LENOX, Mass. — The Mount will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Edith Wharton, the Pulitzer Prize winning author who designed the gracious estate, on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 3:30 to 7.
Throughout 2012, The Mount and other cultural institutions will be celebrating Wharton's birthday by hosting events highlighting her significant influence on contemporary culture, literature, entertainment, and design.
Birthday Celebration, Jan 28
4:00 Birthday toast
4:15 Screening of Wharton's 'The Old Maid' (95 mins)
6:00 Cake and refreshments
6:15 Reading from Wharton's memoir, 'A Backward Glance'
Events are free and open to the public but seating is limited. RSVP at 413-551-5100 or rsvp@edithwharton.org
Both a historic site and a cultural destination inspired by the passions and achievements of Wharton, she designed and built it in 1902. The house embodies the principles outlined in her influential book "The Decoration of Houses," published in 1897. The property includes three acres of formal gardens designed by Wharton, who was also an authority on European landscape design, surrounded by extensive woodlands.
During the 10 years Wharton called The Mount her home, she went from being a sickly, depressed, unpublished young woman to being one of the most read and highest paid authors of her time. While at The Mount, Wharton wrote both "Ethan Frome" (set in fictitious Starkfield, Mass.) and "The House of Mirth." Most of her novels chronicled old New York society, including "The Age of Innocence," for which she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize.
Programming at The Mount reflects Wharton's core interests in the literary arts, interior design and decoration, garden and landscape design, and the art of living. Annual exhibits explore themes from Wharton's life and work.
For additional information about both Edith Wharton and the Mount, including a calendar of events, visit EdithWharton.org.
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Healey Files Legislation to Suspend Gas Tax
BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday filed legislation to lower costs at the gas pump, when buying concert and sports tickets, and on electric bills, while also making investments to strengthen health care, maternal health, food assistance and public safety.
The legislation includes Healey's proposal to suspend the state gas tax for two months. The war in Iran has driven up prices over 50 percent since February. It also includes her Great Divide Act, which caps ticket resale prices and fees and bans speculative tickets, as well as $2.25 million to strengthen postpartum care and mental health support for mothers and families across Massachusetts.
The bill includes changes to how utility companies purchase electricity for customers on basic service, which is estimated to save ratepayers $610 million, as well as $41.5 million for the Department of Transitional Assistance for caseworkers and technological upgrades to help people stay enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) despite President Donald Trump's cuts.
The legislation also provides critical funding for MassHealth, public safety and other state services. In total, it will enable the state to close Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) with a balanced budget by appropriating $2.24 billion in gross spending, at a net cost to the state of $1.46 billion after revenue offsets.
"While President Trump is driving up costs with his war and tariffs, in Massachusetts, we're doing everything we can to make life more affordable for people and businesses," said Healey in a statement. "This budget will lower costs at the gas pump, when buying concert and sports tickets, and on energy bills, while also making sure families can continue to access the health care, food assistance and services they rely on."
If passed, the legislation would suspend the state's 24-cent-per-gallon gas tax for two months, providing immediate relief for residents and truckers. The law will require gas stations to lower prices to reflect the suspended tax and ensure that drivers see the savings at the pump. The estimated $120 million in revenue will be replaced with a portion of unbudgeted, surplus fiscal year 2027 Fair Share surtax collections. For reference, in FY26 there was nearly $1 billion in Fair Share surplus funds available. This means that no ongoing or planned transportation projects financed through the Commonwealth Transportation Fund will be impacted. The Commonwealth will also remain compliant with its CTF bond obligations.
Great Divide Act
The Great Divide Act caps the resale price of concert tickets at 110 percent of the price of the face value of the original ticket. It also limits the service fees and charges that can be imposed by ticket resellers like StubHub and SeatGeek to no more than 10 percent of the total price of the ticket for resale. It prohibits the sale of speculative tickets, which are tickets that are not in the possession of the seller when they are listed for sale. Finally, it implements additional consumer protections measures, including prohibiting the use of deceptive websites by ticket resellers and misleading consumers about the availability of tickets.
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