Skip to content
Newton, Needham, Watertown, Wellesley
Subscribe to our free e-newsletter
Our Region
Directory
Member Login

Rage is all the rage

(0) Comments

It’s nice to be nice.
 
But it’s not required by law.
 
That's according to a Supreme Judicial Court ruling this week that towns, cities, and public agencies cannot silence a person during public comment portions of meetings for making rude statements.
 
The court ruled that the state’s constitution lets citizens verbally confront public officials, even to the point of calling them Hitler, and officials can't just kill the microphones to shut up angry people at public meetings, writes Adam Gaffin at Universal Hub.  
 
The SJC also determined that a bylaw in Southborough, which required statements to be "respectful and courteous, free of rude, personal, or slanderous remarks" and which bars shouting and "inappropriate language" was unconstitutional.  
 
And that makes it all the more remarkable that we have so many decent folks willing to serve on our local elected and appointed boards and commissions.
 
I'll have what Waltham's having
 
Anyone worried about the future of the West Newton Cinema might want to look at plans to establish a nonprofit performing arts center at the recently closed Embassy cinema in Waltham for inspiration.
 
Smaranda Albeck, an operator of the rhythmic gymnastics school, Boston Rhythmic (which currently offers classes in Watertown and Newton), acquired the 20,000 SF Embassy building this week for $4.5 million, reports Jon Chesto at the Globe.
 
Albeck is planning to establish the Embassy Performing Arts Center.
 
ļ»æTwo of the Embassy’s six theaters will once again show movies. The four remaining rooms will be used for classrooms for dance, theater, rhythmic gymnastics, and other performing arts.
 
Last July, West Newton Cinema owner David Bramante entered into an agreement to sell his theater building to Newton's Mark Development.
 
In turn, Mark Development has agreed to allow the Bramante family to operate the six-screen cinema while it explores opportunities to establish a nonprofit theater and purchase the building back at cost.
 
We understand those plans are continuing to move forward.
 
Lasell finds its next leader in house
Lasell University Provost Eric Turner has emerged as the only final candidate in the search for its next president.
 
Before joining Lasell in 2017 as VP of graduate and professional studies, Turner chaired the university’s board of trustees and was a Lasell Village trustee.
 
Turner also brings considerable private sector experience, including key roles at State Street, IBM, the Massachusetts State Lottery, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
 
And he's well-known to our chamber community. He’s been a long-time member of our scholarship committee and was named to our 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color list in 2020.
 
He will succeed another chamber friend, Michael Alexander, who is retiring at the end of this academic year after 16 years on the job.
 
“While we considered a number of outstanding candidates, throughout this process we heard one name over and over again from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Village residents,” Lori Hindle, vice chair of Lasell’s board wrote in an email to the community. “That name was Eric Turner. The support for Eric has been overwhelming.”
 
Coming and going
 
  • Mount Alvernia High School, an all-girls Catholic school at 790 Center Street in Newton, is closing after the academic year and selling its 23-acre campus. No buyer was identified in a statement. The property is currently assessed at $30.9 million. (Boston Globe).
 
 
 
  • Landry's bike store is moving to Needham. Their new larger location, in the plaza where Panera is located on Highland Ave., is about one mile from its current Needham Street location.
 
  • Because there’s no such thing as too many cookies, New York City-based Chip City is looking in our direction for expansion. They’re opening at Arsenal Yards in Watertown around the middle of the year. (BBJ)
 
A few more need to knows
 
  • Incumbent Beth Sullivan Woods was the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s Wellesley Select Board contest. Voters also returned incumbent Tom Ulfelder to the board over multi-time challenger Odessa Sanchez. Turnout was 25%. Unofficial results here.
 
  • With Newton voters heading to the polls Tuesday to decide on three override questions, it’s a shame that the Globe has yet to publish a single article in the final run-up to the election. Fortunately, there’s substantial reporting available from the Newton Beacon and Fig City News.
 
  • It looks like it's the last call for the rules allowing to sell to-go cocktails. Yesterday the state Senate declined to follow the lead of the House and extend the measure beyond its March 31 expiration. The Globe’s Jon Chesto provides background.
 
  • MassBike and State Sen. Will Brownsberger are hosting a virtual webinar on March 13 at noon to discuss Massachusetts’; new traffic safety laws designed to make it safer to walk, bike, and roll throughout the commonwealth. RSVP.
 
Street banners ‘Celebrate Newton’
Celebrate Newton banner
Four artists were selected to create approximately 130 light pole banners now going up across Newton that aim to celebrate the city’s culture, history, diversity, values, and beauty.
 
Each banner includes the words “Celebrate Newton” in the eight most common languages spoken in Newton (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Russian, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, and Italian).
 
The program is the latest initiative from the civic-minded folks at Newton Community Pride, the same nonprofit that was behind the recently painted doors, benches, and other efforts that have enlivened the city’s villages.
 
Here’s a resource for thinking about where we can put housing
 
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the regional planning agency, analyzed more than 3,000 strip malls and shopping centers across Greater Boston last year – including in our four chamber communities -- and estimated that such sites could accommodate 124,000 new homes.
 
The report includes an interactive map of potential real estate retrofits with specific site data. 
 
Rage is all the rage
 
We began this morning writing about angry participants at public meetings.
 
We end with some perspective for restaurant, hotel, shop service, or other business owners who are experiencing an uptick in bad Yelp reviews and other complaints.
 
It’s not just you.
 
The number of customers who seek “revenge” on a business after they feel they’ve been treated badly has tripled since the start of the pandemic, according to the annual National Customer Rage Survey.
 
"Even after 20 years of intensively researching customer rage, I remain astonished that — when sorting out ordinary product and service problems — acts of simple kindness and a sense of kinship are, all too often, in short supply,” said the study’s author, adding that "customer hostility appears to be mutating like a virus.”
 
Turns out the day of the week can also be a factor in whether your customers are happy or not.
 
Your best chance of getting positive Yelp reviews is on a Friday. Mondays are the worst day for Yelp reviews, according to Marketplace.
 
Which should make many business operators wary about this coming Monday.
 
Not only will we all be grumpy after losing an hour of sleep with the start of Daylight Savings Time and tired from staying up too late Sunday to watch the Oscars, but online sports betting in Massachusetts starts today, which by its very nature will turn out more losers than winners.
 
And that, my friends, is why I won't be back in your inbox until Tuesday! See you then.
ļ»æ
 
That’s your need to knows for today, Mario Day unless you need to know how hot dogs can explain inflation and the seasonal job market.
 
 
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President
617.244.1688
 
 
P.S. This newsletter is only possible because of the financial support from our members. If you find our communications, advocacy, and programs helpful or interesting, please join us today.

Leave a Comment
* Required field

subscribe

Receive Chamber News straight to your inbox

sign up
News Index