BOSTON — Good government advocates are renewing a push to make permanent pandemic-related rules temporarily authorizing remote meetings for local governing boards, but the move faces opposition from cities and towns which argue they shouldn’t be required to provide virtual participation.
On Monday a coalition of groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, Common Cause Massachusetts and the New England Newspaper & Press Association, urged lawmakers to act on a bill that would require cities and towns to provide options for officials and members of the public to attend meetings in person or remotely.
Temporary rules adopted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed local governing boards — as well as the state Legislature — to meet remotely to conduct business as part of broader efforts to reduce the spread of the virus.
Those emergency rules expired with the state’s public health emergency, but lawmakers extended the temporary law allowing remote local meetings and public participation. It’s set to expire next year.
“The countdown is on: If lawmakers don’t act this session, people with disabilities or other reasons they can’t attend meetings will be completely shut out when city councils, select boards, or school committees decide to hold meetings exclusively in person,” the groups wrote in a joint statement.
“Accessibility makes our democracy stronger, and we can’t afford to close the door on these perspectives and communities,” they said.
The proposal is one of several bills in the current session they call for making hybrid and remote meetings permanent.
Lawmakers are considering the changes as part of the so-called Municipal Empowerment Act, filed by Gov. Maura Healey in January.
The legislation, which is being considered by the Legislature’s Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, would make permanent other pandemic-era policies like authorizing restaurants to offer outdoor dining and selling to-go cocktails with takeout food.
But the coalition is criticizing Healey’s proposal, saying it would give cities and towns the discretion to offer remote or hybrid meeting access but not require it, which “would surely limit the public’s ability to participate.”
“By contrast, the Legislature has embraced hybrid access for public hearings and other events, demonstrating the feasibility and importance of the coalition’s proposed reforms to the Open Meeting Law,” the groups said.
The move to make remote meetings permanent is backed by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which argues that local governing boards in some cities and towns have not only adapted to remote meetings but found that they increase public participation. The group wants to extend the rules to town meetings and other local governing functions.
“There are a number of municipalities already successfully utilizing remote participation,” Adam Chapdelaine, the association’s executive director, said in recent testimony. “We strongly support changes for towns to have a permanent option to conduct remote town meetings, and that this authority also be extended to open town meeting communities.”
Communities want the flexibility to continue to offer remote access — but not be mandated to do so, according to Chapdelaine. There are more than 10,000 local governing boards in the state, ranging from city councils to planning and zoning boards. The decision to offer remote meetings is often based on public interest, access to technology, staff, space and other factors, he said.
“Each city and town has dozens of boards, councils and commissions which hold numerous meetings a year and often simultaneously,” Chapdelaine said.
“These municipalities continue to find the meeting mechanisms that work best for their residents, and making these flexibilities permanent will help ensure they continue to do so.”
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
Hamilton, Ipswich, Topsfield and several other North Shore communities have until Dec. 31 to adopt zoning that complies with the MBTA Communities Law requiring multifamily zoning districts of at least 50-acres in size with at least 15 units per acre.
After the law was first passed in 2021, communities have spent the last few years formulating action plans, identifying potential districts for rezoning, collecting and considering public input and hiring consultants. They’ve also been creating MBTA task forces made up of local municipal leaders, resident volunteers, architects, and other stakeholders.
All the communities that submitted an action plan to the state and had it approved — including Topsfield, Wenham, Ipswich and Hamilton — are technically in compliance with the MBTA Communities Law, as they have demonstrated an effort to rezone districts that follow the bylaw. However, they still have to vote to approve the newly zoned districts at Town Meeting this year, the majority of which will take place in the fall.
As such, many North Shore communities have made an effort to involve affected residents in the decision-making process and hold public meetings to explain what the bylaw requires, how the community will handle the effect on services and infrastructure, and listen to and act on residents’ concerns.
“We’re trying to maximize our public outreach on this for the community. The typical reaction to this is hesitancy and some opposition, because it’s not well understood,” Wenham Planning Board Vice Chair Dan Pasquarello said. “What we tried to make clear in our (previous info session) was that this is a zoning exercise, it’s not necessarily a building exercise. and I think that’s really important for people to understand.”
In Danvers, Special Town Meeting in February approved a measure to amend zoning bylaws to come into compliance with the housing law. This didn’t come without opposition.
“I’m aware of emails circulating saying that (this bylaw) should be opposed because it will ruin our town. This article is not going to ruin Danvers Square or result in any taller or bigger buildings than what has been envisioned in existing zoning,” said Danvers Select Board Chair David Mills at the time. “It will simply adjust the minimum density of our downtown to ensure that we are in compliance with a new state law. Non-compliance will cost us money.”
Also that month in Milton, proposed zoning for that town was rejected at Town Meeting, leading to Milton losing out on grant funding, and prompting a lawsuit from Attorney General Andrea Campbell who has stated that compliance is mandatory.
“The housing affordability crisis affects all of us: Families who face impossible choices between food on the table or a roof over their heads, young people who want to live here but are driven away by the cost, and a growing workforce we cannot house,” said Campbell in a press release on the lawsuit. “The MBTA Communities Law was enacted to address our region-wide need for housing, and compliance with it is mandatory.”
To achieve compliance in Wenham, the town needs to adopt zoning to allow 365 units, with 73 of them within a half-mile of the train station. Wenham and Hamilton, which share a train station, are classified as “commuter rail communities” with more strict zoning guidelines, presenting a unique challenge to the towns.
“We have to be within the half-mile radius (of the Hamilton/Wenham Station),” Margaret Hoffman, Wenham’s planning coordinator said. “So one of the unique challenges that Wenham and Hamilton face is that we have to share this station and we essentially only have a small half-circle radius to zone within.”
Hamilton, which has to zone for 731 units, plans to utilize “form based zoning” to ensure that any potential developments follow specific building form and architectural design standards.
“The bigger lift is going to be when developers actually look at the property to see what’s attainable and workable, and how much infrastructure they’re going to have to create to make it viable,” Patrick Reffett, Hamilton’s director of planning & inspectional services, said. “I think there’s a great deal of angst about the notion of this level of growth. and I totally get it — it’s scary if you don’t understand that the onus is really on the developers.”
Cities and towns without a commuter rail station that are classified as “adjacent communities” or “adjacent small towns” have a lesser obligation to zone for multifamily and mixed-used development, but still required to allow developments within this zone “by-right” without the need for a special permit.
In Topsfield, which is an adjacent small town and must zone for 118 multifamily units, Planning Board members have worked with consultant Ezra Glenn to identify areas in town where multifamily zoning would allow the town to comply with the bylaw.
The town also plan to diversify its housing stock and make use of underutilized properties, a goal the town had previously set in its master plan.
One option Topsfield is looking at is the 15.8 acres at the intersection of Central Street and Route 1, an area with easy accessibility to the highway and the rail trail.
“We want to be clear amidst all this talk about how nothing is actually required to be built, that this isn’t to be taken as having no purpose. (The Planning Board) did not design the zone in a way in which nothing would be built,” Topsfield Selectboard Chair Marshall Hook said during a recent public info session.
“I think there are towns that have tried to do that, but that was not the intent here,” he said. “I think we all see this as an opportunity and hope that things actually do get built.”
Ipswich, which has a train station, is required to zone for 971 multifamily units. It has put significant effort into identifying potential districts for rezoning and collecting feedback from residents on their preferred location.
The town is attempting to aggregate the feedback received in task force meetings open to the public, and from surveys about traffic, infrastructure, and design concerns that will lead up to a Special Town Meeting in the fall where a plan will be proposed.
“(In the last survey) there’s 10 or so guiding principles that residents identified,” Director of Planning and Development Brendan Conboy said. “The top ones would be emphasizing green construction, encouraging mixed use downtown, elevating the quality of the design, and directing growth to infrastructure.
“A little further down the line on preferences, but still relevant, was the affordability, consistency with previous plans, and encouraging diversity in town,” he said.
Ipswich is scheduled to hold a task-force meeting on April 3 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall, and another on April 25 at the same place and time, with a broader community meeting in May. In Hamilton, Town Meeting will be asked on April 6 to approve funds to hire a consultant. Wenham plans to hold an info session about the work done thus far in May.
