October 4, 2024 • 39 mins
Hurricane Helene was a category 4 hurricane when it first made landfall in northwestern Florida. The hurricane then made a destructive path up into Georgia, South Carolina, and parts of North Carolina and Tennessee. At least 215 people have died as a result of Helene and hundreds are still missing. Massachusetts Task Force 1, an urban search and rescue team, is deployed to North Carolina to assist with the disaster. Tom Gatzunis of MTF1 joined Dan to give us an in-depth look at what’s transpired.
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's with Dan Ray on delay Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, welcome back everyone. Look, last weekend there was
this incredible storm that hit some several southern states. I
think you, unless you've been living under a rock for
the last month, you must know the amount of damage
that was done by Hurricane Helene. A Category four hurricane
(00:31):
made landfall in what they call the Bend northwestern Florida,
and then it blew up as it hit the land.
Oftentimes hurricanes lose some of their power. It blew up
as it hit the land. It got stronger into Georgia,
South Carolina, parts of North Carolina, and Tennessee. At least
two hundred and fifteen people have died. It's actually now
(00:52):
about two twenty that they know of, and hundreds more
of missing. I've seen video of this town, Asheville, North Carolina.
It looks as if it was hit by a bomb.
There is a group out of here, Massachusetts or the
Massachusetts Task Force One. It's an urban search and rescue team.
It is in North Carolina tonight with us now is
(01:13):
a member of that group. I'm not sure of your title,
Tom Cazunis, but you will tell me all of that.
You are with the Massachusetts Task Force one, and first
of all, tell us about the group. Is it a
government group, is it a group of private individuals? Give
us a little bit the history of the group.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Sure, thanks Dan for having me on a longtime listener,
first time I think I've been on your program, but
really enjoy it. So, Massachusetts Task Force one is part
of the excuse me, twenty eight member FEMA Search and
rescue teams. There are twenty eight across the country, and
the Massachusetts numbers are actually made up of all the
(01:56):
New England states. But we're based out of Beverly, Massachuset,
and we're all volunteers until we get deployed. When members
get deployed, they do get compensated by the federal government.
But all of our training, all of our service time
is all volunteer.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Okay, So you're almost you're almost the difference between active
duty military and members of the National Guard. You're you
have your volunteers, but once the National Guard is activated.
So how large a group do you have here? It's
a Massachusetts based group, but it's from all around New England.
How many folks do you have in the group? And
(02:37):
can can people of a certain age or a certain
physical capability. Are you always are you looking for new
members or participants?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yes, we're always looking for additional members. We currently have
just over a little over two hundred active members on
the team right now, and we're made up of firefighters,
police office officers, medical technicians, doctors, engineers, communications specialist, logistics specialists,
(03:08):
and other professionals but come from you know, all variety
of walks of life.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Are the rooms before we're going to get into this
of what's going on in North Carolina? But I just
want to make sure that I lay a foundation so
people are the room. Is there room on your team
for people who may not have a specific professional background,
meaning police officer, e MT. Firefighter, nurse, doctor, et cetera.
(03:37):
Are there is there room and the team for people
who are who are in good shape and are willing
to go down and work and lift boxes and move
things and all of that. Or do you have to
have some sort of a specialty to become a member
of the team if you know what I think?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
You know what I'm asking ye ye, yes, no I do,
thank you, And yeah, you come with some level of specialty.
But it's we don't just you don't just walk in
the door and become a member and part of the team.
It's you know, close to one thousand hours of training
that goes in before you can actually be deployed and
(04:15):
are available to go out.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
A thousand hours of training for people, by the way,
just to put it in some context, two thousand hours
represents forty hour fifty weeks or forty hours, so that's
like a full year. So this is a half of
year of training. It has to be quite intense and
quite Yeah, you've got to commit a lot just to
(04:38):
complete one thousand hours of training. That's the equivalent of
a half a year's worth of work.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yep, pretty much. You know, you it's it. It doesn't happen,
you know, all at once. So it takes a couple
of years for you to be part of the team
before you are able to be deployed. And you know,
because we want to make sure that people have the commitment.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Sure and that they also you're not just pulling people
in off the street. Okay, so so exactly how you
and not in North Carolina?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
It is correct.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Are you an officer in the group.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Or you know, I'm the public information officer for the team.
I'm also serve as a planning manager, planning team manager,
and a structure specialist. I'm an engineer by training.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Okay, perfect, Okay, So how many members of the Massachusetts
Task Force one are deployed at this point and where
are they deployed to and what are they seeing? What
are they doing.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
We have a total of sixty six members deployed right now.
Sixty one of them are in North Carolina and the
other five are serving on the Incidents Support Team, which
is they're part of the group that goes down pre event,
you know, for a hurricane. We know it's coming, so
we'll pre deploy some members and they're they go in
(06:01):
as part of like the pre planning team to help
with logistics and then bringing in and other search and
rescue teams from across the country and you know, knowing
where they're going to be, where they should go as
the missions come in, our assignments come in. They help
with the being a federal agency to deploy those individuals
(06:26):
in the teams where they need to be.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Okay, so you work in conjunction with them and the
five who are sort of the advanced come the Advanced
team are they also in North Carolina. Tonight.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
They're in Florida.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
There in Florida.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
They started down in Florida and they stayed there. Yeah, yeah, okay, so.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
You're five in Florida, six sixty one in North Carolina.
How difficult has it been to communicate? I assume that
they're in areas where there's not a lot of like
of electricity. Cell phones need electricity. Are you are you
able to tell us what they're doing and what they're seeing.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yes, so we you know, as when we deploy, we
bring all of the equipment that we need with us.
So they're down there. They have their own generators, their
own tense corts, et cetera. But your absolutely correct cell
phone coverage down there is very very spotty. Will go
you know, most of the day without being able to
communicate with them from up here. But as a team
(07:24):
when they're down there, they have two way radios that
you know, they're communicating amongst themselves with their own repeaters,
et cetera.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
The conditions idea, any ideas So far, when did they
get there? I mean, obviously this hurricane really hit. I
believe it was late last week, so it's almost a
week now since since the hurricane impacted how quickly were
they down there? And have you had any communication as
to what they're seeing, because I assume it must be
god awful.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Sure they so our team was activated one day afternoon.
They were rolling out the door around midnight Wednesday night.
They drove through the night, arrived in North Carolina late
afternoon on Thursday, set up all their gear and equipment,
and went to work Friday morning, and they've been working
(08:13):
every day since then.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So what have been communicated with you as to the
area that they're in and is the problem water? Water everywhere?
Is it problem with no structures or structures that have
been deployed. I mean, we've seen pictures, We've seen aerial pictures,
but I'm just wondering if they have provided you with
any specificity as to what they have found.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yes, yes, absolutely, really honestly everything that you mentioned. Water everywhere,
water filled with debris. They've literally had to you. Before
they can deploy the boats and move the boats along
the water, there's three typically three people in the boat,
(09:00):
one operating the engine and the other two up front
actually pushing debris with paddles out of the way so
that they can make their way through the water. And
then the traveling on the land, they've had to stop
and wait for dozers and front end loaders to come
(09:23):
through and push the debris out of the way so
that they can continue to travel down there on the
on what used to be open highways and roads.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah, are they looking the groups in the boat. Are
they looking to rescue people from homes that are that
are surrounded by water or are they bringing supplies to people?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
No, they are rescuing. They're they're rescuing. They're they're going through,
you know, systematically checking structures, checking vehicles. Have pulled some
people out of homes that have been completely surrounded it
and inundated with flood waters. I would I would.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Venture I would venture to say, not being an expert
in North Carolina terrain, but I would venture to say
that they have to be concerned about the presence of
snakes in that in that in those waterways. Is that
a factor that that they need that they were aware of.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Yes, that's absolutely correct. And other wildlife that you know,
when very hungry, maybe looking at individuals and humans as dinner.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yes, yes, yeah, uh man, I'll tell you this is
this is an amazing story. How long will your team
be down there, I know the real the the answer
probably is as long as they need. But do you
cycle people in and cycle these folks out or or
do they return with the vehicles that brought them brought
(11:00):
them down there, and then another team goes down as
as these circumstances require.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
So a typical deployment could last you know, or does
last around two weeks. But as you said, we will
stay and the team members will stay down there for
as long as it takes until their services are not needed.
