💉 Not throwin’ away my shot

It's Tuesday, Boston.

🏈 Fun fact: New England Patriots coach and eternal grump Bill Belichick is the highest-paid coach in American sports, raking in a cool $20 million a year, according to a report by Sportico. You’d think he’d scowl a little less with that kind of bank.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Electric vehicle lovers, rejoice!

• This beloved haunt is coming back to life

• Post-work walks with holiday flare

Up first…

HEALTH

Not throwin’ away my shot

I think I’ve seen this one before: It’s December and COVID-19 cases are on the rise. And only 11% of Bostonians have received the new omicron-specific, bivalent booster. Goodie.

Although this month’s uptick in cases is unlikely to match the explosive omicron surge of last winter, the Boston Public Health Commission is still encouraging residents to get both their COVID-19 booster and flu jabs given that we’re spending more time indoors and there’s another round of holiday gatherings around the corner.

And if you needed a little extra convincing, they’ve made it free (and stupid easy).

Not only do these four walk-in clinics around the city offer COVID-19 testing, vaccines, boosters, and flu shots, they also don’t require insurance, IDs, or appointments. So even if you’re not a Boston resident, you could technically still sneak in your shot.

Here’s where you can get the jab(s) for free:

• BCYF Hyde Park Community Center in Hyde Park

• Bruce C. Bolling Building in Roxbury

• Josephine Fiorentino Community Center in Brighton

• Lena Park Community Development Corporation in Dorchester

Click here for the sites’ hours. If those locales don’t work for you, you can find something more convenient via the OG Vax Finder site and the state’s “Find a COVID-19 test” portal, too.

CITY

Quick & Dirty Headlines

🚉 You’ll be able to take the train from Boston to Fall River and New Bedford next year. The new lines will extend commuter rail service through Middleborough and split off in East Taunton, with one line running toward Fall River and the other to New Bedford — connecting parts of the South Shore to Boston for the first time since the 1950s. Construction on the Fall River portion of the South Coast Rail project wrapped this week with more work on the New Bedford line set to continue through the winter.

⚡ Thinking of buying an electric vehicle? It’s your lucky day. Mass. residents can now get up to $6,000 in rebates toward an EV purchase thanks to a climate law that passed earlier this year. You just need to apply for the rebate within three months of receiving the vehicle and make sure it costs less than $55,000. But you may want to hold off until 2023 since that’s when new federal incentives for EVs will become available, so you can double up on the bennies.

🍽️ The beloved Eastern Standard restaurant is coming back from the dead. After closing its doors in 2021, the iconic restaurant near BU is expected to open in a new space next year. Indulging in their steak frites and bread pudding is just around the corner.

12 DAYS OF THE B-SIDE

Post-work walks with festive flair

🧊 See the coolest art (literally) at the annual Assembly Ice Sculpture Stroll. Find nine ice sculptures, plus festive music and free perks. FREE | Thursday, Dec. 8, 6 to 8 p.m.

🍺 Sip and strut at the Cisco holiday stroll through Southie. Hit your favorite local bars for Cisco beers and score some free gifts and prizes. | Saturday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

🏘Find houses all aglow at the Somerville Illuminations Tour. The map launches Dec. 8 and you can take self-guided tours of houses that go all-out for the season. Want more action? Take a bike tour of the route Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. FREE

🚘 If a holiday drive is more your speed, head south for the Magic of Lights drive at Gillette Stadium. Tickets start at $23 per car. | Runs through Dec. 31, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

✨ For some classic Boston holiday sparkle, take a post-work stroll down the Comm. Ave. Mall to take in the annual light display. It’s always free and there are always dogs.

ONE LAST THING

A Celtics jersey super-fan

Meet Pete Rogers, the Celtics fan who designs a new jersey after every win.

The Mass. native turned Midwesterner decided to create these designs as a way to stay attached to his hometown team. Rogers posts his jersey designs on social media, often getting the best response on the jerseys that incorporate local flavor (we’re partial to his Globe newsprint design).

And Rogers definitely has his work cut out for him this season: The defending Eastern Conference champs went undefeated at home last month and are leading the league.

🐷 Thanks for reading! I officially put up my Christmas tree yesterday and want to know: Do you have a weird/fun tree topper? Mine is a lone piggy mitten — it’s a long story. Respond to this email so we can compare notes.

💃 Keep up with other B-Side tomfoolery on IG, TikTok, and Twitter @BostonBSide. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].