February 19, 2025 • 38 mins
Protesters gathered at Boston’s White Stadium to rally against the Franklin Park renovation project, a plan that includes tearing down the existing stadium to make way for a new facility, which will be used by a professional women’s soccer team and Boston Public Schools. The project has quickly become a key issue in this year’s Boston mayoral race with mayoral candidate Josh Kraft opposing the project, calling for an “immediate halt” on the demolition, whereas Mayor Wu supports the project. Josh Kraft checked in with Dan to discuss.
*Mayor Wu’s Office did not reply to our request to join the conversation*
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*Mayor Wu’s Office did not reply to our request to join the conversation*
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray WBZ Causton's Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thanks very much, Dan, as we move into our second
hour here on a Wednesday night. It's February nineteenth for
those of you keeping score at home or wherever you
might find yourself, and we are talking this hour about
the demolition of White Stadium. It's intriguing to me as
a story because it's become an issue in the mayoral race.
(00:28):
But it's also an intriguing issue to me as a
story because this venerable facility that you know, you can
say it's old, but it's served its purpose in Boston
for many years, is now I guess, undergoing a complete
demolition or the demolition has started, even though there is
a trial some of the organizations and groups, the community
(00:51):
groups and also a group there's a conservancy which has
filed suit against the city. And this joining us right
now is Boston Merrow Kennedy, Josh Kraft, who was there
with some demonstrators today, people who were protesting what's going on. Josh,
Welcome back to Night's Side. Could you paint the scene
for us today bitterly cold day and you had we
(01:15):
talked last hour at the end of the last hour
with a Statehouse reporter who covered this. Had to be
a lot of people pretty dedicated to be out in
that sort of weather today.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yeah, Dan, thanks and thank you for having me again.
I'm always always open and love coming on your show.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Very, very cold today. But really the passion, the commitment
and the feelings of just the strong, strong feelings from
the folks that were out there today was pretty powerful.
It's people that have used the park from generations, you know, families,
(01:56):
generations using the park, to families with young kids to
use the park. And again, as I started, I mean
you could feel their passion and their love of the
park and their their sadness or their intense sadness for
what's going on.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well, and this is it's a wonderful location. Some people
in Boston have never been there. But you have the
Franklin Park golf course, you have the Franklin Park Zoo,
you have White Stadium, and they're all within this this
this green space in the center of you know, Dorchester, Jamaica.
Plane touches a little bit on roslind Dale or whatever
(02:37):
it's it's it's a wonderful location. And right now the
city has worked out this deal. It's it's I guess
the city's intention is to have it host a women's
professional soccer team. But in addition to the demolition of
the park, and Josh, you know a lot more about
(02:57):
this than I do, my understanding is that there are
dozens of trees that are going to be taken down.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yeah, I think it's over one hundred and forty trees.
I don't know the I think I'm going to I
think it's one hundred and forty five, but don't hold
me to that. But I know it's one hundred.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We could stay in that feet. That's a dozen scores
of trees here.
Speaker 6 (03:19):
Yeah, why have they taken the trees aren't on the
playing surface of the prospective soccer stadium or what was
was a what was a high school football complex for
decades for Boston school kids.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Why why do one hundred and forty trees have to
bite the dust?
Speaker 5 (03:40):
I think it's for the bigger vision, which would entail
like a.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Concession, a novelty concession stand, or a beer garden, maybe
egress entrance and egress. I don't have all the specifics
on that, but I know.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I'm assuming that there's going to be some element to
parking here that instead of having trees, it's there's going
to be crowds coming in periodically, I guess from sometime
in March through late October to witness soccer matches. Tell
(04:19):
us about the people who you were dealing with. The
folks who were out there today, it looked to me
to be a very interesting crowd of young people, older people, uh, mixed,
you know, different backgrounds, different races. That it's it looked
like a wonderful group of people. Tell us a little
bit about the folks that you met today at that demonstration.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, Dan, thanks, It truly it is now that it
truly was a community of different people, all with a true,
uh an unequivocal love of the park. And you know,
there are folks who, as I mentioned, generations had you know,
(05:04):
their family had gone to the park for generations, they
had grown up going to the park. They they're older.
Now there's families with young kids who use the park consistently,
or families of color, white families, some folks who are
hearing into folks from Charlestown, folks from Savin Hills. It
(05:25):
wasn't just people that touched the park every day. But
just a lot of people that love the park and
feel passionate about it. And you could feel the energy
when you were there this morning. It was cold, but
they were staying warm.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I'm assuming that there must be a lot of people
who live in the Dorchester Roxby Mattapan community who have
watched the zoo is a fabulous institution that draws people
from all over the world to visit. The golf course
for golfers is wonderful urban golf course. Remember Mayor Menino
(06:04):
used to love to play that golf course. He prefer
to play that. Then he used to prefer to tell me,
you prefer to play that over playing the Brookline Country Club,
although I think it played. He was a very good
he was a good golfer. But you had this stadium
which the city, it seems, has not maintained. It's fallen
into disrepair. It's almost as if if I lived in
(06:27):
that community and I grew up in Boston, but I didn't,
I didn't live contiguous or within a mile or two
of the park. I would feel a little betrayed at
this point. That wait a second, A public green space
that my kids and myself and maybe grandkids have played
in and utilized now is going to be turned into
(06:49):
a more private venture for for a group of folks
who probably would have trouble finding White Stadium without a
road map. I mean, this this lot of irony here
in my opinion, Josh, I don't know if you sense
that or or have since that when you're when you're
out and about.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Yeah, that's definitely Dan. I think you captured the spirit
of the folks, the community of folks that were there
this morning, and you know, have been passionate about the
park since, you know, for a long time, long before
I met any of them. And I do feel like,
(07:29):
you know, that's part of their argument is you've ignored
it for so long and while a sudden from zero
these are my words, zero to one hundred miles an hour,
what about going thirty five miles an hour and fixing
just the high school with a part of the one
hundred million dollars, or to fix parts of it and
(07:52):
maintain a kess for BPS.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
And I know that, I know one of the concerns
is that because of the length of the professional softball season,
I mean, this team in Massachusetts, which is supposed to
start play in twenty twenty six is joining a women's
professional soccer league that have already a schedule that I
think it starts in March and then it went way
(08:17):
wins its way through the wonderful months of you know, May, June, July, August,
September into October, and they have their playoffs and their
championship and that's not going to change. It's that that
White Stadium facility is not going to be used for
high school football, I assume while during the soccer the
(08:41):
professional soccer season, because the team has now a lease there.
This this, this is just the whole aspect of this
that troubles me. And I'm going to hope that I'm
going to let you go because you've had a long day,
but I want to thank you for your activism here
because it's you are fighting city This is what I
hate to put it like that, Josh, but you're fighting
(09:04):
city hall, and of course in turn running for city Hall.
There's gonna be a lot of issues we want to
talk with you about over the next few months, and
I think you put a stake in the ground that
this is an important issue to you. And if you
were our elected mayor, will there be anything that you
(09:25):
can do to to sort of turn this around. That
would be not that would really be my last question.
