Daily Archives: November 10, 2010

NPR Interviews Gay N.H. Bishop Set To Retire

Published November 10, 2010

New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson (Mary Schwalm/AP)

New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson (Mary Schwalm/AP)

V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop in the United States, says the constant death threats strengthened his faith in God.

Bishop, 65, announced he will retire in 2013.

“Death is not the worst thing — not living your life, that’s the worst thing,” Robinson told NPR’s Melissa Block in an interview Wednesday. The Two-Way has a write-up:

Back in 2003, Robinson told Melissa that he hoped he would some day be known as just a good bishop, not a gay bishop. Today, he said in the seven years since then, he came to “make my peace with being ‘the gay bishop’ ” and to look at the situation as “an astounding opportunity” if he could be “the best steward I possibly can.”

Audio of the full interview will be available this evening.

Alleged Limojacker Is Busted

Published November 10, 2010

Boston Police say they have caught a thief believed to have stolen a limousine filled that was waiting for a bride and groom in Dorchester over the weekend.

Joseph Ghella, 45, of South Boston, was arrested Tuesday night while allegedly robbing an apartment. He may also be responsible for giving one couple a great story for their children and grandchildren.

The Herald reported the extraordinary carjacking story on Saturday, and Universal Hub interviewed the man who says he was the victim of the home invasion that preceded the wild chase.

Bloomberg: BJ’s Wholesale May Be For Sale

Published November 10, 2010

Bloomberg reports, via the Worcester Telegram & Gazette:

BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. plans to run an auction to sell itself after receiving an offer from private-equity firm Leonard Green & Partners LP in recent months, said three people with knowledge of the situation.

BJ’s is a Natick company with locations mostly in the Northeast. As of early afternoon, BJ’s stock is up almost 11 percent.

WBUR’s Curt Nickisch is following.

3:26 p.m. update: Another New England institution, the Necco candy company, may also be exploring a sale, the Globe reports.

Radio Boston Rundown: Mass. Students Best Of The Worst?

Published November 10, 2010

It’s a busy day here… made evident by the fact I posted a Friday roundup on a Wednesday morning… here’s the rundown for 3 p.m. on Radio Boston:

Mass. math students — best of the worst? High-schoolers here surpass their peers nationwide in mathematics, according to a new study by the Kennedy School at Harvard. But Massachusetts students fall way behind their peers in at least a dozen European and Asian countries. We talk to the study author, Prof. Paul Peterson, about why and what can be done to close the gap.

Gender equity in school athletics programs. A recent CommonWealth Magazine report finds Massachusetts schools are a ways off from Title IX compliance. We speak with reporter Jack Sullivan and a former Olympic rower and UMass coach, Dana Skinner.

Historic churches in Boston. Many historically significant churches in Boston have fallen into disrepair, and many of them are in communities that can’t afford to renovate them. WBUR’s Adam Ragusea explores the plight of these churches in advance of a weekend conference that will offer strategies to save them.

Wednesday Morning: Spader In A ‘Cage,’ Mass. Math Skills

Published November 10, 2010

What’s news on a cloudy, cold Wednesday morning in Boston:

Steven Spader, 19, begins the rest of his “pointless life” in prison. “A Superior Court judge sentenced the teenager yesterday to a mandatory term of life without parole after his conviction in the brutal slaying of a small-town nurse and the maiming of her 11-year-old daughter.” (Globe)

A study finds Mass. leads the nation in high-school math skills but trails many countries. The study was sponsored by the journal Education Next and Harvard University. (Globe)

The Needham girls soccer team ended their season yesterday. “The Needham Rockets were playing without their big guns — suspended from school amid accusations of hazing.” (WBZ)

The star witness in gang murder case pleaded guilty to perjury. For once, the prosecution has Latoya Thomas-Dickson just where they want her. (WBUR)

Mass. Republicans aren’t giving up hope. “Republicans failed to win any statewide office or congressional seat this election, but they did manage to double their numbers in the state’s House.” (WBUR)