Monthly Archives: January 2011

2 New Ways To See JFK

Published January 20, 2011

On this 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s electric inaugural address, Bostonians have more ways to pay tribute.

The JFK statue was opened Thursday (Steve Brown/WBUR)

The JFK statue on Thursday (Steve Brown/WBUR)

The state on Wednesday reopened the Beacon Hill plaza where a statue of JFK stands. The plaza, located below the governor’s office, has been off-limits to visitors since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Access is still limited, though. Only visitors on an official State House tour will be able to have a close-up look at Jack’s statue.

Just once over the past decade, the AP reports, did officials briefly re-open the site: following the death of JFK’s brother, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, in 2009.

If you would rather pay tribute from the comfort of your living room, Comcast is now streaming Kennedy-era footage to viewers — including the inaugural address.

You can watch Kennedy’s Jan. 2, 1960, press conference to announce his candidacy —  can you imagine a candidate waiting that long nowadays? — and the pivotal Nixon-Kennedy debates.

The cable company has partnered with the JFK Presidential Library, which recently digitized a trove of Kennedy artifacts.

The material is available on Comcast’s “On Demand” channel until Feb. 25. Select the “Top Picks” menu and then “JFK 50 Years.”

Snowstorm Could Bring 8″ To Boston

Published January 20, 2011

Update: Mayor Thomas Menino declared a snow emergency Thursday evening, with a parking ban in effect at 9 p.m. Boston Public Schools are closed Friday.

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Boston could get 1-3″ of snow overnight, just in time to jam up the morning commute.

The National Weather Service says Boston could get up to 8″ from the coming storm, an increase from earlier figures. The snow is expected to stop in the early afternoon, making way for a sunny but bitterly cold weekend. An arctic air mass will bring high temperatures in the teens.

“Moderate to heavy” snow is likely to fall during Friday morning rush hour, covering the roads quickly. Be extra careful driving on bridges and overpasses, where slippery spots can develop quickly.

“The earlier someone goes, the less snow they’ll be around, but I think when we get into the middle and latter part of the morning commute, it’s gonna be pretty hairy out there,” said WCVB-TV meteorologist Harvey Leonard.

Leonard expects the snow to be fairly dry, light snow north and west of the city, but heavier and wetter south of Boston. Snow on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard could turn to rain, which would limit accumulation.

On Twitter, we’re debating the appropriate hash tag for the storm, which is average by Boston standards. Believe it or not, #BabyShanks is a popular suggestion.

Alleged New England Mobsters Indicted For Fraud

Published January 20, 2011

More than 120 organized crime associates face charges including murder, extortion and narcotics trafficking in one of the largest Mafia crackdowns in FBI history, prosecutors announced Thursday.

Authorities in Rhode Island arrested two alleged members of New England’s LCN crime network — alleged longtime mob boss Luigi “Baby Shanks” aka “The Professor” aka “The Old Man” Manocchio, 83, and alleged LCN associate Thomas Iafrate, 61.

An indictment unsealed in Providence charges the defendants with extortion and conspiracy. Manocchio and Iafrate allegedly defrauded pornographic bookstores and nightclubs, including the Satin Doll and the Cadillac Lounge, both in Providence.

More from the Justice Department news release:

The indictment alleges that Manocchio, 83, a/k/a “Baby Shacks”, a/k/a “The Professor”, a/k/a “The Old Man”, began extorting cash protection payments as early as 1993 from the owner of the strip clubs and other adult entertainment businesses. The indictment also alleges that Iafrate, 63, who worked as a bookkeeper for various adult entertainment businesses including the Satin Doll and Cadillac Lounge, was responsible for setting aside, collecting and delivering the “protection” payments to Manocchio on behalf of the businesses. In addition, the indictment alleges that on November 6, 2008, Manocchio and Iafrate obtained approximately $2,900 in cash from the owner of the adult entertainment businesses and strip clubs, induced by the use of force, violence and fear.

Note that Justice refers to Manocchio as “Baby Shacks.” WBUR’s David Boeri, our Mafia enthusiast, says his nick name is, in fact, “Baby Shanks” — a reference to his short legs.

Update: I did some more digging on Manocchio’s nickname.

Time To Make A Decision About #BostonSnow

Published January 20, 2011

Twitter is ground zero for snowstorms. There is no better place for news and conversation with reporters and neighbors when the white stuff is coming down.

Hash tags are an excellent way to narrow down the fire hose — and to get a more complete picture of a story from people you don’t otherwise follow. Consider the success of our #ViewFromMyWindow project, which brought together a lot of strangers under the same, snowy sky.

