Methuen, Lawrence and Lowell are receiving visits tomorrow from the co-chairs of Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus and local legislators as part of an inquiry into response and recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sen. Eric P. Lesser, a Democrat from Longmeadow, and Rep. Antonio F. D. Cabral, a Democrat from New Bedford, are completing the next leg of the Gateway Cities Caucus tour after previously visiting Malden, Revere and Chelsea.
The tour begins at 10 a.m. in Lowell with a visit to the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub, followed by a private noon stop at Tekila’s Mexican Restaurant in Methuen.
Methuen talks focus on mental health and social-emotional supports, including aid for the most vulnerable populations and the local food pantry; the Methuen Youth and Community Center project; affordable senior housing; raising the ceiling on the earned income tax credit; and shifting school enrollment figures due to the pandemic and the effect on school funding with Superintendent Brandi Kwong.
The final stop in Lawrence is expected to begin at 2 p.m., at Lawrence General Hospital. There will be tours of the intensive care unit, emergency room, new surgical wing, Maternity and Child Health Unit and the Special Care Nursery. Caucus members will also have a discussion with hospital leaders, physicians, nurses and staff who have been on the frontlines in the fight against COVID.
Local legislators participating include Sens. Diana DiZoglio, representing Methuen; Barry R. Finegold, representing Lawrence; and Reps. Linda Dean Campbell, representing Methuen, Christina A. Minicucci, representing Lawrence and Methuen, Frank A. Moran, representing Lawrence and Methuen, and Marcos A. Devers, representing Lawrence.