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, July 2 – Polar Park will host an open house on July 10, Movies on the Lot announces screenings of two films this summer, Worcester Green Corps launches its first annual summer program, Ricky Duran releases a new single “Star” and Worcester ranks in the bottom third of 180 cities in unemployment recovery.
Polar Park Open House on July 10
The Worcester Red Sox invite all fans to “Saturday in the Park,” an open house at Polar Park on July 10, from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Attendance is free and concessions will have typical foods and beverages for purchase. The WooSox Team Store will also be open.
Fans will have the opportunity to:
- Walk around the warning track
- See the main concourse and the DCU Club areas
- Take photos at Ted Williams statue, the Casey at the Bat statue, and the giant Bobblehead of “Mistah Wistah” of the Worcester Worcesters of the 1880s
Smiley Ball, the team mascot, will be available to meet fans, take photos, and sign autographs.
‘Movies on the Lot’ Showings Announced
“Movies on the Lot” announced two showings this summer at the Francis J. McGrath Municipal Parking Lot at 3 Salem Street in Worcester, the parking lot next to the Worcester Public Library.
“Movies on the Lot” screenings this summer are:
- Thursday, July 22: Raya and the Last Dragon
- Thursday, August 26: The Princess Bride
For both screenings, the lot will be open to attendees at 7 PM. with movies scheduled to begin at 8 PM. Those who wish to attend should register for drive-up viewing of the film as parking will be available on a first-come first-serve basis.
Register for July 22 or for August 26. English subtitles will run with both films for the hearing impaired.
Unlike last year’s screening, guests can sit outside of their vehicles to enjoy the films, and refreshments will be available for purchase.
Worcester Green Corps First Annual Summer Program
The Worcester Green Corps (WGC) — a new partnership program of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, the City of Worcester, and United Way of Central Massachusetts – will kick off their first annual summer program at Elm Park on Tuesday, July 6.
WGC is a collaborative effort to keep Worcester’s streets and green spaces clean and beautiful on a year-round basis.
From July 6 through August 13, a six-week program enlists 25 high school students involved in the Worcester Community Action Council’s (WCAC) YouthWorks program. These students will take part in litter cleanups and other beautification projects.be out around the city Monday through Thursday.
On Fridays, these youth will visit different organizations and businesses in the city to learn about green initiatives and get exposure to a variety of educational pathways and environmental careers.
Ricky Duran Releases New Single “Star”
Grafton native Ricky Duran was featured last week in an exclusive interview with People magazine, discussing his new single, “Star.”
The runner-up on season 17 of NBC’s “The Voice,” released the song last week. Duran told People the song represents the special place his girlfriend, Alyssa Tosti, holds in his life.
“Star” is Duran’s third released single since early December 2020, following “She Closed Her Eyes” and “Selfish Love.”
Duran will be headlining a show with Worcester-native Sam James on Saturday, September 18 at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester.
Listen to “Star” here, and download it on Spotify and Apple Music:
Worcester Ranked in the Bottom Third of 180 Cities in Unemployment Recovery
A new study by WalletHub.com analyzes 180 American cities to find out where unemployment rates are bouncing back most.
The study analyzed the current unemployment rate and changes in employment to rank each city from where rates are bounding back most to least.
Of the 180 cities considered, Worcester ranked 154.
The statistics considered in the study for each city, and Worcester’s values, are:
- Unemployment Rate: 7.70%
- Change in Unemployment:
- May 2021 vs May 2019: 117.77%
- May 2021 vs January 2020: 106.24%
- May 2021 vs. May 2020: -53.15
- Adjusted Unemployment Rate* May 2021: 8.10%
*Adjusted based on a Bureau of Labor Statistics error that failed to classify people on temporary layoffs as unemployed.
The top five cities in the study are Manchester, NH, Nashua, NH, Burlington VT, South Burlington, VT and Lincoln, NE.
The last five cities of the 180 considered are Newark, NJ, Glendale, CA, Long Beach, CA, New Orleans, LA, and Hialeah, FL.
Image: Elm Park/Patrick Sargent
