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 – Tuesday, March 9 – Anna Maria College is hosting a “Life After Covid” webinar, Holy Cross opens a new $32.5 million Recreation and Wellness Center, the Railers and WooSox partner for a month of retail sales, the Massachusetts Pirates announce details about the team’s home game schedule and gas prices rise again this week inn Massachusetts.
Anna Maria College Hosts “Life After Covid”
Anna Maria College will host a webinar panel discussion on how the COVID-19 public health crisis has changed society, with a focus on the cities and towns in Central Massachusetts.
With vaccination programs well underway and public health restrictions adapting for a new normal, the panel will address steps that the public and private sectors might take to best manage the reopening process while remaining vigilant; addressing the pandemic’s impact on mental health; and how health emergency management and business continuity have changed both as a field of study and as a career.
Speakers include Matilde Castiel MD, the Commissioner of Health and Human Services for the City of Worcester and several others.
The free webinar will take place on Wednesday, March 17 from 2 PM to 3 PM. Attendees must register here.
Holy Cross Opens Recreation and Wellness Center
The College of the Holy Cross opened the $32.5 million Joanne Chouinard-Luth Recreation and Wellness Center [“The Jo”], a recreation and wellness center, on Monday, March 8.
The facility will become the home to all club and intramural sports, recreation, fitness and wellness programming, for students, faculty and staff.
During the spring semester of 2021 the gymnasium inside “the Jo” will be the College’s COVID-19 testing facility.
The building will offer a range of fitness and wellness spaces, including sports courts, weight rooms, a golf simulator, three rooms for yoga, cycling and fitness, and a one-tenth-mile suspended jogging track overlooking Worcester.
The three-story facility will also be home to the College’s Office of Student Wellness Education, the Worksite Wellness Office and the Office of Public Safety.
Railers and WooSox Team Up for Month-Long Retail Sale
The Worcester Railers are partnering with the Worcester Red Sox to bring you a month-long retail sale at the Rail Shop located at the Worcester Ice Center at 112 Harding St. in the city’s Canal District.
The month will include weekly special offers on WooSox and Railers team merchandise. Weekly offers are listed below.
March 6-12:
- Railers Item of the Week: 50% off all 2020 St. Patrick’s Day merchandise.
- WooSox Item of the Week: St Patrick’s Day ’47 Hat and Tee Combo $40 (originally $47).
March 13-19:
- Railers Item of the Week: All replica jerseys 25% off.
- WooSox Item of the Week: All jerseys on sale for $10 off: $89 for adult (originally $99) and $65 for kids (originally $75).
March 20-26:
- Railers Item of the Week: All sweatshirts 20% off.
- WooSox Item of the Week: Smiley mascot doll and kids Smiley hat combo $28 (originally $33).
A two-day outdoor sale will be held in the parking lot of the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center from 10 AM to 3 PM on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28. All Railers merchandise will be 25% off.
The Rail Shop hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 PM to 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 10 Am to 3 PM.
Massachusetts Pirates Announce Home Game Details
The Massachusetts Pirates home opener against the Spokane Shock will be May 22 at 7:30 PM at the DCU Center.
Two other games have new starts times later in the season.
The Pirates’ second home game of the season, on Saturday, June 5, will also start at 7:30 PM. The original schedule had the game starting at 7:05.
The last home game of the season, on Saturday, August 21, has the Pirates hosting the Iowa Barnstormers. That start time has also moved back to 7:30 PM from 7:05 PM.
Gas Prices Up 5 Cents Since Last Week in MA
AAA Northeast reports changes in gas prices across the region on a weekly basis. Massachusetts’s average gas price increased five cents from last week ($2.64), averaging $2.69 per gallon. That price is the 25 cents higher than a month ago ($2.44), and 26 cents cheaper than March 8, 2020 ($2.43).
Massachusetts’s average gas price is five cents lower than the national average.
AAA Northeast’s February 22 survey of fuel prices found the current national average to be 5 cents higher than last week, averaging $2.77 a gallon. Today’s national average price is 31 cents higher than a month ago ($2.46), and 39 cents cheaper than this day last year ($2.38).
Comparison to neighboring states, according to AAA Northeast:
Lead image credit: Avanell Chang, College of the Holy Cross