You would not take office until sometime in January, if
you if you succeed in November.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yeah, if I'm honored enough to become the mayor, that
wouldn't be tilled January. But I know there's a court
case beginning March eighteenth on this whole issue. A bunch
of folks, you know that we're out there today, are
part of a case, you know, trying to stop you know,
(09:58):
the city from carrying forward with the project. So I
think that's what I said. I mean, we need to
take a pause. We need to at least pause till
the court and the judicial process plays out, and then
just see where we end up. I think.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you standing a little back further
from this dispute than you. I don't understand why any
judge would not have considered very seriously issuing a temporary
restraining order, because one of the elements I know of
temporary restraining orders as a lawyer is you have to
prove a fairly good likelihood even maybe a better chance
(10:40):
of winning than losing. But the other is irreparable damage. Obviously,
literally figuratively irreparable damage is being done to this facility
now on a day to day basis. And if they
are able to destroy this facility, why bother with the trial?
I mean, talk about ignoring the judicial system. They're just
(11:02):
going full speed ahead. And there's something about that that
that that really just doesn't strike me as being honest
and the way the system is supposed to work. So
we're going to continue to follow this one, and you're
you're welcome any night here jogs to it to talk
about it. Thank you so much for joining us tonight,
and thank you thanks for taking up this you too,
(11:22):
my friend. We'll talk soon, Josh. By the way, folks
want to get in touch with you on this or
any other issue, what's the best way they can do that?
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Uh can go to our website Josh for Boston dot Com.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Perfect, Okay, it couldn't be couldn't be more direct, Josh
for Boston dot Com, Josh Kraft, Thank you very much.
Thank thanks, Josh. Talk soon when we get back. I
want to just open up the phone lines and hear
from those of you who have a feeling about this.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Some of you played high school sports in this park,
Some of you live in the surrounding communities, and obviously
the closer you are to Franklin Park, the more likely
that you avail yourself of the zoo, that you avail
yourself maybe of walking in the in the in the area,
walk the golf course or whatever, and enjoy maybe high
(12:19):
school football and track in the fall. Is this something
that you're concerned about. I am concerned about it because
it is it is. It's It's a facility that was
ignored for decades. It was allowed to fall into disrepair.
And if I lived in that area, you know, contiguous
(12:45):
to the park, I would not want to see that
green space changed, and I'd like to see it upgraded,
to be honest with you. But to see one hundred
and forty five or so trees eliminated now, Crystal Epinskey
said in the segment before nine o'clock In Fairness, Chris
reported to us that the city has committed to replanting trees.
(13:08):
But look, it takes a long time to blow to
grow a tree. As someone once said, when's the best
time to plant a tree yesterday? Because if you knock
down trees that have been there for a while, you
talk about green space in the city. In most urban
areas it's mostly cemented concrete. So we got lots to
(13:29):
talk about. I hope you'll feel free to join the conversation.
Here are the numbers six one, seven, two five for
ten thirty that's one line or six one seven, nine
three one ten thirty. Those are the two lines six
one seven both six one seven two five four ten
thirty or nine three one ten thirty. Let's light them
up and let's talk about it. And if you feel
(13:50):
that this is the greatest thing that's ever happened to
Franklin Park and you want to put a plug in
for it, let me know we uh, if you feel
like I do that there are more questions. Is the
answers here I'd love to hear from as well. Coming
back on Nightside.
Speaker 7 (14:04):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
Nightside Studios on w b Z the news Radio.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Okay, we're going to go right to the phones here
and again, feel free to explain to me what your
interest is in the story. Let me start it off
with Bill in Boston. Bill, welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
How are you sir, Good evening, Dan, This is Bill right,
How are you?
Speaker 8 (14:27):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Hi, Bill? How are you. I got your email the
other day, I believe, is that not correct? Yes, so
you've decided that you're going to take a shot at
the big office as well.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Yes, I announced it even to a number of people
that I was waiting for a mayor of the city
of Boston.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Okay, tell us what your thought is about. You know,
we just had Josh Krafton, who was at that demonstration today,
who's already announced from mayor. What's your thought on White Stadium?
You you know that community very well over the years.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Well as you remember Dan on Friday at the noons
when they were football games, we would leave and head
up to White Stadium by public transportation. Those games were great.
Of course, you know the city teams like Boston Tech
and Boston English now that's played there, and as you.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Also know, and to mention Boston Latin School too, well, yes.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Yes I've forgotten them. But of course the Thanksgiving game
every year was played at Harvard Stadium between Boston Latin
and Boston English. But I think this problem right now,
the solution is relatively simple to have the Women's Soccer
League speak with the new president of Boston University, Melissa
(15:53):
Gilliam who not only is he a physician, but she
was the provost for Ohio State before recently beginning of
a new job at BU. The facility, as you know,
was a place where the Patriots used to play, and
when they were the Boston Patriots, they also played at Fenway.
But the facilities to accommodate a women's soccer league are
(16:13):
right there for BU, which has parking space, which has
the Green Line, which has numerous restaurants and other things
go on Comwealth Avenue as well has the scenic river
to look at from that location. I think that that
was a solution for the women's soccer league having their
place to play. That emotion was put put forward by
(16:35):
Ed Flynn, But as far as I know, the city
administration has not contacted doctor Gilliam on the side of
Franklin Park. It's amazing to me that the price went
from fifty million to one hundred million. They didn't see
any explanation of why the price doubled.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yeah, well you things about what It's interesting. It didn't
mean to your up bill, but you mentioned the Patriots
used to play at what now I guess it's called
Nickerson Field. Of course, the Boston Braves long ago used
to play baseball. That was the home of the team
that became the Milwaukee Braves and is now now the
(17:15):
Atlanta Braves. But it was also the home of the
the football team, the Boston Breakers, as late as the
nineteen eighties. And so you're right, that's a that's a
piece of real estate that is totally underused and could
be used, and it's got good seating facility there, and
it would be a great location, scenic location. May I
(17:41):
was just going to say that Mayor Will seems to
be just dead set in favor of substantially changing the
whole structure in the atmosphere of Franklin Park.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
It's a bad one. When she was talking about taking
trees out of Malcolm X's rocking down trees there Malcolm
Park from the Washington Park, the neighbors protested because one
hundred year old trees were being knocked down. The Ward
administration said that they would pause and have discussion further,
but the community thought they meant what they said. They
(18:16):
kept knocking the trees down even aftery're pledging that they
would not. They don't seem to realize that when you
make pledges of the politician or promises to any constituency.
You have to do what you say you're going to do.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Well, go ahead. I didn't mean to interrapt go ahead, Bilt, I.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
Say, shell Wu has some problems with veracity, and she
falls back on you know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean
it as you said. Why not have a restraining order
and have a pause to work it out prior to
going forward, pledging forward? And the White Stadium is not
named for Kevin White, as you know, it's the Jewish
(18:59):
Robert White on the stadium for the philanthropists who left
much to Boston. And you may remember, I don't know
you're older than me, Onta Dan, I'm class of six.
I'm class of sixty nine.
Speaker 9 (19:13):
What are you?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Sixty six?
Speaker 5 (19:17):
Okay, so we're in the building the same time. But
the wife of.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
The White Boston Latin School, just in case anybody is.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Confused in Okay, Boston Latin School. Yeah, sixteen thirty five,
cold wolf Pack. So the thing is, when we were
children at elementary school, every year the students had the
best grades in the particular school, we received a reward
of five dollars. And at the William Bacon School, I
(19:49):
got that award two years in a row, third and
fourth grade. Then in fifth grade, I was at the
Sherwin School in Madison Old Madison Park in South End,
and I won the award again and my mother came
to the ceremony and the principal, mister Mead, was about
to reward me the five dollar bill, and my mother said, Uh,
(20:09):
he's one that a few times. Why don't you give
it to somebody else? Now? Back in those days, five
dollars but a little candy for child, right, you remember that?
