As it turns out, quite a bit.

Saturday, the B’s closed out New York with a 3-1 win in game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series. Boston now advances to the Conference Finals where the best team in hockey – the Pittsburgh Penguins – await.

Why is Boston superior to the Rangers. A simple eyeball test will give you the answer.

Boston won the series 4-1 with New York’s only win being a gift-wrapped 4-3 overtime victory in game 4 at Madison Square Garden.

The B’s proved to be a much deeper and more talented team on both ends of the ice. They also appeared to be better coached. But the big surprise was between the pipes where the Rangers were thought to have the edge with Henrik Lundqvist over Tuuka Rask. Instead it was Rask who enjoyed the edge.

Game 5 started out intense with both teams managing good flurries offensively in the opening 20 minutes. Dan Giradrdi’s (2nd) power play goal was the only score in the first period putting the Rangers up 1-0.

However, in the second period, Boston came to life on the power play as rookie sensation Torey Krug’s slapper beat Lundqvist stick-side to tie the game 1-1. Krug’s goal was his 4th in 5 career playoff games (all in this series). He became the first rookie defenseman to score 4 goals in his first 5 playoff games in the history of the National Hockey League.

Later in the second, Greggory Campbell scored his first of two goals on the afternoon when his wrister found the back of the net putting Boston up 2-1 at 13:41.

Boston outshot New York 15-9 in a second period where they clearly controlled the play.

A desperate Rangers team did what it could in the third outshooting Boston 12-8, but Rask was equal to the task.

Campbell added an empty-netter with :51 seconds to play for the final 3-1 margin.

NOTES:

-For the game, Boston outshot the Rangers 32-29.

-Once again, Boston’s 4th line of Campbell, Shawn Thornton and Danielle Paille was a huge factor in the game. Campbell was the #1 star of the game with his 2 goals. Thornton and Paille each had 1 assist.

-Saturday’s win was only Tuukka Rask’s third victory in 11 attempts at closing out an opponent. His gigantic save against Ryan Callahan on the breakaway with 11:22 left was arguably a series-clinching save.

-As of the time this article was published, a start date and time for the Eastern Conference Finals series with the Penguins had not been announced. Both teams will receive at least a couple of days off meaning the earliest it could start would be on Tuesday. We do know that games 1 & 2 will be played in Pittsburgh with games 3 & 4 back in Boston. If necessary, game 5 would be in Pittsburgh, game 6 in Boston and a decisive game 7 back in the Steel City.

-Two delicious subplots to this match-up are the fact that Jaromir Jagr is now wearing a Bruins uniform and the fact that Jarome Iginla turned down a trade to Boston at the trading deadline so that he could play in Pittsburgh instead. Expect Bruins fans to ride Iginla hard every time he touches the puck at the TD Garden. Had Iginla not spurned Boston, the B’s would not have made the move for Jagr.
 

The recent bid, which hasn't yet been awarded following the May 15th close date, continues the financial troubles of the property, which was assessed at $764,000 at the February auction.

At that time, the 15,000 square foot building was transferred from 5 May Street, LLC, who had purchased the property in 2010 for $435,000, to an auctioneer, following foreclosure proceedings. The action was taken after 5 May Street, LLC failed to complete the renovation project that had been made possible by the City, who had secured more than $2.3 million in state and federal funds.

The property was assessed in February at $764,000. At the February auction, the city's bid eclipsed the $135,000 offer made by developer Russell Haims.

Developers Weigh In

GoLocal spoke with Haims this week, who said that while he went through a walk-though again at the second auction, he ultimately decided against another bid.

"Luckily, I wasn't the winning bidder back in February," said Haims. "It still presents the same issues -- lack of dumpster for trash, parking. If I couldn't meet the expectations put forth by the bid, I wouldn't want to get involved with something that wasn't successful."

Haims noted that he was in the process of completing a project in the neighborhood, in which he converted an old church into a 12 unit building. "I've worked a lot in the area, and this [church project] is a historic gem."

"Gold Star Builders may very well have a plan to turn it around, and I wish them luck," said Haim. "I know that folks will continue to watch how things develop at the property, given everything that has happened to date."

Similarly, Tony Nguyen with Gold Star Builders knows the area well, and had plans to turn the unit into low-income housing through Worcester Affordable Housing Rentals.

When asked if he was surprised to be listed as the only bidder, Nguyen said, "Yes." Nguyen hadn't been part of the auction process in February, just the recent round, he said.

"I expect that we will have to put around $450,000 to $600,000" to renovate the building, Nguyen said, which was the reason why his bid was at the level he proposed.

Affordable Housing to Be Considered by Council

Next month, the Worcester City Council's Economic Development Committee is expected to take up affordable housing reports by consultants undertaken last year.  

"The 5 May Street issue had everything to do with bad management by [5 May Street LLC], not the city," said Worcester City Council Member Frederick Rushton, who noted that Council would be looking closely at ways to address housing issues in the city next month, starting at the Committee level.

"There's not a one-size fits all approach," said Rushton. "We'll hear from people that want housing to be market rate only, those who want an increase in affordable housing. There will be a number of views voiced, and we'll work towards crafting the best policy for Worcester."

