NightSide News Update

It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's Radio.

Nicole, you had me worried. I thought there might have been another person sitting in. Yeah, I'm here. My name is Dan Ray.

How are you I need more coffee?

Clearly? So I'm gonna go do that.

Well, you take over, you can drive.

Okay, You're good to go. You've got the show, I think so. I think so.

Can you take the wheel for the next four hours.

I'm gonna get out of here.

No, you deserve it. You've always worked too hard. No, the great Nicole Davis, ladies and gentlemen, my name's Dan Ray. They're not so great. Dan Ray here everybody through Friday night from eight until midnight. Rob Brooks, the Great Rob Brooks, is in the control room. He will set you up for phone calls. Beginning after the nine o'clock news first

I'm good, Thanks for having me my pleasure.

So this Friday the thirteenth, which is tomorrow, and that gets us almost halfway through September, which means we're a month and a half away from Halloween. Okay, I'm here. Yeah, it's that time of year. The some after hours crypt tours below the Old North Church. Now they're not every day, so we want to make sure that people are not showing up there on days when these tours aren't running,

In the Old North Church. Wow?

I that a few of those names probably are familiar to most of us. M H. I want to run a couple of bids.

Paul re is not with us, although Old North is most known for the two if I see lantern signal on the night of ye well.

Also, I'm not mistaken, was a shopkeeper very near the Old North Church as well. It was near and he kind of brings into the into town for a for a religious feast one Sunday or Saturday night. No so so us who's who's there? I assume some of the religious leaders of the Old North Church.

Yes, so the first rector is under the church and the tomb under the altar. Of course, I think our most famous occupant is Major General John Pitcairn, who was the commander of the British Marines at the Battle of Bunker Hill and unfortunately was mortally wounded in the battle and was brought back to Old North which had been serving as a field hospital at the time, and then was Yes, was interred in one of the tombs under the church.

So this is really a dumb question, but I get to ask all sorts of questions. How deep do these crypt does this crypt go? Or these tombs? If there are eleven hundred of them. I didn't realize that there was that much space beneath the old North Church.

Oh, that's a great question, and the answer is surprising. So there are thirty seven tombs under the church, and as you say, eleven hundred burials. So people very quickly, you know, pull out their calculators and say, that doesn't make sense.

Yeah, that's about thirty there's thirty spots in each tomb.

I guess, well, each tomb could hold up to twenty burials, give or take. And what is an unpleasant piece of history is that the church sexton would have to rearrange the coffins and the burials every time a new roommate,

What let me ask you this, what is the phrase I'm hearing the word pit? Is it like the eternal pit? Is that what you're saying?

It's a so it's called the charnal pit or sometimes a charnel house, and it's just an underground you know. The pit is I guess a very informal word, but a consecrated place where the remains would come out of the tombs and go into the pit in the ground, but they'd be placed, you know, in a respectful way. And folks knew that that would happen eventually and that the tomb would be reused.

Oh wow, so are the well again? I don't I don't want to get too specific here, but I assume that it's done with great respect hopefully. And it wasn't like everybody just kind of got dumped into this pit, right.

Nope, Nope, you'd be carefully carefully arranged and placed appropriately.

Yep, excellent, excellent. That is good to know. Now, so tell us about the tours. Apparently they have been restoring the portion of the church underground for the nine months.

Yeah, so we partnered with the National Park Service to do a very extensive restoration project in the in the crypt in twenty twenty three, and so the crypt had actually been closed for most of last year. And it was a fascinating project because as part of that work, some of the original wooden doors were restored, and so they were removed and taken off site, which allowed a team of archaeologists to to see into the tombs for the first time, you know, in decades, if not centuries.

So let's talk about timing. First of all, people I assume can go to the website and sign up.

Right yep, Oldnorth dot com and they will sell out. So people do want to sign up in advance.

Oldnorth dot com. That's that's NICs been easy. Now, what what's sort of the availability because I understand this is going to run through the end of October.

M So starting on as you say, is Friday the thirteenth tomorrow torsally running on Friday and Saturday nights at five thirty and at six fifteen, and then starting on October eighteenth and running through November two, they'll be running every night at those times five thirty and six fifteen.

All right, Well, so again the website one more time for people who missed it the first.

Time is Old North dot com.

That's perfect, Nikki, this is fascinating. I'm I know that it's not sometimes easy to find parking spaces around the only church.

But it's actually never easy to find parking.

