A big dam vote

Also: Mass. businesses brace for ban on noncompetes; photography exhibit ignites tensions in Newton [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 21, 2024 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 84. Good Morning Boston, My condolences to any readers who were hoping to wait it out until Memorial Day to switch on the air conditioner. It's about to get hot. We'll see highs in the mid-to-high 80s today through Thursday. Some Massachusetts communities might even hit 90. Meteorologist Danielle Noyes has [more here on the heat moving in]( — as well as an early look at Memorial Day weekend's weather. Now, to the news: - Not another dam pun: Ipswich residents are voting today on whether to remove the North Shore town's historic Ipswich Mills Dam. [As WBUR's Katie Cole reports]( the debate has pitted those who want to preserve the dam's history against those who say it's obsolete. - "Free the river": Most dams in New England no longer serve their original purpose, and now actually have negative environmental effects. They pose flooding risks and make it harder for fish to migrate. Plus, supporters of removing the Ipswich dam say the proposal would restore rare freshwater tidal wetlands. - "Save the dam": Fans of the centuries-old dam say it acts as a reminder of Ipswich's industrial roots, while giving residents a place to skate and paddle in its mill pond. They're pushing for (costly) removal alternatives, like a better fish ladder. - The big picture: Massachusetts has [more than 3,000 dams]( and removing them has become a [big part of the state's climate change resiliency plan]( primarily to prevent floods. - What's next: Today's vote is non-binding, but serves as a temperature check on local opinion for the Ipswich Select Board, which has final say on whether or not to remove the dam. - Heads up: President Biden is [coming to Boston this afternoon]( following a speech in Nashua. While it appears he's taking [the chopper]( down from New Hampshire, there could still be some traffic disruptions during the afternoon commute as the president's motorcade moves from Logan (where he'll land) to a campaign event in the city. - What to expect: Boston police say [various streets]( will be closed around Logan Airport, Back Bay and the Seaport District between noon and 8 p.m. Drivers should be ready for potential delays. Pro-Palestinian activists are also planning a protest outside of South Station around 3:30 p.m. - In related news: The first edition of our new weekly Mass. Politics newsletter launched yesterday, with [a helpful calendar of key Election 2024 dates and deadlines]( to keep in mind. [Sign up here to get the newsletter]( in your inbox every Monday at noon. - Across town: The head of GBH News is [stepping down](. After four years, general manager Pam Johnston will leave Boston's other public radio station at the end of the month. While GBH says Johnston oversaw a digital expansion that boosted its audience, her departure also follows an investigation into newsroom culture last fall. (The Boston Globe [reported]( the probe found no evidence of bullying, but Johnston did apologize and commit to improving the culture.) - Like many other news organizations ([including WBUR]( GBH faces financial challenges and has warned of potential layoffs. - Goodbye, fishbowls and sticky floors: Local sports bar chain Tavern in the Square has permanently closed its popular Allston location after over 12 years. The restaurant group, which [announced the news yesterday on Instagram]( did not give a specific reason for the closure. The spot has been a longtime favorite of local college kids and 20-somethings in the neighborhood. - Zoom out: Tavern in the Square has been in expansion mode in the New England suburbs, with plans to [open at least three more locations]( in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. (As of now, they have 14 locations.) - Preserving history: Danvers residents voted last night to force the private owner of the [Ingersoll Tavern]( to make repairs to the historic building. The 350-year-old building played a role in both the Salem Witch Trials and American Revolution, but has [fallen into disrepair since being purchased by its current owner in 2011](. - Danvers Town Meeting passed the bylaw — which prohibits the "demolition by neglect" of homes on the National Register of Historic Places — by a resounding 130-0 vote. P.S.— The Celtics [begin the Eastern Conference Finals series against the upstart Indiana Pacers]( tonight at TD Garden with a trip to the NBA Finals — and revenge for [that in-season tournament loss]( — on the line. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. (If you're going to the game, heads up that MassDOT is closing the southbound I-93 tunnel overnight at 11 p.m.) Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  The Rundown ['Prepare for all scenarios': Mass. businesses brace for federal ban on noncompetes]( Noncompetes are used in a variety of industries but especially in the tech and biotech sectors — which boast more than 500,000 workers in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( ['Prepare for all scenarios': Mass. businesses brace for federal ban on noncompetes]( Noncompetes are used in a variety of industries but especially in the tech and biotech sectors — which boast more than 500,000 workers in Massachusetts. [Read more.]