"The idea is to bring this study in front of the Council and residents. The folks that did the study will be doing a presentation on their findings. That's when we'll start to have an idea of where we're going, to speculate now would be premature."

City Council Member Konstantina Lukes, who did not want to comment on the current situation facing 5 May Street, did say that housing issues in the city needed to be addressed.

"As you know, the housing study will be taken up at the committee level next month. The process ought to be reviewed, especially for more checks and balances," said Lukes.

In a letter presented along the initial study findings to the City Council last fall, City Manager Michael O'Brien wrote, "Our revitalization efforts must be undertaken in a much bolder, strategic way through unprecedented public-private partnerships – in a block by block, street by street, house by house manner. These efforts will require us to re-direct Federal, State and City resources and private dollars must be brought to bear to address entire streets at one time. We must use this opportunity to revisit our existing policies and funding priorities."

Credit Donkey, a website dedicated to "Life After College," named the "Best Small Cities for College Grads" this week, and Worcester ranked #7 in the nation. Looking at metropolitan areas with populations between 400,000 and 1 million, Credit Donkey "considered three factors that affect the attractiveness of a location for a new college graduate: median income, the local wage premium for a college degree, and cost of living."

With a median Income of $41,260, a "College Premium" of  56.1%, and a cost of living index of 91.8, Worcester did best because of its relatively low cost of living. The best city for grads? Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA, followed by Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT at #2, Bakersfield-Delano, CA at #3, Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY at #4, and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL at #5.

Read more about Worcester's latest rankings, below.

The top story of the week began with the breaking news on Wednesday morning that Massachusetts Lt. Governor (and former Worcester Mayor) Tim Murray was resigning his post. Within hours, GoLocalWorcester furthered the story with reports that Murray would be returning to Worcester, this time to head the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

On Thursday, GoLocal advanced and expanded the coverage on Murray by looking back at his career as well as talking to local experts about their reactions to his new role at the Chamber of Commerce--both highly read and shared stories.

To see a slideshow of Tim Murray's career--the good and the bad--go here.

To read response to his new posting at the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, go here.

No matter how you want to spend the day, there is surely an option available that is just right for you. Here are just a few things to do with your day off in Central Mass.
 

The drive this year had the momentum right from the start;  March 2nd (Dr. Seuss’s birthday) with our goal to collect over 27,000 books. We received seed books donations prior to the drive from Scholastic Books, Harvard Pilgrim Health, Hanover Insurance and from many of the colleges.

As we sort the books out this week, it appears that we have well over that amount for we not only have distributed books to all schools and were able to give more than enoughbooks to everyone in the schools. A special thank you is sent to Channel 3 Charter Communication for their constant publicity on the event with their book commercials and to the many business groups, educational organizations, health groups and most importantly the public for they made the drive a huge success.

Once again we had tremendous support from our private sector—Worcester Academy, Venerini Academy, Notre Dame Academy, St. Peter-Marian, Bancroft School and Holy Name all did a wonderful job. In addition, we received support from area public schools such as Wachusett Regional District elementary schools in Sterling, Holden and Princeton and from all the high schools in the Worcester Public Schools.

On the college level, collectively, nine participating colleges and Universities donated. The participating schools this year were: Assumption College, Becker College, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Worcester State University, Salter’s College, Quinsigamond Community College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Health groups that assisted were UMass Memorial, UMass Medical, St. Vincent’s Hospital and Fairlawn Rehabilitation Center. Also, UNUM and the Wilson Language Training Center also contributed to the success of the drive. All of these groups had their own book drives at their respective place and received books from their employees or their students.

In addition, help came from some of the Little Leagues of Worcester, the Worcester Credit Union, Starbucks Coffee on West Boylston and the Worcester Public Library. All of the Stop and Shop Markets, Shaws Markets, Light Lab on Shrewsbury Street, Building 19, the Jewish Community Center on Salisbury Street, the Greendale YMCA, and the RSVP Center contributed and had book boxes for the public to drop off their books.

A special thank you goes to United People’s Bank, Commerce Bank, Baystate Savings Bank, TD Bank, and the Bank of America at Tatnuck Square for opening their doors for the public to drop off books.

The books were stored at the Greendale Head Start site and we thank the Head Start site for allowing us to store and sort out the books at the school. It took over 35 hours to sort out the books to get them ready for distribution. Help was received from students at Doherty High School and Worcester Technical High School and from friends. In the mix there were over 1000 adult books that were donated to the Friends of the Worcester Public Library ( with most going to the Union Station site) and to the Worcester Recovery site. We thank Worcester Public Schools, Jack Navin, coordinator of maintenance, and his crew for picking up over 100 cartons of books at our house and delivering them to the book site.

Because of the generosity of many we will be able to spread the joy of reading this summer. More access to books results in more reading. We all know that students who read more, read better; they also write better, spell better and have larger vocabularies. A report from the National Institute of Education concluded “…the amount of reading done out of school is consistently related to gains in reading achievement.”

