Deck the Faneuil Hall

The managers of Faneuil Hall Marketplace are seeking city approval to build a large deck off the south side of the Quincy Market building for an outside "lounge" — one of a series of changes in the works to attract new visitors.

The year-round, 61-foot by 31-foot wooden platform, which would be placed over the cobblestones, would provide a level surface for musical performances and more interactive programming, including yoga classes and an authors' series, according to general manager Kristin Keefe. It also would include an outdoor reading room with books, magazines and newspapers, a piano, a chess table, and moveable chairs and tables.

"It will be stuff for visitors to do instead of just watch," Keefe said. "Currently most of our programming is 'watch a street performer perform.'"

New historic tours of the retail center and tourist mecca's Quincy Market, South Market and North Market buildings also will be launched from the deck.

"We're just acknowledging that ... we're surrounded by amazing historical sites, but often (they're) overlooked," Keefe said. "They will focus on the history of our three buildings."

New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., which purchased the lease for the city-owned Faneuil Hall Marketplace in 2011, hired New York's Biederman Redevelopment Ventures last year to create outdoor programming for the center as part of larger revitalization plans to attract more locals. Those proposed changes are expected in the form of a master plan that Ashkenazy originally said it would release in the spring of 2012.

"We're continuing to work diligently on it and hope to have an unveiling soon," Keefe said. "We're trying to be extremely thoughtful on this process and make sure we come out with the best product."

A spokesman for the Boston Redevelopment Authority said it anticipates seeing a master plan this fall and looks forward to "working with the merchants of the marketplace and Ashkenazy on next steps."

Ashkenazy pitched plans last year to add a pair of two-story tenant additions encased in glass "sheds," along with two escalators, to the Quincy Market building, but the city's Landmark Commission panned the proposal. The real estate investment firm is not proceeding with the addition "in that form," according to Keefe, who declined further comment.

Ashkenazy also is seeking Landmarks Commission approval of the deck.

The Quincy Market building has historic landmark status, and the commission plans to study this year whether the South Market and North Market buildings also are worthy of the designation. The status affects proposed changes to buildings, plans for which are subject to the commission's review.

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Graduate to a Davis Square condo

This stylish three-unit condo complex has been carved out of a traditional triple decker just outside Somerville's Davis Square.

The three-bedroom duplex units range from $849,000 to $969,000, and all have red oak floors throughout, quartz and cherrywood kitchens and open living/dining areas.

The exterior of the building has been re-sided with blue HardiePlank with white trim, and has all new windows, roof and systems, including gas-fired heat and central air conditioning.

We took a look at staged model Unit 2, a 1,647-square-foot three-bedroom duplex selling for $969,000 on the second and third floor with two decks that overlook a park.

The unit has an open living/dining area with recessed lighting, 9-foot ceilings and lots of windows. Off this area is a half bathroom with porcelain tile floors.

The adjacent kitchen has white quartz countertops and glass mosaic tile backsplashes, with a breakfast bar that seats two and contemporary pendant lamps overhead. There are 15 cherrywood cabinets and top-of-the line Jenn Air refrigerator, dishwasher and six-burner gas stove with a fluted stainless steel hood.

Off the kitchen is a very tiny "third" bedroom, which is actually more of a home office.

The other two bedrooms are on the second floor. The master bedroom suite has oak floors and lots of front-facing windows. A leaded glass door leads out to a second private front deck overlooking a park. There's a large walk-in closet and an en-suite bathroom with porcelain tile floors, a dual sink vanity and a ceramic-tiled glass-doored walk-in shower.

The second bedroom has three windows and two closets. Across the hall, a second full bathroom features porcelain tile floors, and white subway tile surround for a tub/shower with a rainhead fixture. A closet inside the bathroom holds a washer/dryer hookup.

There's a stairway with a skylight opening onto the roof. The owner has roof rights, but will have to secure permission from the city to build a roof deck. But gas, electricity and water have already been brought up to the roof.

The unit comes with one deeded outdoor parking space behind the building.

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Jaguar Coupe’s 
a sexy sportster

To say that the 2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe is a head-turner would be an understatement.

During our four-day trial, this sexy sportster was subjected to catcalls, oglers, hoots and hollers whether parked or rolling through town.

This coupe screams "look at me!" Sporting a gorgeous front grille, sleek profile, shapely sides and a well-rounded backside, this Jaguar is a tantalizing hot rod that fascinates anyone it passes.

Retractable door handles and a rear spoiler that automatically rises at speeds of over 70 mph add to its already aerodynamic body.

Beautiful 19-inch black centrifuge alloy wheels give the salsa red exterior a striking contrast that will get you noticed.

And if they don't see you coming, they'll hear you.

