| Fashion News Massachusetts |
State Is Feeding Inmates' Hunger for Healthy, Nonviolent Meals
For Immediate Release:
December 21, 2007
Contact:
Lindsay Rajt 757-622-7382
Boston -- With the demand for meatless options rising at an unprecedented rate, the healthy and humane trend has even found its way behind bars.
PETA researched which states are doing the best job meeting their prison inmates' hunger for meatless meals, and the results are in: Massachusetts
has placed second on PETA's list of the Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly State Prison Systems.
Prison food has traditionally gotten a bad rap, but you won't hear many complaints from vegetarians and vegans who are serving time in
Massachusetts. The faux-chicken cutlets, vegetarian chicken stew, mock-chicken nuggets, and vegetarian meatballs have inmates asking for seconds.
PETA wants every state to mandate vegetarian options for prisoners--just as the federal prison system did after a PETA member and then-federal
inmate filed a lawsuit because he was being denied vegan meals. Numerous inmates who are hoping to make positive changes in their lives have
written to PETA for information about going vegetarian for health- or animal welfare-related reasons.
"Whenever you see convicted criminals turning away from a violent animal-based diet, it's a good sign," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich.
"We commend Massachusetts for helping to protect its inmates' health and deeply held beliefs."
Idaho took first place on PETA's list, with menu items such as lentil shepherd's pie, vegan pizza and hotcakes, meatless sausage, and an array of
vegan cakes, cookies, and pies. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Utah, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Kansas, Tennessee, and North Dakota rounded out the top
10. Each state will receive a framed certificate and a letter of appreciation from PETA.
To read the complete results of the survey, please visit PETA's Web site GoVeg.com. Click here <http://www.newsweek.com/id/74327> to see a
story about PETA's Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Prison Systems in Newsweek.
GLOBE SANTA
For her children, a Christmas they deserve
By Erin K. O'Connell, Globe Santa Correspondent | December 22, 2007
Whether tidying up the house or settling down with a book, the 6-year-old girl knows where she wants to be - right beside her mom.
"She just wants to be around me all the time," wrote her mother. "If I am cleaning, she wants to clean. If I am reading a book or doing anything, she
wants to do the same."
Like many parents, this single mother is struggling to provide for her children this holiday season. With three children to care for, her resources are
spread so thin that she cannot buy them presents for Christmas.
In a letter to Globe Santa, she explained her situation and lamented that she could not give her children the kind of Christmas they deserve.
"Being the only one who works and the only income that comes into the house, it is a bit hard at Christmastime after we pay the rent and bills,"
she wrote.
Her children are a constant source of joy. Her daughter is the youngest, and her two good-natured sons ages 8 and 11 make her happy despite all
their struggles.
Her eldest son "is just so helpful around the house and a great student who works so hard in school." Her 8-year-old "is such a loving and caring
child," she wrote. "He is always giving me hugs and kisses. He loves to be around his older brother and wants to do everything he does."
"I am one lucky mom to have the greatest children in the world," she wrote.
For 51 years, Globe Santa and his generous contributors have helped families in need present their children with gifts on Christmas.
This year, Globe Santa is working to help more than 29,000 families in Eastern Massachusetts.
He also has a goal to again raise more than $1 million in the Globe Santa Fund drive, which runs through the end of the year.
All money donated to the drive goes directly toward purchasing gifts for children.
Because of Globe Santa's friends and contributors, thousands of deserving children will have a merrier Christmas this year. Their generosity does
not go unnoticed by the mother whose children bring her so much joy.
"I truly want to thank you for everything," she wrote. "I am so grateful to know there are people out there so caring for others."
In the arts, a cast of hundreds
December 21, 2007
GREATER BOSTON'S cultural community just got a checkup, and the results are troubling. Sure, a lot looks good on the surface, from the
Institute of Contemporary Art's new waterfront building to the many families who brave the cold to see the "The Nutcracker."
But a new Boston Foundation report points to bad cases of financial distress behind the scenes. From 1999 to 2004, the number of Greater Boston
cultural organizations increased by 17 percent. But over those five years, all these groups were swimming in a shrinking pond; average revenues for
cultural groups decreased by 16 percent. More groups may mean higher administrative costs and too few board members to go around.
The report bluntly calls on struggling organizations to consider "exit strategies." Ailing organizations could merge, or they could pull their own
plugs and close. But before groups decide anything, they need to take an honest look at their challenges and seek out creative ways to respond.
The report names few names, but it does identify some common patterns. It notes that some midsized organizations may have more bricks and
mortar than they can afford. While a building can seem like a moneymaking status symbol, these facilities also run up costs.
Groups without their own facilities should go to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which helps cultural leaders assess whether to build. Those
who develop a sound plan for construction can apply for money from the council's cultural facilities fund. The fund's screening process plays a
constructive role; grants go only to groups that appear capable of sustaining themselves.
The current environment offers an opportunity to find efficiencies, better serve communities, and help strong local organizations achieve
world-class status, argues Dan Hunter, executive director of the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities.
As the Boston Foundation report points out, there's more to learn about audiences. This should include figuring out the role of new technology and
keeping up with the Boston area's growing minority communities.
The cultural community also has to continue its advocacy in the State House. Limits on home rule deny cities and towns the option of raising taxes
to support the arts. Without this power, Boston can't keep up with the ample cultural funding found in New York and San Francisco.
Ultimately, though, individual nonprofits have to decide whether they can survive. Greater Boston is richer for its variety of arts organizations, and
if groups use these leaner times as an impetus to innovate, so much the better. But groups should feel no shame in deciding that their artistic
interests are best served by combining with others. One way or another, the Boston Foundation's report could lead to creative change.