The books will be distributed to the children, pre-k to grade 6, during the week of June 10th as we celebrate “Reading in our city Week,” (A proclamation has been sent to Mayor Petty to be read at the June 4th City Council meeting.) The distribution of the books will be part of the Worcester Public Schools summer “kick-off” during Reading Week. It is our desire that the schools move the books around by having book swap days and be creative in how the books will be used.

In addition, books were also given to Head Start, many social agencies, and Inter-faith groups that will be running summer programs this summer. If there is any other group needing books for the summer (we have a few left) contact the Monfredo’s for assistance.

The key now is to encourage our children to read and to do this we need the assistance of parents and other adults to make it happen. As a community let us do everything possible to make our city a true “Worcester: the City that Reads.”

Why is this? For one, I have another 10 years of knowledge, experience and muscle maturity. I also have better eating habits.

The 20s

Let’s look at the 20s—that usually youth-driven, full-of-adrenaline person. If they are training, more often than not, it’s for reasons other than being healthy and fit. I was a bouncer in a nightclub, so I wanted to look big and intimidating, so I packed in pasta and pancakes and trained with reckless abandon, including lifting heavy weights.

The 30s

Those in their 30s are outwardly focused—concerned with family and career, often working ridiculous hours, eating lots of less than optimal food, including fast food, getting minimal rest, and chasing the American dream. It can be a time when you are putting your own health low on the priority scale. Missing workouts more than making them, if even working out at all.

The 40s

So, then you hit your 40s. You probably are looking at 10 years or more of your kids' leftovers—the mac & cheese,  those chicken fingers…  you’re looking at them right around your mid-section. Add to that a couple of drinks a day hitting your liver, experiencing lower libido, and adrenal fatigue in your blood. Your kids are in school, and are getting more self-sufficient. So, you look at your life and make the decision to get your fit life back—now—or to start, for the very first time. I promise it’s not too late to be 40, fit and in fantastic shape.

Start with these tips:

Eat better. Avoid man-made processed foods. Make the effort to prepare your meals for the day. Eat a healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks to ensure your metabolism keeps burning all day.

Move more. Anything helps—stretching, walking. Strength training with proper technique builds muscle and helps fight flab.

Relax more. Your body REQUIRES it for repair and rejuvenation. Get massages, 8 hours of sleep, etc.

Although not necessary, it might help to have a trainer in some capacity who can keep you on target and moving forward. 

It’s your time—now! You’ll reap the rewards long into the years ahead, reducing disease risk, preventing injuries, and looking great, too. Approach the years ahead in your best shape ever. 

Matt Espeut has worked as a personal trainer for almost 20 years with clients ranging in age from 14 to 86. His focus is on overall health, strength, and functional conditioning. Holistic health and nutrition is the cornerstone of all his programs. Matt works in private and small group training available at your home or office location or at gym facilities. Matt offers his services to everyone wanting to be more fit and healthy, overweight young people, youth/collegiate athletes, and seniors. Matt has worked and continues to train at several facilities in the Providence area including Gold's Gym and CORE Studio, and he believes continued education is a must in his field. Email Matt: matt@fitnessprofiles.net, check out his website at www.fitnessprofiles.net or on Facebook at Matt Espeut or on Twitter @MattEspeut.

Happy Memorial Day weekend, and the kickoff to summer begins so let's kick off your summer look as well. With all the festivities this weekend (not to mention some of your favorite barbecue cooking), let's get you good looking for the event with any of these 3 last-minute looks.

Last-minute look 1

With unsettled weather, have a plan to confine your hair, whether a pony or top knot.

Last-minute look 2

Brush all your hair up to top of your head and secure with band; then twist hair and drape around pony. For a cool top knot secure with bobby pins or cool barrette.

Last-minute look 3

Brush hair to side and create a braid. Remember it doesn't have to be the perfect braid—most times it will come out a lot better when not so contrived. The spread braid for a nice, full effect.

Last-minute look 4

If all else fails, there is always the trusty hat, but be sure to wear a side low pony with it or else it can look too hard (unless looking hard is your thing and you're looking for the boy/girl look, which can be cute as well).

Happy Memorial Day to my New Dngland fashionistas!

From Sex and the City 2 to Rachel Getting Married, from The Sorcerer's Apprentice to Bride Wars, Frank Barbosa has styled some of the biggest celebrities in film, TV, and theater. He's just finished styling on location alongside film stylist Alan D'Angerio on the film, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, starring Jennifer Garner. He's been in the industry for 17 years, moving from hip neighborhoods in Chicago, to Boston's Newbury St, to Bellevue Avenue in Newport. He maintains that his real passion, though, is being behind a salon chair at Frank Antonio Hair and Makeup in Newport.

After playing in the minor leagues and Canada since 2005, Colabello finally got his call after lighting it up with Rochester to start the year. At the time Colabello was promoted to the Twins, he had a team-leading batting average of .358 in 46 games played, and was named the batter of the week prior to being called up, hitting .586 over a seven-game stretch. He also leads the International League with 63 hits, 12 home runs, 116 total bases, and ranks second in the league with 39 runs batted in.