So I know that I was speaking I was speaking a little metaphorically there, but this is this is a tremendous opportunity, and I hope that a lot of people will will get to that website night side listeners and sign up. The ticket prices are very reasonable. I've looked at them. They're they're not a lot of money whatsoever. You can have dinner in the North End and and tour the have an after hour cryptour below the old North Church, and it'll be an evening that people will never,

Thank you for having me.

You're more than welcome. Well we get back. If you're a historian, you're going to like our second guest too. We're gonna be talking with Bill Benson. He is a Freedom Trail player and actor and he's about to tell us how the Freedom Trail Historic Lanton Tours are back. We'll have that right after this break on Nightside.

Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio'd.

Like to welcome Bill Benson, who's a Freedom Trail player and actor. Bill Benson, Welcome to Knights Aid. How are you, sir?

I'm doing well.

Thank you Dan for having me on pleasure.

Now, the Freedom Trail Historic Lantin Tours are back. How long have they run away? First of all, let's start at the beginning.

They have been away for a year. We run them in September and October each year. So it's our one of our specialty tours that we run in the fall leading up to Halloween.

Okay, So what happened last year that there were no no with It toys last September and October there were?

Yes, Yes, we ran them last fall.

For ten months. Okay, so this is the annual return. Now they all Lanta tours. Does this mean there at night?

They are? They are on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays this year from mid September. Today was actually the first night. I gave the inaugural one of the year just a few hours ago. And they will run through October twenty sixth, and then we'll do an additional one on Wednesday, October thirtieth, and they begin at six pm, departing from the Visitor Information Center on Boston Common.

Okay, now you play as I understand that my producer told me doctor Samuel Prescott, and I cheated a little bit. I just checked doctor Prescott out. He only lived to the age of twenty six. He was famous for having met Paul Revere as Revere was trying to alert the countryside what happened that he was your character. Why did you not get any more than twenty six years doctor Prescott?

Well, unfortunately, Dan, we're not really sure. He was twenty four years old on the night of the Midnight Ride. He was not supposed to be part of the Midnight Ride.

Wow. And he was a physician. So so you, I'm sure incorporate his story. How long are the tours? How long are the Lantern tours? What is it? Are they an hour or so?

The Lantern tours are ninety minutes, So they go from six to seven thirty.

Okay, And so they begin you said on the Common, and I assume they come back to the Common.

No, they'll actually end at Fanuel Hall. So we run through part of the Freedom Trail and we you know, we try to do some of the stories that are not often told about Boston's history.

Well, you've been doing this for a few years, Bill, I assume this is a real passion for you. Yeah.

I've been with the Freedom Trail Foundation for about twelve and a half years now.

Yeah, and you are very much a historian and you're one of the tour guides. You've done this for twelve years. On your tours, I assume that there's a lot of New Englanders, but probably a lot of New Englanders. Sometimes we don't take advantage of great things that are in our backyard. We will go to Disney World, we will fly to somewhere in Nashville or something to see, or

Absolutely, I get guests from all over the world, all over the country, and yes, like you said, sometimes our own backyard. And often they'll they'll tell me, they'll say, I haven't been on the Freedom Trail since you know, I was in third grade and we went on a field trip. So it's really cool to show them around, especially on the Lantern Tour, because the Lantern Tours, you know, it's part of the Freedom Trail that that most people

I love the imagery, I really do love the imagery, and I think that a lot of families could could take advantage of this. On an average tour, how many folks are with you as you as you walk along the trail, You.

Know, it can really vary. It depends, you know, on the time of day. If we're at one of our peak times on our standard walk into History tour, the crowds, especially in the summer, can get quite large. When they're at peak times. We do try to send out more than one guide to split the group. We are also wearing microphones. But then at other times they can be

So so you're you're you have a microphone on it so people can hear you, which is great. Okay, do they have headsets as well? Or is it? Or is it they simply rely upon your microphone.

It does rely on the microphone. But I will say Dan that I can project quite well with the microphone, so I don't think you'll have trouble hearing me.

No, I and you sound like you have a great a great voice for this.

And thank you again.

Let's let's tell people how they can get information, because I'm sure there are people listening right now who are interested. But what what can they do to get tickets? Can they just show up? I assume it's better to get tickets in advance.

Yes, so I would definitely recommend getting tickets in advance. While our normal tours you can purchase them at the site. The visitor information center is closed by the time this tour is departing, so you can purchase tickets in advance on our website. Thusfreedomtrail dot org pretty easy.

And again the information center on the common. Is that close to the Park Street station.

Yes, it's very close to Park Street station. That's one thirty nine Tremont Street. It's a green building right along Tremont Street. You can't miss it.

