July 14, 2025 • 41 mins
Residents of the heavily Italian American Nonantum neighborhood in Newton are still not satisfied over the Italian flag lane lines on Adams Street. Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller told Newton residents and listeners on NightSide that the lines were painted over yellow due to safety concerns but said the festival volunteers and residents are welcome to repaint the lines contiguous to the yellow lines before the start of the St. Mary of Carmen Society Festival that begins this week. For many residents, that isn’t good enough with more than 2,200 residents taking up a petition to bring back the originally placed Italian lines before the festival. Gina Fiandaca, former Secretary & CEO for MassDOT & former Commissioner of Transportation for the city of Boston, wrote an open letter calling on the city of Newton and the Newton Mayor to replace the lines in full, not as a side feature. Gina joined us to discuss!
*Mayor Ruthanne Fuller has not yet replied to our invitation to join in on the conversation again on NightSide*
*Mayor Ruthanne Fuller has not yet replied to our invitation to join in on the conversation again on NightSide*
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Foston's new Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well, I think that most of my listeners are familiar
with the story that we did on Monday, June thirtieth,
so that would actually be two weeks ago today. It
deals with the ninetieth annual Italian American Festival in No Nantum.
This is a part of Newton, one of the villages
(00:26):
in Newton. It starts on Wednesday, July sixteenth and runs
through Sunday. It's the ninetieth annual Italian American Festival in Nantum.
That is a section of Newton that has a high
proportion of people who whose forebears came here from Italy
(00:48):
back really in the nineteen thirties, as I understand it,
from one small village in Italy. This would have been
before World War Two. And they are very proud of
their name. And there's a controversy going on whereby the
City of Newton inexplicably decided to erase.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
A street marking.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Basically, the street was marked in the colors of Italy,
which are of red, white and green, and for ninety
years that street marking had been maintained by the residents
of No Nantum on Adams Street, which is the home
of the festival that begins on Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
And so this morning, when I was reading.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Harold, I noticed a very interesting article, a letter to
the editor, as a matter of fact, written by Gina Fiandaca,
former Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation,
former Commissioner of Transportation with the City of Boston, and
I called Gina. Gina does not live in Newton, but
(02:01):
she certainly is concerned about what is going on there
and wrote a very powerful letter. So, first of all,
Gene Fie and Doc will welcome to night'side. I'm surprised
this might be your first appearance on my program, despite
how many different jobs you have had, positions of authority
with the Minimaum administration, with the Walsh administration in Boston,
(02:21):
and with the with the Heally administration.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Welcome, thank you, Jan, It's great to be here.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So what prompted this letter? You are a Bostonian, no doubt,
and this is an issue, But you don't live in
Newton to the rest of my knowledge, and I don't
know if you've been to this festival before. I'm told
it's a fabulous week that celebrates what's formally called the
(02:52):
Saint Mary of Carmen Festival. You have, you know, sort
of taken a position here that I suspect many people
in going to be very supportive and appreciative of, and
there will be some probably in city Hall who will
not be very happy with with what you wrote. Tell
us why you decided to to jump out on front
(03:12):
of this issue.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Well, thank you, Dan, and it really is a pleasure
to be here and thank you for having this conversation.
You know, I am not a Newton resident, but I
am familiar with this area. But what really struck me
about this particular issue when I first read about what happened,
and then listening to your show a couple of weeks ago,
(03:38):
it just seemed that I could tell the neighborhood felt
that the erasure of these Italian flag colors felt as
if it felt to them as if it was an
erasure of their culture and their tradition. And it just
seems to me that, you know, it really didn't have
(03:58):
to be that way. You know, you understand that there's
a conversation around public safety and transportation. The transportation is
such a personal issue, as you know, someone who's been
in transportation for a long long time. I can tell
you that it's personal to people. When they step outside
their door, they see their streets and the street marketings
(04:21):
and their signs, and this particular issue is even more
personal to the people of Nonietem.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Well, the mayor.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
We invited the mayor to join us tonight, as she
did two weeks ago, and she chose we did not.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
We have not heard back from her.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Obviously, if for some reason she changes her mind, she's
welcome on any subsequent edition of Nightside. She released what's
called Mayor's Newton Update today and what she said what
was attributed to her, which is it's kind of interesting
in view of what she told me two weeks ago,
(05:06):
she writes, or it's attributed to her, so I don't
know if she wrote this, but it says, but she's
talking about this. She invites everyone to come to the
festival effectually known as Festa, which starts this Wednesday and
runs through Sunday, July twentieth, at Newton's Pellegrini Park on
(05:26):
Hawthorne Street, and she writes, before the city painted the
reflective yellow center lines, I assume meaning the City of
Newton gave permission to the festive volunteers to again this
year repent repaint the tricolors red, white, and green on
Adams Street prior to Festa. Just moved over by twelve
(05:50):
inches or eighteen inches next to the double the double
yellow center lines. A little confusing to me, but the
phrase just moved over by twelve inches or eighteen inches
next to the double yellow central lines would suggest that
the tricolor markings would have to be very separate. It's
(06:13):
not a particularly wide street as I understand it. Now,
this is what the mayor said to me on this
program two weeks ago. Rob, I'm going to have you
go to cut number twenty three. This is Mayor Fuller
on night side when we were talking about this and
talking about with this tricolor could be painted, and this
(06:38):
is cut twenty three.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Rob. I think it's very clear what she said.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
And what I said, which seems to be inconsistent what
is in this release today.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Go ahead, Rob, cut twenty three.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
We can do both at the same time. Where the
yellow center lines are down and the amazing fest of
volunteers every year repaint the try color the green, white
and red, and we've said you are welcome to repaint
again this year, just next to the yellow line. So
(07:11):
this could be a win win. We can do both
public safety and lift up.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Okay, So just so I understand that.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
So what you're saying is that it's up to the residence,
not the city, but up to the residence to paint
the tri color the red, white and green contiguous to
the yellow line, next to contiguous. Correct, So that is
(07:41):
different from what the I think that the mayor office
is saying today, which has to be very frustrating to
the people for whom this festival means so much. Gina,
your words had meaning, and the word contiguous to me
means right up against or am I a misunderstanding that word?
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Well, Dan, I think that you're correct, and you know
that's what was said. And again, your residents are not
traffic engineers, and they're going to want to restore it
to the state that it was, or as close to.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
The state that it was.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
And I think that they all took that to mean
that they could pant the Italian flag colors right up
against those lines. And again, I mean it's more about
what this means to the community and the erasure of
their cultural traditions and something that you know, it's a festival,
it's a celebratory events that's coming up, and you could
(08:48):
tell from your callers that they felt that this is,
you know, kind of put a damper on that.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Yeah. Yeah, And by the way, I followed up with
Mayor Fuller.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So I just want to play one mother SoundBite, which
is just thirty one seconds long. Why there's any confusion today,
two weeks later just boggles my mind. Gina, I'd like
you to respond to what you would interpret what she
had to say.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
This has got twenty three a rob Twenty three a's the.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
Saint Mary of Carmen Society volunteers since nineteen thirty five
have been painting those three green, white and red lines
down Adams Street and we welcome them to do it
again this year.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Okay, but again contiguous, I just because I was told
earlier today that the offer was it could be had
to be off to the side. So it's as I think.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
Next to next to the we need the yellow line,
no right next.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
To it next. I'm using the word contiguous.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
And by the way, my producer has just told me
that the Mayor's office late today said the Mayor would
not she would refuse to participate tonight or going forward. Gino,
what I'd like to do is you have expertise on
transportation issues that I don't have, and there might be
some callers who would like to plumb your mind and
(10:19):
not only better understand why you chose to take this
public position. You have served again in the administration of
Mayor Tominino in Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh, and also Governor
Healy here in Massachusetts. So you have stepped out and basically,
I think, in a maybe a more political way or
(10:43):
a more polite way than me, have told the Mayor
of Newton, Ruthian Fuller, that she's wrong on this wrong
in what she did. I was simply looking to get clarification,
and she seemed to me to be very willing to
have the lines repaid by volunteers, but they could be
repainted contiguous so that they don't have to be a
(11:06):
part by twelve or eighteen inches, as she seems to
suggest in this statement the least from her office.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Will you stay with us and take a few phone.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Calls, I'll be happy to DHI, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
My guess is Gene Fie and Daka, a long time
public official been in positions of authority with the CEO,
the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, former Commission of Transportation in
the City of Boston, so she understands what is needed here.
