Losing (and saving) some green this week

Also: Why pregnant newcomers see hurdles in Mass.; Brockton pleads for National Guard help [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 20, 2024 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 34. Good Morning Boston, Today marks the start of a short week for many local residents — and long commutes for some MBTA riders. Here’s what to expect: - Another multi-week partial Green Line closure has begun, this time stretching west from Copley Station up three of the line’s branches (see the diagram below). The 18-day diversion (through March 8) will facilitate track work that the T says should make the Green Line faster and more reliable. But it also means slower and more complicated commutes for most riders during the next two-and-a-half weeks. To soften the blow, the T is making a lot of stuff free during the disruption: - B branch: Free shuttle buses are replacing train service between Babcock Street and Copley, and you'll also be able to ride the [57 bus]( for free between Packard’s Corner and Kenmore. Additionally, no fares will be collected on the B branch west of Babcock Street. - C branch: Free shuttles are replacing the entire branch, from Cleveland Circle to Copley. They'll pick up/drop off at every stop — except for Saint Mary's Street, Kent Street and Brandon Hall. - D branch: Free shuttles will replace trains between Brookline Hills and Copley (and riders boarding westbound D branch trains at Brookline Hills will not be charged fares). You can also walk from Brookline Hills to Riverway Station to get on the Green Line's E branch, which is fully up and running (albeit, not free). - Heads up: Since E branch trolleys are the only trains going between Government Center and Copley during this diversion, expect longer waits than usual. (Trains will be running every 5-6 minutes, according to an MBTA spokesperson.) T officials strongly suggest taking the Orange Line for faster service downtown. - Pro-tip: For free access to the T's core subway system, fare gates are open at both Copley and the nearby Back Bay Orange Line station for the duration of the diversion. The commuter rail will also be free between Lansdowne, Back Bay and South Station. - Seeking shelter: A [new day-shelter is opening at 9 a.m. today]( in Chelsea, as the state's family shelter system [remains overwhelmed](. WBUR's Todd Wallack reports the shelter will offer meals and space for up to 200 people, operating during business hours on weekdays only. La Colaborativa, the nonprofit running the shelter at its 318 Broadway headquarters, also plans to arrange transportation for those staying at an [overnight-only]( overflow shelter in Cambridge. - Zoom out: The space is one of nine shelters the United Way of Massachusetts Bay has helped set up in the last few months using [a $5 million state grant](. United Way Vice President Sarah Bartley says they plan to open "a couple" more shelters with the funding. - Bag it: TD Garden announced a restrictive new bag policy this weekend, as the arena implements [new screening technology](. The [latest rules]( prohibit fans from carrying bags into the arena that are bigger than 6-by-4 inches (no bigger than a small purse). - If you bring anything larger than that, your only option is to pay $15 to check your bag outside the arena. The Boston Herald [reports]( the abrupt announcement of the policy caught many fans off-guard before Saturday's Bruins game. - PSA: Public school students in Newton are headed back to class this February vacation week to [make up for missed days during the city's teacher strike]( earlier this winter. But getting there might be a little tricky. Some of Newton's usual bus drivers have the week off, which school officials say may lead to delays. "Our bus vendor does have substitute drivers for the buses, but they may be unfamiliar with the roads and all of the stops," the district [wrote to parents last week](. - Something brewing: Melrose will soon get its first craft brewery. The Boston Business Journal [reports]( Hannah's Brewery — founded by two Melrose natives — plans to open around St. Patrick's Day on Main Street in the former dry town ([until 2009](. P.S.— Want to report on the local arts scene? [Applications are now open]( to be WBUR's next Arts Reporting Fellow. The paid, part-time gig offers the opportunity to work with our arts team, pitch stories and contribute to both the website and radio broadcast. [Learn more here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  The Rundown [Four Brockton School Committee members call for National Guard to squash high school fights]( "What's going on at the high school is disheartening, and kids are losing precious learning time when kids are causing chaos," said Tony Rodriguez, one of the members calling for National Guard members to serve as hall monitors and substitute teachers at the high school. [Read more.]