25 Oct 2023

Editorial: GM Eng bucks trend of lax T management

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Clearly MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng ignored the dog-eared handbook on how to run the transportation agency.

As T history demonstrates, leadership has focused on post-accident bromides, apologies for unsolved problems, and endless promises to do better.

Eng is actually getting things done.

The latest example of his “see something, say something, fix something” approach came last week, when Eng revealed that T officials knew as far back as April 2021 that large swaths of Green Line Extension tracks were defective and too narrow – but the agency opened the lines anyway.

According to the GM, half of the Union Square branch and 80% of the Medford-Tufts branch require repairs only a week after the MBTA said it had cleared slow zones that forced trains to run at walking speeds in some areas.

That’s not surprising, given the T’s track record.

“We’re going to have the GLX Constructors re-gauge the track to bring it back to what the project called for. And once we have a plan in place, we’ll share that with the public. And the goal is to make sure that we do that in the least impactful way, the most efficient way and put this behind us,” Eng said.

This, we’re not used to.

Back in 2019, a safety review panel comprised of former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, former acting administrator of the Federal Transit Administration Carolyn Flowers and former New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco raked the MBTA over the coals following that year’s Red Line derailment disaster. They slammed the T for “deficiencies” in nearly every area of safety maintenance and practice.

“In almost every area we examined, deficiencies in policies, application of safety standards or industry best practices, and accountability were apparent,” the safety review panel wrote. “The foundation for safety is also not obvious as the agency has not identified or adopted a comprehensive vision, mission, values or set of strategies and goals to guide the agency’s actions to achieve a safe work environment and to deliver quality service.”

According to a summary of the panel’s report, investigators found  “the T’s approach to safety is questionable, which results in safety culture concerns.”

Passengers didn’t need a review panel to tell them this – they’d known for years as derailments and accidents mounted, along with signal issues and endless delays and out-of-service trains.

Riders wanted more, deserved more, expected more – but knew they were unlikely to get it from the entrenched culture at the MBTA.

Then Eng became the new sheriff in town. A month into his tenure, a woman was struck by a falling utility box at a Red Line station. Eng order all stations to be inspected, and within days, similar boxes were removed. He announced a major personnel shakeup last month,  restructuring the agency under four divisions  — operations, safety, capital, and administration — in the first major reorganization in roughly a decade.

We’ve written about the T’s troubles for years, and never been short of material. But Eng is shaping up to be truly stellar hire.

For this, kudos to Gov. Maura Healey.

 

Editorial cartoon by Steve Kelley (Creators Syndicate)

 

 

25 Oct 2023

Lowry: Gag order on Donald Trump shameful

by | posted in: Politics | 0

If you’ve always thought that federal judges ought to determine what presidential candidates can and can’t say about political matters, you should love Judge Tanya Chutkan’s partial gag order against Donald Trump.

Chutkan is hearing the Jan. 6 case against Trump brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith and has decided to partially muzzle Trump with an order that is nonsensical and possibly unconstitutional.

It stipulates that Trump can still criticize the Biden administration and the Department of Justice and the “campaign platforms and policies” of his GOP rivals, including former Vice President Mike Pence. And Trump can continue to say he’s “innocent of the charges against him.”

Chutkan has forbidden Trump from statements targeting the special counsel, Jack Smith, who brought the charges against him, or “any reasonably foreseeable witness or the substance of their testimony.”

There’s no doubt that Trump’s commentary about the case has been lurid, at best. He shouldn’t call Jack Smith “deranged” or a “thug,” but this, alas, is how the former president expresses himself. And he has the right to comment on an inherently political case with massive political implications.

It’s not as though Trump is charged with a random personal offense. The alleged crimes have to do with his conduct after the 2020 election. Everything about the case is a matter of hot political dispute.

It is absurd to try to ban Trump from attacking the special counsel when he is the Justice Department’s instrument for bringing the charges. Besides, such prosecutors are always criticized by their targets. If, for some reason, attacks on Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr had been ruled out of bounds during the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky investigations, Bill Clinton’s defenders would have been rendered practically mute.

As for the potential witnesses, one of them is Mike Pence, who is running against Trump for president. It is mighty generous of Judge Chutkan to allow Trump to address Pence’s policy plans. The chief political dispute between the two candidates, though, has to do with Jan. 6 and their clashing interpretations of who was right on that day.
Pence discusses this on the campaign trail, and Trump should be able to offer his rival interpretation. Welcome to life in a free society.

