October 27, 2025 • 39 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! For one of our segments this evening, we talked about the rare black and orange lobster caught off the coast of Massachusetts! The odds of catching one are believed to be only one in 30 million!
October is National Pizza Month. Here are 17 standout slices around Boston.
Guest: Kara Baskin – Boston Globe Reporter
Discovery Museum in Massachusetts launched a Grandparent Ambassador Program and is trying to bring their museum on the road to even more schools in Massachusetts.
Guest: Marie Beam - CEO of Discovery Museum in Massachusetts
A New study finds traffic congestion reached unprecedented levels in 2024 with the average American losing 63 hours per year sitting in traffic when trying to get to their destinations!
Guest: Dan Mazella – Operations Director for the Boston Division of Total Traffic & Weather Network & Traffic reporter
A very rare black and orange lobster (calico) was found off the coast of MA! Odds of catching one are believed to be only one in 30 million! Lobster is now at the Marine Science Center in Nahant.
Guest: Sierra Munoz – Outreach Program Coordinator at the Marine Science Center & The Coastal Sustainability Institute at Northeastern University
October is National Pizza Month. Here are 17 standout slices around Boston.
Guest: Kara Baskin – Boston Globe Reporter
Discovery Museum in Massachusetts launched a Grandparent Ambassador Program and is trying to bring their museum on the road to even more schools in Massachusetts.
Guest: Marie Beam - CEO of Discovery Museum in Massachusetts
A New study finds traffic congestion reached unprecedented levels in 2024 with the average American losing 63 hours per year sitting in traffic when trying to get to their destinations!
Guest: Dan Mazella – Operations Director for the Boston Division of Total Traffic & Weather Network & Traffic reporter
A very rare black and orange lobster (calico) was found off the coast of MA! Odds of catching one are believed to be only one in 30 million! Lobster is now at the Marine Science Center in Nahant.
Guest: Sierra Munoz – Outreach Program Coordinator at the Marine Science Center & The Coastal Sustainability Institute at Northeastern University
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice size with Dan Ray. I'm telling you easy
Bondon's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well, here we go another week of Nightside. Good evening everyone,
and welcome on in. My name is Dan Ray. I'm
the host of night Side and Rob Brooks is on
vacation this week. We're delighted to be joined by Shane
Stokes back in the control room, so please be kind
to Shane. He's done this job before and he does
a great job, and he will set you up for
(00:27):
calls during the nine o'clock hour. During the nine o'clock hour,
we'll be talking with New Hampshire former New Hampshire Senator
john Sonunhu, not to be confused with his dad, the
former governor of New Hampshire, john Sonunhu Governor SONO. I
don't think we're gonna have time for phone calls, but
we certainly will have time for reaction.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
To his appearance.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
He's gonna be with us from nine until nine thirty,
so you know, don't be calling at nine o'clock, but
certainly be prepared to call in after nine thirty and
you can react. We had Scott Brown on with us
last week and we will cover that race and we
will eventually get the Democrat who apparently is running on
a post. I have to do some work on that,
(01:10):
Chris Pappus.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
But we have four.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oh I'll also talk about a little problem I had
on the internet the last week, couple of weeks or so,
and I have a warning and an admonition to everyone,
which we will discuss. And maybe you can tell me
how to buy things on the internet more effectively, or
(01:33):
maybe you've had the same problem or a similar problem.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
That I had. We'll talk about that at ten.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
But we have four great guests, starting off with Cara
Baskin and the Boston Globe. You know, last week we
sort of borrowed Kara's idea. We saw her article, we
were very impressed with it, and on Friday night during
our twentieth hour, we had about sixteen of you called
in to express your preference your favorite pizza players and
(02:01):
with us now from the Boston Rode is Karen Basket.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Karen, Welcome to Nightside. How are you thisce evening?
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Hi?
Speaker 5 (02:08):
Fine? Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Well, thank you very much. We had fun with your story.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
October is national or still is, because it's only the
twenty seventh of October National Pizza Month.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
How many pizza joints have you visited in the last
few weeks to do this on it?
Speaker 5 (02:26):
This is a lifetime of experience. I have to say
that went into it. I mean, in full disclosure, I
haven't been to Papa Gino's in a little while, but
that made the list because it's a nostalgic favorite and
I grew up with it. And then there's a few
that I've been to you very recently and really enjoyed. Yeah,
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
I was delighted to see Papa Gino's on the list
because Papa Gino's the the Papa Ginos that I've known
about mostly have closed with us. Papa Gino down at
this point? They are they down to a handful? Are
they reorganizing? I'm trying to figure it out.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
Great question. I kind of think of it like friendlies,
you know, like they're dwindling a little bit. But we
I grew up right around here, as you know, I think,
and there were tons of them, same as friendlies. The
one that I am familiar with is in Waltham. There's
another one in Bedford, but they're dying breed, which is
too bad.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Oh. Absolutely, I enjoyed Papa Gino's. I thought that the
pizza they served was great. I thought the meals they
served was great. I thought they're satellite no highly acceptable,
I thought again for a fast food restaurant, I thought
they were the best. I grew up in Reedville part
of Boston, and there was the Papaginos in Clarie Square,
and I have admitted this before, the first time I
(03:35):
actually tasted pizza was at the Papa Ginos in the
center of Hyde Park in Clarie.
Speaker 5 (03:42):
So we'll never forget your first pizza, right, You never forget.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Your first, no question.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Right across from Brennan's Sportings goods store, which is unfortunately
no longer there as well.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
So let's go through a few of these.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You have a total seventeen, Well, we had about sixteen
people the other night.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
I'm sure you did, and I heard I got so
many emails angry and complimentary from the story.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
So you you got.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You got critical emails because you didn't include their favorite
pizza place.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
Right, absolutely. The big thing that people were really upset
that I didn't include Pizzeri Regina. That was and I
like it. I just I didn't put none the list.
So people were flabbergasted about that.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, don't run for public office in the North End,
and we can take that off your own. On your
bucket list, well, you listed them alphabetically, you start off
with Amando's. We're not going to go through the whole list,
but what how about if in the few minutes that
we have we highlight the ones that you'd like to
talk about the ones that aren't that Yeah, that we're
(04:52):
kind of your favorites within the favorites. Obviously, we've already
touched on Papa Gino's, which is great wherever the one
wherever we can find them now, but I also noticed
you had some high Santapios is one that everybody had.
They got Santapio's got mentioned the other nine that's been
around a long.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Time and that's been that's sort of just like you know,
you fly and part of it is pizza is very good,
but also the location you fly into Logan it's in
East Boston, it's right there. It's like the first thing
you see when you get into Boston. And Santarpio, So that's.
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Partially why I included it as well, just for the location.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
But pizza is great, It's a tough location.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
If you go into the airport, you really probably aren't stop.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
And it's kind of on the wrong side of the
road when you're coming out of the air road.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
But I guess you can if you want it badly enough.
But I'll say my favorite in this list if you
want to know. And I did it alphabetically because it's impossible.
There's so many different styles of pizza. It's very hard
to rank them, you know, best, worst or anything like that,
So it's alphabetical. I love her Nesto's. And so there's
(06:00):
an Arnetto's in the North End, and then there's one
in Summerville, and I believe the one in Somerville. So
it is the only place you can get this type.
It's a cheeseburger pizza, which is not a purist pizza.
It is not, you know, it's a little bit next level.
But it tastes like a Big Mac on a pizza
and they have chopped pickles and onions and kind of
(06:23):
like a spicy Big Mac style sauce. And you can
get it by the slice and it's a little floppy
and a little greasy, and it's just I like it,
you know, And yeah, it's got Pepperoni.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
I am not a fit Pepperoni. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Was married to pizza.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
But I've always said that's a different article.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yes it is, Yes it is, but that's okay. But
I always felt it was incongruous relationship. The only thing
I like on pizza besides tomato, sauce and cheese, the
basics of pizza, it's chryspal bacon crumpled.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
I don't think you can take a couple.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Of well maybe, but okay, you know, so I'm not
like opposed to the meat thing here. But then you know,
you had scamp Post. That's kind of a high end restaurant,
is it not?
