Boston outdoor dining begins (sort of)

Also: Mass. mental health hotline got 6,000 calls first 3 months; can Boston theaters survive what's next? [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 1, 2023 ⛅ Cloudy but clearing this afternoon, with a high near 65. Good Morning Boston, The April showers may be sticking around a little this week, but it looks like we have [a lot of seasonable spring weather]( ahead, [including today](. And it's good timing... - Today marks the official beginning of Boston's alfresco dining season, under the city's new [permanent outdoor dining rules](. The post-pandemic program lets restaurants apply to set up patios in public spaces like sidewalks and parking spaces, if they pay a monthly fee ($399 if they have a liquor license; $199 if they don’t). - Don't expect to see the patio scene in full bloom just yet. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's office said they expect to have just over 40 establishments approved for outdoor dining by today, but that doesn't mean all will be immediately up and running. - That's far less than the 300+ restaurants that participated in last year's mostly free program, but Wu's office says more should be approved soon. According to a spokesperson, there's been "a large influx of restaurants applying in the last couple weeks," and the city is working to process those applications ASAP. - One big difference with this year's program is that the North End is not included. That doesn't mean there won't be any outdoor dining in the North End, but patios will be limited to restaurants' private property or sidewalks wide enough for both tables and foot traffic. (In other words, say goodbye to the parking spot patios on Hanover Street.) - Why the crackdown on the North End? Wu's office points to the neighborhood's unique density, which led to issues with traffic and trash the last few years (not to mention [a whole big controversy]( over a special mitigation fee). There's also the [two-month Sumner Tunnel closure]( which city officials say will put extra strain on North End traffic this summer. - A glimmer of hope: There's a chance the North End could be re-included in the outdoor dining program in future years. The city is [putting together a task force]( to figure out how it would work. - One place you'll be sure to see outdoor dining today: Canal Street by the TD Garden. That's because tonight is Game 1 of the Celtics' second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the city is [closing the street during home games](. - Blue Line riders, don't stay out too late this week — unless you want to take the bus home. The entire line is shutting down again at 8 p.m. each night through Thursday, due to [track work to lift speed restrictions on the line](. Shuttles will make stops between Government Center and Wonderland through the end of the night. (It's something to keep in mind if you're going to any Celtics-76ers games this week.) - Zoom out: There's some MBTA service disruption every single day this month, with the exception of Memorial Day. If you take the T, make sure to bookmark [our day-by-day (-by-day-by-day) guide to all the weeknight and weekend line closures](. - Evening commuters will also face disruption on the roads this week: today marks the beginning of [three months of weeknight southbound lane closures]( on the Tobin Bridge, running 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. each night. Officials say two lanes of traffic will remain open during the work. - If you're out real late: the northbound side of the I-93 tunnel through Boston will be [fully closed from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday]( night due to maintenance. - Boston is resuming its efforts to get people off the streets in [the so-called Mass. and Cass area](. After allowing people experiencing homelessness to stay in the area during the winter, Wu's office says it's resuming tent removal today. - Officials say they're asking people to leave voluntarily and offering alternative housing and substance abuse treatment options. - Out west: Gov. Maura Healey's new "Western Mass." office opens today in Springfield, offering residents in the region a direct line to the governor's Beacon Hill office. - Who's in charge: Healey announced last week that Kristen Elechko, a Northampton resident and former aide to Sen. Ed Markey, will be the new office's director. - Get in touch: Constituents can visit the new office in Springfield in person (the address is State Office Building, 436 Dwight St., Suite 300) or call 413-784-1200. P.S.— No, we're not ready to talk about [what happened to the Bruins]( last night. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Boston theaters survived COVID. Can they survive what's next?]( It has been three years since the pandemic brought live theater to a halt. In Greater Boston, theater companies large and small are charting a new path forward. [Read more.]( [Boston theaters survived COVID. Can they survive what's next?]( It has been three years since the pandemic brought live theater to a halt. In Greater Boston, theater companies large and small are charting a new path forward. [Read more.]( [Mass. set up a mental health hotline. 6,000 people called in the first 3 months]( Under an ambitious effort to improve behavioral health care, Massachusetts has set up a new helpline to connect residents with services 24 hours a day — for free. [Read more.]( [Mass. set up a mental health hotline. 6,000 people called in the first 3 months]( Under an ambitious effort to improve behavioral health care, Massachusetts has set up a new helpline to connect residents with services 24 hours a day — for free. [Read more.]( [Failed bank First Republic is bought by JPMorgan Chase]( JPMorgan Chase is buying the troubled First Republic Bank's deposits, a "substantial amount of their assets and certain liabilities," JPMorgan Chase said in a press release Monday. 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[Read more.]( [NASA is keeping Voyager 2 going until at least 2026 by tapping into backup power]( Engineers have bought the spacecraft's interstellar mission more time by using backup power from a safety mechanism. It means NASA no longer has to shut down one of its five scientific instruments. [Read more.]( [NASA is keeping Voyager 2 going until at least 2026 by tapping into backup power]( Engineers have bought the spacecraft's interstellar mission more time by using backup power from a safety mechanism. It means NASA no longer has to shut down one of its five scientific instruments. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Harold Kushner, a Natick rabbi and author best known for the book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People," [died Friday at the age of 88]( Canton, Massachusetts. His words and written works helped provide solace to millions of people regarding life's most difficult questions. - Listen to [Kushner's 2010 interview]( with NPR's Renee Montagne. - After weeks of uncertainty, a drag show in the small Massachusetts town of North Brookfield [will go on as originally planned next month](. The ACLU threatened to sue over the town's move to pull permission for the event, and is now telling other communities to "take note." - ICYMI: President Joe Biden had jokes for everyone during the annual White House Correspondents' dinner on Saturday, from Fox News and Don Lemon, to his own age and NPR. Here are [the highlights](. - Margaret Morganroth Gullette [writes in this commentary]( that nursing facilities are a multi-billion-dollar industry that can be inefficient, cruel and lethal. "In many facilities, understaffing, underpaying and overworking employees — and thus, out of necessity abusing residents — are part of the standard business model," Gullette writes.  What We're Reading 📚 - Homeless in the City Where He Was Once Mayor ([The New York Times]( - The Battle Over Refrigerating Butter: ‘Enough Is Enough’ ([The Wall Street Journal]( - The Climate Crisis Gives Sailing Ships a Second Wind ([The New Yorker](  Tell Me Something Good [A beloved Cambridge bar was transformed into a tiny pub on wheels — and you can rent it (The Boston Globe)]( Regulars at the Druid in Inman Square know it can be hard to get a seat there on weekends. But what if you could rent the place out? The Wandering Druid, a tiny version of the pub on wheels, can seat 14 people and has all the charm of the original. [Read more.]( [A beloved Cambridge bar was transformed into a tiny pub on wheels — and you can rent it (The Boston Globe)]( Regulars at the Druid in Inman Square know it can be hard to get a seat there on weekends. But what if you could rent the place out? The Wandering Druid, a tiny version of the pub on wheels, can seat 14 people and has all the charm of the original. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common takes account of [the MBTA's pension problem — and what it means for the agency's financial future](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Oh, so that's what is [at the end of the rainbow](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   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. 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