Today's Boston Globe City / Region stories
Mass. lobbyists on pace to have a record year
Special interest groups, which furiously sought to shape major bills before the Legislature this year, reported more than $38 million in spending on lobbyists in the first six months of 2009 and are on track to break an all-time record, according to reports filed with the state this week.
Fear of mussels closes lakes, irking boaters
This time of year, Shelley Balfanz’s boat is usually in the water at Stockbridge Bowl, an idyllic Berkshire County lake where her family owns property and Balfanz whiles away long summer stretches. But last week, town officials, fearing the spread of invasive zebra mussels after they were discovered in a nearby lake, banned all watercraft launchings.
Road project revives hope to link Maine’s north, south
CARIBOU, Maine - For 50 years, the people of northernmost Maine have waited in vain for a proper north-south highway, a sleek black ribbon to stitch the state’s remotest farms and forests to the rushing interstate that ends 100 miles south.
Roxbury pub Packy Connors has license revoked after 4 are shot
Packy Connors, the Roxbury pub beloved by patrons but reviled by most Boston police officials, seemed to have gained a second lease on life this spring, when the city’s Licensing Board rejected a bid to close it down.
Finance board replaces chairman in rebuff to Patrick
In a slap at Governor Deval Patrick, a state finance authority board has moved to replace its chairman, who helped engineer the governor’s politically clumsy attempt to award a political supporter a $175,000-a-year job.
Sand sculptors mix sport, art at Revere Beach
REVERE - They call it ‘spart.’ Half sport. Half art. It was a skill they learned puttering around sandboxes, friends’ driveways, or beaches. Today, many of them are local, national, and international champions, celebrities in the arena of sand sculpting.
State commission proposes speeding closure of Westborough State Hospital
A state commission has proposed speeding up the closure of Westborough State Hospital and a slate of other measures that would cut about 120 psychiatric beds at a time when the mental health system is already under significant strain.
Obamas’ Vineyard vacation a done deal
It’s official: The sandbox for the stars is once again becoming a presidential playground. President Obama and his family are planning to vacation on Martha’s Vineyard next month, the White House confirmed yesterday without releasing details.
Charlestown Navy Yard’s tennis courts could use some work
With the weather finally cooperating, tipster Ellen Flipse tells GlobeWatch she’s been excited to get outside to enjoy a treasured seasonal pastime. “Summer is finally here! Outdoor tennis is always one of my favorite summer pastimes. Unfortunately, our local tennis court in the Charlestown Navy Yard is barely hanging in there,’’ she writes. Flipse, who lives in the neighborhood, says ...
Conn. diocese asks Supreme Court to intervene in release of records
NEW HAVEN - A Roman Catholic diocese in Connecticut sought yesterday to appeal to the US Supreme Court to keep under wraps sex abuse documents that could shed light on how a prominent retired cardinal handled the allegations.
Teenage hiker is charged $25,000 for rescue
CONCORD, N.H. - A Massachusetts teenager who spent three nights alone on Mount Washington in April after he sprained an ankle and veered off marked trails has been fined more than $25,000 for the cost of his rescue.
SJC guidelines aim to prevent ID theft
The justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court have approved guidelines designed to protect against identity theft by having people who file court documents omit personal information. The nonbinding guidelines call for only the last four digits of Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, tax identification numbers, and driver’s license numbers to be included in court documents. They also say ...
Sonar device helped police locate body of Lawrence boater
Quincy police Officer Ken Wood watched the futile search for the body of an Iraqi War veteran in the Merrimack River in Lawrence on television earlier this week. Juan Guzman, a father of four, had fallen unconscious from a boat into the murky waters Sunday. Guzman’s wife sat on the banks of the river, watching the exhaustive search effort, her ...
Puppies’ medical bills at $12,000 and rising
The medical bill for the 27 puppies found in the back of a box truck in Webster last week has grown to $12,000 and is expected to rise as two puppies fight for life at a Tufts University facility in Grafton, a spokeswoman for the Animal Rescue League of Boston said yesterday.
Massport worker found dead at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal
State and city officials are investigating the death of an East Boston man who was found under a concrete barrier yesterday at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in South Boston.
Lawrence says it's moving on from superintendent Laboy
Legal fears are keeping Lawrence School Committee members from removing embattled Wilfredo Laboy as superintendent. But in a symbolic snub, they are stripping his name from personalized decals he had placed on more than a dozen school vehicles.