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Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘Everybody on our street owns a weapon': A whole swath of Mass. has a different relationship to guns than Boston
Advertisement 'Everybody on our street owns a weapon,' said Dave Drosehn, a 65-year-old retired machine tender and Peru resident. The politics around firearms and gun control remain bitterly divisive, both nationally and locally, but even in blue Massachusetts, which Advertisement The Peru Free Library sits along Route 143 in the center of Peru, Mass., a rural Berkshire County town of about 850 residents. The small brick building houses a library that still boasts a robust DVD collection and serves a community that has the highest per capita rate of licenses-to-carry firearms in Massachusetts, according to a Globe analysis. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Places where rural culture and gun culture are inextricably linked. Places, residents say, that people in Boston just don't understand. To find them, all you have to do is head west. Inside Ozzie's Steak and Eggs, a greasy spoon in Hinsdale, a town over from Peru, Drosehn was about to tuck into a turkey wrap on a recent day. He has hunted all his life, he said. There is a camaraderie in the sport, particularly hunting deer. Like many in rural Berkshire County, guns are a part of his life and he has opinions about firearms: He looks down on hunters that use big automatic weapons — 'Those guns are for law enforcement,' he said — and he's not a big fan of handguns, either. He owns four guns: a 12-gauge, a .22 rifle, and two muzzleloaders. Indeed, hunting is the oft-cited explanation for the gun ownership rate in this part of the state, and perhaps the most obvious. Peru has 286 licenses to carry, or LTCs, according to state data, meaning about a third of its residents have that permit. Compare that with Boston, where there are under 16,000 LTCs, meaning about 2 percent of its residents have such a permit. It has the third-lowest rate in Massachusetts, after Amherst and Somerville. Towns like Peru represent something of a hunter's paradise. There is plenty of wildlife and large swaths of untamed forest crowd the backroads. There are sun-dappled valleys, green-canopied mountains, and rivers that cut through nature's tableau. Peru Police Chief Bruce Cullett pushed back on the notion of a gun culture locally, saying it would be more accurate to say that rural culture here has a firearms component. Simply having a license to carry, he said, does not necessarily make someone a gun person or a firearms enthusiast, or even indicate that the person actively owns a gun. Advertisement 'The majority of LTC holders in Peru view firearms as practical tools used for hunting, protecting their family/pets/livestock, and for recreation … the same way they have been used for generations," he said. The environs around here teem with game. 'This is a hunting culture,' Bob Lamb, 71, of Cheshire, said of the area. 'Lots of great places to hunt.' The stock of the gun he had been working on, was 'ratty' when he received it, he said. That part is currently wedged into a vice attached to his workbench, which has a vast array of tools. Nearby, rifles in a row stand up against a table, atop which a collection of handguns sit. Elsewhere in the shop were more rifles — there were dozens of firearms here — as well as machinery to make gun parts. Gunsmith Bob Lamb, 71, worked on refurbishing a Stevens visible .22 rifle dating back to 1928 in his shop at B&W Firearms in Cheshire. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Dozens of rifles rested inside B&W Firearms. Lamb receives gun refurbishing jobs from around the country, working on firearms that range from decades old to more than a century old in his garage-based shop. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Guns, he said, 'are very safe.' It's the hands that handle the weapons that bring with them questions of morality and criminality. One town over from Cheshire, in Dalton, Jim Smith, 68, agreed with that sentiment. Advertisement 'I wouldn't fear guns, I would fear people who get guns illegally, that's who I would fear,' said Smith, who grew up hunting in Savoy, where his family homestead is located. 