September 12, 2024 • 39 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!
Nikki Stewart - Executive Director of Old North Illuminated, which operates Old North Church & Historic Site with Friday the 13th: After-Hours Crypt Tours Begin Below Old North Church and run through Halloween weekend.
The Freedom Trail Historic Lantern Tours Are Back! With Bill Benson -Freedom Trail Player/Actor.
Mass General Brigham Doctor Urges Men to Get Recommended Screenings for National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Dr. Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, MBA, co-founder, Prostate Cancer Outreach Clinic at Mass General Brigham & urology surgeon checked in!
Alberto Vasallo – Owner of El Mundo on Hispanic Heritage Month - El Mundo Boston Hispanic Heritage Breakfast on Friday, September 20th.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!
Nikki Stewart - Executive Director of Old North Illuminated, which operates Old North Church & Historic Site with Friday the 13th: After-Hours Crypt Tours Begin Below Old North Church and run through Halloween weekend.
The Freedom Trail Historic Lantern Tours Are Back! With Bill Benson -Freedom Trail Player/Actor.
Mass General Brigham Doctor Urges Men to Get Recommended Screenings for National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Dr. Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, MBA, co-founder, Prostate Cancer Outreach Clinic at Mass General Brigham & urology surgeon checked in!
Alberto Vasallo – Owner of El Mundo on Hispanic Heritage Month - El Mundo Boston Hispanic Heritage Breakfast on Friday, September 20th.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Nicole, you had me worried. I thought there might have
been another person sitting in. Yeah, I'm here. My name
is Dan Ray.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
How are you I need more coffee?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Clearly? So I'm gonna go do that.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Well, you take over, you can drive.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Okay, You're good to go. You've got the show, I
think so. I think so.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Can you take the wheel for the next four hours.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I'm gonna get out of here.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
No, you deserve it. You've always worked too hard. No,
the great Nicole Davis, ladies and gentlemen, my name's Dan Ray.
They're not so great. Dan Ray here everybody through Friday
night from eight until midnight. Rob Brooks, the Great Rob Brooks,
is in the control room. He will set you up
for phone calls. Beginning after the nine o'clock news first
hour tonight, we'll be introducing your four guests. They will
be a variety of topics, a little bit of a
(00:47):
Pope prie every night, and it gives you some sense
of what's coming up, what's going on, and maybe what's
happening something like that. And then later on this evening
you'll get into some real discussions about the new Massachusetts
gun law that goes into effect on October twenty third.
We'll also have a guest talking about the history of
the American Mafia and so well, well, well, we certainly
(01:11):
will inform, we will even maybe entertain you a little bit,
because I think it's important for people to have their
minds stimulated in whatever way, in whatever point of view
you have. If you're in favor of the mafia, you
can call if you're posting them, only kidding, only kidding,
you know what I'm saying. Let us begin tonight with
Nikki Stewart. She's the executive director of the Old North Illuminated,
(01:34):
which operates the Old North Church and historic site. Nikki Stewart,
Welcome to Night's Side. How are you.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
I'm good, Thanks for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
So this Friday the thirteenth, which is tomorrow, and that
gets us almost halfway through September, which means we're a
month and a half away from Halloween. Okay, I'm here. Yeah,
it's that time of year. The some after hours crypt
(02:04):
tours below the Old North Church. Now they're not every day,
so we want to make sure that people are not
showing up there on days when these tours aren't running,
we'll get to the schedule. But first of all, I
didn't realize what are there eleven hundred people buried uh.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
In the Old North Church. Wow?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I that a few of those names probably are familiar
to most of us. M H. I want to run
a couple of bids.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Paul re is not with us, although Old North is
most known for the two if I see lantern signal
on the night of ye well.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Also, I'm not mistaken, was a shopkeeper very near the
Old North Church as well. It was near and he
kind of brings into the into town for a for
a religious feast one Sunday or Saturday night. No so
so us who's who's there? I assume some of the
religious leaders of the Old North Church.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Yes, so the first rector is under the church and
the tomb under the altar. Of course, I think our
most famous occupant is Major General John Pitcairn, who was
the commander of the British Marines at the Battle of
Bunker Hill and unfortunately was mortally wounded in the battle
and was brought back to Old North which had been
(03:26):
serving as a field hospital at the time, and then
was Yes, was interred in one of the tombs under
the church.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
So this is really a dumb question, but I get
to ask all sorts of questions. How deep do these
crypt does this crypt go? Or these tombs? If there
are eleven hundred of them. I didn't realize that there
was that much space beneath the old North Church.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Oh, that's a great question, and the answer is surprising.
So there are thirty seven tombs under the church, and
as you say, eleven hundred burials. So people very quickly,
you know, pull out their calculators and say, that doesn't
make sense.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, that's about thirty there's thirty spots in each tomb.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
I guess, well, each tomb could hold up to twenty burials,
give or take. And what is an unpleasant piece of
history is that the church sexton would have to rearrange
the coffins and the burials every time a new roommate,
if you will, was put into a tomb. But what
(04:29):
the church would do, and this was totally a legitimate practice,
is that every few decades, and at least once or
twice in the church's history, they would clean out the
older tombs and the burials would be placed very respectfully
into what was called the charnal pit, very common in
churches in Europe and practice here at Old North. So
(04:50):
they knew that that would happen. But then the tomb
would be cleaned out, swept, the remains would go into
the charnal pit, and then the tomb could be used again.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
What let me ask you this, what is the phrase
I'm hearing the word pit? Is it like the eternal pit?
Is that what you're saying?
Speaker 4 (05:05):
It's a so it's called the charnal pit or sometimes
a charnel house, and it's just an underground you know.
The pit is I guess a very informal word, but
a consecrated place where the remains would come out of
the tombs and go into the pit in the ground,
but they'd be placed, you know, in a respectful way.
(05:28):
And folks knew that that would happen eventually and that
the tomb would be reused.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Oh wow, so are the well again? I don't I
don't want to get too specific here, but I assume
that it's done with great respect hopefully. And it wasn't
like everybody just kind of got dumped into this pit, right.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Nope, Nope, you'd be carefully carefully arranged and placed appropriately.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yep, excellent, excellent. That is good to know. Now, so
tell us about the tours. Apparently they have been restoring
the portion of the church underground for the nine months.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Yeah, so we partnered with the National Park Service to
do a very extensive restoration project in the in the
crypt in twenty twenty three, and so the crypt had
actually been closed for most of last year. And it
was a fascinating project because as part of that work,
some of the original wooden doors were restored, and so
(06:24):
they were removed and taken off site, which allowed a
team of archaeologists to to see into the tombs for
the first time, you know, in decades, if not centuries.
It gave us a lot of new and very interesting
information and so we're incredibly thankful to the National Park
(06:45):
Service for that opportunity. But this these after hours tours
are actually the only opportunity that folks will have to
take a guided tour in the crypt this year, so
it's a very special time.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
So let's talk about timing. First of all, people I
assume can go to the website and sign up.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Right yep, Oldnorth dot com and they will sell out.
So people do want to sign up in advance.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Oldnorth dot com. That's that's NICs been easy. Now, what
what's sort of the availability because I understand this is
going to run through the end of October.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
M So starting on as you say, is Friday the
thirteenth tomorrow torsally running on Friday and Saturday nights at
five thirty and at six fifteen, and then starting on
October eighteenth and running through November two, they'll be running
every night at those times five thirty and six fifteen.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
All right, Well, so again the website one more time
for people who missed it the first.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Time is Old North dot com.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
That's perfect, Nikki, this is fascinating. I'm I know that
it's not sometimes easy to find parking spaces around the
only church.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
But it's actually never easy to find parking.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
So I know that I was speaking I was speaking
a little metaphorically there, but this is this is a
tremendous opportunity, and I hope that a lot of people
will will get to that website night side listeners and
sign up. The ticket prices are very reasonable. I've looked
at them. They're they're not a lot of money whatsoever.
(08:27):
You can have dinner in the North End and and
tour the have an after hour cryptour below the old
North Church, and it'll be an evening that people will never,
never ever forget. Nikki Stewart. You're a great representative. You
explained it. You've answered all of my questions as impertin
as some of them were. But thank you for joining
us tonight.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
You're more than welcome. Well we get back. If you're
a historian, you're going to like our second guest too.