Right then? I couldn't believe them.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
A lot of baseball cards.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Yes, but find toes with a lot of money right
for kids, you know at that time. And the funny
thing about when I look back on it is that
reward was an incentive. I knew, you know, academics was
interested in me about wanting to go to school and
so on. But I saw the connection between education and money,
and I have an idea for improving the attendance in
(20:48):
the Boston public schools. I was proposed to.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Let's let's say, let's let me say that bill for
the next time we have you. Audi. I want to
stay on.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Dan like I'm going to very quickly you'll like it.
I propose that every Boston student that completes a term
a semester with full attendance no absence is well receive
one hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Bill.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Okay, that's great. We'll talk about that in greater length
and greater length. Bill. I respect you very much. You
know that. But I'm well into my newscast here and
I might be running for mayor of Boston and moving
into the city because they'll fire me here if I
don't get to the newscast. Bill, I got to run.
We'll have you back, I promise. Thanks. Okay, all right,
(21:34):
go bough bls app sumas PREMI thank you, Thanks very much. Bill.
We'll take a break if you want to talk about
White Stadium. Bill is a candidate from mayor. I don't
know if he's official yet or not, but he had
sent me an email the other days at Boston Latin
School graduate and a good friend, good man. But we
talked with Josh Kraft, who is a candidate running from mayor.
Right now, you heard what Josh Craft had to say.
(21:57):
I want to hear from people in Austin or anyone
who avails themselves of Franklin Park six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. I got a couple of lines there and
a one line at six one seven nine. Coming right
back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray. I'm Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Now feel free, folks. This is an opportunity for you
to express your opinion. If if, if I think that
the Mayor's office will listen to a program like this,
and if they don't hear people actively concerned and opposed,
they will just say, hey, why not do what we
want to do. Let's go next to Elizabeth, who's calling
(22:43):
in from Salem. Hey Elizabeth, welcome to Nightside. How are you.
Speaker 10 (22:48):
Great? I love your show. I found out to the
last caller that you were at Boston Latin around the
time my brother was so there you go.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
How about that?
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Huh?
Speaker 10 (23:00):
How about that small world white stadium?
Speaker 2 (23:12):
All right, Elizabeth, we're having trouble with your connection, so
we're going to ask you to do is don't don't
hang up. Rob is gonna gonna help you find a
better spot in your home on your cell phone to
get in contact with us. So stay right there. We're
not gonna catch you off. I'll get right back to you.
Uh In a moment. Once Rob gets you squared away,
let me go to Dave in West Roxbury. Great to
(23:33):
hear from West Roxbury. Dave. How are you.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
Tonight, dud?
Speaker 9 (23:37):
Very well, first call.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
First time calling. All right, thank you very much. What's
your thought of what's going on in White Stadium?
Speaker 5 (23:46):
Hey?
Speaker 9 (23:46):
If well, I went to Boston Land School.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Hey we're having that's like Aunion tonight.
Speaker 9 (23:52):
Yeah, I played baseball after there was a kid at
Franklin Park. Sure batch of kite festivals, played golf. I
just think this is a terrible idea because it's a
long neighborhood for it, and I don't know how they
play on parking thousands of cars there.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Well, one of the things they're doing is they're knocking
down a whole bunch of trees, which make no sense
to me. I mean, that's the of Franklin Park. We
talk in They'll talk in the summertime about the heat
index in the city and they'll say that because the
city has so much concrete, it doesn't have enough trees,
and that people you know, who live in the city,
it's always hotter and more unpleasant to live. Uh, you know,
(24:35):
in an urban area when you don't have shade, and
they're going to knock down one hundred and forty five
trees whatever the number that Josh Kraft quoted for us
and in Franklin Park. That seems to me to be
an absolute insult to that entire community. It's like, we're
going to fix this for people who make him in
from the suburbs to watch a soccer match, which is great,
(25:00):
but you know, good luck if you've lived here and
you've struggled with you know, some facilities that should have
been been improved, you know, many many years ago, and
we're just gonna knock it down. Even though there's a
court case scheduled to start. I think it's on March eighteenth.
That's well, it's a month from now. There may be
(25:21):
no court case to discuss. If if the whole stadium
has been knocked down by that time, the issue will
be moot.
Speaker 9 (25:28):
I believe that's renovations that we're going to do. Anyways,
what they're doing now, I'm not sure if well.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
That's that's fine, but but it shows an intention right now.
You know, Donald Trump is getting some justifiable criticism for
threatening not to adhere to what district court judges say
and you know, he's saying, well, we'll take it at
the Supreme Court. I think that there's a there's a
(25:56):
little bit of Donald Trump within Mayor wu here. It's
like my way of the highway, and I am I'm
That troubles me, and it would trouble me if I
lived in that community. And I think that I just
don't think it's fair to people for whom that park
is an oasis of of of of enjoyment. That's all
(26:19):
I'm saying, Dave. I appreciate you taking the time to call.
I'm sure that you graduated a few years after me
from Boston Latin School. But as we say, Sumer's premium. Okay,
Thanks Dave, Thanks so much for calling to me. I favor.
We've become a regular. Will you'd like to I always
(26:40):
like to hear from my my, my colleagues at fellow
alumni from Boston Latin School. Thanks Dave, talkson goodbye. Okay,
we're gonna take a quick break. We will get back
to Elizabeth. Elizabeth, you're coming up right after the other
side of the break. I fill in Boston, and I
got some room for you if you're in Dorchester. Matta
Piano Rocks I loved. I want to know you know
(27:02):
you have an opportunity on this program every night, but
you particularly have an opportunity tonight to stand up and
be counted. Whatever you feel. I mean, if you feel
it's a great idea and you're looking forward to a
soccer stadium and the traffic and all of that will
that will accompany it, give us a call. If, on
the other hand, you feel that your community has been
(27:23):
given the short end of the stick for a long
time now and you're simply going to lose the presence
of one hundred and forty or so trees, full grown
trees in the park. All I can do is give
you the number you got to dial it six one, seven, two, five,
four to ten thirty six one seven, nine three one
(27:45):
ten thirty Elizabeth and Phil the next and I got
some room for you if you'd like back on nights
out after this.
Speaker 7 (27:51):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
We're going back to Elizabeth. Elizabeth, welcome back. I'm told
that you were in a bad zone. You go right ahead.
Want to hear what you have to say?
Speaker 10 (28:05):
Hi, Dan, I left off. Oh great, I left off
with Upham's Corner and my mother grew up there. My
grandmother lived there and we used to go from West
Roxbury over to Upham's Corner to see grandma. Yeah, and
(28:25):
I've been to the zoo. I mean, I'm old, so
I'm talking years and years and years ago, and I
you know, I haven't really followed this, but I find
it sad that White Stadium. And I mean I grew
up knowing about White Stadium in the football games at all.
And I actually played golf Stale once years and years ago.