If someone has to come out for whatever reason because
of you know, whatever the factor just fatigue or you know,
(11:30):
personal circumstances, we rotate individuals out if the team you know,
until our team is deactivated or demobilized. All our equipment
and our cash will stay down there and members will
rotate in and out. As I said, we're about over
two hundred deep. Every position are over two hundred members strong.
(11:52):
Every position is several members deep, so that we could
bring people out if necessary.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Okay, and then my last last question is I don't
know how long your group has been around, how many
times you've been deployed, but would you how would you
explain the circumstances in North Carolina, since that's where the
majority of you, what the vast majority of your members
are working. Have you ever seen destruction on this scale before?
(12:23):
Or have you or is this normal that you've You've
been doing this for twenty years and this is just
another another horrific natural disaster that you're helping out with.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
The team has been around, you know, pre nine to eleven.
In fact, Massachusetts was the first team to be in
New York City on that day. But so Hurricane Katrina
was probably one of the biggest and worst storms, and
(12:53):
this is, you know, from a devastation point of view.
From what the members are telling us, it's pretty close
to that as far as the amount of debris and
the difficulty in getting through and getting to areas. It's
just the amount of water that came down out of
the mountains and the debris that it brought in, the
(13:16):
mud slide slides that happened in conjunction with that water
coming down, and then just staying in the valley because
it's stuck there has been pretty catastrophic.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, I'll tell you, it's amazing. I don't know off
hand how many people lost their lives in Katrina. I
know there was loss of life. But I think that
this loss of life is going to exceed significantly the
two hundred and twenty people who have already lost their
lives in this horrific, horrific storm. So thank you for
(13:50):
what you do. Best of luck. Is there a way
of people have listened to you tonight, have been inspired
and want to join your team. How they can get
in touch with the team. What's the website?
Speaker 3 (14:01):
The website is m A t F one dot org.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
So m A from Mask Task Force and the number
one m A t.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
F one correct dot org dot org.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Right, all right, well again, thank you for joining us tonight, Tom,
and I hope all of your team members get home safely.
And you are truly doing an incredible it's it's a
very traditional American service, people from one part of the
country helping other people when they are in distress. So
thank you for what you do and keep us me
(14:35):
may have you back on in the next week or
two and follow this more closely.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Okay, thanks again, absolutely, thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Okay, Tom Gazunis, he's the public relations a public information
officer for the Mask Task Force. One. Now what I
want to do, We're going to take a break and
when we come back, we have about I don't know,
well about thirty five minutes. I would love to know
if the these really horrific storms that seem to have
(15:03):
hit the South in recent years, recent months in Florida
and now on up into the Carolinas, has that made
you rethink about leaving Massachusetts because we're kind of blessed here.
We have an occasional tornado, but nothing like they have
(15:25):
in the Plain States. We do have blizzards, there's no
doubt about that, and we have had hurricanes blow through,
but never with at least in my memory. I was
around for one of those in the mid fifties, but
I don't remember much about it. Does this change your
attitude as to how likely you might be to either
(15:49):
take early retirement or retire and work remotely from one
of these states. I mean, these are amongst the most
beautiful states in the country, North Carolina, South Carolina. Uh.
They also have a temperate client climate and pretty good
tax circumstances, and you know, they are less taxing than Massachusetts.
(16:13):
But I just would love to know from some of
you how lucky we are to live in Massachusetts because
weather is really not a factor. Oh if you have
a house on the ocean and and the cliff is
eating away. Yeah, but that's few and far between. Let's
talk about it. Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty, six, seven,
(16:35):
nine thirty. My name is Dan Ray. We will go
to the eleven o'clock hour, the twentieth hour of the
week tonight, right after the eleven o'clock news and the
question that hour. That's an hour where you get a
free pass. You have the Hall pass if you called
earlier in the week, You're more than welcome and join us,
and we're going to talk about what skill would you do?
You regret that you did learn when you were younger,
(16:57):
however you define that back on Nightside after this.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Well, let's get some phone calls going here, folks on
a Friday. Now, we got Dmitri and Jemshire. Hey, Dmitri,
how are you tonight? Welcome? Hello, Hello, Dmitri, Welcome to
night Side.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Yes, Hello, I want to call in and just want
to share my opinion. I moved to Massachusetts twenty eighteen
with my wife and two girls, ages ten and thirteen.
We moved from Arkansas down south, and of course people, yeah,
we moved here mainly for the public schools, but I
(17:42):
have to admit, in the last few years, I've had
in basis surgery in my right leg and my leg
was almost amptutated. People don't realize how good the medical
services are in this part of the country. But regarding
the devastation going on down south, I will share this. Yes,
we have our fair shere cold weather up here, but
(18:04):
I'm truly grateful to be living again in a part
of the country that has four seasons. I mean, originally
I was born raised in Athens, Greece. I lived in
the New York City every fifteen years. Then my wife,
who's from Arkansas, we moved down south to be closer
a family, and it was Yes, it's nice during the winters,
(18:26):
but it was kind of unpredictable weather during tornado season,
and so you kind of hit the nail a few
moments ago when you said, am I thinking twice about
moving back moving down south after seeing all these hurricanes
year after year? I am. I mean, I really am.
(18:48):
And from one side, I'm very grateful that I currently
live in Massachusetts and I've been through some serious health issues,
which people don't realize how good the health services are
in Massachusetts until you actually have a very serious health
issue to deal with.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
But let me ask you. Let me ask you a
couple of questions to meet you. First of all, first
time calling Mi Shew, yes, sir, okay, a little run
of Apaust with Dimitri. Thanks for calling in and thank
you for listening. So, Mike, my question is how tough
was it to work for you to get your wife
to uproot the family and leave up the area of
(19:28):
the country where she was from that had not that
must not have been easy for her.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
It was not easy, but we did it for our children.
I had to explain either we stayed in Arkansas. Unfortunately
we were not making enough money to send our children
to private school.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
We were so how bad? How bad of the public schools?
How bad of the public schools in Arkansas?
Speaker 4 (19:52):
Well, let's just say they're not as good as up here.
