Paris Alston: This is GBH’s Morning Edition. A bill that would grant Boston more liquor licenses is making its way through the state legislature. It’s already passed in the House, and now the Senate is making amendments, with a vote set to take place before the legislative session ends on July 31st. Joining us to talk more about this is Nick Korn, a partner and researcher with Offsite, an organization that develops training for the restaurant industry. Hi there Nick. Thanks for being here.

Nick Korn: Hi, Paris. Thanks for having me.

Alston: So how would this bill change things as they are now?

Korn: So this bill would create some additional restricted liquor licenses that would be issued to specific zip codes throughout the city that historically have been underserved by past liquor license laws.

Alston: And we have talked a little bit about this here on Morning Edition as part of our series Nightlife in Boston. Remind us why it is so difficult to get a liquor license.

Korn: Sure. That’s a complicated question for sure. There’s about 1,200 liquor licenses in the whole city of Boston, and that was created in a law at the end of prohibition, so basically 90 years ago, and hasn’t changed appreciably since then. And basically with that hard cap, we end up with a zero sum game in Boston. So every time you see a new place open somewhere, maybe downtown or inthe Seaport, it basically means that somewhere else had to close somewhere else in the city. And so what we’re seeing is that essentially we have this pattern of strip mining licenses out of our neighborhoods, especially our neighborhoods of color, and moving down into the Seaport and downtown. So there’s entire parts of our city that are wildly underserved and that have very few liquor licenses.

Alston: And Offsite and the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition drew up a map to illustrate this. And you know that there are 47 times more licenses in Boston’s for the whitest zip codes, versus its for least white. Tell us historically why that is the case.

Korn: Yeah. It follows a pattern of sort of structural racism that goes throughout our entire city. And so basically what we did is we just layered census data over licensing data. So there’s a ton of publicly available information that we just tried to bring together so that we could provide accurate data to inform our legislators and allow them to make data-driven decisions. But the pattern is based on what I said, essentially. So if I knew, let’s say multinational hotel wants to open somewhere downtown, they essentially engage a broker or a lawyer and they need to find an existing license because of that hard cap. So every new place, when you walk down, you know, Seaport Boulevard and you look at all these licenses and all of these restaurants, each one of them sort of has, at the heart of them, like the soul of a neighborhood restaurant that had to close. And you can’t really fault the operators for taking that money. The restaurant industry is exceedingly difficult, and the margins are very small. And so if someone comes along and offers you a six-figure check, it’s really hard to say no. But I fault the system which has created this zero-sum game where to open a new place, you have to close somewhere else.

Alston: And those can sell for like $600,000, right? On the secondary market.

Korn: Exactly. And there’s sort of this like artificial scarcity that’s been created by the state because of our liquor license law. And so this new bill does something really intentional. And so it doesn’t create additional transferable licenses that will be traded and sold on that secondary market. Instead, it creates restricted licenses that are issued to an individual ZIP code. And so basically they wait at the city until someone from that zip code applies and is approved by the city and the state. And then if that business closes or that operator wants to, you know, exit, that license goes back to the city and stays there only to be issued to that zip code. So it sort of like backfills the hole of what’s been dug out and brought downtown into the Seaport.

Alston: So one of those zip codes includes the neighborhood of Mattapan here in Boston. And a few weeks ago here on Morning Edition, we took a walk down the block in Mattapan Square as part of a regular series that I do here. And one of the subjects of that story, Wendell Delk, told us how there used to be multiple bars and nightclubs in the area that ended up leaving, but had they remained, there could have been an opportunity.

Wendell Delk: People driving up and down from the surrounding areas can come and say, hey, there’s people sitting outside. So that probably would have opened it up to a more communicable way of life for Mattapan, where it’d become a melting pot.

Alston: So tell us what is lost when a neighborhood doesn’t have access to this resource?

Korn: Yeah. So there’s countless examples. And then when you really zoom in to one space, you know, you talk to folks in the neighborhood and people remember a given address that used to be a bar, that used to be a restaurant that they had, you know, fundamental memories. They met friends or they got engaged or, you know, any sort of like, life-altering moments. And those spaces are dark. I’ll give the example of a bar in Roxbury. It was Sonny Walker’s.

Alston: Yes, I remember when it closed.

