u/yankee_optimist

GREETINGS NUTMEGGERS

Happy fall!! I posted here recently and it was well received so I am back to share some more good news : )

I created an optimistic media project (Granite Goodness) with the mission of sharing good news stories of progress and problem solving from all across New England. Think good news, but not fluffy. The motto I try to abide by is substance + optimism = granite and good (I am based in NH)

New England has been my home for my whole life, and this project is basically a love letter to our corner of the world and the people working on its hardest problems.

Here are some stories from across Connecticut that brought me some optimism this week:

• CT’s beverage container recycling rate hits 92%, nation’s highest. The state’s bottle return system continues to outpace all other states. Connecticut’s 2025 recycling rate jumped 27 points from 2024 after it doubled deposits to 10 cents and expanded the program to noncarbonated beverages. (Hartford Business Journal)
• UConn launches new sexual violence prevention research center. Directed by professor Lisa Eaton, the center will study sexual violence prevention and work with students and staff to develop solutions that can be put into practice at UConn and other colleges. (UConn Today)
• UConn scientists turn local seaweed into a palm oil alternative. A $1.9 million federal grant will fund UConn research converting sugar kelp grown in state waters into a potential replacement for palm oil, aiming to reduce tropical deforestation tied to palm oil production. (Uconn Today)
• Connecticut boosts first-time homebuyer funding to reach more residents. The state recently approved an additional $5 million for its initiative, which has helped nearly 9,600 buyers purchase homes through forgivable loans, with proven success across 157 communities. (Hartford Courant)

My hope is people find the work interesting and useful. The summaries provided here are my own words on what I find optimistic from the original stories, not quotes from the sources. I don't link directly to the sources because posts with too many hyperlinks are discouraged by Reddit and don't make for good discussion posts.

Regular news is important but too often it shows an over-sampling of the worst things happening in the world, which can leave people feeling depressed, anxious, and burnt out.

The image shown is from the Tichnor Brothers postcard collection at the Boston Public Library, which I am obsessed with (and is in public domain)

My question for YOU: what's going right in your corner of Connecticut? Please use this thread to share some good news!

-Andy

HELLO VERMONTERS

I have posted here before and the post was well received so I am back to share some more good news!

I created an optimistic media project (Granite Goodness) with the mission of sharing good news stories of progress and problem solving from all across New England. Think good news, but not fluffy. The motto I try to abide by is substance + optimism = granite and good.

New England has been my home for my whole life, and this project is basically a love letter to our corner of the world and the people working on its hardest problems.

Here are some stories from Vermont that brought me some optimism this week!

• Vermont is making it faster and cheaper to build a home As part of a new initiative called 802 Homes, Vermont is creating a free catalog of 10 pre-approved home designs, from cottage apartments to triple-deckers, that builders can use to skip local permitting reviews. The designs are being piloted in Essex Junction, Hartford, and Manchester first, with a goal of finalizing the catalog by end of year. (Vermont Public)
• A Vermont affordable housing project is ditching fossil fuels for geothermal heat A 36-unit affordable housing development in Hinesburg will use underground geothermal loops to heat and cool homes. Developers of the project hope the model becomes a blueprint for more affordable + lower carbon construction across the region. (Canary Media)
• Vermont just became the 23rd state to pass a consumer privacy law Vermont's Governor signed the Vermont Data Privacy Act in June, giving residents new rights over how their personal data is collected, used, and sold. The law also includes added protections for health and genetic data. (IAPP)
• Vermont just became the first state to ban Paraquat Vermont's governor signed legislation banning the sale and use of paraquat, a widely used herbicide that has been linked to Parkinson's disease and banned in more than 70 countries. More than a dozen states are now considering similar bans, and the herbicide's largest producer announced it would end global production by the end of June. (Stateline News)

My hope is people find the work interesting and useful. The summaries are my own words on what I find optimistic from the original stories, not quotes from the sources.

Regular news is important but too often it shows an over-sampling of the worst things happening in the world, which can leave people feeling depressed, anxious, and burnt out.

The purpose of this post is not to drive traffic off Reddit, but for the curious you can find links and credit to the original sources on my site. I don't link directly to the sources because posts with too many hyperlinks are discouraged by Reddit.

The image shown is from the Tichnor Brothers postcard collection at the Boston Public Library, which I am obsessed with (and are all in public domain)

My Q FOR YOU: what's going right in your corner of Vermont? Please use this thread to share some good news!

