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Chamber News

Chamber News

Stay up-to-date with local business news and events in Watertown, Newton, Needham and Wellesley and the State House with our Need to Knows e-newsletter delivered Tuesday and Friday morningsSubscribe for free here.

This is our final newsletter for 2024. Itā€™s been my honor riding the local business news and trends rollercoaster with you. Iā€™m grateful to all whoā€™ve taken the time to read, share perspectives, argue and tolerate my rants and my typos.

Greg Reibman

Earlier this year Newton passed an electrification ordinance which bans fossil fuels in new buildings and substantial renovations starting Jan. 1. (Some exemptions apply.) Now owners of existing large commercial and residential properties in Newton will have to abide by an added set of regulations related to fossil fuel use.

Greg Reibman

Our four-year construction headache along Needham Street in Newton and parts of Highland Ave in Needham is in the home stretch. The project was never going to ā€œfixā€ traffic. But it is designed to improve walkability for pedestrians, make biking safer, optimize transit and reduce conflict points for cars.

Greg Reibman

Two Newton residents will receive their 2024 Nobel Prizes in Oslo today: Gary Ruvkun for medicine and Daron Acemoglu, for economics. Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday live in Newton too. Maybe itā€™s time for the Garden City to be rebranded the City of Champions.

Greg Reibman

.Business owners with 20 or fewer employees whoā€™ve been putting off meeting a year-end federal filing deadline can cross the task off their to-do list. On Wednesday, a Texas-based federal court suggested that the ā€œbeneficial ownership disclosure rule was likely unconstitutional.

Greg Reibman

As your inbox has already inevitably reminded you, today is Giving Tuesday. There are many worthy regional, national and global causes worthy of our support. However as you consider the many ways to donate your dollars and time, please also remember our local nonprofits as part of your philanthropic giving.

Greg Reibman

Gov. Maura Healey, Congressman Jake Auchincloss and other state leaders joined Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller at City Hall yesterday to announce that the MBTA has secured $50 million in state and federal funds to fully rebuild the Newtonville commuter rail station.

Greg Reibman

The MBTA Communities Act was signed in 2021 by then-Gov. Charlie Baker in 2021. although execution (and blame on the floors of many town meetings) has largely fallen to the Healey administration. Baker, a Needham native, doesnā€™t usually wade into state, or town, politics these days. But when the former governor was in Needham on Sunday to unveil a mural in his honor, he was asked why he prioritized housing housing a priority during his two terms in office.

Greg Reibman

The annual State Tax Competitiveness Index is out and Massachusetts landed in the bottom ten. Our tax system ranked No. 41 overall. Thatā€™s mainly due, the studyā€™s authors say, to ā€œoverly burdensomeā€ individual income taxes; high real estate and business property taxes (the nationā€™s 4th highest); and unemployment insurance taxes (the nationā€™s 3rd highest).

Greg Reibman

Last night Watertown became what we believe is 90th municipality in the state to pass an MBTA Communities Law compliance plan. Watertownā€™s plan is among the most ambitious -- perhaps most ambitious -- of the plans approved to date since it unlocks more than twice the opportunities for the gradual creation of housing than required by state law.

Greg Reibman

Outdoor dining was a godsend for both restaurants and customers during the pandemic and continues to be popular during good weather. But this week Newton restaurants learned that the city will no longer provide the concrete barriers that allow them to offer outdoor dining safely.

Greg Reibman

Turns out, we are going back. Now we wait, wonder and worry about how a new administration in Washington might alter our economy, our climate, our healthcare, our schools, our workforce, our courts, our free speech.

Greg Reibman

Thereā€™s only one thing you must know today: Polls in Massachusetts close at 8 p.m. tonight. Iā€™m choosing to be optimistic. How about you?

Greg Reibman

Our businesses cannot afford to "wait and see." If you are approached by someone asking you to sign a petition that aims to undo Town Meetingā€™s vote, please do not sign it.

Greg Reibman

October brought us 24 new and returning members, and we couldn't be more excited! Join us in welcoming these businesses and professionals to our chamber network.

Charles River Regional Chamber

the Newton City Councilā€™s Zoning & Planning Committee signaled Monday that it is ready to approve a proposed BERDO ordinance that would require owners of commercial properties of at least 20,000 SF to report and eventually reduce fossil fuel use or be subject to fines.

Greg Reibman

Voting ends one week from today. Are you OK? How about your employees? Empathy is the best thing we can offer our teams right now. Recognize that potential election outcomes, or results challenges, will affect productivity and morale, according to the Society of HR Management.

Greg Reibman

Needham Town Meeting delivered a powerful message this week. It goes something like this: Yes, we recognize that we need to be part of the solution when it comes to addressing the regionā€™s soul crushing housing crisis.

Greg Reibman

After over a year of drafting, planning, outreach, and advocacy, last night, Needham Town Meeting adopted the Neighborhood Housing Plan.

Max Woolf

We have housing-related updates in all four chamber communities today, including some great news in Newton. But first, weā€™re excited to announce that Darryl Settles, founder of Catalyst Ventures Development, will be the recipient of this yearā€™s R.L. Tennant Award ā€” the chamberā€™s highest honor ā€” at our Nov. 1 Fall Business Breakfast at the Newton Marriott.

Greg Reibman

Please welcome the 29 new or returning members (after a lengthy absence) who have joined us as we kick off the fall season.

Charles River Regional Chamber

More than 30 Needham businesses ā€” representing virtually every segment of our local economy and thousands of employees ā€” are urging the town to go big on complying with the MBTA Communities Act.

Greg Reibman

Charles River Regional Chamber's official letter to Needham Town Meeting in support of the Neighborhood Housing Plan

Greg Reibman

30 businesses in our community have signed a letter to Town Meeting in support of the Neighborhood Housing Plan

Greg Reibman

Please welcome the 29 new or returning members (after a lengthy absence) who have joined us as we kick off the fall season.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We struggled finding exactly the right speaker for this yearā€™s Fall Business Breakfast, happening Nov. 1 at the Newton Marriott. We think weā€™ve found just the right guy.

Greg Reibman

Watertownā€™s vision to add multi-family housing and reconfigure Watertown Squareā€™s streetscape ā€” making it more walkable and connected to the Charles River ā€” is even more enticing now that two lab tenants are poised to move into 66 Galen Street.

Greg Reibman

The Davis Companies and Boston Development Group have entered into lease agreements with drug discovery firms LifeMine Therapeutics and VidaVinci at 66 Galen Street in Watertown, MA, a purpose-built Class A life science building owned in a joint venture between Davis and BDG. The new tenants will occupy more than half of the leasable space in 66 Galen.

Greg Reibman

The Charles River Regional Chamber and more than 70 organizations -- representing businesses, unions, legal and housing industries -- has joined amicus briefs in support the Attorney Generalā€™s lawsuit against the Town of Milton for its noncompliance with the MBTA Communities Law.

Greg Reibman

Our region just nabbed a second disrupter in the carbonated drink sector. The soft drink brand Culture Pop Soda is moving from Sudbury to Watertown.

Greg Reibman

Restaurants occupy a unique place in our business ecosystem. They are the heart and soul of our downtowns, our village centers, and our communities .So when the owners our independent restaurants tell us theyā€™re worried that Question 5 (the ballot referendum that would eliminate the tipped minimum wage) could result in business closures and layoffs, we worry not just about these cherished businesses, but about other economic repercussions too.

Greg Reibman

A new report from Mass Taxpayers Foundation documents how Beacon Hillā€™s failure to pass an economic development bill harms the stateā€™s economy, most notably in the life sciences, climate tech and artificial intelligence sectors.

Greg Reibman

Iā€™ve sat through more than my share of municipal meetings this year about the MBTA Communities Law. This hasnā€™t done a thing for my social life. But one thing Iā€™ve learned as constituents debate if their city or town should comply with the law is that opponentsā€™ arguments are pretty much cookie cutter from community to community.

Greg Reibman

View the 39 new (or returning after a lengthy absence) members who joined your chamber this summer.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Three of our regionā€™s leading Jewish-American organizations are rejecting calls for a boycott of Newton businesses following a fight and shooting at a rally at the corner of Washington and Harvard streets in Newtonville last Thursday.

Greg Reibman

NBC10 reported last night that ā€œseveral pro-Israel groupsā€ are calling for a boycott of Newton businesses following that fight and shooting at a rally at the corner of Washington and Harvard streets in Newtonville last Thursday. But we do not understand how this has anything to do with the our businesses. No Newton businesses were involved with this incident in any way.

Greg Reibman

Massachusetts businesses already pay some of the nationā€™s highest unemployment taxes and that rate ā€œcould face a sizable increaseā€ within the next few years, reports Chris Lisinski at State House News. This troubling news is rooted in concerns that the stateā€™s UI system is already paying out more than it takes in, even as joblessness remains low and total employment has surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

Greg Reibman

As has become our tradition, today we remember 23 individuals who died 23 years ago today as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks who are known to have had a Newton, Needham or Wellesley connection. (We're not aware of anyone from Watertown who perished from the attacks.)

Greg Reibman

In Fridayā€™s chamber newsletter, I explained some of the ways Question 5, the ballot question that would eliminate the tipped minimum wage for some restaurant workers while also changing the way tips can be shared, is complicated. However, when we surveyed independent chamber member restaurant owners and operators in our four communities, the overwhelming majority (85%) told us eliminating the tipped wage would have either a significant negative or somewhat negative impact on their bottom line.

Greg Reibman

Among the five ballot questions before Massachusetts voters this fall is a referendum that would eliminate the tipped minimum wage for some restaurant workers (among other professions), while also changing the way tips can be shared. That said, please donā€™t believe anyone (or any of the 30-second TV ads youā€™ll likely be bombarded with this fall) suggesting this is simple.

Greg Reibman

A transit-oriented, condo project in Wellesley Hills that was originally pitched to provide homes for 69 young families and down-sizing seniors (with about 10 affordable units) has been scaled back. How far back? The four-acre property will be reduced to two single-family homes, reports Bob Brown at the Swellesley Report.

Greg Reibman

The biotech sector has been a key economic driver in Massachusetts, including in our four Charles River Chamber communities. As we head into the fall, hereā€™s three updates that matter a lot to our local economy:

Greg Reibman

MBTA officials agreed today to move forward with a reimagined development plan at the Riverside MBTA station that will focus only on housing, not mixed-use or commercial, in its first stage, reports Chris Lisinski at State House News.

Chris Lisinski

Our chamber and nine of the stateā€™s largest chambers are sending a joint letter to the Legislature this morning, urging lawmakers to return to Beacon Hill ā€œas soon as possibleā€ to pass the economic development bond bill it failed to pass last month. This should be an easy ask.

Greg Reibman

Greater Bostonā€™s suburbs have not been immune from the decline in demand for office space. As a result, Northland Investment Corp. is backing off plans to include nearly 200,000 SF of office space in its now-underway development on Needham Street in Newton. The focus will instead be on housing, retail, and restaurants.

Greg Reibman

Thereā€™s a good reason why, when Gov. Maura Healeyā€™s team was looking for a location to sign the ā€œmost ambitious housing legislation in Massachusetts history'ā€œ on Tuesday, they picked the Golda Meir House in Newton.

Greg Reibman

Once again, our Beacon Hill lawmakers failed to leave enough time to do their jobs. Left undone (for the second consecutive term) was an economic development bond bill that would have pumped billions of dollars in borrowing into the life sciences, climate tech and AI, along with other investments.

Greg Reibman

This week the Charles River Chamber joined a coalition of more than 20 other business associations opposing a ballot referendum that would eliminate the MCAS as a graduation requirement. The system may need reform, but fully eliminating the Commonwealthā€™s only standard is not the answer.

Greg Reibman

The epoch of incredulity, when Beacon Hill lawmakers must complete yet another inexcusable dash to approve multiple pieces of consequential legislation or wait ā€˜till next year, when a new season of darkness begins Jan. 2.

Greg Reibman

Congressman Jake Auchincloss has a message to each of the 35 cities and towns in his 4th Congressional District. Failure to comply with the stateā€™s MBTA Communities Law wonā€™t just make your municipality ineligible for a long list of state grants, it could result in the loss of federal dollars too.

Greg Reibman

After nearly ten hours of public comment and deliberation over three nights (which followed months of robust community engagement), the Watertown Planning Board and City Council unanimously approved a bold new vision for Watertown Square last night.

Greg Reibman

President Greg Reibman expresses the chamber's support for the Watertown Square Area Plan

Greg Reibman

On Monday the Newton City Council came this close to killing a proposed zoning change that would allow business incubators, maker spaces, and places of amusement to open by-right in the cityā€™s village centers without the onerous parking mandates that can make opening a business in Newton frustrating, expensive and sometimes impossible.

Greg Reibman

Even if the NIMBYs werenā€™t standing in the way, the development economy is. We can urge Beacon Hill to support proposals such as the Healey administrationā€™s proposed Momentum Fund which could plug financing gaps for large scale mixed-income projects. That program, part of a larger, critical, housing bond bill, is now in conference committee facing a July 31 deadline.

Greg Reibman

The Charles River Chamber is hosting three virtual state representative debates ahead of the Sept. 3 Democratic primaries focused on economic development.

Greg Reibman

The nonprofit organization thatā€™s been working to purchase and then restore the West Newton Cinema announced last night that it has raised enough money to purchase the building.

Greg Reibman

We awarded scholarships to four outstanding recent high school graduates: Tess DeJesus, Cameron James MacDonald, Isabella Kuang, and Jordan St. Louis. Each recipient demonstrated exceptional dedication to academics, extracurricular activities, and community service, reflecting our commitment to supporting promising future leaders.

Maxime Isaac

The median price of a single-family home in Wellesley has risen 52% since 2018. For condominiums, the median price is up 211% over that same time. Last week, the Town of Wellesley officially kicked off a six-month process to create a new strategic housing plan that maybe, just maybe, can help reverse those trend lines.

Greg Reibman

If your business is still waiting for the IRS to issue your Employee Retention Credit payment, will it help to know that youā€™re not alone? Didnā€™t think so. The backlog has soared to some 1.4 million companies as the agency sifts through what it believes to be hundreds of thousands of improper applications, reports Andy Medici for the Business Journals.

Greg Reibman

Tomorrow is Juneteenth, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. On Thursday, I hope youā€™ll join us at our event with Colette Phillips, one of Greater Bostonā€™s leading DE&I mentors, discussing her new book.

Greg Reibman

Up until now, any municipality considering thumbing its nose at the MBTA Communities Law knew doing so would disqualify their city or town from a long list of state grants. Yesterday Gov. Maura Healey added some carrots to go with those sticks.

Greg Reibman

The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) has selected Charles River Regional Chamber President and CEO Greg Reibman as one of four recipients of this yearā€™s Housing Hero award.

Max Woolf

Weā€™ve all seen the news reports about employers leaving Massachusetts and even the U.S. One Needham-based company is bucking that trend.

Greg Reibman

The following individuals have been appointed to the Charles River Regional Chamberā€™s board of directors in 2024, each bringing unique knowledge, experience, and a commitment to the chamberā€™s mission to support our regionā€™s economic and cultural vitality:

Greg Reibman

Please give a great big chamber welcome to these new members who joined, or reinstated their membership after a long absence for April and May!

Greg Reibman

Finally today, if the Watertown Square Area Plan is as good in execution as it looks on paper, then an area that has long felt like a place most drivers pass though going somewhere else could become a regional destination. In other words: If you build it (correctly), they will come...Read more

Greg Reibman

This is a big week in the fight to make it possible for young families, downsizing seniors, and workers of all ages to live, or remain, in Massachusetts. Tomorrow, the House will finally vote on a $6.2 billion housing bond bill designed to spur much-needed production through investments, tax breaks, and zoning law changes...Read more

Greg Reibman

Two of our chamber communities will experience a political rarity this fall: Actual contested races for seats in the Massachusetts Legislature. Newton state Reps. Kay Khan (29 years ) and Ruth Balser (25 years) along with Needham Rep. Denise Garlick (14 years) have collectively spent nearly seven decades representing our communities on Beacon Hill, almost always getting reelected without an opponent...Read more

Greg Reibman

Another one of our regionā€™s legacy retailers is closing. Only this place also once played a pivotal role shaping our regionā€™s economy too. ā€œYou-do-itā€ Electronics Center in Needham is closing after 75 years in business, including six decades at its impossible-to-miss location along I-95/Route 128.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Charles River Regional Chamber has chosen Newton-based One Can Help to be the nonprofit beneficiary of its 33rd annual Golf Tournament, presented by The Village Bank, at Woodland Country Club on Monday, August 5. Each year, the chamberā€™s golf committee selects a different member nonprofit whose mission includes working with children and families to be the recipient of a portion of the tournamentā€™s proceeds. This year, the committee was moved by One Can Helpā€™s (OCH) work within our communities and throughout Massachu

Greg Reibman

The MBTA Communities Law was once projected to yield upwards of 300,000 new homes across eastern Massachusetts. In Sundayā€™s Globe, reporter Andrew Brinker, suggested the final number could be closer to 20,000 and 40,000 new units, maybe less, over the next two decades...Read more

Greg Reibman

Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt has one of the most daunting and far-reaching jobs in state government. Sheā€™s responsible for four MassDOT divisions: Highway, Rail and Transit, Registry of Motor Vehicles and Aeronautics. She also serves on the Massport and MBTA Board of Directors...Read more

Greg Reibman

We all know that happier employees create a healthier, more productive workplace. Thatā€™s why many medical insurance plans offer incentives for joining a gym or engaging in other physically healthy habits....Read more

Greg Reibman

184 human beings, and their families or roommates, will be able to move or stay or downsize in Newton now that the ZBA has approved the Toll Brothers' proposed six-story apartment complex at 528 Boylston Street. Wednesdayā€™s 5-0 vote came after two years of fierce opposition from a well organized group of abutters...Read more

Greg Reibman

Swiss drug giant Novartis is paying $1 billion (plus $ 750 million in potential milestone payments) to acquire Watertown startup Mariana Oncology. Not bad for a company launched just three years ago.

Greg Reibman

Watertownā€™s emergence as a life sciences hub has been a home run. Some 70 biotechs have a Watertown address, amidst 2.2 million SF of built or under development lab space. The lab sector has generated millions in local tax revenues, allowing for a significant public investment in infrastructure (three elementary and a new high school -- without an override!), a fully funded pension plan and other improvements...Read more

Greg Reibman

They needed a superhero to save them. But it seemed all the superheroes were busy making sequels for streaming services and multiplexes. And the hourglass, as hourglasses do, was running down. Just as all was starting to feel hopeless, an anonymous (perhaps capeless) crusader rode in on a chariot to save the distressed Garden City landmark from the wrecking ball...Read more

Greg Reibman

Transportation Sect. Monica Tibbits-Nutt caused a kerfuffle this week (including a rebuke from her boss and New Hampshireā€™s governor) for having the audacity to suggest installing tolls along the stateā€™s borders to help fund a transportation system we all know needs funding. What does that make us, chopped liver?... Read more

Greg Reibman

I was this many years old when I learned that buttload is an actual unit of measurement. And our first item today is going to create a buttload of aggravation. MassDOT says it will need two years of detours along a heavily traveled stretch of Boylston Street (Route 9) to replace a deteriorating 100-plus years-old MBTA bridge...Read more

Charles River Regional Chamber

Are you looking to launch, move, or expand your company in greater Boston's inner suburbs? If so, thereā€™s good news. Itā€™s not as rosy if you own or manage office space here. Bostonā€™s suburban office market has been relatively steady since the start of the pandemic. But as more companies consolidate or review long-term plans, thereā€™s been an increase in sublease availability and vacant space, reports Taylor Dovin at Bisnow...Read more

Greg Reibman

The Boston Marathon is also an important time for dozens of small and midsized nonprofits in Newton and Wellesley. Every year both municipalities receive invitational entries, also known as runner bibs, from the Boston Athletic Association for being among the eight communities to host the race...Read more

Greg Reibman

Thanks to the more than 40 local restaurants and 500 chamber members and guests, who celebrated the sold-out grand return of ā€œSpring Seasonings: A Taste of Our Townsā€ last night at the Newton Marriott Ballroom. Added appreciation to our presenting sponsor NBC10 Boston, the Marriott crew, scores of volunteers, and the chamber team who made it possible. It was the second epic event of the day...Read more

Greg Reibman

Should office building owners in our suburban communities be sending Boston Mayor Michelle Wu a thank you-note? Just as downtown office building owners are struggling with high vacancy rates (and remote job postings are reportedly on the rise again), Wu wants Beacon Hill to grant her permission to hike property tax rates on commercial properties beyond the already existing tax shift. How could that not make our suburban properties more competitive?...Read more

Greg Reibman

A wide cross-section of Needham's business leaders spoke at a packed meeting at Town Hall last night, each saying more housing is needed in order for them to keep providing great customer service, attract and retain workers, and remain competitive. They all spoke in favor of the townā€™s ā€œNeighborhood Housing Plan,ā€ a proposal that unlocks more housing opportunities for young families, downsizing seniors and workers than is mandated under the stateā€™s MBTA Communities Law...Read more

Greg Reibman

A wide cross-section of Needham's business leaders spoke at a packed meeting at Town Hall last night, each saying more housing is needed in order for them to keep providing great customer service, attract and retain workers, and remain competitive. They all spoke in favor of the townā€™s ā€œNeighborhood Housing Plan,ā€ a proposal that unlocks more housing opportunities for young families, downsizing seniors and workers than is mandated under the stateā€™s MBTA Communities Law...Read more

Greg Reibman

HONE, the committee of town officials, businesses and residents thatā€™s been meeting for months to develop Needhamā€™s MBTA Communities compliance plan is gearing up for one final big community meeting this Thursday (March 28). Theyā€™ve developed two complimentary proposals, with the hope of passing ā€“ ideally both -- at Town Meeting this fall. (FAQs here) The first, the Base Compliance Scenario, simply meets the requirements of the state law and won't likely help create many new homes...Read more

Greg Reibman

Four years ago tomorrow, Gov. Charlie Baker ordered all non-essential businesses and organizations to close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers, customers and the public. So many things havenā€™t been the same since. Although arguably some things are better, right?...Read more

Greg Reibman

Our least productive Legislature in decades, is once again dilly-dallying on a decision it could have easily made months, or years, ago. Weā€™re talking about the decision to extend, or make permanent, legislation allowing restaurants to provide cocktails-to-go rules, set to expire March 31...Read more

Greg Reibman

A new survey released this week confirms something many employers have known -- and been worrying about -- for some time now. Hiring and retaining young workers is growing increasingly harder. One-out-of-four young residents say they're planning to leave Greater Boston over the next five years, due in large part to the high cost of rent and the challenges of purchasing a home...Read more

Greg Reibman

The battle over how restaurant workers are paid moves to Beacon Hill today. On one side is the labor group One Fair Wage, which is trying to eliminate the tipped wage in Massachusetts and about ten other states this year. On other side are most (but not all) restaurant operators who say the proposed ballot question would lead to higher menu prices and force many out of business.

Greg Reibman

Finally this morning, a GBH News analysis of all of Maura Healeyā€™s major speeches delivered during her first year in office found that the governor mentioned Boston by name 18 times, more than any other city or town. Runner-up was Salem (7 times), where Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll used to be mayor. Healey mentioned Newton and Wellesley once each, according to the analysis of her 67 big policy speeches.

Greg Reibman

April 8 event at Newton Marriott to showcase 40 local restaurants

The Charles River Regional Chamberā€™s most anticipated community event, Spring Seasonings: A Taste of Our Towns, is returning to the Newton Marriott Ballroom on April 8 after a four-year hiatus. The popular tasting event will bring 40 local restaurants from across Newton, Needham, Watertown and Wellesley, with each restaurant sharing a signature dish, beverage or dessert.

