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Readers Say
There’s news that makes you go “Hmmm…” And then there’s news that makes you go “Whaaa?” These are the second kind.
We asked Boston.com readers which weird, wacky, and offbeat Boston-area stories garnered their attention most during 2024, and they didn’t hold back. We received about 400 responses mentioning any number of local developments that you’d be tempted to think somebody made up, if you didn’t know they were true.
Below we count down the top five, along with some others readers found worthy of note. And meanwhile, who knows: 2025 might be even weirder.
Restaurateurs everywhere must wish they had the faccia tosta of Jen Royle, the Boston restaurant owner who doesn’t take guff from anybody — especially customers who try to get out of their reservations. When a tourist (from New York!) did an end-run around Royle’s reservation policy at her North End TABLE restaurant in February, using his credit card insurance to avoid paying a $250 cancellation fee, she allegedly tracked him down on social media and let him have it. “I just wanted to personally thank you for screwing over my restaurant and my staff when you disputed your cancellation fee,” she wrote in a message that the man screen-shotted and shared on social media, where it was viewed by tens of millions. “Pathetic,” Royle added, for good measure.
Tracking down would-be customers to give them a flogging may not be the best business decision, but anybody who’s ever dealt with a tough customer in their line of work has got to appreciate Royle’s gumption. “Heroine archetype that you ultimately cannot help but root for,” wrote Mink S. from Dorchester, citing both Royle and a certain other 2024 standout you’ll see mentioned in No. 1, below. “Flawed but fascinating!” We concur, Mink.
Is it just us, or is Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy suddenly, well, everywhere? The man gets within whiffing distance of a pizza place and the entire world stops turning as people await his latest “One Bite” review. (Even if he doesn’t always get them right, once the New York Times has dubbed you a “pizza influencer” you can basically say whatever you want.)
As if that weren’t enough, back in July he had to go and get himself stranded at sea off the coast of Nantucket when his boat’s engine and breakers died, necessitating a Coast Guard rescue. He chronicled the whole ordeal (where else?) on TikTok, declaring that “Captain Dave lives to tell another tale.” Not everybody is a fan — “Only follow the Portnoy stories to see what moronic thing he’s said lately,” wrote Mark M. from Danvers — but there’s no denying that the lucky owner of a new $42 million Nantucket mansion is riding pretty high.
“It’s not about the top; it’s about oppression,” Katrina Brees, the co-organizer of a topless protest in Boston last August, told Boston.com. And now that we’ve cleared that up you can all get your minds out of the gutter, the 11% of you who mentioned this as your favorite off-beat story of the year. We know you’re mostly men, because a subsequent survey we did showed that men overwhelmingly wanted women to be able to take their shirts off in public. Women, on the other hand, tended to be more in favor of men keeping their own shirts ON, because they’ve been to a beach and have seen things. Enough said.
And in case you were wondering, about six women wound up going topless at the protest, and about 100 people showed up to ogle them. We’re not sure if that’s progress, but we do know that it proved a challenge for news photographers.
Tom Brady may have long since moved on from the Patriots to greener pastures — i.e. a Super Bowl win with Tampa Bay and a zillion-dollar contract with Fox Sports — but that didn’t stop Bostonites from lapping up every minute of Netlfix’s roast of the quarterback last May. (And there were a lot of minutes — the thing actually hit the three-hour mark.)
“I’m still aghast at the Brady roast,” wrote Bob from Stoughton, but just because people were aghast (or perhaps even agog), that didn’t mean they could turn away. This outlet alone did close to a dozen stories on it, and you just kept reading them! Never let it be said we don’t give the people what they want.
For Brady’s part, it became increasingly obvious over the course of the evening that he may not have really understood what a roast was — that’s one of those things you might miss if you spend every waking moment of your life for two decades studying play calls and eating kale. And he said afterwards he wouldn’t do it again, mainly so his kids wouldn’t have to hear people quoting Nikki Glaser lines back to them. That’s not good for anybody.

The world has a new folk hero, and no, we don’t mean Luigi Mangione. We’re talking about Madison Murray: When her spoof of the Market Basket logo to promote her erotic art and poetry book prompted a cease-and-desist from the beloved local supermarket, she wound up ceasing-and-desisting her way right into our hearts.
“Madison Murray is an amazing artist doing hilarious, wonderful niche work of representing us working class kids on the North Shore,” wrote Desiree D. of Medford, echoing dozens of other readers singing Murray’s praises. “Her feud with Market Basket will be one of my top Boston moments of all time.” Did you hear that? Of all time!
