October 7, 2024 • 37 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!
Bob Dees - Major General (Retired) – former Commander of the US-Israeli Combined Task Force for Missile Defense & runs the National Center for Healthy Veterans discusses the 1-Year Anniversary of the Oct. 7th attack on Israel by Hamas.
Jeff Bellows - Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Public Affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts on free Bluebikes Day Passes on World Mental Health Day – Where and how you can take advantage. Connect between exercise & “good” mental health. Additionally happening during MBTA orange line shutdown.
Jason Rohrer – NH Game Designer – Creator of Treasure Hunt says an Andover meteorologist finds $26,000 gold statue hidden in the woods of Western Mass!
Kevin Cadima - A Meteorologist from the National Weather Service checks in to discuss Hurricane Milton, which is at a Category 5 and forecast to make landfall this week in Florida! Will it impact New England at all?
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio!
Bob Dees - Major General (Retired) – former Commander of the US-Israeli Combined Task Force for Missile Defense & runs the National Center for Healthy Veterans discusses the 1-Year Anniversary of the Oct. 7th attack on Israel by Hamas.
Jeff Bellows - Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Public Affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts on free Bluebikes Day Passes on World Mental Health Day – Where and how you can take advantage. Connect between exercise & “good” mental health. Additionally happening during MBTA orange line shutdown.
Jason Rohrer – NH Game Designer – Creator of Treasure Hunt says an Andover meteorologist finds $26,000 gold statue hidden in the woods of Western Mass!
Kevin Cadima - A Meteorologist from the National Weather Service checks in to discuss Hurricane Milton, which is at a Category 5 and forecast to make landfall this week in Florida! Will it impact New England at all?
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 (00:01):
It's night Side, Dan Ray on Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thank you very much, Sherry Small. Always great to hear
your voice here on night side, as I often do,
but we also hear throughout the work week. But it's
always nice when you're leading us into our show, and
of course leading us into our show on October seventh,
which is a very important date on I think should
be on everyone's calendar, a day of morning and a
(00:27):
day of concern. We're going to talk about that in
a moment. We will talk about it at greater length
later tonight with a gentleman here from the Boston area
who had five relatives, five direct relatives kidnapped last October seventh.
Two of those relatives were killed, two children were released,
(00:52):
and a fifth remains in captivity. And my guest who
will join us at ten o'clock be going to Israel
on Thursday. And so just his name. He's an Attorney's
name is Jason Greenberg, and he's an incredible individual and
you'll want to hear his story. We will talk at
(01:14):
nine o'clock about the hearing in front of the Supreme
Judicial Court today on the Massachusetts MBTA Communities Act. I
think you know how I feel about that. But first
we have four special guests, very special guests starting off
the program this hour, Major General retired Robert D's. General
(01:37):
D's get a chance to salute you here on night's side.
Thank you for your service.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You, bed Dan. Great to be with you tonight.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Thank you very much. You are also in charge now
of a center called the National Center for Healthy Veterans.
I want to learn more about that. But I would
be remiss, since you're the former command of the US
Israeli Combined Task Force for Missile Defense, if I just
didn't ask you a couple of questions about what's going
(02:06):
on in the Middle East. First of all, the defense
the Missile Defense Force forces in Israel performed magnificently the
other night under that barrage of one hundred and eighty
ballistic missiles sent from Iran. Tell us about that system.
(02:27):
It's a it's a dome that is over the nation
of Israel. It cannot be guarantee because there were a
few of those one hundred and eighty missiles that got through.
But boy, why would Iran be so crazy to try
this now a second time? A barrage of missiles and
they probably had even less success this time than they
(02:50):
did a few months ago when they tried the same thing.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Well, then I agree with you, it's and many of
the Iranian missiles the first time failed and this time
as well, so they've got quality control on their end.
But what some people don't realize is the Israeli air
defense is really an integrated air defense system. They've got
a system they've had for a number of years called
Arrow It reaches out and touches the longest range missiles
(03:16):
coming from places like Iran. And then the next thing
they have is David Sling sort of an intermediate range missiles,
and then the Iron Dome catches the shorter range missiles
such as those coming out of Lebanon and Gaza Strip.
And then the Israelis because of the high cost of
AMMO on these things, you know, that's my only concern
(03:37):
about the Israeli air defense is the AMO supply. But
they are developing because they're leaders in this technology, something
called Iron Beam, which reaches out and touches these missiles
with a laser beam. So the Israelis are the best
in the world at this air defense, so assisted by
the US in many ways. So there's also US Navy
(03:57):
ships in the Mediterranean assystem relar air defense, and some
US Air Force assets as well.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
This beam defense and the iron dome really goes back
to the genesis of what we were talking about, I
think in the late eighties and early nineties sort of
the Star Wars defense. Is that with some of these
ideas first percolated.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Well, I can't say, but I think you're right. It's
sort of a microcosm of the whole Star Wars concept.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Is that, Yeah, they literally put.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
A dome over Israel, you know, with this integrated air defense.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
It's pretty impressing.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
I'm excited to hear about these laser beams. That would
seem to me to be the next step. I'm not
an expert in this by any by any matter of means,
but having seen what Israel was able to do with
the pagers and the cell phones two or three weeks
ago for the Hesbala fighters who had those pages and
(04:57):
cell phones in their pocket, much too the discomfort, I
might add, Israel's pretty innovative, both with the defensive capable.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Well, they definitely are.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
You know a lot of people, you know, they still
are wondering why Israel was caught so flat footed with
the Gaza attack and the massacre. That said, Israel is
certainly on the front of its feet now because just
two days ago went into Lebanon they found elaborate complex
(05:33):
of hesblat tunnels, weaponry, even battle plans. And then both
in Lebanon and in Gaza, all of these are not
what those surrogates have produced. That's all the money that
we sent from the US through too Iran that has
gone straight into digging tunnels, buying weapons, all that stuff,
(05:53):
all that capability, as we have paid for with US funds.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Well, my last question on this general, and again if
I ask a question that for whatever reason you kind
of answered, don't hesitate to me. As if Israel is
looking to go further here, and there's some suggestion that
Israel may attempt to wipe out Iran's nuclear program, it
(06:19):
sounds like a good idea to me as an American,
that Iran would not have nuclear weapons. Do you think
Israel will be that bold or do they have the capacity?
I understood that a lot of the Iranian nuclear weaponry
and the development were in situations which were impermeable to
missing missiles inside deep inside mountains. Do they have the
(06:42):
capacity to do what maybe many of us would hope
they would do.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Well, that's to be determined. I think they have the
will to do it. Do they have the capability? The
US developed bunker buster bombs that we have shared with Israel.
One of the recent recently Kamala Harrison campaign said she
would deny these MUNC robuster bombs to the nation of
(07:07):
Israel because she didn't want the nuclear capability attacked. So
it's obviously a political football right now.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
But I think.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Israel is going to respond and probably with some deep
strikes against not only nuclear but also energy, which will
cripple them economically.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, and that might be probably the most effective method.
So let's talk for a few minutes about the National
Center for Healthy Veterans. Tell us about it. I'm familiar
with many, many, many programs, and I'd love to know
more about this.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Well kind of you to ask Dan. It's at Healthy
Veterans dot org as the website. But we are somewhat
unique because we represent i say, a crockpot in the
Microwave Society. We're a nine month residential program. We house
veterans in tiny homes and they have dignified work. A
three hundred and fifty acre farm and ranch operation, and
(08:00):
so forth they get Trump and recovering life skills programs
and career prep. The whole purpose is to turn healthy
veterans to America. We bring in at risk veterans. Our
veterans have given so much for us, and yet we
sometimes just don't take them out from under bridges or
help them as they transition out of prison. Or some
(08:22):
of our guys could be fortune five hundred CEOs they're
so talented. So we get to have a whole range
from all across the United States.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
We have a first village.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
That is full with a waiting list, and we're building
a second village of twenty five homes to expand our capacity.
So we're always looking for people that need what we have.
We need some good Boston or Massachusetts or North New
England folks. We've had one from New Hampshire. I think
that's all we have from New England. But we need
(08:54):
people to refer veterans that are at risk and that
we can help and then sec We always need ammunition
ourselves to carry on work.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Where an ammunition in this case is not shewcasing. The
ammunition here would be support we'll give that website again.