Korn: And then it became C&S Tavern. And then basically what happened is an internationally owned steakhouse that wanted to open in the Prudential Center, you know, went to the family who were already kind of dealing with generational change and succession planning and offered them, you know, a number that was too good to be true. And they took the exit. And so then that historical space, that really like living room of Roxbury, went dark and became a closed space. And if you look at that little strip of Warren Ave., you know, there’s a dollar store and there’s probably five empty storefronts. And so basically what happened is Royal Smith of the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition has been an amazing collaborator on this whole process. He saw this opportunity, and he was able to get one of these restricted licenses to recreate a gathering space, a third space in our neighborhood. And that’s what District 7 Tavern is. These liquor licenses are really about sit down restaurants, right? Sure, there’s going to be bars and taverns, but fundamentally, the sit down restaurant is reliant on a liquor license. And so because of this pattern, we’ve been losing our licenses. And then these neighborhoods essentially just have takeout places and counter service, because if you are in a major metropolitan city like Boston and you don’t own your own building, and certainly plenty of us don’t, the finances of a restaurant just don’t work. And if you go up and down our neighborhoods, including Mattapan, so many of our businesses are quick takeout. So that doesn’t create community. It doesn’t create as many jobs, it doesn’t create as much economic activity. And so this new bill, if and when it passes, it could have a huge impact on our city, on our neighborhoods, our small business owners, and specifically on our small business owners of color in our neighborhoods of color.

Alston: Well, that is Nick Korn, a partner and researcher with the organization Offsite, which develops training for the restaurant industry. Nick, thank you so very much.

Korn: Thank you so much for having this conversation, Paris.

Alston: You’re listening to GBH News.

SOFTBALL

Brooke Aldrich (Taunton)

Aniyah Bailey (Taunton)

Priya Bedard (Medway)

Lauren Bernaiche (Apponequet)

Abby Bettencourt (Peabody)

Kelsey Blanchette (Lincoln-Sudbury)

Bella Bourque (Taunton)

Riley Caulfield (Millis)

Kiele Coleman (Methuen)

Liana Danubio (Norton)

McKenzie Foley (Hanover)

Breanna Fontes (Case)

Natalia Fotopoulos (Arlington)

Katie Fox (Central Catholic)

Brigid Gaffny (North Andover)

Whitney Gigante (Tewksbury)

Ali Gill (King Philip)

Kaelyn Larkin (Medfield)

Lucy Latour (Dighton-Rehoboth)

Isabelle Levasseur (Amesbury)

Samantha Lincoln (Taunton)

Logan Lomasney (Peabody)

Shakura Lynch (Milton)

Shannon Macleod (Notre Dame Hingham)

Julia Malowitz (Central Catholic)

Delaney Moquin (Silver Lake)

Jillian Ondrick (Archbishop Williams)

Emma Penniman (Triton)

Alyx Rossi (Bedford)

Kathleen Simmons (Arlington Catholic)

Sharlotte Stazinski (Walpole)

Elsie Testa (Abington)

Lauren Trostel (Plymouth South)

McCoy Walsh (King Philip)

HONORABLE MENTION

Kasie Bailey (Abington)

Maddie Baker (Needham)

Cam Cloonan (Dighton-Rehoboth)

Bailey DeLeire (Mystic Valley)

Taylor Dolan (Cardinal Spellman)

AJ Gates (Monomoy)

Abby Greene (Norwell)

Ella Haley (Reading)

Abby Hanna (Hanover)

Rebecca Harris (Tewksbury)

Lily Mackenzie (Wilmington)

Ella Mancuso (North Andover)

Emily Meleedy (Newburyport)

Caitlin Milner (Central Catholic)

Brooke Moloney (St. Mary’s)

Bridget Mulkeen (Westwood)

Madison Nereu (Wareham)

Lily Picard (Case)

Mylee Ramer (Bishop Feehan)

Taylor Reid (Bridgewater-Raynham)

Jenna Roche (North Andover)

Olivia Schultz (Natick)

Mia Torres (Taunton)

Samantha Waters (Silver Lake)

ALL-SCHOLASTICS

BROOKE ALDRICH

TAUNTON

The junior Hockomock League All-Star for the four-time defending Div. 1 state champions made her mark as a shortstop this season, hitting .438 with eight doubles, three triples, five home runs, 38 RBI, and 32 runs scored. She had her 100th career hit this season.

ANIYAH BAILEY

TAUNTON

Just a freshman, this catcher immediately contributed to the best team in the state and D1 state champion. She led the team with a .551 batting average, .607 on-base percentage, nine doubles, six triples, seven home runs, 40 RBI, and 38 runs scored. She also plays field hockey.

