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5 Things You Need to Know Today in Worcester – May 7

By TWIW Staff | May 7, 2021
Last Updated: July 8, 2021

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 – Friday, May 7 – the Worcester Red Sox team store opens on Saturday, ground has been broken for the G.R.A.C.E. Center in Uxbridge, the COVID-19 Business Relief Program has ended, Reliant Medical Group opens a new oncology and infusion center and Massachusetts is one of the least federally dependent states.

WooSox Team Store Opens on Saturday

The Worcester Red Sox team store will open on Saturday, May 8, according to a report from Spectrum News 1.

The store, located at Polar Park on Madison St., will open Monday through Saturday and during all team home games.

As ThisWeekinWorcester.com previously reported, Worcester Red Sox single-game tickets go on sale today.

 

Groundbreaking for the Grace Rett Athletic Complex and Education [G.R.A.C.E.] Center

Our Lady of the Valley Regional School [OLV] in Uxbrige broke ground for construction of the Grace Rett Athletic Complex and Education [G.R.A.C.E.] Center on Thursday, May 6.

Grace Rett, the world record setting athlete and sophomore member of the Holy Cross rowing team, attended elementary and middle school at OLV.

Rett died in an automobile accident in January 2020 while travelling with her rowing teammates in Vero Beach, Florida, just one day after her 20th birthday.

In December 2020, OLV held a fundraiser over 62 hours and three seconds to commemorate the word-record setting time Rett set the year prior for the longest consecutive indoor row.

Proceeds from the fundraiser contributed to building the athletic center in her name at OLV.

 

COVID-19 Business Relief Program Ends

Governor Charlie Baker announced the final 108 businesses to receive grants from the COVID-19 Business Relief Program on Thursday, May 6.

The last round of funding included nearly $4.8 million in grant awards.

Starting in October 2020, the program provided over $687 million in direct cash payments to 15,112 Massachusetts businesses.

Over the duration of the program, 43 percent of MGCC grant recipients are minority-owned businesses, 46 percent of grants went to women-owned businesses.

The largest recipients were in the restaurant and bar industry, which received $224 million. The program awarded personal services received $91 million and independent retailers $62 million.

 

Reliant Medical Group Opens New Oncology & Infusion Center

Reliant Medical Group will open a new Oncology & Infusion Center within medical office at 5 Neponset Street in Worcester on May 10, 2021.

The new fourth-floor suite will house Reliant’s oncology and hematology departments with bays for chemotherapy and other infusions.

Reliant is moving its Oncology and Hematology services from the Saint Vincent Wellness & Cancer center, and adding a new chemotherapy service.

Reliant previously referred patients to Saint Vincent Hospital for chemotherapy treatment.

The new suite will feature modern amenities designed to create a warm and welcoming setting for patients visiting with their oncology and hematology providers and receiving chemotherapy.

 

Massachusetts One of the Least Federally Dependent States

A new study by WalletHub.com ranked all 50 states by the amount of dependency each has on funds from the federal government.

Researchers rated each state on a 100 point scale based on two key dimensions, “State Residents’ Dependency” and “State Government’s Dependency.”

Massachusetts overall rating was 20.99, which made it the 45th most dependent state or the 6th least dependent state.

In the two key dimensions, Massachusetts residents are the 47th most dependent, while the state government is the 38th most dependent state.

Of the individual metrics considered in the study, researchers found Massachusetts has the highest gross domestic product per capita.

Other states within and just outside of New England ranked as follows:

13th – Maine15th – Pennsylvania17th – Vermont26th – New York29th – Rhode Island36th – New Hampshire42nd – Connecticut45th – Massachusetts49th – New Jersey

The only states less dependent on the federal government besides Massachusetts are Iowa, Utah, Delaware, New Jersey, and Kansas.

The five states most dependent on the federal government are New Mexico, Alaska, Mississippi, Kentucky and West Virginia.

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