A tale of two museums

Also: Beacon Hill showing little appetite for rent control; does your town have an election today? [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 2, 2023 ☁️ Scattered showers with a high of 59. Good Morning Boston, It's voting day for several hundred thousand Massachusetts residents. Over a dozen towns are holding their annual springtime elections. But it's not all select boards and sewer committees. Thanks to our state's [love of special elections]( Boston-area voters will pick two new members of the State House today, and several towns have impactful measures on the ballot. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Here's a look into what's being voted on: - In the South End: There may be two names on the ballot, but it's a one-man race for Veterans’ Services Secretary Jon Santiago's old [9th Suffolk district]( House seat. John Moran, a Biogen employee and housing advocate, is [the only candidate still running,]( after his sole opponent in the Democratic primary dropped out (and [endorsed him](. - Moran is also a virtual lock to win the May 30 general special election, since no Republicans qualified for the ballot. - In West Roxbury (and parts of Roslindale, Jamaica Plain and Brookline): Three Democrats are running in the [10th Suffolk district]( primary, after former Rep. Ed Coppinger resigned to take a biotech lobbying gig. Your contenders: Bill MacGregor of West Roxbury, Robert Orthman of Roslindale and Celia Segel of Jamaica Plain. - It's a similar story here: No GOP candidate means whoever wins today can start planning their commute to the State House. - Go deeper: The Boston Globe's editorial board [endorsed Orthman]( but had complimentary things to say about the other two candidates. (Orthman and Segel have more left-leaning positions than MacGreger, who got Coppinger's endorsement.) - In Brookline: Brooklinites have no shortage of names on the ballot today thanks to their 255-member Town Meeting, about a third of which is up for re-election. As StreetsBlog reports, it's become [a battle over housing issues]( that will shape Brookline's approach to development. There are several ballot questions, too: - Three of the questions propose [increases to the town's property taxes](. Why? Brookline officials say the school district is facing a $3 million budget hole and needs help funding [a big elementary school renovation](. The town is also hoping to start a municipal compost collection program, among other infrastructure projects. (Residents can calculate the impact of the proposed tax hike [here]( - Another question proposes capping the number of marijuana dispensaries in Brookline at four. The town already [has three and a fourth is in the pipeline](. [Supporters]( say that's enough, though [others have pushed for more]( since none of the town's four licenses have been given to equity applicants. (The current cap is five.) - In Amherst: The city is also asking its residents to approve [a hike on their property tax for a new "21st century" elementary school](. Locals can estimate the impact of the increase [here]( which Amherst officials say would be $451 per year for the average single-family household. - In Danvers: Voters will decide if the North Shore town will join [the state's Community Preservation Act program]( effectively raising property taxes by 1% to fund local parks and affordable housing. - In Shirley: The town will decide on a similar CPA ballot measure. - In Westford: Voters will decide on a property tax hike and whether Columbus Day should be replaced by Indigenous Peoples Day. Now, stepping away from the ballot box: - Cambridge officials are formally launching their expanded income basic program, which will give low-income families with children monthly $500 payments for at least 18 months — no strings attached. - WBUR's Zeninjor Enwemeka [reports the $22 million program]( is the first basic income initiative in the country that won't use a lottery system. Rather, all eligible households — an estimated total of 2,000 — will be allowed to sign up. - Save the date: Applications for the program open on June 1. - The MBTA is investigating another incident of debris falling from above at Harvard Station — this time hitting a rider. Officials say a woman was taken to the hospital yesterday afternoon with minor injuries after she was hit by a supporting bracket from [a dislodged utility box that slid down a column]( on the southbound platform. - The incident comes less than two months after a 20-pound ceiling panel [fell and almost hit a woman]( on the exact same platform. P.S.— Remember, tonight is the first of [two complete closures of the northbound side of the I-93 Tip O’Neill Tunnel]( [through Boston]( from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night. So, best to avoid the area if you're on the roads super late (or super early). Speaking from past experience, the detour is no fun. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [How two museums are resetting for a post-pandemic world]( The New Bedford Whaling Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston have been facing similar, yet different dilemmas as they create new models for survival. [Read more.]( [How two museums are resetting for a post-pandemic world]( The New Bedford Whaling Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston have been facing similar, yet different dilemmas as they create new models for survival. [Read more.]( [Writers Guild of America goes on strike]( Members of the Writers Guild of America are asking for a larger piece of the streaming platforms' pie. The WGA said picketing would begin Tuesday afternoon. [Read more.]( [Writers Guild of America goes on strike]( Members of the Writers Guild of America are asking for a larger piece of the streaming platforms' pie. The WGA said picketing would begin Tuesday afternoon. [Read more.]( [Little appetite for rent control on Beacon Hill]( To say the bill lacks momentum is an understatement. It’s been given a number, and has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Housing. But so far, no other lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors. Many are reluctant to even talk about it. [Read more.]( [Little appetite for rent control on Beacon Hill]( To say the bill lacks momentum is an understatement. It’s been given a number, and has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Housing. But so far, no other lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors. Many are reluctant to even talk about it. [Read more.]( [White man convicted of racially motived murder in Belmont road rage case]( A Middlesex Superior Court jury on Monday convicted Dean Kapsalis of second-degree murder and a violation of constitutional rights. [Read more.]( [White man convicted of racially motived murder in Belmont road rage case]( A Middlesex Superior Court jury on Monday convicted Dean Kapsalis of second-degree murder and a violation of constitutional rights. [Read more.]( [Former Hopkinton deputy police chief indicted on child rape charges]( Former Hopkinton Deputy Chief of Police, John “Jay” Porter, 54, is being charged with the rape of a child that occurred when he was a school resource officer nearly 20 years ago, the Middlesex County District Attorney's office announced Monday. [Read more.]( [Former Hopkinton deputy police chief indicted on child rape charges]( Former Hopkinton Deputy Chief of Police, John “Jay” Porter, 54, is being charged with the rape of a child that occurred when he was a school resource officer nearly 20 years ago, the Middlesex County District Attorney's office announced Monday. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Arlington singer-songwriter Vance Gilbert's new song "Simple Things" captures a wry, stream-of-consciousness flow — bridging both the serious and the funny sides of folk with jazz, R&B and pop," writes WBUR's Noah Schaffer. Listen to [the exclusive song premiere here](. - Canadian author Janika Oza’s debut novel “A History of Burning” [tells a transcontinental story of colonialism, family and memory]( — drawing inspiration from her family's 1972 expulsion from Uganda and her own experience getting uprooted from Boston. - The first Monday night in May means the Met Gala in New York City. NPR has [an exhaustive slide show of all the best looks]( from a very sparkly Lil Nas X to a Tom Brady-less Gisele Bündchen.  What We're Reading 📚 - He Lost His Legs in the War in Ukraine, but Not His Will to Run ([The New York Times]( - Northampton councilors defend $20K for Ninja Turtle manhole covers ([Daily Hampshire Gazette]( - The Internet Isn’t Meant To Be So Small ([Defector](  Tell Me Something Good [We asked, you answered: What's your secret to staying optimistic in gloomy times?]( From watching the sun rise — yeah, it's a cliche but it works! — to dancing to techno music to doing good for others to just plain smiling, readers share what gives them optimism in times of trouble. [Read more.]( [We asked, you answered: What's your secret to staying optimistic in gloomy times?]( From watching the sun rise — yeah, it's a cliche but it works! — to dancing to techno music to doing good for others to just plain smiling, readers share what gives them optimism in times of trouble. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [breaks down how Dorchester's Upham's Corner reduced poverty without displacing residents]( and how the neighborhood can be used as a model for other communities. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Um, thanks for [clearing that up](. 😎 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. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.