But where are you physically located? Where's this three hundred
and fifty acre.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
We're located in south central Virginia and we're twelve miles
from Lynchburg and Liberty University.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Now, I'm very much involved with a program out in
Minnesota which is a model Veterans Court. I don't know
if you're familiar with that or not. A friend of
mine who was an assistant US attorney out there, guy
named Hank Shea, got me involved in that a little
bit of supporting it. There is a model Veterans Court
(09:49):
in the state of Nebraska, and Minnesota has been the
second state to develop this model Veterans court. I'm sure
you probably have someone familiar with what I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Yes, I am, and we've worked with veterans court in
the past. In fact, there have been some veterans that
were on the wrong side of the law that were
remanded to us instead of prison right and they've done well.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Actually, well, that's exactly what we're talking about. So tell
us about how people here and not only in New England,
but we're hearing about thirty eight states of this are
other night. We're a big powerful fifty thousand ray am
radio station. How did they get in touch? What's the
website again for the National Center for Healthy Veterans.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
You bad, Dan, It's Healthy Veterans dot org and there's
a button at the very top says refer a veteran
and they can go on there.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
They can refer a veteran or they.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Can sell refer and that starts a series of phone
interviews and applications. And we work very hard to make
sure that a person is right for us and we're
right for them, and things like FBI background checks, medical records,
et cetera. But we want to know everything we can
so we can best help them.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I'm also involved with a group called Hope for the Warriors.
So you have a you have a supportive ear here,
and I think you'll find a supportive audience. I really
appreciate you taking the time tonight, Major General, and I
thank you for doing the work you do, and it's
it's really God's work. When I think what you're involved in,
I just want to say thank you. On behalf all
my listeners.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Well, thank you, Dan, I appreciate that. Great to be
with you tonight and your listeners.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Okay, Well, we'll keep in touch with you. Maybe we'll
have you on some night and go a little longer
and take some phone calls from them from listeners. This
is always a sort of a brief eight or nine
minute interview, but I'm going to give this story a
little like a good bottle of wine, an opportunity to
pray a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
So we'll be back to you, kount like you've got
a great show tonight. In the Boston Citizen, Jason Greenberg,
that's that's a powerful story in itself.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
It's an amazing story. It's an amazing story. And he's
going back there again. His cousin, his first cousin is
still hopefully alive, but you know, reportedly still being held captive.
So we stay on a lot of this stuff. General.
I appreciate it very much. Here again, thank you for
your service, and thank you for what you're doing right now.
Healthy Veterans dot Org.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
You bet my friend, thank you, take care, thank you,
good night.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
When we get back, and to talk about some free
bike rides as a result of shutdowns with the MBTA
Orange Line, we'll explain it all with Jeff Bellows. He's
the vice president of Corporate Citizenship in Public Affairs at
Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Back in just a
couple of minutes on Nightside. This is a Monday night edition.
(12:34):
You're listening to us, we're live. I have to remind people,
I should remind you more that this is a live
talk show. In the first hour at sort of an
interview show. But after nine o'clock we will open up
phone lines and give you an opportunity to participate in
the conversation, whatever your point of view. Back on night
Side right after this break.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Now back to Dan Ray Mine from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
But to welcome Jeff Bellows. He's vice president of Corporate
Citizenship and Public Affairs. Boy, that's a big business card.
That's a long title at Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Jeff,
welcome to night said, how are you tonight, sir.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
I'm doing fine. Dan, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
You're very welcome. So there's a little bit of a
problem with the Orange line. It seemed like there's a
bit of a problem with the Orange line all the time.
But we'll leave that. But they're gonna have a little
bit of a shutdown and Blue Cross Blue Shield has
decided to help out you guys sponsored the Blue Bikes program,
as I understand it, correct.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
That is correct. We are the sponsor of the blue
Bike program.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And I assume that's why Blue Cross Blue Shield it's
called Blue Bikes. I get that.
Speaker 5 (13:45):
Yeah, it changed. It was a hubway many years ago,
and we took over in twenty eighteen, and as part
of that, we rebranded the whole system and now it
is Blue Bikes. And the bikes are a very vibrant blue.
So I'm sure you you recognize them. I'm sure people
recognize them throughout the city. And also thirteen municipalities across
(14:07):
the Greater Boston region, so all.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Thirteen adjacent communities, is assume right.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
That's correct, except for Salem. We have one one sort
of outlier. Salem, Massachusetts has blue bikes as well, so
they're not connected to the rest of the of the system,
but they're still just as valuable and just as used
up in Salem as they are in the rest of
the system.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Now, I'm not a big Just for the record, you
know I'm not a big bike rider. Okay, you know
you know I've drive my car and I'm very careful
to avoid any type of bike, although, of course, as
there are more bike lanes and more blue bikes, it's
a little bit more difficult to navigate by car. But
(14:51):
so let's talk about what are you offering folks during
this shutdown and how long does this offer last?
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Sure, So Blue Cross is partnered up with the City
of Boston to offer five free Blue bike unlocks during
the Orange Line closure, which is from Tuesday, October eighth, tomorrow,
starting tomorrow through Sunday, October twentieth. And there's a special
code that riders can.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
That's that's almost two weeks.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
That's that's I know, it's go ahead ahead. It's a
long time, I know it is. And we've been doing
this for over a year now for all of the
different you know, or for many of the different closures
with the nbt A. So this one pertains as you
as you said, with the Orange Line, So from October
eighth to the twentieth. And there's a code that that
riders put into the Blue the Blue Bikes app and
(15:42):
it's m bt A Orange O C T and they
that's in the reward section of the Blue Bikes app
and they will get five free Blue bike sessions to
use during that time, and you don't and you don't
need to be a resident of any of those cities
in towns either, but you can use the code. Anyone
(16:04):
can use the code, and the offer can be used
across all of the municipalities that make up the Blue
Bike system.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
So even if you're visiting here and you're small enough
to get the code and visiting here from Hawaii or Alaska,
this Cross Blue Shield's going to take care of it. Now.
You guys essentially are an insurance company. Have has this
program been successful? When it first started, I was concerned
that a lot of people are going to jump on
(16:31):
these bikes without any bike riding or little bike riding
experience that I could see, you know, a family from
somewhere flying down Beacon Street from Beacon Hill and disaster
code en. So it's been run pretty safely.
Speaker 5 (16:45):
Yes, very safe.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
And it really is more focused on you know people
you know, like teenagers and older, so it's not necessarily
for young kids to be riding the bikes there. They're
very sturdy bikes and are quite heavy, but so more
for an adult. But our company's mission is really to
show up for everyone, like they're the only one, and
as a not for profit health plan, that means supporting
(17:10):
our members, our customers, our clinical partners, our employees, and
our communities. And Blue Bike was just a natural fit
for sponsorship as it increases access and accessibility throughout the
Greater Boston region to biking, which also promotes like whole
body health. So it was a really great opportunity for us,
(17:32):
and it has been has been the best sponsorship that
I think that we've ever done.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
All Right, well, Jeff, I appreciate you explaining it. And
people can take advantage of this from October eighth, which
is tomorrow, through October the twelfth, which is twelve days away,
and so they can they can have they can use
get five free rise is what you said during that
period of time.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
Yeah, from October eighth to the twentieth. October eighth to
the twentieth.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yeah, could say the twelfth. I apologize it was I
meant twelve days.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Twelve days, yeah, correct, twelve.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Days October eighth to the twentieth. All right, thank you
very much, and a safe bike riding.
Speaker 6 (18:08):
Okay, thanks, thank you.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
I got to get you out on one of the bikes.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
You know something you could probably get me to to
convert to cannibalism before you could do that. I get
I get my exercise. I'm a customer of Blue Cross,
Blue Shield, very good to my shirts. But I get
my exercise in the gym.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
About five, oh, we got that. Well, maybe maybe we
could we ease you in on an e bike.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
I have no one. I don't even know what any
bike is, to be really honest with you, And I
like my car. I like my car, and I like
my gym, and so.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
All right, well, well I.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Wish your best. Yeah, that's that's important. Got to stay.