If I could put it for that.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
That's good. And then I see that you're in I
see that you're in Chelmsford. Does Chelmstord have a particularly
outstanding public school system? Is that why you picked chelms.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
For Well, we picked Chelms. For number one, it was
a reasonable commute. It was a strategic decision to have
a reasonable commute to where I work. Sure, yeah, I
work in the Conquered area near Hanscome Air Force Base,
but it was it was also yes, what.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
What sort of work? What sort of work?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
To me?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
You did you do in Arkansas? What? You know, what
was your profession that not only could make a living
for you in Arkansas, but then you could come up
here and and do that same type of work.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Well, I was very I'm fortunate I worked for the
federal government, so I was able to find another federal
government job up here as well. So once we did
the job, and you know, the job was secure. But I,
of course I was very trained parent with my wife
from the very beginning, I explained to her, you know,
(21:05):
the move is mainly for our children and because we
just were not going to be able to afford to
provide private schooling for them down there. And I said, well,
this is a practical solution. And we happen to also
have half cousins that live in the area, and so
my wife would never have left Arkansas to go to
(21:28):
a state where we had absolutely no family. YEP, but
it did help. I had some family, but yet we
were leaving behind her immediate family, her mother, her father,
her sister, mother in law, and people are very friendly
down south. Don't get me wrong. It's just we really
wanted to provide the best for our children.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
This is your first time in Massachusetts. Do you find
us friendly as friendly as people down there generally? I'm
talking about, well, does our reputation of being a little
stand offish did you.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Find out the yes. To answer your question, sir, the
reputation is probably worse than what it really is.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Ok.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
We moved up here. Maybe people were not necessarily that
friendly initially, but once they get to know you, you
get to know them. And we go to church, and
you know, we're very faithful and uh dedicated to our community.
We go to a Greek Orthodox church, very friendly people
involved with Yeah, with the name with.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
The name Dimitri having been born and said in Athens,
I have many friends in the Greek community, and the
church in the community, in the Greek community is really
the the hub of activity, and so you would not
You will have many friends, I'm sure right away within
within that church community, and then they will have introduced
(22:55):
other people as well to Matri thank you for calling.
You answered the question specifically. I hope some more people
call with similar stories. Very interesting, and I hope that
you'll become a regular, not only listener, but a regular
caller on nightside.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Yes, I am thank you. Have a good evening.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Thanks Dimitri, thank you very much. All right, that's an
interesting call. I didn't expect to first call it to
be someone who had moved here from Arkansas, but I
would love to know. Do you think, having watched what
has transpired in the last few days in Florida on
through Georgia and into the Carolinas, has it given you
(23:33):
not that No, maybe you've never thought about it, But
does it give you a greater appreciation for the weather
that we have here? We have storms, yeah, we have thunderstorms,
we have blizzards, but it's nothing like with what the people,
particularly in the mountains of North Carolina, are dealing with tonight.
So let's let's get the conversation going here on a
Friday night of North America's back porch. I'm just looking
(23:56):
for your thoughts. All you going to do is dial
the phones six seven, two, four ten thirty, six seven
nine three, one thirty I'm working hard. I hope you
are as well. Well. Tonight you're relaxing, but give us
a call back on Nightside after this.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
It's night Side with Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Thanks all, let's keep rolling. Here're gonna go to Mark
and Norton. Mark, Welcome to night Side. How are you sir?
Speaker 5 (24:25):
All right?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Dan?
Speaker 5 (24:25):
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (24:26):
I'm doing just great. Have your thoughts had all been
impacted me? This? This hurricane hit there a week ago
Thursday nine, So this hurricane now is really in terms
of having hit US landfall eight days old and this
is now dispersed and it's it's floating away. But boy,
what an impact exactly.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
Actually, I'll that was more western North Carolina up in
the mountains there that yes, really, you know, the pounds
in the roads are really devastated. Let me go back
to Hurricane Ian's my story. My wife and I went
down to to Fort Myers Beach six months before that
hurricane hit Fort Myers Beach, and we've started looking at
(25:07):
property coming here from Massachusetts to you know, probably go
down to somewhere in Florida. We started looking at Fort
Myers Beached.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Yeah, by the way, by the way, you know, I
have been. I bet in Fort Myers Beach. It's beautiful,
it's right on the water, but it's can't get hit.
Go ahead, I want to hear what you have to say.
Go ahead.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
The houses, the properties that we looked at, some of
them no longer exist because they were wiped out by
the storm surge. It was like an eighteen foot storm surge,
you know, for Hurricane Ian. They weren't expecting. It was
supposed to go up to Tampa Bay or with Saint
Pete or something like that, and it took a quick
you know, it's going up north, and it took a
quick ride and hit hit you know, hit Fort Myers Beach.
(25:47):
So we kind of backed off. And there are other things,
like Dmitry said, Massachusetts has the best health care. So
you know, you start leaving Massachusetts, New York or maybe
even the Baltimore area, you start going further south, well,
your health kid drops off real quick. We've got the
best education, obviously, and and you know, I'm i'm a
(26:07):
i'm a, i'm A. Republicans aren't really that bad here,
you know what I mean. It's not really tax a
choose it. It could be worse in New York State,
New Jersey, California. Places like that.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Well, their work, their work, they are working, they are
working at it quite qu diligently to to return. For
a long time, when we had Republican governors, Uh, the
the taxing element of the Democratic Party was relatively quiet.
But look at what's going on in Boston now with
the mayor looking to try to raise commercial taxes. We
(26:43):
talked about that earlier this week. It's it's always wrong.
You have the millionaires tax, which now that might not
affect you, might not affect me, might, but it's going
to affect a lot of people own businesses. There is
an outflow of people going out of here. But the balance,
the counter balance, is what you're saying. I can remember
being on vacation in Fort Myers Beach, Florida in the
(27:07):
mid nineties, uh, and being in a wonderful on the
water high rise condominium. I'm sure I bet you that
building is probably not there anymore.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
Where we stayed the Best Western hotel down there on
Fort Myers Beach. They got wiped out for Ian and
then they actually they were redoing all their work and
the first two floors had to be redone because they
got hit a second time.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
What year, what year was? What year was I'm trying
to remember Hurricane Ian. We're talking.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
This is this pre COVID, correct, No, No, Ian was
after COVID either two or twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Twenty okay, okay, more recent. Okay. They these names go
by you and you know, we all remember Katrina. We
remember the hurricane that they that hit New Jersey in
twenty twelve, late October. Yeah, it's it's a factor in
what sort of you know, a planning you're going to
(28:10):
do going forward. You said you're a Republican. How old
are you now?
Speaker 5 (28:16):
I'm sixty three.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah. Well what I'm saying is you got to be Yeah,
you start to think about estate taxes and things like that.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
And you know if I can you yeah, yeah, get
state tax if you're aware of it. It just went
from a million dollars up to two million dollars. As
far as the trip threshold, Yeah, that nice. You don't
have to find hard to become a Florida resident, so
you can save money and state taxes for your ears.
You can you know, keep it up to two million
(28:45):
dollars if you stay up here. So that was a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
That. Well, right, it's depending upon where you fall. If
somebody has, you know, a home and a summer home
and and some bank accounts, you can get past two
million dollars pretty quickly in Massachusetts because of the price
of things. I think, at a minimum, I think they
should have raised it to four or five million dollars
(29:08):
to try to stem the outflow of people who were
job creators. But that's you know, when when when the
Democrats have people screaming out in the in the car
is at the state House, make those rich people pay
their fair share. Could someone defines fall share for me? Good?
Speaker 5 (29:25):
Yeah, it was ridiculous before because once you got to
a million, then it kicked back down that he started
to tax you a dollar. Number one. Now, there's another
issue about the Boston area that I've noticed, and again
I'm I'm a Republican, I'm a tront for that type
of thing, and but I've noticed that the winters in Boston,
the last five, six, seven winters have been fairly mild, mild,
(29:47):
very mild. They've been pretty easy. So and now you've
got the sharks off the coast, so things like that,
and it's I think it's just more than just a
lot of the seals on Montamway Islands, you know, by
Chantlem and things like that. But you everything I'm just getting.
