Thu. Dec. 29, 2011 L.L. Bean boot gets a kick from retro trend
A nearly century-old hunting boot is catching on with a younger generation that sees the utilitarian footwear as hip. L.L Bean’s familiar duck boot with leather uppers and rubber soles — designed for slogging through mud and snow — has become something of fashion statement owing to its newfound popularity on college campuses, the company says. Another reason is new styles, including something Leon Leonwood Bean surely never envisioned in 1912: bright blue and pink leather, new for spring. Mass. corporate tax makes final drop to 8 percent on Jan. 1
The corporate income tax rate will drop from 8.25 percent to 8 percent on Jan. 1 as a result of corporate tax reform Governor Deval Patrick signed into law in 2008. Filene’s fans bid final farewells
Manon Marchard took a bus from Montreal to Boston for one last Filene’s Basement shopping spree. A faithful Filene’s customer for 30 years, the counselor couldn’t resist finding some good bargains this morning at the store’s Boylston Street location. Loyal, nostalgic and sad shoppers were making final visits to area Filene’s Basement stores, which is closing for good tonight. The legendary retailer, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November, is holding liquidation sales. Mass. AG Coakley releases report on charities
A Report on Professional Solicitations for Charity in 2010, released today by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office, reveals that in 2010, professional solicitors raised over $367 million in Massachusetts, which was almost $39 million more than in 2009. Of this amount nearly $166 million, or 45 percent of the amount raised, ended up with the charity. This means that on average, of every dollar that a professional solicitor raised for a charity in 2010, only 45 cents went to the charity. Alexion to pay as much as $1.08 billion to buy Enobia Pharma
Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., the maker of a drug for a rare blood disease, agreed to acquire closely held Enobia Pharma Corp. for as much as $1.08 billion, adding experimental treatments for genetic metabolic disorders. Last May, Enobia, which is based in Montreal, announced plans to open a US office in Cambridge. Conn. hires group to study potential of ports
Connecticut is spending nearly $500,000 to develop a strategy to boost the economic potential of Connecticut’s ports. Officials announced it has hired Moffat & Nichol, a Long Beach, Calif.-based consulting group, to complete a study of the state’s ports in Bridgeport, New Haven and New London. RI hospital workers union raps deadline for merger
A hospital workers union has criticized Rhode Island regulators for raising the possibility it will pull the plug on a proposal for a Boston-based hospital chain to merge with a financially troubled medical center in Woonsocket. A state judge in June approved plans for Steward Health Care Systems to acquire Landmark Medical Center and the two filed their application to the state in October. State health officials say the application is incomplete and gave Landmark and Steward until Jan. 11 to file a complete application. Maine Air Force land sold to investor
A Portland-based real estate firm with ties to a Massachusetts construction company has paid $730,000 for nearly 1,500 acres of former Air Force land in Moscow that was once home to a radar system. A spokesman for the U.S. General Services Administration says the tract was purchased by Western Maine Realty. Western Maine Realty is owned by Jay Cashman, chairman of the board for the heavy construction company Jay Cashman Inc. of Quincy, Mass. A123 battery defect causes electric car recall
Fisker Automotive Inc., which is beginning to sell plug-in electric sports cars, said it is recalling 239 Karma cars in the U.S. because of a battery defect supplier A123 Systems Inc. announced last week. Fisker, based in Anaheim, California, said in a notice posted today to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website that misplaced hose clamps in the batteries could cause coolant to leak and potentially cause fires. Viacom may owe Harmonix investors $383 million
Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. may have to pay an additional $383 million to former shareholders of Cambridge-based Harmonix Music Systems, makers of the once-popular Rock Band videogame series. Massachusetts Life Sciences Center awards $2.2 million to 3 companies
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, a quasi-public agency tasked with implementing the state’s ten-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative, today announced the awarding of $2.2 million in loans to three early-stage life sciences companies: Intelligent Bio-Systems, Inc., Allurion Technologies, Inc., and Paragonix Technologies, Inc. | 