Colabello chose to enroll at Assumption College in Worcester after he completed his four years at Milford High School, getting the chance to play right away at a struggling Greyhound program. Colabello was a standout for the Greyhounds, compiling over 200 hits over his four seasons.

As an undrafted player out of college, Colabello refused to give up on his dream. He tried out and made the Worcester Tornadoes, which played in the independent Can-Am League, where Colabello spent seven seasons, hitting over .300 for all but one season. After an impressive stint with the Tornadoes, the Twins finally gave him a shot, signing him in 2012 and putting him on Double-A New Britain in the Eastern League. Colabello didn't let his opportunity go to waste, hitting a solid .284, while crushing 19 home runs and driving in 98 runs.

Colabello's success in Double-A earned him a spot not only at spring training with the Twins, but on Italy's team in this past summer's World Baseball Classic. Playing against Major League competition, Colabello continued his success, hitting .333 in the World Baseball Classic and crushing two towering three-run homers in the tournament.

Coming out of spring training, Colabello was assigned to Triple-A Rochester, which was another step in the right direction in his quest to the big leagues. After his scalding hot start, Colabello finally got the call Wednesday that he's been waiting over eight years for.

In Colabello's unlikely journey to the big leagues, he's proven that dreams can indeed come true.
 

Clark undergraduates Michelle Andrews '14 and Christina Geller '13 and a group of graduate students enrolled in the Wildlife Conservation GIS Research Seminar taught by Associate Professor of Geography John Rogan and Research Assistant Professor Florencia Sangermano, recently traveled to the Bronx Zoo, the headquarters of the Wildlife Conservation Society, to present policy recommendations to WCS staff about species habitat protection for guanaco in Argentina and elephants in Tanzania.

The nine students enrolled in the seminar were divided into two groups, the first of which examined the conservation status of Guanaco (humpless camels in southern Argentina) and assessed the threats to viable habitat caused by livestock and ranching activities as well as the sensitivity of the region to climate linkages such as El Nino. The second group examined the potential impacts of expanding wheat agriculture north of the Tarangire Park (Tanzania) on elephant movements, using radio-collar GPS data, as well as the relationship of precipitation in the region to warming in the Indian Ocean.

The main outputs of both studies were the selection of potential conservation areas to protect the habitat of the target species.

A Diverse Array of Students

The students in the seminar were very diverse: two undergraduate students, two fifth-year master’s students in geography, four IDCE-GISDE master’s students and one doctoral candidate in geography.

“This diversity allowed all students to contribute to different aspects of the research and to learn from each other,” said professor Sangermano.

According to Andrews, a geography major who was the sole undergraduate in the first research group consisting of five students, “It was good to learn from [the others] as they all had more knowledge and experience in GIS and remote sensing than I did at the beginning of the project. This situation made the experience even more valuable to me.”

David Wilkie, director of conservation support at WCS, and Robert Rose, species range-wide priority setting program lead at WCS, played the role of the “client,” requesting research from the students. Wilkie and Rose provided important insights related to the specific conservation problems, provided data, facilitated discussion and regularly participated in online meetings with the students.

Andrews said she found developing research questions, compiling the data and processing it correctly, changing objectives and questions, and changing study areas to be challenging.

Geller, a double major in economics and geography, worked with the graduate students who were charged with providing policy recommendations on habitat protection of the African elephants in Tanzania, a species that is classified as “vulnerable” due to habitat loss, fragmentation, anthropogenic interactions and ivory poaching. Her group used GIS and remote sensing techniques to create priority conservation maps that can be used to protect the habitat of the African elephant in northern Tanzania.

Andrews described the opportunity to do GIS consulting and research as “enlightening” and “eye-opening;” Geller described it as a “huge challenge.”

“I've normally been told the methodology I need to follow to create a final result, and this project required us to think critically, design our own methods, and constantly reevaluate our work,” said Geller. “Unlike other classes, you have no idea if you are on the right tract until you do a check-in with WCS and they express their disapproval or pleasure with your results.”

A Successful Study

According to Wilkie, by working with students at Clark, WCS has made significant progress on six important questions for conservation.

“The quality of the work by the students has far exceeded expectations and has been extremely well received by WCS staff in the field programs associated with each project,” he said.

In April of 2012, Clark Labs announced their partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society to provide this research seminar geared specifically for real-world conservation projects. The seminar explores various remote sensing techniques and spatial analytical tools for different patterns of environmental degradation in different landscapes. The projects are linked to landscapes and regions where the WCS is actively working.

Professor Rogan says the seminar allows the Clark students to apply all the knowledge they’ve gathered throughout their education at Clark to solve real-world conservation problems.

“Very few universities do such tight collaborations,” said Rogan.

“This relationship contributes to Clark University’s newly launched Liberal Education and Effective Practice (LEEP) initiative by providing an invaluable applied research experience that not only allows students to gain an education in GIS, remote sensing and conservation practices, it builds a skillset for the real world by also incorporating project management, professional presentations and networking.”

Courtesy of Clark University News Hub

From that point on the relationship between public safety and social media changed -- and the public changed forever. GoLocalWorcester takes an in-depth look at how many social media relationships each of the Central MA cities and towns have on Facebook and Twitter and how they use those tools to communicate.