The warm weather is slowly migrating up. And again I'm
not a climate change person, but if we haven't war, well.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
We'll see. I would only remind you, yeah, I would
only remind you that that the snow in Boston, and
I think in a lot of our neck of the
woods kind of goes in periods. So I go back
to the winter of twenty fourteen and fifteen, and if
you may remember, that was extraordinarily nice winter. In December,
(30:30):
there was no snow. In the first couple of weeks
of January there was no snow, and I was thinking,
we're going to get through this winter pretty well. It
started to snow around January twentieth and it didn't stop
until March first, and we ended up with more than
one hundred inches of snow. You know, So you never
could trust that New England winter. You know, I want
(30:53):
to see more mild winters before I'm gonna, you know,
accept that we might get hits winter with we might
get creamed again with snowstorms. So let us see, you know,
let's see what happens. But obviously you're you're you were
thinking twice about moving south, and I you're exactly the
caller that I would would want to talk with tonight.
Thank you, Mark, appreciate you. Paul. Alrighty, right, have a
(31:15):
great weekend. Good night. Okay, we're going to continue. We've
got a quick break here, Catherine, and Summerville is on
the other side, I promise, and it could be you.
Six one seven, two, five, four to ten thirty six
one seven, nine three one ten thirty. We try to
judge topics, and one of the things I try to
do on night side is to change it up as
(31:35):
much as we can. So we haven't touched Hurricane Heleen
and the implications. We have not talked. We had not
talked about the the long Shortman strike, and we had
expected it was it was again suspended last night. We
had suspected that it would have been ongoing when we
(31:58):
scheduled our guest last hour. So I think a lot
of people out of sight, out of mind. But this
is a topic that I think more of you should
be interested in. I invite you to call six one seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three I don't
like doing the same topic night after night after night,
but maybe that's what my audience likes. So persuade me
(32:22):
one way or the other. We'll be back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Coming back now, back to Dan Ray Mine from the
window World Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Back to the phones we go, got some interest going
on here. Let me get Catherine in Somerville. See what
Catherine's story is, Captain, appreciate you calling in your next one.
Speaker 6 (32:39):
Nice side, Hi Dan, Hi Catherine, It's so good to
talk to you. I just turned my radio on way tonight.
Usually I turned it on earlier, and I heard you
talking about North Carolina this morning. I had my radio
on early. It was still in bed, and they were
(33:00):
talking about, you know, you know, the devastation in North
Carolina and these I don't even it wasn't w b
Z with another station. I think it was w r K.
By mistake, I.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Got that you could say another radio station, but.
Speaker 6 (33:22):
I'm not even sure what station. But it was so interesting.
These guys were talking. They're doing a lot of you know, recovery.
They're trying to, you know, get people out of there,
and they're doing it. These are all civilian people and
they they're using their own helicopters, and they were talking
(33:43):
about THEEMA, THEEMA is not doing enough. There was there
was a FEMA satellite there, I guess, and they saw
them and they were just sitting around and they the THEMA.
They don't want these people, these civilian people rescuing people
(34:05):
doing the rescuing, and they're not going to stop. They
were saying, all the rescues.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
I think Americans. I think Americans have a tradition of
helping other Americans cot.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
Yes, these guys were all in the military, most of them, Yes,
And they had friends who all had their own helicopters,
and they were calling all their friends and they were rescuing.
They rescued a baby eleven days old, and they rescue
an elderly woman who only had one more day of oxygen.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
It was just, well, that's what America is all about.
That's what America is all about. Most of us don't
sit around and wait for the government to help. Most
of us get up in the morning and go to work,
and in the time of a crisis, neighbors help neighbors.
And that is what this country is.
Speaker 6 (34:51):
That's what they're doing because how I didn't realize you're
not going to believe it. But I don't even have
a TV, so I don't see I don't see a lot,
you know. I just listened to the radio. Let's good
the station, and it's all it's all mountains, mountain.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
We covered that. I know you. I know you called.
You listened to a little lap Who've covered some of that.
So I'm going to let you go. I thank you
for calling in. I got two other folks that want
to get in here before we got to switch to
the twentieth hour.
Speaker 6 (35:25):
Thanks Catherine, I know, I know, I know. All right, Heaven,
all right, thank you again.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Good night, all right, thanks Miche. Let me go to
Lee and Addleborough. Lee, you next time nights. I'd like
to get you and John and North Carolina in Go right.
Speaker 7 (35:36):
Ahead, Lee, This is Lee Anne in Attleborough. Yes, hello, Dan, Yeah, yes, Well,
you couldn't pay me to live south of the Mason
Dixon line or anywhere in the Midwest. And number one
reason is because of the weather. As an ex military wife,
I spent four years in Flora, three years in New Orleans,
(35:59):
three years in South Carolina, California where we had an
earthquake and so I've had my share of evacuations and
humidity and floods and hurricanes and the whole nine yards.
And I'd rather live poor as a church mouse here
in Massachusetts than anywhere else.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Well, there are a lot of church mice in Massachusetts,
and I suspect it more look at and hopefully Massachusetts
will keep people comfortable. But no, you're right. I mean
I look at this and I think to myself, oh,
you know, now, again, the coast of South Carolina and
the coast of North Carolina were spared. So it's really
(36:41):
the tale of two cities. Those states are much bigger
than we are physically, and it was in the western
part and then this disastrous hurricane right swung over into
Tennessee and sort of, you know, broke up. But yeah,
you're right. I mean, if you were living in Ashville,
North Carolina, your whole world has changed dramatic, right, There's
no question they.
Speaker 7 (37:01):
Are beautiful states. But but I agree with the other
call or too. It's not just the weather, but the
education and the medical care. Yes, I'm I'm quite content
where I'm at, even though politically I'm a pair in
an apple tree.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
But join joined the club, Hey, Thanks, Lee, Thank you.
Talk to you soon. Right, We're gonna get John in
North Carolina. John, I hope that you are far away
from Ashville, North Carolina.
Speaker 8 (37:29):
Oh yes, I'm in the middle part of the state.
We only got about four inches of rain over the weekend,
so it wasn't bad.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Yeah, we had we had nine inches of rain down
here in the Cape a couple of weeks ago. It
was it was horrific. Uh, four inches, you can handle.
But boy, some of that video that we see coming
out of the mountains and particularly Ashville, North Carolina, devastated, devastated.
Speaker 8 (37:55):
Yeah, it is, It is terrible. I agree with LeeAnne
that Yet, the climate in Massachusetts I think is better
than in the South because the summers are so much
better in Massachusetts and the winters aren't too bad. I mean,
you get the snow, but that's not as bad as
an ice storm. We get ice storms down here that
(38:15):
are very devastating.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
You know, most of us as the holiday season, Christmas
particularly approaches, most of us are looking forward to a snowstorm.
And now we're not looking forward to a blizzard. But
we know how to drive into snow up here because
we've had practice with you know, the first little storm
is going to be a problem. The expressway is going
to be tied up, and there'll be some fender benders.
But we do pretty well. And now look after New
(38:41):
Year's most of us are thinking, get this stuff out
of here. You know, when it's first is there around Christmas,
it's beautiful. It's like a courier in knives photograph that
you'd see in a Christmas card. But on those winters,
when you get a couple of storms in December, two
or three in January, and a couple more in February.
By the middle of February, it's like, oh, that's enough.
(39:03):
No moss, no moss. You know, we've been lucky in
the last few years here in Massachusetts, John, to be
really almost with you, we've been very lucky.
Speaker 8 (39:12):
And also in Massachusetts is a beautiful state. I mean,
with the fall in western Massachusetts really can't be beaten anywhere.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
I'm with you, John, hate to do this to you.
