NightSide News Update

It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS, Boston's new radio, and it.

Is a chilly Wednesday night. Indeed, Riches arriving a little early, good evening. Everybody. Hope you're nice and toasty warm wherever you are. I am broadcasting remotely and I am just fine. I hope you are equally fine. My name is Dan Ray. Thank you very much, Nicole. As we head towards the midnight hour, Rob Brooks is back in the control room at Broadcast Central at Broadcast Headquarters, and he'll set you

You're completely correct.

Dan.

It's great to be here, great to chat again. Thanks for having me.

You're very welcome. Well, I must tell you we're going to talk about Guinness. I don't know if there are any Irish roots in the will Let family tree, but there's a lot of Irish roots in the Ray family tree. But I'm not a fan of Guinness. Do you like Guinness? Oh? Yeah, yeah, tell us tell us about this story. Because I had

From Yeah, yeah, exactly. Not rocket science. It's pretty straightforward, you know, pretty self explanatory. Splitting the G the G in this case referring to the Guinness the letter in the branding Guinness. So essentially to play this game you need to at least two people, but this can be played in a group setting as well, but you really need that that Guinness pine glass, the one with the harp and the Guinness printed right there on the glass.

You know.

It's purely just used for pre games stuff like that, just a fun game to play a night out with friends. And it's funny you uh, you say you were in Dublin because I actually lived in Dublin for a time and I lived right across the streets from the storehouse, So I did. I did, and so that was kind of my way of knowing I was near home is you can smell the hops in the air. So it's just such a fond memory that you what were.

You doing in Dublin, I assume, assuming it's legal and everything that you can talk about when we go to school there.

Yeah, well, definitely legal. I was studying abroad. I went to Providence College and that was part of my study abroad program. I chose Dublin. I do have family roots in Galway. To answer your first question.

So be there many times?

Yeah, I love it.

Well that's great. So so you're a Guinness guy, which is great. So you you were assigned the story or maybe you came up with it yourself a reporter.

Yeah, yeah, a little bit of both.

All Right, is this a difficult feat to accomplish? They have to take a huge gulp of guinness, as I understand that, and some are suggesting that's really not the way to drink guinness, particularly if you like.

Yeah, yeah, I mean definitely not maybe the Connis Sewers game, but it is kind of kind of what I think the part the part of the reason why I think it's become so popular and and that's kind of the point I want to get at too, is that this game has is definitely blown up. I mean I didn't first hear about this until a couple of years ago, and since then it's just been like I've seen people doing it at bars left and right, so definitely becoming

You know, Yeah, I'll stick with my cores lights. To be honest with you, I'm about on any sort of beer spectrum. I'm about as far away from Guinness with with with my Core's lights anybody could be. But you could be heavy, Yeah, absolutely, Cad. Well, well, look that's a great story. I'm glad that as you've explained that, you explain it really well. Splitting the g's it's not

J They truly are. It'd crack.

Well. Congratulations on your time in Dublin. That's a. That's a great city to be and that that is for sure. It's a. It's so much fun and particularly when you're young, and if you're willing to try to split the g that's great. I went to how far did you live from? We went to the factory, which is the big factory, right you have.

The storehouse I imagine, yeah, yeah, yeah, And.

You paid for the tour and you got to you got a free Guinness when you went upstairs, and I just said, do you have a Guinness light? And they said, yes, we do and it was very good. It was very good. Okay, we'll lat WBZ news radio reporter, an international guy and a connoisseur of Guinness. I'll never listen to your stories in the same frame of mind again, mister Willett. Thank you so much.

All right, sounds good.

Talk to you soon. Thanks, Jay, appreciate it. Well you get back. I when to talk about another form of entertainment at the Back Center Schubert Theater December sixth through the eighth. I hope I'm going to pronounce this correctly, the Circu Dreams Holidays. We'll talk with Aubrey Willis, who's a dancer and choreographer. If you're looking for a little early Christmas or holiday entertainment, this just might be it.

Hi, Hi, thank you for having me.

Very welcome. So you were with circ Dreams Holidays, which is uh? Is it a part of Cirk Disilay or an offshoot? How would you describe it?

So, Cirk Dreams Holidays is part of the v Star Entertainment Group, which became of a subsidiary of Cirk Dissila Entertainment Group a few years ago.

Easy for you to say, Okay, good So you get you folks, and you're the you're a dancer and a choreographer. You will be at the back center Schubert Theater. Uh. This weekend, it looks like Friday, Yes.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday which six shows?

