Boston OKs new farming rules

Boston officials are hoping to open up new opportunities for urban farmers by debuting city land-use regulations that make clear businesses growing fresh produce for inner city consumers are not only accepted, but welcomed.

Outgoing Mayor Thomas M. Menino this week announced the Boston Zoning Commission approved new zoning rules, after a three-year push to raise urban agriculture to a commercial level. The effort brought together city agencies and companies that had pioneered farming in the city.

"Growing food within our city limits means better access to food and economic empowerment, all while cultivating a sense of neighborhood unity and greening our city," Menino said, indicating he will sign the new rules into law.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority worked with the mayor's office in 2010 to launch two pilot "micro-farms" on city-owned land in Mattapan that helped shape the new zoning rules.

Jessie Banhazl, owner of Green City Growers, a Somerville firm that builds horticulture projects in city spaces, said Boston ordinances did not discourage city farming but neither did they regulate it, leaving urban farmers worried about how they would weather opposition from neighbors.

"I think, because of the visibility the ordinances bring to urban agriculture, it will make people more confident to take this on as a career choice," Banhazl said. "I think there's no limit to what will be possible."

There are other communities ahead of Boston, she said, but the new regulations put the Hub at the forefront of big cities in the country pushing commercial agriculture in urban patches and on rooftops.

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Range Rover maintains its regal reign

Still big, burly and brawny, but always with a regal air, the 2014 Range Rover holds its spot as the aristocrat of full-sized SUVs. Battling able competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac Escalade and Lexus LX 570, Range Rover rules not because of its luxury, but because it still wants to careen through nearly 3 feet of water and not get your feet wet.

In 2013, Range Rover trimmed down the fleet king by almost 800 pounds, and year 2 of the revamp features only a noteworthy tweak — a new 3.0 liter 340- horsepower supercharged V-6 engine replaces the 5.0 liter V-8. And it runs strong and smoothly mated to the slick eight-speed automatic. Gas mileage in this all-wheel-drive titan is 17 miles per gallon in the city and 23 on the highway — an improvement of nearly 4 mpg over earlier models. The V6 is quick, powerful and has excellent acceleration through traffic. It's hard to believe, but this truck easily bests many performance sports sedans, reportedly doing 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds.

Three trim levels are available and our tester was the base model. All feature the Response 2 Terrain system that can be used either manually or automatically to adjust height and suspension for any type of terrain. Having recently tested and enjoyed driving the top level Range Rover Supercharged, the base model does not disappoint. The classic angular design continues to set this SUV apart from others in the class and, coupled with refined interior components, Range Rover strives to remain atop the competitive pile.

One drawback is that I do not find the driver's seat particularly comfortable to sit in. It feels stiff, a bit bench-like to me. The leather on the base model is nice but not as supple as the Oxford leather the HSE trim features, although it still outpaces many other manufacturers in quality. Fit and finish of the interior is pristine. The blend of soft touch surfaces, leather panels, metal and hard plastics creates a solid and sensible interior that is also very inviting.

The ghostly electronic virtual dash display is standard across the fleet and is subtle yet feeds you all the information you need. This tester had the stock 380-watt 13-speaker system and its sound is terrific. The 8-inch touch screen is easy to use and I found it quite intuitive. All the controls are redundant, responding to voice commands or the steering wheel controls.

As always the high driver's position makes for easy driving and fine sight lines. The rear seats provide plenty of legroom and a quick flip of a lever drops the seats down to create a cavernous deck. The split tailgate makes a nice spot to sit on if you've a picnic packed.

At $86,895, the Range Rover price slots in the middle of the mix of luxury SUVs, but delivers top- notch performance and creature comforts.

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Ariad’s stock soars after drug approved by FDA

Ariad Pharmaceuticals' stock rose 16 percent yesterday after the company announced that the Food and Drug Administration had approved revised prescribing information and other steps the FDA required to allow Ariad to resume marketing and distribution of its leukemia drug, Iclusig.

Commercial distribution of the drug is expected to begin by mid- to late-January after the Cambridge company agreed to change Iclusig's label to include new warnings about the risks of blood clots and heart failure, and to revise recommendations about dosage and administration of the drug.

"We are committed to ... helping patients and their physicians make informed decisions about the most appropriate use of Iclusig in the context of the revised product label," said Dr. Frank Haluska, Ariad's senior vice president and chief medical officer.

At the FDA's request, the company agreed on Oct. 31 to voluntarily suspend marketing of the drug because of concerns that patients taking it could suffer life-threatening blood clots.

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Bay State’s jobless rate now higher than U.S.

The gap between state and national unemployment rates, once just under 2 percent, has been erased after the Bay State posted higher jobless numbers than the nation yesterday for the first time in six years.

The state unemployment rate for November dipped slightly to 7.1 percent from 7.2 percent the previous month, but the U.S. rate, announced earlier, dropped to 7 percent in November.