( [A photography exhibit about the West Bank ignites tensions in Newton]( Protestors effectively shut down a reception for the exhibit, sparking questions about free speech and the role of public libraries in civic discourse. [Read more.]( [A photography exhibit about the West Bank ignites tensions in Newton]( Protestors effectively shut down a reception for the exhibit, sparking questions about free speech and the role of public libraries in civic discourse. [Read more.]( [Prosecutors rest their case against Trump in the hush money case. Now it's his turn]( Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen finished testifying in the New York case on Monday. The duration of Trump's own defense is not known, though they have already begun calling witnesses. [Read more.]( [Prosecutors rest their case against Trump in the hush money case. Now it's his turn]( Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen finished testifying in the New York case on Monday. The duration of Trump's own defense is not known, though they have already begun calling witnesses. [Read more.]( [Fewer school counselors, unmanageable student case loads in Mass.]( An ongoing shortage of public educators in the U.S. includes a need for K-12 school counselors in western Massachusetts. Some other districts are eliminating school counselor jobs altogether or leaving them unfilled, as school budgets are alarmingly tight with an increase in a variety of expenses, including transportation. [Read more.]( [Fewer school counselors, unmanageable student case loads in Mass.]( An ongoing shortage of public educators in the U.S. includes a need for K-12 school counselors in western Massachusetts. Some other districts are eliminating school counselor jobs altogether or leaving them unfilled, as school budgets are alarmingly tight with an increase in a variety of expenses, including transportation. [Read more.]( [Lynch on Steward Health Care: 'From an investigatory standpoint, bankruptcy is a good thing']( Rep. Stephen Lynch joined Radio Boston to talk about breaking news in the Middle East, the criminal hush money trial of former President Trump and the bankruptcy of Steward Health. [Read more.]( [Lynch on Steward Health Care: 'From an investigatory standpoint, bankruptcy is a good thing']( Rep. Stephen Lynch joined Radio Boston to talk about breaking news in the Middle East, the criminal hush money trial of former President Trump and the bankruptcy of Steward Health. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - After five vacant years, the concertmaster position at the Boston Symphony Orchestra has finally been filled. The Los Angeles Philharmonic's Nathan Cole will start the job this summer. [WBUR's Andrea Shea has more here]( on Cole and what makes the BSO concertmaster position such a prestigious role. - Red Lobster — America's largest seafood chain — has filed for bankruptcy, after a series of bad choices by a parade of executives. [Read more about the brand crisis and all-you-can-eat shrimp fiasco]( that led to the chain's perilous financial situation. - Massachusetts native Mike Sullivan has been [selected to coach the U.S. men's hockey team in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan](. (The Pittsburg Penguins coach was supposed to lead the team in the 2022 games, before the NHL withdrew its players due to scheduling issues.) - Cambridge author Claire Messud's new novel “This Strange Eventful History” spans 70 years and is based on real-life events in her family — including how, over three generations, they shed their French Catholic identity for the more diffuse one of Protestant American. Book critic Carol Iaciofano Aucoin [reviews the novel here](. What We're Reading 📚 - Pine tree or state seal? Maine voters will decide on state flag design this fall ([Maine Public]( - Why Is N.Y.U. Forcing Protesters to Write Apology Letters? ([The New York Times]( - ‘A Truer Reality Beyond Reality’: Hannah Arendt’s Warning About How Totalitarianism Takes Root ([Politico](  Tell Me Something Good [Here & Now | A non-verbal boy said 'Wow' at Boston Symphony Hall. Now, he’s the star of a kid's book]( Because the concert was recorded for broadcast on WCRB radio, the ‘wow’ went viral. Poet and author Todd Boss was among those who heard it, and he wrote a children’s book inspired by the event. [Read more.]( [Here & Now | A non-verbal boy said 'Wow' at Boston Symphony Hall. Now, he’s the star of a kid's book]( Because the concert was recorded for broadcast on WCRB radio, the ‘wow’ went viral. Poet and author Todd Boss was among those who heard it, and he wrote a children’s book inspired by the event. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [discusses the lingering questions]( around the tactics local colleges used to disperse pro-Palestinian encampments. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: No one ever mentions [the cranberry bog spiders](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.