Welcome to the Good News in New England Newsletter, part of Granite Goodness. We share optimistic stories of progress, innovation, and problem-solving from across New England.
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HELLO OPTIMISTS!
Welcome to the 164 new subscribers since our last newsletter.
This week we’re doing a MEETUP in Boston for all of you, in partnership with our friends at Fix The News, the world’s leading solutions journalism organization and the original team who inspired the work I do here at Granite Goodness : )
We’ll be meeting up on Thursday, November 12 from 5:30 - 8:00 PM at Portico Brewing. Address is 101 South St, Somerville, MA 02143. There is a parking garage beneath the building so it’s very easy for folks driving in and out of the city (like me). There will be food!
I would love to meet as many of you as possible! If it goes well we’ll do it again.
The event will also be taking place during Boston Human Week, which I’d encourage everyone to check out. If you’re already going to Human Week, you can register for the event via Luma too.
We are also welcoming Samantha Lellos, Kayley Foster, and Olivia F. to our Optimists Club this week : )
(If you didn’t get your mailed print newsletter last month, let me know!)
I also just released our podcast episode with Steve Marchand, author of the The Politics of New Hampshire with Steve Marchand. We recorded this conversation before the election, loosely themed around what more positive messaging in politics might look like. If you’re interested in NH politics, I consider Steve to be the state’s foremost expert, thanks for coming on the show Steve!
Huge thank you this week to our friends at Resilient Buildings Group for supporting our work. If you want to make your home more energy efficient / better winterized, now is the time! They are lovely people, give them a shout.
Now enjoy some good news.
Sustainability & Nature
Boston commits to slashing emissions by 2050 with trees and electric stoves. Mayor Michelle Wu's climate plan aims to cool neighborhoods and cut heat-related emergency visits while converting public housing kitchens to electric induction stoves.
Warwick, MA shows electrification saves money and cuts emissions. The rural MA town slashed winter heating costs by two-thirds and reduced oil use by 80% through solar panels, heat pumps, and an electric school bus, becoming a model for New England communities facing high energy costs.
Rhode Island acquires 68 acres at Wincheck Pond for public use. The Department of Environmental Management purchased the Princess Pine Estate in Hopkinton to expand hunting, fishing, and hiking access while protecting habitat around the pond.
Building & Infrastructure
Maine outpaced ADU construction forecasts with 500 units in 2025. Preliminary data shows accessory dwelling units far exceeded expert expectations, suggesting streamlined zoning laws are enabling homeowners to add housing to existing neighborhoods at scale.
Vermont races past 20,000 EVs on the road as driving electric costs around $1.75 per gallon. The state hit the milestone in just three years after reaching 10,000 vehicles, with more affordable used EVs and utility incentives making the switch economically competitive.
Brattleboro opens $10M ADA-compliant Amtrak station on the Connecticut River. The new facility, a decade in the making, features level boarding, accessible ramps, heating to prevent ice buildup, and a ceramic mural celebrating the town's literary heritage.
Economics & Opportunity
Connecticut boosts first-time homebuyer funding to reach more residents. The state approved an additional $5 million for its initiative that has helped nearly 9,600 buyers purchase homes through forgivable loans, with proven success across 157 communities.
Maine makes community college tuition-free for all high school graduates starting in 2026. Governor Janet Mills signed legislation making the Free College Scholarship permanent, covering 100% of tuition at any of Maine's seven community colleges for recent graduates, ensuring access to workforce training and associate degrees regardless of family income.
In Albany, NH residents buy their own community. Tired of rising lot fees under outside ownership, Albany Acres residents purchased their 42-home community with financing from the NH Community Loan Fund, becoming New Hampshire’s 153rd resident-owned cooperative and joining a wider movement of over 9,000 homeowners controlling their future.
Science & Technology
New England universities launch region's first advanced snow monitoring network. Snow STORE, a $2.6 million NSF-funded project led by UNH and University of Vermont, will install automated monitors across Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine mountains to improve forecasting for winter recreation, flooding prevention, and forest management.
Brown University scientists may have detected dark matter. Physicists led by Professor Richard Gaitskell used the LUX-ZEPLIN detector (a seven-ton vat of liquefied xenon buried in a South Dakota mine) to potentially detect dark matter. After 40 years of searching, the breakthrough could answer one of physics' greatest mysteries about what holds the universe together.
Vermont universities launch major research push on "forever chemicals." University of Vermont researchers received $950,000 as part of a $7.9 million NSF-funded network to understand how PFAS move through Vermont ecosystems, food webs, and drinking water, and to develop tools for protecting communities.
Civics & Community
Connecticut tried a new form of democracy: citizens' assemblies. Over the summer, ninety-eight randomly selected Connecticut residents convened for six weeks of deliberation on property tax policy, a citizens' assembly model designed to break partisan gridlock by giving ordinary people equal voice in drafting policy recommendations.
Beloved Portland franchise to launch women’s soccer team. Season ticket deposits for the Hearts of Pine’s new USL W League team sold out in one hour, reflecting Maine’s enthusiasm for women’s soccer and the club’s expanding pathway for girls across the state.
UNH launches center to support neurodivergent students and staff. The University of New Hampshire opened the Center for Neurodiversity to provide education, support, and advocacy for all campus members, reframing neurodiversity as a spectrum of human difference rather than a deficit.
That’s it for this edition of the Good News in New England Newsletter!1 If you’d like to support Granite Goodness, consider joining our Optimists Club. Learn more about the people behind these stories on our podcast.
Hungry for good news beyond the borders of New England? Check out our very own Optimists Club newsletter.
Thanks for reading!
-Andy
All postcard images are sourced from the Tichnor Brothers Collection at the Boston Public Library, licensed under CCO 1.0.