Boston's pharmacy desert

Also: A jukebox like you’ve never heard before; Boston's first networked geothermal project [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 31, 2024 ☁️ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36 Good Morning Boston, Congratulations, we've made it to [the 10,005th and final day]( January — and the [first pre-7 a.m. sunrise]( of the year. (Just [a few more days]( until we get post-5 p.m. sunsets back, too.) Now, to the news: - Closing time: Walgreens is permanently shuttering its location on Warren Street in Roxbury today, despite outcry from local residents and [top Massachusetts lawmakers](. The closure, which the pharmacy chain postponed for two weeks, exacerbates what some already described as a "[pharmacy desert]( in the neighborhood. (From Nubian Square, the next nearest Walgreens or CVS is at least a 25-minute walk.) [Click here to listen to The Common's interview]( with Boston Globe reporter Tiana Woodard on how the closure affects local residents. - Now what? A Walgreens spokesperson says the pharmacy will automatically transfer Warren Street customers' prescriptions to the nearest store at 1890 Columbus Ave. They'll also offer free same-day delivery of prescriptions and other products for 90 days. - Is this a trend? It's the fourth Walgreens branch to close in Boston [since November 2022]( — all of which have been in mostly Black and Latino neighborhoods. U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley [spoke out against it yesterday on the House floor]( calling the closures "life-threatening acts of racial and economic discrimination." - The big picture: The recent closures aren't just a Boston problem. NPR's 1A took a closer look [at the reasons behind retail pharmacies' nationwide struggles and widespread closures](. - Day 9 in Newton: School is closed again today in Newton, as the city's teacher strike goes on. The union and city did make progress on teachers' annual raises during yesterday's contract talks, but both sides are also publicly airing frustrations. - On one hand: Newton School Committee chair Chris Brezski told reporters yesterday that the union's response to their latest offer was "incremental at best." "It makes me question whether the union really wants a deal," Brezski said. "It makes me question what this strike is really about. Is it about students, kids and teachers? Is it about money? Or is it about some other bigger agenda, one where our kids are being used as pawns?" - On the other: Newton South High School teacher and negotiator Ryan Normandin called the annual cost-of-living adjustments "important," but said they remain at odds over funding for teacher aids, parental leave and student mental health support. "These are the things that we're really fighting for and they tie those cost of living adjustment increases to rejecting all of these other proposals," Normandin said. "We can't accept that." - Doors open: The Healey administration plans to open the Melnea Cass Recreation Center in Roxbury today to immigrants in need of shelter. It's a [controversial move in the neighborhood]( which uses the complex for a variety of exercise and sports programs. But the venue can host up to 100 families who've been [sleeping at Logan airport](. - It looks like a busy opening day, with both Gov. Maura Healey and Mayor Michelle Wu (among other elected officials) scheduled to tour the facility and hold a press conference. - Digging deep: A public housing development in Dorchester is getting Boston's first "networked geothermal system." As WBUR's Simón Rios reports, the Boston Housing Authority is teaming up with National Grid to replace the Franklin Field complex's aging gas boiler with a geothermal system that will power clean electric heating and (for the first time) cooling for 129 units across seven buildings. During a press event last week, BHA deputy administrator Joel Wool told Simón the pilot could be a model for other Boston housing projects. - Why geothermal? Well, there's [a lot to like.]( For starters, it's among the most clean and cost effective ways to heat and cool buildings (though the upfront costs and logistics of drilling and retrofitting existing homes can often be a challenge). - What's next: Construction at Franklin Field is slated to start in 2025, with "minimal disruption." Wu's office says residents will be temporarily relocated for "no more than a few days." - Zoom out: Outside of Boston, another National Grid geothermal project is in[the planning stages at UMass Lowell]( while Eversource is[nearing completion]( on[another in Framingham](. P.S.— February school vacation week in Massachusetts is quickly approaching. And for families looking to fill the time off, the Boston Parks and Recreation department is hosting free [baseball]( clinics, along with [their annual winter festival](. Check out [the details online]( or email parks@boston.gov for more information. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [6 people, including current and former state police, charged with bribery conspiracy]( Six people, including current and former Massachusetts state troopers, have been charged with an alleged bribery conspiracy to give passing scores to commercial driver's license applicants, acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Josh Levy announced Tuesday. [Read more.]( [6 people, including current and former state police, charged with bribery conspiracy]( Six people, including current and former Massachusetts state troopers, have been charged with an alleged bribery conspiracy to give passing scores to commercial driver's license applicants, acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Josh Levy announced Tuesday. 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[Read more.]( [Man wanted for allegedly killing girlfriend and leaving body at Boston airport is arrested in Kenya]( Kevin Kangethe was apprehended at a nightclub Monday following a tipoff, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin said. [Read more.]( [Man wanted for allegedly killing girlfriend and leaving body at Boston airport is arrested in Kenya]( Kevin Kangethe was apprehended at a nightclub Monday following a tipoff, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin said. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Musical residencies — where artists take the same stage every month (or even every week) — are the heartbeat of a local music scene. While the Boston area recently lost two beloved venues that hosted residencies, Noah Schaffer writes there are still some great ones — [nine to be specific]( that music fans should check out. - After a rare right whale washed up dead on a Martha's Vineyard beach this weekend, federal officials say [the cause of death appears to be entanglement in fishing gear](. Conservation groups — which have [fought for tighter boating laws]( to protect right whales — say the death should be "a wakeup call that the status quo is not working." - Meanwhile, Frederick Hewitt [writes in this Cognoscenti essay]( that the fossil fuel industry is exploiting the right whale’s precarious situation to further a completely different agenda. - Jacquinn Sinclair [reviews two new Boston plays]( bonded by their shared exploration of friendship: SpeakEasy Stage Company's “A Case for the Existence of God" and Company One's “Interrobangers.”  What We're Reading 📚 - Boston restaurant economics are punishing. $600,000 liquor licenses make it worse. ([The Boston Globe]( - New York Times puts “Daily” episode on ice amid internal firestorm over Hamas sexual violence article ([The Intercept]( - Prisoners in the US are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands ([Associated Press](  Tell Me Something Good [Voices, not vinyl: artist transforms a jukebox into a storytelling machine]( A Boston-based artist has made a one of a kind jukebox in Cambridge — one that plays stories from local residents. Listeners will hear stories about community, family, immigration and the people from throughout the decades who made Cambridge the place it is today. [Read more.]( [Voices, not vinyl: artist transforms a jukebox into a storytelling machine]( A Boston-based artist has made a one of a kind jukebox in Cambridge — one that plays stories from local residents. Listeners will hear stories about community, family, immigration and the people from throughout the decades who made Cambridge the place it is today. 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