David checked the trip planner on mbta.com to see how to get from the North End to Copley. Its primary suggestion: Get on the Green Line and, 20 minutes or so later, get off at Copley. Its proposed alternative: Take commuter rail from North Station to Porter Square, hop on the Red Line for a trip to Broadway (in South Boston), then take the 9 bus:

... I would have thought the orange line from Haymarket to Back Bay station would be a decent second.

Aaron Michlewitz easily won election today to the state rep's seat vacated by Sal DiMasi, according to city returns.

A Proper Bostonian provides two examples of why she loves the North End.

Chris Kulikoski, running against incumbent Sal LaMattina in district 1 (North End, East Boston and Charlestown) says he would work to eliminate Bunker Hill Day and Evacuation Day as paid city holidays:

Boston has a proud history and Bunker Hill Day and Evacuation Day are certainly part of that history. However, when the city, the state and the country are in a financial crisis, now is the time to look at saving taxpayer money and to phase out these holidays for city workers. When we are potentially laying off school teachers, police and firefighters, it is irresponsible to defend these benefits that ordinary taxpayers don’t enjoy. We all love holidays, but I would suggest that if city councilors and city workers want those days off, they take a personal day - like the rest of us have to.

The city council this week passed a resolution - sponsored by LaMattina - to oppose efforts in the state legislature to eliminate the two holidays, on which city and state workers, and public-school students, in Suffolk County get paid days off.

Bunker Hill Day is this Wednesday.

Funny but true: Aaron Michlewitz didn't actually get elected state rep from the North End and the South End last month. He only won the Democratic primary, even though the local press seems to think he's already serving, at least based on the amount of coverage they're not giving the race.

The election to determine who actually replaces Sal DiMasi is this Tuesday, when Michlewitz faces independent John Keith and Republican David Trumbull. What are the odds turnout won't even break four figures?

Mike Steinborn tweets a North End car roundup:

Every car parked on Salem between Bova's and the Old North Church got towed this morning. So many towtrucks. It looked like Skynet.

At least the city didn't flush any of its own money down the toilet.

Chris Kulikoski of the North End said today he'd been certified for the ballot this fall for the city council seat now held by Sal LaMattina.

Kulikoski, a former teacher who now runs the Mazzaro Family Market on Salem Street in the North End, was to formally announce his candidacy at party at Joe's American Bar and Grill tonight:

It is time that city government was better attuned to the working people, families and retirees of the city. Being a city councilor means representing everybody and looking out for the specific needs of each neighborhood – not catering to the well-connected.

He pointed to neighborhood schools, public safety, the structure of the city council and cleaner streets and parks as his major issues.

Campaign Web site.

The Boston Public Health Commission just tweeted that it's shutting the Jackson-Mann School and the Horace Mann School in Allston and the John Eliot School in the North End for seven days each because of swinish outbreaks.

That brings the number of schools in Boston felled by H1N1 to 11.