For her part, Murray says she never meant to offend the grocery chain with her “Wh*** For Your Dollar” merchandise or the pictures of her wearing a bikini made out of Market Basket plastic bags (the old, un-environmentally friendly kind). “Like, I love Market Basket,” she told Boston.com. “I would never, ever try to tarnish their brand. If anything, I created it to try to pay homage and show my love for Market Basket even more.” Meanwhile, Boston.com readers have shown their love for you, Madison! That and 99 cents will get you a bottle of Chelmsford soda.
The New Hampshire Diaper Spa: Let’s face it, calling your business “The Diaper Spa” — a nursery-like business for adults who role play as children and [checks notes] wear diapers — is probably going to get you into trouble with the neighbors, which is exactly what happened in Atkinson, New Hampshire, this year. Not that we can think of anything better … “Babies R Us,” maybe? (On second thought, never mind.) “The diaper thing was funny, but not my top choice — seems like more of a bottom,” wrote Alison from New Hampshire.
The Bourne Rotary stealth camper: There are probably worse ways to get YouTube famous than by sleeping out in the iconic rotary at the entrance to Cape Cod, cooking up a lobster roll, and waking up covered in pine sap. But there are probably better ways too.
Celebrities take over Boston: We’ve had our share in Boston and the surrounding area this year, including the likes of Jason Momoa, Channing Tatum, Larry David, and Renee Rapp and Ed Sheeran, not to mention local fixtures like Matt Damon and John Krasinski. And most recently, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya sightings have become so common that the TV news doesn’t even notice them anymore. Bonus: Where goeth Zendaya also goeth Tom Holland, and/or his lookalikes.
Joro spider hits Beacon Hill: The arrival of the Joro spider — you know, that invasive, bright yellow-and-blue arachnid that can grow to about the size of your palm — in Boston in September caused, well, just about the amount of panic you’d expect. “Grab the flamethrowers!” exclaimed Christine M. of Westboro in response to our poll on the matter, which found that 41% of readers classified the spider’s arrival as among their “worst nightmares.”
Ayo Edebiri reveals her favorite dessert: The Boston-born star of “The Bear” told Seth Meyers about The Cool Dog — the frozen treat remembered only by dyed-in-the-wool New Englanders — and the rest was history. “Cool Dogs forever!” wrote Em P. from Cambridge.
Stay tuned for a full list of the most-read stories on Boston.com in 2024 next week.
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Two people were stabbed following an alleged bar brawl in Southie over the weekend.
According to a police report, officers arrived at Tom English’s around 10:30 p.m., Friday for a report of a fight. When they arrived on the scene, a victim told police that he was sucker punched during a fight and pointed out a person who was the “main aggressor” throughout the incident.
The suspect was pat frisked by police, but the report said they did not find any weapons. “The suspect stated that he was jumped [by the party of the victim,” the report said. “The suspect refused to cooperate any further after repeated attempts by officers to get his version of events.”
Both the suspect and victim declined EMS.
Then about an hour later, three more victims arrived at a nearby police station to report that two of them had been stabbed in the fight at Tom English. One of the unnamed victims said that the fight started after the suspect kept moving coins he put down to play pool. The suspect, according to one of the other victims, told them to meet him outside.
All parties were kicked out by a bouncer and “a large brawl ensued,” the report said. The victims told police that that suspect brandished a knife and the victims said they “fled the scene on foot fearing for their lives.”
In the report, police noted that they saw wounds on two of the victims. EMS was called to treat them.
BPD did not confirm whether the suspect was arrested.
Reports of fireworks led Boston Police to recover a firearm Monday night in Mattapan.
Officers responded to the area around Callender Street at about 10 p.m. for a call of shots fire, but a supervisor alerted them that individuals were shooting off fireworks.
When police got to the scene, they said they saw a group of people standing near a car that had several packages of fireworks. As officers approached, one man started to sprint towards Blue Hill Ave., throwing a jacket off as he ran, according to BPD.
Multiple officers responded to detain the suspect and a pat frisk of the jacket uncovered a ghost gun with 7 rounds in the magazine, police said.
Kahnari White, 24, of Mattapan was charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a firearm without an FID card, and possession of a large capacity feeding device.
While the foot pursuit and arrest of White unfolded, police said the group standing with the fireworks began to become “hostile and threatening to an officer who remained with them on scene.”
One person allegedly continued to threaten an officer and bumped him on the chest as more officers arrived.
“Multiple de-escalation tactics were attempted, but the suspect continued to threaten officers,” Boston police said in a statement.
