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www.wbjournal.com • Worcester Business Journal 67 25 YEARS: IN REVIEW Former Worcester Mayor Tim Murray stuns the state's political establishment in May by announcing he will resign as lieutenant governor to become president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, succeeding Richard Kennedy. Within months, he embarks on a $2 million fundraising campaign to support the chamber's "recruit, retain, incubate" strategy to boost the region's business base. Some 20 months since the halt of com- mercial passenger jet traffic out of Worcester Regional Airport, JetBlue puts Central Massachusetts back on the air travel map in November by launch- ing daily flights to the Florida cities of Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. Milford voters in November deliver a resounding defeat to plans for a pro- posed resort casino. The proposal by the owners of the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut would have called for a 200,000-square-foot gaming floor and 500-room hotel, along with restaurants and shops. Three months later, the state gaming commission effectively ended any chance of Central Massachusetts landing a casino when it chose Plainville over Leominster and Raynham for the only slots parlor called for under the state's 2011 gambling-expansion law. The Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester closes for good on Dec. 31 after 82 years. The distinctive glass-and- steel building was one of the only muse- ums outside Europe dedicated to knightly armor. But its collection stayed in Worcester, now residing at the Worcester Art Museum. Facing continuing operating losses, UMass Memorial Health Care, Central Massachusetts' top employer and leading health-care provider, announces in April that it will cut the equivalent of 103 full-time positions at its Worcester locations. This follows the elimination of 285 jobs from October 2013 through February. UMass Memorial ended its 2013 fiscal year with a $55-million operating loss. The Telegram & Gazette of Worcester is sold in June to Halifax Media Group of Florida, less than a year after Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry buys the T&G from the New York Times Co. Upon taking over the T&G, Halifax lays off about one-quarter of the editorial staff, along with other employees. In a big lift for the Central Massachusetts life sciences industry, General Electric announced it will move the base of its health care and life sciences division to Marlborough, the company announced in August. The division, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, will bring more than 500 "highly skilled" employees to the region, which will include the addition of more than 220 new jobs. n Research provided by WBJ editorial intern Meghan Guarnieri and Rick Saia, editor. 2014 Higgins Armory Museum closed in 2013. The Worcester Art Museum now owns its collection. www.facebook,com/Tapsnap 1059 www.tapsnap.net/gallery GANNETT PUBLISHING SERVICES BOSTON 565 University Ave., Norwood, MA 02062 781.762.0277 Printers of the Worcester Business �o� urnal. We offer a colorful, fast, high impact and cost effective way for you to reach your target audience. Call Dave Schuh or Ray Thomas to learn how our premier quality, service and price fit your publication. • CLIENTS • (POTENTIAL) CLIENTS • EMPLOYEES • MEMBERS • FANS • INVESTORS • CONTRIBUTORS • READERS • CONSTITUENTS • BUYERS • ASSOCIATES • COLLEAGUES • ALUMNI • SHOPPERS J