(28:48):
But one thing I want to say is that I
had experienced a few years back about a project I
live in Lynn, and it was people came to us
and said this is what we're going to do because
architects from Wellsgate designed something and said this is good
(29:10):
for you.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (29:12):
They didn't ask us what. They didn't ask us what
we wanted. They told us why we should love what
they were telling us they were going to do. Oh yeah,
my sense is some of this, it's not a lot
of it's going on here. It's one question I have.
(29:33):
And another question I have is who benefits from this?
Speaker 5 (29:37):
And I.
Speaker 10 (29:39):
So many benefits from it. And I'm just throwing that out.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Yeah, so let me try to let me try to
answer that for you. Obviously, the women's professional soccer team
benefits from it, and the city, I guess would argue
that they're going to benefit from it. I'm not sure
that people who live in that community are going to
benefit from it. And that's the folks right now that
that I am concerned about, because I think they lose
(30:06):
access to a to a place that they have always
had access to.
Speaker 10 (30:13):
Again that and that's exactly my point. Someone is what
do they always say follow the money, as you I'd
love to know how much research they've done as to
what that community really feels about this. And and the
other thing is take a look at the community and
(30:34):
I and I mean, it's not like I don't know
about it, and it's not like I haven't seen it
since you know, I was little, and I know it's
changed over the gears, but it hasn't changed that significantly.
Those people in that community don't have the kinds of
facilities that for example, not to pick on Wellesley that
(30:55):
Wellesley has sure.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
And there's there's no about that, There's no doubt about that, Elizabeth.
And again Uh, that community needs to stand together. Uh
so far, I think there's that they need. There's a
need for political leadership in that community. And we'll see
how it works out. Elizabeth, I got two more. I
got to sneak in here before the hour is up.
(31:18):
Thanks for calling.
Speaker 10 (31:21):
It was a pleasure as always.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Is this your first time? Is this your first time
calling the show?
Speaker 4 (31:27):
No?
Speaker 10 (31:27):
I called you once before and you thanked me and
said call again, and I and I'd love to catch
you and and I heard this and it's like, you
know what, those people are getting schnookered and and with
you and and somebody needs to do something because you
know what, Dan, this wouldn't happen in a suburb outside
(31:50):
of Boston because people wouldn't allow it.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I think you I think you're right on that, Elizabeth.
Thank you for your for your passion. Appreciate it very much,
and keep calling the show, call more often. Thank you.
Let me go next to old friend Phil in Boston. Phil,
you're next to the night side.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
Yeah, I don't uh you You threw up that you
wish there were oasis. It isn't a sense of oasis
for that, but the person who developed that property, the
golf course that we used to go there, the zoo
on Sunday, the beautiful bird case. They think it's brass
and somewhere. The bottom line is the maya. She used
a term and I haven't heard of too much shoes.
(32:27):
And I suspect if mister Kraft used that, he would
be in trouble. She used the term those base back
in this in the Civil War days after Coppy days.
She called him a copper bega. But yet she's in Chicago,
and I suspect she's she's bringing her unbelievable she's bringing
her idea of a city to our city. Mister Craft
(32:51):
use the term coppet bega. I suspect that we all
over the paper.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Well, I look, I'm not going to disagree. Everybody has
you know, uh, you know, mayor, Mayor Wu. You came here,
went to school at Harvard, Harvard Law School. She ran
for the city council here, was elected of the city council,
ran for mayor. So she's been here a while and
and look that's your term. I don't think she was
(33:20):
correct in calling him a carpetbagger. I don't think that.
I don't like that term anyway. People come to Boston,
and they bring they bring their talents to Boston, and
people who come here for all the right reasons, I'm
disagreeing with how My concern is how this group of
people uh in the Franklin Park area, whatever their background,
(33:40):
whether they're new residents or old residents, or their family
has been there for generations, they're getting the short end
of the stick here. And that's why I'm speaking up
for them and I and I appreciate I think you're
speaking up for them as well.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
They should look into the who's doing the contract, Who's
who's doing the contract. You're not gonna down all the way.
Oh he didn't know. He told me to, did lie.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
We'll see, we'll see. All good, all good advice. Phil.
As always, I appreciate your passion, you know that. Thank
you much, Pati. Let me go next up, Thanks Phil,
thank you. Let's go next to Mary and Hyde Park.
Mary liked to get you and maybe one more in
Go ahead.
Speaker 11 (34:13):
And Mary, Okay, Hi, this is the deal breaking for
me as far as voting for the mayor. I'm very
upset about all the trees that are going to be
torn down. I used to go to the zoo all
the times. From the time I was four, all my
kids went there. I lived on Erie Street as a
teenager when I went to the Jermi Brooke and I
used to go to White Stadium like almost every day.
We have masks every year now in the park my
(34:34):
chirts see Catherin Drexel is just like two blocks away
from there. We used to park a lot between the
golf course, the golf club everything. Those trees are irreparable.
They've been there for hundreds of years. They can't replace
them with little splinty trees that they're gonna put there.
What about all the birds, what about all the squirrels
and all the other animals. I am just so upset
between the bike lanes and taking Malnia Casts. I used
(34:55):
to live right next to Malio Cast where my husband
was a property manager, and they just took that away
from the kids and from the adults who used to
go there to beginning a CP. They just took out,
you know, for a period of time, with no regds
to what was happening to the kids in the neighborhood.
And they just doing everything with no regards to the
people from the community. So I will never open, Michelle,
(35:16):
we'll get them through mayor.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Uh you know you have at least one candidate for mayor,
Josh Craft. You may have another fellow who called bill Wright.
You heard today, so make your vote count whatever you do.
Speaker 5 (35:31):
I will the trees for me between that.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Might become, that should become Josh craft slogan, it's the
trees for me. I like that. I grew up in Reedville,
so I have a lot of you know, we got
to live in Readville.
Speaker 11 (35:45):
My whole family lives on Erie Street and on Hide
Park Gap across from Mead Park.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
So very well. Thank you Mary, thanks for listening tonight.
You're a regular caller. If not, I want you to become.
Speaker 11 (35:58):
And my daughter graduates from Boston Latin.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
But many years out.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Of a great night, let me go to Mark, Mark,
I'm gonna called late. I'm gonna get you in here
under the wire thanks to Mary being sex think go ahead, Mark.
Speaker 8 (36:12):
Hi again, Hey Mark, guy differ Mark up their lesson
said I'm doing construction in Boston for forty years or
called you more than once. You know, go back to
the Olympics when it was okay to rip down every
tree in Franklin Park gets parking lots for the dorms
and put in beastball courts. Okay, that neighborhood. And this
(36:40):
isn't me thinking, it's government. That was Mardy Walsh. Now
it's made a wool person of the people allegedly, and
now we're gonna cut down trees and we're gonna put
in this new socc effect. No, we've things the way
they are. I mean, this guy, mister Kraft, is gonna
(37:02):
beat her handedly. She just she's on a touch with
the people.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Well we will, We're gonna find out, you know. She
she has had picture fights with the business community, picture
fights now with with the Franklin Park community, picture fights
with the North dam. She's not a big favorite in
West Roxbury with the with the bike lanes on Center Street.
Speaker 8 (37:24):
Yeah, excuse me, mister mister Ray. Can I call you,
mister Ray?
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Please call me Dan, go ahead, call me Dan, go ahead.
Speaker 8 (37:33):
Can listen. She's out of such We were around then
Olympia Studies to rehab this woman's soccer league.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Yep, I agree with that. Mark. Here's here's my problem
right now, I'm flat out of time, So do me
a favor. I wanted you to call more often I
want you to call earlier, and you're gonna be that's not fair.