Speaker 5 (18:47):
Healthy, tru That's right, Stay active and healthy. It's good
for your mental, your mental and your physical health.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
The doing this a long time. If you knew how
long you've been doing this, Jeff, you'd be surprised. Thank
you very.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
Much, Dan, I really appreciate it. Have a good night.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
I enjoyed the conversation. We get back. Remember that story
we told you about a twenty six thousand dollars gold statue,
Well it has been discovered and we have the creator
of this treasure hunt, Jeff Roorer, with us. We had
him on a week and a half ago, and I said,
once day someone finds this, this gold statue worth twenty
six thousand dollars, which was hidden somewhere in the woods
(19:23):
of Massachusetts. And when you know, someone did find it
and they used their head to find it. We'll talk
about it with Jason Rora right after this break on
Nightside the News at the bottom of the hour.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Well, about a week and a half ago, Jason Rorer,
a New Hampshire game designer in the creator of Treasure Hunt,
spent some time with us explaining to us what Project
Skydrop was and he made a commitment, and a man
of his words, he's returned once a winner found this
twenty six thousand dollars beautiful. I don't know what you
(20:06):
call it a golden vase. I mean, it's how have
you described this, Jason, I forget what term you characterized it.
Speaker 6 (20:15):
Yeah, I mean we've mostly just been calling it a treasure.
It's it's a little bit like a chalice. It has
multiple rings floating on a central spine. It doesn't really
look like anything that's ever existed before.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
It would have looked very nice, well, it would have
looked lovely as a vase on my mantlepiece with some flowers.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Yeah. I mean it wouldn't hold a lot of though,
because it's got a lot of intricacy to it.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
It's not Oh, I didn't realize that, Okay, So as
I understand it, Uh, you placed it in the woods
in the favorite town name from Massachusetts, Irving, Massachusetts spelled
within E E R V I N G.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Correct.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
Yes, I think that's clear now from how a small
circle is drinking. So it's not a It's not a
secret anymore.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
So who placed it in the woods? Did you place
it there? Or did you?
Speaker 6 (21:07):
I went with my creative partner, Tom Bailey, and then
we had a journalist with us from Wired magazine, Joseph,
who was blindfolded, so he tip made the entire trip
from Dover, New Hampshire to Irving blindfolded in our land Cruiser,
and he ate a subway sandwich on the side of
the road blindfolded, hiked in about a mile up a
pretty rocky trail blindfolded, and my twenty one year old son,
(21:31):
Mez also came with us to help us carry some
of the equipment and the cameras cross streets.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Son, you trusted your son right, I hope.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
Yeah, he was not blindfolded. So there were three humans
who knew where the treasure was and nobody else knew
where it was.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Okay, so the winner now has been identified. When I
first heard the story last week, and I was excited
to hear about it because I knew you'd be back
and join us. He apparently wanted inanimity, but he was
found as well. Well, can you just I mean I
had the guy's name in front of me. I guess.
Speaker 6 (22:03):
I mean, the name has been in the name has
been in the media, so I don't think we need
to keep it a secret anymore. And he's a he's
a local meteorologist. Uh, And so you know that the
mystery is how he solved it. He solved it about
two or three days early, I think, compared to anybody else.
And and so you know, it's not like there were
crowds of people about to get the treasure at the
(22:24):
moment he solved it. So he was using a lot
of his meteorological knowledge and skill to track weather patterns, rain, rain,
where it was raining on camera versus where it wasn't,
and also where when the sun and sun versus the
clouds were there was a live camera that he was
looking at looking at the treasure, and he's paying attention
to when the clouds passed over and when sun was visible,
(22:45):
and so he narrowed it down based on that. And
then he also was the patterns of the tree where
the trees were growing, because he knew the treasure was
in a beech grove and there's not that many beach.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Grove It's not like It's not like this guy was
moving from Kennett. I mean this area which you started
off with was I think some five hundred miles across.
It could have been anywhere in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Connecticut and New York State. Was what was the geographic
area that you said it could be?
Speaker 6 (23:15):
Yeah, I was calling that the boss wash megalopolis. So
it's the giant mega metropolitan area that includes Boston all
the way down to Washington, d C. And all the
big cities in between like New York and Baltimore, and
a good portion of Pennsylvania all the way up into
most of New York State. So a big circle. It
was a big circle to start with.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Any circle is going to be found in America. That
was a good thing.
Speaker 6 (23:40):
Yes, Yes, it was the and on the east coast,
on the northeast, somewhere in the north.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
So, so did he spend his time out there in
the wilderness checking this out? How did he spend a
lot of time in front of the computer and narrowing
it down before he went and started to look.
Speaker 6 (23:57):
Yeah, so he was using mostly I think these patterns.
So on a time when there was a live trail
camera looking at the treasure and providing an image every
fifteen minutes, and he'd look at that and he'd say, Aha,
it's sunny in the image, and then he'd do a
map of everywhere that was sunny and save that and
then later on, you know, three hours later, be cloudy
in the image. Aha, do a map of everywhere was
(24:18):
cloudy right now and kind of cross those and intersect those,
and that would And he did that day after day
after day for about five or six days, and that
narrowed it down. It kept ruling out areas that weren't
both cloudy and sunny across these different times that he
was watching, and so that just kind of gave him
the Swiss cheese map of where it could possibly be.
And then he also used some of the temperature data
that was coming off the live camera to narrow it
(24:41):
down even further given his temperature maps that he had
as a meteorologist. After that, the circle had shrunken down
to about thirty five miles or twenty five miles that included,
you know, the Wendell State Forest and the Irving State
Forest and a few other state forests in the area.
He applied a Swiss cheese map to that circle and
then was also looking for beach trees in those areas,
(25:01):
and they're just aren't that many beach trees. Most of
the temlock in that area. So then he narrowed it
down any further which places had sun and clouds at
these hours and also have beach trees. And then he
literally just went and walked the beach groves for about
two hours, just wandering around looking for In some of
the clue images that were released, there were these crisscrossed logs,
(25:22):
very distinctive logs, and so he was walking around looking
for those logs, and then he found logs that looked
correct and he actually almost stepped on the treasure, didn't
see it, walked away thinking he must have the wrong
logs because the treasure is gold and it's sitting down
among some golden leaves, you know, on the ground, and
blends right in. It reflects the colors of the leaves
(25:42):
around it. And he said he looked right through it.
He just couldn't see it. It was like almost camouflaged,
he said. And then he came back a few minutes
later and looked at the spot again. These logs look
so familiar, they looked just like the ones in the pictures.
Has to be here, how could it not be here?
And then suddenly he was staring at what he thought
was a patch of leaves, and suddenly the treasure piered.
So it's a pretty crazy story. He almost walked away
(26:04):
and left it. He would have seen himself on the
dreilt camera when he got home, though.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Yeah, when you when you talk to him or whatever.
Was he like in a general area and there were
other people looking as well, or was he there by himself?
And maybe you know.
Speaker 6 (26:19):
Full fleet, but I mean he was not the only
one in Wendell State Forest or in Irving State Forest
in that area. I mean all those state forests, you know,
even when the circle is quite a bit bigger state
forest across Massachusetts were jammed I mean he was hearing
from people from the DCR and so on who were
like the forest rangers and like, oh yeah, parking lotter fall.
(26:40):
So people are how.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Many people entered the search? I know there was a
twenty dollars entry fee, correct, Yeah.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
I think it was something like eighty seven hundred, so
quite quite quite a number, and a majority of those
were living inside the circle. A huge number of them
were in the Boston area, in Connecticut and so on,
as the circle shrank and was including those states. So
we have we actually have a map on our website
where you can see a sort of a heat map
of where people have joined from, like a little doc
(27:08):
for each person based on their zip code, only we
don't actually ten point each person. And it's a lot
of fire right around Boston, a lot of fire around
around the Connecticut area as well, a lot of those
people are actually going into the woods themselves, right they
were looking.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
I just did some math on this, okay, So if
you hit eighties, which just told me eighty seven hundred
entrance at twenty bucks a pop, that's one hundred and
seventy four thousand dollars an entrance fees. That's not bad.