There's also all sorts of mindustanding is there's a meeting
(11:42):
tonight that took place at city Hall, and I hope
that in Newton, and I hope that some of those
who have been there will be able to tell us
if any progress was made. I just don't understand why
Mayor Fuller seems to have dug her feet in at
this point. She is a lame duck mayor, she's leaving
off office, and it just seems to be a fight
(12:03):
that she didn't have to pick. Six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty six one seven, nine three one, ten thirty.
We'll be back on Nightside right.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
After this.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm WBZY, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
As I think most of you know, I'm a fan
of clarity and just for clarity purposes, my producer sent
me a text ten fourteen, said Mayor Fuller jani our
request for tonight. She said she was not available this
evening and left it at that. Mayor Fuller is listening.
You're more than welcome to join us any evening of
your your choice on this as you did two weeks ago. Tonight,
(12:44):
my guest is Gina Fiandaca Uh talking about the no
Nantum Newton controversy. This is a big story in Newton.
In there it's I believe, Gina that there are implications
for this beyond the borders of Newton.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Agree or disagree.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
I do agree, Dan, I do. And you know, I
think you highlighted it on one of your previous shows,
and it's you know, it's an unfortunate, you know situation,
and you know a lot of times folks feel like
they have no voice and they can't fight city Hall
(13:21):
and that no one's listening to them. And you know,
I've worked in public service for decades under you know,
many administrations, from Mayor Menino to Mayor Walsh to Austin,
Texas back here in the Commonwealth for Governor Heally, and
it's universal that you know, you're asked, as you know,
(13:42):
staff for public officials that what problem are resolving and
who are we serving with everything? Really, and with this situation,
I'm looking at and saying, you know, what problem are
resolving and who are reserving, and I think we all
to be able to ask that question and we always
(14:02):
be able to get an answer.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
I think the question is what problem will we creating?
Speaker 2 (14:06):
And we serving here because it seems to me that
if there isn't it seems to me like the problem
is what has been done unilaterally.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Let's get to phone calls. Can you bring Francis up
for me, please? Rob. Francis is from Newton.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Francis your first this hour on a nice side with
g Doca, Gina Fiandoca Goright ahead.
Speaker 7 (14:27):
Francis, Hey, you can call me fran Gina. Thank you
very much. You are a breath of fresh air. And
you said it at the beginning of this call. You know,
we're not traffic experts, and what we seem to be
getting is this political razzle dazzle from city Hall, from
the traffic people, and we didn't understand the information they
(14:50):
were giving us. And you know, when I picked up
the Herald today and I read what you wrote, which
was the claim that these markings needed to be replaced
with yellow lines for safe the lax merit, I mean,
that is what everybody in no Nantum has been thinking,
and we just needed somebody in a position of authority
who knew traffic say that, So thank you very much
(15:11):
for that.
Speaker 8 (15:13):
You know, there's been this political razzle dazzle going on
with the numbers, and we just want to know, you know,
as a residence, you know, how do what steps do
we take if we think that the there's something not right.
Speaker 7 (15:28):
Here, Like we're scratching our head saying there's something not
right here.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So the problem for it is you're running out of time.
It was done a few weeks ago. It was done
under the cover of darkness. There were no police officers
out there to make sure that it went without incident.
It happened to be a very hot night where a
lot of people had their windows open just to get
a wisp of fresh air. What they got was, you know,
(15:54):
a wisp of a road being basically torn up and
the marketings and again it happened. Why not wait, if
you're going to do it, wait until after the festival
and then figure out what the problem is. You have
a year to figure it out. Yes, Gin, without trying
(16:14):
to get into the politics of it. I mean, I've
just raised a few issues. So done on the cover
of darkness on the Thursday night, No one was notified
and ither for.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Confirm what I'm saying here. Those are all sort.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Of of of an operation that was done intentionally at
a time which would which would would which would accomplish
some purpose. But I still don't understand the purpose. Can
you Can you give me some insight on that, as
someone who probably made decisions like this in your carea.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Got to do things under the cover of darkness, but to.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Deal with the community, maybe with a community that wasn't
particularly happy with what you were proposing.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Well, and to address the issue of you know, how
this was done and was it done under the cloak
of darkness? You know, I can't really speak to how
the decisions were made in Newton. I can only tell you,
you know, what I've done in other jurisdictions. And you know,
the last thing you do want is for your community
(17:21):
to be surprised. And it was clear from you know,
the call last time with Isabella that you know, when
this equipments rolled in after dark, they it felt like
they were under siege and no one knew what was happening.
But I will say, you know, to to friend and
thank you for calling.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
The silver lining to all of this is that this
community is is strong, and your your strength is evidenced
by the way that you've mobilized around this, and you've
amplified an important issue, that your cultural heritage is so
important to you, and you know, at the end of
the day, you know you may be left with a
(18:02):
better result with your fire hydrants painted and your crosswalks painted.
And everyone now knows about this festival. So if there
is a silver lining, it's a credit to the advocacy
of the community and to you Dan for keeping this
issue in the forefront.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
My pleasure, Gina, hold on, we got other calls. We
got to take a news break. Friend, again, I appreciate
your involvement in this. There was I was told there
was some sort of a meeting at city Hall tonight. Uh,
if friend is still there, Friend, ye do you was
there any Was there a meeting?
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Number one? And if so, was there any progress made?
Speaker 7 (18:44):
As far as you know, So there was a meeting.
So there was a meeting earlier in the week with
the festival organizes.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
This is Monday.
Speaker 7 (18:53):
I don't know how much earlier it was over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (18:58):
I mean she literally had the police there in her
office with her saying that if anyone touches the lines,
they're going to be arrested. So the festival, Yeah, the
festival people said.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
That's what happened to the contiguous commitment.
Speaker 7 (19:12):
Oh no, that's that's behind closed doors, that's out the window.
And the festival people who they had their permit threatened,
so they're focusing on the festival now. And so the
residents just said, what is going on here? What? Why
is this like this? Why aren't we your community together?
So the people who aren't organizing the festivals who live
(19:34):
in the community called for a meeting with the city
council and about one hundred people shut up tonight, the
city with so many that they have it inside the building.
So the city council came out onto the steps, and
to their credit, they all said that they've tried talking
sentence to the mayor and they you know, phone calls
and emails and just talked to her and every single
(19:55):
one of them wants to see the lines be restored,
and she's just being stubborn and she's not going to
do it. So that's how that meeting ended tonight. We
thanked the city council for having that support, but we
wish there was a pathway forward for us.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Okay, well, there's still a couple of days between now
and the beginning of the festival.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Friend, thank you very much for your time tonight.
Speaker 7 (20:17):
Thank you, thank you, and Gina, thank you again for
speaking up. It meant a lot to our community.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Thank you, Fran.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Gina.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
We'll take a quick break here at the bottom of
the hour. We got to do a newscast. We're a
couple of minutes late, but that's okay, and we'll get
to phone calls. The only lines that are open right
now if you want to get through a six one seven.
