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Boston's Morning Newsletter
How Mass. could help get everyone to the beach this summer
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
TGIF! Two types of fans are living their wildest dreams heading into the weekend. The Celtics are taking on the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals tonight at the TD Garden. And Taylor Swift kicks off her three-night appearance at Gillette Stadium.
But first, the news. “… Ready for it?”
A panel created by Massachusetts lawmakers to study the Boston area’s 15 public beaches says more must be done to make the state-managed areas more welcoming to people of color, as well as non-English speakers and people with disabilities. “We’re dooming them to be spectators and not participants on our beaches,” Bruce Berman, a consultant for the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, told WBUR’s Stevee Chapman. The commission released a new report with recommendations to fix the issue.
- The big issue: The report’s top finding is that the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation is under-resourced, and state lawmakers haven’t implemented previous suggestions to provide more funds. As of 2021, the Bay State’s per-capita spending on parks and recreation was the lowest in the country — just 58% of the national average.
- Getting there: Parking can be hard to find at local beaches in the summer, and many residents don’t have cars. The report suggests creating a guide to using the MBTA to get to the beach, plus more funding from the state for free shuttles like the Hull-O Trolley.
- At the beach: The report recommends more multicultural events and water safety programs, plus multi-lingual beach rule signs. Berman said the DCR needs to fix ramps, install mobility mats and make beach wheelchairs available to those with disabilities.
- What’s already happening: DCR officials say they’ve worked in recent years to install beach safety signs that can be translated into seven languages with a QR code and spent $200,000 on beach wheelchairs and mobility mats. Brian Arrigo, the state’s new DCR commissioner, said in a statement that he “worked hard” to improve access to Revere Beach as the city’s mayor and looks forward to expanding those efforts across the state.
- Go deeper: You can read the Metropolitan Beaches Commission’s full list of findings and recommendations here.
A new update on an important case: Alberto Sierra Jr., the former boyfriend of the mom of Jeremiah Oliver, pleaded not guilty on a murder charge in connection with the 5-year-old’s death yesterday. He is being held without bail.
- Nine years ago, Jeremiah’s body was found in a suitcase along Interstate 190 in Sterling. The boy was last seen alive in September 2013, but was not reported missing until December of that year.
- Before these most recent charges, Sierra was convicted in 2017 of assaulting Jeremiah’s mother and siblings and sentenced to up to seven years in prison. He was not incarcerated when he was arrested on Wednesday.
- Looking back: This was a high profile case because the family was being supervised by state DCF prior to Jeremiah’s disappearance. An investigation found the assigned social worker hadn’t visited the family’s home in months, despite reports of abuse and neglect. As a result, three agency employees were fired and changes were made at the agency.
Boston municipal workers have gotten the thumbs up to use AI software at work for city business. But there are some rules.
- According to guidelines reported by The Boston Globe, there are only certain tasks where workers can use these programs, like email and memo writing. But they must alert colleagues when AI is being used to make this content. Workers are also not allowed to include any sensitive information in the writing generators.
The end of an era: Jung-Ho Pak, the conductor of the Cape Cod Symphony, is leaving after more than 15 years on the job. He won’t step down until the end of this year’s season, but the symphony is already beginning its search for a new conductor.
P.S.— A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision focused in California could mean changes to how what are treated in Massachusetts? Test your knowledge of the local stories we covered this week with our Boston News Quiz.