BEVERLY — The city’s local cable television station is heading to downtown Beverly.
BevCam is scheduled to open a new media center next month at 261 Cabot St., the storefront formerly occupied by A New Leaf. The space will be called BevCam Downtown and will have two studios, including a podcast studio in the front window.
“We’re very excited about this,” said Paul Earl, president of BevCam’s board of directors. “I think it’s a great move.”
BevCam, which stands for Beverly Community Access Media, will keep its studio in Beverly High School. But officials are hoping the visibility of a downtown location will increase awareness of the organization.
BevCam, which began in 2006, is known mostly for its coverage of local government meetings and high school sports. Earl said the organization does that very well, but acknowledged that the demographic of its viewers is “very old.”
The station’s social media accounts have seen an uptick in recent months under new staff hired by Executive Director Rob Chapman. The opening of a studio on Cabot Street should expose BevCam to Montserrat College of Art students and other young people who visit the downtown’s coffee shops and shops. The studio will be open later hours in the evenings and on weekends, Earl said.
“Once we get down there and we’re open for business it could help us a lot,” he said.
In addition to a main studio and the podcast studio, the new location will have a common area that can hold up to 50 people for events and meetings; two edit suites; and an office for Chapman.
BevCam launched a fundraising campaign to help pay for the new space. As of Friday, it had raised $5,355 toward its goal of $10,000. The fundraiser is scheduled to run through April 5.
Chapman, who became BevCam’s executive director in 2022, said local access stations in other communities have opened locations in or near their downtowns. Salem, Danvers and Gloucester all have downtown-area studios.
“There is sort of a move in the industry to be more accessible,” he said.
Noting that organizations like BevCam are known as “PEG” channels, for public, education and government, Chapman said BevCam has traditionally done well on the government and education portions.
“It’s building up that ‘P’, getting the public involved,” he said.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Two years ago, in a project called the Beyond the Imitation Game benchmark, or BIG-bench, 450 researchers compiled a list of 204 tasks designed to test the capabilities of large language models, which power chatbots like ChatGPT. On most tasks, performance improved predictably and smoothly as the models scaled up—the larger the model, the better it got. But with other tasks, the jump in ability wasn’t smooth. The performance remained near zero for a while, then performance jumped. Other studies found similar leaps in ability.
The authors described this as “breakthrough” behavior; other researchers have likened it to a phase transition in physics, like when liquid water freezes into ice. In a paper published in August 2022, researchers noted that these behaviors are not only surprising but unpredictable, and that they should inform the evolving conversations around AI safety, potential, and risk. They called the abilities “emergent,” a word that describes collective behaviors that only appear once a system reaches a high level of complexity.
But things may not be so simple. A new paper by a trio of researchers at Stanford University posits that the sudden appearance of these abilities is just a consequence of the way researchers measure the LLM’s performance. The abilities, they argue, are neither unpredictable nor sudden. “The transition is much more predictable than people give it credit for,” said Sanmi Koyejo, a computer scientist at Stanford and the paper’s senior author. “Strong claims of emergence have as much to do with the way we choose to measure as they do with what the models are doing.”
We’re only now seeing and studying this behavior because of how large these models have become. Large language models train by analyzing enormous data sets of text—words from online sources including books, web searches, and Wikipedia—and finding links between words that often appear together. The size is measured in terms of parameters, roughly analogous to all the ways that words can be connected. The more parameters, the more connections an LLM can find. GPT-2 had 1.5 billion parameters, while GPT-3.5, the LLM that powers ChatGPT, uses 350 billion. GPT-4, which debuted in March 2023 and now underlies Microsoft Copilot, reportedly uses 1.75 trillion.
That rapid growth has brought an astonishing surge in performance and efficacy, and no one is disputing that large enough LLMs can complete tasks that smaller models can’t, including ones for which they weren’t trained. The trio at Stanford who cast emergence as a “mirage” recognize that LLMs become more effective as they scale up; in fact, the added complexity of larger models should make it possible to get better at more difficult and diverse problems. But they argue that whether this improvement looks smooth and predictable or jagged and sharp results from the choice of metric—or even a paucity of test examples—rather than the model’s inner workings.
BOSTON — The state Senate approved a proposal Thursday to make it a crime to post sexually explicit images on the internet to harass or embarrass another person.
The legislation, approved unanimously, creates a new felony offense for people charged with distributing a sexually explicit image “for purposes of revenge or embarrassment,” and gives judges the authority to ensure explicit images are destroyed. Violators could face up to 2½ years in prison and fines of $10,000.
Massachusetts is one of only two states – the other is South Carolina – that does not have laws against so-called “revenge porn,” which involves adults posting sexually explicit images of former spouses or ex-partners on the internet to harass them. Lawmakers said the state cannot wait any longer to approve the criminal sanctions.
“It’s morally reprehensible, ethically unconscionable, and with the action we take today, it will finally also be criminal,” state Sen. Paul Feeney, D-Foxborough, said in remarks ahead of the bill’s passage. “Justice will be delivered.”
The proposal, filed by Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy, focuses on “coercive control” against abuse victims and bans the posting of sexually explicit “deepfakes” or a computer-generated manipulation of a person’s voice or likeness using artificial intelligence programs.
It would also ease criminal sanctions for minors caught sending illicit materials to one another who under current state law are subject to felony charges of distributing or possession of child pornography.
During the debate Thursday, senators slogged through about two dozen amendments to the measure, many of which were either rejected or withdrawn before they voted on the bill’s final version.
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, won approval for an amendment giving state prosecutors discretion to seek tougher penalties – including the possibility of jail time – for offenders who target minors.
Domestic violence victims have packed public hearings on Beacon Hill in support of the proposed law, many recalling stories of ex-partners posting lewd pictures of them on the internet to embarrass and harass them. Several victims attended the Senate session Thursday, watching the debate from the chamber gallery.
The state House of Representatives approved a similar proposal in February, and any differences between the two bills will need to be worked out before heading to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk for consideration.
Then-Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, filed similar proposals during his eight years in office that also called for toughening rules aimed at keeping “dangerous” suspects locked up while awaiting trial. None were approved.
The House approved a revenge porn bill in 2022, but the Senate didn’t take it up before the end of the legislative session.
Tarr said the exploitation of victims by posting sexually explicit materials online is a problem that has been “crying out for a legislative response” for years.
“It’s unfortunate that it took us so long to get here,” he said. “This is not a situation that should be tolerated for one more minute.”
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
DANVERS — Beginning Monday, March 25, the Danvers Water Division will be conducting its annual flushing program of the water distribution system.
The flushing is expected to take approximately five weeks to complete, and a combination of workday hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 3 to 7 p.m. will be used to complete the program.
Flushing is typically completed annually in the spring to remove sediment which has settled out and collected in the system over the course of the year.
The flushing will begin in between Routes 62 and 114 from the Middleton line to the Interstate 95 corridor and will be flushed in a southeasterly direction finishing in the Danversport area. Work is expected in this first area for approximately three days. During this time, residents may notice some discoloration of the water when first used.
The Danvers Water Division suggests limiting the use of water during this period. and if your water is not clear by the time the flushing in your area has completed, run cold water from a tub spigot or sink faucet located in the highest point in your home for 15 minutes or until the water clears up. If it does not clear up, wait 30 minutes and try again. If you run water from a fixture that is serviced by an in-home water filter, the filter may clog and require replacement.
Any lasting problems should be reported to the Danvers Water Division at 978-762-0235.
A real-time map is available on the town’s web page, www.danversma.gov/777/2024-Flushing-Map to see where the flushing is occurring and how it is progressing. Any questions on the program should be directed to the Danvers Water Division number above.
ARLINGTON, VA — For parents of high school students, SAT and ACT scores are a huge deal. With college admissions and scholarships on the line, paying for tutors and test prep materials may be worth the price.
But watch out for con artists eager to take advantage of this. Scammers – with access to kids’ names and school information – are tricking parents into paying for bogus SAT and ACT prep materials.
