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Remember this when you're stuck in traffic this week

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Remember this when you're stuck in traffic this week

Remember this when you're dealing with traffic, road closures and parking restrictions this week due to the U.S. Open.
 
Our short-term inconveniences can be a difference maker for many of our businesses. 
 
Upwards of 175,000 fans are expected to descend on our region this week. About 35% of those in attendance will be traveling from afar to attend the event at the Country Club in Chestnut Hill, according to the USGA. Another estimated 1,000 or more workers will also travel to the area.
 
As part of the planning process, the USGA committed to using local vendors for its services, our friend David Gladsone, president of the Brookline Chamber tells the BBJ.
 
“A lot of the businesses suffered, and now we are hoping (the pandemic) is going to be in the rear-view mirror,” Gladstone said.
 
Businesses at the Street in Chestnut Hill hope to get a lift too. "The Street Open" runs all week, featuring a curated golf pop-up shop; a 9-hole mini golf course on The Green; a book signing at Hummingbird Books with Bob Harig, ESPN writer and author of Tiger and Phil and a Jack’s Abby beer garden, with live music and live Open streaming.
 
Then there’s the Chabad Center at Chestnut Hill which is providing free chicken soup and challah to spectators.
 
"We’ll be making sure that people can get their spiritual feed as much as they can get their golf feed," Rabbi Mendy Uminer tells WBUR.
 
"Think about it, the country club that forbade Jews from joining will have a rabbi wrapping tefillin with people, inside. We’ll be giving out candle holders, if they want to light Shabbat candles on Friday. Challah. Chicken soup. It’s awesome."
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Today at noon: What you need to know about electric vehicles.
 
With gas prices through the roof, our webinar today at noon explaining the basics of electric vehicles seems especially timely.
 
In addition to basic information that can help anyone who is thinking about purchasing their first plug-in, presenter Mal Skowron from Green Energy Consumers Alliance will explain incentive options especially directed at business as well as the basics of charging technology and how charging stations at your place of business can be a powerful way to attract and retain employees and customers. Register. 
 
Sales tax holiday set for August
 
Massachusetts annual tax holiday weekend has been scheduled for Aug. 13 and 14.
 
The holiday exempts state sales tax on most retail items less than $2,500.
 
It does not apply to purchases of some specific goods or services: motor vehicles, motorboats, meals, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, marijuana products, telecommunications services like prepaid calls, natural gas, steam, or electricity,
 
Yesterday Gov. Charles Baker repeated his calls for a larger tax relief package, reports Sam Doran at State House News.
 
"I've said many times that the state is awash in revenues because the people in Massachusetts bounced back in an extraordinary way coming out of the pandemic," Baker said.
 
?"And given the rising price of practically everything, they have earned tax cuts from the commonwealth, and I hope that a package that includes tax cuts for people in Massachusetts gets to my desk by the end of this session so that we can sign it and say thank you to the people who made all that revenue possible."
 
Of course we wish the governor also noted that our inflation-hammered businesses could use tax relief too.
 
Last year, Baker proposed stretching the sales-tax holiday into a two-month break but legislative leaders dismissed that idea faster than that Celtics third quarter momentum vanished last night.
 
Program benefits emerging biotechs
 
Thermo Fisher Scientific is partnering with biotech incubator LabShares Newton to provide instruments, lab equipment and consumables to help early-stage life sciences companies accelerate their drug discovery efforts.
 
The Waltham company is proving the shared lab space provider with equipment including ultra-low temperature freezers, cell culture incubators, microscopes and PCR instruments, the companies announced.
 
LabShares provides fully furnished lab space, services and equipment to more than 25 biotech companies. The company recently completed a refresh of its second-floor lab and now has several benches available. 
 
Other Need to Knows
 
  • The second in a series of one hour walks through different parts of Watertown (as part of the city's Comprehensive Plan process) takes place Thursday (June 16) at noon. Meet in front of City Hall and walk-through Watertown Square to explore the South Side, looping back across the Charles River footbridge to City Hall. I participated in last week's walk along Pleasant Street and the river and thought it was fascinating.  Details.
 
  • The Nines apartment complex at 40 William Street in Wellesley (near intersection of Route 9 and 128) is offering 88 affordable studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments, by lottery, for eligible tenants. 61 units are reserved for local preference, which includes people who work in Wellesley. Deadline to apply is July 25. Details.
   
  • Historic Newton and the Newton Free Library hosts “The Refugee Experience: Stories from Our Neighbors,”  a virtual event tonight (June 14) at 7 p.m. focused in the stories of neighbors whose families were forced to leave Austria, Cambodia and Haiti. Register.
 
  • A ballot question filed by the Massachusetts Package Store Association that, among other steps, calls for gradually increasing the number of beer and wine licenses a single company can own received clearance from the state’s highest court yesterday. (Gloucester Daily Times)
   
 
Thursday: Lean about the Newton Beacon
 
Sunday’s “60 Minutes” report laid out why it’s critical to have local news coverage.
 
?This Thursday (June 16) at 7 p.m., the Newton News Foundation, Inc., will hold a community meeting to discuss the establishment of The Newton Beacon, a non-profit weekly digital newspaper.
 
The community meeting will be at the Durant-Kenrick House, 286 Waverley Ave., Newton. It will also be live streamed on Zoom. Details.
 
Co-op planned to fill the Russo’s void
 
Finally, this morning, a group of folks who’ve been missing Russo’s market since it closed last September (and who hasn't missed Russo's?) are looking to open a grocery co-op, likely to be located in Watertown, Waltham or Newton.
 
“This is not a CSA, not another farmers market alternative. This is going to be a store somewhere,” Nick Quaranto, interim board president of the planned Charles River Food Co-op, tells the Watertown News.
 
The grocery store would be open to anyone but offer a discount to those who purchase memberships.
 
The co-op will formally kick off selling membership shares tomorrow (Weds) and has already sold more than 70 shares, with a goal of having about 2,000 members.
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That’s Need to Knows for today -- Flag Day -- unless, now that Paul McCartney's Fenway concert is behind us, you need to know about every kind of beetle that's known to exist in Massachusetts.
 
Be back Thursday.
 
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President
Charles River Regional Chamber
617.244.1688
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