Perfect, Okay. I just wanted to locate it for people so they wouldn't be lost so if they're coming into the MBTA to get off the Park Street station and they're ready to go. I just think it's great. And I admire folks like you who not only historians, but also you want to replicate history and make and spread

Thank you very much.

Dan, all right, my friend, we'll talk soon. Will we get back right after the news. At the bottom of the hour here in WBS, we're going to talk about outreach. This is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and we're going to be talking with a doctor for the Mass General Brigham about outreach, very important issue. And then later on at eight forty five, we're going to talk about Hispanics had Heritage Month, with the owner of El Mundo Boston,

This, You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.

Thanks to call. September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and to reemphasize that point, we are delighted to be joined by doctor Quak Trin. He is with the Massachusetts General Brigham and he urges all men to get screenings for prostate cancer this month. He is a doctor also, he has a master's of Business Administration. He's the co founder of the Prostate Cancer Outreach Clinic at mass General Brigham and your anc urology surgeon, uh, doctor trind, Welcome

I am doing well, good evening.

How are you doing great? Thanks, thank you very much. Prostate cancer obviously is a cancer that affects men. How what percentage of men in America at some point in their life are likely to deal with prostate cancer?

Actually a fair number of men, you know, depending on which stat you're looking at, we're talking about one in seven one and eight men will deal with prostate cancer at some point in their life.

You know.

What's interesting though, is that to some the if you live long enough as a man, you will get process cancer. There's been some studies that looked at men above eighty years old, and actually probably more than half the male population that's eighty and above has a little bit of prossa cancer that you know, ultimately our job is to find the prostate cancers that can potentially cause harm, and that's the whole idea of screening.

Yes, and I am aware of those studies and those statistics, and I think it's important. I assume, first of all, if if you're taking if a man is taking an annual physical in the in the blood work that a general practitioner would order for a physical, they would check for any evidence of elevated risks of prostate cancer. I assume that's correct. I don't want to give bad information, but yeah, explain it.

No, absolutely, it's slightly you know, it is a controversy topic. I think that the current recommendations, what they say is that a man should have some form of shared decision making about should they get tested for profty cancer or not. It's not something that you necessarily have to do on a yearly basis, but it's definitely something worth discussing what you're a primary care physician, especially if you are at risk of profit and cancer.

So my understanding, and again, you know, I've been very fortunate in this regard, but my doctors have always said to me, pay attention to that number and make sure that number is low and when that number comes back elevated. That's when that is a sign that someone may be developing or have developed prostate cancer. As I understand that. If I'm wrong there, please set me straight.

Yeah, no, no, you're apt to correct. What makes it a little bit complicated is that this market you're talking about, which is the proceeds specific antigen or PSA, it's specific to the proceeds you know, as a name implies, but it's also produced by normal prosthetic cells, and they it will also be produced by inflame process cancer proceeds cells.

Right, Okay, so what would be the if there is because you said to me there was some controversy. Obviously, a false positive is something that can cause people tremendous anxiety. But it's I assume better to get a false positive to make sure it's not a positive. I'm just trying to understand why this controversy over checking for it annually.

Yeah, there's I'd say that the controversy comes from two different angles. So one of them is that you mentioned it actually the whole idea of anxiety, how many people are you going to make anxious to find profit cancer? And some of it implies also that if the PSC is high, we have to do a workup, and a workup may lead to an invasive test like a biopsy, and all that whole process is a concern the editor.

Off profit cancer.

So there's also the question about trying to find the cancers that are problematic and leaving some of these smaller, slow growing cancers alone. And then you know, if you screen a lot and then you find a lot of these smaller cancers, then that causes a lot of anxiety for nothing, because these cancers may not do anything right.

So what is the most important age? We often hear for women and mammograms that they have. They seem to lower that age now I think it's forty. It used to be fifty. I might be off a little bit there, But is there an age at which men should at least, if not annually periodically be checked. What is the age that I assume that there are young men who can

Yeah, absolutely, I think, you know, in early fifties would be a ballpark figure. And there's not like an asset time. Like if you look at some recommendations, they'll talk about fifty five years.

Older and above.

Some of them will move it a little bit earlier to forty five, and some of it also depends on risk factors like race and family history. But I think that's the age range that you should be at least having a conversation with your primary care provider about, you know, is this worth checking? Am I at risk of prosty cancer?

What do you My understanding is that black American men are at a higher risk for this particular cancer. I don't understand why, but I've read that consistently accurate or are not accurate.