How this scam works
You get an unsolicited call from a person claiming to be from the College Board, the company responsible for the PSAT, SAT, and AP tests, or another educational organization. The caller claims to be confirming your address, so they can send test prep materials, such as books, CDs, or videos, that your child requested at school.
It seems so believable! Several people reported to BBB Scam Tracker that the caller even had their child’s name, phone number, address, school information, and/or the date and location of their child’s scheduled test.
Of course, there’s a catch. The caller needs you to pay a deposit, sometimes several hundred dollars, for the materials. They claim it will be refunded when the materials are returned after a set number of days.
Unfortunately, if you provide your address and credit card details, the materials will never arrive, and your deposit will never be refunded. Scammers now have your credit card number and other personal information.
How to avoid similar scams
Always be wary of unsolicited callers. If someone calls out of the blue asking for payment, always research their organization before you share personal information or agree to receive services or products. Look up the business they claim to represent at BBB.org.
Search the name along with the words “scam” or “complaint” to find out if others had negative experiences. Check BBB Scam Tracker to see if anyone else has filed a report about the company.
Double check with your child. If scammers say they are calling because of a service your child requested, tell them you need to check with your child first and hang up. Make sure their claims are legitimate before you call back or accept a return call. Don’t send any money or make a payment if there is any doubt about the call. The same is true for emergency scams.
Understand the College Board’s practices. The College Board will never ask you for bank or credit card information over the phone or via email. If a caller suggests otherwise, hang up. Learn more about the College Board’s policies.
Use your credit card when possible. Credit cards may refund your money if they spot a fraudulent charge or if you report one in a timely manner. You may not be offered the same protection if you pay with your debit card or other payment options. Never agree to pay a stranger with a money wire, prepaid cards, or digital wallet, such as Cash App or Venmo.
About 20% of Essex County residents lack access to internet services and computers, along with an understanding of how to use digital devices.
The Digital Equity Challenge invites individuals with ideas that address the internet divide to enter the annual pitch contest, which will award $10,000 in cash prizes to the most promising solutions.
“We’re encouraging the community to use entrepreneurial thinking to develop innovative solutions to the challenges of digital literacy, access and digital equity,” said Stephanie Guyotte, associate director of UMass Lowell’s Innovation Hub Haverhill. “After two successful years launching projects, we’re excited to see what is created through the 2024 contest.”
Now in its third year, the contest fosters ideas to increase digital literacy, improve access to devices and technology, and help ensure digital resources and opportunities are available to county residents of all racial backgrounds.
Projects, businesses or nonprofit solutions are encouraged to enter the challenge if they target increasing digital literacy, access to devices and technology, or elevating racial equity in digital resources and opportunities.
“We look forward to hearing from this year’s contestants about their visions for increasing access to the digital resources needed to navigate life today,” said Kate Machet, director of strategic initiatives and government relations at the Essex County Community Foundation.
Applications are due by Friday, March 29, at 5 p.m. through the online portal at tinyurl.com/mr3cdc64.
Last year’s winner, the nonprofit Computers 4 People, refurbishes donated computers to provide to people in need.
Haverhill Promise, an initiative to help ensure elementary students in the city become proficient readers by third grade, won second place in 2023. The organization launched and expanded its kindergarten readiness summer program through the challenge’s funding.
“Due to the program’s success, it garnered even more support through our community partners and Essex County Community Foundation,” said Jessica Kallin, executive director of Haverhill Promise. “We scaled up to a year-long program to continue to address the intersection of early learning, family empowerment, grade-level reading, racial equity, and digital access, citywide.”
The Digital Equity Challenge has also supported an internet connectivity program in Haverhill as well as a digital literacy program for seniors in Lynn. The initiative has also funded a county-wide device refurbishment program.
The challenge is a collaboration between the Essex County Community Foundation and UMass Lowell. It is also sponsored by the Rist DifferenceMaker Institute, Pentucket Bank and Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll).
“EforAll Merrimack Valley is happy to partner with the Innovation Hub once again for the 2024 Digital Equity Challenge,” said Sophan Smith, executive director. “Digital literacy and equity are important in today’s interconnected world and are essential for navigating the digital landscape effectively, participating in the digital economy, and fully realizing the opportunities presented by technology.”
The six finalists will be announced in April. They will pitch their ideas then at the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub in Haverhill, 2 Merrimack St., on May 2. Winners will share in $10,000 awarded to help make their ideas a reality.
In news taken from the logs of Cape Ann’s police and fire departments:
GLOUCESTER
Friday, Feb. 23
9:11 p.m.: A Poplar Street resident reported a male called her with specific personal information, demanded money be sent via Cash App and threatened to show up and ambush the house. The caller believed it may be a friend playing a prank but was unsure. The caller was advised to lock her doors and call 911 if anyone shows up and to call back with any further information.
8:57 p.m.: Police planned to file a complaint against a 23-year-old Gloucester resident with two counts of assault and battery and threatening to commit a crime and breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony. This after dispatch reported an assault involving a man making threats of having a knife running away. Police spoke to a resident who said a man broke into the apartment. Another man said the person came in through the screen door and began to punch him. The attacker reportedly hit a woman sitting next to him on the couch. The person who was attacked said the man stated he was going to stab him. The victim was able to use his foot to create distance before the man fled. Those in the apartment said they did not need medical attention. The attacker was said to be wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, a blue mask, black pants and black shoes. Police searched for the man, who was known to those who were attacked, but were unable to find him.
4:18 p.m.: A Prospect Street resident told police he had returned to his apartment after 10 days away and saw blankets on his bed that did not belong to him, a package of Gambler cigarette filter tubes and bag labeled “APP Sampler” containing miscellaneous electronics that can be checked out of the library, the report said. The resident said his doors were locked when he left and when he returned. He said a Dell Laptop, a 10-inch Samsung tablet and a can of powdered Gatorade were stolen. Neighbors described two men who were seen in the building who might have broken into the apartment. Police planned to view surveillance footage to see if someone had entered the apartment during the resident’s absence. Police were not able to speak with the two men because they were believed to be homeless. A copy of the report was forwarded to detectives for follow up.
3:02 p.m.: A disturbance was reported on Burhan Street.
1:42 p.m.: Debris in the roadway was reported on Staten and Perkins streets.
11:11 a.m.: Police took a report of a larceny at Sheedy Park on Pleasant Street.
10:46 a.m.: Peace was restored after a report of stolen property on Pearl Street. A resident of the housing complex said that on Feb. 22 she was supposed to have a package with a knife set costing $89.99 and a blanket costing $49 delivered via FedEx, which told her the package had been delivered to the foyer. Police told her to contact the company from which she ordered the goods and submit a claim through FedEx.
10:05 a.m.: Officers responded to a report of an assault at the Subway restaurant on Railroad Avenue.
8 a.m.: Police responded to a parking complaint at City Hall on Dale Avenue.
3:32 a.m.: Police could not locate suspicious activity reported on Pleasant Street.
ROCKPORT
Friday, March 1
3:48 a.m.: Mini beat conducted on Main Street.
Building and area checks conducted throughout town throughout the morning.
Thursday, Feb. 29
Traffic stops were made on Mount Pleasant Street at 6:18 a.m., Granite Street at 9:58 a.m.. and Thatcher Road at 6:48 and 11:09 a.m. and 7:48 p.m.. Officers issued three written warnings and two verbal warnings.
5:52 p.m.: A person on Alpine Court was spoken to about a report received by police.
Medical emergencies: Individuals were taken to a hospital by ambulance from Jerden’s Lane at 11:41 a.m., Parker Street at 12:57 p.m., and Pigeon Hill Street at 5:33 p.m.
Assistance was given to other agencies by police on Main Street at 3:12 and 4:25 p.m.
Wellness checks: Calls were made by police to residents all over town at 9:47 a.m. and an officer visited Granite Street at 2:04 p.m.
Mini beats: Officers walked Main Street at 3:11 and 3:49 a.m.; Broadway at 7:02 a.m.; South Street and Jerden’s Lane at 7:11 a.m.; Curtis Street at 9:50 a.m.; Jerden’s Lane at 7:11, 8:51 and 11:14 a.m.; and Railroad Avenue and Main Street at 11:30 a.m.