Do you do you make out a little bit with
this as well.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
I mean, well that's the that's the funny thing. Of course,
half of that money, ten dollars from each entry fee,
goes into this bounty. So that was eighty seven thousand
dollars right there, and there's just Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
The bounty is I guess it has to. That's a
second portion of this besides the twenty six thousand dollar trophy.
Explain what the bounty is.
Speaker 6 (28:00):
Yeah, so this is you know, inten intended originally to
be somewhat mysterious, although people are kind of baffled by it.
But the treasure itself, if you of course, I've seen
pictures of it, it's covered with mysterious writing. I guess
a lot of people kind of figured out by looking
at pictures that that mysterious writing must encode something, and
(28:21):
other people just I don't know, I just thought it
was decoration or something. So the treasure itself is a
two part decoding machine. It actually comes apart and reconfigures
itself and spins around almost like a decoder ring, and
that is instrumental for the winner who has the treasure
to figure out how to recover the bounty. There's secrets
(28:42):
encoded on the treasure about recovering that bounty.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
So the bounty can only be recovered if you have
the treasure. Who found it? I guess he now could
if he wanted to get some people to help him
on it.
Speaker 6 (28:55):
If it's nothing, Yes, absolutely, yes, that was the idea,
is like, what if the puzzle on the treasures do hard, Well,
you recruit some friends and give them ten percent or something, right.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, So either way you didn't lose
money on this, which is you know, well, hold on.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
A minute, hold on a hold of it twice, you know,
we had twenty dollars on the gold.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (29:14):
And then we made a video and that animated video,
which I'm sure you've looked at on the website took
hundreds of hours for a professional animator to make, so
that was very expensive to make. And then, uh, you
know what, our website so many people are visiting it
and zooming in and out of the map. We were
using a map service because you know, nobody gets maps
away for free if you're not you know, don't if
(29:34):
you have them on your own website for this kind
of thing. People in the first week hit fifteen million
zoomable map tiles giving us a seven thousand dollars bill
from our map hosting provider.
Speaker 8 (29:46):
So there's a lot and just that waykay, without.
Speaker 6 (29:50):
Text messages, right, So there's just a lot of happens.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I think i'm your friend here. I'm not trying to
cross examine you here. It's going to be you're going
to be lucky to break even here.
Speaker 6 (30:00):
Oh absolutely no, we have. We've lost about six thousand
dollars so far.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Okay, fine, but guess what you made it up in publicity. Look,
I'm so happy you've been a great guest both times,
and you've also been in good sport, which is even
more important because I never would have found this. Okay.
I stand in awe of the people who created Skydrop,
yourself and others, and I stand in awe the fella
who founded Dan Leonard and it was great for Nightside.
(30:25):
And I hope that maybe at some point some people
actually heard about it on the program and decided to
participate as a result of our first time.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
Oh I'm sure they did. I'm sure they did. It's
been a pleasure talking to you as well.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Sir, Thank you so much. Okay, we'll do it again.
Thank you very much, Jason, appreciate it. Ye bye bye. Okay,
So that was fun. That was fun. That is for sure.
We get back when we talk about something that's not
going to be fun at least the people of Florida,
and that's Hurricane Milton, category five that's supposed to hit
(30:56):
landfall maybe Wednesday night, Thursday morning. This on top of
what they've gone through with Hurricane Helene down in that
section of the country. Tough. We're gonna be talking with
a meteorologists for the National Weather Service right after this
break here on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the window World
Nightside Studios. I' WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Welcome back everyone. You know, I believe in jinxs, so
I don't want to jinx anything, but it's been a
quiet hurricane season in our part of the country. Okay, However,
that has not been the case in other parts of
the country. Joining us now for the National Weather Service.
Delighted to welcome Kevin Kadema to talk about what looks
(31:40):
like a big storm, another big storm that's about to
hit the Gulf Coast of Florida. Kevin Kadima, Welcome to Nightside.
Thanks for joining us. Tonight. How are you.
Speaker 8 (31:50):
Yeah, you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
So this is a big one. I mean, this is
like the size of a Hurricane Sandy or Hurricane Katrina
to give us a sense of how much damaged this
one might do, particularly coming as it is on the
heels of Hurricane Helene.
Speaker 8 (32:11):
Yeah, so currently Milton is a Category five storm, packing
winds of one hundred and eighty miles per hour. It's yeah,
it has you know, intensified explosively, actually the third fastest
intensification in the Atlantic basin since records have been kept. So, yeah,
we're looking at a life threatening storm surge, potential destructive
(32:35):
winds in the entire west coast of Florida. Should really
take this extremely seriously. Right now, the current track is
kind of targeting the Tampa area, but you know, we're
still a couple of days out and these things can
shift a little bit. So anywhere really along the West coast,
say from you know, north of Tampa to Fort Myers
(32:57):
has to pay very close attention to this storm.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Tampa, as you know, has dodged a metaphorical weather bullet
the last couple of years, and they have almost been
as like bulletproof. But you guys that have listened to
today seem to be pretty certain that that this is
head to Tampa.
Speaker 8 (33:19):
Yeah, right now, the latest track indications are that it's
going to track very close to Tampa, you know, later
Wednesday evening.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
We have we have a major air force based down there,
Medill McDill. Is there any concern of they're getting you know,
military aircraft out of there in advance.
Speaker 8 (33:38):
Of this, Yeah, I'm not. I'm not. I can't answer that,
but I what I can say is that, you know,
they certainly have to prepare for a catastrophic, life threatening
storm surge, the category five storm, even if it weekends
just to be we're looking at a ten to fifteen
foot storm surge potential along and just to the south
(34:01):
of the track in destructive winds. But that that storm
surge is the is the deadly component to the these
hurricanes going to take them extremely seriously.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
I heard someone say tonight, I believe that even though
it's now a hurry a five major major hurricane, I
don't even know if it can ever get to a six.
But that's I think that's the top of the scale, correct,
A five?
Speaker 8 (34:26):
Now, category category five is the top of the scale.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Okay, fine, Yeah, that's what I thought. So, but I'm
told that when it hits land it probably will be
reduced to a three. Is that the normal course when
a hurricane comes in off the open ocean into land,
that that kind of slows it down a little bit
or or blunts the impact to somewhat.
Speaker 6 (34:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (34:48):
These hurricanes get their their energy from the warm waters.
So once they lose that that source of energy and
they go over land with friction, they week and so
the storm will weaken once it hits land. But you know,
we're talking about a category five. You know, maybe you know,
best case would be a four if it were to
(35:10):
weaken just slightly before landfall. It's still a powerful, life
threatening storm. So you know, whether it's a five or four,
it's not gonna not gonna matter too much because the
storm surges.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Correct. So this would have formed somewhere off the coast
of Africa or did it form elsewhere?
Speaker 8 (35:29):
Now it formed It formed in the Gulf of Mexico.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Oh so this this is a homegrown one. Okay, So
therefore this has not hit any of the Caribbean islands
or Cuba. Uh now, so far has just been over
the water. I guess it can brush up against Mexico,
can't coon.
Speaker 8 (35:45):
Right, Yeah, there, Mexico is in a in a hurricane
warning currently. It's just north of the Mexico coast. It's
going to stay. It's not going to make landfall in Mexico.
It's going to stay just to the north and then
get out over the over the open water again as
it makes it refuelards the.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
West coast of Florida.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Yeah, so far, Kevin, it seems to me that up
until Helene, I know, the hurricane season technically runs from
June first to November thirtieth, it almost had been a
quiet hurricane season up until Helene and now Milton. Is
that an accurate characterization.
Speaker 8 (36:21):
Yeah, I would say so. It has been relatively quiet
up to that point. But it only you know, it
only takes one. Obviously, you know Helene was catastrophic, and
you know Milton certainly has the potential to produce catastrophic
damage as well.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Well. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed, and those
who pray will pray a little bit for the people
in Florida after it passes across Florida. My understanding is
it is heading out to see not likely to turn
up the coast towards US.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Correct, Yes, that is correct.
Speaker 8 (36:52):
It's going to track eastward off the Florida coast and stay,
you know, well to the south, actually probably weakening and
dissipating south of so really pose this no threat to
New England.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Thank you very much, Kevin. Never had you on the
show before, but you were really good, very precise and
very concise, and I thank you for your time tonight.