PRIYA BEDARD

MEDWAY

A junior catcher, she was a TVL All-Star, a TVL Small co-MVP and a team MVP. She batted .548, with a .618 OBP, a 1.441 OPS, with 34 hits, four doubles, five triples, a home run, 25 RBI, 27 runs scored, and a .992 fielding percentage. She also plays soccer.

LAUREN BERNAICHE

APPONEQUET

This senior as a pitcher threw 118 innings, with 33 runs and 33 earned runs, a 1.78 ERA, 19 walks, and 185 strikeouts. She batted .468 with a .526 OBP, 14 RBI 20 runs, and 16 stolen bases. She was the South Coast Conference MVP.

ABBY BETTENCOURT

PEABODY

The senior batted .654, with a .732 OBP, with 34 RBI and eight home runs. As a pitcher, her ERA was .957 in 117 innings pitched. She struck out 186 batters. For her career, she had a .567 batting average, 110 RBI, and 26 homers. She holds the school record with 732 strikeouts as a pitcher.

KELSEY BLANCHETTE

LINCOLN-SUDBURY

A junior, this pitcher also stood out at outfield, second base, and shortstop. She was the DCL Conference Player of the Year. She batted .429 with five home runs, 33 hits, 28 RBI. She struck out 103 batters in 78.2 innings with an opponent batting average of .185.

BELLA BOURQUE

TAUNTON

Another terrific player from the Div. 1 state champs, this freshman got it done both as a third baseman and catcher. A Hockomock All-Star, she batted .475, with a .536 OBP, 10 doubles, eight triples, a home run, 35 RBI, and 38 runs scored.

RILEY CAULFIELD

MILLIS

This pitcher and outfielder had a standout senior season. In 120 innings pitched, she had 131 strikeouts (with 616 in her career), with a 2.78 ERA. She threw a no-hitter against Bellingham, and two other one-hitters. At the plate, she hit .574, with 27 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases.

KIELE COLEMAN

METHUEN

This senior shortstop was a three-time First-Team Merrimack Valley Conference performer. This spring, she batted .415, with 19 RBI, a .449 OBP, and a .561 slugging percentage. For her career, she batted .374 with 77 RBI and 94 runs scored.

LIANA DANUBIO

NORTON

This sophomore excelled as both a pitcher and third baseman. A captain and TVL All-Star, she was the TVL Pitcher of the Year, with eight shutouts. She struck out 142, with a 2.05 ERA. On offense, she batted .421 with a .500 OBP. She is a high honors student.

McKENZIE FOLEY

HANOVER

A Patriot League All-Star, the senior third baseman joined Hanover’s 100-hit club, with a 518 batting average, 43 hits, 25 RBI, and 37 runs. For her career, she was a four-year league all-star, with 123 hits, 73 RBI, and 100 runs scored.

BREANNA FONTES

CASE

This junior catcher batted .549, slugged 1.028, with 10 doubles, 38 RBI, six home runs, 12 walks, and only one strikeout all season. For her career, she has 14 home runs, 22 doubles, and 89 RBI. She is a high honors student.

NATALIA FOTOPOULOS

ARLINGTON

The senior played center field, pitcher, shortstop, and catcher. She had 33 hits, a .458 average, a .551 OBP, .597 slugging, 32 runs, and 19 RBI. In the circle, she had a 1.25 ERA, seven earned runs allowed, and 54 strikeouts.

KATIE FOX

CENTRAL CATHOLIC

This senior shortstop in just 73 at-bats scored 28 runs, had 35 hits, a .480 batting average, and 26 RBI. She is a three-time National Honor Society student. She will continue her career at Saint Anselm.

BRIGID GAFFNY

NORTH ANDOVER

This senior was a First-Team MVC All-Conference performer as a freshman, sophomore, and junior, and the MVC Player of the Year as a senior. This season, she batted .305 with two home runs, 12 RBI, and as a pitcher struck out 173 with a 1.38 ERA.

WHITNEY GIGANTE

TEWKSBURY

This senior was a First Team All-Merrimack Valley Conference performer, the MVC 1 Player of the Year, and team co-MVP. She posted a 15-3 record with a 2.36 ERA, 115 strikeouts, and just 21 walks. On offense, she had a 16-game hit streak to start the spring, and batted .566 with a 646 OBP and .755 slugging.

ALI GILL

KING PHILIP

This big-hitting sophomore center fielder batted .421 with 40 hits, 12 home runs, 45 RBI, 42 runs, and 12 stolen bases. A two-year varsity starter, she has 69 hits, 20 homers, 74 RBI, and 76 runs scored.