Eventually, officers were able to detain Sean Galvez, 40, of Quincy. Galvez was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assault and battery on a police officer.
Both suspects are expected to be arraigned at Dorchester District Court.
A 22-year-old from Dorchester was arrested on gun charges after police said they approached the suspect for drinking in public Monday night.
Officers saw a group on Draper St. drinking publicly around 8:30 p.m., and when they approached them, one individual started to walk away.
“When officers advised the male that he could not be drinking alcohol in public, he fled on foot,” Boston Police said in a statement. “A foot pursuit ensued, and officers stopped the suspect.”
Police recovered a Smith and Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380 with nine rounds in the magazine during a pat frisk and said that the serial number on the gun was defaced.
Denilson Pires was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and defacing a firearm serial number.
He is expected to be arraigned at Dorchester District Court.
BPD responded to 252 incidents in the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to the department’s incident log. Those included one robbery, six aggravated assaults, one residential burglary, seven larcenies from a vehicle, 15 miscellaneous larcenies, and five auto thefts.
All of the below-named defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
— Francis Haugh, 248 Albany St., Boston. Assault with a dangerous weapon.
— Ismann Nuuh, 421 Old Colony Ave., South Boston. Warrant arrest.
— Michael Buckley, 37 Washington St., Newburyport. Warrant arrest.
— Misty Lottmann, 1 Davis Sq., Somerville. Possession of a Class B drug.
— Michael Nicholls, 39 Boylston St., Boston. Threat to commit a crime.
— Yeson Silvestre, 48-52 Glenville Ave., Brighton. Unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
— Galvester Johnson, 123 Hamilton St., Dorchester. Assault with a dangerous weapon on a person 60 or older.
— Nilton Cardoso, 112 George St., Boston. Uninsured motor vehicle.
— Edgar Aguilar, 29 North St., Newtonville. Possession of a Class C drug.
— Jorge Guillermo Cruz Ortiz, 24 Heard St., Chelsea. Unregistered motor vehicle.
— Askia Lelaind, 47 Chestnut St., Springfield. Larceny under $1,200.
— Tewshawn Hector-Coleman, 111 Woodbine Rd., Stoughton. Warrant.
— Frammy Llaveria, 55 Vallar St., East Boston. Unarmed robbery.
— Eric Hale, 780 Albany St., Boston. Unregistered hawker & peddler ordinance.
“I know we’re used to rushing, but this is a mind game. So we want to slow down and think,” Shaheed said. “Don’t move off of impulse.”
It’s a message that extends far beyond the chess board.
Organizers of Boston’s new Chess for Peace program are using one of history’s oldest board games to teach kids important life skills, including strategic thinking and conflict resolution. Their goals are to reduce youth violence and address the negative impacts of technology.
The program offers free chess classes Sunday afternoons in the basement of the Madison Park High School gym in Roxbury. It’s affiliated with a Boston Public Schools initiative that also includes basketball, boxing, yoga, rugby, and more, an effort to support families and keep students engaged throughout the week.
The 6-WON-7 program, which has grown significantly over the past couple years, is about to mark its 100th Sunday, said Cory McCarthy, director of student support at Boston Public Schools. School administrators launched the program partly in response to reports about unruly teenagers causing chaos at the South Bay shopping center and elsewhere on weekends, McCarthy said.
“School should feel like a community,” he said. “It’s the forgotten piece in the academic journey. It’s a safety issue. It’s violence prevention, it’s youth development, it’s all part of student wellness.”
While violent crime has decreased overall, youth violence remains a concern in Boston, largely concentrated among small groups of teenagers and sometimes fueled by gang affiliations. Social media often plays a role, experts say, with kids posting threats or bragging about crimes they’ve committed.
As technology shortens our attention spans, encourages rash decision-making and limits in-person interactions, playing chess can be a robust kind of antidote, said Renee Callender, a retired Boston police detective who spearheaded the program.
“It’s more than just a game. It actually mirrors life,” she said. “In the game of chess, like life, every action comes with consequences.”
During more than three decades on the police force, Callender saw firsthand how cycles of violence start and end. She also founded a nonprofit called Promoting Conflict Resolution, Inc.

She said the idea for the program came from watching a youth chess tournament on TV; she was impressed by how poised and attentive the players looked. Maybe this could help kids in Boston stay out of trouble, she thought.
“It’s not only about how to play but how to lose,” she said. “How to gracefully lose. How to be humble.”
Indeed, it’s all fun and games until your king is in check.