Six shows? Yes, you gotta so we have?

So we have on Friday the sixth, we have a seven thirty pm show, Saturday we have an eleven A, a three pm and a seven thirty pm show. And Sunday we have a one pm and five pm show.

Wow. So Saturday you got a triple header and on Sunday a doubleheader. I'll tell you that's going to be. That's going to be a rough weekend. Tell us a little bit how long has Cirked Dreams Holidays been a production? I hope I'm using the correct term.

Yes, yes, it is a production. It's a Broadway style holiday production that incorporates the serch acts as long as amazing aerial acts, hangharing, artists, acrobatics, skippers and jugglers just to name a feel. We are celebrating this year the fifteenth season. So yeah, so fifteen years now.

Yeah, yeah, Bill.

These folks are tremendous athletes. They may be dancers and you're a dancer and a choreographer, but they have to be in fabulous condition to do what they do. How do you find people who have the athletic ability to perform some of these amazing feats?

Just all around the world? Really, everybody and their talents come from every continent of the world. And within our states we have some Australians, we have some Hungarians, people from Argentina and Brazil, you know, and we just go down the line.

Are these are these people who have formally trained as I use the word acrobats, that's probably not the proper term, but what they do is acrobatic. Are they formally trained? You just don't like pick people up off the street.

Obviously, the majority of everybody has train.

They aspire to to be involved in circusole or or subsidiaries. And are there schools where these folks learned to do this amazing aerial gymnastics.

Yeah, so most of it is.

There's there's a lot of.

Components into all these acts besides acrobatic elements. But majority of the cast has all been trained for each and each and every individual act.

That they have that they are partaking in our shows.

I'm assuming that this is this is this is not work for the faint of hearted, for the faint of heart or for people who were probably like me, on the wrong side of fifty. What's the average age for the performers in the in in this circu Dreams Holidays?

What's there our show?

We have all ages, all ages. I would say the oldest is around forty two.

Yea in their fifty sixty, seventies or eighties. And if they were I wanted to meet them. But how big is the troupe? How many people will be performed in the troop at these shows?

In our cast we have about roughly thirty individuals. There are six dancers, we have two duo components, which are One of them is a duo erless act and another is a duo roller skating act, and then everybody else has their singular acts as well.

And your performance season. Obviously, you're in Boston this weekend. Where were you last weekend? I assume that you move around the world, certainly at least across North America.

Yes, so just yesterday we were in Reading, Pennsylvania. Tomorrow will be in Albany, New York, and then this Friday will be in Boston. So we were traveling throughout sixty cities in six weeks.

So sixty cities in six weeks. When does the tour end? When can any of your performers take a deep breath and say, I'm relax. When does this sixty day tour end?

Our?

Tour ends January third, and we will be ending in Miami.

Well, that's a nice city to end in, that's for sure. We have a big radio station here that is heard all up and down the East Coast. So if you want to mention a few of the other cities that you'll be performing in after Boston, maybe we'll be able to help you out, not only here in Boston, but where do you can it yes, where do you go from here?

So after Boston, we will be in Manchester, New Hampshire, all right, on December tenth at seven thirty. From there, the next day we'll be in Bangor, Maine at seven thirty. So the December eleventh, Wednesday, the next day, Thursday, December twelfth, will be in Portland, Maine, our shows at seven thirty as well, and then we'll be trailing back down the coast to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania December thirteenth and fourteenth.

All right, Well, that that'll get the word out in advance of some of your performances, and of course here in Boston here at the Box Center Schubert Theater, and I'm sure that if anyone wants, and many people are going to want, Box Center is a great location. As a matter of fact that I heard Erdie Bok, who's the namesake for that center, on the show the other night. It's a fabulous venue. I don't know if you've been there before, but it's great for the audience and it's

I'm from San Antonio, Texas.

I have listeners in San Antonio, Texas. Believe it or not. So yes, it is a small world. Walt Disney had his head it right. It is a small world after all. Aubrey willis answering choreographer of Shirt Dreams Holidays December sixth through the eighth Friday Night, a triple header on Saturday, at a doubleheader on Sunday. Six shows in three days at the Box Center Schubert Theater. You will not be disappointed.

Yes, for sure. Thank you so much.

