Now we know what two feet of snow looks like. Our thanks to our local DPW workers, first responders and independent contractors for getting our streets, parking lots and sidewalks ready for our work week yesterday.
Help us help our restaurants This weekend’s blizzard was another blow for our restaurants: a lost weekend of sales following weeks of empty dining rooms, inflation, supply chain woes and labor shortages.
As these businesses struggle through another challenging winter, we’re launching a month-long campaign to support our restaurant community in Newton, Needham, Watertown and Wellesley.
Help spread the word! We’ve created a set of ready-to-use graphics for social media, email campaigns and signage. Download the images of your choice here. Use as is, or customize to your brand/business. Share them in your social media feeds, e-newsletters and anywhere else you can think of (please hyperlink to charlesriverchamber.com).
Get out there and eat! Dine out. Take out. Recommend a favorite spot. Tip generously. Treat friends and clients. And try someplace new!
Go here to explore our directory of 90+ local restaurants that would greatly appreciate your business.
Don't forget our retailers too Our Find It Local Directory is filled with additional ideas for shopping and giving. And, of course, for finding attorneys, financial planners, real estate brokers, fitness clubs, and so much more.
In addition, shop local guru Lauren Berman is launching an event though her All Over Newton website called “LoveFEST,” a retail shopping event designed to drive revenue to Newton’s small businesses for Valentine’s Day shopping, to dovetail with Newton Community Pride’s upcoming WinterFEST. Learn more.
Our friends at the Wellesley Square Merchants’ Association are also about to kick off a Valentine Day’s campaign. We’ll share those details – and anything else we learn about -- as soon as we get ‘em (provided you tell me about it.)
BC expands role as research institution with new facility Boston College has taken a major step forward into the sciences with the opening of a $150 million academic and research building.
The 150,000-square-foot facility is the centerpiece of the new 150,000-square-foot Integrated Science Building at 245 Beacon Street, including classrooms, labs, faculty offices and maker spaces.
Cannabis cafes inch closer to possible Six years after it was approved by voters, could we be getting closer to the day when we can meet up for brownies at a cannabis cafe in Massachusetts?
Colin Young at State House News reports that legislation that would open the way for marijuana cafes and reform other cannabis policies are finally moving through Beacon Hill.
The Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy (don't look at me, that's what they call it) is also reviewing tighter regulations of those often-exorbitant fees some municipalities charge cannabis businesses.
?And they're considering establishing a Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund designed to assist entrepreneurs and businesses from communities disproportionately harmed by the decades of marijuana prohibition reports.
Other need to knows
Interested in learning more about Alexandria Real Estate Equities plans to redevelop the Watertown Mall? Watch the video from ARE's community meeting last week.
Babson College’s Graduate Office of Experiential Learning is accepting proposals until Feb. 15 from organizations for its May 2022 programs. The program matches up organizations with student consulting teams.
J.P. Licks 3rd annual sock drive begins today and runs through the end of February. Customers who bring in a new socks to J.P. Licks in Newton, Wellesley or any other location will receive a coupon good at their next visit for each pair of donated socks. Donations will go to Rosie’s Place, the oldest woman’s shelter in the country, providing food, advocacy, safety, and more for over 12,000 people identifying as female each year.
MassDOT wants help from employers understanding employee teleworking policies. They’re looking for company representatives with knowledge about overall teleworking policies take this survey.
Newton City Council to reconsider electrification rules The Newton City Council’s Public Facilities Committee will discuss a new draft of a proposed electrification Home Rule Petition on Feb, 9.
The current draft of the home rule petition is narrower in scope than the original draft which was withdrawn last year after our chamber and others expressed concerns that our members never received notice from the administration that the measure was under consideration.
The original draft covered all new buildings and major renovations, commercial and residential, of whatever size.
This time the proposal is limited to residential and “small non-residential buildings” (defined as less than 20,000 square feet, and any portion of which is used for commercial, retail, office, professional, educational, or other non-residential purpose”).
According to a statement from the Fuller administration, large commercial buildings would be left out of these rules because the City Council is also planning to consider new building standards similar to the Building Energy Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) program adopted in Boston.
Well that clears that up Here’s a business segment that’s received an unexpected boost from the pandemic: Laser eye surgery.
A record number of patients are choosing vision correcting procedures after months of frustration with glasses fogging up while wearing a face mask, reports Simon Rios at WBUR.
And here’s a business segment that’s not doing as well: office desk phones.
Millions of phone are estimated to still be sitting -- with lights blinking -- on desks full with unanswered messages, dating back to March of 2020, writes Te-Ping Chen for the Wall Street Journal.
But the federal agency is not withdrawing efforts to encourage vaccines in the workplace or to create a permanent COVID-19 health care standard, reports Ty West for the Business Journals.
However, employment attorneys say the sharp criticism of emergency rule from multiple members of the Supreme Court suggests a wide-ranging permanent rule would face similar headwinds.
That leaves the ball back in the court of employers when it comes to COVID safety and vaccination issues. (Unless you're in Texas or Florida.)
And here's the predicament facing employers A recent survey by Qualtrics found 47% of employees would strongly or somewhat consider leaving their jobs if vaccination was required, while 46% of employees said they would strongly or somewhat consider leaving their jobs if vaccination wasn't required.
That’s today’s Need to Knows, unless you need to know which music platform you should turn to if you want to switch away from Spotify.