The roar of the F-Type's switchable active twin exhaust yowls with a loud throaty roar, which gives way to a barking burble when stepping off the accelerator.

If you prefer a bit more stealth, you can lower the volume of the exhaust with the flick of a switch. But seriously, who would want that?

Stimulating steering and a heart-pounding 340-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 engine make this two-seater exciting to drive. A punch of the gas pedal puts you well over the speed limit in a flash — the F-Type's speed combined with its bright red exterior will certainly attract law enforcement. Somewhere there are pin-up posters of this car in police departments.

This Jaguar's suspension keeps you glued to every bend in the road.

The F-Type's dynamic mode gives you all the thrills without having to manage the 8-speed Quickshift transmission. Manual override is also possible with both steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and drive selector control. The dynamic mode does seem to use more gas, so don't expect to get 28 miles per gallon on the highway with a lead foot.

With an MSRP of $77,375 as tested, the F-Type has 14-way adjustable bucket seats that are both supportive and comfortable. Seating is very low to the ground with a great feel for the car's center of gravity. Visibility was surprisingly good in spite of a small rear view mirror and window. One puzzling omission is the lack of a back-up camera. With such a beautiful car, you would want every chance to keep its exterior scratchless.

The stitched leather interior is also pretty. It has a smart look and good ergonomics, but a clumsy GPS/entertainment interface that is a real let down. A Meridian sound system pumps 380 watts into the cockpit and sounded great doing it, but quite frankly the exhaust sound is more fun to hear.

The bottom line is that the F-Type is the red-hot roadster that will make your friends jealous. Of course, you can share the experience with them — one at a time. Just tell them to leave the luggage home as this coupe has virtually no room for bags.

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Obama urges renewal of US Export-Import Bank

EDGARTOWN, Mass. — President Barack Obama is trying to rally support for a taxpayer-subsidized bank that he says creates jobs.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama urges business owners to lobby Congress to renew the U.S. Export-Import Bank.

The bank provides loans, loan guarantees and credit insurance to foreign buyers of U.S. products. But it will cease functioning unless Congress renews its charter before October. Some Republican lawmakers who supported the bank in past years now want to put it out of business.

In the Republican address, party chairman Reince Priebus (ryns PREE'-bus) says there will be less government spending, flexible health care and better education under complete GOP control of Congress. The party needs to pick up six seats in the November elections to win back the Senate.

___

Obama's address: http://www.whitehouse.gov

Republican address: https://www.youtube.com/user/gopweeklyaddress

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Hot Property: Flats on D links Seaport to South Boston

The new 197-unit Flats on D luxury apartments may not be in the thick of the Seaport District's offerings, but the project's developer sees that as an advantage.

"A lot of people want to live close to the action, but away from the fray," said John Baxter, executive vice president of Boston's Cresset Development, best known for building the Seaport's Liberty Wharf restaurant complex.

The leasing numbers at Flats on D, which is on D Street between the Seaport and South Boston's West Side, back up his claim. Forty-four percent of the units have been rented, even as construction continues on rooftop and outdoor terrace common spaces.

Alissa Isom of Bozzuto Management, property manager of Flats on D, says most of the renters are young professionals and many work in the Seaport District.

"Our rents are a little less than our competitors like 315 on A and Waterside Place" said Isom. "But tenants want to be in this up-and-coming area."

Studios start at $2,200, one-bedroom units at $2,500, two-bedroom units at $3,625 and there's a few three-bedroom units at $5,465.

Garage parking, for $275 a month, is behind a row of ground-floor retail spaces. Sub shop chain Jimmy John's is opening at the end of the month, dry cleaner Lapels is coming, and Dunkin' Donuts and MassBay Credit Union have signed letters of intent.

The Flats is actually two six-story buildings, with 95 units at 411 D St. and 102 at 407 D St. Each building has its own gym. There's a Wi-Fi coffee bar, game room with a billiards table and screening room at 407 D St. A rooftop deck will grace 411 D St., and 407 D St. will have a large second-floor rear terrace. Both outdoor spaces will have gardens and lawn, gas grills and fire pits, bocce courts, large TVs and lounge seating.

We took a look at Unit 203, a staged model at 411 D St., an 898-square-foot one-bedroom plus den renting for $3,180 a month. The apartment has an open living/dining/kitchen area with 9-foot ceilings, vinyl plank flooring and floor-to-ceiling windows.

There's oak cabinets, granite counters and GE stainless-steel appliances in the kitchen.

The carpeted bedroom has a walk-in closet and an adjacent carpeted den. The bathroom has porcelain tile floors, a granite-topped vanity and ceramic tile surround for a tub/shower. Every unit has a closet with a stacked washer/dryer and tankless water heater.

Isom says concessions include free rent for six weeks if tenants occupy an apartment by Sept. 15, along with a reduced security deposit and a free accent wall in the living/dining area.