Yes, it is accurate, you know. Actually, that's that's part of the field that I am doing a lot of research in. I think that it is fair to say that black men are more likely to develop processing cancer. I think some of the controversy of is about are black men more likely to die of processing cancer? So if you look at the facts, the answer is yes, because there's a more than twofold higher mortality rate in

Or die initial diet? Is diet considered a factor there?

Yeah?

Absolutely so. So all these factors are being studied and make that conversation about why black men are more likely to die of profitty cancer? Uh, you know, controversial, right, there's a lot of conversation about that.

So what can we suggest again, you're the the co founder of the Prostate Cancer Outreach Clinic at mess General Brigham. You're also a surgeon, neurology surgeon. What can men take away from our conversation tonight? Of whatever background they are, of whatever age they are, what what should they do? You know, yeah, reaching out to you, not to you personally, but I mean what should they do? No?

I think I think men should be empowered and be informed about profety cancer. And you know, you have to do your research, you have to understand and and you have to ask your primary care physician if this is something that is worth pursuing, because you know, as I said earlier, a lot of men die with prosy cancer. They don't die of prosy cancers, but there's still a

So let me ask you one final tough question, doctor Trendon. That is, if someone's listening tonight and they don't have a primary care physician, and there are people who do not have primary care physicians, what can they take away from this conversation that they can do about this issue. You know, short of getting a primary care physician, which is becoming increasingly more difficult by the way.

There are other ways to potentially get screening for prostly cancer. You know, one of the things that we do as part of our outreach efforts is to do some screening. You know, you what you mentioned is absolutely true. We've definitely done some outreach events.

Uh.

And one recently in the construction site and a lot of people mentioned that is that I don't have a private care provider, and you know, this is something that we are happy to provide. But I do want to emphasize having a primary a primary care position is very important.

Uh.

You know, ultimately it will you know, we're talking about proceed cancer screening, that are so many other things and maybe this conversation we're having right this minute is a good opportunity to tell that to everyone that you know, men, we have to take care of our health and have and that starts with having a primary care.

Physician, no doubt. Doctor Trent, thank you so much for your time and also thank you for what you do. Uh. Doctor Quadtrin of the Mass General Brigham talking about the fact that this is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and whether you're a man or a woman. If you're a woman and there's there's there are men in your life, please have them take note of this and you can

Hey, it's my pleasure. Thank you.

Okay, talk So when we get back, we're going to talk about Hispanic Heritage Month with the The owner of El Mundo, Alberto Asalo, will join us coming back on Nightside. Stay right with us.

Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.

Proud to be in the Window World Nightside Studios for certain. My name is Dan Ray, the afore mentioned Dan Ray. And now I am delighted to welcome Alberto Asalio, the owner of El Mundo. Most people in Boston know ALBERTA. Asalio because he's done so many things, and not only in the field of journalism, but in sports broadcasting. Alberto Walgman, Nightside.

How are you, Dan?

How are you today?

How are you?

I'm doing great. I'm doing great. First of all, I think everyone knows El Mundo, which has been around Boston for decades it was your dad, if I'm not mistaken, who founded El Mundo. Is that correct?

Yeah?

Fifty two years ago, nineteen seventy two. Almundo Boston started in a basement in Cambridge. My father had just come over from Cuba as a young twenty three year old and there was much smaller community, but there was no real way for folks who spoke Spanish in Boston to communicate, so he started El Mundo newspaper.

Pretty courageous and also probably fortunate young man to get out of Cuba at that point in time. That was a tough time to try to get out of Cuba in nineteen seven. Yeah, he didn't.

He didn't get out.

He escaped.

Oh I know that. No, that that's exactly what I mean. So this was this was not like going to the airport and buying a ticket from Havana to Boston. It was a little tougher than that.

So yeah, and my dad's wanted you know, and I think you met my dad. But my dad's one of those one of those old Cuban guys who always tells me, even though I was born in Boston, that he's more American than me, because he's an American by choice. He became a citizen as soon as he could. And I was just lucky to have been born in Boston.

He said, Roberto, I happened to agree with you. Dad, I must tell you I was I was born in Boston too. I was lucky. I was born at the Farcdone Hospital. You probably were born at one of the great Boston hospitals. But we were lucky because we were born here. Those people I had a great friend, Alberto Salazar's dad, Jose and Maria Salazzau. I don't know if you remember them, but they.

Know he wanted he won the marathon and eight eighty one.

Yes he did, Yes he did. But I knew his dad and his and his mom and Jose had to escape from from Cuba. So we forget that those were tough times. I mean that that was a point in time for someone to be able to get off that island, that island prison and come here a man of great courage. So I'm sure the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree.