Kevin Kadema of the National Weather Service talking about the arrival,
the almost imminent arrival in Florida in the Tampa area
of Hurricane Milton. Thanks, thank you so much for joining
us tonight. Kevin.
Speaker 8 (37:24):
Yeah, you're welcome, and thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
You bet you. We'll have you back, all right. We're done.
When we get back on the other side, we're going
to talk about the the SJC hearing today dealing with
the MBTA Communities Act. This is one that affects a
lot of communities and a lot of people, and we'll
get to it right after the nine o'clock news. Here
on a Monday night edition of Nightside, Rob Brooks is
(37:48):
back in the control room. He's a not alongside physically,
but metaphorically back on nightside after this
It's night Side, Dan Ray on Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thank you very much, Sherry Small. Always great to hear
your voice here on night side, as I often do,
but we also hear throughout the work week. But it's
always nice when you're leading us into our show, and
of course leading us into our show on October seventh,
which is a very important date on I think should
be on everyone's calendar, a day of morning and a
(00:27):
day of concern. We're going to talk about that in
a moment. We will talk about it at greater length
later tonight with a gentleman here from the Boston area
who had five relatives, five direct relatives kidnapped last October seventh.
Two of those relatives were killed, two children were released,
(00:52):
and a fifth remains in captivity. And my guest who
will join us at ten o'clock be going to Israel
on Thursday. And so just his name. He's an Attorney's
name is Jason Greenberg, and he's an incredible individual and
you'll want to hear his story. We will talk at
(01:14):
nine o'clock about the hearing in front of the Supreme
Judicial Court today on the Massachusetts MBTA Communities Act. I
think you know how I feel about that. But first
we have four special guests, very special guests starting off
the program this hour, Major General retired Robert D's. General
(01:37):
D's get a chance to salute you here on night's side.
Thank you for your service.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You, bed Dan. Great to be with you tonight.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Thank you very much. You are also in charge now
of a center called the National Center for Healthy Veterans.
I want to learn more about that. But I would
be remiss, since you're the former command of the US
Israeli Combined Task Force for Missile Defense, if I just
didn't ask you a couple of questions about what's going
(02:06):
on in the Middle East. First of all, the defense
the Missile Defense Force forces in Israel performed magnificently the
other night under that barrage of one hundred and eighty
ballistic missiles sent from Iran. Tell us about that system.
(02:27):
It's a it's a dome that is over the nation
of Israel. It cannot be guarantee because there were a
few of those one hundred and eighty missiles that got through.
But boy, why would Iran be so crazy to try
this now a second time? A barrage of missiles and
they probably had even less success this time than they
(02:50):
did a few months ago when they tried the same thing.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Well, then I agree with you, it's and many of
the Iranian missiles the first time failed and this time
as well, so they've got quality control on their end.
But what some people don't realize is the Israeli air
defense is really an integrated air defense system. They've got
a system they've had for a number of years called
Arrow It reaches out and touches the longest range missiles
(03:16):
coming from places like Iran. And then the next thing
they have is David Sling sort of an intermediate range missiles,
and then the Iron Dome catches the shorter range missiles
such as those coming out of Lebanon and Gaza Strip.
And then the Israelis because of the high cost of
AMMO on these things, you know, that's my only concern
(03:37):
about the Israeli air defense is the AMO supply. But
they are developing because they're leaders in this technology, something
called Iron Beam, which reaches out and touches these missiles
with a laser beam. So the Israelis are the best
in the world at this air defense, so assisted by
the US in many ways. So there's also US Navy
(03:57):
ships in the Mediterranean assystem relar air defense, and some
US Air Force assets as well.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
This beam defense and the iron dome really goes back
to the genesis of what we were talking about, I
think in the late eighties and early nineties sort of
the Star Wars defense. Is that with some of these
ideas first percolated.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Well, I can't say, but I think you're right. It's
sort of a microcosm of the whole Star Wars concept.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Is that, Yeah, they literally put.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
A dome over Israel, you know, with this integrated air defense.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
It's pretty impressing.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
I'm excited to hear about these laser beams. That would
seem to me to be the next step. I'm not
an expert in this by any by any matter of means,
but having seen what Israel was able to do with
the pagers and the cell phones two or three weeks
ago for the Hesbala fighters who had those pages and
(04:57):
cell phones in their pocket, much too the discomfort, I
might add, Israel's pretty innovative, both with the defensive capable.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Well, they definitely are.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
You know a lot of people, you know, they still
are wondering why Israel was caught so flat footed with
the Gaza attack and the massacre. That said, Israel is
certainly on the front of its feet now because just
two days ago went into Lebanon they found elaborate complex
(05:33):
of hesblat tunnels, weaponry, even battle plans. And then both
in Lebanon and in Gaza, all of these are not
what those surrogates have produced. That's all the money that
we sent from the US through too Iran that has
gone straight into digging tunnels, buying weapons, all that stuff,
(05:53):
all that capability, as we have paid for with US funds.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Well, my last question on this general, and again if
I ask a question that for whatever reason you kind
of answered, don't hesitate to me. As if Israel is
looking to go further here, and there's some suggestion that
Israel may attempt to wipe out Iran's nuclear program, it
(06:19):
sounds like a good idea to me as an American,
that Iran would not have nuclear weapons. Do you think
Israel will be that bold or do they have the capacity?
I understood that a lot of the Iranian nuclear weaponry
and the development were in situations which were impermeable to
missing missiles inside deep inside mountains. Do they have the
(06:42):
capacity to do what maybe many of us would hope
they would do.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Well, that's to be determined. I think they have the
will to do it. Do they have the capability? The
US developed bunker buster bombs that we have shared with Israel.
One of the recent recently Kamala Harrison campaign said she
would deny these MUNC robuster bombs to the nation of
(07:07):
Israel because she didn't want the nuclear capability attacked. So
it's obviously a political football right now.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
But I think.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Israel is going to respond and probably with some deep
strikes against not only nuclear but also energy, which will
cripple them economically.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, and that might be probably the most effective method.
So let's talk for a few minutes about the National
Center for Healthy Veterans. Tell us about it. I'm familiar
with many, many, many programs, and I'd love to know
more about this.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Well kind of you to ask Dan. It's at Healthy
Veterans dot org as the website. But we are somewhat
unique because we represent i say, a crockpot in the
Microwave Society. We're a nine month residential program. We house
veterans in tiny homes and they have dignified work. A
three hundred and fifty acre farm and ranch operation, and
(08:00):
so forth they get Trump and recovering life skills programs
and career prep. The whole purpose is to turn healthy
veterans to America. We bring in at risk veterans. Our
veterans have given so much for us, and yet we
sometimes just don't take them out from under bridges or
help them as they transition out of prison. Or some
(08:22):
of our guys could be fortune five hundred CEOs they're
so talented. So we get to have a whole range
from all across the United States.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
We have a first village.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
That is full with a waiting list, and we're building
a second village of twenty five homes to expand our capacity.
So we're always looking for people that need what we have.
We need some good Boston or Massachusetts or North New
England folks. We've had one from New Hampshire. I think
that's all we have from New England. But we need
(08:54):
people to refer veterans that are at risk and that
we can help and then sec We always need ammunition
ourselves to carry on work.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Where an ammunition in this case is not shewcasing. The
ammunition here would be support we'll give that website again.
But where are you physically located? Where's this three hundred
and fifty acre.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
We're located in south central Virginia and we're twelve miles
from Lynchburg and Liberty University.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Now, I'm very much involved with a program out in
Minnesota which is a model Veterans Court. I don't know
if you're familiar with that or not. A friend of
mine who was an assistant US attorney out there, guy
named Hank Shea, got me involved in that a little
bit of supporting it. There is a model Veterans Court
(09:49):
in the state of Nebraska, and Minnesota has been the
second state to develop this model Veterans court. I'm sure
you probably have someone familiar with what I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Yes, I am, and we've worked with veterans court in
the past. In fact, there have been some veterans that
were on the wrong side of the law that were
remanded to us instead of prison right and they've done well.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Actually, well, that's exactly what we're talking about. So tell
us about how people here and not only in New England,
but we're hearing about thirty eight states of this are
other night. We're a big powerful fifty thousand ray am
radio station. How did they get in touch? What's the
website again for the National Center for Healthy Veterans.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
You bad, Dan, It's Healthy Veterans dot org and there's
a button at the very top says refer a veteran
and they can go on there.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
They can refer a veteran or they.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Can sell refer and that starts a series of phone
interviews and applications. And we work very hard to make
sure that a person is right for us and we're
right for them, and things like FBI background checks, medical records,
et cetera. But we want to know everything we can
so we can best help them.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I'm also involved with a group called Hope for the Warriors.
