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September 23, 2024 38 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! 

Rachel Kaprielian – CEO of Triangle, Inc. - former Massachusetts State Representative and Registrar of Motor Vehicles checked in!

Katie Servis, first female airport manager ever at Cape Cod Gateway and a former Air National Guard member on how airports prepare for a crash/emergency and what you need to know as a passenger. Cape Cod Gateway Airport is holding what is called a Full Scale Exercise this week. What that means…

Diana DiZoglio – MA State Auditor – Born and Raised in Methuen, MA former Rep. of the Area on the Death of Methuen Mayor Neil Perry.

Larry Davis – Maze Master Larry joined us to discuss a Corn Maze In Sterling Named One Of The Best In The Country! Davis Mega Maze.

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 Nightside with Dan Ray on Dobsy Boston's new radio.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thank you, Nicole, I was asking myself that same question.
As a matter of fact, I'm a big sports fan.
But we're going to have more action tonight on Nightside.
Then there's going to be in Toronto or Cincinnati or
Jacksonville or wherever else they're playing some relatively meaningless games.
My name is Dan Ray. I'm the host of Nightside.
Rob Brooks is back in the control room. He is

(00:27):
this program's producer. We are about to begin year eighteen
one week from tonight, and we'll have a little bit
of a celebration, subdued celebration next Monday night, but this
will this week is our wrapping up year seventeen of
this program. So I want to thank all of you
who listen. I want to thank all of you who call,

(00:48):
and I especially want to thank the nurses at Mass
General Hospital. I'm told by a good source that I
have a lot of fans among the nursing staff at
Mass General Hospitals. To all of those nurses, you know
that I really respect doctors, but I love nurses and
I've always loved nurses. They are the ones who provide
the emotional support and the tender loving here that oftentimes

(01:13):
some of us need when we find ourselves in a
little bit of a a little bit of a medical kerfuffle.
Now we'll get back to that later on tonight, maybe
later on this week, and certainly next week, but I
want to start off with a friend of a many
years who, frankly, I haven't talked to in way too long,
Rachel Kaprillion. Rachel Caprillion, former state representative and former Registrar

(01:38):
of Motor Vehicles here in the Commonwealth, was on the
show for a lot of reasons, and tonight she's back
because she has just accepted a position as the new
CEO of a great organization called Triangle. So, first of all,
congratulations to you, Rachel, in a new chapter in your career.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 4 (01:57):
Dan.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
It's so good to be back on with Evan Robb
and it's great to hear you, you know, still doing this,
you know, great radio and eighteen years, I mean, had
that happen so fast?

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Well, seventeen, we start eighteen, so it's not eighteen yet.
It starts eighteen next week, so we only really counted
as seventeen, you know, but.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
Still, I mean, you know, great through.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
That extra year and there, well you continuing to be
a wonderful asset to this commonwealth in so many different areas.
And I remember when we used to sit in studio.
Of course we don't do studio anymore. It's everything is remote.
Tell us about your new challenge Triangle. I'm familiar with
the organization, but some of our and our audience might

(02:41):
not be. Tell us what triangle, what community Triangle serves,
and what Triangle does to help so many people.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Sure, well, thank you firstly for having me on, and
it was that we have had a lot of fun
over the years, and I am very fortunate that I
have done. I've had so many interesting positions and roles
and been able to serve the public in so many ways. So,
going back to when I was like a young state legislator,
I had a real passion for how people who want

(03:14):
to know to work, how are they are connected with
a work opportunity and if there's sort of a through
line to like all my public life and even in
my stint in the corporate sector or working for McDonald's corporation,
it's how do you connect the right workers and skill
sets with things that are in demand and Triangle Inc.
Is a organization that has been around since nineteen seventy

(03:37):
one and was one of the early avant garde human
services organizations that showed the many ways that people with disabilities,
students and adults with disabilities can serve just in such
important ways in the workforce. They started small and trying
sort of different part time opportunities retail and in the

(04:03):
culinary arts, but since then continue to expand and just
finding ways to support people in work and to see
them contribute and be included and really be a part
of life at every level work community and just being
able to contribute as we all want and need to

(04:24):
do as as people.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
Now. My understanding is that Triangle was founded by community
and business leaders in every mold in Metrid, three contiguous
communities very closely cropped north of Boston. Does Triangle only
serve those communities or is it has it expanded out
in recent years?

