One of Newton’s favorite restaurants, Cook, is closing.

 

Owner and executive chef Paul Turano says he decided to close his Newtonville location after eight years, not because he lacked customers (demand has been robust) but because of the challenges of finding employees (he’s been trying to reopen for lunch for months, but can't staff it) and the overall strain of operating during the pandemic.

 

“It’s a great community and we had a great run,” Turano said. “It’s just time for me to take a step back.”

 

He's sold the Washington Street location to Mario LaPosta who plans to open a pizzeria at the location, according to Boston Restaurant Talk.

 

"Mario will do well there," Turano adds.

 

Turano isn't just a super chef. He's hilarious, passionate, entrepreneurial and someone who has taught me a lot about the restaurant business over the past year-and-a-half as one of the founders of our Newton-Needham Dining Collaborative.

 

The good news for Cook fans – and who isn’t a Cook fan? – is that Cook Newton will remain open until this fall and Turano plans to continue operating Cook in Needham.

 

Beacon Hill lawmakers have an opportunity to hand a lifeline to the state’s nonprofits while also – finally -- complying with the will of an overwhelming majority of voters.

 

Will they?

 

We don’t know.

 

Voters approved the deduction by a 44% margin in 2000 and it was in effect for tax year 2001. But the Legislature suspended the law in 2002 as a recession cut into tax collections and created a state budget crisis.

 

This month they voted to ignore voters again and extend the suspension again, even as the state tax revenues have exceeded all expectations.

 

But last week, Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed the extension. We’re now waiting to see if lawmakers will override the veto, according to Michael P. Norton at State House News.

 

"The combination of strong state revenues and serious needs facing nonprofits and charitable organizations necessitates this tax deduction’s going into place," Baker wrote in his veto message.

 

The Globe’s editorial board is also calling to restore the charitable deduction.

 

“If ever there was a year to lend a hand to the state’s nonprofits — everything from community centers and homeless shelters to pandemic-shuttered arts organizations — this is it,” Globe editors wrote.

 

“Taxpayers benefit. Charities benefit. What could be better — and easier?”

 

Meanwhile, a new study shows that the share of Americans who give to secular charities has reached a new low. 

 

 

Heading to Boston or the Cape? Bring your mask.

 

The CDC is recommending wearing masks indoors in five Massachusetts counties — Suffolk, Bristol, Barnstable, Nantucket, and Dukes — and 60% of the counties nationwide, even for those who’ve been vaccinated.

 

The new guidance applies in parts of the country with at least 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the last week based on new information about the delta variant’s ability to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC said.

 

The agency also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors at schools nationwide, regardless of vaccination status.

 

Here's tips from the CDC for protecting yourself if you're fully vaccinated.

 

Yes, you should be mad too.

 
 

 

 

When you need to get somewhere is riding the MBTA a good option for you? 

 

Participate in this survey here from the T. Please share this with your employees too.

 

 

 

A coalition of nearly 150 business leaders nationwide are urging Congress, to pass the infrastructure bill that was agreed to by the White House and a bipartisan group of Capitol Hill negotiators, the Hill reports.

 

In a letter, the leaders say the new jobs generated through investments in mass transit, roads, bridges, airports, broadband and “other essential assets,” would create training and reemployment avenues for millions of Americans.

 

 

Stimulus checks have been put to many uses including, according to new studies, starting new businesses.

 

More small businesses were started in 2020 than in 2019. And the number of new online microbusinesses, which typically have 10 employees or fewer, rose 60 percent.

 

The increase was particularly noticeable in majority-Black ZIP codes, where formations skyrocketed 125% in 2020 over 2019 numbers, reports Andy Medici for the BBJ.

 

The money might have been enough for many Black entrepreneurs to overcome historical obstacles such as lack of access to broadband or bank loans.

 

 

 

Finally this morning: Did your business or nonprofit have losses during part of the pandemic?

 

If so, you may be leaving thousands of dollars per employee on the table unless you’ve applied for an Employment Retention Credit, writes Ty West for the BBJ.

 

The ERC started with the first federal COVID relief package and has been expanded to allow businesses to claim more money back from wages they paid to employees in 2020 and 2021.

 

You may be able to collect both for wages paid through the end of 2021 and retroactive payments for 2020 wages.

 

Really, look into this.

 

Businesses can find more details about how to claim the credits at the IRS' ERC site.

 

That’s today’s Need to Knows, unless you need to know which freshwater fish you shouldn’t eat.

 

Be back Friday.

 

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