The City of Lynn is currently in a modified Phase 2, Step 2 until further notice. Learn more by clicking here.

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COVID-19 Relief for Businesses Application Deadline this Friday

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

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.

The above info. was provided to us by Mayor McGee’s office.

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Statewide Exit Renumbering Project Notification

Please be advised that MassDOT is in the process of converting all exit numbers on freeways to a milepost-based numbering system, per Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements. Work takes place on each corridor in the east to west or north to south direction. Work typically is completed during the overnight hours and the contractors are required to complete the full interchange before moving along to the next exit.

The following corridor will begin conversion in approximately a week:

• Corridor: US Route 3
• Approximate start date: Jan. 20
• Approximate construction duration: 2 weeks
• Location: Tyngsborough to Burlington
• Hours of operation: 8:00 PM – 5:00 AM

For more information on the project please visit the project’s website. If needed, a GIS shapefile with the specific numbering information is available on Massachusetts’ GeoDOT site.

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North Shore Community College offering free IET IT program

The Integrated Education & Training (IET) Information Technology (IT) program is a 20-week education and workforce training course of the Adult Learning Center at North Shore Community College.  The program starts on February 10, 2021 and ends on June 24, 2021.  The IET-IT program is FREE to eligible students, and is equivalent to a $5,400 “scholarship.” Computer, academic, and college and career readiness instruction, coupled with individualized advising, are core components of the program. All textbooks are provided free of charge.

Employees with these industry certifications and skills are in great demand for well-paying entry level IT jobs in the North Shore and metro Boston areas!

Eligible applicants:

• will have an interest in a career in IT
• are at least 16 years old
• are not currently enrolled in high school
• have or have not earned a high school diplomaApplicants interested in an IT career and who have completed college level courses are eligible. Priority is given to limited income, unemployed, and under-employed individuals.

Please Note: The Spring 2021 IET-IT Program will be taught completely ONLINE using Zoom, Google Classroom, Aztec, and other online platforms due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Live classroom instruction occurs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9am-2pm. Students must be able to commit to all three days during that timeframe.

Instruction includes preparation for the certification exams in CyberSAFE and CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+), and instruction in Service Desk & Support Analyst, Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Google Applications (Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides).

The program also includes academic instruction to prepare students for the HiSET exam (high school diploma equivalency) as needed, and/or preparation for Accuplacer, the college credit placement exam.  In addition, workplace focused activities such as individual career exploration, resume development, problem solving, communication, and job interviewing skills are included. Participants learn to conduct job searches and research culminating in a final project and virtual presentation.

For more information and to apply, please contact Wendy Pearson by February 2, 2021 via email by clicking here or calling 978-236-1232.

The above information was provided to us by North Shore Community College. Learn more by clicking here.

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The Salvation Army Food Pantry will only be open TUESDAY and FRIDAY this week, due to low food. Healthy volunteers are needed during pantry hours, which are 1-4pm at Manning Field.
Please stop by The Salvation Army, 1 Franklin St. from 8am-1pm to fill out a volunteer form if you are interested.

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MBTA Advisory: Ferry Schedule Changes Take Effect January 23

Hingham direct service and all Charlestown ferry service temporarily suspended. Weekday Hingham/Hull service will operate with reduced frequency.

The MBTA is announcing today that ferry schedule changes will take effect on January 23, 2021, as approved by the Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) in December 2020. The changes include the temporary suspension of all Charlestown (F4) service, the temporary suspension of direct Hingham (F1) ferry service, and reduced weekday Hingham/Hull ferry service frequency. These changes are part of Forging Ahead, the MBTA’s plan to preserve transit access and quality of service available to transit-critical customers and were approved last month along with other service adjustments to other modes of travel in the MBTA system. These short-term service changes for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) help match service levels with current and near-term low ridership demand.

For a full and complete listing of all upcoming service changes, including all changes to bus routes, Commuter Rail lines, and subway frequency, please visitwww.mbta.com/ForgingAhead.

With ferry ridership approximately 12% of pre-COVID levels, these changes in ferry service effective January 23, 2021, aim to align service with the lower ridership levels experienced during the pandemic. On January 23, 2021, the following changes will occur to ferry service:

• Direct Charlestown (F4) and Hingham (F1) ferry service will be temporarily suspended.
• Weekday Hingham/Hull service will operate with reduced frequency. A total of 17 weekday trips to Boston will make stops from Hingham to Long Wharf (nine trips directly to Long Wharf with two trips also stopping at Hull for a total of 11) and from Hull to Long Wharf (seven direct trips total) with the first trip from Hingham at 5:40 AM, the first trip from Hull at 6 AM, the last trip from Hingham at 7 PM, and the last trip from Hull at 4:20 PM. Seventeen weekday return trips to Hingham/Hull will make stops between Long Wharf, Hull, and Hingham with the first trip from Long Wharf to Hingham at 6:30 AM and the last trip between Long Wharf, Hull, and Hingham at 8 PM.
• There will be no weekend Hingham/Hull ferry service.

The complete schedule of upcoming Hingham/Hull ferry trips effective January 23, 2021, will be available soon at www.mbta.com/schedules.

The FMCB will assess service needs again on all modes by no later than March 15, 2021, and will allocate additional resources to meet ridership demand if feasible. The timing of all service restoration will also depend on public health guidance (including guidance on the continued need for social distancing) and the timing of the Commonwealth’s post-vaccination re-opening plan.

The MBTA and FMCB continue to discuss how the MBTA will re-add, rebuild, and increase service. Ridership will be monitored with MBTA staff returning to the FMCB every month to show where ridership stands compared to service planning scenarios. Other data sources will also be monitored, including passenger surveys, employer surveys, roadway data, general travel data, and economic recovery planning. FY22 service levels will be planned beginning in February/March 2021 as part of FY22 budget process.

The MBTA’s Forging Ahead initiative aims to preserve access and quality of service for transit-critical communities and to match service to existing ridership levels. Ferry ridership is approximately 12% of its pre-COVID levels. As part of its Forging Ahead initiative, the MBTA organized a months-long process to solicit the public’s input, including more than 7,000 comments from riders and stakeholders and which was used to shape the final plan approved by the FMCB.

For more information, visit mbta.com/ForgingAhead, or connect with the T on Twitter@MBTA, Facebook /TheMBTA, or Instagram @theMBTA.