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Another reason to be nice to store clerks and bartenders

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Another reason to be nice to store clerks and bartenders

Our program that aims to provide financial support local restaurants and healthy meals to those facing food insecurity will make its final delivery for 2022 this morning when the Diner at 11 North Beacon Street makes yet another delivery the Watertown Community Fridge.
 
And today, we’re excited to announce that we’ve received a third round of funding for the program we’ve been running in Newton and Wellesley since the darkest day of the pandemic.
 
To date, we’ve delivered over 12,000 meals from 50+ restaurant partners over the past two winters in Newton and Wellesley through state grants, as well as thousands of additional to-go meals in Needham and Watertown through a grant from Trip Advisor and private donations.
 
As food costs and inflation continue to impact our businesses and our residents, we’re so thankful to Sen. Cindy Creem for securing $90,000 in state funding to relaunch Nourishing Newton and Wellesley again in early 2023.
 
Along with our volunteer coordinators at the Rotary Club of Newton and the Wellesley Youth Commission the chamber will be able to fund food orders from our local independent restaurants to distribute via food pantries, senior centers and other community partners early next year.
 
Of course, the need doesn’t go away in the interim. Please support Watertown’s Fridge, the Newton Community freedge , as well as our local food pantries, by donating food and funds to help as we enter these cold months.
 
What really matters is the science
 
When it comes to conversations about the life sciences these days, it’s easy to focus on the latest real estate trends, permitting, layoffs, etc., that we overlook the significant societal contributions many of these companies are making.
 
Take, for example, Watertown start-up Entact Bio. Last week the company received $81 million in funding to pursue to study “protein enhancement” in hopes of treating diseases such as cancer or autoimmune conditions.
 
Co-founded in 2019 by scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and others, Entact Bio is located at 65 Grove St., which also serves as the home base for Lyndra Therapeutics and Selecta Biosciences.
 
Committee could vote on West Newton project tonight
1314 Washington St
Mark Development’s proposal to transform the Santander Bank building in West Newton into a mixed use development could be voted out of the Newton City Council’s Land Use Committee tonight (Dec. 13) at p.m. (Zoom link).
 
The project 1314 Washington Street would maintain the historic façade and bank lobby and create a160-seat restaurant and 50 residential rental units in a five-story building.
 
Clock ticking on law to deter catalytic converter theft
 
Catalytic converter theft has been a significant problem in Newton, Needham, Watertown, Wellesley and many other communities.
 
And now time is running out on a proposed state law that would force junkyard operators, auto part dealers and others who buy catalytic converters to report sale records to police and to hold converters for 10 days before reselling them, reports Axios Boston.
 
The bill was passed by the House. But it’s stalled in the Senate which has just days to approve it before it would die at the end of the legislative year.
 
The bill would create fines of up to $2,500 for failing to properly carry out the sale of a catalytic converter. Twenty-six other states have similar laws.
 
Yet more Need to Knows
 
  • Newton-based IT media company TechTarget is cutting 5% of its staff, approximately 60 positions, as tech employers big and small reassess the size of their workforces to reduce costs, reports Lucia Maffei at the BBJ.
 
  • Servants Bakery in Needham Center is closing at the end of this month. "Servente was a decades long dream that evolved into reality,” owners Christie and Brian wrote Facebook. Their business opened in 2019, taking over the former Acorns Bakery & Cafe location.
 
  • The Newton Centre Shop & Stroll is returning this Sunday (Dec. 18), from noon to 4 p.m. Fourteen local artisans and entrepreneurs will pop up in different brick and mortar businesses to help increase foot traffic and holidays sales. Map and details here.
 
 
  • Looking to watch the 2 p.m. World Cup matches today or tomorrow? They'll be watching at Moldovia Restaurant, Barmor and Bettinas Bakery and you're invited. I’ll share a list of local spots to watch this Sunday’s 10 a.m. final later this week. (Restaurants: let me know)
 
Need another reason why it’s super important to shop locally this year?
 
About 60 percent of shoppers nationwide say they plan to buy fewer gifts for fewer people this holiday season, according to a Bloomberg/Harris Poll, while more than one third have decided to skip gift-giving altogether.
 
That makes even more important for those of us who are out shopping to do so locally.
 
Our merchants will really appreciate it.
 
Look here for directories of local retailers, restaurants, caterers and other local businesses.
 
How about a reason to be super nice to store clerks?
 
The Wall Street Journal has a fun story this week about the challenges of working at a store, restaurant or bar that blasts Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas is You” and other holiday tunes over and over and over and over.
 
“Do you hear what I hear? Yes, all day long!” writes Joseph Pisani.
 
“It is allegedly the most wonderful time of the year, and retail workers are trapped in stores, restaurants and bars with yuletide anthems blaring on a loop,” he adds.
 
Pisani interviewed one store clerk who plans her trips to the stockroom when the Carey’s 1994 hit is due to come up. And there’s a bar in Dallas that only allows the song to be play on the jukebox once per night.
 
“Truly painful” versions of “Santa Baby” and different variations of “Jingle Bells,” also leave many workers looking forward to a silent night come Dec. 26.
 
 
That’s your Need to Knows for today, unless you think you might enjoy being a pushover like this guy.
 
Be back Friday.
 
 
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President
617.244.1688
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