Other need to knows
- Jumbo Seafood in Newton Centre has closed but Ding's Kitchen, a new Chinese restaurant, has opened in its place (even though the old sign remains). A goodbye note on Jumbo’s website says the owners are focusing on a location where the business began in Chinatown. An All Over Newton Instagram post has details about Ding's.
- Boston Development Group has submitted plans for phase two of its life science lab and office complex on Water Street, off Nonatnum Road in Watertown. (Phase one at 66 Galen Street, next to the MBTA bus yard is under construction now.) The project includes a five story building, a childcare center and a publicly accessible park. (Watertown News)
- The chamber has invited MassDOT and contractor P. Gioioso & Sons to provide an update on construction completed and timelines for the Needham Street/Highland Ave. reconstruction project. Join us via Zoom on Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. Scroll down to register.
- Mark Development will share its plans for a proposed redevelopment of the Santander Bank site at 1314 Washington Street in West Newton Square via Zoom on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. The proposal includes 50 residential units and restaurant and/or retail space. Register.
- Workers at Ascend Cannabis, with locations in West Newton and Boston, voted last week to join Teamsters Local 25, making it the first dispensary in New England to become part of that union. (BBJ)
- The just-passed federal Inflation Reduction Act includes a host of tax credits, grants and loans that could benefit small businesses, writes Andy Medici for the Business Journals. But experts say pursuing them could take some legwork.
|
Have a say in Watertown’s future
Interested in helping guide future decisions about new development, transportation options, business and economic development, open space and recreation in Watertown?
As part of Watertown’s comprehensive plan process, the city is hosting two interactive workshops to discuss draft goals and review preliminary strategies. Each workshop will have the same content. Details.
- Tues., Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m. at the Watertown Middle School
- Thurs., Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library
Learn more about current economic conditions and trends in Watertown in the recently released baseline assessment report. |
Reminder about these MBTA changes
A reminder that as of Sunday the MBTA has reduced peak hour frequency on the B and D Green Line and that service cuts on the other Red and Blue lines that were supposed to end this summer will continue.
Forty-three bus routes – including routes serving our communities --will also operate less frequently. (Full list here.)
And, of course, there's the Orange Line shut down, and closure of the Green Line extension from downtown Boston to Somerville until Sept. 18. (WBUR has tips for getting around stops served by the Orange Line.)
Despite offering a hiring bonus of up to $4,500 and other recruitment efforts, the MBTA has struggled to attract workers to run buses. The T needs about 300 more drivers, according to State House News. |
Our condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of David Sellers, Sr., the Sang iolo long-time executive director of the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton and father to club’s current leader (and chair of our nonprofit committee) David Sellers, Jr.
Dave or Big Dave was a member of the Newton Boys Club from 1962 to 1967 before joining the staff as athletic director. His parents dropped him off there as a teenager and he essentially never left going on to guiding the clubs from the 1970’s into the 1980’s, Sellers Jr. writes.
Dave Sr. built the club’s popular basketball program, was the first to welcome girls to the Club as full members and co-led the charge to fund and build and build the nonprofit’s Watertown Street facility. He was 72. |
This strategy for getting workers back to the office may require a can opener
The number of searches for jobs in dog-friendly offices shot up by 42% from June to July, while the number of job posts advertising dog-friendly offices increased by almost a quarter (23%) over the same period, according to Fortune,
Another survey cited by Andy Medici at the Business Journals found that 50% of pet owners would be more willing to return to the office if it was pet friendly, with 67% of Gen Z workers and 64% of millennial workers agreeing.
The benefits of having a pet-friendly office, among surveyed employers, includes higher job satisfaction, better mental health among employees, increased productivity, reduced turnover and more employment for carpet cleaners.
Okay, I made that last one up. But I didn't invent claims about an app that could possibly help translate some of your new office mates. |
|
