Jorge ran across these coyote pups in Belle Isle Marsh in East Boston today.

From kid-lifting giant bunches of balloons at the Pru to Sumo-sized stuffed animals in Eastie, Fabulously Out There is out there with her camera, snapping photos of the stuff you wouldn't think you'd find on top of a moving car.

Jorge photographs a pair of snowy egrets at Belle Isle Marsh.

Jimbo passes along the rumor about Joan Lawrence, formerly principal of the St. Mary's Star of the Sea school, supposedly taken out just before the school was ordered shut.

Let's be completely uncynical for a moment and take Sal DiMasi at his word that he never once discussed some bill his pal, who gave him a discounted third mortgage, was hired to push, as the Globe quotes him as saying. In which case, he really needs to tell chum Richard Vitale to shut the frick up - and register as a lobbyist for chrissakes. Also, ever notice how often George Regan is involved in this sort of story?

The Outraged Liberal is getting tired of the disparities in the way the public treats Deval Patrick's alleged foibles (drapes!) with DiMasi's more serious ethical questions:

... DiMasi bumps along from one questionable encounter and deal to another without so much as an eyebrow raised on the public scene.

Part of the difference of course is that Patrick was elected statewide with a promise of changing business as usual. DiMasi represents one district in the North End, runs the Massachusetts House and is business as usual.

And he's been winning -- casinos, corporate tax reporting. You get the picture. ...

Today's best sunrise photo, taken toward Logan from Long Wharf.

An out-of-town woman who says she flew into Boston to scout out a location for a new business made the mistake of agreeing to stay with some dude she met at the hotel and wound up being forced at gunpoint to give him her money, Boston Police report.

Greg MacKay enjoys the view from LoPresti Park in East Boston.

Reynoso

Rosado

Booking photos from
the Suffolk County
DA's office.

Jesus Reynoso, 44, of Roslindale, and his alleged bagman and enforcer, Victor Rosado, 39, of Mattapan, were arrested today by State Police, who used hidden GPS devices to track them down after an investigation that started in January, 2007. Some 30 other people were also arrested in "Operation Barbershop."

The Suffolk County District Attorney's office charges Reynoso put together a network of bookie joints at stores across Boston and in Lawrence, Leominster, and Worcester that alllegedly brought in more than $1 million a year.

Boston locations raided:

• Eclipse Boutique, 450 Hyde Park Ave., Roslindale
• Vimar Designs, 3205 Washington St., Jamaica Plain
• D&D Communications, 3142 Washington St., Jamaica Plain
• Super Mario, 3115 Washington St., Roxbury
• D'Palace, 3094 Washington St., Roxbury
• Tony's Travel, 3108 Washington St., Roxbury
• Thalia Beauty Salon, 338 Blue Hill Ave., Dorchester
• Gentileza's Market, 140 Bowdoin St., Dorchester
• La Fama Barbershop, 180 Maverick Sq., East Boston

Officials say that, like any good franchiser, Reynoso set the shops up with the tools of the trade:

Evidence developed in the course of more than a year indicates that Reynoso and Rosado set up illegal betting franchises in area barbershops and other businesses. The ringleaders provided each of their operatives with a laptop and other equipment allowing them to take and record wagers. Surveillance has demonstrated that these betting parlors were frequented by convicted drug dealers and may have been used to launder drug money. The figures who ran these individual franchises are believed to have handed 60% of their profits over to Reynoso and kept the remainder for themselves.

Ironically, Boston Police and Suffolk prosecutors began their investigation after one of the stores - the La Fama barbershop in East Boston - was held up in January, 2007, DA Dan Conley said:

The unknown perpetrators handcuffed the owner to a radiator and pistol-whipped him to find money. Subsequently, we uncovered evidence of an organized, illegal gambling enterprise that stretched far beyond this one venue. With the assistance of our law enforcement partners, the evidence we followed ultimately led to the network leaders and all of the various locations that are being searched today.

He added:

Make no mistake: this was not a harmless neighborhood lottery or sports book. It was a gambling enterprise where the game was rigged in favor of the ring and it was fraught with violence and corruption. Every dollar that went into this ring was a dollar stolen from the Commonwealth and its residents. Not only did its principals deprive the state of tax revenue on more than a million dollars a year, they regularly deprived players of their winnings when it suited their purposes.

Seems the Emerson baseball team now plays its home games at East Boston's Sartori Stadium, newly rebuilt and featuring lights for night games. In general, the team seems to enjoy the new field, but as the Berkeley Beacon reports, there are some only-in-Eastie issues:

"There were some kids playing soccer in the outfield that interfered with the game a bit," said Anderson. "At one point one of them picked up the ball and threw it at the outfielder on the other team."

Via Jimbo.