KAELYN LARKIN

MEDFIELD

A pitcher, shortstop, and outfielder, this senior batted .569 with 12 homers, 38 RBI, 1.310 slugging, and a 1.972 OPS. A three-time TVL MVP, a four-time TVL All-Star, she had 39 home runs and 152 RBI.

LUCY LATOUR

DIGHTON-REHOBOTH

The senior center fielder led the way for the Div. 3 state champions. She batted .576 with a .579 OBP, and 1.045 slugging. She had 49 hits with 19 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 39 RBI, and 34 runs scored. She had over 100 hits, RBI, and runs scored for her career.

ISABELLE LEVASSEUR

AMESBURY

This senior pitcher earned team MVP and Cape Ann League Baker Player of the Year this past season. She batted .410 with 30 runs, 28 RBI, and five home runs. In the circle, she went 15-5, with 27 earned runs in 117 innings pitched, with a 1.62 ERA, and 215 strikeouts.

SAMANTHA LINCOLN

TAUNTON

The senior led the Tigers to an undefeated record and fourth consecutive Div. 1 state title. The Gatorade Player of the Year pitched 133 innings, struck out 284 batters, with a 2.11 ERA. She batted .393 with a .493 OBP, six doubles, and four home runs. She will continue her career at Texas Tech.

LOGAN LOMASNEY

PEABODY

A two-time Herald All-Scholastic, the senior is a four-time Northeast Conference All-Star. This year, she batted .493 with a 1.000 fielding percentage, and hit eight home runs with 32 RBI. She will attend Southern New Hampshire to play basketball and softball.

SHAKURA LYNCH

MILTON

This senior shortstop and catcher batted .393, with two home runs, and 18 RBI. A two-time Bay State Conference All-Star, she also competes in track, and will attend UMass-Lowell in the fall.

SHANNON MacLEOD

NOTRE DAME

This senior pitcher struck out 199 batters this season, and finished with 558 strikeouts in her career. She posted a 1.96 ERA, with an opposing batting average of .197. Offensively, she hit eight home runs with a .493 average.

JULIA MALOWITZ

CENTRAL CATHOLIC

The senior pitcher had an ERA this season of 1.68, with 129 strikeouts, compiling a 15-2 record. As a hitter, she batted .400 with 26 hits. Her exploits led her to MVC First-Team All-Conference honors. For her career, she struck out 377 batters.

DELANEY MOQUIN

SILVER LAKE

This junior earned Patriot League Keenan Division All-Star and MVP honors for the second year in a row. She compiled a 19-2 record. In 138 innings pitched, she had 265 strikeouts, an 0.45 ERA, and a .105 batting average against. Offensively, she hit .364 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI.

JILLIAN ONDRICK

ARCHBISHOP WILLIAMS

The MVP of the Catholic Central League, the sophomore helped guide her team to 14 wins and a spot in the Round of 16 in the Div. 3 state tournament. Ondrick has already surpassed 500 career strikeouts to go along with 100 hits and 100 RBI. In the offseason, she competes for the Louisville Sluggers 16U VanBoxmeer.

EMMA PENNIMAN

TRITON

As a pitcher, the junior had a 1.21 ERA. For her career, she has struck out 506 batters. Offensively, she hit .443 with a .524 OBP, a 1.238 OPS, and .714 slugging percentage. For the last two seasons, she has been the CAL Kinney Softball Player of the Year.

ALYX ROSSI

BEDFORD

The junior southpaw earned DCL MVP honors after striking out 278 batters in 116 innings and posting a miniscule 0.12 ERA. She also batted .635 with six home runs and 47 hits. A member of the National Honor Society, Rossi has already given a verbal commitment to Boston College.

KATHLEEN SIMMONS

ARLINGTON CATHOLIC

A senior second baseman, Simmons batted .552, with a .582 OBP this season. She had 48 hits, with 27 RBI, 32 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. She was a Catholic Central League All-Star, and the CCL Offensive MVP. She had over 100 hits for her career.

SHARLOTTE STAZINSKI

WALPOLE

This junior led the Timberwolves to the Div. 2 state championship. A pitcher, she posted a 20-1 record with an ERA of 1.12, 226 strikeouts, 73 hits, and 22 earned runs in 138 innings pitched. She also hit for a .311 average, .408 OBP, and .541 slugging. She is also captain of the volleyball team.

