New Charles Street Salon Hits Unforeseen Roadblock
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Stay Home & Stay Healthy Email [email protected] or [email protected] or call 781-485-0588 for your Beacon Hill Times information APRIL 16, 2020 You are not stuck at home... You are SAFE TTHEHE BBEEACONACON HHILLILL TTIMESIMES at home THERE ARE NO TIMES LIKE THESE TIMES Upstairs Antonio’s offers unique way Downstairs to show gratitude to MGH staff Antiques endures By Dan Murphy or instead provide the restaurant with the recipient’s contact infor- trouble-plagued Antonio’s Cucina Italiano is mation and Antonio’s will contact offering patrons a unique way them directly for their orders. month to show their gratitude to Mass If someone would like to con- General with a special offer for tribute to the cause but doesn’t By Dan Murphy food deliveries to the hospital’s have a recipient in mind, they can doctors, nurses and other employ- also opt to provide their credit March was a month plagued ees working in the age of COVID- card number to the restaurant, with troubles for Upstairs 19. which will then select MGH staff Downstairs Antiques. Steven Colarusso, owner of the members from a particular floor The first setback for the long- restaurant at a 288 Cambridge St., of the hospital. standing Charles Street business said good Samaritans can 617- The restaurant would choose that helped launch the annual 367-3310 and provide their credit recipients from different floors in Beacon Hill Holiday Stroll came card number for a delivery to a the hospital each day to ensure on March 10 when a fire hydrant specific MGH staff member. They that donations are distribut- at Pinckney Street and Cedar can select particular dishes for a ed evenly among MGH staff, Lane Way burst during routine recipient from the online menu maintenance by the Boston Water at www.antoniosbeaconhill.com, (ANTONIO’S Pg. 2) and Sewer Commission. Two feet of water from the hydrant seeped through the walls and flooded Walsh outlines city’s efforts the rear of the store, destroying much of its inventory in the proc- cess. in preparation of COVID surge Laura Cousineau, proprietor, government talk about reopening Walking along Mt. Vernon Street was more challenging after the high By Lauren Bennett the economy after May 1, Walsh (ANTIQUES Pg. 6) winds toppled this tree on Monday. Mayor Walsh continues to said that this is “not only unreal- stress the importance of social istic; it’s impossible. “This is not Beacon Hill Civic Association Community Corner distancing, especially as the state the time to talk about going back prepares for a surge in cases of to normal,” he said. “We will start Beacon Hill’s History COVID-19. He also provided to continue to move forward after some updates on programming the surge passes.” of Supporting and resources the city is offering He said that as of Sunday eve- Affordable Housing residents through press confer- ning, 29 patients are in the hospi- ences and releases. tal side of the Boston Convention As of April 14, Boston had and Exhibition Center field hos- by Suzanne Besser 4,286 cases and 84 deaths. So far, pital, and 16 are on the homeless From its earliest days, the 547 people have recovered from individuals side. Beacon Hill Civic Association the virus. Walsh also said that there has has sought to preserve Beacon Mayor Walsh said on April 13 been “quick progress” on the Hill as a residential neighbor- that “the next two weeks are very small business relief fund, and hood for individuals and families critical to achieving our goal,” the City has received nearly 3000 of all economic backgrounds. and that the number of cases in applications. Businesses can use Leaders in the community have Boston have “more than doubled this money towards rent, payroll, a long history of creating afford- in the past 7 days.” or other challenges this virus has able housing and raising money He said that new projections presented. Walsh said that this put the peak’s arrival “closer to round of funding has closed, but Rogerson Communities Beacon House located at 16 Myrtle Street, the end of April.” he will make an announcement (BHCA, Pg. 7) Beacon Hill As some states and the federal (SURGE Pg. 5) For the latest news in Beacon Hill that you need to know, check www.beaconhilltimes.com 2 PAGE 2 THE BEACON HILL TIMES APRIL 16, 2020 City Council to discuss ways to help residents facing displacement or in need of rental assistance By Lauren Bennett way we did before this pandemic.” who are either not eligible for He said they figured that the ed concerns about undocumented Councilor Ed Flynn said that unemployment benefits or whose $3 million would go to between immigrants and language barriers The City Council Committee over 16 million Americans have titles would mean that they would 700 and 800 applicants. “We’re when it came to the application, as on Housing and Community filed for unemployment over the not receive enough money to pay still waiting to figure out exactly well as the short window of time Development held a virtual Zoom past few weeks. “This hearing their rent. how this is going to play out,” he for people to apply for this round would be a good vehicle to discuss Due to the number of appli- said, “considering we don’t even meeting on April 9 on two differ- of funding. how we can continue to protect cants, Williams said they decid- know how long this crisis is going ent hearing orders that have been “Our focus has been on the filed regarding assistance for those tenants,” he said. “I still believe ed to hold a lottery, and “[the to last.” work of this fund and we know facing eviction, displacement, and that this is an important conver- Department of Neighborhood DND has also screened out ten- that there’s that need out there and who are in need of rental assis- sation to have and I suspect it will Development (DND)] is work- ants who are not from Boston tance. be one we will continue to discuss ing very hard to find additional to “ensure that the resources are some people might fall through the Councilor Ed Flynn filed an in our city.” funds,” she said. going to the right folks. We really cracks and that is on us,” Forde “order for a hearing to discuss The $3 million in City funds Taylor Cain, the Director of the just want to stress that this money said. “We want to make sure that ways to support tenants facing to help residents pay rent “is just Innovation Housing Lab, said that is not directed towards the land- this is a fair and equitable pro- the tip of the iceberg,” said City the housing lottery form is avail- lord,” he added,” so as to not eviction and displacement,” and cess.” Councilor Kenzie Bok. “This able in six different languages, “penalize the tenant for the land- Councilor Lydia Edwards filed an Councilor Edwards said that comes on top of a situation where and they are also thinking about lord’s inaction.” “order for a hearing regarding the the City Council will have a “fol- people were not able to keep stable households who don’t have “reli- The lottery ended at noon on creation of temporary rental assis- housing,” she said. She added that able access to the Internet.” April 10, and the goal after the low up conversation on this exact tance to support residents impact- recently released data show “an DND Housing Policy Manager lottery is to get the payments fund. The questions don’t end ed by COVID-19.” enormous, off the charts applica- Tim Davis said that the federal issued before May 1, said Katie today and the concerns don’t end Councilor Edwards pointed tion for SNAP benefits.” CARES Act “provides significant Forde, Operations Manager for today because the crisis doesn’t out that ”this is not a new con- “Big pieces of this are going to resources which will keep many the Office of Housing Stability. end today,” she said. “There’s les- versation for many…” as “many have to be done at the federal and renters stabilized.” He also said City Councilor Julia Mejia sons we can learn as we go along.” people are already dealing with state level,” she continued, but she that Black and Latino Bostonians asked what would be done for the She said she believes the people a 6, 7, 8 alarm fire and this pan- said the Council will do “what we are most likely to be in jobs where residents who enter the lottery but working in the city departments demic poured gasoline on it,” she can to push some of our larger they will be laid off. do not win. Forde said that the are “doing the best they can,” and said. This hearing was the first of agendas around tenants rights.” Additionally, “we are con- city is “tracking people to make that she will make sure that the many conversations that will help Dominique Williams, Director cerned that unemployment ben- sure they don’t fall through the the City “hopefully come up with of the Office of Housing Stability, efits will not do enough” to help cracks,” and staff across DND working session related to these additional resources to not only said that 4,467 households had the city’s 18,000 undocumented who speak multiple languages hearing orders is interpreted to deal with this pandemic, but the applied to the rental relief fund workers.