The Race to Reopen

May 18, 2021 Pace LaVia

It’s mid-May and Massachusetts residents are eager to take advantage of some of the wonders that New England has to offer — activities that many of us had to forgo in 2020 — such as baseball games, camping trips, beach days, fireworks, and graduations.

And now, the state of emergency put in place just over a year ago is coming to an end two months earlier than the Baker administration had originally planned.

With few exceptions, we’re a week away from the end of the mask mandate in Massachusetts with most other emergency measures including business capacity and gathering limits officially ending on June 15.

"The temporary limits and restrictions imposed on the private sector and on individuals were the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make," says Baker. "The loss and the isolation so many of our friends and families experienced is likely to impact all of us for a very long time."

Here is a list of places and situations that will still require face coverings after Memorial Day

Let us all rejoice and dig into this week’s curated list of Mass. political news.

Politics

Prominent Republican Figures Align With Trump Resistance Effort

The GOP is being ripped apart at the seams. There were lingering questions as to whether or not the wounds of the Big Lie and the Capitol riot were too big to heal. But now Republicans have answered those questions when they stripped Liz Cheney of her leadership position last week while moving a farcical Arizona recount into high gear. It’s now become painfully obvious that Trump’s grip on the party’s base is undeniable and that he now owns the Republican party.

The majority of Republicans are following Trump in lockstep as he works to exact revenge on his political enemies. However, a growing contingent of Republicans has banded together in a resistance movement. Among the 150 conservatives in the coalition is Former Governor Bill Weld.

Mitt Romney, another former Governor, is also helping to lead the resistance. Romney was recently awarded the JFK Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum for his “consistent and courageous defense of democracy.” Romney was the only Senate Republican with the nerve to vote to convict Donald Trump on impeachment charges in 2020. In fact, Romney is the first senator in history to vote to convict a president of his own party.

And although his name is not on the list of 150 Republican signatories on an open letter to the party, Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker, who has been critical of Trump, said Wednesday that he continues to believe in the "core values" of the Republican Party.

"I've had my differences, as everybody knows, with plenty of folks in the party over the course of the time that I've been in public life. But I'm a big believer in what the party fundamentally stands for, based on what I believe it stands for," Baker said at a press conference from the Norwood laboratory of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna.

According to recent polling, Baker is more popular with Democrats and independents than with voters in his own party. When asked if he agreed with Cheney that the Republican Party was "abandoning the rule of law and democratic principles" in fealty to Trump, Baker said Cheney was right in her defense of the election results.

"I made very clear that I felt the election process that took place back in November was fair, and that President Joe Biden won the election. And on these issues I believe Liz Cheney is absolutely right," said Baker, one of the few Republican leaders that didn’t vote for Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Last week, Baker took part in a bipartisan virtual meeting with President Biden and five other governors to discuss effective vaccination strategies. The following day, Baker said he has found governors to be less hyper-partisan than Washington politicians.

"One of the things I like about playing this role as governor is the fact that most governors will pick up the phone when you call them and help you try to solve whatever problem it is that you're trying to solve and vice versa because we have a lot of commonality on that, and I think in some ways it's something I wish there was a lot more of at the federal level," Baker said.

More Politics

Business

Massachusetts Launches Employer Vaccination Program

In an effort to expand vaccination efforts in the bay state, Massachusetts is launching an Employer Vaccination Program this week. The program lets companies reserve a block of time for their workforce at mass vaccination sites.

Companies will also have the option of setting up a kiosk or table at the sites. And companies with 35 or more employees will be eligible for pop-up clinics at their place of business.

In order to take part in the program, employers must survey employees to confirm that they are willing to participate.

More Business

Energy

It’s official. After hundreds of hours of public hearings and the review of more than 33,000 public comments, the federal Bureau of Ocean Management has given the green light to the Vineyard Wind project.

Located 15 miles off the southern coast of Martha's Vineyard, the massive project is the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S. The project is integral to Mass. efforts to become carbon neutral by 2050 and is expected to create thousands of jobs here in the bay state.

Offshore wind is also a central part of President Biden's clean energy agenda. Biden is calling a staggering $2.5 trillion in spending on renewable energy projects over the next decade.

Construction will begin this year and start supplying power by 2023. Once completed, the facility is expected to power more than 400,000 Massachusetts homes and businesses.

More Energy News

Transportation

MassDOT Chosen for NASA Development Partnership

NASA announced Friday that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division has been selected for the space agency’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Community Planning and Integration Partnership Opportunity. The program gives the MassDOT the opportunity to partner, collaborate, and exchange information with other agencies from Ohio, Minnesota, Orlando, and North Central Texas also chosen for the program.

Many industry experts believe electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will be available later this decade. The program seeks to develop a green, quiet, and equitable mobility option for these next-generation air vehicles.

MassDOT Aeronautics Administrator Dr. Jeffrey DeCarlo had this to say about the program:

“MassDOT Aeronautics is pleased to have been accepted by NASA for this partnership opportunity as we have been collaborating with other entities already in an effort to make the Commonwealth of Massachusetts an early adopter location for advanced air mobility operations. Massachusetts is looking to be at the forefront of early community demonstrations, policy solutions, and initial operations and we feel privileged to be working with team members who are true visionaries and global thought leaders from academia, industry, and government.”

Information from NASA on the program can be found on their website.

More Transportation News

Real Estate

Alexandria Real Estate Equities closes $130 million purchase of the Watertown Mall

The Watertown Mall, just minutes outside of Boston, was purchased by Alexandria Real Estate Equities. The Mall houses 260,867-square-feet of shop space on 17.8 acres and, unlike most malls in the U.S. today which are turning into ghost towns, the Watertown Mall is 98% occupied and hosts more than 2.7 million customers annually. More than 344,000 residents live within a three-mile radius of the facility which is adjacent to the 1-million-square-foot Arsenal Yards mixed-use redevelopment project.

More Real Estate

Cannabis

Largest Marijuana Dispensary On East Coast Opens in Boston

Ascend, Downtown Boston’s first retail marijuana shop, had its grand opening Thursday. The 16,000 square-foot adult recreational dispensary is said to be the largest on the East Coast.

There is limited parking in the area and customers are encouraged to use public transportation. Ascend is located on Friend Street, right near North Station and the TD Garden. Customers can order online for pickup or delivery and “budtenders” are standing by to answer questions concerning the shop’s menu of cannabis products.

Ascend is also planning to open dispensaries in New Bedford and Newton.

Check out CBD Local’s report here: Downtown Boston's First Retail Marijuana Shop Has Grand Opening; Said To Be Largest Dispensary On East Coast

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