Dan, You're very welcome, Aubrey. Have safe travels. When we get back, we're going to talk about fragrances. Fragrances, Yeah, you know, people give a lot of fragrances at this time of year. Fragrances at first may seem harmless, but there's some research that is raising some alarm. Or We're going to talk with doctor Tricia Pasrica. She's been a guest before. She's the Ask a Doctor columnist for the

So glad to be back, Dan, thanks for having me.

So my notes say that fragrances may seem harmless. I assume they're harmless. But you wrote a piece for the Post that suggests that there's some research that is at least raising alarms. And there's a word that I wouldn't even try to pronounce pH th a la tes. What's the correct pronunciation of that.

That's a good question to start with. It's salates. So the first thh is a silent one. But you're right that it feels very esoteric.

Pharmacy. I always thought pharmacy was faim until I was about ten years old. I figured out, Okay, that's the pH so thaltes. Okay, tell us what the problem with thalites are and how the heck did they get into our fragrances.

Yeah, I think this is data that you know You're probably not alone and having not really heard about this so much until recently. The data has really come to light in the last five to ten years. But saltes are a classic chemical that has been called by scientists of endocrine disrupting chemicals or eedcs, and these types of chemicals are everywhere, and all of these products we use every day, and they basically interfere with our endocrine system.

So how does stuff like that get past the FDA? I mean, I'm not a label reader. I know what food I want, and I know what food's good for me and what food's not good for me, and I try to stay away from the stuff that's not good for me. But I'm not somebody who's going to look at every package of everything that I buy. And even if you do, it's that small print that unless the lighting is good and your eyes are perfect, you may you may miss it anyway. That's what the FDA was supposed to.

Do for us, right, hyah, You're absolutely right. I mean other countries, European Union, for example, they've cracked down a lot harder on some of these chemicals than we have here in the US. And why there's not sort of more regulatory bands on some of these chemicals is like a much larger topic. I think the thing that I've discovered in reporting this piece that I found maybe most concerning is that you know, just like you, I think you know a lot of people don't stillly have time

So when you're talking about a fragrance, I just want to make sure clear. Are we talking about, you know, after shave and perfumes that men or women might use, or are we talking about some additional fragrance that is in our liquid soap or our dishwasher detergent that that kind of reinforces that it's that smells good. Yeah, both you and this is all the above question.

Yeah, it's you know, it's unfortunately it's kind of all of the above. So we're definitely talking about personal fragrances, perfumes and colognes. We're also talking about personal care products like the kinds of soaps and shampoos and conditioners that are that are there all of these If you look at the you know, unless it's a very specific company that's really trying to do something healthy and clean, and there are a few that do this, most of them

How long have we, meaning the people who are supposed to regulate these things, how long have they been aware of the existence of these? Again, maybe can I use the word chemicals or is that inappropriate.

You can use the word chemisticals you know, own about it for some time. In fact, the concerns about childhood ex socire tistalets are high enough in the United States that certain types of those chemicals have been banded children's toys and items like pacifiers and baby bottles for several years. But for whatever reason, and this is again like a bigger issue in how things are regulated, that those bands haven't extended to other personal care products which are certainly

Well, I'll tell you this is a frightening story. And it's a frightening story because it's it's sort of like it almost comes back to the chemicals that were outlawed, you know, as a result of you know, some of the investigative reporting that happened in the nineteen fifties and sixties.

Yeah, I think you're right that I think that level of awareness is really becoming heightened the last couple of years. And you know what I tell my patients is that, you know, in the end, it's about the impact of

Wow, Well, this is this is stuff that I hope some of the other newspapers and investigative television and reports pick up on because this is a frightening story. Truly frightening story for me, because you like to think that, Okay, we're in America and someone's out looking out for what we're ingesting and what we're applying to ourselves. So doctor Tricia Pashrika, you've again provide us with a great story. One more time and look forward to our next conversation.

My pleasure. Good to talk.

Great to talk with you as well when we get back, when we talk about a really good story. This one comes out of New Hampshire. A Salem, New Hampshire woman has created a giving card to give back to her community. This is interesting. Donations are going to go to the Salem Animal Rescue League and you'll this is a real feel good story. Coming back right after the break here on a Wednesday night edition of Nightside. Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World Nightside Studios on

I'm good? How are you good?

So you came up with this idea to basically to give back to your community, which is really interesting. But you're going to do it in a way in which it's kind of an honor system, I guess. And all the donations that are contributed to this to your effort is actually going to go to a great cause, and that is the Salem, New Hampshire and Rescue League. So tell us how this works and how the genesis of the idea.

