Good morning friends,

Five years ago this week, then-Gov. Charlie Baker declared a State of Emergency in Massachusetts due to the rapidly growing threat of COVID-19.

Just days after that Baker ordered all nonessential businesses and organizations to close.   

I’ll never forget the many conversations I had early on with our small business owners, collectively scratching our heads (just not our faces, you’ll recall) trying to interpret the regulations, the restrictions, evolving protocols and the uncertainty.

There’s some effort afoot today to minimize the gravity of that time. Don’t allow it.

On the week of Baker’s announcement, there were fewer than 100 reported cases of coronavirus in the state.

One month later, more than 3,000 Massachusetts residents had died. By November, the losses had ballooned to more than 10,000 and to 15,000 by the following March.

Through it all, I’m proud of the small role our chamber played helping our business community navigate those confusing months. We set up vaccine clinics for essential workers. Helped folks find masks and plexiglass. Distributed “open for business” signs. We purchased meals from restaurants for those in need.  And much to my surprise, I became something of a Paycheck Protection Program expert.

I believe the best thing our chamber team did was help our small business owners and nonprofits know they weren’t alone during a time of great uncertainty.

Just as we collectively pivoted together five years ago (and made mistakes along the way) we find ourselves in another momentous moment right now.

The whiplash news cycle. Efforts to undermine things everyone should be able to take for granted. Tariff wars with allies. Gaslighting science. Gaslighting DEI. Terrorizing the very people we hailed as heroes.

Many among us are feeling uncertain and fearful again.

Our chamber team and board of directors are spending a lot of time these days thinking about the small, but hopefully still substantive, ways we can support our businesses and nonprofits during this new unprecedented moment.

It’s harder to find answers this time. If only there was a vaccine for divisiveness.

Look for a survey to help us understand your top business concerns shortly.

But first, if you have any specific thoughts about ways we can help our businesses, our nonprofits and our communities right now, we’d be interested in hearing from you.

State throws Watertown some shade

The Massachusetts' Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs is investing nearly $1.4 million in a program to plant trees in Watertown and 13 other communities as part of the state’s Cool Corridor Grant Program.

Watertown will use its $100,000 grant to plant 110 shade trees in environmental justice neighborhoods throughout the city.  

The grant covers upkeep and watering for the trees for up to two years after they've been planted.

Tuesday grab bag

• The Needham Select Board will hold a public hearing tonight (Tues) at 6 p.m. about a proposed ban on the sale and distribution of black plastic takeout containers. Read our statement.
  
  
• One day after the Small Business Administration announced plans to close its Boston office, Massachusetts SBA Director Bob Nelson resigned. Nelson held the job since 2007. (BBJ)
  
  
• The Healey administration has a message for laid off federal workers: Come work in Massachusetts.
  
  
• MassDOT and 2Life Communities’ Opus development at 333 Nahanton Street in Newton are funding pedestrian improvements to install nearly a mile of sidewalk along Nahanton Street from Wells Avenue to Dedham Street, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced.  The project also includes high-visibility crosswalks at three intersections.
  
  
• Kenny Largess scored a narrow win—by fewer than 100 votes—over Michael Tauer in the Wellesley Select Board election last week. Odessa Sanchez placed third. (Swellesley Report)
  
  
• The Centre Street Food Pantry was among this year’s beneficiaries of $64,000 in donations from the Newport Restaurant Group’s (operators of Bar ‘Cino and Papa Razzi, among others) gift card program. (Patch)
  
  
• Plans to create a public plaza in a corner of the Newton Centre parking lot is moving to the design phase. There’s a community open house tomorrow (Weds.), 5:30 - 8 p.m. at the Cultural Development Building. Feel free to stop by and give your feedback, on the reduced scope of the project. Details
  
  
• Pearl’s Premium Ultra Low Maintenance Lawn Seed Grass received the international "Public Private Partnership (PPP) Readiness Level Silver Badge" from the Leading Cities Academy. Only a few products that aim to improve cities, homes and buildings through innovation are recognized.
  
  
• The City of Watertown is selling a limited number of quarterly parking permits for local business owners and employees. Permits are limited to two per business and available on a first-come, first-served basis on March 20. Details
• The Newton Schools Foundation’s Trivia Night is Friday (March 14), 7 p.m. at the American Legion Nonantum Post 440, with prizes, refreshments, and a cash bar.  RSVP
• Thanks to Boston25 News for asking about how cuts to NIH grants would trickle down to our local economy.
• A reminder: If you are not directly affiliated with a business or nonprofit organization but appreciate our mission, advocacy and this twice-weekly newsletter, I hope you will consider becoming a Citizen Member for $95 annually.

Why is this small building creating such a big fuss?

The proposal to build a modest, unassuming, 13-unit condo building on this vacant lot in Nonantum shouldn’t be nearly as controversial as it is.

But this is Newton.  And tonight, the Land Use committee is reopening a public hearing on the project at 386-390 Watertown Street.

As they have for months, a few city councilors will likely continue to doubt the developers’ assertion that a previously proposed 10-unit building no longer pencils out.

Never mind that from the street, the new project basically looks just like the 10-unit building they’ve previously approved. Also, Land Use’s job is to evaluate the merits of a project and zoning request — and what’s not to like about small, modestly priced, condo building instead of a hole in the ground amidst a housing shortage? — not grill developers on their P&Ls.

The fact that some city councilors don’t seem to grasp how expensive it is to build and borrow these days (it’s worse now, with anticipated tariffs) is unfathomable. Don’t they read the news?

And that’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know what it’s like to sleep on a $56,000 mattress.

“Spring Seasonings: A Taste of our Towns” is now only 27 days away! Looking forward to seeing you there and being back in your inbox on Friday.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

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