'Regular gun ownership, by law-abiding citizens, they have nothing to fear at all.' Like any community, none of these rural towns are political monoliths, and to dismiss this corner of the state as MAGA country would be inaccurate. Despite high rates of gun ownership and a prevalent hunting culture, Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, Dotted throughout the Berkshire hill towns are the occasional political signs. Some express support for Trump, others the opposite. Some extol the need to protect the Second Amendment. Some encourage people to contact their state representative to voice their opposition to Among some gun owners out here, there is an underlying distrust of Beacon Hill. The state Legislature, some said, does not understand their way of life. The real power brokers tend not to be from places like Peru, and too many of those in Boston-centric circles of state power think Massachusetts 'ends at Worcester,' said Lamb, the gunsmith. 'They don't know what goes on out here,' he said. 'They just don't get it.' Out this way, Governor Maura Healey is the butt of much criticism from gun owners. Healey, said Wally Fritz, a 74-year-old from Worthington, is 'probably the worst thing for us.' Advertisement 'If she had her way, there'd be no guns,' he said. A Healey spokesperson said in a statement the governor supports the Second Amendment. 'She also supports the strong gun laws that have made Massachusetts the safest state in the nation, including banning ghost guns, strengthening ERPO to keep guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others, and investing in violence prevention programs,' said Karissa Hand, the spokesperson. Out here, reported instances of violent crime are almost unheard of. For instance, Savoy's police chief, Jordan Koch, said there has not been a shooting or homicide in town during the past 20 years. Wally Fritz, 74, sat in the basement of his Worthington home surrounded by hunting trophies including mounted deer heads and multiple turkey beards hanging from the wall. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Deer antler racks filled recycling containers in the basement of Fritz's Worthington home. Erin Clark/Globe Staff In Worthington, Fritz said he never locks the door to his home, where, in the basement, there are trophies from a lifetime of hunting. Seven deer heads are mounted on one wall. Multiple turkey beards hang from one beam, a few bear pelts from another. A Trump hat also hangs among camouflaged hunting gear. In two recycling containers on the floor are piled an untold number of antler racks. Fritz estimates he owns about 20 guns. 'If I can't hunt and have my guns, buddy,' he said, his voice trailing off. He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, and then said he wouldn't give up his firearms without a struggle. Fritz spoke about what his hometown used to be like, lamenting that some newer residents don't wave when they see you out and about. 'Everyone hunted, everyone had a gun, and everyone knew there was a gun,' he said. 'I think that's one of the reasons we had no crime. If you know there's a gun in there, you ain't going in there.' Advertisement In Savoy, Wayne Haskins, 66, has maybe a half-dozen guns. Several are hand-me-downs from his father. 'The people that have guns, let them have them,' he said. 'If they're not doing anything wrong with them, let them have them.' The last time he shot a gun was about 10 years ago to kill a raccoon that had broken into his chicken coop and was slaughtering his birds. Many people use guns to protect their animals, he said. He knows other gun owners are driven by a fear of the unknown. In recent years, his wife bought a pistol for protection: 'Just in case,' he said. But, most of the time, he said, 'The guns just sit there and collect dust.' Danny McDonald can be reached at
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Queer proms offer ‘escape' from anti-LGBTQ politics targeting schools, students say
Advertisement Queer proms have for years offered students an alternative to traditional proms, which can be loaded with unspoken expectations about gender roles and attire. But now, as President Trump rails against DEI and targets transgender rights, queer proms have become spaces where young people can celebrate their LGBTQ identities and bolster their spirits against Nicole Amaturo, 19 (center) danced during the Queer Youth Boogie Night on May 23 in Pawtucket, R.I. Amaturo, a nonbinary high school senior, organized the prom as their internship capstone project with Youth Pride Inc., a social services nonprofit in Providence. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Amaturo posed for a photo with their partner, Erudite Raine (left), as teacher Kate Booth took a photo during the Queer Youth Boogie Night on May 23 at a trendy art gallery in Pawtucket, R.I. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Amaturo's Pawtucket dance on May 23 was one of about a dozen queer proms organized by high school students across New England this spring. At Hingham High School, a dance Saturday night was dubbed a 'Kick-off to Pride,' and balloons bounced between students on a dark dance floor. Katy Perry's 'I Kissed A Girl' rang through speakers as attendees ate pizza and Jersey Mike's sandwiches. Parents and teachers chaperoning offered flyers connecting kids to local LGBTQ mental health services. Advertisement Hingham senior Hope Huffman, who has planned the school's queer prom for three years, said this year's dance was more than a celebration. It was a respite. 'Planning queer prom is an escape because it's a way to think about current queer culture in a positive light, it's a way to get away from the negativity,' said Huffman, 17. Hope Huffman, 17, hung LGBTQ flag bunting while decorating Hingham High School's gymnasium for the school's queer prom on May 31. Huffman, a senior who has planned the school's queer prom for three years, said this year's dance dubbed "Kick-off to Pride" was more than a celebration — it was a respite from negativity surrounding current LGBTQ issues. Erin Clark/Globe Staff 'Standing out' The weight of stereotypical norms at most proms can feel crushing to LGBTQ youth, Huffman said, causing some to try to blend in with straight peers or skip the events altogether. The rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from some conservative lawmakers and media figures has made young people even more sensitive to scrutiny from peers, they said. 'It's more difficult for people to act and dress how they want, when they're unsure if people in that big space will be accepting,' Huffman said. Because formal attire comes with heavy expectations tied to gender, traditional high school proms place pressure on queer and transgender youth to conform to cis- and heteronormativity, said Robyn Freedner-Maguire with Hope Huffman and their mother, Lisa Huffman, before Hingham High School's queer prom on May 31. Erin Clark/Globe Staff 'There's this general sense of, ' Huffman, who had fun at her school's regular prom in a sparkly dress, said they wouldn't have felt comfortable wearing a suit there, because it would have made them stick out. 'That would be unexpected in a regular prom and make that person stand out, which can then draw negative attention,' Huffman said. Advertisement In Framingham, queer youth with the group OUT MetroWest said they've disliked prom traditions honoring one king and one queen. 'Gendered prom court is stupid — they could just be crowned as royalty,' said Lily Pearl, the OUT MetroWest's program and education manager. Prom season can be 'complicated' After Amaturo received the hateful Instagram message, they told their parents and teachers, blocked the account that sent the DM, and set their own account to private. Amaturo said the message didn't affect them much, since it was online. But at Amaturo's regular high school prom in Providence last year, some students gave them and their girlfriend 'dirty looks' on the dance floor. Other LGBTQ students wore extravagant dark lace gowns tied to the prom's Victorian-era theme, Amaturo said. The students were met with laughs, smirks, and 'judging,' Amaturo said. 'Every time of year, this is the issue. It's supposed to be this celebratory time and it's just complicated for queer and trans youth,' said Freedner-Maguire. Nicole Amaturo had their shoes put on by their partner, Erudite Raine, before the Queer Youth Boogie Night. Erin Clark/Globe Staff LGBTQ-themed bracelets and accessories sat in a heart-shaped bowl during the Queer Youth Boogie Night in Pawtucket, R.I. Erin Clark/Globe Staff The subtle bullying Amaturo observed last year was what inspired them to create a queer prom, which became their internship capstone project with Youth Pride Inc., a social services nonprofit in Providence. About 20 high school students attended the May 23 dance at a trendy art gallery in Pawtucket, where a DJ played '80s 'oldies,' new age, and rap, Amaturo said. 'Queer people deserve to be comfortable and not feel scared to dance with their partner just because people are really ignorant,' Amaturo said. Queer youth ask about Trump news Even in deep blue Massachusetts, queer high schoolers can feel overwhelmed by the nationwide push to restrict the rights of LGBTQ youth that began in 2021 with state bills targeting transgender athletes and gender-affirming health care for minors, said Zach Bagan, a Spanish teacher at Hingham High who sponsors its Gay Straight Alliance club and organizes the annual queer prom. Advertisement Over the years, students like Huffman have come to GSA meetings with questions about current events, like whether the Supreme Court could be open to revisiting its landmark 2015 ruling that gay Americans