VIEW SLIDESHOW OF WHO HAS THE MOST SOCIAL MEDIA REACH PER CAPITA -- Top Ten FB, Top Ten Twitter

Worcester Most, but Not Most Impact

The Worcester Police Department's Facebook page lists a "Joined Facebook" date of January 20, 2012. Today, the Worcester Police Department has 6,822 Twitter Followers - more than any elected official or local band. The Worcester PD Twitter account is just a fraction of the Boston Police Department which grew to over 340,000 during the Boston Marathon Bombing crisis.

The Worcester Police Department also has more 11,000 Facebook LIKES. Combined Worcester Police Department top 17,000 but as a percentage of their communities population, Barre leads Central MA. With a population of just 5,400, the town has tapped social media gold with 1,716 Facebook LIKES and 825 Twitter followers. 

In Central Massachusetts, the social media adoption of police departments has little relationship with the size or how urban the city of town is. The use of social media seems to be more philosophical and resource driven. 

Holden Not Social

Detective Sergeant Chris Cary with the Holden Police Department told GoLocal, "We don't use any social media right now, but we've been talking about Facebook. We do use e-mail for emergency and updates. Once we use social media, we'll probably have a couple people have access to the accounts, for controls purposes. Again, we're still in the process of looking into it. 

Presently, Holden Police have neither a Facebook or a Twitter account.

Milford's Police Are Building

Deputy Chief James Heron with the Milford Police Department said, "Going back 20 years, when we first started with just a website to get info out, they were very difficult, not user friendly.. You had to hire a guy that cost $15K to manage it, and all kinds of website quality.

Social media made it simpler and easier. The idea was the same -- people like info from us. FB and Twitter make it quick to get updates out road blockages, construction, alerts, that type of thing.

We've got a tip line. Milford Patch is a big help -- they get the word out there along with us. We re-tweet Milford Patch stuff. They read the log and post the daily log. It's mostly me who does the updates, but the Chief has access.

We started less than a year ago...now we've got 1800 likes...700 followers on Twitter. People respond, ask questions, if something big happens we'll post it.

There's been a couple of minor issues with wise guys...we'll remove any of those comments. People ask, "How come you don't put the other log, like putting where the cruisers go?" Well, it's time consuming, and we see other departments who use it post it pretty late.

There can be problems

In 2012, Worcester's Police Chief was sanctioned by the City for misusing social media.  A GoLocalWorcester report unveiled Chief Gary Gemme's social media miscue. As GoLocalWorcester reported, "Worcester Police Chief Gary Gemme violated the city's social media policy Friday morning when he took to Twitter to level a personal attack on GoLocalWorcester.com."

The story went on to report, that "Councilor (Konnie) Lukes addressed Gemme’s behavior on twitter. Councilor Lukes said at a Council meeting, “I asked him not to engage in sophomoric behavior and he said nothing.”

Worcester Police Department refused to return calls on this story. After the controversy, Chief Gemme shutdown his Twitter account and it has been inactive since.

Since 2001, the Prokos encountered their share of unforeseen challenges. With today’s economy, consumers often keep their cars longer, unable to find affordable vehicles in the market. Ed and Beth, however, work night and day to maintain a quality inventory within a variety of affordable price ranges, while maintaining their competitive edge.

Lifelong residents with deep roots in Worcester, the Prokos love cars and their community. Ed’s grandfather opened a fruit-stand business in the 1940s which planted the seed of interest in business and community. Today, the couple pass along their growing business legacy to their two daughters, both 12 and 15 respectively, who enjoy helping out after school.


Tell me a little about the entrepreneurs in your family when you were growing up.

Ed: My dad, his two brothers and his sister all worked in the family business. He worked tirelessly, knew everyone and was so proud of the family name. As a boy, I worked in the greenhouses and went on deliveries with my dad. My grandfather on my mom’s side was also a builder in Worcester.

Can you talk a little bit about what motivated you to found your company?

Ed: I always loved cars. At 22, I bought a gas station in Worcester. Eventually I realized I wanted to repair and sell cars, so I opened North End Motors on West Boylston Street in 1983. In 2001, I sold North End and opened Mill Street Motors.

Why did you choose to start a business in Worcester?

Ed: I was born and raised in Worcester. My family had the business here and I was always inspired by their hard work and determination. I believed in Worcester and never considered starting a business somewhere else. This was where my friends and family were and therefore a good place to start and grow my business.

With so many car sales lots in and around Worcester, what makes your business model unique?

Beth: Ed has been buying cars for resale for 30 years, and is a certified mechanic. He really knows what he's buying. Ed is connected to what people are looking for, and we also don't have sales people. When someone come in, they work with Ed or myself. Working together, we ensure each customer has the best experience possible. It’s rewarding for us to help those who maybe had a financial hardship and deserve another chance. Often times a small car loan is the first step for people working to resolve credit issues.

Over the years, what development would you say has had the most impact on your original plan? How has your plan changed in response?