Yeah, so I stole this idea from the Irish.

That's okay. So a lot of people stole from the Irish, that's no problem.

Yeah, And I.

Could say that because I'm Irish too, by.

The way, I know, I know, I love it.

Thanks to you guys. This was born because I grew up in Boston. Every Saint Patrick's Day, I'd wake up and I'd watched Saint Patrick's State but East and I see, you know, all these elected officials having a great time. You know, you're seeing them in a different light. And I said, hey, wait a minute, why can't we start this tradition. You know, at that time was Mayo Menino and Governor Deval Patrick, And I said, why don't we

But no cornbath and cabbage next Friday.

I'm sure, right, no, no, no, no, I mean it's great, but it's a little more spicy. And the truth, you.

Know, corn beef and cabbage is like the last meal I want any day of the year, particularly on Saint Patrick's Day. But that's neither here under there.

Yeah.

And you know we started this, you know, roast format, uh, and it's grown. It's in its fifteenth year and now each year we pick a different theme. We get over six hundred four. I mean, it's a total wall to wall sold out of event, a sixth straight sellout. We get more than six hundred people at the Boston Park Plaza. And it's a fun event because I get to make fun of Governor Haley Mayor woo Ayana Pressley, all your favorites, all.

Of my favorites what I call a target rich environment Alberto, Yes, yes, so so, but you've got to be a little light with their guests. I mean, you don't want me out there as the toastmaster, if you know what I'm saying.

Yeah, but we have fun with it, and really, at the end of the day, it's really it's really about celebrating commonalty and unity more than differences. Right, We're all Bostonians. We're all living in what I consider the greatest city in the world. And although we make differences on how to run it and do things, you know, we have way more in common and difference.

And that's the theme. And you know, this year.

You know, Dan, I can probably tell you that most of your audience probably does. You know, when they hear veterans of war and lawn, the word Hispanic or Latino probably doesn't come to mind because they don't know that many Hispanics have proudly served this country for many years, especially Puerto Rican's work citizens, right, they're natural citizens and have done so. And there's a vibrant Latino Veterans Puerto

Very happy and proud of being.

Officers, and they want to recruit more guys like that and more and women.

Absolutely, absolutely, we need a couple of hundred more. I talked with Larry Calderon, the president of the VPPA, and we need more officers. And we're down about three hundred officers. And the ranks need to be filled, and they're being filled by young black officers, young Hispanic officers. And just as the face of the city changes, so does the face of law enforcement and the fire department. Absolutely, that's that's that's what happened. Weapons in a great city, and

Yeah, yeah, absolutely, and you know they spouse uh number one sporting countries like Dominica, Republic, Venezuela for years, Cuba for years before you know, you know, they can't come over, like you said.

It's total.

Things haven't changed much in Cuba, so it's not like they can come over here. But yeah, we have a rich history. And I've got a I've got a quiz for you, a trivia Who is the first Latino inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

I'm guessing Roberto Clemente.

You would guess incorrectly.

Huh.

I'm going to tell you who it is, Ted Williams.

Oh, that's a good show because his mom was Mexican. Yeah, okay, you got it exactly that I knew. But I didn't think, you know, I gotta be honest with you, I didn't think of Mexico as being Latin America. But obviously, you know my great pal, and I know it's a great pal of yours, Altiante. You know, he and he and his beautiful wife, they are a you know, they are

We really do.

I mean, if you look at his career and you know, I was working at the sixty eight year and he are, you know, and then you'll look sure, and then you look at you know, you know most of his games he'd pitched one hundred and forty hundred and fifty sixty pitches.

Yeah, that was an easy outing. Yeah he was. Who's ready to go? Four days later? This is one this five day stuff, Bruno, I could talk to you all night, man about sports and heritage. Keep on doing what you're doing. Best of luck. How could folks get tickets to the breakfast if if there are any still available?

No, it is sold out. It is a sold out event. Okay, We thank you for bringing it to light and maybe one day.

You can make it out to our event.

And and if I see you coming down the aisle, I may have a few light hearted jabs throwing your.

Way anytime, anytime. You just let me know, okay, as long as it's like in the winter time, I'm broadcasting remotely during the summer. As you get my drift all about it off here, okay.

All right, take care of thank you, all right.

Alberto Berto Vasilio uh the the owner of elm Mundo. We are coming back right after the nine o'clock news. Whenever I get a chance to talk a little bit of baseball, hey, it makes it makes a good night.

For me.

I hope it does for you coming back on nightside