Massachusetts
‘We need to take care of it.’ State House’s landmark golden dome and cupola are discolored, decaying. – The Boston Globe
It’s been a quarter-century since the state last applied a new layer of 23-karat gold leaf to the 225-year-old dome, which still shines in the sunlight but has also taken on blemishes.
Tammy Kraus, superintendent of the Bureau of the State House, said she first noticed seven years ago the long, brown patch that’s visible from nearby Bowdoin Street, but what caused it, or whether the whole dome needs to be re-gilded, has not been determined.
The need for repairs became clearer when a piece of the cupola broke away this year, sending the deteriorated column tumbling over the dome — scuffing it in one section — and onto the roof below, Kraus said.
Officials in the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, which sits under Governor Maura Healey’s budget office, said it’s currently doing a “complete building assessment” of the State House, including the condition of the dome. It did not yet have a cost or timeline for the assessment itself or any proposed repairs.
“It’s the State House. We only have one,” Kraus said. “We need to take care of it.”
The 1997 re-gilding of the dome cost $300,000. Before then, it hadn’t been done since 1969, when it cost $36,000.
Workers enclosed a white mesh covering over the dome of the State House during the removal and reapplication of gold leaf in 1997.
In 2013, the cupola was refurbished lightning rods were added.
(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)
(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)
Such a project now would likely not be cheap. In 2016, New Hampshire committed $1 million to refurbishing its dome, including laying 5 pounds of new gold leaf. The last time Massachusetts’ re-gilded its dome, it required 13 pounds to cover the 9,100-square-foot structure, the Globe reported at the time.
“It needs to continue to be gilded. That should be something that’s automatic for whoever is in charge at the moment,” said Keith Morgan, a professor emeritus at Boston University and editor of “Buildings of Massachusetts: Metropolitan Boston.”
The state last refurbished the cupola in 2013 as part of $400,000 project that also added lightning rods to the building, including one in the golden pine cone perched atop the building.
During a tour Wednesday of the dome and roof, cracked and peeling paint marked the white underside of the dome. Peering down from the cupola, one could see sections of the gold leaf appeared to have a dark grayish film. On a cloudy day earlier in the week, streaks of dirt appeared to skirt the top of the dome’s surface.
The dome is more than a symbol of Massachusetts. When the State House was completed in 1798, it was one of the first domed governmental buildings in the United States, influencing what would become the “image of public and government architecture across the whole country,” Morgan said.
It also wasn’t always golden. Originally built using wood shingles, it quickly began leaking before the Legislature approved the purchase of copper from Paul Revere’s foundry, which was used to sheet the dome.
The dome was first gilded in 1874 — at a cost of $2,900 — and has remained that way except for during World War II, when it was temporarily painted a dark gray to make it a less obvious target for enemy ships or bombers, according to the state’s official history.
Should the state pursue repairs, it would be one of many projects in the works at the State House. Senate and state officials are already in the early stages of assessing the focus of a potential $5 million renovation of Senate President Karen E. Spilka’s office. Healey initially included the project in her recently released Capital Investment Plan with the $5 million price tag, though the state has yet to tap a designer, nor has it set a timeline for any work in Spilka’s office or nearby Room 333.
Spilka’s office also cautioned that the $5 million cost is an “estimated upper limit” for the work, which could address infrastructure needs, accessibility issues, or sprinklers. Costs of the assessment for the project, estimated to be around $100,000, will come out of the Senate’s own operating budget, said Gray Milkowski, a Spilka spokesperson.
Spilka’s aides did not directly address why the office needed renovations, instead saying any work will be guided by the assessment.
“If the review identifies infrastructure and safety deficits in the physical spaces used by Senate members and staff, those needs will be addressed,” Milkowski said.
The building’s General Hooker entrance reopened this year after undergoing a security facelift, while Ashburton Park and the Ashburton Park Entrance are expected to be closed until at least September as, they, too are renovated. The work in both areas is part of two major construction projects, collectively budgeted at $21.3 million, state officials said.
