Thank a cop today.
The Niagara Falls Police Department has taken a little bit of a beating in recent months, but Sunday morning a couple of hero cops showed once again the level of courage and dedication almost routinely displayed by city lawmen. Officers Michael Bird and Walter Nichols, responding to...

Council thwarts marijuana proposal; Two orders get sent to the circular file.
Byline: Nick Kotsopoulos WORCESTER - The City Council last night thwarted an effort to have the city establish an additional civil penalty, and even the possibility of criminal indictment, for the use of marijuana on public property. By a 7-4 vote, the council placed on...

City attempts to strengthen pot penalties; Use on public land eyed.
Byline: Nick Kotsopoulos WORCESTER - A move is in the works on the City Council to have the city establish a civil penalty, and even the possibility of criminal indictment, for the use of marijuana on public property under the control of the city. Councilor-at-Large...

Fire destroys city landmark; Arson suspected in blaze at Coggshall stone house.
Byline: Anna L. Griffin FITCHBURG - A fire that ripped through the stone house at Coggshall Park, one of the city's best known landmarks, cut through the roof and second floor, leaving only smoldering stone pillars as evidence that anything was ever there. Investigators from...

Panel ponders ban on smoking in parks.
Byline: Anna L. Griffin LEOMINSTER - The city Recreation Commission is seeking legal advice on whether it can ban smoking at public parks and playgrounds. "They decided at the meeting to seek legal counsel," said Judith Sumner, director of the Recreation Department. The...

To the point; New law may jeopardize used needle and syringe drop boxes.
Byline: Ellie Oleson Trash hauling can be hazardous, particularly for those at risk of being stuck with a used hypodermic needle. To try to prevent such incidents, the Massachusetts Public Health Council approved regulations banning needles from the residential trash stream as of 2010, but...

Conviction of the heart: implementing leave-no-trace principles in outdoor recreation: here is a model for teaching students to respect the outdoors.
A record number of Americans are rediscovering the benefits of outdoor recreational pursuits. In 2004, nearly 277 million recreational visits were recorded by the United States national park system (Haney, 2006). The increased use of recreation areas has become an issue in the United States. Evidence of recreational impacts...

Beacon Hill Roll Call.
Beacon Hill Roll Call, by Bob Katzen, this week examines the voting records of local senators on Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick's vetoes of items in the $28.22 billion fiscal year 2009 budget. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. The...

MINDANAO NEWSBITS.
Ordinance to ban cigarette vending on streets readied DAVAO CITY - The proposed ordinance prohibiting the sale of cigarettes in public places was passed after the first reading under suspended rules at the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) here. City Councilor Peter Lavina proposed the measure to support the...

The importance of play: Part Two: this article presents installment two of a three-part series that features the importance of play for children of all abilities. EP is pleased to partner with the International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) in bringing this series to EP's readers.
Let's start with a story: mom and dad won't let you go outside and play with your friends. It's not fair, right? Well, some public playgrounds are built just like that; they are places where not all kids can go out and play with their friends. Some...