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Boston teacher Alexis Munoz named ‘LifeChanger of the Year’

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Boston teacher Alexis Munoz named ‘LifeChanger of the Year’


BOSTON – Applied Behavior Analyst Alexis Munoz is a proud graduate of Boston Public Schools and Brandeis University. At Thomas Edison K8 School in Brighton, he supports students in the Emotional Impaired strand.

He runs the before-school program, the after-school program, a scholars program and coaches the boys basketball team. He works a 12-hour day. When he’s not working at Edison, he is also the owner of the custom shoe and clothing design company YO SOY CUSTOM. And now, he is a 2023 recipient of the LifeChanger of the Year Award.

“I just really appreciate the recognition,” Munoz said, smiling.

Alexis Munoz
Edison K8 School teacher Alexis Munoz

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His colleagues were smiling too when they surprised Munoz with an awards ceremony. He thought that he was walking into a graduation rehearsal. But the cheers and applause that met his entrance-and the sight of his mother, brother and fiancée was the tip-off that the event was something special for him.

Munoz, who insists he is an introvert-despite his many hats-is known for greeting kids in the hallway with a smile, helping them work through anger, sadness and frustration and working with them on homework. He says that he can relate to the kids who face challenges because he faced them too. He was raised by a single mother without a father figure. Eventually his older brother assumed that role. But Munoz credits the people who love him, his teachers and mentors with redirecting him in a way that helped him succeed. “I had those people who believed in me to really guide me and continuously show me that there’s hope in the world,” he said. “And that I could change my life to be whatever I wanted to be.” 

His former Tech Boston Academy principal, Dr. Mary Skipper (now Boston Public Schools Superintendent) remembers his natural leadership qualities even as a freshman. “He could connect with everyone-even in the most difficult situations,” Skipper said.

Alexis Munoz
Boston School Superintendent Mary Skipper and Edison K8 teacher Alexis Munoz

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Skipper is one of his role models. As well as she remembers his early years at TBA, she also remembers his parting words. “The last thing he said to me as he was leaving was ‘Skip, I’m going to come back and be the principal.’ It’s just amazing to see him in education,” she said.

Fellow educators at Edison nominated Munoz for the LifeChanger award. The program, sponsored and run by financial services company National Life Group, recognizes K-12 educators and school employees who make a significant difference in the lives of students by encouraging excellence, serving as a positive influence and inspiring others.

Munoz’s colleague Charles Lower wrote in his nominating application: “He treats all students with respect and develops strong bonds with them. He maintains strong relationships with students regardless of how often they need his help or how they may act out in their more difficult moments. He bridges gaps in challenging circumstances and excels at prosocial bonding and communication.”

What Munoz communicates with every fist-bump and smile is that he cares. When colleague Krystal Semper offered the microphone to anyone in the auditorium who wanted to say something to Mr. Munoz, a dozen students-ages 4 to 14-took turns thanking him. They thanked him for helping them when they were mad, for coaching their basketball team, for helping them stay calm in class. When the younger kids addressed him, Munoz knelt to listen to them eye-to-eye. Every child got a hug.
Mary Skipper has no doubt that someday Alex Munoz will be a principal. For now, he’s basking in the glow of an honor that only 17 of the 558 nominees received this year. What does he hope students will remember when they leave for the summer? “You’ve got people here who love you. We’re going to continue pushing you harder and harder and harder. And it’s for the best,” Munoz said.   

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Boston, MA

Coastal storm could bring snow to Boston on Friday. Here’s how much. – The Boston Globe

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Coastal storm could bring snow to Boston on Friday. Here’s how much. – The Boston Globe


It may actually begin to look a lot like Christmas, at least for a moment to kick off the weekend before the busy holiday week.

We’ve mentioned an offshore system developing Friday a few times this week, but a separate system to our west will dive just south of New England as the coastal storm develops. Why does this matter? Well, that incoming storm may tug or influence the coastal low, forcing the system to drift closer to the Southern New England coast. This could bring some rain and accumulating snow for Boston and other parts of coastal New England Friday into Saturday morning.

A coastal storm will strengthen Friday night, bringing some coastal rain and snow across Southern New England.Boston Globe

There’s still uncertainty as to how much the two storms will interact and that will determine the final storm track. But should the coastal low push west enough to clip the coast, we should only see relatively weak impacts and perhaps just some festive light snow showers as you’re out in the city Friday evening or shopping Saturday morning.

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It’s looking like some light rain and snow showers will begin working into Southern New England and the Boston area mid-afternoon on Friday and bring light to steady precipitation throughout the evening. Like a similar storm last week, wet weather will enter the picture from the south and be supported by additional moisture blowing onshore from the east. At some point Friday night, the wind direction will shift to the northeast as the core of the storm passes offshore, making this storm technically a nor’easter.

Light to steady snow may likely fall Friday night into Saturday after starting off with rain in Boston.Boston Globe

Just like a similar system last week, the storm will strengthen as it passes and therefore race out of the region. By Saturday morning, between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., this storm will be near Nova Scotia and clouds will be thinning for a dry weekend.

Temperatures will be in the mid-30s from Worcester to Boston Friday afternoon with Southeastern Mass. and the Cape closer to 40 degrees. With some added warmth blowing on shore, that’ll make it even trickier to set the rain-snow line and those areas could start off with rain.

