😎 City Councilor ROLL CALL!

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

🎁 Here’s an easy holiday gift idea: Comfort Kitchen just dropped its 2023 holiday box set, which includes three cozy products made from local women- and minority-owned businesses. Box pickup starts Nov. 13, so get moving!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Some hopeful shelter news

• Too many Bellas …

• Sad Affleck 

Up first...

ELECTION 2023

Meet Boston’s newest City Councilors

The results are in! Please give a warm welcome to Boston’s new crew of City Councilors.

Here’s who won (according to the unofficial results) and what it means for the city:

NEW FACES

👑 At-large seat: Henry Santana. Mayor Wu-backed Santana will fill moderate Michael Flaherty’s old at-large seat, edging out opponents Bridget Nee-Walsh, Clifton Braithwaite, Shawn Nelson, and Catherine Vitale. 

👑 District 3: John FitzGerald. Councilor Frank Baker’s old seat now belongs to John FitzGerald, a Boston Planning and Development Agency deputy director who was considered the more centrist option compared with his opponent, Joel Richards. FitzGerald will represent parts of Dorchester and the South End. 

👑 District 5: Enrique Pepén. Councilor Ricardo Arroyo’s primary loss back in September ended up being Pepén’s gain, as he claimed victory over retired Boston cop Jose Ruiz. The Wu-endorsed victor will represent parts of Hyde Park, Mattapan, and Roslindale. 

👑 District 6: Ben Weber. Councilor Kendra Lara’s seat was wide open after she got knocked out in the primary, and it’s going to be filled by Wu-backed Ben Weber, who declared victory over William King. Weber will represent parts of JP, West Roxbury, and Roslindale.

RETURNING COUNCILORS

👑 At-large seats: Erin Murphy, Ruthzee Louijuene, and Julia Mejia. The at-large incumbents went three-for-three in their reelection bids. 

👑 District 1: Gabriela "Gigi" Coletta. This W comes as no surprise as Coletta, the incumbent, ran unopposed. She represents Charlestown, Eastie, and the North End. 

👑 District 2: Ed Flynn. The current City Council president is sticking around for another term thanks to having no challengers. He represents Chinatown, downtown, South Boston, and parts of the South End. 

👑 District 4: Brian Worrell. Like Coletta and Flynn, Worrell also ran unopposed. He represents parts of Mattapan, Dorchester, JP, and Roslindale.

👑 District 7: Tania Fernandes Anderson. The progressive incumbent known as one of the council’s most outspoken voices staved off a challenge from perennial candidate Althea Harrison. Fernandes Anderson represents parts of Roxbury, the South End, and Dorchester. 

👑 District 8: Sharon Durkan. It was deja vu for Incumbent Sharon Durkan, who bagged another W against her special election challenger, Montez Haywood. The combo of her incumbency, moolah, and Wu’s endorsement didn’t hurt. Durkan represents the Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway-Kenmore, Mission Hill, and the West End. 

👑 District 9: Liz Breadon. Progressive incumbent Liz Breadon held onto her seat despite a challenge from Jacob deBlecourt, a progressive candidate who posited themself as more reform-minded. Breadon represents Allston and Brighton.

⚖️ So … what does this mean for Boston? After two years of infighting plus legal and ethical issues, voters clearly said it was time to clean up the Council’s act by voting in four new faces. Plus, all four of the new candidates backed by Mayor Wu won their elections, a notable sweep for the mayor, who will have even stronger allies on the council once everyone is sworn in come January.

TOGETHER WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE TREASURY

Your money is coming home

🏠 Get ready for a reunion you won't want to miss. Imagine reconnecting with an old friend — now, picture that friend being your long-lost money. The Massachusetts State Treasury is making it happen, with over $3 billion in unclaimed property — including forgotten savings, checks, stocks, and more — waiting to be rediscovered. Simply search your name (it takes under a minute) to find out if you have unclaimed property that belongs to you. 

QUICK QUESTION

🚶 We’re doing some research and want to know: Where’s your favorite place to walk in Boston?

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🏘️ There’s some hopeful-ish news on the emergency shelter front. The Mass. emergency shelter system will hit its 7,500 family cap any day now, so Gov. Healey’s admin announced a new partnership with the United Way of Massachusetts Bay to support those with no other options. The partnership creates a $5 million grant program to help fund local organizations running short-term, overnight shelter sites for families on the waitlist. Plus: Healey’s work authorization clinic for migrants has been extended through an additional week. You can donate to United Way’s migrant families fund here.

🍀 Your favorite vegetarian spot has hit on hard times. Clover Food Lab, the Cambridge-based, fast-casual vegetarian chain, recently filed for bankruptcy. According to the Globe, Clover can’t quite swing rent (relatable), and their recent expansion plans have coincided with pretty much every unlucky business event in the book: rising costs, dismal sales post-COVID, and a bad moment for the financial market. New CEO Julia Wrin Piper said the company will try to use the opportunity to rework its business. 

🛍️ Love vintage shopping? There’s a holiday market for that. FOUND Boston, a vintage clothing and art market, just announced its first semi-permanent retail store at Arsenal Yards in Watertown. Its grand opening is Nov. 12 and will feature everything from vintage clothing to home goods and art from local sustainable businesses. You can check it out Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 23. And if it’s anything like their other pop-ups, this one promises to be extremely cool. 

🐶 Mass.’ most popular dog names are as basic as they come. U.S. News & World Report just released its list of the most popular dog names in every state, and the results are surprising … ly boring. In 38 out of 50 states, the most popular name for dogs is Bella. Of the remaining 12, half have “Luna” as their top name (including Mass.), and the other half are a mixture of Coppers, Charlies, Lucys, and Mollys. The only state with a shred of originality is Hawaii, where the top name is Boo. Now that’s cute. Check out the list here. 

— Written by Gia Orsino

ONE LAST THING

Ben Affleck runs on … Starbucks?

Wake up, babe, a new sad Ben Affleck pic just dropped. Like most of the classics, this one features him looking absolutely miserable and exhausted, wearing an outfit that he could have conceivably worn to bed, with a coffee in hand. 

But in the latest pic, which was taken in 2014, there’s something … missing (and no, I’m not talking about a cigarette). There’s a distinct lack of Dunkin' iced coffee in his hand. In fact, he’s holding a Starbucks cup. Like a New Yorker or something. 

Commenters were understandably upset by the slight to Dunkin’. @JackKelleher18 said: “I’d be depressed too if I was drinking Starbucks.” 

Fair point. But in my opinion, considering all of the Masshole moments he gives us, I think we can forgive him. Just this once.

— Written by Gia Orsino

☕ Thanks for reading! It must be hard to look put together when you carry half of New England’s media landscape on your shoulders.

💜 Special Shoutout to today's sponsor, the Massachusetts State Treasury, for helping residents reclaim what’s rightfully theirs.

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