( [Four Brockton School Committee members call for National Guard to squash high school fights]( "What's going on at the high school is disheartening, and kids are losing precious learning time when kids are causing chaos," said Tony Rodriguez, one of the members calling for National Guard members to serve as hall monitors and substitute teachers at the high school. [Read more.]( [Pregnant newcomers to Mass. can face hurdles when seeking care]( As Massachusetts grapples with an increase in new immigration, medical care is one of the challenges. This is particularly true for people who are pregnant. Patients and medical teams report hungry patients as well as questions about who will care for older kids when a single parent is delivering a baby. [Read more.]( [Pregnant newcomers to Mass. can face hurdles when seeking care]( As Massachusetts grapples with an increase in new immigration, medical care is one of the challenges. This is particularly true for people who are pregnant. Patients and medical teams report hungry patients as well as questions about who will care for older kids when a single parent is delivering a baby. [Read more.]( [How far can cities go to clear homeless camps? The U.S. Supreme Court will decide]( Lower courts have said it's unconstitutional to punish people for sleeping outside if no shelter is available. Cities say these rulings have paralyzed their efforts to manage growing tent encampments. [Read more.]( [How far can cities go to clear homeless camps? The U.S. Supreme Court will decide]( Lower courts have said it's unconstitutional to punish people for sleeping outside if no shelter is available. Cities say these rulings have paralyzed their efforts to manage growing tent encampments. [Read more.]( [Near-record winds over the Northeast push passenger planes to speeds over 800 mph]( A couple of planes got a big push from a jet stream with winds clocking 265 mph at cruising altitude this weekend, the National Weather Service said. [Read more.]( [Near-record winds over the Northeast push passenger planes to speeds over 800 mph]( A couple of planes got a big push from a jet stream with winds clocking 265 mph at cruising altitude this weekend, the National Weather Service said. [Read more.]( [Wife of assassinated Haitian president is indicted in his killing]( A judge in Haiti probing the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse indicted his widow, Martine Moïse, ex-prime minister Claude Joseph and the ex-chief of Haiti's National Police, Léon Charles. [Read more.]( [Wife of assassinated Haitian president is indicted in his killing]( A judge in Haiti probing the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse indicted his widow, Martine Moïse, ex-prime minister Claude Joseph and the ex-chief of Haiti's National Police, Léon Charles. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Did you know that the first dinosaur fossil was found 200 years ago? Radio Boston spoke with two local professors and dino experts about[how much New England has contributed to the growing study of paleontology]( in the two centuries since that first discovery. - The Huntington Theatre Company’s new production of “John Proctor is the Villain” — running through March 10 — takes a look at Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" in light of more contemporary issues. Theater critic Jacqueline Sinclair [approves in her latest review](. - Decades after her brother was killed in a car accident, Linda K. Wertheimer [writes in this Cognoscenti essay about teaching her son to drive]( "Kevin’s death forever scarred my parents, my surviving older brother and me. From that very first moment I held Simon in my arms, I was determined not to pass on that scar to him."  What We're Reading 📚 - The East Coast Is Sinking ([The New York Times]( - Medford firefighter sick calls cost city $92,000, mayor says it was "orchestrated event" ([CBS Boston]( - How the decision to honor a Trump ally tore apart a Hall of Fame ([Washington Post](  Tell Me Something Good [This Mass. couple was matched by first 'dating app' in 1966 (WCVB)]( Sixty years ago, Alex and Gladys Rysman did what so many people do nowadays — met on a computer dating program. [Read more.]( [This Mass. couple was matched by first 'dating app' in 1966 (WCVB)]( Sixty years ago, Alex and Gladys Rysman did what so many people do nowadays — met on a computer dating program. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common discusses [how immigration has increasingly shaped Massachusetts politics](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: How much would you say this hurts, on [a scale of zero to MBTA]( 😎 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. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.