-Andy

HELLO NUTMEGGERS

My other posts have been well received here so I am sharing again with more good news! I started a solutions journalism project (Granite Goodness) devoted to sharing optimistic stories of progress and problem solving across New England—think good news, but not fluffy. We’re based in NH and have a simple ethos: substance + optimism = granite and good.

I've lived in New England my whole life. This project is my love letter to our corner of the world and the people solving its hardest problems.

Here are some news stories from Connecticut that brought me some optimism this week!

• Connecticut farmers are organizing to solve shared problems The state's 120 farmers markets long operated in relative isolation, each one troubleshooting vendor rules, permits, and slow days on its own. A new statewide coalition is now two years into connecting organizers to share resources and knowledge. (Yonkers Times)
• Connecticut just passed new laws protecting personal data Connecticut's legislature overwhelmingly enacted Senate Bills 1295 and 4, empowering consumers to remove their information from data broker databases and adding protections for genetic and biometric data. The laws also restrict targeted ads to minors, require AI training disclosures, limit ad volume, and regulate facial recognition. (Workforce Bulletin)
• A new theater design co-op is thriving in Connecticut When the founders of Nextstage Design decided to retire, they sold the Hamden firm to their five employees rather than an outside buyer, becoming a worker-owned cooperative in January 2026. The team has since won a multimillion-dollar contract to renovate a 1,900-seat performing arts center at the University of Massachusetts. (Cooperative Development Institute)
• Connecticut is getting better at responding to wildfires! Researchers at the University of Connecticut are using controlled burns to study how forest soils recover and how to speed up restoration after fires strike. The work aims to improve wildfire response practices across the Northeast. (UConn)

I hope people find this work useful and interesting. Note that the summaries here are not direct quotes from the sources-- they are my own summary of what I find optimistic and good about the original story.

Traditional news matters, but it often highlights a disproportionate share of the worst events, which can leave people feeling burnt out, anxious, or cynical.

If you want more detail, I link and credit the original sources on our site. Reddit discourages too many hyperlinks, so I don’t include them here. Image from the public domain Tichnor Brothers postcard collection at the Boston Public Library.

My Q FOR YOU: what's going right in your corner of Connecticut? Please use this thread to share some good news!

-Andy

HELLO FELLOW NEW ENGLANDERS!

We haven't posted in a bit, but our previous posts here were popular with the community so we wanted to come back with more good news!

We run a solutions journalism project (Granite Goodness) devoted to sharing optimistic stories of progress and problem solving across New England—think good news, but not fluffy. We’re based in NH and have a simple ethos: substance + optimism = granite and good.

Our names are Andy DeMeo & Kaelli Gehrung, we've both lived in New England our whole lives. This project is our love letter to New England and the people solving its hardest problems.

Here are four good news stories from across the region that brought us some optimism this week.

• Vermont just became the first state in the country to ban paraquat. The pesticide has been linked to Parkinson’s disease for years and is already banned in more than 70 countries. Other states are lining up to follow Vermont’s lead. (Source: Stateline)
• Rhode Island is reducing food waste in schools. A new law requires schools to audit what they throw away and divert all of it by 2029, expanding what gets recovered and shared so less edible food ends up buried in landfills. (Source: Waste Dive)
• Maine residents can now power their homes with plug-in solar. Maine is the second state to legalize plug-in solar, the small panels that hang on a balcony or fence and feed power straight into a standard outlet. The panels require no rooftop, no permit, no utility sign-off, and are saving locals up to 20% off their average electric bill. (Source: Maine Public)
• Rhode Island is turning pavement into sponges for heavy rains. Ten communities from Providence to Block Island won nearly $1.1 million in EPA grants to redesign how they handle stormwater, trading aging drainage for rain gardens, tree filters, and basins that absorb heavier storms. (Source: RI Infrastructure Bank)

Our hope is that others find value in what we are doing! Mainstream news matters, but it tends to highlight the world's worst events rather than offer a balanced picture. A constant diet of negativity can leave us feeling burnt out, anxious, and cynical.

Image is from the public domain Tichnor Brothers postcard collection at the Boston Public Library.

OUR Q FOR YOU: what's going right in your corner of New England? Please use this thread to share some good news!

-Andy & Kaelli

HELLO VERMONTERS

I haven't posted in a bit, but my previous posts here were popular with the community so I wanted to come back with more good news!

