If you think Worcester needs government money and programs to revitalize its economy, you may be overlooking a very important local stimlus: fun. Very interesting story on Boston.com about how an area’s “fun” factor — bike trails, fine dining, amenities, etc. — can be major driving forces behind success.

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Tim Russert may be gone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your own election score card. Every vote counts, but as we’ve learned from past elections, some state’s votes count more than others — particularly if you’re in a swing state.
Check out this interactive map from 270towin.com. Play political pundit and calculate just what states your favorite candidate needs to win.

The Times & Courier newspaper in Clinton reported last Friday that one of the men on the state’s “most wanted” list of sex offenders turned himself into Clinton District Court last Friday. The man, Shayne M. Sampson, is a former Worcester resident.

You couldn’t have asked for better weather at today’s Columbus Day Parade on Shrewsbury Street, but did the recently passed vendor ordinance put a dent in the number of places you could buy food or water this year?

For anyone following the city’s discussions over the past year to tap into PILOT funds, this week’s Pie and Coffee 508 Podcast is something to listen to. PILOT stands for payment in lieu of taxes and the City Council has been discussing on and off over the past year attempts to get Worcester’s non-profit colleges and universities to “pay up.”
Brendan Melican gives what is quite likely the best and most succinct argument against PILOT. You can find Melican’s comments about 12:40 into the podcast. Melican argues colleges forking over money to …

 Now, it has been suggested to me a time or two that I may be a bit of a … well … eccentric when it comes to one little thing: Moxie. True, the oldest continually bottled soft drink that once outsold Coca Cola was the subject of my undergraduate history thesis. And, true, I did name my first dog after it. And yes, I do have a collection of Moxie memorabilia. And, yes, I am drinking one as I type this. But clearly these facts are purely incidental to the …

The Telegram repoted today that City Manager Michael V. O’Brien’s vehicle was struck by an alleged drunk driver yesterday morning on Route 90 near the Weston tolls. The manager said he was “sore, but alive,” the T&G reported.
Massachusetts State Police told Worcester Wired this morning that the driver of the other vehicle was Fitchburg resident Russell Cook, a 50-year-old who was driving a 1990 Olds Cutlas, which struck O’Brien’s 1996 GMC Envoy. Cook was charged with operating under the influence, failure to keep within marked lanes and negligent operation of …

When times get tough the government … well … just keeps on spending. The Telegram today offered up a little PR for the state EPA on their latest gadget – the Field Assessment and Support Team vehicle (otherwise known as the FAST vehicle — because somewhere in the fine printof the U.S. Constitution is a rule requiring government things to have acronyms).
The $180,00 federally-funded vehicle enables “on-scene environmental staff to more rapidly test for air, water and soil contaminants and better protect the public during emergencies,” according to the EPA’s …

If there was a travel map for wildlife in New England, written over Worcester should be big red letters: WARNING! WILDLIFE MAY BE SHOT ON SITE.
Ah yes, the state’s Environmental Police were at it again this week keeping our children safe from the likes of Smoky the Bear and Bullwinkle. A moose had the misfortune to wander into the city this week and — BLAM! — yep, that’s right, they took him out.
I have to admit, it’s probably my rural upbringing and 10 years working at a summer camp in …

I mentioned in my last post Dr. Christina Economos of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. She’s worth noting as Economos was instrumental in a Somerville program that actually curbed weight gain in elementary school students and has gained nationwide recognition. Economos is also a product of the Worcester Public School system.
Economos says she’s now working with several school systems across the country and here in Mass. to create healthier environments for kids. This includes taking a real hard look at the types of foods we’re …