Monday Morning: Be Careful On The Esplanade

Published April 11, 2011

Though the tree-lined walkway is the one of the most beautiful strolls in the city, the Esplanade is more dangerous than you think. Authorities are asking Bostonians to be wary of the Charles River pathway after a college student told Boston police she was sexually assaulted Saturday night while sitting on an Esplanade bench.

The BSO is searching for a new conductor after James Levine announced last month that he is stepping down because of his deteriorating health. Ever wondered what makes a good conductor? Check out WBUR’s awesome coverage of the BSO conductor hunt.

Gov. Deval Patrick will spend the day in Boston today. It’s not usually news, but the governor had been slated for a Today Show appearance this morning, but was bumped thanks to a glut of recent headline news. Patrick launches a book tour promoting his memoir “A Reason to Believe” this week. We’ll speak with the governor on Radio Boston next week.

Voters overwhelmingly support the authorization of three resort casinos in the state, according to a poll conducted by UMass Dartmouth’s Center for Policy Analysis. The poll follows last summer’s legislative fight over gambling.

If you’re hoping to end it all — and hopefully you’re not — don’t jump off the Tobin Bridge. Four boaters near the Chelsea Yacht Club saved a man who had jumped off the Tobin when they pulled him from the water. The kicker is this quote at the end of the Herald article:

“We get a few a year…Usually around the holidays or tax time. … It’s sad. I don’t know what it comes to that someone decides to do that. He was very fortunate.”

Red Sox starter Josh Beckett returned to his 2007 form in dismantling the Yankees and leading the team to a 4-0 victory. Beckett threw eight fantastic innings and notched 10 strikeouts. The season looks a lot rosier today than it did Friday, after the team won a series against the Pinstripes.

What we’re following: We’ll continue to report on scandal in the Boston Veterans’ Services Department, the Deval Patrick memoir and the trial for an accused Springfield arsonist. Radio Boston will speak with Marine Biologist Carl Safina about his new PBS series “Saving the Ocean.”