Because otherwise signal problems on the Red Line at Park Street and a disabled trolley on the Green Line at Government Center might mean trouble. Phew. Oh, wait.

Daniel Dennis, who already has three OUI convictions under his belt over the past two decades, was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 bail today after he was pulled over for alleged drunk driving in the South End early this morning, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office says:

A Boston Police officer in a marked cruiser watched Dennis allegedly sail through a red light at the intersection of Clarendon Street and Columbus Avenue shortly after 2:30 this morning. When the officers caught up to the 2003 BMW – owned by Dennis’ passenger, who was also intoxicated – Dennis allegedly slowed but did not stop for approximately 200 yards.

Dennis, 45, then tried to make his escape on foot down West Canton Street; however, officers found him standing over some bushes taking a leak, the DA's office reports. After failing field sobriety tests, he was placed under arrest, the DA's office says.

Innocent, etc.

Boston Police report three armed holdups around the Public Garden within a span of a few minutes Thursday evening. In all three cases, the victims were robbed of iPhones by Hispanic males in their late teens or early 20s.

In one case, a man reported he was approached by four or five Hispanic teens who showed a gun, demanded money, got away with his iPod. In another case, a man reported he was talking on his iPhone when approached by four Hispanic teens, one of whom ripped the phone from his hand and ran in the direction of Beacon Street.

In the third case, a man walking down Public Alley 421, near Beacon and Arlington, was on his iPhone when approached by two young Hispanic males, one of whom showed a gun and demanded his phone. In that case, police say one of the suspects was about 5'7," clean shaven and with a long dark pony tail, dressed in a gray hoody and sweatpants.

In a story that ran in today's Boston Herald, Mayor Menino's campaign trashed a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide voters with the resources they need for civic engagement. The organization, MassVote, works to increase voter education and turnout amongst communities of color, youth, the disabled and in ethnic communities where language is a barrier. Since its creation in 1999, MassVote has helped empower thousands of Massachusetts voters.

The Herald reports the Sox offered up to $400,000 to save the Boston Police mounted unit, which often helped keep order around Fenway Park but that "the mayor looked a gift horse in the mouth and said 'neigh.' "

In a statement, Councilor and Would-Be Menino Replacement Yoon said:

Our mounted unit was an important community policing tool and public safety resource for our parks. News of its elimination prompted an outpouring from across the city of people pleading to save the unit. There were dozens of cost-saving reforms the mayor could have implemented to save the unit. But once again, Mayor Menino chose symbolism over substance.

Now we hear reports that the City turned down an offer from the Red Sox to continue funding the mounted unit. At a time when Boston is cutting back on schools, city services, and public safety, it would be shortsighted and foolish to reject an outstretched hand. The administration needs to clarify what happened and be transparent about any offers that were made regarding the mounted unit.

“These are the very public-private partnerships that can make our city great – and can transform education, athletics, and the arts for Boston's children. We need a mayor who can tap into all the generosity and talent that Boston has to offer.

The Irish Under-18 international basketball team visited the United States. In this stop they played West Roxbury.

Watch 'Ireland Basketball Visits West Roxbury' in Full HD 1280 x 720p.

Visit Basketball Ireland.

At the Hatch Shell.

EaBo Clipper recounts how Revolutionary fervor in Nova Scotia was squashed. Our own Evacuation Day played a role in the story.

Maybe Tom Menino figures he can keep delaying negotiations over debates until after the election. The Herald reports His Honor continues to play coy on the whole debate issue, while his mouthpiece tut-tuts a group organizing forums as unworthy of the mayor's attention because he finds it "doubtful" the group can actually organize a debate.

Kevin McCrea, who says he'll debate anyone anytime, fulminates:

... What does that mean? You mean they can't invite a bunch of people and put 4 chairs and a microphone on a stage? I would believe that Menino might not be able to handle that on his own, but MassVOTE?

The arrogance and disregard for the people shown by Menino is truly incredible. What is more incredible is how the mainstream media in this town play along with his invisible suit as well. The TV stations and the Globe and the Herald play along with this ruse because they are afraid of his vindictiveness, and they aren't doing the fourth estate's job which is to expose what is going on. ...

Blogger Chuck Tanowitz issues a call to action: He's calling on folks to do a little man-in-the-street interviewing to see how Newton residents really feel about the progress at Newton North High School, following City Hall's tut-tutting over Tab and blog coverage of the work.