"Massachusetts recovered early and more strongly and the rest of the nation is now catching up," said Joanne F. Goldstein, secretary of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. "We're pleased in the direction we continue to head."

Preliminary estimates show that the Bay State gained 6,500 jobs in November. Still, the state unemployment rate has risen 0.6 percent since April, while nationally the rate has dropped 0.5 percent.

Experts say the reasons for the difference aren't clear, but are likely due to a number of factors, not just the government shutdown and the federal cuts known as sequestration.

"The big question is why and I don't have all the answers there," said Eliot Winer, chief economist for the Northeast Economic Analysis Group and former chief economist for Massachusetts.

Some say it is easy to blame the state's job woes on Washington, D.C., but that may not be fair. The state economy also relies on trade with Europe and Canada, which may also be a factor.

"Attributing everything to the sequester and the shutdown is a little overwrought," said Frank Conte of the Beacon Hill Institute.

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Robert DeLeo: We’re not changing Mass. gaming law for Wynn

House Speaker Robert DeLeo yesterday said he doesn't think Massachusetts' gaming law should be modified to suit casino operators, as Las Vegas billionaire Steve Wynn suggested this week.

"When we had written the casino law ... we wanted to make sure we kept that balance between the state getting adequate money and the casinos making adequate profits so that they could hopefully build and create more jobs," DeLeo said. "... I'll take a look at any and all requests to make it better. But my feeling is we have a very good law, and I'm not inclined to make any changes to it. I'm pleased with what we have."

The Winthrop Democrat declined to say whether he had met with Wynn or whether he favored Wynn's proposed casino in Everett over Mohegan Sun's Revere proposal at Suffolk Downs.

Michael Weaver, a Wynn spokesman, said in an email yesterday that it "appears that the speaker and Wynn have the same objectives: to benefit the state while creating jobs and successful enterprises."

But DeLeo took issue with Wynn's remarks during a break from a Gaming Commission hearing earlier this week when he suggested the state's 2011 gaming law may need revisiting.

"In our conversations with the state, we're attempting to get issues resolved that will comfort us," Wynn said. "We're expected to make unequivocal commitments — both in the way we do our business, financially, and everything else — to the state of Massachusetts. And we want to make sure that we have the same thing in return."

"Is it the duty of the state to talk about comforting Mr. Wynn or anyone else?" DeLeo said yesterday. "No."

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Anti-Koch activists post T bus-stop ads

Environmental activists are launching a new wave of protests against conservative billionaire and WGBH board bigwig David Koch, sponsoring ads at MBTA bus stops with his image and the station's logo calling for his ouster.

"We've discovered that as locals are learning about David Koch's connection to WGBH, their first reaction is one of shock and their second reaction is one of disgust," said Emily Southard, campaign manager for Forecast the Facts. "We are disappointed that WGBH has resisted our calls to kick Koch off the board. That's why we're ... taking it to the local community."

The ads read "Boston: We have a Koch problem," and are located at Harvard University, near Charles River Ventures, Ruggles Station, and Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge by MIT.

The ads cost about $2,400, she said. The group has received about $5,000 in donations since launching its Koch protests.

"This has probably been one of our most successful fundraisers for Forecast the Facts," said Southard.

The group — including a sign-waiving Elmo — protested outside the WGBH Brighton studios in October and urged trustees to kick Koch off their board.

WGBH spokesman Michael Raia told the Herald that Koch and other board members do not influence programming and that Koch is staying put.

"Nothing has changed with the board," said Raia. "We welcome the diversity of opinions and we appreciated the time Forecast the Facts took. We heard them. The board plans no action."

A spokeswoman for Koch said, "Mr. Koch has never interfered with or tried to influence WGBH's programming decisions and he has no intention to resign from the WGBH board."

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The Ticker

Apple taking orders for Mac Pro today

Apple will start taking orders for its high-end Mac Pro desktop computer today.

The computer is assembled in Austin, Texas, consistent with Apple's pledge to move manufacturing of an existing Mac line to the U.S.

The Mac Pro, long considered a work horse among graphics and film professionals, is now one-eighth the volume of the previous, boxy model and is about 10 inches tall. It has a starting price of $2,999.

Seaport District building sells for $60M

TIAA-CREF has purchased the eight-story office building at 51 Sleeper St. in South Boston's Seaport District for $60.2 million.

The financial service company's TCAM Core Property Fund Operating LP made the acquisition from DivcoWest, a San Francisco-based real estate investment firm that had picked up the 150,000-square-foot property for $48.25 million last year, according to Registry of Deeds filings.

SAC Capital employee found guilty

A portfolio manager at one of the nation's largest hedge funds was convicted yesterday of insider trading charges.

Michael Steinberg, who worked at Stamford, Conn.-based SAC Capital Advisors, made illegal trades between 2007 and 2009 after receiving insider information from an analyst, Jon Horvath of San Francisco. Horvath pleaded guilty last year to insider trading charges and agreed to testify against Steinberg.