We're gonna be talking with Bill Benson. He is a
Freedom Trail player and actor and he's about to tell
us how the Freedom Trail Historic Lanton Tours are back.
We'll have that right after this break on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio'd.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Like to welcome Bill Benson, who's a Freedom Trail player
and actor. Bill Benson, Welcome to Knights Aid. How are you, sir?
Speaker 5 (09:22):
I'm doing well.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
Thank you Dan for having me on pleasure.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Now, the Freedom Trail Historic Lantin Tours are back. How
long have they run away? First of all, let's start
at the beginning.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
They have been away for a year. We run them
in September and October each year. So it's our one
of our specialty tours that we run in the fall
leading up to Halloween.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Okay, So what happened last year that there were no
no with It toys last September and October there were?
Speaker 6 (09:53):
Yes, Yes, we ran them last fall.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
For ten months. Okay, so this is the annual return.
Now they all Lanta tours. Does this mean there at night?
Speaker 6 (10:05):
They are? They are on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays this
year from mid September. Today was actually the first night.
I gave the inaugural one of the year just a
few hours ago. And they will run through October twenty sixth,
and then we'll do an additional one on Wednesday, October thirtieth,
and they begin at six pm, departing from the Visitor
(10:25):
Information Center on Boston Common.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Okay, now you play as I understand that my producer
told me doctor Samuel Prescott, and I cheated a little bit.
I just checked doctor Prescott out. He only lived to
the age of twenty six. He was famous for having
met Paul Revere as Revere was trying to alert the
countryside what happened that he was your character. Why did
(10:50):
you not get any more than twenty six years doctor Prescott?
Speaker 6 (10:54):
Well, unfortunately, Dan, we're not really sure. He was twenty
four years old on the night of the Midnight Ride.
He was not supposed to be part of the Midnight Ride.
He was one of those accidents of history. Paul Revere
and and William Dawes, both members of the Sons of Liberty,
were riding through the countryside, warning the countryside, and they
(11:16):
were on their way from Lexington toward towards Conquered and
they just happened to bump into doctor Prescott, who was
from Conquered and he was on his way home from
visiting his fiance and Lexington. It was about one in
the morning, and now he happened to be a member
of the Sons of Liberty as well. And you know,
I think he probably figured, Hey, I'm going there anyways,
(11:37):
I might as well ride with you, and the it's
a it's a good thing he did, because further up
the road was a patrol of Redcoats. They you know,
they shouted out to stop because the men were up
past curfew, and so they scattered and the soldiers pursued.
Paul Revere. William Dawes and doctor Prescott both escaped, but
(11:58):
William Dawes was bucked off his horse and Prescott's the
only one who made it that night.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Wow. And he was a physician. So so you, I'm
sure incorporate his story. How long are the tours? How
long are the Lantern tours? What is it? Are they
an hour or so?
Speaker 6 (12:15):
The Lantern tours are ninety minutes, So they go from
six to seven thirty.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Okay, And so they begin you said on the Common,
and I assume they come back to the Common.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
No, they'll actually end at Fanuel Hall. So we run
through part of the Freedom Trail and we you know,
we try to do some of the stories that are
not often told about Boston's history.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Well, you've been doing this for a few years, Bill,
I assume this is a real passion for you. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
I've been with the Freedom Trail Foundation for about twelve
and a half years now.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Yeah, and you are very much a historian and you're
one of the tour guides. You've done this for twelve years.
On your tours, I assume that there's a lot of
New Englanders, but probably a lot of New Englanders. Sometimes
we don't take advantage of great things that are in
our backyard. We will go to Disney World, we will
(13:15):
fly to somewhere in Nashville or something to see, or
to whatever. But the people who come to Boston and
come to are on your tours from all over the
country for that manner, perhaps even somewhere in other parts
of the world.
Speaker 6 (13:34):
Absolutely, I get guests from all over the world, all
over the country, and yes, like you said, sometimes our
own backyard. And often they'll they'll tell me, they'll say,
I haven't been on the Freedom Trail since you know,
I was in third grade and we went on a
field trip. So it's really cool to show them around,
especially on the Lantern Tour, because the Lantern Tours, you know,
it's part of the Freedom Trail that that most people
(13:55):
don't see. It's we like to say, it's you know,
it's the darker store worries of Boston's history, a bit
more gruesome. The stories that I like to say, kind
of lurk in the shadows. But it's important to note
that it's it's not a ghost tour. You know, everything
you hear on the Land and Tour is true and
and really shows I think that history can be sometimes
(14:17):
just as or even more chilling than a ghost ghost story.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I love the imagery, I really do love the imagery,
and I think that a lot of families could could
take advantage of this. On an average tour, how many
folks are with you as you as you walk along
the trail, You.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
Know, it can really vary. It depends, you know, on
the time of day. If we're at one of our
peak times on our standard walk into History tour, the crowds,
especially in the summer, can get quite large. When they're
at peak times. We do try to send out more
than one guide to split the group. We are also
wearing microphones. But then at other times they can be
(15:00):
a little bit smaller, a bit more intimate. The Lantern
tour that I just gave tonight at six o'clock had
seven people on it, so we had a really great
experience where I could really tell them and the stories
and cater to what they wanted to hear and the
questions that they wanted to ask.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
So so you're you're you have a microphone on it
so people can hear you, which is great. Okay, do
they have headsets as well? Or is it? Or is
it they simply rely upon your microphone.
Speaker 6 (15:28):
It does rely on the microphone. But I will say
Dan that I can project quite well with the microphone,
so I don't think you'll have trouble hearing me.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
No, I and you sound like you have a great
a great voice for this.
Speaker 6 (15:41):
And thank you again.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Let's let's tell people how they can get information, because
I'm sure there are people listening right now who are interested.
But what what can they do to get tickets? Can
they just show up? I assume it's better to get
tickets in advance.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Yes, so I would definitely recommend getting tickets in advance.
While our normal tours you can purchase them at the site.
The visitor information center is closed by the time this
tour is departing, so you can purchase tickets in advance
on our website. Thusfreedomtrail dot org pretty easy.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
And again the information center on the common. Is that
close to the Park Street station.
Speaker 6 (16:24):
Yes, it's very close to Park Street station. That's one
thirty nine Tremont Street. It's a green building right along
Tremont Street. You can't miss it.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Perfect, Okay. I just wanted to locate it for people
so they wouldn't be lost so if they're coming into
the MBTA to get off the Park Street station and
they're ready to go. I just think it's great. And
I admire folks like you who not only historians, but
also you want to replicate history and make and spread
(16:52):
history to other people. And I do hope that a
lot of people this would be really great for families
with kids in the fourth, fifth, sixth grade who maybe
know a little bit about the Revolutionary War, but really
we'll be able to kind of become almost part of
it by being on one of these lantern tours. So
I would highly recommend it, and and it sounds to
(17:14):
me like you'll do a great job. You did a
great job for me tonight, Bill Benson, thanks so much
for being with us on night side.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Dan, all right, my friend, we'll talk soon. Will we
get back right after the news. At the bottom of
the hour here in WBS, we're going to talk about outreach.
This is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and we're going
to be talking with a doctor for the Mass General
Brigham about outreach, very important issue. And then later on
at eight forty five, we're going to talk about Hispanics
(17:41):
had Heritage Month, with the owner of El Mundo Boston,
Hispanics Hispanic Heritage Breakfast sponsored by Al Mundo. We'll be
talking with Alberto Vassalo, So stay with us. And then
we're going to be talking at nine o'clock tonight about
a piece of legislation that a lot of people are
happy with and a lot of people are unhappy with,
(18:01):
and we'll play that one out for you, as well
as talk about a history of the American mafia a
little bit later on tonight as well. So we have
lots of information. Stay with us. My name is Dan Ray.
You know, if ever you have problems getting us on
the radio, and there's no reason why you should, because
we have such a big, powerful radio station, what they
call the over the air terrestrial radio station, you can
(18:22):
always get us on iHeartRadio app. It's free and it's available.
