News

Outgoing Chamber President Catherine Barton Rossetti hands over the gavel to Mike Kirmes

Now that 2023 has ended, it signals the end of my tenure as President of the Reading – North Reading Chamber of Commerce. This year was the first that we could say we are living in a “post-COVID” world, although there are still many small businesses in our community who still feel the effects nearly four years after the world shut down. I’m proud of the work the Chamber did this year to help our local entrepreneurs thrive.

• The Chamber hosted 33 events for our members and the local community.
• Our membership increased by nearly 10%.
• Our Social Media Office Hours, added this year, have helped provide social media marketing training to dozens of local businesses.
• Winterfest, North Reading Town Day, The Sidewalk Stroll, and The Holiday Tree Lightings in both Reading and North Reading have become beloved local traditions, bringing together thousands of people from the two towns and beyond.

What really stood out for me was the spirit of volunteerism that is in the hearts of the people of Reading and North Reading. This became especially evident when our long-time Executive Director, Lisa Egan, stepped down from her position after nine years. Jamie Bradley had just taken the role of Marketing Coordinator that had previously been held by the highly competent Kathy Kinney. With North Reading Town Day only two weeks away, the Chamber Board and many community volunteers stepped in to make sure the day went off without a hitch.

Lisa’s leadership of the Chamber will certainly be missed, but I am excited to see the ideas and initiatives our new Executive Director, Rob Miner, brings to the Chamber. Rob was most recently Executive Director of the Bedford Chamber, where he reestablished their hugely successful “Flavors of Bedford”. Look for some exciting things to be added to our schedule this year.

Being part of the Chamber has been such a great experience for me. Owning your own business presents successes and challenges that family and friends don’t always understand. Being among a friendly group of fellow businesspeople who share that world is a wonderful feeling. Now that my term is ended, I can step back a bit and embrace the enjoyment of simply being a member among friends.

Our incoming President, Mike Kirmes, is no stranger to the Chamber. Mike is General Manager of Doyon’s Kitchen and Appliance in Reading. He has been heavily involved in many events for the Chamber, most notably as the chief organizer and manager of the Holiday Tree Lighting on the Common in Reading. He’s the one standing by the Doyon’s truck handing out the s’mores kits, meanwhile making sure when Santa flips the light switch to illuminate the Common, his team of helpers will be turning on the rest of the lights down Main Street at the same time.

I am grateful to be a part of this wonderful organization. Year after year our members renew their memberships, host our get-togethers, and sponsor our events. It’s a clear example of how your money spent locally stays in the community. I hope you will include our members in your purchasing decisions.

Happy new year to you all.

Catherine Barton Rossetti, Esq.

Past President of the Reading – North Reading Chamber of Commerce

Your Chamber Team L-R: Rob Miner, Executive Director; Mike Kirmes, Chamber President for 2024, Jamie Bradley, Marketing and Administrative Coordinator; Catherine Barton Rossetti, Past President

Our own Lisa Egan in Boston Magazine’s new restaurant launch feature!

Trending … (see photo #6)

Check out this video by Shanna Cahalane, VP of Marketing, Reading Cooperative Bank and 2018 Chamber President, on why Reading Cooperative Bank supports the Chamber of Commerce.

As the likelihood grows that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) will not be contained soon, it is important that employers and business owners begin to think about the potential for significant disruption to current businesses practices and the need for policies to safeguard their employees and customers.

About the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China where it is believed that it was initially contracted from animals in a marketplace.  Now passed from human-to-human, there have been more than 83,000 cases of coronavirus reported and the number continues to grow. Approximately 82 percent of cases reported are considered mild, with the other 18 percent defined as serious or critical. It is expected that a vaccine will take upwards of a year and a half to be ready. (Worldometers)

While much remains unknown about the virus, experts believe that it spreads in a manner similar to a cold or flu, through coughing, sneezing and physical contact. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. It’s currently unknown if a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.” Additionally, OSHA is clear to point out that the risk for workers still remains low and their is no evidence of widespread transmission in the United States at this time. Industries who face potentially elevated risks include:

• Healthcare
• Deathcare
• Laboratories
• Airline operations
• Border protection
• Solid waste and wastewater management
• Travel to areas, including parts of China, where the virus is spreading.

What Businesses Should Consider Doing Now

Many health organizations and business advocacy groups are suggesting employers have a plan in place to respond to any future outbreak of the virus in the United States. The CDC website offers a comprehensive guide for businesses that is updated regularly to reflect new information as it is reported. For employers looking for general guidelines, below are what most public health organizations are recommending for businesses large and small to consider having in place now.