The State House has seen a slew of other major projects over the last decade. The Senate chamber was renovated in 2018, at a cost of $22.6 million, and the governor’s 19,000-square-foot executive suite underwent a $11.3 million makeover four years earlier. The building’s roof was replaced in 2013, at a cost of $20.5 million.
Matt Stout can be reached at matt.stout@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattpstout.
There were first-time state champions, repeat winners – and some of the craziest games you will ever seen played anywhere on a football field this fall.
And now it is time for High School On SI Massachusetts to release its individual award winners, including the player and coach of the year honorees.
The Boston College commitment played for Division 2’s top team, which Catholic Memorial defeated King Philip Regional 39-21 for the Super Bowl. Dodd was the workhorse for the team, rushing for 1,362 yards on 115 attempts and scoring 20 touchdowns. The senior also added seven catches for 139 yards through the air.
Whether it was through the air or on the ground, Attaway compiled over 1,000 yards either way. The senior led the way to the Hawks winning the Division 6 Super Bowl state title. Attaway finished completing 76-of-113 passes for 1,329 yards and 20 touchdowns. On the ground, Attaway rushed for 1,008 yards on 65 carries and 12 scores.
Frisch stood out on both sides of the ball, but especially on the defensive side at middle linebacker. The 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker racked up 59 tackles, eight going for a loss, 12 sacks, an interception and forced a fumble. On offense at tight end, Frisch caught 14 passes for 301 yards and five touchdowns.
Playing for the Division 7 Super Bowl state champions, the junior running back was phenomenal out of the backfield. The Spartans’ tailback carried the rock 201 times for 1,772 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. LaChapelle caught five passes for 100 yards and two scores.
Despite losing multiple games during the regular season and many throughout the state wondering if Xaverian Brothers could repeat as Division I state champions. The Hawks pulled it off under the guidance of Fornaro as he guided the team to the Division I Super Bowl, defeating Needham, 14-7.
Follow High School On SI throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!
Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.
High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.
To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App
— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi
Hardly had Kelly Ayotte, the new governor of New Hampshire unloaded on Massachusetts over its immigration policy, than another illegal immigrant was charged with rape in the Bay State.
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Massachusetts
Disciplinary hearing for suspended Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor continued to 2nd day
Suspended Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor’s Trial Board disciplinary proceedings will go on to a second day.
Proctor’s trouble publicly began when he testified during the murder trial of Karen Read last summer. During a tense examination by the prosecution and even more intense cross examination, Proctor admitted to inappropriate private texts that he made as the case officer investigating Read.
“She’s a whack job (expletive),” Proctor read from compilations of text messages he sent to friends as he looked at Read’s phone. The last word was a derogatory term for women that he at first tried to spell out before Judge Beverly Cannone told him to read it the way he wrote it.
“Yes she’s a babe. Weird Fall River accent, though. No (butt),” he continued under oath on June 10, 2024.
He also texted them “no nudes so far” as an update on the search through her phone. He also testified that he told his sister that he hoped that Read would kill herself.
On Wednesday, Proctor sat through a full day of trial board proceedings at MSP general headquarters in Framingham. When that concluded in the late afternoon, the board decided to continue for a second day on Feb. 10. Neither Wednesday’s proceeding nor the second day is open to the public.
Proctor was relieved of duty on July 1 of last year, which was the day the Read trial concluded in mistrial. He was suspended without pay a week later. The State Police finished its internal affairs investigation last week and convened the trial board to determine the next step in the disciplinary process.
The trial board makes disciplinary recommendations to the superintendent, who determines the final outcome.
“A State Police Trial Board shall hear cases regarding violations of Rules, Regulations, Policies, Procedures, Orders, or Directives,” states the Department’s Rules and Regulations.
“In the event that the Trial Board finds guilt by a preponderance of the evidence on one or more of the charges, the Trial Board shall consider the evidence presented by the Department prosecutor pertaining to the accused member’s prior offenses/disciplinary history, and shall make recommendations for administrative action,” the rules and regulations state.
Read, 44, of Mansfield, faces charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter and leaving the scene of a collision causing the death of O’Keefe, a 16-year Boston Police officer when he died at age 46 on Jan. 29, 2022. Read’s second trial is scheduled to begin April 16.
Originally Published:
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