United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley today announced it is awarding $229,000 to serve over 2,000 elementary school-age children in 22 program sites in Greater Boston and Merrimack Valley through its nationally-recognized Summer Learning Collaborative.The 2014 locations will serve students from the communities of Lynn, Lawrence, Lowell, Salem, Winthrop, Peabody, Revere, Cambridge, Somerville and Boston neighborhoods of Dorchester, East Boston, Allston Brighton, Chinatown and Roxbury.Last year, 89% of K-3 students in the United Way Summer Learning Collaborative avoided Continue reading >>>

Officials from the National Weather Service are looking into just how big it was. Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts State Police Weather officials confirmed Monday afternoon that a tornado was responsible for the damage caused in Revere as the fierce mixture of rain and winds swept through the Greater Boston area, toppling trees and leading to severe roadway flooding. According to the National Weather Service, storm officials are conducting a survey in Revere after the thunderstorms that hit the county and moved through the area caused extensive damage to many neighborhoods. “A Continue reading >>>

“It’s pilates on steroids,” said Elizabeth Starsiak, owner of Shred, a pilates and spin studio in Quincy, Mass., that offers Surfset classes multiple times a week, for $15 per class. The challenge is to keep your balance on the surfboard, while at the same time, performing already intense pilates and yoga poses. At Shred’s Surfset class, the resting position is a plank. What a wipe out! Another plus to getting a surfer’s body without the wetsuit? On land, there’s no risk of bumping into a shark. These studios offer Surfset Fitness classes within 25 miles of Boston: Rooftop at Continue reading >>>

Massive flooding hit Greater Boston as the National Weather Service issued a number of storm and flood warnings, including a tornado warning for Essex County that was ultimately canceled. The NWS warning indicated that heavy rain, falling at rates of up to two inches per hour, could produce flash flooding across the region. The Boston Globe reported that strong winds could also be expected, with some exceeding 60 miles per hour. The weather also had an impact on travel, including public transportation. The Green Line’s B Branch had service replaced Continue reading >>>

CHELSEA — The cinder block fortress known as King Arthur’s Motel and Lounge has long been a kind of unofficial wild west for Greater Boston, the site of murders, a legendary police brutality case, a bombing and, of course, countless men tossing dollars in the dim light at nude women gyrating on stage. Though less infamous than Boston’s old Combat Zone, King Arthur’s location just over the Mystic River made it irresistible to certain men on lunch break and criminals alike. Recently, a felon hoping to cash in on Steve Wynn’s plans for a $1.6 billion casino in nearby Everett attempted to Continue reading >>>

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SUNDAY Jean Valentine (“Break the Glass”) reads at 3 p.m. at the Longfellow National Historic Site, East Lawn, 105 Brattle St., Cambridge … Miles Unger (“Michelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces”) reads at 3:30 p.m. at Book Ends, 559 Main St., Winchester (rsvp to 781-893-8693 or staff@bookendswinchester.com) MONDAY Jeremy D’Entremont (“The Lighthouse Handbook, New England”) reads at 6 p.m. at Langley-Adams Library, 185 Main St., Groveland … Benoit Denizet-Lewis (“Travels With Casey: My Journey Through Our Dog-Crazy Country”) reads at Continue reading below 7 Continue reading >>>

Posted Jul. 26, 2014 @ 10:00 am

WALTHAM

Two dads stood talking about jobs, fatherhood, and life in general, each holding an infant daughter on a recent windy, warm day at Castle Island in South Boston. The babies reached out for each other and latched onto whatever was in their grasp. A trio of other men, with kids in arms or in tow, joined them, introduced themselves, and tried to join the group, which was being pulled in various directions by the wiggling and whines of little ones desperate to run and play out of their fathers’ reach. Scenes like this are becoming more common at playgrounds, museums, parks, malls, and grocery stores Continue reading >>>

Market Basket publicly imploded this week, but didn't pull everything into its maw — this is what the week looked like from the WGBH Newsroom. • Greater Boston talked about the long-term effect of the Market Basket conflict on the store's brand. • Dan Kennedy lamented the Providence Journal's sale to GateHouse as a missed opportunity to return it to local ownership. • Boston University professor Andrew Bacevich joined Greater Boston to talk about how the U.S. should respond to the series of recent foreign policy crises. • Guilty! Guilty Guilty! Peter Kadzis explained Continue reading >>>