WMEO News Update — Elephant Migration Exhibit Joins Boston Tours

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WMEO Newsroom with Anchors Banner and Balboa, cats

WMEO News Update — Elephant Migration Exhibit Joins Boston Tours

The traveling Elephant Migration Exhibit is heading to Boston, and longtime local guide Christian V. — a 25‑year veteran with GoWithGuide — has confirmed he’ll be incorporating the exhibit into his popular Boston–Cambridge Tour while it’s in town.

Christian, known for his comfortable demeanor and excellent reviews, has spent decades sharing Boston’s Revolutionary history and Cambridge’s world‑famous academic landmarks. His tour typically explores key historic sites in Boston before continuing on to Harvard and MIT.

With the Elephant Migration Exhibit temporarily joining the city’s cultural landscape, Christian says guests will get an added layer of storytelling: a blend of Boston history, Cambridge intellect, and a rare wildlife‑focused experience right in the heart of the city.

WMEO will continue to follow the elephants as they “migrate” into Massachusetts.

 

This has Been a WMEO 9 News Update

Some links or mentions related to tours or services may be affiliate-based, meaning WMEO/ arounddustyroads may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support our ongoing coverage and creative projects. Thank you

End of bulletin. Please resume your regularly scheduled scrolling.

 

The Wild Story Behind Baby Ruth

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“A Nestlé Baby Ruth candy bar in a silver and blue wrapper, with a cut piece in front showing layers of caramel, peanuts, and nougat covered in milk chocolate.”

The Candy Bar Babe Ruth Couldn’t Claim 

When a Sports Legend Says “That’s MY Name!”

Hey! No you don’t you guys! That’s MY name. It seems ridiculous in today’s world of big name endorsements and contracts that Babe Ruth couldn’t keep control of his own name but that’s what happened back in 1921 but that’s exactly what happened to one of the Biggest Names in Sports. Let me tell you about Babe Ruth and a candy bar called Baby Ruth.

A Candy Bar With a Suspiciously Familiar Name

In 1921, the Curtiss Candy Company launched a new candy bar called Baby Ruth. America immediately assumed it was named after Babe Ruth — the baseball superstar who dominated headlines and packed stadiums. The timing was perfect, the association was obvious, and the public made the connection instantly.

But Curtiss Candy insisted — with a perfectly straight face — that the bar was named after Ruth Cleveland, President Grover Cleveland’s daughter… who had died nearly twenty years earlier and had absolutely nothing to do with baseball, candy, or marketing.

Babe Ruth Fights Back

Babe Ruth wasn’t just annoyed. He had a plan. He wanted to patent his own candy bar, something that would give him financial control and a brand outside of baseball. This was decades before athletes made fortunes from endorsements, so Ruth was trying to be ahead of his time — doing what modern stars do today without blinking.

To protect that future, he needed control of his name. So he took Curtiss Candy to court, arguing that Baby Ruth was clearly trading on his fame.

The Court’s Decision: A Big Swing and a Miss

Despite the timing, the marketing, and the obvious connection, the judge sided with Curtiss Candy.

The company claimed the bar wasn’t referencing Babe Ruth at all — and the court accepted it. It didn’t matter that the explanation was flimsyor that the candy bar’s popularity rose right alongside Babe Ruth’s fame. It didn’t matter that Curtiss Candy was making piles of money off the association.

The judge essentially said:

“They used the name first, and they say it’s about the president’s daughter. Case closed.”

Babe Ruth walked away with no rights to the name, and Curtiss Candy kept selling Baby Ruth without paying him a cent.

Why the Verdict Feels So Unfair Today

In today’s world of celebrity branding, the ruling feels absurd.

Modern stars make fortunes from their names and likenesses:

  • Michael Jordan didn’t own Nike, but Nike sure couldn’t use “Air Jordan” without him.
  • Beyoncé trademarks everything from her name to her tour titles.
  • Taylor Swift protects her lyrics like a fortress.
  • LeBron, Serena, Shaq — their names are multimillion‑dollar assets.

If Babe Ruth lived today, he’d have entire teams managing his brand, licensing deals, and endorsements. But in 1921? He couldn’t even stop a candy company from using a name everyone associated with him.

The Legacy of a Candy Bar and a Missed Opportunity

Baby Ruth went on to become an iconic American candy bar. Babe Ruth went on to become an even bigger legend. But the story of the candy bar he couldn’t claim remains one of the most surprising — and unfair — chapters in snack‑food history.

 

WMEO 9 BREAKING NEWS- Back Bay Braces for… Elephants?

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Filed by Anchors Banner & Balboa Dateline: Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Boston.. WMEO 9  We Meow-You Listen

🎙️ Banner (Orange, Overcaffeinated, Zero Chill):

LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND ALL WHO APPRECIATE A GOOD PARADE OF ABSURDITY— We interrupt your regularly scheduled bird‑watching to report that Boston has officially lost its mind.

Moving trucks are clogging Back Bay again, but instead of college kids hauling futons, they’re unloading elephants. Not real ones. But 100 life‑sized elephant sculptures, which is somehow even more chaotic because you can’t bribe them with peanuts to move.

I repeat: ONE HUNDRED ELEPHANTS. FIVE BLOCKS. This is the greatest thing to happen to Boston since someone finally fixed the Green Line.

I attempted to climb one for “journalistic purposes” but was removed by a volunteer who said, and I quote, “Sir, please stop narrating loudly.” I regret nothing.

🎙️ Balboa (Black, Soft‑Spoken, Perpetually Worried):

Thank you, Banner. I would like to reassure viewers that these elephants are friendly, quiet, and unlikely to bite—unlike some anchors I could name.