Speaker 3 (04:44):
Oh yes, so we definitely are, you know, considered to
be a more regional organization. We go to sort of
where the good opportunities are. We're in Salem, We're in Danvers,
We're in Saugus, we're in Randolph have opportunities and partnerships
in Boston, and it really is about, you know, sort

(05:05):
of where we can help employers get good workers and
help people with disabilities have robust and rich lives. And
that is certainly an unemployment opportunities, it's in community partnership opportunities,
it's housing, education, training, and there are just so many
channels where Triangle you know, has really put it stamp

(05:27):
and ensuring that people have you know, richer, more robust
lives and at the end of the day, helping the
communities and the economy in the ways that they live
in work.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, the numbers of people, it's amazing, you know, literally
thousands of people and a lot of testing and examination
and helping people improve themselves. I assume that a lot
of the folks you help are the so called young
people who turn twenty two. And there's a lot of

(05:59):
program that disappear when someone turns twenty two. And I
assume that what Triangle does is try to help these
individuals who, again some may look at as people with disabilities,
but you look at them as people with abilities, and you.

Speaker 4 (06:18):
Want correct and abilities exactly.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
And Dan, you know, you and I both know that
you know, all of we can't none of us can
do everything, like none of us have range to like
do any you know possibility, any work possibility that comes
across our plate. And agreed, these are people with ability.
And it isn't just adults. It's young adults eighteen to
twenty two because a lot of high schools they have

(06:42):
like a high school diplomas, and there's a period of
time where they may not matriculate to college as a
lot of people do right away or go right into
another role, but they're trying to kind of find their place.
They're trying to have the right training, the right supports.
So that's a really critical period of time, the ages
of eighteen to twenty two because individuals and Massachusetts who

(07:03):
have head plans are still supported until they're twenty two.
So we see that a triangle is a great opportunity
to help those those folks kind of find a good
path and help you support with the training and the
pathways that will lead them to a rich and robust
career or or life or or whatever it may be
that will help help them on their way. We also

(07:26):
like to look at the individual you know at a
younger age, like how do we work with schools to
kind of get folks the right you know, if they
have the right aptitudes, if they have the right interests,
or how do we put them on the right path
to that period when they become adults. And then of
course post twenty two, you know, how do we continue
to work with community colleges and training programs and fill

(07:47):
those in demand jobs with people who can do those
jobs with the right kinds of support and trainings. So
it's just how you look at a lot of these things,
and at the end of the day, if a person
has a passion and mistrained, that can be the best
worker you'll ever have. Christ example of that.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Rachel, How can folks get more information on this is
just a quick little appetizer if you will. How can
business or businesses reach out to you to help find
employees capable employees? And how can individuals who might want
to learn more about Triangle or individuals who might want
to try to support it. What's the best way to

(08:27):
get in touch.

Speaker 3 (08:29):
Well, you can certainly go to our website as we
have www. Dot Triangle, dash I, n C inc dot
org and you can learn all about the various offerings
that there is a Triangle and the ways that we
support communities and also some of the community things that
we do. We have a sailing program that we work on,

(08:50):
We have recreational opportunities, We have an advocacy program to
help individuals, you know, promote self accacy and personal safety
and community engagement. So it isn't just the workforce opportunities.
It's all these wrap around other services and just ways
that we can help, you know, people become their best
selves with their greatest ability.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
It's the whole package.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
It is the whole patchage.

Speaker 2 (09:15):
Rachel. Always great to hear You've always looking forward to
seeing you at some point. Triangle Inc, I NC DOT
or go get you there, Rachel, Thanks very much, congratulations
on this next chapter in your life.

