The Garlick Press – Thursday, January 21, 2021

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

In all our many losses related to the worldwide Covid 19 pandemic and overwhelming concerns related to our society, the words of Amanda Gorman at President Biden’s inauguration instilled hope and resolve for the days ahead. May these excerpts also give you strength:

“…in this truth, in this faith we trust, for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us. This is the era of redemption… we will rise from the golden hills of the West. We will rise from the windswept Northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution, we will rise from the sunbaked South. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover. For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it.”

Yours in Service,

Denise

• In Needham, the Needham Unite Against Racism Working Group is holding a virtual public meeting on Monday, January 25 at 6:00 PM to offer feedback on the Group’s draft vision statement and guiding principles for achieving racial equity in Needham. For more information on this meeting, click here.
• In Dover, Parks and Recreation is holding a “Home Alone Safety Training” for youth ages 8 – 11 on Tuesday, February 9 at 4:30 PM. This training will help children make safe choices while at home. To register for the training, click here.
• In Medfield, the Planning Board will be holding a public hearing at 7:35 PM on Monday, February 1 via Zoom for the purpose of accepting public comments on the Town’s zoning by-laws. For more information on this meeting, click here.

• Starting today, all individuals included in Phase 1 of the Massachusetts vaccine rollout can register to receive the vaccine. Phase 1 includes COVID-facing healthcare workers, long term care facilities, first responders, congregate care settings, home-based healthcare workers, and non-covid-facing healthcare workers. For more information on the vaccine, click here.
• The Department of Public Health has announced the Stay at Home advisory for the hours of 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM will be rescinded on Monday, January 25 at 5:00 AM.
• The COVID-19 order that required certain business to close at 9:30 PM will be rescinded on Monday, January 25 at 5:00 AM. Liquor stores and other retail establishes that sell alcohol will be permitted to sell alcohol past 9:30 PM. Additonally, gatherings and events will be permitted to continue past 9:30 PM. For more information, click here.
• Today, 638 small businesses in the Commonwealth were awarded funding through the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program, administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation. At this time, the program has provided a total of 4,757 small businesses with direct financial support and additional grants will be announced in the coming weeks.

• On Sunday, December 15 the Commonwealth will roll back to Step 1 in Phase 3 of Massachusetts Reopening. This will reduce capacity for many sectors and tighten workplace restrictions. Additionally, restaurants, gyms, and offices have additional guidelines to follow. To learn more, click here.
• If you have questions, input, or comments regarding the Reopening Massachusetts plan, you can submit comments online. These comments can be used by the Administration to support efforts to methodically reopen the economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for the form.

• If you are in need of resources, information, or support, please visit my website for a list of resources. Additionally, our local boards of health, the Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control are continuing to maintain websites with the most updated information regarding COVID-19 that you can access here:

• Needham Health Department Updates
• Medfield Updates
• Dover Updates
• Department of Public Health: Click here or Call 2-1-1.
• Reopening Massachusetts
• COVID-19 Travel Order
• Centers for Disease Control