New England Weekend

Local pride will be on full display July 19th at Malibu Beach in Dorchester, as teams from nine Boston neighborhoods will compete to win the Hoodlympics! Organized by Black Brown Boston, this event brings together people from all over the Hub for friendly competition in field-day style games like Foam Dodgeball, Steal the Bacon and Tug of War. The winning team gets bragging rights, but a fun day is promised for all who show up. Vania Arroyo, Founder of Black Brown Boston, joins Nichole this week to share the details of this upcoming event. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Community Music Center of Boston has been working around the city for decades to provide music therapy, music education, creative programming, and much more to people of all ages. This year, they're celebrating a major anniversary and getting ready for a big move, too! Chief Advancement Officer Zachary Sheets and Rachel Chao, Director of Programming and Community Engagement, talk with Nichole about the Center's mission and efforts, explain the benefits of music therapy, and share details about their upcoming transition into Roxbury's Nubian Square. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vacant lots all around the city of Boston are getting some new life, thanks to the Boston Food Forest Coalition. Residents, community groups, permaculture advocates, and many others from around the Hub are coming together to revamp these open spaces, turning them into community "food forests" where anyone can come and have a bite of berries, fruits, veggies, and much more. Orion Kriegman, Founding Executive Director of the Boston Food Forest Coalition, talks with Nichole this week about how a food forest is created, why they're important, and how you can get involved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June is Men's Health Month, and over at the Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury, men and boys will get all the help they need to get on a healthy track at the upcoming Men's Health Summit on June 27th! From screenings to informative panels, the focus will be on men and boys of all ages, giving them the resources and tools they need to live healthier, happier, stronger lives. Frederica M. Williams, CEO of Whittier Street Health Center, talks with Nichole about the history of the summit, the state of healthcare equity in Boston, and what visitors to the summit can expect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boston's Roxbury neighborhood once thrived as a center of Black entrepreneurship through systemic struggles, and for decades, it was known as its own “Black Wall Street.” The stories of the neighborhood are being given new life in a documentary called "The Way We Were", showcasing oral histories of Roxbury's Black business owners and families that made the neighborhood so successful. It's all part of a greater research and storytelling effort that's being led by Marie Firmin, CEO of Black Biz Dev. She joins the show this week to share details about the documentary and an upcoming event on Martha's Vineyard, along with Crystal Christmas-Thompson, who was interviewed for the film. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you make your way to Boston and stop by the 1965 Freedom Plaza, near the Embrace statue, you'll find dozens of names etched in the tiles. Those names honor icons in Boston's history who may not be as well known, including Harry Hom Dow. He was known for breaking barriers in the legal world and through his civic life, and it was because of that work that Embrace Boston and Everyone250 chose to name this year's "Embrace Honors" after him. Nichole talks with one of the honorees, Suzanne Lee, President Emeritus of the Chinese Progressive Association, along with Embrace Boston's President and CEO, Imari Paris Jeffries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's more interest in train travel these days, thanks to higher gas prices, but the efforts to expand access to passenger rail around the Commonwealth have been going on for many years now. Several improvement and expansion projects are already underway through MassDOT's "Compass Rail" initiative, with a significant focus on Central and Western Massachusetts. Meredith Slesinger, MassDOT's Rail and Transit Administrator, joins Nichole to talk about their expansion efforts and the benefits of access to passenger rail services. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the years, the Boston Public Library has had all kinds of designs for their cards, but now, they're looking to add a few more. These designs, however, will be coming directly from the public. The BPL is running a contest, asking patrons to submit art that showcases what "Free to All", the mission of the Library, means to you. Bailey Watroba, Senior Public Relations Associate at the BPL, returns to the show with details on this contest, which is underway through June 15. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here in Massachusetts, members of the team at Samaritans Southcoast in Westport are often the ones you connect with when you call, text, or chat the 988 Lifeline. They recently secured a major contract from the state to provide those services for not just southeastern Massachusetts, but the entire Commonwealth 24/7 by the end of the year! It's a challenge Executive Director Darcy Lee says they're ready for. She talks with Nichole about how they're preparing for this new responsibility. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, Merrimack Valley residents haven't been able to go to LeLacheur Field in Lowell and cheer on their beloved Spinners, as the team folded during the MLB's restructuring of the minor league system. That's all about to change, as the team's under new ownership and in a new league. What won't be changing is the family fun, food, and everything else that makes up the Lowell Spinners experience. Opening Day is May 29th, and this weekend, Nichole talks with Principal Owner/CBO Mark Deschenes and Chairman/CEO John Croteau to learn about what they have in store. