Boston, MA  --  "Manufacturing is alive and well in Massachusetts, and has a healthy future," Professor Barry Bluestone of Northeastern University told more than 200 industry and policy leaders, including Gov. Deval Patrick and Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, as he unveiled a new report, Staying Power II: A Report Card on Manufacturing in Massachusetts. The findings of the report were detailed recently at an event at precision manufacturer AccuRounds in Avon. Bluestone heads Northeastern's Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, which produced the report with support from The Greater Boston Manufacturing Continue reading >>>

Greater Boston abounds with nature centers to satisfy the most curious and indelibly-grass-stained child, from working farms selling homemade ice cream to wildlife preserves with canoe trails and an island campground. Here are some nature-kid-approved spots to explore this fall, all within about 25 miles of Boston.—By Caitlin Hurley, Globe Correspondent

The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of The Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7. A truly reader-friendly format: Online news that is uncluttered, and easy to navigate. The Boston Globe ePaper: New feature that replicates the print edition in its exact layout. Browse page by page, including stories and advertisements. Video: Enjoy expanded coverage of the stories that matter most. Questions? Call customer service at (617) Continue reading >>>

Breakthrough Greater Boston, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing underserved students to attend four-year college and to training the next generation of urban teachers, presented one of its teachers, Watertown native Noah Jefferson, with the first-ever Elizabeth D. Hodder Award. The award was presented at the organization’s end-of-summer event, ‘Celebration,’ on August 9th. The Elizabeth D. Hodder Award recognizes one Breakthrough teacher who demonstrates a clear commitment to entering the field of education, who is passionate about closing the achievement gap, and who is a Continue reading >>>

Despite a still-sluggish recovery from the Great Recession, Eastern Massachusetts experienced a second straight strong summer in attracting tourists. According to PFK Consulting, which keeps track of hotel industry trends, occupancy rates at Greater Boston hotels topped 88 percent in June, before declining to 86 percent in July. Average room rates hit $187 in July, a 14-percent increase from the previous year. “Overall, 2012 is a very strong year,” PFK vice president Andrea Foster said. Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Pat Moscaritolo said the number Continue reading >>>

If European cuisine still rules Boston’s upscale restaurants, Asian food is increasingly influential. Customers are gravitating to its bright, bold, and spicy flavors, and chefs see such late-night menus as a way to bring in crowds. The National Restaurant Association study “What’s Hot in 2012” predicts the rise. Surveying nearly 1,800 chefs, it names street-food-inspired appetizers and main courses, fusion cuisine, Southeast Asian and Korean cuisine, Asian noodles, small plates, Asian-flavored cocktails, and more as trends for the year.

Comcast has turned on nearly 2,500 Wi-Fi hotspots in parts of eastern Massachusetts, including the Boston area, and southern New Hampshire.Comcast’s Xfinity WiFi is free to the company’s data subscribers and is now available in Boston, Brookline and Cambridge, as well as in communities from Cape Cod to Portsmouth, N.H. The 2,500 hotspots represent a combination of freestanding hotspots and hotspots in small- to medium-size businesses that have Comcast Business Class services that include a Wi-Fi hotspot.“Our customers are on the go with wireless devices, platforms and apps and are looking Continue reading >>>

WHAT IT IS: Boston Magazine named Needham High School one of the best public high schools in Massachusetts in the September 2012 issue, ranking it number 14 out of 50. MORE: Boston Magazine crunched the numbers for 230 public high schools to come up with a ranking of the 50 best public high schools in the Greater Boston area. Rankings were based on data gathered from consulting school officials and websites, as well as the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The rankings took into account test scores, number of AP classes, graduation rate, percent of students who Continue reading >>>

 Lose It! has joined Boston.com and The Greater Boston YMCA to kick off the Hometown Wellness Showdown, a four-week health and wellness challenge. Participants from towns in and around Boston will compete against one another to help their town or YMCA earn the title of healthiest in eastern Massachusetts. The challenge, which runs through October 12, 2012, can be accessed at http://showdown.loseit.com and is free to join. "Points" will be awarded for logging exercise, eating fruits and vegetables, losing weight and a variety of other activities. Each week, active participants are included Continue reading >>>

Local nonprofit HomeStart Inc. is releasing a new video featuring Red Sox [team stats] catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia visiting with one of the organization’s clients, to help raise awareness around the importance of ending and preventing homelessness in Greater Boston. In the video, Lindsay Johnson, a Boston resident and father of a young daughter, talks with Saltalamacchia about hitting economic difficulties in 2009 when he lost his job due to the recession and how he lost his housing and his car. Johnson ended up in a homeless shelter before connecting with HomeStart’s housing search services. Saltalamacchia Continue reading >>>