The tricky science of snow days

Also: A high-stakes housing vote in Milton; New England's history of "vinegar Valentines" [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 14, 2024 🌬️ Cloudy and gusty with a high near 32. Good Morning Boston, Remember, today is Valentine's Day. (If you don't have a card yet, [these Boston-themed ones]( will show anyone they're "sweeter than Caroline.") Now, to the news: - A high-stakes housing vote: Following a one-day weather delay, it’s decision time for Milton residents. The 28,000-person Boston suburb is holding a vote today on whether to keep the town's new zoning law to ease the construction of more housing — or run afoul of the state’s MBTA Communities Act and risk both legal and financial consequences. Radio Boston had [a great segment yesterday]( the stakes for both Milton and all of Greater Boston, as the region continues to grapple with its dire [shortage of housing.]( - What do the new zoning changes do? The new bylaw — which was approved by town meeting voters by[a two-to-one margin]( December — would rezone several slices of Milton along the MBTA’s Mattapan trolley route and I-93 to make it easier to build forms of multifamily housing, from three-deckers to apartments. (Scroll to [page 12 here]( for the map.) In theory, the zoning changes would allow a total of 2,461 new units of housing to be built, though the real number is expected to be a lot lower. - The case against the changes: Opponents — who gathered enough signatures to trigger the referendum on the law — argue the zoning shifts would unfairly crowd too much housing into particular areas and increase the town's traffic congestion. - What happens if the "yes" side wins? The new zoning law is here to stay. That doesn’t mean new apartments would automatically be built, but landowners would be able to build multi-family housing in the rezoned area “[as of right]( In other words, they wouldn’t have to go through the often long and unpredictable process of getting special permits. - What happens if the "no" side wins? Milton goes back to the town's zoning status quo, which virtually prohibits anything but single-family housing without a special permit. It would also officially put Milton in "noncompliance" with the MBTA Communities Act as soon as the results are certified. - What does noncompliance mean? For starters, Milton will be ineligible (or at a big disadvantage) for 13 different state grant programs. Milton officials [recently estimated]( they got $1.7 million from those programs for things like streets, schools and other infrastructure projects since mid-2020. Attorney General Andrea Campbell also [warned in a letter last month]( that her office is prepared to sue Milton to compel compliance with the MBTA Communities Act. "When a municipality and a select group of residents choose to be a part of the problem rather than part of the solution, especially in the face of a statutory mandate, my office will do its job by enforcing the law," Campbell said in a statement. - No relief from the rain: FEMA is denying a request for a major disaster declaration for three Massachusetts counties hit by [severe flooding last September](. In [a letter to Gov. Maura Healey]( FEMA said the damage in Bristol, Hampden and Worcester counties “was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments and voluntary agencies.” - What's next: Healey's press secretary Karissa Hand says the administration plans to appeal FEMA's decision. They're also distributing $5 million in flood relief funding that was set aside for the three counties in last fall's supplemental budget. - Under the dome: The Massachusetts Senate is unveiling [its new bust of legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass]( this afternoon at 1 p.m. According to Senate President Karen Spilka's office, the statue is the first state-commissioned bust of a Black person in the State House and the first bust to be added to the Senate Chamber since 1898. - The local angle: Douglass spent much of his early years in the Bay State — [settling down in New Bedford after escaping slavery]( and giving his [first big speech]( to a mostly white audience [in Nantucket](. - Get in line: Summer ferry reservations for Martha’s Vineyard[ go on sale today at 8 a.m.]( Be prepared for a wait, based on [last week's 10,000-person online queue]( for Nantucket ferry tickets. P.S.— Yesterday's snow storm wasn't [a big bust]( for all of Massachusetts. While the Boston area saw barely anything stick, Dudley and Martha's Vineyard did end up getting over 9 inches (and as WBUR's Simón Rios reports, there was still [fun to be had in Blue Hills]( Check out this map]( for a statewide look at the snowfall totals. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Calling snow days is a tricky science for Mass. school superintendents]( Are school districts in Massachusetts cancelling class over less snow lately? Some superintendents say yes. Here's why. [Read more.]