Worcester, MA -Khailah N-R Griffin, a 2022 graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in Business Administration and Pre-Medical Studies, call into Talk of the Commonwealth to talk about the upcoming Miss Massachusetts contest. The 2024 Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Competition will be held at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester on Friday, June 21 with finals on Saturday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. Khailah busts the stereotypes of pageant contests and speaks with Hank about being Miss Worcester County and the work she is doing and hopes to do on the unhoused problem facing Massachusetts. Supporters help select the People’s Choice position by voting online. Each vote is $1.00 and counts as one vote. Online voting is live now and will end at 10:00 PM on Friday, June 21. For more details visit www.missmass.org and click on the online voting link.

Worcester, MA –Nipmuc Regional High School has begun a new internship program for High School Juniors. Lily Killeen spent three weeks working the Talk of the Commonwealth morning show. As part of her internship project she worked on this podcast. The first class is twenty students. The District has been thinking of launching this program for the last several years to provide authentic experiences to students in their Junior year so they can see firsthand some of what it takes to succeed in their areas of interest. It will allow opportunities for the Senior year and perhaps even lead to employment.

Worcester, MA -MassEducate is a program that would allow tuition-free, universal community college for all Massachusetts residents. Quinsigamond Community College President Luis Pedraja told Talk of the Commonwealth he is in favor of MassEducate and pointed to the success of MassReconnect, a program that has allowed those twenty-five and older without a college degree to go back to school tuition free. MassEducate would invest $75.5 million in new spending to cover tuition and fees for all residents, and offer an up to $1,200 stipend for books, supplies, and other costs to students who make 125% or less of median income in the state. Massachusetts would be the first state to offer such a program.

Worcester, MA -Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus joined Talk of the Commonwealth to talk about the Curtis Apartments project in Worcester. Part of the Worcester Housing Authority’s state-funded public housing, Curtis Apartments consists of 372 units of public housing that were built in the early 1950s to provide homes for returning veterans and their families. The redevelopment project consists of demolishing and replacing the buildings with 529 new apartments that will include a mix of income restrictions. The new development will include 53 fully accessible units. Augustus spoke about the challenges being faced in the housing market in 2024 and how public housing is part of the answer to those challenges. At the groundbreaking Augustus said “The collaboration between the city, Worcester Housing Authority, and Trinity Financial is a model for transforming living spaces and meeting crucial housing needs.” He told TOTC about Massachusetts’s Housing Campaign and how the federal government has to be a partner and part of the solution along with the state and cities.

Worcester, MA -Uxbridge School Superintendent Michael Baldassarre says he and his team are working on a revised budget to present at a town meeting in June. Baldassare told Talk of the Commonwealth that if two-thirds of members at the next town meeting vote down the school budget it will mean that on July 1st the Uxbridge School System closes down. How did it get here? On May 14th Uxbridge Town Meeting members narrowly, five votes, voted down the school budget. Because of that, a two-thirds vote is required at the next Town Meeting. Superintendent Michael Baldassarre said it could mean a bare-bones budget in order to get it passed, and they concentrate on the essentials but he says remember you are competing against other Districts which would be spending much more per pupil. He tells us a misunderstanding at Town Hall led to confusion and that may have influenced the vote. He also says some teachers are already looking at other opportunities in other districts.

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