We're flat out of time, Thank you very much. The
twentieth hour awaits on the other side. You can join
us then as well. Thanks everybody. We'll be back right
after the eleventh
It's with Dan Ray on delay Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, welcome back everyone. Look, last weekend there was
this incredible storm that hit some several southern states. I
think you, unless you've been living under a rock for
the last month, you must know the amount of damage
that was done by Hurricane Helene. A Category four hurricane
(00:31):
made landfall in what they call the Bend northwestern Florida,
and then it blew up as it hit the land.
Oftentimes hurricanes lose some of their power. It blew up
as it hit the land. It got stronger into Georgia,
South Carolina, parts of North Carolina, and Tennessee. At least
two hundred and fifteen people have died. It's actually now
(00:52):
about two twenty that they know of, and hundreds more
of missing. I've seen video of this town, Asheville, North Carolina.
It looks as if it was hit by a bomb.
There is a group out of here, Massachusetts or the
Massachusetts Task Force One. It's an urban search and rescue team.
It is in North Carolina tonight with us now is
(01:13):
a member of that group. I'm not sure of your title,
Tom Cazunis, but you will tell me all of that.
You are with the Massachusetts Task Force one, and first
of all, tell us about the group. Is it a
government group, is it a group of private individuals? Give
us a little bit the history of the group.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Sure, thanks Dan for having me on a longtime listener,
first time I think I've been on your program, but
really enjoy it. So, Massachusetts Task Force one is part
of the excuse me, twenty eight member FEMA Search and
rescue teams. There are twenty eight across the country, and
the Massachusetts numbers are actually made up of all the
(01:56):
New England states. But we're based out of Beverly, Massachuset,
and we're all volunteers until we get deployed. When members
get deployed, they do get compensated by the federal government.
But all of our training, all of our service time
is all volunteer.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Okay, So you're almost you're almost the difference between active
duty military and members of the National Guard. You're you
have your volunteers, but once the National Guard is activated.
So how large a group do you have here? It's
a Massachusetts based group, but it's from all around New England.
How many folks do you have in the group? And
(02:37):
can can people of a certain age or a certain
physical capability. Are you always are you looking for new
members or participants?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yes, we're always looking for additional members. We currently have
just over a little over two hundred active members on
the team right now, and we're made up of firefighters,
police office officers, medical technicians, doctors, engineers, communications specialist, logistics specialists,
(03:08):
and other professionals but come from you know, all variety
of walks of life.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Are the rooms before we're going to get into this
of what's going on in North Carolina? But I just
want to make sure that I lay a foundation so
people are the room. Is there room on your team
for people who may not have a specific professional background,
meaning police officer, e MT. Firefighter, nurse, doctor, et cetera.
(03:37):
Are there is there room and the team for people
who are who are in good shape and are willing
to go down and work and lift boxes and move
things and all of that. Or do you have to
have some sort of a specialty to become a member
of the team if you know what I think?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
You know what I'm asking ye ye, yes, no I do,
thank you, And yeah, you come with some level of specialty.
But it's we don't just you don't just walk in
the door and become a member and part of the team.
It's you know, close to one thousand hours of training
that goes in before you can actually be deployed and
(04:15):
are available to go out.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
A thousand hours of training for people, by the way,
just to put it in some context, two thousand hours
represents forty hour fifty weeks or forty hours, so that's
like a full year. So this is a half of
year of training. It has to be quite intense and
quite Yeah, you've got to commit a lot just to
(04:38):
complete one thousand hours of training. That's the equivalent of
a half a year's worth of work.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yep, pretty much. You know, you it's it. It doesn't happen,
you know, all at once. So it takes a couple
of years for you to be part of the team
before you are able to be deployed. And you know,
because we want to make sure that people have the commitment.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Sure and that they also you're not just pulling people
in off the street. Okay, so so exactly how you
and not in North Carolina?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
It is correct.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Are you an officer in the group.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Or you know, I'm the public information officer for the team.
I'm also serve as a planning manager, planning team manager,
and a structure specialist. I'm an engineer by training.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Okay, perfect, Okay, So how many members of the Massachusetts
Task Force one are deployed at this point and where
are they deployed to and what are they seeing? What
are they doing.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
We have a total of sixty six members deployed right now.
Sixty one of them are in North Carolina and the
other five are serving on the Incidents Support Team, which
is they're part of the group that goes down pre event,
you know, for a hurricane. We know it's coming, so
we'll pre deploy some members and they're they go in
(06:01):
as part of like the pre planning team to help
with logistics and then bringing in and other search and
rescue teams from across the country and you know, knowing
where they're going to be, where they should go as
the missions come in, our assignments come in. They help
with the being a federal agency to deploy those individuals
(06:26):
in the teams where they need to be.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Okay, so you work in conjunction with them and the
five who are sort of the advanced come the Advanced
team are they also in North Carolina. Tonight.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
They're in Florida.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
There in Florida.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
They started down in Florida and they stayed there. Yeah, yeah, okay, so.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
You're five in Florida, six sixty one in North Carolina.
How difficult has it been to communicate? I assume that
they're in areas where there's not a lot of like
of electricity. Cell phones need electricity. Are you are you
able to tell us what they're doing and what they're seeing.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yes, so we you know, as when we deploy, we
bring all of the equipment that we need with us.
So they're down there. They have their own generators, their
own tense corts, et cetera. But your absolutely correct cell
phone coverage down there is very very spotty. Will go
you know, most of the day without being able to
communicate with them from up here. But as a team
(07:24):
when they're down there, they have two way radios that
you know, they're communicating amongst themselves with their own repeaters,
et cetera.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
The conditions idea, any ideas So far, when did they
get there? I mean, obviously this hurricane really hit. I
believe it was late last week, so it's almost a
week now since since the hurricane impacted how quickly were
they down there? And have you had any communication as
to what they're seeing, because I assume it must be
god awful.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Sure they so our team was activated one day afternoon.
They were rolling out the door around midnight Wednesday night.
They drove through the night, arrived in North Carolina late
afternoon on Thursday, set up all their gear and equipment,
and went to work Friday morning, and they've been working
(08:13):
every day since then.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So what have been communicated with you as to the
area that they're in and is the problem water? Water everywhere?
Is it problem with no structures or structures that have
been deployed. I mean, we've seen pictures, We've seen aerial pictures,
but I'm just wondering if they have provided you with
any specificity as to what they have found.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yes, yes, absolutely, really honestly everything that you mentioned. Water everywhere,
water filled with debris. They've literally had to you. Before
they can deploy the boats and move the boats along
the water, there's three typically three people in the boat,
(09:00):
one operating the engine and the other two up front
actually pushing debris with paddles out of the way so
that they can make their way through the water. And
then the traveling on the land, they've had to stop
and wait for dozers and front end loaders to come
(09:23):
through and push the debris out of the way so
that they can continue to travel down there on the
on what used to be open highways and roads.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yeah, are they looking the groups in the boat. Are
they looking to rescue people from homes that are that
are surrounded by water or are they bringing supplies to people?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
No, they are rescuing. They're they're rescuing. They're they're going through,
you know, systematically checking structures, checking vehicles. Have pulled some
people out of homes that have been completely surrounded it
and inundated with flood waters. I would I would.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Venture I would venture to say, not being an expert
in North Carolina terrain, but I would venture to say
that they have to be concerned about the presence of
snakes in that in that in those waterways. Is that
a factor that that they need that they were aware of.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Yes, that's absolutely correct. And other wildlife that you know,
when very hungry, maybe looking at individuals and humans as dinner.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yes, yes, yeah, uh man, I'll tell you this is
this is an amazing story. How long will your team
be down there, I know the real the the answer
probably is as long as they need. But do you
cycle people in and cycle these folks out or or
do they return with the vehicles that brought them brought
(11:00):
them down there, and then another team goes down as
as these circumstances require.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
So a typical deployment could last you know, or does
last around two weeks. But as you said, we will
stay and the team members will stay down there for
as long as it takes until their services are not needed.