Jacquami eventually lost to his opponent, 7-year-old Filip Rancic, who said his winning strategy involved steadily advancing his pieces toward the middle of the board.
“Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses. So that’s good for him,” said Filip’s dad, Milan Rancic.
“They need to learn to be patient enough to develop a strategy, and obviously avoid a tantrum when they lose — pretty much everything we want our kids to learn,” he added.
During the class, three sets of players sat across from each other at classroom desks, with Shaheed monitoring their games and offering instruction. Sometimes the clink of plastic chess pieces was the only sound in the room.
“I think I got checkmate,” exclaimed Henry Lee, 10, bouncing excitedly in his chair.
Shaheed inspected the board and confirmed — checkmate, indeed.
“Good game,” Lee said, reaching out to shake hands with his opponent, 11-year-old Jesus Beltran.
“Can you believe you just lost to a 10-year-old?” he asked, grinning.
Beltran laughed, rolled his eyes and started setting up the board again; he had won the previous match. In addition to chess, the boys play soccer together. They agreed their friendship can easily withstand some light-hearted competition.

A few turns into the next game, Lee made a move he instantly regretted.
“Can I have that turn back?” he asked Beltran, who smiled and shook his head no.
“So often, they’re focused on just one piece,” said Rhodes Pierre, another instructor with the program. “I tell them to examine the entire board.”
Pierre, who grew up in Mattapan, has experienced firsthand the impacts of violence. His older brother was shot and killed in 1994 near their childhood home, about two weeks after he inadvertently witnessed another daytime shooting nearby. The case was later linked to a neighborhood drug gang, according to news reports at the time.
Pierre said he started playing chess in college and quickly came to appreciate the life skills it teaches.
“Giving people another outlet to express themselves without having to revert to violence, that’s a good thing,” he said. “Making people sit down and think. It’s a better avenue than what we have right now.”

While sprinkling in the basics of chess strategy, Shaheed sends a similar message.
“It’s about seeing the moves behind the moves,” he told the class. “It takes paying attention, hearing your own self think. Most games are won or lost because of focus.”
It’s something he personally learned the hard way, Shaheed said.
Now 45, he spent much of his youth caught in a cycle of poverty, crime, incarceration, and mental illness. From foster care and psychiatric institutions to jails and prison, he ended up playing a lot of chess.
The game took on a central role in his life, an overarching metaphor that changed the way he approached decision-making, Shaheed said. Especially when he found himself in a hostile environment, he would think about the moves available to him and their potential consequences. That finally helped him leave the streets behind and forge a new path.
“The easy money, it wasn’t working. It was almost like a setup — nothing made sense anymore,” he said. “I needed a better move.”

He still plays chess regularly with various partners he’s befriended around Boston. He said he hopes younger generations will find some of the same benefits he’s experienced.
“Chess is a game of distress, tribulations, defeat, obstacles, resistance, competition, sorrow, and conquest,” Shaheed wrote in his recently published book, “Games Over: The Real Story About Chess and Life.”
“And that’s what life is all about — overcoming barriers and making progress.”
Lea Skene can be reached at lea.skene@globe.com. Follow her on X @lea_skene.
Boston Marathon
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.
Name: Brian Wishart
Age: 42
City/State: Marblehead, Mass.
I am running as the Chief of the Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine division at Spaulding Rehab to help support the hospital and adaptive sports programs.
At Spaulding Rehabilitation, we have a full team that is really incredible at what they do. Each staff member, from the physicians, therapists, nurses, case managers, social workers, to the front desk and care assistants, are incredible.
We work everyday in inpatient, in the clinic, in the therapy gym, and doing research to bring these types of outcomes to all our patients. Though we see wonderful outcomes, there is always work to be done.
One of our goals is to really integrate the amazing research being done at Spaulding into clinical care.
Every kid should have access to the best, most cutting edge treatments, and we aim to do that here, regardless of where the kids come from or what resources they have themselves.
We also want to make sure we are thinking about some of those less flashy innovations in terms of how we are educating or empowering our patients, or how we are supporting and helping them cope with a new reality.
Pediatric care is resource intensive, from needing a lot of expertise to just needing multiple sizes of each piece of equipment.
I am working to raise funds and support to really think broadly and expansively about what we are doing and how we provide care everyday for every patient.
That may mean bringing meaningful research to the clinical setting or ensuring there are enough child life specialists available with the resources they need to make these children comfortable in the hospital.
It is a privilege what I get to do every day and I thank you all sincerely for any support!
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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