Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Belmont: home, casinos, restaurants)

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Thanks. A card with $500 for all seemed to good to be true.

So now you want a $500 EBT card?

[GeoffD]

I know New Bedford has free breakfast and lunch for everyone. It’s federal money for school districts with more than 40% getting free breakfast and lunch. The program is called Community Eligibility Provision. If 60% of students qualify for free breakfast and lunch, the Feds pay the whole thing.

Here’s a link to the USDA web page on it.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/communit...lity-provision

[jtolpin]

I think Milford MA has free breakfast and lunch for everyone. Im glad for that, for those that need it. And if my taxes are higher for that, good. Ill support that, if that means some families in my town are able to eat a meal or 2. No big deal there.

Meanwhile, Im still saddenned by the animosity in this thread. We're all going through this freakin' pandemic together. I know we all won't/can't get along, but for the love of god.... enough, really. Im afraid of what Election Day brings.

Meanwhile, our numbers are still over 1000 new cases a day, and I just dont want to see this anymore.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

So did anyone actually go out trick-or-treating?

We did. There are a couple of neighborhoods in our town that are known as great trick-or-treat spots, so we went there and only saw 1 or 2 other trick or treaters. Most of the homes had tables with candy at the end of the driveway, so that worked well. We went later in the night (trick or treating was from 4 - 8pm) and there was still a lot of candy left at 8pm, so I got the sense that very few had come through. Kind of made me sad, but my kids were happy they got to dress up and go out, so we considered it a success.

ETA: We only planned to hit a few houses, so I bought a bunch if their favorite candy that we now have at home, so they are happy about that.

[NewfieMama]

My town (Norwell) is also offering free breakfast and lunch for every student. It's been great for us because my kids are in school 4 mornings/week--they bring lunch home, can make and eat it themselves, and it's a win/win. Apparently not that many kids are using it, so the town may lose the funding at the end of the year. I think many nearby school districts are doing the same thing--I have friends in several other towns who are getting free kids lunches.

[msRB311]

We did end up going trick or treating in our quiet neighborhood. We didn't see many people out at all, but folks had set up tables and left candy in rows on the table. So there was no going up to anyones house. I kind of liked the idea and wonder if it will stick around? I guess some people at home maybe missed kids coming to the door? not sure though because many people had set up fire pits on their front lawn and could see the kids still. It was great!

A lot of people went above and beyond with the table set up. Put all sorts of decorations around the table.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by id77

The 500k earners in the South End usually aren’t taking selfies in front of Trinity or BPL, snapping random pics of buildings while blocking pedestrians on a sidewalk, or looking like lost deer while asking the group they’re with where they parked. Just as out-of-towners say and do things that make them stick out in your community, people who aren’t regulars in Boston say and do things to stick out in Boston, too. And the ones I see not wearing masks are doing the things that make them stick out.

But sure, let’s just jump to angry conclusions.

Aren't you a recent transplant yourself, or isn't most of the S End and Downtown Boston these days for that matter? I just find it interesting how people whose behavior happen to annoy you are always the "tourists".

[brk330]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Thanks. A card with $500 for all seemed to good to be true.

I actually almost threw it away. It just showed up in the mail one day.
We never had used the cafeteria for school lunch, and don't remember applying for anything. But yes it is connected to discounted/free school lunches. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/pandemic-ebt-p-ebt

Here's another story about the free meals. https://thecounter.org/usda-school-l...rdue-covid-19/

[Cantabridgienne]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Yeah they HAVE to be tourists. 500K/yr earners from the South End would NEVER behave like that in public.

I can confirm maskless tourists as well. If you’re carrying a Mike’s pastry box in one hand and a Freedom Trail map in the other and you and your spouse are both wearing Green Bay Packers sweatshirts, I tend to think tourist and not South End denizen. That’s who I saw in the Back Bay last weekend.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Cantabridgienne

I can confirm maskless tourists as well. If you’re carrying a Mike’s pastry box in one hand and a Freedom Trail map in the other and you and your spouse are both wearing Green Bay Packers sweatshirts, I tend to think tourist and not South End denizen. That’s who I saw in the Back Bay last weekend.

I believe you there but that's just what you notice, people have a habit of confirming their biases while filtering out those examples that don't. It's rarer to see a native Bostonian walking around the Back Bay these days than it is to see a recent transplant or tourist.