LEHS Drama Club Creating Work Despite COVID-19, virtual show set to premiere on January 8th

Having worked for weeks, individually recording their scenes under the safest of guidelines, the students of the LEHS drama club have created three short works to premiere virtually on January 8 2021. Each student recorded all their scenes following a guide audio recording in their ears so that the individual scenes would sync up to create whole scenes with as many as ten actors. Some were recorded in spaces in the school building while others were done in front of a green screen. The scenes are now being put together, edited and digitally manipulated to create a whole work. The show is called “Three for One (341)” and consists of three short plays.

The Lost Girl, or First Chair by Lauren Yee: When the first chair violinist at a performing arts high school disappears, the competition is on to find her replacement. As the girls who occupy the second to fifth chairs vie for the prime spot, the mystery of what exactly happened to Katie, the first chair, unfolds.

Old Folks by Max Posner What separates the teen years from the seventies, eighties and nineties? Not as much as you might think. As these old folks reminisce about each other and their pasts, their younger selves come forward to give a glimpse of their youth before they move on.

The Astonishing and Dangerous History of Mazefield the Frog by Jen Silverman What do you get when you mix jealous sisters, the meanest kids on the planet, skateboarders, internet dating, foreign spies and a homicidal vigilante frog? The best school dance ever!

Three for One is a collection of three short plays all created specifically by professional contemporary playwrights to be performed by teen actors. This play is free for any student who wishes to see it. Adults may purchase tickets on a “pay what you can” scale, and we are also asking for donations from anyone who can afford it to help keep our group going.

To see the show visit showtix4u.com and search for LEHS Drama Club. The show will be available for viewing from January 8-14 but you can get your ticket now!

The above press release & pictures were provided to us by the Lynn English High School Drama Club.

Updates from state government

• As of Monday night, DPH reported a total of 375,455 cases of COVID-19. The state reported 4,358 new confirmed cases. The state has now confirmed a total of 12,401 deaths from the virus.
• Massachusetts first responders will begin receiving COVID-19 vaccinations next week, while some of the state’s oldest residents will move up in line to access the crucial immunization, state officials announced Monday. Governor Baker said the more than 45,000 police officers, firefighters and EMTs in Massachusetts will gain access to the first doses starting Jan. 11.
• The Baker administration is also finalizing details on several sites that will be able to administer 2,000 vaccines per day, which should open to first responders by the end of the month. Those mass vaccination sites will likely expand into serving other populations as the months-long distribution plan unfolds.
• With responders up next, the administration has started offering vaccines to three of the six groups outlined in the first phase of its distribution plan. Those in congregate care settings such as correctional facilities and shelters, home-based health care workers, and health care workers who are not involved in COVID response are next on the list. Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said the state will increase the priority level for residents aged 75 and older and allow them to receive vaccines early in the second rollout stage. They will now fall into “Phase Two, Group One” alongside individuals who have two or more comorbidities increasing their risk of serious illness.
• Secretary Sudders said the update, which will affect about 170,000 Massachusetts residents, follows new federal guidelines for vaccine prioritization based on the higher threats that older adults face from the respiratory illness and its complications. Under the original plan, all adults 65 years old and older were near the bottom of the list for receiving vaccines in the second phase, which officials aim to run between February and April. The change leapfrogs those 75 and older ahead of workers in early education, K-12 education, transit, grocery stores, utilities, food and agriculture, sanitation, public works and public health workers.
• Legislation (S 2995) setting a net-zero greenhouse gas emission limit for 2050 and establishing emissions limits every five years over the next 30 years made its way to Governor Baker’s desk Monday after the Legislature fast-tracked a compromise version. The House enacted the bill on a 145-9 vote. A six-member conference committee negotiated differences between House and Senate versions for about six months and released their agreement Sunday.
• There is only one day left before the end of the 2019-2020 session and by midnight Tuesday lawmakers must halt their work for the current session. The House held open a formal session all day Monday and advanced a large bunch of local bills and fiscal 2021 budget line-item veto overrides. The House resumes its formal session on Tuesday at noon, when lawmakers might have an idea whether major transportation and economic development bills will emerge.
• The Senate passed the multi-faceted climate policy bill, 38-2, a day after it was reported by a House-Senate negotiating team. The only dissent in the Senate came from two members of the four-man GOP caucus, and the legislation (S 2995) was sent to Governor Baker on a voice vote around suppertime.
• The Senate and House also continued to shuttle local bills back and forth and process overrides to Governor Baker’s budget line-item vetoes. Both branches are back at noon Tuesday, the final day of this General Court, when they can only meet for a maximum of 12 hours before all unresolved legislation dies at midnight
• Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care on Monday said their previously announced plan to become one organization has taken effect, as of Jan. 1, 2021, with all regulatory approvals in hand. The organization plans to announce its new name in the second quarter of 2021.

Special thanks to MassAccess for sharing these updates with us.

From Mayor McGee’s office: The Lynn Public Health Department has confirmed that as of today, the number of active, confirmed positive COVID-19 cases is 2,025 with 210 new cases today. 9,730 Lynn residents have recovered and 161 have died. The total number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Lynn since March 21, 2020, including those who have died and recovered, is 11,916. Please visit the City of Lynn COVID-19 Data Dashboard which is updated daily.

COVID-19 Relief for Businesses

Last month, the Commonwealth made an additional $668 million available to support businesses through new and existing programs. Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) will target a portion of these funds to sectors experiencing the most significant economic hardship and a loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This business relief fund targets the hardest hit small businesses that have an exceptional need of cash relief. The application period is currently open until Friday, January 15^th. Businesses can apply here: Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (4) Application Manager (submittable.com)

Please visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-resources-and-guidance-for-businesses for more information on the small business relief program and how to apply.

Please visit http://www.ci.lynn.ma.us/covid19/resources.shtml#p7GPc1_2 for the most up to date COVID-19 Testing information.

We will continue to provide regular updates on COVID-19 and any Snow Emergency Parking Bans through the City website (www.lynnma.gov), social media, and the Smart 911 emergency notification system (sign up at www.smart911.com).