COVID-19 Vaccines Arrive in Mission Hill
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COVID UPDATES, SEE PAGE 13 FREE 16 PAGES Mission Hill BOOK YOUR VOLUME 28 • NUMBER 12 POST IT Call Your Advertising Rep Printed on (617)524-7662 recycled paper GAZETTE Serving Mission Hill and the Longwood Medical and Academic Area 617-524-2626 • www.MissionHillGazette.com JANUARY 1, 2021 — FEBRUARY 4, 2021 Chang-Diaz in VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR support of the state’s COVID-19 vaccines police reform bill, but calls out its flaws arrive in Mission Hill State launches phased vaccination plan and dashboard BY LAUREN BENNETT BY JOHN LYNDS jamin Healthcare Center got her The police reform bill has been shot at the center’s first floor din- at the front of the minds of the On Monday Shirley Nolan, a ing room. The Benjamin Health- Massachusetts Legislature this retired teacher and resident of care Center is a Joint Commis- month, with the bill being sent to the Benjamin Healthcare Cen- sion, accredited Medicare and Governor Baker at the beginning ter in Mission Hill, became the Medicaid skilled nursing, reha- of the month, which he sent back first long-term care resident in bilitation, and long care facility with amendments. A new version Massachusetts to receive the new on Fisher Avenue in Mission Hill. is now before the Governor again COVID-19 vaccine. This week the Baker-Poli- after being approved by the Sen- Nolan received her vaccine to Administration launched a ate and the House. during a closed media event at COVID-19 vaccine dashboard Baker initially responded with the Benjamin Healthcare Center to update the public on vaccine some amendments that some in Mission Hill. distribution and progress on a elected officials, including Sen- “I’m glad that I got a shot weekly basis. The dashboard will ator Sonia Chang-Diaz, whose of something that can help this be posted every Thursday by 5 district covers Mission Hill, did virus that’s going around,” Nolan p.m. and will include information not agree with. told reporters after receiving the on vaccine supply distribution, In an email newsletter on De- first dose of her COVID vaccine. administration and other data. cember 19, Chang-Diaz wrote, “This could be the start of help- The new dashboard can be found “The changes cut at one of the ing people stop dying.” on the mass.gov/covidvaccine Mission Hill Main Streets honored the 2020 award recipients Nolan, a resident of the Ben- central goals of the bill: to not just who were recognized for their contributions to the community. Continued on page 5 hold officers accountable for mis- Pictured, Volunteer of the Year Recipient - Dan Weldon, MH conduct, but to reduce and pre- Little League with MHMS Board members Chorlette O’Neil, vent that very misconduct from Toni Komst and Eric Alden. See Pages 8 and 9 for story and Continued on page 2 more photos. Coalition for A Truly Affordable Boston calls for changes to the City’s IDP BY LAUREN BENNETT Jaya Ajyer, a Community Or- or job training.” ganizer at the Fenway Commu- She also said that “we know The Coalition for a Truly nity Development Corporation now that affordable is not really Affordable Boston, a group of (CDC) explained that the city’s affordable,” and many of these residents and community orga- current IDP includes a rule that units are “out of reach” for Black nizations who are calling on May- developers must provide 13 per- and Indigenous people of color or Martin Walsh to strengthen cent affordable housing in new and households without housing the city’s Inclusionary Develop- buildings, but “we know that 13 vouchers. ment Policy (IDP), held a virtual percent is not enough,” she said. The City of Boston uses Area Shirley Nolan receives the COVID-19 vaccine at Benjamin speak-out on December 9 where “This 13 percent is supposed to Median Income (AMI) as a mea- Healthcare Center in Mission Hill.The retired teacher is the first members explained the current go toward units in the building sure for defining affordability, long-term care resident in Massachusetts to receive a vaccine ID) policy and what they would to be affordable, or it can go to she said, but the AMI for Bos- under a federal program to prioritize long-term care residents. like to see changed. external affordable development (Photo courtesy of WHDH which was picked as for pool Continued on page 6 photography for the closed media event). 