Bite Size News, November 11: Veterans Day Edition

  • Massachusetts honored Bay State veterans at a State House ceremony today. [Boston Globe]
  • The wife of late Marine Capt. Kyle Van De Giesen of North Attleboro gave birth to their second child, Colin Joseph, on Tuesday. Van De Giesen, 29, was killed October 26 in Afghanistan. leaves a legacy with the birth of his son Tuesday. [Attleboro Sun Chronicle]
  • Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill today to expand veterans benefits to include cash payments for deployments and access to employment. [Boston Herald]

Auto-Pedestrian Accident on the Common

A woman was hit by a pick-up truck this morning near the intersection of Winter and Tremont Streets. She was taken to Tufts Medical Center with life-threatening head injuries. [WBZ, BPD]

Bite Size News, November 10: Cuts That Hurt Edition

  • With the Patrick administration considering expanding gambling in Massachusetts, the Governor is proposing budget cuts to helping gambling addicts. [Boston Herald]
  • Governor Deval Patrick's administration plans to cut funding for special treatment units for prisoners with mental illness. The cut could restart a suit by the Disability Law Center against the Department of Correction that was headed for an out of court settlement. [Boston Globe]

Despite Deval Patrick's criticism, it looks like former United Freedom Front member Ray Luc Levasseur will speak on campus at UMass Amherst during this Thursday's Colloquium on Social Change. The United Freedom Front, described as a terrorist organization, was responsible for a number of bombings in the Northeast in the late 1970s and early 1980s, perhaps most notably the 1976 Suffolk County Courthouse bombing in Boston that injured 22 individuals, even costing one courthouse employee his leg. The UFF used bombings and robberies as tactics to fight political conditions they disapproved of, including apartheid in South Africa and U.S. policy in Central America. Levasseur is scheduled to speak at UMass regarding his 1989 trial in Springfield for seditious conspiracy. This, the longest criminal trial in Massachusetts history, eventually found Levasseur and his co-defendants not guilty. Thursday's appearance, if it goes on, would be Levasseur's first public appearance in the area since his imprisonment.

Google to Give Away WiFi at Logan, Elsewhere

Exciting news for those who, like us, have known the pain of a four to six hour plane delay at Logan without the wireless access to bitch about it. Google will be sponsoring free WiFi at Logan and 46 other U.S. airports throughout the holiday season. [Via UHub}

Bostonians of the Week: Cherice Lewis, North Station Bystanders

The name of the heroic MBTA operator who stopped a train in time to save a woman's life on the Orange Line this weekend has been released. Charice Lewis, we thank you for your quick response in this scary situation, and wish all MBTA operators were so attentive. A word of appreciation also goes out to the bystanders at North Station who brought the fallen woman to Lewis's attention. In the future, we hope that all MBTA operators, staff, and passengers will remember these upstanding individuals as model citizens and follow their lead in looking out for others in all situations, not just the most dire.

Bite Size News, November 9: Civil Service Edition

  • One of the police officers that stopped the attacker at Fort Hood used to work at Newton pub. [WBZ-TV]
  • Michael Capuano has made the top-ten for missing votes this year. [Boston Herald]
  • Emergency knee surgery cancels Mayor Menino's post-election vacation. [Boston Globe]
  •      

    The Orange Line operator and inspector who managed to stop an Orange Line train just inches away from killing a passenger who had fallen on the tracks were honored today at the MBTA board meeting. The operator, whose name was not released, had been hospitalized for stress following the incident, according to the Herald, but has reportedly returned to work.

    Close to the Edge: Near Death on the Orange Line

    Last night, leaving the Celtics game, we saw a woman come an inch away from death. It was on the inbound Orange Line platform at North Station. We had missed a train and had to wait an interminable 15 minutes before the next train arrived, so we were relieved when the Worflike voice of the T announced "The next Orange Line train to Forest Hills is now approaching." The lights of the oncoming train shined through the tunnel.

