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Boston Common's annual Christmas tree is nearly ready for its closeup
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.
Tonight is the big night! Three New Englanders are taking the “Dancing with the Stars” season finale stage at 8 p.m. on ABC. Keep your eyes on Olympians Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher, and former Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola.
Now, let’s get to the news:
Almost ready for its closeup: Today at 11 a.m., Boston police will escort a 30-year-old, 45-feet-tall white spruce to the spot of its new seasonal gig as the Boston Common’s official Christmas tree. Here are the deets before it makes its sparkling debut:
- Where is the tree from? Nova Scotia, of course. It’s the 53rd year in a row the city has received its tree from the Canadian province as a “thank you” for helping after an explosion in Halifax Harbor killed 1,600 people during World War I. This year’s tree comes from Hugh and Liz Ryan, of the Mattie Settlement, in Nova Scotia’s Antigonish County.
- When is this year’s lighting? The tree will be lit at approximately 7:55 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5. You can watch a broadcast of the lighting live on WCVB or take the new and improved Red Line down to Park Street to see it for yourself.
An election retrospective: Secretary of State William Galvin’s office says there was a drop in voter turnout for the 2024 election. And those lower Massachusetts numbers seem to reflect a national trend, too, according to reporting from WBUR’s Anthony Brooks.
- By the numbers: About 3.5 million Massachusetts voters participated in the Nov. 5 election — 4% lower than in 2020 and 200,000 short of the record turnout Galvin had previously predicted.
- Why the discrepancy? While voter registration was at an all-time high (there were 5 million registered voters), Galvin noted “a significant drop in participation in several cities, especially those with larger minority populations.” Turnout fell more than 10% in cities like Boston, Everett and Lynn, and more than 16% in Chelsea.
- What does it mean? Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC polling group, told Brooks the state’s numbers mirror a national decline in city-based turnout. “Kamala Harris saw fewer votes in cities than expected and that was a big part of what explained the outcome,” said Koczela.
At a standstill: The Beverly School Committee says it’s pausing all contract mediation with striking teachers until they return to the classroom. But teachers in Beverly and nearby Marblehead remain on the picket line today, meaning both districts have now stretched into their third week of canceled classes for students.
- Zooming in on Beverly: Paraprofessionals’ pay remains a point of contention during the negotiations. While it’s a sticking point for the union, the Beverly school committee said leveling the pay between teachers and paraprofessionals would cost the district $3 million more than it can afford. While tensions are getting higher, Beverly’s city council voted last night against a resolution to interject itself into the negotiations.
Finding your home: A first-time homebuyers program that was piloted in Boston is now being expanded to 28 other communities across Massachusetts. The One+ Mortgage Program, which launched yesterday, aims to help eligible participants with down payments and closing cost assistance, “totaling up to $50,000 for each participant,” according to Gov. Maura Healey. It also allows participants to receive lower interest rates. “It will help us unlock home ownership around this state,” Healey said at an event yesterday.
Football at Fenway: There’s almost nothing more enduring than a football rivalry. Over the next two days, Fenway Park will host four traditional Thanksgiving football games between Massachusetts high schools with longstanding feuds.
- Today’s doubleheader is Nantucket vs. Martha’s Vineyard and Stoneham vs. Reading. Tomorrow, you can catch Lawrence vs. Central Catholic and Swampscott vs. Marblehead. Tickets are $20 to catch each day’s back-to-back games.
P.S. — What’s more festive than sipping on some hot chocolate this holiday season? Our staff has some favorite spots for the best cup. Want to know where? We’ll share our recommendations with anyone who signs up for our Pick Me Up, ARTery, WBUR Today or Weekender newsletters with this link before Dec. 31. (Tell your cocoa-loving friends, too!)