This tweet is overloaded with hash tags!

This tweet is overloaded with hash tags!

But hash tags are like currency — they only have value if everyone agrees on the same one. (Otherwise you get overloaded tweets like this one.)

Another storm is coming tonight, which surely brings another dispute about the right hash tag.

During the last storm, Boston.com blogger Garrett Quinn smartly polled readers about the best one to use. #SnowMyGod was the winner. Clever, but I had problems with it. First, it’s not Boston-specific. Second, it’s long-ish — 10 characters can be a lot. And third, the use of “God” might grate on some readers.

The poll entry from @KatPowers, #BosBlizz, did not win, but it was popular with the tastemakers. Quinn abandoned his own poll results to use it. And I, using my bully pulpit on the @WBUR account, told roughly 8,000 followers that #BosBlizz was, indeed, the chosen one.

But Boston.com readers had already selected #SnowMyGod, so the Globe used its bully pulpit to promote #SnowMyGod.

And then there was perhaps the biggest tastemaker in Boston’s digital universe: Adam Gaffin, the Universal Hub blogger, who quietly abstained from the debate and continued using the same hash tag he always has: #BostonSnow.

#BostonSnow is Boston-specific but not storm-specific, obviously. At the time, I argued:

I think the hash tag should be specific to this storm and to Boston. #BosBlizz

A lot of folks agreed. Twitterer @aphonik suggested:

@andrewphelps I think the National Weather Service should issue hashtags in advance the same way they name hurricanes in advance. #BosBlizz

Awesome idea, but don’t hold your breath. As tonight’s storm looms, the Globe is already asking readers to suggest a hash tag. I already feel anxious. We need to solve this. Who should decide, and how?

Dear readers, I ask you: What do you prefer? The dependable and unchanging #BostonSnow? Or a unique hash tag for each storm? If yes, then how do we reach a consensus?

Thursday: Ask Not What This Roundup Can Do For You

Published January 20, 2011

Google's home page celebrates the 50th anniversary of JFK's inaugural address.

Google's home page celebrates the 50th anniversary of JFK's inaugural address.

Good morning! Enjoy one snow-free Thursday before another storm dumps on us overnight. Later today, we’re expecting fresh numbers for the Massachusetts unemployment rate.

Today is the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” Yesterday, On Point asked, Does Kennedy’s challenge stand up today? WBUR’s Tom Ashbrook talked with David Brooks, Chris Matthews and Thurston Clarke.

Only four Bay Staters were on President Obama’s guest list for Wednesday night’s state dinner with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Sen. John Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and Bostonian Robert Sherman and his guest, Kim Sawyer.

An institution for Boston’s Latino community, the Hi-Lo Foods in Jamaica Plain, is closing. The store will be replaced by… Whole Foods. That’s pretty much JP in a nutshell. WBUR’s Bianca Vazquez Toness reports on the mixed reactions.

WBUR’s Andrea Shea covers the new ART performance that people are buzzing about: “R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe.” It’s a one-man show about the influential futurist. Bucky is buried in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, just two miles from the theater.

And did you hear about Tom Brady’s foot?

Sources: Brady Will Undergo Foot Surgery

Published January 19, 2011

WCVB, 9:20 p.m.:

WCVB Sports has learned that Tom Brady is OUT of this years Pro Bowl with a stress fracture in his foot. He will be replaced by Matt Cassel of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Globe, 9:48 p.m.:

The operation, to be performed by Patriots team physician George Theodore, will address a lingering stress fracture in the quarterback’s right foot. There is a small chance that Brady will push back the surgery to Monday but no further.

Brady dealt with the injury throughout the season, receiving treatment from the team’s medical staff, but since the stress fracture remains, it was determined that surgery was the best option, said the source.

I guess Brady will have plenty of time to recover.

Inauguration Day, Again, On Beacon Hill

Published January 19, 2011

It’s Inauguration Day, again, on Beacon Hill, as the state’s highest constitutional officers are sworn in.

Attorney General Martha Coakley (AP)

Martha Coakley (AP)

Attorney General Martha Coakley begins her second term Wednesday, a year to the day after her stunning loss to Scott Brown in the U.S. Senate race. Secretary of State William Galvin also was sworn in for a new term.

Suzanne Bump was sworn in as auditor, the state’s first new auditor in 24 years. Steve Grossman was sworn in as the new treasurer.

AG Coakley was sworn in by newly minted SJC Chief Justice Roderick Ireland. The State House News Service reports AG Coakley’s top priorities are stemming the tide of foreclosures; exposing political corruption; and fighting cyber-crime.