Speaker 5 (07:18):
Absolutely yes, indeed, So I tried to go for the
high end, the low end, a little bit of everything.
So Scampo, which Lydia Shire, who's been you know, at
the top of the bus in culinary world for decades.
She's still going and she makes this lobster pizza at Scampo,
which is very you know, right. So, but that's like
(07:40):
if you want a little bit of like a high
end situation. Although they do have a deal I believe
where you can get a bottle of wine and the
pizza for fifty five dollars, so you know times, yes,
you get a deal.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
So yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
And the other really good one though, can I just
shout out I.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Have yeah, I want this, Yeah, go ahead?
Speaker 5 (08:01):
All right, all right? So the other one. And I
have some friends who are from New Jersey and they're
very passionate, like New Yorkers are, about their pizza. And
they love this place called Florina. It's kind of on
the edge of Beacon Hill and they just make like
a crackly, kind of greasy, foldable New York New Jersey
(08:25):
ish slice. It's great and that if you're a pizza purist,
just sauce and cheese. Nobody does it better, really really good.
It's called Serena.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Was that the one that that there was like square pieces.
I'm trying to figure. I'm looking real quickly.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
That sounds more like a Detroit style pizza to me.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Was that Florina?
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Oh no, no, I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
So okay, So it's a.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
Traditional avenue and in Avenue in Summerville has the Detroit
style squares that might be what you're thinking of.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yeah, it was like ham and stuff and well, oh no,
there was one that this picture I'm looking at it's
between it's either Florina or Gary's.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
That's the picture, but I can't tell.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
Oh Gary, yeah, yeah, and that's that's probably what you're
thinking of.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And that's you do deparm of pizza, right Gary, Yeah, Oh.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
That's looking at Yeah, that's Gary's. That's in the South End.
And that's another interesting one because it's a very well
known cheft Jamie Momono, who has done the Straw and
MoU and Ostra and a lot of high end restaurants
in Boston, and this is his four into the world
of pizza.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Wow. Boy, I'll tell you this is Yeah, this is
a great article.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
I always have to ask this question because I assume
this a Boston magazine, Boston Globe magazine article.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Was it in this past weekend because I get my
Globe magazines all mixed up.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
As a matter of fact, it was in the Boston
Globe Food section, which comes out every Wednesday, So it
was on Wednesday that it came out last last week,
So a week ago Wednesday, right, Pizza month ago, Pizza month.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
So absolutely, Kara, thank you much. It's a very informative article. Yeah,
nice to have you with us. And come on back.
We really do enjoy I love your passion. That's what.
That's what. Thank you a great writer. You're passionate about
what you do. We'll talk again.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Enjoy your pizza.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
I always enjoy pizza. Matter of fact, I had pizza
on let's say, Saturday night. I had pizza from a
little place where I'm where I'm close to here, and
it was a small pizza and I ate it all
much to my chagrin.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
I mean, I should have saved haf it for the
next day.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
But it was just good joy watching the baseball game,
you know.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
So that's that's what.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Another exciting on the road. Thanks Garat, appreciated so much.
All right, when we get back on to talk.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
With Marie Beam. She is the CEO of the Discovery Museum.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
If you've never been to the Discovery Museum and you
have children or grandchildren, you want to pay attention.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Coming right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
It's nice Eye with Dan Ray on Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Next up on Monday night.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Delighted to be welcome to welcome the CEO of the
Discovery Museum in Acton, Massachusetts, Marie Beam, Marie, welcome, I
have been to the Discovery Museum. It is a great
location for parents, grandparents and kids of all ages.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Oh that's so fantastic, Dan, thank you so much for
having me. It's always enjoy to talk about our wonderful museum.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
So how long has this we were there last April?
I believe how long has the Discovery Museum been in
its current location?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
In acting? And are you?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Are you? You want to speak a phone or you on?
If you sound a little off here, talk right If
you're not.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
I'm on, I'm on blue shoes. Give me one second
and I will stop that and get right on the handset.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Yeah, if you can, Shane, that's ready to remind people,
because the quality of her presentation once she gets the
handset and talks into the mouth piece directly, is going
to be so much better.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
Are here we go?
Speaker 6 (12:09):
I'm all said?
Speaker 5 (12:10):
Is that is that better?
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Dan?
Speaker 3 (12:11):
It is like one thousand percent better? Really?
Speaker 6 (12:15):
Already you're in.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
The same room with me, which is what I want.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Okay, So the history of the Discovery Museum, then let's
talk about what are the great attractions you have there?
Speaker 6 (12:26):
Wonderful? Well, So we were started back in nineteen eighty two,
forty three years ago by a local teacher and a
team of volunteers out in acting as you say, just
twenty miles west of Boston, and then expanded in nineteen
eighty seven to meet demand, and then beginning again in
twenty sixteen, we transformed our entire four and a half
acre property to be fully accessible and get more families
(12:50):
playing outside. We added a nature playscape we call Discovery
Woods that has a wheels accessible treehouse, and then a
brand new museum building two years later, again to meet
the growing demand of our audience. We have a focus
on keeping educating kids through play, so all we ask
of our visitors is to bring their natural creativity and curiosity.
(13:12):
We want them to know that learning through play is easy,
it brings people together, It works for everyone. It's a
great way for everybody to feel successful, whether you're a
kid or an adult. We have topics like light and color, sound, water,
cause and effect. And I should note that we do
all of this with outscreens in a way that we
believe really creates a strong sense of community and connection,
(13:34):
people coming together, all things that we need now more
than ever.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Of course, Yeah, my.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Wife and I took on a grandson there in April
and I my wife.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Is like, she is with him wherever, and he was
moving around. And I was watching some of the.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
People there because I'm a people watcher, and it was
amazing to watch the interaction between parents and kids and
grandparents and kids. The kids were very respectful. They seemed
to be I didn't want to say intimidated by the
variety of activities that were there, but I think they
were owed in a good way by the variety of activities.
(14:13):
I mean, there's a whole bunch of different just every
kid in the world is going to find something there
that he or she will be fascinated by. It's an
amazing place. And is it open.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
I believe it's open year round because we were.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
There in April, right, Absolutely open year round. Yeah, we're
in six days a week during the school year, seven
days a week in the summer. You know, even our
treehouse is open twelve months a year. As long as
it's safe to be outside, you can can explore our
outdoor areas. And you know, Dan, you may not know,
but we served two hundred and fifty thousand people a
(14:50):
year on our four and a half acres and acting yep,
and then in thousands of school classrooms around the States.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
We tell you about that because the day we were there,
it was you could move around, but it was there
was a lot of activity and the kids going in
different directions and some parents are after them.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
But look, everything seemed to be.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
It seemed to be a very safe place to be.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I'm assuming that people can go to the website and
get information on whatever the admission fee is for for
your for the for kids or for their parents or grandparents,
as well as days when you're open and all of that.
(15:37):
So everybody should check out give us the website, because
I want people to write this down and Shane back
in the control room, if you just write this website down,
because there invariably will be people who will call in
the next half hour and say I missed that website.
So what's the website that people can get all the
information they need about what it might cost.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I'm sure it's very reasonable. At least that was what
our experience wise.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
Our website is Discoveryactin dot org, so Discovery Acuton dot org.
And you brought up our cost ticketic prices and so forth.
You know, thirty percent of our visitors pay nothing or
as little as a dollar for their visits, because we
really do prioritize eliminating all of the barriers that families
(16:23):
might face in getting Discovery Museum experiences, whether they're financial,
they're about physical difference, neurological difference. So our whole property
and our building and our exhibits have all been designed
to be fully inclusively accessible. And if you feel that
financial challenge might keep you from a Discovery Museum visit,
(16:43):
and encourage you to visit our website. We have a
page called ways to Save with lots of great programs
that you can take advantage of to get to the
museum in an affordable way.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
I'm not surprised because it was a very friendly place
where people greeted you. How big a staff do you?
