be approved by the voters in a general election next month. "The time has come to make significant repairs," said Board of Selectman Chair Jackie Belf-Becker, calling the tower Marblehead's icon. "Mere patching is no longer sufficient." Town Administrator Jeff Chelgren said if the measure is approved by the voters, the town, which has a Triple A credit rating, would raise the funds through bonds. The cost of the bonds would raise taxes on a median income house of $476,000 between $13.67 …
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Abbot Hall, Town of Marblehead
188 Washington St, Marblehead, MA
/articles/town-meeting-approves-abbot-hall-restoration
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/locations/9357889
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-70.86081
Marblehead Veterans Middle School
217 Pleasant St, Marblehead, MA
/articles/town-meeting-approves-abbot-hall-restoration
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/locations/9357890
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?
Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …
Monday, March 11, 2013
The RMV has discontinued the service because the company that provided the reminders was sold.
Five years after the Registry of Motor Vehicles did away with snail mail license expiration reminders, Massachusetts drivers will now find that the email version is gone as well. The RMV has done away with email reminders which service drivers whose licenses are about to expire, according to CBS Local. The RMV stopped mailing reminders in November 2008. The company that provided the service was recently sold, according to the story. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is looking into restoring the free service and alternative reminder methods, the story says. The closest RMV branch to Marblehead is at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
The governor's optimistic but state legislators don't sound so sure. What do you think?
Governor Deval Patrick is still bullish about his budget proposal, which will raise $1.9 billion in new revenue through an increase in the income tax, decrease in the sales tax, and various other changes to taxes, fees and deductions. But the men and women who have to pass the bill don't sound as eager to support a package many see as a politically-damaging measure. The Boston Herald quotes several Beacon Hill legislators who sounded notes of caution to outright opposition to the budget. Those quoted cited the 1990 election losses in the wake of an income tax increase, pressure on small businesses and the higher price of gas as reasons they were skeptical. And the governor's new web tools touting proposed transportation and education …
Sunday, February 17, 2013
A review of the top stories in Marblehead this week.
Here's a look at the top five stories on Marblehead Patch this week:
Saturday, February 16, 2013
The clock tower at Abbot Hall is in need of $2.1 million worth of repairs, town officials say. Residents seem eager to have the repairs done, but how to pay for it? An override? Private donations? Some kind of combination?
Repairing Marblehead's trademark Abbot Hall clock tower will cost $2.1 million — and it may take most of 2014 to fix the extensive damage caused by weather over the last 137 years, the Board of Selectmen were told at their meeting Wednesday night. And it could cost much more if the state Architectural Access Board does not grant variances, as it did with the Old Town House, that would require the town to make Abbot Hall more handicapped accessible. The news has town residents buzzing about the cost, the duty to protect the iconic building and ways to pay for it aside from an override. "I'm sure there will be many people in the community who will be prepared to donate money to the repairs in exchange for being included in a brass plaque to …
42.502755
-70.852587
Abbot Hall, Town of Marblehead
188 Washington St, Marblehead, MA
/articles/how-should-the-town-pay-for-the-2-1m-repairs-to-abbot-hall
183285
/locations/8823376
Monday, February 11, 2013
Are you satisfied or frustrated with how the town handled the area’s fifth largest snowstorm in history? Let us know by posting a comment below.
Now that the snow has fallen, and started to melt, it’s your time to rate how Marblehead's plows handled the nearly two feet of snow that fell Friday and Saturday. On a scale from one to ten, feel free to give praise or thanks, express frustrations or offer up constructive criticism in the comments below. The blizzard dumped 23 inches of snow on Marblehead, according to a trained observer cited by the National Weather Service. When you're doling out your rating, keep in mind the challenge those plow drivers faced: The blizzard is expected to rank among the top five worst Boston-area storms since records have been kept. For all Marblehead Patch coverage of the storm, please visit our Storm Center.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
School Building Committee authorizes Dr. Maass to authorize new windows and supports up to $84,000.
The Glover School Building Committee voted unanimously Thursday night to authorize School Superintendent Dr. Greg Maass to approve a new window design that will cost no more than an extra $84,000 and possibly only $63,000. The large new windows throughout the building were an important part of the aesthetics of the new $25 million school. Project architect Douglas Roberts with JCJ Architecture told the building committee the change to small windows would have no significant impact on the aesthetics of the building. Recently the architects and engineers for the window manufacturer found that some of the windows were too wide to withstand 120-mile-per-hour wind gusts. At the last meeting, Roberts said the windows that could sustain 120-mile-…
Saturday, January 26, 2013
The governor's budget proposal for fiscal 2014 would raise $1.9 billion in new revenues through a combination of tax increases and eliminating some tax breaks. Is the state's economy ready for this?
After years of treading water in the state budget, Gov. Deval Patrick has put forth an ambitious $34.8 billion proposal for the coming fiscal year that would make significant investments in education and transportation by raising $1.9 billion in revenue, through a combination of tax hikes and eliminating some tax breaks. The question: Is the state's economy ready for this? To raise that funding, Patrick's proposal would increase the income tax from 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent, while doubling personal exemptions. It'd also lower the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 4.5 percent. Several tax breaks for both personal income and businesses would be eliminated. The gas tax would be indexed to inflation, ensuring gradual increases in what people …
Steve Marino
3:30 pm on Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The may be the biggest story since watergate, and the New York Times had this story on page 10! more ›