Theresa Fitzpatrick

A page one story in the Globe Monday documented the growing revolt in some municipalities against complying with the stateā€™s MBTA Communities Act. Itā€™s a disturbing trend. But it's not really that surprising. Massachusetts has a decades-long history of resistance to zoning. This was never going to be easy. Still -- given the continued exodus of workers from the state largely attributed to our housing supply and affordability shortage -- this law is really important...Read more

Greg Reibman

You've probably heard that Maya Angelou quote, ā€œWhen people show you who they are, believe them the first time.ā€ A few years back, Max Page showed us exactly who he is. I'm referring to when the then-new Mass Teachers Association President pretty much declared war on every employer and parent looking to our schools to provide the skills workers need to fill jobs...Read more

Greg Reibman

Hereā€™s a riddle for you. When is a transit-oriented district, not very transit oriented? How about when you would need a swim suit -- or perhaps a canoe -- to get from your ā€œtransit orientedā€ apartment to the nearest train in less than a mile...Read more

Greg Reibman

A team of folks from Needham Bank took a chartered bus to the Big Apple yesterday to ring the Nasdaq Stock Market Closing Bell. They were celebrating their successful public launch as NB Bancorp (Nasdaq: NBBK)...Read more

Greg Reibman

Milton voters resoundingly rejected their townā€™s MBTA Communities Plan on Wednesday, dealing a blow to a state law that will only truly be a success if all 177 communities in Eastern Massachusetts each do their share to combat our regionā€™s housing shortage. I worry this week's outcome will contribute to another shortage too: Courage. As in the courage local elected and appointed officials must muster; a willingness to put careers on the line in order to reverse decades of exclusionary zoning laws and make...Read more

Greg Reibman

Weā€™re using the occasion of todayā€™s winter storm to announce that weā€™re bringing back ā€œSpring Seasoning: A Taste of Our Towns,ā€ April 8 at the Newton Marriott. The annual tasting event -- featuring 40 of our regionā€™s best restaurants and beverage purveyors -- has always been the most popular community event we host.

Greg Reibman

Newton is still recovering from a polarizing and reputation-damaging teachersā€™ strike that ended one week ago today. And somehow the Globe decided this was a good week to look back at last fallā€™s polarizing and reputation-damaging MBTA Communities Law housing battle. You know the one where Newton City Councilor Deb Crossley (in photo) and some of her colleagues were unseated for trying to make Newton more welcoming and vibrant.

Greg Reibman

What a relief it was to have Newton Public School students back in class yesterday and parents back at their jobs, following a tense 11-day strike. Iā€™m giving Gov. Maura Healey an assist for getting this settled. Did you notice how less than 24 hours after Healey jumped in, the deadlocked sides magically found middle ground?...Read more

Greg Reibman

Application deadline is March 29, 2024

The Charles River Regional Chamber is offering scholarship opportunities for up to four deserving students who either live in Needham, Newton, Watertown, or Wellesley and/or who attend school in Needham, Newton, Watertown, or Wellesley and who plan to attend an accredited program, community college, college or university in the next academic year.

Greg Reibman

We already knew that Gov. Maura Healeyā€™s economic development plan calls for major investments in the life sciences sector. And this week Lt. Gov. Driscoll confirmed at a MassBio event that the administrationā€™s forthcoming economic development bill will include a reauthorization of the life sciences initiative first started by Gov. Deval Patrick and continued under Gov. Charlie Baker...Read more

Greg Reibman

This is the winter of Newtonā€™s discontent. Last spring voters rejected an operating tax override. Last fall, voters ousted city councilors who favored a city-wide plan designed to generate more housing, economic vitality and tax revenue. That was just the preamble...Read more

Greg Reibman

Gov. Maura Healey came to Newton yesterday to urge businesses to stop requiring minimum levels of education when they look to fill most open positions. And she's practicing what she's preaching. Speaking at an Associated Industries of Massachusetts event at the Newton Marriott, the governor announced that she just signed an executive order that eliminates including degree requirements in most state job postings, preferring instead that hiring managers use a "skills-based" approach.

Greg Reibman

Gov. Maura Healey promises there will be no new taxes in the proposed fiscal 2025 budget she releases tomorrow. But Healey has proposed allowing cities and towns to raise taxes, including hiking local meals and hotel taxes, as well as motor vehicle excise taxes. Under Healey's bill, local meal taxes could increase from 0.75% to 1% (on top of the state meals tax). The local hotel, motel and other rentals tax could rise from 6 to 7%. (There would also be a new 5% local option motor vehicle excise surcharge.)...Read more

Greg Reibman

During her first State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday, Gov. Maura Healey called housing ā€œthe biggest challenge we faceā€ and her No. 1 legislative priority. The governor doubled down before lawmakers yesterday, testifying in support of her $4.1 billion plan to supercharge housing production with investments and policy changes, saying she was "going big by proposing the most ambitious housing bill in state history.,,Read more

Greg Reibman

Our suburban communities aren't always good at sharing. Thatā€™s especially is true when it comes to sharing our land, sharing our streets and sharing our neighborhoods. Last week, the Wellesley Select Board signaled it opposed a proposed multi-family, transit-oriented development off Route 9 that would have created 40 new homes, including nine affordable units (down from the original 60 units) in walking distance to restaurants, shops and the commuter rail...Read more

Greg Reibman

The chamber has joined a coalition of Newton arts and business leaders who are proposing establishing a Cultural District along Washington Street between West Newton and Newtonville. If approved by the state, the designation would provide access to funding and resources that could be used to help market the area to visitors and provide support to artists and cultural organizations. We believe any effort to amplify and nurture the arts and artists will also benefit our restaurants, shops, hotels, and overall economic

Greg Reibman

A coalition of Newton arts and business nonprofit leaders are urging Mayor Ruthanne Fuller to apply to the state to have a portion of Washington Street and adjoining streets designated as one of the Commonwealthā€™s Cultural Districts.

Newton Community Pride

Heart-broken customers packed Just Next Door Cards and Gifts in Auburndale on Saturday, just hours after owner Amy Shih announced she's closing after 42 years of having that perfect something for generations of shoppers. Amy Shih owned the neighborhood favorite for 19 years and spent five years before that working there for the original owner, reports at Lauren Berman at All Over Newton. "Coming back from COVIDā€™s impact on commerce has not been easy," but Just Next Door was a viable business, Shih says. But sheā€™s been

Greg Reibman

In the spring of 2021, Marcus Nelson made history when he became the first Black person elected to Needhamā€™s Select Board. Just 34 years old when elected, Nelson also was decades younger than most of the guys (and until recently it's been mostly guys) who served on that board for as long as anyone can remember...Read more

Greg Reibman

Larry Davidā€™s statute of limitations expires EOD. But Iā€™m a believer in wishing everyone I see a happy new year right through most of Q1. In fact, look for an announcement shortly about our big annual new year party -- happening in February. Noise makers optional. Needham Bank IPO a big success...Read more

Greg Reibman

When Russoā€™s closed its doors in 2021 after being in the produce business for more than 100 years, the loss was felt deeply not just in Watertown but across Greater Boston. A similar deep loss will be felt when Freddy Farkelā€™s Upholstery & Fabric Showplace, on Walnut Street in Watertown closes after nearly a century. Billed as New Englandā€™s largest custom upholstery shop, the family-run business has been that special go-to place for designers, decorators and do-it-yourselfers, with claims of having had more than one m

Greg Reibman

WS Development just unveiled 14 of the nearly 25 new retailers, restaurants, offices, and other tenants that will move into the missing middle of The Street in Chestnut Hill this coming spring and summer. The now under-construction 90,000 sf project at 27 Boylston Street will finally complete WS Development's process of transforming the stodgy old Chestnut Hill Shopping Center, first built in 1950. Click to read more...

Greg Reibman

In a move that surprised pretty much everyone, the House approved legislation yesterday requiring Massachusetts employers give workers paid time off to vote in person. The bill passed, without discussion, about 90 minutes after the House Ways and Means Committee released it, reports Alison Kuznitz at State House News. Employees who don't have enough time to vote at the polls outside of their working hours can request time off and give their bosses three business days' notice, according to the bill.

Greg Reibman

The average U.S. student's lifetime earnings are projected to be six percent lower than they would have been otherwise due to learning disruptions due to the pandemic. The picture in Massachusetts is even bleaker. Bay State students are projected to have their lifetime earnings drop by nearly eight percent. Read more...

Greg Reibman

Watertown just completed an engaging and well-attended three-day charette exploring ideas for reimagining and reinvigorating Watertown Square. Tops on pretty much everyone's priority list was redesigning the square itself; making the downtown more welcoming, vibrant and multi-modal;

Greg Reibman

Last night, the Newton City Council passed the city's most significant zoning reform in seven decades. Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Waban, West Newton, Newtonville and Auburndale were the big winners. All six villages should benefit from the opportunity to welcome young adults, new families and seniors looking to downsize, into smaller, multi-family homes near transit, shops and restaurants.

Greg Reibman

Wellesley officials unveiled their proposed approach to complying with MBTA Communities Law last night and it was, well, disapointing.

Greg Reibman

The Newton City Council is jogging to meet a New Year's Eve deadline to comply with the stateā€™s MBTA Communities Upzoning Law. Major concessions and compromises have already been made by supporters since the Village Center Overlay District proposal was approved 5-1 by the Zoning & Planning Committee just last month. That plan looked to enhance all of the cityā€™s village centers by gradually allowing for more middle market multifamily housing city-wide. Read more...

Greg Reibman

A reminder that the big three-day charrette where we all get a chance to weigh in on the future of Watertown Square begins Tuesday evening. Itā€™s not necessary to attend all the events to bring value to the conversation. It's also not necessary that you live in Watertown to share ideas, hopes, likes and dislikes about Watertown Square. In fact, itā€™s important that business owners and anyone who works, shops, dines, travels though, or might want to one day start a business, work or live there be heard too.

Greg Reibman

Massachusetts Chambers Policy Network

Are you headed over the river and through the woods this week? Hereā€™s how to avoid hitting a deer. Leaving the state? Here's what kind of pie you might expect, or should bring. Do your travel plans involve flying? This may be the nicest thing you can do for your host. Finally, going shopping this Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and in the weeks to come? Follow our Hierarchy of Shopping. Click to view the guide.

Greg Reibman

On the same day that the full city council began debating zoning, the Healey-Driscoll Administration delivered a warning to Newton. Failure to abide by the MBTA Communities Law could lead to the loss of millions in state grants, Housing Secretary Ed Augustus reminded Mayor Ruthanne Filler in a letter.

Greg Reibman

When the Retailers Association of Massachusetts surveyed small business owners across the state, 70 percent said they would be looking to sell or retire within the next decade. Consider what that means. If seven out of ten of small business owners hope to step away from their livelihoods in ten years, where will the next generation of owners in our downtowns and village centers come from?

Greg Reibman

Dirty tricks, misleading lawn signs, and data manipulation aside, Newton voters made it very clear Tuesday that they didn't like (or perhaps understand?) the city's proposed approach to the MBTA Communities Upzoning Law. The Newton Beacon called it "a bloodbath." It was...

Greg Reibman

We began this morning with hopeful news for retailers and end with good news for working women, The share of American women working for pay is at a record high, writes Claire Cain Miller at the New York Times (free link). Most interestingly, "the surge has been led by an unexpected group: mothers of children under 5," especially those who are married with college degrees.

Greg Reibman

A fellow who owns several parcels in Watertown -- including properties he rents to a burger joint, a tire shop, and other small businesses -- called me yesterday. It was Nov. 1st. His quarterly taxes were due. So, just as many other taxpayers do at the last possible minute, he headed to City Hall with his checkbook. Thatā€™s when they hit him with the bad news.

Greg Reibman

Finally, I mentioned earlier that Newtonā€™s municipal election has taken an ugly turn. Hereā€™s what happened: A few weeks ago, I announced that our chamber was teaming up with a coalition of civic, housing and climate activists, and clergy supporting the proposed Village Center Overlay District currently under consideration by the Newton City Council.

Greg Reibman

The Newton City Council committee that's been shaping a plan designed to gradually add less expensive, smaller homes close to public transportation and, in turn, bring more vitality to its village centers completed its work Monday. The three-years-in-the-making upzoning (approved by the Zoning & Planning committee with five in favor, one opposed, one abstention, and one absent) now goes before the full Newton City Council for approval.

Greg Reibman

Larry Gennari, curator and moderator of the annual Authors and Innovators: Business Idea Festival, has a knack for finding thought-provoking, entertaining and inspiring authors. The finale event next Thursday (Oct. 26) at Watertownā€™s awesome Mosesian Center for the Arts boasts all three.

Greg Reibman

If you own a home in one of our west suburban chamber communities, youā€™re in luck. But if youā€™re an employer hoping to lure an outstanding job applicant from another state to move here, you may be out of luck. That's because there's a good chance your new potential hire may very well turn down your offer -- even if you offer a nice salary bump and moving expenses -- once they start house hunting.

Greg Reibman

Rather than the sounds of scientists developing life-changing cures, it will be thwack, thwack, thwack. Thatā€™s according to the Real Reporterā€™s Joe Clements who says the Bulfinch Company is backing away from plans to build life science labs at the former Neiman Marcus store at the Natick Mall. Instead, the home of the former luxury retailer will become a giant indoor pickleball court.

Greg Reibman

Abutters to the Sisters of Charity property in Wellesley Hills continue to dig in against a zoning change headed to the fall Special Town Meeting, even though it could be 30, 40, or even perhaps 50 years before the property might be redeveloped. Even then, any changes or expansions would require a special permit, requiring an extensive public process, and multiple approvals. The Sisters (average age 83) are looking for an opportunity to control their destiny and finances by selling their 125 Oakland St property to a buy

Greg Reibman

A mere 550 days (but who's counting? Oh, I guess I am) after it was first proposed, both the Senate and House have passed the long-awaited, and needed, compromise tax relief bill. The bill, which awaits the governorā€™s signature, would provide $561 million in tax breaks and credits this year and grow to about $1 billion once fully implemented in 2027. The bill includes provisions the Massachusetts Chamber Policy Network (our chamber is a member) called for to improve Massachusettsā€™s competitiveness and help retain

Greg Reibman

Three percent. Thatā€™s the total amount of land area that would be affected by a plan now before the Newton Council to update the zoning code in the cityā€™s village centers. Just three percent. Which means 97 percent of Newton wonā€™t change.

Greg Reibman

If itā€™s Friday it must be time for another episode in our four-part mini-series designed to promote visiting our Charles River Chamber communities. We launched two weeks ago, exploring old and new attractions that make Watertown special. Last Friday, we visited shops and restaurants that are helping spark a Wellesley Square renaissance.

Greg Reibman

Our chamber signed onto a letter this week to the Biden administration expressing ā€œstrong supportā€ of efforts by Gov. Maura Healey urging swift federal action on processing of work authorizations for migrants and allowing for provisional work authorization while the administrative process unfolds. The letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is signed by 21 Massachusetts business associations ā€“ representing more than 10,000 businesses collectively employing more than 1,000,000 people ā€“ concerned abo

Greg Reibman

Last Friday, we took a Trip up the Charles to Watertown. This week: Letā€™s "Get to Know Wellesley." Think of it as episode two in a four-part mini-series designed to support our local economy by highlighting the scenic, historic, cultural, recreational, lodging, dining, and retail destinations that make our Charles River communities unique...I have one more video to share. It's from Tuesday's Fall Real Estate Forum focused on the housing crisis. Watch the recap here.

Greg Reibman

With forecasts projecting small winds and heavy rains ahead of Hurricane Leeā€™s movement north later this week -- and with an overall increase in general of storms overall -- we wanted to share the following emergency preparedness resources.

Greg Reibman

Keolis Commuter Services, the company that operates the commuter rail for the T, is preparing to expand service this fall, adding late-night departures from Boston and adding more trains during peak periods on select lines, reports Bruce Mohl at CommonWealth. Among the changes set to start Oct. 2, the Worcester Line (which runs through Newton and Wellesley) is shifting from hourly service to 45-minute intervals at peak periods.

Greg Reibman

As has become our tradition, today we remember 23 individuals who died 22 years ago today as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks who are known to have had a Newton, Needham or Wellesley connection. (We're not aware of anyone from Watertown who perished from the attacks.)

Greg Reibman

The Boston Globe made a smartā€“ and important -- announcement this week. Five years after the paper pulled the plug on Globe West and other regional editions, and nine months after ending the Newton Report, they're planning to ramp up coverage of Greater Boston's burbs again. The move makes great business sense. After all, the burbs are where many (quite possibly most) of the Globe's subscribers actually live, work, and play.

Greg Reibman

The Charles River Regional Chamber is joining eight of the largest chambers of commerce from across the Commonwealth to urge the Legislature to finalize tax relief, ensuring that businesses and employees are recognized as pillars of a strong economy.

Massachusetts Chambers Policy Network

Dwight Eisenhower was president when that gorgeous neon Bigelow Cleaners signs in Newton Centre first lit up the corner of Langley Road and Sumner Street in 1957. The business itself is even older. FDR was president when the dry-cleaner first opened just down Beacon Street in 1933. Tomorrow -- after nine decades -- Bigelow Cleaners is closing forever.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll were in Wellesley Hills yesterday to launch MassReconnect, the new program that provides free community college for residents 25 and older that is hoped to help address workforce shortages statewide."Backing these folks is the most important investment we can make for our workforce, for our economy" and for making the Bay State more affordable and equitable, Healey said while on the MassBay College campus.

Greg Reibman

If the countdown clock on their website is reliable, weā€™re 36 days away from the christening of the Wada Hoppah. The planned water shuttle would ferry riders between the Galen Street Dock at Watertown Square to the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade.

Greg Reibman

The state's new housing law just got tougher, while also doing more to protect our small businesses and downtowns at the same time. The 2021 law -- the most consequential housing bill in half a century -- requires 177 communities (including the four served by your chamber) to rezone parts of each community to make it easier to build more multi-family housing near public transit.

Greg Reibman

Back in person for the first time since 2019, Needham Night brought 150+ local business professionals, residents and civic leaders together for a summer BBQ celebration at TripAdvisor HQ presented by Needham Bank and BID-Needham. Honored at the event were four outstanding Needham organizations/individuals for their contributions to our community.

Greg Reibman

It took Northland three years to get its mixed use development project on Needham Street approved by the Newton City Council. Then the company spent a half year defending its vision all over again when some unhappy types forced a ballot referendum. (Turned out the majority of Newton voters resoundingly supported it!) So it's nice to see the project now getting accolades.

Greg Reibman

Our west suburban communities are requiring developers of multi- family projects to build more parking than is needed. Or used. And that's driving up housing costs and supply. Thatā€™s the conclusion from a new report from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council after monitoring parking usage at dozens of developments in Watertown, Newton, Needham and neighboring communities.

Greg Reibman

If youā€™ve driven through Newton lately you may have seen some of those ā€œSave Our Villagesā€ lawn signs cropping up. If Iā€™m not mistaken the folks behind those signs are opposed to the Fuller administrationā€™s proposed rezoning overlay plans which would allow for greater density and height in some places, while also making it easier to build more small, multi-family homes by right and add affordable housing.

Greg Reibman

Yes, itā€™s not always easy finding what you need locally. But in the spirit of supporting what we love (and maybe sending fewer trucks down our streets and eliminating forests of boxes and piles of plastic mailers) try adhering to the "Hierarchy of Shopping," suggestions from the talented team at Love Live Local in Hyannis (with a few modifications from me):

Greg Reibman

Remember that seemingly endless barrage of ads last summer and fall in support, or opposition, to the Millionaireā€™s Tax? Among the claims from the "Yes on 1" campaign was an ad that told voters: ā€œAnyone who makes less than $1 million a year doesnā€™t pay an extra cent.ā€ Other campaign materials from the Yes campaign touted that the new tax would be based on ā€œa personā€™s annual incomeā€ and only ā€œthose who earn more than a million dollars in a single year.ā€

Greg Reibman

Four outstanding recent high school graduates have been selected to receive scholarships from the Charles River Regional Chamber. This yearā€™s recipients are Alex Kotkin (Needham High), Gabriela Dos Anjos (Newton South), Daniela Alejandra (Newton South), and Zuhayr Masud (Watertown High).

Maxime Isaac

Greg Reibman, president of Charles River Regional Chamber testified before the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy in support of S2104 and H3676, an Act to expand the bottle bill on June 28, 2023.

Greg Reibman

Our hearts ache for the family, friends and community that loved Gilda (Jill) Dā€™Amore, 73, Bruno Dā€™Amore, 74, and Gildaā€™s mom, Lucia Arpino, 97. We struggle to make sense of this senseless act of violence, discovered at their Nonantum home early Sunday, the morning after the D'Amores had celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Greg Reibman

Newton's deadline is end of December. But Wellesley, Needham and Watertown don't have to be in compliance with the MBTA Communities Law until the end of 2024. But if you're looking for a preview of the difficult conversations ahead, check out last week's three hour community meeting in Wellesley about a proposed condo development at the intersection of Cliff Road and Rte. 9 that's in walking distance of the Wellesley Hills train station and a number of little shops and restaurants...

Greg Reibman

Business groups across the country are stepping up the fight over credit card swipe fees with another attempt to convince Congress to reform the system. Proposed legislation would require banks with more than $100 billion in assets that issue credit cards to allow their cards to be processed on at least two unaffiliated networks ā€” Visa or Mastercard plus at least one competitor, writes Andy Medici for the BBJ...

Greg Reibman

Many offices, including the chamber, are closed today in recognition of Juneteenth. But it's an appropriate moment for all of us to consider how we can make our workplaces and communities more diverse, equitable, inclusive ... and welcoming. Hereā€™s the video replay from our recent panel program focused on our workplaces featuring three of the honorees from our Business Leaders of Color project in collaboration with our partner Colette Phillips from Get Konnected!

Greg Reibman

Massachusetts' 41-year-old bottle bill does not apply to noncarbonated beverage containers such as sport drinks, ice teas, fruit juices, and, yes, water -- all drink options that have gained popularity over the decades and far too often end up as litter on our streets, parks and in our favorite river. But a report last year found that Massachusetts could cut down on plastic litter, create less garbage, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save cities and towns millions of dollars annually by expanding the bill and...

Greg Reibman

Itā€™s an act of vandalism thatā€™s hard to fathom. Late last week, vandals snuck onto the grounds of the nonprofit Newton Community Farm, uprooting hundreds of plants from the cityā€™s only working farm.ā€œSomeone, or multiple people, took basil, scallions, eggplant, and cucumbers planted in the field and trays of cucumber, tomato, kale, corn, and other seedlings from the new greenhouse,ā€ writes Sue Bottino, the nonprofitā€™s executive director...

Greg Reibman

The Massachusetts Chambers Policy Network, of which the Charles River Chamber is a member, is deeply concerned that a routine audit found that the Department of Unemployment Assistanceā€™s (DUA) wrongly used $2.5 billion in federal money to fund state unemployment benefits during the previous Administration. The Healey Administration is now working with the federal Department of Labor on how to rectify the error...

Greg Reibman

Newton is just under six months away from a deadline to comply with the new law that requires communities to make it easier to build multifamily homes close to transit. Cobbling together a plan hasn't been -- and won't be -- easy in a city where housing has long been the third rail of politics...

Greg Reibman

Weā€™re waking up to some news that could potentially be devastating for businesses statewide. A routine audit has found that Massachusetts mistakenly used about $2.5 billion in federal money to fund jobless benefits during the pandemic -- payments that should have been made by the state, reports Larry Edelman and Jon Chesto at the Globe...

Greg Reibman

When Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll joins us Friday at our Spring Business Breakfast, she will, no doubt, emphasize the priority she and the Healey administration have placed on addressing our housing crisis. Hereā€™s hoping Driscoll will inspire all of us (including the many elected local officials who will be joining us at the Needham Sheraton) to follow the lead set by Lexington and rezone for more transit-oriented housing than required under the MBTA Communities Law...

Greg Reibman

The Charles River Regional Chamber has chosen Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange to be the nonprofit beneficiary of its 32nd Annual Golf Tournament happening in conjunction with its first-ever Pickleball Outing at Wellesley Country Club on Monday, Aug. 7. This year, the committee was moved by MAREā€™s mission to find permanent adoptive homes for children and teens waiting in foster care...

Greg Reibman

Today (May 25) marks the three year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. We all remember that video. We also all remember how employers across our region and across the nation stood up in the aftermath and pledged to support diversity, equity and inclusion in their workplace. But this week, the ADL released an alarming report that found Massachusetts had the nationā€™s second-highest rate of white supremacist propaganda in the nation last year.