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes, for those living paycheck to paycheck, just a couple extra hundred dollars a month can make a major difference when it comes to quality of life and staying afloat. The city of Salem teamed up with UpTogether and Salem State University to run an experiment: what would happen if dozens of lower-income residents and families received an extra $500 each month for a year, no questions asked? Early analysis shows encouraging results. Mayor Domenic Pangallo and Professor Thomas Piñeros Shields from the North Shore Policy Lab join the show this week to share what they learned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Looking for a new car? Get ready to pay up. We're seeing record high prices for new vehicles around the country, including here in New England. It's rare to find one that comes in under $30,000, with more luxury vehicles, SUV's, and pickup trucks on the lots than affordable sedans. Why the change, especially when so many Americans are struggling to get by? Nichole spoke with John Marthinsen, Professor of Economics and International Business at Babson College in Wellesley, to get insight and answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It takes just seconds for a dog to escape - an accidentally unlocked door, a slightly-too-loose harness - and it can be absolutely devastating when you realize your beloved pet is gone. Hundreds of volunteers at Missing Dogs Massachusetts are ready and waiting to help, with flyers for social media, trapping services, and much more, all at no cost. Kris Ericson, President of Missing Dogs Massachusetts, talks with Nichole about their work and why it's so important for these volunteers to ensure as many pups as possible return home to their family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since 1920, when it opened up as a three-room settlement house on Wall Street in Worcester, Friendly House's mission has stayed the same: do everything they can, in any way they can, to ensure residents have the resources they need to not just get by, but thrive. In many ways, the need for Friendly House and its programs is more dire than ever, and the team is ready to help. Executive Director Trish Appert and Director of Social Services Josefina Velez join Nichole on the show this week to tell their century-old story of community service and detail the programs they have available for those in need. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prices at the supermarket, gas pump, and on your energy bill are only going up by the day, and a lot of people around New England are starting to feel the pinch. Food insecurity in Massachusetts is reaching levels we haven't seen in a long time, if ever. To get a better idea of just how much assistance is needed, the Greater Boston Food Bank teamed up with Mass General Brigham to put together a comprehensive report, complete with suggestions on what needs to be done to turn this trend around. Catherine D'Amato, President and CEO of the Greater Boston Food Bank, returns to the show to break down the report's findings with Nichole. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High-speed internet is critical for work, school, shopping, and many other ways we engage in everyday life. While most Massachusetts residents utilize broadband internet connections each and every day, there are still thousands of people who don't have access, both in rural and urban areas. New federal funding is giving Massachusetts the boost it needs to lay the groundwork to get everyone connected. Michael Baldino, the Director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech in Westborough, talks with Nichole about the state's efforts to get everyone online and how this new federal funding will help. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, the METCO program has helped to connect students from Boston with their counterparts at schools around Greater Boston, working to bridge the gap of educational inequity. It's a program that grew out of the push to de-segregate Boston schools during the height of the civil rights movement, and all these years later, it's still breaking barriers by opening minds and opportunities in more than 30 communities. Dr. Kandice Sumner, President and CEO of METCO (who's also an alum!) joins Nichole this week to reflect on the program's successes over the past 60 years and share details about the upcoming Opportunity Ball on May 1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever driven around on a damp, spring night here in New England, you've probably seen some little animals on the move trying to cross the road in front of you. For turtles, salamanders, frogs and other like creatures, this is a crucial migration, because it's tied to breeding, feeding, and survival. Unfortunately, it can often be deadly, but a new program in New Hampshire is trying to help, with the installation of new tunnels and wildlife crossings to keep these animals safe. Sandi Houghton, a Wildlife Diversity Biologist with NH Fish and Game, joins Nichole and Brett Amy Thelen, the Science Director at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, NH, for more on this story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been months since Jamaica was devastated by Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms that's ever been recorded in the Atlantic basin. The cleanup and rebuild is expected to take years, if not decades, but as the storm made its way out of the headlines, the much-needed assistance started to dwindle, too. JAM'N 94.5's DJ Pup Dawg is celebrating 25 years in the industry by pulling together reggae icons at Big Night Live on May 7th, and it won't just be any party - he's rallying the community to send some big love and assistance down to Jamaica! Pup joins Nichole to talk about his big anniversary and share details about the upcoming event. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not all of us can be a meteorologist, but any of us can help them ensure their severe weather warnings and forecasts are as accurate as possible. While the forecasters have a lot of tools available at their disposal, there's nothing quite like eyes on the ground, and that's where you come in. Hundreds of thousands of people around the country are trained as part of the SKYWARN Spotter Network, and local classes are starting soon if you want to get involved. National Weather Service Boston's Lead Meteorologist, Bryce Williams, shares details with Nichole in this week's episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.