The Sumner is open. Now what?

Also: A very merry Allston Christmas; indigenous group plans to buy back land in Mass. [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  September 1, 2023 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 74 Good Morning Boston, [Merry Allston Christmas!]( Good luck to everyone moving into a new place today and congrats to all those who didn't drive their moving trucks onto Storrow Drive. ([So far, so good!]( Having [narrowly avoided the Great Boston Milk Disaster of 2023]( let's get to the news: - The Sumner Tunnel is open again! It even opened [a few hours earlier than expected]( this morning. It's welcome news for East Boston residents and people driving back from Logan Airport — but a little bit of a bummer for local transit users. With the end of the two-month closure also comes the end of [a bevy of public transit perks]( that officials used to entice commuters to "ditch the drive." That means... - ...the Blue Line is no longer free; you'll have to pay your full fare again. - ...the [East Boston ferry]( also costs money again — specifically $2.40 each way. Additionally, the price to take the Lynn and Winthrop ferries are now [$7]( and [$6.50]( each way, respectively. (They were just $2.40 during the tunnel closure). - ... the bus routes that were free during the closure — the 111, 112, 114, 116, 117, and SL3 — will resume fare collection, too - ...discounted fares on the commuter rail's Newburyport/Rockport are over; you'll have to pay the full zone-based fare. Plus, [as we reported earlier this week]( you'll no longer be able to flash your CharlieCard to take the commuter rail around Boston. - ... no more free or discounted parking along the Blue Line and Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail stations. - What about the Sumner itself? Officials told reporters the drive inside the two-lane tunnels should feel a bit "roomier" due to new archways put in during the closure. But there's still more work to do — starting with another closure on the weekend of Sept 15. - Tune in: Massachusetts Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver was just on Morning Edition to talk about the reopening and what drivers should expect next. [Listen here](. - PSA: Hey new residents, make sure you're [registered to vote]( Tomorrow is the state's deadline to register ahead of Sept. 12 municipal preliminary elections in Boston and other cities around Massachusetts. (Yes, we're looking at you, Springfield, and your [crowded mayoral primary]( Not sure if you’re registered? It's easy to check! Just [enter your name, birthday and zip code here](. - Early voting in Boston also begins tomorrow and continues through next Friday, Sept. 8. [Here's a map]( of the city's early polling places and ballot drop boxes. - What's on the ballot? In Boston, it's just City Council races. The preliminary will narrow down the field to two candidates in four district races ahead of the November election. Our daily podcast The Common has [a preview of the most-watched races here](. - Bookmark this: Registering to vote is item No. 7 on our moving-to-Boston checklist. Here's [our full guide to settling in](. - Gov. Maura Healey is [recommending another four pardons in her first year in office](. What do they have in common? Her office says they're hoping to give a clean slate to four individuals who were charged with crimes when they were under 25 years old, but have since gone on to give back to their community and live productive lives. - Next up: Healey's pardon recommendations go to the Governor's Council for final approval. The group [unanimously approved her first seven pardon recommendations]( earlier this year. - Cambridge-based Sage Therapeutic is [laying off 40% of its employees]( after getting mixed news from the FDA last month. While the FDA [approved Sage's pill specifically intended to treat postpartum depression]( it rejected its drug for major depressive disorder. [According to the Boston Business Journal]( the layoffs affect around 275 people, though it's not clear if they're all based in Cambridge. - Go deeper: [Here's what we know — and don't know — about the Sage postpartum depression pill]( that got approved. - Farm aid, Massachusetts edition: The [state's disaster relief fund for farmers]( will begin accepting applications today. The fund has a total of $20 million for farmers in central and western Massachusetts who were hit hard by flooding this summer — though officials say that's still not enough to cover the total amount of damage. - The timeline for distributing the money remains unclear. Winton Pitcoff, the deputy commissioner of the state's Department of Agricultural Resources, says they're still working on a program to "get that money out to farmers as a direct payment." P.S.— Do you know what Boston will no longer require on marriage licenses? If you think you know the answer, [take our Boston News Quiz]( and see how you stack up against other WBUR readers. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow]( (Editor's note: This newsletter will be off on Monday for the Labor Day holiday. We'll back in your inboxes Tuesday, Sept. 5!)  