Clip that. Thank you very much, and we'll be back
right after the ten o'clock news, and we're going to
talk about what happened yesterday at the JFK Library, among
(38:05):
other things,
It's Night Side with Dan Ray WBZ Causton's Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thanks very much, Dan, as we move into our second
hour here on a Wednesday night. It's February nineteenth for
those of you keeping score at home or wherever you
might find yourself, and we are talking this hour about
the demolition of White Stadium. It's intriguing to me as
a story because it's become an issue in the mayoral race.
(00:28):
But it's also an intriguing issue to me as a
story because this venerable facility that you know, you can
say it's old, but it's served its purpose in Boston
for many years, is now I guess, undergoing a complete
demolition or the demolition has started, even though there is
a trial some of the organizations and groups, the community
(00:51):
groups and also a group there's a conservancy which has
filed suit against the city. And this joining us right
now is Boston Merrow Kennedy, Josh Kraft, who was there
with some demonstrators today, people who were protesting what's going on. Josh,
Welcome back to Night's Side. Could you paint the scene
for us today bitterly cold day and you had we
(01:15):
talked last hour at the end of the last hour
with a Statehouse reporter who covered this. Had to be
a lot of people pretty dedicated to be out in
that sort of weather today.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yeah, Dan, thanks and thank you for having me again.
I'm always always open and love coming on your show.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Very, very cold today. But really the passion, the commitment
and the feelings of just the strong, strong feelings from
the folks that were out there today was pretty powerful.
It's people that have used the park from generations, you know, families,
(01:56):
generations using the park, to families with young kids to
use the park. And again, as I started, I mean
you could feel their passion and their love of the
park and their their sadness or their intense sadness for
what's going on.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well, and this is it's a wonderful location. Some people
in Boston have never been there. But you have the
Franklin Park golf course, you have the Franklin Park Zoo,
you have White Stadium, and they're all within this this
this green space in the center of you know, Dorchester, Jamaica.
Plane touches a little bit on roslind Dale or whatever
(02:37):
it's it's it's a wonderful location. And right now the
city has worked out this deal. It's it's I guess
the city's intention is to have it host a women's
professional soccer team. But in addition to the demolition of
the park, and Josh, you know a lot more about
(02:57):
this than I do, my understanding is that there are
dozens of trees that are going to be taken down.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yeah, I think it's over one hundred and forty trees.
I don't know the I think I'm going to I
think it's one hundred and forty five, but don't hold
me to that. But I know it's one hundred.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We could stay in that feet. That's a dozen scores
of trees here.
Speaker 6 (03:19):
Yeah, why have they taken the trees aren't on the
playing surface of the prospective soccer stadium or what was
was a what was a high school football complex for
decades for Boston school kids.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Why why do one hundred and forty trees have to
bite the dust?
Speaker 5 (03:40):
I think it's for the bigger vision, which would entail
like a.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Concession, a novelty concession stand, or a beer garden, maybe
egress entrance and egress. I don't have all the specifics
on that, but I know.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I'm assuming that there's going to be some element to
parking here that instead of having trees, it's there's going
to be crowds coming in periodically, I guess from sometime
in March through late October to witness soccer matches. Tell
(04:19):
us about the people who you were dealing with. The
folks who were out there today, it looked to me
to be a very interesting crowd of young people, older people, uh, mixed,
you know, different backgrounds, different races. That it's it looked
like a wonderful group of people. Tell us a little
bit about the folks that you met today at that demonstration.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, Dan, thanks, It truly it is now that it
truly was a community of different people, all with a true,
uh an unequivocal love of the park. And you know,
there are folks who, as I mentioned, generations had you know,
(05:04):
their family had gone to the park for generations, they
had grown up going to the park. They they're older.
Now there's families with young kids who use the park consistently,
or families of color, white families, some folks who are
hearing into folks from Charlestown, folks from Savin Hills. It
(05:25):
wasn't just people that touched the park every day. But
just a lot of people that love the park and
feel passionate about it. And you could feel the energy
when you were there this morning. It was cold, but
they were staying warm.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I'm assuming that there must be a lot of people
who live in the Dorchester Roxby Mattapan community who have
watched the zoo is a fabulous institution that draws people
from all over the world to visit. The golf course
for golfers is wonderful urban golf course. Remember Mayor Menino
(06:04):
used to love to play that golf course. He prefer
to play that. Then he used to prefer to tell me,
you prefer to play that over playing the Brookline Country Club,
although I think it played. He was a very good
he was a good golfer. But you had this stadium
which the city, it seems, has not maintained. It's fallen
into disrepair. It's almost as if if I lived in
(06:27):
that community and I grew up in Boston, but I didn't,
I didn't live contiguous or within a mile or two
of the park. I would feel a little betrayed at
this point. That wait a second, A public green space
that my kids and myself and maybe grandkids have played
in and utilized now is going to be turned into
(06:49):
a more private venture for for a group of folks
who probably would have trouble finding White Stadium without a
road map. I mean, this this lot of irony here
in my opinion, Josh, I don't know if you sense
that or or have since that when you're when you're
out and about.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Yeah, that's definitely Dan. I think you captured the spirit
of the folks, the community of folks that were there
this morning, and you know, have been passionate about the
park since, you know, for a long time, long before
I met any of them. And I do feel like,
(07:29):
you know, that's part of their argument is you've ignored
it for so long and while a sudden from zero
these are my words, zero to one hundred miles an hour,
what about going thirty five miles an hour and fixing
just the high school with a part of the one
hundred million dollars, or to fix parts of it and
(07:52):
maintain a kess for BPS.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
And I know that, I know one of the concerns
is that because of the length of the professional softball season,
I mean, this team in Massachusetts, which is supposed to
start play in twenty twenty six is joining a women's
professional soccer league that have already a schedule that I
think it starts in March and then it went way
(08:17):
wins its way through the wonderful months of you know, May, June, July, August,
September into October, and they have their playoffs and their
championship and that's not going to change. It's that that
White Stadium facility is not going to be used for
high school football, I assume while during the soccer the
(08:41):
professional soccer season, because the team has now a lease there.
This this, this is just the whole aspect of this
that troubles me. And I'm going to hope that I'm
going to let you go because you've had a long day,
but I want to thank you for your activism here
because it's you are fighting city This is what I
hate to put it like that, Josh, but you're fighting
(09:04):
city hall, and of course in turn running for city Hall.
There's gonna be a lot of issues we want to
talk with you about over the next few months, and
I think you put a stake in the ground that
this is an important issue to you. And if you
were our elected mayor, will there be anything that you
(09:25):
can do to to sort of turn this around. That
would be not that would really be my last question.
You would not take office until sometime in January, if
you if you succeed in November.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Yeah, if I'm honored enough to become the mayor, that
wouldn't be tilled January. But I know there's a court
case beginning March eighteenth on this whole issue. A bunch
of folks, you know that we're out there today, are
part of a case, you know, trying to stop you know,
(09:58):
the city from carrying forward with the project. So I
think that's what I said. I mean, we need to
take a pause. We need to at least pause till
the court and the judicial process plays out, and then
just see where we end up. I think.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you standing a little back further
from this dispute than you. I don't understand why any
judge would not have considered very seriously issuing a temporary
restraining order, because one of the elements I know of
temporary restraining orders as a lawyer is you have to
prove a fairly good likelihood even maybe a better chance
(10:40):
of winning than losing. But the other is irreparable damage. Obviously,
literally figuratively irreparable damage is being done to this facility
now on a day to day basis. And if they
are able to destroy this facility, why bother with the trial?