You can listen to WBZ News Radio on the iHeartRadio app.
Just go to iHeartRadio app download it for free. Back
on Nightside right after.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
This, You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Thanks to call. September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month,
and to reemphasize that point, we are delighted to be
joined by doctor Quak Trin. He is with the Massachusetts
General Brigham and he urges all men to get screenings
for prostate cancer this month. He is a doctor also,
(19:08):
he has a master's of Business Administration. He's the co
founder of the Prostate Cancer Outreach Clinic at mass General
Brigham and your anc urology surgeon, uh, doctor trind, Welcome
to night set. How are you, sir?
Speaker 7 (19:22):
I am doing well, good evening.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
How are you doing great? Thanks, thank you very much.
Prostate cancer obviously is a cancer that affects men. How
what percentage of men in America at some point in
their life are likely to deal with prostate cancer?
Speaker 7 (19:44):
Actually a fair number of men, you know, depending on
which stat you're looking at, we're talking about one in
seven one and eight men will deal with prostate cancer
at some point in their life.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
You know.
Speaker 7 (19:56):
What's interesting though, is that to some the if you
live long enough as a man, you will get process cancer.
There's been some studies that looked at men above eighty
years old, and actually probably more than half the male
population that's eighty and above has a little bit of
prossa cancer that you know, ultimately our job is to
(20:17):
find the prostate cancers that can potentially cause harm, and
that's the whole idea of screening.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yes, and I am aware of those studies and those statistics,
and I think it's important. I assume, first of all,
if if you're taking if a man is taking an
annual physical in the in the blood work that a
general practitioner would order for a physical, they would check
(20:46):
for any evidence of elevated risks of prostate cancer. I
assume that's correct. I don't want to give bad information,
but yeah, explain it.
Speaker 7 (20:55):
No, absolutely, it's slightly you know, it is a controversy topic.
I think that the current recommendations, what they say is
that a man should have some form of shared decision
making about should they get tested for profty cancer or not.
It's not something that you necessarily have to do on
a yearly basis, but it's definitely something worth discussing what
(21:18):
you're a primary care physician, especially if you are at
risk of profit and cancer.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
So my understanding, and again, you know, I've been very
fortunate in this regard, but my doctors have always said
to me, pay attention to that number and make sure
that number is low and when that number comes back elevated.
That's when that is a sign that someone may be
(21:46):
developing or have developed prostate cancer. As I understand that.
If I'm wrong there, please set me straight.
Speaker 7 (21:53):
Yeah, no, no, you're apt to correct. What makes it
a little bit complicated is that this market you're talking about,
which is the proceeds specific antigen or PSA, it's specific
to the proceeds you know, as a name implies, but
it's also produced by normal prosthetic cells, and they it
(22:14):
will also be produced by inflame process cancer proceeds cells.
So sometimes what's difficult is trying to make the difference
between is this person's PSA is high because they have
a big prostate, because they have a lot of inflammation,
or because they have cancer or some combination of these.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Right, Okay, so what would be the if there is
because you said to me there was some controversy. Obviously,
a false positive is something that can cause people tremendous anxiety.
But it's I assume better to get a false positive
to make sure it's not a positive. I'm just trying
to understand why this controversy over checking for it annually.
Speaker 7 (22:58):
Yeah, there's I'd say that the controversy comes from two
different angles. So one of them is that you mentioned
it actually the whole idea of anxiety, how many people
are you going to make anxious to find profit cancer?
And some of it implies also that if the PSC
is high, we have to do a workup, and a
(23:19):
workup may lead to an invasive test like a biopsy,
and all that whole process is a concern the editor.
The other thing you also need to know is that
a lot of men will have profty cancer and will
die with proftate cancer rather than.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
Off profit cancer.
Speaker 7 (23:37):
So there's also the question about trying to find the
cancers that are problematic and leaving some of these smaller,
slow growing cancers alone. And then you know, if you
screen a lot and then you find a lot of
these smaller cancers, then that causes a lot of anxiety
for nothing, because these cancers may not do anything right.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
So what is the most important age? We often hear
for women and mammograms that they have. They seem to
lower that age now I think it's forty. It used
to be fifty. I might be off a little bit there,
But is there an age at which men should at least,
if not annually periodically be checked. What is the age
(24:19):
that I assume that there are young men who can
develop prostate cancer? But is there an accepted age in
the medical community when there should really be at least
an effort to determine if any sort of a cancer exists.
Speaker 7 (24:35):
Yeah, absolutely, I think, you know, in early fifties would
be a ballpark figure. And there's not like an asset time.
Like if you look at some recommendations, they'll talk about
fifty five years.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
Older and above.
Speaker 7 (24:48):
Some of them will move it a little bit earlier
to forty five, and some of it also depends on
risk factors like race and family history. But I think
that's the age range that you should be at least
having a conversation with your primary care provider about, you know,
is this worth checking? Am I at risk of prosty cancer?
Speaker 2 (25:07):
What do you My understanding is that black American men
are at a higher risk for this particular cancer. I
don't understand why, but I've read that consistently accurate or
are not accurate.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
Yes, it is accurate, you know. Actually, that's that's part
of the field that I am doing a lot of
research in. I think that it is fair to say
that black men are more likely to develop processing cancer.
I think some of the controversy of is about are
black men more likely to die of processing cancer? So
if you look at the facts, the answer is yes,
(25:41):
because there's a more than twofold higher mortality rate in
black men compared to white men. The question is like why, right,
is it because of biology or is it about utter
factors like social determines of health, access to care, access
to treatment, and all the things that you know.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Or die initial diet? Is diet considered a factor there?
Speaker 5 (26:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (26:03):
Absolutely so. So all these factors are being studied and
make that conversation about why black men are more likely
to die of profitty cancer? Uh, you know, controversial, right,
there's a lot of conversation about that.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
So what can we suggest again, you're the the co
founder of the Prostate Cancer Outreach Clinic at mess General Brigham.
You're also a surgeon, neurology surgeon. What can men take
away from our conversation tonight? Of whatever background they are,
of whatever age they are, what what should they do?
(26:42):
You know, yeah, reaching out to you, not to you personally,
but I mean what should they do? No?
Speaker 7 (26:50):
I think I think men should be empowered and be
informed about profety cancer. And you know, you have to
do your research, you have to understand and and you
have to ask your primary care physician if this is
something that is worth pursuing, because you know, as I
said earlier, a lot of men die with prosy cancer.
They don't die of prosy cancers, but there's still a
(27:10):
significant number of men. It is a significant cause of
death for men of cancer, and we as physicians and
the medical community, we want to be sure that we
find those cancers that are potentially lethal and take care
of them. And part of that is having this conversation
tonight about screening and its importance and talking to your
(27:33):
primary care provider.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
So let me ask you one final tough question, doctor Trendon.
That is, if someone's listening tonight and they don't have
a primary care physician, and there are people who do
not have primary care physicians, what can they take away
from this conversation that they can do about this issue.
You know, short of getting a primary care physician, which
is becoming increasingly more difficult by the way.
Speaker 7 (27:55):
There are other ways to potentially get screening for prostly cancer.
You know, one of the things that we do as
part of our outreach efforts is to do some screening.
You know, you what you mentioned is absolutely true. We've
definitely done some outreach events.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (28:09):
And one recently in the construction site and a lot
of people mentioned that is that I don't have a
private care provider, and you know, this is something that
we are happy to provide. But I do want to
emphasize having a primary a primary care position is very important.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (28:25):
You know, ultimately it will you know, we're talking about
proceed cancer screening, that are so many other things and
maybe this conversation we're having right this minute is a
good opportunity to tell that to everyone that you know, men,
we have to take care of our health and have
and that starts with having a primary care.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Physician, no doubt. Doctor Trent, thank you so much for
your time and also thank you for what you do. Uh.
Doctor Quadtrin of the Mass General Brigham talking about the
fact that this is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and
whether you're a man or a woman. If you're a
woman and there's there's there are men in your life,
(29:03):
please have them take note of this and you can
play this for them. Just go to a nightside on
demand tomorrow and you can play this on our website,
This conversation with the men in your in your lives,
in your lives. Thanks so much, doctor, I really appreciate
the opportunity you you You've been really wonderful to spend
the time with us tonight.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
Hey, it's my pleasure. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Okay, talk So when we get back, we're going to
talk about Hispanic Heritage Month with the The owner of
El Mundo, Alberto Asalo, will join us coming back on Nightside.