ELSIE TESTA

ABINGTON

Only a sophomore, this pitcher had 22 starts, 152 innings pitched, and allowed only 19 earned runs, with a 0.88 ERA. She struck out 189 batters, with 62 walks, one wild pitch, and no errors made. She also had a no-hitter against Pembroke. She was the South Shore League Tobin Player of the Year.

LAUREN TROSTEL

PLYMOUTH SOUTH

This senior was a captain and a four-year Patriot League All-Star. This season, she batted .577 in 20 games, with 41 hits, 31 RBI, and 30 runs scored. She also had an .845 slugging percentage. She was the Patriot League Fisher Division MVP this season. For her career, she had a .504 average, with 84 RBI.

MCCOY WALSH

KING PHILIP

Only a sophomore, she pitched for 107.2 innings, posting a 15-2 mark, with 186 strikeouts, and an opponents’ batting average of .148. For her career, she is 31-5, with 420 strikeouts, and an opposing batting average of .142.

LEAGUE ALL-STARS

BAY STATE CONFERENCE

MK Maloney, Shakura Lynch, Victoria Fish, Sadie Steuterman (Milton); Caitlyn Russell, Katie McMahon, Olivia Schultz, Jayme Kiley (Natick); Sharlotte Stazinski, Grace Todd, Caroline Doran, Caroline Daley (Walpole); Catherine McPhee, Gabby Diaute (Braintree); Sarah Deroian, Maddie Baker, Emma Ching (Needham); Nora Hamel (Newton North); Mia Hasselback, Elizabeth McDonnell (Wellesley); Bella Pires (Weymouth)

MVP: Olivia Schultz, Maddie Baker

BOSTON CITY LEAGUE

Jenna DaSilva (East Boston); Ashley Jimenez (Excel); Rose Monestime (English); Ella Hamilton, Maddie Andrade (Latin Academy); Amy Mariano (New Mission); Julianna Berardi, Nia Buyu (O’Bryant); Dianny Felix Roman (Tech Boston)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ella Hamilton

CAPE AND ISLANDS

ATLANTIC: Jazlyn Coyer (Barnstable); Alexa Barboza, Savannah Azoff (Dennis-Yarmouth); Anna Bennett, Kaylee Shaw, Christina Femino, Molly Belfiore, Rylin Biggs (Falmouth); Naomi Francis (Nauset); AJ Gates, Alana Ljoko, Lilly Furman, Kiley Mawn, Willa Leighton (Monomoy)

MVP: AJ Gates

LIGHTHOUSE: Kelly Pacheco (Martha’s Vineyard); Sydney Ard, Madison Silva, Yahely Del Rosario Gomez (Nantucket); Emily Cunningham, Ava Botelho, Alanna Flanders (Rising Tide); Molly Reino, Sam Orcutt, Elsa Wiesner, Julianna Gygent (Sturgis); Sophia Pierangeli, Celia Trombly, Cassidy Conway (Saint John Paul II)

MVP: Seren Crister

CAPE ANN LEAGUE

Isabelle Levasseur, Calista Catarius, Alexis LeBlanc (Amesbury); Ella Barbarick (Georgetown); Morgan Hubbard (Lynnfield); Anna Gardner (Manchester-Essex); Emily Meleedy, Emma Keefe (Newburyport); Olivia Reilly, Kristen Galvin, Caitlin Reilly (North Reading); Kayla Murphy, Molly LaBel (Pentucket); Emma Penniman, Kyla Story, Skylar Colburn (Triton)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Emily Meleedy, Emma Penniman, Isabelle Levasseur

CATHOLIC CENTRAL LEAGUE

Sarah Dupre, Arli Rodriquez, Maddie Narducci, Mylee Ramer (Bishop Feehan); Monica Kelley, Alyssa Burke, Jill Ondrick, Ciara McMenamin (Archbishop Williams); Michaela Walker, Brooke Moloney, Aliza Crean-Oviedo, Roma Braid (St. Mary’s); Kathleen Simmons, Jackie Murdock, Erin Shortell, Maddie Connolly (Arlington Catholic); Val Tate, Lulu Diaz (Bishop Fenwick); Taylor Dolan, Avery Barnes (Cardinal Spellman); Katie Manzone, Ava Teixeira (Bishop Stang)

MVP: Jill Ondrick

CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

Shannon MacLeod, Claire Ferrara, Piper Levin, Hannah Gauthier (Notre Dame Hingham); Emma Hollingsworth, Lyla Hollingsworth (Malden Catholic); Colleen Ganley, Ann Kuchta (Ursuline); Ava Donaghue (Fontbonne)

