Boston's $2 million brainstorm

Also: The staffers behind every school's fresh start; 5 things to do this weekend Also: The staffers behind every school's fresh start; 5 things to do this weekend [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](  August 15, 2024 ⛅ Partly sunny, with a high near 83 and possible afternoon showers. Good Morning Boston, The 114th Fisherman's Feast [kicks off in the North End tonight]( (with a chance to judge the neighborhood's best meatballs on Saturday). But first, the news: - Bostonians, want to decide on how the city spends a slice of your taxpayer money? Tonight is the deadline to send in ideas for Boston's first-ever citywide participatory budgeting process, which lets residents submit and then directly vote on project ideas. Eliza Parad, the coordinator for the Better Budget Alliance, says it's a way to get more people civically engaged. "Residents are experts in their neighborhoods and their needs, and have a lot of ideas for how to improve the city," she told WBUR's Amy Sokolow. ([Somerville]( and [Cambridge]( have similar participatory budget programs.) - What's new? Boston's [youth-led participatory budgeting program]( has been running since 2014. But it's the first year the process is open to residents of all ages (thanks to [a 2021 citywide ballot measure](. The program's budget has also been doubled to $2 million. - What can I propose? There's a wide range of possibilities. Other cities' participatory budgets have included everything from [rental assistance for people facing eviction]( to [self-defense classes for Muslim women]( to [laptops for high school classes]( to [public art]( and [small infrastructure projects](. "This stage is really about dreaming, and submitting all the ideas possible," Parad said. - See for yourself: Submit ideas — and explore a map of what others have proposed — [right here on the city's website](. The final deadline is midnight. - What's next: The city will hold a series of forums this fall to narrow down the ideas. Then, there'll be a final vote in January to decide the five winning proposals. (You have to be at least 11 years old to vote, but anyone can submit an idea before today's deadline; Pavel said her 7-year-old daughter even submitted one.) - One vote short: Mayor Michelle Wu's plan to require large new buildings in Boston to decrease their reliance on fossil fuels was unexpectedly rejected by the city's zoning commission last night. The Boston Globe [reports]( the zoning plan needed the approval of seven of the 10 commissioners — but it only got six. - The city has been pursuing this zoning change only because they [weren't accepted into a state pilot program]( that lets cities and towns ban gas and oil hookups in new buildings. Wu's office told the Globe they plan to submit a revised plan to the zoning commission. - FYI: The hazy skies from wildfires in Canada this week may evoke [memories of last summer]( but there's a key difference: Experts say it shouldn't have major impacts on air quality. National Weather Service forecaster Bryce Williams said that's because the bulk of the smoke remains high in the sky. "We are not expecting a repeat of what we had a couple of summers ago," he told WBUR's Paul Connearney. - What we do expect: Williams says we'll likely continue to see the haze on the horizon today and maybe even tomorrow. - Receipts: Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's fundraiser at the Newbury Boston Hotel last night raised more than $1.2 million. WBUR's Zeninjor Enwemeka reports about 50 people attended the Back Bay event, including Wu, Gov. Maura Healey and Sen. Ed Markey. - Save the date: The MBTA will allow eligible riders to sign up for their new low-income fare program beginning Sept. 4. Individuals will be able to [apply online]( or at five local in-person locations. - The new program — [approved this spring]( — expands half-off bus and train fares to all riders with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level, or rather, individuals making up to $30,120 a year. (The T [already offers reduced fares]( to students, low-income young adults and seniors.) - Brake for whales: The T is also [warning]( ferry passengers that their commutes might be slower today, due to a young humpback whale hanging out in Boston Harbor. (It's likely the same whale that's been [putting on a show]( and [breaching nearby boats]( since last month.) - Want to see it? It's probably best to do so from the shore. Linnea Mayfield, a naturalist with Boston Harbor City Cruises, told WBUR they're discouraging people from jumping on a boat to get a close-up look: "We don't want to be adding to the number of vessels that are crowding this animal." P.S.— Want another way to quench your maritime curiosity? [Take our new Massachusetts shark quiz]( while listening to this week's episode of The Common (and see if you can do better than my two-for-seven score). Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [School maintenance takes no summer break: The staffers behind every fresh start]( For some school services staff, summer break is their busy season. Here's how they're preparing schools for the new year. [Read more.]