SAC Capital Advisors this month agreed to pay a record $1.8 billion to settle civil and criminal insider trading charges.

Today

• Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.
• National Association of Realtors releases existing home sales for November.
• Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, releases weekly mortgage rates.
• Conference Board releases leading indicators for November.

TOMORROW

• Commerce Department releases final third-quarter gross domestic product.

THE SHUFFLE

• Murtha Cullina LLP is pleased to welcome associate Kevin F. Yetman, left, to the firm. Yetman is a member of the firm's litigation department and bankruptcy and creditors' rights group in its Boston office.
• Celtra Inc., a media and mobile ad creation firm, announces the appointment of Todd Taplin as executive vice president of global sales, strategy and services. Taplin brings business leadership and comprehensive industry experience to Celtra.

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Opportunity knocks for Lego lovers

Lego enthusiasts can put their handiwork on the line to become the master model builder for the toy building brick brand's Legoland Discovery Center Boston.

Applicants will vie for the full-time salaried position in multiple Lego construction rounds before onlookers at a "Brick Factor" event at the Boston Public Library on Jan. 25-26.

The winning candidate will be responsible for building exhibitions and display models, running workshops and serving as a spokesman for the 44,000-square-foot attraction, which is scheduled to open in May at Assembly Row in Somerville.

Merlin Entertainments has used the public competition to pick master model builders for each of its Legoland Discovery Centers, and as many as 200 people have applied and competed for a single position.

"It's definitely a unique position," said Kelly Smith, marketing manager for the Somerville center.

Contestants will be asked to build a structure based on a certain category in each timed round. "It's up to their imagination, because we really want to see their creativity come through," Smith said.

Historically, the successful candidates have been 20-something males.

"But what we're really looking for is someone who has the creativity and ability to build, but also has a personality that can teach and interact with our guests, as well as act as the face of the company," Smith said. "Everyone that has become a master model builder has been a fan of Lego their whole life and even into their adulthoods."

Graeme Dymond, the Brick Factor winner and current master model builder for the Legoland Discovery Centre Toronto, worked at TD Bank before winning his position.

Online applications (legoland
discoverycenter.com/boston/brickfactor) must be submitted by Jan. 15. Smith declined to reveal the salary.

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Welcome, Facebook video ads

Facebook is set to begin testing video ads in users' news feeds today — but it's not as intrusive and annoying as it sounds.

Though the ads begin playing automatically when a user comes upon them in a news feed, the audio is turned off. Sound only comes on if the user wants it to — with a simple tap.

Because I don't want to pay for a subscription to the social networking service, I don't mind the ads. Users who complain about incessant online marketing should think about that — the fact that a video or banner promoting a company may seem like an unwelcome diversion, but it's really just proof that someone besides you is paying for whatever service you're using at the time.

Facebook's new video ads don't look as bad when you consider that they're not pop-ups, they're not taking up much time — and if you don't like them, just keep scrolling. On mobile devices, videos won't play unless they've been downloaded in advance via a Wi-Fi connection — meaning they won't consume monthly data plans. No widespread consumer revolts necessary.

The sound-free ads could also present an opportunity. If advertisers are smart, they'll find creative, tongue-in-cheek ways to work within the constraints of no sound. Just think about all the ingenuity that resulted from Vine putting a 6-second limit on smartphone videos. And if Facebook is smart, it will encourage advertisers to imaginatively embrace sound-free ads just as social media users have embraced the brevity of Vine.

Plus, I have a theory on the current mobile advertising market; that is to say, I think it's a bubble. Smartphone users, consider all the ads you accidentally click on while surfing the web or using an app. Several per day? Once a week? Either way, probably a fair amount. I believe a significant portion of the soaring mobile click-through rates we've seen with Facebook (which reportedly quadrupled in a year) are, in fact, due to these "misclicks." Eventually, advertisers are going to realize this.

So unless you want to pay for a subscription to Facebook, say a warm hello to video ads. And maybe turn the volume on every once in a while.

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B.R.A. adds huddle to end Menino era with project OKs

The Boston Redevelopment Authority is squeezing in an additional meeting Jan. 2 to approve development projects before the Menino administration comes to an end.

"The lending and financing community is very confident in Boston right now, so we want to take advantage of that," BRA spokeswoman Melina Schuler said. "There are projects in the pipeline that we think are going to be ready."

A BRA board meeting tomorrow has hearings on proposed projects, including Boston Properties and Delaware North's 
$950 million redevelopment of the old Boston Garden site into a mixed-use complex with a 600-foot tower and a Star Market. A vote on $7.8 million in tax breaks also is expected.

Other projects up for approval are a 21-story, 202-room hotel at Tremont and Stuart streets; Trinity Place, a 33-story building with 220 hotel rooms and 142 residential units; 1350 Boylston St., a 200,000-square-foot building with 200-plus residential units and ground-floor retail; and Innovation Square, a 355,000-square-foot research and development/manufacturing facility in the Boston Marine Industrial Park.

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