Greg Reibman

We just put the finishing touches on our list of the ā€œ50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Colorā€ in Greater Bostonā€™s western suburbs, created in partnership with our friend Colette Phillips and her team at Get Konnected! Our honorees will be unveiled at the Charles River Chamber and Get Konnected! websites one week from today, Friday, May 19. We'll also be distributing a print edition at our June 2 Spring Business Breakfast and at other upcoming events.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Greater Bostonā€™s inner western suburbs arenā€™t often celebrated for their diversity. But on May 19 the Charles River Regional Chamber in collaboration with Colette Phillips, and her companies Colette Phillips Communications and Get Konnected! will shine a spotlight on the often unnoticed and overlooked business people of color and the companies that are making a difference there.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The COVID-19 public health emergency officially ends Thursday. Most federal, state, and local restrictions, regulations, mandates, and benefits that were still standing will expire. But please donā€™t mistake that for thinking our economic challenges are also behind us. Please donā€™t mistake that for thinking we no longer need to support our local businesses and nonprofits and embrace measures to grow and keep companies, workers, and jobs here.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Do you work for a large company that wants to help small businesses? Pay your bills promptly. Late payments have always been a challenge for some small companies. The situation accelerated during the pandemic when more than half of small suppliers experienced late payments from large companies, according to a 2021 survey.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The clock is ticking on a December deadline for Newton to change its zoning laws to comply with the MBTA Communities Law. Last week the Fuller administration released a new series of maps designed to do just that in concert with efforts that could help small businesses by rezoning the cityā€™s village centers. On the first blush, Version 2.0 looks pretty good.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It was a gut punch -- and not surprising -- at the same time. Iā€™m talking about Alexandria Real Estate Equities' announcement that it is abandoning plans to convert Riverside Center in Auburndale into lab space. The California-based life science development firm will instead sell the three-building complex at a loss.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Watertown is about to lose what was once one of the city's marquee employers and commercial property owners. Athenahealth is moving its headquarters at Arsenal on the Charles about two miles down the road to Boston Landing in Brighton, according to Joe Clements at the Real Reporter. ā€œWatertown has been Athenahealthā€™s home for nearly 20 years, and we thank the community for all of its support as we grew from a start-up to one of the largest employers in the Boston area,ā€ CEO Bob Segert said in a statement.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Happy Patriots Day Weekend, one of the best weekends of the year to be in our chamber communities. Leading up to the 127th Boston Marathon on Monday, go here for suggested places to dine, shop and visit in Newton, Needham, Watertown, and Wellesley. And this video from the Chronicle documents some of the history along the route in Wellesley. (While the Swellesley Report talks about this guy who doesn't like hearing one of the things in the video.)

Charles River Regional Chamber

A plan to temporarily reopen Hotel Indigo at Riverside Station to provide emergency housing for local families is moving forward, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced last night. Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development is negotiating a contract with Catholic Charities of Boston and Mark Development, owner of the currently closed Indigo, for families experiencing homelessness with children (under 21) and pregnant women. Under the two-year contract, Mark Development would renovate portions of the h

Charles River Regional Chamber

Transportation advocates, employers, employees, residents, and shoppers have long talked about creating an alternative way to travel between Newton and Needham that doesnā€™t involve driving along Needham Street and Highland Ave. The logical way to do that would be to connect the Upper Falls Greenway (a 12-foot wide former rail trail that runs parallel to Needham Street) over the river and then over I-95 (yes weā€™ll need a big, expensive, new overpass to replace the one torn down) to the abandoned right of way rail trail c

Charles River Regional Chamber

Needham voters go to the polls one week from today (April 11) to fill two seats on the Select Board and one seat on the Planning Board. It's fair to say that the Planning Board contest, between incumbent Adam Block and challenger Rob Dangel, is the most contentious and consequential of the contests. In fact, the fate of future commercial and residential developments could possibly swing depending on the winner.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Nearly one out of every ten workers in Greater Boston either holds a tech-related job, or works in a non-technical job at a tech company. That places us 8th nationwide among metropolitan areas, the Globeā€™s Aaron Pressman reports. And even though there were a wave of layoffs at tech companies large and small last year, the number of people in Greater Boston employed in the industry ā€“ more than 272,500 people -- rose slightly (1%) last year, while hiring remains a problem.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Massachusetts residents lost the ability to deduct charitable contributions from their state taxes years ago. But the Massachusetts donation deduction is back this year. It can even be used for filers who donā€™t itemize their federal deductions. The change, effective Jan. 1, 2023, was overwhelmingly passed by voters in 2000 but put on hold by state lawmakers during a revenue crunch.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Beacon Hill lawmakers finally agreed yesterday to allow municipalities to continue holding remote public meetings and offer an expedited outdoor dining permit process. They also agreed (on the eve of National Cocktail Day, turns out) to allow restaurants to continue offering mixed drinks, beer, and wine for both take-out and delivery meals. All three provisions were set to expire one week from today.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our chamber is teaming up with nine other regional chambers to form a statewide policy network; the Massachusetts Chambers of Commerce Policy Network. Led by the presidents and CEOs of the ten chambers, we plan to use our collective voice to advocate for policy and business issues that will strengthen the quality of life and economy in the Commonwealth.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Several times a week someone asks: ā€œSay, Greg, what's that they're building next door to Tripadvisor?ā€ That would be Bostonā€™s Childrenā€™s Hospital's new outpatient surgery center. In 2020 Needham Town Meeting approved rezoning to allow Childrenā€™s to eventually construct up to three buildings in the office park, as well as an expansion of the adjacent parking garage.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Charles River Regional Chamber is teaming up with nine of the stateā€™s largest regional chambers to form a statewide policy network; the Massachusetts Chambers of Commerce Policy Network. Led by the presidents and CEOs of the participating chambers, the Chambers Policy Network aims to use its collective voice to advocate for policy and business issues that will strengthen the quality of life and economy in the Commonwealth.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This past weekend was one hour shorter than usual. But that still left plenty of time for many local CEOs, tech and biotech workers, entrepreneurs, and private investors to freak out. They were panicked, of course, about the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, along with some added worry about the First Republic, which like SVB has a significant Massachusetts presence. And while the immediate crisis was averted even before the Oscar ceremony ended (at least I think it ended, I tuned out at 11 p.m.), ever

Charles River Regional Chamber

We began this morning writing about angry participants at public meetings. We end with some perspective for restaurant, hotel, shop service, or other business owners who are experiencing an uptick in bad Yelp reviews and other complaints. Itā€™s not just you. The number of customers who seek ā€œrevengeā€ on a business after they feel theyā€™ve been treated badly has tripled since the start of the pandemic, according to the annual National Customer Rage Survey.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Hiring continues to be a problem for many retailers But a new Harvard Business School study identifies another challenge for merchants: Employee lateness and absenteeism. Researchers examined 25.5 million employee shift time cards covering more than 100,000 employees across more than 500 U.S. retail grocery store locations over four years.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Later this month the Newton City Council will consider banning the sale or distribution of more than one dozen plastic items and limiting the availability of many other items. Most of the proposed rules would change the way our restaurants do business. Many retailers would be impacted too. Among other things, the ordinance would forbid the sale of plastic water bottles, plastic floss sticks, plastic ear swabs, cosmetics containing plastic glitter, non-recyclable plastic containers, and packing materials. I can tell you

Charles River Regional Chamber

Major League Baseball just introduced a series of rule changes designed to make the game more competitive in an era of changed attention spans and attrition to other sports. And Gov. Maura Healey just introduced a series of tax reforms designed to make Massachusetts more competitive in an era of high costs and attrition to other states. MLB is making the bases bigger, hoping to encourage more stolen bases and give players more room to operate and avoid collisions.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Is it time to dust off the old ā€œTaxachusettsā€ label when discussing Massachusetts? Could be. We were the only state to raise personal income taxes last year, according to the annual report from the Tax Foundation. As a result, our marginal state income tax rate has jumped to 7th highest in the nation, reports Christian M. Wade at the Eagle Tribune.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our thanks to the Newton City Council for approving a measure last night to make outdoor dining in public spaces permanent. Also thanks to the Fuller administration for spearheading the long process. Of course, there may never have been a less controversial zoning change in history, with nearly 2,000 people signing a petition in support. Still, without this approval, Newton's outdoor dining season would not have been able to resume on April 1 when state provisions expire.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Back in 2013, the last time the City of Newton asked voters to raise property taxes, the chamberā€™s board of directors carefully reviewed the proposal and endorsed all three override questions. On March 14, the city is again looking to raise property taxes by approximately $15 million in the form of three new Proposition 2 1/2 override questions. But economic pressures on our businesses, particularly on our smallest businesses and small commercial building owners, are different now........

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Charles River Regional Chamberā€™s Board of Directors has listened carefully to the mayor, other city and school leaders and to our members. Ultimately, weā€™ve concluded that while the cityā€™s need for revenue is genuine, we cannot fully endorse the mayorā€™s requests because of the financially devastating impact a tax increase could have on many of our businesses and commercial property owners.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our condolences to the family, friends, and former colleagues of Michael Driscoll, who served Watertownā€™s municipal government for 45 years, including close to three decades as Town/City Manager. Driscoll, 70, passed away Saturday after receiving treatment for cancer over the past year, according to the city. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy, overseeing so much of the change, development, and progress Watertown enjoys today, including building three elementary schools and a new high school without a debt exclusion o

Charles River Regional Chamber

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow last week, suggesting that weā€™re in for six more weeks of winter. But donā€™t tell that to Malden Mayor Gary Christenson who declared this week that "winter is over" as he lifted his city's winter parking restrictions. Winter parking bans ostensibly seem to exist these days so snowplows can clear streets of snow that ostensibly doesn't exist. At least lately.

Charles River Regional Chamber

There isnā€™t a business in Newton thatā€™s more iconic, or well loved, than Cabotā€™s Ice Cream & Restaurant. For generations itā€™s been a place where memories were made. Where birthdays, graduations, Little League wins or losses, first dates, reunions and countless other milestones and rites of passage were celebrated. And over the decades there hasnā€™t been a more generous, gentle or humble small business owner than proprietor Joe Prestejohn.

Charles River Regional Chamber

New York Cityā€™s war on rats is getting an assist from a Needham company. The city has signed a contract with Bigbelly Solar to place the companyā€™s newest product --- new smart composting bins ā€“ across all five city boroughs. Read more of today's Need to Knows to find out more on the Bignbelly's new innovation.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Parents in Middlesex (that includes Newton and Watertown) and Norfolk (Needham and Wellesley) counties pay the third highest childcare prices in the nation, according to new data from the Department of Labor. Infant center-based child care in both counties was more than $26,000, eating up nearly 20 percent of median family budgets, reports Christina Prignano in the Globe. Read today's Need to Knows to find out on a solution that faced challenges in Needham for this problem.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Charles River Regional Chamber is launching a month-long campaign in February designed to support the restaurant community in Newton, Needham, Watertown and Wellesley, while also helping those in need. The Love Local: Supporting Our Restaurants & Our Community campaign is designed to encourage dining locally at a time when restaurants continue to struggle in a challenging economy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Remember back in the darkest days of the pandemic when we all rallied to support our independent restaurants? We still need to do that. Between a labor shortage that just wonā€™t quit, wage inflation, rising food (consider the price of eggs alone), utility, and many other costs, our restaurateurs are still struggling to make ends meet. And now comes news that consumers are "starting to freak out" amidst fears of a recession. Read today's Need to Knows to find out what's new with this year's Love Local campaign.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Maura Healey -- and most of her cabinet -- came to Newton yesterday to deliver what was billed as her first formal address to the business community. It was a frank, and familiar, assessment of the challenges weā€™ve been hearing from our businesses: from labor shortages and unreliable transportation services to high taxes to competition from other states. Read more of today's Need to Knows to find out more about what Gov. Healey said in her address.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton's aspirations for the Washington Street Corridor suffered a setback in December when the feds rejected a $136 million grant application to rebuild the city's three inaccessible commuter rail stations. Our region was dealt a second, wider-reaching, blow yesterday when we learned that the US Department of Transportation is also passing on a $1.2 billion request for the Mass. Turnpike realignment project along the Charles River in Allston. Read today's Need to Knows to find out how there could be a possible comeback

Charles River Regional Chamber

Back in the summer of 2020, Dr. Errol Norwitz jumped with both feet into the middle of the pandemic. Ever since, the president and CEO at Newton Wellesley Hospital have been there for our communities, providing steady and calming leadership at a time of so much uncertainty and amidst so many changes and challenges in health care. Read today's Need to Knows to learn more about Dr. Norwitz's departure from Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Mostly, we do that by spotlighting unique locations in our communities, hoping attendees will say something along the lines of: ā€œWow. I never knew about this!ā€ We heard that a lot last summer, for example, when we held our summer Members Celebration event in the Italianate Garden at Elm Bank. And everyone who was there will recall our parties at the Saco-Pettee Mill Building or -- when it was brand new -- Tripadvisor. Now we canā€™t wait to show you the Nathaniel Allen House in West Newton -- the site of our annual winter

Charles River Regional Chamber

The holidays weren't so jolly for many of our small retailers. Thatā€™s according to the Retailers Association of Massachusetts which reports a November and December seasonal dollar increase of 1.2% over holiday sales in 2021. Read today's Need to Knows to find out more about this report for small retailers.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Is biotech in Boston about to go bust? Not according to some of the regionā€™s top bio billionaires interviewed by Bloomberg. Read more about what was discovered during interviews by reading today's Need to Knows.

Charles River Regional Chamber

ā€œLet me speak directly to the business community.ā€ Thatā€™s how Maura Healey began a key section of her inaugural address yesterday after being sworn in as the 73rd governor of Massachusetts. ā€œYou help drive our economy and you will help build our future. In me, you will have a partner every step of the way,ā€ she continued.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A one-time Needham newspaper delivery boy who later went on to pump gas in the town center and eventually became governor of Massachusetts will take that final "lone walk" down the State House steps this evening. Hereā€™s what Charlie Baker said yesterday on his way out. Click to read more.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If there was a 10-acre contaminated asphalt heat island in your community youā€™d think the local planning board would want to move quickly to replace it with something much better -- especially if doing so came with millions of dollars in local benefits and good-paying jobs. Finally, yesterday (nearly two years after the property was rezoned and after many, many, long, late, agonizing meetings) the Needham Planning Board unanimously approved Bulfinch Companyā€™s proposal for the old Muzi Motors site along I-95 in Needham.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Wall Street Journal is warning that a ā€œdecline in office building values is likely to become a growing problem for the budgets of cities, schools and other jurisdictions that depend heavily on property taxes from these building owners.ā€ And yet a majority of Newtonā€™s City Councilors were more than a little cavalier this month when they overwhelmingly (21-2) rebuffed a proposal by Mayor Ruthanne Fuller to give commercial property owners a bit of a break on property taxes, with several councilors suggesting business

Charles River Regional Chamber

Wells Ave welcomes the WSYMCA; linkage fees playing a big role in site selection for future projects; the Newton tax override; and a hugely successful toy drive.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We've received a third round of funding for the program weā€™ve been running in Newton and Wellesley since the darkest day of the pandemic; don't lose sight of the societal contributions of life science companies; updates on the West Newton project and catalytic converter law; and why not everyone loves that holiday music playing in stores.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Employers are using all sorts of approaches to attract top talent: Generous comp packages. Remote work opportunities. Flexible schedules. And, no doubt, some of the items on this 11 Terrible Job Perks Nobody Really Cares About list. But Harvard Business School research suggests that many companies fail to promote a key draw for many prospective employees today, particularly young people: the diverse, inclusive workplaces theyā€™ve worked hard to develop.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Knowing a federal match was critical to fully funding the stations, Baker stressed the urgency of approving his $85 million request in a letter to the Legislature. "We cannot lose additional time by waiting to appropriate funds for these projects,ā€ Baker warned. Want to guess what our lawmakers did?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Economic headwinds ā€“ most notably rising construction and finance costs -- are indeed delaying Mark Developmentā€™s efforts to transform the Riverside MBTA station into a vibrant mixed-use development, the developer confirmed yesterday. As I wrote last week, this project was originally conceived more than a decade ago and revived in 2018.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller tried to give Newtonā€™s commercial property owners a bit of a break on property taxes last week. But Newtonā€™s City Council overwhelmingly turned Fuller -- and our businesses -- down.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s safe to say that were it not for the slow-turning wheels of government, that transformative project to create a mixed-use, transit-oriented development at Riverside Station would be well underway by now. The project dates back at least to 2011. It was approved in 2013 but only after it was scaled back to appease neighbors so far that it proved unviable financially.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With so much at stake this holiday season we should all be shopping as if jobs, livelihoods and even our downtowns depend on it. Because they do. Hereā€™s one way you can help: Avoid the temptation to turn to Amazon for your holiday shopping and shop locally.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In an effort to increase attention and support of small businesses throughout Needham this holiday season, the Needham Business Alliance has organized a ā€œHoliday Spirit Contestā€ for Needham businesses taking place from December 10-17

Charles River Regional Chamber

This Saturday is Small Business Saturday -- a day when consumers will be reminded to show their support for independent merchants in our downtowns, village centers, and commercial districts. Hereā€™s hoping itā€™s a record-breaker for all our local retailers. But Iā€™ve never been a big fan of Small Business Saturday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Massachusetts retailers are forecasting a 10% increase in sales this holiday season. Sounds great until you factor in an 8% inflation rate, leaving ā€œlittle margin for error or increased profitabilityā€ according to Retailers Association of Massachusetts President Jon Hurst. The prediction, based on a survey of RAM members, contrasts with a forecast calling for a 6 to 8 % increase in holiday sales nationally, writes Michael P. Norton at State House News.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Last year at this time, Olena Reshetnyak was manager of a Marc Cain store in Kharkiv, a city of 1.4 million on the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. When the Russian attack on Ukraine began, Reshetnyak, like so many others, fled her country with her children. (Her husband, Michael, has been unable to leave permanently because of Ukraineā€™s wartime policy requiring most men to serve in the military or other capacities).

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s midterms Election Day. Or more accurately, itā€™s Election Deadline Day, the last day of Election Month, since voting in many states began weeks ago. Here in Massachusetts, Election Month voting ends when the polls close at 8 p.m. So get out there, if you haven't voted yet.

Charles River Regional Chamber

ā€œThe economy -- notwithstanding the terrible headlines, inflation, interest rates, Ukraine, all the things you know -- is in better shape than you think.ā€ Thatā€™s how economist and real estate guru Spencer Levy began his talk with our chamber yesterday. Levy -- who's with the worldā€™s largest commercial real estate services firm CBRE -- spent the next hour painting a refreshing, mostly optimistic, view (rooted in strong growth trends and low unemployment) that was, frankly nice to hear amidst all the ongoing anxiety and j

Charles River Regional Chamber

Ninety-five days after it was due, lawmakers announced yesterday that they had reached an agreement on a $3.8 billion bill that could be on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk by the end of today. The bill includes many things businesses and nonprofits across many sectors have been urgently waiting for, including funds to support small businesses, workforce development, housing, climate resilience, EV rebates, MBTA safety, broadband access, public parks, and conservation land.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Most of us try and do the right thing by recycling water bottles, take-out containers, and other plastic packaging. And in Newton, Watertown, and other communities, many of our restaurants have scrambled to find (costly) white or clear plastic takeout containers after residents were told (less expensive) black plastic containers canā€™t be recycled. But turns out that the majority of the plastic we put into recycling bins ends up in landfills, according to a report from Greenpeace.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our suburban communities still arenā€™t doing our part to help address Greater Bostonā€™s housing crisis. That's one of many takeaways from yesterdayā€™s release of The Boston Foundationā€™s annual Greater Boston Housing Report Card. The good news? New housing construction across Greater Boston has slowly increased. Around 15,000 new housing units were permitted in 2021, up about 2,000 units over the previous pace.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The pandemic had a devastating impact on learning and well-being. And a return from isolation has reminded us what happens when we neglect our public transit, roads, and bridges. But raising taxes through a poorly-constructed amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution on the hopes that Beacon Hill will dedicate the revenue to education and transportation is not the solution.

Charles River Regional Chamber

But after much deliberation, we're choosing not to issue a recommendation on Questions 2 and 3, primarily due to a lack of data in the first instance, and a faulty approach in the other. Question 2 seeks to remedy a real-world challenge: Providing affordable dental care to our employees and their families, while fairly compensating dentists.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s "complicated." Thatā€™s what state Senate President Karen Spilka told reporters yesterday when asked about the $4 billion economic development bill that's still unresolved -- 79 days after lawmakers formally adjourned for the rest of 2022. "As you all know, it's very complicated. There were a lot of things that came up. So we are in constant communication about it," Spilka said Monday after meeting with House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Gov. Charlie Baker, according to Colin A. Young at State House News.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Board of Directors of the Charles River Chamber is recommending a ā€œyesā€ vote on Question 4, the statewide ballot question that asks voters if they want to keep a new Massachusetts law that allows unauthorized immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. First and foremost, the chamber sees this as a public safety issue. So do the multiple studies, police chiefs, and public safety officials we consulted.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Nearly two-thirds of our state Legislature will be reelected this November in an uncontested race. But one of the more interesting competitive contests is happening in one of our towns. That would be Rep. Shawn Dooleyā€™s (R-Norfolk) efforts to oust incumbent State Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham) from a seat that includes (for the first time due to redistricting) all of Needham, plus ten other communities to the south of us.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Not paying attention to the generational differences in our workplaces can be detrimental to success. For employers looking to retain and attract Gen Z workers (those born between 1997 and 2012) that could mean providing mental health support and a more traditional work experience, according to one recent study published by Axios. Check out these results from a survey of recent graduates who were asked what theyā€™re looking for in their future workplace.

Charles River Regional Chamber

After the cost of labor, the fees credit card companies charge restaurants, retailers, and other merchants are often those businessesā€™ second-highest operating costs. And those credit and debit card ā€œswipe feesā€ have more than doubled in the past decade, soaring 25 percent last year alone to a record $137.8 billion.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Has the new head of the stateā€™s largest teachers union declared war on every employer (and parent) looking to our schools to provide the skills workers need to fill jobs? It sure feels that way. Hereā€™s what Mass Teachers Association President Max Page told the state ed board this summer: ā€œThe focus on income, on college and career readiness speaks to a system ā€¦ tied to the capitalist class and its needs for profits," Page said. ā€œWe, on the other hand, have as a core belief that the purpose of schools must be to nurture

Charles River Regional Chamber

During the years-long run-up to getting the so-called Fair Share or Millionairesā€™ Tax on the ballot, Attorney General Maura Healey has been supportive of the effort. But yesterday Healey -- now a candidate for governor -- offered a nuanced view of Question 1, the proposed constitutional amendment that would add a 4 percent surtax to household income above $1 million.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Close to half of all working Newton residents --a whopping 43.9 percent -- worked remotely last year. That's nearly twice the state rate, where 23.7% of Massachusetts workers primarily worked from home in 2021. And the Bay State had one of the highest work-from-home rates in the nation, writes the Globeā€™s, Dana Gerber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yet another survey confirmed this week what most business owners already know: Inflation, supply chain, and hiring remain back breakers, But then there was this disheartening statistic from the MassINC Polling group survey: More than half (53%) of small businesses in Massachusetts are making less revenue than they did before the pandemic, including 23% that say revenue is down by 25% or more.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Malls are dying. Retail is fading, right? That's what makes the transformation at Arsenal Yards all the more remarkable. It was just nine years ago when Boylston Properties and the Wilder Cos. paid $70.5 million for the long past its prime Arsenal Mall and the adjacent Harvard Vanguard building in Watertown. And itā€™s been less than five years since the companies started whatā€™s become a head-turning retail transformation which will ultimately feature 50 carefully curated retail and restaurants, a hotel, plus 432,000 sf l

Charles River Regional Chamber

Forty-six days after our Legislature split for vacation without completing a critical Economic Development Bill, leaders signaled that theyā€™re ready to cobble together some form of the shelved bill. The logjam was loosened yesterday after State Auditor Suzanne Bump certified the state does indeed have to return $2.94 billion to us, taxpayers, due to record tax collections and a 1986 voter-passed law that lawmakers apparently forgot about until the folks at CommonWealth magazine reminded them about it.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The roughly two-mile-long renovation -- from Webster Street in Needham to Route 9 in Newton -- will widen sidewalks, improve intersections, add raised bikes lanes and synchronized signals and rehabilitate the bridge over the Charles River. These are much-needed, welcome improvements. But weā€™re now looking at the fall of 2024 before completion.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As has become our tradition, today we remember 23 individuals who died 21 years ago today as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks who are known to have had a Newton, Needham or Wellesley connection. (We're not aware of anyone from Watertown who perished from the attacks.)

Charles River Regional Chamber

By choosing Trump-backed legislator Geoff Diehl over Wrentham businessman Chris Doughty for governor, Republican primary voters likely made Maura Healeyā€™s path to the corner office easier than it was already going to be. They also likely eliminated any opportunity to have a substantive debate about economic issues, sustainability, and other matters.

