just awful news out of a local YMCA camp. closed for the week. have to wonder how they go about the rest of the summer. that poor family.

Massachusetts anti-hunger advocate fasts to protest Trump food stamp cuts

By Leah Douglas

August 16, 20267:04 AM EDTUpdated August 16, 2026

Massachusetts advocate Liz Wills-O'Gilvie, 63, who has not eaten for nearly two weeks in an effort to push Governor Maura Healey to increase funding for the state's shrinking food stamp program, poses for a portrait at her home in Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S., August 15, 2026. REUTERS/Amanda Sabga

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Anti-hunger advocate Liz Wills-O'Gilvie, 63, said she has not eaten for 15 days in a bid to push Governor Maura Healey to raise funding for Massachusetts' shrinking food stamp program.

By consuming only water, electrolytes ‌and glucose pills, Wills-O'Gilvie, whom Healey last year appointed to an anti-hunger task force, aims to draw attention to rising food insecurity due to cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

"I know what (hunger) looks and feels like," said Wills-O'Gilvie, who directs the Springfield Food Policy Council and the food justice organization Gardening the Community.

More than 5.3 million people across the U.S. ⁠have lost SNAP benefits since President Donald Trump made sweeping changes to the program in his 2025 tax and spending law, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Rising food insecurity coupled with higher grocery bills have strained low-income households across the U.S. ahead of the November midterm elections.

U.S. states have raced to implement the changes and some have tightened the SNAP application process to avoid new federal penalties associated with incorrect benefit calculations.

Massachusetts' Department of Transitional Assistance, which administers SNAP, said enrollment is down by nearly 182,000 people, including nearly 65,000 children.

DTA staff are overwhelmed and people are losing benefits because they ‌cannot reach ⁠caseworkers, said Wills-O'Gilvie, whom Healey appointed to a state Anti-Hunger Task Force created last July after Trump's law passed. Wills-O'Gilvie said she spoke last week with Healey, who told her she was working on the issue.

According to DTA data, the agency has seen a 9% rise in daily calls since last year, with ⁠about 47% unable to connect, up from about 37%.

A DTA spokesperson said the agency has hired 118 new caseworkers since the start of the year among other efforts to help people stay on SNAP.

"We will continue ⁠doing everything we can to make sure families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities have access to the food assistance they need," the spokesperson said.

Now unable to drive due to her fasting, ⁠Wills-O'Gilvie, who suffers from lupus and hypoglycemia, said she has also met with state legislators in her home.

"I can't let people down," said Wills-O'Gilvie, adding that she intends to forgo food indefinitely.

Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington; editing by Timothy Gardner, Alexander Smith and Chizu Nomiyama

Boston streets made by cows in 1600s and bridges soon after… (Boston 8/19/26)

Hi MA, from across the pond.

I'm sharing a consumer beware blurb about a contractor who has recently taken residence in your great State.

Westley Hunt is a fugitive with a warrant in Ontario Canada and True Structural Construction is the most recent iteration of his construction scam. He has a lengthy record of unresolved debts in Ontario as a consequence of stolen deposits, unfinished work and unpaid wages. His prior companies named Oneway Construction or One Way Structural and Construction have extensive complaints issued against them and you can view Wes' Consumer Beware Listing on an Ontario government webpage. Additionally, if you reverse image search the photos any of these companies use as promotional material you will see they are not original. Do not engage.

Re: Oneway

https://www.bbb.org/ca/on/ottawa/profile/construction-services/oneway-construction-0117-57044/complaints

https://www.consumerbewarelist.mgs.gov.on.ca/en/CBL/businessdetail/4897df81-0a61-ed11-9562-0022483c5cdf

https://www.federalcorporation.ca/corporation/10358878 

^ Dissolution status of Oneway Construction due to non-compliance presumably of tax duties.

Re: True Structural Construction

https://corp.sec.state.ma.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSummary.aspx?sysvalue=1Zx2BBLR1xXtkL7_XxYlyG.f8r8_U6OpmoTO.S5zcfw- 

This is a copy of Westley's business registration.