Speaker 3 (09:27):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 4 (09:28):
Dan, talk to you soon.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
When we get back here on Nightside, we'll introduce you
to another interesting story and another interesting guest. Katie Service
is the first female import manager of what is now
called Cape Cod Gateway. We will explain and they have
a big event coming up this week that if you
live anywhere near the Cape, we want you to know about.

(09:53):
So stay right with us. We'll be talking with Katie
Service here on Nightside and just a couple of minutes
after brief commercial break.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
I want to say hello to Katie's Service. She's the
first female airport manager ever at Cape cape Cod Gateway.
She's also a former member of the Air National Guard.
Katie Service, Welcome to Nightside.

Speaker 4 (10:19):
How are you hi?

Speaker 3 (10:21):
Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
How long I always think of the airport in Hyanna,
says Hyenna's Airport. How long has it been christened Cape
Cod Gateway? I think that's a great title.

Speaker 3 (10:34):
Since January of twenty twenty one.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
So you guys did that in the middle of COVID
none of us were paying attention. It really is a
great It truly is Cape Cod Gateway because people don't
realize what a great airport it is, easy access and
all of that. So, first of all, congratulations, you've been
the first female airport manager. How long you've been running

(10:58):
the show at Cape Cord Gateway.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
I've been at the airport for ten years and the
manager for seven of those years.

Speaker 2 (11:04):
Oh okay, so you're a very highly experienced manager now
and you are here tonight to tell us about a
full scale exercise this week. I think I know what
you might be talking about, but I'm not sure if
it is what I think you might be talking about.
You don't want to panic the public. I know some
of these programs have been done at Logan Airport as well.

(11:26):
Tell us what's likely going to happen this week and
when this is all pre planned?

Speaker 3 (11:30):
Sure, this is pre planned for sure. So for an
airport that's certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, it basically
means that they have the capabilities to accept air carrier
aircraft and as a requirement of doing that, we need
to conduct a full scale emergency exercise every three years
to test our abilities to respond to an accident if

(11:53):
it were to recurrent our facility. Airports that are certified
across the nation do this. You mentioned Logan Airport. They
do a full scale exercise in a regular basis as well.

Speaker 4 (12:03):
So we will be.

Speaker 3 (12:04):
Doing our full scale exercise this Thursday, September twenty six,
starting at five o'clock in the evening and it goes
till about eight o'clock. And really what the exercise does
is it simulates a mock aircraft accident and actual aircraft
will not be used during this drill, but the airport
will remain open, but a portion of the airport will

(12:25):
be set aside so that we can train with area hospitals,
train with police, local police, and fire on how we
would respond if an incident were to happen at the airport,
and it gives us an opportunity to test that system,
to test, you know, and to simulate how the airport

(12:45):
has the ability to respond to an incident. We can
identify where we need, areas that we need to work
on and areas that we do well in areas that
we don't do as well. So it's a combination of
an number of different agencies that get together and really
test this. It gives airport staff, other fire departments, the airlines,

(13:09):
the American Red Cross the ability to respond and test
their metal if it were to come to an accident
occurring on the airport.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
So if let's let us assume someone's driving by the
airport sometime after five o'clock Friday night, what are they
likely to see? Again, I don't want people to be
to be afraid or feel that. I assume there'd be
some lights and some red lights and some blue lights.
How much will the public be able to observe just

(13:38):
as they travel by, Because your airport is a very
open airport, as I'm sure.

Speaker 3 (13:41):
You know, right, So if the public were to be
driving by, they would see ambulances, they would see fire trucks,
they would see police with all lights on on the
east side of the airport, and that is part of
this drill. They are going to see this from five
o'clock in the evening in the early evening to eight
o'clock at night as we go through and test different

(14:04):
areas of the scenario. So we really have five components
that we're testing. So these elements fire police and others.
They will see flashing lights, they will see ambulances coming
and going from the airport to Cape Cod Hospital, and
it's all part of this mock scenario to respond to

(14:27):
a potential aircraft incident.

Speaker 2 (14:29):
I just think it's great that you're advising people in advance.
Do you do this I think you said you do
it every three years. Do you do it more often
than that or is it just what is required every
three years?