COMMONWEALTH ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Maggie Carney, Chloe Crogan (Lowell Catholic); Jacqui Martineau, Caitlin Lafontaine (Academy of Notre Dame); Alyssa Collins, Kaitlyn Collins, Paige King, Katie Potter (Minuteman); Gianna Scoppettuolo, Jenna Yelmokas (Northeast); Ashley Hart, Hannah Richard (Nashoba Tech); Francesca Reardon, Reagan Bowden (Shawsheen); Samantha Nasella, Maya German, Jashley Lopez (Greater Lawrence); Ella Mangone, Emily DeLiere, Bailey DeLiere (Mystic Valley); Amaya Flood, Paige Matte, Morgan Haskell (Greater Lowell); Maddie Noury, Kaitlyn Hurley, Ainsley Rousseau, Kaylee Habib (Whittier); Camila Rufino Santos (Lynn Tech)

MVP: Kaylee Habib, Bailey DeLiere

DUAL COUNTY LEAGUE

ALL-CONFERENCE: Ashleigh Lent, Eliana Krasnow, Lia Mazzocchi, Kelsey Blanchette (Lincoln-Sudbury); Katie Carroll, Sarah Kirby (Westford Academy); Ila Gillespie, Alice Rosecan (Acton-Boxboro); Avi Kuperman (Newton South); Sophia Beckett (Wayland); Alyxandra Rossi (Bedford); Alice Cooprider (Bedford); Brook Boyle (Concord-Carlisle):

THORPE: Sarah Danielson, Sophie Jorjorian, Grace Messina (Lincoln-Sudbury); Maddie Smith, Clara Inella (Acton-Boxboro); Anya Gesin, Lyla Griffin (Westford Academy); Hannah Schwager, Lauren Kelly (Newton South); Reese Phillips, Jill Brennan (Concord-Carlisle); Nyla Collazo (Cambridge)

FOLEY: Kate Patterson, Mia Vitti, Sami Langone (Bedford); Kelsey Kaufman, Katie Pralle (Wayland); Abby Rosenfield (Boston Latin); Danielle Ananian (Waltham)

PLAYER OF YEAR: Kelsey Blanchette, Alyxandra Rossi

GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE

Sydney Conti, Lorelai Davis, Kaleigh Laidlaw, Joy Riccioli (Medford); Peyton Warren, Bryanna Mason, Emma Longmore, Emilia Maria-Babcock (Everett); Danni-Hope Randall, Shayna Smith, Frankie Reed (Revere); Rachel Dana, Lauren Wilson, Nevaeh Eth (Lynn Classical); Arianna LaBoy, LeaNyah Pineiro, Kate Johansson (Lynn English); Nora Donovan (Somerville); Haylee Seeley (Malden); Yareliz Gonzalez Falcon (Chelsea)

MVP: Gianna Masucci

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE

Samantha Lincoln, Aniyah Bailey, Bella Bourque, Mia Torres, Brooke Aldrich (Taunton); McCoy Walsh, Ava Kelley, Ali Gill, Jo Bennett, Maddie Paschke (King Philip); Cae Pellegrini, Maeve Driscoll (Milford); Emma Callahan, Vittoria Cuscia, Natalia Leach (Foxboro); Crystyliah Covel, Devon Morris (Oliver Ames); Sarah Boozang (Franklin); Rylie Camacho, Jenna Callahan, Lola Ronayne (Attleboro); Grace Foreman (North Attleboro); Olivia Madeira (Mansfield)

MVP: Samantha Lincoln

MAYFLOWER ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

LARGE: Ava Cossette, Mackenzie Duffy, Breann MacMillan, Nicole Ayre (Tri-County); Shelby Estrella , Aubry Mabrouk, Izzy Torres (Bristol-Plymouth); Bella Burke (Southeastern); Kacie Lynch, Natalie Raposa (Diman); Sylvia Cull (Blue Hills);

MVP: Kacie Lynch

SMALL: Madison MacLeod, Marlaina Poillucci, Liberty Farry (Norfolk Aggie); Mia Bradshaw, Hannah Dailey, Allie Blanchard (South Shore); Kayleigh DeSousa, Patty Spillane (Old Colony); Katelyn McCrae (Bristol Aggie); Mikayla Venuti (Cape Cod Tech); Taysia Lopes (Upper Cape)