Photo taken this morning at the Centre Street firehouse (click on the photo for a larger view).

The Boston Foodie actually puts it a bit more bluntly: Chowhound sucks:

Call it a rant but the entire dinner conversation tonight revolved around how plebe the site is and the way it is dominated by blowhards, people who get weird jollies stuffing anything but their cranium, dollar store shoppers who "review" the latest beef jerky and, well, basically drunks. ...

Jay Fitzgerald has his doubts about the lawsuits filed by police and fire unions over changes in the state pension system.

David Robichaud actually asks which is driving you nuts more: Non-stop coverage of Michael Jackson or non-stop coverage of the rain? Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to allow for a third answer: Both.

Penny Cherubino details all the reasons she loves Craigie on Main in Cambridge for brunch, including:

... I've yet to meet a Craigie sausage that I haven't loved so I ordered, "Craigie Dimanche Sausages, Buttermilk Biscuit and Gravy with farm fresh egg." It was full of flavor with a great biscuit. Next time I'll ask for even more gravy. ...

Wicked Local Allston/Brighton reports Boston Police arrested four 20-something lads from Oak Bluffs, Newton, Edgartown and Concord on charges they'd just marked up 1269 Comm. Ave. Police say they found both the building and the men covered in fresh paint; the men brought "a growling pit bull" along for company.

Bonus fun fact: The Concord resident gave his address as Chablis Terrace. Is that up the street from Chardonnay Lane?

Clean canvasses until covered with the paint of justice, etc.

NECN reports the MBTA is going to use the Mattapan Line as a guinea pig for a collision-avoidance system that uses radio waves to detect other trolleys and begins to beep insistently if the trolley operator gets too close. If it works, the system could be deployed on the Green Line.

Without any advance warning, the Harvard University Press Display Room bookstore in Holyoke Center closed on June 18. It had been in business for 61 years. I found out it was gone only when I walked by it this week.

William Feegbeh of Brighton couldn't get enough signatures to get on the ballot, so he's running a write-in campaign - part of which apparently involves sneaking his signs into the windows of unsuspecting merchants - Michael Pahre reports.

Kathy reports there's a gaggle of geese under the BU bridge. By itself, no big deal, except the goslings are now big enough to notice that while some are obviously the spawn of the white adult geese that watch over them, some have the black legs of Canada geese:

... So it looks like maybe some Canada gooselings imprinted on domesticated parents. So what type do you think these Canadas will try to mate with when they grow up?

Eeka arrived home today to find four identical Flaherty Good/Better mailings in her mailbox, addressed to the two people who actually live there:

... When I've volunteered for campaigns, they've had me do such exciting tasks as, well, going through their database and taking out obvious duplicate voters, so as not to waste money/trees/energy on mailings, not annoy households with duplicate phonecalls, and most of all, not make prospective voters think that the candidate is wasteful and can't bother to have humans work for him or her. ...

Jennifer Forman Orth alerts us that state officials are on the lookout for late blight disease, a mold that kills both potatoes and tomatoes. She says it's already been spotted in Massachusetts and that people growing either type of plant should watch for it - and report any suspected cases to the state:

Symptoms of late blight include small olive green or brown lesions on the upper surface of the foliage or the stems. Under moist conditions, there is a white, fuzzy growth on the underside of the leaves where the lesions occur, but the absence of this growth does not rule out late blight. Eventually the lesions turn black, leaves start to die, and then the entire plant dies.

The disease is caused by Phytophthora infestans, which killed off much of the Irish potato crop in the 1840s. And guess how it spreads?

[T]hrough splashing rain or wind currents. Spores can disperse from one to several miles from the point of origin, with the infection spreading most efficiently in conditions of high moisture and temperatures ranging from 60° to 80°F.

The MBTA reports 90% or better on-time performance for commuter-rail trains over the past four months - the best performance in three years.

Meanwhile, power users of the WiFi service on commuter trains are beginning to report filtering software on the access points is blocking their access to some sites.

Adam Rosi-Kessel reported yesterday he was blocked from a Talking Points Memo video site, but also his own blog admin console, which doesn't have any bandwidth-sucking video.

Today, Cara Lisa Powers tweeted she could not get through to Huffington Post. Andy Hannon tweeted he was blocked from Twitter.

CommonWealth Unbound takes a look at the latest Boston crime stats, sees murders and shootings seem to be down for June and draws the rainy conclusion.

Hah! And some of you people snort at Twitter. Take a look at one chihuahua's feed.