Good morning,

This morning, our thoughts are with the family, friends, colleagues, and communities served by two outstanding public servants.

We also have an update on our Gift Card Give Back program and news about a chamber friend who’s moving on to a new opportunity.

Setti Warren, 1970-2025

Possibly the only thing better than Setti Warren’s handshake was his laugh.

And if you ever met the man, you know he had one of the world’s best handshakes.

The former Newton mayor, who died unexpectedly at age 55 on Sunday, was gregarious, engaging, thoughtful and inspiring.

He was a local kid. A Newton North High and BC class president who was elected mayor (2010 to 2018) at just the right moment in a city that had been politically divided and stagnant, championing the idea of Newton as “13 villages, one community.”

He brought new energy, fresh ideas, more openness and a commitment to rethinking city finances and other operations.

It was also a more hopeful time. A time when Newton was represented simultaneously by a Black mayor, a Black governor in Deval Patrick and a Black president in Barack Obama.

I was just finding my footing as chamber president during Warren’s time in office.

He encouraged me to think big — to lead the chamber in a more regional direction. To see Newton as part of a broader innovation ecosystem where big companies and sole entrepreneurs could thrive, a vision that’s now part of our DNA.

He had big ideas. Big dreams. Big ambitions. He made a lasting impact — not just in Newton, but through a lifetime of public service, inspiring others by example to lead, serve and believe.

Charles Baker, 1928-2025

We’re also mourning the loss of Charles D. Baker III, who passed away on Saturday at age 97.

Baker served in senior roles under the Nixon and Reagan administrations, including in the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Defense and Transportation.   He also had a distinguished career as a businessman, nonprofit leader and educator.

And he was a Needham resident and the father of former Gov. Charlie Baker and his brothers, Jonathan and Alex and was said to have been the governor’s closest advisor.

“I grew up wanting to be of service because that’s what Dad did and that’s what Mom did. They were both big service people,” Charlie Baker told The Boston Globe.

Feds: Let them eat (a smaller slice of) cake

After being compelled to do so by two federal judges, the Trump administration said it would pay out partial SNAP benefits for the remainder of this month.

After that — if the government shutdown continues — children, seniors and people with disabilities who make up the overwhelming majority of SNAP recipients may be left to fend for themselves.

Compounding the cruelty, the USDA told grocery stores over the weekend not to offer discounts to SNAP recipients.

“Never in the history of the SNAP program – including during government shutdowns – has SNAP funding ever been suspended or only partially funded,” Attorney General Andrea Campbell said yesterday. “The Trump Administration has the means to fund this program in full, and their decision not to will leave millions of Americans hungry and waiting even longer for relief.”

Over the weekend, additional chamber member restaurants signed up to donate up to 25% of all gift card sales through Nov. 26 to help stock area food pantries through our Gift Card Give Back program and our partners at Spoonfuls.

Thanks to CBS Boston, the Newton Beacon, Swellesely Report, and Watertown News for reporting on this initiative, and to everyone who has already purchased gift cards.

Tuesday grab bag

• Polls are open until 8 p.m. tonight for municipal elections in Newton and Watertown. Watch NewTV’s Newton election night livestream at 7:30 p.m. tonight on YouTube. I’ll join outgoing Councilor Rick Lipof at 9 p.m. to discuss what the results mean for the city. Find Watertown Cable Access’ broadcast here.
  
  
• Wellesley’s landmark Maugus Restaurant has new owners, following this week’s retirement of Papakonstantinou family, who ran the town’s best breakfast and lunch spot for 43 years. Kostas Saranteas plans to keep the menu and space as they are, though he will gradually introduce new dishes and upgrades. (Swellesley Report)
  
  
• Many media outlets reported when Newtonville Star Market was shut down Oct. 28 because of an asbestos discovery. Far fewer outlets have since reported that the store reopened on Friday after an investigation found that a sealed stockroom, which was not open to the public, was the only area containing asbestos.  (BC Heights)
  
  
• If you’re attending this Friday’s Fall Business Breakfast (we hope you are),  stop by a table near registration to learn about a grassroots effort to boost the state’s supply of small starter homes.  
  
  
• Office Properties Income Trust, a Newton-based office REIT with a heavy concentration of U.S. government tenants, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. OPI owns 124 properties totaling 17.2 million square feet of rental space and is one of five publicly traded REITs managed by the RMR Group. (Banker & Tradesman)
  
  
• Join state Housing Secretary Ed Augustus and Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller at a  Fair Housing Regional Listening Session on Thurs. Nov. 6 (1–3 p.m.) at Newton City Hall. RSVP.
  
  
• If you’ve been reading this newsletter for some time now but have never attended a chamber event, why not join us in person at our Fall Business Breakfast on Friday? Limited tickets remain.

Let businesses decide how much parking they need

When a café wants to add more seats—or a retailer wants to hire additional employees—they often have to ask the Newton City Council for permission first.

That’s because Newton’s outdated parking rules force expanding or opening businesses into a long special permit process— ending in an inevitable waiver from the council.

The result: months of red tape, legal bills, no new parking and lots of wasted opportunity.

Two new reforms, which we wrote about earlier this month, are now set for a public hearing on Monday (Nov 10). Combined, they would eliminate some of these minimums and simplify and standardize others.

Here’s the letter we sent explaining the issue and urging the Zoning & Planning Committee to pass docket items #181-24 (1 and 2).

If you agree, please email the council and urge them to modernize the city’s the parking requirements for commercial properties.

A chamber friend segues into his next act

Before he became the state’s top arts leader, our Charles River Chamber community had a chance to learn first what a special guy Michael Bobbitt is.

An actor, director and playwright, Bobbitt moved to Watertown in 2019 to lead the deeply missed New Repertory Theatre, where we had a chance to experience Bobbitt’s creativity, charisma and passion up close.

Not surprisingly, he took the same approach in 2021 when he became executive director of the Mass Cultural Council, the state’s arts agency that supports cultural organizations and artists with funding and expertise.

Under his leadership, Bobbitt became a powerful voice for the arts, debuting programs that hit the right notes, including efforts to connect businesses and the arts — collaborations that always made sense but are rarely attempted.

Now the Watertown resident has announced his next act: President & CEO at OPERA America.  He’ll take his final bow from MCC at year’s end.

MCC Deputy Director David Slatery, a Needham resident, is expected to be named acting executive director by the MCC board.

“Leading Mass Cultural Council has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Bobbitt. “While I’m excited for this next chapter with OPERA America, Massachusetts will always have a piece of my heart.”

And that’s what you need to know for today — don’t forget to vote! — unless you need to know that a Carnivorous “Death-Ball” Sponge is, well, a thing.

It would be great to see you in person on Friday

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

I value your feedback

Max Woolf contributed to today’s newsletter.