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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Parking meters are free today across Boston, due to the city’s observance of Evacuation Day. (Read this if you need a little history refresher.)

Now, let’s get to the news:

Bring on the one-liners: Self-deprecating jokes, a John Denver parody song and even a fake baby gag were among the remarks made by Massachusetts politicians at yesterday morning’s St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. However, this year’s event was a bit more somber than years past due to Massachusetts’ position on the national stage, WBUR’s Anthony Brooks reports. (Gov. Maura Healey, last year’s DunQueen, even said she wasn’t in a “jokey mood.”) Still, there were a few chuckle-worthy moments. Here are the standouts:

• Best fake out: Mayor Michelle Wu, who appeared to be holding her newborn daughter when she walked on stage, shocked the crowd when she tossed the swaddled baby at state Sen. Nick Collins, the host of the event. “I brought the prop baby,” Wu said. “It’s bad enough that grown-ups have to sit through two and a half hours of bad jokes. I’m not going to make a baby do that.”
• Best self-roast: Healey made a crack about the numerous high-profile appearances she’s made as of late. “I mean, one little appearance on Seth Meyers, a New York Times interview, a photo-shoot, a couple of more podcasts like Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast — now available on Apple, Spotify and iHeart,” said Healey, adding with mock indignation, “Why are you laughing?”
• Most musical: Collins broke into a parody of “Country Roads, Take Me Home.” He sang, “Fix the roads, Mayor Wu / It ain’t the state, it’s on you / Ditch the bike lanes and the blame games / Fix the roads, Mayor Wu.”
• Most confident: Josh Kraft, Wu’s current political opponent, first endured a number of politicians taking jabs at his lofty family connections. But Kraft didn’t let it get him down — even if his seat placement slowed him down. “It’s funny, it took me so long to get up to the stage, but don’t worry, next year I’ll have a much, much better seat,” he said.

Speaking of St. Patty’s: Even an earlier start time couldn’t completely stop the “tomfoolery” at yesterday’s parade in South Boston. WBUR reports police arrested a total of 13 people; they face an array of charges, including destruction of property, disorderly conduct and assault and battery. Police also managed to seize a large number of unidentified drinks in an effort to curb public and underage drinking.

PSA: Fire and health officials in Boston are advising residents in Roxbury to keep their windows closed to avoid inhaling smoke from an 8-alarm fire in the area. The fire broke out at a large trash transfer station on Gerard Street Sunday morning, and “could burn for days,” Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke told WBUR’s Paul Connearney. No one has been injured.

• Zoom in: This trash transfer station accepts material from construction sites, including wood products, asbestos and wallboard, said Burke. The piled items have made the fire difficult to extinguish.

Heads up, Cambridge: As the weather grows milder, it may feel like the perfect time to get a jump on post-winter yard work. Just make sure you don’t use a gas-powered leaf blower. As of this past Saturday, residents in Cambridge are banned from using them, in an attempt to curb noise pollution, air pollution and harm to wildlife.

• What to know: If you’re using a leaf blower, it must be electric or battery powered, according to the city’s new ordinance. (The only exceptions are commercial leaf blower operators and those tasked with clearing leaves from more than two acres of land. They’re cleared to use gas-powered blowers until next March.) First-time violators will receive a warning.

On the rails: Do you recall Friday’s newsletter, where we reported that 50 mph rides would be coming “within days” to the Red Line? The MBTA surprised commuters — and us — by running 50 mph trains between Braintree and JFK/UMass stations that same day. WBUR’s Nik DeCosta-Klipa and Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez report it’s the first time in more than 20 years that trains on the Red Line have been able to run at more than 40 mph.

P.S.— If an indie short film festival sounds like your kind of mid-week getaway, tickets are still available for our “Ones to Watch” short film festival at CitySpace this Wednesday. Film critic Sean Burns moderates, and complimentary popcorn will be served.