Speaker 3 (14:41):
We do this every three years for this level. When
we actually physically get out onto the airfield, and we
have different stations that police, fire, the hospital, airport staff
are going to to test different elements of the emergency system.
But every year we sit in what we call a
tabletop where we talk through an emergency like this and

(15:04):
what we would do. So we're testing our people to
respond to emergency throughout the year. All twelve months we're
doing some type of training and testing of the system.
So even though we're doing this full scale exercise every
three years, the depth and breadth of it is significant
every three years, but we're really testing the system on

(15:26):
an animal basis.

Speaker 2 (15:27):
So in the ten years that you have been there,
in the seven years during which you served as manager,
it basically evolved from Hyena's Airport. It's same location now
it's called Cape Cod Gateway, which makes it sound like
a much larger operation. Give us some sense of how

(15:48):
it's evolved during your time there. I know that you
have more flights going out of there, and I think
you're reaching more destinations. Tell us about it. Sure.

Speaker 3 (15:57):
So the airport itself, we ended up going through a
strategic plan analysis in developing a strategic plan for the
airport to identify areas that we needed improvement. One of
those areas was to bring in more commercial service like
we used to have back twenty years ago, to bring
in more commercial service, so the fifteen towns on Cape

(16:19):
Cod had the ability to connect to the national airspace
system relatively close without having to travel to Boston or
to Providence to get their commercial service. That takes time,
So in speaking with airlines, it took me about five
years to convince American Airlines to come to the airport

(16:39):
and to start providing service. That's just one example. It
takes time because the airlines, it's a big endeavor for
an airline to come into a city and they want
to make sure that that city in that town is
going to work for them and that they will have ridership. Well,
this year was American Airlines first year of operating at
Cape Cod Gateway Airport, and their passenger loads were over

(17:02):
eighty two percent for the entire summer, which is fantastic.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
And I assume that things quiet down a little bit beginning,
you know, November through March, and that your real active
time of the year is from probably May first to Halloween.
Is that pretty much the schedule.

Speaker 3 (17:23):
That pretty much is It's usually about May through Labor Day.
Is where the bulk of the schedule lies. We are
trying to work with some of those airlines that are
existing at the airport to start providing maybe less than
daily service in the wintertime. We have a number of
residents that are asking for a NonStop flight to Florida,

(17:44):
for instance, and to have that ability to connect to
the system right from Cape Cod. So we're working with
our airlines to see if we can offer something that's
less than daily so that there are opportunities in a
more consistent schedule for the residents that live on Cape
Cod y around.

Speaker 2 (18:00):
Yeah, a lot of airports, it's whatever. A couple of
times a week makes a huge difference. People can plan
around that. And they sound like they have someone who's
willing to listen to the concerns of people on Cape Cord. Katie,
and I think that's fabulous, and congratulations on your promotion,
although obviously it's been a few years now, and and
I hope that there's some big airport, bigger airport doesn't

(18:22):
come and snatch you away. I hope that you enjoy,
you know, the the ocean breezes of Cape Cod in
the summertime and the big better weather down here. Than
maybe if you had to go up north. Congratulations and
thanks for giving us all the information on what's going
to happen this weekend.

Speaker 3 (18:42):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 4 (18:44):
Yes, thank you very.

Speaker 3 (18:45):
Much, thank you.

Speaker 2 (18:46):
Good night. We get back after the news. Sort of
a sad note. The mayor of mathu and Neil Perry
uh passed away this weekend. Mathune is a big city.
You know, it's not Boston. Maybe it's not Providence or
Portland or Worcester, but it's a big city. And with
us right after the news break will be the Massachusetts

(19:08):
State Auditor, Diana Disaglio. She's born and raised in Mathuen
and former state representative from the area. I just want
to reflect on the life and the achievements of Neil Perry,
who was very dedicated to that city. And we'll talk
with the state auditor just right after the news breaker.

Speaker 1 (19:27):
Stay with us night side with Dan Ray on Boston's
news Radio.

