
Lori Silverman stood ankle deep in cool water inside the roped-off area at Regatta Point along Lake Quinsigamond. Just a few feet away, a relative floated face down, looking up with a smile on his face as Silverman said something to him. Two other women and a young girl, also relatives, waded out of the lake toward their towels and seats. It was midmorning on a Friday, two days after the Fourth of July.

In response to comments from city councilors earlier this summer, the City of Worcester has drafted up a plan to combat the increasing number of panhandlers standing on sidewalks and intersection medians.

On the Massachusetts ballot in November, it will appear as a simple "Yes" or "No" question. The socalled "Right to Repair" issue, however, is anything but simple. It is steeped in controversy, hasn't been passed in any U.S. state and has stalled in various forms of legislation at the Statehouse.

Two months ago, Kenny Tran was driving by Coes Pond. The weather was beautiful and the pond looked peaceful, so he wanted to try his hand at kayaking. The only problem? He didn't own a kayak and the only other rental store in the area didn't deliver. So, he decided to open his own kayak rental store, with delivery.