So you have a you have a supportive ear here,
and I think you'll find a supportive audience. I really
appreciate you taking the time tonight, Major General, and I
thank you for doing the work you do, and it's
it's really God's work. When I think what you're involved in,
I just want to say thank you. On behalf all
my listeners.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Well, thank you, Dan, I appreciate that. Great to be
with you tonight and your listeners.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Okay, Well, we'll keep in touch with you. Maybe we'll
have you on some night and go a little longer
and take some phone calls from them from listeners. This
is always a sort of a brief eight or nine
minute interview, but I'm going to give this story a
little like a good bottle of wine, an opportunity to
pray a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
So we'll be back to you, kount like you've got
a great show tonight. In the Boston Citizen, Jason Greenberg,
that's that's a powerful story in itself.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
It's an amazing story. It's an amazing story. And he's
going back there again. His cousin, his first cousin is
still hopefully alive, but you know, reportedly still being held captive.
So we stay on a lot of this stuff. General.
I appreciate it very much. Here again, thank you for
your service, and thank you for what you're doing right now.
Healthy Veterans dot Org.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
You bet my friend, thank you, take care, thank you,
good night.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
When we get back, and to talk about some free
bike rides as a result of shutdowns with the MBTA
Orange Line, we'll explain it all with Jeff Bellows. He's
the vice president of Corporate Citizenship in Public Affairs at
Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Back in just a
couple of minutes on Nightside. This is a Monday night edition.
(12:34):
You're listening to us, we're live. I have to remind people,
I should remind you more that this is a live
talk show. In the first hour at sort of an
interview show. But after nine o'clock we will open up
phone lines and give you an opportunity to participate in
the conversation, whatever your point of view. Back on night
Side right after this break.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Now back to Dan Ray Mine from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
But to welcome Jeff Bellows. He's vice president of Corporate
Citizenship and Public Affairs. Boy, that's a big business card.
That's a long title at Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Jeff,
welcome to night said, how are you tonight, sir.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
I'm doing fine. Dan, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
You're very welcome. So there's a little bit of a
problem with the Orange line. It seemed like there's a
bit of a problem with the Orange line all the time.
But we'll leave that. But they're gonna have a little
bit of a shutdown and Blue Cross Blue Shield has
decided to help out you guys sponsored the Blue Bikes program,
as I understand it, correct.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
That is correct. We are the sponsor of the blue
Bike program.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And I assume that's why Blue Cross Blue Shield it's
called Blue Bikes. I get that.
Speaker 5 (13:45):
Yeah, it changed. It was a hubway many years ago,
and we took over in twenty eighteen, and as part
of that, we rebranded the whole system and now it
is Blue Bikes. And the bikes are a very vibrant blue.
So I'm sure you you recognize them. I'm sure people
recognize them throughout the city. And also thirteen municipalities across
(14:07):
the Greater Boston region, so all.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Thirteen adjacent communities, is assume right.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
That's correct, except for Salem. We have one one sort
of outlier. Salem, Massachusetts has blue bikes as well, so
they're not connected to the rest of the of the system,
but they're still just as valuable and just as used
up in Salem as they are in the rest of
the system.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Now, I'm not a big Just for the record, you
know I'm not a big bike rider. Okay, you know
you know I've drive my car and I'm very careful
to avoid any type of bike, although, of course, as
there are more bike lanes and more blue bikes, it's
a little bit more difficult to navigate by car. But
(14:51):
so let's talk about what are you offering folks during
this shutdown and how long does this offer last?
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Sure, So Blue Cross is partnered up with the City
of Boston to offer five free Blue bike unlocks during
the Orange Line closure, which is from Tuesday, October eighth, tomorrow,
starting tomorrow through Sunday, October twentieth. And there's a special
code that riders can.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
That's that's almost two weeks.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
That's that's I know, it's go ahead ahead. It's a
long time, I know it is. And we've been doing
this for over a year now for all of the
different you know, or for many of the different closures
with the nbt A. So this one pertains as you
as you said, with the Orange Line, So from October
eighth to the twentieth. And there's a code that that
riders put into the Blue the Blue Bikes app and
(15:42):
it's m bt A Orange O C T and they
that's in the reward section of the Blue Bikes app
and they will get five free Blue bike sessions to
use during that time, and you don't and you don't
need to be a resident of any of those cities
in towns either, but you can use the code. Anyone
(16:04):
can use the code, and the offer can be used
across all of the municipalities that make up the Blue
Bike system.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
So even if you're visiting here and you're small enough
to get the code and visiting here from Hawaii or Alaska,
this Cross Blue Shield's going to take care of it. Now.
You guys essentially are an insurance company. Have has this
program been successful? When it first started, I was concerned
that a lot of people are going to jump on
(16:31):
these bikes without any bike riding or little bike riding
experience that I could see, you know, a family from
somewhere flying down Beacon Street from Beacon Hill and disaster
code en. So it's been run pretty safely.
Speaker 5 (16:45):
Yes, very safe.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
And it really is more focused on you know people
you know, like teenagers and older, so it's not necessarily
for young kids to be riding the bikes there. They're
very sturdy bikes and are quite heavy, but so more
for an adult. But our company's mission is really to
show up for everyone, like they're the only one, and
as a not for profit health plan, that means supporting
(17:10):
our members, our customers, our clinical partners, our employees, and
our communities. And Blue Bike was just a natural fit
for sponsorship as it increases access and accessibility throughout the
Greater Boston region to biking, which also promotes like whole
body health. So it was a really great opportunity for us,
(17:32):
and it has been has been the best sponsorship that
I think that we've ever done.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
All Right, well, Jeff, I appreciate you explaining it. And
people can take advantage of this from October eighth, which
is tomorrow, through October the twelfth, which is twelve days away,
and so they can they can have they can use
get five free rise is what you said during that
period of time.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
Yeah, from October eighth to the twentieth. October eighth to
the twentieth.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yeah, could say the twelfth. I apologize it was I
meant twelve days.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Twelve days, yeah, correct, twelve.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Days October eighth to the twentieth. All right, thank you
very much, and a safe bike riding.
Speaker 6 (18:08):
Okay, thanks, thank you.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
I got to get you out on one of the bikes.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
You know something you could probably get me to to
convert to cannibalism before you could do that. I get
I get my exercise. I'm a customer of Blue Cross,
Blue Shield, very good to my shirts. But I get
my exercise in the gym.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
About five, oh, we got that. Well, maybe maybe we
could we ease you in on an e bike.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
I have no one. I don't even know what any
bike is, to be really honest with you, And I
like my car. I like my car, and I like
my gym, and so.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
All right, well, well I.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Wish your best. Yeah, that's that's important. Got to stay.
Speaker 5 (18:47):
Healthy, tru That's right, Stay active and healthy. It's good
for your mental, your mental and your physical health.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
The doing this a long time. If you knew how
long you've been doing this, Jeff, you'd be surprised. Thank
you very.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
Much, Dan, I really appreciate it. Have a good night.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
I enjoyed the conversation. We get back. Remember that story
we told you about a twenty six thousand dollars gold statue,
Well it has been discovered and we have the creator
of this treasure hunt, Jeff Roorer, with us. We had
him on a week and a half ago, and I said,
once day someone finds this, this gold statue worth twenty
six thousand dollars, which was hidden somewhere in the woods
(19:23):
of Massachusetts. And when you know, someone did find it
and they used their head to find it. We'll talk
about it with Jason Rora right after this break on
Nightside the News at the bottom of the hour.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Well, about a week and a half ago, Jason Rorer,
a New Hampshire game designer in the creator of Treasure Hunt,
spent some time with us explaining to us what Project
Skydrop was and he made a commitment, and a man
of his words, he's returned once a winner found this
twenty six thousand dollars beautiful. I don't know what you
(20:06):
call it a golden vase. I mean, it's how have
you described this, Jason, I forget what term you characterized it.
