New England in brief
Boston
Traffic will be restricted around the city today because of the noon Red Sox playoff game, a half-marathon, and holiday parades and festivals. To top it all off, officials warn of delays on the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in midafternoon because a helicopter will be landing there during shooting of a Tom Cruise movie. Yawkey Way, Van Ness Street, and Boylston Street near Fenway Park will be closed starting two hours before the game. The Boston Athletic Association Half-Marathon, which begins near the Fenway, will delay traffic starting at 7 a.m. on Park Drive at Roberto Clemente Field, then along the Arborway to the Franklin Park Zoo. Boston police expect about 5,000 runners. The Columbus Day Parade will also delay traffic. The parade starts at 1 p.m. at City Hall Plaza and ends in the North End. Traffic will also be redirected in the Adams Village area in Dorchester for the Irish Heritage Festival from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.2 BU students robbed outside dormitory
Two Boston University students were robbed at knifepoint in front of a dormitory yesterday, university police said. The two 18-year-old women told police that a white male in his 20s approached them about 4:15 a.m. outside 277 Babcock St., also known as Rich Hall. The man threatened them with a knife and stole $50 and a pack of cigarettes. Neither student was injured. Thomas J. Robbins, Boston University police chief, sent an e-mail to students with safety reminders, suggesting that they walk with friends, take a taxi home at night, and keep valuables out of sight.Fire in North End displaces 7 tenants
Seven people were displaced yesterday after a fire on the roof of their four-story building in the North End, the Fire Department said. Firefighters were called to the building on Hanover Street at 4:49 a.m., said Steve MacDonald, department spokesman. The Bricco restaurant, located on the first floor, and the apartments on the top three floors suffered water and smoke damage in the two-alarm blaze, forcing residents to seek accommodations with family and friends. The damage is estimated at $300,000, MacDonald said.Police investigate case of missing man, 24
Boston police said they are investigating the case of a Quincy man who went missing after attending the Bruins game at the TD Garden Thursday. Shortly after the game ended, William D. Hurley, 24, called his fiancee, Claire Mahoney, 24, also of Quincy, asking her to pick him up the arena and saying his cellphone battery was going dead, according to the police report. When Mahoney arrived at the arena, she couldn’t find Hurley and could not get in touch with him. Mahoney searched the area for an hour before returning to the couple’s residence, and later reported Hurley missing at Boston police headquarters in Roxbury, the report said. “We’ve found no indicators of any foul play, but that possibility can’t be ruled out,’’ said Officer Joe Zanoli, a police spokesman.Marlborough
2-alarm blaze destroys multifamily home
A two-alarm fire that burned for about five hours destroyed a multifamily home on a dead end street in Marlborough, fire officials said. The residents of 13 Lincoln Court escaped safely, but one firefighter was injured battling the blaze, the Fire Department said in a statement. The firefighter was taken to Marlborough Hospital for evaluation. The fire, which was reported at 9:51 p.m. Friday and burned until nearly 3:30 a.m. yesterday, was quickly upgraded to two alarms. The 2 1/2-story wood-frame house sits close to neighboring buildings, making firefighting more difficult, said Deputy Fire Chief Ron Ayotte.PROVIDENCE
Concerns about Station memorial design
Some parts of the plan for a memorial at the site of a nightclub fire that killed 100 people are being reconsidered because of concerns over maintenance and liability. Relatives of victims of the February 2003 fire at The Station nightclub are concerned that the greenery might require too much upkeep, the open water could be hazardous, and some materials might not be durable. The final design is uncertain, and the site remains tied up in lawsuits, so it is not clear when the memorial foundation will take control of the property. (AP)
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