We'll be back on Night's side. Talking about a fight
that involves principal and the mayor apparently is not likely
(20:51):
to be moved before the festival. And the word contiguous
has the definition. I wish that either she didn't understand
the word, or maybe she misheard the word, but I
thought it was pretty clear that she understood what contiguous meant.
We'll be back on the night side after this.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on w BZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Back to the calls we go. My guest is Gina Fiandaca.
Gina is a characterizer as her transportation expert, and I
think that is probably an understatement because of all of
her experience and working in the Menino administration and the
Walsh administration and the Healthy administration on all of these issues,
(21:40):
and also in Austin, Texas. What Gina, what were you
doing in Austin? You were down there in the capacity
of what we would call a city.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Yes, jan I was the assistant city manager in Austin, Texas,
and I was responsible for the mobility and infrastructure departments
and the airport, the water, utility, transportation, public works, capital delivery,
and it was a council manager form of governance. But
(22:13):
you know, we had great leaders down there and it
was a wonderful experience to help move that city forward.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Well, I certainly think that your qualifications are repeccable to
talk about this and let's get back to the cars.
Let me go to Jackie Jack, thank you for your patience.
You're excellent and nice side with Gina and Doca.
Speaker 9 (22:36):
Hi Jack Porter, Hi's Cian Doca and welcome back. Then
let me get a little bit of history of this,
because I go way back to the lake just started
with Mayor Teddy Mann and the mayor, the informal mayor
of the lake, Fat Peligrini mayor mayor was against putting
into spry color, but with a lot of pressure from
(22:57):
fat Pellegrini, it was put in. So this issue goes
way back. The other thing is is that cousin mayor
is totally out of touch with what's going on. It's
what she says is, you know, very confusing. She says
today on the media on television that this was mandated Missiandaca,
because it's a state road. It's mandated. That's the words
(23:18):
she used to put those yellow lines in. But then
she says, you could put the try color next to it. Well,
you know, the citizens of Nantum can't do that. I
mean you need professionals to put those tri colors. And
so the whole thing is very confusing, and maybe that's
why she's not running again because she's kind of lost touch.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Well again, the.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Word contiguous, Jack, you you've taught colleges. You know what
the word contiguous means. It means up against next to Yeah,
you could do the dictionary and read you the formal dictionary.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
It's pretty clear that she understood what that word meant.
And that doesn't seem to be what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
So I'm frustrated and I would have loved again tonight.
Speaker 9 (24:01):
So Brown says that she's she's against doing it or
something or it's very confusing what came out of the meeting.
I guess, I mean I wasn't there. But so we've
got a lot of mixed signals here.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
You've got a gena want to quick comment in Jack's comments,
but I got a pact full aligned here.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I want to get to.
Speaker 9 (24:17):
As many I'll get off and so other people can talk.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Well, Jack, thank you very much, as always your great
and I appreciate it. Thank you, Jui, You're comment what
Jack had to say.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Sure, so thank you Dan. You know, I think that
you know, Jack's comments really speak to the confusion around
this issue. People are confused about why it was done.
People are confused about what they can't can and cannot
do now, and the festival is getting closer, and there's
a lot of anxiety about, you know, how do we
(24:48):
get this right and how do we continue to honor
the cultural traditions and the cultural heritage that this festival means,
and and hardly do it and in conformance with you
know what are what the guidelines that are coming out
of city hall.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
It also for city that has projected itself as a
welcoming city. I know what the word welcome means. If
I were a Nu Nantum resident, I would not feel
particularly welcomed in my own city as a result of this. Again,
we've we've had all the controversies about what a sanctuary
city means or whatever. That's not we're talking about. It's
(25:28):
sort of a welcoming city that which is fine. But
but why is this I think if this is anything
but welcoming, let me put it like that. Let me
go next to jim and Newton. Jimmy, you were next
on Nightside with Genefie and doctor Garret.
Speaker 10 (25:43):
Ahead Jimmy, Hi, Dan, thank you so much for doing
this tonight, and Gina thank you as well. So very
short story about No Nantum. My great grandfather bought a
house there for family house right at the turn of
the century from Italy and married my great grandmother shortly after,
and for years and years they just took in family
(26:04):
members for very cheap rent to help them out as
they were beginning out their lives. And this day he
got older and passed away. Their daughter took over and
did the exact same thing, and now my cousin their
daughter is doing the exact same thing for her family
and friends. And it's called pride. That's what we have,
is real pride. And this whole thing is just completely
(26:25):
crazy to me. And if she wants to do this
line's adjacent to the other lines, isn't that going to
make the lanes more confusing and make them narrow and
make people smash them to the cars or ruin the
bike lanes or whatever. It's just very confusing, it seems
like to everyone. But she's trying to erase the pride
of Newton and all our relatives. So that's all I have. Dan,
(26:47):
thank you so much with what you're doing. Thank you, Gina,
very much.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Welcome. Thanks Jim. I appreciate your call.
Speaker 11 (26:52):
Thank you, Jimmy.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Okay, I said it.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Well, let me go to Brian and we'll move along here. Brian,
you're next time, Nightsiger.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Right ahead.
Speaker 12 (27:00):
Yes, Good evening, Dan, and good evening, Gina. I want
to thank you Gina for your support. I'm going to
throw all figures and then I'm going to get off
because I know you've got a lot of callers in
the man's email that she sent me.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Today, Brian, before you do that, if you'd be so kind.
Are you on a speakerphone?
Speaker 12 (27:18):
No, but we can turn my radio down real quick.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Well that'll be a very good thing. That's I know.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Rock tell's everyone to do that, and it's it's what
people don't realize is there's a ten second delay and they.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Can be very noisy, and that's much better. Go ahead, Brian, take.
Speaker 12 (27:36):
You the man's email today. By the way, I'm lifelong
resident and non antum. The man's email today said that
a travel way of twenty feet or more is required
to double solid yellow lines. Adams Street is thirty three
feet wide. Now I don't understand that, honest. That is
(28:00):
thirty three feet wide with talking on both sides, the
travel way would typically be considered around seventeen feet, which
is under the twenty feet. And also when she did
the adt the average traffic volume. It goes Tuesday, October
(28:21):
thirty first till Friday November third. Now we are heavily Italian.
There's a church right at the end of the street.
November one and November two, All Saints Day, All Soulsday,
there was three or four services of devotion at the
church right at the top of Adams Street. How convenient
(28:44):
to pick those dates where there was four services for
devotion in the church and the church was packed.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Well, it also shows that this is planned for some time.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
You're talking about well eight or nine months ago a minimum,
this was underway.
Speaker 12 (29:04):
Yes, but these go back to twenty twenty three the
traffic study.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Oh I thought they were twenty twenty four.
Speaker 12 (29:10):
So now let.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Me get We'll got a reaction from Tina as a
as a transportational professional.
Speaker 12 (29:20):
We're all missed.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
It seems to be like.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
A fairly selective sample size.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
If they're not mistaken.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Well, Dan, I think it again. It goes to you know,
your your process, and it's perfectly legitimate for your community
to want to know, you know, what spurred this traffic
study and to be able to you know, review the
numbers and the data with some transparency and to explain
(29:52):
it to them before you make some of these changes
to the streets. These streets belong to the community, and
if these changes are really warranted by you know, spread
by safety concerns, I think that the community deserves an
explanation on that.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Well, we're not going to hold that breath.
Speaker 12 (30:16):
Brian, Can I just can I just ask one quick question?
Go ahead, larification on that twenty feet where Adam Street
is thirty three feet? Is that correct? Am I reading
that correct? That on a street that is thirty three
feet wide with parking on both sides, the travel way
would be seventeen feet.
Speaker 6 (30:37):
No, it is.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
The street is measured curb to curb, so it does
not subtract for the parking that's curb to curb.
