News: July 2009 Archives

Subverting perceptions of him as a dangerous criminal, Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. has sent flowers to the woman responsible for the 911 call that eventually resulted in Gates' arrest. Lucia Whalen's attorney said her client "appreciated" the flowers, which were reportedly tulips. No word on whether Whalen is upset at not being invited to the White House or not having a burger named after her. Maybe the tequilafest will happen next week, with Ms. Whalen involved.

The Beer Summit involving President Barack Obama, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley happened today at the White House. Someone invited Joe Biden, which means he probably made a dumb joke that will prolong GatesGate. They sat, snacked, drank and talked. Great. And then, Sergeant Crowley held a press conference. He said he was focused on moving forward from the past month. Crowley declined to detail specifics from the meeting except to say he and Henry Louis Gates will meet in the future to continue their dialogue.

A New Hampshire sportswriter was also allegedly a pimp. We mean a real pimp.

The baby cut from a slain mother's womb was found alive in New Hampshire Wednesday night. The baby was reportedly in "fairly good health" and is being evaluated in a hospital. Darlene Haynes, a 23-year-old from Worcester, was 8 months pregnant when she was found dead in her apartment on Monday. A man and a woman were with the baby when the child was found. According to WCVB, the woman was arrested and charged with kidnapping may face murder charges when she is returned to Massachusetts. All charges alleged until proven under law.

The Boston Herald reports that Boston cop Justin Barrett got himself a dose of administrative leave after admitting to writing an email in which he called Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. a "jungle monkey." Barrett, who had been assigned to District B-3 (Dorchester and Mattapan), presumably knows that black people are human beings, but he may have been concerned that Boston's nationwide reputation as America's most racist city had been jeopardized by the Cambridge police when they arrested Gates.

Mr. Bartley's burgers in Harvard Square has just introduced a "Sgt. Crowley" burger to its menu. Since the burger joint has offered the Skip Gates burger for 10 years now, it's probably the only place in the United States where you can reenact the thrilling truncation of civil rights and acrimonious weeks-long fallout of Gatesgate entirely with fast food.

Lucia Whalen, the woman who called 911 in the Henry Louis Gates Jr. case, spoke to the media on Wednesday. Whalen defended her actions and said the suggestion that race impacted her actions hurt her. Tapes of the call proved that Whalen did not mention race. Despite what transpired after she called the police, she said she would do it again. In other Gates news, Lee Landor, the deputy press secretary to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, resigned after calling Gates a racist and President Barack Obama "O-dumb-a." Former Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed the Gates situation on CNN last night.

Reading today's Globe story on Menino's bike share proposals, we were intrigued to learn about a new bike safety law that includes a fine for hitting passing cyclists with the door of your car. Turns out, the law's actually not that new. The Bicyclist Safety Bill became law in January, but nobody seems to have heard of it. Among other things, the law gives cyclists the right to ride two abreast—previously illegal—and increases penalties for drivers who cut off cyclists or force them to the curb. MassBike has a good rundown of the changes the law has instituted. The full text can be found here.

Joel Tenenbaum, a Boston University grad student from Providence, is accused of illegally downloading and distributing thousands of songs in a civil lawsuit filed by the recording industry. The recording industry alleges Tenenbaum downloaded more than 800 songs on the Kazaa file sharing Web site. The suit is only focusing the suit on 30 songs. He expects to lose, and if he does, could be fined up to $4.5 million. His lawyer, Harvard law professor Charles Nesson, said that possible fine is "crazy". Tenenbaum, 25, has a website explaining his perspective. Check out this ComputerWorld blog for more details.

NYC is going all FiOS, but Boston's getting left in the fiber-optic wayside. ArsTechnica opines that Mayor Menino's desire (which the Globe supports) to tax telecom companies like Verizon for the infrastructures they establish here may be keeping the city a few steps behind when it comes to connectedness. There may be other factors at work, too: though you'd think a city would be easy to wire due to its density, the Globe points out that cities also have a lot more problems to deal with: faulty or outdated infrastructure is common, as is landlord resistance. Verizon media relations dude Phil Santoro confirms that the company is committed to bringing FiOS to Boston, but couldn't give a timeline. We imagine FiOs will eventually make it up here, but whether its arrival will be affordable remains to be seen. In the meantime, we'll have plenty of opportunities to eat donuts (ordered in semi-high-tech fashion) while we wait.