Public Works notified of bad road conditions all over town at 12:08 and 2:36 a.m.
Wednesday, Feb.28
Mini beats were conducted on Main Street at 6:33 a.m., Jerden’s Lane at 7:10 and 8:41 a.m., Broadway at 6:21 p.m., Main Street and Railroad Avenue at 6:58 and 9:10 p.m., and Railroad Avenue at 11:10 p.m.
Traffic stops were conducted on School Street at 6:25 a.m., Thatcher Road at 6:56 a.m., T Wharf at 6:01 p.m., Broadway at 7:11 p.m., and Thatcher Road at South Street at 9:33 p.m. Officers issued verbal warnings to the five drivers.
7:03 p.m.: A person was taken to a hospital by ambulance from King Street.
Assistance was given to individuals on Greystone Lane at 8:10 a.m. and Main Street at 3:09 p.m.
1:51 p.m.: A party on Sandy Bay Terrace was spoken to about noise after a complaint was lodged.
10:24 a.m.: Police wellness check calls were to made to residents all over town.
9:34 a.m.: A driver was given a verbal warning for operating a vehicle erratically on Main Street.
K-12 computer science is essential, not just for students who may pursue computer science or STEM fields in college or the workforce. Computer science principles give students critical computational thinking skills that will serve them in any career field or professional endeavor.
Let’s take a look at K-12 computer science trends and where computer science education is heading across the country:
Computer science is a rapidly advancing field; educators have to make those changes if they are going to prepare their students for the modern world. Trying to teach a subject that’s ever-changing might feel a little intimidating to some teachers, especially if they don’t have a background in the field. Fortunately, the skills students learn in a K-12 computer science framework are evergreen, and many of the changes within the field are manageable for the educators involved. Here are three keys to preparing to teach this dynamic subject without feeling like the ground is constantly shifting under your feet.
Computer science practices offer simple opportunities to differentiate instruction–edtech can make these concepts even more accessible to students. Computer science is more important than ever. In the age of artificial intelligence, the study of computers and computational systems—including their theory, design, development, and application–represents a new frontier in science. New fields in computer science seem to emerge each day and now include computer systems and networks, security, database systems, human computer interaction, vision and graphics, numerical analysis, programming languages, software engineering, bioinformatics, and theory of computing. Here are some of those topics and the edtech tools I use to make these concepts even more accessible to students.
What are the essential components of computer science?
In analyzing computer science core concepts and to shift the culture in computer science classrooms, educators not only need to emphasize the value of the subject, but also need to show how computer science can be a “tool for solving problems and issues in your own community and for social justice.” That also requires educators to think more “holistically” about computer science and embed it across disciplines, she said. Teacher training has remained a roadblock. While the CS4All initiative aims to reach 5,000 teachers through a two-week summer professional development session, more substantive courses have been sparse. Here’s how teachers can address equity issues in K-12 computer science.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
The lack of computer science technology educators in middle schools continues to be a genuine crisis, especially considering the critical role of STEM education in preparing students for future careers. Traditional hiring practices often result in non-specialist educators teaching computer science, leading to challenges in delivering effective instruction.
Graham Celine, VP of Business Development & Marketing for Intelitek, which offers the online platform CoderZ, emphasized this topic last month at FETC and in this conversation with eSchool. CoderZ aims to address this gap by providing comprehensive tools and resources for both students and educators, enabling structured and engaging computer science education.
With increasing recognition of computer science as a fundamental skill, particularly evidenced by state standards mandating its inclusion in curricula, CoderZ offers a solution aligned with educational goals and industry demands. Graham says the program’s flexible implementation options cater to various educational settings, from individual subscriptions to district-wide adoption. Moreover, he points to the product’s assessment strategies focused on student outcomes, employing a combination of automated evaluations and teacher-led assessments to ensure comprehensive learning assessment. Have a listen:
Key Takeaways:
Urgent Need for Computer Science Educators: There exists a significant shortage of computer science technology educators, particularly in middle schools, where STEM education is crucial. The traditional approach of assigning non-specialist educators to teach computer science often leads to ineffective instruction due to a lack of expertise and confidence in the subject matter.
Comprehensive Solutions for both faculty and students: CoderZ addresses the shortage by offering a comprehensive educational platform equipped with tools, resources, and support for both students and educators. The program is designed to facilitate structured and engaging computer science instruction, aligning with educational standards and industry requirements.
Flexible Implementation and Assessment: CoderZ offers flexible implementation options, catering to individual users, school clubs, or district-wide adoption. Assessment strategies focus on student outcomes, utilizing automated evaluations and teacher-led assessments to provide a comprehensive view of learning progress. This approach ensures effective learning outcomes and supports diverse educational settings and needs.
Below is a machine-generated transcript of the interview:
00:00:20 Speaker 1
Because nobody goes to learn how to be a computer science teacher and then goes to to, to, to elementary schools. If you’re a computer science educator, you go teach in high school or university.
00:00:33 Speaker 1
So what lands up happening is we take.
00:00:35 Speaker 1
The math teacher.
00:00:36 Speaker 1
Or the science teacher or the librarian. We say. Hey, teach computer science.
00:00:41 Speaker 2
Right.
00:00:41 Speaker 1
And that doesn’t always work because they’re afraid of technology. They’re afraid of teaching something that they don’t know. And So what we’ve done at Codez is we’ve created an environment which not only is engaging for the students, and it’s not only accessible to the students because being online, they can take it anywhere they want from home, in the class, in the library.
00:01:02 Speaker 1
On their phone, on their computer, on their iPad.
00:01:06 Speaker 1
But it’s got all the tools and capabilities that enable the uh, the educators, the instructors to uh, implement those type of programs. So we’ve got professional development, we’ve got teacher guides, we’ve got pacing guides, we’ve got slides, we’ve got background material, all that the teachers need in order to prepare.
00:01:27 Speaker 1
Properly and to be able to deliver there and to build environments like peer teaching environments where the the strongest students will help the weakest students and to keep the the, the the teacher doesn’t have to be involved.
00:01:39 Speaker 1
But then why is computer science? It’s then becoming important because it’s becoming a mandate. It’s in some states. It’s this, it’s a it’s recognized as a as a language. In some states, it’s becoming a standard, notably Texas and and and and New Jersey. Sorry, New York have got.
00:01:59 Speaker 1
State standards and they’re requiring schools to teach computer science and digital literacy as part of their program in the 242025 school year. So from an administrative perspective, this is important.
00:02:15 Speaker 1
And so having a program that is not just some software that you can download off the Internet and let your students play around with and say, OK, we taught them a little bit about coding, having a a program that is structured that allows you to teach computer science in a very structured.
00:02:36 Speaker 1
Logical way that aligns with the goals of these CSA NGSS taxes. New York and other standards is really important. That’s where code Z fits.
00:02:48 Speaker 1
In so we’ve created an education tool that really fits what the market needs.
00:02:49 Speaker 2
OK.
00:02:55 Speaker 2
Now let me ask this the the implementation. This is is sort of a a district wide implementation or is this something that say can start from the a bottoms up sort of adoption in schools? I mean how does that happen both?
00:03:07 Speaker 1
It it it, it can be both. Uh, you know, in the end we we we have users that are individuals, parents who just want their kids to learn more and so they can sign up on our website.
00:03:19 Speaker 1
And and get a subscription we have a.
00:03:21 Speaker 1
Lot of clubs.
00:03:22 Speaker 1
So a lot of those computer science and robotics clubs are now taking it to the next level. We have many thousands of schools around the the the country and around the world, and we have districts from our perspective, obviously the best way to implement this is from the top down.
00:03:40 Speaker 1
Because the teachers get the most support.
00:03:43 Speaker 1
That way they get the the.
00:03:44 Speaker 1
The the right tools, the most support and the results.
00:03:48 Speaker 1
Visible in the end, that’s what the administrators want to see. So we put this new program in how many students registered for the program, how many students completed the program? How many hours were taken of the program, what were the outcomes of the program? And that’s a top down approach. But from our perspective.