Stay right with us.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Proud to be in the Window World Nightside Studios for certain.
My name is Dan Ray, the afore mentioned Dan Ray.
And now I am delighted to welcome Alberto Asalio, the
owner of El Mundo. Most people in Boston know ALBERTA.
Asalio because he's done so many things, and not only
in the field of journalism, but in sports broadcasting. Alberto Walgman, Nightside.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
How are you, Dan?
Speaker 3 (30:10):
How are you today?
Speaker 5 (30:11):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I'm doing great. I'm doing great. First of all, I
think everyone knows El Mundo, which has been around Boston
for decades it was your dad, if I'm not mistaken,
who founded El Mundo. Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Fifty two years ago, nineteen seventy two. Almundo Boston started
in a basement in Cambridge. My father had just come
over from Cuba as a young twenty three year old
and there was much smaller community, but there was no
real way for folks who spoke Spanish in Boston to communicate,
so he started El Mundo newspaper.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Pretty courageous and also probably fortunate young man to get
out of Cuba at that point in time. That was
a tough time to try to get out of Cuba
in nineteen seven. Yeah, he didn't.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
He didn't get out.
Speaker 5 (31:04):
He escaped.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Oh I know that. No, that that's exactly what I mean.
So this was this was not like going to the
airport and buying a ticket from Havana to Boston. It
was a little tougher than that.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
So yeah, and my dad's wanted you know, and I
think you met my dad. But my dad's one of
those one of those old Cuban guys who always tells me,
even though I was born in Boston, that he's more
American than me, because he's an American by choice. He
became a citizen as soon as he could. And I
(31:34):
was just lucky to have been born in Boston.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
He said, Roberto, I happened to agree with you. Dad,
I must tell you I was I was born in
Boston too. I was lucky. I was born at the
Farcdone Hospital. You probably were born at one of the
great Boston hospitals. But we were lucky because we were
born here. Those people I had a great friend, Alberto
Salazar's dad, Jose and Maria Salazzau. I don't know if
you remember them, but they.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Know he wanted he won the marathon and eight eighty one.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Yes he did, Yes he did. But I knew his
dad and his and his mom and Jose had to
escape from from Cuba. So we forget that those were
tough times. I mean that that was a point in
time for someone to be able to get off that island,
that island prison and come here a man of great courage.
(32:21):
So I'm sure the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree.
This is Hispanic Heritage Month, and there's a big Boston
Almundo Boston Hispanic Heritage Breakfast coming up, not tomorrow, but
a week from tomorrow, tell us all about it.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Yeah, so I stole this idea from the Irish.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
That's okay. So a lot of people stole from the Irish,
that's no problem.
Speaker 5 (32:48):
Yeah, And I.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Could say that because I'm Irish too, by.
Speaker 5 (32:51):
The way, I know, I know, I love it.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Thanks to you guys. This was born because I grew
up in Boston. Every Saint Patrick's Day, I'd wake up
and I'd watched Saint Patrick's State but East and I see,
you know, all these elected officials having a great time.
You know, you're seeing them in a different light. And
I said, hey, wait a minute, why can't we start
this tradition. You know, at that time was Mayo Menino
and Governor Deval Patrick, And I said, why don't we
(33:15):
do this breakfast with the same format. So it is
a roast format, but we'll just change up the theme,
change up the food a little bit the music.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
But no cornbath and cabbage next Friday.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
I'm sure, right, no, no, no, no, I mean it's great,
but it's a little more spicy. And the truth, you.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Know, corn beef and cabbage is like the last meal
I want any day of the year, particularly on Saint
Patrick's Day. But that's neither here under there.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
And you know we started this, you know, roast format, uh,
and it's grown. It's in its fifteenth year and now
each year we pick a different theme. We get over
six hundred four. I mean, it's a total wall to
wall sold out of event, a sixth straight sellout. We
get more than six hundred people at the Boston Park Plaza.
And it's a fun event because I get to make
(34:05):
fun of Governor Haley Mayor woo Ayana Pressley, all your favorites, all.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Of my favorites what I call a target rich environment Alberto, Yes, yes,
so so, but you've got to be a little light
with their guests. I mean, you don't want me out
there as the toastmaster, if you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Yeah, but we have fun with it, and really, at
the end of the day, it's really it's really about
celebrating commonalty and unity more than differences. Right, We're all Bostonians.
We're all living in what I consider the greatest city
in the world. And although we make differences on how
to run it and do things, you know, we have
way more in common and difference.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
And that's the theme. And you know, this year.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
You know, Dan, I can probably tell you that most
of your audience probably does. You know, when they hear
veterans of war and lawn, the word Hispanic or Latino
probably doesn't come to mind because they don't know that
many Hispanics have proudly served this country for many years,
especially Puerto Rican's work citizens, right, they're natural citizens and
(35:14):
have done so. And there's a vibrant Latino Veterans Puerto
Ricans monument here in Boston. And there's a great Latino
law enforcement group of Boston of young guys and they're.
Speaker 5 (35:27):
Very happy and proud of being.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Officers, and they want to recruit more guys like that
and more and women.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Absolutely, absolutely, we need a couple of hundred more. I
talked with Larry Calderon, the president of the VPPA, and
we need more officers. And we're down about three hundred officers.
And the ranks need to be filled, and they're being
filled by young black officers, young Hispanic officers. And just
as the face of the city changes, so does the
(35:54):
face of law enforcement and the fire department. Absolutely, that's
that's that's what happened. Weapons in a great city, and
and and Boston remains a great city. By the way,
I I just earlier tonight for the final was watching
your Ted Talk uh and it was a fabulous open
anybody who could could could find that Ted Talk. It
(36:15):
really did epitomize your experience, who you are, and it
is also reflective of what the city of Boston is becoming.
You know. It's funny. I was thinking tonight before I
came on with you. I know that you've done sportscasting,
uh for you know, on Spanish network Radio network for
the Red Sox, and I look at the Red Sox
lineup these days and we have more Hispanic players, you know,
(36:37):
both we're talking about the pitching staff, third base, center field, wherever,
second base, then system.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, and you know they spouse uh number
one sporting countries like Dominica, Republic, Venezuela for years, Cuba
for years before you know, you know, they can't come over,
like you said.
Speaker 5 (37:01):
It's total.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Things haven't changed much in Cuba, so it's not like
they can come over here. But yeah, we have a
rich history. And I've got a I've got a quiz
for you, a trivia Who is the first Latino inducted
into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
I'm guessing Roberto Clemente.
Speaker 5 (37:20):
You would guess incorrectly.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
I'm going to tell you who it is, Ted Williams.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Oh, that's a good show because his mom was Mexican. Yeah, okay,
you got it exactly that I knew. But I didn't think,
you know, I gotta be honest with you, I didn't
think of Mexico as being Latin America. But obviously, you
know my great pal, and I know it's a great
pal of yours, Altiante. You know, he and he and
his beautiful wife, they are a you know, they are
(37:48):
just a fabulous couple. And you think about you know, Eltiante,
his career, he had like three careers career with the Indians,
you know, great season with the Twins, then he came
to the Red Sox. I mean, Louis Tan should be
in the Hall of Fame. That's what we have to do.
We have to work together get Louis Tan in the
Hall of Fame.
Speaker 5 (38:05):
We really do.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
I mean, if you look at his career and you know,
I was working at the sixty eight year and he are,
you know, and then you'll look sure, and then you
look at you know, you know most of his games
he'd pitched one hundred and forty hundred and fifty sixty pitches.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Yeah, that was an easy outing. Yeah he was. Who's
ready to go? Four days later? This is one this
five day stuff, Bruno, I could talk to you all night,
man about sports and heritage. Keep on doing what you're doing.
Best of luck. How could folks get tickets to the
breakfast if if there are any still available?
Speaker 3 (38:36):
No, it is sold out. It is a sold out event. Okay,
We thank you for bringing it to light and maybe
one day.