For Immediate Release:
December 21, 2007
Contact:
Lindsay Rajt 757-622-7382
Boston -- With the demand for meatless options rising at an unprecedented rate, the healthy and humane trend has even found its way behind bars.
PETA researched which states are doing the best job meeting their prison inmates' hunger for meatless meals, and the results are in: Massachusetts
has placed second on PETA's list of the Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly State Prison Systems.
Prison food has traditionally gotten a bad rap, but you won't hear many complaints from vegetarians and vegans who are serving time in
Massachusetts. The faux-chicken cutlets, vegetarian chicken stew, mock-chicken nuggets, and vegetarian meatballs have inmates asking for seconds.
PETA wants every state to mandate vegetarian options for prisoners--just as the federal prison system did after a PETA member and then-federal
inmate filed a lawsuit because he was being denied vegan meals. Numerous inmates who are hoping to make positive changes in their lives have
written to PETA for information about going vegetarian for health- or animal welfare-related reasons.
"Whenever you see convicted criminals turning away from a violent animal-based diet, it's a good sign," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich.
"We commend Massachusetts for helping to protect its inmates' health and deeply held beliefs."
Idaho took first place on PETA's list, with menu items such as lentil shepherd's pie, vegan pizza and hotcakes, meatless sausage, and an array of
vegan cakes, cookies, and pies. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Utah, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Kansas, Tennessee, and North Dakota rounded out the top
10. Each state will receive a framed certificate and a letter of appreciation from PETA.
To read the complete results of the survey, please visit PETA's Web site GoVeg.com. Click here <http://www.newsweek.com/id/74327> to see a
story about PETA's Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Prison Systems in Newsweek.
GLOBE SANTA
For her children, a Christmas they deserve
By Erin K. O'Connell, Globe Santa Correspondent | December 22, 2007
Whether tidying up the house or settling down with a book, the 6-year-old girl knows where she wants to be - right beside her mom.
"She just wants to be around me all the time," wrote her mother. "If I am cleaning, she wants to clean. If I am reading a book or doing anything, she
wants to do the same."
Like many parents, this single mother is struggling to provide for her children this holiday season. With three children to care for, her resources are
spread so thin that she cannot buy them presents for Christmas.
In a letter to Globe Santa, she explained her situation and lamented that she could not give her children the kind of Christmas they deserve.
"Being the only one who works and the only income that comes into the house, it is a bit hard at Christmastime after we pay the rent and bills,"
she wrote.
Her children are a constant source of joy. Her daughter is the youngest, and her two good-natured sons ages 8 and 11 make her happy despite all
their struggles.
Her eldest son "is just so helpful around the house and a great student who works so hard in school." Her 8-year-old "is such a loving and caring
child," she wrote. "He is always giving me hugs and kisses. He loves to be around his older brother and wants to do everything he does."
"I am one lucky mom to have the greatest children in the world," she wrote.
For 51 years, Globe Santa and his generous contributors have helped families in need present their children with gifts on Christmas.
This year, Globe Santa is working to help more than 29,000 families in Eastern Massachusetts.
He also has a goal to again raise more than $1 million in the Globe Santa Fund drive, which runs through the end of the year.
All money donated to the drive goes directly toward purchasing gifts for children.
Because of Globe Santa's friends and contributors, thousands of deserving children will have a merrier Christmas this year. Their generosity does
not go unnoticed by the mother whose children bring her so much joy.
"I truly want to thank you for everything," she wrote. "I am so grateful to know there are people out there so caring for others."
In the arts, a cast of hundreds
December 21, 2007
GREATER BOSTON'S cultural community just got a checkup, and the results are troubling. Sure, a lot looks good on the surface, from the
Institute of Contemporary Art's new waterfront building to the many families who brave the cold to see the "The Nutcracker."
But a new Boston Foundation report points to bad cases of financial distress behind the scenes. From 1999 to 2004, the number of Greater Boston
cultural organizations increased by 17 percent. But over those five years, all these groups were swimming in a shrinking pond; average revenues for
cultural groups decreased by 16 percent. More groups may mean higher administrative costs and too few board members to go around.
The report bluntly calls on struggling organizations to consider "exit strategies." Ailing organizations could merge, or they could pull their own
plugs and close. But before groups decide anything, they need to take an honest look at their challenges and seek out creative ways to respond.
The report names few names, but it does identify some common patterns. It notes that some midsized organizations may have more bricks and
mortar than they can afford. While a building can seem like a moneymaking status symbol, these facilities also run up costs.
Groups without their own facilities should go to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which helps cultural leaders assess whether to build. Those
who develop a sound plan for construction can apply for money from the council's cultural facilities fund. The fund's screening process plays a
constructive role; grants go only to groups that appear capable of sustaining themselves.
The current environment offers an opportunity to find efficiencies, better serve communities, and help strong local organizations achieve
world-class status, argues Dan Hunter, executive director of the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities.
As the Boston Foundation report points out, there's more to learn about audiences. This should include figuring out the role of new technology and
keeping up with the Boston area's growing minority communities.
The cultural community also has to continue its advocacy in the State House. Limits on home rule deny cities and towns the option of raising taxes
to support the arts. Without this power, Boston can't keep up with the ample cultural funding found in New York and San Francisco.
Ultimately, though, individual nonprofits have to decide whether they can survive. Greater Boston is richer for its variety of arts organizations, and
if groups use these leaner times as an impetus to innovate, so much the better. But groups should feel no shame in deciding that their artistic
interests are best served by combining with others. One way or another, the Boston Foundation's report could lead to creative change.
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