Speaker 2 (19:35):
Well, every once in a while we lose a public official.
I will tell you that I never, to the best
of my knowledge, dealt with the late mayor of Neil Perry.
There have been some stories we've done dealing with with Mathuen,
but I thought The best person for us to talk
to a little bit about the life and legacy of

(19:55):
Mayor Perry is State Auditor Diana Desaglio, who was born
and raised the Mathuan, represented that area in the State
House of Representatives and also in the Massachusetts State Senate,
and now represents one of the six constitutional officers who
serves this commonwealth full time. Uh And I'm madam auditor.
If I could call you, Diana, I would love to

(20:15):
do that. Welcome back to night side.

Speaker 5 (20:18):
Dan, It's always my pleasure to come on. I am
so excited that I am still awake at this hour
and get to join you. Well now that I'm in
my forties, of all those years of service before we
got to this point, Well I am.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
I am a few years older than you, and I
want you to know I was in the gym today
at I think it was quarter of seven.

Speaker 3 (20:44):
Stop bragging, Dan, I'm just tell you, I'm not bragging.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
If it's the truth, Diana, and I am. I will
be working until midnight. But I want to dial it
back here and get serious with you because I didn't
really know the methuin Neil Perry, but I'm told by
friends of mine from that neck of the woods. That
he's a really good guy. He'd been sitting. Yeah, so

(21:08):
this isn't a surprise, but yeah, I guess for him
I listened today. He was not someone who was looking
to move on. This was the job that he wanted
and he did it with a great deal of passion,
as I understand it.

Speaker 5 (21:22):
Yeah, and you know what, Dan, I mean, similar to
how you and I were just kind of being a
little sarcastic there having some fun with each other, ye
having a good time.

Speaker 3 (21:32):
That was very very.

Speaker 5 (21:33):
Much Mayor Neil Perry as well, and we actually had
a very similar relationship, very similar friendship. Mayor Neil Perry
was not just a colleague, he was a friend and
I will miss him dearly. I know so many folks
from the Fillin and surrounding area will miss him as well.
But he was a great public servant, a great leader,

(21:56):
a fighter for our community, and had a great sarcastic
merrimac Valley Masian.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
I often joke.

Speaker 5 (22:07):
When I'm when I'm up at the State House and
and some of my colleagues, who you know, they don't
like that I'm trying to audit the legislature. They don't
like that I am very candid with you know, some
of my thoughts about different things, and I often will
joke back with them and say, hey, I'm from Matsuan.

Speaker 2 (22:26):
I mean you you have you have made your mark
as a member of the House, as a member of
the Senate. You haven't always been the best friends with
the people in leadership.

Speaker 4 (22:36):
You would never again.

Speaker 2 (22:38):
You never was someone who who you know, went along
to get along, if you know.

Speaker 5 (22:43):
What I'm saying, right, But yeah, and I think you know,
and I appreciate that, I think you know. My point
with that, though, is that it's it's it's very similar
to what you saw with may Or Neil Perry. I mean,
I counted him as one of my mentors, somebody who
really made sure that I knew what are folks here

(23:03):
in Mathillan. And I still live in Mathillan. I'm at
my home in Mathuin right now talking to you, and
I have to tell you, you know, as I, you know,
moved on to these different endeavors and ran for State Auditor,
and I've been going around the state ma Anduel Perry
is really somebody who helped to keep someone like me
grounded and in touch with what has been going on

(23:25):
in my community when I can't be in those meetings
every day, and I know he did that for so
many other people.

Speaker 3 (23:32):
He was in this.

Speaker 5 (23:33):
Community every single day, all day long, fighting for those
local issues, in the trenches, doing God's work. I mean,
taking the phone calls about uh, you know, people's frustration
with trash pickup for Exampoland.

Speaker 3 (23:49):
Right going out.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
So he first was elected mayor, I believe I heard
tonight one of the newscasts in twenty twenty. So was
he had he been in politics alone long time, you know,
serving on the council or was he someone who you know,
established himself as a community leader or a member of
the community and then became a community leader later in life.

Speaker 5 (24:11):
That's a great question. Neil was actually someone who came along.