    Boston Blotter: Cops Chase Armed Man, Officers Stabbed

    -- Boston Police arrested a man with a gun on Thursday after chasing him on foot. The suspect was driving "erratically" near Egelston Square and attempted to park in front of a hydrant. Police determined the owner of the car was unlicensed, prompting officers to try to stop the car. The operator of the car exited the car and fled. Officers pursued the suspect, observed he was armed. After refusing to drop the weapon, police took it away during a physical struggle. The suspect faces various assault and weapons charges. [BPDNews.com]

    Bite Size News, November 6: Soldiers Remembered Edition

    • Marine Capt. Kyle Van De Giesen's funeral was held today in North Attleboro. He was killed in Afghanistan on October 26. [WCVB]

    Randazza Served and Pwnd Glen Beck in 2009

    A quick update on the Glen Beck WIPO case. The verdict is in, and Gloucester attorney Marc J. Randazza's totally killer pleadings were sufficient to convince the WIPO panelist to deny Glen Beck's complaint against the website GlenBeckRapedandMurderedaYoungGirlin1990. Since Randazza regrettably did not write the decision, it is not particularly hilarious, but it is pretty scathing. We, as Americans, should be happy that Frederick M. Abbott, panelist for the Geneva-based WIPO court, has more reverence for the First Amendment than Glen Beck does. [Legal Satyricon]

    Stylish Bostonians Have Nice Clothes, Lack Self-Awareness

    Bostonist is so glad the New York Times and Co. didn't nuke the Boston Globe back in the spring, because then we would never have had the sublime pleasure of reading the interviews with 2009's "25 Most Stylish Bostonians" (so named because, we presume, the "25 Most Stylish Bostonians Who Have More Money and/or Cooler Jobs Than You" was too long). We were especially taken with João Ribas, whose outstandingly obnoxious quotes like, "I have an abhorrence of both consumer culture and infantilism, which is why I don’t own a pair of jeans" make him sound like a character out of a Decemberists song.

    Boston Blotter: Heroin Like Swine Flu You Have To Pay For

    -- Public health officials released a report today calling heroin and OxyContin addiction an "epidemic" in Massachusetts. The report calls for a public health campaign on the scale of the fight against H1N1 to combat the problem. The report estimates that 3,265 Massachusetts residents died from opiate overdose between 2002 and 2007. [Globe]

    Bite Size News, November 5: Winners & Losers Edition

  • Mayor Menino wants to "take more risks" in the next four years. [Boston Globe]
  • Flaherty and Yoon are keeping their options open. [Boston Globe]
  • Town of Amherst votes to accept two Guantanamo Bay prisoners as residents -- if they're released. [Christian Science Monitor]
  • Boston Blotter: Election Day Shooting in Dorchester, Muggings in JP

    -- Some Dorchester voters had more on their minds yesterday than the Boston mayoral contest. A 23-year-old man was shot and killed yesterday morning in front of the John Marshall Elementary School, which serves Dorchester as a polling place. Voting was briefly disrupted, and classes were dismissed early as a result of the violence. [Herald]

    Bite Size News, November 4: Politics, Cops, Kids Edition

    While Boston voted for Mayor Tom Menino again, cities and towns around Massachusetts voted incumbents out and elected a diverse array of new leaders. [Boston Globe] With thousands of auxiliary ballots left to count, City Council and School Committee candidates in Cambridge won't have official results until at least the end of the day Wednesday. [Cambridge Chronicle] A Georgetown woman wants the Bay State to require insurers to cover children’s hearing aids. [Boston Herald]

    PolitixBlotter: N.H. State Rep. Arrested For Underage Drinking

    Brian Poznanski, a 20-year-old state representative from New Hampshire, was arrested this weekend at an underage drinking party. Poznanski is also an Eagle scout and the vice president of his junior class at St. Anselm’s College. Fox25 got reaction from Nashua residents. Dan Hogan said this proves why we can't vote for young people. Right. Some mature politicians could clean up the mess made by whippersnappers like Poznanski. Robin Portello said there are no second chances in politics. Really? Has she heard of Joe Biden? Bostonist has one question: Is Poznanski's middle initial "W"? All charges alleged until proven under law.

    Red Line a Leaky Death Trap, MBTA Basically Screwed, Says Report

    Okay, we might be exaggerating a little, but this sentence from the independent review of the MBTA that was released yesterday caught our attention:

    Maine's Yokels Restrict Marriage Rights

    Voters in New England's least appealing state told approximately one tenth of its population that it could go f*ck itself but without the sanction of marriage. Maine, also home to Olympia Snowe, did not include a trigger option in its narrow repeal of the state's same-sex marriage law. [Globe]

