In September 1774, John Adams attended the first Continental Congress in  Philadelphia and wrote to Abigail about his encounters with the delegates from 12 of  the other 13 colonies for the first time. Adams wrote: “I flatter myself, however, that we  shall conduct our embassy in such a manner as to merit the approbation of our  country.” In this letter, Adams was quite rightly describing himself and the other Massachusetts delegates to the Continental Congress as if they were ambassadors to a foreign power, explains Peterson. “And when Adams says ‘our country,’ he is referring to  Massachusetts,” not the United States, notes Peterson, who adds that up until the Civil War, both nationally and internationally, Boston and its New England hinterland was thought of as a separate country with its own “national” identity. 

A new study recently published in the journal Tourism Economics by the University of Florida has quantified the financial shock that the 2018 bloom had to Florida’s economy, using the Airbnb market as a gauge of the broader impacts. For the study — which was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System and NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science — researchers reviewed Airbnb property and reservation data.

“Every year we improve a little bit in the statistics, and a lot as far as violent crimes,” she said. “In 1990 when I became a prosecutor, our circuit’s population was half of what it is now, but the crime rate was double what it is now. That’s how much we’ve changed. Now we are recognizing what’s important in criminal justice – what requires a long sentence and what does not, and which offenders can be rehabilitated. If you’re a violent person, you have to be incarcerated. On the other hand, a large portion of offenders can be helped and rehabilitated, and hopefully it will bring about less recidivism. After I was elected I looked to what I could do to make sure we didn’t just rest at the top … I wanted the statistics to be even lower. I had to realize what our biggest challenges were as a circuit and at this time it is the opioid epidemic, and fentanyl coming into the picture.”

Boca Grande’s “Glee” will be bringing hope to the island and to young people across greater Englewood at the Lighthouse United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 7 and Friday, April 9 at 4:30 p.m.The beloved group of island songsters, well known for their 2019 concert version of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” will perform an inspiring medley of “Songs of Hope” from the Great American Songbook. 

On Wednesday, April 6, at 5:30 p.m., the Suncoast Humane Society will hold its final fundraising event of the season, just in time to take advantage of the Giving Challenge.The cost is $150 per person, with cocktails and dinner provided by Chef Micheal Durett. Make reservations by March 30 to Margaret Ann Behrend, development@humanel.org., (908) 752-5164.