If someone has to come out for whatever reason because
of you know, whatever the factor just fatigue or you know,
(11:30):
personal circumstances, we rotate individuals out if the team you know,
until our team is deactivated or demobilized. All our equipment
and our cash will stay down there and members will
rotate in and out. As I said, we're about over
two hundred deep. Every position are over two hundred members strong.
(11:52):
Every position is several members deep, so that we could
bring people out if necessary.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Okay, and then my last last question is I don't
know how long your group has been around, how many
times you've been deployed, but would you how would you
explain the circumstances in North Carolina, since that's where the
majority of you, what the vast majority of your members
are working. Have you ever seen destruction on this scale before?
(12:23):
Or have you or is this normal that you've You've
been doing this for twenty years and this is just
another another horrific natural disaster that you're helping out with.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
The team has been around, you know, pre nine to eleven.
In fact, Massachusetts was the first team to be in
New York City on that day. But so Hurricane Katrina
was probably one of the biggest and worst storms, and
(12:53):
this is, you know, from a devastation point of view.
From what the members are telling us, it's pretty close
to that as far as the amount of debris and
the difficulty in getting through and getting to areas. It's
just the amount of water that came down out of
the mountains and the debris that it brought in, the
(13:16):
mud slide slides that happened in conjunction with that water
coming down, and then just staying in the valley because
it's stuck there has been pretty catastrophic.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, I'll tell you, it's amazing. I don't know off
hand how many people lost their lives in Katrina. I
know there was loss of life. But I think that
this loss of life is going to exceed significantly the
two hundred and twenty people who have already lost their
lives in this horrific, horrific storm. So thank you for
(13:50):
what you do. Best of luck. Is there a way
of people have listened to you tonight, have been inspired
and want to join your team. How they can get
in touch with the team. What's the website?
Speaker 3 (14:01):
The website is m A t F one dot org.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
So m A from Mask Task Force and the number
one m A t.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
F one correct dot org dot org.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Right, all right, well again, thank you for joining us tonight, Tom,
and I hope all of your team members get home safely.
And you are truly doing an incredible it's it's a
very traditional American service, people from one part of the
country helping other people when they are in distress. So
thank you for what you do and keep us me
(14:35):
may have you back on in the next week or
two and follow this more closely.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Okay, thanks again, absolutely, thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Okay, Tom Gazunis, he's the public relations a public information
officer for the Mask Task Force. One. Now what I
want to do, We're going to take a break and
when we come back, we have about I don't know,
well about thirty five minutes. I would love to know
if the these really horrific storms that seem to have
(15:03):
hit the South in recent years, recent months in Florida
and now on up into the Carolinas, has that made
you rethink about leaving Massachusetts because we're kind of blessed here.
We have an occasional tornado, but nothing like they have
(15:25):
in the Plain States. We do have blizzards, there's no
doubt about that, and we have had hurricanes blow through,
but never with at least in my memory. I was
around for one of those in the mid fifties, but
I don't remember much about it. Does this change your
attitude as to how likely you might be to either
(15:49):
take early retirement or retire and work remotely from one
of these states. I mean, these are amongst the most
beautiful states in the country, North Carolina, South Carolina. Uh.
They also have a temperate client climate and pretty good
tax circumstances, and you know, they are less taxing than Massachusetts.
(16:13):
But I just would love to know from some of
you how lucky we are to live in Massachusetts because
weather is really not a factor. Oh if you have
a house on the ocean and and the cliff is
eating away. Yeah, but that's few and far between. Let's
talk about it. Six one, seven, two, five, four, ten, thirty, six, seven,
(16:35):
nine thirty. My name is Dan Ray. We will go
to the eleven o'clock hour, the twentieth hour of the
week tonight, right after the eleven o'clock news and the
question that hour. That's an hour where you get a
free pass. You have the Hall pass if you called
earlier in the week, You're more than welcome and join us,
and we're going to talk about what skill would you do?
You regret that you did learn when you were younger,
(16:57):
however you define that back on Nightside after this.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Well, let's get some phone calls going here, folks on
a Friday. Now, we got Dmitri and Jemshire. Hey, Dmitri,
how are you tonight? Welcome? Hello, Hello, Dmitri, Welcome to
night Side.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Yes, Hello, I want to call in and just want
to share my opinion. I moved to Massachusetts twenty eighteen
with my wife and two girls, ages ten and thirteen.
We moved from Arkansas down south, and of course people, yeah,
we moved here mainly for the public schools, but I
(17:42):
have to admit, in the last few years, I've had
in basis surgery in my right leg and my leg
was almost amptutated. People don't realize how good the medical
services are in this part of the country. But regarding
the devastation going on down south, I will share this. Yes,
we have our fair shere cold weather up here, but
(18:04):
I'm truly grateful to be living again in a part
of the country that has four seasons. I mean, originally
I was born raised in Athens, Greece. I lived in
the New York City every fifteen years. Then my wife,
who's from Arkansas, we moved down south to be closer
a family, and it was Yes, it's nice during the winters,
(18:26):
but it was kind of unpredictable weather during tornado season,
and so you kind of hit the nail a few
moments ago when you said, am I thinking twice about
moving back moving down south after seeing all these hurricanes
year after year? I am. I mean, I really am.
(18:48):
And from one side, I'm very grateful that I currently
live in Massachusetts and I've been through some serious health issues,
which people don't realize how good the health services are
in Massachusetts until you actually have a very serious health
issue to deal with.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
But let me ask you. Let me ask you a
couple of questions to meet you. First of all, first
time calling Mi Shew, yes, sir, okay, a little run
of Apaust with Dimitri. Thanks for calling in and thank
you for listening. So, Mike, my question is how tough
was it to work for you to get your wife
to uproot the family and leave up the area of
(19:28):
the country where she was from that had not that
must not have been easy for her.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
It was not easy, but we did it for our children.
I had to explain either we stayed in Arkansas. Unfortunately
we were not making enough money to send our children
to private school.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
We were so how bad? How bad of the public schools?
How bad of the public schools in Arkansas?
Speaker 4 (19:52):
Well, let's just say they're not as good as up here.
If I could put it for that.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
That's good. And then I see that you're in I
see that you're in Chelmsford. Does Chelmstord have a particularly
outstanding public school system? Is that why you picked chelms.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
For Well, we picked Chelms. For number one, it was
a reasonable commute. It was a strategic decision to have
a reasonable commute to where I work. Sure, yeah, I
work in the Conquered area near Hanscome Air Force Base,
but it was it was also yes, what.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
What sort of work? What sort of work?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
To me?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
You did you do in Arkansas? What? You know, what
was your profession that not only could make a living
for you in Arkansas, but then you could come up
here and and do that same type of work.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Well, I was very I'm fortunate I worked for the
federal government, so I was able to find another federal
government job up here as well. So once we did
the job, and you know, the job was secure. But I,
of course I was very trained parent with my wife
from the very beginning, I explained to her, you know,
(21:05):
the move is mainly for our children and because we
just were not going to be able to afford to
provide private schooling for them down there. And I said, well,
this is a practical solution. And we happen to also
have half cousins that live in the area, and so
my wife would never have left Arkansas to go to
(21:28):
a state where we had absolutely no family. YEP, but
it did help. I had some family, but yet we
were leaving behind her immediate family, her mother, her father,
her sister, mother in law, and people are very friendly
down south. Don't get me wrong. It's just we really
wanted to provide the best for our children.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
This is your first time in Massachusetts. Do you find
us friendly as friendly as people down there generally? I'm
talking about, well, does our reputation of being a little
stand offish did you.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Find out the yes. To answer your question, sir, the
reputation is probably worse than what it really is.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Ok.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
We moved up here. Maybe people were not necessarily that
friendly initially, but once they get to know you, you
get to know them. And we go to church, and
you know, we're very faithful and uh dedicated to our community.