Speaker 12 (30:48):
Yeah, and again I'm reading here because I'm not a question. Yes,
I will let you go.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
No, Brian, just listen to me for a second, if
you would.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
I think when you get into the weeds here, in
terms of the width of the street and whether or
not it's single parking or parking on both sides, and
the average width of a car is five feet or whatever,
or five and a half feet or whatever, I think
that works to the advantage of the mayor because it
adds to confusion.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
The question is these street markings have been there for
a long time.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
To take them out under the cover of darkness a
couple of weeks before this festival, it seems to me
to be selective and almost punitive for what a purpose.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
I have no idea. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
If that's a sort a section of the city that
has not been kind to the mayor electorally, I don't know.
It just seems to me to be a real tempest
in a teapot, which is unnecessary. If this was something
they were trying to do on their own for the
first time, I could see where she might tie him
(32:02):
up and say we need to talk about this after
the festival. But the reverse seems and I think Gina
has made the point that it just seems to be
a slap in the face of the community. Brian, appreciate you, Carl.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
Thank you much. We got to take a break.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Thank you, sir. I got to take a break. I
have I have Janet, I have Paul and Susan. I
want to get to all of them. Brian had most time.
No one else will have as much, but I'll give
you adequate time back on Nightside with my guests. Gina Fiandaca,
who has a storied career in the transportation industry and
in public service, having worked in the Menino, the Walsh
(32:39):
and the Healy administration on transportation issues. Her letter to
the editor in Today's Boston Herald should be read by
everyone who has an interest in this. This this contract top.
We'll be back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w B Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Okay, we're gonna get everybody. Let me go to Paul
and Boston. Paul, you next night. I go right ahead.
You're on with Genapeean dot com.
Speaker 11 (33:10):
Have me on and Old Gina. Now I have a
quick comment and then a question.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Got to be really quick.
Speaker 4 (33:19):
I'll be quick.
Speaker 11 (33:20):
At a time when we seem to be elevating every
ethnic group, it's troubling to say the least that it
seems like it's okay to erase the heritage of the
proud Italian Americans. So that's a comment, and I think
that's troubling. Secondly, I want to say I had read
in the paper that the may had said something about
(33:40):
this being a safety issue. So how this can be
a safety issue when now she's suggesting that the people
in Newton need to go out and paint the street themselves.
So I'd like to have a comment on that, OKA say.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
That I understand the inc assistency. I think that's your
that's your point Gina.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Go right ahead.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
Okay, thank you for the call, Paul. And uh, you know,
I did see the comments that this was a safety issue,
and I think that, you know, our last caller, Brian
kind of touched on that with his concerns with some
of the data that was presented. And but it's more
about the you know, listening to the community and having
(34:27):
a conversation with them about safety in their own neighborhoods
and you know, bringing them along when you are making
safety changes or you're proposing them. You know, how does
it how does our community want their streets designed so
that they are safe? And I think that was you know,
probably the produx of the comments from Brian as well.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
All right, Paul, I appreciate your call on trying to
get everybody in here.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Thank you so much. Let me go next to Susan
and Newton. Susan have room for you in one more
go a.
Speaker 13 (35:01):
Hi, how are you?
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Hi?
Speaker 13 (35:03):
How are you? Thank you Dan and Gina so much.
I'm just gonna piggyback on what everybody else has said
about the data and us feeling so cheated.
Speaker 6 (35:15):
However, I think there's.
Speaker 13 (35:17):
More going on here. I think this is I think
Dan you had it right. I think this is a
political shot to this to our part of Newton because
we did not support her. She didn't get the votes
for us. And now after eight years, eight years, she's
been on Maya and all of a sudden, this is
(35:38):
a safety issue, she's threatening permits. I think something deeper
is going on. I think I think that she has
been threatened by another cultural cultural people that all of
a sudden she's feeling like she has to make some
(36:00):
some tough decisions.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
And yeah, there's no there's no evidence.
Speaker 13 (36:05):
You feel offended, and I feel like it's seeing it's
racist on the Italian.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I don't know if Susan can hear me or not,
but Susan, you labeled that as speculation, and I think
it is speculation.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
There's no suggestion.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
So I'm going to let that comment stand on its own.
But I just I'm not sure that there's any anything
to support that at this point. And we'll see what happens.
Thank you, Susan. I appreciate your call. Thanks for I assumed,
Thank you, You're very welcome. I assume, Gina, there's no
comment that you want to make on that.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
No, Dan, thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
There we go let me go to Janet, and Janet,
you're gonna wrap it up first, go right ahead.
Speaker 12 (36:43):
Hi Dan, Hi Gina.
Speaker 6 (36:45):
Thanks so much for your feedback, Gina, I was really
appreciated everybody in the community in Nonantum really difference. I
have a question is that there was actually no leaf
that were there the night that they painted the yellow
lines that Thursday night in June. But now there's a
(37:08):
police But now the police are patrolling the street every
thirty minutes to make sure nobody does anything, and it
just doesn't seem it seems very strange. It's questionable, to
say the least. I mean, I'm very concerned about that.
The other thing that I thought to be concerning, and
I don't really want to get into the weeds about
(37:29):
the numbers because I'm not an expert on traffic by
any means other than I've sat in plenty of it
in my years on the road in sales and just
driving around Newton's. But the other thing is that the
she's claiming that there was six thousand and two, which
is too over the threshold. I don't that seemed like
(37:52):
very the line is so fine there for using that
as a excuse for painting painting over the traditional uh,
red green white line.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
I guess what.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
I guess what that proves, Janet, is that close can
count in hand grenades, horseshoes and now car counting on
Adams Street.
Speaker 6 (38:18):
That's very well, Dan Gina, I just I guess the
question to you, Gene is, well, you see a traffic
study that's only two over the threshold. Don't you think
you would do another study before you took action on it?
What does that make sense? Or from as from a professional.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Mess Yes, yes, Janet, it it does, especially you know
something like this that's really sensitive to the community. And
thank you so much for your calling and Susan for
her comments too. You know, if there's one thing that
the community can take away from this is that you know,
you've unified around in an issue that is just so
(39:01):
important to you. And uh, you know, sometimes in a
situation like that, when you know your your call to
rally and it brings people together even you know, in
even a more a stronger way to promote your culture
and your heritage. And you've got a great celebration coming up,
and I've no doubt that you know, the the end
(39:22):
result may even be better.
Speaker 11 (39:25):
But it's a credit, Janet.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
We have we have we uh we are contiguous to
the newscast, so I got to let you go.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Jennet. Thank you, uh Gena again I'll use that we
are contiguous.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Thanks for your for your your time tonight, and thank
you for what you do today.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Thank you. I think you made a lot.
Speaker 11 (39:42):
Of friend Thank you again.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
Thanks so much. Pleasing and doctor I enjoyed the hour.
We come back. We may stay with this. We'll be
back on night side after.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
The eleven w Boston, w x K, s F M
h D two Bedford and iHeartRadio station. This is WBZ,
Boston's news radio. We defining local.
Speaker 14 (40:09):
News seventy seven degrees in Boston at eleven o'clock. Good evening.
I'm Dan Watkins. Here's what's happening. A firefighters union is
calling out the city of Fall River following a devastating
fire at an assisted living facility last night. Wbz's Brooke
McCarthy reports.
Speaker 15 (40:30):
Devastation in fall River after nine people died in a
fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility, and now
the International Association of Firefighters says some of those desks
could have been prevented.
Speaker 7 (40:42):
Yeah, We're devastated by the loss of nine citizens of
Fall River who, quite frankly, some of whom should be
alive today.
Speaker 15 (40:50):
That's Union President Edward Kelly. He says eight of the
city's ten fire companies were not fully staffed.
