Dracut Scholarship Telethon!

Today marked the start of the Dracut Scholarship Foundation's annual telethon! The telethon, which has been broadcast live over the the airways in Dracut for 29 years, raises money for scholarships that are handed out to high school seniors. Last year, the foundation raised $120,000 and gave out $112,000 in scholarships!

Hundreds of performers, volunteers, organizers, sponsors, viewers and bidders are again set to participate in the telethon, which will be televised nightly, from 6:30-9:30 p.m., tomorrow through Friday!


This will be my seventh year working on the telethon and I am VERY excited!

Over the years the Dracut Scholarship Foundation has given out over $1 Million in scholarships and this year hopes to raise $100,000 through the telethon!

The show is divided into three studios; Studio A: Auction and promotional boards where hosts talk about items up for bid! Studio B: This is the high schools auditorium where we have large dance and music groups perform throughout the nights, and Studio C: the high schools music room where we have small musical performers and game shows.

Some of the game shows taking place over the next few nights are, “Are You Smarter Than a Dracut High Senior,” “Cash Cab” with Dracut trivia, and the “Dracut’s Diced” cooking competition featuring local chefs. A new “Soup-off” Contest has also been added to the entertainment lineup. Contestants will be competing to produce the best soup and chowder in a blind taste test.


There will be a large amount of performers from local school bands, choruses, and solo performers. We will also see the return of area dancers from Lisa Pilato Dance Academy, 5-6-7-8 Dance Studio, and Guiding Light Dance Studio. You can also expect to see performances by gymnast and karate troupes! 


Select solo performances from Dracut Highs Spring Musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying  will also be performed! 


Between the contests and performers, the 29^th Annual Dracut Scholarship Foundation Telethon is sure to be a hit.


As a Dracut High School graduate, scholarship recipient, and overall townie the telethon is an event I look forward to every year! I have been involved in many different aspects of the Telethon over the past seven years, from performing and answering phones, but for the past three years I have been the shows head audio engineer! 


Overall, the Dracut Scholarship Foundations Telethon is a true hit in the town of Dracut truly helps to  bring the people of this small north shore farming town close together! 


Below you will find a live stream for the Telethon! You can watch it right here starting at 6:30pm for the next three nights. If you are interested in donating to the foundation visit their website at DracutScholarship.org or call to place a bid on an item by calling (978)-957-1500! 


I will be live tweeting from my audio board tomorrow though Friday so make sure you follow me on Twitter @Boston_to_a_T! 


If you get a chance to watch the show I would love to hear what you think so please leave a comment below!! 


 

Watch live streaming video from dsfteletthonlive at livestream.com

Cheers to One Year

A year ago today we started Boston to a T! Over the past year we have truly come a very long way.

First, we would truly like to thank you for reading and following Boston to a T. If you read us on a daily basis, follow us on Twitter, or just accidentally stumbled upon the page we thank you for supporting us over the past year!

Aaron and I started Boston to a T last March when we were freshman. We wanted to launch a blog that showcased what it was like for college students to live in the heart of this wonderful city, but overall it turned into a site that highlighted "Anything and Everything Boston!" Oh yeah, and if you had not noticed, it also kind of turned into a small obsession with the MBTA.We made it our mission to inform the people of  Boston, and its outlying suburbs, about the happenings around the city and information about the MBTA.

For me writing this blog has not only helped me strive to become a better journalist, but has also instilled in me a love for urban development and planning, hospitality, and of course transportation.

Over the past 365 days Boston to a T has truly become something that is way beyond our wildest dreams. Sitting in our dorm room  last year we would have never thought that we would be named one of the best Boston Blogs to follow on Twitter by Bostinno or be featured on the cover of the Boston Metro!

Since last March we have published over 80 different posts with topics ranging from who is the actual voice of the MBTA (which has become our most popular article), to how Assembly Row is going to be Boston's "Next great neighborhood." We took numerous "Field Trips" to different cities including San Francisco and New York City, which will hopefully become yearly experiences. We started a Twitter account which now has almost 700 followers.We have been able to meet and speak with the General Manager of the MBTA Jonathan Davis, MassDOT Secretary Richard Davey, MBCR General Manager Hugh Kiley and many other notable members of the Boston community.

Overall, we have truly hit a milestone here at Boston to a T and we look forward to sharing even more information with you!

Things to look forward to:

Along with the start of a new year comes new features and upgrades!

If you noticed, there is a new poll located on the sidebar that asks you to help us choose our new logo! Please help by voting for your favorite one. The most popular choice will be made Boston to a T's new logo by mid April! 

Also, by this summer we will be transferring Boston to a T off of our Blogger platform  so we can  launch our own website! Right now we have a sneak preview which you can check out at Boston-to-a-t.com

As we move forward with Boston to a T we will also be looking for even more ways to help bring information to Boston residents and commuters alike. We are committed to using this blog and other social media platforms to put pressure on the MBTA and other Boston organization to be more transparent.

