Public Garden glow-up

Also: What Boston is doing with its leftover COVID relief funds; 11 film events to check out this fall [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser](   September 17, 2024  ☀️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.  Good Morning Boston, Today is one of Boston's two birthdays, depending which calendar you observe. (The city [recommends celebrating both of them]( But that's not the only thing the city is celebrating today. - Just in time for fall: Boston is welcoming the return of one of its most Instagrammable downtown attractions this morning. The Boston Public Garden will host a ribbon cutting ceremony today at 11:30 a.m. for its restored Arlington Street entrance by [the iconic George Washington-on-horseback statue](. The celebration comes after the entire area was [closed last September]( for a $3.4 million renovation. (Technically, it first [reopened this past weekend]( - What's new: The glow-up includes new beds of native plants, more benches, repaved pink walkways and two restored [child sculpture fountains](. "These two are seen by tens of thousands of people every day, and they're beautiful," Liz Vizza, the president of the Friends of the Public Garden told WBUR's Amy Sokolow. Vizza said they added new lighting so people can enjoy the fountains at night, too. They also worked on making the ground more even near the fountains to allow for better wheelchair accessibility. - What took so long? Originally, the area was slated to open this past spring, but Vizza said the fountain restoration was a bit more intensive than expected. They actually had to be taken out of state to get some of the granite stones ground down to be more even. - What's next: The project's $3.4 million budget includes a $1 million endowment for upkeep. Vizza says an overlooked part of that is to ensure the fountains actually continue to function: "Boston has not had a great track record over the decades keeping fountains going," she said. "It takes that kind of endowment money and support to make sure that they continue to work." - Bye for now: The City of Boston plans to remove a bus-only lane through the Seaport after officials found it was "frequently" being illegally used by cars. In [a report Friday]( city officials said [the 1.5-mile Summer Street bus lane]( - which was installed on a pilot basis last December - was being used more by cars than buses. The report said some drivers were confused by the signage and road striping, while others deliberately drove in the lane "largely without consequence." - What's next: City officials plan to change the signage and striping to remove the bus/truck lane over the next few weeks. They're also leaving open the possibility of bringing it back if and when MBTA bus service through the area increases enough to warrant it. - Sticking around: The pilot also included new protected bike lanes on Summer Street, which the city says are "here to stay." - Two weeks later: Plymouth state Rep. Matt Muratore has been declared the winner of the Republican state Senate primary on the South Shore. Following a recount, state officials say Muratore held on to his win over GOP opponent Kari MacRae of Bourne - by 39 votes. - What's next: Muratore is set to face Falmouth state Rep. Dylan Fernandes (who [faced no opponent in the Democratic primary]( in the general election for [outgoing state Sen. Susan Moran's seat](. - Tunnel vision: The MBTA is planning to build [a new tunnel in North Cambridge]( so that it's easier to move construction crews and equipment onto the Red Line. T officials say the tunnel would be located near Alewife on [the property]( of developer IQHQ. They're planning to start construction in 2026 and wrap it up by 2028. - Why it matters: Currently, the closest entrance to the Cambridge-side Red Line tunnels for construction vehicles is Charles/MGH - which is six miles away on the other side of the river. That means a long drive and extended service closures when the T needs to do work on the west end of the Red Line. But if all goes to plan, the new tunnel would lead to shorter and less frequent suspensions, as well as cost savings on shuttle buses and construction. - In related news: Since last year, the T has paid over $50 million for shuttles, with more bills to come, [per The Boston Globe](. - From the rumor mill: Could another New England-based toy giant follow [in LEGO's footsteps]( The Boston Business Journal [reported yesterday]( that Hasbro is considering moving its HQ from Rhode Island to the Boston area and has toured some downtown office spaces. Hasbro is neither confirming or denying the rumors. - Rewind: Hasbro CEO Chris Cooks [came on Here & Now earlier this year to talk about the company's future and recent pivots](. P.S.