I mean, talk about ignoring the judicial system. They're just
(11:02):
going full speed ahead. And there's something about that that
that that really just doesn't strike me as being honest
and the way the system is supposed to work. So
we're going to continue to follow this one, and you're
you're welcome any night here jogs to it to talk
about it. Thank you so much for joining us tonight,
and thank you thanks for taking up this you too,
(11:22):
my friend. We'll talk soon, Josh. By the way, folks
want to get in touch with you on this or
any other issue, what's the best way they can do that?
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Uh can go to our website Josh for Boston dot Com.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Perfect, Okay, it couldn't be couldn't be more direct, Josh
for Boston dot Com, Josh Kraft, Thank you very much.
Thank thanks, Josh. Talk soon when we get back. I
want to just open up the phone lines and hear
from those of you who have a feeling about this.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Some of you played high school sports in this park,
Some of you live in the surrounding communities, and obviously
the closer you are to Franklin Park, the more likely
that you avail yourself of the zoo, that you avail
yourself maybe of walking in the in the in the area,
walk the golf course or whatever, and enjoy maybe high
(12:19):
school football and track in the fall. Is this something
that you're concerned about. I am concerned about it because
it is it is. It's It's a facility that was
ignored for decades. It was allowed to fall into disrepair.
And if I lived in that area, you know, contiguous
(12:45):
to the park, I would not want to see that
green space changed, and I'd like to see it upgraded,
to be honest with you. But to see one hundred
and forty five or so trees eliminated now, Crystal Epinskey
said in the segment before nine o'clock In Fairness, Chris
reported to us that the city has committed to replanting trees.
(13:08):
But look, it takes a long time to blow to
grow a tree. As someone once said, when's the best
time to plant a tree yesterday? Because if you knock
down trees that have been there for a while, you
talk about green space in the city. In most urban
areas it's mostly cemented concrete. So we got lots to
(13:29):
talk about. I hope you'll feel free to join the conversation.
Here are the numbers six one, seven, two five for
ten thirty that's one line or six one seven, nine
three one ten thirty. Those are the two lines six
one seven both six one seven two five four ten
thirty or nine three one ten thirty. Let's light them
up and let's talk about it. And if you feel
(13:50):
that this is the greatest thing that's ever happened to
Franklin Park and you want to put a plug in
for it, let me know we uh, if you feel
like I do that there are more questions. Is the
answers here I'd love to hear from as well. Coming
back on Nightside.
Speaker 7 (14:04):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
Nightside Studios on w b Z the news Radio.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Okay, we're going to go right to the phones here
and again, feel free to explain to me what your
interest is in the story. Let me start it off
with Bill in Boston. Bill, welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
How are you sir, Good evening, Dan, This is Bill right,
How are you?
Speaker 8 (14:27):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Hi, Bill? How are you. I got your email the
other day, I believe, is that not correct? Yes, so
you've decided that you're going to take a shot at
the big office as well.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Yes, I announced it even to a number of people
that I was waiting for a mayor of the city
of Boston.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Okay, tell us what your thought is about. You know,
we just had Josh Krafton, who was at that demonstration today,
who's already announced from mayor. What's your thought on White Stadium?
You you know that community very well over the years.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Well as you remember Dan on Friday at the noons
when they were football games, we would leave and head
up to White Stadium by public transportation. Those games were great.
Of course, you know the city teams like Boston Tech
and Boston English now that's played there, and as you.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Also know, and to mention Boston Latin School too, well, yes.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Yes I've forgotten them. But of course the Thanksgiving game
every year was played at Harvard Stadium between Boston Latin
and Boston English. But I think this problem right now,
the solution is relatively simple to have the Women's Soccer
League speak with the new president of Boston University, Melissa
(15:53):
Gilliam who not only is he a physician, but she
was the provost for Ohio State before recently beginning of
a new job at BU. The facility, as you know,
was a place where the Patriots used to play, and
when they were the Boston Patriots, they also played at Fenway.
But the facilities to accommodate a women's soccer league are
(16:13):
right there for BU, which has parking space, which has
the Green Line, which has numerous restaurants and other things
go on Comwealth Avenue as well has the scenic river
to look at from that location. I think that that
was a solution for the women's soccer league having their
place to play. That emotion was put put forward by
(16:35):
Ed Flynn, But as far as I know, the city
administration has not contacted doctor Gilliam on the side of
Franklin Park. It's amazing to me that the price went
from fifty million to one hundred million. They didn't see
any explanation of why the price doubled.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yeah, well you things about what It's interesting. It didn't
mean to your up bill, but you mentioned the Patriots
used to play at what now I guess it's called
Nickerson Field. Of course, the Boston Braves long ago used
to play baseball. That was the home of the team
that became the Milwaukee Braves and is now now the
(17:15):
Atlanta Braves. But it was also the home of the
the football team, the Boston Breakers, as late as the
nineteen eighties. And so you're right, that's a that's a
piece of real estate that is totally underused and could
be used, and it's got good seating facility there, and
it would be a great location, scenic location. May I
(17:41):
was just going to say that Mayor Will seems to
be just dead set in favor of substantially changing the
whole structure in the atmosphere of Franklin Park.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
It's a bad one. When she was talking about taking
trees out of Malcolm X's rocking down trees there Malcolm
Park from the Washington Park, the neighbors protested because one
hundred year old trees were being knocked down. The Ward
administration said that they would pause and have discussion further,
but the community thought they meant what they said. They
(18:16):
kept knocking the trees down even aftery're pledging that they
would not. They don't seem to realize that when you
make pledges of the politician or promises to any constituency.
You have to do what you say you're going to do.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Well, go ahead. I didn't mean to interrapt go ahead, Bilt, I.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
Say, shell Wu has some problems with veracity, and she
falls back on you know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean
it as you said. Why not have a restraining order
and have a pause to work it out prior to
going forward, pledging forward? And the White Stadium is not
named for Kevin White, as you know, it's the Jewish
(18:59):
Robert White on the stadium for the philanthropists who left
much to Boston. And you may remember, I don't know
you're older than me, Onta Dan, I'm class of six.
I'm class of sixty nine.
Speaker 9 (19:13):
What are you?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Sixty six?
Speaker 5 (19:17):
Okay, so we're in the building the same time. But
the wife of.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
The White Boston Latin School, just in case anybody is.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Confused in Okay, Boston Latin School. Yeah, sixteen thirty five,
cold wolf Pack. So the thing is, when we were
children at elementary school, every year the students had the
best grades in the particular school, we received a reward
of five dollars. And at the William Bacon School, I
(19:49):
got that award two years in a row, third and
fourth grade. Then in fifth grade, I was at the
Sherwin School in Madison Old Madison Park in South End,
and I won the award again and my mother came
to the ceremony and the principal, mister Mead, was about
to reward me the five dollar bill, and my mother said, Uh,
(20:09):
he's one that a few times. Why don't you give
it to somebody else? Now? Back in those days, five
dollars but a little candy for child, right, you remember that?