Have enhanced protocols in place for keeping sick employees from contacting other employees or customers

• Institute or revisit work-from-home and flexible leave policies so employees will not come to work unwell for fear of lost wages or being terminated
• Set-up platforms for online meetings (Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom, etc.) as well as have desktop sharing software that will allow employees to access their files remotely.
• Use the CDC guidelines to outline for employees when they should stay home from work, when he or she will be sent home (e.g. management should send home anyone demonstrating symptoms of acute respiratory illness) and what criteria needs to be met before an employee may return. without the aid of medicine).
• Have a travel policy in place if employees are regularly on the road or are vacationing in areas determined at heightened risk for infection.

Put in place a plan to communicate the importance of employees using hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette (e.g. posters, memos, distributing hand sanitizer, wipes)

Establish a schedule of regular cleanings of touched surfaces and provide sanitizer and wipes. Educate employees on proper practices.

Plan for high levels of absenteeism and illness

Anticipate how to manage your business if employees are unable to physically come to work or must care for another family member or a child/ children if schools are closed as a preventative measure.

Determine how you will communicate policy changes to employees

Very much is still unknown about the coronavirus and new information is being presented daily.  Trusted sources for information like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC are constantly posting new information to help contain and mitigate this crisis, as well as counteract the misrepresentations that are spreading rapidly through social media.

Additional resources are listed below, and you may want to find industry-specific recommendations and information for your business to consult.

Further Reading and Resources

• World Health Organization
  
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• US Chamber of Commerce Resource Page
  
• Harvard Business Review, Lead Your Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers for Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020
• Entrepreneur,   How Businesses Should Handle the Coronavirus Outbreak
• National Law Review, Coronavirus and the Workplace: What Employers Need To Know
• Bloomberg News,  Coronavirus Misinformation Is Spreading All Over Social Media

A ban on the use of plastic bans will take effect in North Reading as of January 1, 2020. This by-law was passed at the June Town Meeting and approved by the Attorney General in September 2019. Information regarding the ban was placed on the town’s we online Code immediately after the AG approval. Full legal notices were printed in the North Reading Transcript.

The fulll details of the ban have been provided by the Town of North Reading and are noted below.

1. Purpose and Intent

The production and use of thin-film single-use plastic bags have significant impacts on the environment of our community, including, but not limited to: unsightly plastic bags caught in trees and shrubs defiling our shared open space, parks and forest; blowing into our yards and spoiling our view; contributing to the potential death of animals through ingestion and entanglement; contributing to pollution of the land environment; creating a burden to our solid waste collection and recycling facility; clogging our storm drainage systems; and requiring the use of millions of barrels of crude oil nationally for their manufacture.

The purpose of this By-law is to eliminate the usage of thin-film single-use plastic bags by all retail establishments in the Town of North Reading.

2. Definitions

“Thin-film single-use plastic bags” means bags, with integral handles, and a thickness of 2.5 mils or less that are intended to be used for the transport of products provided by a retail establishment at the point of sale.

“ASTM D6400 standard” means the testing standard developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials for compostable plastics.

“Biodegradable bag” means a bag that:

a. Contains no polymers derived from fossil fuels; and

b. Is intended for single use and will decompose in a natural setting at a rate comparable to other biodegradable materials such as paper, leaves, and food waste.

“Recyclable paper bag” means a paper bag that is 100% recyclable and contains at least 40% post-consumer recycled content, and displays in a visible manner on the outside of the bag the word “recyclable” or a symbol identifying the bag is recyclable

“Retail establishment” means a business or vendor that sells or provides food, merchandise, goods, or personal services to the public, but not a bazaar or festival operated by a non-commercial entity. 

“Reusable bag” means a bag that is specifically designed for multiple use and is made of thick plastic, cloth, fabric or other durable materials.

3. Use Regulations

a. No retail establishment in the Town of North Reading shall distribute, use or sell thin-film single-use plastic bags that do not meet or exceed the ASTM D6400 standards.

b. Retail establishments may provide customers with recyclable paper bags, biodegradable bags, or reusable bags at no charge or for a fee.

c. Thin-film plastic bags used to contain dry cleaning, newspapers, produce, meat, bulk foods, wet items and other similar merchandise, typically without handles, shall be exempt from the prohibitions of this By-law.

4. Administration and Enforcement

Retail establishments may apply to the Board of Health for approval of new single-use bag products as they come on the market that meet, or exceed, the ASTM D6400 standards.  The Board of Health shall be authorized to promulgate reasonable regulations for the effective administration and enforcement of this bylaw, including to determine the appropriate procedure for establishments to apply for approval of single-use bag products and to establish reasonable reporting requirements for establishments to demonstrate compliance.

