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Second annual Tulip Mania starts April 17 at Mass. Horticultural Society in Wellesley

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Second annual Tulip Mania starts April 17 at Mass. Horticultural Society in Wellesley


WELLESLEY What better way to celebrate the natural beauty of spring than to get surrounded by thousands of brightly colored tulips in bloom.

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society will begin hosting its Tulip Mania event on Wednesday. The unique festival made its debut last year and was a runaway success, according to Megan Connolly, the society’s marketing specialist.

“We planted 50,000 bulbs the previous year in our trial garden and those tulips bloomed between April and May,” she said. “Rows and rows of flower beds. We’re back again this year. It’s great to have a really big pop of color at the beginning of spring.”

Where to catch Tulip Mania

Tulip Mania takes place at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, at The Garden at Elm Bank, 900 Washington St. (Route 16), Wellesley.

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When does Tulip Mania take place?

Tulip Mania officially starts Wednesday, April 17. Tickets will be on sale through Sunday, April 28. If Tulip Mania is extended past this date, more tickets will be released and it will be announced in the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s email newsletter and on social media.

The garden is open from 10 a.m. with the last entry at 6 p.m.

How do you get tickets? How much do they cost?

Tickets must be purchased in advance at https://shop.masshort.org/products/tulip-mania. Tickets are $5 for Massachusetts Horticultural Society members, with general admission going for $19 for adults, $10 for youth and free for those 2 and under.

Tulip Mania admission includes five pick-your-own stems. Additional pick-your-own stems are available for purchase at $1 per stem. Pre-cut bunches will be available for purchase at $20 for 15 stems. 

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How about a little tulip trivia?

  • Tulips are thought to be native to Asia Minor, the Near East and the Mediterranean, where they can still be found growing on mountain slopes and steppes.
  • Trading in tulip bulbs became intensely profitable. This led to a period widely called “Tulip Mania,” which occurred in Amsterdam from 1634-37. During this time, a single bulb could allegedly go for as much as 12,000 guilders – about the price of a fashionable Amsterdam townhouse.
  • Dutch exports of tulip bulbs comprise up to 10% of the Dutch GDP. The U.S. imports about one billion bulbs each year.

“As we go from winter to spring, we’re looking for reasons to enjoy the natural world around us,” Connolly said.  “There’s no better way to do that than to be surrounded by thousands of tulips.”



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Massachusetts AG Campbell accused of breaking professional conduct amid audit lawsuit

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Massachusetts AG Campbell accused of breaking professional conduct amid audit lawsuit


AG Andrea Campbell called Diana DiZoglio’s personal cell phone a day after an SJC justice moved the legislative audit legal case to the full court, a call that the auditor alleges violates the state’s professional conduct rules.

DiZoglio’s fight with Campbell is steaming ahead, even as the attorney general claims that there’s a “path forward” for the voter-approved audit of the state Legislature, over 15 months after 72% of the state signed off on the ballot measure.

DiZoglio’s office argues that Campbell’s attempt to call the auditor on her personal cell phone violates Rule 4.2 of the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct, which prohibits lawyers from communicating directly about a case with an individual represented by another attorney without consent.

“The Attorney General is our state’s top law enforcement officer and should follow the Rules of Professional Conduct,” DiZoglio said in a statement on Wednesday. “I will not participate in dark, shadow conversations with the AG about this lawsuit.”

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“That she is trying to get me to speak with her alone, via private cell phone, without my legal counsel present, is unacceptable,” the auditor added.

Campbell’s office is firing back at DiZoglio’s claim, which it says is a “false and baseless accusation.”

“If the Auditor is interested in a solution,” the office said in a statement shared with the Herald, “the AG is available to speak with her or the Auditor’s staff can speak with our office – but as it stands, her office refuses to engage with us directly on a path forward.”

DiZoglio and Campbell have been locked in a legal tug-of-war since voters approved the audit in November 2024.

Siding with legislative leadership, Campbell has claimed that DiZoglio has not answered basic questions on the scope of the legislative audit. The AG argues that the auditor’s review may also violate the state Constitution.