Chutkan wants to shut up Trump about questions that will be absolutely central to the 2024 campaign if he’s the Republican nominee. Joe Biden will run, to a large extent, on Jan. 6, and Trump will run, to a large extent, on the justice system being manipulated against him by the likes of Jack Smith.

Chutkan may think she has no choice. But the decision to charge Trump in this case was discretionary; the decision to schedule the trial in the midst of a presidential election was discretionary; and her unwillingness to see the obvious flaws in her order is discretionary, too.

A federal judge shouldn’t be the one setting the rules of the road for a presidential election.

Rich Lowry is editor in chief of the National Review

25 Oct 2023

Tuesday’s high school scores and highlights

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TUESDAY’S ROUNDUP

FIELD HOCKEY

In Middlesex League action, Molly Driscoll finished with three goals as Watertown (16-0) blanked Stoneham, 5-0. … Ava Goodwin recorded a hat trick to lead Reading to a 4-0 victory over Arlington.

In South Coast Conference action, Karissa Albin and Emily Carr both finished with a hat trick while Tatum Swanson added three assists to lead Somerset Berkley (15-0-1) to a 10-1 win over Case. Megan Smith’s goal for Case was the 100th of her career.

Alivia Barnes finished off two goals, while Quinn Jordan and Sadie Clarkin each added a goal with an assist as Sandwich (15-0-1) beat Cohasset, 5-0, for the South Shore League title.

Avery Johnsen scored twice and Makenna Metcalf scored the eventual game-winner for Falmouth in a 3-2 nonleague win over Notre Dame Academy of Hingham. … Erin Cottam erupted for seven goals, powering Oliver Ames to an 8-0 win over Weymouth.

In the CMADA Tournament Class A quarterfinals, Julianna Casucci and Amelia Blood each tallied a pair of goals to lead Uxbridge over Shrewsbury, 6-1.

BOYS SOCCER

In a South Coast Conference matchup, Rowan Jensen recorded a hat trick to lead Apponequet (5-10-1) to a 3-0 victory over West Bridgewater.

Quinn Riley scored a goal and dished out two assists, helping Pembroke (12-1-1) defeat Quincy 3-0 in Patriot League play. … Will Matthews and Mike McNabb scored as Hingham topped Duxbury 2-1 to clinch the Keenan Division title.

In a Bay State league game, Brendan Walker and Ben Dionisio scored two goals apiece to lift Framingham (9-6-1) past Wellesley, 6-1.

Patrick Barros scored twice for Durfee as part of a 7-1 Southeast Conference win over Bridgewater-Raynham.

Timmy Holton found the net twice and provided an assist as Dedham defeated Norton 4-0 in the Tri-Valley League.

GIRLS SOCCER

Olivia Dunham scored a free kick in the second half, and Aly Fernandes tacked on the second goal for Mansfield in a 2-0 Hockomock League win over Stoughton. … Lucinda Li Cotter netted a goal and supplied an assist for Oliver Ames (12-3-0) in a 4-0 win over Sharon.

Jenna Lehane scored twice, and Ally Johnson secured her 11th shutout (a single season program record) in net for Blue Hills (15-0-2) in a 3-0 Mayflower Athletic Conference victory over Old Colony.

Allie Lanciani provided two assists to Ariana Demetri and Kiersten Higgins as North Reading earned a 2-0 away win against Newburyport in a Cape Ann League contest. … Lily Mark recorded a pair of assists while Savannah Gauron finished with a goal and an assist to lead Hamilton-Wenham (12-0-3) to a 3-1 win over Ipswich.

Claire Murray struck for four goals to power Hingham to a 4-1 Patriot League win over Duxbury.

Morgan Hayward (hat trick) and Emma Seaberg (goal) paced things offensively for Appponequet (15-1-2) in a 4-3 win over West Bridgewater.

Kiera Fitzpatrick recorded a goal and an assist while Bella Medeiros made eight saves to lift Methuen (6-8-3) to a 3-2 win over Chelmsford in Merrimack Valley action. … Lucy Irwin’s goal off a Sarah Tressler assist was the difference for Central Catholic (13-2-1), finishing conference play unbeaten with a 1-0 win over Andover.

Julia Hargraves and Kaitlyn Coutu each scored for Durfee (12-3-2), powering it to its first Southeast Conference title with a 2-1 win over Bridgewater-Raynham.

Ciara Morrissey buried a pair of goals, helping Lincoln-Sudbury (4-10-4) edge Westford Academy 4-3 in Dual COunty League action.