Speaker 5 (38:43):
You can make it out to our event.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
And and if I see you coming down the aisle,
I may have a few light hearted jabs throwing your.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Way anytime, anytime. You just let me know, okay, as
long as it's like in the winter time, I'm broadcasting
remotely during the summer. As you get my drift all
about it off here, okay.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
All right, take care of thank you, all right.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Alberto Berto Vasilio uh the the owner of elm Mundo.
We are coming back right after the nine o'clock news.
Whenever I get a chance to talk a little bit
of baseball, hey, it makes it makes a good night.
Speaker 6 (39:16):
For me.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
I hope it does for you coming back on nightside
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Nicole, you had me worried. I thought there might have
been another person sitting in. Yeah, I'm here. My name
is Dan Ray.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
How are you I need more coffee?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Clearly? So I'm gonna go do that.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Well, you take over, you can drive.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Okay, You're good to go. You've got the show, I
think so. I think so.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Can you take the wheel for the next four hours.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I'm gonna get out of here.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
No, you deserve it. You've always worked too hard. No,
the great Nicole Davis, ladies and gentlemen, my name's Dan Ray.
They're not so great. Dan Ray here everybody through Friday
night from eight until midnight. Rob Brooks, the Great Rob Brooks,
is in the control room. He will set you up
for phone calls. Beginning after the nine o'clock news first
hour tonight, we'll be introducing your four guests. They will
be a variety of topics, a little bit of a
(00:47):
Pope prie every night, and it gives you some sense
of what's coming up, what's going on, and maybe what's
happening something like that. And then later on this evening
you'll get into some real discussions about the new Massachusetts
gun law that goes into effect on October twenty third.
We'll also have a guest talking about the history of
the American Mafia and so well, well, well, we certainly
(01:11):
will inform, we will even maybe entertain you a little bit,
because I think it's important for people to have their
minds stimulated in whatever way, in whatever point of view
you have. If you're in favor of the mafia, you
can call if you're posting them, only kidding, only kidding,
you know what I'm saying. Let us begin tonight with
Nikki Stewart. She's the executive director of the Old North Illuminated,
(01:34):
which operates the Old North Church and historic site. Nikki Stewart,
Welcome to Night's Side. How are you.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
I'm good, Thanks for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
So this Friday the thirteenth, which is tomorrow, and that
gets us almost halfway through September, which means we're a
month and a half away from Halloween. Okay, I'm here. Yeah,
it's that time of year. The some after hours crypt
(02:04):
tours below the Old North Church. Now they're not every day,
so we want to make sure that people are not
showing up there on days when these tours aren't running,
we'll get to the schedule. But first of all, I
didn't realize what are there eleven hundred people buried uh.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
In the Old North Church. Wow?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I that a few of those names probably are familiar
to most of us. M H. I want to run
a couple of bids.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Paul re is not with us, although Old North is
most known for the two if I see lantern signal
on the night of ye well.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Also, I'm not mistaken, was a shopkeeper very near the
Old North Church as well. It was near and he
kind of brings into the into town for a for
a religious feast one Sunday or Saturday night. No so
so us who's who's there? I assume some of the
religious leaders of the Old North Church.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Yes, so the first rector is under the church and
the tomb under the altar. Of course, I think our
most famous occupant is Major General John Pitcairn, who was
the commander of the British Marines at the Battle of
Bunker Hill and unfortunately was mortally wounded in the battle
and was brought back to Old North which had been
(03:26):
serving as a field hospital at the time, and then
was Yes, was interred in one of the tombs under
the church.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
So this is really a dumb question, but I get
to ask all sorts of questions. How deep do these
crypt does this crypt go? Or these tombs? If there
are eleven hundred of them. I didn't realize that there
was that much space beneath the old North Church.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Oh, that's a great question, and the answer is surprising.
So there are thirty seven tombs under the church, and
as you say, eleven hundred burials. So people very quickly,
you know, pull out their calculators and say, that doesn't
make sense.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, that's about thirty there's thirty spots in each tomb.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
I guess, well, each tomb could hold up to twenty burials,
give or take. And what is an unpleasant piece of
history is that the church sexton would have to rearrange
the coffins and the burials every time a new roommate,
if you will, was put into a tomb. But what
(04:29):
the church would do, and this was totally a legitimate practice,
is that every few decades, and at least once or
twice in the church's history, they would clean out the
older tombs and the burials would be placed very respectfully
into what was called the charnal pit, very common in
churches in Europe and practice here at Old North. So
(04:50):
they knew that that would happen. But then the tomb
would be cleaned out, swept, the remains would go into
the charnal pit, and then the tomb could be used again.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
What let me ask you this, what is the phrase
I'm hearing the word pit? Is it like the eternal pit?
Is that what you're saying?
Speaker 4 (05:05):
It's a so it's called the charnal pit or sometimes
a charnel house, and it's just an underground you know.
The pit is I guess a very informal word, but
a consecrated place where the remains would come out of
the tombs and go into the pit in the ground,
but they'd be placed, you know, in a respectful way.
(05:28):
And folks knew that that would happen eventually and that
the tomb would be reused.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Oh wow, so are the well again? I don't I
don't want to get too specific here, but I assume
that it's done with great respect hopefully. And it wasn't
like everybody just kind of got dumped into this pit, right.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Nope, Nope, you'd be carefully carefully arranged and placed appropriately.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yep, excellent, excellent. That is good to know. Now, so
tell us about the tours. Apparently they have been restoring
the portion of the church underground for the nine months.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Yeah, so we partnered with the National Park Service to
do a very extensive restoration project in the in the
crypt in twenty twenty three, and so the crypt had
actually been closed for most of last year. And it
was a fascinating project because as part of that work,
some of the original wooden doors were restored, and so
(06:24):
they were removed and taken off site, which allowed a
team of archaeologists to to see into the tombs for
the first time, you know, in decades, if not centuries.
It gave us a lot of new and very interesting
information and so we're incredibly thankful to the National Park
(06:45):
Service for that opportunity. But this these after hours tours
are actually the only opportunity that folks will have to
take a guided tour in the crypt this year, so
it's a very special time.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
So let's talk about timing. First of all, people I
assume can go to the website and sign up.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Right yep, Oldnorth dot com and they will sell out.
So people do want to sign up in advance.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Oldnorth dot com. That's that's NICs been easy. Now, what
what's sort of the availability because I understand this is
going to run through the end of October.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
M So starting on as you say, is Friday the
thirteenth tomorrow torsally running on Friday and Saturday nights at
five thirty and at six fifteen, and then starting on
October eighteenth and running through November two, they'll be running
every night at those times five thirty and six fifteen.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
All right, Well, so again the website one more time
for people who missed it the first.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Time is Old North dot com.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
That's perfect, Nikki, this is fascinating. I'm I know that
it's not sometimes easy to find parking spaces around the
only church.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
But it's actually never easy to find parking.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
So I know that I was speaking I was speaking
a little metaphorically there, but this is this is a
tremendous opportunity, and I hope that a lot of people
will will get to that website night side listeners and
sign up. The ticket prices are very reasonable. I've looked
at them. They're they're not a lot of money whatsoever.
(08:27):
You can have dinner in the North End and and
tour the have an after hour cryptour below the old
North Church, and it'll be an evening that people will never,
never ever forget. Nikki Stewart. You're a great representative. You
explained it. You've answered all of my questions as impertin
as some of them were. But thank you for joining
us tonight.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
You're more than welcome. Well we get back. If you're
a historian, you're going to like our second guest too.
We're gonna be talking with Bill Benson. He is a
Freedom Trail player and actor and he's about to tell
us how the Freedom Trail Historic Lanton Tours are back.
We'll have that right after this break on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio'd.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Like to welcome Bill Benson, who's a Freedom Trail player
and actor. Bill Benson, Welcome to Knights Aid. How are you, sir?
Speaker 5 (09:22):
I'm doing well.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
Thank you Dan for having me on pleasure.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Now, the Freedom Trail Historic Lantin Tours are back. How
long have they run away? First of all, let's start
at the beginning.