Speaker 3 (24:15):
He was you know, he paid attention.

Speaker 5 (24:18):
He lived in the community. But he had actually I
believe worked at Raytheon and he was, you know, considered
himself to be a businessman in the community. And he
actually had taught. It was he was a teacher in
one of the local school systems. And I want to
say which one because I might get it wrong right now,
but he was one of our local teachers as well,
and I know that he worked with students on Spanish

(24:41):
and he was he was bilingual, and he used always
he used to always joke and say, you know, here
I am, look at me. And he was very you know,
light skinned, blonde hair eventually gray. You know that from
from when I've known him. But would joke and say,
you know, nobody ever thinks that when they start talking
going to me, that I'm going to start speak in

(25:01):
Spanish right back to them. And and you know, really,
you know, jumping into these different community events, they see
this this older guy, and and kind of you know,
they would they would think that he wasn't somebody who
was wanting to be as involved as he was. And
he said, you know, when I found out that they
were so pleasantly surprised at getting involved, I realized how

(25:22):
much it meant to this community, and I wanted to
start getting more involved, he told me. And he ended
up really after a period of really unfortunate scandal and
issues that were investigated by the Inspector General. I'm sure
folks heard about issues with our police department, contracts that

(25:43):
were given out that should not have been executed, and
really big challenges with you know, just integrity and municipal
government here in the city of Mathillen. Neil Perry saw
that challenge as an opportunity to make progress for the city,
using his knowledge and expertise and business to get the

(26:03):
city back on track and really brought a standard of
integrity and a level of integrity to the mayor's office,
to city Hall and was known for coming in as
somebody who wasn't always in politics, who was kind of
an outsider, who came in to clean up some of

(26:26):
the mess that had been created, and he did a
really good job. The cities in much better financial circumstances
right now than it was years ago when we had
a lot of struggles with our school funding and those
police contracts and amongst other issues. He came in, he
cleaned things up, and we're on the right path now

(26:47):
and we're in a much better situation because of mariyel Carry.

Speaker 2 (26:51):
What a great legacy.

Speaker 1 (26:52):
You know.

Speaker 2 (26:52):
It's funny, Diana. When I worked in Channel four, one
of the nights in my career I remembered was the
the evening back now this is nineteen eighty seven, I
ended up in Methune. It was the night that my
son had been born April of nineteen ninety seven, and
you guys had some torrential rain and flooding up there. Uh.

(27:15):
And I that was really my first real exposure to
to Mathuan, because you know, just we we got up
there occasionally, but that was that was a night that
I will always remember. You know. My wife, who had
delivered that day, was exhausted, so I figured I'll go
to work and I'll take tomorrow, which made a lot
of sense to me, and I ended up. I was

(27:37):
hoping for a nice, you know, easy quick night or something,
and it was torrential rain. And I don't know if
you remember it, but it was one of those nights
that I'm sure anybody, if they look back on their calendar,
they'll remember it. And I remember, that's my first real
connection with Methuen. And look, you've lost you've lost a
great leader. Have you lost a great mayor? But again,

(27:59):
what a great legacy.

Speaker 5 (28:00):
For him to have left, and I you know he left,
he left such a legacy, Dan, And I'll tell you
you know, he made a personal impact on so many
people lives as well. Like I said, he had a
great sense of humor. He had that merrimack valley with
sou and sarcasm. He could joke around with people and
be light hearted, and you know that would be one moment,

(28:22):
and then the next moment he could, you know, turn
the conversation to the serious work at hand on behalf
of residence of the city and get the job done.
And we're so grateful for his years of dedication and
all sudden love to his children and to his team
at city Hall. He'll be tremendously tremendously missed.

Speaker 2 (28:41):
Well, hopefully there will be a successor who has the
same embodies the same values. Madam Monitor is always great
to hear your voice, great to talk with you. Go
get some sleep now, okay, just keep the radio.

Speaker 3 (29:01):
Exactly Dan.

Speaker 5 (29:02):
If I got up and went to the gym this
morning like you did, I'd probably still be energized like
you are. You see, you're encouraging me to get healthier
habits in my life. I hit the snooze button this morning,
so you know, thank you for your mentorship and in
making sure that we get nothing earlier to go.

