👍🥲 News to beat your Monday blues

It’s Monday, Boston.

😋 We thought the NYT did a pretty good job with their “best restaurants in Boston” roundup … But some Boston.com readers think they could’ve done better. Check out which spots they would’ve added here.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Local encampment updates

• Some piping hot DA drama

• Springtime skiing?

Up first…

GOOD NEWS

Spring into some good news

If good news were a season, it’d definitely be spring. 

To keep the sunny vibes rolling, here are the feel-good stories you might’ve missed this month: 

🌒 Visually impaired folks got to experience the solar eclipse. The total solar eclipse earlier this month was translated into both sonic and physical experiences with the help of some truly incredible tech. A LightSound box translated the eclipse’s appearance into sound (think: high, delicate tones for light, and lower, clicking sounds for darkness), while the Cadence tablet, made up of rows of dots that pop up and down, allowed users to feel the eclipse sensation.

🎳 A Lewiston, Maine, business is reopening its doors. The owners of Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, one of two scenes of the tragic mass shooting six months ago, announced that they’ll be reopening May 3 with a slew of new upgrades and more community support than ever. And if that’s not enough to bring a tear to your eye: ​​The alley’s owners have said that, although they originally couldn’t imagine reopening, they were moved to do so after experiencing the presence of one of the victims.

👗 This event helped local students experience their Cinderella moment. The “Belle of the Ball” drive is a local event that helps students in need to find their perfect prom attire free-of-charge, lowering the event’s barrier to entry. This year, over 1,200 students took advantage of the drive, and with the help of volunteer personal shoppers, they were able to sort through nearly 4,000 dresses to find the perfect fit. And apparently, there were lots of smiles and hugs.

🏃 Think about how many amazing Boston Marathon stories you hear every year. Now think about how many more of those stories are overlooked. Whether it’s someone spreading joy by running in a banana suit (or a leprechaun outfit … or a unicorn), running in honor of a passed family member, or traveling from far and wide to return to a special place on the course, there’s a certifiably good news story from this year’s race that’ll make you smile. 

✉️ A 60-year-old message in a bottle found its way home. In the 1960s, a 14-year-old girl in Worcester threw a message in a bottle into the ocean. And just this month, it made its way back to her daughter via a total stranger, a local reporter, and some seriously impressive sleuthing. For her part, the daughter said the near-miracle of its return felt like a sign from her mom.

QUICK QUESTION

👫 Have you ever tried a local friendship-making or networking group?

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

⛺ The latest on local college encampments. Over the weekend Boston Police made another sweep of a Pro-Palestinian college encampment, this time detaining over 100 people at Northeastern. At Emerson, tensions remained high as Mayor Wu announced that she okayed their sweep last week, and the school’s student government unanimously called for their president's resignation in light of the incident. Emerson has since barred further demonstrations from taking place in Boylston Place Alley.

💸 There’s some drama at the DA’s office. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden agreed to pay a $5,000 civil penalty for using his office to discredit then-opponent Ricardo Arroyo during the (particularly nasty) 2022 primary election. At the time, Hayden was serving as the interim DA, and then-City Councilor Arroyo was facing sexual assault allegations dating back to his teenage years (though he was never charged). According to the state Ethics Commission, Hayden violated an ethics law by gaining a political advantage through a disparaging press release about Arroyo. 

🏆 Boston sports had a bang-up weekend. First off, the Patriots ushered in a new era at the NFL Draft. After nabbing a new QB in Drake Maye, they filled out their offense with a new wide receiver, an offensive tackle, and a second QB, plus four other promising newbies (and many players seem to approve). Meanwhile, the Celtics and Bruins each took huge playoff game 3 W’s, which, in the C’s case, was a much-needed relief, and the Red Sox continued to defy pre-season expectations by snapping the Cubs’ winning streak in an astounding 17-0 win. 

🪲 Not all spring news can be good spring news. Among the bad news: Our warming winters mean that we need to worry about major ticks and allergies sooner … like now. Cases of tick-borne illness are on the rise in New England, so keep that in mind when you’re venturing into any wooded areas, and make sure to check yourself and your fur babies. And if you noticed that you were (literally) itching for Claritin this weekend, it’s probably because the pollen count is also seriously popping off.

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist

🎬 See the coolest movies you’ve never heard of. The Independent Film Festival Boston kicks off Wednesday and runs through May 8, showing everything from features to shorts to documentaries.

🧘 Find your zen (without spending a dime). Natural Life Boston is offering a free community yoga class and meditation this Thursday. Walk-ins are totally welcome. 

🛍️ Dive into outdoor market season. The Downtown Boston BID is kicking off its seasonal arts market on Thursday and Friday with nearly 20 local makers. 

🧠 Put your film-buff status to the test. WBUR’s CitySpace is linking up with the coolest local theaters tonight to host a Movie Trivia night with snacks and prizes. And did we mention it’s free?

🎭 Watch all kinds of local talent face off. At the Big Queer Boston talent show this Tuesday, local performers will showcase their best talents in the hopes of winning a $1,000 prize. 

🎉 Want more things to do recommendations? Refer five friends to unlock four bonus items. For those who already have, enjoy below.

ONE LAST THING

Skiing into spring

Usually, water on ski slopes is more or less a recipe for disaster. But for some New England mountains, it’s just another reason to clip in. Enter: Pond skimming. 

Pond skimming, which was invented in the 1950s, is where skiers try to glide across a pond of water by gaining as much momentum as they can downhill. And it usually goes about as well as you’d imagine. If you’re struggling to visualize it, check this out.

These days, the event is often held to commemorate a resort’s last ski day of the season, and participants use the opportunity to get silly — from ridiculous costumes to attempted tricks. 

Frankly, it looks terrifying, but we can’t look away.

— Written by Gia Orsino

⛷️ Thanks for reading! Add that to the list of things I’ll never do on skis (including hitting any non-green trail).

💌 Looking for nice, empathetic advice? Having trouble navigating dating fatigue, a first long-term relationship, whether to move in, and how to deal with friends who’ve found partners? Send a question to Love Letters. 

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