Welcome to the Year of the Horse. Today marks the start of the Lunar New Year. You'll have to wait until March 1 for Chinatown's annual lion dance parade. But if you want to get in on the festivities this week, Boston's Museum of Fine Arts is offering $5 admission this Thursday. Speaking of things to do this week: Offline fun: It's February school vacation for school-aged kids in Massachusetts — and their parents. If you're hoping to avoid cries of "I'm bored!" without having to shell out too much cash, here are a few ideas to get out that are both fun and free: - Across Massachusetts: The Department of Conservation and Recreation is hosting 86 free educational programs across the state this week. The docket includes guided hikes, maple sugaring demonstrations, historical conversations, animal walks and more. DCR is also waiving parking fees at all its parks and extending hours at its public ice rinks this week to encourage visitors of all ages.
- For Boston residents: The city's parks department is also running free sports clinics, stable tours, snowshoeing and other activities over the break. All the events are free, but some require you to register ahead of time and share which Boston neighborhood you live in. Click here to see the full slate for the week.
- Weekend fun: Head down to Franklin Park on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Boston's Winter Festival — back this year for the first time since 2020. There will be an ice rink with free skate rentals, music, giveaways, treats, games and an igloo bounce house to catch your kids' attention, not to mention a special appearance by Boston park rangers' mounted unit and their horses.
- Last but not least: The new winter ferris wheel on the Rose Kennedy Greenway is free to ride today and Friday. You'll get a sweeping view of the waterfront from the top; just be sure to pack a scarf since the cabins are not enclosed.
In other local news: An update on Pawtucket: Rhode Island officials have identified the suspect they say is behind yesterday's deadly shooting at a high school hockey game in Pawtucket. Police say 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who also went by the name Roberta Esposito, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, after shooting five people at the game, killing two. Three others remain hospitalized in critical condition. - Police are continuing to investigate the shooting, which appears to be the result of "a family dispute," according to Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves.
Coverage crash: Roughly 57,000 people in Massachusetts have lost or dropped their health insurance through the state's Health Connector over the past three months. As WBUR's Priyanka Dayal-McCluskey reports, officials attribute the decline to cost spikes due to the expiration of federal Affordable Care Act subsidies that had helped people pay for coverage from the state insurance exchange. - By the numbers: More than 22,000 people canceled their health coverage, which officials say is more than twice the typical rate. Another 35,000 were kicked off for failing to pay their bills. Audrey Morse Gasteier, the executive director of the Health Connector, said she expects those numbers to grow, "as people who’ve tried to hang on in their coverage fail to pay premiums they can’t afford."
In memoriam: Frederick Wiseman, the Cambridge filmmaker known for his documentaries showing the inner workings of social institutions, died yesterday at the age of 96 . Wiseman was born in Boston in 1930. He studied at Williams College, and later Yale Law School. His films explored everything from high schools to police departments to the modeling industry. But perhaps his most famous work was first: the 1967 film "Titicut Follies," which exposed the poor conditions for patient-inmates at Massachusetts' Bridgewater State Hospital. P.S.— Tonight is also the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when observants fast from sunup until sundown. Here & Now spoke to two Muslim chefs back in 2023 about the recipes they bring out when it's time to break their fasts. |
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