The Suffolk County D.A.'s office has just announced the arrest of Paul Bradley, Jr., a Boston firefighter, and his father, Paul Bradley, Sr., on fugitive justice charges. The two men are wanted in the State of Maine for allegedly operating a marijuana grow house, which included 22 marijuana plants. Bradley isn't the first Boston Jake to find himself the target of a drug investigation. Firefighter Sean Berte had his Maine home raided in May, when police allegedly turned up 131 marijuana plants, which means that Bradley had some alleged catching up to do. And last November, Texas police busted a disabled Boston firefighter allegedly rolling through the state with 41 pounds of weed.

Cambridge Police released the 911 tape and audio transmissions from the July 16 arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. The initial 911 call refers to "two gentlemen" with no reference to race. Race first came up when, according to WCVB, the dispatcher asked "Are they white, black or Hispanic?"

In an interesting development in the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. over a week ago, the person who called in Gates for breaking into his own house says she didn't cite Gates' race when calling in the potential crime. Caller Lucia Whalen has "worked in Cambridge for more than 15 years, about 100 yards from where Mr. Gates resides," according to her attorney Wendy J. Murphy, and "never said she saw two black men." While this creates quite a twist for folks (including this Bostonist) who suspected that the non-crime might not have been called in were it not for Gates' race, it doesn't excuse the fact that Gates was arrested even though he didn't commit a crime. It is unfortunate that this information was not reported from the start; the way information is unfolding piece by piece suggests that someone—the Cambridge Police Department?—has been attempting to keep details under wraps. The police report specifically states that the caller reported "two black males with backpacks"—perhaps that should have been two males with black backpacks?—but at the end of the report Whalen is cited merely as having seen "a man wedging his shoulder into the front door to pry it open." The report also describes Whalen as white, when she actually has “olive-colored skin and is of Portuguese descent" according to Murphy.

A piece of concrete the size of a basketball broke off the facade of the Barnes and Noble bookstore at Boston University and fell to the ground at around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. No one was injured and there isn't any structural damage. This the second such incident in Boston in less than two weeks. On July 13, the facade of a Huntington Ave building on Northeastern's campus collapsed.

Two potential disasters involving airplanes were averted in Massachusetts in the last couple of days. American Airlines Flight 1937 left Boston for San Juan, Puerto Rico and returned an hour after smoke was smelled in plane’s rear bathroom. The plane left Logan Airport around 8:35 a.m. on Saturday and made an emergency landing at 9:45 a.m. All 185 people on board were not injured and all passengers were placed on other flights. Also, a military C-5 transport plane landed safely at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee on Thursday despite losing two wheels. The crew didn't know the wheels were missing until an air traffic controller told them.

In the aftermath of controversies about a Cambridge police officer arresting a famous African-American professor for existing in his own home (also known as Gatesgate, and of his own choice to call the action "stupid," Barack Obama has proposed the unthinkable: a discussion. Talking about race in America? Get out! Breaking a longstanding tradition of ignoring racial conflict, Obama has officially invited Cambridge police officer James Crowley and Harvard professor Henry Louis "Skip" Gates, Jr., to the White House for a beer and a bit of conversation about the incident. Obama's hope is that the debacle can morph into a "teachable moment" for everyone, and be brought to a conclusion that will allow the nation to focus once again on providing health care to all its citizens. Latest news has it that Skip has accepted the offer. We're excited to see the transcript of that chat, if it's released.

Jared C. Monti of Raynham will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor from president Barack Obama in September. Monti, a 30-year old Army sergeant at the time, was killed on June 21, 2006 in Afghanistan while attempting to rescue wounded soldiers in his unit. He rescued one soldier and was killed while making a second rescue attempt. President Obama called Monti's parents, Paul Monti, of Raynham, and Janet Monti, of Winterville, N.C., on Tuesday to confirm his son would receive the country's top military honor. Both greeted the news with pride and sadness. "I’m so proud of him, but we’re going to meet the president because he’s dead, so I feel no joy in that," she said. Only six members of the military have been given this honor since 9/11. Monti's friends and family have started a scholarship fund in his name.

