Deciphering our snowfall deficit

Also: Boston's plan to redesign "chaotic" corridor; are shelter changes coming? [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 29, 2024 🌤️ Sunny and breezy, with a high near 35. Good Morning Boston, Happy leap day! [Read more here]( for a refresher from NPR on the history of Feb. 29, the thorny issues the date can present and one leap day hater's long-shot proposal for an alternative calendar. But before you dig in to[ your copy of La Bougie du Sapeur]( and [free guac from Chipotle]( let's get to the news: - Shelter stress: Democratic leaders in the Massachusetts House say changes to how the state manages its family shelter system are necessary, as [increasing demand]( and [declining tax revenue]( continue to strain the program. "We're looking at a billion-dollar bill next year in the midst of declining revenues," House Speaker Ron Mariano said after a Democratic caucus meeting yesterday. "Do you realize what that will do to us? We have to take a look at how we administer this program." - What type of changes? The details are still sparse, but Mariano stressed they are not considering repealing the state's right-to-shelter law. (Any proposed changes would also need buy-in from the state Senate.) - What is clear: More federal funding — which local elected officials [have repeatedly asked for]( — isn't coming anytime soon. "We are on our own on this, and we realize that now," Mariano said. - What's next: House Ways and Means Committee Chair Aaron Michlewitz told reporters that the state's current shelter funding will likely run out in the next few months. He suggested the House will look to pass [another]( supplemental budget bill — separate from the larger annual budget — "at some point by the spring." - One of Boston's busiest corridors is getting a makeover. Mayor Michelle Wu announced a $44 million plan yesterday to redesign three "incredibly chaotic" miles of Blue Hill Avenue, from Mattapan Square to Dorchester's Grove Hall. WBUR's Zeninjor Enwemeka has [all the details here](. - The biggest feature of the plan is a new dedicated bus lane in the center of Blue Hill Avenue. It would be the city's second center-running bus lane after [opening one on Columbus Avenue in 2021](. City officials say the lane will cut down the commute on Blue Hill Avenue for bus riders — including those on the [fare-free]( 28 and 29 bus routes — from up to an hour to just 25 minutes. - What's next: The bulk of construction won't start until 2026. But Wu's office says they'll begin work on some [smaller improvements]( spring, like refreshing crosswalks, fixing potholes and installing new street lights and speed humps on side streets. - Hello, Goodbye: The superintendent of Brockton Public Schools is being put on administrative leave — just days after returning to the job — as the district grapples with a myriad of issues. - Catch up: Superintendent Mike Thomas went on a[sudden, extended medical leave in August]( shortly after city officials revealed a $14 million shortfall in the school district's budget. - Fast forward: Thomas said this week he was ready to return to work to help tackle [ongoing disciplinary issues]( at Brockton High School. But in what was [reportedly a fiery meeting]( last night, the Brockton School Committee unanimously voted to put Thomas back on leave until the city finishes [investigating the deficit](. - Cruising to the court: Gabrielle Wolohojian is headed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The appeals court judge — and [former domestic partner of Gov. Maura Healey]( — was [confirmed by the state's Governor's Council]( by a 6-1 vote yesterday. Wolohojian will have a seat on the bench until at least Dec. 16, 2030, when she turns 70 (the state's mandatory retirement age for judges). - The lone dissenter yesterday was first-term Council member Tara Jacobs, who blasted the "insular" selection process. However, the rest of her colleagues suggested Wolohojian's "impeccable" qualifications outweighed any concerns. - Cambridge College — which, despite its name, is now based in Boston — is being absorbed by Bay Path University in Western Massachusetts. The move will double Bay Path's student population to 5,000, as its leaders seek to "expand [its] physical presence into the Boston area." New England Public Media has [more here on what the merger means for students](. P.S.— Did you know there are six communities across the U.S. that were incorporated on leap day? And one of them is in Massachusetts. The South Shore([ish]( town of Holbrook is celebrating its 38th leap year birthday this afternoon with [a day of community service]( — a great example for us all on how to make good use of this bonus day. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Where's the winter wonderland? Deciphering Boston's snowfall deficit]( For residents of New England, winter typically paints a picture of snow-covered landscapes, bustling snow removal companies, and the cozy allure of hot cocoa by the fireplace. But the winter of 2023-2024 has presented a different scene, with many experiencing a noticeable lack of snowfall. [Read more.]