The complex is across from the just completed Lawn on D temporary park, which features concerts and outdoor games. Next door will be a pair of mid-priced hotels.

"When we started Flats on D, this area felt like the edge," Baxter said. "But now it's filling in around us. The idea of living, working and playing in one neighborhood has strong appeal."

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State probe: No price-gouging at other local supermarkets

Customers avoiding Market Basket are complaining about the prices at other grocery stores, but a state investigation found no evidence of price-gouging at the Tewksbury chain's competitors.

"We did send inspectors out to look and see if there was anything funky with the prices," said Amie O'Hearn, spokeswoman for the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. "Prices are naturally higher at other chains, but we didn't find anything out of the ordinary."

This month's survey, which looked at a selection of food and grocery items in several areas where stores compete with Market Basket, did not reveal any wide price discrepancies, O'Hearn said.

Market Basket shoppers have been boycotting or otherwise steering clear of its 71 stores amid employee protests that started July 18 in support of fired CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. Market Basket's stores — known for their low prices — now are largely empty of customers and perishables.

Although the state hasn't received complaints alleging price-gouging, shoppers are venting their frustrations about higher prices on social media.

But "limited assortment supermarkets" are lower-priced alternatives to Market Basket, according to a survey by Somerville consumer advocate Edgar Dworksy. He checked prices of almost 24 common store-brand items on Aug. 6 at Market Basket, Stop & Shop and Save-a-Lot stores in Chelsea, Star Market in Somerville, Aldi in Medford and Price Rite in Revere. Aldi had the lowest prices, with the items costing 17 percent less than
Market Basket. Price Rite and Save-A-Lot were about 10 percent cheaper than Market Basket.

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The Ticker

State auditor reviews workers' comp system

A new state audit has made recommendations to improve accountability and efficiency in the workers' compensation system.

State Auditor Suzanne Bump said yesterday that her office's review found that the Department of Industrial Accidents, which oversees the system, does not ensure that assessments paid out by insurance companies are accurate.

Bump said the audit has already led to a number of improvements at the department, including the hiring two internal auditors to review insurance assessments. The audit examined fee collections, claims payments, and internal procedures from July 1, 2010 to Sept. 30, 2012.

All private employers in Massachusetts are required to carry workers' compensation insurance and pay claims by individuals through a commercial insurance policy, self-insurance, or membership in a self-insurance group.

Consumers save $25.9M in sales taxes

Consumers saved an estimated $25.9 million in foregone sales tax during last weekend's sales tax holiday, according to the state Department of Revenue, which will issue a report on the impacts as part of a December certification process. The foregone sales tax revenue was greater last weekend than the $24.6 million in 2013 or any year prior, according to data provided by spokeswoman Maryann Merrigan. Some form of tax free holiday has occurred every year since 2004, except 2009.

DOR is also planning a tax amnesty program in December. The program was ordered in the annual budget, and proponents say they hope it will bring an influx of revenues without the need to raises taxes. Eligible individual or business taxpayers will receive a notice in the mail and will have a window from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 to pay back taxes with interest, while avoiding penalties.

Porter Airlines to increase service
between Boston and Toronto

Porter Airlines will increase service between Logan International Airport and Canada's Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Sept. 20. The Toronto carrier will add a sixth roundtrip flight on Sundays between the two cities and a fourth Toronto-to-Boston flight on Saturdays, for four full round-trips on that day. The low-cost carrier started flying out of Logan in 2009.

•  Rodman & Rodman, P.C., an independent accounting and tax firm located in Newton, has promoted Leah Shanahan, left, to manager. A certified public accountant, Shanahan previously held the position of supervisor for seven years. In her new role as manager of the business services team, she will provide audit and tax services to a diverse client base and help lead the firm's software advisory and support team.

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Biotech $ barometer

Total Massachusetts seed-stage funding 
by year:

1999: $11,395,000

2000: $5,040,000

2001:$3,019,900

2002: $27,600,000

2003: $5,000,000

2004: $6,750,000

2005: $15,799,800

2006: $48,201,000

2007: $90,334,100

2008:$275,896,900

2009:$265,548,900

2010:$177,925,000

2011:$117,126,000

2012: $53,707,500

2013:$148,105,000

Source: PWC MoneyTree

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US home construction jumps 15.7 percent in July

WASHINGTON — U.S. home construction rebounded in July, rising to an eight-month high and offering hope that housing has regained momentum after two months of declines.

Construction increased 15.7 percent in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.09 million homes, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. That was the fastest pace since November and followed declines of 4 percent in June and 7.4 percent in May.

Applications for building permits, considered a good sign of future activity, also showed strength in July, advancing 8.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.05 million, after declines of 3.1 percent in June and 5.1 percent in May.