I saw there was a picture on your website that
I just looked at. It was a picture of a
lot of people. I'm sure that some folks of staff,
some of them are volunteers. But how big is staff
do you have on site any given day?
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Yeah, so while we have about seventy five employees on
site in a given day, we probably have about thirty
to forty people between our administrative team, mostly though folks
that are working on the museum floor, at our admission
front desk, and the people that are keeping those wheels
turning and making the experience really a joyous and fun
and enriching one for our visitors. We do, you say
(17:35):
I talked about volunteers. We do have a lot of
volunteers that help us do what we do. In fact,
you're a grandparent. Just this month, we launched our new
Grandparent Ambassador's program. It's a really kind of neat new
way that we are providing support to the parents and
caregivers in our audience. That's fifty percent of our audience
as those adults. So we're now bringing grandparent volunteers into
(17:58):
the museum to provide support and connection and affirmation for
the adults who are visiting us, because we know that
raising kids these days is hard, and we want this
to be a really joyful environment and experience both for
kids and for grown ups.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
The like and last question.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
I know that that some kids are ready for something
like this a little earlier, and some kids sort of
age out at some point. What's the sweet spot in
terms of age for kids? Forget the grandparents and the
parents they go with the kids.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
What is the.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Minimum there's no minimum age, I assume, but what we now,
what age can kids really begin to benefit from the experience,
and at what age perhaps have they aged out?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Well?
Speaker 6 (18:42):
So we most of our visitors are preschoolers and up
through elementary school, but we do have a special gallery
for ages zero to three, so those pre walkers pre
crawlers as we call them, have a great time at
the museum too. And of course in all of our
school outreach programs, we're reaching sixty thousand kids the year
from three K to grade eight and three thousand classrooms
(19:04):
around the state bringing them hands on science. So there's
a lot of kids here in Massachusetts through getting Discovery
Museum every day, whether it's at our museum or in
their classrooms.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Sounds great.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I really do appreciate the time you took, Marie, and
again it is Discovery actin act on dot org.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
And I'll see at the Discovery Museum at some point,
I'm sure, well there'll be a return trip on our
Grandson's agenda.
Speaker 6 (19:30):
Okay, thank you, very fantastic, Thanks so much, Dan, Thanks
good night.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
When we get back right after the news, we're going
to talk about something that all of us in the great.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Boston area are very familiar with, and that is traffic congestion.
Dan Mozella, operations director for the Boston division of Total
Traffic and with a network and also a traffic reporter,
will join us and we're going to learn what we
know that traffic congestion in Boston is bad, very bad.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
My name's Dan Ray. This is Nightside. Here comes the
News at the bottom of the.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Houri with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
We're about to talk about something everybody in Massachusetts, everybody
in Greater Boston it's very familiar with, and that is
traffic congestion.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Dan Mozella joins us.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
He's the operations director for Boston Total Traffic and Weather Network.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Dan, it's not getting better.
Speaker 7 (20:25):
And you know what, Dan, I'm always gonna have a
job because of it.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah, what what?
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Well, when they finished the big dig, I know it's
going to have a positive impact on.
Speaker 7 (20:35):
The course of course you and I will well see
the day that the Big dig will get finished.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
How does thank God? So so?
Speaker 2 (20:45):
How do this is a national survey? Yeah, I don't
know how they raided cities or whatever, but I see
that they have a big map in Boston's on the map.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
How bad is it here in Boston to other cities?
Please tell me there's some other cities that are worse
than Boston.
Speaker 7 (21:05):
Oh, there will always be cities that are more worse
off than Boston. The thing about Boston is that we
have literally no room to expand or change things right now.
And that's why we have so much congestion because I
guess no one plans for population growth. No one thought
(21:27):
more cars would come in to play. And you know,
I guess bikes have kind of taken over a lot
of areas.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
And that's been good for traffic congestion.
Speaker 7 (21:39):
Have you ever heard the phrase snowball effect? You know,
this is this is exactly what happened with the bike lanes.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Yeah, well that was brilliant and I was an outspoken
critic of the proliferation.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Of bike lanes just as a driver.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I mean, I feel like that there's a that there
was an effort, an affirmative effort, to eliminate cars in Boston.
They wanted to turn Boston, and they, being the powers
that be, wanted to turn Boston into like Amsterdam or
Copenhagen where everybody is on a.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Bike and it's not going to it is no.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
And the thing and the thing about it is that
you know, the bikes and all that stuff was first
before cars over in countries like that, because you know,
cars have only been around for it's like one hundred
and thirty one hundred and fifty years or something like that, right, So,
(22:38):
so like in other countries, especially in Europe, I mean,
everything has just been small. You know, it was really
made for horses and just walking and and and that's
the thing. So over there, yeah, they're more built for
that because that's the way it's always been. But over
here where we have the highway system, you know, it
(22:59):
was it was Eisenhower that came back from Europe after
World War Two and said, hey, this highway thing was
a great idea. Let's try it and put it everywhere
across the US, which you know served a purpose because
in the event you need to move the military from
one side of the country to the other. They you know,
tanks can fit in the in the highway lanes and
(23:22):
everything and get across. But at the same time, some
cities that were here before all that was thought of,
we have nowhere to expand and Boston is that perfect example,
where it's not a planned city, you can't add to it,
and if you try to add to it, you got
to sacrifice something else.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
It's not Phoenix, Arizona, where you can do this three
and sixty days a year. Maybe you get a couple
of really bad days with dust storms.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
And you know what, that's more than true, because you
know we've we've I mean, when do they do all
the paving in the summer. What happens in the summer
everyone travels well.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
The other thing, too, is with the highway system, and
people forget that it was the Eisenhower administration. It's probably
one of the things besides the fact that there was
kind of packs Americana. World War II was one, Korea ended,
and you had this period where America kind of took
a deep breath and they built highways, and it allowed
(24:20):
suburbs to develop. It allowed people to live a little
bit outside of the city. You didn't have to live
in Boston with between mass av and the North End
to work in Boston. You live in Wellesley or wherever.
But then they just put flipped it on its head
and said we don't want anyone you know now, we
(24:41):
just want to take care of bicyclists, and the only
people who are driving bicyclists. You don't have many fifty
sixty year old business people who were driving riding a bicycle,
you know, carrying there at that shay case.
Speaker 7 (24:55):
You know exactly.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
It's for you know, college students with the back, which
is great, okay, but they basically have taken over and
it's only gonna mean worse congestion going on. I mean,
we don't need a traffics are. We have a trafficsar.
I think it was called like the King of the
Streets or something like that.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
And can we also throw mopeds into this as well,
because those those are everywhere nowadays and they they are
they are just as disruptive as as people on bikes
or just people just not caring about you know, the
rules of the road and other things like that. It's
there are It feels like every time they solve one problem,
(25:36):
something else just comes along and takes its place. It's
kind of like a crash.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Well, well, Dan, here's the dirty little secret that I've
figured out, and you probably.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
A fool tell me more than me, and that.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Is that the fight now is not between cars and bikes.
The fight now is between mopeds, scooters and bikes. Yeah,
the bicyclist want unfitted use of the bike lane, and
they want those mopeds and those electric vehicles and those scooters.
They want those people risking their lives out out in
(26:08):
the right the ever dimension traffic lanes.
Speaker 7 (26:13):
Basically, if it has a motor, it belongs with everyone else.
If it's a bike, no motor, you belong in the
bike lane. That's that's kind of where the philosophy I
think lies right now. But you know, when I read
this study and everything it says, you know, traffic is brutal,
traffic is insane, even on weekends. That is true. I
have noticed that there has been a big increase of
(26:35):
this on the weekends. But everyone else is also saying
with this study that that that it's it's it's getting
busier because you know where we're all going back to
work now, more people are getting back in the cars,
more ride shares. I also want to throw into the
(26:55):
mix here, it was a couple of weeks ago companies
are moving to Boston. I think has Bro just announced
that they're going to be leaving Providence in coming to Boston.