Speaker 7 (40:56):
That's the fire companies of Fall River at the full
standard of four firefighters per company, and in doing so,
we'll protect this city adequately.
Speaker 15 (41:04):
Kelly says, if the city had followed this recommendation, eight
more firefighters would have been available during the initial response,
which would have meant more manpower to rescue people and
better fire suppression. Brooke McCarthy WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 14 (41:18):
Paul River Mayor Paul Coogan told the ABC News that
the fire depart
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Foston's new Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well, I think that most of my listeners are familiar
with the story that we did on Monday, June thirtieth,
so that would actually be two weeks ago today. It
deals with the ninetieth annual Italian American Festival in No Nantum.
This is a part of Newton, one of the villages
(00:26):
in Newton. It starts on Wednesday, July sixteenth and runs
through Sunday. It's the ninetieth annual Italian American Festival in Nantum.
That is a section of Newton that has a high
proportion of people who whose forebears came here from Italy
(00:48):
back really in the nineteen thirties, as I understand it,
from one small village in Italy. This would have been
before World War Two. And they are very proud of
their name. And there's a controversy going on whereby the
City of Newton inexplicably decided to erase.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
A street marking.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Basically, the street was marked in the colors of Italy,
which are of red, white and green, and for ninety
years that street marking had been maintained by the residents
of No Nantum on Adams Street, which is the home
of the festival that begins on Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
And so this morning, when I was reading.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Harold, I noticed a very interesting article, a letter to
the editor, as a matter of fact, written by Gina Fiandaca,
former Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation,
former Commissioner of Transportation with the City of Boston, and
I called Gina. Gina does not live in Newton, but
(02:01):
she certainly is concerned about what is going on there
and wrote a very powerful letter. So, first of all,
Gene Fie and Doc will welcome to night'side. I'm surprised
this might be your first appearance on my program, despite
how many different jobs you have had, positions of authority
with the Minimaum administration, with the Walsh administration in Boston,
(02:21):
and with the with the Heally administration.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Welcome, thank you, Jan, It's great to be here.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So what prompted this letter? You are a Bostonian, no doubt,
and this is an issue, But you don't live in
Newton to the rest of my knowledge, and I don't
know if you've been to this festival before. I'm told
it's a fabulous week that celebrates what's formally called the
(02:52):
Saint Mary of Carmen Festival. You have, you know, sort
of taken a position here that I suspect many people
in going to be very supportive and appreciative of, and
there will be some probably in city Hall who will
not be very happy with with what you wrote. Tell
us why you decided to to jump out on front
(03:12):
of this issue.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Well, thank you, Dan, and it really is a pleasure
to be here and thank you for having this conversation.
You know, I am not a Newton resident, but I
am familiar with this area. But what really struck me
about this particular issue when I first read about what happened,
and then listening to your show a couple of weeks ago,
(03:38):
it just seemed that I could tell the neighborhood felt
that the erasure of these Italian flag colors felt as
if it felt to them as if it was an
erasure of their culture and their tradition. And it just
seems to me that, you know, it really didn't have
(03:58):
to be that way. You know, you understand that there's
a conversation around public safety and transportation. The transportation is
such a personal issue, as you know, someone who's been
in transportation for a long long time. I can tell
you that it's personal to people. When they step outside
their door, they see their streets and the street marketings
(04:21):
and their signs, and this particular issue is even more
personal to the people of Nonietem.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Well, the mayor.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
We invited the mayor to join us tonight, as she
did two weeks ago, and she chose we did not.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
We have not heard back from her.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Obviously, if for some reason she changes her mind, she's
welcome on any subsequent edition of Nightside. She released what's
called Mayor's Newton Update today and what she said what
was attributed to her, which is it's kind of interesting
in view of what she told me two weeks ago,
(05:06):
she writes, or it's attributed to her, so I don't
know if she wrote this, but it says, but she's
talking about this. She invites everyone to come to the
festival effectually known as Festa, which starts this Wednesday and
runs through Sunday, July twentieth, at Newton's Pellegrini Park on
(05:26):
Hawthorne Street, and she writes, before the city painted the
reflective yellow center lines, I assume meaning the City of
Newton gave permission to the festive volunteers to again this
year repent repaint the tricolors red, white, and green on
Adams Street prior to Festa. Just moved over by twelve
(05:50):
inches or eighteen inches next to the double the double
yellow center lines. A little confusing to me, but the
phrase just moved over by twelve inches or eighteen inches
next to the double yellow central lines would suggest that
the tricolor markings would have to be very separate. It's
(06:13):
not a particularly wide street as I understand it. Now,
this is what the mayor said to me on this
program two weeks ago. Rob, I'm going to have you
go to cut number twenty three. This is Mayor Fuller
on night side when we were talking about this and
talking about with this tricolor could be painted, and this
(06:38):
is cut twenty three.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Rob. I think it's very clear what she said.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
And what I said, which seems to be inconsistent what
is in this release today.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Go ahead, Rob, cut twenty three.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
We can do both at the same time. Where the
yellow center lines are down and the amazing fest of
volunteers every year repaint the try color the green, white
and red, and we've said you are welcome to repaint
again this year, just next to the yellow line. So
(07:11):
this could be a win win. We can do both
public safety and lift up.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Okay, So just so I understand that.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
So what you're saying is that it's up to the residence,
not the city, but up to the residence to paint
the tri color the red, white and green contiguous to
the yellow line, next to contiguous. Correct, So that is
(07:41):
different from what the I think that the mayor office
is saying today, which has to be very frustrating to
the people for whom this festival means so much. Gina,
your words had meaning, and the word contiguous to me
means right up against or am I a misunderstanding that word?
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Well, Dan, I think that you're correct, and you know
that's what was said. And again, your residents are not
traffic engineers, and they're going to want to restore it
to the state that it was, or as close to.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
The state that it was.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
And I think that they all took that to mean
that they could pant the Italian flag colors right up
against those lines. And again, I mean it's more about
what this means to the community and the erasure of
their cultural traditions and something that you know, it's a festival,
it's a celebratory events that's coming up, and you could
(08:48):
tell from your callers that they felt that this is,
you know, kind of put a damper on that.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Yeah. Yeah, And by the way, I followed up with
Mayor Fuller.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So I just want to play one mother SoundBite, which
is just thirty one seconds long. Why there's any confusion today,
two weeks later just boggles my mind. Gina, I'd like
you to respond to what you would interpret what she
had to say.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
This has got twenty three a rob Twenty three a's the.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
Saint Mary of Carmen Society volunteers since nineteen thirty five
have been painting those three green, white and red lines
down Adams Street and we welcome them to do it
again this year.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Okay, but again contiguous, I just because I was told
earlier today that the offer was it could be had
to be off to the side. So it's as I think.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
Next to next to the we need the yellow line,
no right next.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
To it next. I'm using the word contiguous.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
And by the way, my producer has just told me
that the Mayor's office late today said the Mayor would
not she would refuse to participate tonight or going forward. Gino,
what I'd like to do is you have expertise on
transportation issues that I don't have, and there might be
some callers who would like to plumb your mind and
(10:19):
not only better understand why you chose to take this
public position. You have served again in the administration of
Mayor Tominino in Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh, and also Governor
Healy here in Massachusetts. So you have stepped out and basically,
I think, in a maybe a more political way or
(10:43):
a more polite way than me, have told the Mayor
of Newton, Ruthian Fuller, that she's wrong on this wrong
in what she did. I was simply looking to get clarification,
and she seemed to me to be very willing to
have the lines repaid by volunteers, but they could be
repainted contiguous so that they don't have to be a
(11:06):
part by twelve or eighteen inches, as she seems to
suggest in this statement the least from her office.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Will you stay with us and take a few phone.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Calls, I'll be happy to DHI, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
My guess is Gene Fie and Daka, a long time
public official been in positions of authority with the CEO,
the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, former Commission of Transportation in
the City of Boston, so she understands what is needed here.
