Read on for some of the best recent articles by local independent news outlets around the Bay State! Includes IndyMass #54.
ARTS
Somerville gets a cabinet-level arts czar in addition to a new leader for Arts Council in mayor’s plan
Cambridge-Somerville Independent
My first post from the newest news outlet to serve both Cambridge and Somerville, the Cambridge-Somerville Independent—founded quite recently by my longtime colleague and friend Marc Levy. Best of luck, Marc!
CIVIL LIBERTIES
“Shame on Velis” campaign highlights senator’s role in controversial commission
The Shoestring (Western Mass.)
Wondering which state pols are pathetic enough to attempt to revive HUAC-style proceedings in the Bay State? Meet state Sen. John Velis!
ENVIRONMENT
Lexington considers “Skip the Stuff” bylaw to cut restaurant waste
The Lexington Observer
Interesting idea being floated in everyone’s favorite fancy suburb to have restaurants ask people if they want to leave plastic utensils or condiment packets out of their takeout orders.
GOVERNMENT
Fractures seen in mayor’s relationship with Black community
The Flipside (Boston)
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu looks to be alienating a growing number of Black leaders in the Hub with ongoing actions to evade previous commitments to involve affected communities in major development projects like the controversial White Stadium refit.
PLANNING
Rowley Farms 40B to generate 1,900 daily vehicle trips, development team says
The Local News (Ipswich)
Always fun to watch lily-white burbs do backflips to avoid having to build more state-mandated affordable housing (which might include more of “THEM,” amirite, racist home owners?). In this case, gnashing teeth and renting sackcloth over the possibility of a much-needed new development adding traffic equivalent to the urban side street I live on … oh the humanity! Also, a questionable claim about insufficient water supply to support all the new units was raised.
IndyMass is produced for BINJ.News, the independent weekly magazine of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, by Jason Pramas and is syndicated by BINJ’s MassWire news service.