So you got to bring all their employees up here
as well. So Boston is a destination in a city
that you know, companies want to come to. So the
state just gets a population boom, not it doesn't stagger.
(27:20):
It just happens all at once, just like the Big
dig as you and I've always talked about, Dan, it
just happens all at once and we're all just here
for the ride.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Well, I'll tell you the ride's are going to get
any smoother. And by the way, when you talk about
the the you know, mopeds or the electric scooters or whatever,
I think it's dangerous to put people who have no
protection physical protection around them out with cars. I think
that in my opinion, I could be wrong, and you
(27:50):
might disagree with me. I think the bike lanes have
to accommodate scooters, have to accommodate unicycles, bicycles, bicycles, mopeds,
anything like that where it's a one person vehicle should
be in the vike lands because for the bicyclist to
say to the to the moped drivers or the scooter riders,
(28:11):
you got to go out there with the traffic and
the eighteen wheelers. That's thank them to death.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
It is that that is very unfair. And you know what,
it's two different classes of vehicles, two different I mean,
I think some people have said, you'd think you don't
even need like a license for some style of mopeds
or anything like that. But yeah, it's just not fair.
It's not fair, and it's not it's not right. But
(28:40):
you know, this is the thing that I think we've
been saying for a while. Dan, It's just Boston can't
expand its roads unless something gets sacrificed.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Why can't we like have some apartment buildings built. I
don't know, like maybe twenty miles east of the seaport. Oh,
that's right, that's the Atlanta to ocean.
Speaker 7 (29:02):
Yeah, a kind of a sinking hazard, you know, Dan, if.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
They put you and me in charge of everything, we
could solve it in about two years. That become a
lot of unhappy people, but would solve them.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
You know what.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
I'm a traffic reporter. I gave up with people liking
me a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Yeah, I'm always talk I'm for half the people like him,
because I know half. Thanks Dan, we'll talk to you
soon about appreciate it, all right, Dan, have a good night.
All right, Dan Mazzella my favorite not only traffic reporter,
but he's the operations director for the Boston Division of
Total Traffic and Weather Network and also a traffic reporter.
(29:40):
We get back. We're going to talk about something we
all can agree upon. They found a thirty to million shot,
a one in thirty million lobster. He's black and orange. Oh,
the colors of Syracuse. Feel free stay with us. We're
gonna talk with Sierra Muno's outreach program direct at the
Marine Science Center and Coastal Sustainability Institute at Northeastern University.
(30:05):
I'm a talk show host at WBZ. These folks must
have the biggest business cards of the world. They got
such impressive titles. We'll be back with Sierra Munya's right
after the break.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
News Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Delighted to welcome Sierra Munos. Sierra, I hope I pronounced
your last name correctly.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Sierra got it just right.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Great, excellent outreach program coordinator at the Marine Science Center
and Coastal Sustainability Institute at Northeastern University. So this group
that you're the program the outreach program coordinator for is
A is part of Northeastern university. You in effect work
for Northeastern I.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Believe correct, that's right.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Yeah, And what does.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Reach program coordinator do. Let's let's let's plug the location,
and who do you outreach to and who can avail
themselves of your programs?
Speaker 4 (31:03):
Yeah, thank you for the opportunity. Yeah. So Northeastern has
you know, campuses, you know, kind of all over the
country in the world, but not too far from Boston
is the Nahant Campus and it's the home of the
marine and environmental sciences research that happens at the university.
(31:24):
And we have absolutely beautiful campus and just really innovative
coastal research coming out of it. And so our team
prioritizes making connections with the broader community and really like
getting the science that's happening inside the lab, learning about
marine habitats and the animals that live there and you know,
(31:46):
the habitats that we all depend on getting that information
outside of labs and into the hands of the people
who are living there. So we see thousands of folks
every year at the center and we connect with folks
with online resources as well. It's primarily for our program
like CATA twelve students who live near the center, but
(32:10):
we you know, we have teachers from all over Massachusetts,
all over the country that are using the resources, the
curriculum and lesson plans that we build to kind of
use these really cool marine habitats and creatures to connect
to ecology and biology and just the sort of magic
of the natural world.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
How big is the facility? Are you in a huge
spot of land?
Speaker 4 (32:36):
No, yeah, no, it's it's it's a pretty small space.
It's beautiful location. And actually the Marine Center is actually
housed in one of the World War era bunkers that
sort of dot up and down the New England coast.
So the the aquaria tanks that I manage in the
(32:57):
classroom that I use is actually inside one of these
bunkers that's been retrofitted to now have research of you know,
all different kinds of environmental research and all different programs.
It's it's really unique and cool.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
So you have a good you have a good view
of the Atlantic Ocean.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Okay, so recently you had a donation a what's called,
I guess a rare calico lobster. We think cats, but
we've never thought of I've never heard of a calico lobster.
But I guess they're very distinctive black and orange.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Yeah, that's right. Yeah, so, and you know Calico casts
as a comparison, it's it's it's pretty close because similarly,
they have these like patchy patterns on their shelves.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
And it's basically caused when you know, the the pigments
are telling their shell to to present and kind of
express in different colors. And it really catches the eye
because it's it has like this bright orange which is
this compound called astafanthin, and then that compound is connected
(34:08):
in like strange blocky ways with another pigment and makes
this really beautiful kind of halloweini orange and black lobster.
We were so so excited to get it at the aquarium.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Now, first of all, how old is this lobster and
how long how old will this lobster he or she
uh live as a calicol lobster?
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Does it impact their life expectancy?
Speaker 4 (34:33):
Yeah? So that that's a great question. I love, I
love the questions this you know inspires. You know, so
we we don't really know exactly how old this lobster is,
but generally lobsters that are caught by lobster fishermen and
are you know, sized to be legally caught, which any
of the donations that we get are you know, legal
(34:56):
size for catch, And we generally think of those as
being maybe like six to eight years old on the
youngest side. So we would guess that this calico we
named her Jack o' lantern. Actually, my kids nato that. Yeah,
so we would guess that she's maybe like maybe seven
years old. She's on the smaller side certainly.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
And the question about you know, how long can she live?
Lobsters can really live a long time once they are
you know, full grown. They don't have too many natural predators. Now,
you can imagine that a really like traffic cone orange
and black, blotchy lobster would kind of stick out right,
(35:39):
And so we guess that one of the reasons that
these you know, bright blues or bright oranges are so
rare and nature is, yeah, they might they might make
easier prey when they're smaller for animals that are looking
for a meal under the water.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Wow, So was this lobster now because of the pattern
and being a one in thirty million, will this lobs
to spend the rest of his or her life under
your care?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
At noise yeah she could. Yeah, so this is a
female lobster. We have a few others in our tanks
and they all kind of have their own space because
they're a little territorial. We have a beautiful blue lobster
as well. That's a male a little bit older. We
got earlier in the summer from another lobster fisherman. And yeah,
(36:30):
you know, we keep animals, and we are really lucky
at the Marine since Center to have a flow through
seawater system, which means that we're able to house these
animals in you know, the same water that they would
be getting in their natural habitat. And so you know,
they're really happy. I have an awesome team of undergraduate
(36:51):
students at Northeastern who helps me, who helped me tend
these animals, so you know, they can live really long
and happy lives. They get, you know, several meals a
week of their favorites. They love blue, muscle and haring.
You know, we we do try to kind of cycle
out the tanks. Sometimes we will end up releasing an
animal back into the wild after a year or two,
(37:11):
you know, just to make room or if we you know,
feel like we want to, you know, kind of change
things up.
Speaker 8 (37:18):
But you're not like you're not likely to release a
lobster quote, right, No, No, I mean this this is
really unique, uh and special to have.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
And so yeah, we're we're we're gonna hold on to
her for quite a while.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
And is is can the public come and see her
or is this a closed you know location that the
public is you know not you just don't have the
capacity to accommodate.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
The Yeah, yeah, so yeah, thanks for the question. So
we do have kind of intermittent public tours. So we
have a website. You can google Northeastern Marine Center and
there are public tours and those are run by undergraduate
students on my team. We're trained, they're they're you know,
(38:07):
we we wish we would love to do them more frequently,
but it's all about.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Okay, yeah, give me the website one more time and
then I gotta let you run Marine Science Center.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
Yes, so if you if you just search up Northeastern
Marine Science Center, you can find that you can find
the different programs we do and kind of ways to
you know, support and learn about the programs.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Oh that's great, Sierra, Thank you so much for your time.
