Campaign notes

For the second day in a row, Brian McGrory actually gets off his tuchus and does some real reporting, this time to check out Maura Hennigan's assertion that the path around Jamaica Pond is a rubble-strewn minefield. McGrory discovers it's not.

The Phoenix says both candidates are avoiding the elephant in City Hall (the growing city payroll and attendant bureaucratic doldrums). The Phoenix also talks to some Boston Water and Sewer guys and concludes that Hennigan's evolving into a real candidate, finally, although it's probably too late now because WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE (actually, the cover screams YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE; so one can conclude Phoenix staffers have been stocking up on the Tamiflu).

Could somebody please explain this op-ed piece about at-large council candidate John Connolly? I think it's saying he's the moral equivalent of Edmund Burke because some unnamed vested interests disagree with him.

The city's current black and Hispanic city councilors have endorsed at-large candidate Sam Yoon.

Is Tom Menino coaching Allston/Brighton Councilor Jerry McDermott? McDermott doesn't like debating his opponent, either.

Incumbent at-large Councilor Steve Murphy wants to tax freeloading college students.

The West Roxbury Ward 20 Democrats and the West Roxbury-Roslindale Transcript are sponsoring a debate for all candidates for council, both at-large and District 6 (West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain), at 7 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 1 Morrell St., West Roxbury.