Treasurer Steve Grossman

Steve Grossman (courtesy photo)

Grossman, the Democratic treasurer, said new jobs are his top priority. “We are fervently committed to protect the public’s money, help create jobs and boost small businesses. the stakes are too high for the public to expect anything else,” he said.

Grossman succeeds Tim Cahill, who left the office to pursue his unsuccessful campaign for governor.

Bump, the Democratic auditor, promised to make state government work better. “To keep government responsive to its citizens, to leverage technology and the Internet, to give you greater access to the work of the office, and to track government reforms that our audits indicate are needed,” she said.

Auditor SuzanneBump

Suzanne Bump (courtesy photo)

Bump previously represented Braintree in the House and went on to become Gov. Patrick’s secretary of labor.

Galvin, a Brighton Democrat, starts his fifth four-year term as secretary of state. Ever low-key, Galvin’s swearing-in was private and he delivered no remarks.

Gov. Deval Patrick, Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and state lawmakers were sworn in earlier this month.

Shriver Will Rest In Barnstable

Published January 19, 2011

Funeral services are scheduled for Sargent Shriver at a church in suburban Washington. The invitation-only ceremony is set for Saturday at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac, Md.

Family members say Shriver will be buried in Hyannis the Barnstable village of Centerville, next to the grave of his wife, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

Shriver, who served as the founding director of the Peace Corps and leader of the “War on Poverty,” died Tuesday after being hospitalized for several days. He was 95 and had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

Update: Nothing confuses me more than the villages of Cape Cod. This correction comes from Molly Connors, a reporter at the Cape Cod Times:

The church, St. Francis Xavier, is in Hyannis, but the cemetery is in Centerville. Both are villages of Barnstable, which I am a maniac about because all of Barnstable and its villages are my beat.

I had thought Hyannis was a town and that Centerville was a village of Hyannis. Wrong.

Accused Mattapan Murderer Pleads Not Guilty

Published January 19, 2011

The last of three men charged in connection with the Mattapan murders of September 2010 has pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including four counts of first-degree murder.

Edward Washington, 35, was arrested in December for the murders of four people, including a two-year-old boy and his mother, on Woolson Street. Prosecutors say Washington was responsible for the murders but that he was not the mastermind.

WBUR’s Bianca Vazquez Toness, reporting from Suffolk Superior Court, quotes Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin:

“This defendant and Dwayne Moore marched the people who were inside and marched them up the street to Woolson Street and somewhere around the corner of Woolson and Wildwood Street those individuals were all shot,” Zabin said.

Dwayne Moore was arrested in late November, almost two months after the murders, and booked with four counts of murder and other charges. Edward Washington’s cousin, Kimani Washington, was arrested in October and charged on drugs and weapons counts.

When November arrived, and almost two months had passed since with no murder charges, it felt like the homicides would never be solved. Police reassured an angry public it was a “very active investigation.”

The victims were Amani Smith, 2; his mother, Eyanna Flonory, 21; her boyfriend, Simba Martin, 21; and Levaughn Washum-Garrison, 22. The lone survivor is 32-year-old Marcus Hurd.

(Greater) Boston Blotter: Police Seize Blogger’s Guns

Published January 19, 2011

Hubbub is tracking and mapping every Boston homicide of 2011, so we have a close eye on the police blotters.

Three stories just in:

1.) Arlington police seized guns and ammo from a blogger who suggested, perhaps jokingly, that Rep. Giffords was the first of many lawmakers who ought to be shot. Wicked Local Arlington reports:

(Travis) Corcoran wrote and uploaded a post to his blog, tjic.com, following the Jan. 8 shooting of United States Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tuscan titled “1 down, 534 to go,” suggesting the other 534 members of Congress should be next. In an interview with the Advocate after the post gained wide attention on the Internet but before police became involved, Corcoran compared his post to a joke made among a group of friends in a casual setting.

APD Capt. Robert Bongiorno said the department took his statements made in the blog as a credible threat and took precautionary measures.

(via Universal Hub)

2.) Boston Police and federal authorities arrested Lavonrence Perkins, 20, of Boston, in Providence on Wednesday. Perkins is charged with a murder dating back to May 2010. The victim was Cordell McAfee, 22, of Boston.

3.) Universal Hub reports a man’s body was found partially buried in the snow in Revere Beach:

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office reports the body of an Asian male believed to be in his early 20s was found around 8:30 a.m. today, “partially buried in the snow,” by the South Bath House. “There were no signs of blood or obvious foul play at the scene,” the DA’s office says, adding an autopsy will be performed tomorrow after the body has sufficiently warmed up.