I started a solutions journalism project (Granite Goodness) devoted to sharing optimistic stories of progress and problem solving across New England—think good news, but not fluffy. We’re based in NH and have a simple ethos: substance + optimism = granite and good.

I've lived in New England my whole life. This project is my love letter to New England and the people solving its hardest problems.

Here are four good news stories from across Vermont that brought me some optimism this week:

Vermont farmers are letting sheep and wildflowers take over solar fields

Sheep farmers are grazing their flocks between solar panels instead of mowing, cutting costs and fossil fuel use, with some sites pairing grazing with native wildflower plantings to expand pollinator habitat. One project's goal is to leave the land healthier than they found it when the panels come down. (Vermont Public)

Brattleboro just opened a new $10 million accessible train station

The station on the Connecticut River now has a level platform, new ramps, an ADA bathroom, and a heating system to prevent snow and ice buildup, part of Amtrak's push to make all its stations ADA compliant by 2030. It also features a ceramic mural by local artists honoring the town's literary history. (Vermont Public)

Vermont scientists are reviving a tree species that nearly disappeared

Researchers in Benson are growing disease-resistant American elm saplings bred from survivor trees scattered across the Northeast. The trees will be planted in floodplains, where mature elms can slow flooding and filter sediment, potentially saving Vermont $1 billion over the next century. (Vermont Public)

Vermont is adding electric vehicles faster than ever

It took Vermont a decade to reach 10,000 electric vehicles on the road, but the next 10,000 came three times faster, with over 20,000 EVs now registered. Driving electric in VT now costs the equivalent of $1.75 a gallon, or as little as $1 with discounted home charging rates. (Drive Electric Vermont)

***

My hope is that others find value in what I am doing! Mainstream news matters, but it tends to highlight the world's worst events rather than offer a balanced picture. A constant diet of negativity can leave us feeling burnt out, anxious, and cynical.

If people would like more detail on the stories, I credit and link OG sources on our site. Reddit's algo is uncomfortable with too many hyperlinks in posts so I don't share direct links here. Image is from the public domain Tichnor Brothers postcard collection at the Boston Public Library.

MY Q FOR YOU: what's going right in your corner of Vermont? Please use this thread to share some good news!

-Andy

HELLO FELLOW NEW ENGLANDERS!

I haven't posted in a bit, but my previous posts here were popular with the community so I wanted to come back with more good news!

I started a solutions journalism project (Granite Goodness) devoted to sharing optimistic stories of progress and problem solving across New England—think good news, but not fluffy. We’re based in NH and have a simple ethos: substance + optimism = granite and good.

I've lived in New England my whole life. This project is my love letter to New England and the people solving its hardest problems.

Here are four good news stories from across the region that brought me some optimism this week (I added a fourth because I realized I had two Maine ones!)

Maine doubles wetland restoration funding to $4.6 million

Maine is directing $4.6 million to ten wetland restoration projects, more than double last year's investment, to remove dams, rehabilitate Acadia National Park's largest freshwater wetland, and strengthen flood resilience statewide. (The Maine Monitor)

Farmington, Maine launches community-owned food co-op

Farmington's new food co-op has already signed up 250 member-owners, each paying a $150 lifetime fee for monthly discounts, a share of annual revenue, and a vote in how their local organic market is run. (WMTW News)

Vermont becomes first state to offer pre-approved home designs

Vermont's new "802 Homes" program offers ten free, pre-approved home designs that builders can fast-track through local permitting, launching first in Essex Junction, Hartford, and Manchester with a full catalog expected by year's end. (VTDigger)

The 144 households of Cotton Farm Village in New Hampshire just became co-owners of their manufactured-home park

Cotton Farm Village joins a growing network of 152 resident-owned communities across the state. The cooperative, financed through the NH Community Loan Fund, gives residents control over their own rents, rules, and future. (NH Community Loan Fund)

***

My hope is that others find value in what I am doing! Mainstream news matters, but it tends to highlight the world's worst events rather than offer a balanced picture. A constant diet of negativity can leave us feeling burnt out, anxious, and cynical.

If people would like more detail on the stories, I credit and link OG sources on our site. Reddit's algo is uncomfortable with too many hyperlinks in posts so I don't share direct links here. Image is from the public domain Tichnor Brothers postcard collection at the Boston Public Library.

MY Q FOR YOU: what's going right in your corner of New England? Please use this thread to share some good news!

-Andy