Charles River Regional Chamber

By now most of us have become sensitive to just how hard it is to operate or work at a restaurant these days. As customers, that means exercising patience for our food to arrive from potentially short-staffed kitchens; expecting to pay more to cover increased food and labor costs; and becoming more generous tippers.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Ready for some good news about the MBTA? The T's is moving forward with plans to invest $811 million to replace the 1980s-vintage, two-car Green Line trains with 102 new vehicles.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A few years ago, we were nothing but a "brown banana." But just like Albert Pujols, break dancing and Legos in the office, the 'burbs are back baby. Thatā€™s the word from the Globe, which declared this week that a ā€œreal estate renaissance is underwayā€ in Wellesley and other west inner suburban communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In Tuesdayā€™s newsletter I invited you to share stories about how inflation was impacting your operation. Hereā€™s part of what the owner of a recently-closed restaurant told me:

Charles River Regional Chamber

The rising costs of just about everything has put our businesses and nonprofits in a difficult position. In fact, when we surveyed our members earlier this month, three out of four respondents told us inflation was their No 1 business concern heading into the fall. For business owners raising prices is always a gamble.

Charles River Regional Chamber

These past few years have been brutal for our businesses, right? Between lockdowns, quarantines, labor shortages, supply chain issues, inflation, and on and on and on -- it would be easy to understand if employers felt defeated. Theyā€™re not. At least thatā€™s not what our most recent online poll suggests

Charles River Regional Chamber

The $85 million covers half of the commuter rail project's cost. Our thanks to Baker, Sen. Cindy Creem, Rep. Kay Khan and Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, among others, for getting us this far. The next step is for Congressman Jake Auchincloss (who has been advocating for this project going back to his days as a Newton City Councilor) to secure federal matching funds from the federal infrastructure bill for the other half.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Baker administration is hailing its HireNow program as a success, saying the $50 million initiative helped spur the hiring of thousands of workers across the state. Iā€™ve heard from quite a few frustrated employers who aren't nearly as enthusiastic.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The small but mighty brick building on Needham Street that had been home to our chamber for at least two decades (as well as AAA and, long ago, a Strawberries record store) came tumbling down yesterday. Also flattened was the former Marshalls store on the other side of the parking lot that served shoppers since the late 70s, along with the rest of the old Marshalls Plaza.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Four outstanding local students have been selected to receive scholarships from the Charles River Regional Chamber. In a highly qualified and deserving pool of close to 50 applicants, the chamberā€™s Scholarship Committee has selected Chaerin Lee, Grace Campbell Maillet, Theresa Cabral and David Fils-Aime for this yearā€™s awards.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our Legislature had 18 months to complete the peopleā€™s business. But, as usual, most of its work was mostly completed in the final weekend, and hours, of the session which ended early Monday. Bills allowing sports betting, expanding mental health access, an infrastructure bond bill (including $85 million to rebuild Newtonā€™s commuter rail stations!), gun-licensing laws, cannabis reform (allowing cannabis cafes) and a new version of a climate bill were all sent to the governor, mainly in the last 23 hours.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Ten years ago this fall, WS Development rebranded the stodgy old Chestnut Hill Shopping Center as The Street. With that began a process of transforming the old school plaza (first built in 1950) into an engaging destination featuring an eclectic mix of over 40 restaurants, retailers and pop-ups, along with public spaces, free outdoor yoga, kids activities and other events.

Charles River Regional Chamber

When our chamber expanded into Wellesley in 2020 we had a feeling this was a community in transition. Sure enough, in the past year Town Meeting lifted a series of archaic dining and liquor laws that's bringing in new businesses and vitality. Wellesley is also experiencing what has to be an unprecedented transition in its long-static office market.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Legislature sent a climate bill to Gov. Charlie Baker last night that -- among many other provisions -- would allow Newton and nine other municipalities to ban the use of fossil fuels in new homes, commercial construction and major renovations. However the city may not be able to participate in the pilot program, even though the ban has unanimous support from the Newton City Council and Mayor Ruthanne Fuller.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The storied West Newton Cinema is embarking on an effort to potentially turn the venue into a non-profit visual arts and culture center. As a first step, cinema co-owner David Bramante has entered into an agreement to sell the property at 1296 Washington Street to Newton's Mark Development. Under the agreement, the Bramante family will continue to operate the six-screen cinema for the next 18 months to two years while it explores opportunities to transition leadership and operation to another entity.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Under the headline, ā€œNewton Restaurants Bouncing Back,ā€ Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller published the chart below in her email newsletter yesterday. The graph tracks revenue received by the city though the 0.75% excise tax on sales of restaurant meals. And as you can see, things do look pretty bouncy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Today is Prime Day. But stop right there. And step away from that browser. Before you order some stuff you may not really need anyway, remember that every purchase you choose to make locally instead doesn't just help that individual business: It lifts our entire local economy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Low wage workers got theirs, they say. Now itā€™s middleclass taxpayersā€™ time. Unless youā€™re married. Then you may not get as much. Youā€™re not alone if youā€™re scratching your head over a proposal to emerge from Beacon Hill yesterday that would provide a one-time $250 rebate by October (just in time for, you guessed it, Election Day) to help offset the rising cost of living.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Proponents of the so-called ā€œMillionaires Taxā€ constitutional amendment that will go before voters in November generally portray the new surtax as something that will only impact the ā€œsuper rich.ā€ But a new Pioneer Institute survey conducted in collaboration with two state business groups, explores how many small business owners may also find themselves subject to the surtax.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Looking for things to do for yourself, your family or guests, this holiday weekend? Youā€™ve come to the right place. Our Take a Trip Up The Charles website lists nearly 300 restaurants, close to two hundred retailers and dozens of destination ideas inside our four chamber communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It's nice to be back in your inbox after a week off, but not good that we're stepped back 50 years in time while I was out. Oh, yeah -- and after two-plus years of telling you all what you need to know about COVID -- I tested positive yesterday. I'm boosted. I feel lousy. I expect to be fine.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If youā€™re an MBTA bus rider in Newton, chances are youā€™re already alarmed by the many of Tā€™s plans to eliminate routes and frequency across the city. But those of us who never -- or rarely -- step on a T bus should be alarmed too. Hereā€™s why:

Charles River Regional Chamber

Remember this when you're dealing with traffic, road closures and parking restrictions this week due to the U.S. Open. Our short-term inconveniences can be a difference maker for many of our businesses. Upwards of 175,000 fans are expected to descend on our region this week. About 35% of those in attendance will be traveling from afar to attend the event at the Country Club in Chestnut Hill, according to the USGA. Another estimated 1,000 or more workers will also travel to the area.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Millions of Americans quit their jobs or retired in what came to be known as the Great Resignation during the pandemic. But a new CNBC survey finds that nearly two-thirds (68%) of those retirees would now consider coming back to work. The survey found that 33% of retirees left jobs for health reasons, 27% retired due to COVID-19 concerns, and 19% simply no longer wanted to work.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Reforms to estate and capital gains taxes are critical to our state's long term competitiveness, especially in an era of remote work. But those -- or any other tax relief ideas Baker has proposed, or the House and the Senate may get around to -- won't kick in until a year from now.

Charles River Regional Chamber

How well do you know our communities? This morning, the Charles River Regional Chamber is launching a multi-media campaign to promote visiting Newton, Needham, Watertown and Wellesley to visitors. Weā€™re calling it ā€œTake A Trip Up the Charles.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s been a month since the last ever edition of the Newton Tab landed on lawns across the city. But itā€™s been years since the city has had any consistent news reporting, making Newton the biggest city in Massachusetts without a local newspaper, according to the Globe. Finally thereā€™s a plan to do something about Newton's news desert.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Charles River Regional Chamber has chosen the Ellie Fund to be the nonprofit beneficiary of its 31st Annual Childrenā€™s Charitable Golf Tournament happening at Woodland Golf Club on Monday, Aug 1.

Charles River Regional Chamber

UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy announced plans to retire yesterday. He's not leaving until next summer, but when Subbaswamy (better known as ā€œSwamy") departs heā€™ll leave a legacy that includes improving the universityā€™s graduation rate, making the campus more diverse, increasing innovative research, navigating a pandemic and being a very popular selfie get.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This is a big week for your chamber. First, watch for an announcement later this morning about our first big social event in, you know, years. Itā€™s happening July 12, 5:30 p.m. outdoors at one of the prettiest spots along any part of the Charles River. We've missed you and hope to see you that evening.

Charles River Regional Chamber

And thatā€™s the names and faces of the 21 victims of the 27th school shooting this year, the 213th mass shooting of 2022. And itā€™s only May. Just days after a white supremacist slaughtered ten Black people at the Buffalo supermarket; two years after the cruel murder of George Floyd; and a decade after the Newtown school massacre, we feel furious and we feel helpless.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™ve all heard the arguments for getting workers to return to the office. It fosters innovation. Encourages collaboration. Supports teamwork. Allows for those informal conversations. Nurtures careers, mentoring and professional development. And on and on. But hereā€™s one more selling point for in-person work that most employers likely arenā€™t touting but may still be on some employeesā€™ minds:

Charles River Regional Chamber

A plan that would transform public transit on Newton's north side just took a big step forward. Gov. Charlie Baker has included $85 million toward the reconstruction and expansion of the MBTA commuter rail stations in Auburndale, West Newton and Newtonville as part of his $1.7 billion supplemental budget.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Looks like we need to flatten yet another COVID curve. And -- once again -- things feel unsettled. But not, perhaps, the uncertainty surrounding whether or not workers will one day be returning to the office. Here's why:

Charles River Regional Chamber

A study out of Texas A&M found evidence that employees who spent time outdoors before and after work were in better moods when they arrived at work, which fueled higher work effort later in the day. ā€œContact with nature improves peopleā€™s moods, sharpens peopleā€™s cognitive abilities, makes them more cooperative, reduces burnout and enhances employeesā€™ productivity,ā€ writes Anthony C. Klotz professor of business administration at A&M's Mays Business School in the Wall Street Journal.

Charles River Regional Chamber

When I talk with business owners these days, there seems to be one common thread: Nothing makes sense right now. Thereā€™s so much uncertainty. Once predicable business trends are unpredictable. Itā€™s never been harder to forecast. COVID is common. Inflation is rampant. The stock market is setting the wrong kinds of records. An untethered dictator has ignited a global conflict. Baby formula and other things weā€™ve long taken for granted are scarce. Millions are voluntarily quitting the workforce. Basic human rights are unde

Charles River Regional Chamber

Restaurants are packed. Customers are back. So life is rosy again for our restaurants, right? Not exactly. While a recent spike in COVID cases doesnā€™t seem to be keeping customers from dining out, the two-and-a-half-year struggle for survival in the hospitality sector has far from abated.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller was on Beacon Hill yesterday, urging lawmakers to adopt Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s $3.5 billion economic development bill. And itā€™s easy to see why Fuller and other municipal officials support Baker's bill. In particular, they like the bill's emphasis on providing funds to revitalize local downtown commercial districts.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The April jobs report is due out today. It's expected to show that more workers continue to rejoin the workplace, although the pace is slowing. As of March there were still nearly two available positions for every unemployed person. One major area that contributed to the labor shortage was the loss of millions of older Americans who stopped working during the pandemic.

Charles River Regional Chamber

You know that old quip attributed to the late Sen. Everett Dirksen of Illinois: ā€œA billion here, a billion there; pretty soon youā€™re talking about real money.ā€ Dirksen was discussing the federal budget. But right now, it applies to Massachusetts.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton Tab, Needham Times, Watertown Tab & Press and nearly two dozen other weekly Massachusetts newspapers will be landing on front lawns for one final time this week. And with that, an era that began at least as early as 1870 in Watertown; 1874 in Needham and 1882 in Newton will come to end. Itā€™s all part of a plan announced in March by the papers' publisher, Gannett, to transform to online news sites only.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Finally this morning, thanks to Steve Kaufer, founder and outgoing CEO at Tripadvisor, for spending time with us at the chamberā€™s annual Needham Night celebration. We covered a lot of ground in 12 minutes -- from when he founded the company 22 years ago above Kostas Pizza -- to the companyā€™s eventual decision to locate its HQ in what at the time was an empty office park in N-Squared District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The price you're paying to haul away your trash may be going up soon. That's because Maine Gov. Janet Mills has just signed legislation prohibiting the importation of out-of-state trash and construction debris. Each year we send about 2 million of the 5.5 million tons of trash generated in Massachusetts on a one way trip to Vacationland, writes the Eagle-Tribune's Christian Wade.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If there was any doubt as to why we need Massachusettsā€™ newest housing law, all you needed to do was read the Globe on Sunday. Iā€™m not just referring to the special ā€œTop Spots to Live 2022,ā€ magazine section which pointed out just how far one needs to travel beyond Route 128 to find anything close to affordable.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With only a few hours advance notice on Wednesday, the state shut down the portal that allowed businesses and nonprofits to register for Gov. Charlie Baker's HireNow grant program. Due to "very high demand...no new employer preregistrations are being accepted," reads a notice posted yesterday. "If additional funding is made available for the program, preregistrations for new employers will reopen at a date to be determined."

Charles River Regional Chamber

Two Florida anti-vaxers (including one who's also worried about the ā€œglobalist war on testosteroneā€) managed to overturn two years of federal mask mandates this week. As a result of their lawsuit, face mask rules fell like dominos yesterday, not just at airports but also on the MBTA, Amtrak, Uber and Lyft (but, so far, not on steamships). ā€œFeel free to burn them at will,ā€ a train conductor told cheerful New Jersey commuters, according to AP, even as the parents with children too young to be vaccinated, or masked, worrie

Charles River Regional Chamber

It's the most visible, undeveloped parcel in any of our communities. And now weā€™re getting a look the Bulfinch Companies' vision for the former Muzi Motors dealership along Route 128 in Needham. The proposal includes two lab and office buildings (one five stories, the other three stories) connected by a two-story glass atrium, reports Catherine Carlock at the Globe.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Is the world at war with Vladimir Putin, or the Russian people? Tom Friedman at the New York Times has argued persuasively that if hereā€™s ever going to be a chance to ā€œset in in motion forces inside Russia that topple Putin from power,ā€ the distinction matters. The world needs ā€œto broadcast daily and loudly ā€” in every way we can ā€” that the world is at war ā€˜with Putinā€™ and ā€˜not with the Russian peopleā€™ ā€” just the opposite of what Putin is telling them,ā€ he adds.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Wellesley had 3.6% fewer total homes (owner-occupied and rentals) in 2020 than in 2010. Over the same decade, the median home price for owner occupied homes rose nearly 36%, according to the Globe. Both statistics could begin inching in a better direction if Town Meeting approves a proposed zoning amendment on Monday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Might it be possible to one day take the Green Line to Needham? A newly-funded feasibility study will explore the idea of connecting the Eliot MBTA-stop to the Newton Upper Falls Greenway, across the Charles River, over I-95 and on to Needham Heights. The $200,000 earmark, sponsored by Sens. Cindy Creem and Becca Rausch, had been pending for months and was finalized in a supplemental budget signed by Gov. Charlie Baker last week.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Back in 1953, a 20-year-old Navy vet who had just returned from the Korean War was standing in his grandfatherā€™s hardware store in Revere when a supplier asked him if heā€™d be interested in taking over a paint-and-wallpaper store he had acquired in Needham. "Sure," replied Harvey Katz. "Where's Needham?"

Charles River Regional Chamber

Since late January, Liz Tavares and Alie Mahar with the Rotary Club of Newton have been coordinating deliveries of over 400 meals weekly to those facing food insecurity. It was all part of our Nourishing Newton program, made possible through two grants secured by our state Sen. Cindy Creem.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Wellesley is poised to join our west suburban bio-boom. Beacon Capital Partners has applied to convert part of its office complex at 93 Worcester St. (intersection of Route 9 and I-95) into life sciences space, according to Greg Ryan at the BBJ. About 40,000 of the 273,00 square-foot complex (the former HQ for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care) would become labs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The latest Census data illustrates just how bad the housing crisis has become and how our suburban communities have failed to address the problem. The bottom line: Housing production has not kept pace with population growth. Massachusetts' housing stock grew 4.5 percent between 2010 and 2020 while population grew 7 percent, the Globe reports.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s hiring incentive program is two days old and it's already drawing criticism. Called HireNow it sets aside $50 million to help business offer training, or hiring bonuses, or both, to employers who hire job candidates who may need some extra training or skills.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Still struggling to fill open positions? Gov. Charlie Baker wants to give you $4,000 to offer that job to a candidate who doesn't quite have the skills, degree or experience you're looking for. Then he hopes you'll spend that money training your new hire to get them up to speed.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Returning to the office requires all kinds of adjustments. Including expectations about the cost of lunch. Lunchflation is causing sticker shock for workers and the another challenge for restaurants.

Charles River Regional Chamber

ā€œThereā€™s a big misperception out there that thereā€™s a big hole in local journalism, and I think that narrativeā€™s been created by people who arenā€™t sitting in local markets. Thatā€™s what Mike Reed, CEO at Gannett, told the New York Times last month.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Local newspapers arenā€™t dying. Theyā€™re dead. The Newton Tab, Needham Times and Watertown Tab & Press will stop publishing in May, their parent company Gannett quietly announced yesterday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Could the days of applicants scheduling job interviews just to qualify for unemployment benefits be behind us? In order to qualify for UI in Massachusetts, applicants are required to schedule interviews with prospective employers and report their interviews weekly to the state.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The vast majority of American business run by Russians and other Eastern European immigrants have been loudly declaring they stand with Ukraine and denouncing Putinā€™s invasion. That hasnā€™t stopped harassment at some of those business -- including in Newton, as Annie Probert at the Globe reported earlier this week -- and across the nation.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Two years ago today, Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency due to the outbreak of COVID-19. On that day, March 10, 2020, the number of cases statewide had spiked to 92, up from the 41 cases announced 24 hours earlier.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Northland Investment Corp. will be submitting plans for a 410-apartment complex located on seven acres directly behind the Marshalls store on Needham Street in Newton. The eight-story building will be proposed under the stateā€™s 40B law and could enable the city to -- at long last -- be in compliance with the lawā€™s 10 percent affordable housing mandate.

Charles River Regional Chamber

By the end of this year, 175 communities across Massachusetts (including the four served by our chamber) must have in place a plan for complying with a new housing law that aims to make it easier to build smaller, multi-family homes close to public transit. The new MBTA Communities Law could go a long way towards untangling the local zoning restrictions that have contributed to a housing crisis that undermines our regionā€™s competitiveness and diversity and contributes to traffic, sprawl and carbon emissions.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Let's do our part to pressure Vladimir Putin. But let's not hurt any local immigrant-owned businesses, individuals and families in the process. That was the message shared by Gov. Charlie Baker and Sen. President Karen Spilka yesterday amidst steps taken by several other states to stop doing business with Russian companies or selling Russian-made products.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker unveiled two new small business grant programs this week. The grants are modeled on a program Baker says were "a life saver and game changerā€ for hundreds of small businesses last year. He's right they were. And this week's announcement was good news. Hereā€™s the less good news:

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker is scheduled to make an announcement at 10 a.m. today about a new round of small business grants to be once again administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation. Unlike the program run by MGCC last year, which provided millions in support to hundreds of small businesses, the grant pool this year will be smaller and more limited in scope.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Local news operations serve as our government watchdog. They help us make informed decisions at the ballot box. They tell the stories of the people, the places, the businesses, the nonprofits, the decisions, the indecisions, and the events that define who we are. And now, it seems, the Newton Tab, Needham Times, Wellesley Townsman and Watertown Tab & Press along with dozens of other weekly news operations, may be taking a final step away from what remained ā€œwicked localā€ about them.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This morning the Globe published an exit interview of sorts with Steve Kaufer, the outgoing CEO and cofounder at Tripadvisor, who is stepping down 22 years after starting the company above Kosta's Pizza & Seafood in Needham. The article looks back at how Kaufer built Tripadvisor and reinvented how we make our travel decisions.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our goods friends and frequent collaborators at Colette Phillips Communications and Get Konnected! are looking to honor white males. You read that right. Building on a tradition Phillips began in in 2014, when Get Konnected! honored and celebrated 12 of Bostonā€™s most committed white male allies under the banner ā€˜White men who can jump,ā€™ sheā€™s looking to publish a new list of male allies "who walk the talk."

Charles River Regional Chamber

In 2022 -- as we fortify our regional advocacy, rebuild and recover -- weā€™re very fortunate to have added six extraordinary new members to an already rock solid board. Please join me, somewhat belatedly, in welcoming six new directors who been elected to three-year terms to represent you at your chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

According to the Baker administration, there was no clear-cut way to determine who worked in person, or who worked remotely, writes Shira Schoenberg at Commonwealth. Instead, an estimated 500,000 low income workers will receive a check in the mail in March if they earned at least $12,750 in employment income in 2020.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Under the proposal before the Public Facilities Committee, all new residential properties and small commercial buildings (more on that below) would be required to be all-electric (with the exception ā€“ perhaps -- of allowing gas cooking).

Charles River Regional Chamber

More than half of all 18- to 29-year-olds lived with their parents during the pandemic, surpassing the previous peak in the 1940s during the Great Depression era, according to Pew. Now, thanks to the labor shortage caused by the pandemic, young workers' paychecks are growing and they're looking to move out again.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Teachers are finding they have high-demand skill sets in today's tight labor market. New senior housing proposed in Newton; sad news for happy hours in MA; new tenants for Linden Square in Wellesley; and the Love Local dining campaign is off to a great start.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our ā€œLove Local: Support our Restaurantsā€ campaign starts today and you can help in two ways. BC expands, updates on the cannabis industry, Newton's electrification rules get another look, and why people are turning to eye laser surgery.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Don't stuff those N95s away just yet; the considerable cost of not rezoning in Newton; Wellesley welcomes several new restaurants with new bylaws; and making our roads safer with newly licensed drivers.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A new state law may be part of the affordable housing answer; Gov. Baker's final annual budget impacts; David Mugar's Watertown roots; and the dos and don'ts of snow blowing this weekend.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Nearly 6 in 10 employed Americans said they trusted what they heard about COVID from their employers. Small business COVID relief initiatives, local restaurant nourishing program returns, an affordable housing plan for Needham and Wellesley's downtown on the upswing.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Wellesley Hospital President Errol Norwitz, M.D. answers employers frequently asked questions about navigating the latest covid-19 guidelines in the workplace.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The latest wave of COVID-19 may have crested but quarantine guidelines and vax mandates in the workplace remain under discussion. An at risk dam and a big new development in Watertown, and the T proposes a couple new service and pricing changes.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Plans for the Watertown Mall; an investigation into the Needham COVID testing site; Boston's vax mandate begins; and get your FREE home testing kit.

Charles River Regional Chamber

No more free COVID testing in Needham; Supreme Court's mandate ruling; no slowdown in lab space; and Newton loses one of its finest.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamber asks Needham and Wellesley for temporary mandatory mask mandates; more info on COVID testing and guidelines; an Export Expo; and a new owner enters the Wells Avenue office park.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Be sure to thank your H.R. team. A vaccine and/or mask mandate...or not? A Needham start-up for vax tracking and a state passport system. Reimbursement for rapid tests. And more.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Customers, employers, employees and local government - they're all tired of this surge. Plus the latest on expiring COVID-19 emergency measures and possible new federal relief dollars hanging in the balance.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our members had A LOT to say about vaccine mandates - check out the results from our member survey. The latest on COVID self-testing kits. And comings and goings in our region.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Employers are facing a new staffing crisis; employees are facing their own illness and child care crises; and the vax or test rules go before the Supreme Court. Take our survey and share your thoughts.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thanking our members who are celebrating milestone anniversaries for their decades of support.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Everything you need to know about wearing a mask in our four chamber communities...and then some. DC lawmakers to the rescue? And more on that Muzi sale.

Charles River Regional Chamber

219 new chamber members...and counting! Love these updates but don't have a local business or nonprofit? Become a Citizen Member.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Bidenā€™s vax-or-test rules are back (for now); there'll be eggs and bacon for breakfast in the New Year; and how do you really feel about a mask mandate?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Everything stays local - the Muzi legacy is in good hands; you may be eating anything other than eggs & bacon for breakfast; and get us your good ideas of what to present in 2022.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker has no plans to reinstate a statewide mask mandate despite what several medical experts and lawmakers say; PPP forgiveness and possible new dollars for SBA programs; Needham shops local; and restaurants are trimming their menus as they make do with supply chain and labor shortages.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Lawmakers have yet to hatch legislation theyā€™ve been sitting on for months that could lead to an entirely artificial egg shortage come Jan 1, 2022. Baker outlines his plan to distribute 2.1 million free rapid COVID tests to 102 cities and towns across the state starting today and signs that $4 billion legislation allocating ARPA and surplus tax revenues for a wide variety of programs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

You know that $500 million state program thatā€™s supposed to offer bonus payments of up to $2,000 to those essential workers who were there for all of us during the pandemic? Watertown life sciences boon continues; toys, toys, toys; and a long-time select board member exits in Needham.

