😢 Say goodbye to the voice of the T

Happy Friday, Boston!

🚍 Head’s up, Red Line riders: Shuttle buses will replace service between Harvard and Park Street on Saturday and Sunday due to track work. Plan accordingly!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• 'Millionaires tax’ tweaks

• Red Sox regrets

• Top Mass. grocery stores

Up first…

TRANSPORTATION

The future of the voice of the T

If there’s one thing reliable about the T, it’s Frank Oglesby’s voice. His smooth, baritone timbre has been guiding riders throughout Greater Boston since 1994.

But, alas, all good things on the T must come to an end. 

The MBTA plans to phase out Oglesby’s audio announcements with a text-to-speech service in order to publish more real-time information and maintain consistency. And it’s already started on the Green Line. 

“I’d been expecting for a while that my voice wouldn’t be as prominent and it would eventually be phased out. That’s been the way of things in terms of technology,” Oglesby said. “I’m just glad there’s a lot of work out there for voice-over talent.”

And while locals may mourn the loss of Oglesby’s voice on the T, his career as a voice actor is anything but somber. 

He’s landed big voice-acting gigs on the Broadway Podcast Network and the Tariku podcast (he gave me a taste of what his character sounded like in this role, and I now need to listen to it in full). And he recently auditioned for 12 casting agents based in New York, Los Angeles, and more. He said he’s deciding who to sign with, so sounds like he crushed it.

Getting to be creative is Oglesby’s favorite part of voice acting, something he couldn’t do as the voice of the T. “The T wanted a straight read, even a train conductor type read, so there wasn’t a ton of creativity there,” he said. 

Nevertheless, Oglesby still fondly looks back on his time at the T.  

“It was a trip,” he said. “To think that 1.2 million people heard me every weekday and that I was doing a good enough job to help people find their way, that’s just a good feeling.”

CITY

Quick & Dirty Headlines

💰 The ‘millionaires tax’ might get a few tweaks. Secretary of State Bill Galvin certified the new constitutional amendment that will add a 4% surtax to incomes over $1 million a year this week. But he didn’t stop there. Galvin said he planned to file legislation to protect some homeowners who may be subject to the tax when selling their primary residence. He also wants to propose creating a trust to guarantee that a portion of the new tax revenue will go toward education. 

💔 All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts is leaving the Red Sox for the Padres. The era of The X-Man and Bogie is officially over. Bogaerts agreed to an 11-year, $280 million contract with the San Diego squad, according to multiple sources. He seemed to want to stay in Boston, but opted out of his contract after talks to extend his current deal broke down with the Sox. He ends his 10-year run with the Sox with two World Series wins and four All-Star appearances under his belt. I am sad.

🛒 Market Basket was named the best grocery store chain in Mass. Obviously. Consumer Checkbook’s new ratings of supermarkets in Massachusetts ranked the Basket as the best grocery store for value, finishing just a hair ahead of Price Rite. While it wasn’t ranked as highly as Roche Bros or Wegmans for quality, MB did beat out Whole Foods in that category — take that, $8 eggs! Consumer Checkbook also offered some interesting shopping tips: If you’re going to shop at Stop & Shop, shop at one that has a Market Basket nearby — the prices are lower.

THINGS TO DO

Saturday outings 

🎨 Decorate Christmas tree ornaments at Aeronaut Brewery during the Union Square Annual Holiday Stroll. Tickets are $15 | Saturday, Dec. 10, 2 to 5:30 p.m.

🌌 Immerse yourself in the winter solstice with the annual light and sound art experience ‘SOLSTICE: Reflections on Winter Light’ at Mount Auburn Cemetery. Adult tickets are $30 | Saturday, Dec. 10, 5 to 9 p.m.

🛍 Shop and celebrate the season at the Winter Fest Holiday Market at Boynton Yards in Somerville. The market is complete with a free hot cocoa bar and food tastings, so bring your appetite. | Saturday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

🍴 Find an edible holiday tree at the Newbury Street Ben & Jerry's Holiday Ice Cream, Art & Music Festival. FREE | Saturday, Dec. 10, 3 to 6:30 p.m.

🥞 Stay in your PJs for Pancakes & Pajamas brunch at City Tap (holiday sleepwear is encouraged). Bonus: If you bring new unwrapped toys or clothing to donate to the South Boston Boys & Girls Club, your first plain flapjack is FREE. | Saturday, Dec 10, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

12 DAYS OF THE B-SIDE

Playing loud for all to hear

The Boston Pops are broadening their musical horizons this holiday season. 

The Pops, under the direction of Keith Lockhart, will perform two traditional Ukrainian carols, a new work by México-born composer Arturo Rodríguez, and songs sung in five different languages. along with a spate of traditional Pops holiday tunes. The new additions to the program are part of the Pops’ continuing effort to celebrate musical diversity. 

Looking to hear their holiday tunes? Holiday Pops performances play at Symphony Hall through Dec. 24, with tickets starting at $37. If you can’t make it to a live show, the Pops are offering a streaming version of their full holiday concert for $25.

📱 Thanks for reading! If you’re more of a visual learner, make sure to follow us on TikTok and IG for daily videos and memes explaining Boston news. Yes. Memes.

💃 Keep up with other B-Side tomfoolery on IG, TikTok, and Twitter @BostonBSide. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].