In today’s daily 5 Things You Need to Know feature, ThisWeekinWorcester.com explores five important items and stories that Worcester and Central Massachusetts residents should keep a close eye on.
These five things can cover a whole range of subjects and issues that we feel are pertinent to understanding what’s going on in the city and the cities and towns surrounding Worcester.
In today’s edition – Wednesday, February 24 – Seed to Stem makes Vogue’s retail directory, apple trees from Tower Hill’s orchard are now on sale, Massachusetts Pirates will give three lucky fans a chance at $10,000, the finale of Lockdown Showdown is Thursday night and a new report shows just how cheap it is to own a car in Massachusetts.
Seed to Stem Nominated for Vogue’s Retail Directory
Vogue magazine assembled a list of 59 of its most beloved boutiques for a shopping directory of small businesses, the Independents, in February.
It also asked its readers for nominations and recently added 18 new stores, including Seed to Stem in Worcester.
Saying the women-owned business is usually described, “…as a natural history museum crossed with a botanical garden,” and noting its collection of ceramics, Seed to Stem is one of just four reader-nominated stores in the East now added to Vogue directory of just 77 stores nationwide.
Seed to Stem is located inside Crompton Collective at 138 Green Street, Suite 3, in Worcester.
Trees from Tower Hill’s Apple Orchard On Sale
Varieties of apple trees from Tower Hill Botanical Garden’s Davenport Collection are now on sale.
The two-year-old bare root branched saplings are five to seven feet tall and will be available for pickup in late winter/early spring 2021. Semi-dwarf trees will reach ten to fifteen feet tall at maturity, while standard rootstocks can reach over 30 feet tall.
The Davenport Collection at Tower Hill Botanic Garden includes 119 varieties, some over a century old. Tower Hill began restoring the collection in 2019.
Trees are available for sale online for $65.
Massachusetts Pirates are Giving Fans Three Chances at $10,000
Massachusetts Pirates fans will get three chances to win $10,000 by getting on the field during a Pirates home game and kicking a field goal 40+ yards away.
Here’s how it works:
- Distance: Kick will occur 40+ yards out. Updated information to be provided to chosen contestants.
- Age: Contestant must be over the age of 18 in order to enter contest. A proper I.D. will be required at the time of the contest.
- Experience: Contestants cannot have played or coached Professional, Semi-Professional, or College Football, and cannot have played or coached High School Football within the last 5 years.
- COVID-19: Contestant MUST supply proper vaccination paperwork, or provide a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to the contest.
To sign-up and for more contest rules, click here.
Finals of Lockdown Showdown Air Tomorrow Night
The finale of the more than month-long singing and music competition Lockdown Showdown will take place Thursday, February25.
The competition, co-hosted by Reunion Tap & Table, The Mill at 185 and Rascals, started in late January and featured 32 local musicians competing for a winner-take-all $500 grand prize.
The shows will be broadcast on all three venues’ Facebook pages and you can also view on the big screens at Reunion Tap & Table and Mill at 185 with the audio playing on their in-house sound systems.
The show starts at 6 PM.
Massachusetts is the Sixth Cheapest State to Own a Car
A new analysis by Move.com compiled the cost to own a car in each state across the U.S.
When ranked by most expensive states, Massachusetts finished 45th, with the average total cost being $4,480 per year.
See how Massachusetts compares with other New England states:
| State | Overall Rank Most Expensive |
Total Annual Cost to Own A Car |
Annual Fuel Cost Per Driver |
Annual Minimum Auto Insurance |
Annual Cost Cars & Parts |
Registration & Title Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 45 | $4,480 | $1,256 | $721 | $2,468 | $35 |
| Vermont | 41 | $4,642 | $1,450 | $535 | $2,616 | $41 |
| Connecticut | 40 | $4.646 | $1,277 | $1,165 | $2,115 | $88 |
| Rhode Island | 36 | $4,804 | $1,374 | $1,375 | $2,010 | $45 |
| Maine | 34 | $4,832 | $1,683 | $445 | $2,644 | $60 |
| New Hampshire | 30 | $4,920 | $1,361 | $745 | $2,790 | $24 |
The most expensive state in the U.S., according to the study, is Michigan at a whopping $9,304 per year, well ahead of other states. Of that total, annual minimum auto insurance costs are $5,740. Michigan has the highest minimum coverage requirements of any state.
Florida came in as the second highest to state to own a car at $6,765 per year. It has the second highest minimum insurance costs in the nation, at $2,361.
Texas was third highest at $6,670. While its minimum insurance costs are low ($926) the annual cost for cars and parts per licensed driver is highest in the nation, at $4,145 per year.
Annual insurance costs for states less expensive than Massachusetts:
- Mississippi: $4,461
- Arkansas: $4,379
- Ohio: $4,235
- West Virginia: $4,166
- Alaska: $3,586
Lead image courtesy: EDITED- Seed to Stem/Facebook