Charles River Regional Chamber

One in four retailers in a national survey said they could face financial failure in Q4 unless consumer shopping habits change dramatically. And many retailers and small businesses are still having trouble paying rent. Also, the MBTA announced cuts due to driver shortages, Needham and Wellesley election results, rapid tests and best places to work.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Will Newtonā€™s recently enacted ban on nips mean less litter, as intended, or just the consumption of more alcohol? And the first deadline for President Bidenā€™s workplace rules to protect private sector employees and customers from COVID-19 came and went yesterday. Plus local comings and goings.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The essential workers on your team who were there for the rest of us during the pandemicā€™s darkest days may soon qualify for a one time bonus. Plus, just before Thanksgiving, Watertownā€™s City Council approved creation of a Watertown Affordable Housing Trust. And Newton Council leadership to return.

Charles River Regional Chamber

State House and Senate leaders announced late last night that they had struck a deal to spend $4 billion in American Rescue Plan Act and state tax surplus funds, ending a two-week negotiation that spilled over into the Legislature's end-of-year recess, according to State House Newsā€™ Matt Murphy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

That sound you heard last Wednesday was Wellesley residents rejoicing because the select board just approved a sweeping array of changes to its alcoholic beverages regulations.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Shop like jobs depend on it. Because they do. That was the message delivered by Gov. Charlie Baker and others yesterday as the governor returned home to Needham to kick off the holiday shopping season.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our Beacon Hill lawmakers failed Massachusetts this week.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™re forever going to be engaged in a delicate balancing act of moving on with our lives with an evolving mix of precautions, politics and medical advancements.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Ahead of the holiday shopping season, the Town of Needham in partnership with the Charles River Regional Chamber are encouraging residents to support local retailers and restaurants by shopping and dining locally this holiday season.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I wish we were meeting in person tomorrow at 10 a.m. for our our annual Fall Business Breakfast.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Banks donā€™t bring a lot of foot traffic to our commercial districts. But that doesnā€™t mean they donā€™t add immense vitality and benefits to our communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Wellesleyā€™s downtown shopping district keeps getting hammered.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Tripadvisor CEO Steven Kaufer will step down from the company he cofounded next year.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Contrary to fears that vax mandates might lead to mass resignations, 78% of respondents in a new BBJ/Seven Letter poll say they would prefer to work at a company the requires vaccines.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton voters signaled that they're satisfied with the way their elected leaders performed during the pandemic as well as the overall direction of the city.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Watertown has been awarded $3.4 million from the Commonwealth to enhance the Arsenal Street Corridor, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced Tuesday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On Nov. 17, serial entrepreneur and inventor Dr. Robert Langer will be the featured speaker at our chamberā€™s Annual Business Breakfast.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our businesses and nonprofits are desperate to hire. There's just not any candidates out there, they say.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s time to stop waiting for some hypothetical future "safe" date to return to the workplace and reopen offices.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Many of the frontline workers who showed up to take care of us and wait on us during the COVID-19 state of emergency might soon be eligible for a bonus.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) has upgraded Newton to a Platinum BioReady Community, the highest designation.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The loss of local news is a threat to our democracy and economic vitality.

Charles River Regional Chamber

While many of the nationā€™s largest employers have expressed support for President Joe Bidenā€™s vaccine-or-test mandate, many execs are worried about one aspect of the forthcoming regulations: Whoā€™s going to cover the expense of workers who choose weekly testing over rolling up their sleeves?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Life sciences spaces are 99.9% occupied in Boston. And that lack of availability has sent rents to never before seen heights.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yesterday the president announced a new effort to speed up the movement of hundreds of thousands of containers

Charles River Regional Chamber

Whereā€™s the one place in Massachusetts where you are statistically most susceptible to contracting COVID-19? At home. It was true early in the pandemic. And itā€™s

Charles River Regional Chamber

Looking for silver linings from the pandemic? How about the fact that weā€™re scheduled to host not one, but two, Boston Marathons running through two of our towns in the next seven months?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™re proud to announce today that a chamber-run program that provides financial support to independent restaurants in Newton and Wellesley -- and healthy meals to those facing food insecurity -- has been funded for a second cycle.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A program run by the Charles River Regional Chamber that aims to provide financial support for struggling restaurants and healthy meals to those facing food insecurity has been funded for a second year.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Watertown Dam along on the Newton/Watertown line over the Charles River hasnā€™t served any functional purpose for decades. And it could create calamitous flooding if it failed.

Charles River Regional Chamber

That's the general consensus across the nation, even as we read of instances -- including in Massachusetts -- of union push back, lawsuits and workers quitting.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The MBTA is committed to a redesign of Newtonā€™s three commuter rail stations that would dramatically improve access along the Washington Street Corridor and Auburndale.

Charles River Regional Chamber

After six months on the Needham Select Board, Lakshmi Balachandra has stepped off the board after determining that her elected position was in conflict with a new fellowship she had secured with the National Science Foundation.

Charles River Regional Chamber

For starters, you should develop a process to comply with medical and religious exemptions that won't running afoul of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or civil rights law, recommends Ty West for the BBJ.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s not your imagination. Your afternoon commute along the Mass Pike is taking longer than it did before the pandemic.

Charles River Regional Chamber

After a year hiatus, the Needham fall Harvest Fair will be returning to the Needham Town Common on Sunday October 3 from noon-4 p.m.

Charles River Regional Chamber

About 40% of small business owners are worried the debt theyā€™ve accumulated during the pandemic will hinder their ability to recover.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thanks to these businesses and nonprofits for their continued support. Happy Member Anniversary!

Charles River Regional Chamber

Bidenā€™s announcement last week the federal government will mandate weekly testing for unvaccinated workers at companies with 100 or more workers sent the market for fake vaccine cards soaring.

Charles River Regional Chamber

That was the message Newton-Wellesley Hospital President & CEO Dr. Errol Norwitz delivered to the cityā€™s Economic Development Commission Monday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The biggest thing that happened for employers last week was President Joe Bidenā€™s announced new vaccine rules for workers at companies with 100 or more employees, among others.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As has become our tradition, today we remember 27 individuals who died as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks who are known to have had a Newton, Needham or Wellesley connection.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Not knowing who is -- or isnā€™t -- wearing pants is one thing. But do you know what else your coworkers might be doing during your Zoom, Teams, or other virtual meetings?

Charles River Regional Chamber

We're not quite seeing shortages like we did early in pandemic, when panicked customers cleared shelves of paper towels and toilet paper at least not yet.

Charles River Regional Chamber

About 45% of restaurant owners could not pay their August rent on time or in full, up from 40% in July.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A total of 363,882 people in Massachusetts were collecting unemployment benefits as of Aug. 14.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We're just days away from the expiration of a series of jobless benefits some observers believe will bring thousands of Massachusetts residents back into the workforce.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A reminder that The Watertown Board of Health has issued an order mandating the wearing of face coverings indoors throughout Watertown effective today Weds. Aug. 25.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Shortly after the FDA granted full approval yesterday to the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 shot for Americans 16 and older, President Joe Biden called on the private sector to ā€œstep upā€ and implement more vax mandates.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I don't want to let this week end without thanking the literally dozens of chamber members who made our change from the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber to Charles River Regional Chamber possible.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Welcome back to Need to Knows, the first edition of our three times a week newsletter since we changed our name to the Charles River Regional Chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has changed its name: Itā€™s now the Charles River Regional Chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Devastating news that A. Russoā€™s & Sons in Watertown will close this fall, as owner Tony Russo retires after 70 years.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We surveyed our restaurants this week about masks and vaccines. We had 44 responses to our email poll from restaurants in Newton, Needham, Wellesley and Watertown.

Charles River Regional Chamber

There were 10.1 million unfilled job opening in the U.S. at the end of June.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton employers scrambling to find workers have a new marketing tool.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Without local journalists we have no one watching to make sure our tax dollars are spent wisely.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It's sad that during the week when we saw the rarest of rare occurrences in Washington -- a bipartisan agreement -- the opposite is happening on Beacon Hill.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Beacon Hill lawmakers have an opportunity to hand a lifeline to the stateā€™s nonprofits while also ā€“ finally -- complying with the will of an overwhelming majority of voters.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With the delta variant gaining traction and some employers reconsidering reopening schedules, vaccine mandates are gaining traction.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If youā€™re thinking the current labor shortage is all about getting workers to renter the job market amidst COVID fears, child care challenges, or enhanced unemployment benefits, think again.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Like me, youā€™re probably feeling anxious about the rising numbers of COVID cases on the Cape and across the nation.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™ve all heard about how employers are struggling to fill restaurant, retail, child care, health care and other hourly wage jobs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Every state in the nation is seeing a spike in COVID cases.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The center of gravity is shifting to Greater Bostonā€™s suburbs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Greater Bostonā€™s hotel market has the dubious distinction of being the second worst in the nation.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The city of Salem and the MassHire North Shore Career Center are partnering on a new program to help local employers fill local jobs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

For the first time, commuter rail trains are now running between Needham and Boston on Sundays.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Love it, hate it, or both, Zoom kept a lot of enterprises functioning through the pandemic.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If your small business or nonprofit received a PPP loan in 2020, the deadline to apply for loan forgiveness is right around the corner.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This week I had the privilege to attend a modest ā€“ but joyful ā€“ celebration, marking how far weā€™ve come and honoring a few of the many who got us there.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Three outstanding local students have been selected to receive scholarships from the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thanks to these businesses and nonprofits for their continued support. Happy Member Anniversary!

Charles River Regional Chamber

Every week, it seems, another suburban life sciences project gains approval. Except in Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It was infuriating this week when top Democrats instantly dismissed Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s proposed two-month tax holiday without even pausing to ask shop owners how they felt about the idea.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It appears itā€™s going to be a while -- if ever -- before weā€™re seeing crowds of workers returning to our office buildings.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Hereā€™s five pieces of actual good transportation news that represent steps in the right direction to help workers and customers get to our workplaces without single occupancy vehicles.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Is there a silver lining to the pandemic? It depends on who you ask.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Just weeks after approving strict new zoning rules that will make it nearly impossible for a firearms business to open in Newton, the city council will hold a public hearing Monday on a second proposal that would impose an outright ban on gun shops.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The ability to hire and bring back workers is the single biggest hurdle standing between our employers and having a successful finish to 2021.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The sound you didnā€™t hear last night was Gov. Charlie Baker signing legislation extending a series of emergency orders that, for the most part, everyone agrees should be extended.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™re now four days away from the expiration of pandemic policies that allowed for remote public meetings, provided eviction protections, health care flexibility, drinks to go and other measures.

Charles River Regional Chamber

After 15 months of mostly working remotely weā€™re thrilled to announce that the chamber has found a new home at the Workbar in Needham.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Welcome back! These past 15 months have been challenging on so many levels, for us, for you, for everyone.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Senators have until this afternoon to offer any amendments to the emergency order extensions, followed by deliberations tomorrow.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As we return to offices, restaurants, gyms and, pretty soon, in-person chamber networking events (true!), not everyone is in the same place when it comes to personal contact.

Charles River Regional Chamber

One of the initiatives we're proudest of was our program that purchased meals from our local independent restaurants and delivered them to those facing food insecurity our communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thanks to the more than 450 people who responded to our 2021 Business Outlook Survey.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Rebuilding and rebounding wonā€™t be quick. It wonā€™t be easy. Itā€™s not certain. Together as a community we have a lot of work to do. Letā€™s get started.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On Tuesday, I wrote about how the MBTA is now offering a free circulator bus that loops between the Newtonā€™s three commuter rail stops and the Green Line.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newtonā€™s City Council will meet at 6:30 tonight to consider a proposal to ban the sale of firearms anywhere in Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With the reopening of the economy, the MBTA will increase frequency on the Green Line and other routes, along with more than two dozen bus routes starting June 20.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thanks to these businesses and nonprofits for their continued support. Happy Member Anniversary!

Charles River Regional Chamber

The latest and possibly best COVID-19 test also enjoys playing frisbee.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Imagine working alongside someone for a year without ever having seen the bottom of his or her face.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Massachusetts is reopening in 11 days! Break out the Champagne! Toss those masks in the trash! Get a commemorative tattoo!

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our long-awaited return to pretty much everything is one dozen days away.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Massachusetts indoor mask mandate has not been lifted, even though the CDC now says fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a face coverings in most indoor settings.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Starting Monday, you will be able to ask the state to send a mobile vaccine clinic to your workplace.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Iā€™ve lost track of how many of our business owners have told me that their biggest impediment to a robust economic recovery right now is filling jobs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Baker also loosened some capacity and sector restrictions effective yesterday. And the state revised sector-specific guidance for the retail, restaurant and other industries.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A state grants program administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation made its final awards to businesses this week.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s not possible to overstate how essential the Paycheck Protection Program was to so many of our businesses and nonprofits.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The MBTA's recent changes to the commuter rail schedule seems like a creative way to rethink mass transit. Unless you work or live in Newton. Then you are getting stranded.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved new zoning last night for the parcels currently occupied by Muzi Motors, the car wash and Channel 5.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Needham just lost its claim to fame as home to the worldā€™s best pickles.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Join us tomorrow (Friday) at noon for ā€œSeizing the Moment Against Racism: What Allies Can Do,ā€ a frank discussion about the role companies, executives, employees and customers must all play when we witness acts of injustice or bigotry in our places of work and our communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On Aug. 1 ā€“ or possibly sooner if health metrics improve quickly ā€“ all COVID-19-related restrictions on businesses across Massachusetts will be lifted.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker is promising "some announcements" this week, presumably about reopening and perhaps about outdoor mask mandates.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thanks to these businesses & nonprofits for the continued support!

Charles River Regional Chamber

It appears plans to restore charitable donations as a state income tax deduction will be punted for another year -- just when nonprofits and charities could especially use it.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Happy taxes are not due today day. Iā€™m guessing we won't be so lucky with another delay next April 15th.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In yesterdayā€™s email I noted that Eric Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, gave what he called a ā€œa really optimistic talkā€ about the prospects for our economy during his presentation to our chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

ā€œThis is going to be a fairly optimistic talk.ā€ Thatā€™s how Eric Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, began his presentation to our chamber yesterday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The reviews are in and critics say yesterdayā€™s launch of the SBAā€™s Shuttered Venue Grant Program was a flop.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Century Bank has agreed to merge with Eastern Bank, a ā€œblockbusterā€ deal that brings together two of the largest Boston-area community banks.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Last week I wrote about how we have a golden opportunity to rebuild our economy, expand our commercial tax base and bring good paying jobs to our region by establishing a life sciences cluster along our part of I-95. Today that opportunity looks even more promising.

Charles River Regional Chamber

You know all that disinfecting youā€™ve been doing at your place of work or at home? You can stop doing it, the CDC said yesterday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I had the opportunity to tour the vaccine clinic at Tripadvisor with Congressman Jake Auchincloss, state officials, Newton-Wellesley Hospital President Dr. Errol Norwitz and others yesterday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s Opening Day! Itā€™s April Fools Day! Itā€™s even National Burrito Day. And today marks the long-awaited debut of Newton Al Fresco 2.0, the City of Newtonā€™s enhanced outdoor dining program.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As discussed at our chamber event Monday, Newton has a golden opportunity to get a slice of the life sciences real estate boom, thanks to a proposal by Mark Development to revise its Riverside T station project.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thanks to an anonymous donor a meals assistance program that has been running in Newton and Wellesley is expanding to Needham.

Charles River Regional Chamber

CDC director ā€“ and Newton resident -- Dr. Rochelle Walensky pleaded with Americans yesterday ā€œnot only as your CDC director, but as a wife, as a mother, as a daughter,ā€ to ā€œhold on a little while longerā€ and continue following public health advice, including wearing masks and social distancing.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thanks to these businesses and nonprofits for their continued support. Happy Member Anniversary!

Charles River Regional Chamber

As the economy reopens, vaccines accelerate and stimulus checks arrive, consumers are buying ā€” or at least browsing for ā€” clothing and shoes, signaling growing optimism as life begins inching toward normal, reports the Washington Post.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yesterday I had a chance to stop by the Newton Food Pantry with Sen. Cindy Creem and Seana Gaherin from Dunn-Gaherinā€™s to thank the crew at the pantry and Newton Rotary for collaborating with us on our program that feeds families in need and supporting local restaurants.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it you thought you were doing everything you could to get a vaccine by pre-registering on the stateā€™s vax sign up site, think again.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Anti-Asian hate incidents occur at places of businesses more than anywhere else. Thatā€™s according to nationwide survey released last week by Stop AAPI Hate.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On Tuesday, the Needham Planning Board held a public hearing to collect input on a proposal to rezone the parcels along I-95 where Muzi Motors and Channel 5 are presently located.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Monday will be a big day in our long, slow, slog back. Thatā€™s because Monday marks the beginning of Phase 4 of the stateā€™s recovery plan.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As the economy reopens, many of our restaurants report that business is picking up. Thatā€™s great news. But keep in mind that our restaurateurs need to recover from a year of lost revenue as they took on debt and depleted saving.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Bob Luz of the Mass Restaurant Association describes at "the peanut butter without the jelly." I tend to think of it as the glass without the Guinness. You know, sadly empty.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yesterdayā€™s signing of the $1.9 trillion federal COVID relief bill is having an immediate impact on the travel and tourism. Major airlines are canceling tens of thousands of planned layoffs. Amtrak just announced it will restore long-distance trains in May.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Anyone under 65 who has not lived the frustration of trying to score a vaccine through the stateā€™s mass vax sign up system, may never have to.

Charles River Regional Chamber

At least some of our cultural organizations -- those that operate performing arts venues -- will receive relief from the $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief package that is expected to be approved by the US House today and signed this week by President Joe Biden.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Widett Circle isnā€™t likely on the minds of most of us out here in the western burbs. But it should be.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If itā€™s Thursday, itā€™s vaccine roulette day; the day when next weekā€™s appointments are loaded into the state mass vax web site, which in recent weeks has been overwhelmed with demand, but underwhelming in performance.

Charles River Regional Chamber

One year ago today, Newton residents voted decisively in favor of the Northland Newton project.

Charles River Regional Chamber

For at least ten months now, people have been second guessing Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s reopening plans. But his latest loosening of some restrictions is drawing criticism from an impressive array of heavy hitters.

Charles River Regional Chamber

NPR's Ari Shapiro aired an interesting story last night about a debate inside the Biden White House where they're asking; should our COVID messaging focus on hope or caution?

Charles River Regional Chamber

If youā€™re 65 years or older, or have certain medical conditions, grab your luckiest lucky charm, stop reading this and log on ASAP to vaxfinder.mass.gov.

Charles River Regional Chamber

President Joe Biden ordered some important changes to the Paycheck Protection Program this week that aim to make the federal relief program more accessible to the smallest of our small business, sole entrepreneurs and independent contractors.

Charles River Regional Chamber

What Bidenā€™s PPP changes could mean for your business.

Charles River Regional Chamber

ā€œWe should know better than any state, with our incredible health care system, how to do this and how to do it well.ā€ That was Congresswoman Katherine Clark speaking yesterday at our annual Women in Government event (watch her here).

Charles River Regional Chamber

Hopefully you didnā€™t just pull an all-nighter waiting for today's 65-plus vaccine registration to open.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A new program that aims to provide financial support for struggling restaurants and healthy meals to those facing food insecurity, will launch next month in Newton, Wellesley and Brookline.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We have some exciting news this morning. The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has been selected to administer a state program that aims to provide financial support for struggling restaurants and healthy meals to those facing food insecurity in Newton, Wellesley and Brookline.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™ve been telling ourselves that everything will be better soon. And for many of us, it seems, like it will.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Can a state-mandated shutdown absolve a business from paying rent?

Charles River Regional Chamber

No, a vaccine chaser is not something you order at O'Hara's to celebrate getting an appointment.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Late last year, 22 chamber member businesses and individuals donated more than $8,000 to create a fund to support independent restaurants, retailers and other small chamber member businesses and nonprofits that may be struggling to pay their chamber dues due to the pandemic.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Human resources professionals and employment law experts have been busy making sense of the state's new paid family and medical leave program for companies and workers since some of the new benefits kicked in last month, explaining how the state program interacts with existing benefits and what employers need to keep in mind as workers become eligible for leave.

Charles River Regional Chamber

"Health care workers are heroes in my eyes,ā€ said one supermarket worker. ā€œBut we are forgotten.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

As a veteran triathlete, and local attorney, Patrick Dwyer, already had 30 years and 11 Ironman race experiences under his belt when he was sidelined by a devastating knee injury in 2016.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Back in late December when Gov. Charlie Baker ordered virtually all business statewide to reduce capacity to 25 percent, he promised the restrictions would be reversed when the data improved.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yesterdayā€™s opening of a vaccine clinic at Tripadvisor in Needham, wasnā€™t merely significant because it offers another option for residents and workers in our area.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Will workers come back to the office? Will companies shrink their footprint or abandon Greater Boston altogether?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton-Wellesley opens vaccine clinic today at TripAdvisor's Needham HQ. Clinics also set in Newton at Mount Ida campus and soon at Wells Ave.

Charles River Regional Chamber

So much about this pandemic feels like Groundhog Day. The movie that is. Same thing happening over and over and over.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yes, Massachusettsā€™ vaccine roll out has been inadequate, frustrating and messy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Charlie Baker used simple math yesterday to try and explain why so many seniors werenā€™t able to book a vaccine appointment yesterday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Imagine being able to -- once again -- cheer runners on as they chug up Heartbreak Hill.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Charles River Regional Chamber

When history looks back at how many businesses were lost and how many found a way to survive this pandemic, one significant part of the story will be how many businesses were saved at the eleventh hour by a state grant or the PPP.

Charles River Regional Chamber

After a bumpy start, it feels like 2021 began for real yesterday. Here's the latest.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We face overwhelming challenges. And the nation reached a devastating milestone yesterday. But Iā€™m feeling optimistic today.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s opening day for the second round of the Paycheck Protection Program.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s signing of the $626 million economic stimulus bill last night is a big deal.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The CDC and virtually every infectious disease and public health expert on the planet will tell you about the well-documented medical benefits of wearing a face mask.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Those of us who live and work in the western burbs won't be subject to higher Mass Pike tolls to pay for that massive I-90 project in Allston if a provision in the $16.5 billion Transportation Bond Bill is approved by the governor.

Charles River Regional Chamber

"It Could Be a Great Year, if Your Business Survives Winter.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

No surprise here: With COVID cases at an all-time high, Gov. Charlie Baker has extended the 25 percent capacity cap for nearly all businesses through at least Jan. 24.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Anyone out there in the mood to read their local chamberā€™s email newsletter one day after an attempted coup on our nation?

Charles River Regional Chamber

At 4:15 a.m. last night, Beacon Hill lawmakers finally stopped kicking the can down the road.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This interview with Chamber President Greg Reibman about the Wellesley Chamber joining forces with the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber originally appeared in the Wellesley Townsman and Wicked Local Wellesley.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Jay Kim has been selected to lead the Foundation for MetroWest as the organizationā€™s new executive director.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We're closing the (virtual) chamber office for a week so this will be my final email for 2020.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It used to be that things quieted down just before the holidays.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Before digging into todayā€™s chock-full-of-bullet points update, Iā€™d like to welcome members of the Wellesley Chamber to our daily e-newsletter.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This morning our board chair Linda Sloane Kay announced plans to expand our chamber's outreach and engagement into Wellesley.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Believe it or not, this is my 153rd morning update since March. And in some ways, it feels like our journey is just beginning.

Charles River Regional Chamber

ā€œThereā€™s light at the end of the tunnel, but remember, we are still in the tunnel.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller is wise to collaborate with other mayors in the region on steps to curtail the regional rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Taking a cue from Needham and other communities, Newton is rolling out a program to make it easier for customers to engage in curbside pickup.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s rollback of the stateā€™s economy to Phase 3, Step 1 drew plenty of heat yesterday -- not for what he did, but for not being aggressive enough.