I'm getting I got so interested in this subject. I
went thirty seconds longer than we should have. Thanks so
much for your time and maybe stop. Uper will see
the Calico Sunday.
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Thank you so much, fantastic, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Have a great night. We came back and be talking
with good night. Good night, Sier.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
We get back on to talk with former New Hampshire
Senator John Sonunu. He is running in the Republican primary
against Scott Brown. We had Scott Brown on last week.
We'll have john Sonuda one on right after the nine
o'clock news. Former US Center from New Hampshire, Republican John
Senunu coming up.
It's nice size with Dan Ray. I'm telling you easy
Bondon's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well, here we go another week of Nightside. Good evening everyone,
and welcome on in. My name is Dan Ray. I'm
the host of night Side and Rob Brooks is on
vacation this week. We're delighted to be joined by Shane
Stokes back in the control room, so please be kind
to Shane. He's done this job before and he does
a great job, and he will set you up for
(00:27):
calls during the nine o'clock hour. During the nine o'clock hour,
we'll be talking with New Hampshire former New Hampshire Senator
john Sonunhu, not to be confused with his dad, the
former governor of New Hampshire, john Sonunhu Governor SONO. I
don't think we're gonna have time for phone calls, but
we certainly will have time for reaction.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
To his appearance.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
He's gonna be with us from nine until nine thirty,
so you know, don't be calling at nine o'clock, but
certainly be prepared to call in after nine thirty and
you can react. We had Scott Brown on with us
last week and we will cover that race and we
will eventually get the Democrat who apparently is running on
a post. I have to do some work on that,
(01:10):
Chris Pappus.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
But we have four.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oh I'll also talk about a little problem I had
on the internet the last week, couple of weeks or so,
and I have a warning and an admonition to everyone,
which we will discuss. And maybe you can tell me
how to buy things on the internet more effectively, or
(01:33):
maybe you've had the same problem or a similar problem.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
That I had. We'll talk about that at ten.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
But we have four great guests, starting off with Cara
Baskin and the Boston Globe. You know, last week we
sort of borrowed Kara's idea. We saw her article, we
were very impressed with it, and on Friday night during
our twentieth hour, we had about sixteen of you called
in to express your preference your favorite pizza players and
(02:01):
with us now from the Boston Rode is Karen Basket.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Karen, Welcome to Nightside. How are you thisce evening?
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Hi?
Speaker 5 (02:08):
Fine? Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Well, thank you very much. We had fun with your story.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
October is national or still is, because it's only the
twenty seventh of October National Pizza Month.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
How many pizza joints have you visited in the last
few weeks to do this on it?
Speaker 5 (02:26):
This is a lifetime of experience. I have to say
that went into it. I mean, in full disclosure, I
haven't been to Papa Gino's in a little while, but
that made the list because it's a nostalgic favorite and
I grew up with it. And then there's a few
that I've been to you very recently and really enjoyed. Yeah,
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
I was delighted to see Papa Gino's on the list
because Papa Gino's the the Papa Ginos that I've known
about mostly have closed with us. Papa Gino down at
this point? They are they down to a handful? Are
they reorganizing? I'm trying to figure it out.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
Great question. I kind of think of it like friendlies,
you know, like they're dwindling a little bit. But we
I grew up right around here, as you know, I think,
and there were tons of them, same as friendlies. The
one that I am familiar with is in Waltham. There's
another one in Bedford, but they're dying breed, which is
too bad.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Oh. Absolutely, I enjoyed Papa Gino's. I thought that the
pizza they served was great. I thought the meals they
served was great. I thought they're satellite no highly acceptable,
I thought again for a fast food restaurant, I thought
they were the best. I grew up in Reedville part
of Boston, and there was the Papaginos in Clarie Square,
and I have admitted this before, the first time I
(03:35):
actually tasted pizza was at the Papa Ginos in the
center of Hyde Park in Clarie.
Speaker 5 (03:42):
So we'll never forget your first pizza, right, You never forget.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Your first, no question.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Right across from Brennan's Sportings goods store, which is unfortunately
no longer there as well.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
So let's go through a few of these.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You have a total seventeen, Well, we had about sixteen
people the other night.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
I'm sure you did, and I heard I got so
many emails angry and complimentary from the story.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
So you you got.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You got critical emails because you didn't include their favorite
pizza place.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
Right, absolutely. The big thing that people were really upset
that I didn't include Pizzeri Regina. That was and I
like it. I just I didn't put none the list.
So people were flabbergasted about that.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, don't run for public office in the North End,
and we can take that off your own. On your
bucket list, well, you listed them alphabetically, you start off
with Amando's. We're not going to go through the whole list,
but what how about if in the few minutes that
we have we highlight the ones that you'd like to
talk about the ones that aren't that Yeah, that we're
(04:52):
kind of your favorites within the favorites. Obviously, we've already
touched on Papa Gino's, which is great wherever the one
wherever we can find them now, but I also noticed
you had some high Santapios is one that everybody had.
They got Santapio's got mentioned the other nine that's been
around a long.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Time and that's been that's sort of just like you know,
you fly and part of it is pizza is very good,
but also the location you fly into Logan it's in
East Boston, it's right there. It's like the first thing
you see when you get into Boston. And Santarpio, So that's.
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Partially why I included it as well, just for the location.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
But pizza is great, It's a tough location.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
If you go into the airport, you really probably aren't stop.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
And it's kind of on the wrong side of the
road when you're coming out of the air road.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
But I guess you can if you want it badly enough.
But I'll say my favorite in this list if you
want to know. And I did it alphabetically because it's impossible.
There's so many different styles of pizza. It's very hard
to rank them, you know, best, worst or anything like that,
So it's alphabetical. I love her Nesto's. And so there's
(06:00):
an Arnetto's in the North End, and then there's one
in Summerville, and I believe the one in Somerville. So
it is the only place you can get this type.
It's a cheeseburger pizza, which is not a purist pizza.
It is not, you know, it's a little bit next level.
But it tastes like a Big Mac on a pizza
and they have chopped pickles and onions and kind of
(06:23):
like a spicy Big Mac style sauce. And you can
get it by the slice and it's a little floppy
and a little greasy, and it's just I like it,
you know, And yeah, it's got Pepperoni.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
I am not a fit Pepperoni. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Was married to pizza.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
But I've always said that's a different article.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yes it is, Yes it is, but that's okay. But
I always felt it was incongruous relationship. The only thing
I like on pizza besides tomato, sauce and cheese, the
basics of pizza, it's chryspal bacon crumpled.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
I don't think you can take a couple.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Of well maybe, but okay, you know, so I'm not
like opposed to the meat thing here. But then you know,
you had scamp Post. That's kind of a high end restaurant,
is it not?
Speaker 5 (07:18):
Absolutely yes, indeed, So I tried to go for the
high end, the low end, a little bit of everything.
So Scampo, which Lydia Shire, who's been you know, at
the top of the bus in culinary world for decades.
She's still going and she makes this lobster pizza at Scampo,
which is very you know, right. So, but that's like
(07:40):
if you want a little bit of like a high
end situation. Although they do have a deal I believe
where you can get a bottle of wine and the
pizza for fifty five dollars, so you know times, yes,
you get a deal.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
So yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
And the other really good one though, can I just
shout out I.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Have yeah, I want this, Yeah, go ahead?
Speaker 5 (08:01):
All right, all right? So the other one. And I
have some friends who are from New Jersey and they're
very passionate, like New Yorkers are, about their pizza. And
they love this place called Florina. It's kind of on
the edge of Beacon Hill and they just make like
a crackly, kind of greasy, foldable New York New Jersey
(08:25):
ish slice. It's great and that if you're a pizza purist,
just sauce and cheese. Nobody does it better, really really good.
