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Boston's Morning Newsletter
New restrictions coming to Dennis beaches this Fourth of July
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
A corpse flower, aptly dubbed “Dame Judi Stench,” has bloomed for the first time at the Arnold Arboretum. You can check it out within the next 24 hours or, even better, see it out without having to catch a whiff in this live video.
Now, to the news:
There will be new restrictions in place for beachgoers hoping to spend the Fourth of July at Bayview, Mayflower or Chapin beaches in Dennis. According to town officials, Dennis police responded to 459 calls for service due to unsafe conduct at the town’s beaches on July 4 last year. They’re hoping these new rules will help create a safer experience for the popular holiday weekend. So, what’s changing?
- Daily parking passes to Dennis beaches won’t be sold on July Fourth. You’ll need a weekly pass or a residential or seasonal sticker to get into the beach parking lots. You can’t park on local streets, either, since police will be enforcing a parking ban in nearby neighborhoods.
- Police will stop drivers on the way to Mayflower Beach or Chapin Beach at new checkpoints on Rte. 6A. Only those with a pass or sticker will be able to go farther. Everyone else, including those who arrive in a ride share, must disembark and start walking. From the checkpoint, it’s about a two-mile walk to Chapin Beach, and just over a mile’s walk to Mayflower Beach.
- Lastly, there will be a “zero tolerance” policy for loud music, alcohol and drug use at Dennis beaches, which officials hope will curb disorderly conduct. Violating this will result in a written citation and $50 fine. All regulations are only in effect for this 24-hour, Fourth of July period, according to Dennis Police.
Basketball season may be over, but that doesn’t mean the curtain’s closing over at TD Garden. The arena is set to host 90 non-sporting events — including a record 56 concerts — this year. (That’s up from 50 concerts in 2023.) WBUR’s Stevee Chapman spoke to Glen Thornborough, TD Garden’s president, about what a successful event season means for the local economy.
- Seeing green: According to Thornborough, the Celtics’ finals games had an economic impact of $5 million per game in Boston. This boom isn’t just good for the arena, “it also benefits the local community in the North End, the local bars,” Thornborough said. “This is a major impact, not just for the [Garden] and the team, but the small businesses that are in walking distance.”
- Summer fun: Whether it’s a night of music with Usher, Weezer or Kacey Musgraves, or a smackdown courtesy of WWE’s Monday Night RAW, the summer offseason draws in foot traffic while the Bruins and Celtics rest. (This week alone, Chris Brown, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake are all taking the stage.) “Our goal is for this to become the norm,” Thornborough told WBUR. “Our calendar is pretty packed, but we’re open for business. So, if there’s an opportunity for us to provide something that the market is interested in, we would love to host.” You can see a full list of who’s coming to the Garden this summer right here.
Reminder: Orange Line service is suspended for bridge and track work between Wellington and North Station today through Sunday, June 30. In addition to free accessible shuttle buses, you can also take the Haverhill commuter rail line (free between Oak Grove, Malden Center and North Station) to get around the closure.
- Trade the train for two wheels: BlueBikes is offering non-members who use their app up to five free rides during the Orange Line closure. Use the code MBTAORANGEJUNE to unlock a bike for free through June 30.
A vigil will be held today for 24-year-old Minh-Thi Nguyen, who was struck and killed last Friday while on her bicycle at an intersection in Cambridge’s Kendall Square.
- Nguyen’s death is the second cyclist fatality in Cambridge in the last month. Advocates are urging the city to improve safety at some of the city’s riskiest intersections. “We have to ensure that we reduce the likelihood that a collision even occurs, through installing protected bike lanes, improving intersections, and changing traffic signals to give cyclists and pedestrians more time to cross the street,” Clyve Lawrence, a volunteer with Cambridge Bicycle Safety, told WBUR.
P.S.— The two African penguin chicks who hatched at the New England Aquarium back in March have finally joined their parents and siblings in the aquarium’s main penguin exhibit. You can visit Bunker and Althea now!