Speaker 2 (29:19):
To the gym my pleasure. I try to hit it
every morning, and there are a few mornings that I
do a lot of mornings I do, and a couple
that I that I miss when I Yeah, I've I've
been known to hit the snooze button button too. But again,
thanks so much. Always great to hear your voice. Thanks
Thanks Diane.

Speaker 5 (29:36):
All right, Dan, hey, thanks so much. Have a great
night everyone.

Speaker 3 (29:39):
Thanks so much.

Speaker 2 (29:40):
Sure I pass along our condolences to the Perry family,
and I mean that seriously. I would really let him,
let him know, let the family know the great tribute
you paid to him. Tonight, Thank you very much. When
we get back, we're going to lighten up a little
bit and talk with a maze master. Yeah. Uh, he
will be with us on the other side. Great fall

(30:01):
activity in New England. I don't know if they do
it around the country or not, but go to a
farm and get lost in a maze with your family
and have some fun about it. We'll talk with my
guest Larry Davis coming up, Not Larry David, but Larry
Davis coming up on the other side of this break.

Speaker 1 (30:19):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
Night Sight Studios on WBZ News Radio.

Speaker 2 (30:27):
Well, today's the first full day of fall, and when
you think about fall, you think about a lot of things.
One of the things you think about is maybe maybe
getting out of town a little bit. I'm going out
to Stirling and checking out a huge corn maze with
us is the Mays Master Larry Davis, Larry welcome. How
are you tonight?

Speaker 4 (30:48):
Oh I'm great? Thanks Dan.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
So how big is the Davis Mega Maze? How many acres?

Speaker 4 (30:55):
The Mega maze is only six acres in size?

Speaker 2 (30:59):
That's good stuff.

Speaker 4 (31:00):
But there's miles of pathways within it.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
That's good size. So so you grow corn in the
maze during the year, I assume right?

Speaker 4 (31:10):
Yes, yes, correct?

Speaker 2 (31:12):
And so the harvest is done in what August or
what's the what's the timing?

Speaker 4 (31:18):
Yes? The hot Uh this year the it was in
August that we did the harvest. But the harvest, it
takes quite a bit of time and and it just
kind of goes on and on and on. You just
you perfect it over time. You keep flying a drone
drown up overhead and taking a look at it and
until you get it just how you want it.

Speaker 2 (31:38):
So, so once the the harvest is done, uh it
is is the maze already in existence when you do
the harvest or do you have to uh in September
create the maze? Out of you know, what was a
cornfield every year.

Speaker 4 (31:59):
Portions of it are done when you start to harvest it, uh,
and then it's just really a question of going in
and then by hand, really you know, carving everything out
so that it's you know, as close to perfect as
you can get it, realizing that it is just cornstocks,
it is a real cornfield, and and that that really

(32:21):
takes the most time.

Speaker 2 (32:22):
Okay, so the next spring, I'm assuming it becomes a
cornfield again.

Speaker 4 (32:29):
Yes, it'll it will become a cornfield, probably in the
month of June. I'd say late I'd say yes, about
mid June, mid to late June.

Speaker 2 (32:39):
So you're in Sterling, Massachusetts, which is just a little
west of Clinton, so it's fairly close to Boston, easy
drive up. How long do most people spend in the
maze and does anyone ever get lost and you have
to rescue people as dusk is setting settling in on
the on the horizon.

Speaker 4 (33:03):
Yes, at the end of the year, once we harvest
the corn that's when we find all the people that
get lost. Not kidding, kidding, the uh, you know people,
they definitely do get lost in the maze. But that's
the whole point you know, and so the and and
really all that means is, you know, pretend you're doing
a maze using a pencil in a newspaper. You know,

(33:25):
you you follow a path and it turns out that,
oh it's a dead end, so you have to come
back out and then try another path. And uh, that's
why I strongly suggest that anybody wanting to get through
a maze as quickly as possible, oh, bring a twelve
year old child with you or younger, because they don't
get caught up on being right and wrong, which is

(33:46):
something that uh we as adults that it's just you know,
our nature. And the youngs they just do it. They
go down a path.

