They used to be on almost every block, evolving from glass-walled booths to stand-alone phones such as this. When this Sept. 7, 2001 photo was taken, a pedestrian was passing a Verizon pay phone in Boston. At the time, Verizon Communications Inc. was about to raise the price of a local call from 35 cents to 50 cents. There are still some pay phones in Boston, though rare, and a sighting makes for a throwback celebration.(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Big news! On Tuesday, Massachusetts lawmakers announced that 225 new liquor licenses will be coming to 13 zip codes around the city!

A compromise bill (H 5039) filed by House and Senate negotiators Tuesday afternoon authorizes 225 new licenses, including 195 “restricted” licenses specifically marked for neighborhoods encompassed in 13 city ZIP codes. According to the lead conferees, five would be added to each ZIP code annually during a three-year phase-in period.

According to State House News, the agreement also adds 12 unrestricted licenses to the city’s supply, three specifically for Oak Square in Brighton and 15 “community licenses” for nonprofits, small theaters, and outdoor spaces.

In a joint statement, Senate President Pro Tempore Will Brownsberger of Belmont and House Majority Leader Michael Moran of Brighton said they see the bill “dramatically expanding equity for restaurant owners in neighborhoods across the city and increasing economic opportunity in communities of color that have been left out for too long.”

The House bill (H 4696) had called for 205 new licenses, while the Senate’s version (S 2903) would have authorized 260.
The branches were “very close, if not done” with the negotiations when they concluded formal sessions on the morning of Aug. 1, Moran said at the time.

The conference report (H 5039) was filed shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday in the House clerk’s office.  Moran and Brownsberger said that the goal is to send it to Gov. Maura Healey “by the end of the week.”

Last year, the Boston City Council unanimously passed a home rule petition which asked the state for approval to release 250 new liquor licenses over the next five years, restricting them to 10 ZIP codes that don’t already have many licenses. Most of these neighborhoods have a high population of people of color and are desperate for new economic development.

My wife isn’t interested in sex after menopause

Hey everybody, can you take this survey? Some questions might not apply to you – or maybe they all will. We’re trying to get a sense of things over here at LL – to bring you the most happiness, etc.

Readers? How do you talk about this? People who’ve lost (or found) their drive, any advice about what to say? How to approach? How you handled this?

I’d love to read your question. Send your own letter by using the anonymous form or email [email protected]. Let’s start a new season with a fresh look on everything.