The July rebound reflected strength in single-family home construction, which rose 8.3 percent, and in apartment construction, which was up 33 percent.

The strength in July was led by a 44 percent rise in construction starts in the Northeast. Housing construction was up 29 percent in the South, recovering from a 26.8 percent plunge the month before blamed in part on heavy rains in that part of the country. Sales rose 18.6 percent in the West but fell 24.8 percent in the Midwest.

Economists noted that the July performance was much better than expected, and June was revised significantly higher, both good signs for the future.

Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, said solid job growth and a recent decline in mortgage rates were helping boost construction. But he said weak wage growth and tight lending standards were still depressing activity, especially among first-time buyers.

A report Monday indicated homebuilders are feeling more confident about their sales prospects, a hopeful sign that home construction and sales of newly built homes could pick up after stalling in recent months.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose in August to 55, up two points from a revised 53 for July. That is the third straight monthly increase and put the index at its highest reading since January, when it was 56. Readings above 50 indicate more builders view sales conditions as good rather than poor.

Builders' views of current sales conditions for single-family homes, their outlook for sales over the next six months and traffic by prospective buyers all increased in August, brightening the outlook.

Sales of new homes are running behind last year's pace. They fell 8.1 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 406,000.

A mix of rising home prices, higher mortgage rates and weak wage growth have made it more difficult for potential buyers to buy a newly built home. These factors have particularly depressed demand by first-time buyers.

But economists are still looking for a rebound, given the fact that the U.S. economy has been adding jobs at a healthy clip with gains topping 200,000 jobs for six straight months through July.

Housing, while still a long way from the boom of the last decade, has been recovering over the past two years. Though new homes represent only a fraction of the housing market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to data from the Home Builders.

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Fox Sports taps YouTube Space LA for social-focused @TheBuzzer web show

Fox Sports, looking to deepen its reach with younger audiences on social platforms, has partnered with YouTube Space LA to produce a daily web-video series explicitly focused on fast-breaking stories that will be shared online.

The videos, each about one minute long, are posted to Fox Sports' YouTube channel as well as FoxSports.com. The goal is to produce four to 10 videos per day, centered on quick, snarky commentary to harness social buzz immediately as it hits the sports world.

"Until now, we haven't had a video-based program designed to be quick and active on social media to promote stories," said Pete Vlastelica, EVP of digital for Fox Sports.

The @TheBuzzer series, produced from the YouTube Space LA facility in Playa Vista, Calif., soft-launched earlier this summer. Last week, leading up to the official launch in time for the NFL's 2014-15 season, Fox Sports installed a full-time host for the show: Nicole Dabeau, previously a correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," who is repped by Creative Management Entertainment Group.

Currently, @TheBuzzer videos collectively average about 500,000 views per week -- relatively modest, by YouTube standards. But according to Fox Sports, more than 40% of the traffic for the series comes from social-media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Google+.

Two examples of recent @TheBuzzer clips: "Byron Scott: No Laker Can Beat Me In Horse" and "13-Year-Old Pitcher Mo'Ne Davis Wins Weekend."

"The program is designed to anticipate what will trend socially," said Vlastelica, adding that Fox Sports' 50-member online and social editorial team is on the lookout for trends and stories to produce for @TheBuzzer. "That's a skill in and of itself, understanding what gets shared on Twitter and Facebook," he said.

Over all, the idea is to more closely align the programming on Fox Sports 1 -- 21st Century Fox's 24-hour cable channel launched a year ago -- with the programmer's digital properties, according to Vlastelica. ""We're not a TV company," he said. "We're a media company designed to reach viewers wherever they are."

Fox Sports has previously dabbled in digital-native video content with Digital VideoFest, a contest in which a dozen YouTube creators vied for a development deal with the programmer. The winner was AVByte, a YouTube channel run by brothers Vijay and Antonius Nazareth, for their "This Week in Sports" recap show set to music.

Fox Sports' @TheBuzzer series is sponsored by Ford Motor Co., which also backed the series with AVByte.

Even with revenue behind it, the program will continue to be a digital sandbox of sorts. With @TheBuzzer, Fox Sports has been able to discover in a "fast-fail model" what works for digital-video publishing -- and what doesn't, said Liam Collins, head of YouTube Space LA.

"If you are in an environment where there is not a big cost to experimenting, that's a good thing," Collins said. "If you're Fox Sports and want to build even more audience, that audience is going to tell you what they want to see."

(C) 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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CBS seeks more than $500K for ads in 'Thursday Night Football'

CBS is seeking more than half a million dollars for a 30-second spot in its coming "Thursday Night Football" broadcasts,which will be simulcast on cable's the NFL Network -- the latest signal that TV networks believe live football gives them a greater advantage in reaching the large crowds of consumers their sponsors expect.