Charles River Regional Chamber

That sound you heard yesterday at about 2 p.m. were restaurateurs, retailers, fitness club operators and other small business owners exhaling.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Retailers and restaurateurs are fighting to survive the holidays and get through rest of this winter.

Charles River Regional Chamber

To support small businesses and give the public a safe and easy way to shop locally, the Town of Needham has worked with downtown businesses to create curbside pick spots in front of retailers and restaurants.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Is there ever not a twist and turn in Massachusetts politics?

Charles River Regional Chamber

ā€œA true headache for HR professionals.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

As your chamber looks back on 2020...and forward to 2021, thereā€™s two things we know for certain...

Charles River Regional Chamber

Today is Giving Tuesday, a day designated to highlight giving-back to the nonprofits that are so essential to doing everything from providing a safety net to educating and caring for our families and our planet to enriching our lives.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I had no idea when I started writing these morning updates back in March that Iā€™d still be doing this heading into Thanksgiving. Or that so many of you would be reading them.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker has a message for shoppers heading into a holiday season that's unlike anything we've ever experienced.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Can we start by acknowledging that itā€™s not nearly as onerous wearing a face mask while walking on a chilly November morning as it was on a steamy day in August?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Hereā€™s something that would help a lot of people in our communities get through these next few terrifying months.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This week your chamber is launching a new platform designed to help our local businesses, while also helping us all get a jump start on our holiday shopping.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This fall and winter will challenge us in ways weā€™ve never experienced. More loss of lives. More loss of businesses. More loss of jobs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Wow! Thanks very much to our remarkable panel (above) and everyone who joined us yesterday to celebrate the release of our 50 Most Influential Business People of Color list. If you didnā€™t have a chance to participate, please make time to watch the video this weekend. I sincerely donā€™t believe youā€™ll be disappointed.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If you find yourself in panic this morning racing to complete your application for the stateā€™s $508 million small business grants, you can exhale now.

Charles River Regional Chamber

There was a lot of talk during this past election about the suburbs and the big role they played in Joe Bidenā€™s election.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Look, folks. Here's the deal: This is a big week for your chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We all know that face coverings are widely regarded as the single biggest defense against spreading COVID-19.

Charles River Regional Chamber

At one minute after midnight tonight, Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s latest guidelines - mandating eat in restaurants, gyms, liquor stores, entertainment venues and a long list of other businesses close at 9:30 p.m. - goes into effect.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our minds have been made up for years. Tonight weā€™ll at least start to understand what our future looks like (even if it takes time).

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Needham-Newton Regional Chamber is working with Project Beacon to make additional COVID-19 testing available to employers and institutions in the Newton-Needham-Wellesley area.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Baker administration has finally begun releasing data that can help us all better understand the source of coronavirus clusters across the state.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The loss of any local business is hard. But this one really stings. After seven years in Needham, Stacy Madison of Stacyā€™s Juicebar announced yesterday that she will be closing her much-loved shop on Nov. 25.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The drumbeat to shut down more of our economy is, understandably, growing louder.

Charles River Regional Chamber

How are your nerves? The most consequential election of our time is also the most stressful, right?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Please block off Thursday Nov. 12 from 10:30 to noon on your calendar.

Charles River Regional Chamber

New guidance from the CDC could have a big impact on workplaces, schools and other group settings where we might come into contact with an individual carrying the coronavirus multiple times over the same day.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A reminder that the chamberā€™s Diversity & Inclusivity Committee has created a DEI resource page, featuring a library of articles, videos and websites on corporate leadership, racial justice and other topics.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This is big! A transformative, transit-oriented development at the Riverside MBTA station was approved, 24-0, by the Newton City Council last night.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Barn Family Shoe Store, New Englandā€™s favorite destination for stylish, high-quality footwear for the entire family has just relocated to a state-of-the-art new retail space at Trio Newton in Newtonville.

Charles River Regional Chamber

For those of us Zooming all day, shoes havenā€™t been a big priority. Still, Iā€™m long overdue to replace the walking shoes I lace up for the late night walks I've been taking since March right after I finish writing this email newsletter.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It's no secret that the pandemic is taking its toll on local restaurants. One in five restaurants statewide have closed. More inevitably will.

Charles River Regional Chamber

There is ā€œno evidenceā€ that indoor dining is responsible for the spread of COVID-19.

Charles River Regional Chamber

"Please follow the guidelines" isn't working. So as Massachusetts enters 'a COVID autumn,' and more cities and towns find themselves in high and moderate-risk territory, two of our neighboring communities have apparently decided to get tough.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Back in August, a survey of Greater Boston employers showed that nearly half of their employees would continue to work remotely even after the pandemic was over.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The proposed transit-oriented development at Riverside Station took a big step towards reality Tuesday when the Newton City Councilā€™s Land Use Committee approved the projectā€™s special permits, 8-0.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A proposed bio tech project on the Watertown-Newton line would transform a drab stretch of Galen Street, bring new jobs and tax revenue to Watertown and a redesign to the adjacent MBTA bus terminal just outside of Watertown Square.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I donā€™t understand why some communities across the Commonwealth are able to do things Newton says it canā€™t.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Youā€™ve heard of NIMBY. How about NIMBN? As in ā€œNot In My Back Nine.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

MassDOT just unveiled the long-anticipated schedule for the $31.1 million Needham Street-Highland Ave renovation.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker continues to loosen restrictions on economic activities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yesterday was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. But itā€™s unlikely that any businesses or nonprofits were inscribed in the SBAā€™s Book of Forgiveness.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Hereā€™s another part of the COVID story the doesnā€™t get enough attention: How much harder (and sometimes financially challenging) customer facing work can be these days.

Charles River Regional Chamber

No matter where you stand on filling our nationā€™s Supreme Court vacancy, we should all agree that the nomination battle is bad for our businesses, nonprofits, local governments and economy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Amidst so much uncertainly, hereā€™s two things that feel certain right now. First, weā€™re going to be living with this pandemic for quite some time.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Health care spending statewide during the pandemic has decreased. But next year's health insurance premiums are expected to spike by an average 8 percent next year, CommonWealthā€™s Shira Schoenberg reports.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Please join us tomorrow (Thursday at 10 a.m.) for a Zoom program about inclusivity in the workplace presented by Needham resident Gretchen Cook-Anderson.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our restaurants and retailers are entering a critical 100-day period that will determine who survives and who doesnā€™t.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I don't typically send one of these out on Monday mornings anymore. But thereā€™s lots to tell you that really can't wait. Hereā€™s the latest (and no extra charge either!)

Charles River Regional Chamber

Campaign aims to promote the virtues and value of shopping and dining locally.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As has become our tradition, today we remember 23 individuals who died 19 years ago today as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks who are known to have had a Newton, Needham or Wellesley connection.*

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our thanks to everyone who submitted nominations for our 50 Most Influential Business People of Color in Greater Bostonā€™s western suburbs list.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™ve all experienced frustrations with customers, colleagues and other covidiots who refuse to wear face masks.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A reminder that we extended the deadline to submit your nominations for our 50 Most Influential Business People of Color in Greater Bostonā€™s western suburbs to tomorrow, Weds. Sept. 9.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A few weeks back, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo doubled down on, what the New York Post called, his ā€˜war on fun.ā€™

Charles River Regional Chamber

I goofed yesterday when I provided the incorrect deadline for nominations for our 50 Most Influential Business People of Color in Greater Bostonā€™s western suburbs list.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In May, the chamber invited a group of Needham and Newton restaurateurs to participate in a Zoom call to discuss the struggles facing their industry.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If you have not voted yet, youā€™re in the minority. But you still have time.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Town of Needham, with support from the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber, is urging the public to keep their dollars local and shop and dine safely through a new downtown banner campaign.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Will anyone at your business or nonprofit be included in our list of the 50 Most Influential Business People of Color in Greater Bostonā€™s western suburbs?

Charles River Regional Chamber

The British government has launched a program designed to help restaurants and everyone else struggling from a deep recession: Half price meals.

Charles River Regional Chamber

While finishing my senior year at Newton South High School, I started an internship with the chamber in an attempt to narrow down what I might want to do in the future.

Charles River Regional Chamber

ā€œPut your money where your heart is.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Boston Globe's editorial board is challenging us to follow our better angels.

Charles River Regional Chamber

For nearly two decades, your chamber has been located in a small, admittedly unimpressive, two-story building on Needham Street.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It's bad out there for most of our mom and pop retailers.

Charles River Regional Chamber

There's just over two weeks left to nominate someone for our list of the 50 Most Influential Business People of Color in Boston's Greater Suburbs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Even with players in masks and social distancing protocols in place, the chamberā€™s 29th annual Childrenā€™s Charitable Golf Tournament on August 3rd at the Woodland Golf Club in Newton continued its sold out streak and was once again able to successfully support a member nonprofit.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In a show of support for our local restaurants, 17 City Councilors are asking the Newton Licensing Commission to temporarily cut liquor license fees tonight.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Good morning and happy Friday! Or is it really more of a high anxiety Friday?

Charles River Regional Chamber

If Iā€™m fortunate enough to have a grandchild one day and he or she asks me what I did during the great COVID-19 Pandemic, Iā€™ll have to say that I spent a maddening amount of time writing about, venting about (and even being interviewed about) the Paycheck Protection Program.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Hereā€™s something Newton business owners and employees should be following.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We're back. It would be nice to be able to say Iā€™m returning from a week off full of optimism that the economy is turning a corner as the pandemic wanes and schools reopen, just as we all hoped it would by now.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Needhamā€™s Select Board today announced Dine Around Needham, a Progressive Dinner Party to support Needhamā€™s restaurant community and give residents the chance to discover new dishes or indulge in some of their favorites from many local establishments.

Charles River Regional Chamber

No one had a clue what was going to happen when our communities shut-down in March.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If your business or nonprofit has yet to apply for one of the Paycheck Protection Program loans, you have just over a week to do so.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With so much uncertainty surrounding reopening colleges this fall, the stateā€™s community colleges are seeing an enrollment spike, according to the MetroWest Daily News.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Can you help us identify the most influential business people of color working in the western suburbs?

Charles River Regional Chamber

A simple reform that could help address stateā€™s housing crisis will finally get another shot before the House today.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Continuing its efforts to support Needhamā€™s local restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, Needhamā€™s Select Board voted July 21 evening to cut in half the annual liquor license fees for restaurants, hotels and clubs in Needham in 2021.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Watertownā€™s State Senator William Brownsberger wonders if we have our priorities wrong.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Today weā€™re announcing that the chamber has formed a strategic partnership with Colette Phillips, and her companies Colette Phillips Communications and Get Konnected!, to celebrate, document and encourage a diverse workforce in our western suburban communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Every Tuesday afternoon I have the privilege of sitting in on a Zoom meeting with some of our best local restaurateurs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is forming a strategic partnership with Colette Phillips Communications and Get Konnected! to celebrate, document and encourage a diverse workforce in Greater Bostonā€™s western suburbs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Mixed drinks to go are finally legal in Massachusetts.

Charles River Regional Chamber

From the start of this pandemic, Needhamā€™s officials have been proactively looking for ways to help restaurants.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The concept is simple. If residents in a municipality or region want to build a bike trail or fund a cross town shuttle bus they can vote to increase their local hotel, auto excise, sales or property tax to pay for it.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As workplaces reopen, addressing our employeesā€™ well-being is as important as implementing safety protocols.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Beth Teitell calls them ā€œmask holes.ā€ Iā€™ve been referring to them as ā€œcovidiots.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yesterday afternoon Mayor Ruthanne Fuller scrambled to do what municipal leaders in 138 other communities across the state also have to -- or should do -- this week.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Over the weekend, the Baker Administration reinstated the ban on plastic bags and bag fees, effective immediately.

Charles River Regional Chamber

UPDATE: In this morningā€™s email, I noted that in an order released Friday, the stateā€™s Commissioner of Public Health Monica Bharel rescinded orders, effective immediately, that her office released on March 25 and April 7 related to grocery stores and pharmacies.

Charles River Regional Chamber

While so many things seem to be on hold these days, the Northland project on Needham Street is steadily moving forward.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We start today with good news about three projects that have just been given the green light.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thereā€™s a white board in the chamber office with the names of 20 or so amazing people weā€™ve either heard, read about, or someone has suggested would make a great speaker at a future chamber event.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Phase 3 of the Baker Administrationā€™s reopening plan began yesterday, allowing for the opening of movie theaters (not the West Newton Cinema quite yet), museums and cultural facilities, fitness centers and health clubs and casinos, as well as some new rules for retailers and offices.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The upcoming three-day holiday weekend provides a perfect opportunity to help our local restaurants come back, safely and successfully.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Select business on the Phase 3 reopening list received the green light to commence operations this Monday July 6, Gov. Charlie Baker just announced.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Mount Ida Campus in Newton will play an important role in the UMass Amherstā€™s reopening plan.

Charles River Regional Chamber

University of Massachusetts Amherst students will be be taking most of their courses remotely this fall but will have the option to live on its campuses in Amherst and Newton under exacting public health restrictions.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Businesses and nonprofits on the Phase 3 reopening list (and everyone else in the Bay State) have to be encouraged by our continued improved health trends.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Back in March, when Gov. Charlie Baker unveiled an economic development bill, unemployment was 2.9 percent and business was booming.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has chosen the John M. Barry Boys and Girls Club of Newton to be the nonprofit beneficiary of its 29th Annual Childrenā€™s Charitable Golf Tournament happening at Woodland Golf Club on Mon. Aug. 3.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As companies rethink their office needs ā€“ and more employees look to keep working from home ā€“ some employers want to shrink their footprint and rent some of their space.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Iā€™d like to begin this morning by expressing my gratitude to Quincy Miller, Colette Phillips and Darryl Settles for yesterdayā€™s engaging conversation exploring how companies, nonprofits and individuals can support racial equality and create an inclusive economy in Massachusetts.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™ve reached a critical moment in our history.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The clock is ticking on the Paycheck Protection Program. Maybe. The federal loan program still has billions left in unallocated funds but is set to expire one week from today (June 30) and some banks have already closed their loan portals.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™ve arrived at the start of the second half of Phase 2 of the stateā€™s four-phase reopening plan. Starting today, here's what's eligible to reopen.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker told us on Monday that he will ā€œprobably have an announcementā€ about the start of Phase 2, Part 2, of his reopening plan by ā€œthe end of the week.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker announced this afternoon that the second part of Phase 2 of his reopening plan will begin this Monday June 22.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Need help creating a workplace thatā€™s more diverse and inclusive?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Want to really help our restaurants? Eat at off hours. Thatā€™s one of my takeaways from conversations Iā€™ve been having this week when I asked restaurateurs how the first week of outdoor dining went.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It was her most important speech since she was elected mayor in 2017. I thought it was her best too.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Like mayors across the nation, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller is facing demands to re-allocate funds from the Newton Police Department to other community programs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our housing shortage, especially the lack of housing for low wage workers, is particularly dire in our inner suburbs and creates major hiring challenges for hotels, stores, restaurants and other employers.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s been nearly three weeks since Gov. Charlie Baker announced that non-essential workers could return to their offices.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Three weeks ago, we took a break from our usual morning email to talk about an impending financial crisis facing this chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Monday marked the start of Phase 2 of the stateā€™s reopening plan, which allowed for restaurants to offer outdoor dining, retailers to allow indoor shopping, hotels to welcome guests and car dealers to open showrooms, among others.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Phase 2 (technically, Phase 2, part 1) of the stateā€™s reopening plan, begins today. Retailers can open their shops. Restaurants can begin serving outdoors. Hotels can welcome guests.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It's Friday! Weā€™re smart in Massachusetts. But hereā€™s an idea we should ā€œborrowā€ from Texas.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The monthly jobs numbers for May will be released tomorrow. Look for them to show that weā€™ve reached 20 percent unemployment nationwide.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Restaurants, retail shops, hotels, day care centers and other businesses will be anxiously watching Gov. Charlie Baker on Saturday to see if he will allow Phase 2 of his reopening plan to commence on Monday (June 8).

Charles River Regional Chamber

Reopening our economy took another big step forward yesterday, when Gov. Charlie Baker cleared the way for childcare, day camps, retail stores, hotels and some other businesses and nonprofits to open as soon as next Monday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Now that Gov. Charlie Baker says outdoor dining could begin as soon as one week from today, itā€™s up to our municipal and state leaders to help our restaurants open safely and quickly.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Could a fix finally be on the way from some of the Paycheck Protection Programā€™s most arduous restrictions?

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Town of Needham has hired Katie King as the new Assistant Town Manager/Director of Operations, bringing with her more than a decade of public sector and nonprofit experience focused on local government, management, public policy and advocacy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Remember way back in the old days (i.e. March) when traffic and transportation were considered one of, if not the, biggest threats to our regionā€™s prosperity, productivity and environment?

Charles River Regional Chamber

As if our economy wasnā€™t in enough turmoil already, hereā€™s something else we should all be worried about.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s the start of the workweek and a significant one for retailers and office-based employers who, under Phase One of Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s reopening plan, are among the sectors now allowed to inch back to work.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This isnā€™t surprising. But I'll say it anyway. We work in a very special community.

Charles River Regional Chamber

From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, your chamber has been working hard to provide the resources and information our local businesses and nonprofits need to navigate this unprecedented shut-down.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Congress could vote next week on a bill that would bring more flexibility to the Paycheck Protection Program, CNN reports this morning.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™ve officially entered Phase One of Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s four-phase plan for re-opening the Massachusetts economy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Ready for the big reveal? Todayā€™s the day Gov. Charlie Baker and his Reopening Advisory Board will outline plans for reopening the stateā€™s economy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller wants Attorney General Maura Healey to help control those pricey third-party delivery fees that are cutting restaurant profits to the bone.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Governor Charlie Bakerā€™s shutdown order is set to expire in four days. But itā€™s pretty clear that nothing is going to look or feel very different on Monday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Bill Fine, only the fourth president and general manager in the history of WCVB-TV Channel 5 -- Boston's ABC affiliate, Hearst Television's flagship and the countryā€™s most honored commercial TV station -- will retire from Hearst Television later this year.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™re starting this morning with some good non-pandemic news. Actually, two really pieces of good non-pandemic news for our region.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As each day passes, weā€™re getting more insight into the stateā€™s plans for reopening the economy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This is a big week for every business and nonprofit that has secured a Paycheck Protection Program loan but is nervous, or confused, about how to spend it properly.

Charles River Regional Chamber

When it comes to economic and cultural vitality, restaurants punch way above their weight.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Fifty-eight days into the shut-down, confidence among Massachusetts employers continues to erode, according to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts Business Confidence Index.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Welcome to the first day of the new rules requiring the wearing of face covering in public spaces across Massachusetts.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Day 56 of our shut down is also Giving Tuesday Now, a day designed to focus our attention on the substantive needs of the nonprofits who do so much to support, preserve and enhance our lives and our communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Here we areā€¦again. Day 55. Weā€™ve all just completed the most unusual April weā€™ve ever experienced. Weā€™re two weeks away from what, we hope, will be a gradual reopening.

Charles River Regional Chamber

No one wants to open their doors before itā€™s safe or without the proper safeguards.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s the milestone none of us wanted. But here we are: Day 50 of the state-ordered shut-down. We have (at least) 18 days to go before, hopefully, some form of phased-in reopening of the economy. Rent day is tomorrow.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As we enter day 49 of the state-ordered shut-down, weā€™ve confirmed what we all already knew: This is far from over.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton resident Errol R. Norwitz, MD, PhD, MBA has been named President of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, effective July 1.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Welcome to day 48 of our state-ordered shut down. Rent is due on Friday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Welcome to day 47 of our state-ordered shut down. Weā€™re now five days away from the first of the month, rent day, and just hours away from when the SBA will begin accepting PPP loan applications again (see below).

Charles River Regional Chamber

Welcome to day 44 of our state-ordered shut down. Weā€™re also seven days away from the first of the month -- rent day -- a date that looms large for both tenants and landlords (more on that below).

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s not surprising to see so many displays of kindness and generosity these days. Itā€™s the kind of community weā€™ve always been.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber invites all local businesses in Newton, Needham, Watertown and Wellesley, both members and non-members, to add itself to the directory by completing this form.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As you probably heard, Gov. Charlie Baker cancelled the rest of the school year yesterday and extended day care closings through June 29.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thereā€™s a wonderful African proverb that my friend (and chamber member) Colette Phillips includes in her email signature: "If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together."

Charles River Regional Chamber

If your family is like mine, ordering take out from a favorite local restaurant can be the highlight of any shelter-in-place day.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A Boston Globe delivery truck drove down Chestnut Street and turned into the emergency room entrance last week at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As the number of COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts passed 1,000 yesterday, there are very few of us who havenā€™t been touched personally by the loss of someone we know.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As of Monday, the U.S. Small Business Administration had approved more than 27,000 loans -- for a combined $7.07 billion -- in Massachusetts, through its Paycheck Protection Program, the Boston Business Journal reports.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I heard from many business owners yesterday in response to my thoughts about the challenges facing our local merchants.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I grew up in a retail family. Pictured here is my dad's children's clothing store in Torrington, Connecticut.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Some property owners have been called to task lately for being inflexible with retail, restaurant and office tenants looking for rent relief.

Charles River Regional Chamber

"Most Massachusetts businesses" that have applied for the SBAā€™s Paycheck Protection Program loans should start seeing money ā€œthis week,ā€ Robert Nelson, the head of the agencyā€™s Massachusetts office told the Boston Business Journal in a wide-ranging interview Wednesday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The rising death toll and infection rates -- locally, nationally and globally -- is heartbreaking and frightening.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The situation looked a tad brighter yesterday for businesses and nonprofits hunting for those much needed Paycheck Protection Program loans from the Small Business Administration.

Charles River Regional Chamber

For anyone who manages employees without the benefit of a full H.R. team ā€“ or is in the process of filing for one of those Paycheck Protection Program loans we have a few updates.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This is likely going to be a big, stressful day for so many businesses, nonprofits and bankers across this country.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker has just signed a bill allowing take-out beer and wine from restaurants. The new regulations are now in effect. Go here for our list of local restaurants offering takeout and/or delivery.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Another day. Many more updates, starting with a note about todayā€™s online conversation at noon with Congressman Joe Kennedy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We knew this was coming. So yesterday Gov. Charlie Baker did what everyone expected he would do: He extended his order to close non-essential businesses and his stay-at-home advisory until May 4 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Charles River Regional Chamber

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal, has promoted Chris Wayland to President and General Manager of NBC10 Boston / WBTS, Telemundo Boston / WNEU and regional cable network NECN, effective immediately.

Charles River Regional Chamber

These days patience is more than a virtue. Itā€™s mandatory. And, as is increasingly becoming clear, weā€™re going to need a lot of it. For a long time.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As we enter our third full week of the shutdown, here's the latest updates.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yesterday, I shared the story of an anonymous customer who made a Needham shop owner's day.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Earlier this week, Julie Ben-David, owner of the Needham Florist Shop, was worried about the same thing small retailers across our communities were worried about; How to survive and abide by Gov. Baker's order to close her non-essential business.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Dr. Gilda Barabino has been named the next president of Olin College of Engineering, effective July 1, 2020. Dr. Barabinoā€™s unanimous selection by the Olin College Board of Trustees comes after a comprehensive search that drew interest from around the world.

