About this week's Globe announcement
About this week's Globe announcement
This morning we're releasing the first of four videos designed to position our communities as great places to visit.
Trips to Wellesley, Needham and Newton will follow, one week at a time.
It's a continuation of our 2022 initiative, called “Take A Trip Up the Charles” 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.
The videos will be part of a fall marketing and social media campaign. They’ll anchor our landing page that features a searchable directory of local shops, restaurants and other visitor information. And they be made available to municipal partners and local businesses for their own marketing purposes.
The campaign is funded by a grant from Meet Boston! and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
Our videos were created by the Emmy Award-winning team at Another Age Productions (chamber members) in Newton.
We hope you enjoy them!
Please share this video in you e-newsletters, embed it on your website, post on your social media feeds and anywhere else you can think of.
The Globe ramps up suburban coverage
The Boston Globe made a smart– 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.
And the paper's editors appear to be approaching this the right way.
Rather than relying on freelancers for the mostly features-heavy coverage we used to read in Globe West, they've assembled a dedicated team of full-time reporters to provide the journalism.
Hopefully, that means more reporting about substantive issues, as opposed to all those stories about where to go apple-picking that we came to expect from Globe West. (And I like apples!)
Dan Kennedy at Media Nation has details. And you can sign up here for the Globe's new regional newsletter.
None of that takes away from this
None of that takes away from this
The Globe's expanded suburban coverage doesn't lessen the need for the independent journalism now provided by Fig City News, Newton Beacon, Needham Observer, Needham Local, Watertown News, Swellesley Report , and similar sites elsewhere.
Democracies function best when we have a broad array of media coverage. It's going to be fun watching our small local sites out-hussle the big guys.
All of these ventures -- including the Globe -- deserve our support. Subscribe, advertise, and/or donate today.
Watertown biotech developing chemo alternative
Watertown biotech developing chemo alternative
A Watertown startup that's working to make radiation treatments more precise for certain cancers is getting a big cash infusion from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, reports Rowan Walrath at the BBJ.
Mariana Oncology currently has 50 employees, all its 100 Forge Road lab, and expects to now expand hiring thanks to a $175 million Series B round.
The company is developing drugs that deliver radiation therapy directly and specifically to cancer cells as an alternative to chemotherapy. Marina also has other experimental drugs in its pipeline, all for solid-tumor cancers, Walrath adds.
Friday grab bag
Friday grab bag
- I'm looking forward to checking out the newly renovated Roche Bros. on Chestnut Street in Needham which reopened yesterday following a months-long renovation. (Needham Observer)
- A reminder that as of July 1 all Newton businesses and multi-family properties are required to recycle cardboard under a new city ordinance. Starting in July of 2024 businesses and multi-family properties will also be required to recycle all common recyclable materials, including aluminum cans, plastic and glass, and office paper.
- Crafts for Kids returns to Wellesley's Linden Square Courtyard and Central Street tomorrow (Sept 9), from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. brought to you by Wonderful Wellesley. Also, The Linden Square Sidewalk Sale is running now through Sunday.
- Newton Community Pride's Fall Village Concert Series kicks off in Auburndale on Sunday (Sept. 10) Details
- Blue Ribbon BBQ is adding a location at Time Out Market Boston in the Fenway, joining locations in West Newton, Arlington, and Dedham. (Boston Restaurant Talk)
- Small businesses looking to increase export sales of goods and services may be eligible for a grant through the Massachusetts STEP Grant Program Deadline Sept. 30.
- Friends of Newton Tennis’ Garden City Doubles Championships is set for Sept. 30 (novice and intermediate) and Oct. 1 (advanced). Proceeds help improve Newton’s 67 courts. All skill levels welcome. Register.
- The Watertown Cultural Council is accepting grant proposals from organizations, schools, and individuals who wish to provide arts, humanities, and interpretive science programs for the Watertown community. Details
- Newton’s own M. Steinert & Sons are selling about 65 Steinway & Sons pianos displayed along the halls, corridors, and even outside of Boston Symphony Hall this weekend. Proceeds benefit the BSO. (Boston Globe)
Sept. 11 commemorations in our communities
- Wellesley will mark the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at 9:45 a.m. on Monday (Sept. 11) at Fire Department Headquarters, 457 Worcester Street.
- The Watertown Fire Department will hold a brief ceremony on Monday at 9:55 a.m. at Fire Station Headquarters, at 99 Main Street.
- The Needham Fire and Police Departments' remembrance ceremony on Monday begins at 10 a.m.at the Public Safety Building located, at 88 Chestnut Street.
- Newton’s annual 9-11 Commemoration takes place Monday (Sept. 11) at 6 p.m. at the Newton 9-11 Memorial, 1164 Centre St. Newton Centre.
Bus changes in Wellesley begin Monday
The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority is revising its Route 1 bus schedule in Wellesley starting Monday (Sept. 11).
The changes aim to allow for more consistent spacing between runs and add a stop at Cross Street in Wellesley Square when traveling inbound.
The Route 1 bus operates as a commuter service along Route 9 between Framingham and the Woodland T station with stops also at Babson College and MassBay Community College. Schedule.
Finally, today: Who said retail is dead?
Finally, today: Who said retail is dead?
Retailers are on track to open 1,000 net new stores in the U.S. this year as retail space availability hits record lows, the Wall Street Journal reported recently (free link).
Available retail space fell to 4.8% in the second quarter this year, the lowest in 18 years, according to CBRE.
That’s in contrast to the office market where the popularity of hybrid work has pushed up vacancies nationally to a 30-year high of 18.2%.
Remote work is one of the reasons retail is expanding as suburban consumers visit local grocery stores and other shops more often during the workweek.
Another factor is a sharp drop in retail construction, experts add.
None of this takes away from the fact that the economics remain challenging for many of the independent mom-and-pop retailers we all cherish.
That's why it is so important that our communities make it easier for our business to thrive in our small downtowns with fewer regulatory hurdles and parking restrictions.
We also need to build more smaller housing units close to -- and even above -- our shops and restaurants, not just to provide customers, but for the employees of our businesses.
This also makes this the perfect place for one last reminder to RSVP to attend our housing forum this Tuesday (Sept. 12) at 9 a.m. on the UMass/Mt. Ida campus.
Hope to see you Tuesday.
That's what you need to know for today, unless you need to know why you have an accent in a foreign language.
Stay cool today.
And be super nice to those folks working in kitchens and outside to make life better for the rest of us.
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President
617.244.1688
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