At $500,000 or more, a spot in the show, which is being broadcast on CBS via a partnership established in February with the National Football League, would cost advertisers more than any other program on primetime TV except for NBC's "Sunday Night Football," according to a Variety survey of primetime ad prices. NBC was able to command an average of $628,000 for a 30-second spot in last season's series of games, according to the survey.

The second most-expensive primetime show last season was ESPN's "Monday Night Football" broadcasts, which cost advertisers an average of $408,000, according to the survey.

Even football, however, is facing greater scrutiny from potential sponsors. Advertisers tamped down the amount of money they have been willing to place on advance ad inventory in this year's annual "upfront," so even these highly-viewed pieces of content are not sold out.

"There is still space available" in CBS' Sunday-afternoon and Thursday-night football broadcasts, said John Bogusz, the network's executive vice president of sports sales and marketing, in an interview. "We are happy with where we are," he said of the amount of advertising sold.

Lowe's and Verizon will sponsor the first half-hour and second half-hour, respectively, of the Thursday pre-game show while Lexus will sponsor halftime and Mazda will support the post-game show.

CBS is guaranteeing a 12.3 household rating for the games, which is not far behind performance of NBC's Sunday-night matches from last season. That rating would be a cume of the broadcasts on both CBS and NFL Network -- and an underlying factor in why the CBS games cost less than NBC's, according to ad buyers.

Bogusz said CBS has seen good demand for football from automobile manufacturers, movie studios, fast food chains, beverage marketers and telecommunications advertisers.

In a Monday presentation, CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said, "The entire CBS Corp. is behind" the new Thursday-night broadcasts. "We are determined to work with the NFL to make sure this is a success." The eight-game CBS package is expected to run Sept. 11 to Oct. 30.

(C) 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Home Depot 2Q profit climbs 14 percent

ATLANTA — Home Depot's fiscal second-quarter net income surged 14 percent thanks to a rebound in its spring selling season.

The nation's largest home improvement retailer also raised its annual profit guidance Tuesday.

Spring is the biggest season for home-improvement retailers, as homeowners and others work on their yards and gardens. While the season started off a bit cold and rainy, weather improved and shoppers headed out to stores to pick up supplies. In particular, purchases over $900 like appliances and water heaters, which account for 20 percent of total U.S. sales, rose 8 percent.

"These results support the view of a continued recovery in the U.S. home-improvement market," Frank Blake, Home Depot's CEO, told investors during its earnings call.

Home Depot also has been helped of late by an improving U.S. housing market. Home prices have started to rise, and there's been steady job growth and fewer troubled loans dating back to the housing-bubble days. While the housing market has recently had a bit of trouble maintaining that momentum, many home owners are spending more to renovate their homes.

On Tuesday, the government offered encouraging data on the housing market. The Commerce Department reported that home construction rebounded in July, rising to the fastest pace in eight months and offering hope that housing has regained momentum after two months of declines. Home construction increased 15.7 percent in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.09 million homes.

Applications for building permits, considered a good sign of future activity, also showed strength in July, advancing 8.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.05 million, after declines of 3.1 percent in June and 5.1 percent in May.

The July rebound reflected strength in single-family home construction, which rose 8.3 percent, and in apartment construction, which was up 33 percent.

Shares of Home Depot rose $3.88, or more than 4 percent, to $87.47 in Tuesday trading.

For the three months ended Aug. 3, Home Depot Inc. earned $2.05 billion, or $1.52 per share. A year earlier it earned $1.8 billion, or $1.24 per share.

Analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research predicted earnings of $1.44 per share.

Revenue climbed nearly 6 percent to $23.81 billion from $22.52 billion. This beat Wall Street's forecast of $23.57 billion.

Sales at stores open at least a year, a key gauge of a retailer's health, rose 5.8 percent. In the U.S., the metric increased 6.4 percent. Sales at stores open at least a year excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.

Online sales surged more than 38 percent in the quarter.

Home Depot now foresees fiscal 2014 earnings of $4.52 per share. Its prior outlook was for $4.42 per share. Before that, the retailer anticipated earnings of $4.38 per share. Analysts polled by FactSet expect earnings of $4.41 per share.

The chain maintained its guidance for full-year sales to be up about 4.8 percent from the previous year. Based on 2013's revenue of $78.81 billion, this implies approximately $82.6 billion. Wall Street predicts $82.5 billion.

Home Depot's smaller rival Lowe's Cos. reports its financial results on Wednesday.

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Program out to make legal representation affordable

A University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Law School program aims to match new lawyers in need of work with people who need legal help but can't pay the steep rate that most firms charge.