00:04:08 Speaker 1
We deal with it in all different directions.
00:04:11 Speaker 2
I’ll talk about the the assessment aspects of it when you, when you talk about collecting that sort of data, are you talking about collecting it on the uses of the of the, the faculty themselves or do you mean from as a professional development tool, but also as a student? So kind of give us the the assessment?
00:04:28 Speaker 1
Is on a student level.
00:04:29 Speaker 2
OK.
00:04:30 Speaker 1
Obviously the the the.
00:04:31 Speaker 1
The we have all.
00:04:32 Speaker 1
The professional development and all the tools for the student, for the teachers. But we’re not testing the teachers.
00:04:37
What we’re.
00:04:38 Speaker 1
We’re analyzing is.
00:04:39 Speaker 1
The students, and there’s two ways to do that. There’s.
00:04:43 Speaker 1
There’s uh, automatic or passive evaluations. So we look at how many hours did they complete missions. Now if if there’s a mission and it’s all gamified, so they’re making this robot move around the the, the, the, the screen. But it says you got to do this five times using a loop.
00:05:02 Speaker 1
Well, we can evaluate that automatically. Did the student use a loop in their program?
00:05:07 Speaker 1
If yes, we know that they’ve learned how.
00:05:10 Speaker 1
To use loops.
00:05:11 Speaker 1
There are other factors that are more subjective and so there we give this the teacher the the task and we say, OK, you have to grade this exercise. The student was supposed to show that they can document correctly. Did the student.
00:05:28 Speaker 1
Document this.
00:05:29 Speaker 1
Well, now the teacher can open up the students workbook, see what they did, and give them a grade. They did it well. They did it medium. They didn’t do it at all. And so by taking those together, plus adding in just basic assessments, what you know, type of test, the traditional test capabilities, quizzes.
00:05:49 Speaker 1
That that appear along the way throughout the curriculum, we can add that all up and provide.
00:05:54 Speaker 1
A a very.
00:05:55 Speaker 1
Comprehensive view of how the students have have succeeded within the the application now that rolls up.
00:06:03 Speaker 1
A teacher sees their classroom or their multiple classrooms. A principal will see all the classes in the school and administrator would see all the schools in a district.
00:06:15 Speaker 2
Gotcha. Talk a little bit about the day-to-day use. Is this something that is a is a supplement that is done after school? Is it in school kind of give us kind of a a day-to-day kind of use of the tool both I guess?
00:06:31 Speaker 1
All of the above. Yeah, it’s it it.
00:06:33 Speaker 1
I would say.
00:06:35 Speaker 1
I I wish you know, I can’t really tell you a percentage, but it’s really both. I mean, there are a lot of schools that still state schools, districts that are still in the mode where this is an add-on. This is an either an elective or an after school program.
00:06:52 Speaker 1
But more and more, this is part of the school’s day, so it may be one day a week for an hour. It may be every day for an hour for a few weeks within a semester, and in some cases it’s a it’s a required.
00:07:06 Speaker 1
Subject Within the school program. So we’re seeing across the board more and more it’s becoming part of the the the, the formal education program and again the sweet spot is traditionally the OR right now is probably in the middle school environment. We’re seeing more and more middle school students taking.
00:07:25 Speaker 1
Part in that program.
00:07:27 Speaker 2
That is interesting. I’ve had conversations about how when you, when you talk about STEM subjects, that it is starting to kind of get younger and younger. That as as the years progress, what is that a cause of? I mean can you can you can you point to something specific in terms of society where you know we’re now putting?
00:07:47 Speaker 2
These ideas in the into the minds of of of children, even before they get into high school.
00:07:52 Speaker 1
Yeah, I think it’s just societal. In the end. I mean, if we think about what, what, you know what, the math that I studied in university, my daughter studied in high school. And I think today.
00:08:02 Speaker 1
Middle school kids are learning that math, and I think they’re on the one hand, they they they’re getting exposure a lot earlier the, the, the, the Internet.
00:08:11 Speaker 1
The the tools that.
00:08:12 Speaker 1
They have just provide them with more exposure to technology, to industry, to work, to the world that that we ever had when we were growing up and.
00:08:24 Speaker 1
And I think it’s, you know, there’s the demand for it in the end. The bigger thing with with STEM and why is?
00:08:29 Speaker 1
Stem. So important.
00:08:31 Speaker 1
Because if you start, you know, I grew up in a in a different country in a different time and somewhere in the middle of high school I had to choose my direction, where I was going. I think today, kids who get to high school, it’s too late to.
00:08:45 Speaker 1
Decided direction.
00:08:46 Speaker 1
And so if we don’t introduce students to stem to the concept of science, technology, engineering and math, and really the piece that’s missing is technology and engineering, they see the science and the math, but the technology and engineering, if we don’t introduce students to that in elementary school, we might lose them. Now, when they may go off to be doctors, which is great, or lawyers, which is not so great.
00:09:08 Speaker 1
But they may look, they may may go off to be McDonald’s workers, and if they’ve got the the skills and the capabilities to work in a STEM world, but they just don’t know it exists.
00:09:21 Speaker 1
That’s a problem, and so STEM is important to bring people into that world of technology. The world of innovation, the world of of invention.
00:09:32 Speaker 1
And in TeleTech we take that to the next step because when we go from stem to CTE, we’re taking them into a tech world that is specifically focused at that type of you know, whether it’s medical equipment or manufacturing or industrial or automotive versus, for example going into CTE worlds or healthcare.
00:09:52 Speaker 1
Or or or.
00:09:54 Speaker 1
Hospitality or finance? We take them into the the CTE world of technology.
00:09:59 Speaker 1
That’s our uh end to end approach of career to to kindergarten, to career.
00:10:06 Speaker 1
Pick them up at early age, introduce them, take them somewhere, and obviously our focus is to take them into industry.
00:10:15 Speaker 2
Well, obviously, you know, the past few years have brought a lot of a lot of change, a lot of different changes in thoughts about education and and where to go. CTE has been a big part of that too in terms of people starting to understand, maybe there’s more of an emphasis there versus the traditional higher Ed route. When you look into your crystal ball over the.
00:10:36 Speaker 2
The next couple of years. Uh.
00:10:39 Speaker 2
Where do you see the the progress going when it comes to not only the advancement of STEM but also the advancement of CTE and baking that into the everyday educational experience?
00:10:52 Speaker 1
Well, I think the the you know one the, the the one of the main areas is diversity inclusion and you know.
00:11:01 Speaker 1
Again, I I know I’m I’m I’m old, but when when I I went.
00:11:08 Speaker 1
I think it was 1992. I went to a Harley-Davidson factory for a visit and there were only men there. There were very few women working there. I think today if you went to that same factory, there would be a a mix and I. So I think that having the the diversity side of it is is really important that it’s going.
00:11:28 Speaker 1
To make a big change.
00:11:30 Speaker 1
It grows our workforce.
00:11:32 Speaker 1
In the end, we’re giving people that were traditionally told. That’s not the type of job you want the opportunity to go into that job, and that’s really important. But the flip side is, you know, the economy has changed.
00:11:46 Speaker 1
Uh, since cold, there is a lot more being done in the United States, which was previously offshore, and that’s being brought back. And the reason it’s being brought back is not necessarily because globalization doesn’t work. That’s because we’ve got, we need skilled workers.
00:12:08 Speaker 1
A factory worker is not someone who puts bolts onto a screw and comes on.
00:12:13 Speaker 1
The factory worker runs a process, takes care of equipment designs, builds and installs equipment. This is a good, well, good, well paying job and so we need to fill that gap because for many years.
00:12:31 Speaker 1
You either went to university and became a professional, or you dropped out and you went into retail.
00:12:39 Speaker 1
And we’ve got to refill that bucket of of skilled workers in that middle tier employment range. And it’s a good career to have. It’s a lifelong career. It pays well and you will be able to have that job for your entire life.
00:12:56 Speaker 1
And that’s what what, what we need, we need to fill that and I think.
