Tuesday, October 9, 2012, 11:01am   Hotels in the Cape Cod area, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island) hotels reported strong occupancy and revenue gains in August, according to PKF Boston, a hospitality consulting firm.The 17 hotel operators in the Cape Cod area achieved average 88 percent occupancy at a $409.07 average daily rate (ADR), with a resulting $359.09 revenue per available room (RevPAR). Continue reading >>>

On Columbus Day, a World Class Cities Partnership (WCCP) delegation of Boston-area leaders, led by Executive Director Mike Lake, kicked off the Lisbon portion of a week-long mission in Portugal. A day of meetings and tours focused on the development of the 'Waterfront City,' one of three areas of focus for the mission along with creating the 'Entrepreneurial City' and promoting the 'Innovative City.' Monday's objective was to understand the civic vision, strategy and implementation that is driving Lisbon's waterfront development, with the goal to take the concepts and lessons learned from Lisbon's Continue reading >>>

Builders course to be offered in Framingham The Builders Association of Greater Boston (BAGB) has announced its upcoming session for the builders licensing course, which prepares builders, remodelers and other professionals for the Massachusetts Construction Supervisors Licensing Exam. The course will be offered at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel, 1657 Worcester Road, (Rte. 9 west), Framingham, Oct. 17 through Dec. 5. The course meets seven weeks, one night a week on Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. Those interested should visit bagb.org. The fee is $275 for BAGB members and $375 for non-members, Continue reading >>>

Fred Massa, of Boston, and Svetlana Javakhyan, of Malden, the president/CEO and vice president of Sales for Wolfson Cutler Real Estate in Medford announce their real estate agency will become an independently owned and operated member of Weichert Real Estate Affiliates (WREA). The office, located at 362 Salem St., Medford, will now be known as WEICHERT, REALTORS® —Blueprint Brokers.  WEICHERT, REALTORS® — Blueprint Brokers replaces Wolfson Cutler Real Estate, which has served the Greater Boston area for more than 50 years. Massa and Javakhyan will be partners and will lead the growth Continue reading >>>

It was a history-making moment for Maxine Harney, Monday morning at Indian Ridge Country Club. The Medford High senior made Greater Boston League golf history becoming the first female to capture the GBL Championship, Oct. 1. Harney shot a personal best 78, taking home the prestigious title in dramatic fashion. “It hasn’t really hit me yet,” said Harney, 17. “It’s a phenomenal feeling. It’s one of those things where I’m probably going to have to wait a few days to realize that I actually won it, and it actually happened.” The Jackson Road resident was simply amazing on the Continue reading >>>

Boston and Cape Cod hotels achieved strong growth in August as tourism and business travel improved.   Thomas Grillo Real Estate Editor- Boston Business Journal Email Boston and Cape Cod and the island hotels saw increased occupancy and revenues in August, according to a PKF Consulting Continue reading >>>

Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. So when Andy Brooks of Jamaica Plain found himself between jobs, he decided to create one. The 37-year-old former Harvard Gazette reporter bootstrapped Bootstrap Compost, which bills itself as Greater Boston’s only year-round kitchen-scrap pickup service. Brooks was visiting his sister in Vermont over Christmas in 2010 when he stumbled across a similar business. “By New Year’s Day, I had fliers up around JP,” he said. “It was an experiment to see if people would bite.” Within a week, Brooks picked up his first few buckets of compost. Continue reading >>>

Sunday, October 7, 2012, 3:00am By Jim Cronin Banker Tradesman Staff Writer The banks providing commercial loans that keep Greater Boston’s commercial real estate markets churning are competing harder than ever before for the opportunity to lend money to investors, especially for loans to the middle markets. A valid subscription is required to read the article or use the tool you've selected. Continue reading >>>

TO THE EDITOR: In light of the recent accidents and fatalities involving bicyclists and motorists in the Greater Boston area, especially the Aug. 24 accident that killed Alexander Motsenigos of Wellesley, it is outrageous that we bicyclists still encounter motorists who have no regard for us and are ignorant of Massachusetts’s bicycling laws. Last Tuesday, Oct. 2, at 10 a.m., as two friends and I were cycling on Pine Street in Dover, a woman in a white Mercedes SUV chose to pass us on a blind curve, putting herself and us at risk. She came within a foot of hitting us just as a car was coming Continue reading >>>

SCM Community Transportation is pleased to announce it will be participating in the Giving Common Challenge, a statewide online fundraising effort Oct. 10 and 11 including more than 500 nonprofits from across Massachusetts. Beginning at 8 a.m. on Oct. 10, SCM will be highlighting its work and encouraging donations through its profile on the Giving Common, an initiative of the Boston Foundation. Giving Common nonprofits have completed extensive profiles in an effort to be more transparent about their work and raise awareness of the importance of nonprofit organizations across the state. Donors Continue reading >>>