"Around 85 percent of the people who appear in court for custody, foreclosures, evictions, can't afford a lawyer," said Mary Lu Bilek, dean of the UMass Law School, citing a study. "At the same time, people are saying there are too many lawyers ... There's a mismatch between who needs lawyers and who has lawyers. We have to get serious about solving the problem."

That's where Justice Bridge on Franklin Street in downtown Boston comes in.

"Some of our clients may have lost hope and believe that justice is beyond their reach or legal representation is beyond their reach," said Len Zandrow, executive director of the program. "So, we're among other things providing justice for people and also restoring hope."

Without such a service, because of the cost of hiring a lawyer, people often take on child-custody disputes or mortgage foreclosures by themselves, unaware of their legal rights or the possible consequences, Zandrow said.

Justice Bridge will work to keep costs down by using technology such as discounted research tools, a database of 1,100 legal forms and what Zandrow called a "limited-representation model."

"It's a way to divide the work. Clients who can't afford a lawyer for all aspects of their case, they may take on some of the responsibility themselves and the lawyers will identify and work the most critical aspects of the case," he said. "The clients will probably be doing some of their own legal work under the guidance of the lawyers."

Such programs are crucial to the practical application of the law, Bilek said.

"The law doesn't operate because it's written in a book. When you're threatened with a legal problem, just because you should win because that's what the law says, doesn't mean you're going to," she said.

And the program offers key benefits for new lawyers — who often spend more than half their time looking for clients, Zandrow said. According to the American Bar Association, there is a 56 percent unemployment rate among 2012 law school graduates.

The program, Bilek said, is designed to jump-start careers of those new lawyers, not threaten smaller firms.

"Lawyers in practice turn away clients every day because they can't afford to pay the fees the lawyer needs to pay her bills," she said.

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Market Basket: ‘Real progress’ in late-night Patrick, Hassan negotiations

Bay State Gov. Deval Patrick and New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan last night personally joined the negotiations over the long-drawn-out Market Basket dispute that has put a multibillion-dollar company and tens of thousands of jobs at risk in both states.

"Governor Hassan and Governor Patrick met at length on Sunday evening with interested parties in the Market Basket situation," said Patrick spokeswoman Heather Nichols in a statement. "The parties have made real progress on the terms of the sale and operating control of the company, and the governors are encouraged that a resolution may be within reach."

The move came as hundreds of Market Basket workers approach a new work-or-be-fired deadline today and as thousands of part-time workers already have seen their hours cut to zero.

The nearly monthlong battle between new management and employees and customers of the multibillion-dollar supermarket chain started when the board controlled by Arthur S. Demoulas ousted his cousin Arthur T. Demoulas in June. That has prompted job walkouts and protests by many of the chain's 30,000 workers as well as customers.

Last week, Market Basket co-CEOs Felicia Thornton and James Gooch sent letters to protesting employees telling them that they have until today to return to work.

"We are writing one final time, to invite you to return to work and perform your job obligations," the letter, which was posted on the "My Demoulas" Twitter page, reads. "Should you choose to ignore either of these directives, the company will consider you to have abandoned your job, thereby ending your employment with the company."

Patrick's office became involved in the dispute earlier this month, as he urged workers to return to their jobs on Wednesday "to stabilize" the crippled company.

His family ties to the downtown law firm representing Market Basket's independent board members — which he disclosed in an ethics filing after he was questioned about a possible conflict — has raised questions about his transparency with the public.

The governor's wife, Diane Patrick, is a co-managing partner, specializing in advising employers on labor relations, with the law firm Ropes & Gray.

That firm represents the independent directors on Market Basket's board.

The PR firm representing the independent directors said in a statement last week: "Diane Patrick has not in any manner been involved in Ropes & Gray's representation of the independent directors of the Board nor of the Committees of the Board."

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ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas returns to rehab

ABC News' Elizabeth Vargas is continuing her battle against alcohol addiction and has headed back to rehab, she confirmed to several outlets on Sunday.

The "20/20" co-anchor has been open with the public about her struggle in the past. While on vacation in California this weekend, she checked into a treatment facility.

"As so many other recovering alcoholics know, overcoming the disease can be a long and incredibly difficult process. I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down and for that I am ashamed and sorry," Vargas said in a statement.

The 51-year-old was in a treatment facility for several weeks last fall. She opened up about her addiction in January during an interview with "Good Morning America" co-anchor George Stephanopoulos, admitting that she had reached out for help.

"I am. I am an alcoholic," she said. "It took me a long time to admit that to myself. It took me a long time to admit it to my family, but I am."

She went into detail about her addiction, and revealed that she was in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Vargas has been with 1996. There's been no word on when she will return to work.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Maine woman sues GM after suffering burn

YARMOUTH, Maine — A woman who says she suffered a third-degree burn from a heated seat in Chevrolet Suburban has sued General Motors.