Ed: I would have never envisioned computers being such a part of my plan way back when. We were probably one of the first dealerships around to feature actual inventory on our website many years ago. Now our site offers the ability to apply for financing online. People have flown in from different parts of the country to buy cars from us! I would never have envisioned how powerful the internet would be as a tool for our business.

What challenges have remained the same since you started?

Ed: Overcoming people's perception of car dealers can be tough some days. It's hard not to take it personally when people automatically think your goal is to take advantage of them. Everyone wants the best car for the least money and to be treated well, and that’s our goal with every customer.

Can you tell me about your engagement and outreach in the community?

Beth: We are members of community and business groups throughout the city. Ed and I believe businesses should play a role in the community beyond just writing a check. I was president of the Nelson Place School PTO where I led the efforts to build a playground at the school. We also helped create the Worcester Citizens for Business in 2009, which is focused on issues surrounding business retention and economic development.

What advice do you have for others who are thinking about entrepreneurship?

Beth: Never miss an opportunity to learn or share. Have a plan but don't be afraid to change it. In a small business, no two days are the same, it’s never going to be like the day you envisioned.

George Charles Allen is founder of The Worcester Regional Flight Academy and serves on the board of Music Worcester.

WHO'S HOT

Tim Murray -- The Lt. Governor scored a $200,000 a year CEO slot as head of the Greater Worcester Chamber of Commerce. The former Mayor who lived through Beacon Hill politics, a near death car crash and weekly beat downs by Howie Carr will return to his hometown and try and turn the Chamber around. The organization has been reeling from budget issues and shrinking membership.  The organization needs to transition from a networking organization to a business advocacy and economic spark for business growth.

Gabriel Gomez -- Ed Markey has to be banging his head against the wall. Each week Gomez looks more senatorial and Markey looks more like machine politician. The race will come down to the wire. MA GOP may rather him lose and then run for Governor or be Lt. Governor candidate with Scott Brown going for Governor.

Scott Brown and Gabriel Gomez - If Gomez loses, could any Democratic ticket beat a Brown-Gomez campaign?

Elizabeth Warren -- From kicking bankers up and down Wall Street to now becoming the legislative voice for those looking at crushing student loan debt, the senior Senator takes top marks as usual for her recent moves.

Worcester Staples Associate, Emily McCann - Thanks to McCann, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MA was awarded $7,500 through a new program called 2 Million & Change, which awards grants to organizations focused on education or job skills. What is different about this philanthropic initiative is that it empowers local Staples associates to choose the non-profit organization who receives funding, thus engaging employees and encouraging community involvement.

Martha Coakley -- Attorney General Martha Coakley’s  awarded $500,000 in grants to help provide access to mental health services to Massachusetts veterans and their families. The funding source is apile of money from  a June 2012 settlement with the Life Insurance Company of North America (LINA). In the settlement, the company agreed to pay $1.7 million to settle allegations that it marketed its health insurance through a variety of improper tactics to more than 1,000 Massachusetts veterans. 

Not Hot

Rep. John Fresolo -- The Worcester Democrat resigned just days after his Ethics Committee hearing. The good news for Fresolo is that his mentor, former Congressman Weiner, announced that he was on the comeback ttrail and would run for Mayor of New York.  Watchout Joe Petty.

Worcester's Influence on Beacon Hill -- The loss of Murray is a hit to Worcester's ability to lobby and impact the decision-making in the State House. Not only is Murray out, Fresolo resigns, but the chances of a GOP Governor are looking better and better each day. With a GOP Governor, does the Chamber pick up or lose influence on important business issues on Beacon Hill with Murray at the helm?

President Obama - Another tough week for the Administration with no answers on Libya, IRS or going after the media for leaks. Low point was when a senior IRS official took the 5th at a Congressional hearing.

Editors Note: We technically are leaving Mayor Petty off the Not Hot list this week because he did post on to Facebook an opinion - he voiced support for the Chamber selecting Murray.  He has still yet to take a position on the bomber being dumped in Worcester or a proposed gambling facility. 

GoLocal collected the likes and followers of each town's police department's facebook and twitter accounts (those who had them), and normalized them by town population. We've highlighted the top 10 towns whose Police Departments have the most facebook likes and twitter followers per capita.

Sources: Facebook, Twitter, and 2010 Census population data via wolframalpha.com

After a late night of deliberation, the Massachusetts Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2014 budget, totaling $33.989 billion, Senator Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury) stated. Over the course of two days, the Senate debated through the 725 amendments that were filed to the Senate budget.

The Senate’s budget closes a $1.2 billion budget gap, while investing in some of the most essential elements of government. The FY14 budget utilizes new revenues generated as a result of the joint transportation finance framework agreed on by the House and Senate last month, and continues the Senate’s commitment to fiscal responsibility while meeting the needs of citizens through restoring vital funding to core services and increasing support for economic and workforce development.