Speaker 6 (20:15):
Yeah, I mean we've mostly just been calling it a treasure.
It's it's a little bit like a chalice. It has
multiple rings floating on a central spine. It doesn't really
look like anything that's ever existed before.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
It would have looked very nice, well, it would have
looked lovely as a vase on my mantlepiece with some flowers.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Yeah. I mean it wouldn't hold a lot of though,
because it's got a lot of intricacy to it.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
It's not Oh, I didn't realize that, Okay, So as
I understand it, Uh, you placed it in the woods
in the favorite town name from Massachusetts, Irving, Massachusetts spelled
within E E R V I N G.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Correct.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
Yes, I think that's clear now from how a small
circle is drinking. So it's not a It's not a
secret anymore.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
So who placed it in the woods? Did you place
it there? Or did you?
Speaker 6 (21:07):
I went with my creative partner, Tom Bailey, and then
we had a journalist with us from Wired magazine, Joseph,
who was blindfolded, so he tip made the entire trip
from Dover, New Hampshire to Irving blindfolded in our land Cruiser,
and he ate a subway sandwich on the side of
the road blindfolded, hiked in about a mile up a
pretty rocky trail blindfolded, and my twenty one year old son,
(21:31):
Mez also came with us to help us carry some
of the equipment and the cameras cross streets.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Son, you trusted your son right, I hope.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
Yeah, he was not blindfolded. So there were three humans
who knew where the treasure was and nobody else knew
where it was.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Okay, so the winner now has been identified. When I
first heard the story last week, and I was excited
to hear about it because I knew you'd be back
and join us. He apparently wanted inanimity, but he was
found as well. Well, can you just I mean I
had the guy's name in front of me. I guess.
Speaker 6 (22:03):
I mean, the name has been in the name has
been in the media, so I don't think we need
to keep it a secret anymore. And he's a he's
a local meteorologist. Uh, And so you know that the
mystery is how he solved it. He solved it about
two or three days early, I think, compared to anybody else.
And and so you know, it's not like there were
crowds of people about to get the treasure at the
(22:24):
moment he solved it. So he was using a lot
of his meteorological knowledge and skill to track weather patterns, rain, rain,
where it was raining on camera versus where it wasn't,
and also where when the sun and sun versus the
clouds were there was a live camera that he was
looking at looking at the treasure, and he's paying attention
to when the clouds passed over and when sun was visible,
(22:45):
and so he narrowed it down based on that. And
then he also was the patterns of the tree where
the trees were growing, because he knew the treasure was
in a beech grove and there's not that many beach.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Grove It's not like It's not like this guy was
moving from Kennett. I mean this area which you started
off with was I think some five hundred miles across.
It could have been anywhere in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Connecticut and New York State. Was what was the geographic
area that you said it could be?
Speaker 6 (23:15):
Yeah, I was calling that the boss wash megalopolis. So
it's the giant mega metropolitan area that includes Boston all
the way down to Washington, d C. And all the
big cities in between like New York and Baltimore, and
a good portion of Pennsylvania all the way up into
most of New York State. So a big circle. It
was a big circle to start with.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Any circle is going to be found in America. That
was a good thing.
Speaker 6 (23:40):
Yes, Yes, it was the and on the east coast,
on the northeast, somewhere in the north.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
So, so did he spend his time out there in
the wilderness checking this out? How did he spend a
lot of time in front of the computer and narrowing
it down before he went and started to look.
Speaker 6 (23:57):
Yeah, so he was using mostly I think these patterns.
So on a time when there was a live trail
camera looking at the treasure and providing an image every
fifteen minutes, and he'd look at that and he'd say, Aha,
it's sunny in the image, and then he'd do a
map of everywhere that was sunny and save that and
then later on, you know, three hours later, be cloudy
in the image. Aha, do a map of everywhere was
(24:18):
cloudy right now and kind of cross those and intersect those,
and that would And he did that day after day
after day for about five or six days, and that
narrowed it down. It kept ruling out areas that weren't
both cloudy and sunny across these different times that he
was watching, and so that just kind of gave him
the Swiss cheese map of where it could possibly be.
And then he also used some of the temperature data
that was coming off the live camera to narrow it
(24:41):
down even further given his temperature maps that he had
as a meteorologist. After that, the circle had shrunken down
to about thirty five miles or twenty five miles that included,
you know, the Wendell State Forest and the Irving State
Forest and a few other state forests in the area.
He applied a Swiss cheese map to that circle and
then was also looking for beach trees in those areas,
(25:01):
and they're just aren't that many beach trees. Most of
the temlock in that area. So then he narrowed it
down any further which places had sun and clouds at
these hours and also have beach trees. And then he
literally just went and walked the beach groves for about
two hours, just wandering around looking for In some of
the clue images that were released, there were these crisscrossed logs,
(25:22):
very distinctive logs, and so he was walking around looking
for those logs, and then he found logs that looked
correct and he actually almost stepped on the treasure, didn't
see it, walked away thinking he must have the wrong
logs because the treasure is gold and it's sitting down
among some golden leaves, you know, on the ground, and
blends right in. It reflects the colors of the leaves
(25:42):
around it. And he said he looked right through it.
He just couldn't see it. It was like almost camouflaged,
he said. And then he came back a few minutes
later and looked at the spot again. These logs look
so familiar, they looked just like the ones in the pictures.
Has to be here, how could it not be here?
And then suddenly he was staring at what he thought
was a patch of leaves, and suddenly the treasure piered.
So it's a pretty crazy story. He almost walked away
(26:04):
and left it. He would have seen himself on the
dreilt camera when he got home, though.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Yeah, when you when you talk to him or whatever.
Was he like in a general area and there were
other people looking as well, or was he there by himself?
And maybe you know.
Speaker 6 (26:19):
Full fleet, but I mean he was not the only
one in Wendell State Forest or in Irving State Forest
in that area. I mean all those state forests, you know,
even when the circle is quite a bit bigger state
forest across Massachusetts were jammed I mean he was hearing
from people from the DCR and so on who were
like the forest rangers and like, oh yeah, parking lotter fall.
(26:40):
So people are how.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Many people entered the search? I know there was a
twenty dollars entry fee, correct, Yeah.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
I think it was something like eighty seven hundred, so
quite quite quite a number, and a majority of those
were living inside the circle. A huge number of them
were in the Boston area, in Connecticut and so on,
as the circle shrank and was including those states. So
we have we actually have a map on our website
where you can see a sort of a heat map
of where people have joined from, like a little doc
(27:08):
for each person based on their zip code, only we
don't actually ten point each person. And it's a lot
of fire right around Boston, a lot of fire around
around the Connecticut area as well, a lot of those
people are actually going into the woods themselves, right they
were looking.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
I just did some math on this, okay, So if
you hit eighties, which just told me eighty seven hundred
entrance at twenty bucks a pop, that's one hundred and
seventy four thousand dollars an entrance fees. That's not bad.
Do you do you make out a little bit with
this as well.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
I mean, well that's the that's the funny thing. Of course,
half of that money, ten dollars from each entry fee,
goes into this bounty. So that was eighty seven thousand
dollars right there, and there's just Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
The bounty is I guess it has to. That's a
second portion of this besides the twenty six thousand dollar trophy.
Explain what the bounty is.
Speaker 6 (28:00):
Yeah, so this is you know, inten intended originally to
be somewhat mysterious, although people are kind of baffled by it.
But the treasure itself, if you of course, I've seen
pictures of it, it's covered with mysterious writing. I guess
a lot of people kind of figured out by looking
at pictures that that mysterious writing must encode something, and
(28:21):
other people just I don't know, I just thought it
was decoration or something. So the treasure itself is a
two part decoding machine. It actually comes apart and reconfigures
itself and spins around almost like a decoder ring, and
that is instrumental for the winner who has the treasure
to figure out how to recover the bounty. There's secrets
(28:42):
encoded on the treasure about recovering that bounty.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
So the bounty can only be recovered if you have
the treasure. Who found it? I guess he now could
if he wanted to get some people to help him
on it.
