Tobacco and nicotine products would eventually become banned in Massachusetts, under a regulatory trajectory that a trio of lawmakers hope will become law next session. Sen. Jason Lewis and Reps. Tommy Vitolo and Kate Lipper-Garabedian announced Monday they plan to file legislation in January that would permanently block Bay Staters who are not yet old… Continue reading Vitolo bill would gradually ban tobacco products in Massachusetts
Category: Health
News in brief: Town offers free Covid-19 test kits
The Brookline Department of Public Health and Human Services is offering free Covid-19 test kits to residents this fall. Residents can pick up free test kits at the following locations during regular business hours: Brookline Department of Public Health, 11 Pierce St. Public Libraries of Brookline: Main Library, 361 Washington St., Coolidge Corner Library, 31… Continue reading News in brief: Town offers free Covid-19 test kits
What to know about the anti-abortion center in Brookline
Town and state officials have ramped up their efforts to inform the public about what they say are the dangers of anti-abortion centers, including one in Brookline. Your Options Medical is located in a medical building at 1180 Beacon Street that contains several OBGYN offices and a family planning clinic. The town and state say… Continue reading What to know about the anti-abortion center in Brookline
Developer pauses demolition on Coolidge Corner site after community outcry over asbestos
Demolition of a historic garage near Coolidge Corner has been paused until at least Monday after a barrage of criticism from neighbors and elected town officials, who alleged that developer Chestnut Hill Realty did not adequately inform abutters and the community about the risks from asbestos in the building. Work at the Waldo-Durgin site, two… Continue reading Developer pauses demolition on Coolidge Corner site after community outcry over asbestos
15 cases of whooping cough identified in Brookline, town says
There have been 15 cases of whooping cough, also known as Pertussis, identified in Brookline over the last few weeks, according to town officials. Despite those cases, the risk of contracting whooping cough in Brookline remains “extremely low,” according to the town’s public health and human services director Sigalle Reiss. Reiss announced the news in… Continue reading 15 cases of whooping cough identified in Brookline, town says
News in brief: Town shrinks utility debt relief program; new hires start in town government; Brookline Center, BCF awarded grants
Town trims utility debt relief plan The town is shrinking its plans to provide relief from utility debt for residents, after a legal review that found the program would have violated state law. The original proposal, approved by the Select Board in April 2022, called for paying off about $614,000 in debt that approximately 1,000… Continue reading News in brief: Town shrinks utility debt relief program; new hires start in town government; Brookline Center, BCF awarded grants
Brookline man celebrates 600th platelet donation
Mel Stoler started donating blood platelets in the late 1980s, and he never stopped. 36 years after first walking past a table trying to recruit donors, Stoler, a lifelong Brookline resident, just hit a major milestone as he donated for the 600th time. He started, he said, because he learned that receiving donated platelets was… Continue reading Brookline man celebrates 600th platelet donation
News in brief: Town seeking feedback on Chestnut Hill commercial development, new public health council member
Chestnut Hill study committee seeks community feedback As a town study committee begins to explore opportunities for new commercial development along a stretch of Route 9 in Chestnut Hill, it is seeking feedback from the community. The committee is inviting the public to learn more and share comments at these upcoming events: A virtual community… Continue reading News in brief: Town seeking feedback on Chestnut Hill commercial development, new public health council member
New Coolidge Corner business offers social skills training for teens with autism
In her years of professional work and observing families around her, Jenny Chu, a speech language pathologist and long-time Brookline resident, saw a gap in treatment for teenagers with autism and other challenges. For young children, she said, there are “a ton of services” such as early intervention programs, preschools or other school-run programs. For… Continue reading New Coolidge Corner business offers social skills training for teens with autism
State court upholds Brookline’s first-in-the-nation generational tobacco ban
The highest court in Massachusetts upheld Brookline’s Tobacco Free Generation bylaw on Friday, rejecting a complaint from retailers who had challenged the pioneering law. The first-in-the-nation bylaw, passed in 2020, restricts convenience store owners from selling tobacco products to individuals born on or after January 1, 2000. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the… Continue reading State court upholds Brookline’s first-in-the-nation generational tobacco ban