Right then? I couldn't believe them.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
A lot of baseball cards.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Yes, but find toes with a lot of money right
for kids, you know at that time. And the funny
thing about when I look back on it is that
reward was an incentive. I knew, you know, academics was
interested in me about wanting to go to school and
so on. But I saw the connection between education and money,
and I have an idea for improving the attendance in
(20:48):
the Boston public schools. I was proposed to.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Let's let's say, let's let me say that bill for
the next time we have you. Audi. I want to
stay on.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Dan like I'm going to very quickly you'll like it.
I propose that every Boston student that completes a term
a semester with full attendance no absence is well receive
one hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Bill.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Okay, that's great. We'll talk about that in greater length
and greater length. Bill. I respect you very much. You
know that. But I'm well into my newscast here and
I might be running for mayor of Boston and moving
into the city because they'll fire me here if I
don't get to the newscast. Bill, I got to run.
We'll have you back, I promise. Thanks. Okay, all right,
(21:34):
go bough bls app sumas PREMI thank you, Thanks very much. Bill.
We'll take a break if you want to talk about
White Stadium. Bill is a candidate from mayor. I don't
know if he's official yet or not, but he had
sent me an email the other days at Boston Latin
School graduate and a good friend, good man. But we
talked with Josh Kraft, who is a candidate running from mayor.
Right now, you heard what Josh Craft had to say.
(21:57):
I want to hear from people in Austin or anyone
who avails themselves of Franklin Park six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. I got a couple of lines there and
a one line at six one seven nine. Coming right
back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray. I'm Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Now feel free, folks. This is an opportunity for you
to express your opinion. If if, if I think that
the Mayor's office will listen to a program like this,
and if they don't hear people actively concerned and opposed,
they will just say, hey, why not do what we
want to do. Let's go next to Elizabeth, who's calling
(22:43):
in from Salem. Hey Elizabeth, welcome to Nightside. How are you.
Speaker 10 (22:48):
Great? I love your show. I found out to the
last caller that you were at Boston Latin around the
time my brother was so there you go.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
How about that?
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Huh?
Speaker 10 (23:00):
How about that small world white stadium?
Speaker 2 (23:12):
All right, Elizabeth, we're having trouble with your connection, so
we're going to ask you to do is don't don't
hang up. Rob is gonna gonna help you find a
better spot in your home on your cell phone to
get in contact with us. So stay right there. We're
not gonna catch you off. I'll get right back to you.
Uh In a moment. Once Rob gets you squared away,
let me go to Dave in West Roxbury. Great to
(23:33):
hear from West Roxbury. Dave. How are you.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
Tonight, dud?
Speaker 9 (23:37):
Very well, first call.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
First time calling. All right, thank you very much. What's
your thought of what's going on in White Stadium?
Speaker 5 (23:46):
Hey?
Speaker 9 (23:46):
If well, I went to Boston Land School.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Hey we're having that's like Aunion tonight.
Speaker 9 (23:52):
Yeah, I played baseball after there was a kid at
Franklin Park. Sure batch of kite festivals, played golf. I
just think this is a terrible idea because it's a
long neighborhood for it, and I don't know how they
play on parking thousands of cars there.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Well, one of the things they're doing is they're knocking
down a whole bunch of trees, which make no sense
to me. I mean, that's the of Franklin Park. We
talk in They'll talk in the summertime about the heat
index in the city and they'll say that because the
city has so much concrete, it doesn't have enough trees,
and that people you know, who live in the city,
it's always hotter and more unpleasant to live. Uh, you know,
(24:35):
in an urban area when you don't have shade, and
they're going to knock down one hundred and forty five
trees whatever the number that Josh Kraft quoted for us
and in Franklin Park. That seems to me to be
an absolute insult to that entire community. It's like, we're
going to fix this for people who make him in
from the suburbs to watch a soccer match, which is great,
(25:00):
but you know, good luck if you've lived here and
you've struggled with you know, some facilities that should have
been been improved, you know, many many years ago, and
we're just gonna knock it down. Even though there's a
court case scheduled to start. I think it's on March eighteenth.
That's well, it's a month from now. There may be
(25:21):
no court case to discuss. If if the whole stadium
has been knocked down by that time, the issue will
be moot.
Speaker 9 (25:28):
I believe that's renovations that we're going to do. Anyways,
what they're doing now, I'm not sure if well.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
That's that's fine, but but it shows an intention right now.
You know, Donald Trump is getting some justifiable criticism for
threatening not to adhere to what district court judges say
and you know, he's saying, well, we'll take it at
the Supreme Court. I think that there's a there's a
(25:56):
little bit of Donald Trump within Mayor wu here. It's
like my way of the highway, and I am I'm
That troubles me, and it would trouble me if I
lived in that community. And I think that I just
don't think it's fair to people for whom that park
is an oasis of of of of enjoyment. That's all
(26:19):
I'm saying, Dave. I appreciate you taking the time to call.
I'm sure that you graduated a few years after me
from Boston Latin School. But as we say, Sumer's premium. Okay,
Thanks Dave, Thanks so much for calling to me. I favor.
We've become a regular. Will you'd like to I always
(26:40):
like to hear from my my, my colleagues at fellow
alumni from Boston Latin School. Thanks Dave, talkson goodbye. Okay,
we're gonna take a quick break. We will get back
to Elizabeth. Elizabeth, you're coming up right after the other
side of the break. I fill in Boston, and I
got some room for you if you're in Dorchester. Matta
Piano Rocks I loved. I want to know you know
(27:02):
you have an opportunity on this program every night, but
you particularly have an opportunity tonight to stand up and
be counted. Whatever you feel. I mean, if you feel
it's a great idea and you're looking forward to a
soccer stadium and the traffic and all of that will
that will accompany it, give us a call. If, on
the other hand, you feel that your community has been
(27:23):
given the short end of the stick for a long
time now and you're simply going to lose the presence
of one hundred and forty or so trees, full grown
trees in the park. All I can do is give
you the number you got to dial it six one, seven, two, five,
four to ten thirty six one seven, nine three one
(27:45):
ten thirty Elizabeth and Phil the next and I got
some room for you if you'd like back on nights
out after this.
Speaker 7 (27:51):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
We're going back to Elizabeth. Elizabeth, welcome back. I'm told
that you were in a bad zone. You go right ahead.
Want to hear what you have to say?
Speaker 10 (28:05):
Hi, Dan, I left off. Oh great, I left off
with Upham's Corner and my mother grew up there. My
grandmother lived there and we used to go from West
Roxbury over to Upham's Corner to see grandma. Yeah, and
(28:25):
I've been to the zoo. I mean, I'm old, so
I'm talking years and years and years ago, and I
you know, I haven't really followed this, but I find
it sad that White Stadium. And I mean I grew
up knowing about White Stadium in the football games at all.
And I actually played golf Stale once years and years ago.
(28:48):
But one thing I want to say is that I
had experienced a few years back about a project I
live in Lynn, and it was people came to us
and said this is what we're going to do because
architects from Wellsgate designed something and said this is good
(29:10):
for you.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (29:12):
They didn't ask us what. They didn't ask us what
we wanted. They told us why we should love what
they were telling us they were going to do. Oh yeah,
my sense is some of this, it's not a lot
of it's going on here. It's one question I have.
(29:33):
And another question I have is who benefits from this?