Charles River Regional Chamber

We have multiple timely updates (including an item at the very end about takeout beer!) this morning.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Fund will assist both Newton residents and Newton-based workers. Mayor Fuller on Friday announced the launch of the Newton COVID-19 Care Fund, established by Newton community leaders in partnership with United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham has just announced the creation of the Healthcare Heroes Fund. 100% of contributions to the Healthcare Heroes Fund will be used to provide essential resources to BID Needham employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the following priorities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Responding to many requests from our members as to how they can help during this time of crisis, the chamber will be providing updates from our nonprofit members.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?After 21 years at the organization, Mark Sokoll, President and CEO of JCC Greater Boston, has announced his retirement.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton residents decisively voted in favor of the Northland Newton project on March 3; delivering a clear message that Newton wants to be a city that is more welcoming and part of the solution to the region's housing crisis and climate change.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton voters will decide on March 3 if Northland Investment Corporation can build its previously-approved 23 acre mixed use development at the corner of Needham and Oak Streets.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy joined Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, elected officials, business owners and residents in Newton on Feb. 20 to award two grants to the city that aim to improve transportation and infrastructure one block away from the proposed Northland Newton project.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The first thing you notice is the scale. Itā€™s massive: The size of three football fields.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The biggest construction project to touch Newton in a generation is set to break ground later this year.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has awarded $250,000 to the City of Newton to launch a shuttle system between three mass transit lines (Newtonville, Needham Heights, Newton Highlands) and the Wells Avenue business district area, which includes the Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Board of Directors has voted unanimously to support Northland Investment Corporationā€™s proposed mixed-use development on Needham and Oak streets.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s board of directors elected Linda Sloane Kay, vice chair of Century Bank, to a two-year term as the chamberā€™s new chair.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst in Newton is welcoming its first resident company to its newly-launched innovation and collaboration space.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Seana Gaherin and her partner Bobby Dunn have run Dunn Gaherinā€™s Food & Spirits, in Newton, for 28 years, with a staff made up mainly of immigrants. And itā€™s this staff, who stand out for their work ethic and dedication, that have helped make the pub a beloved gathering place.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Workbar has announced plans to bring to coworking to the N-Squared Innovation District, further emphasizing the company's commitment offering its members innovative workspaces located both in the city and in suburban regions.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has elected five new members to its board for a three-year term starting in January 2020.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton City Council is expected to consider a proposal that would make recycling mandatory for all businesses and nonprofits, with the pickups cost born by the building owners or tenants.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In the face of a worsening transportation crisis, the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has joined with two state-wide business coalitions in calling for more government spending to expand public transit and improve the roads.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamberā€™s 2020 Sponsorship Opportunities Package is ready and brimming with new and returning favorites for our annual partners to review.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Are you an experienced presenter on a business or professional development topic that would be valuable to the local business and nonprofit community?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Needham Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick will be honored by the chamber for her 30 years of service to the town and food entrepreneur Stacy Madison will be the guest speaker at the annual Needham Night Dinner on Jan. 29

Charles River Regional Chamber

There's a glimmer of good news today on the housing front. After two years of delays, Boston Globe reporter Jon Chesto is reporting that Gov. Charlie Baker's Housing Choice bill may finally be moving forward for a vote on Beacon Hill early next year.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Every business faces its own unique challenges. And then there are those more universal problems that keep lots of employers up at night.

Charles River Regional Chamber

When the Mount Auburn Cemetery announced it will be seeking offers to purchase six acres of land in Watertown it sparked a slew of interest, including one public/private partnership.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The 23-acre Northland Newton Development (NND) represents an aspirational opportunity to create a national model of affordable housing, environmental sustainability, historic preservation, public parks and open space, transit demand management, accessibility, and ageing in community ā€“ an opportunity to develop the largest single infusion of affordable housing in decades and set the new standard for 21st century sustainable design and development.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I come with good news. But also, potentially, some disturbing news. Last night, the Newton City Council approved Northland's proposed mixed-use project, 17-7.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Women in Networking Committee was formed early on in the chamberā€™s existence and has evolved into one of the most robust programming and event arms currently serving our membership.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Chamber members who work in health and wellness, digital marketing, or education have a new avenue for networking and finding referrals, thanks to the creation of three new targeted affinity groups.

Charles River Regional Chamber

After several years of unprecedented membership growth for our chamber - and breaking into the Boston Business Journalā€™s top ten list of largest chambers in the state - we thought it was time to take a look at just what was driving this engagement from the local business community and how we could ensure that - as we continue to grow - we also continue to provide the utmost in member service and satisfaction.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A proposed mixed-use development at the Riverside MBTA Station has cleared a major hurdle, but only after it was significantly reduced in size and scope.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The following letter was sent to the Newton City Council Land Use Committee Chair Greg Schwartz from the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Board of Directors.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller made the following announcement on Nov. 1, 2019. I have made the difficult decision to phase-out in four months the Newton Innovation Center co-working space located in a City of Newton building in Newton Corner.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Today is the 232nd anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. Among immigration officials and immigrant advocates, itā€™s also known as Citizenship Day. Itā€™s a time to reflect on what it means to be a U.S. citizen, and to recognize and encourage immigrants who are taking steps to become U.S. citizens.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Over the past six months, I have been participating in meetings with two separate business coalitions that were asked by the Massachusetts House Speaker and Senate President to recommend funding options to address our region's transportation crisis.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?Seven years after Newtonā€˜s Board of Alderman voted unanimously to transform Newtonvilleā€˜s Austin Street municipal parking lot into housing and retail space, 28 Austin has opened.

Charles River Regional Chamber

An article in todayā€™s Newton TAB (Newton businesses flabbergasted by possible $3.75 parking meters) mischaracterized a new parking rate plan in Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton City Council recently voted to allow parking meters to have a range of rates.Hereā€™s some answers to common questions as provided by the cityā€™s planning department.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Boston Childrenā€™s Hospital is looking to open a satellite facility in the Needham Crossing section of the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Housing advocate Josephine McNeil will be the recipient of the prestigious R.L. Tennant Award - the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s highest honor - at the chamberā€™s annual Fall Business Breakfast on Nov. 7.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Jeff Cournoyer, vice president for communications in the University of Massachusetts system office, has been appointed managing director of the Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst by Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Dr. Michael R. Jaff, President of Newton-Wellesley Hospital announced today that he is departing Newton-Wellesley to pursue a new role with Boston Scientific to continue his career-long focus on improving the health of patients with vascular diseases.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Boston Globe Managing Director Linda Henry will be the featured speaker at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Fall Business Breakfast on Thursday Nov. 7 at the Newton Marriott.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?The long-awaited reconstruction of Needham Street and Highland Ave is about to begin. Preliminary utility work on the nearly two-mile long corridor will begin this fall with the entire project expected to take five years to complete.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc., the nation's largest provider of employer-sponsored child care will move its headquarters to the N2 Innovation District in late 2020.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Needham Harvest Fair, one of two annual community-wide festivals organized by the chamber in Needham Center will be returning to the Town Common on Sun. Oct. 6.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Watertown companies may be joining in with the Watertown Transportation Management Association in providing shuttle service for major businesses and large apartment complexes along Arsenal Street.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A group already approved to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Watertown now seeks to also sell its products for recreational use, too.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It is the fastest-growing trend in commercial real estate and is entirely remaking how employers and workers lease and use office space.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Each year the chamber produces a printed membership directory which includes each of our 900 plus members listed by their primary business category ā€“ a valuable resource when it comes to choosing a local professional to do business with.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A new program on the UMass Amherst Mount Ida campus aims to connect nonprofit arts organizations, film production companies and other businesses with interns who are studying arts management, film studies or fine arts.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Our community lost a dear friend last night. Paulette Harwood, who devoted nearly 60 years to teaching dancers in Needham and Newton, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Boston Globe has announced plans to expand news coverage in Newton as part of a new partnership with the Boston University School of Journalism.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Needhamā€™s reputation as a dining destination in the western inner suburbs continues to flourish, with the opening of five new food establishments opening within weeks of each other.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton residents took 1,292,503 Lyft or Uber rides in 2018, a 23 percent jump from 2017. That means a Lyft or Uber ride originated in Newton on average 3,541 times a day last year, according to figures from the state Department of Public Utilities, which is approximately 4 percent of the vehicle trips in Newton per day.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?A foursome from Cambridge Savings Bank completed the tournament in first place at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s 28th annual Childrenā€™s Charitable Golf Tournament, Aug. 5, at Woodland Golf Club.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamberā€™s Young Professionals Group (YPG) events are not your standard business networking mixers. At networking ā€œhappy hoursā€ typically held the second Wednesday of every month, attendees (generally between the ages of 21 and 40) gather to build professional relationships and to take advantage of the great member venues in our communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?As part of its effort to spark innovation and entrepreneurship in the metro Boston area, UMass Amherst is expanding its renown UMass Amherst Innovation Institute (UMII) to the Mt. Ida campus in Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Olin College President Rick Miller, who has led the school since its start, will be stepping down from the position at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. The Needham-based school is now searching for his replacement.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?The opioid crisis and its destabilizing impact on all aspects of the stateā€™s workers and economy was the focus of a chamber program at William James College.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The meals tax will not be included as part of Massachusettsā€™ upcoming tax-free weekend after all.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Staples store on Highland Ave. in Needham is about to undergo a major renovation; adding coworking, a classroom, new print and marketing services and even a podcast studio to the gateway of the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?The chamber has chosen Dream Big! to be the nonprofit beneficiary of its 28th Annual Childrenā€™s Charitable Golf Tournament happening at Woodland Golf Club on Mon. Aug. 5.

Charles River Regional Chamber

For the first time, state and local meals taxes will be included as part of Massachusetts annual sales tax free holiday on weekend of Aug. 17 and 18, 2019.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Massachusetts is a global leader in life sciences and technology. Itā€™s home to many of the worldā€™s best colleges and universities and one of the nationā€™s best K-12 education system. Businesses large and small are adding employment and innovating every day.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The development boom in Watertown shows no sign of waining, as developers continue to approach town officials with redevelopment possibilities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Yahni Lapa and Mia Rosengard have been awarded scholarships from the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On Tuesday, June 11th at 6:00 am a red line train at JFK/UMass Station derailed, and much of the Massachusetts economy ground got temporarily derailed with it.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Over the past four years, the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber, in partnership with the City of Newton and the Town of Needham, has embarked on an effort to attract innovation economy businesses, entrepreneurs and employees to two-square miles of office parks and retail corridors near the Charles River and I-95.

Charles River Regional Chamber

New parking strategies are being considered in hopes of making Watertownā€™s two main business districts ā€“ Watertown Square and Coolidge Square ā€“ more attractive to shoppers, diners and workers.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Locally-owned retail and restaurant owners will be honored at the Newton Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Annual Members Celebration, on June 27 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Newton Marriott Hotel.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On May 14, the Town Council approved an effort to request more liquor licenses for Watertown from the state legislature, but not everyone on the board supported the idea.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Economic Development Director Kathryn Ellis has been named director of the Innovation Institute (UMII) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and will head offices in Amherst and a new office at the Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst in Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?The N2 Innovation District, in partnership with Studios Without Walls, will launch its 2019 sculpture exhibit on June 13 with a neighborhood celebration filled with art, fun, food, music and activities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Susan Paley, vice president of community relations at The Village Bank, has been honored by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) as a 2019 Unsung Heroine.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton City Council will be considering a proposal that would require commercial property owners and some condo associations who rely on private waste haulers to begin collecting recycling.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In 2018, the chamber hit two milestones when we broke the 900+ member businesses/organizations threshold and were named one of the ten largest chambers in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The free outdoor sculpture walk along the Upper Falls Greenway in the N2 Innovation District will return this summer, providing organizers can raise the needed funds.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton-Needham Regional Chamber President Greg Reibman testified alongside other business leaders before the Joint Committee on Housing at the State House on May 14, in support of Gov. Charlie Bakerā€™s Housing Choice bill.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The countryā€™s mobility future is a heaven or hell choice, transportation entrepreneur and featured speaker Robin Chase said at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s annual Spring Business Breakfast on May 3.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Dissatisfied with the current pace of improvements to transportation systems and services, the chamber has joined two statewide business coalitions that plan to issue recommendations to address the stateā€™s transportation needs.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Preparations are under way for the annual Spring Street Fair, Saturday June 1 from 10-2 p.m. on the Needham Town Common. Again presented by Needham Bank, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Needham and Briarwood Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, more than 80 businesses, home entrepreneurs, and nonprofit & community organizations have already reserved their tables.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber launched a public awareness campaign that calls attention to how Greater Bostonā€™s housing shortage has created a hiring crisis for local businesses and nonprofits.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The changing face of transportation will be in the spotlight when transportation entrepreneur Robin Chase addresses the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s annual Spring Business Breakfast on May 3.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Village Bank will be opening a new corporate office in the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Biotech is one of the fastest growing sectors in Massachusetts with most of the activity centered on Kendall Square in Cambridge. But that activity comes with a cost, specifically the high cost of rents, traffic and inadequate parking.

Charles River Regional Chamber

How many students can we expect to have, especially if the City Council approves some large projects such as Riverside and Northland?

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamber is sad to report the passing of our friend, Marshall Sloane, the founder and chairman of Century Bank.

Charles River Regional Chamber

West Newton has long been looked at as an on-ramp to the Mass Pike, with four lanes of car traffic snaking through the village, as well as poorly coordinated traffic lights that often result in backed up traffic and a dangerous experience for pedestrians.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Four new directors will be joining the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Board of Director in early 2019. Dan Brentā€™s 3-year term began in January; Kathryn Ellis, Jack Fucci and Tali Golan will start their terms effective March 1.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Media here in New England and across the country continue to shine a light on the wide range of challenges facing small, private higher education institutions. Close to home we have also witnessed the devastating impact of recent college closings.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The parking lot of the former Arsenal Mall in Watertown has been turned into a construction site, but by the end of the year the first new tenants will begin opening for business.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The second round of funding aims to grow the district beyond its initial origins.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Public Schools will have no difficulty accommodating an influx of students even if four proposed or pending mixed-use developments are approved by the City Council, a new city-funded study shows.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Through three newly proposed zoning amendments, Needham can shape its future to create the possibility of more diverse housing options, more beginning and end of life care options, commercial thoroughfares that are less strip than street, and town gateways that are more than just exit ramps to traffic arteries.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Life science companies are increasingly choosing Watertown, with dozens of biotech companies already in town and new space being developed to make way for more.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamber is starting off 2019 with a strong foundation of support across all pillars of the business and nonprofit community: banks, hospitals, financial firms, entertainment and retail destinations, higher ed and media have all signed on to partner with the chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller is raising concerns about several proposed changes to MBTA bus routes serving the Newton and neighboring communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

March 20 may mark the vernal equinox. But April 8 is the date that should be circled on your calendar as the start of spring. Itā€™s the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s 25th annual Spring Seasonings: A Taste of our Towns, an unparalleled celebration of the dining scene within Newton, Needham and surrounding communities, presented by Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If you, your employees or customers depend on the bus system, we urge you to pay attention to these proposals.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Northland Investment Corporation has made some revisions to its planned mixed-use development on a 28-acres parcel along Needham Street in the N-Squared Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A cloud service that promises to make the internet simpler; a platform for real estate photographers; and a disinfectant spray that promises to clean up the world took home top honors at the inaugural Innovate 128 startup event.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Three Needham businesses, one local entrepreneur and a local legend were honored at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s second annual Needham Night Dinner, Jan. 30 at the Needham Sheraton Hotel.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber will present Paulette Harwood with a lifetime achievement award at the chamberā€™s annual Needham Night Dinner on Jan. 30 at the Needham Sheraton Hotel.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Entrepreneurs from ten area colleges and universities to compete for top honors; Other collegiate entrepreneurs to showcase their work and progress.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Area business owners and hiring managers looking to attract and retain great employees may be in for some sleepless nights in 2019.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Serial entrepreneur and author Robert Glazer -- whose company was just named one of 2018ā€™s Top Places to Work by the Boston Globe -- will be the guest speaker at the second annual Needham Night dinner on Jan. 30 at the Needham Sheraton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Each year the chamber likes to launch the new year with a cocktail party at a location most of our members have never been before.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Last monthā€™s mid-term elections, werenā€™t just notable because of a political shift in the House of Representatives but because the new Congress will be younger and more diverse, Congressman Joseph Patrick Kennedy III told the audience at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s annual Fall Business Breakfast on Nov. 13.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In an effort to address the regionā€™s worsening housing crisis, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller has joined a coalition of 15 local mayors who are to committed to creating 185,000 new units of housing across the region by the year 2030.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has received a $25,000 state grant from the Massachusetts Collaborative Workspace Program to help the Newton Innovation Center (NIC) find a new home.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Board of Directors of the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber bestowed the R.L. Tennant Award -- the chamberā€™s highest honor ā€“ to the son of the man that the award was originally named after.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A new office and laboratory incubator for emerging biotechnology and life science companies has just opened in Newtonā€™s Charles River Mill District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Often lost in the debate over whether or not adult-use recreational marijuana shops should operate in Newton is the fact that there arenā€™t very many properties where these stores can exist under the cityā€™s proposed zoning.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton City Council President Marc Laredo is seeking volunteers from the business and nonprofit communities to serve on a new commission that will be examining the compensation of Newtonā€™s elected officials.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The operators of the Coca-Cola facility in Needham announced plans to cease manufacturing operations at the site and covert the facility into a warehouse.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Hammers, dust and broken pieces of wood are flying inside the building that served for a half-century as the home of The New England Mobile Book Fair. The bookstore itself moved last year to a storefront further down Needham Street, but the long warehouse-like space it once occupied has sat vacant.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This December the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber becomes the keeper of the long-time town tradition of lighting up the Needhamā€™s Town Common -- including the beloved Blue Tree -- throughout the holiday season.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Needham voters will be asked to approve a $70 million property tax increase on Nov. 6 to replace the townā€™s outdated police and fire stations.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton-Wellesley Hospital is projecting significant negative impacts on its capability to provide safe, quality care to patients should proposed nurse staffing ratios pass on Nov. 6.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has joined a growing coalition of business organizations and employers supporting the ā€œYes on 3ā€ ballot question campaign which seeks to uphold the stateā€™s transgender nondiscrimination law.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A ballot referendum that would ban the sale of adult-use recreational marijuana in Newton would result in the loss of millions of dollars annually in local tax revenue, according to city projections.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Paul Airasian, former executive director of the Watertown-Belmont Chamber of Commerce died unexpectedly Sept. 23 at the age of 70.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With an average of two events a week, the chamber can keep you busy. But weā€™re not just scheduling events for the sake of it.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Weā€™re hard at work on the chamberā€™s 2019 Membership Directory. And with our membership growing to over 900 member companies and nonprofit organizations, itā€™s going to be one of our biggest yet.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Needham Harvest Fair will be returning to the Town Common this year but will move to Sunday, Sept. 30 in order to partner for the first time with the Needham Farmers Market, which sets up each week between Memorial Day until Thanksgiving on Garrityā€™s Way in front of Town Hall.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Northland Investment Corporation has officially unveiled its plan to transform a significant portion of Needham Street in the N2 Innovation District into 28 acres of residential, retail and office space.

Charles River Regional Chamber

NBCUniversal has broken ground on its $125 million, 160,000 square foot facility. The company says it's the largest investment ever made to build out a broadcast facility by a media company in Greater Boston.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is now among the stateā€™s largest; moving for the first time onto the Boston Business Journalā€™s top-10 largest chamber list.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A program designed to provide more parking for businesses, employers and customers in Newtonā€™s villages and commercial districts will be rolled out city-wide this fall.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Two years after the opening of the Newton Innovation Center, the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is joining an effort to expand the NICā€™s operation, with a goal of eventually finding a larger location for the startup-friendly collaborative workspace.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A foursome from Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham took home first place at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s 27th Annual Childrenā€™s Charitable Golf Tournament, Aug. 6, at Woodland Golf Club.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A City Councilor used a parliamentary procedure July 9 to block his colleagues from voting on a program designed to provide more parking for businesses, employers and customers in Newtonā€™s villages.

Charles River Regional Chamber

After nearly 60 years teaching dancers in Needham and Newton, Paulette Harwood has hung up her ballet slippers.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has teamed up with local organizers in Newton and Needham to bring awareness of the national human rights campaign #OpenToAll to its members and the business community at large.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamber has chosen Walker, Inc, to be the nonprofit beneficiary of its 27th Annual Childrenā€™s Charitable Golf Tournament returning to Woodland Golf Club on Aug. 6.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I love that my job affords me the opportunity to welcome and get to know so many new members throughout the year. In fact, an average of 15-25 companies join the chamber each month ā€“ sometimes as many as thirty.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case found in favor of a baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s board of directors has voted to oppose a ballot question regulating nurse staffing ratios that is projected to cost more than $1.3 billion in the first year and would require Massachusetts hospitals to hire thousands of new nurses in a matter of weeks.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Innovation doesnā€™t come just from a lab or a computer screen or an engineering bench, it emerges when people blend the arts and sciences to create something entirely new.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Meeting the housing needs of millennials, seniors and working families in the Greater Boston area will require aggressive, concerted action that includes ā€œunique and unconventionalā€ steps, according to Barry Bluestone, founding Director of Northeasternā€™s Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Make sure to stop by Needham Center Saturday, June 2 as the Needham Street Fair returns to a renovated Town Common.

Charles River Regional Chamber

CoachUp, the nationā€™s leading private coaching company that is committed to helping athletes to reach the next level in sports and life, today officially opened its new offices in the N-Squared Innovation District with a Ribbon Cutting that included Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, supporters, friends and neighbors.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Many businesses, organizations and residents ask what they can do to address climate change. Broadly speaking, they can do two things: use less energy by doing things like turning off appliances when they are not in use, insulating their homes or other buildings, driving fuel-efficient vehicles and electrifying their business fleet; and they can use renewable energy. In other words: they can use less, and green the rest.

Charles River Regional Chamber

N2 Innovation District, in partnership with Studios Without Walls and the New Art Center, have launched a fundraising campaign for ā€œBeyond Boundaries,ā€ an outdoor sculpture exhibition slated to open this summer on the Upper Falls Greenway in Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber received an award of excellence at the Massachusetts State House. The chamber was celebrated on May 1 for the Newton Needham Business Energy $avers (NNBE$) program which has helped hundreds of local businesses take advantage of over $3 million to fund energy upgrades.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Hello chamber members! We are well on our way into spring and your chamber is here to help plant the seed for new connections, strengthen existing partnerships and grow your business.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On Earth Day, April 22, Green Needham Collaborative and the Needham League of Women Voters launched an exciting new environmental initiative which they hope will have wide participation from the business community.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I know better than many what it felt like to be a Mount Ida student on April 6. Back in the 70s, I was a sophomore at a small private college in southern Vermont when, one morning in late March, our college president called an all-campus assembly. Windham College, he told us, was out of money and would go out of business in six weeks.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Seven food trucks are now serving lunch in the Needham Crossing section of the N2 Innovation District starting, with additional vendors expected to operate in Wells Ave. in Newton by the summer.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Annual Spring Breakfast will also honor green businesses. One of the regionā€™s leading experts on housing trends and economics will be the featured speaker at the chamberā€™s annual Spring Business Breakfast on Thurs. May 17 at the Needham Sheraton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

UMass Amherstā€™s plan to create an innovation-economy-focused research institution near I-95 in Newton could be transformative for our region.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Josh is a senior at Needham High School. He was nominated by his sister Becki Steinberg. Josh was diagnosed with severe OCD at age 11 and, after undergoing several years of intensive treatment, is now able to manage his symptoms effectively and harness his experience to help others do the same.

Charles River Regional Chamber

LimeBike and Spin have been selected to provide dock-less bike share services for Newton, Needham and 13 other inner suburban communities in Metro Boston starting this summer, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) has announced.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton has just been designated a Gold BioReady community, a status that should help attract the burgeoning life sciences industry to the city.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Mount Ida College has reached a definitive agreement in principle with the University of Massachusetts that will lead to the establishment of a new UMass campus in Newton focused on the innovation economy, health care, business, computer science and other STEM specialties.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller is hiring an outside consulting firm to bring together residents, city officials and businesses to pro-actively plan the future of the Washington Street corridor.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber started the new year by reaching the 800 member mark, positioning itself to become one of the ten largest chambers in the state. The chamber welcomed 265 new members since Jan 1, 2017 across all industries and professions plus many nonprofit organizations of all sizes.

Charles River Regional Chamber

While stories of sexual equality and harassment have gained prominence in the national debate, Newtonā€™s and Needhamā€™s top women in government are paying close attention to how these issues play out locally.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Over 40 of the finest restaurants in Newton, Needham and surrounding communities will be on display at Spring Seasonings: A Taste of our Towns presented by Newton-Wellesley Hospital Monday April 9 from 5:30 ā€“ 8p.m. at the Newton Marriott.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With 118 events held in 2017, your chamber has been busier than ever. Yet, with a growing membership base both in terms of location and diversity of professions, weā€™re committed to continuing to increase our programming in order to provide valuable networking and educational opportunities across our region.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The biggest transportation construction project to touch the Newton and Needham area in a generation is now planned and set to begin in 2019.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is pleased to offer scholarship opportunities to two deserving students who either live in Needham or Newton and/or who attend school in Needham or Newton and who have been accepted at, and intend to attend, an accredited college or university in the next academic year.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?Jon Greenawalt, chief culture officer at SharkNinja, the Needham-based maker of the popular Shark vacuums, Ninja blenders and other innovative household consumer products, will be the keynote speaker at the first annual Needham Night Dinner on Wed. Jan. 31 at the Needham Sheraton Hotel.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The YMCA of Greater Boston is offering a special ESOL professional development course for non-English speaking employees in Newton, Needham and the surrounding area. The grant, offered thanks to the MA Workforce Development Fund, allows small businesses to host classes at their own business or send their employees to join a class at a different business.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Mass Department of Transportation is holding three informational meetings to discuss the proposed reconstruction of Highland Ave in Needham and Needham and Winchester Streets in Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamber is pleased to announce the addition of four new directors to its board effective Jan. 1. Michael R. Jaff, Michael St. Peter and Angela Pitter will all begin three-year terms when the board convenes for the first meeting of 2018. John Karacalidis will serve a one-year term.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamberā€™s 2018 Sponsorship Opportunities Package is ready and brimming with new and returning favorites for our annual partners to review. Weā€™re eager to once again help our member companies deliver their targeted messaging to the chamberā€™s audience of committed, engaged and local professionals in ways that make sense for their businesses and organizations.