This by-law shall be enforced through any lawful means in law or in equity, including, but not limited to, non-criminal disposition pursuant to GL. C.40 section 21D.  For purposes of non-criminal disposition, the Board of Health and the Health Agent / Health Director of the Town of North Reading shall be the enforcing authority

If enforced using non-criminal disposition, the following fine schedule shall apply:

a. Warning for a first offense;

b. $50 for the second offense;

c. $100 for the third offense and any successive offense;

Subsequent offenses shall be determined as offenses occurring within two years of the date of the first noticed offense. Each day or portion thereof shall constitute a separate offense.  A warning or fine may be appealed to the Board of Health within __ days of issuance prior to being forwarded to the courts for non-criminal disposition.

5. Applicability

While this By-law shall be effective upon approval by the Attorney General and in accordance with G.L. c.40, §32, it shall be applicable to retail establishments in the Town beginning January 1, 2020.

Reading banned plastic bags in 2018

The Town of Reading previously instituted a new bylaw limiting use of plastic bags, effective September 10, 2018. See the attached documents for additional detail.

Bag Ban Letter FAQ Format

Bag Ban Plastic Bag – Revised Letter 6.18

PRESS RELEASE

Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce to Host Third Annual North Reading Town Day

Reading, MA, April 27, 2019

The Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Third  Annual North Reading Town Day on Sunday, June 2^rdat Ipswich River Park, 15 Central Street in North Reading from 11 am to 3 pm.  Mark your calendar for an afternoon of celebrating our great community with other local families, entertainment, great food, North Reading nonprofit groups in addition to local vendors, businesses, and services.  This is a fun, free, family-friendly event.  North Reading Town Day is hosted by the Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce, and the event is driven by a dedicated committee of local business owners who volunteer their time with months of planning for this event. 

We are excited to host this annual event and bring the community together at our beautiful Ipswich River Park,” remarked Francine Coughlin, Chamber President and Owner of Bark n’ Roll.  In 2018 the Chamber hosted over 80 vendors and 2,500 people were in attendance.  Thanks to generous sponsors, there were many children’s activities that we all free of charge for everyone to enjoy.

“North Reading Town Day is great way for people to see what their community has to offer, support local small businesses and have the town give back to them all in one,” commented Josh Harrington, Event Chair and Owner of J.H. Insurance Group.

Are you interested in having a booth to promote your business and connect with over 2,000 local families?   Vendor spots are $125 and registration is at bit.ly/NRTown-Day2019 (case sensitive).

Are you unable to attend but would like to show your investment in North Reading by sponsoring the event?   Like showing off your entertainment skills for a good cause?   Do you have a creative idea that fits perfectly with this Family-Friendly event? Contact the Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce at lynn@rnrchamber.com or at: 781-664-9207.   We look forward to seeing you on June 2!

The mission of the Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce is to foster a thriving business community that facilitates connections between businesses, engagement between businesses and residents, and long-term economic growth in our community.

Last year at Small Business Day, business owners from across Massachusetts sent a strong message to Beacon Hill legislators that their concerns matter too. Join us again this year, where many of the state’s leading business organizations will gather to help educate policymakers on the issues most important to your small business. Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of this important conversation in 2019! 

Day & Time: Thursday, May 9, 2019, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon

Location: Omni Parker House, 60 School Street, Boston, MA 02108

Agenda and Panels:

9:00 am  Registration / Refreshments

9:30 am  Introductions and Legislative Briefing

10:00 am  Everything You Need to Know About Paid Family Medical Leave

• Panelists: David Robinson Esq., Ruberto, Israel & Weiner; William Alpine, Esq., Department of Family and Medical Leave; Mike Doheny, Undersecretary of Labor and General Counsel, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

10:45 am Making Healthcare Insurance Affordable For Small Business

11:30 am  Keynote speaker

12:00 noon Legislator visits 

COMPLETE EVENT DETAILS

Outgoing Chamber president Shanna Cahalane, Vice President and Director of Marketing at Reading Cooperative Bank, passes the gavel to 2019 incoming Chamber President Francine Coughlin, Founder and President of Bark n’ Roll of North Reading, MA. As outgoing President, Shanna will remain on the Chamber Executive Board for 2019 and will continue to support the Chamber. 

Thank you Shanna for your leadership in 2018! Francine, we look forward to great things for us in 2019.