Around Town

Boys & Girls Club Celebrates 50th Years of Serving the Youth of Watertown

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Charlie BreitroseGov. Charlie Baker speaks to Watertown Boys & Girls members Heloisa Breder and Sophia Torres, who introduced him at the Club’s 50th Anniversary Gala. The Watertown Boys & Girls Club opened its doors 50 years ago, and has been a place for the youth of the town to have fun, learn, and inspire them as they look to the future. The people who founded the Club, guided it through tough times, and built its solid foundation were honored at Friday night’s 50th Anniversary Gala. The Hellenic Cultural Center welcomed friends and family of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club, including some of the earliest members. The audience of distinguished guests included former board members, board presidents, and executive directors, along with the Governor of Massachusetts.

Government

Health Director Rips Governor’s Decision to Take Vaccinations Away from Local Health Departments

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Watertown Health Director Larry Ramdin said he was “extremely disappointed” with Gov. Charlie Baker’s decision to remove local health departments from the COVID-19 vaccination process and handing it to privately run vaccination sites. Ramdin told the Board of Health that received word of the change on Wednesday, the same day that the Watertown Health Department gave vaccines to 100 residents age 75 or older. He said health departments have better training and can administer more doses than pharmacies and other vaccination sites. “We have been going through this. Every one of the clinics we host is a drill for an emergency dispensing site.

Around Town

New COVID-19 Rules on Face Masks, Restaurants, Private Gatherings Start Friday

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Massachusetts residents face new regulations that include an evening stay-at-home advisory, tightens face covering rules, closes some businesses early, reduces size of requires earlier closing times for some businesses and reduces the allowed size of gatherings. Gov. Charlie Baker announced the changes to the COVID-19 rules this week. The stay-at-home advisory for “unnecessary activities” runs from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Face masks or coverings must be worn in all public places (even if it is possible to stay 6 feet apart)The businesses that must close by 9:30 p.m. include restaurants, movie theaters, indoor and outdoor events and youth and adult sports activitiesGatherings at private residences are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors

Town Manager Michael Driscoll sent out the following information in his Weekly COVID-19 Update:

On Monday, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a series of targeted measures to disrupt the increasing trend of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Governor Baker announced these changes at a time where public health data has indicated that cases are rising, with cases up by 278 percent and hospitalizations up by 145 percent since Labor Day. These measures are meant to disrupt rising trends now, so the Commonwealth can keep the economy and schools open for residents and to prevent the need to roll back to Phase I or Phase II of the reopening plan.

Around Town

Gov. Baker Orders Most Day Care to Close During Coronavirus Crisis

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Most childcare providers will be closed beginning Monday in an effort to stop the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Gov. Charlie Baker announced Wednesday. Baker said that most child care providers would be closed, but added the state was also looking to create “a process for opening exempt emergency child care programs,” according to a Boston Globe article. The emergency child care programs will be for families of medical staff, emergency personnel and “others critical to fighting the COVID-19 outbreak,” Baker said. These programs will be the only ones allowed to operate during this state of emergency, Baker added. The state will continue to give childcare providers subsidy payments to help them through the Coronavirus crisis.

Charlie Baker

OP-ED: Republicans Can Send a Strong Message for Change by Leaving Governor Blank on Ballot

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The Ugly History of the MA-GOP:
It’s time Republicans and Republican leaning voters send a clear message to the MA-GOP. For decades we’ve tolerated mediocre Republican Governors, telling ourselves: “that’s the best we can do in Massachusetts.” Sure, we’re not likely to elect someone like Scott Walker or Mike Pence to the corner office on Beacon Hill anytime soon. But we can certainly do better than the likes of Bill Weld and his boy wonder Charlie Baker, who not only are as far left on a plethora of issues as Bernie Sanders, but they have become notorious for undermining  Republicans, from mayoral contenders right up to presidential nominees. The policies of these feckless RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) are bad enough.

Aging

Governor Taps Tufts Health Plan Foundation Member for State Council on Aging

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Nora Moreno Cargie, president of Tufts Health Plan Foundation and vice president for corporate citizenship for Tufts Health Plan, was named by Governor Charlie Baker to the state’s first Governor’s Council to Address Aging in Massachusetts, the foundation announced. The council, comprising leaders from the business community, academia, health care, technology and innovation, advocacy organizations, caregivers, community organizations, and municipalities, will develop a plan to make Massachusetts the most age-friendly state. Older adults are the largest and fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, and they will make up 23% of the Massachusetts population by 2035. “The notion that people are fully retired at the age of 65 is inconsistent with what I see around Massachusetts every day,” said the governor. “Many of our older adults still have ample time, energy and talent available to start a second or third career, volunteer in their community, become a mentor, or pursue an unfulfilled passion.

Business

Governor Wants to Know if Businesses Had Losses Due to Bad Weather

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Gov. Charlie Baker will be applying for federal relief for businesses in Massachusetts that had losses due to the recent stretch of bad weather, and the Watertown Belmont Chamber of Commerce can help. 

Businesses are being asked to participate in a survey organized by chambers of commerce and business groups to gauge the impact of the winter weather. The survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5SNZLYS

The deadline for survey responses is  noon on Monday, March 2, 2015.