One of the MBTA's newest trolleys suffered some sort of catastrophic failure with that swiveling mechanism in the center of the car near Boylston shortly before 3 p.m., jamming up the line on one of its busiest days of the year - and leaving some passengers on other trolleys trapped for an hour or more as T workers tried to get them and the newly dysfunctional trolley safely out of the tunnels. Read more.
Michael Sentance watched a troop of Minutemen and followers in Concord on their morning march to destiny to Old North Bridge.
Meanwhile, down in Coolidge Corner, Michael Burstein watched William Dawes sound the alarum that the regulars were coming, on his way from the North End: Read more.
The MBTA says all the Marathon fans jamming into Green Line stops means trolleys have to go wicked slow for safety reasons pulling into and out of stations, but some riders say there's slow and then there's the Green Line:
Took 30 minutes from Copley to Arlington, and Copley is not even open.
Mark Clancy photographed the two Connecticut Air National Guard C-130Hs flying the Marathon route today.
Dawes and horse warm up before leaving John Eliot Square.
William Dawes returned to the First Church of Roxbury this morning, for the first time since before the start of the pandemic, to ride off to Lexington and Concord to warn the colonists that the Redcoats were on their way. Read more.
The town is advising people who think they can just run 26 miles on their own without any road closings, water and first-aid stations or police in the middle of a frickin' pandemic that they seriously need to reevaluate their thinking.
Not this year.
J.L. Bell lists ways local historical groups are putting together ways to celebrate the historical part of Patriots Day online this year.
The page content will not surprise anyone, yet the headline is still painful to read on the Town of Lexington's website:
Patriots' Day 2020 Has Been Cancelled
That means no Paul Revere's ride, no battle re-enactments, no pancake breakfasts, no parades, no fifes and drums, no vigils, no Dawn Salute at the rude bridge in Concord -- none of it.
Boston EMS Lt. Tony O'Brien worked Copley Square yesterday. He reports there were so many inspirational people yesterday, including the guy who crawled across the finish line, but this guy may have been the most inspirational: Read more.
NorthEndWaterfront.com has photos from last night's Lantern Ceremony at Old North Church. Sara Cuthbertson got up early to watch the battle on Lexington Green.
Here's your chance to take that trip to Fitchburg you've been dying to do: On Patriots Day, you'll be able to ride anywhere commuter rail goes for $15 for the whole day. The "Marathon Pass" is available starting today on the mTicket app and starting Wednesday at ticket offices at North South and Back Bay stations. Don't worry about missing out - the pass will also be available on the trains themselves on April 15. Read more.
Matt Calvin watched men's winner Yuki Kawauchi glide by on Beacon Street in Brookline today.
Lots of Marathon photos by Photographynatalia.
NorthEndWaterfront.com has video of the annual lighting of the lanterns (two if by sea and all) in Old North Church.
Our own Ron Newman got up early this morning to take in the annual Battle of Lexington reenactment.
Paula Tennyson watched police and cadets assemble for Marathon duty near Mass. Ave. around 8:30 a.m.
— Mike (@mjvulch) April 17, 2017
Mike watched those jets that flew overhead shortly before 10 a.m.
J.L. Bell recounts the tale of the Wrentham Minutemen. Oh, they saw plenty of action - at local taverns - before finally marching up to West Roxbury, where they found a tory and took him to a patriot tavern at Centre and Allandale to figure out what to do with him (and then Bell leaves us hanging for tomorrow's account).
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