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In February, DiZoglio sued House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka for refusing to comply with the audit. The auditor is asking the SJC to allow her to appoint an outside attorney, as Campbell is representing the top Beacon Hill Democrats.

DiZoglio spotlighted Campbell’s attempt to talk with her on her personal cell phone after the AG appeared on GBH’s Boston Public Radio on Wednesday. The auditor also released emails between the two offices regarding the call.

In her radio segment, Campbell admitted to calling the auditor after seeing her at a recent event in Worcester and that she had yet to hear back from DiZoglio. The AG said the message that she is trying to convey to the auditor is that “there’s a pathway forward.”

Speaking at an event on March 16, DiZoglio said, “I have only asked for financial receipts and state contracts. There is nothing unconstitutional about …  getting access to that information.”

Campbell argues DiZoglio has “changed” her stance on the audit’s scope.

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Deputy Auditor Michael Leung-Tat expressed his concerns about Campbell’s call to DiZoglio in an email on Monday to Assistant Attorney General Anne Sterman and First Assistant Attorney General Pat Moore.

Leung-Tat emphasized that the last time DiZoglio and Campbell spoke via phone was allegedly in November 2023, when the AG informed the auditor of her support of the legislative audit.

“They don’t have a relationship beyond our office’s official communications,” Leung-Tat wrote, “and, as you know, official business between our offices is conducted at the staff level. … it appears that the Attorney General was calling the Auditor about the pending litigation before the SJC.”

“As you are aware,” the deputy auditor added, “we have been engaged with your office seeking assistance in our efforts to audit the Legislature since 2023, so it is curious that the Attorney General only just now decided to call.

In an email reply, Moore said there was “nothing unethical” about Campbell’s call and that the AGO was “surprised to see” the auditor’s “unfounded assertion.”

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“The Auditor has also used her time in those forums make false allegations against the Attorney General and officers of every other branch of state government, recently including judges,” Moore wrote. “Having now heard multiple variations of these comments, the Attorney General felt it appropriate to reach to talk with the Auditor.”

After multiple exchanges back and forth, Moore refuted Leung-Tat’s claims that DiZoglio has answered Campbell’s questions to help the legislative audit proceed. The first assistant AG added that the office “takes pride in our professionalism.”

“We do not, just to pick one example,” Moore wrote, “claim that every state agency funded by legislative appropriation is corrupt; nor that the courts adjudicating our cases are.”

“Nor do we take exception to conferring with those against whom we are litigating,” he added. “We do that every day.”

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Massachusetts faces World Cup-test with friendly match in Foxboro

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Massachusetts faces World Cup-test with friendly match in Foxboro


Massachusetts will get a taste of World Cup action in Foxboro on Thursday.

There is a friendly match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium.

It’s being considered a test ahead of World Cup matches in June.

Massachusetts governor Maura Healey says dozens of agencies are involved in making sure the 7 World Cup matches are safe and secure.

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Thursday is a test for transportation for the World Cup.

The MBTA will have 4 trains going from South Station to Foxboro.

MassDOT expects heavy traffic to begin later this morning with new traffic patterns near Gillette for the match.

As for the teams, NBC 10 caught up with Team France at their practice.

Team France says it is excited to face off against one of the best teams in the world.

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France is ranked 3rd worldwide while Brazil is ranked 5th.

Parking opens at noon while the game’s kickoff is at 4:00 p.m.



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Gov. Maura Healey says Massachusetts is ‘match ready’ for World Cup

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Gov. Maura Healey says Massachusetts is ‘match ready’ for World Cup


Gov. Maura Healey spoke Wednesday about the public health and safety preparations it is making ahead of this summer’s World Cup matches in Massachusetts.

Gillette Stadium — to be called Boston Stadium — will be the site of seven matches between June 13 and July 9.

The state is carrying out planning and training with local, state and federal agencies on everything from transportation and crowd management to cybersecurity, public health, and emergency response.

“Residents and visitors alike can be confident that we are prepared to host a safe, secure and successful World Cup,” Healey said.

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Healey said the state secured about $76 million in federal funding to pay for security and preparedness.

The state has more information about the World Cup at Match-Ready Massachusetts.

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Gillette will host a friendly Thursday between France and Brazil as a warm up to the World Cup.

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