Happy Commuting, Happy Reading, and of course THANK YOU for supporting Boston to a T!

- Dan Lampariello & Aaron Lumnah 

This is Boston. This is your city. 

Just go out and explore!

Guest Post: Farewell From The Fifth Car

Here is our second guest post! This article is written by Scott Page, a 21 year old Bunker Hill Community College student and MBTA historian! You can follow Scott on Twitter (@ScottPage10690)!

MBTA to end 110 year old tradition of 

Two Person Train Operation

Shortly after 12:30am every night the last Red Line train of the day closes its doors and departs Ashmont Station in Dorchester embarking on a thirty-seven minute voyage to Alewife Station in North Cambridge. This typically mundane trip is often the last source of transportation for evening-shift workers, late night partiers, and the occasional drunk. But on the wee morning hours of Saturday March 24^th, 2012 the 12:30am train will receive the historic distinction of being the last MBTA Rapid Transit train to run with an on board Train Attendant – thus unceremoniously bringing an end to a one hundred and ten year old Boston transit tradition. 

An MBTA Train Attendant cycles the doors 

at Wollaston Station on the Red Line. 

Currently the MBTA operates each Red Line train with a two person crew. The practice, known in the transit industry as Two Person Train Operation, involves a Motorperson in the first car, who is responsible for operating the train and overseeing safety along the right-of-way; and a Train Attendant in the fifth car, who cycles the doors at stations, announces stops, and oversees the safety of passengers both on the train and on the platform. 

The practice stems from the early days of subway and elevated operations when train doors literally needed to be cranked open by Attendants standing between each car. Modern technology now allows for doors to be controlled from a central point which, here in Boston, is controlled by the Train Attendant in the 5^th car. 

The MBTA claims that eliminating Train Attendants from the Red Line and transferring all duties to the Motorperson, a practice known as One Person Train Operation, will enable the Red Line to operate more trains during off-peak hours and save money that the cash-strapped transit authority can reinvest into the line. If this proposal sounds familiar, that’s because it is. 

In June of 2010 the MBTA removed the second operator from all Orange Line trains in a similar cost savings effort. The T reassured riders that there would be no change in service and safety, but just six months after its transition the Orange Line suffered its worst performing winter in the last quarter century. Massive delays snarled the line leaving passengers out in the cold. While delays were not the direct result of One Person Train Operation the overwhelming response from riders was that additional uniformed personnel was needed to relay pertinent information.

To ensure passenger safety on the Red Line under One Person Train Operation the MBTA has installed a series of mirrors and closed-circuit television monitors at each station to show the Motorperson the entire platform. These devices will be most useful at stations with curved platforms where the Motorperson cannot see the entire train by line-of-sight alone. Train Attendants, for the record, have no obstructed views of the doorways at any point in the system.

But with recent breakdowns and service disruptions still on many riders’ minds some aren’t so sure that having one crew member on board is a good idea. 

“Having one operator being responsible for hundreds of riders’ safety is quite daunting” said Jessica Baldeck, a frequent Red Line commuter and UMass Boston student. “I can’t think of any other situation where one person is solely in charge of handling hundreds of people - especially during an emergency.”

“Personally it makes me feel safer knowing there is someone on board whose sole job is to make sure everyone is riding safely” added Jessica Griffiths Sheldon, who occasionally takes the T into the city.

Train Attendants serve as a passenger liaison from the 5th car.

The MBTA cites that OPTO is becoming the industry standard for subway operations around the globe along with the conversion of the Blue Line in 1996 and the Orange Line in 2010 as the reason for converting the Red Line. Former MBTA General Manager, and current Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey said “We remain focused on identifying cost savings measures that helps us operate more efficiently.  The expansion of Single Person Train Operation… allows us to contain costs while maintaining quality service.”

Critics of OPTO note that Chicago’s CTA, which converted in 2001, has had several attempts by city Aldermen to bring back second operators after doorway safety incidents and crime rose on ‘El’ trains.

The MBTA, which is now engaged in an ongoing public debate over whether or not to raise fares and cut services, originally planned the conversion of the Red Line for September of 2011. The transition was pushed back to March of 2012 after various groups raised concerns over everything from doorway safety to on board crime. The T has used the additional seven months to give all Red Line Motorpersons additional training on proper doorway safety standards and evacuation protocols. 

The ring of the starter bell at 12:30am on March 24^th will signal the end of an era in Boston transit. While most riders won’t notice the changes on an average trip, it’s imperative to remember the work done by Train Attendants in their one hundred and ten years of service. They’ve acted as visible representatives of the Authority – answering questions for tourists, giving directions to riders, and aiding in breakdowns and evacuations. But most importantly they’ve protected their riders from threats to safety – like the Orange Line Train Attendant who stepped in and prevented a hate crime in March of 2010 by sheltering the victim in his cab until police arrived. After Boston removes it’s Train Attendants from service this March only New York’s MTA, Toronto’s TTC, and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson railroad of New York and New Jersey will utilize Two Person Train Operation.