Speaker 6 (09:35):
They have been away for a year. We run them
in September and October each year. So it's our one
of our specialty tours that we run in the fall
leading up to Halloween.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Okay, So what happened last year that there were no
no with It toys last September and October there were?
Speaker 6 (09:53):
Yes, Yes, we ran them last fall.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
For ten months. Okay, so this is the annual return.
Now they all Lanta tours. Does this mean there at night?
Speaker 6 (10:05):
They are? They are on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays this
year from mid September. Today was actually the first night.
I gave the inaugural one of the year just a
few hours ago. And they will run through October twenty sixth,
and then we'll do an additional one on Wednesday, October thirtieth,
and they begin at six pm, departing from the Visitor
(10:25):
Information Center on Boston Common.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Okay, now you play as I understand that my producer
told me doctor Samuel Prescott, and I cheated a little bit.
I just checked doctor Prescott out. He only lived to
the age of twenty six. He was famous for having
met Paul Revere as Revere was trying to alert the
countryside what happened that he was your character. Why did
(10:50):
you not get any more than twenty six years doctor Prescott?
Speaker 6 (10:54):
Well, unfortunately, Dan, we're not really sure. He was twenty
four years old on the night of the Midnight Ride.
He was not supposed to be part of the Midnight Ride.
He was one of those accidents of history. Paul Revere
and and William Dawes, both members of the Sons of Liberty,
were riding through the countryside, warning the countryside, and they
(11:16):
were on their way from Lexington toward towards Conquered and
they just happened to bump into doctor Prescott, who was
from Conquered and he was on his way home from
visiting his fiance and Lexington. It was about one in
the morning, and now he happened to be a member
of the Sons of Liberty as well. And you know,
I think he probably figured, Hey, I'm going there anyways,
(11:37):
I might as well ride with you, and the it's
a it's a good thing he did, because further up
the road was a patrol of Redcoats. They you know,
they shouted out to stop because the men were up
past curfew, and so they scattered and the soldiers pursued.
Paul Revere. William Dawes and doctor Prescott both escaped, but
(11:58):
William Dawes was bucked off his horse and Prescott's the
only one who made it that night.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Wow. And he was a physician. So so you, I'm
sure incorporate his story. How long are the tours? How
long are the Lantern tours? What is it? Are they
an hour or so?
Speaker 6 (12:15):
The Lantern tours are ninety minutes, So they go from
six to seven thirty.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Okay, And so they begin you said on the Common,
and I assume they come back to the Common.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
No, they'll actually end at Fanuel Hall. So we run
through part of the Freedom Trail and we you know,
we try to do some of the stories that are
not often told about Boston's history.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Well, you've been doing this for a few years, Bill,
I assume this is a real passion for you. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
I've been with the Freedom Trail Foundation for about twelve
and a half years now.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Yeah, and you are very much a historian and you're
one of the tour guides. You've done this for twelve years.
On your tours, I assume that there's a lot of
New Englanders, but probably a lot of New Englanders. Sometimes
we don't take advantage of great things that are in
our backyard. We will go to Disney World, we will
(13:15):
fly to somewhere in Nashville or something to see, or
to whatever. But the people who come to Boston and
come to are on your tours from all over the
country for that manner, perhaps even somewhere in other parts
of the world.
Speaker 6 (13:34):
Absolutely, I get guests from all over the world, all
over the country, and yes, like you said, sometimes our
own backyard. And often they'll they'll tell me, they'll say,
I haven't been on the Freedom Trail since you know,
I was in third grade and we went on a
field trip. So it's really cool to show them around,
especially on the Lantern Tour, because the Lantern Tours, you know,
it's part of the Freedom Trail that that most people
(13:55):
don't see. It's we like to say, it's you know,
it's the darker store worries of Boston's history, a bit
more gruesome. The stories that I like to say, kind
of lurk in the shadows. But it's important to note
that it's it's not a ghost tour. You know, everything
you hear on the Land and Tour is true and
and really shows I think that history can be sometimes
(14:17):
just as or even more chilling than a ghost ghost story.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I love the imagery, I really do love the imagery,
and I think that a lot of families could could
take advantage of this. On an average tour, how many
folks are with you as you as you walk along
the trail, You.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
Know, it can really vary. It depends, you know, on
the time of day. If we're at one of our
peak times on our standard walk into History tour, the crowds,
especially in the summer, can get quite large. When they're
at peak times. We do try to send out more
than one guide to split the group. We are also
wearing microphones. But then at other times they can be
(15:00):
a little bit smaller, a bit more intimate. The Lantern
tour that I just gave tonight at six o'clock had
seven people on it, so we had a really great
experience where I could really tell them and the stories
and cater to what they wanted to hear and the
questions that they wanted to ask.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
So so you're you're you have a microphone on it
so people can hear you, which is great. Okay, do
they have headsets as well? Or is it? Or is
it they simply rely upon your microphone.
Speaker 6 (15:28):
It does rely on the microphone. But I will say
Dan that I can project quite well with the microphone,
so I don't think you'll have trouble hearing me.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
No, I and you sound like you have a great
a great voice for this.
Speaker 6 (15:41):
And thank you again.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Let's let's tell people how they can get information, because
I'm sure there are people listening right now who are interested.
But what what can they do to get tickets? Can
they just show up? I assume it's better to get
tickets in advance.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Yes, so I would definitely recommend getting tickets in advance.
While our normal tours you can purchase them at the site.
The visitor information center is closed by the time this
tour is departing, so you can purchase tickets in advance
on our website. Thusfreedomtrail dot org pretty easy.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
And again the information center on the common. Is that
close to the Park Street station.
Speaker 6 (16:24):
Yes, it's very close to Park Street station. That's one
thirty nine Tremont Street. It's a green building right along
Tremont Street. You can't miss it.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Perfect, Okay. I just wanted to locate it for people
so they wouldn't be lost so if they're coming into
the MBTA to get off the Park Street station and
they're ready to go. I just think it's great. And
I admire folks like you who not only historians, but
also you want to replicate history and make and spread
(16:52):
history to other people. And I do hope that a
lot of people this would be really great for families
with kids in the fourth, fifth, sixth grade who maybe
know a little bit about the Revolutionary War, but really
we'll be able to kind of become almost part of
it by being on one of these lantern tours. So
I would highly recommend it, and and it sounds to
(17:14):
me like you'll do a great job. You did a
great job for me tonight, Bill Benson, thanks so much
for being with us on night side.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Dan, all right, my friend, we'll talk soon. Will we
get back right after the news. At the bottom of
the hour here in WBS, we're going to talk about outreach.
This is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and we're going
to be talking with a doctor for the Mass General
Brigham about outreach, very important issue. And then later on
at eight forty five, we're going to talk about Hispanics
(17:41):
had Heritage Month, with the owner of El Mundo Boston,
Hispanics Hispanic Heritage Breakfast sponsored by Al Mundo. We'll be
talking with Alberto Vassalo, So stay with us. And then
we're going to be talking at nine o'clock tonight about
a piece of legislation that a lot of people are
happy with and a lot of people are unhappy with,
(18:01):
and we'll play that one out for you, as well
as talk about a history of the American mafia a
little bit later on tonight as well. So we have
lots of information. Stay with us. My name is Dan Ray.
You know, if ever you have problems getting us on
the radio, and there's no reason why you should, because
we have such a big, powerful radio station, what they
call the over the air terrestrial radio station, you can
(18:22):
always get us on iHeartRadio app. It's free and it's available.
You can listen to WBZ News Radio on the iHeartRadio app.
Just go to iHeartRadio app download it for free. Back
on Nightside right after.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
This, You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Thanks to call. September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month,
and to reemphasize that point, we are delighted to be
joined by doctor Quak Trin. He is with the Massachusetts
General Brigham and he urges all men to get screenings
for prostate cancer this month. He is a doctor also,
(19:08):
he has a master's of Business Administration. He's the co
founder of the Prostate Cancer Outreach Clinic at mass General
Brigham and your anc urology surgeon, uh, doctor trind, Welcome
to night set. How are you, sir?
Speaker 7 (19:22):
I am doing well, good evening.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
How are you doing great? Thanks, thank you very much.