2 2 • JANUARY 1, 2021 • Mission Hill GAZETTE Update on vaccination schedule; residents in long-term care facilities receive their first doses BY LAUREN BENNETT for the New Year’s holiday, as nized…” vaccine will be part of the CVS doses already. gatherings are leading to further He said that this week, as part and Walgreens long term care Baker said that more informa- Governor Charlie Baker held spread of the virus. of an effort with CVS and Wal- vaccination program in the state, tion will be available next week a press conference on Decem- Baker then talked about greens, there will be more than and so far, 388 sites throughout about first responders, who are ber 30 to discuss updates to the COVID vaccinations to date, 50 vaccination clinics in long the Commonwealth have gotten next in line to receive the vaccine. state’s vaccination plan, as well which began earlier this week term care facilities, with around vaccine shipments. He said the state will “continue as address the current state of at the Soldiers’ Homes in Chelsea 20,000 individuals expected to The state has an immuniza- to do our best to keep the public COVID-19 in the state. and Holyoke. Phase One of the receive their first dose of the tion database, which showed at updated” as new information be- Baker said that as of Tuesday, state’s vaccine distribution plan vaccine this week. Over the next the end of the day Tuesday that comes available. there were 3,659 new confirmed is in full swing, with the long month, approximately 219,000 “just over 75,000 doses” of the In the meantime, Baker said cases of COVID-19. He said that term care portion starting a few first doses are expected to be vaccine have been administered that he wants residents “to con- 2,259 people were hospitalized weeks after healthcare workers administered to long term care in the state so far, but Baker said tinue to stay vigilant…” and to with the virus, and 431 patients began receiving their first doses. facilities across the state. that there is a delay in the re- “recognize and understand that are in the ICU. “Some of our most vulnerable So far, Massachusetts has re- porting and the numbers should the virus is still very much with After the Thanksgiving hol- residents who have served our ceived about 80,000 first doses of be more accurate around Thurs- us.” He said it is “critically im- iday, the state saw a “sharp in- country have been vaccinated Pfizer’s vaccine, and 146,000 first day of this week. He said a first portant for everybody to continue crease in new cases and hos- and received their first dose,” doses of the Moderna vaccine, order was placed for the second to be cautious and careful,” espe- pitalizations,” Baker said, and Baker said, which puts them Baker said. He said an addi- doses of vaccine to be shipped to cially with people outside of your the numbers are still increasing. “one step closer to being immu- tional 68,000 doses of the Pfizer sites that have administered first immediate household. Baker urged people to stay home enforcement commission.” remarks that the most recent much compromise on the part the other 49 states,” as well as Reform Bill The Senate discussed the mat- version of the bill does not in- of communities of color, and to banning chokeholds and restrict Continued from page 1 ter again on December 21, where clude “Substantial Qualified Im- have it returned with still more no-knock warrants, ban racial Chang-Diaz said she was in sup- munity reform; transparency for refusals to take power away from profiling as a police practice for happening in the first place. Un- port of the bill, but also men- the massive dollars we spend those who’ve had too much for the first time in Massachusetts, der the Governor’s amendments, tioned the things she believes it on locking up Black and brown too long.” “diminish the school-to-prison key powers to establish training still lacks. This new bill currently bodies and a mechanism for re- She said that after Baker sent pipeline for Black and brown curricula, set certification stan- before the governor is a combi- directing hard-won savings out the bill back with amendments, youth,” create a database where dards, and—most importantly— nation of the first bill that came of those carceral institutions and activists and leaders, including the public can see “substantiat- make rules about police use of from conference committee and back into communities; controls “…grasstops leaders spoke to ed records of police misconduct,” force would be taken away from the one with the amendments on the purchase of military-grade me about the disappointment, and several other things. the civilian-led POST board (“Po- made by Baker. equipment for the policing of our rage, and deep mistrust it evoked “Communities of color pushed lice Officer Standards & Train- Chang-Diaz said in her floor domestic streets; [and] clear, le- among their grassroots about through heartbreak, rage, and ing”) and returned to an all-law gally-binding definitions to con- whether this process would ever exhaustion to get meaningful law strain the use of force by police.” lead to real change.” enforcement reform this far— Chang-Diaz continued, “It Chang-Diaz then focused on and made more sacrifices and was especially heart-breaking what the bill would establish, compromises than they should to reach the turning point of which she said includes a civilian have been asked for.