In a challenging time for mental health treatment, the Brookline Center tries to chart a new course
Faced with soaring demand in the wake of the pandemic and a pool of providers that’s not growing nearly as quickly, the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health has launched a new initiative aimed at reimagining how it delivers services. The center, which sees nearly 1,500 patients a year and employs around 125 staff, has… Continue reading In a challenging time for mental health treatment, the Brookline Center tries to chart a new course
Brookline, Newton state Rep. Ruth Balser is retiring after 25 years in the State House
Ruth Balser, who represents parts of Brookline and Newton in the state legislature, will retire from her position at the end of this year. Balser, 75, has been the state representative for the 12th Middlesex District for 25 years, representing southern Newton and at times parts of Brookline. Most recently, because of redistricting in 2022,… Continue reading Brookline, Newton state Rep. Ruth Balser is retiring after 25 years in the State House
Marijuana use has decreased among Brookline High School students in last 10 years, study finds
This story was published in collaboration with Meghan E. Irons’ Reporting in Depth class at Boston University’s College of Communication. At the end of October, the town of Brookline released its Marijuana Landscape Assessment, which sought to provide insight into the effects of marijuana on the community and particularly on youth. The study used results from the… Continue reading Marijuana use has decreased among Brookline High School students in last 10 years, study finds
‘Walk With a Doc’ helps seniors get exercise, connect with healthcare professionals
This story was published in collaboration with Meghan E. Irons’ Reporting in Depth class at Boston University’s College of Communication. After her retirement in December 2022, Dr. Donna Michelson, a cardiologist, said she needed to answer one question: “How can I keep doing something I love?” Since June, Michelson has been leading inclusive group walks that educate… Continue reading ‘Walk With a Doc’ helps seniors get exercise, connect with healthcare professionals
Changing of the guard at a ‘home away from home’ for families of children with cancer
Dawn Emerman first came to The Boston House in 1979. She was 4 years old, and she arrived from Maine with her mother and younger sister, Danielle, who was being treated for medulloblastoma at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital. The Boston House, then a Ronald McDonald House, became their home away from home, a… Continue reading Changing of the guard at a ‘home away from home’ for families of children with cancer
SJC prods Brookline’s ‘novel’ phased tobacco ban
Brookline decided to take a creative approach to discouraging tobacco use two years ago, aiming to create a “tobacco-free generation” while acknowledging that current consumers may already be addicted to nicotine in a way that cuts against a total ban on tobacco sales. But the self-described “novel” law, which allows those currently of age to… Continue reading SJC prods Brookline’s ‘novel’ phased tobacco ban
Brookline’s tobacco-free generation law facing challenge in MA’s highest court
A legal challenge filed by local convenience store and gas station owners over Brookline’s landmark Tobacco Free Generation law, which prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2000, is headed to the highest court in Massachusetts next month. Oral arguments before the Supreme Judicial Court are scheduled to start Nov.… Continue reading Brookline’s tobacco-free generation law facing challenge in MA’s highest court
Erratic mail service frustrates residents as USPS struggles to hire
As Brookline’s postal service struggles with staffing issues, residents say they are missing important deliveries and are unable to count on their mail arriving on time or at all. Long-time residents say current problems with mail delivery are the worst they’ve ever seen, and that repeated delays and incorrect deliveries since the summer have made… Continue reading Erratic mail service frustrates residents as USPS struggles to hire
How Brookline schools are dealing with COVID-19 in 2023
Much has changed since March 12, 2020, when an email went out to parents in Brookline telling them that public schools were about to close for two weeks. Now students who test positive for COVID-19 are required to self-isolate for five days, according to Student Health Services Coordinator Tricia Laham. If their symptoms improve and… Continue reading How Brookline schools are dealing with COVID-19 in 2023
News in Brief: Flu clinics, fall recreation programs, new eco-friendly turf and a public art initiative
Health Department holding flu vaccination clinics The Brookline Department of Public Health and Human Services is holding several flu vaccination clinics over the coming weeks. The first clinic will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester St. This clinic will exclusively administer high-dose… Continue reading News in Brief: Flu clinics, fall recreation programs, new eco-friendly turf and a public art initiative