Prostate cancer obviously is a cancer that affects men. How
what percentage of men in America at some point in
their life are likely to deal with prostate cancer?
Speaker 7 (19:44):
Actually a fair number of men, you know, depending on
which stat you're looking at, we're talking about one in
seven one and eight men will deal with prostate cancer
at some point in their life.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
You know.
Speaker 7 (19:56):
What's interesting though, is that to some the if you
live long enough as a man, you will get process cancer.
There's been some studies that looked at men above eighty
years old, and actually probably more than half the male
population that's eighty and above has a little bit of
prossa cancer that you know, ultimately our job is to
(20:17):
find the prostate cancers that can potentially cause harm, and
that's the whole idea of screening.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yes, and I am aware of those studies and those statistics,
and I think it's important. I assume, first of all,
if if you're taking if a man is taking an
annual physical in the in the blood work that a
general practitioner would order for a physical, they would check
(20:46):
for any evidence of elevated risks of prostate cancer. I
assume that's correct. I don't want to give bad information,
but yeah, explain it.
Speaker 7 (20:55):
No, absolutely, it's slightly you know, it is a controversy topic.
I think that the current recommendations, what they say is
that a man should have some form of shared decision
making about should they get tested for profty cancer or not.
It's not something that you necessarily have to do on
a yearly basis, but it's definitely something worth discussing what
(21:18):
you're a primary care physician, especially if you are at
risk of profit and cancer.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
So my understanding, and again, you know, I've been very
fortunate in this regard, but my doctors have always said
to me, pay attention to that number and make sure
that number is low and when that number comes back elevated.
That's when that is a sign that someone may be
(21:46):
developing or have developed prostate cancer. As I understand that.
If I'm wrong there, please set me straight.
Speaker 7 (21:53):
Yeah, no, no, you're apt to correct. What makes it
a little bit complicated is that this market you're talking about,
which is the proceeds specific antigen or PSA, it's specific
to the proceeds you know, as a name implies, but
it's also produced by normal prosthetic cells, and they it
(22:14):
will also be produced by inflame process cancer proceeds cells.
So sometimes what's difficult is trying to make the difference
between is this person's PSA is high because they have
a big prostate, because they have a lot of inflammation,
or because they have cancer or some combination of these.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Right, Okay, so what would be the if there is
because you said to me there was some controversy. Obviously,
a false positive is something that can cause people tremendous anxiety.
But it's I assume better to get a false positive
to make sure it's not a positive. I'm just trying
to understand why this controversy over checking for it annually.
Speaker 7 (22:58):
Yeah, there's I'd say that the controversy comes from two
different angles. So one of them is that you mentioned
it actually the whole idea of anxiety, how many people
are you going to make anxious to find profit cancer?
And some of it implies also that if the PSC
is high, we have to do a workup, and a
(23:19):
workup may lead to an invasive test like a biopsy,
and all that whole process is a concern the editor.
The other thing you also need to know is that
a lot of men will have profty cancer and will
die with proftate cancer rather than.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
Off profit cancer.
Speaker 7 (23:37):
So there's also the question about trying to find the
cancers that are problematic and leaving some of these smaller,
slow growing cancers alone. And then you know, if you
screen a lot and then you find a lot of
these smaller cancers, then that causes a lot of anxiety
for nothing, because these cancers may not do anything right.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
So what is the most important age? We often hear
for women and mammograms that they have. They seem to
lower that age now I think it's forty. It used
to be fifty. I might be off a little bit there,
But is there an age at which men should at least,
if not annually periodically be checked. What is the age
(24:19):
that I assume that there are young men who can
develop prostate cancer? But is there an accepted age in
the medical community when there should really be at least
an effort to determine if any sort of a cancer exists.
Speaker 7 (24:35):
Yeah, absolutely, I think, you know, in early fifties would
be a ballpark figure. And there's not like an asset time.
Like if you look at some recommendations, they'll talk about
fifty five years.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
Older and above.
Speaker 7 (24:48):
Some of them will move it a little bit earlier
to forty five, and some of it also depends on
risk factors like race and family history. But I think
that's the age range that you should be at least
having a conversation with your primary care provider about, you know,
is this worth checking? Am I at risk of prosty cancer?
Speaker 2 (25:07):
What do you My understanding is that black American men
are at a higher risk for this particular cancer. I
don't understand why, but I've read that consistently accurate or
are not accurate.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
Yes, it is accurate, you know. Actually, that's that's part
of the field that I am doing a lot of
research in. I think that it is fair to say
that black men are more likely to develop processing cancer.
I think some of the controversy of is about are
black men more likely to die of processing cancer? So
if you look at the facts, the answer is yes,
(25:41):
because there's a more than twofold higher mortality rate in
black men compared to white men. The question is like why, right,
is it because of biology or is it about utter
factors like social determines of health, access to care, access
to treatment, and all the things that you know.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Or die initial diet? Is diet considered a factor there?
Speaker 5 (26:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (26:03):
Absolutely so. So all these factors are being studied and
make that conversation about why black men are more likely
to die of profitty cancer? Uh, you know, controversial, right,
there's a lot of conversation about that.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
So what can we suggest again, you're the the co
founder of the Prostate Cancer Outreach Clinic at mess General Brigham.
You're also a surgeon, neurology surgeon. What can men take
away from our conversation tonight? Of whatever background they are,
of whatever age they are, what what should they do?
(26:42):
You know, yeah, reaching out to you, not to you personally,
but I mean what should they do? No?
Speaker 7 (26:50):
I think I think men should be empowered and be
informed about profety cancer. And you know, you have to
do your research, you have to understand and and you
have to ask your primary care physician if this is
something that is worth pursuing, because you know, as I
said earlier, a lot of men die with prosy cancer.
They don't die of prosy cancers, but there's still a
(27:10):
significant number of men. It is a significant cause of
death for men of cancer, and we as physicians and
the medical community, we want to be sure that we
find those cancers that are potentially lethal and take care
of them. And part of that is having this conversation
tonight about screening and its importance and talking to your
(27:33):
primary care provider.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
So let me ask you one final tough question, doctor Trendon.
That is, if someone's listening tonight and they don't have
a primary care physician, and there are people who do
not have primary care physicians, what can they take away
from this conversation that they can do about this issue.
You know, short of getting a primary care physician, which
is becoming increasingly more difficult by the way.
Speaker 7 (27:55):
There are other ways to potentially get screening for prostly cancer.
You know, one of the things that we do as
part of our outreach efforts is to do some screening.
You know, you what you mentioned is absolutely true. We've
definitely done some outreach events.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (28:09):
And one recently in the construction site and a lot
of people mentioned that is that I don't have a
private care provider, and you know, this is something that
we are happy to provide. But I do want to
emphasize having a primary a primary care position is very important.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (28:25):
You know, ultimately it will you know, we're talking about
proceed cancer screening, that are so many other things and
maybe this conversation we're having right this minute is a
good opportunity to tell that to everyone that you know, men,
we have to take care of our health and have
and that starts with having a primary care.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Physician, no doubt. Doctor Trent, thank you so much for
your time and also thank you for what you do. Uh.
Doctor Quadtrin of the Mass General Brigham talking about the
fact that this is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and
whether you're a man or a woman. If you're a
woman and there's there's there are men in your life,
(29:03):
please have them take note of this and you can
play this for them. Just go to a nightside on
demand tomorrow and you can play this on our website,
This conversation with the men in your in your lives,
in your lives. Thanks so much, doctor, I really appreciate
the opportunity you you You've been really wonderful to spend
the time with us tonight.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
Hey, it's my pleasure. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Okay, talk So when we get back, we're going to
talk about Hispanic Heritage Month with the The owner of
El Mundo, Alberto Asalo, will join us coming back on Nightside.
Stay right with us.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Proud to be in the Window World Nightside Studios for certain.
My name is Dan Ray, the afore mentioned Dan Ray.
And now I am delighted to welcome Alberto Asalio, the
owner of El Mundo. Most people in Boston know ALBERTA.
Asalio because he's done so many things, and not only
in the field of journalism, but in sports broadcasting. Alberto Walgman, Nightside.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
How are you, Dan?