- Pommel Horse Guy (and Worcester native) Stephen Nedoroscik makes [his "Dancing With The Stars" debut]( at 8 p.m. tonight on ABC. And of course, he's already [taught his DWTS partner the basics of pommel horse]( and started [a rock-paper-scissors rivalry]( with fellow Olympian [Ilona Maher](. (The dancing? [A work in progress]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters The Rundown [N.H. Libertarian Party's post on 'assassination' of Harris attracts attention of state, federal law enforcement]( A series of social media posts by the New Hampshire Libertarian Party endorsing the assassination of Vice President Kamala Harris and violence against politicians has gotten the attention of law enforcement. [Read more.]( [N.H. Libertarian Party's post on 'assassination' of Harris attracts attention of state, federal law enforcement]( A series of social media posts by the New Hampshire Libertarian Party endorsing the assassination of Vice President Kamala Harris and violence against politicians has gotten the attention of law enforcement. [Read more.]( [Boston allocates remaining pandemic relief funds to housing and small businesses]( The city of Boston will spend its remaining $7 million of federal pandemic relief funds to help support affordable housing and small businesses, Mayor Michelle Wu and other city officials announced. [Read more.]( [Boston allocates remaining pandemic relief funds to housing and small businesses]( The city of Boston will spend its remaining $7 million of federal pandemic relief funds to help support affordable housing and small businesses, Mayor Michelle Wu and other city officials announced. [Read more.]( [Here's everything we know about the apparent assassination attempt on Trump]( The suspect "didn't even get close to getting a round off," and never had a line of sight on Trump, authorities said. Ryan Wesley Routh is facing federal gun-related charges in the incident. [Read more.]( [Here's everything we know about the apparent assassination attempt on Trump]( The suspect "didn't even get close to getting a round off," and never had a line of sight on Trump, authorities said. Ryan Wesley Routh is facing federal gun-related charges in the incident. [Read more.]( [TikTok argued against its U.S. ban in court today. Here's what happened]( TikTok's survival in the U.S. is riding on the outcome of the hearing. Federal judges peppered both the Justice Department and TikTok with skeptical questions about the ban, which takes effect in January. [Read more.]( [TikTok argued against its U.S. ban in court today. Here's what happened]( TikTok's survival in the U.S. is riding on the outcome of the hearing. Federal judges peppered both the Justice Department and TikTok with skeptical questions about the ban, which takes effect in January. [Read more.]( [Development and rising seas threaten Maine's salt marshes, a key carbon sink]( Scientists project that Maine could lose 28-57% of its salt marshes by the end of the century - victims of rising seas, coastal development and polluted runoff, with consequences for biodiversity and storm resilience. Advocates are racing to give these ecosystems space to survive. [Read more.]( [Development and rising seas threaten Maine's salt marshes, a key carbon sink]( Scientists project that Maine could lose 28-57% of its salt marshes by the end of the century - victims of rising seas, coastal development and polluted runoff, with consequences for biodiversity and storm resilience. Advocates are racing to give these ecosystems space to survive. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's storied Dutch Room - where four empty frames from the [infamous 1990 heist]( still hang - is getting a major facelift. WBUR's Andrea Shea [has a behind-the-scenes look.]( - Heads up, Seaport: Amazon will[require corporate workers to return to the office five days a week]( starting Jan. 2, 2025. - In our latest fall arts guide, film critic Erin Trahan [rounds up 11 events that brings arty cinema to local movie houses]( from a new series at the MFA to the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival. - Plus, arts critic Lloyd Schwartz has [a comprehensive guide to Greater Boston's fall classical music performances](. - [James Franco]( call your agent. A New Hampshire boy who slipped and got trapped between two boulders for more than nine hours was [rescued Monday by first responders using ropes and a lubricant](. What We're Reading 📚 - For new Mass. State Police colonel, a history of discrimination complaints lingers in New Jersey ([The Boston Globe]( - Why schools are ripping up playgrounds across the U.S. ([Washington Post]( - The Supermarket Superstardom of Marty the Robot ([Boston Magazine](   Tell Me Something Good [Mass. cows don't have bird flu, state says]( Massachusetts is the only state in the nation to test all of its dairy herds for the virus and get back 100% negative results, officials said. [Read more.]( [Mass. cows don't have bird flu, state says]( Massachusetts is the only state in the nation to test all of its dairy herds for the virus and get back 100% negative results, officials said. [Read more.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Call it the Brew-dential center.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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