have a constitutional right to marriage, Bagan said. Across the US, LGBTQ young people experience higher rates of anxiety and depression than their straight and cisgender peers Huffman stood beneath an LGBTQ flag while their mother adjusted it before heading to Hingham High School's queer prom. Erin Clark/Globe Staff In Massachusetts last year, Bagan said he knows some students avoid reading the news because it can be 'incredibly depressing.' So at GSA meetings, Bagan gives members 'the rundown of what is objectively happening,' and lets students express their feelings and learn from each other. As seniors prepared for college or travel in other states and abroad, some navigated gut-wrenching choices about their gender marker on IDs, which became more fraught after the State Department in January began issuing passports with gender markers for people's sex assigned at birth, Bagan said. 'What it really boils down to for me is safety,' Bagan said. 'I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't tell my kids that, at the end of the day, you have to do what you have to do to protect yourself.' Advertisement 'Finding joy' In Portsmouth, N.H., in April, queer youth traveled from hours away for a statewide Chappell Roan-themed prom hosted by NH Outright at a high school gym. Dozens of students twirled on the dance floor, holding hands and erupting in joyous laughter, said executive director Heidi Carrington Heath. The event was a contrast to what some of the young people likely experience at school, said Carrington Heath, who said some have mentioned an uptick in bullying. The negativity from some peers coincides with lawmakers in the state fighting to ban teaching about 'School environments in New Hampshire have been challenging for many years,' Carrington Heath said. Over 30 percent of those surveyed by the Trevor Project in New Hampshire said their families are considering leaving the state because of LGBTQ-related politics or laws. That number is similar to rates of families considering leaving states such as Alabama, Nevada, Pennsylvania, or Virginia, according to the Trevor Project. At the same time, attendance at NH Outright's queer prom has grown each year. Parents spend hours knitting and filling out crosswords in parked cars while their children dance the night away, Carrington Heath said. Inside the prom, first-time attendees often say things like, 'I thought this only happened in novels,' or 'This is better than any high school prom,' Carrington Heath said. Advertisement 'My heart grew three sizes this year seeing them finding that joy with each other,' she said. A rainbow-colored light display decorated a doorway during Hingham High School's queer prom dubbed "Kick-off to Pride." Erin Clark/Globe Staff Claire Thornton can be reached at
Boston Globe
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
A millennial rock marathon at Boston Calling
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Other artists on Saturday's lineup, like Allianz Blue Stage performer Timmy Skelly, felt like afterparty performers for Friday's more country- and Americana-focused affair. Also on the Allianz Blue Stage, Lucius baked in lush folk-pop duets while Amble tugged the folk tradition overseas to their native Ireland. Advertisement Amber Lawson of PINKLIDS performs at Boston Calling. Erin Clark/Globe Staff The Orange Stage, which showcased rising New England talent, reflected other stages' ratio of rock to raw folk. PINKLIDS, a newer act from Wareham, cast a cloak of fuzzy guitar riffs over the crowd, offering a Cramps-adjacent potpourri of surf, garage, and psychedelia. The experimentation continued with Somerville art-rock band sidebody, whose loopy lyricism evoked a range of delirium and winking cultural criticism. Rebuilder, Boston rock veterans who fall somewhere between punk and alternative, were surprisingly the most straightforward act of the bunch, and simon robert french provided a silken country contrast to the other three performers. Advertisement Elsewhere, the Green Stage's afternoon pairing of The Maine and All Time Low – two crusaders of the 2000s emo/pop-punk craze – served as the official beginning of the millennial marathon. The one-two punch of energetic rock uncorked the day's first throwbacks, like The Maine's lusty 'Girls Do What They Want' and the unlucky bounce of All Time Low's 'Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't).' Cage The Elephant performing at Boston Calling. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Similarly, Cage the Elephant's selection of alt-rock seemed most blistering when frontman Matt Shultz dug into the band's most aching material. The divorce-inspired 'Ready To Let Go' and anxiety-riddled cut 'Social Cues' evoked some of the crowd's biggest reactions of the day (although the exasperation of 'Ain't No Rest for the Wicked' is certainly a made-for-millennials anthem if there ever was one). Avril Lavigne put forth her own flippant rallying cry with her hit 'Girlfriend,' though she repeatedly leaned on her fans' exuberance to carry her set's energy level. Still, when reaching back to hits penned as a teenager, like 'Complicated' and 'Sk8er Boi,' Lavigne's vocals were as crisp as they were in 2002, and her inclusion in Saturday's lineup felt like an important nod to her role as a leading woman in the arena of 2000s rock. Advertisement Across the complex on the Allianz Blue Stage, James Bay's finale of 'Hold Back The River,' a sweeping tide of soul, primed the scene for The Black Crowes. The group provided a blitz of blues-tinged material, punctuated by can't-skip classics like 'Remedy' and their fast-talking Otis Redding cover 'Hard to Handle.' Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy performs at Boston Calling music festival on Saturday. Erin Clark/Globe Staff But it was headliners Fall Out Boy who truly committed to hurtling guests through time, as they zipped through their 20-year catalog. The journey from 2003's 'Take This to Your Grave' to 2023's 'So Much (for) Stardust' was a humble brag – proof that their hits aren't confined to any one window of the 2000s. In between, lead vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump paid some Boston fan service by performing a chunk of 'Sweet Caroline' on the piano. 'This is a dumb tourist thing, but we're going to do it together,' he insisted. But no matter how lengthy their legacy, Fall Out Boy are bound to one particular millennial touchstone: their 2007 hit 'Thnks fr th Mmrs.' The breakup song revolves around a not-so-sweet refrain of 'Thanks for the memories / Even though they weren't so great.' As tens of thousands of fans hollered the quip in unison, they had the chance to either revisit bittersweet flashbacks from the era, or overwrite adolescent angst with a new memory from their adulthood. Either way, what perfectly ironic bliss.
Boston Globe
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Latin Academy girls complete the high-five and O'Bryant boys repeat at Boston City League outdoor track championship
O'Bryant's Liam Feliz gave up baseball in the spring and it paid off with a city championship in the 110-meter hurdles. Erin Clark/Globe Staff One of those senior leaders is Liam Feliz, who quit baseball a few years ago due to upper-body injuries. 'My idea was like, 'Well, I'm the fastest on the baseball team, so why not try it?' ' said Feliz. 'It's been fun ever since.' Advertisement Feliz won the 110-meter hurdles (16.74 seconds) and high jump (6 feet, 0 inches) and placed second in the 200 dash (23.13). Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Tech Boston's Donte Jordan Allen Robinson (left) races against Quincy Sebastien Dorcy of Charlestown (right) during the boys' 400-meter hurdles final. Erin Clark/Globe Staff The distance events were particularly strong for O'Bryant, with sophomores Adam Kramer (4:44.21) and Brandon Spies (4:48.31) finishing second and third in the mile, and Spies championing the two mile (10:17.42). 'We have a lot of fun, we joke a lot, but when it comes down to it we can really put the work in,' said Feliz. 'It's a young team, but we're family.' Related : Latin Academy ran away with the girls' title from the beginning, scoring 188 points and winning for the fifth-straight year. On top of the victory, senior Emma Wadsworth took down the girls' MVP award for her triple-gold performances in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump. Advertisement 'I've loved my time on this team,' said Wadsworth. 'They always support each other and it's been like that since my freshman year.' Latin Academy's Lilliana Romer (left) and Boston United's Lailah Nevaeh Harris battle for position during the 100-meter dash. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Wadsworth was joined atop the podium by Dragons senior teammate Demya McClure, who won the discus and shot put. Leanna Lynch won the 200 (27.06) and the 400 (1:02.94) and Ava Gomes won a nail-biting 100 dash (13.30). Related : 'For the last decade we've been in a really strong run,' said Latin Academy head coach Brian Leussler. 'The more success we have the more it just contributes to more kids coming out. Every day in practice we're going to have a really dedicated group of kids.' Dearborn STEM Academy senior Rick Barros had a triple-gold day in the 100 (11.13 seconds), 200 (22.34 seconds) and was a part of the winning 4x400 team (3:38.69) to take the boys' MVP award. Rick Barros of Dearborn STEM Academy was a three-event winner to earn MVP honors. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Aiden Barker can be reached at