Speaker 3 (30:10):
How are you today?
Speaker 5 (30:11):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I'm doing great. I'm doing great. First of all, I
think everyone knows El Mundo, which has been around Boston
for decades it was your dad, if I'm not mistaken,
who founded El Mundo. Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Fifty two years ago, nineteen seventy two. Almundo Boston started
in a basement in Cambridge. My father had just come
over from Cuba as a young twenty three year old
and there was much smaller community, but there was no
real way for folks who spoke Spanish in Boston to communicate,
so he started El Mundo newspaper.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Pretty courageous and also probably fortunate young man to get
out of Cuba at that point in time. That was
a tough time to try to get out of Cuba
in nineteen seven. Yeah, he didn't.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
He didn't get out.
Speaker 5 (31:04):
He escaped.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Oh I know that. No, that that's exactly what I mean.
So this was this was not like going to the
airport and buying a ticket from Havana to Boston. It
was a little tougher than that.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
So yeah, and my dad's wanted you know, and I
think you met my dad. But my dad's one of
those one of those old Cuban guys who always tells me,
even though I was born in Boston, that he's more
American than me, because he's an American by choice. He
became a citizen as soon as he could. And I
(31:34):
was just lucky to have been born in Boston.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
He said, Roberto, I happened to agree with you. Dad,
I must tell you I was I was born in
Boston too. I was lucky. I was born at the
Farcdone Hospital. You probably were born at one of the
great Boston hospitals. But we were lucky because we were
born here. Those people I had a great friend, Alberto
Salazar's dad, Jose and Maria Salazzau. I don't know if
you remember them, but they.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Know he wanted he won the marathon and eight eighty one.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Yes he did, Yes he did. But I knew his
dad and his and his mom and Jose had to
escape from from Cuba. So we forget that those were
tough times. I mean that that was a point in
time for someone to be able to get off that island,
that island prison and come here a man of great courage.
(32:21):
So I'm sure the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree.
This is Hispanic Heritage Month, and there's a big Boston
Almundo Boston Hispanic Heritage Breakfast coming up, not tomorrow, but
a week from tomorrow, tell us all about it.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Yeah, so I stole this idea from the Irish.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
That's okay. So a lot of people stole from the Irish,
that's no problem.
Speaker 5 (32:48):
Yeah, And I.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Could say that because I'm Irish too, by.
Speaker 5 (32:51):
The way, I know, I know, I love it.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Thanks to you guys. This was born because I grew
up in Boston. Every Saint Patrick's Day, I'd wake up
and I'd watched Saint Patrick's State but East and I see,
you know, all these elected officials having a great time.
You know, you're seeing them in a different light. And
I said, hey, wait a minute, why can't we start
this tradition. You know, at that time was Mayo Menino
and Governor Deval Patrick, And I said, why don't we
(33:15):
do this breakfast with the same format. So it is
a roast format, but we'll just change up the theme,
change up the food a little bit the music.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
But no cornbath and cabbage next Friday.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
I'm sure, right, no, no, no, no, I mean it's great,
but it's a little more spicy. And the truth, you.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Know, corn beef and cabbage is like the last meal
I want any day of the year, particularly on Saint
Patrick's Day. But that's neither here under there.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
And you know we started this, you know, roast format, uh,
and it's grown. It's in its fifteenth year and now
each year we pick a different theme. We get over
six hundred four. I mean, it's a total wall to
wall sold out of event, a sixth straight sellout. We
get more than six hundred people at the Boston Park Plaza.
And it's a fun event because I get to make
(34:05):
fun of Governor Haley Mayor woo Ayana Pressley, all your favorites, all.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Of my favorites what I call a target rich environment Alberto, Yes, yes,
so so, but you've got to be a little light
with their guests. I mean, you don't want me out
there as the toastmaster, if you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Yeah, but we have fun with it, and really, at
the end of the day, it's really it's really about
celebrating commonalty and unity more than differences. Right, We're all Bostonians.
We're all living in what I consider the greatest city
in the world. And although we make differences on how
to run it and do things, you know, we have
way more in common and difference.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
And that's the theme. And you know, this year.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
You know, Dan, I can probably tell you that most
of your audience probably does. You know, when they hear
veterans of war and lawn, the word Hispanic or Latino
probably doesn't come to mind because they don't know that
many Hispanics have proudly served this country for many years,
especially Puerto Rican's work citizens, right, they're natural citizens and
(35:14):
have done so. And there's a vibrant Latino Veterans Puerto
Ricans monument here in Boston. And there's a great Latino
law enforcement group of Boston of young guys and they're.
Speaker 5 (35:27):
Very happy and proud of being.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Officers, and they want to recruit more guys like that
and more and women.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Absolutely, absolutely, we need a couple of hundred more. I
talked with Larry Calderon, the president of the VPPA, and
we need more officers. And we're down about three hundred officers.
And the ranks need to be filled, and they're being
filled by young black officers, young Hispanic officers. And just
as the face of the city changes, so does the
(35:54):
face of law enforcement and the fire department. Absolutely, that's
that's that's what happened. Weapons in a great city, and
and and Boston remains a great city. By the way,
I I just earlier tonight for the final was watching
your Ted Talk uh and it was a fabulous open
anybody who could could could find that Ted Talk. It
(36:15):
really did epitomize your experience, who you are, and it
is also reflective of what the city of Boston is becoming.
You know. It's funny. I was thinking tonight before I
came on with you. I know that you've done sportscasting,
uh for you know, on Spanish network Radio network for
the Red Sox, and I look at the Red Sox
lineup these days and we have more Hispanic players, you know,
(36:37):
both we're talking about the pitching staff, third base, center field, wherever,
second base, then system.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, and you know they spouse uh number
one sporting countries like Dominica, Republic, Venezuela for years, Cuba
for years before you know, you know, they can't come over,
like you said.
Speaker 5 (37:01):
It's total.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Things haven't changed much in Cuba, so it's not like
they can come over here. But yeah, we have a
rich history. And I've got a I've got a quiz
for you, a trivia Who is the first Latino inducted
into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
I'm guessing Roberto Clemente.
Speaker 5 (37:20):
You would guess incorrectly.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
I'm going to tell you who it is, Ted Williams.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Oh, that's a good show because his mom was Mexican. Yeah, okay,
you got it exactly that I knew. But I didn't think,
you know, I gotta be honest with you, I didn't
think of Mexico as being Latin America. But obviously, you
know my great pal, and I know it's a great
pal of yours, Altiante. You know, he and he and
his beautiful wife, they are a you know, they are
(37:48):
just a fabulous couple. And you think about you know, Eltiante,
his career, he had like three careers career with the Indians,
you know, great season with the Twins, then he came
to the Red Sox. I mean, Louis Tan should be
in the Hall of Fame. That's what we have to do.
We have to work together get Louis Tan in the
Hall of Fame.
Speaker 5 (38:05):
We really do.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
I mean, if you look at his career and you know,
I was working at the sixty eight year and he are,
you know, and then you'll look sure, and then you
look at you know, you know most of his games
he'd pitched one hundred and forty hundred and fifty sixty pitches.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Yeah, that was an easy outing. Yeah he was. Who's
ready to go? Four days later? This is one this
five day stuff, Bruno, I could talk to you all night,
man about sports and heritage. Keep on doing what you're doing.
Best of luck. How could folks get tickets to the
breakfast if if there are any still available?
Speaker 3 (38:36):
No, it is sold out. It is a sold out event. Okay,
We thank you for bringing it to light and maybe
one day.
Speaker 5 (38:43):
You can make it out to our event.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
And and if I see you coming down the aisle,
I may have a few light hearted jabs throwing your.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Way anytime, anytime. You just let me know, okay, as
long as it's like in the winter time, I'm broadcasting
remotely during the summer. As you get my drift all
about it off here, okay.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
All right, take care of thank you, all right.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Alberto Berto Vasilio uh the the owner of elm Mundo.
We are coming back right after the nine o'clock news.
Whenever I get a chance to talk a little bit
of baseball, hey, it makes it makes a good night.
Speaker 6 (39:16):
For me.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
I hope it does for you coming back on nightside
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