Speaker 2 (33:56):
And so, Larry, is there technically an entrance and and
an actual exit or is it just your roam around? Yes,
get out whatever way you can.

Speaker 4 (34:06):
No, there there is definitely an entrance and an exit.

Speaker 2 (34:09):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (34:10):
And the neat thing about our maze is it does
not there is a thing, believe it or not. Dan,
it's uh, it's called maze theory, and it's you know,
it's it's theory that tries to tell you this is
how you solve mazes. Well, it does not apply to
Davis Mega Maze because we have bridges out in our cornfield.
We have the most bridges of any corn maze, and

(34:33):
that makes the maze three dimensional, and so Mays theory
just kind of flies in the wind.

Speaker 2 (34:39):
So you know, So I'm just interested. We only get
like a minute and a half left here, so to
make sure, So do you count the number when you open?
You open up within a week or so? Right when
when is the maze?

Speaker 4 (34:53):
Should we open up Saturday?

Speaker 2 (34:54):
Saturday? Okay, it's a week five days Saturday, and you're
open for is it four weeks or right up to Halloween? Beyond?

Speaker 4 (35:00):
Right right right up right up until the last full
weekend of October?

Speaker 2 (35:05):
Okay, fair enough. So my question is do you count
the number of people who go in and like at
the end of the day, you know, someone says you're
missing five people? You know, does everybody get get get
successfully through it?

Speaker 4 (35:20):
No, I everybody gets successfully through it. Okay, there's seven
different intensity levels. Dan, you can simply try to survive.
Just try to go in and get out, and it
could take you. It could be as quick if you
do a you know, just by chance, if you do
a fantastic job and choose all the right pathways. You'll
be out in thirty minutes, okay, or you could be
in there for three hours or more.

Speaker 2 (35:41):
Okay that I would probably be in there three hours
or more, that's for sure. And I know there's a
lot of entertainment up there. You have food. It's just
a great day. What when you is it every day
from from this Saturday to the to the last weekend
in October.

Speaker 4 (35:57):
Or a couple of days only on weekends only, wait
only on Saturdays and Sundays plus the Monday of Cowlumbus Day.

Speaker 2 (36:05):
Columbus Day, okay, great, okay? So and then if people
want to get tickets in advance or want to get directions,
give us the website.

Speaker 4 (36:13):
Yes, the website, just go to Davismega maze dot com.

Speaker 2 (36:18):
That's great, and you've had you one of the ten
top mazes in the country, which are excited. Tremendous achievement
because when you think of places like Kansas and Iowa
where they have much more corn production than we do.
You got a lot of competitors around the country. So congratulations, Larry.

Speaker 4 (36:40):
Oh, thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (36:42):
And you're a maze master. Is that a self anointed term?
Or is that actually a term that that you're designated
by some group.

Speaker 4 (36:53):
No, that is it is actually self anointed.

Speaker 2 (36:57):
That's okay.

Speaker 4 (36:57):
We've been doing mazes as long as most anybody and
and it goes all the way back to I think
ninety six. Wow. And and then the Mega Mash started
a couple of years after that in ninety eight I believe.
So the first couple of years we were just toying
around with it. It was a big disaster. Groups would

(37:18):
go in and just trample it back into the ground.
And and then we uh got really serious about it
and said, no, this is a great idea, and let's
try it, try every single year to make this the
world's best. And it's it's going to be great for
all ages and and a real game out in nature
and it and it worked brilliantly.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
Just Davis the Mega Maze and Sterling, Massachusetts weekends from
now until the last weekend in October. A great, great
family outing for a wonderful fall weekend. Larry, thank you
so much for your time. I'm up against my clock,
so I got to let you run. But thanks again.

Speaker 4 (37:59):
Sure, thank you, Dan, very much, appreciate it, very welcome.

Speaker 2 (38:02):
We get back. We're going to talk about, is COVID
making a rebound
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