It's called Serena.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Was that the one that that there was like square pieces.
I'm trying to figure. I'm looking real quickly.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
That sounds more like a Detroit style pizza to me.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Was that Florina?
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Oh no, no, I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
So okay, So it's a.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
Traditional avenue and in Avenue in Summerville has the Detroit
style squares that might be what you're thinking of.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yeah, it was like ham and stuff and well, oh no,
there was one that this picture I'm looking at it's
between it's either Florina or Gary's.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
That's the picture, but I can't tell.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
Oh Gary, yeah, yeah, and that's that's probably what you're
thinking of.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And that's you do deparm of pizza, right Gary, Yeah, Oh.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
That's looking at Yeah, that's Gary's. That's in the South End.
And that's another interesting one because it's a very well
known cheft Jamie Momono, who has done the Straw and
MoU and Ostra and a lot of high end restaurants
in Boston, and this is his four into the world
of pizza.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Wow. Boy, I'll tell you this is Yeah, this is
a great article.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
I always have to ask this question because I assume
this a Boston magazine, Boston Globe magazine article.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Was it in this past weekend because I get my
Globe magazines all mixed up.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
As a matter of fact, it was in the Boston
Globe Food section, which comes out every Wednesday, So it
was on Wednesday that it came out last last week,
So a week ago Wednesday, right, Pizza month ago, Pizza month.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
So absolutely, Kara, thank you much. It's a very informative article. Yeah,
nice to have you with us. And come on back.
We really do enjoy I love your passion. That's what.
That's what. Thank you a great writer. You're passionate about
what you do. We'll talk again.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Enjoy your pizza.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
I always enjoy pizza. Matter of fact, I had pizza
on let's say, Saturday night. I had pizza from a
little place where I'm where I'm close to here, and
it was a small pizza and I ate it all
much to my chagrin.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
I mean, I should have saved haf it for the
next day.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
But it was just good joy watching the baseball game,
you know.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
So that's that's what.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Another exciting on the road. Thanks Garat, appreciated so much.
All right, when we get back on to talk.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
With Marie Beam. She is the CEO of the Discovery Museum.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
If you've never been to the Discovery Museum and you
have children or grandchildren, you want to pay attention.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Coming right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
It's nice Eye with Dan Ray on Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Next up on Monday night.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Delighted to be welcome to welcome the CEO of the
Discovery Museum in Acton, Massachusetts, Marie Beam, Marie, welcome, I
have been to the Discovery Museum. It is a great
location for parents, grandparents and kids of all ages.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Oh that's so fantastic, Dan, thank you so much for
having me. It's always enjoy to talk about our wonderful museum.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
So how long has this we were there last April?
I believe how long has the Discovery Museum been in
its current location?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
In acting? And are you?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Are you? You want to speak a phone or you on?
If you sound a little off here, talk right If
you're not.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
I'm on, I'm on blue shoes. Give me one second
and I will stop that and get right on the handset.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Yeah, if you can, Shane, that's ready to remind people,
because the quality of her presentation once she gets the
handset and talks into the mouth piece directly, is going
to be so much better.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
Are here we go?
Speaker 6 (12:09):
I'm all said?
Speaker 5 (12:10):
Is that is that better?
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Dan?
Speaker 3 (12:11):
It is like one thousand percent better? Really?
Speaker 6 (12:15):
Already you're in.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
The same room with me, which is what I want.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Okay, So the history of the Discovery Museum, then let's
talk about what are the great attractions you have there?
Speaker 6 (12:26):
Wonderful? Well, So we were started back in nineteen eighty two,
forty three years ago by a local teacher and a
team of volunteers out in acting as you say, just
twenty miles west of Boston, and then expanded in nineteen
eighty seven to meet demand, and then beginning again in
twenty sixteen, we transformed our entire four and a half
acre property to be fully accessible and get more families
(12:50):
playing outside. We added a nature playscape we call Discovery
Woods that has a wheels accessible treehouse, and then a
brand new museum building two years later, again to meet
the growing demand of our audience. We have a focus
on keeping educating kids through play, so all we ask
of our visitors is to bring their natural creativity and curiosity.
(13:12):
We want them to know that learning through play is easy,
it brings people together, It works for everyone. It's a
great way for everybody to feel successful, whether you're a
kid or an adult. We have topics like light and color, sound, water,
cause and effect. And I should note that we do
all of this with outscreens in a way that we
believe really creates a strong sense of community and connection,
(13:34):
people coming together, all things that we need now more
than ever.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Of course, Yeah, my.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Wife and I took on a grandson there in April
and I my wife.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Is like, she is with him wherever, and he was
moving around. And I was watching some of the.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
People there because I'm a people watcher, and it was
amazing to watch the interaction between parents and kids and
grandparents and kids. The kids were very respectful. They seemed
to be I didn't want to say intimidated by the
variety of activities that were there, but I think they
were owed in a good way by the variety of activities.
(14:13):
I mean, there's a whole bunch of different just every
kid in the world is going to find something there
that he or she will be fascinated by. It's an
amazing place. And is it open.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
I believe it's open year round because we were.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
There in April, right, Absolutely open year round. Yeah, we're
in six days a week during the school year, seven
days a week in the summer. You know, even our
treehouse is open twelve months a year. As long as
it's safe to be outside, you can can explore our
outdoor areas. And you know, Dan, you may not know,
but we served two hundred and fifty thousand people a
(14:50):
year on our four and a half acres and acting yep,
and then in thousands of school classrooms around the States.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
We tell you about that because the day we were there,
it was you could move around, but it was there
was a lot of activity and the kids going in
different directions and some parents are after them.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
But look, everything seemed to be.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
It seemed to be a very safe place to be.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I'm assuming that people can go to the website and
get information on whatever the admission fee is for for
your for the for kids or for their parents or grandparents,
as well as days when you're open and all of that.
(15:37):
So everybody should check out give us the website, because
I want people to write this down and Shane back
in the control room, if you just write this website down,
because there invariably will be people who will call in
the next half hour and say I missed that website.
So what's the website that people can get all the
information they need about what it might cost.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I'm sure it's very reasonable. At least that was what
our experience wise.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
Our website is Discoveryactin dot org, so Discovery Acuton dot org.
And you brought up our cost ticketic prices and so forth.
You know, thirty percent of our visitors pay nothing or
as little as a dollar for their visits, because we
really do prioritize eliminating all of the barriers that families
(16:23):
might face in getting Discovery Museum experiences, whether they're financial,
they're about physical difference, neurological difference. So our whole property
and our building and our exhibits have all been designed
to be fully inclusively accessible. And if you feel that
financial challenge might keep you from a Discovery Museum visit,
(16:43):
and encourage you to visit our website. We have a
page called ways to Save with lots of great programs
that you can take advantage of to get to the
museum in an affordable way.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
I'm not surprised because it was a very friendly place
where people greeted you. How big a staff do you?
I saw there was a picture on your website that
I just looked at. It was a picture of a
lot of people. I'm sure that some folks of staff,
some of them are volunteers. But how big is staff
do you have on site any given day?
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Yeah, so while we have about seventy five employees on
site in a given day, we probably have about thirty
to forty people between our administrative team, mostly though folks
that are working on the museum floor, at our admission
front desk, and the people that are keeping those wheels
turning and making the experience really a joyous and fun
and enriching one for our visitors. We do, you say
(17:35):
I talked about volunteers. We do have a lot of
volunteers that help us do what we do. In fact,
you're a grandparent. Just this month, we launched our new
Grandparent Ambassador's program. It's a really kind of neat new
way that we are providing support to the parents and
caregivers in our audience. That's fifty percent of our audience
as those adults. So we're now bringing grandparent volunteers into
(17:58):
the museum to provide support and connection and affirmation for
the adults who are visiting us, because we know that
raising kids these days is hard, and we want this
to be a really joyful environment and experience both for
kids and for grown ups.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
The like and last question.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
I know that that some kids are ready for something
like this a little earlier, and some kids sort of
age out at some point. What's the sweet spot in
terms of age for kids? Forget the grandparents and the
parents they go with the kids.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
What is the.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Minimum there's no minimum age, I assume, but what we now,
what age can kids really begin to benefit from the experience,
and at what age perhaps have they aged out?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Well?