Charles River Regional Chamber

When Ruthanne Fuller takes the oath of office on New Yearā€™s Day, Newton will welcome its first-ever female mayor.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s board of directors has elected Chris Teachout, vice president for Business Development at Needham Bank, as its new chair, effective Jan. 1.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?A top executive at Apple is helping Boston College expand its programming in the hard sciences, with an eye on joining the nationā€™s top research institutions.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Greg Reibman has spent countless hours in meetings on the phone with Setti Warren. But one phone call with Newtonā€™s outgoing mayor sticks out in his mind.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Residents and employees working in the Newton and many surrounding communities will have access to a bike share program starting this summer.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?Nonprofit organizations in Newton and Needham depend on local businesses for support. And this holiday season, many of those same nonprofits are looking to return the favor.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In an effort to increase the services and resources available to the townā€™s businesses and nonprofits, the Needham Business Association (NBA) and the Newton-Needham Chamber are joining forces.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The City of Newton is investing more than $2 million to reengineer Nahanton Street from the Charles River/Needham line to Winchester Street, including the entry to the Wells Ave. office park in the N2 Innovation District. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2019.

Charles River Regional Chamber

N2 Innovation District Director Chuck Tanowitz attended CoreNet Globalā€™s annual global real estate conference in Seattle this November, where he met with site selectors as well as economic development professionals from around the country.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A dozen Israelis are making their mark on the Boston-area tech scene, according to the Israeli publication ISRAEL 21c, and a quarter of them do their work here in the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The City of Newtonā€™s decision to block a mixed-use housing project in the N2 Innovation District has been upheld by the stateā€™s Supreme Judicial Court.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Attorney General Maura Healey told capacity crowd of business and civic leaders in Newton that sheā€™s taking on Washington in these ā€œchaotic, at times, confusing, difficult, challenging timesā€ because decisions being made by Trump Administration are hurting Massachusettsā€™ residents and businesses.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The City of Newton is investing $275,000 to create a redesign of Nohantan Street from the Charles River/Needham line to Winchester Street, including the entry to the Wells Ave. office park in the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Residents and employees working in the Newton area will have access to a bike share program starting in the spring, Newton Mayor Setti Warren announced Monday.

Charles River Regional Chamber

When Newton voters head to the polls this Nov. 7, theyā€™ll have an opportunity to dramatically reshape our city for generations.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The 102nd annual breakfast, presented by Needham Bank, is the chamberā€™s largest annual gathering of business professionals, civic and community leaders and will feature a keynote address from Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As Iā€™m settling into my position as the Member Services Manager of the chamber, itā€™s been great meeting and getting to know our members and the community through different outlets.

Charles River Regional Chamber

At a time when skilled, committed, and valued employees are tough to find and keep, individuals with disabilities are an undervalued resource of dedicated and successful colleagues.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton is currently considering a change that would allow food trucks to operate at the Wells Avenue section of the N2 Innovation District, providing much-needed culinary options for employees and customers there.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Board of Directors voted unanimously, with one abstention, in support of Newtonā€™s proposed new city charter at its Sept. 20 meeting.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If you havenā€™t ventured into Needham Center recently, youā€™re in for a treat. Brick-paved traffic crossings, wrought iron street light fixtures and traffic lights, curved stone gateways to the common square, new benches and bike racks are now all part of the downtown scene.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s time to put Washington Street on the ā€œclassic American road diet.ā€

Charles River Regional Chamber

Jeff Speck spends his days imagining communities where people can safely walk along tree-lined sidewalks as they grab a morning coffee before commuting or safely walking or biking to work.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Mark your calendars for the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Fall Business Breakfast & Annual Meeting on Thurs. Nov. 9 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Newton Marriott Hotel.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The N2 Innovation District is now home to one of greater Bostonā€™s cultural gems: the Boston Ballet School.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is pleased to announce the addition of Elizabeth Grimes, Esq. to its Board of Directors effective Sept. 20.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is pleased to announce the addition of Daniel Elias and Elizabeth Grimes, Esq. to its Board of Directors effective Sept. 20.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is looking for a friendly, outgoing and organized individual to help out in our busy office and occasionally at events.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Is your business profile current? Itā€™s that time of year again when we ask our members to update their company information in advance of the publication of our annual membership directory.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A project designed to improve the intersection where Oak and Christina Streets cross Needham Street has been delayed due to coordination with a utility company, the City of Newton announced today.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I am running to be your mayor because I have the qualifications, attitude, and vision to be an effective public partner to our private industry. As a lifelong Newtonian, Iā€™ve come to know this city very well.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Thereā€™s a lot at stake for Newton ā€“ our schools, our neighborhoods and villages, our small business districts and commercial corridors and our financial sustainability.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Nearly 200 businesses in the Newton-Needham area have received more than $2.7 million in incentives to fund energy-saving upgrades in the first year of the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Business Energy $avers Program.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Hello. I am Amy Mah Sangiolo and Iā€™m running for mayor. I am an attorney, an at-large City Councilor and the longest serving Asian-American elected official in the commonwealth.

Charles River Regional Chamber

I am excited to bring my 27 years of experience in economic development to Newton, which I see as a city poised to make a mark in the innovation economy space.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Efforts to promote the N-Squared Innovation District as a suburban innovation hub have taken another leap forward with the successful completion of a fundraising campaign that will provide for the hiring of a full-time director and the creation of a new graphical identity and marketing campaign.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber announced the appointment of Chuck Tanowitz as director of its N-Squared Innovation District economic development initiative.

Charles River Regional Chamber

At the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Annual Real Estate Forum, planner and walkability expert Jeff Speck will help the local real estate community understand what makes a truly walkable neighborhood and how the idea of ā€œcomplete streetsā€ is the right tool to create better communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Programs designed to help low income families become stable and economically self-sufficient will be the beneficiary of the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s annual Childrenā€™s Charitable golf tournament, Aug. 7 at Woodland Golf Club.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Another major innovator has opened a new global headquarters in the N-Squared Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital was named the 2017 Needham Green Business of the Year at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s Spring Business Breakfast in May.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Ellis fills a vacancy that has been open since Nancy Hyde departed last September.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The worldā€™s population is getting older. Acknowledging that is easy. But for business owners, knowing what to do about it is much more complex.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On Thursday, June 29 the chamber returns to the Newton Marriottā€™s pavilion along the banks of the Charles River for our Annual Members Celebration, where weā€™ll toast a larger-than-most-years group of businesses and organizations marking significant anniversaries of chamber membership.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Working with recombinant DNA ā€” the technology used in making insulin and other biologic drugs ā€” is common in the biotech and pharmaceutical world. So much so, that itā€™s now more difficult to find a lab that doesnā€™t work in rDNA than finding one that does.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has selected Newton South High School senior Maya Dennis and Needham High School senior Jillian Smith to receive the chamberā€™s annual student scholarships.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The latest in a series of articles looking at office design in the Newton-Needham region. Rockport shoes are all about combining a sense of classic with a touch of modern.

Charles River Regional Chamber

While some business associations slow down during the summer, the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is committed to providing thoughtful programming content and a wealth of networking opportunities year-round.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Lasell College has established a collaboration with Wynn Boston Harbor designed to prepare students for successful careers in the hospitality industry.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The New England Mobile Book Fair, an institution that has been a key part of the literary community of the Newton area for more than a half-century, has found a new home on Needham Street in the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Another major media company is making a long-term investment in the N-Squared Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

It took Gov. Charlie Baker nearly 40 minutes to get to a local topic that was likely on the minds of many in the packed ballroom at the chamberā€™s annual Spring Business Breakfast.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newtonā€™s Economic Development Commission, a city board that advises and makes recommendation to city officials and staff on business matters, has elected Joyce Plotkin to serve as its new chair.

Charles River Regional Chamber

When you first step into Kaminarioā€™s collaborative office space on the sixth floor of the Hillsite Office Building in the N2 Innovation District, you might assume itā€™s all about grand views and the flood of natural light.

Charles River Regional Chamber

If Greater Boston has an Achilles Heel, itā€™s transportation. This was our number one challenge when we established the N2 Innovation District in 2014 and, although weā€™ve seen some progress, it remains a major hurdle today. Itā€™s also cited as a key impediment to growth in a recent MassEcon report about why companies locate to or within the state.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A top goal of Newton Mayor Setti Warrenā€™s just released transportation plan, ā€œNewton 2040: A Transportation Strategy for Newton,ā€ is to not just make it easier to move through the city, but to transform Newton into a place that is safe, smart, accessible, livable and sustainable.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The key members of the business, real estate and educational communities within the N2 Innovation District have stepped and supported the effort to brand the region and grow innovation-driven businesses here.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Miraca Life Sciences is moving to a 30,000 square foot lease at Crawford Place at 15 Crawford Street in Needham, part of the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The N2 Innovation District is undergoing rapid physical change, with construction cranes and workers busy at sites in both Newton and Needham. But have you been wondering what, exactly, is being built on Needham Street, Wells Ave and Needham Crossing?

Charles River Regional Chamber

One of the most walkable office spaces in the N2 Innovation District has come on the market. The 60,000 square foot Paragon Towers at 233 Needham Street is now up for sale. This kind of change is emblematic of the vibrant transformation happening in the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

When Josephine McNeil retires from CAN-DO (Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Development Organization) later this year, sheā€™ll leave a legacy that includes a lot more than the 44 affordable housing units she helped create.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Joseph P. Campanelli is Needham Bankā€™s new chief executive officer, succeeding Mark Whalen who announced his retirement earlier this year.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With the recent reopening of Cookā€™s Bridge linking Newtonā€™s Elliot Street with Needhamā€™s Central Avenue, a plan to repair a second bridge over the Charles River linking the two communities has now moved forward for consideration.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Latest Organizations to join the effort include the City of Newton, Boston Realty Advisors and William James College

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber enthusiastically supports the proposed mixed use project at Washington Place.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Footwear maker the Rockport Group officially celebrated its move to Newton on Jan. 12 with the opening of its stunning new global headquarters in West Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton-Needham MA, January 11, 2017 ā€“ The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber, today announced it has taken major steps toward building, establishing and promoting the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As we close out our 101st year serving the region's businesses and non-profits we want to thank you, our members and our sponsors, for another fantastic year.We deeply value your continued support, participation and friendship.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Here's this year's list of our members who attended the most chamber events in 2016

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamberā€™s Women in Networking Committee was formed to foster and support women in business. As a committee we focused this past year on programs that were educational, empowering, and supportive of women in the workplace.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Reunite with chamber colleagues, make new connections and celebrate the new year in style! Mount Idaā€™s stunning 100-year old Shaw Center will overflow with festive hors dā€™oeuvres, live music and seasonal décor to set the stage for our first big networking bash of 2017.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The N2 Innovation District is gaining recognition as the home of well-known companies like TripAdvisor, CyberArk, PTC and Big Belly Solar.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Mayor Setti Warrenā€™s decision to not seek a third term has launched beginning of whatā€™s certain to be a hotly-contested municipal election season in Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s hard to believe that such a small bridge could wreak so much havoc.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The now-mainstream act of ā€œpatent trollingā€ is a growing threat to small businesses not only in Massachusetts, but across the United States. These acts are carried out by non-practicing entities, or NPEs, and have gone from a low-profile to conventional issue in less than 10 years.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Come January, there will be new faces around the table at the monthly meeting of the chamberā€™s board of directors. With several current directors stepping down due to term limits, three new directors were appointed to the board at the Nov. 10 annual meeting.

Charles River Regional Chamber

?Newton-Needham Regional Chamber President Greg Reibman has been recognized as one of Greater Boston's ā€œ50 most powerful people in the spheres of business, community and policyā€ by the Boston Business Journal.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Again this year, The Village Bank and the City of Newton Department of Health and Human Services are combining efforts in order to brighten the upcoming holiday season for local children who may otherwise be overlooked.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton-Needham Regional Chamber President Greg Reibman has been recognized as one of Greater Boston's ā€œ50 most powerful people in the spheres of business, community and policyā€ by the Boston Business Journal.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Boston Ballet will be relocating and expanding the Boston Ballet School Newton Studio to 153 Needham St. in the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In the parking lot outside of the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber Offices on Needham Street, Northland Development Corporation recently unveiled a vision that will transform 27 acres of outdated buildings and windswept asphalt into a thriving village that has the power to remake the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

What would it take to make Needham Center one of the best small downtowns in the nation?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Mark Jeffery has been named general manager of the Sheraton Needham Hotel in Needham.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced the appointment of Needham native, Timothy J. Connelly as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Nurturing the next generation of business leaders will be the theme of the chamberā€™s 101st annual breakfast, Nov. 10 at the Newton Marriott Hotel.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Boston Ballet will be relocating and expanding the Boston Ballet School Newton Studio to 153 Needham St. in the N2 Innovation District.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Bulfinch Companies has leased 115,000 square feet of space at Atrium Center in Chestnut Hill to Life Timeā€“ The Healthy Way of Life Company.

Charles River Regional Chamber

After serving as Newton's Economic Development Director since February of 2014, Nancy Hyde has decided to move on, Newton's Planning Director Barney Heath announced Friday, Sept. 30.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Highway ramp provides faster access for jobs and economic growth to both Newton and Needham.

Charles River Regional Chamber

During the weekend of Nov. 4-6, Highland Ave. over Route I-95 will be closed to all traffic in order to allow for the demolition of the old bridge crossing over the interstate.

Charles River Regional Chamber

WGBHā€™s Jim Braude has been added to the lineup at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s 101st annual breakfast on Thursday Nov. 10, from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at the Newton Marriott Hotel.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As of Aug. 19 a major new entry into the N-Squared Innovation Corridor will be available to motorists.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Do you have a client or friend who could benefit from joining our chamber? Future members are everywhere.

Charles River Regional Chamber

As the Newton Needham Regional Chamberā€™s non-profit membership is growing, so too, is the commitment to providing these organizations with specialized support and services.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A new initiative designed to help businesses save energy and money has been launched in Newton and Needham.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Massachusettsā€™ fastest growing chamber is looking for an outgoing, people-loving, professional to fill our Member Services Manager position.

Charles River Regional Chamber

About one month ago, I came across a 60-year-old newspaper article describing what we now call Needham Crossing, but what was formerly called the Needham Industrial Center.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Family ACCESS, a Newton-based nonprofit that nurtures child development, promotes effective parenting skills and supports thousands of families in Newton, Needham and surrounding communities, will be the beneficiary of the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerceā€™s 25th annual Childrenā€™s Charitable golf tournament.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton-Wellesley Hospital has named Michael R. Jaff, D.O., a Newton resident, to be the next President of Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Crosspoint Associates broke ground in late June on a new mixed-used development at the former TripAdvisor site on Needham Street called Newton Nexus.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A stretch of land along the Newton-Needham line adjacent to I-95 is poised to become something unique: a suburban innovation district.

Charles River Regional Chamber

While weā€™re thrilled to be the fastest-growing chamber in the state, with nearly 400 new members in the last three years, weā€™re most proud of our industry-high retention rate and our decades-plus members.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) recognized the Town of Needham this week with a Housing Hero Award for its efforts to promote economic development and housing in the Needham Crossing and Wexford Street sections of the N-Squared Innovation Corridor.

Charles River Regional Chamber

What will it take to transform the area along I-95 in Newton and Needham into an innovation district?

Charles River Regional Chamber

Say hello to the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton Innovation Center at Newton Corner now has co-working space available for anyone interested in working in a collaborative work environment.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Olivia Kahn-Boesel from Needham High School and Asma Sheikh from Newton North High School are both recipients of $2000 scholarships from the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A recent study of wealth in more than 400 U.S. cities in America found that Newton was No. 1 in the northeast.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Four area businesses and three non-profits were honored for their efforts to reduce their carbon footprints while also reducing operating costs at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s ninth annual Green Business Breakfast, May 19 at the Boston Marriott Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The project to restore the failing bridge connecting Central Ave in Needham and Elliot Street in Newton will begin the week of May 9 -- resulting in occasional closures and/or lane closures as soon as next week and a complete closure for several months starting in mid-July.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This week the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is officially unveiling a newly designed website.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Congressman Joe Kennedy III has joined Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ) in introducing the Consumer Review Fairness Act, legislation that will ensure American consumers can post honest business reviews and feedback online without fear of retribution.

Charles River Regional Chamber

May is Small Business Month and weā€™re celebrating all month long with programming designed to reach both businesses and consumers.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber has added its name to the list of business and organizations urging the state legislature to take a favorable vote on legislation that prohibits discrimination against transgender people.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Whatā€™s the best way to nurture the innovation economy in the Newton and Needham?

Charles River Regional Chamber

John Harthorne, founder and CEO of MassChallenge and a Newton resident, will be the keynote speaker at the annual Ted Mann Mayorā€™s Prayer Breakfast, May 25 at Boston College. MassChallenge, the worldā€™s largest start-up accelerator has just opened at office at the Newton Innovation Center in Newton Corner and also operates in in Boston, London, Jerusalem, Geneva, and Mexico City.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Newton Mayor Setti Warren sent a letter in March to key state legislators, urging them to reject legislative proposals to reduce the value of net metering credits associated with municipal solar projects.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Needham has joined the list of Massachusetts communities that are BioReady, signifying a commitment and readiness to work with biotechnology companies interested in locating in these communities.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A top General Electric executive, who is part of the team relocating to Boston this year, will be the featured speaker at the Newton-Needham Regional Chamberā€™s annual Green Business Breakfast on Thursday, May 19.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Local shoppers will be descending on downtown Needham on Saturday, April 30 to demonstrate their appreciation for the townā€™s retailers and restaurants.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The chamberā€™s Young Professional Group is looking for volunteers to join in for the annual Charles River Cleanup at the iconic Echo Bridge at Hemlock Gorge on Saturday April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The city ā€œcharterā€ is like the cityā€™s constitution. It lays out the form of government, the size of the city council and school committee, the terms of office for various offices and whether there are term limits on any offices.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On April 6, the Newton Innovation Center held its opening launch event at the Social Restaurant & Bar.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The MassTech Intern Partnership is accepting applications for summer 2016 intern stipends. With support from the Baker-Polito Administration and the Massachusetts legislature, the MTIP program provides stipends to digital technology companies that are starting and scaling-up across Massachusetts so that they might hire more Massachusetts college students as summer interns.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A plan to restore the Turtle Lane Playhouse in Auburndale has been approved by the Newton City Council, despite some objections from abutters and councilors who objected to the overall project and design.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Dr. Mary Burke, a senior economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, will be returning to offer the Fed's perspective on the regionā€™s economy in 2016 and how current trends may impact commercial development in our region.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Last night, Newton's Board of Aldermen approved the proposed mixed use project at 28 Austin Street.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Late last year, when Newtonā€™s Board of Aldermen voted 17-6 to approve a four-story mixed-use development at 28 Austin St. in Newtonville, it was seen as a hard-won victory for Mayor Setti Warren and a developer who spent more than a year getting approval to build a relatively modest size apartment building.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Chamber Board of Directors has elected Rachel Hillman as its new chair effective Jan. 1, 2016.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A citizens' petition has been filed for May's annual Town Meeting which would revise Needham's food truck by-law to allow food trucks in Needham Center (adjacent to the Town Common) and Needham Heights (adjacent to Avery Square Common).

Charles River Regional Chamber

Each year, several member businesses and nonprofits come on board as Annual Partners of our chamber, providing significant and secure funding for all we do. From the highest tier to the lowest, these sponsor dollars underwrite the events, programming, website, staff and mission of our extraordinarily busy chamber.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With over one hundred events, 2015 was the Newton-Needham Chamberā€™s busiest year ever and weā€™re not showing any signs of slowing down this year.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Chamber has elected Samantha Sherman, the Chief Development and External Relations Officer at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospitalā€“Needham, to a three-year term on its board of directors.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Chamber would like to send a big thank you to our host, TripAdvisor Global HQ for hosting all of our members at last night's New Year Celebration.

Charles River Regional Chamber

A new initiative designed to help businesses save energy and money has just been launched in Newton and will soon expand into Needham.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Scholarship Opportunity for Newton/Needham High School Seniors. The Newton-Needham Chamber is now accepting applications for a 2016 chamber scholarship.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Town of Needham is sponsoring an information session at Powers Hall, Needham Town Hall at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23rd for local business and property owners about the Downtown Improvement Project expected to begin in the summer of 2016.

Charles River Regional Chamber

In January, Newton became one of an elite number of communities to receive a AAA-Stable bond rating from both Moodyā€™s Investors Service and Standard and Poor.

Charles River Regional Chamber

MassChallenge, the world-renowned Boston-based start-up accelerator, is opening a satellite operation in Newton this October in collaboration with the Cambridge Innovation Center and the City of Newton.

Charles River Regional Chamber

With increasing rents and growing congestion in Boston and Cambridge, companies are looking for alternative locations.

Charles River Regional Chamber

At the Newton-Needham Chamberā€™s 100th Annual Achievement Breakfast we asked attendees to suggest items that could go in a time capsule to be opened on the Chamberā€™s 200th anniversary in 2115.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This summer the Newton-Needham Chamber was awarded a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to advance economic development in the N2 Innovation Corridor.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Chamber has launched a new monthly Shop & Schmooze series of events to be held at chamber-member businesses in the Newton Needham area.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Chuck Tanowitz and Chris Steele were presented with the Newton-Needham Chamberā€™s prestigious RL Tennant Award ā€“ the chamberā€™s highest honor ā€“ at the chamberā€™s annual Achievement Breakfast on Nov. 6.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Itā€™s the concentration of talent and collaboration in Newton and Needham that made Newton the obvious choice for the areaā€™s newest innovation center to support startup companies.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Innovation hub seeks to improve transit and amenities while creating jobs and tax revenue.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Newton-Needham Chamber has been awarded a federal grant designed to advance economic development in the section of Newton and Needham known as the N2 Innovation Corridor, U.S. Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III announced.

Charles River Regional Chamber

After decades of delays, funding to upgrade the Needham Street and Highland Avenue corridor has been approved.

Charles River Regional Chamber

The Second Step, a Newton-based nonprofit committed to providing support for adult and child victims of domestic violence, will be the charity beneficiary at the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerceā€™s 24th annual Childrenā€™s Charitable golf tournament.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Retiring Needham Bank CEO Jack McGeorge was the guest of honor at a reception sponsored by the Newton-Needham Chamber and the Residences at Wingate May 12.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Even before Newton became one of the countryā€™s first railroad suburbs, the town (which wasnā€™t incorporated as a city until 1874) housed many businesses that remain an important part of its historical fabric.

Charles River Regional Chamber

About 100 shoppers descended on Newton Highlands businesses on the first Saturday in May to participate in a Cash Mob, organized by the Chamberā€™s Shop Local Committee.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Charlie Baker grew up in Needham so we assume he's met Santa here at some point in his life. But tonight, St. Nick and the Needham High grad will appear together for the first time since Baker was elected governor in November.

Charles River Regional Chamber

On Saturday December 6th, the Needham Merchants Association (sponsoring its annual stroll and entertainment), the Needham Business Association (sponsoring its annual Blue Tree Lighting), and the Community Center of Needham (sponsoring its annual entertainment and luminary parade), in conjunction with the Town of Needham, are hosting the first Needham Lights from 12:00-8:00 p.m.

Charles River Regional Chamber

This weekend (Fri., Dec. 5 ā€“ Sun., Dec. 7) the Newton-Needham Chamber is partnering with merchants and arts organizations on a series of Shop Local events.

Charles River Regional Chamber

Today is Giving Tuesday, the annual effort designed to encourage us all to pause from the bustle of holiday shopping and celebrations and make time to support the non-profits which make our world a better place.

Charles River Regional Chamber
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