Speaker 5 (29:37):
And I.
Speaker 10 (29:39):
So many benefits from it. And I'm just throwing that out.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Yeah, so let me try to let me try to
answer that for you. Obviously, the women's professional soccer team
benefits from it, and the city, I guess would argue
that they're going to benefit from it. I'm not sure
that people who live in that community are going to
benefit from it. And that's the folks right now that
that I am concerned about, because I think they lose
(30:06):
access to a to a place that they have always
had access to.
Speaker 10 (30:13):
Again that and that's exactly my point. Someone is what
do they always say follow the money, as you I'd
love to know how much research they've done as to
what that community really feels about this. And and the
other thing is take a look at the community and
(30:34):
I and I mean, it's not like I don't know
about it, and it's not like I haven't seen it
since you know, I was little, and I know it's
changed over the gears, but it hasn't changed that significantly.
Those people in that community don't have the kinds of
facilities that for example, not to pick on Wellesley that
(30:55):
Wellesley has sure.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
And there's there's no about that, There's no doubt about that, Elizabeth.
And again Uh, that community needs to stand together. Uh
so far, I think there's that they need. There's a
need for political leadership in that community. And we'll see
how it works out. Elizabeth, I got two more. I
got to sneak in here before the hour is up.
(31:18):
Thanks for calling.
Speaker 10 (31:21):
It was a pleasure as always.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Is this your first time? Is this your first time
calling the show?
Speaker 4 (31:27):
No?
Speaker 10 (31:27):
I called you once before and you thanked me and
said call again, and I and I'd love to catch
you and and I heard this and it's like, you
know what, those people are getting schnookered and and with
you and and somebody needs to do something because you
know what, Dan, this wouldn't happen in a suburb outside
(31:50):
of Boston because people wouldn't allow it.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I think you I think you're right on that, Elizabeth.
Thank you for your for your passion. Appreciate it very much,
and keep calling the show, call more often. Thank you.
Let me go next to old friend Phil in Boston. Phil,
you're next to the night side.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
Yeah, I don't uh you You threw up that you
wish there were oasis. It isn't a sense of oasis
for that, but the person who developed that property, the
golf course that we used to go there, the zoo
on Sunday, the beautiful bird case. They think it's brass
and somewhere. The bottom line is the maya. She used
a term and I haven't heard of too much shoes.
(32:27):
And I suspect if mister Kraft used that, he would
be in trouble. She used the term those base back
in this in the Civil War days after Coppy days.
She called him a copper bega. But yet she's in Chicago,
and I suspect she's she's bringing her unbelievable she's bringing
her idea of a city to our city. Mister Craft
(32:51):
use the term coppet bega. I suspect that we all
over the paper.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Well, I look, I'm not going to disagree. Everybody has
you know, uh, you know, mayor, Mayor Wu. You came here,
went to school at Harvard, Harvard Law School. She ran
for the city council here, was elected of the city council,
ran for mayor. So she's been here a while and
and look that's your term. I don't think she was
(33:20):
correct in calling him a carpetbagger. I don't think that.
I don't like that term anyway. People come to Boston,
and they bring they bring their talents to Boston, and
people who come here for all the right reasons, I'm
disagreeing with how My concern is how this group of
people uh in the Franklin Park area, whatever their background,
(33:40):
whether they're new residents or old residents, or their family
has been there for generations, they're getting the short end
of the stick here. And that's why I'm speaking up
for them and I and I appreciate I think you're
speaking up for them as well.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
They should look into the who's doing the contract, Who's
who's doing the contract. You're not gonna down all the way.
Oh he didn't know. He told me to, did lie.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
We'll see, we'll see. All good, all good advice. Phil.
As always, I appreciate your passion, you know that. Thank
you much, Pati. Let me go next up, Thanks Phil,
thank you. Let's go next to Mary and Hyde Park.
Mary liked to get you and maybe one more in
Go ahead.
Speaker 11 (34:13):
And Mary, Okay, Hi, this is the deal breaking for
me as far as voting for the mayor. I'm very
upset about all the trees that are going to be
torn down. I used to go to the zoo all
the times. From the time I was four, all my
kids went there. I lived on Erie Street as a
teenager when I went to the Jermi Brooke and I
used to go to White Stadium like almost every day.
We have masks every year now in the park my
(34:34):
chirts see Catherin Drexel is just like two blocks away
from there. We used to park a lot between the
golf course, the golf club everything. Those trees are irreparable.
They've been there for hundreds of years. They can't replace
them with little splinty trees that they're gonna put there.
What about all the birds, what about all the squirrels
and all the other animals. I am just so upset
between the bike lanes and taking Malnia Casts. I used
(34:55):
to live right next to Malio Cast where my husband
was a property manager, and they just took that away
from the kids and from the adults who used to
go there to beginning a CP. They just took out,
you know, for a period of time, with no regds
to what was happening to the kids in the neighborhood.
And they just doing everything with no regards to the
people from the community. So I will never open, Michelle,
(35:16):
we'll get them through mayor.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Uh you know you have at least one candidate for mayor,
Josh Craft. You may have another fellow who called bill Wright.
You heard today, so make your vote count whatever you do.
Speaker 5 (35:31):
I will the trees for me between that.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Might become, that should become Josh craft slogan, it's the
trees for me. I like that. I grew up in Reedville,
so I have a lot of you know, we got
to live in Readville.
Speaker 11 (35:45):
My whole family lives on Erie Street and on Hide
Park Gap across from Mead Park.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
So very well. Thank you Mary, thanks for listening tonight.
You're a regular caller. If not, I want you to become.
Speaker 11 (35:58):
And my daughter graduates from Boston Latin.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
But many years out.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Of a great night, let me go to Mark, Mark,
I'm gonna called late. I'm gonna get you in here
under the wire thanks to Mary being sex think go ahead, Mark.
Speaker 8 (36:12):
Hi again, Hey Mark, guy differ Mark up their lesson
said I'm doing construction in Boston for forty years or
called you more than once. You know, go back to
the Olympics when it was okay to rip down every
tree in Franklin Park gets parking lots for the dorms
and put in beastball courts. Okay, that neighborhood. And this
(36:40):
isn't me thinking, it's government. That was Mardy Walsh. Now
it's made a wool person of the people allegedly, and
now we're gonna cut down trees and we're gonna put
in this new socc effect. No, we've things the way
they are. I mean, this guy, mister Kraft, is gonna
(37:02):
beat her handedly. She just she's on a touch with
the people.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
Well we will, We're gonna find out, you know. She
she has had picture fights with the business community, picture
fights now with with the Franklin Park community, picture fights
with the North dam. She's not a big favorite in
West Roxbury with the with the bike lanes on Center Street.
Speaker 8 (37:24):
Yeah, excuse me, mister mister Ray. Can I call you,
mister Ray?
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Please call me Dan, go ahead, call me Dan, go ahead.
Speaker 8 (37:33):
Can listen. She's out of such We were around then
Olympia Studies to rehab this woman's soccer league.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Yep, I agree with that. Mark. Here's here's my problem
right now, I'm flat out of time, So do me
a favor. I wanted you to call more often I
want you to call earlier, and you're gonna be that's not fair.
Clip that. Thank you very much, and we'll be back
right after the ten o'clock news, and we're going to
talk about what happened yesterday at the JFK Library, among
(38:05):
other things,
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