    Election Shocker: Boston Retains Incumbents, Again

    Tonight, Mayor Thomas Menino was reelected to a historic fifth term, which, if served, will make him the longest serving mayor in Boston history. He beat Michael Flaherty by a wide margin of 57 percent of the vote to 42 percent, according to unofficial results. Incumbent City Councilors at large John Connolly and Stephen Murphy also retained their seats by hefty margins. Felix Arroyo and Ayanna Pressley will join city council with 16 and 15 percent of the vote, respectively. Pressley will be the first African American woman to serve on city council in Boston's history. In District 7, Chuck Turner blew away his competition despite a cloud of legal troubles, and Sal Lamattina, Michael Ross, and Mark Ciommo each held off challenges in their respective districts. [City of Boston]

    Boston Blotter: T Cops Grab Gropers

    -- T police arrested two men on unrelated counts of indecent assault and battery yesterday. William Carlyle, a 52-year-old Boston man, was nabbed at Copley Station after allegedly grabbing a woman's buttocks on the Green Line platform at Park Station. And William James was picked up for allegedly grabbing a woman's buttocks on a Red Line platform at Quincy Center Station last June. [MBTA Spokesman Joe Pesaturo]

    Bite Size News, November 3: People Choose Edition

    Nice Weather Gets 11% of Voters Out by Noon, 16% by Now

    According to the Globe, over 40,000 ballots were cast by noon today in Boston's mayoral and municipal election. According to Twitter, 20,000 more votes came in by 3pm to raise the day's turnout to 16.7% so far. If you haven't already voted, check out if your city is having an election and where you should go to participate. Scandalous update: A Vietnamese translator at a polling place in Dorchester was apparently given the boot for telling voters to support Flaherty. Another Dorchester site complained of having no Vietnamese translator.

    At-Large Candidates Support Parks

    Boston Park Advocates highlighted the 2009 At-Large City Council Debate on Parks and Open Spaces on Monday. The candidates discussed ways to increase funding for parks, expansion of bike lanes, community gardens and seniors programs, and how to maintain sports fields. The debate featured 100 sponsors, which means people love parks. [UniversalHub]

    Still on the Fence? 20 Reasons to Vote for One Guy Or Another

    Michael Flaherty and Tom Menino have both tried everything in the past few months to knock people's socks off. Unfortunately for them, many Bostonians remained thoroughly socked, and some have not even made up their mind yet whom to vote for. Over at the Globe, Alex Beam runs through 10 reasons to vote for either guy. Our favorite? Regarding Menino: "2. Flaherty likens Menino to jailed former mayor James Michael Curley, “The Rascal King,’’ of Jack Beatty’s memorable book title. But aren’t there two statues of Curley in downtown Boston? Isn’t his home a local landmark? Throw me in that briar patch!" [Globe]

    Election Day Arrives

    The chatter has been rampant for months, and today's the big day. Not only will Tom Menino and Michael Flaherty face off in the race for mayor of Boston, but there are many other municipal elections going on around the state. Find out if your town is having an election today and, if so, where you can go to vote. If you're in Boston proper, you can locate your polling place here. Happy voting! Check Blue Mass Group, Red Mass Group, and Universal Hub for voter comments (or leave your own here).

    Boston Blotter: Dorchester's Halloween Party Shooting, Allston Assaults, JP Stick-up Foiled

    -- A 21-year-old woman was shot outside of her own Halloween party in Dorchester early Sunday, and was taken to Boston Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition. No arrests have been made. [BPDNews, Globe]

    Bite Size News, November 2: Post-Halloween Edition

  • With about 100,000 revelers in Salem, two stabbings ain't bad. [Wicked Local]
  • A falling tree kills a trick-or-treater in NH. [Union Leader]
  • Most of the state's transportation agencies have officially merged into MassDOT. [Providence Business News]
  • One Harvard Grad's Assault on 9/11 Victims, His Own Career

    Above The Law reports on Brian Schroeder, a man who has attended not one but two of the world's douchiest colleges, and who has mounted his bid for Douchebag of the Year by allegedly trying to burn down a chapel that holds the remains of unidentified 9/11 victims. Schroeder, a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School, reportedly set fire to he chapel at Memorial Park on 30th Street in New York City at 9 a.m. yesterday because of a drunken dare. He was one of those law grads who was being paid by a Biglaw firm to do pro bono work until the economy picked up. Presumably, this particular act anti bono has also torched Schroeder's nascent law career.

    Political Roundtable, OTR Election Style

    On Sunday, WCVB's month-old On The Record (OTR) political talk show reported on the high-profile Mayoral and Senate elections facing voters in Boston and Massachusetts this fall.

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