Baker-Polito Administration Encourages Residents to Get Outdoors for “Go Green on Black Friday” Hikes

by Marina Jokic Comment Closed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:November 24, 2020 BOSTON – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that on Friday, November 27, 2020, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will recommend six different hikes as part of the agency’s annual “Go Green on Black Friday” campaign, which encourages residents and visitors to venture outdoors and enjoy the natural resources of the Commonwealth on the day after Thanksgiving. All hikes will range between one and five miles. “Massachusetts has a first class state parks system, and ‘Go Green on Black Friday’ hikes are an excellent way for frequent park users and newcomers to skip the Black Friday frenzy, and spend quality time outdoors,” said DCR Commissioner Jim Montgomery. “The Baker-Polito Administration is pleased to continue this long standing tradition and offer opportunities for healthy outdoor activity for residents the day after Thanksgiving.” The difficulty of DCR’s “Go Green on Black Friday” hikes range from light to moderately strenuous, and are recommended for families with children ages ten and older. Hikers...
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Massachusetts should borrow to avoid big budget cuts

by Marina Jokic Comment Closed
Our coronavirus pandemic-triggered fiscal problems call for an unconventional solution. By The Boston Globe Editorial Board, June 10, 2020 Massachusetts will soon face a budgetary reckoning because of a huge revenue shortfall caused by the pandemic-prompted economic slowdown. The conventional remedy to periodic budget crises caused by a soft economy — substantial spending cuts on state services like health care, state parks, and public higher education; income or sales tax increases; or a combination of the two — are unwise in this instance, and could even prolong the economic misery. Absent sufficient federal aid, the better solution is to borrow over several years to pave the way through the pandemic rough patch. Like many states, Massachusetts has legal constraints against rolling a deficit from one fiscal year into the next. Policy makers can temporize to some degree, but ultimately a solution must be found. The best way forward, obviously, would be an infusion of federal dollars: Unlike states, Washington can run deficits as big as it...
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Hike Beautiful Billerica members learn about the life and legacy of Warren Henry Manning

by Marina Jokic Comment Closed
Mary Leach | Billerica Wicked Local | January 27, 2020 https://billerica.wickedlocal.com/news/20200127/hike-beautiful-billerica-members-learn-about-life-and-legacy-of-warren-henry-manning Hike Beautiful Billerica, an outdoor recreation group sponsored by the Billerica Recreation Department, explored the Warren Manning State Forest on Saturday, Jan. 25. The group, which is led by Marlies Henderson, enjoyed a special visit by Yaakov Trek Reef, a park interpreter, who added a new perspective to this Billerica park. The Warren Manning State Forest conservation land is owned by the Division of State Parks and Recreation and managed by the Billerica Recreation Department. The property includes 35 acres and 1.5 miles of public trails. The group also explored the nearby Billerica State Forest, which is a state-owned forest managed by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. It is available for public use and offers many opportunities for nature study and hiking trails. According to the town of Billerica’s website, Warren Henry Manning, 1860–1938, was an influential American landscape designer and a key figure in the formation of the American Society of Landscape Architects,...
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