Speaker 6 (18:42):
So we most of our visitors are preschoolers and up
through elementary school, but we do have a special gallery
for ages zero to three, so those pre walkers pre
crawlers as we call them, have a great time at
the museum too. And of course in all of our
school outreach programs, we're reaching sixty thousand kids the year
from three K to grade eight and three thousand classrooms
(19:04):
around the state bringing them hands on science. So there's
a lot of kids here in Massachusetts through getting Discovery
Museum every day, whether it's at our museum or in
their classrooms.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Sounds great.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I really do appreciate the time you took, Marie, and
again it is Discovery actin act on dot org.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
And I'll see at the Discovery Museum at some point,
I'm sure, well there'll be a return trip on our
Grandson's agenda.
Speaker 6 (19:30):
Okay, thank you, very fantastic, Thanks so much, Dan, Thanks
good night.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
When we get back right after the news, we're going
to talk about something that all of us in the great.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Boston area are very familiar with, and that is traffic congestion.
Dan Mozella, operations director for the Boston division of Total
Traffic and with a network and also a traffic reporter,
will join us and we're going to learn what we
know that traffic congestion in Boston is bad, very bad.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
My name's Dan Ray. This is Nightside. Here comes the
News at the bottom of the.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Houri with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
We're about to talk about something everybody in Massachusetts, everybody
in Greater Boston it's very familiar with, and that is
traffic congestion.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Dan Mozella joins us.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
He's the operations director for Boston Total Traffic and Weather Network.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Dan, it's not getting better.
Speaker 7 (20:25):
And you know what, Dan, I'm always gonna have a
job because of it.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah, what what?
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Well, when they finished the big dig, I know it's
going to have a positive impact on.
Speaker 7 (20:35):
The course of course you and I will well see
the day that the Big dig will get finished.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
How does thank God? So so?
Speaker 2 (20:45):
How do this is a national survey? Yeah, I don't
know how they raided cities or whatever, but I see
that they have a big map in Boston's on the map.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
How bad is it here in Boston to other cities?
Please tell me there's some other cities that are worse
than Boston.
Speaker 7 (21:05):
Oh, there will always be cities that are more worse
off than Boston. The thing about Boston is that we
have literally no room to expand or change things right now.
And that's why we have so much congestion because I
guess no one plans for population growth. No one thought
(21:27):
more cars would come in to play. And you know,
I guess bikes have kind of taken over a lot
of areas.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
And that's been good for traffic congestion.
Speaker 7 (21:39):
Have you ever heard the phrase snowball effect? You know,
this is this is exactly what happened with the bike lanes.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Yeah, well that was brilliant and I was an outspoken
critic of the proliferation.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Of bike lanes just as a driver.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I mean, I feel like that there's a that there
was an effort, an affirmative effort, to eliminate cars in Boston.
They wanted to turn Boston, and they, being the powers
that be, wanted to turn Boston into like Amsterdam or
Copenhagen where everybody is on a.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Bike and it's not going to it is no.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
And the thing and the thing about it is that
you know, the bikes and all that stuff was first
before cars over in countries like that, because you know,
cars have only been around for it's like one hundred
and thirty one hundred and fifty years or something like that, right, So,
(22:38):
so like in other countries, especially in Europe, I mean,
everything has just been small. You know, it was really
made for horses and just walking and and and that's
the thing. So over there, yeah, they're more built for
that because that's the way it's always been. But over
here where we have the highway system, you know, it
(22:59):
was it was Eisenhower that came back from Europe after
World War Two and said, hey, this highway thing was
a great idea. Let's try it and put it everywhere
across the US, which you know served a purpose because
in the event you need to move the military from
one side of the country to the other. They you know,
tanks can fit in the in the highway lanes and
(23:22):
everything and get across. But at the same time, some
cities that were here before all that was thought of,
we have nowhere to expand and Boston is that perfect example,
where it's not a planned city, you can't add to it,
and if you try to add to it, you got
to sacrifice something else.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
It's not Phoenix, Arizona, where you can do this three
and sixty days a year. Maybe you get a couple
of really bad days with dust storms.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
And you know what, that's more than true, because you
know we've we've I mean, when do they do all
the paving in the summer. What happens in the summer
everyone travels well.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
The other thing, too, is with the highway system, and
people forget that it was the Eisenhower administration. It's probably
one of the things besides the fact that there was
kind of packs Americana. World War II was one, Korea ended,
and you had this period where America kind of took
a deep breath and they built highways, and it allowed
(24:20):
suburbs to develop. It allowed people to live a little
bit outside of the city. You didn't have to live
in Boston with between mass av and the North End
to work in Boston. You live in Wellesley or wherever.
But then they just put flipped it on its head
and said we don't want anyone you know now, we
(24:41):
just want to take care of bicyclists, and the only
people who are driving bicyclists. You don't have many fifty
sixty year old business people who were driving riding a bicycle,
you know, carrying there at that shay case.
Speaker 7 (24:55):
You know exactly.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
It's for you know, college students with the back, which
is great, okay, but they basically have taken over and
it's only gonna mean worse congestion going on. I mean,
we don't need a traffics are. We have a trafficsar.
I think it was called like the King of the
Streets or something like that.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
And can we also throw mopeds into this as well,
because those those are everywhere nowadays and they they are
they are just as disruptive as as people on bikes
or just people just not caring about you know, the
rules of the road and other things like that. It's
there are It feels like every time they solve one problem,
(25:36):
something else just comes along and takes its place. It's
kind of like a crash.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Well, well, Dan, here's the dirty little secret that I've
figured out, and you probably.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
A fool tell me more than me, and that.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Is that the fight now is not between cars and bikes.
The fight now is between mopeds, scooters and bikes. Yeah,
the bicyclist want unfitted use of the bike lane, and
they want those mopeds and those electric vehicles and those scooters.
They want those people risking their lives out out in
(26:08):
the right the ever dimension traffic lanes.
Speaker 7 (26:13):
Basically, if it has a motor, it belongs with everyone else.
If it's a bike, no motor, you belong in the
bike lane. That's that's kind of where the philosophy I
think lies right now. But you know, when I read
this study and everything it says, you know, traffic is brutal,
traffic is insane, even on weekends. That is true. I
have noticed that there has been a big increase of
(26:35):
this on the weekends. But everyone else is also saying
with this study that that that it's it's it's getting
busier because you know where we're all going back to
work now, more people are getting back in the cars,
more ride shares. I also want to throw into the
(26:55):
mix here, it was a couple of weeks ago companies
are moving to Boston. I think has Bro just announced
that they're going to be leaving Providence in coming to Boston.
So you got to bring all their employees up here
as well. So Boston is a destination in a city
that you know, companies want to come to. So the
state just gets a population boom, not it doesn't stagger.
(27:20):
It just happens all at once, just like the Big
dig as you and I've always talked about, Dan, it
just happens all at once and we're all just here
for the ride.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Well, I'll tell you the ride's are going to get
any smoother. And by the way, when you talk about
the the you know, mopeds or the electric scooters or whatever,
I think it's dangerous to put people who have no
protection physical protection around them out with cars. I think
that in my opinion, I could be wrong, and you
(27:50):
might disagree with me. I think the bike lanes have
to accommodate scooters, have to accommodate unicycles, bicycles, bicycles, mopeds,
anything like that where it's a one person vehicle should
be in the vike lands because for the bicyclist to
say to the to the moped drivers or the scooter riders,
(28:11):
you got to go out there with the traffic and
the eighteen wheelers. That's thank them to death.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
It is that that is very unfair. And you know what,
it's two different classes of vehicles, two different I mean,
I think some people have said, you'd think you don't
even need like a license for some style of mopeds
or anything like that. But yeah, it's just not fair.