Support the news  The Rundown [Indigenous group plans to buy back some ancestral lands in Mass. and build climate resilience]( The community plans to restore the area and work on conservation using a combination of traditional and scientific knowledge. [Read more.]( [Indigenous group plans to buy back some ancestral lands in Mass. and build climate resilience]( The community plans to restore the area and work on conservation using a combination of traditional and scientific knowledge. [Read more.]( [Healey activates up to 250 National Guard to help with unstaffed shelter sites]( More than 700 families are in shelter units without access the the usual services, including case workers and translation. The guard members will help ensure these families have access to food, transportation, medical care and education, among other things. [Read more.]( [Healey activates up to 250 National Guard to help with unstaffed shelter sites]( More than 700 families are in shelter units without access the the usual services, including case workers and translation. The guard members will help ensure these families have access to food, transportation, medical care and education, among other things. [Read more.]( [As U.S. COVID hospitalizations rise, some places are bringing mask mandates back]( New COVID variants are fueling hospitalizations and prompting some schools and hospitals to reinstate mask mandates. Others are considering or ruling out the possibility, leaving it up to individuals. [Read more.]( [As U.S. COVID hospitalizations rise, some places are bringing mask mandates back]( New COVID variants are fueling hospitalizations and prompting some schools and hospitals to reinstate mask mandates. Others are considering or ruling out the possibility, leaving it up to individuals. [Read more.]( [SJC approves disbarment of prosecutor for handling of drug lab case]( Two other former attorneys general also will receive discipline in the decade-long saga. The state's highest court said three prosecutors 'failed in their collective duty' to disclose evidence that might have affected criminal defendants in other cases. [Read more.]( [SJC approves disbarment of prosecutor for handling of drug lab case]( Two other former attorneys general also will receive discipline in the decade-long saga. The state's highest court said three prosecutors 'failed in their collective duty' to disclose evidence that might have affected criminal defendants in other cases. [Read more.]( [Former MBTA police officer faces federal charges for allegedly covering up assault at T station]( David Finnerty of Rutland was arrested Thursday after a federal grand jury indicted him on two counts of false reports. [Read more.]( [Former MBTA police officer faces federal charges for allegedly covering up assault at T station]( David Finnerty of Rutland was arrested Thursday after a federal grand jury indicted him on two counts of false reports. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Only four of the 13 weekends in June, July and August have been totally dry in the city of Boston. But (fingers crossed) we're looking at a fifth this weekend. [Click here]( for meteorologist Danielle Noyes's full Labor Day weekend weather forecast. - Looking ahead to Monday, here's [a reminder of what's open and closed]( on the unofficial end-of-summer holiday. - Couldn't get tickets to Taylor Swift's recently concluded Eras stadium tour? See it on the big screen. The pop superstar [announced yesterday that "Swift: The Eras Tour Concert Film" is coming to AMC theaters]( across the U.S., Canada and Mexico starting Oct. 13. - A [new study from Boston University]( provides evidence that CTE, the degenerative brain disease often caused by repeated hits to the head, can start developing as early as a person's teenage years. Researchers at BU's CTE Center examined 152 brains of athletes who died under the age of 30; over 41% had developed signs of CTE before they died.  What We're Reading 📚 - What Are Dreams For? ([The New Yorker]( - Diners are eating out earlier in the evening. (Afternoon, practically.) And Boston is here for it. ([The Boston Globe]( - Why Is Quincy Market’s Food So Bad? Diners Have Theories. ([Eater](  Tell Me Something Good [Meet the artist carving sand sculptures on Nahant Beach]( Retired art teacher Gary White uses an endless supply of sand, saltwater, random recyclables, and some dollar-store tools to create sculptural masterpieces on Nahant Beach. These sculptures deliver surprise jolts of joy before the ocean swallows them up again. [Read more.]( [Meet the artist carving sand sculptures on Nahant Beach]( Retired art teacher Gary White uses an endless supply of sand, saltwater, random recyclables, and some dollar-store tools to create sculptural masterpieces on Nahant Beach. These sculptures deliver surprise jolts of joy before the ocean swallows them up again. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common has [the lowdown on three fall shows to kick off theater season in Boston](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Don't you dare take that thing on Storrow.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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