00:13:00 Speaker 1
That promoting stem promoting CTE, that’s what we’re we’re trying to achieve. We’re trying to fill the bucket with, with, with, with labor, they’re, you know, there’s the the, there’s the semiconductor industries building fabs all around the country. You know talking about 10s of thousands of of employees that are short the statistics in manufacturing.
00:13:22 Speaker 1
10s of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of employees missing.
00:13:26 Speaker 1
Talking in in, in, in very, very large numbers.
00:13:30 Speaker 1
We can’t train that many people even.
00:13:33 Speaker 1
If we try, but we’ve got to.
00:13:34 Speaker 1
Try and so we’ve got to fill that bucket and that’s what stem is doing. It’s taking people that maybe will not find a place for themselves in.
00:13:45 Speaker 1
In in in the workforce, unless they know that there’s the space for technology and that they become familiar with it and they go into it, that’s that’s what what we’re we’re focused on and told.
00:13:58 Speaker 2
Well, exciting stuff. Look forward to seeing, and TeleTech and Coder Z next week down on the show floor in person, but in the meantime again, Graham, I appreciate your time and and your insights into the work that you do. It’s it’s impressive stuff.
00:14:12 Speaker 1
It’s a pleasure. Thank you very much for your time.
Kevin is a forward-thinking media executive with more than 25 years of experience building brands and audiences online, in print, and face to face. He is an acclaimed writer, editor, and commentator covering the intersection of society and technology, especially education technology. You can reach Kevin at KevinHogan@eschoolnews.com
BOSTON â The Healey administration is making millions of dollars in federal funding available to cities and towns to harden their computer systems against hacks and attacks by cyber criminals.
The Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant Program has $7.2 million available cities and towns, regional school districts and other local governments. Applicants can request up to $100,000 in funding, while multiple municipalities may jointly apply for up to $300,000, officials said.
Another $1.8 million is available through the State Share Cybersecurity Grant Program with local governments able to request up to $100,000 in federal funding.
Overall, $9.1 million is available for the competitive grants, and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until March 8, the agency said.
Gov. Maura Healey said the federal funding will provide state and local agencies âwith resources to effectively respond to and recover from a cyber-incident.â
âCybersecurity threats continue to increase in sophistication and frequency. In this ever-changing digital world, we must implement smart cybersecurity strategies and adapt our systems to meet the moment,â she said in a statement.
The federal dollars will be provided through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant program, which is overseen by the federal Department of Homeland Securityâs Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Terrence Reidy, secretary of the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, said the stateâs embrace of advanced technology âhas vastly improved the governmentâs ability to deliver more effective and efficient servicesâ but has also âexposed our operational systems and sensitive data to significant risk.â
âI encourage eligible entities to pursue this funding opportunity and strengthen our collective defense against evolving digital threats,â he said in a statement.
Massachusetts cities and towns are under constant threat from hackers probing for weaknesses in computer systems, intent on stealing money and personal information, and cybersecurity experts say the attacks are getting worse.
Attacks range from malware, ransomware and email phishing scams, to old-fashioned cons using the internet to trick people.
Many perpetrators operate from overseas, with ties to rogue nations and criminal gangs, making it hard to catch them.
The FBIâs Internet Crime Complaint Center logged 800,944 suspected internet crimes last year. Reported losses exceeded $10.2 billion.
Topping the list of crimes were âphishingâ scams, nonpayment/non-delivery scams and internet-based extortion, the agency said.
There were 7,805 victims of cybercrimes in Massachusetts last year, with losses topping $226 million. Many of those victims were elderly, the FBI said.
Cities and towns have been facing an uptick in ransomware, which involves hackers encrypting a local government or schoolâs networks until a ransom is paid.
A 2023 report by the firm Sophos found that nearly seven in 10 IT leaders at local and state governments said they have faced ransomware attacks in the last year. Most of those attacks started either through unpatched systems or stolen passwords, the reportâs authors noted.
âIn every conversation I have with a municipal leader, cybersecurity is a top concern, but they either do not have the dedicated personnel or funding to implement the most impactful best practices,â Jason Snyder, secretary of the Office of Technology Services and Security, said in a statement.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com
Etsy Inc., once known as a quirky marketplace for handmade, artisanal and vintage items, seems to be moving further away from its origins amid a much tougher e-commerce landscape and the impact of AI.
Etsy ETSY, +4.83%
will be marketing to a whole new audience on Sunday, when its first Super Bowl commercial will run. The 30-second ad is quirky; it depicts a generic 19th-century American leader who’s flummoxed over how to reciprocate France’s gift of the Statue of Liberty. With the help of an anachronistic smartphone, he and his team search on Etsy using its new Gift Mode option, and find its “Cheese Lover” category after determining that the French love cheese. Voilà — they decide to send the French some cheese.
The commercial is part of Etsy’s push of a new user interface featuring Gift Mode, which lets shoppers search for gifts for a specific type of person or occasion — combining generative AI and human curation to give gift buyers some unusual options.
But are these moves desperate and costly efforts to try to reach potential new buyers, coming on the heels of Etsy’s plans to lay off 11% of its staff?Or could running a TV ad at the most expensive time of the year actually lead to more sales on the once-fast growing marketplace?
Etsy believes these moves will help the company grow again, and its research shows the average American spends $1,600 a year on gifts. “There is no single market leader and Etsy sees a real opportunity to become the destination for gifting,” Etsy’s Chief Executive Josh Silverman said in a recent blog post.
Etsy is clearly under pressure after seeing its gross merchandise sales more than double in 2020 during the pandemic, when it became a go-to place to buy handmade masks and all kinds of items for the home, from vintage pieces to antiques to castoffs. From personal experience as an Etsy seller, I saw sales at my own small vintage-clothing shop more than double in 2020 and then fall back in 2021, while still remaining higher than in 2019. In the last two years, sales have slowed, and some other sellers have witnessed similar patterns, based on their comments in seller forums.
The number of sellers and buyers on the platform has increased on the same level as gross merchandise sales. But e-commerce competition has also gotten more fierce.
“Our main concern with Etsy is growing competition in the space from new players like Temu,” said Bernstein Research analyst Nikhil Devnani, in an email. Temu and fellow Chinese online retailer Shein have raised a lot of investor jitters, as Etsy’s gross merchandise sales have slipped over the last year and are forecast to fall again in its upcoming fourth-quarter earnings report later this month.
Devnani said a Super Bowl ad could potentially help the marketplace gain visibility, something it has always lacked.
“One dynamic they’ve talked about a lot is that brand awareness/recollection is still low, and this keeps frequency low,” he said, noting that Etsy buyers shop on the site about three times per year, on average. “They want to be more top-of-mind … Super Bowl ads are notoriously expensive of course, but can be impactful/get noticed.”
The company’s big focus on Gift Mode, however, could be a risky strategy. How many times a year do consumers look for gifts? And in a note Devnani wrote in October, before the company’s Gift Mode launch, he said that one of the concerns investors have is that Etsy is too niche. “’How often does someone need something special?’ is the rhetoric we hear most often,” he said. Etsy, then, is counting on buyers returning for other items for themselves.
Etsy CEO Silverman believes buyers will come back again and again to purchase gifts. Naved Khan, a B. Riley Securities analyst, said in a recent note to clients that he believes Gift Mode plays to Etsy’s core strengths, offering “unique goods at reasonable prices” versus the mass-produced products sold on Shein, Temu, Amazon.com Inc. AMZN, +2.71%,
and other sites.
Consumer spending has changed, though. At an investor conference in December, Silverman said that consumers are spending on dining out and traveling, instead of buying things.
But while investors still view Etsy as a niche e-commerce site, some buyers and sellers see it overrun with repetitive, non-relevant ads. Complaints about a decline in search capabilities, reliance on email and chat for support, and constant tech changes are common on seller forums and Facebook groups. AI-generated art offered by newer sellers as a side hustle has also become a thought-provoking, debated issue. And there are complaints about mass-produced items making their way on the site.
Etsy said that in addition to its human and automated efforts, it also relies on community flags to help take down infringing products that are not allowed on its marketplace, and that community members should contact the company when if they see mass-produced items for sale on the site.