Emma Verrill says in her suit filed in U.S. District Court in Portland that GM failed to adequately test the rear seat heaters to prevent them from reaching "dangerously high temperatures that would burn human flesh."

Verrill is paralyzed from the waist down and can't feel hot and cold in her lower body.

She tells the Portland Press Herald her burn was so serious it required surgery and months in bed.

She's seeking unspecified damages.

Verrill grew up in Yarmouth and now lives in Texas.

GM denied the seat heater was defective or dangerous, denied causing Verrill's injury, and denied knowledge of a defect or failure to fix a defect.

___

Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com

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Malibu fault code affected by which engine powers it

Code P0172 came up in my 2010 Chevy Malibu. The dealer charged me $100 to troubleshoot the code. I was told that all the sensors were good and to run the gas tank low and fill up with high-octane gas. Does going to high-octane gas make any sense to you? The "Check engine" light is still on and I'm concerned that if another code comes up I'll never know. What do you think?

If the engine in your vehicle is the 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder, the P0172 indicates a rich fuel/air mixture. The long-term fuel trim is beyond the range of adjustment based on the oxygen sensor feedback to the PCM. Look for a leaking fuel pressure regulator or fuel injector, or a restriction in the induction system like a clogged air cleaner or collapsed induction hose. Other possibilities include fuel contamination in the crankcase, a faulty PCV or evaporative emissions system, or contaminated fuel. If it is a fuel issue such as an excess amount of alcohol, the dealer's advice might help.

All bets are off if it's a V-6 engine because the P0172 code would indicate a rich mixture on cylinder bank 1 only. If this is the case, look for a mechanical issue with an injector or fuel pressure regulator.

By the way, you may be able to avoid the diagnostic charge in the future. A number of auto parts stores will plug a scanner into the diagnostic link on your vehicle and read any stored fault codes — at no charge. Taking advantage of this service not only can save you money, but arm you with accurate diagnostic information when you take the vehicle to the dealership or service agency.

I am having a problem with my 2000 Chrysler minivan that I bought new. It had 175K on it the first time it stalled on me. Since no one could figure it out I just let it go until now. The problem is after driving the car for at least 40 minutes in very hot weather with the A/C on, the car starts to lose power as if it is running out of gas. The accelerator doesn't respond and as I put my foot on it, the car sputters worse and worse and eventually dies. When I try to restart it and it starts it runs really rough and eventually dies. The first few times I had it towed, and of course by the time it got there [service agency], it fired right up. There were no error codes and no one could figure out what was wrong. I learned that if I just let the car cool down for about 45 minutes it would start and run fine for a long period.

In the rest of your letter you mentioned having the crankshaft and camshaft position sensors replaced, but I doubt this fixed the issue. From your description, the engine is suffering from a loss of fuel pressure. If it is heat-related — high underhood temperatures — it would be labeled "vapor lock," where the fuel boils in the fuel rail, generating air bubbles that disrupt fuel delivery. Try carrying a spray bottle of water with you, and when this happens again open the hood and cool the underhood components of the fuel system with water. If the car restarts and runs cleanly, it's vapor lock. Servicing the cooling system and ensuring good airflow through the A/C condenser and radiator can help lower underhood temperatures.

If the water doesn't help, it's possible that it's a failing fuel pump or that debris in the fuel tank is slowly clogging the fuel strainer surrounding the fuel pickup as you drive. This would also cause a loss of fuel pressure, but after sitting the debris can fall away from the strainer, allowing the car to run fine again — for a while.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paul brand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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The Ticker

Google buys Calif. photo co. Jetpac

Tech giant Google has purchased the startup Jetpac, creator of software that analyzes the pictures cybernauts post on the Internet and works up urban guides from the information it extracts from them, the Jetpac Web site said.

Founded in 2011 with headquarters in San Francisco, Jetpac compiles information from the photos that users post on social networks, for example on Instagram, the property of Facebook, and by means of an advanced system of artificial intelligence, creates guides with the information it extracts from them.

The usual pictures of food, buildings, people and decorative elements circulated by Instagram enrich the useful content of Jetpac's online guides to the habits, activities, curiosities and leisure-time possibilities that each city has to offer.

The monetary value of the acquisition has not been revealed.

TOMORROW

•  National Association of Home Builders releases housing market index for August.

TUESDAY

• Commerce Department releases housing starts for July.
• Labor Department releases Consumer Price Index for July.

WEDNESDAY

• Federal Reserve releases minutes from its July interest rate meeting.