Boston Globe
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
April photo highlights: Boston 250, Sox Opening Day, Celtics playoffs
The Boston Evzones marched down Boylston Street during the 29th annual Greek Independence Day Parade of Boston on April 27. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski (left) and Carlton Fisk (right) saluted fans at Fenway Park as the 1975 team was honored on Opening Day. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff Marc Tortell from Germany started the 129th Boston Marathon in high spirits in Hopkinton on April 21. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff The Dropkick Murphys energized demonstrators during "Hands Off," an anti-Trump/Musk rally at City Hall Plaza in Boston on April 5. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum celebrated a three-pointer during the fourth quarter in game five of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs against the Orlando Magic at TD Garden on April 23. Barry Chin/Globe Staff A Paul Revere reenactor waved to spectators in Boston's North End during the midnight ride commemoration on April 18. The event started Boston 250 festivities marking the American Revolution's 250th anniversary. Erin Clark/Globe Staff A volley of gunfire illuminated British troop reenactors as they fired at the minutemen on the Lexington Battle Green the morning of April 19. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff A worker in a bucket lift pruned the branches of towering willow trees in the Boston Public Garden on April 3. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Brothers Tyler, 10, and Taylor, 10, Gonick waited at the front of the line during Boston Red Sox Opening Day at Fenway Park. The brothers, from New Jersey, have been attending Opening Day since they were newborns. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Berklee College of Music student Anna Tandy leaned on fellow student Sophi Allen as they took a break from classes at noon on a bench on Boston Common. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Rohan Shukla suffered a catastrophic brain injury playing football for Sharon High School. His mother, Deepika Talukdar, was there when he got back from physical therapy to his room at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Benedicta Kumahia glanced up at the Rev. Wesley A. Roberts before he lowered her into the baptismal waters at Peoples Baptist Church. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff Kimberly Zion, who was promoted to paramedic, hugged her husband Kassim Zion, promoted to captain, during the Boston EMT ceremony at the Boston Public Library on April 25. The event honored 35 newly graduated EMTs and 13 department promotions. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff Fourth-grade Spanish language arts teacher Waldo Gomez laughed with his students during class at Kelly Elementary School in Chelsea on March 13. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Related : John Jenkins Jr., 6, cruised past dairy cows at the Hard Climb Farm in Troy, Vt., on April 20. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff A man prayed during afternoon Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston on April 23. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Rita Stivaletta soaked in the sun with her dog, Jojo, at City Hall Plaza in Boston on April 1. 'I'm enjoying the sun while it's still out,' she said. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Boston Red Sox shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela missed a fly ball during the eighth inning at Fenway Park on April 10. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Scott Naso and his 3-year-old daughter, Laila, colored in the family's kitchen in Portsmouth, R.I. After the death of Laila's mother, questions arose for Scott Naso regarding his in-laws' care. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Related : Ray Trombley, a Vietnam veteran from Northampton now dying of liver cancer, says Veterans Affairs services have been essential to paying for his health care. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Lexington History Museums program manager Sarah McDonough closed the shutters in the guest room inside the Hancock-Clarke House, where Paul Revere warned John Hancock and Samuel Adams that the British were on the move. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