It also continues to work on search. On its last earnings call, Silverman said the company was moving beyond relevance to the next frontier of search, one “focused on better identifying the quality of each Etsy listing utilizing humans and [machine-learning] technology, so that from a highly relevant result set we bring the very best of Etsy to the top — personalized to what we understand of your tastes and preferences.”
The pressure could build on the company if its latest moves don’t generate growth. Etsy recently gave a seat on its board to a partner at activist investor Elliott Management, which bought a “sizable” stake in the company in the last few months. Marc Steinberg, who is responsible for public and private investments at Elliott, has also has been on the board at Pinterest PINS, -9.45%
since December 2022.
Elliott Management did not respond to questions. But in a statement last week, Steinberg said he was joining the board because he “believe[s] there is an opportunity for significant value creation.” Some sellers fear that the pressure from investors and Wall Street will lead to Etsy allowing mass-produced products onto the site. In its fall update, Etsy said the number of listings it removed for violating its handmade policy jumped 112% and that it was further accelerating such actions.
Etsy’s stock before the news of Elliott’s stake was down about 18% this year. Its shares are now off about 3.65% this year, after recently having their best day in seven years on the news that Steinberg joined the board.
Etsy is a unique marketplace that for many years had a much better reputation than some of its rivals, like eBay EBAY, +0.98%.
But since going public and answering to Wall Street, the need to provide growth and profits for investors has become much more of a driver. The Super Bowl ad and Gift Mode may bring a broader awareness to Etsy, but will it be the right kind of awareness? Sellers like me hope these new efforts will stave off the continuing fight with the likes of Temu and other vendors of mass-produced products, and help Etsy retain the remaining unique aspects of its marketplace.
Feb. 26, 7:30 pm., award-winning a cappella jazz quintet ‘Vox One’ at the ‘Recital Hall, 71 Loring Ave. Blues, funk, gospel, and folk. Their own brand of vocal music. Lush voicings, complex reharmonizations and inspired improv. Tickets $15/$10 seniors/free for college students and under 18. Free for Salem residents on March 1. Purchase at www.salemstatetickets.com
Theatre
Feb. 23-25 and March 1-3 — ROE, a play by Lisa Loomer, at Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts. 356 Lafayette St/.Cuts through the headlines and rhetoric with clever, shocking, and poignant portrayal of the two women at the center of the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling, Recently updated script through the 2022 Dobbs V. Jackson Women’s Health decision. Mature audiences. Friday/Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets:$15 /$10 seniors/free for college students and under 18. Free for Salem residents on March 1. Purchase at www.salemstatetickets.com
Art and abolition with Charlotte Forten
Join Salem’s own abolitionist, writer, and educator, Charlotte Forten, Salem State’s first African American graduate, for a special craft time at the Salem Armory Regional Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty St., Salem, during February School Vacation Week, Thursday, Feb. 22 at 11 a.m. With clay, wood, and colors, kids and their caregivers will contribute to building a 3D miniature city of gratitude for the freedoms and comforts long fought for during Charlotte’s lifetime. Spend the morning with Charlotte making mini foods and other goods, while learning about her life along the way. The event is FREE, but registration is encouraged to ensure availability of craft materials. Space is limited. Visit essexheritage.org/events to register!
Marblehead Museum free program for school vacation
Marblehead Museum is hosting a free new program — Sugar and Spice: Sweet Treats of the 18th Century.’ — a drop in event on Saturday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Jeremiah Lee Mansion. Guests can visit the mansion kitchen to help Culinary Historian Melissa Vickers as she prepares 18th century gingerbread, lemon drops, march-pane, and pepper cakes. Learn history through food and the availability and accessibility of sugar and spices in Colonial New England, including how and where sugar was produced, the many uses of today’s favorite “sweet” spices, and what types of flavorings were common before vanilla became a pantry staple. Visitors are also welcome to tour of the mansion’s first floor, free of charge during this program.
School to sea program
On Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 6:45 p.m., Abbot Public Library and Salem Sound Coastwatch present Carly McIver to discuss Salem Sound Coastwatch’s School to Sea program in a hybrid event taking place at the library and online via Zoom. The library is temporarily located at the Eveleth School. 9 Maple St, Marblehead. For information/registration, visit the library newsletter site ay: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/9A5X8Zx/AbbotLibraryNewsletter
Abbot Public Library movie screenings schedule
The Abbot Public Library, temporarily located at the Eveleth School will present these movie showings in February: on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. for teens, and on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 10:30 a.m. for children and 1 p.m. for adults. Check out the schedule, then check the event calendar at: https://abbotlibrary.org/events/ to for the names of the films, The Eveleth School is located at 9 Maple St, Marblehead. This program is sponsored by the Friends of Abbot Public Library.
Thursday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m. – Teen Movie Screening
Saturday, Feb. 24, 10:30 a.m. – Children’s Morning Movie
Saturday, Feb. 24, 1 p.m. – Midday Movie Matinee for Adults, Program Room, Abbot Public Library at Eveleth School
Thursday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Special Teen Movie Screening. In 1965, two 12-year-olds fall in love at a summer camp. They run off together into the wilderness, but an unexpected event leads to various friends and adults forming a search party to find the youths before calamity strikes.
Saturday, Feb. 24, 10:30 a.m. — Children’s Morning Movie
NMYO Youth Symphonic Summer Program
The Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestras (NMYO) will hold its fourth annual summer music program the week of July 29 – August 2, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 124 River Rd, in Topsfield. Sessions include small and large ensembles, jazz, pops, fiddling, traditional & concert band, symphonic works, and lots more! Youth musicians, with at least two years of instrument study with a private teacher and the ability to read music, can register. NMYO welcomes its current members and also any student musician in the area looking for an opportunity to play music with others this summer,” Led by NMYO’s outstanding conducting staff and guest teaching artists, young musicians will enjoy a valuable musical experience and a fun opportunity to keep up their skills during the summer break from school. For information/registration, register by June 21 at: nmyo.org. Those who register before April 15 receive a $25 discount. Questions? Email info@nmyo.org or phone Executive Director Terri Murphy at 978-309-9833.
In an effort to keep up in the accelerating AI arms race, cloud-services provider Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. on Tuesday agreed to buy Juniper Networks, Inc. in a deal worth around $14 billion.
Under the terms of the deal, Hewlett Packard Enterprises HPE, -8.92%
will acquire Juniper JNPR, +21.81%
— which makes communications-networking products and also has an AI segment called Mist AI — for $40 a share. The companies expect the deal to close late this year or in early 2025.
“The acquisition is expected to double HPE’s networking business, creating a new networking leader with a comprehensive portfolio that presents customers and partners with a compelling new choice to drive business value,” the companies said in a release.
After the deal is completed, Juniper Chief Executive Rami Rahim will lead the combined HPE networking business, and report to HPE CEO Antonio Neri.
“This transaction will strengthen HPE’s position at the nexus of accelerating macro-AI trends, expand our total addressable market, and drive further innovation for customers as we help bridge the AI-native and cloud-native worlds, while also generating significant value for shareholders,” Neri said in a statement.
HPE said the addition of Juniper will boost margins and result in up to $450 million in annual cost savings within three years of the deal’s completion, as well as accelerate growth. HPE’s networking segment was the company’s top source of quarterly earnings before taxes, $401 million, on $1.4 billion in revenue.
HPE’s deeper plunge into networking closes a chapter of sorts. Then-Hewlett-Packard Co. acquired Aruba Networks for about $3 billion in March 2015, months before Silicon Valley’s original garage startup split in half, resulting in the formation of HPE, which sells servers and other equipment for data centers, and HP Inc. HPQ, -2.71%,
which makes PCs and printers.
Shares of Juniper JNPR, +21.81%
rose 0.5% after hours, after jumping 21.8% during regular trading hours. Hewlett Packard HPE, -8.92%
shares were down 0.4% after hours, after falling 8.9% during the day.
As of Tuesday’s close, Juniper had a market cap of $9.64 billion, while HPE’s was $23.04 billion.