Sergeant James Crowley, the Cambridge police officer who arrested Henry Louis Gates Jr., actually appeared on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show this morning to give his version of the events. Crowley reportedly was asked about president Barack Obama's comments on the arrest of Gates last week, and was given a chance to apologize. He didn't exactly criticize Obama directly. He did say it was "regrettable" that someone would comment on this incident "without knowing the whole story". Crowley appeared to speak in a very calm, rational manner during his call-in appearance. It's his right to choose to explain or not explain himself in any forum he wishes. Given Dennis & Callahan's history, their show might not be the right choice. Look, Ed Harding is an ex-sports reporter, too. But, he is not controversial.

"There are not many certainties in life, but it is for certain that Sgt. Crowley will not be apologizing," said Sergeant James "Arrestsalot" Crowley after Henry Louis Gates, Jr. kindly asked him to apologize for putting him in the cooler for four hours for the dubious crime of being a black college professor in his own house who also happens to possibly like yelling at white cops who are trying to arrest him for no reason. This was presumably before the President of the United States said that Crowley acted "stupidly."

Mayor Thomas Menino announced today that the City of Boston will be raising local hotel and meals taxes at the beginning of October. The move, which was authorized by the recent state budget, will increase Boston's hotel tax from 12.45% to 14.45% and the meals tax from 6.25% to 7%. Menino expects the increases to net $18 million during the next fiscal year. According to city figures, the rates are still lower than other major cities. New York, for example, levies a 14.75% hotel tax and a 8.38% meals tax.

New Hampshire might lay off 750 workers after Labor Day, reports WBZ. The Live Free or Die State, which doesn't levy a sales or individual income tax, is in a budgetary crisis, and the word of the layoffs comes after a disagreement between the State Employees Association and Governor John Lynch over unpaid furloughs. [reports WBZ}

Local scooter owners are ruing July 31, the day that the new state law reclassifying scooters as motorcycles. In addition to requiring scooter riders to get a license plate and driver's license, it will also prohibit the vehicles from being parked on the sidewalk, where they are almost universally found at present. Parking scooters on the street may dry up the already parched pond of available parking in the Boston area, and it will make it more difficult to secure the lightweight vehicles against theft. Local scooter riders have banded together to launch a nifty Flash petition site with more information about their position. [Let Us Park on the Sidewalk]

Update: scoot-in protests are planned for Thursdays, starting July 30.

After being one of many schools implicated in a scandal wherein financial aid workers received gifts from loan companies, Emerson College has settled with its students over the matter. More than 4000 students who were forced to take out loans from "preferred lenders" rather than getting their choice of lender will receive payments of $25 to $833. This is meant to compensate for extra interest the students may have incurred from the preferred loans, thus solving the big problem of loan repayment for a short amount of time. Emerson's former Dean of Enrollment and other financial aid workers (many of whom are still at the college) accepted gifts from institutions such as Citizens Bank and Chase in return for requiring students to take out their loans from these banks.

The charges against Henry Louis Gates Jr. will be dropped. Gates, the director of Harvard University's W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Research, was arrested at his Cambridge home on Thursday. The Cambridge Chronicle recapped the media attention the arrest got. Someone even is selling a t-shirt inspired by the incident.

The Boston Newspaper Guild approved $10 million in concessions tonight, marking a possible temporary end to the dragged-out negotiations with Boston Globe owner New York Times Company. Around 80% of Guild members showed up to vote on their fate, with a final score of 366 yay and 179 nay. Maybe this shows that journalism does have a future: just $10 million less of one. According to the Herald, the money-saving deductions include a "5.9 percent pay cut, eight unpaid days off, a pension freeze and the elimination of the 401(k) contributions as well as the lifetime job guarantees held by nearly 200 union members." Dan Kennedy has an email from Boston Globe editor Marty Baron to his workers thanking them for keeping up their "commitment to deliver journalism of the highest caliber" throughout the negotiations. Despite the deal, the Globe is still up for sale for the moment.

Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested at his home Thursday by Cambridge Police after officers responded to a call from a woman who saw a man allegedly trying to "pry" open the front door of Gates's house. According to the police report, Gates initially refused to identify himself but eventually provided his Harvard identification card. The report alleges Gates was yelling during the incident and accused the officer of racism and said he "wasn't someone to mess with." Gates is the director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard. A spokesman for Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. told the Globe that Gates is scheduled to be arraigned on August 26.

All charges alleged until proven under law.

