Plus: đ¨ Why 911 went down
By Gia Orsino, The B-Side and Emily Schario, The B-Side
Itâs Thursday, Boston.
âď¸Itâs also the firstofficial day of summer!And the kickoff of Boston Harbor Islandssummer ferry season(with service to Spectacle and Peddocks),andtonightâs the start ofFenwayâs summer concert series, which are only adding to the vibes.
đWhatâs on tap today:
- The reason behind the 911 outage
- Emerson is pointing fingers
- A âgame timeâ name change
Up firstâŚ
TRANSPORTATION
Another day, another Orange Line shutdown
Image: Leah Becerra/The Boston Globe. Illustration: Gia Orsino.
Here we go again:Just in time for summer,chunks of the Orange Line are going to be OOOstarting Saturday, June 22 through Sunday, June 30.
Hereâs what to know:
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đShutdown No. 1 might disrupt your weekend plans.Orange Line service will besuspended between North Station and Oak Groveon June 22 and 23, which just means youâll get to spend a little more time with your favorite free shuttle buses thatâll be running between both stations (make sure to check where the real pick-up spots arehere). Luckily, there will be an express shuttle between Oak Grove, Malden Center, and North Station.
đŤShutdown No. 2 might disrupt your workday commute.Service between North Station and Wellingtonwill be down for the count from June 24 through June 30. Our beloved shuttle buses will make all stops between Wellington and North Station, with an express shuttle also running between Wellington and North Station (again, check all pick-up spotshere!).
đTake it as your excuse to cosplay as a Commuter Rail-riding suburbanite.After all, theHaverhill Line will be fare-freebetween Oak Grove, Malden Center, and North Station during both diversions (but you gotta pay up for any travel beyond Oak Grove).
đ Bridges are on the brain during these shutdowns.Crews will start chipping away at replacing the deteriorated bridge superstructures on theMaffa Way and Mystic Avenue Bridgesnear the Sullivan Square T stop, along with improving bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities.
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đBut weâll hopefully get rid of some slow zones, too.As of Wednesday, theOrange Lineâs slow zone count sat at 26, most of which are concentrated toward both ends of the line. Since service will already be down, the MBTA is also looking to eighty-six some slow zones between Community College and Sullivan Square as part of its largerTrack Improvement Programto eliminate all speed restrictions yadda yadda yadda.
đOh, and just one more thing before you go âŚShuttle buses will also bereplacing service on the Mattapan Trolleystarting Friday, June 21 at 8:30 p.m. through Sunday, June 23. You canât make this stuff up!
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CITY
Quick & dirty headlines
Image: Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe
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đ¨This is why 911 went down on Tuesday.On Wednesday, officials gave an answer about what caused Mass.â 911 line to go down for about two hours Tuesday afternoon: Amalfunctioning firewall systemthatâs meant to secure the 911 system against cyber attacks did its job a littletoowell, and instead blocked all incoming calls. Officials say theyâve implemented a solution so that it doesnât happen again, and thankfully, the department hasnât received any reports of emergencies during the outage so far.
đ Emersonâs President is pointing fingers at pro-Palestinaian protesters.Facinga lack of enrollment the upcoming school year, the college plans to lay off some of its faculty and leave some vacant positions open, according to an email from President Jay Bernhardt. Why? According to Bernhardt: ânegative press and social mediaâ for itshandling of Pro-Palestinian encampments on campusplayed a role, in addition to less enrollment at smaller, private colleges overall, and thebotched FAFSA rollout. The college wonât comment on the matter, but at least one faculty member isnot too pleased with the move.
đď¸ Planning to get rowdy on the Cape this July 4th? Think again.Dennis Police haveannounced significant restrictionsat Mayflower, Chapin, and Bayview beaches in an attempt to quell the truly wild behavior thatâs become something of an annual tradition in the area. Parking wonât be allowed on the beaches without a sticker, a parking ban will be in place in neighborhoods and businesses surrounding the beaches,andpolice say theyâll have a zero-tolerance policy (and $50 fine) for drinking and overly loud music on the beaches themselves.
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đŹOne of Bostonâs coolest film fests kicks off today.TheRoxbury International Film Festivalis the largest festival in New England celebrating people of color. And the next eight days will be chock-full of film screenings, script readings, hangouts, panels, and, yes, even a handful of freebies. Check the schedulefor all of the events and locations here. And if you canât catch a flick in person, donât worry, all of the films will be available to screen on Zoom from June 27 to July 2with an online ticket.
MEDIA SPONSORSHIP
Pizza lovers, rejoice!
B-Side is a proud sponsor of theBoston Pizza Festivalbeing held this weekend on June 22 and June 23. Held at City Hall Plaza, this two-day event features Bostonâs top pizzerias serving up their best slices. Enjoy multiple slices of pizza, from classic Neapolitan to creative gourmet, alongside live music and activities.Get tickets todayand secure your spot at this tasty celebration!
ONE LAST THING
A âgame timeâ name change
Illustration: Emily Schario
What would it take for you to name your child after a Celtic?
On a regular day, naming your child after Celtics star Jrue Holiday might seem like an odd choice, even for a superfan. But when Rashaan and Annabel Powell had their baby boy at exactly 6:17 p.m. âŚon 617 day⌠which also happened to be the day the Celticswere poised to win the NBA Finals⌠the decision seemed almost obvious.
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So, the couple made what they called a âgame timeâ name decision, pivoting from their original choice of âCrewâ to âJrue,âafter the Câs newest star, Jrue Holiday.
And whether by luck, skill, or baby-name forces completely beyond our control, Holiday did his namesake proud in the Finals as the Powells watched from the postpartum room.
â Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario
đThanks for reading!Now we just have to hope hereallylikes basketball.
đSpecial shoutout to todayâs sponsor,COJE Management Group, for supporting local journalism and bringing iconic dining experiences to Boston.
đKeep up with us@BostonBSideonIG,TikTok, andTwitter. Send comments and suggestions to[emailprotected]or[emailprotected].
Correction: A previous version of this newsletter incorrectly stated that there had been two days without answers about the 911 outageâs cause.
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