The Senate budget included amendments which continued the chamber’s long history of supporting municipalities and businesses and strengthens public safety and the Commonwealth’s educational system, such as:
• Unanimously supported changes to strengthen the state’s Sex Offender Registry;
• Increased funding for municipal police training programs;
• Changed residency requirements for civil service employees, which Senator Moore co-sponsored;
• Increased the funding to the state’s PILOT programs;
• Increased funding for Shannon Grants, which provide support to communities hardest hit by gang crime and violence, by $750,000 to $7 million in total funding;
• Unanimously increased funding to UGGA funding for municipalities, by $21.5 million, an amendment co-sponsored by Senator Moore, and
• Increased funding for the HomeBASE Rental Assistance program, an amendment also co-sponsored by Senator Moore.

The final Senate budget also included many amendments sponsored by Senator Moore including:
• Increased funding of the regional school transportation line item, which was passed unanimously, by $2 million;
• Funded the Commonwealth Child Care Rate Reserve by $11.5 million;
• Increased funding for the Foster and Adopted Child Tuition and Fee Waiver, which is needed in order to cover fall and spring semester obligations at in-state higher education institutes, by $441,000, totaling $3,674,842 and
• Pro-business amendments relative to consumer price scanners and the elimination of the need to collect HERD forms.

The budget will now move to a conference committee with the House of Representatives to agree upon difference in both chambers’ budgets. The final budget will go to Governor Deval Patrick for his consideration. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

 

Fallon Community Health Plan (FCHP), a nationally recognized, not-for-profit health care services organization, today announced that it will award more than $100,000 in grants to support innovative, community-based programs aimed at one or more of the following priorities:

1. Promoting opportunities for at-risk/proven risk youth and young adults between the ages of 12 to 21 with a specific emphasis on youth preparing to age-out of the system and lose services
2. Providing health and social services for seniors
3. Improving access to good nutrition and promoting physical activity
4. Providing services to support individuals with behavioral and/or mental health issues with a specific emphasis on addressing the needs of the most vulnerable groups by their ethnicity, age, demographics and risk-factors.

Funding priorities were determined by the U.S. Department of Health and Services’ Leading Health Indicators as well as FCHP’s annual needs assessment which identified the health-related issues and gathered the statistical data to support the findings across the region. Organizations meeting the criteria are encouraged to apply for the grants.

“As a mission-focused organization, FCHP has a strong tradition of supporting the many communities we serve. Through our Community Benefits Grants program, we have the opportunity to be part of the solution; each dollar represents our commitment to the health and well-being of people across the Commonwealth,” said Kimberly Salmon, Director of Community Relations for FCHP.

Grants will be awarded to support new, innovative programs or to strengthen existing programs that serve the targeted populations across their entire service area throughout Massachusetts with a particular focus in Barnstable County, Berkshire Country, Bristol County, Essex County, Hampden County, Hampshire County, Franklin County, Middlesex County, Norfolk County, Plymouth County and Worcester counties.

For more information, or to access the 2013 RFP application, visit their website at www.fchp.org/about-fchp/benefits.aspx.
 

Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) announces Commencement Exercises on Friday May 24, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. The event will be held at the DCU Exhibition Hall at the DCU Center, 50 Foster Street, Worcester. Please note: This is a VENUE and DATE change from the original date and location of the graduation ceremony.

Friday’s exercises will honor the largest graduating class in the college’s history, awarding Associate Degrees or certificates to 1,315 graduates.

Quinsigamond Community College is pleased to present the 2013 Trustees’ Citizen’s Award to Vice Chairman of EMC Corporation, Mr. William J. Teuber Jr. The Trustees’ Citizen’s Award is the highest award that the QCC Board bestows upon a private citizen. QCC will honor Mr. Teuber in recognition of his years of leadership in advancing EMC’s generous support of the STEM program at the college, particularly the Women in Technology and Robotics programs on campus. Mr. Tueber joined EMC in 1995 and served as EMC’s Chief Financial Officer between 1997 and August 2006. During this time he was responsible for the company’s worldwide finance operation as well as EMC’s Information Technology and Investor Relations functions. In May of 2006, Mr. Teuber was selected as the first Vice Chairman of EMC Corporation. He directly assists the EMC Chairman and CEO in the daily management of the corporation as well as leading the EMC’s worldwide sales and distribution organization.

All are welcome to attend the ceremony. QCC would like to remind attendees that due to increased security, backpacks are prohibited and other bags will be subject to voluntary search.
For more information, please contact Josh Martin, Director of Institutional Communications at jmartin@qcc.mass.edu or 508.854.7513.
 

What about her last big night out? Check out our Top 5 Bachelorette Party Spots in Central Mass.

Jennifer Roy is President and CEO of Jen Roy PR in Worcester, a boutique public realtions firm that offers creative event planning, corporate social responsibility consulting, public speaking and interview training and video production.

Sure this long weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer for many, but don't forget the true meaning of one of America's most honored, meaningful and important holidays.

First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers in the aftermath of the Civil War, Memorial Day was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.

In Central Mass this weekend, the following parades, observances, and annual celebrations are open to the public.

Sutton
Parade and Ceremonies: 11 am – Monday May 27th
Sutton's Memorial Day Ceremonies and Parade begin at the Sutton Center Common at 11 am and end at the Sutton School.

Holden
Parade and Ceremony: 11 am – Main Street, Monday, May 27th
The Town's Memorial Day Parade will start at 11 am, Monday, May 27. A military honor guard and the Spirit of America Band will lead the parade as it marches down Main Street to the town's traditional memorial observances and salute.