Speaker 6 (28:55):
If it's nothing, Yes, absolutely, yes, that was the idea,
is like, what if the puzzle on the treasures do hard, Well,
you recruit some friends and give them ten percent or something, right.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, So either way you didn't lose
money on this, which is you know, well, hold on.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
A minute, hold on a hold of it twice, you know,
we had twenty dollars on the gold.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (29:14):
And then we made a video and that animated video,
which I'm sure you've looked at on the website took
hundreds of hours for a professional animator to make, so
that was very expensive to make. And then, uh, you
know what, our website so many people are visiting it
and zooming in and out of the map. We were
using a map service because you know, nobody gets maps
away for free if you're not you know, don't if
(29:34):
you have them on your own website for this kind
of thing. People in the first week hit fifteen million
zoomable map tiles giving us a seven thousand dollars bill
from our map hosting provider.
Speaker 8 (29:46):
So there's a lot and just that waykay, without.
Speaker 6 (29:50):
Text messages, right, So there's just a lot of happens.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I think i'm your friend here. I'm not trying to
cross examine you here. It's going to be you're going
to be lucky to break even here.
Speaker 6 (30:00):
Oh absolutely no, we have. We've lost about six thousand
dollars so far.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Okay, fine, but guess what you made it up in publicity. Look,
I'm so happy you've been a great guest both times,
and you've also been in good sport, which is even
more important because I never would have found this. Okay.
I stand in awe of the people who created Skydrop,
yourself and others, and I stand in awe the fella
who founded Dan Leonard and it was great for Nightside.
(30:25):
And I hope that maybe at some point some people
actually heard about it on the program and decided to
participate as a result of our first time.
Speaker 6 (30:32):
Oh I'm sure they did. I'm sure they did. It's
been a pleasure talking to you as well.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Sir, Thank you so much. Okay, we'll do it again.
Thank you very much, Jason, appreciate it. Ye bye bye. Okay,
So that was fun. That was fun. That is for sure.
We get back when we talk about something that's not
going to be fun at least the people of Florida,
and that's Hurricane Milton, category five that's supposed to hit
(30:56):
landfall maybe Wednesday night, Thursday morning. This on top of
what they've gone through with Hurricane Helene down in that
section of the country. Tough. We're gonna be talking with
a meteorologists for the National Weather Service right after this
break here on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the window World
Nightside Studios. I' WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Welcome back everyone. You know, I believe in jinxs, so
I don't want to jinx anything, but it's been a
quiet hurricane season in our part of the country. Okay, However,
that has not been the case in other parts of
the country. Joining us now for the National Weather Service.
Delighted to welcome Kevin Kadema to talk about what looks
(31:40):
like a big storm, another big storm that's about to
hit the Gulf Coast of Florida. Kevin Kadima, Welcome to Nightside.
Thanks for joining us. Tonight. How are you.
Speaker 8 (31:50):
Yeah, you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
So this is a big one. I mean, this is
like the size of a Hurricane Sandy or Hurricane Katrina
to give us a sense of how much damaged this
one might do, particularly coming as it is on the
heels of Hurricane Helene.
Speaker 8 (32:11):
Yeah, so currently Milton is a Category five storm, packing
winds of one hundred and eighty miles per hour. It's yeah,
it has you know, intensified explosively, actually the third fastest
intensification in the Atlantic basin since records have been kept. So, yeah,
we're looking at a life threatening storm surge, potential destructive
(32:35):
winds in the entire west coast of Florida. Should really
take this extremely seriously. Right now, the current track is
kind of targeting the Tampa area, but you know, we're
still a couple of days out and these things can
shift a little bit. So anywhere really along the West coast,
say from you know, north of Tampa to Fort Myers
(32:57):
has to pay very close attention to this storm.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Tampa, as you know, has dodged a metaphorical weather bullet
the last couple of years, and they have almost been
as like bulletproof. But you guys that have listened to
today seem to be pretty certain that that this is
head to Tampa.
Speaker 8 (33:19):
Yeah, right now, the latest track indications are that it's
going to track very close to Tampa, you know, later
Wednesday evening.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
We have we have a major air force based down there,
Medill McDill. Is there any concern of they're getting you know,
military aircraft out of there in advance.
Speaker 8 (33:38):
Of this, Yeah, I'm not. I'm not. I can't answer that,
but I what I can say is that, you know,
they certainly have to prepare for a catastrophic, life threatening
storm surge, the category five storm, even if it weekends
just to be we're looking at a ten to fifteen
foot storm surge potential along and just to the south
(34:01):
of the track in destructive winds. But that that storm
surge is the is the deadly component to the these
hurricanes going to take them extremely seriously.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
I heard someone say tonight, I believe that even though
it's now a hurry a five major major hurricane, I
don't even know if it can ever get to a six.
But that's I think that's the top of the scale, correct,
A five?
Speaker 8 (34:26):
Now, category category five is the top of the scale.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Okay, fine, Yeah, that's what I thought. So, but I'm
told that when it hits land it probably will be
reduced to a three. Is that the normal course when
a hurricane comes in off the open ocean into land,
that that kind of slows it down a little bit
or or blunts the impact to somewhat.
Speaker 6 (34:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (34:48):
These hurricanes get their their energy from the warm waters.
So once they lose that that source of energy and
they go over land with friction, they week and so
the storm will weaken once it hits land. But you know,
we're talking about a category five. You know, maybe you know,
best case would be a four if it were to
(35:10):
weaken just slightly before landfall. It's still a powerful, life
threatening storm. So you know, whether it's a five or four,
it's not gonna not gonna matter too much because the
storm surges.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Correct. So this would have formed somewhere off the coast
of Africa or did it form elsewhere?
Speaker 8 (35:29):
Now it formed It formed in the Gulf of Mexico.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Oh so this this is a homegrown one. Okay, So
therefore this has not hit any of the Caribbean islands
or Cuba. Uh now, so far has just been over
the water. I guess it can brush up against Mexico,
can't coon.
Speaker 8 (35:45):
Right, Yeah, there, Mexico is in a in a hurricane
warning currently. It's just north of the Mexico coast. It's
going to stay. It's not going to make landfall in Mexico.
It's going to stay just to the north and then
get out over the over the open water again as
it makes it refuelards the.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
West coast of Florida.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Yeah, so far, Kevin, it seems to me that up
until Helene, I know, the hurricane season technically runs from
June first to November thirtieth, it almost had been a
quiet hurricane season up until Helene and now Milton. Is
that an accurate characterization.
Speaker 8 (36:21):
Yeah, I would say so. It has been relatively quiet
up to that point. But it only you know, it
only takes one. Obviously, you know Helene was catastrophic, and
you know Milton certainly has the potential to produce catastrophic
damage as well.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Well. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed, and those
who pray will pray a little bit for the people
in Florida after it passes across Florida. My understanding is
it is heading out to see not likely to turn
up the coast towards US.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Correct, Yes, that is correct.
Speaker 8 (36:52):
It's going to track eastward off the Florida coast and stay,
you know, well to the south, actually probably weakening and
dissipating south of so really pose this no threat to
New England.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Thank you very much, Kevin. Never had you on the
show before, but you were really good, very precise and
very concise, and I thank you for your time tonight.
Kevin Kadema of the National Weather Service talking about the arrival,
the almost imminent arrival in Florida in the Tampa area
of Hurricane Milton. Thanks, thank you so much for joining
us tonight. Kevin.
Speaker 8 (37:24):
Yeah, you're welcome, and thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
You bet you. We'll have you back, all right. We're done.
When we get back on the other side, we're going
to talk about the the SJC hearing today dealing with
the MBTA Communities Act. This is one that affects a
lot of communities and a lot of people, and we'll
get to it right after the nine o'clock news. Here
on a Monday night edition of Nightside, Rob Brooks is
(37:48):
back in the control room. He's a not alongside physically,
but metaphorically back on nightside after this
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