We go to a Greek Orthodox church, very friendly people
involved with Yeah, with the name with.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
The name Dimitri having been born and said in Athens,
I have many friends in the Greek community, and the
church in the community, in the Greek community is really
the the hub of activity, and so you would not
You will have many friends, I'm sure right away within
within that church community, and then they will have introduced
(22:55):
other people as well to Matri thank you for calling.
You answered the question specifically. I hope some more people
call with similar stories. Very interesting, and I hope that
you'll become a regular, not only listener, but a regular
caller on nightside.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Yes, I am thank you. Have a good evening.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Thanks Dimitri, thank you very much. All right, that's an
interesting call. I didn't expect to first call it to
be someone who had moved here from Arkansas, but I
would love to know. Do you think, having watched what
has transpired in the last few days in Florida on
through Georgia and into the Carolinas, has it given you
(23:33):
not that No, maybe you've never thought about it, But
does it give you a greater appreciation for the weather
that we have here? We have storms, yeah, we have thunderstorms,
we have blizzards, but it's nothing like with what the people,
particularly in the mountains of North Carolina, are dealing with tonight.
So let's let's get the conversation going here on a
Friday night of North America's back porch. I'm just looking
(23:56):
for your thoughts. All you going to do is dial
the phones six seven, two, four ten thirty, six seven
nine three, one thirty I'm working hard. I hope you
are as well. Well. Tonight you're relaxing, but give us
a call back on Nightside after this.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
It's night Side with Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Thanks all, let's keep rolling. Here're gonna go to Mark
and Norton. Mark, Welcome to night Side. How are you sir?
Speaker 5 (24:25):
All right?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Dan?
Speaker 5 (24:25):
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (24:26):
I'm doing just great. Have your thoughts had all been
impacted me? This? This hurricane hit there a week ago
Thursday nine, So this hurricane now is really in terms
of having hit US landfall eight days old and this
is now dispersed and it's it's floating away. But boy,
what an impact exactly.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
Actually, I'll that was more western North Carolina up in
the mountains there that yes, really, you know, the pounds
in the roads are really devastated. Let me go back
to Hurricane Ian's my story. My wife and I went
down to to Fort Myers Beach six months before that
hurricane hit Fort Myers Beach, and we've started looking at
(25:07):
property coming here from Massachusetts to you know, probably go
down to somewhere in Florida. We started looking at Fort
Myers Beached.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Yeah, by the way, by the way, you know, I
have been. I bet in Fort Myers Beach. It's beautiful,
it's right on the water, but it's can't get hit.
Go ahead, I want to hear what you have to say.
Go ahead.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
The houses, the properties that we looked at, some of
them no longer exist because they were wiped out by
the storm surge. It was like an eighteen foot storm surge,
you know, for Hurricane Ian. They weren't expecting. It was
supposed to go up to Tampa Bay or with Saint
Pete or something like that, and it took a quick
you know, it's going up north, and it took a
quick ride and hit hit you know, hit Fort Myers Beach.
(25:47):
So we kind of backed off. And there are other things,
like Dmitry said, Massachusetts has the best health care. So
you know, you start leaving Massachusetts, New York or maybe
even the Baltimore area, you start going further south, well,
your health kid drops off real quick. We've got the
best education, obviously, and and you know, I'm i'm a
(26:07):
i'm a, i'm A. Republicans aren't really that bad here,
you know what I mean. It's not really tax a
choose it. It could be worse in New York State,
New Jersey, California. Places like that.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Well, their work, their work, they are working, they are
working at it quite qu diligently to to return. For
a long time, when we had Republican governors, Uh, the
the taxing element of the Democratic Party was relatively quiet.
But look at what's going on in Boston now with
the mayor looking to try to raise commercial taxes. We
(26:43):
talked about that earlier this week. It's it's always wrong.
You have the millionaires tax, which now that might not
affect you, might not affect me, might, but it's going
to affect a lot of people own businesses. There is
an outflow of people going out of here. But the balance,
the counter balance, is what you're saying. I can remember
being on vacation in Fort Myers Beach, Florida in the
(27:07):
mid nineties, uh, and being in a wonderful on the
water high rise condominium. I'm sure I bet you that
building is probably not there anymore.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
Where we stayed the Best Western hotel down there on
Fort Myers Beach. They got wiped out for Ian and
then they actually they were redoing all their work and
the first two floors had to be redone because they
got hit a second time.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
What year, what year was? What year was I'm trying
to remember Hurricane Ian. We're talking.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
This is this pre COVID, correct, No, No, Ian was
after COVID either two or twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Twenty okay, okay, more recent. Okay. They these names go
by you and you know, we all remember Katrina. We
remember the hurricane that they that hit New Jersey in
twenty twelve, late October. Yeah, it's it's a factor in
what sort of you know, a planning you're going to
(28:10):
do going forward. You said you're a Republican. How old
are you now?
Speaker 5 (28:16):
I'm sixty three.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah. Well what I'm saying is you got to be Yeah,
you start to think about estate taxes and things like that.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
And you know if I can you yeah, yeah, get
state tax if you're aware of it. It just went
from a million dollars up to two million dollars. As
far as the trip threshold, Yeah, that nice. You don't
have to find hard to become a Florida resident, so
you can save money and state taxes for your ears.
You can you know, keep it up to two million
(28:45):
dollars if you stay up here. So that was a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
That. Well, right, it's depending upon where you fall. If
somebody has, you know, a home and a summer home
and and some bank accounts, you can get past two
million dollars pretty quickly in Massachusetts because of the price
of things. I think, at a minimum, I think they
should have raised it to four or five million dollars
(29:08):
to try to stem the outflow of people who were
job creators. But that's you know, when when when the
Democrats have people screaming out in the in the car
is at the state House, make those rich people pay
their fair share. Could someone defines fall share for me? Good?
Speaker 5 (29:25):
Yeah, it was ridiculous before because once you got to
a million, then it kicked back down that he started
to tax you a dollar. Number one. Now, there's another
issue about the Boston area that I've noticed, and again
I'm I'm a Republican, I'm a tront for that type
of thing, and but I've noticed that the winters in Boston,
the last five, six, seven winters have been fairly mild, mild,
(29:47):
very mild. They've been pretty easy. So and now you've
got the sharks off the coast, so things like that,
and it's I think it's just more than just a
lot of the seals on Montamway Islands, you know, by
Chantlem and things like that. But you everything I'm just getting.