VOLLEYBALL

Victoria Soto Rivera floored 11 kills, and Bailey Trust had 12 assists as Beaver Country Day swept Chapel Hill Chauncy Hall 3-0 in a nonleague matchup. … Charlotte Sturgis finished with eight kills and a block for St. John Paul II in a 3-0 win over Upper Cape. … Alaina Strozik set a single-match program record with 53 assists, fueling Dartmouth in a 3-2 win over Duxbury.

Emily Garcia touched down 12 kills and Susannah Goodrich added 11 for Innovation Academy (16-3) in a 3-0 win over Mystic Valley in Commonwealth Athletic Conference play.

Sophomore Emma Chevalier dished 23 assists to surpass 500 on her career, setting up Amanda Hughes for a career-best 19 kills as Lynn Classical downed Greater Boston League foe Medford, 3-0.

BASKETBALL

Woburn named David White as its next coach, according to athletic director Jim Duran. White previously served as head coach at both Medford and KIPP.

 

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

East Bridgewater 15, Abington 50

Middleboro 25, Carver 30

Sandwich 20, Mashpee 41

Stoneham 25, Watertown 30

Winchester 27, Lexington 28

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

East Bridgewater 27, Abington 30

Lexington 15, Winchester 43

Sandwich 25, Mashpee 33

Stoneham 24, Watertown 32

FIELD HOCKEY

Bishop Fenwick 0, Malden Catholic 0

Danvers 1, Gloucester 0

Falmouth 3, NDA (H) 2

Masconomet 1, Swampscott 1

Newton North 3, Newton South 0

Oliver Ames 8, Weymouth 0

Reading 4, Arlington 0

Sandwich 5, Cohasset 0

Somerset Berkley 10, Case 1

Uxbridge 6, Shrewsbury 1

Watertown 5, Stoneham 0

Wilmington 1, Melrose 0

Winchester 4, Lexington 0

GOLF

Division 1 North sectionals

Teams: 1. North Andover (296), 2. Winchester (299), 3. St. John’s Prep (305), 4. BC High (307); 5. Brookline (325)

Individuals: 1. Cooper Mohr (North Andover), 68; 2 (tie). Charlie Fearing (BC High), Tripp Holliston (St. John Prep), Terry Manning (St. John’s Prep), 71; 5. John Scully (Winchester), 72.

Division 1 South sectionals

Teams: 1. Wellesley (299), 2. Hingham (307), 3. Needham (310); 4. (tie) Xaverian and Natick (312)

Division 1 Central sectionals

Teams: 1. St. John’s (303), 2. Westford Academy (306), 3. Concord-Carlisle (312), 4. Westboro (314), 5. Chelmsford (318)

Individuals: 1 (tie). Mike Boland (Walpole) and Parker Winn (Hopkinton) 71, 3(tie). C.J. Steel (Franklin) and Syed Noorwez (Shrewsbury) 72, 5. Ethan Sullivan (King Philip), 73

Division 1 West sectionals

Teams: 1. Longmeadow (325), 2 (tie). Wachusett and Minnechaug (331), 4. Belchertown (332), 5. Northampton (333)

Individuals: 1. Ryan Downes (Longmeadow), 75; Shawn Amari (North Middlesex), 76, 3 (tie). Max Caliri (North Middlesex) and Reilly Fowles (Northampton), 77; 5. Sam Merrigan (East Longmeadow), 78.

Division 2 North sectionals

Teams: 1. Marblehead (311), 2. Gloucester (312), 3. Reading (313), 4. Newburyport (320), 5. Milton (321)

Individuals: 1. Johnny Gillooly (Milton) 72, 2 (tie). Joseph Orlando (Gloucester) and Ty Southall (Georgetown) 73, 4 (tie). Patrick Maloney (Wakefield), Bobby Fish (Danvers), Jacob Hershfield (Marblehead) and Brandon Vitarsi (Reading) 75

Division 2 South sectionals

Teams: 1. Bishop Stang (306), 2. Duxbury (313), 3. Old Rochester (325), 4. Hanover (327)

Individuals: 1 (tie). Matthew Oliviera (Bishop Stang) and Owen Hamilton (Duxbury) 72, 3. Matt Costello (Bishop Stang) 74, 5 (tie). Zac Georgantas (Foxboro) and Jack Martin (Nauset) 77

Division 2 Central sectionals

Teams: 1. Dover-Sherborn (302), 2. Nashoba (303), 3 (tie) Blackstone Valley and Westwood (319), 5. Shawsheen (327)