Shrewsbury
Parade and Ceremony: 9:30 am – Maple Avenue, Monday May 27th
The Annual Memorial Day Parade and Services will be held on Monday, May 27th at 9:30 am. Parade participants will form at the Town Hall/Senior Center entrance for drop off at 9:00 am. The Parade starts at 9:30 am at Town Hall and continues to the Town Center. The Memorial Day address will be given in front of the War Memorial at the corner of the library. The Parade will continue to Mountain View Cemetery. All Veterans and Active military personnel are welcome to march in the parade.

Northborough
Parade and Ceremonies: 12 pm –Monroe Street, Monday, May 27th
The parade will begin on Monroe Street with best viewing options on Main Street, Church Street, and Howard Street. There will be ceremonies at the Civil War, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and First World War Monuments. There will be an additional ceremony at the Vietnam Monument/flagpole at the Howard Street Cemetery.

West Boylston
5k Run and Walk and American Legion BBQ: 10 am – Hartwell Street, Saturday, May 25th
The 5K event on May 25th features prizes in several age groups. T-shirts are available for the first 50 registrations. The race includes water stations, awards and post-race refreshments. Join other town residents for the Annual American Legion Chicken BBQ after the race from 1 pm - 3 pm ($10.00 per person). A festival is scheduled throughout the day with a bonfire and fireworks at Goodale Park.
 

Spencer
45th Annual Memorial Day Weekend Powwow: 92 McCormick Road, May 25th-26th
The American Indianist Society once again organizes this event for Memorial Day Weekend. Attend afternoon and evening dance sessions featuring southern and northern drums. Traders will be present with authentic Native American supplies, crafts, and other handmade items. A number of vendors will also be on hand with many different kinds of food.

Sturbridge
Wool Day at Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, May 25-27th
An annual activity, this weekend are the Wool Days at Old Sturbridge Village. The resident sheep get their yearly haircut in preparation for the summer. The usual costumed performers demonstrate the old tradition for the public. Other fun activities are also planned.

Worcester
Water Ceremony, Sunday, May 26, 2 pm at Elm Park
126th Memorial Day Observance/Remembrance Ceremony, Monday, May 27, 9 am at Hope Cemetery
Wreath Laying Ceremony, Monday, May 27, 1 pm at Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Green Hill Park
 

Ashburnham
Parade: 8:45 am, Monday 27th
The parade begins at 8:45 am on Monday.

Fitchburg
Parade: 10 am, Monday, May 27th
Fitchburg's parade begins at 10 am on Monday.

Westminster
Parade: 11 am, Monday, May 27th
Westminster's parade begins at 11 am on Monday.

In the past decade, more than 500,000 kids have hit the country’s fields and courts with donated uniforms, shoes, balls and other equipment, thanks to Good Sports, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit dedicated to partnering with manufacturers to provide youth with sporting goods. Now, the organization is celebrating the donation of $8.8 million in sports and fitness equipment over 10 years, as well as more than a half-million kids outfitted for physical activity.

An inaugural donation of 500 basketballs from Spalding, donated to local Boston-area sports organizations, kicked the program off in 2003. Since then, Good Sports has expanded from Massachusetts to 41 states across the country, serving youth in 22 diverse sports – from volleyball to boating, soccer to gymnastics. To date, the nonprofit has helped more than 1,000 youth sports teams, leagues and clubs, channeling donated sports equipment from top-of-the-line manufacturers to organizations in need. As a result, 69 percent of recipient organizations reported serving more youth, while 68 percent dropped participation costs for families; 64 percent started new athletic programs.

Melissa Harper and Christy Keswick, the organization’s executive duo and members of the founding team behind Good Sports, believe all kids deserve the chance to play, and receive the vast health and social benefits of regular activity, regardless of where they live and family income. Looking ahead, Harper and Keswick hope to build on the nonprofit’s impressive first decade of growth, as they believe at least five million more kids need help getting on the field.

“Physical activity is critical for child development, not only physically but academically and emotionally,” Good Sports CEO Melissa Harper said.

“Kids from advantaged backgrounds should not be the only ones to benefit from sports and fitness. All kids should have the opportunity to play, and we are committed to making that a reality.”

Good Sports’ success stems from its mutually-beneficial partnership model, which since inception has included 114 relationships with sporting goods manufacturers and corporations. Partners benefit from channeling donation requests through Good Sports, generating a strong return on investment, in addition to the positive marketing and public relations benefits. Equipment partners, like New Balance, Easton-Bell Sports, Reebok and Wilson, further benefit through significant operational efficiencies gained through a donation partnership with the organization, as it allows them to easily shed surplus products.

Good Sports also collaborates with numerous corporate partners, including several Fortune 500 companies. Professional athletes and teams also partner to deliver donations and serve as role models; pro partners include Will Middlebrooks of the Boston Red Sox, Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots, Carl Landry of the Golden State Warriors and Corey Wooten of the Chicago Bears, as well as pro sports teams, including the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia Eagles.

For more information click here.