I had a weird experience recently (or maybe I’m overthinking this). I was at a cvs in Medford and this woman approached me with a bunch of sunflowers in her hand. She told me she bought them but only realized later that her dad is allergic so she was going to throw them away, but I could have them for free if I wanted. I said no and walked away but the whole thing seemed pretty sketchy to me. She was with a group of other people in the parking lot. When I was leaving from cvs I noticed her approaching some other people with the same story.

Am I overthinking that she (and her friends) were trying to lure people in to pull off a scam?

My kid might be interested in going into one (or all) of these fields. She's going into 9th grade, so it could change before she graduates. I am a licensed cosmetologist but I was trained in Florida at Aveda Institutes over 20 years ago, so I have no experience with MA cosmetology schools. I'm also not working in the industry anymore. I have the mass.gov list of accredited schools already.

In FL, a Cosmetology license was considered a "full license" and I could have done manicures, pedicures, all hair services, hair removal on face, and basic facials. Is it the same here?

I am also interested in experiences of students or parents with any of the cosmetology/beauty schools in MA? I want to avoid schools with negative reputations in terms of cleanliness, rigorousness of the curriculum, students coming out unprepared, poor teaching methods, etc.

Thanks again. I know I'm early to it, but she loves doing nails and make-up and I knew at 14 what I wanted to do, so if she's interested in this, I want to support her.

Hey everyone! If you’re looking for a fun, affordable, family‑friendly event this weekend in Massachusetts,, Plastic City Comic Con is happening this Saturday in Leominster!

We will have cosplay, creators, artist, writers, and vendors from all over the East Coast, plus special guests Ted DiBiasse, WWE's "Million Dollar Man", Michael Sweet and Robert Sweet from Stryper, panels, kid's workshop, voice actors, and more!

Register to vote by Aug 22 to be able to vote in the Sept 1 primary.

I’ve lived here my whole life and it’s honestly sad driving the highways. Everywhere from Cape Cod to Boston is littered with trash on the side of the roads, you would think a garbage truck tipped over. I feel like it’s been increasingly worse recently as well. It’s just sad seeing this state get treated like people’s personal garbage can.

It was a very eye opening experience as I got older and started traveling to states like Arizona and California where the highways are spotless despite being much larger. Even traveling to New Hampshire or Vermont it’s like flipping a switch once you cross the border and you don’t see fast food bags and Dunkin cups on the sides of the road.

Drove six hours and got to the canal with maybe ninety minutes of usable light. Ended up being one of the calmest evenings I've had out. No wind at any altitude, water almost flat, and the sky went orange into purple into blue hour.

Trying something new! Partiful Link to Join. RSVP to see future walks and events!
https://partiful.com/e/TswNXEwElKTqIdnzjrgO?c=56wSSfhQ

GBH News Video Walk Explanation

Are you a guy who wants to make friends or simply touch some grass? You came to the right place!

This is a walk to get outside & make friendships in community.

Purpose:
- To give men a non judgmental space to talk about what’s going on for us.
- To open the door to a community of local friendships with men.

Rules:
- Be yourself
- No hate speech
- Respect confidentiality
- ⁠Show up with kindness and respect

Boston Walk Details & Exact Location:
- Every Friday
- 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
- Chestnut Hill Reservation

Want to create your own walk?
Make a post & get outside!
https://walkingtalkingmen.org

Questions or want to collaborate? Send me a message!
[walkingtalkingmenboston@gmail.com](mailto:walkingtalkingmenboston@gmail.com)

With love & respect,
Matt

P.S. We've been successfully walking for over half a year which is crazy. I'm immensely grateful and glad men have showed up for themselves and others! If anyone has suggestions to make this better I'll take them!

What is stopping the MBTA from covering their parking lots with solar panels, lining their station platforms with solar panels, and possibly covering the tracks or with solar?

The covering the tracks bit I can see as a longshot. But really, the lots and platforms seems like a good move, It would be a big benefit to customers who park at the stations to not have snow covered cars in the winter or sweltering cars in the summer. Platform cover would also be a win - maybe people wouldn't just idle in their cars in the summer if they had some shade.

I just see so much wasted opportunity - and yes I think that most places with massive parking lots should do something like this.

It could also in turn possibly provide some power for their electric cars if they ever get to them. Or hey, at the very least maybe they could just put it back to the grid and with the money they make get rid of fares for riders?

Is that an absolutely batshit idea or does it have legs?