The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will offer free and low-cost family-friendly programs during the upcoming April school vacation week.

Today the MBTA announced service information and a special Commuter Rail fare for the day of the 2023 Boston Marathon.

To find the best Marathon viewing location on the T, customers are encouraged to visit the MBTA’s Boston Marathon Guide at mbta.com/Marathon, which highlights MBTA stations closest to the Marathon route and includes helpful information on purchasing fares, parking, and more.

$15 Commuter Rail Marathon Pass:

On April 17, the MBTA will offer a special $15 Marathon Pass valid for all-day, unlimited travel on all Commuter Rail lines through all zones. This special $15 Marathon Pass is available for purchase beginning April 10 through April 17 on the mTicket app and from ticket offices at North, South, and Back Bay Stations. The $15 Marathon Pass is also available aboard trains via cash or credit card on April 17 only. Customers should note that the $15 Marathon Pass cannot be purchased at fare vending machines, and is not valid for subway or bus travel.

MBTA Service Information for the 2023 Boston Marathon:

For public safety reasons, Copley Station is closed for the entire day on April 17. Customers are instead encouraged to use Arlington Station (serving all Green Line branches), Prudential Station (Green Line E branch), Hynes Convention Center Station (Green Line B, C, and D branches), or Back Bay Station on the Orange Line. From approximately 10 AM to 6 PM, above-ground Green Line stops at South Street (B branch), Kent Street (C branch), and St. Mary’s Street (C branch) will be closed.

The Red, Orange, Blue, and Silver Lines will operate a regular weekday schedule on April 17 with additional service before and after the race. Due to speed restrictions in a number of areas along the Red, Orange, Blue, and Green Lines, riders should budget additional travel time and expect some delays in service.

Buses will operate a regular weekday schedule on April 17, though some bus routes will be detoured to accommodate the Marathon and other festivities. Customers are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts for more information on these changes.

All Commuter Rail lines will operate a regular weekday schedule on April 17.

All commuter boat and ferry services as well as The RIDE service will operate a regular weekday schedule. The RIDE may be detoured to accommodate the Marathon and related events.

Bicycles are prohibited onboard all MBTA subway vehicles (including folding bicycles) for the entire day on April 17. Backpacks, coolers, cans, bottles, and large items are not permitted at the Marathon.

Parking Information:

Customers planning to park in an MBTA garage or lot on April 17 should allow additional travel time and note that some garages and lots may fill very quickly due to heavy parking demand.

The MBTA today announced that, effective April 15, the MBTA will increase its sign-on bonus to $7,500 for applicants applying to a number of eligible positions throughout the MBTA as part of its aggressive hiring campaign.

The launch of the $75 million small business grant program from the November economic development spending bill. The application for the program is now live and can be accessed here: https://www.empoweringsmallbusiness.org/covid-19-response/inclusive-recovery-grant-program. It will be open until April 28, 2023.

The launch of the $3 million grant program for movie operators later today as well: https://www.empoweringsmallbusiness.org/covid-19-response/independent-movie-theater-grant-program

The Health Connector will continue to hold monthly public webinars. MassHealth will be joining the Health Connector for future webinars to share information and resources with members and stakeholders about the redetermination process.

Act Now, Stay Covered Webinars – Massachusetts Health Connector (mahealthconnector.org)

Title: Keeping or Getting Coverage through MassHealth and the Health Connector

When: Wednesday, April 12, 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Location: Zoom Webinar and/or Conference Call

Description: This session will cover the following:

Why it is important to renew your MassHealth coverage

How to report any changes to your information to MassHealth

How to access your online account and who can access an online account

Where to get help with completing your MassHealth renewal and;

How to get help enrolling into Health Connector coverage

For Registration & more Details: https://malink.co/webinar-041223

Grant Opportunity: Apply by April 25, 2023.

Taking Action to Improve Access and Equity in Opioid Use Disorder Care

This week, RIZE released a request for proposals for Taking Action to Improve Access and Equity in Opioid Use Disorder Care, the second iteration of our grant program, Innovations in Anti-Racism to Address the Opioid Crisis. Through this initiative, RIZE will award up to four grants of up to $100,000 a year for two years to support efforts that lead to measurable improvements in access and equity in opioid use disorder (OUD) care by centering the needs of people who identify as Black, Latine, or Indigenous.  

Awarded grants will fall within one of the following targeted focus areas: 

• Making care more welcoming for Black, Latine, and Indigenous people with OUD. 
• Supporting workforce and organizational capacity to treat, better support, and increase the number of Black, Latine, and Indigenous patients with OUD served. 
• Strengthening linkages to care and care coordination to connect and continuously support Black, Latine, and Indigenous people with OUD as they transition from one point of care to another. 

We invite you to submit your best ideas to measurably increase access and equity in OUD care. Please visit our website for more information or click on the following links for the grant guidelines and fillable PDF application form.

Grant Guideline: https://www.rizema.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Taking-Action-to-Improve-Access-and-Equity-in-Opioid-Use-Disorder-Care-FINAL-Grant-Guidelines-4.pdf

Grant Application and Budget: https://www.rizema.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Taking-Action-Application-and-Budget-Form-03242023.pdf

Submission Dates and Instructions

Questions: 

• Applicants may submit questions about the program or the application process in writing by April 11, 2023. Submit questions to: [email protected]
• RIZE will post answers on our website by April 13, 2023. 

Applications:

All applications must be submitted to RIZE by email by 12:00 PM April 25, 2023, following the grant guidelines, and using the grant application form. Submit applications to: [email protected] 

REGISTER TODAY!!!

Dear friends,

As Fair Housing Month approaches in April, the AGO’s Community Engagement Division and Consumer Advocacy & Response Division would like to use this opportunity to remind Massachusetts tenants and landlords about their rights and responsibilities, eviction proceedings, housing discrimination, and statewide assistance available for equitable living.

DATE: Wednesday, April 12, 2023

TIME: 10:30 AM-11:30AM

Please click HERE to register for a webinar about your rights as landlords/tenants in Massachusetts!

Join us as MASS' Healthy Self-Advocates teach a cooking class at Boston Medical Center's Teaching Kitchen. Zoom from home and cook along!

Tuesday, April 11th from 5:30pm to 6:45pm

via Zoom

https://www.wearemass.org/events/cook-with-mass-april-2023

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85304299566

DTC’s Consumer Division joins the City of Everett Council on Aging to participate in the Everett Senior Health Fair

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Connolly Senior Center

90 Chelsea Street, Everett, MA 02149

The Department of Telecommunications and Cable’s (DTC) Consumer Division will host an information table at the Everett Senior Health Fair to share various consumer education materials with event attendees, including information about the Lifeline Program, Affordable Connectivity Program, technology transitions and tips for reducing robocalls and spam text messages.  DTC staff will also be available to answer questions about available consumer protections for telecommunications and cable services.