( [Calling snow days is a tricky science for Mass. school superintendents]( Are school districts in Massachusetts cancelling class over less snow lately? Some superintendents say yes. Here's why. [Read more.]( [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas impeached by House Republicans]( Mayorkas becomes the first cabinet secretary to be impeached since 1876. The Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to leave Mayorkas in office. [Read more.]( [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas impeached by House Republicans]( Mayorkas becomes the first cabinet secretary to be impeached since 1876. The Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to leave Mayorkas in office. [Read more.]( [The CDC may be reconsidering its COVID isolation guidance]( The current guidance advises five days of isolation. Unnamed health officials have indicated that this guidance may soon go away, a move that troubles public health experts. [Read more.]( [The CDC may be reconsidering its COVID isolation guidance]( The current guidance advises five days of isolation. Unnamed health officials have indicated that this guidance may soon go away, a move that troubles public health experts. [Read more.]( [Man wanted in Massachusetts for murder rearrested in Kenya after a week-long escape]( A man wanted in Massachusetts to face murder charges has been arrested, a week after he dramatically escaped from police custody. Kenyan police said Kevin Adam Kinyanjui Kangethe escaped while awaiting extradition on a Massachusetts warrant alleging he killed his girlfriend and left her body in a car at Logan Airport. [Read more.]( [Man wanted in Massachusetts for murder rearrested in Kenya after a week-long escape]( A man wanted in Massachusetts to face murder charges has been arrested, a week after he dramatically escaped from police custody. Kenyan police said Kevin Adam Kinyanjui Kangethe escaped while awaiting extradition on a Massachusetts warrant alleging he killed his girlfriend and left her body in a car at Logan Airport. [Read more.]( [5 takeaways from Democrats flipping George Santos' House seat in New York]( Tuesday's special election was a sort of test for Republicans' and Democrats' campaign messaging in 2024, particularly around immigration and abortion. [Read more.]( [5 takeaways from Democrats flipping George Santos' House seat in New York]( Tuesday's special election was a sort of test for Republicans' and Democrats' campaign messaging in 2024, particularly around immigration and abortion. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Valentine's Day wasn't alway just about sweet treats and cards. New Englanders actually once sent mean "vinegar Valentines" to each other. [Listen to the anti-love messages](. (The full story will be updated with more than audio later this morning.) - Last fall, our opinion section Cognoscenti published [a collection of love letters to Boston]( — and then asked readers to continue sharing. Keeping the love going in this Part 2, here are [more Boston stories and moments]( that make this place feel like home. - More than 2,000 players descend on Meredith, New Hampshire, every February for the three-day Pond Hockey Classic. For many, the tournament is the highlight of winter and a return to the roots of their sport. But like a lot of winter traditions, the tournament — and the general sport of pond hockey — is [under threat from climate change](. - You probably saw the Super Bowl ads. But what exactly is Temu? And should you order from the ultra-cheap online marketplace? Here's [a quick guide to Temu and the questions around it](.  What We're Reading 📚 - False rumors in the wind ([The New Bedford Light]( - Layoffs and closures have roiled the media industry. What will happen to the young people studying journalism? ([The Boston Globe]( - Who Kissed First? Archaeology Has an Answer ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [The key to a penguin's heart? Oily fish and a plastic crate]( The New England Aquarium participates in a species survival plan to protect endangered African penguins from extinction. A key part of the program is carefully controlled breeding to preserve the species’ genetic diversity. [Read more.]( [The key to a penguin's heart? Oily fish and a plastic crate]( The New England Aquarium participates in a species survival plan to protect endangered African penguins from extinction. A key part of the program is carefully controlled breeding to preserve the species’ genetic diversity. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common takes a look at [what it was like for the women of Boston's Black Panther Party](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: You might say that [the early models really fumbled the ball.]( 😎 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.]( 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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