The warm weather is slowly migrating up. And again I'm
not a climate change person, but if we haven't war, well.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
We'll see. I would only remind you, yeah, I would
only remind you that that the snow in Boston, and
I think in a lot of our neck of the
woods kind of goes in periods. So I go back
to the winter of twenty fourteen and fifteen, and if
you may remember, that was extraordinarily nice winter. In December,
(30:30):
there was no snow. In the first couple of weeks
of January there was no snow, and I was thinking,
we're going to get through this winter pretty well. It
started to snow around January twentieth and it didn't stop
until March first, and we ended up with more than
one hundred inches of snow. You know, So you never
could trust that New England winter. You know, I want
(30:53):
to see more mild winters before I'm gonna, you know,
accept that we might get hits winter with we might
get creamed again with snowstorms. So let us see, you know,
let's see what happens. But obviously you're you're you were
thinking twice about moving south, and I you're exactly the
caller that I would would want to talk with tonight.
Thank you, Mark, appreciate you. Paul. Alrighty, right, have a
(31:15):
great weekend. Good night. Okay, we're going to continue. We've
got a quick break here, Catherine, and Summerville is on
the other side, I promise, and it could be you.
Six one seven, two, five, four to ten thirty six
one seven, nine three one ten thirty. We try to
judge topics, and one of the things I try to
do on night side is to change it up as
(31:35):
much as we can. So we haven't touched Hurricane Heleen
and the implications. We have not talked. We had not
talked about the the long Shortman strike, and we had
expected it was it was again suspended last night. We
had suspected that it would have been ongoing when we
(31:58):
scheduled our guest last hour. So I think a lot
of people out of sight, out of mind. But this
is a topic that I think more of you should
be interested in. I invite you to call six one seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three I don't
like doing the same topic night after night after night,
but maybe that's what my audience likes. So persuade me
(32:22):
one way or the other. We'll be back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Coming back now, back to Dan Ray Mine from the
window World Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Back to the phones we go, got some interest going
on here. Let me get Catherine in Somerville. See what
Catherine's story is, Captain, appreciate you calling in your next one.
Speaker 6 (32:39):
Nice side, Hi Dan, Hi Catherine, It's so good to
talk to you. I just turned my radio on way tonight.
Usually I turned it on earlier, and I heard you
talking about North Carolina this morning. I had my radio
on early. It was still in bed, and they were
(33:00):
talking about, you know, you know, the devastation in North
Carolina and these I don't even it wasn't w b
Z with another station. I think it was w r K.
By mistake, I.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Got that you could say another radio station, but.
Speaker 6 (33:22):
I'm not even sure what station. But it was so interesting.
These guys were talking. They're doing a lot of you know, recovery.
They're trying to, you know, get people out of there,
and they're doing it. These are all civilian people and
they they're using their own helicopters, and they were talking
(33:43):
about THEEMA, THEEMA is not doing enough. There was there
was a FEMA satellite there, I guess, and they saw
them and they were just sitting around and they the THEMA.
They don't want these people, these civilian people rescuing people
(34:05):
doing the rescuing, and they're not going to stop. They
were saying, all the rescues.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
I think Americans. I think Americans have a tradition of
helping other Americans cot.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
Yes, these guys were all in the military, most of them, Yes,
And they had friends who all had their own helicopters,
and they were calling all their friends and they were rescuing.
They rescued a baby eleven days old, and they rescue
an elderly woman who only had one more day of oxygen.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
It was just, well, that's what America is all about.
That's what America is all about. Most of us don't
sit around and wait for the government to help. Most
of us get up in the morning and go to work,
and in the time of a crisis, neighbors help neighbors.
And that is what this country is.
Speaker 6 (34:51):
That's what they're doing because how I didn't realize you're
not going to believe it. But I don't even have
a TV, so I don't see I don't see a lot,
you know. I just listened to the radio. Let's good
the station, and it's all it's all mountains, mountain.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
We covered that. I know you. I know you called.
You listened to a little lap Who've covered some of that.
So I'm going to let you go. I thank you
for calling in. I got two other folks that want
to get in here before we got to switch to
the twentieth hour.
Speaker 6 (35:25):
Thanks Catherine, I know, I know, I know. All right, Heaven,
all right, thank you again.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Good night, all right, thanks Miche. Let me go to
Lee and Addleborough. Lee, you next time nights. I'd like
to get you and John and North Carolina in Go right.
Speaker 7 (35:36):
Ahead, Lee, This is Lee Anne in Attleborough. Yes, hello, Dan, Yeah, yes, Well,
you couldn't pay me to live south of the Mason
Dixon line or anywhere in the Midwest. And number one
reason is because of the weather. As an ex military wife,
I spent four years in Flora, three years in New Orleans,
(35:59):
three years in South Carolina, California where we had an
earthquake and so I've had my share of evacuations and
humidity and floods and hurricanes and the whole nine yards.
And I'd rather live poor as a church mouse here
in Massachusetts than anywhere else.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Well, there are a lot of church mice in Massachusetts,
and I suspect it more look at and hopefully Massachusetts
will keep people comfortable. But no, you're right. I mean
I look at this and I think to myself, oh,
you know, now, again, the coast of South Carolina and
the coast of North Carolina were spared. So it's really
(36:41):
the tale of two cities. Those states are much bigger
than we are physically, and it was in the western
part and then this disastrous hurricane right swung over into
Tennessee and sort of, you know, broke up. But yeah,
you're right. I mean, if you were living in Ashville,
North Carolina, your whole world has changed dramatic, right, There's
no question they.
Speaker 7 (37:01):
Are beautiful states. But but I agree with the other
call or too. It's not just the weather, but the
education and the medical care. Yes, I'm I'm quite content
where I'm at, even though politically I'm a pair in
an apple tree.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
But join joined the club, Hey, Thanks, Lee, Thank you.
Talk to you soon. Right, We're gonna get John in
North Carolina. John, I hope that you are far away
from Ashville, North Carolina.
Speaker 8 (37:29):
Oh yes, I'm in the middle part of the state.
We only got about four inches of rain over the weekend,
so it wasn't bad.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Yeah, we had we had nine inches of rain down
here in the Cape a couple of weeks ago. It
was it was horrific. Uh, four inches, you can handle.
But boy, some of that video that we see coming
out of the mountains and particularly Ashville, North Carolina, devastated, devastated.
Speaker 8 (37:55):
Yeah, it is, It is terrible. I agree with LeeAnne
that Yet, the climate in Massachusetts I think is better
than in the South because the summers are so much
better in Massachusetts and the winters aren't too bad. I mean,
you get the snow, but that's not as bad as
an ice storm. We get ice storms down here that
(38:15):
are very devastating.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
You know, most of us as the holiday season, Christmas
particularly approaches, most of us are looking forward to a snowstorm.
And now we're not looking forward to a blizzard. But
we know how to drive into snow up here because
we've had practice with you know, the first little storm
is going to be a problem. The expressway is going
to be tied up, and there'll be some fender benders.
But we do pretty well. And now look after New
(38:41):
Year's most of us are thinking, get this stuff out
of here. You know, when it's first is there around Christmas,
it's beautiful. It's like a courier in knives photograph that
you'd see in a Christmas card. But on those winters,
when you get a couple of storms in December, two
or three in January, and a couple more in February.
By the middle of February, it's like, oh, that's enough.
(39:03):
No moss, no moss. You know, we've been lucky in
the last few years here in Massachusetts, John, to be
really almost with you, we've been very lucky.
Speaker 8 (39:12):
And also in Massachusetts is a beautiful state. I mean,
with the fall in western Massachusetts really can't be beaten anywhere.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
I'm with you, John, hate to do this to you.
We're flat out of time, Thank you very much. The
twentieth hour awaits on the other side. You can join
us then as well. Thanks everybody. We'll be back right
after the eleventh
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.