Talk of the Commonwealth

Jason Palitsch, Shrewsbury School Committee Chair and Government Affairs for Veterans INC, jumped on the line to talk about lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 locally. He tells us why this is a good thing and how it would work.

There is a push at the national, state, and local levels to reduce the voting age for varying reasons.

Worcester Mayor Joe Petty and City Councilor Sean Rose (D1) talk about the new 5-year contract extension given to City Manager Ed Augustus by a unanimous 11-0 vote

District 4 City Councilor Sarai Rivera joins us to talk about the push from some to put a full-time Resource Officer at Claremont Academy (located in District 4).

She doesn't want an officer put into the school, says there are better ways to use that money and to achieve the desired results.

March 8th & 9th will be the first annual conference on boys, "Strength, Character and Heart: Our Voices on the Journey to Manhood." The goal for this event is twofold: to explore the issues affecting young men and their education in school and beyond and to create a call for action among leaders for city-wide initiatives to support and develop our youth.

Learn More: https://www.bgcworcester.org/news-events/2019/join-us-first-boys-conference-march-8th-and-9th

Chantel Bethea announced her intentions to run for Worcester School Committee in dreamt fashion, after blasting the current school committee over their handling of Sex Ed.

She joined us this morning to talk about why she is running and the issues most important to her. She talked about; having a Parent's Perspective, Transparency, Accountability, and Honesty from the Committee, and Sex Ed. She said the School Committee should represent the community it serves and be reflective of the people in it.

Laura Clancey joined us this morning to talk to us about why she's decided to run for Worcester School Committee and the issues most important to her.

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Worcester Magazine reporter Bill Shaner joins us to explain the Community Benefits Agreement that was signed for the YWCA renovation and the potential CBA with the Worcester Red Sox.

Bill tells us what labor and community activists are looking for, and what the possibility is of a CBA actually coming to fruition.

Hank and Ben welcome on Robin Currie, The Founder of Central Mass Freedom Coalition, for a conversation about the Robert Kraft spa scandal and Sex Trafficking.

Dr. Mattie Castiel, Worcester's Health & Human Services Commissioner, joins us in studio to talk primarily about safe injection sites and their effectiveness, but we also touch on The Flu and Sex Ed.

In action to Worcester HHS Commissioner, Dr. Castiel is also a member of the Massachusetts' Harm Reduction Commission and studied safe injection sites.

17th Worcester District State Representative David LeBoeuf joined us this morning in studio to talk about a bill that he has co-sponsored that would take a look at places underserved by local journalism.

Rep. Lori Ehrlich, a Marblehead Democrat, filed a bill (co-sponsored by LeBoeuf) that would create a 17-member commission to study communities underserved by local journalism

Bill - HD 2360