So I've always seen the little libraries around different towns, and I thought they're a really neat idea, and you know, I just wanted to do something a little bit different. So my spin on that was, you know, I've got a lot of goods and a lot of things, and I decided to ask my husband to build me, uh a little table that I could have some good than goods and things on. And I call it Grantite Goodies because we live on Granted app and in the Granite State. Yes, yes, exactly.

Communities are coming together.

Yeah, when you talk about the little libraries, I know exactly what you mean, and many people really do as well. But for those who don't, there are these little sort of like bookstands in certain communities where people can contribute a book if they want, or just borrow a book if they want to read the book and then return the book. It's it's a great way for people to maybe get some books off the bookshelves at home and

It's on it's on the front lawn. It's it's on the edge of the front of our yard, by our our fence in the corner and yeah, it's it's made from reused palettes. And so I mean, right now, there are a couple of plates out there. There's a couple of different mugs. There's been some you know, picture frames that I'm not using. There's been a pair of roller blades that were pretty much brand new that have now come and gone. But there's all different thing.

You're telling me that you have a teenager or two who has moved into the working world and they don't have as much use for the roller blades these days.

Exactly, yes, exactly.

Okay, And again it's the honor system. So you don't put a price, and you don't say, oh, we recommend for the roller blades a ten dollars donation. You basically everything is there for the asking honor system, and people can contribute how much or how little they might like to contribute.

Correct, Correct, it's the honor system. There's actually a notebook also in there that there's a little note on it that you know, just says, please leave this notebook here and leave a note if you'd like. And lots of community members have left me a note and like what they've donated or maybe thanking me, or I took this and this is just perfect for my own so it's nice for me to read some of the notes that the community members are leaving.

Just a few more of the items that you brought from your home. Now, obviously you have have in effect started to declutter your home when you take items that are no longer of value to you or of use to you or your family and move them out. I mean a great example is the roller blades. Unless you're going to take up a carreras a rollerblade or in the roller derby, you didn't have any need for them.

I've had some some kitchen you know, containers and things that I'm not using that we're pretty brand new, so I put those out there. During Halloween, I put out some Halloween greeting cards, so if anybody wanted to send somebody else a greeting card, I've put those out there. Now I'm going to move into some holidaypping items and some gifts for many ages. I've had a camera donators.

I'll bet you probably have some Christmas decorations stored somewhere in a spare room or an attic that maybe have the light of day, or haven't seen a Christmas tree in a number of years. I'm bet I'm guessing because most of us have that.

Yes, Yes, that's coming up next. Yes, and hopefully hopefully the community likes the ones I pick.

Okay, so how about this. Let me do this, if you don't mind, I do want to give the address so people who live in the in the Sale of New Hampshire area will will know where to find you. Said it's on Granite Street. I have no idea if Granted Street is a big broad boulevard or if it's a little side road in Salem, New Hampshire. I don't want to put you in a situation where people are breaking into your home or anything like that. You tell me what works best for you.

Sure it's thirty four Granted Ave in Salem, New Hampshire.

Yeah, yeah, Well I think it's a fabulous idea and as I say it, it gives you a little extra space in your home. And when I'm actually thinking about it, you had a husband who was great and a craftsman who could build you a card in a display case. Do you lead the stuff overnight or do you bring in every evening.

I leave it overnight. I usually check it in the morning, and I check it at night. And if things like tonight it's supposed to you know, there's going to be some weather, so I took anything in that might be you know, ruined by the weather. But yeah, I'm hoping I can keep it up for all, you know, throughout the winter and people will stop by and keep taking items and bringing some gently used items over because the community seems to be bringing a couple things over, which is nice too.

Yeah, so other people can declutter a little bit, but they don't want to overwhelm. They don't want to bring over the trunkload of things and leave them on your front lawn. So let's hope everybody respects and appreciates what you do and treat your front lawn and your neighborhood very very nicely. And I think it's a great idea. You know, Later this month we do the night Side.

Yeah, that would be wonderful.

We could incorporate you in this. It's on Friday night, December twentieth. It's about only a three or four minute interview. We do the same thing. We just would condense what we've done now in just a few minutes, and it would be a way in which we could kind of check back with you and see how you're doing. Okay, great,

Mary Christmas, thank you, Merry Christmas.

All right, we'll be back right after the nine o'clock news, and we're going to talk about what's called Massachusetts out migration. There are more people leaving Massachusetts than are coming into the state. And the ones that are leaving are people that we need to keep here because they tend to be younger, and they tend to be employed, very highly employed,