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May 27, 2024
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Focus on Energy & Sustainability

The green outdoors: Indoor cannabis cultivation has a big environmental impact, but a few Central Mass. growers are blazing a more sustainable trail

Eric Casey

Outdoor growers face a litany of hurdles to bring product to market, but the end result can be an environmentally friendlier option to indoor production.

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    Crompton Collective owner to open new Canal District store

    Sarah Connell Sanders

    Sol Rune is the fifth small business in Chase’s retail portfolio, which includes Crompton Collective, a boutique marketplace in the Canal District, as well as three Massachusetts locations of The Haberdash, a women’s clothing and gift shop.

  • Advice
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    Advice

    Battery storage issues ignite conflict

    Amanda Zuretti

    Massachusetts’ ambitious green energy initiatives are making some local officials see red. 

  • Advice
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    Advice

    4 Things I know about … Driving consumer goods sales

    Brittany Wong

    In 2023, retail sales increased 5.6%. Retail and e-commerce have changed a lot in the last five years, but companies have plenty of opporunities to gain market share

  • Advice
    Advice

    101: Achieving work-life balance

    Sloane M. Perron

    Through prioritizing, setting realistic expectations, and implementing changes, you can take the first steps to achieving balance.

  • Editorial
    Editorial

    Editorial: Population central

    The U.S. Census Bureau's mid-May release of city and county populations for 2023 prove Central Massachusetts – particularly Worcester – is an increasingly popular place.

  • Opinion
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    Opinion

    Viewpoint: Why women mentors should pick male mentees

    Connie Askin

    A female mentor may both wield skills differently than men and may be more likely to invest in their mentee’s development.

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    Opinion

    A Thousand Words: Saint Vincent's labor troubles

    Ramón L. Sandoval

    Saint Vincent Hospital of Worcester continues to be embroiled in contentious litigation and negotiations stemming from accusations from employees claiming unsafe working conditions and unfair treatment.

  • Editorial
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    Editorial

    From the Editor: Climate change is coming for us all

    Brad Kane

    For this edition’s Focus on Energy & Sustainability, WBJ’s articles examine alternative ways of doing things, where the health of the planet is a top priority.

  • Movers & Shakers
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    Movers & Shakers

    Movers & Shakers for May 27, 2024

    Employees at Bowditch & Dewey, Leominster Credit Union, and JNP Coffee are making upward moves.

WBJ Web Partners

Today's Poll

Should Massachusetts significantly reduce the environmental review time for new housing projects?
Poll Description

In an effort to increase the pace of new housing development in Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey has proposed streamlining the environmental review process for certain new housing projects, with the goal of reducing the time spent on the process from about one year to 30 days. Environmental reviews are a hallmark of community planning, to ensure new development doesn't negatively impact surrounding properties or natural resources, even though the process does add significant time and often cost to projects. Healey's proposal comes after Massachusetts fell behind the national average in new housing production, despite adding 90,000 new units since she became governor in 2023.

New England already averages the longest timeline in the nation to build a single-family home once the developer has been giving the authorization to move forward with construction, according to U.S. Census statistics compiled by the National Association of Home Builders. In 2023, single-family homes in New England averaged 13.9 months from permit to completion. The South Atlantic states have the lowest average of 8.9 months while the region that includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana is the second quickest at 9.4 months. The second-longest average after New England is the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania region, which takes 13.2 months.

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