Report: Boston Economy May Have Lost $250 Million Plus from Lockdown
How much does it cost to shut down a city for an entire day? Bloomberg Business Week reports that price tag is somewhere in the range of $ 250 million to $ 333 million, citing a chief economist at IHS Global Insight. The citywide shelter-in-place order was lifted shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, about 10 hours after the police lockdown was extended to the entire city of Boston. As of 6:30 p.m., police continued to search for the remaining at-large suspect in Monday’s bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line, with heavy activity continuing in the greater Boston community of Watertown. The suspect was identified by authorities as 19-year-old Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev. While some businesses remained open during the lockdown, many didn’t open at all or closed early, sending employees home several hours after the shelter-in-place was issued, once government officials announced it was OK to leave for home. Dunkin’ Donuts shops in certain areas of the city remained open during the lockdown per direction from the city, the Huffington Post reported. Karen Raskopf, chief communications officer for Dunkin’ Brands, told the news site that the restaurants were asked to remain open “to take care of needs of law enforcement and first responders.” Business Week reports that the Boston metro area is a “$ 1-billion-a-day metropolitan area,” but that some of that economic activity could continue under a lockdown with the aid of telecommuting and technology. Other activities, such as grocery shopping, are simply shifted to another day. But even with some business in the city lost because of the lockdown, the economic expert said he did not expect the event to have a lasting effect on Boston’s economy. He pointed to New York City and Washington, D.C., both of which were able to recover relatively quickly following the attacks on 9/11. South End Patch
Group Aims to Hold ‘Last Mile’ Run/Walk from Kenmore to Finish Line on Saturday
If you were one of the runners forced to end your Marathon early because of the bombings — or someone who just wants to show solidarity — a group is working to let you go “The Last Mile” on Saturday. Organizers are using Facebook to let people know of the effort. Here’s how they put it: So, as you have all heard by now, some coward likes to blow up trash cans. In doing so, this person or persons have hindered many from accomplishing something they have been training very hard to do over the past year. This is simple, we are going to Kenmore Square to finish the race for those who ran, and for those who can never run again. Share this with your friends, your families, your enemies, and anyone in between. Come join us and run, jog, walk, limp, wheel, or crawl that last mile. Organizers say they aren’t sure if they can get the proper permits in time. They also say that, clearly, if the stretch is still a crime scene they don’t want people jogging through and getting themselves arrested. Patch has reached out to organizers but hasn’t heard back from them yet. Some commenters on Facebook are saying it’s too soon for an event like this, with some pointing to the April 20 date (which is the anniversary of the Columbine Massacre) as a reason to choose a different day. Even if the last section of the Marathon is still cordoned off on Saturday, nearby Salem is hosting a “Last Mile” event of its own. Runners are gathering at the Salem Common at 6:45 p.m. Thursday. It’s part of a larger event including a candlelight vigil. Here is more information from the city of Salem. South End Patch
FBI: Forensic Evidence Recovered From Bombs Used in Marathon Attack
The FBI has recovered several pieces of forensic evidence from Monday’s attacks at the Boston Marathon, officials said on Tuesday night, but said they still have no suspects and no one has yet claimed responsibility. FBI Special Agent Rick DesLauriers said the forensic evidence found at the scene of the blasts on Boylston Street included potential pieces of a pressure cooker device with BB gun bullets, nails and possibly gunpowder, stuffed into a black nylon backpack. Debris and evidence were found inside stores and along rooftops of buildings in the area, officials said. “That gives you an idea of the power of the blast,” said Special Agent Gene Marquez of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The evidence has been expedited to a lab in Virginia for processing. Officials said those at the scene should contact them if they saw anyone with a heavy black backpack in the area before the blasts occurred, and to note if any friends or family had spoken of an attack on April 15 or that they were targeting the marathon. Police said there might have been “test” bombs blown up prior to the event, and want to know of any other explosions that may have happened in the area prior to Monday. “The person who did this was someone’s friend, neighbor or co-worker,” DesLauriers said. DesLauriers said the FBI has received more than 2,000 tips from the public thus far, but they still need more to piece together a “meticulous” investigation, and the investigation is “still in its infancy.” Businesses with security cameras are asked to turn in their security footage from the area. “We’re literally going over the crime scene with a fine tooth comb,” said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. “There is not a rush to any end.” South End Patch
New Train from Boston to Cape Cod For $35
For the first time in 25 years, you’ll be able to take a train from Boston to Cape Cod, thanks to the CapeFlyer train service. CapeFlyer connects Boston’s South Station to Middleborough, Buzzards Bay and Hyannis for $ 20 one way or $ 35 round trip. Train service begins at 5:12pm on Fridays and operates on Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 8 a.m. in Boston, adding Braintree to its route. Travel time is a little more than 2 hours and 15 minutes. Take along a deck of cards or a good book and some cheese and crackers – it’s better than cursing the traffic. And, for those of you who travel with your computer, the train has free WiFi. Will you be taking the CapeFlyer this season? Did you take the last train that served the Cape? Or will you travel by bus, car or plane? Let us know in the comments section. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Heroin Dealer Convicted from 2009 South End Arrest