In a strange instance of a politician seeming to do something potentially useful and community-minded, Mayor Menino has offered to finance the recently-shuttered Bay State Banner with a $200,000 loan. This type of public gesture of support for a publication (particularly a publication about minority issues) makes us wonder how the government might help finance other struggling papers in the future. Is this the start of public funding for journalism (and journalism pandering more than ever to certain politicians)? Or is this an instance of a politician trying to get votes from a certain demographic? Keep an eye on how this plays out. (Or, if you're a Globe commenter, wish that the mayor would fix potholes instead of support journalism.)

Any alleged negative attention garnered by Craigslist as a result of the "Craigslist Killer" case seems to have had little impact on how people use the Internet classified ad site, or on how well its business is doing. As a motion to investigate media leaks in the case filed by the attorney for alleged killer Philip Markoff was being rejected by Judge Frank M. Gaziano, another arrest involving illicit Craigslist ads was made on July 8. Two alleged prostitutes and a client were arrested in a sting run by Somerville police after officers responded to two separate craigslist ads for prostitution. Bostonist was under the impression Craigslist was cracking down on ads for "erotic services". One thing is certain, business appears unimpeded at Craigslist as the New York Times reported in June that the San Francisco-based company's revenue is expected to rise 23% in 2009 and reach the $100 million mark.

The building collapse at Northeastern University on Monday (in which, fortunately, no one was hurt) is being attributed to negligence by the school. The school has been issued a citation for having an unsafe structure and is now working to stabilize the wall and take away the cornice, as well as dismantle a parapet on the roof. OSHA is looking into the situation as well. Progressive Roofing, which had been working on the roof when it collapsed (a new contractor has since been put on the job), had previously been cited for safety failures, according to the Herald. Let's hope the new work precludes further disasters.

Not-so-crafty burglars targeted cars at a movie theatre in the Cape Cod Mall last night, lifting over $5000 in electronics from Potter fans watching the new film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Two teens were arrested following the theft, which WCVB attributes to Voldemort's work.

The Google section of the Internets is going crazy for the TD Banknorth Garden, which is now going by TD Garden. According to Google Hot Trends, TD Banknorth Garden is today's 50th fastest rising search keyword in the U.S. Bostonist has an idea or three why this is happening. Parents are probably sick of the 12-year olds and their shrieking, but those wholesome young men known as the Jonas Brothers are taking over the Hub on Friday. The Bruins did announce their complete 2009-2010 schedule, too. How much interest does the next Scott Walker sighting generate? Bostonist bets the fuss is over the name change from TD Banknorth Garden to TD Garden that will lead to one lucky fan winning free tickets to every event at the Garden for the entire 2009-2010 season. It's still the Garden to Bostonist.

Private recreational boating has been banned in the Quabbin Reservoir due to concerns about zebra mussels spreading. The mussels were recently found Laurel Lake in Western Massachusetts and have now been spotted in a stream that feeds into the Housatonic River. The invasive zebra mussels can feed on aquatic life, reduce fish populations, clog boats, and spread like mad. Boating bans are designed to help stop their spread.

Universal Hub reports that the NTSB has suggested that Therese Edmonds might have crashed her Green Line trolley due to a "micro-sleep episode" triggered by job fatigue and undiagnosed sleep apnea, not, as was originally reported, the Doxylamine in her bloodstream. Adam Gaffin's headline says it all.

Part of the facade of a dorm on the Northeastern campus collapsed on Monday morning. A roof renovation project has been ongoing for over a month at 337 Huntington Ave., the site of the collapse. Fifty people were evacuated and a police officer on a detail suffered minor injuries. Multiple street closures were in effect. The MBTA Green Line was also shut down.

Hey, what's the absolute best news you could get on a sunny July weekend perfect for going to the zoo? Probably that this is your last chance to go there, because all of the animals are going to die soon! Wonderful. Be sure to check out the lions, tigers, and bears while you still can, because state budget cuts may force the Franklin Park Zoo to close soon, leaving lumpy piles of dead animals in its wake. At current rates, the zoo will run out of money by October, at which time it will have to find new homes for more than 1000 animals. Officials estimate that about 20% of the animals will be particularly difficult to place, meaning that these creatures may have to be put down. The Globe article does feel a little alarmist, but we'd still like to avoid seeing friends like Seamus leave us. Let's hope we can come up with the funds for a solution that's good for the state and the animals.