It's not fair, and it's not it's not right. But
(28:40):
you know, this is the thing that I think we've
been saying for a while. Dan, It's just Boston can't
expand its roads unless something gets sacrificed.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Why can't we like have some apartment buildings built. I
don't know, like maybe twenty miles east of the seaport. Oh,
that's right, that's the Atlanta to ocean.
Speaker 7 (29:02):
Yeah, a kind of a sinking hazard, you know, Dan, if.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
They put you and me in charge of everything, we
could solve it in about two years. That become a
lot of unhappy people, but would solve them.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
You know what.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
I'm a traffic reporter. I gave up with people liking
me a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Yeah, I'm always talk I'm for half the people like him,
because I know half. Thanks Dan, we'll talk to you
soon about appreciate it, all right, Dan, have a good night.
All right, Dan Mazzella my favorite not only traffic reporter,
but he's the operations director for the Boston Division of
Total Traffic and Weather Network and also a traffic reporter.
(29:40):
We get back. We're going to talk about something we
all can agree upon. They found a thirty to million shot,
a one in thirty million lobster. He's black and orange. Oh,
the colors of Syracuse. Feel free stay with us. We're
gonna talk with Sierra Muno's outreach program direct at the
Marine Science Center and Coastal Sustainability Institute at Northeastern University.
(30:05):
I'm a talk show host at WBZ. These folks must
have the biggest business cards of the world. They got
such impressive titles. We'll be back with Sierra Munya's right
after the break.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
News Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Delighted to welcome Sierra Munos. Sierra, I hope I pronounced
your last name correctly.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Sierra got it just right.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Great, excellent outreach program coordinator at the Marine Science Center
and Coastal Sustainability Institute at Northeastern University. So this group
that you're the program the outreach program coordinator for is
A is part of Northeastern university. You in effect work
for Northeastern I.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Believe correct, that's right.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Yeah, And what does.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Reach program coordinator do. Let's let's let's plug the location,
and who do you outreach to and who can avail
themselves of your programs?
Speaker 4 (31:03):
Yeah, thank you for the opportunity. Yeah. So Northeastern has
you know, campuses, you know, kind of all over the
country in the world, but not too far from Boston
is the Nahant Campus and it's the home of the
marine and environmental sciences research that happens at the university.
(31:24):
And we have absolutely beautiful campus and just really innovative
coastal research coming out of it. And so our team
prioritizes making connections with the broader community and really like
getting the science that's happening inside the lab, learning about
marine habitats and the animals that live there and you know,
(31:46):
the habitats that we all depend on getting that information
outside of labs and into the hands of the people
who are living there. So we see thousands of folks
every year at the center and we connect with folks
with online resources as well. It's primarily for our program
like CATA twelve students who live near the center, but
(32:10):
we you know, we have teachers from all over Massachusetts,
all over the country that are using the resources, the
curriculum and lesson plans that we build to kind of
use these really cool marine habitats and creatures to connect
to ecology and biology and just the sort of magic
of the natural world.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
How big is the facility? Are you in a huge
spot of land?
Speaker 4 (32:36):
No, yeah, no, it's it's it's a pretty small space.
It's beautiful location. And actually the Marine Center is actually
housed in one of the World War era bunkers that
sort of dot up and down the New England coast.
So the the aquaria tanks that I manage in the
(32:57):
classroom that I use is actually inside one of these
bunkers that's been retrofitted to now have research of you know,
all different kinds of environmental research and all different programs.
It's it's really unique and cool.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
So you have a good you have a good view
of the Atlantic Ocean.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Okay, so recently you had a donation a what's called,
I guess a rare calico lobster. We think cats, but
we've never thought of I've never heard of a calico lobster.
But I guess they're very distinctive black and orange.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Yeah, that's right. Yeah, so, and you know Calico casts
as a comparison, it's it's it's pretty close because similarly,
they have these like patchy patterns on their shelves.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
And it's basically caused when you know, the the pigments
are telling their shell to to present and kind of
express in different colors. And it really catches the eye
because it's it has like this bright orange which is
this compound called astafanthin, and then that compound is connected
(34:08):
in like strange blocky ways with another pigment and makes
this really beautiful kind of halloweini orange and black lobster.
We were so so excited to get it at the aquarium.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Now, first of all, how old is this lobster and
how long how old will this lobster he or she
uh live as a calicol lobster?
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Does it impact their life expectancy?
Speaker 4 (34:33):
Yeah? So that that's a great question. I love, I
love the questions this you know inspires. You know, so
we we don't really know exactly how old this lobster is,
but generally lobsters that are caught by lobster fishermen and
are you know, sized to be legally caught, which any
of the donations that we get are you know, legal
(34:56):
size for catch, And we generally think of those as
being maybe like six to eight years old on the
youngest side. So we would guess that this calico we
named her Jack o' lantern. Actually, my kids nato that. Yeah,
so we would guess that she's maybe like maybe seven
years old. She's on the smaller side certainly.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
And the question about you know, how long can she live?
Lobsters can really live a long time once they are
you know, full grown. They don't have too many natural predators. Now,
you can imagine that a really like traffic cone orange
and black, blotchy lobster would kind of stick out right,
(35:39):
And so we guess that one of the reasons that
these you know, bright blues or bright oranges are so
rare and nature is, yeah, they might they might make
easier prey when they're smaller for animals that are looking
for a meal under the water.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Wow, So was this lobster now because of the pattern
and being a one in thirty million, will this lobs
to spend the rest of his or her life under
your care?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
At noise yeah she could. Yeah, so this is a
female lobster. We have a few others in our tanks
and they all kind of have their own space because
they're a little territorial. We have a beautiful blue lobster
as well. That's a male a little bit older. We
got earlier in the summer from another lobster fisherman. And yeah,
(36:30):
you know, we keep animals, and we are really lucky
at the Marine since Center to have a flow through
seawater system, which means that we're able to house these
animals in you know, the same water that they would
be getting in their natural habitat. And so you know,
they're really happy. I have an awesome team of undergraduate
(36:51):
students at Northeastern who helps me, who helped me tend
these animals, so you know, they can live really long
and happy lives. They get, you know, several meals a
week of their favorites. They love blue, muscle and haring.
You know, we we do try to kind of cycle
out the tanks. Sometimes we will end up releasing an
animal back into the wild after a year or two,
(37:11):
you know, just to make room or if we you know,
feel like we want to, you know, kind of change
things up.
Speaker 8 (37:18):
But you're not like you're not likely to release a
lobster quote, right, No, No, I mean this this is
really unique, uh and special to have.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
And so yeah, we're we're we're gonna hold on to
her for quite a while.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
And is is can the public come and see her
or is this a closed you know location that the
public is you know not you just don't have the
capacity to accommodate.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
The Yeah, yeah, so yeah, thanks for the question. So
we do have kind of intermittent public tours. So we
have a website. You can google Northeastern Marine Center and
there are public tours and those are run by undergraduate
students on my team. We're trained, they're they're you know,
(38:07):
we we wish we would love to do them more frequently,
but it's all about.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Okay, yeah, give me the website one more time and
then I gotta let you run Marine Science Center.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
Yes, so if you if you just search up Northeastern
Marine Science Center, you can find that you can find
the different programs we do and kind of ways to
you know, support and learn about the programs.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Oh that's great, Sierra, Thank you so much for your time.
I'm getting I got so interested in this subject. I
went thirty seconds longer than we should have. Thanks so
much for your time and maybe stop. Uper will see
the Calico Sunday.
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Thank you so much, fantastic, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Have a great night. We came back and be talking
with good night. Good night, Sier.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
We get back on to talk with former New Hampshire
Senator John Sonunu. He is running in the Republican primary
against Scott Brown. We had Scott Brown on last week.
We'll have john Sonuda one on right after the nine
o'clock news. Former US Center from New Hampshire, Republican John
Senunu coming up.
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Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!