( [Where's the winter wonderland? Deciphering Boston's snowfall deficit]( For residents of New England, winter typically paints a picture of snow-covered landscapes, bustling snow removal companies, and the cozy allure of hot cocoa by the fireplace. But the winter of 2023-2024 has presented a different scene, with many experiencing a noticeable lack of snowfall. [Read more.]( [Mitch McConnell will step down as Senate minority leader in November]( McConnell announced his plans Wednesday on the Senate floor, where he talked about waiting for a day when he would have total clarity about the end of his work: "That day arrived today." [Read more.]( [Mitch McConnell will step down as Senate minority leader in November]( McConnell announced his plans Wednesday on the Senate floor, where he talked about waiting for a day when he would have total clarity about the end of his work: "That day arrived today." [Read more.]( [With planned O’Bryant move shelved, many are relieved but question what comes next]( While many community members are happy that Boston’s most diverse exam school will no longer relocate to West Roxbury, it leaves the O’Bryant School of Math and Science in a building that everyone agrees is inadequate. [Read more.]( [With planned O’Bryant move shelved, many are relieved but question what comes next]( While many community members are happy that Boston’s most diverse exam school will no longer relocate to West Roxbury, it leaves the O’Bryant School of Math and Science in a building that everyone agrees is inadequate. [Read more.]( [Embrace Boston report details legacy of systemic racism and how to redress the harms it causes Black residents]( The report breaks down the harm, or injury, inflicted on Black residents into seven areas, including health, education, housing and transportation. [Read more.]( [Embrace Boston report details legacy of systemic racism and how to redress the harms it causes Black residents]( The report breaks down the harm, or injury, inflicted on Black residents into seven areas, including health, education, housing and transportation. [Read more.]( [Mass. reviews day care license rules after owner's drug trafficking conviction]( The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care says it is reviewingwhy the license of a day care provider in Boston's South End was repeatedly renewed after she was indicted in 2019 on federal trafficking charges. [Read more.]( [Mass. reviews day care license rules after owner's drug trafficking conviction]( The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care says it is reviewingwhy the license of a day care provider in Boston's South End was repeatedly renewed after she was indicted in 2019 on federal trafficking charges. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Stacy Wakefield, the widow of former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, [has died]( less than 5 months after her husband also passed away. The couple, both of whom were in their 50s, were celebrated for their charity work in Boston and are survived by two children. - From local leap day celebrations to an annual Worcester floral show to an unexpectedly timely movie at the Harvard Film Archive, there are plenty of ways to make use of the extra day — and unusually temperate weather — this weekend. [Check out our full list of weekend recommendations here](. - "Dune: Part Two" begins screening in theaters nationwide today, including on 70mm film at Somerville Theatre and Coolidge Corner Theatre. Film critic Sean Burns writes [the sci-fi sequel is bigger and louder]( — "a massive movie, made to be seen on an enormous screen with the most immersive sound system you can find." - Dune director Denis Villeneuve told NPR's Fresh Air that he's been storyboarding the move since he was a kid. Listen to the full interview — or read the highlights — [here](. - Dun, dun... dun, dun... [a "Jaws"-themed scratch ticket]( is swimming toward us, thanks to the Mass. Lottery. It will be available starting March 26 and comes with a unique feature: Losers will be offered a second-chance drawing that could score them a trip to Martha's Vineyard next summer for the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's classic thriller.  What We're Reading 📚 - The Patriot Ledger is the latest New England outlet without a physical newsroom ([The Boston Globe]( - UMass move to MAC is brutal blow to its men’s basketball program ([MassLive]( - A tech billionaire is quietly buying up land in Hawaii. No one knows why ([NPR](  Tell Me Something Good [What’s it like to have a leap year birthday? (GBH News)]( Having a Feb. 29 birthday is fodder for jokes, some confusion and maybe even extra celebrations. Massachusetts' “leap year babies” share their thoughts. [Read more.]( [What’s it like to have a leap year birthday? (GBH News)]( Having a Feb. 29 birthday is fodder for jokes, some confusion and maybe even extra celebrations. Massachusetts' “leap year babies” share their thoughts. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [breaks down the backlash to Boston's White Stadium renovation plan](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Eversource giving [real Walter White energy](. 😎 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.](   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.