THURSDAY

• Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.
• Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates,
• National Association of Realtors releases existing home sales for July.
• Conference Board releases leading indicators for July.
•  Ted Finnerty, left, joins the Boston office of JLL from the New York office, where he was a vice president and associate director. Prior to coming to Boston, Finnerty led the 12-person capital improvement team for the Empire State Building. His experience also includes a number of tenant fit out projects of varying sizes for a variety of clients. Finnerty is a LEED Accredited Professional and was named to Real Estate New York's "Top 30 Under 30" list in 2007.
•  Nick Herz has joined Boston Realty Advisors as a managing director and shareholder in the Capital Markets group. Herz will focus on expanding investment sales, debt finance, and equity placement activities. Prior to joining Boston Realty Advisors. Herz served as senior vice president in the Capital Markets groups at CB Richard Ellis/New England and Colliers International.

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Site lets job seekers ‘upskill’

When Iba Masood and Syed Ahmed graduated from college in 2010 and 2011, respectively, they initially had trouble finding jobs.

Like many of their classmates, they had the education, but not the specific skill sets that some companies were looking for.

So in 2012, they created Gradberry, a website that allows students and graduates to "upskill" through interactive, online courses and find jobs and internships, and allows employers to find new talent.

"Industries are currently in flux and constantly changing, and universities haven't been able to keep up with the new tools of the trade that graduating students need," said Masood, co-founder and CEO of Gradberry, now a finalist in the MassChallenge startup accelerator and competition.

Many business schools don't teach students how to use the software tool Salesforce, for example, a skill that many employers require for sales and customer relationship management positions.

"Gradberry aims to fill that gap," Masood said.

The website offers both free and paid courses taught by experts in areas such as technology entrepreneurship, social-media marketing, HTML5 and digital photography. Prices for paid courses generally range from $49 to $99. And once you've completed all the lessons in a course, you earn a certificate that you can add to your Gradberry talent profile.

You can also search for internships, freelancing opportunities and full-time jobs on the website, and employers can search for job candidates by browsing through their talent profiles.

Viveka Mishra, a fellow MassChallenge finalist, used Gradberry to post a job last week for a full-time marketing position at her company, PegaSense.

"The site was incredibly simple to use, and the posting itself was nestled in between Amazon job postings," Mishra said. "When I posted the job, Gradberry tweeted an energetic, 'PegaSense is looking for a marketing rockstar,' with a link to the posting to their massive amount (11,100) of Twitter followers."

"Using Gradberry has been great marketing for PegaSense," she said, "and we've since been in contact with high-caliber candidates from across the globe."

Worldwide, Gradberry has 38,000 users and will never charge people applying for jobs, Masood said, but the company will begin charging employers by next year for premium services such as training for 
employees or advanced filtering that will allow companies to search for prospective job applicants by their universities and majors.

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Tax holiday lures Massachusetts shoppers

Shoppers packed stores as the state's sales tax holiday kicked off yesterday, with retailers anticipating a blockbuster weekend at the registers in the doldrums of summer.

"We are expecting to see a pretty big weekend," said Bill Rennie, vice president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. "We're expecting big crowds this weekend, a lot of traffic in the stores."

A spokesman for the Northshore Mall in Peabody said stores were busy yesterday, and so were the parking lots.

"You can definitely see the influx of traffic compared to a typical Saturday in August," said Rich Balest. "Northshore is looking pretty good right now."

The big box stores and electronics retailers were seeing the most traffic, he said.

Rennie said the association's members expect to rack up close to $500,000 in sales this weekend.

"Interest is as high as it's been in years past," Rennie said.

The state department of revenue estimated the state missed out on roughly $24.6 million in uncollected sales tax last year. That was the fourth straight increase over the year before.

Many stores doubled their staffing levels and across the state malls rolled out the promotions and gimmicks. The Simon Malls, which include the Northshore Mall, Square One Mall and South Shore Plaza, had extended hours, and the Northshore Mall had puppies on hand so people could take a break from sales tax-free shopping and play with the dogs.

Antonio Duarte said his freezer broke a week ago and he waited for the tax holiday to take a trip to the Northshore Mall to replace it.

"It comes at the right time," Duarte said. "I saved a few bucks."

Stacey Stanley is building a new house, and needed some supplies from the plumbing supply store, she said.

"It just so happened to fall on the tax-free holiday, so we said might as well," she said. "I think it's great, maybe they should do it twice a year."

Still, not everyone was buying into the sales tax holiday, which suspends the sales tax for items up to $2,500 — a $150 savings on the maximum amount.

"If Macy's decided to have a storewide sale for 6.25 percent, no one would show up for that," said Edgar Dworsky, founder of Consumer World. "It's very big hype."

Still, he said the holiday can help people save on specific items.

"People are going to save the most on big-ticket items, stuff for which normally it hurts if you have to pay sales tax on it," he said. "Just because it's 6.25 percent less expensive, that's no reason to buy it if you don't need it."

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