There's also all sorts of mindustanding is there's a meeting
(11:42):
tonight that took place at city Hall, and I hope
that in Newton, and I hope that some of those
who have been there will be able to tell us
if any progress was made. I just don't understand why
Mayor Fuller seems to have dug her feet in at
this point. She is a lame duck mayor, she's leaving
off office, and it just seems to be a fight
(12:03):
that she didn't have to pick. Six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty six one seven, nine three one, ten thirty.
We'll be back on Nightside right.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
After this.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm WBZY, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
As I think most of you know, I'm a fan
of clarity and just for clarity purposes, my producer sent
me a text ten fourteen, said Mayor Fuller jani our
request for tonight. She said she was not available this
evening and left it at that. Mayor Fuller is listening.
You're more than welcome to join us any evening of
your your choice on this as you did two weeks ago. Tonight,
(12:44):
my guest is Gina Fiandaca Uh talking about the no
Nantum Newton controversy. This is a big story in Newton.
In there it's I believe, Gina that there are implications
for this beyond the borders of Newton.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Agree or disagree.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
I do agree, Dan, I do. And you know, I
think you highlighted it on one of your previous shows,
and it's you know, it's an unfortunate, you know situation,
and you know a lot of times folks feel like
they have no voice and they can't fight city Hall
(13:21):
and that no one's listening to them. And you know,
I've worked in public service for decades under you know,
many administrations, from Mayor Menino to Mayor Walsh to Austin,
Texas back here in the Commonwealth for Governor Heally, and
it's universal that you know, you're asked, as you know,
(13:42):
staff for public officials that what problem are resolving and
who are we serving with everything? Really, and with this situation,
I'm looking at and saying, you know, what problem are
resolving and who are reserving, and I think we all
to be able to ask that question and we always
(14:02):
be able to get an answer.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
I think the question is what problem will we creating?
Speaker 2 (14:06):
And we serving here because it seems to me that
if there isn't it seems to me like the problem
is what has been done unilaterally.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Let's get to phone calls. Can you bring Francis up
for me, please? Rob. Francis is from Newton.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Francis your first this hour on a nice side with
g Doca, Gina Fiandoca Goright ahead.
Speaker 7 (14:27):
Francis, Hey, you can call me fran Gina. Thank you
very much. You are a breath of fresh air. And
you said it at the beginning of this call. You know,
we're not traffic experts, and what we seem to be
getting is this political razzle dazzle from city Hall, from
the traffic people, and we didn't understand the information they
(14:50):
were giving us. And you know, when I picked up
the Herald today and I read what you wrote, which
was the claim that these markings needed to be replaced
with yellow lines for safe the lax merit, I mean,
that is what everybody in no Nantum has been thinking,
and we just needed somebody in a position of authority
who knew traffic say that, So thank you very much
(15:11):
for that.
Speaker 8 (15:13):
You know, there's been this political razzle dazzle going on
with the numbers, and we just want to know, you know,
as a residence, you know, how do what steps do
we take if we think that the there's something not right.
Speaker 7 (15:28):
Here, Like we're scratching our head saying there's something not
right here.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So the problem for it is you're running out of time.
It was done a few weeks ago. It was done
under the cover of darkness. There were no police officers
out there to make sure that it went without incident.
It happened to be a very hot night where a
lot of people had their windows open just to get
a wisp of fresh air. What they got was, you know,
(15:54):
a wisp of a road being basically torn up and
the marketings and again it happened. Why not wait, if
you're going to do it, wait until after the festival
and then figure out what the problem is. You have
a year to figure it out. Yes, Gin, without trying
(16:14):
to get into the politics of it. I mean, I've
just raised a few issues. So done on the cover
of darkness on the Thursday night, No one was notified
and ither for.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Confirm what I'm saying here. Those are all sort.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Of of of an operation that was done intentionally at
a time which would which would would which would accomplish
some purpose. But I still don't understand the purpose. Can
you Can you give me some insight on that, as
someone who probably made decisions like this in your carea.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Got to do things under the cover of darkness, but to.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Deal with the community, maybe with a community that wasn't
particularly happy with what you were proposing.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Well, and to address the issue of you know, how
this was done and was it done under the cloak
of darkness? You know, I can't really speak to how
the decisions were made in Newton. I can only tell you,
you know, what I've done in other jurisdictions. And you know,
the last thing you do want is for your community
(17:21):
to be surprised. And it was clear from you know,
the call last time with Isabella that you know, when
this equipments rolled in after dark, they it felt like
they were under siege and no one knew what was happening.
But I will say, you know, to to friend and
thank you for calling.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
The silver lining to all of this is that this
community is is strong, and your your strength is evidenced
by the way that you've mobilized around this, and you've
amplified an important issue, that your cultural heritage is so
important to you, and you know, at the end of
the day, you know you may be left with a
(18:02):
better result with your fire hydrants painted and your crosswalks painted.
And everyone now knows about this festival. So if there
is a silver lining, it's a credit to the advocacy
of the community and to you Dan for keeping this
issue in the forefront.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
My pleasure, Gina, hold on, we got other calls. We
got to take a news break. Friend, again, I appreciate
your involvement in this. There was I was told there
was some sort of a meeting at city Hall tonight. Uh,
if friend is still there, Friend, ye do you was
there any Was there a meeting?
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Number one? And if so, was there any progress made?
Speaker 7 (18:44):
As far as you know, So there was a meeting.
So there was a meeting earlier in the week with
the festival organizes.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
This is Monday.
Speaker 7 (18:53):
I don't know how much earlier it was over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (18:58):
I mean she literally had the police there in her
office with her saying that if anyone touches the lines,
they're going to be arrested. So the festival, Yeah, the
festival people said.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
That's what happened to the contiguous commitment.
Speaker 7 (19:12):
Oh no, that's that's behind closed doors, that's out the window.
And the festival people who they had their permit threatened,
so they're focusing on the festival now. And so the
residents just said, what is going on here? What? Why
is this like this? Why aren't we your community together?
So the people who aren't organizing the festivals who live
(19:34):
in the community called for a meeting with the city
council and about one hundred people shut up tonight, the
city with so many that they have it inside the building.
So the city council came out onto the steps, and
to their credit, they all said that they've tried talking
sentence to the mayor and they you know, phone calls
and emails and just talked to her and every single
(19:55):
one of them wants to see the lines be restored,
and she's just being stubborn and she's not going to
do it. So that's how that meeting ended tonight. We
thanked the city council for having that support, but we
wish there was a pathway forward for us.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Okay, well, there's still a couple of days between now
and the beginning of the festival.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Friend, thank you very much for your time tonight.
Speaker 7 (20:17):
Thank you, thank you, and Gina, thank you again for
speaking up. It meant a lot to our community.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Thank you, Fran.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Gina.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
We'll take a quick break here at the bottom of
the hour. We got to do a newscast. We're a
couple of minutes late, but that's okay, and we'll get
to phone calls. The only lines that are open right
now if you want to get through a six one seven.
We'll be back on Night's side. Talking about a fight
that involves principal and the mayor apparently is not likely
(20:51):
to be moved before the festival. And the word contiguous
has the definition. I wish that either she didn't understand
the word, or maybe she misheard the word, but I
thought it was pretty clear that she understood what contiguous meant.
We'll be back on the night side after this.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on w BZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Back to the calls we go. My guest is Gina Fiandaca.