A habitual offender with 42 prior convictions was convicted once again this week on drug charges stemming from a 2009 drug arrest in the South End. Julio Medina, 54, was convincted of dealing heroin in a school zone to police officers in 2009. The drug evidence in the case had been tested by state drug lab chemist Annie Dookhan, who has been accused of mishandling evidence. Medina has 42 convictions including 11 for drug offenses, four for violent crimes, and three for weapon-related crimes, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley. He faces another trial April 22 for enhanced penalties as a habitual offender. “Given all the facts, anyone can see that the evidence in a drug case is never limited to merely the drugs,” Conley said. “There’s a sequence of events before and after the arrest. There’s a pattern of evidence surrounding the drugs, their packaging, and their distribution. The jury made the right call and they made it in record time – even without knowing this defendant’s long and egregious history.” More on the CrimePolice first linked up with Medina in July of 2009, when they used a phone number traced to him to set up a fake drug deal near a convenience store on the corner of Appleton and Berkeley streets. A short time later, Medina rode up on a bicycle and asked, “How many do you want?” the DA’s office said. According to the case, the officer explained that he wanted five bags for $ 100. Medina spat five plastic bags from his mouth into his hand and gave them to the officer. The officer in turn provided Medina with $ 100 in pre-recorded buy money and asked if he could call Medina in the future. Medina said that he could. Additional DCU officers moved in and arrested Medina after the sale. Medina removed an additional bag of heroin from his mouth and tried to discard it, but the officers recovered it. They also recovered the plainclothes officer’s buy money, additional cash, and Medina’s cell phone showing an incoming call from the plainclothes officer. Boston Police submitted the drugs to the Department of Public Health drug-testing facility in August 2009. Chemist Annie Dookhan certified the substance in all six bags as heroin. Medina defaulted at his 2010 trial date and was subsequently apprehended in late 2011. In June 2012, after learning of an earlier breach of protocol by Dookhan at the lab, prosecutors asked that the evidence in Medina’s case be re-tested. Once again, but this time by a different chemist, it was certified as heroin. “If the evidence doesn’t support a charge, we won’t pursue it,” […]
South End’s Cathedral: A ‘Good Sign’ New Pope is from Latin America
After a short conclave, cardinals at the Vatican announced Wednesday that Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected the new pope and would call himself Pope Francis. Parishoners at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End said they were a little sad – but also happy – that Boston Cardinal SeanO’Malley wasn’t selected. “They always say anyone that has press before the conclave will go in and come out a cardinal – it’s always that quiet one, the one that isn’t on the radar,” said Bob Travers Jr., a pastoral associate at the cathedral. Travers said that the South End church where Cardinal O’Malley is in residency would have lost their Cardinal, and possibly their Father Kevin J. O’Leary, too, to Rome, so the announcement is bittersweet. “Now, we’ve still got them both,” he said. Pope Francis 76, is the 266th pontiff of the Catholic Church. He’s not only the first to be called Francis, he’s also the first pope from South America, the first Jesuit, and the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years. Travers said he thinks it’s a good sign that someone from Latin America was chosen to lead the Catholic church. “The future of the church is in Latin America and Africa, and I think the Cardinals recognized that,” he said. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Share Your Snow Photos from Thursday Night’s Storm
Surprise! You went to bed Thursday night with a light dusting, and when you woke up, there’s several inches of snow standing between you and your commute. Show us what it looks like on your street. Please take your camera or cellphone, stick it out a window or doorway and take a photo or a video. Then upload it to this article. You can sign in with your Patch or your Facebook account. It’s easy, just click the “upload” button above and follow the directions. Be sure to include a caption for your photo that lets others know where the photo was taken. The more specific you are the better, but simply mentioning the street is fine too. Let’s have some fun with this and see what we can create together. Stay warm. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Will the South End Get Snow From this Storm?
Boston’s in for some wet weather Wednesday through Friday. This is a slow moving storm, which means a the light precipitation you see will eventually add up. For Boston, however, the local weather teams aren’t predicting very much snow. Instead, expect a lot of rain and maybe some heavy slushy snow in spots. While areas inland may get a half a foot of snow, Boston’s bigger concern is the three high tides during this storm. Flooding may become an issue along the immediate coast. Here are the latest forecasts from the local television news weather teams. All totals were updated Wednesday morning. WHDH (7 News): All rain WLVI (NewsCenter 5): 1-2 inches along the coast, six inches or more inland WBZ (CBS Local): 2-4 inches WFXT (MyFox Boston): 1-3 inches NECN: 1-3 inches South End Patch
Senate OKs $200M Withdrawal From Rainy-Day Fund to Offset Budget Gap
The state senate voted Tuesday to spend $ 200 million in rainy day cash to balance the budget and freeze the unemployment insurance rates businesses pay, according to The Republican. The bill is part of an effort to close a projected $ 515 million shortfall in this fiscal year’s $ 32 billion budget, causing by lower-than-expected tax revenue. The reserve fund money will also be used to help employers avoid a projected 28 percent increase in unemployment insurance – knocking that rise down to 4.4 percent. About $ 30 million of the $ 200 million withdrawal will be used to pay costs incurred in the state drug-lab scandal, The Republican reported. The spending would still leave Massachusetts with $ 1.2 billion in reserves, which is more than most other states have, according to the legislators. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 36-1. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch