Another Cape Town Bans Single-Use Water Bottle Sales: Patch PM

Falmouth MA

20 October, 2021

3:10 PM

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MASSACHUSETTS — It's Wednesday, Oct. 20. Here's what you should know this afternoon: Massachusetts kids between ages 5 and 11 could be fully vaccinated by Christmas if the federal government's rollout goes as planned.The Wellesley High School students accused of viciously attacking a classmate over the summer are back in school, prompting members of the community and peers to come together Wednesday morning to show support for the victim.Tufts University officials offered few details on an accident at an off-campus charity fundraiser that left a student dead.Acting Mayor Kim Janey issued an executive order Tuesday after declaring substance use disorder and homelessness a public health crisis in Boston. Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today. Today's Top Story Mashpee became the latest Cape Cod community to ban the sale of single-use plastic water bottles in town, following a razor-thin vote at town meeting. The article passed 104 to 102 on Monday night, making Mashpee the 11th town in Barnstable County to adopt a commercial ban on single-use plastic water bottles. On Sept. 1, neighboring Falmouth also banned the sale of single-use water bottles. According to Sustainable Practices, the organization that spearheaded the ban, Brewster, Eastham, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, Chatham, Sandwich, Dennis and Wellfleet have all adopted bans as well. Several town meeting voters expressed their support for the article, citing the effects plastic pollution has on the beach's and the Cape Cod environment at large. "Over 1,500 single-use plastic water bottles are used and discarded in the U.S. per second, the petition wrote in an explanation of the article. "Elimination of single-use water bottles will have a significant impact on future plastic-based pollution including the nation's greenhouse gas footprint and is consistent with protection of the natural environment in Mashpee, Barnstable County, our nation and our earth, which we have a common responsibility to protect and steward, or to take any other action relating thereto." Read the full story. Wednesday's Other Top StoriesKid COVID-19 vaccines by Christmas: Young children in Massachusetts could be fully vaccinated by Christmas if the federal government's plan stays on track. The White House said Wednesday it is working with states to be ready to hit the ground running after regulators give an expected green light to Pfizer's vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11. Massachusetts officials plan to speak about the rollout Thursday after a joint oversight committee hearing. Attackers back in school: The Wellesley High School students accused of viciously attacking a classmate over the summer are back in school, prompting members of the community and peers to come together Wednesday morning to show support for the victim. Over the summer, Sean Ade, 15, says a group of classmates he thought were his friends lured him into an attack where he says he was punched, kicked, and urinated on. Some of the teens were charged with conspiracy and assault and battery and sent to juvenile court, according to a police report filed over the summer, but now some of them are allowed to return to school. Tufts student dies in accident: Madie Nicpon, a member of the Class of 2023, was a biopsychology major and women's lacrosse player. Tufts officials did not elaborate on the nature of the accident, but a university spokesperson confirmed to the Boston Herald the accident happened at a charity fundraiser at an off-campus residence in Somerville. Kids' vaccine rollout plan takes shape: On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced its vaccine rollout plan for children in the 5-to-11 year old age group, noting that vaccine availability and distribution will look decidedly different than the initial rollout of the adult Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine earlier this year. This month, state governors were told to expect to begin vaccinating children ages 5 to 11 in early November. The 65 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine intended for the age group - a total amount enough to inoculate 28 million individuals - have already been procured by the Biden administration. Hunter's Moon over MA: The Orionid meteor shower and the October full hunter's moon have lead roles on the skywatching marquee this month, but the full moon gets top billing and is likely to blot out all but the brightest shooting stars across Massachusetts Wednesday night and Thursday morning. And all that depends on the weather. AccuWeather, one of the country's leading private weather forecasting companies, calls for showers late tomorrow night. Like this article? Sign up for our newsletter and get it delivered every weekday. It's free! Picture This: Boston's Public Health Crisis This year, the Boston Office of Recovery Services has had over 21,000 interactions with individuals on the street, making over 6,000 referrals to services. On average, this outreach team reverses 4 to 5 overdoses a day. (Haley Cornell / Patch)Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey issued an executive order Tuesday after declaring substance use disorder and unsheltered homelessness in the City of Boston a public health crisis, citing Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard in particular. Often referred to as the "Methadone Mile" or "Mass & Cass," tent after tent line both sides of the street leading up to the McDonalds at the Mass Ave and Melnea Cass intersection, one of Boston's busiest areas. Election 2021 Newton Mayor picks up more endorsements: The Chairs of each Newton City Council committee have endorsed Mayor Ruthanne Fuller in her run for re-election as Mayor of Newton. The endorsement from the City Council Chairs come after Newton City Council leadership come after Fuller's endorsement from several other groups and officials, including former Mayor of Newton and State Representative from the 11th Middlesex District David Cohen, Newton City Council President Susan Albright and Vice President Rick Lipof, Rep. Kay Khan, Congressman Jake Auchincloss, and former Rep. Joe Kennedy. Do Something Nice Today In recognition of the fourth anniversary of the death of Framingham resident Devin Suau, locals are being encouraged to commit an act of kindness in the boy's memory. This week, Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer, Superintendent Robert Tremblay and the City Council and School Committee joined to declare a "week of kindness" in the city. Wednesday has also been named "Devin's Day." Suau died on Oct. 20, 2017 at age 7 after a battle with a form of cancer called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Devin's illness inspired his mother to start the #WhyNotDevin movement, which aimed to make Devin the first to survive the rare disease. In Case You Missed It MA's most expensive home listings: Sometimes it's just nice to fantasize, and there's no shame in that. On that note, allow us to offer the 10 priciest home listings in Massachusetts. The list, curated from our pals at Redfin, has everything from island getaways to big-city behemoths. Something for everyone, as long as you have at least $15 million and want to stay inside I-495.