Gina is a characterizer as her transportation expert, and I
think that is probably an understatement because of all of
her experience and working in the Menino administration and the
Walsh administration and the Healthy administration on all of these issues,
(21:40):
and also in Austin, Texas. What Gina, what were you
doing in Austin? You were down there in the capacity
of what we would call a city.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Yes, jan I was the assistant city manager in Austin, Texas,
and I was responsible for the mobility and infrastructure departments
and the airport, the water, utility, transportation, public works, capital delivery,
and it was a council manager form of governance. But
(22:13):
you know, we had great leaders down there and it
was a wonderful experience to help move that city forward.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Well, I certainly think that your qualifications are repeccable to
talk about this and let's get back to the cars.
Let me go to Jackie Jack, thank you for your patience.
You're excellent and nice side with Gina and Doca.
Speaker 9 (22:36):
Hi Jack Porter, Hi's Cian Doca and welcome back. Then
let me get a little bit of history of this,
because I go way back to the lake just started
with Mayor Teddy Mann and the mayor, the informal mayor
of the lake, Fat Peligrini mayor mayor was against putting
into spry color, but with a lot of pressure from
(22:57):
fat Pellegrini, it was put in. So this issue goes
way back. The other thing is is that cousin mayor
is totally out of touch with what's going on. It's
what she says is, you know, very confusing. She says
today on the media on television that this was mandated Missiandaca,
because it's a state road. It's mandated. That's the words
(23:18):
she used to put those yellow lines in. But then
she says, you could put the try color next to it. Well,
you know, the citizens of Nantum can't do that. I
mean you need professionals to put those tri colors. And
so the whole thing is very confusing, and maybe that's
why she's not running again because she's kind of lost touch.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Well again, the.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Word contiguous, Jack, you you've taught colleges. You know what
the word contiguous means. It means up against next to Yeah,
you could do the dictionary and read you the formal dictionary.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
It's pretty clear that she understood what that word meant.
And that doesn't seem to be what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
So I'm frustrated and I would have loved again tonight.
Speaker 9 (24:01):
So Brown says that she's she's against doing it or
something or it's very confusing what came out of the meeting.
I guess, I mean I wasn't there. But so we've
got a lot of mixed signals here.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
You've got a gena want to quick comment in Jack's comments,
but I got a pact full aligned here.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I want to get to.
Speaker 9 (24:17):
As many I'll get off and so other people can talk.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Well, Jack, thank you very much, as always your great
and I appreciate it. Thank you, Jui, You're comment what
Jack had to say.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Sure, so thank you Dan. You know, I think that
you know, Jack's comments really speak to the confusion around
this issue. People are confused about why it was done.
People are confused about what they can't can and cannot
do now, and the festival is getting closer, and there's
a lot of anxiety about, you know, how do we
(24:48):
get this right and how do we continue to honor
the cultural traditions and the cultural heritage that this festival means,
and and hardly do it and in conformance with you
know what are what the guidelines that are coming out
of city hall.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
It also for city that has projected itself as a
welcoming city. I know what the word welcome means. If
I were a Nu Nantum resident, I would not feel
particularly welcomed in my own city as a result of this. Again,
we've we've had all the controversies about what a sanctuary
city means or whatever. That's not we're talking about. It's
(25:28):
sort of a welcoming city that which is fine. But
but why is this I think if this is anything
but welcoming, let me put it like that. Let me
go next to jim and Newton. Jimmy, you were next
on Nightside with Genefie and doctor Garret.
Speaker 10 (25:43):
Ahead Jimmy, Hi, Dan, thank you so much for doing
this tonight, and Gina thank you as well. So very
short story about No Nantum. My great grandfather bought a
house there for family house right at the turn of
the century from Italy and married my great grandmother shortly after,
and for years and years they just took in family
(26:04):
members for very cheap rent to help them out as
they were beginning out their lives. And this day he
got older and passed away. Their daughter took over and
did the exact same thing, and now my cousin their
daughter is doing the exact same thing for her family
and friends. And it's called pride. That's what we have,
is real pride. And this whole thing is just completely
(26:25):
crazy to me. And if she wants to do this
line's adjacent to the other lines, isn't that going to
make the lanes more confusing and make them narrow and
make people smash them to the cars or ruin the
bike lanes or whatever. It's just very confusing, it seems
like to everyone. But she's trying to erase the pride
of Newton and all our relatives. So that's all I have. Dan,
(26:47):
thank you so much with what you're doing. Thank you, Gina,
very much.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Welcome. Thanks Jim. I appreciate your call.
Speaker 11 (26:52):
Thank you, Jimmy.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Okay, I said it.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Well, let me go to Brian and we'll move along here. Brian,
you're next time, Nightsiger.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Right ahead.
Speaker 12 (27:00):
Yes, Good evening, Dan, and good evening, Gina. I want
to thank you Gina for your support. I'm going to
throw all figures and then I'm going to get off
because I know you've got a lot of callers in
the man's email that she sent me.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Today, Brian, before you do that, if you'd be so kind.
Are you on a speakerphone?
Speaker 12 (27:18):
No, but we can turn my radio down real quick.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Well that'll be a very good thing. That's I know.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Rock tell's everyone to do that, and it's it's what
people don't realize is there's a ten second delay and they.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Can be very noisy, and that's much better. Go ahead, Brian, take.
Speaker 12 (27:36):
You the man's email today. By the way, I'm lifelong
resident and non antum. The man's email today said that
a travel way of twenty feet or more is required
to double solid yellow lines. Adams Street is thirty three
feet wide. Now I don't understand that, honest. That is
(28:00):
thirty three feet wide with talking on both sides, the
travel way would typically be considered around seventeen feet, which
is under the twenty feet. And also when she did
the adt the average traffic volume. It goes Tuesday, October
(28:21):
thirty first till Friday November third. Now we are heavily Italian.
There's a church right at the end of the street.
November one and November two, All Saints Day, All Soulsday,
there was three or four services of devotion at the
church right at the top of Adams Street. How convenient
(28:44):
to pick those dates where there was four services for
devotion in the church and the church was packed.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Well, it also shows that this is planned for some time.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
You're talking about well eight or nine months ago a minimum,
this was underway.
Speaker 12 (29:04):
Yes, but these go back to twenty twenty three the
traffic study.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Oh I thought they were twenty twenty four.
Speaker 12 (29:10):
So now let.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Me get We'll got a reaction from Tina as a
as a transportational professional.
Speaker 12 (29:20):
We're all missed.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
It seems to be like.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
A fairly selective sample size.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
If they're not mistaken.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Well, Dan, I think it again. It goes to you know,
your your process, and it's perfectly legitimate for your community
to want to know, you know, what spurred this traffic
study and to be able to you know, review the
numbers and the data with some transparency and to explain
(29:52):
it to them before you make some of these changes
to the streets. These streets belong to the community, and
if these changes are really warranted by you know, spread
by safety concerns, I think that the community deserves an
explanation on that.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Well, we're not going to hold that breath.
Speaker 12 (30:16):
Brian, Can I just can I just ask one quick question?
Go ahead, larification on that twenty feet where Adam Street
is thirty three feet? Is that correct? Am I reading
that correct? That on a street that is thirty three
feet wide with parking on both sides, the travel way
would be seventeen feet.
Speaker 6 (30:37):
No, it is.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
The street is measured curb to curb, so it does
not subtract for the parking that's curb to curb.
Speaker 12 (30:48):
Yeah, and again I'm reading here because I'm not a question. Yes,
I will let you go.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
No, Brian, just listen to me for a second, if
you would.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
I think when you get into the weeds here, in
terms of the width of the street and whether or
not it's single parking or parking on both sides, and
the average width of a car is five feet or whatever,
or five and a half feet or whatever, I think
that works to the advantage of the mayor because it
adds to confusion.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
The question is these street markings have been there for
a long time.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
To take them out under the cover of darkness a
couple of weeks before this festival, it seems to me
to be selective and almost punitive for what a purpose.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
I have no idea. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
If that's a sort a section of the city that
has not been kind to the mayor electorally, I don't know.