The companies hope the deal can provide a much-needed jolt after a series of lackluster quarterly earnings. Juniper shares have gained 15.7% over the past 12 months, while HPE shares are down 5.4% over that span. The S&P 500 SPX,
in comparison, is up about 21.4% over the past year.
For decades, Juniper has lagged rival Cisco Systems Inc. CSCO, -1.09%
in the networking-equipment market. In its most recent quarter, Juniper reported net income of $76 million on revenue of $1.4 billion, down 1% from the same quarter a year earlier.
Shares of Ansys Inc. soared 18% in trading Friday on reports the company is in discussions to be acquired by Synopsys Inc. in a deal that would create a design-software behemoth.
The potential deal would kick off 2024 with a mega-merger, even as the Federal Trade Commission attempts to crack down on such transactions. Talks remain fluid and a third party might still emerge as a possible suitor of Ansys, according to a Wall Street Journal report, which cited people familiar with the situation.
Ansys ANSS, +18.08%,
which has a market value of nearly $26.3 billion, makes software that helps predict how products in aerospace, healthcare and automotive applications will work in the real world. A deal could be struck early in 2024, according to people familiar with the matter. Ansys reported revenue of $2.1 billion in 2022.
Synopsys SNPS, -6.34%,
with a market value of $85.1 billion, makes software that engineers use to design and test silicon chips used in smartphones, self-driving cars and other forms of artificial intelligence. Its stock has climbed 65% this year as investors have hopped on the AI bandwagon boom. Shares of Synopsys dipped 6% in late trading Friday.
Representatives from Synopsys and Ansys were not immediately available for comment.
Should the companies strike a merger, it would offer a fresh test for the FTC and its chair, Lina Khan, who have opposed large tech mergers and acquisitions. The agency unsuccessfully sued Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. META, -0.20%
in its pursuit of VR developer Within, as well as Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT, +0.28%
$69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc.
Advanced Micro Devices is on a roll this week, with its shares marching higher since the chip maker revealed ambitious plans to push into artificial intelligence. Investors looking to dive in best be warned: the stock now looks more expensive than Nvidia.
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While Advanced Micro Devices Inc. shares didn’t enjoy a Wednesday bump during the company’s artificial-intelligence event, they were rallying sharply Thursday as analysts reflected on the chip maker’s presentation.
Chief Executive Lisa Su and her team “put together one of the most impressive new product event/launches by our reckoning in the last decade, perhaps ever,” Rosenblatt Securities analyst Hans Mosesmann wrote in a note to clients.
The launch of AMD’s AMD, +7.09%
MI300X AI/graphics-processing-unit accelerator “was not just a speeds and feeds geek fest (it was that for sure, with AMD claiming superiority in AI inferencing), but an industry movement coalescing around the concept of ‘open’ sourced technologies are preferred (demanded really), to address the insanely fast/accelerating life-changing thing that AI has become,” Mosesmann continued.
He was also impressed by the company’s talk of its software platform ROCm, which he thinks is catching up to Nvidia Corp.’s NVDA, +1.54%
CUDA.
“Of course, Nvidia is not going away, and we are quite sure will remain the dominant AI player for years to come but AMD we feel made the case yesterday that they will be an important AI innovator on a secular basis,” Mosesmann noted, as he kept his outperform rating and $200 target price on the stock.
AMD shares were up 6% in Thursday morning trading.
Baird’s Tristan Gerra was also impressed.
“Rapidly unfolding hyperscaler engagements, highly competitive AI architecture specs, along with accelerated new product roadmap, bode well for share gains and continued acceleration in AI-related revenue for AMD beyond 2024, while faster-than-expected rate of adoption so far could potentially drive upside in the AI revenue outlook for 2024, in our view,” he wrote.
Gerra also sees the potential for “high-volume deployments,” thanks to the “significant software milestones” AMD is showing. He rates the stock at outperform with a $125 target price.
TD Cowen’s Matthew Ramsay said that AMD’s event reinforced his belief that the company “is well positioned to meaningfully participate” in the large total addressable market for AI accelerators.
The company called out Microsoft Corp. MSFT, -0.01%,
Meta Platforms Inc. META, +2.41%
and Oracle Corp. ORCL, -0.08%
as customers, announcements that were “strong” but not “surprising,” in Ramsay’s view.
“We remain encouraged that AMD is making an impressive case (and is getting customer support) to provide adaptive computing solutions for both training and inference in increasingly large [generative-AI] infrastructure builds,” he wrote. “We believe this signifies a strong AI strategy of delivering a broad portfolio of [central processing unit], GPU, and [field-programmable gate array] assets, with open software that enables easily deployed AI workloads while leveraging the company’s existing partnerships to accelerate its AI ramps at-scale.”
Ramsay has an outperform rating and $130 target price on AMD shares.
Nothing has changed our lives more this year than the advances made in artificial intelligence — and they have the potential to alter our lives in even more dramatic ways down the road.
So it’s a no-brainer that Sam Altman, co-founder and recently returned chief executive of the once-little-known OpenAI, should be named “Person of the Year” by Time Magazine when the selection is announced Wednesday.
Altman has already cracked Time’s shortlist, joining candidates from varied backgrounds, including world leaders like Xi Jinping and entertainment phenomenon Taylor Swift. The selection ultimately comes down to an “individual or group who most shaped the previous 12 months, for better or for worse.”
But Time has often given “agents of change” its yearly honor — just look at 2021 winner Elon Musk — and Altman certainly fits that bill.
No other innovation in the past year has had an impact in such disparate realms. OpenAI publicly launched its ChatGPT chatbot late last year, and as the technology grew viral in 2023, it upended the stock market, Silicon Valley and companies that wouldn’t normally be classified as technology businesses. The ensuing product development and surge in generative AI investment revitalized a tech industry that had sunk into the doldrums amid a pandemic hangover.
Admittedly, it will take time for companies to realize the true financial benefits of AI: Nvidia Corp. NVDA, -2.68%
is among the few to generate serious money from the frenzy so far. But market researcher IDC predicted that global spending on AI, including software, hardware and services for AI-centric systems will reach $154 billion this year, up 27% from a year ago. That total could zoom above $300 billion by 2026.
And AI isn’t only impacting the corporate world. The technology is already affecting our daily lives, and it will have even deeper effects going forward. Chatbots are getting smarter on websites, facilitating better customer service. They’re starting to alter the workplace as well, spitting out mostly coherent marketing copy, research and even, gasp, news articles — albeit with plenty of errors.
Altman himself has been the face of OpenAI in the past year. He’s talked up the technology, but he also appeared at congressional hearings in May to discuss potential regulation of AI, testifying that “if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong.” His recent firing and quick rehiring by OpenAI and its small, nonprofit board late last month fueled a veritable media storm before the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.
Time chooses its persons of the year for their impact, not because they’re saints. And Altman’s own story is not without controversy. The recent brouhaha over his leadership of OpenAI is believed to have been caused by a deep schism over the ethics of AI development. The board seemingly wanted more guardrails and precautions, and feared that rushed development could irrevocably doom mankind.
Altman, who also wooed Microsoft Corp. MSFT, -1.43%
to become an investor in OpenAI, emerged the victor in the upheaval with his own company’s altruistic board. Had Altman truly been fired from OpenAI, Microsoft was planning to hire him, and nearly every employee at OpenAI was ready to quit and follow him there. While OpenAI faces plenty of competition, including from Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG, -2.02%
GOOGL, -1.96%
Google, Altman should continue to be the face of AI development, for good and for bad, even as he has advocated industry regulation.
The debut and influence of ChatGPT and follow-on AI products are having the biggest impact on tech development since the invention of the iPhone. Altman is at the center of it and leading the charge. Whether he can keep the lid on Pandora’s Box or not depends on many factors, but he and the company he leads are clearly driving a new tech movement that affects us all, whether we like it or not.
Shares of Nvidia Corp. fell in premarket trading on Friday, following a report that the tech giant will delay the launch of one of its new artificial intelligence chips destined for China.
Nvidia will now roll out one of three big AI chips for that market early next year Reuters reported, citing sources. Earlier this month, a report surfaced that Nvidia planned the trio of AI chips for China after the U.S. government blocked it from selling high-end chips in that country.