MVP: Kayleigh DeSousa

COMPREHENSIVE: Madison Nereu, Jolee Anderson, Olivia Lacava, Jossalyn Anctil (Wareham); Tess Silvia, Jayda Pequita, Mackenzy Ponte (Westport); Makayla Hopkins, Sophia Curran (Holbrook); Rylie Patterson (Avon)

MVP: Madison Nereu

MERRIMACK VALLEY CONFERENCE

Whitney Gigante, Rebecca Harris, Avery Della Piana (Tewksbury); Ella Mancuso, Jenna Roche, Brigid Gaffny (North Andover); Caitlin Milner, Katie Fox, Julia Malowitz (Central Catholic); Adrianna Capozzi (Chelmsford); Adriana Delaney, Kiele Coleman (Methuen); McKenzie Lussier, Gabby Coffey (Dracut); Aria Frasier (Andover); Sophia DaSilva (Billerica); Samantha Dion (Haverhill)

MVP: Whitney Gigante, Brigid Gaffny

MIDDLESEX LEAGUE

LIBERTY: Natalia Fotopoulos, Soline Fisher, Nora Vartanian, Michaela Edwards (Arlington); Ella Haley, Ava Kiley, Ellie Russo, Shea Hennessy, Abbie Gullotti (Reading); Lidia Palys, Abby Man, Ria Singh (Lexington); Hannah Niemszyk, Avery Simpson, Grace Forsythe (Woburn); Josie Kim (Belmont); Tessa Capodanno (Winchester)

MVP: Natalia Fotopoulos, Ella Haley

FREEDOM: Lily Mackenzie, Ali McElligott, Charlotte Forcina, Erin McCarthy, Eva Boudreau (Wilmington); Molly Burns, Kathyryn Sliski, Jade Watherhouse, Jackie Sullivan (Wakefield); Madison King, Morgan Ryan, Sophia Marshall, Shea McDonald, Charlotte Willey (Burlington); Bella Pettinato, Caroline Andrade (Watertown); Ava Viola (Melrose)

MVP: Lily MacKenzie

NORTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

ALL-CONFERENCE: Jasmine Feliciano, Merrideth Johnston, Gabby Wickeri (Beverly); Addie McCarty, Ava Gray (Danvers); Emma Carripichosa (Gloucester); Luka Bornhorst, Tessa Francis (Marblehead); Abby Bettencourt, Lizzy Bettencourt, Logan Lomasney (Peabody); Lily Ventre (Saugus)

DUNN: Elsa Reulet, Lidia Miedema (Beverly); Brea Robinson, Samantha Fay (Danvers); Cameron Carroll, Olivia Madruga (Gloucester); Aimee Quimby (Masconomet); Kiley Doolin, Avery Grieco, Jessica Steed (Peabody)

LYNCH: Hailey Schmidt, Ruby Calienes, Isabel Mortensen (Marblehead); Liv Loux, Annie Thornett (Salem); Taylor Deleidi, Ava Rogers (Saugus); Maddie Lilley, Olivia Barletta (Swampscott); Isabella Cash (Winthrop)

MVP: Abby Bettencourt

PATRIOT LEAGUE

FISHER: Lauren Trostel, Kaylee Gendron, Ava Bonanno, Haylee Briggs (Plymouth South); Olivia Skeiber, Kelly McGee, Maria Cantino (Pembroke); Kaelyn Chase, Abby Hanna, Noey Giardina, McKenzie Foley, Erin Condon (Hanover); Riley Guterl (Scituate); Caroline O’Donnell (Quincy/North Quincy)

MVP: Lauren Trostel

KEENAN: Delaney Moquin, Madyson Bryan, Nina O’Neil, Samantha Waters, Alannah Waters, Addison Willett, Anna Craft (Silver Lake); Bilyana Wilkin, Jess Mulrey, Kate Schulte (Hingham); Sofia Blanco, Rowan Dillon (Marshfield); Callie Smith, Bella Piekarski (Plymouth North); Taryn Leonard (Whitman-Hanson); Catherine Grimaldi (Duxbury)

MVP: Delaney Moquin

SOUTH COAST CONFERENCE

Lauren Bernaiche, Christina Magnett, Eva Zuber(Apponequet); Lucy Latour, Cam Cloonan, Edy Latour (Dighton-Rehoboth); Sydney Merusi (Fairhaven); Jaden Morrell (Bourne); Lila Alvarez, Bre Fontes, Lily Picard (Case); Makenzie Jacob, Julia Costa (Somerset Berkley); Ana Tsonis, Alexia Tsonis (Greater New Bedford); Tara Goldman (Old Rochester)