The installation is part of The Great Elephant Migration, a global fundraising initiative bringing awareness to conservation efforts. The sculptures will line the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, creating a peaceful, tree‑lined corridor of gentle giants.

I personally inspected the scene. The elephants appear sturdy, respectful, and uninterested in stealing anyone’s kitty grass. I approve this event.

However, I must note that the moving trucks were loud, and I hid behind a hydrangea for several minutes. This is normal. This is fine.

🎙️ Banner (interrupting):

BALBOA HID BEHIND A HYDRANGEA. THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.

🎙️ Balboa:

Please ignore him. We encourage all residents to visit the installation, take photos, and appreciate the artistry—while also remembering that climbing the elephants is not allowed, even if you are a very handsome orange cat with a press badge.

A grassy slope in front of a large brick building is filled with dozens of life‑sized elephant sculptures. The sculptures vary in size and pose, arranged across the lawn and near rocky areas at the bottom of the hill. The scene looks like a herd moving together, but the elephants are clearly art installations rather than real animals. The contrast between the realistic sculptures and the formal building behind them creates a striking, surreal visual.

WMEO 9 SIGN‑OFF

This has been Banner & Balboa reporting live from Back Bay. End of bulletin. Please resume your regularly scheduled scrolling.

 

Shark Week Is Over, But Breton Didn’t Get the Memo

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A great white shark swims directly toward the camera in clear blue water, its pointed snout, large body, and visible teeth illuminated by shimmering light patterns from the surface.

A New Englander’s Fascination With Sharks

I’m from New England, and sharks fascinate me — especially now that they’ve returned to Cape Cod waters in such big numbers. So every now and then, I like to check in on what’s happening with our top newsmakers. This year, the headline grabbers are Contender and Breton. Let’s check in with them, shall we.

Contender Makes Headlines

If you’ve been watching shark news lately, you’ve probably seen Contender splashed across the headlines. He’s huge, he’s dramatic, and he moves like he owns the entire Atlantic. Every time he pings, the internet lights up. He’s the kind of shark that makes people stop scrolling and say, “Whoa.”

Most Great Whites Head North for Summer

By late July, most of the great whites tagged off the East Coast have already left Florida behind. They follow cooler water, chase prey, and avoid the Florida bathtub temperatures. It’s the standard summer migration: northward, predictable, sensible.

But sharks don’t read the rulebook.

Enter Breton: Florida’s Surprise Visitor

While most of the great whites are enjoying their summer vacation in New England and Canada, Breton — one of the most famous sharks ever tagged — decided Florida was still on the menu.

He pinged off the Florida coast recently, surprising everyone who follows shark movements. Breton has always been a bit of a wildcard, but showing up in Florida in late July? That’s bold even for him.

It’s like he said,

“Shark Week is over, but I’m not done.”

And here’s the cool part: Contender, Breton, and dozens of other sharks and sea animals can be tracked in real time using the free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker app. If you’ve never watched a 1,500‑pound shark take a summer road trip up the East Coast, you’re missing out.

You can find the app here

Shark Tracker: Where Are They Now?

If you check the tracker today, you’ll see something interesting: Contender’s last ping on 7/11 was off the coast of Maine.

So while he’s been dominating the headlines, he’s actually cruising the cooler northern waters like a seasoned summer traveler.

Breton, meanwhile, is the wildcard — popping up off Florida when almost every other great white has already headed north. It’s classic Breton behavior: unpredictable, dramatic, and guaranteed to make shark watchers sit up a little straighter.

The Real Shark Story Isn’t on TV

Shark Week comes and goes. The sharks keep moving.

And sometimes, they surprise us — like Breton cruising Florida while everyone else heads north, or Contender quietly pinging off Maine while the headlines shout his name.

I

Owl Awareness Day 2026

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A great horned owl perched on a wooden surface in a sunlit forest, showing its orange eyes, feathered ear tufts, and mottled brown plumage with detailed texture.

Great Horned Owl- photo credit Deb Neumann

🦉 August 4th • International Owl Awareness Day

European Barn Owl = photo credit Deb Neumann

Today we celebrate one of nature’s most extraordinary nocturnal hunters — the owl. Beyond their iconic stare and ghost‑silent glide, owls play a crucial ecological role and face growing threats worldwide.

🌙 What Makes Owls Amazing

  • Silent Flight: Fringed wing feathers and soft down absorb sound, letting owls swoop in like feathery ninjas.
  • Tube‑Shaped Eyes: Their eyes aren’t round — they’re long, fixed tubes. Owls can’t swivel them, so they rotate their whole head instead.
  • 270° Neck Rotation: With 14 neck vertebrae (double ours), owls can turn their heads almost all the way around without cutting off blood flow.
  • Asymmetrical Ears: Offset ear openings let them triangulate sound in 3D, locating prey under snow, leaves, or darkness.
  • Reversible Toes: Their zygodactyl grip lets them rotate an outer toe backward for a perfect “grab‑anything” hold.

Great Horned owl – photo credit Deb Neumann

🌾 Why Owls Matter

  • Natural Pest Control: One owl family can devour 1,000+ rodents a year, reducing the need for chemical pest control.
  • Declining Populations: Roughly a third of native owl species are experiencing population drops.

🛡️ How You Can Help

American Barn Owl -photo credit Deb Neumann

  • Skip rodenticides — poisoned rodents = poisoned owls.
  • Install nest boxes where natural tree hollows are scarce.
  • Keep cats indoors to protect fledglings and small wildlife.

🦉I leave you with this thought on Owl Awareness Day

Real owls may not deliver mail like Hedwig, but they do deliver pest control, ecological balance, and some of the coolest adaptations in the animal kingdom. Celebrate them today by learning, sharing, and helping keep their habitats safe.

female snowy owl in flight-photo internet