I’d say that I-495 and east to Boston, south to the Cape, will start with cold rain before quickly switching to light snow showers as the temperatures drop heading into Friday evening. Western New England won’t see much action with this storm outside of a few flurries at times.

A switch to snow from the Boston area to south coastal areas should happen fairly quickly and really only the outer Cape will stick to rain.

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All in all, it’s looking like light accumulations from a coating to 2 inches, with the higher totals happening around the I-95 and I-495 belts. There could be a heavier pocket of snow that pushes an isolated 3 inches in a couple of spots.

A quick-moving coastal system will bring snow showers to Eastern Massachusetts and south coastal areas Friday night into Saturday.Boston Globe

Outside of Southern New England, Downeast Maine will be clipped by the outer edge of this storm, where Bangor to Millinocket might snag about 4 to 6 inches.

This storm will strengthen as the evening progresses and wind gusts will reach anywhere from 20 to 30 miles per hour for folks along the coast. The blustery conditions will likely stay in place Saturday after the storm passes.

Wind gusts Friday night and early Saturday morning can reach between 20 and 30 miles per hour.Boston Globe

The main question is: If it does snow more than an inch in Boston, will it be enough to stick around to count as a white Christmas come Wednesday morning? We’ll keep you posted.


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Ken Mahan can be reached at ken.mahan@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman.





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Man stabbed 5 times as argument spills out of Boston concert hall, DA says

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Man stabbed 5 times as argument spills out of Boston concert hall, DA says


A man is facing charges for stabbing someone five times outside a Boston music venue this month, prosecutors said.

Witnesses told investigators the fight that led to the stabbing early Dec. 1 near the Roadrunner in Brighton began when Collin Hullum’s sister was confronted for cutting a line at the bar, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday. A TikTok video showing part of the ensuing incident depicts Hullum with a knife, they said.

On Tuesday, Hullum, 36, was ordered held without bail on charges of assault to kill and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, prosecutors said. He’s due back in court Thursday.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Hullum had an attorney who could speak to his arrest.

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The incident was reported about 2:34 a.m., where a 26-year-old man was being treated after being stabbed five times in the back, prosecutors said. Surveillance footage showed him and his friends arguing with three people inside the entrance to the neighboring Warrior Ice Arena.

One of the three people, later identified as Hullum, can be seen striking the man who was wounded in the back, prosecutors said. He was tracked down through eyewitness accounts and surveillance video showing him walking to his car and driving away.

Prosecutors said the man who was stabbed appeared to have been trying to break the fight up.

“What was supposed to be an evening out enjoying a show quickly turned into a violent altercation that resulted in one man facing serious injuries and another man facing serious charges. The victim here seemed to be attempting to stop the violence. I thank him for that and I wish him a full recovery,” District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement.

Another person seen with a knife in the fight tried stabbing two people inside the Warrior Ice Arena’s foyer as well, and will face charges later, according to prosecutors.

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Arthur the Aardvark lookalike contest coming to Boston

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Arthur the Aardvark lookalike contest coming to Boston


Neighborhoods

Dust off your yellow sweater, blue jeans, and wide circle glasses. Oh, don’t forget your ears.

Beloved (and locally produced) cartoon aardvark Arthur Read celebrated his 20th birthday in 2018. Produced by WGBH, the series holds the title of TV’s longest-running children’s animated series. PBS Kids

Missed the viral Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest in New York? Couldn’t make it to the Tom Holland lookalike contest on Boston Common? GBH Kids and Boston Children’s Museum has the event for you.

The two groups are joining forces to host an Arthur the Aardvark lookalike contest on Dec. 20 in honor of the longtime PBS Kids show produced by GBH. The contest is set to take place at noon, rain or shine, in front of the Hood Milk Bottle, a representative from GBH said. 

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The representative said fans of  “all ages” are encouraged to dress up as Arthur to compete in the contest. Participants may win prizes like Boston Children’s Museum tickets and the opportunity to have a photo of them dressed as the aardvark featured as Arthur’s official TikTok and Instagram profile picture.

GBH said attendees will have the chance to pick up some Arthur-themed swag at the event, and Arthur himself may even be around to snap some selfies.

Why a lookalike contest? Why Arthur?

The show, aptly named Arthur, was created in Boston for GBH in 1996 based on books by author Mike Brown. The anthropomorphic aardvark is known for his “signature look,” GBH said, which consists of a yellow sweater, blue jeans, and big, round glasses. 

The Boston’s Children’s Museum even has an exhibit dedicated to the cartoon called “Arthur and Friends,” intended to encourage skills like “reading, understanding feelings, creative problem solving, and connecting with friends and family,” the museum’s website said. According to the GBH spokesperson, their “longstanding partnership” with the museum, and the exhibit, made the perfect recipe for a lookalike contest.

Doppelganger face-offs have had their share of viral moments lately, starting off with the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest in November. Since then, multiple similar contests have sprung up around the country, including a Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest in Chicago, and yes, even a JFK lookalike contest here in Boston.

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Eva Levin is a general assignment co-op for Boston.com. She covers breaking and local news in Boston and beyond.





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