MVP: Lauren Bernaiche

SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE

Amelia David, Hayleigh Chenard, Ivy Mattos (New Bedford); Julia Rumsey, Katerina Rumsey, Mia Jacob (Durfee); Aubrey Carberry, Olivia Rapoza, Megan Arruda (Dartmouth); Ava Selter, Madison Delano, Taylor Reid (Bridgewater-Raynham); Casey Hoyt (Brockton)

MVP: Taylor Reid

SOUTH SHORE LEAGUE

TOBIN: Kasie Bailey, Elsie Testa, Brenna Howley, Calli Pineau, Maddie McDonald (Abington); Sarah Langtry, Madison Butler (Carver); Caitlyn Simms, Angelina Grimes, Madeleine LeFevre (Cohasset); Brianna Hewitt, Kiley Murdock, Chelsea Amaral (Rockland)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Elsie Testa

SULLIVAN: Taryn Clancy, Taylynn Robinson, Cristina Chane, Mackenzy Conlon, Olivia Hartman (Middleboro); Olivia Atkins, Maddie Blette, Riley Egan, Maggie Scholossberg (East Bridgewater); Abigail Greene, Evelyn Sim, Penny Saich, Teegan Link (Norwell); Mia Consalvi (Sandwich)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Abigail Greene

TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE

Zoe Adams, Caroline Ozmun, Holly Paharik, Addy Walls (Hopkinton); Katie Anderson, Priya Bedard (Medway); Tess Baacke (Medfield); Riley Caulfield (Millis); Liana Danubio, Paige Donahue, Avery Soares, Avery Tinkham (Norton); Natalie Gale, Lizzy Helmar (Norwood); Christina Gentile (Dedham); Jacobi Houston (Bellingham); Kaelyn Larkin, Kendall Larkin (Medfield); Kaylee MacDonald (Holliston); Sasha Marino, Bridget Mulkeen (Westwood); Alaina Martin (Dedham)

MVP: Priya Bedard, Riley Caulfield, Kaelyn Larkin

BOSTON – Rent in Boston is already sky high, but sometimes renters are asked to pay the first and last month’s rent, security deposit, and broker fee. The total is all too often as much as four months’ rent upfront. Newly proposed Massachusetts legislation aims to put the broker fee on the landlord’s dime.

“When I first heard about [the broker fee], I thought it was a scam,” said Madison Survin, a renter who moved to Boston from Dallas. She wasn’t used to these upfront costs. “I personally don’t have any savings, and I’m grateful that my parents do.”

Broker fees a Boston area issue  

Some experts call the broker fee strictly a Boston area issue where renters will pay anything to find a place in a tight market.

“If you have a broker working with a landlord outside of Boston, typically the landlord pays for that,” explains Doug Quattrocchi, a landlord and the Executive Director of Mass Landlords.

He says the state’s legal framework only allows a landlord to ask for first and last month’s rent, along with a security deposit and locks fee. He puts broker fees in a gray area, much like pet fees.

“The law already makes it clear that landlords shouldn’t be asking renters to pay for it, but there’s a lack of enforcement,” said Quattrochi, who says a large portion of their members do not ask their renters to pay broker fees.

This of course, doesn’t mean that renters will be free of the financial burden even if the law passes.

“All they have to do if this law were to pass is to raise the rent to cover the broker fee,” adds Quattrochi.

How did broker fees start in the first place?  

Quattrochi says it has become increasingly difficult for landlords to evict troublesome tenants, making it crucial that they select the right one. This is where a broker comes in.

“Last time I rented a three-bedroom apartment in Worcester, I had 192 applicants for one apartment, so brokers are wading through that,” said Quattrochi. “We know if there is a mistake in tenant selection that the buck stops with us. We are the ones who have to pay for that eviction. This wasn’t really as necessary when it was possible to evict misbehaving tenants quickly, so you didn’t have to screen carefully.”

“They choose to get a broker to do this so credit can be run, references can be checked from former landlords,” said Nicole Vermillion, a real estate broker with Lamacchia Realty. She is also a landlord.

Clients weighing whether to rent or buy  

Vermillion now has clients weighing whether to drop that money on rent, or to find a way to buy instead.

“That’s almost a small downpayment on a house for some people. I always tell people, if you can live where you are living for maybe a discounted cost, be that at home, at an in-law, or with a friend, save up because your money is only going toward your landlord’s mortgage,” said Vermillion. “When you are putting that much money down, it should make you wonder, should I put that toward something equity buildable rather than washing away with rent?”