( [School maintenance takes no summer break: The staffers behind every fresh start]( For some school services staff, summer break is their busy season. Here's how they're preparing schools for the new year. [Read more.]( [Steward Health Care delays hospital sales hearing again]( Steward Health Care has once again pushed back a hearing on the sales of its Massachusetts hospitals, company announced in a bankruptcy court filing late Wednesday night. Dallas-based Steward has said that it has bids for five hospitals in Massachusetts but has not yet revealed the details. [Read more.]( [Steward Health Care delays hospital sales hearing again]( Steward Health Care has once again pushed back a hearing on the sales of its Massachusetts hospitals, company announced in a bankruptcy court filing late Wednesday night. Dallas-based Steward has said that it has bids for five hospitals in Massachusetts but has not yet revealed the details. [Read more.]( [Medicare negotiated drug prices for the first time. Here’s what it got]( The White House is set to announce how much it was able to save on Medicare drug prices. It's the first time the federal program has negotiated lower prices with the pharmaceutical industry. [Read more.]( [Medicare negotiated drug prices for the first time. Here’s what it got]( The White House is set to announce how much it was able to save on Medicare drug prices. It's the first time the federal program has negotiated lower prices with the pharmaceutical industry. [Read more.]( [A new Israel-Hamas cease-fire talk starts this week. Is anything different this time?]( On Thursday, U.S. and Arab mediators will launch new talks to attempt a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. But hopes for tensions to be diffused are not high. [Read more.]( [A new Israel-Hamas cease-fire talk starts this week. Is anything different this time?]( On Thursday, U.S. and Arab mediators will launch new talks to attempt a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. But hopes for tensions to be diffused are not high. [Read more.]( [Lobster fishermen say change in legal sizes meant to protect species could disrupt industry]( Fishing regulators are instituting a new rule that lobster fishermen must abide by stricter minimum sizes for the crustaceans they harvest. The change will make a huge difference when the fishery is facing major threats, according to fishermen. But regulators the change is necessary to preserve the future of the lobster population off New England. [Read more.]( [Lobster fishermen say change in legal sizes meant to protect species could disrupt industry]( Fishing regulators are instituting a new rule that lobster fishermen must abide by stricter minimum sizes for the crustaceans they harvest. The change will make a huge difference when the fishery is facing major threats, according to fishermen. But regulators the change is necessary to preserve the future of the lobster population off New England. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Have you heard of the Whalemobile? The life-size whale model — that, yes, kids can climb into — will be at the Peabody Essex Museum this Saturday as part of a special ocean ecosystem exhibit. Check out the rest of [our arts and culture team's weekend recs here](. - Matthew Judon and his iconic red sleeves are leaving New England. The Patriots [have traded the star edge rusher]( — who was seeking a new contract — to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round draft pick. - Movie critic Sean Burns [writes that "Good One" — the debut feature film from writer-director India Donaldson]( — is a "sympathetic, sadly understanding movie about the inevitable disappointments of adulthood." It opens this Friday at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. What We're Reading 📚 - Blue crab invasion upends Italy’s culinary traditions and ecology ([Washington Post]( - Little known Massachusetts sales tax loophole discovered by consumer ([WCVB]( - The heiress at Harvard who helped revolutionize murder investigations — and the case she couldn’t forget ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [Found family and a celebration of queer identity in 'Portraits From Boston, With Love']( An exhibition of works by queer artists highlights the beauty of their chosen families, self-discovery and love. The show runs through Sept. 8 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. [Read more.]( [Found family and a celebration of queer identity in 'Portraits From Boston, With Love']( An exhibition of works by queer artists highlights the beauty of their chosen families, self-discovery and love. The show runs through Sept. 8 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Please don't confuse the Cape Cod peacock on the loose]( with the other free-roaming Cape Cod peacock. 😎 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.](  [Donate](  # # 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](. Trustees of Boston University on behalf of WBUR, 890 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA, 02215, US Copyright 2024 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.