🌱 Patch AM: How downed wires turned Back Bay station into a holiday travel mess

What's up Back Bay! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How downed wires turned Back Bay station into a holiday travel mess
• Why a New Jersey police chief now faces charges from Back Bay

Also on today's calendar: United in Prevention: Human Trafficking Current Trends and Prevention Strategies Conference 2026 and 7 more events.

Today's riddle: I used to work in a doughnut shop. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Wednesday: Breezy with a little snow, with a high of 40 and low of 28 degrees.
• Thursday: Cloudy most of the time, temps: high: 39, low: 12. ⛄️ Brr!
• Friday: Mostly cloudy and colder, with a high of 26 and low of 22 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Some Amtrak service resumes after downed wires cause cancelations, delays - Boston News, Weather, Sports (whdh.com) — Train riders in Back Bay faced major headaches Monday as downed overhead wires near Boston halted Amtrak service for hours and forced Providence and Stoughton commuter rail trains to skip Back Bay Station entirely. Crowded halls and cascading cancellations left holiday travelers scrambling for alternatives while crews worked to repair the damaged catenary system and gradually restore service.
   

• NJ police chief charged with kidnapping victim in hotel room (wpst.com) — A New Jersey police chief has been indicted in Massachusetts on kidnapping and domestic assault charges tied to an alleged incident inside a Back Bay hotel room in September. He has been suspended without pay in Totowa and faces a separate impaired‑driving case, while Boston prosecutors move forward with the Back Bay charges that may draw regional attention here.
   

📸 Around Back Bay

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Back Bay

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Wednesday April 15

• United in Prevention: Human Trafficking Current Trends and Prevention Strategies Conference 2026
  Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor, 101 Harborside Dr, Boston
  1:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Friday December 26

• Hands-On: Gnocchi al Burro al Tartufo
  Eataly , 800 Boylston St , Boston
  3:00 pm
• Expressive Pottery Painting - Pottery Class in Boston | Classpop!™
  Rainbows Pottery Studio , 216 Newbury St , Boston
  6:00 pm

Saturday December 27

• Introduction to Pottery for All Ages - Boston - Pottery Class in Boston | Classpop!™
  Pottery Studio 1 - Pottery Classes and Events , 279 Newbury St , Boston
  12:00 pm
• Sculpting Pottery for Beginners - Pottery Class in Boston | Classpop!™
  Rainbows Pottery Studio , 216 Newbury St , Boston
  7:00 pm

Sunday December 28

• Hoelly Jolly Drag Brunch
  A.T. O'Keeffe's , 911 Boylston St , Boston
  12:00 pm

Monday December 29

• CENTER CLOSED for the Holiday
  Fenway Community Center , 1282 Boylston Street , Boston

Wednesday December 31

• BIG BIG Designer Floor Sample Event!!
  Ethan Allen , 840 Willard St , Quincy
  9:00 am
• The Resolution Ball
  The Westin Copley Place, Boston , 10 Huntington Ave , Boston
  7:00 pm

Thursday January 1

• CLOSED for New Years Day
  Fenway Community Center , 1282 Boylston Street , Boston

📣 Back Bay Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Wednesday December 24

• ESOL Class: Beginner Level, In-Person
  Charlesview , 123 Antwerp St , Brighton
  9:30 am
• Sarah & Kathy's Intermediate Conversation class
  Watertown Free Public Library Raya Stern Trustees Room (2nd floor) , 123 Main St, Watertown, MA, 02472
  9:45 am
• Snowman Craft @ West
  West Branch Children's Room , 40 College Ave , Somerville
  10:00 am
• Preschool Story Time (Ages 2-5)
  Brighton Branch Library , 40 Academy Hill Road , Brighton
  10:30 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Back Bay PatchAM possible:

• Dependable Cleaners — (617) 471-1900
  Discover the Dependable Difference!
• Brick Marketing - Digital Agency — (781) 999-1222
  Brick Marketing, a Boston digital marketing agency.
• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• Dogtopia of Dedham — (475) 338-3501
  Dogtopia – Dog Daycare, Boarding, Spa & Wellness

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• The Fastest Way to Get a Social Security Benefit Verification Letter —Kentia Torres Read on Patch

🗞 Nearby News

South End

• Here Are The MA Restaurants That Opened, Closed In 2025 (patch.com)
• Uber drivers worried about lack of safety protocols (charlestownbridge.com)

North End

• 8 Best Spots For Boston Cream Pie In Boston (tastingtable.com)
• JetBlue Unveils Boston-Themed Airbus A320, a 'Flying Love Letter' to the City (wror.com)
• This Boston Area Is A Hotspot For Traditional Italian Food (foodrepublic.com)

Somerville

Ok Back Bay! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I got tired of the hole business.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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