Individuals: 1 (tie). Nolan Engelhart (Nashoba) and Charlie Potter (Dover-Sherborn) 73, 3 (tie) Troy Gregg (Nashoba), Oliver Harris (Marlboro) and Tim Hill (Dover-Sherborn) 74

Division 2 West sectionals

Teams: 1. Wahconah (312), 2. Pope Francis (334), 3. Tantasqua (349), 4. Mt. Greylock (353), 5. South Hadley (360)

Individuals: 1. Tim Kaley (Wahconah) 73, 2. Patrick McLaughlin (Wahconah) 76, 3. Colin Majowicz (St. Bernard’s) 77, 4. Daniel Simons (Leominster) 78, 5. Sam Piecynski (Tantasqua) 80

Division 3 North sectionals

Teams: 1. Weston (312), 2. Stoneham (328), 3. North Reading (329), 4. Lynnfield (330), 5. Hamilton-Wenham (334)

Individuals: 1. Zach Pelzar (Weston) 70, 2 (tie). Aidan Noonan (Hamilton-Wenham), Charlie Conway (Stoneham) and Isabel Brozena (North Reading) 77, 5 (tie). William Balz (Weston) and James Erickson (Watertown), 78

Division 3 South sectionals

Teams: 1. St. John Paul (325), 2 Bourne (332), 3 (tie). Sandwich, Nantucket and Cape Cod Academy (341)

Individuals: 1 (tie) Timmy Adams (St. John Paul) and Jack Carstensen (St. John Paul) 79, 3 (tie) Henry Kathawala (Nantucket and Nate McDonnell (Bourne) 80, 5 (tie) Luca Finton (Bourne), Matt Curley (St. John Paul), Ben Catalano (Cape Cod Academy), Tripp Germani (Cape Cod Academy) and Luke Greeley (Sandwich) 81

Division 3 Central sectionals

Teams: 1 (tie). Hopedale and Ayer (317), 3. East Bridgewater (333), 4. Bromfield (345), 5. Douglas (351)

Individuals: 1. Lucas Levasseur (Hopedale), 2. Sohil Patel (Ayer) 76, 3. Reid Ohanesian (Ayer) 77; 4. Cole Redder (East Bridgewater) 78, 5 (tie). C.J. Kiviehan (Hopedale) and Cam Caso (Uxbridge) 79

Division 3 West sectionals

Teams: 1. Monty Tech (319), 2. Hopkins (345), 3. FCTS (348), 4. Turners Falls (351), 5. Lenox (358)

Individuals: 1. Brett Cherubini (Monty Tech) 74, 2. Joey Mosca (Turners Falls) 76, 3. Joey Abderhalden (Lee) 77, 4. Brady Booska (FCTS) 78, 5. Max Shepardson (Lenox) 79