It just seems to me to be a real tempest
in a teapot, which is unnecessary. If this was something
they were trying to do on their own for the
first time, I could see where she might tie him
(32:02):
up and say we need to talk about this after
the festival. But the reverse seems and I think Gina
has made the point that it just seems to be
a slap in the face of the community. Brian, appreciate you, Carl.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
Thank you much. We got to take a break.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Thank you, sir. I got to take a break. I
have I have Janet, I have Paul and Susan. I
want to get to all of them. Brian had most time.
No one else will have as much, but I'll give
you adequate time back on Nightside with my guests. Gina Fiandaca,
who has a storied career in the transportation industry and
in public service, having worked in the Menino, the Walsh
(32:39):
and the Healy administration on transportation issues. Her letter to
the editor in Today's Boston Herald should be read by
everyone who has an interest in this. This this contract top.
We'll be back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w B Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Okay, we're gonna get everybody. Let me go to Paul
and Boston. Paul, you next night. I go right ahead.
You're on with Genapeean dot com.
Speaker 11 (33:10):
Have me on and Old Gina. Now I have a
quick comment and then a question.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
Got to be really quick.
Speaker 4 (33:19):
I'll be quick.
Speaker 11 (33:20):
At a time when we seem to be elevating every
ethnic group, it's troubling to say the least that it
seems like it's okay to erase the heritage of the
proud Italian Americans. So that's a comment, and I think
that's troubling. Secondly, I want to say I had read
in the paper that the may had said something about
(33:40):
this being a safety issue. So how this can be
a safety issue when now she's suggesting that the people
in Newton need to go out and paint the street themselves.
So I'd like to have a comment on that, OKA say.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
That I understand the inc assistency. I think that's your
that's your point Gina.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Go right ahead.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
Okay, thank you for the call, Paul. And uh, you know,
I did see the comments that this was a safety issue,
and I think that, you know, our last caller, Brian
kind of touched on that with his concerns with some
of the data that was presented. And but it's more
about the you know, listening to the community and having
(34:27):
a conversation with them about safety in their own neighborhoods
and you know, bringing them along when you are making
safety changes or you're proposing them. You know, how does
it how does our community want their streets designed so
that they are safe? And I think that was you know,
probably the produx of the comments from Brian as well.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
All right, Paul, I appreciate your call on trying to
get everybody in here.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Thank you so much. Let me go next to Susan
and Newton. Susan have room for you in one more
go a.
Speaker 13 (35:01):
Hi, how are you?
Speaker 4 (35:03):
Hi?
Speaker 13 (35:03):
How are you? Thank you Dan and Gina so much.
I'm just gonna piggyback on what everybody else has said
about the data and us feeling so cheated.
Speaker 6 (35:15):
However, I think there's.
Speaker 13 (35:17):
More going on here. I think this is I think
Dan you had it right. I think this is a
political shot to this to our part of Newton because
we did not support her. She didn't get the votes
for us. And now after eight years, eight years, she's
been on Maya and all of a sudden, this is
(35:38):
a safety issue, she's threatening permits. I think something deeper
is going on. I think I think that she has
been threatened by another cultural cultural people that all of
a sudden she's feeling like she has to make some
(36:00):
some tough decisions.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
And yeah, there's no there's no evidence.
Speaker 13 (36:05):
You feel offended, and I feel like it's seeing it's
racist on the Italian.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I don't know if Susan can hear me or not,
but Susan, you labeled that as speculation, and I think
it is speculation.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
There's no suggestion.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
So I'm going to let that comment stand on its own.
But I just I'm not sure that there's any anything
to support that at this point. And we'll see what happens.
Thank you, Susan. I appreciate your call. Thanks for I assumed,
Thank you, You're very welcome. I assume, Gina, there's no
comment that you want to make on that.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
No, Dan, thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
There we go let me go to Janet, and Janet,
you're gonna wrap it up first, go right ahead.
Speaker 12 (36:43):
Hi Dan, Hi Gina.
Speaker 6 (36:45):
Thanks so much for your feedback, Gina, I was really
appreciated everybody in the community in Nonantum really difference. I
have a question is that there was actually no leaf
that were there the night that they painted the yellow
lines that Thursday night in June. But now there's a
(37:08):
police But now the police are patrolling the street every
thirty minutes to make sure nobody does anything, and it
just doesn't seem it seems very strange. It's questionable, to
say the least. I mean, I'm very concerned about that.
The other thing that I thought to be concerning, and
I don't really want to get into the weeds about
(37:29):
the numbers because I'm not an expert on traffic by
any means other than I've sat in plenty of it
in my years on the road in sales and just
driving around Newton's. But the other thing is that the
she's claiming that there was six thousand and two, which
is too over the threshold. I don't that seemed like
(37:52):
very the line is so fine there for using that
as a excuse for painting painting over the traditional uh,
red green white line.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
I guess what.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
I guess what that proves, Janet, is that close can
count in hand grenades, horseshoes and now car counting on
Adams Street.
Speaker 6 (38:18):
That's very well, Dan Gina, I just I guess the
question to you, Gene is, well, you see a traffic
study that's only two over the threshold. Don't you think
you would do another study before you took action on it?
What does that make sense? Or from as from a professional.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Mess Yes, yes, Janet, it it does, especially you know
something like this that's really sensitive to the community. And
thank you so much for your calling and Susan for
her comments too. You know, if there's one thing that
the community can take away from this is that you know,
you've unified around in an issue that is just so
(39:01):
important to you. And uh, you know, sometimes in a
situation like that, when you know your your call to
rally and it brings people together even you know, in
even a more a stronger way to promote your culture
and your heritage. And you've got a great celebration coming up,
and I've no doubt that you know, the the end
(39:22):
result may even be better.
Speaker 11 (39:25):
But it's a credit, Janet.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
We have we have we uh we are contiguous to
the newscast, so I got to let you go.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Jennet. Thank you, uh Gena again I'll use that we
are contiguous.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Thanks for your for your your time tonight, and thank
you for what you do today.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Thank you. I think you made a lot.
Speaker 11 (39:42):
Of friend Thank you again.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
Thanks so much. Pleasing and doctor I enjoyed the hour.
We come back. We may stay with this. We'll be
back on night side after.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
The eleven w Boston, w x K, s F M
h D two Bedford and iHeartRadio station. This is WBZ,
Boston's news radio. We defining local.
Speaker 14 (40:09):
News seventy seven degrees in Boston at eleven o'clock. Good evening.
I'm Dan Watkins. Here's what's happening. A firefighters union is
calling out the city of Fall River following a devastating
fire at an assisted living facility last night. Wbz's Brooke
McCarthy reports.
Speaker 15 (40:30):
Devastation in fall River after nine people died in a
fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility, and now
the International Association of Firefighters says some of those desks
could have been prevented.
Speaker 7 (40:42):
Yeah, We're devastated by the loss of nine citizens of
Fall River who, quite frankly, some of whom should be
alive today.
Speaker 15 (40:50):
That's Union President Edward Kelly. He says eight of the
city's ten fire companies were not fully staffed.
Speaker 7 (40:56):
That's the fire companies of Fall River at the full
standard of four firefighters per company, and in doing so,
we'll protect this city adequately.
Speaker 15 (41:04):
Kelly says, if the city had followed this recommendation, eight
more firefighters would have been available during the initial response,
which would have meant more manpower to rescue people and
better fire suppression. Brooke McCarthy WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 14 (41:18):
Paul River Mayor Paul Coogan told the ABC News that
the fire depart
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