BOYS SOCCER

Andover 1, Central Catholic 1

Apponequet 3, West Bridgewater 0

Barnstable 4, St. John Paul II 3

Billerica 2, Tewksbury 1

Blackstone Valley 3, Millbury 2

BC High 2, Everett 0

Brookline 1, Newton North 1

Concord-Carlisle 3, Weston 0

Dedham 4, Norton 0

Diman 0, Westport 0

Dover-Sherborn 2, Medway 2

Durfee 7, Bridgewater-Raynham 1

Essex Tech 3, Triton 0

Excel 4, Snowden 0

Framingham 6, Wellesley 1

Hamilton-Wenham 0, Ipswich 0

Hingham 2, Duxbury 1

Lincoln-Sudbury 2, Westford 1

Lynnfield 5, Pentucket 0

Methuen 3, Lawrence 2

Natick 2, Walpole 0

Nauset 3, Dennis-Yarmouth 0

Needham 3, Braintree 0

Northeast 2, Lynn Tech 0

North Andover 1, St. John’s (S) 0

North Quincy 2, Plymouth South 1

North Reading 3, Newburyport 2

Pembroke 3, Quincy 0

Plymouth North 1, Marshfield 1

Southeastern 3, Holbrook 1

Westwood 2, Holliston 0

GIRLS SOCCER

Apponequet 4, West Bridgewater 3

Bellingham 1, Millis 0

Beverly 1, Peabody 0

Blue Hills 3, Old Colony 0

Brookline 2, Newton North 2

Central Catholic 1, Andover 0

Chelsea 4, O’Bryant 3

Concord-Carlisle 4, Weston 0

Dedham 1, Norton 0

Dover-Sherborn 4, Medway 0

Durfee 2, Bridgewater-Raynham 1

Essex Tech 0, Triton 0

Hamilton-Wenham 3, Ipswich 1

Hingham 4, Duxbury 1

Hopkinton 1, Medfield 1

KIPP 0, Lynn Tech 0

Latin Academy 0, East Boston 0

Lincoln-Sudbury 4, Westford 3

Lowell 4, Lawrence 0

Lynn Classical 3, Medford 0

Lynnfield 2, Pentucket 0

Mansfield 2, Stoughton 0

Martha’s Vineyard 2, Monomoy 2

Mashpee 5, Sturgis East 2

Methuen 3, Chelmsford 2

Methuen 3, Chelmsford 2

Nantucket 6, Falmouth Academy 0

Natick 4, Walpole 0

Nauset 8, Dennis-Yarmouth 0

North Reading 2, Newburyport 0

Oliver Ames 4, Sharon 0

Pembroke 6, Quincy 1

Tewksbury 2, Billerica 0

Wellesley 4, Framingham 1

Weymouth 3, Milton 0

Whitman-Hanson 2, Silver Lake 1

SWIMMING & DIVING

Newton North 93, Weymouth 83

Notre Dame (H) 98, Ursuline 86

Winchester 91, Arlington 77

VOLLEYBALL

Barnstable 3, Hopkinton 1

Bishop Feehan 3, Bishop Stang 0

Beaver Country Day 3, Chapel Hill Chauncey Hall 0

Boston Prep 3, Muniz 0

Brighton 3, Charlestown 0

Chelsea 3, Latin Academy 0

Danvers 3, Marblehead 0

Dartmouth 3, Duxbury 2

Dearborn 3, Boston International 2

East Bridgewater 3, Sandwich 0

Innovation 3, Mystic Valley 0

Lynn Classical 3, Medford 0

Malden 3, Saugus 0

Malden Catholic 3, Dedham 1

Mashpee 3, Carver 0

Milton 3, Weymouth 0

Natick 3, Walpole 0

Needham 3, Braintree 0

New Mission 3, Cathedral 0

Newton North 3, Brookline 1

Norfolk Aggie 3, West Bridgewater 1

St. John Paul II 3, Upper Cape 0

St. Mary’s 3, Archbishop Williams 2

Snowden 3, CASH 1

25 Oct 2023

Dear Abby: Confused by doc’s exam-less physical

by | posted in: Politics | 0

Dear Abby: I am a man in my 50s. A few months ago, I had a routine doctor’s appointment, with a new primary care physician. I intended the appointment to be a complete, regular physical. I don’t (thankfully) have any major physical health issues that I know of. But I was always taught it is wise to have periodic physical exams, in case there is a less obvious medical issue, as well as get to know one’s doctor.

I went for the physical exam. I was not asked to undress as I have been with all my previous doctors. The doctor seemed nice, but I found it strange that I wasn’t examined physically. I find it hard to understand how a doctor could properly examine me without me undressing. The doctor should be used to seeing bodies, and I cannot understand why the doctor or staff were reluctant to ask me to undress.

I found this all very confusing. Perhaps there was some miscommunication? I don’t know if this is unusual, temporary or a new normal that I haven’t heard about. Next time, should I be more clear about wanting to be examined thoroughly, or should I change doctors? — Covered Up in Virginia

Dear Covered Up: Contact the doctor, explain that in the past you have always had a complete physical which involved you disrobing and ask why it didn’t happen during your last visit. If the answer you receive is unsatisfactory, change doctors.

Dear Abby: My husband and I have been married nine years. We are active in our church. I am very involved with our women’s ministry, but my husband has an issue with our leader, “Nedra.” Nedra has bad-mouthed my husband to my face. I went to my pastor with the issue, and I am, basically, waiting on God to fix it.

Our WM team meets multiple times a week, which means I leave my husband home alone for dinner on those nights. (I always make sure he has dinner when I’m not home.) Our meetings can go on for an hour and a half to two hours, and my husband is always upset when I get home from them.

I don’t know what to do. He’s not upset that I’m going to the meetings; he’s upset at how long they last. Nedra doesn’t like him, and he doesn’t like her, especially since he knows what she said about him. I feel stuck in the middle. What do I do? — Lady of Faith in Texas

Dear Lady: If these meetings occur more than twice a week, your husband may have a point. Whether he and Nedra like each other is beside the point, unless what he resents is that you are with that “witch.” He may feel it encroaches on time you should be spending together. It’s time you and your husband have a calm discussion about the frequency and length of those meetings so an acceptable compromise can be reached. Start now.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com