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, April 5 – Holy Cross to rename its Integrated Science Complex in honor of Dr. Anthony Fauci, tickets are still available to the WooSox home opener, the Regional Environmental Council’s annual plant sale is open, gas prices drop six cents this week and Massachusetts is among the top five states to work from home.
Holy Cross to Name Science Complex for Dr. Anthony Fauci
The College of the Holy Cross announced on Monday that it will rename the Integrated Science Complex in honor of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Chief Medical Advisor to the President and the top allergy and infectious diseases expert within the U.S. government.
Fauci graduated from Holy Cross in 1962 as a classics major with a premedical concentration. He went on to Cornell University to earn his medical degree.
The college’s science buildings will officially be dedicated as the Anthony S. Fauci Integrated Science Complex on June 11, during Dr. Fauci’s 60th Holy Cross class reunion weekend.
Holy Cross President Vincent D. Rougeau said, “Dr. Fauci vividly personifies the distinctive characteristics of a Holy Cross education, and we know his life and work are already inspiring the next generation of empathetic servant leaders,”
Tickets Still Available for WooSox Home Opener
The Worcester Red Sox capped the number of full season tickets it will sell in its second season. The team says the practice ensures all fans have access to the most desired seats inside Polar Park.
The maximum number of full season tickets it will sell is 2,300. It capped season tickets at 2,100 in its first season.
The team’s home opener is Tuesday, April 12, with a special opening day first pitch at 3:05 PM, hosting the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA-Philadelphia). There are still tickets available.
To purchase tickets, visit the WooSox website.
Regional Environmental Council Annual Plant Sale Now Open
The Worcester Regional Environmental Council’s Annual Plant Sale is now open for online preorders.
The online catalog includes a total of 65 items that include a range of vegetables, flowers, fruit and herbs. It also has a SNAP/HIP eligible section.
See the full catalogue on the Regional Environmental Council’s website.
Gas Prices Down Six Cents in Massachusetts This Week
AAA Northeast reports changes in gas prices across the region on a weekly basis.
Massachusetts’s average gas price declined six cents from last week, averaging $4.18 per gallon. That price is 32 cents higher than a month ago ($3.86) and $1.44 cents higher than April 4, 2021 ($2.74).
Massachusetts’s average gas price is the same as the national average.
President Biden’s decision to release one million barrels of oil per day for six months (180 million barrels) from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) helped send the global oil price tumbling to near $100 bbl. The release is intended to stem rising energy prices. The national average for a gallon of gas has fallen to $4.18.
“The upward push on oil prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine is meeting stronger downward pressure from the planned SPR oil release and increased COVID fears in China,” says Mary Maguire, Director of Public/Government Affairs. “And lower global oil prices are reflected in falling pump prices for consumers in the U.S.”
AAA Northeast’s April 4 survey of fuel prices found the current national average to be six cents lower than last week ($4.24), averaging $4.18 a gallon. Today’s national average price is 35 cents higher than a month ago ($3.83) and $1.31 cents higher than this day last year ($2.87).
Comparison to neighboring states, according to AAA Northeast:
Massachusetts Among Top 5 States to Work from Home
WalletHub released its report on the Best States for Working from Home in order to highlight which states are most conducive to working from home.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 12 key metrics with data set ranges from the share of workers working from home to internet cost and cybersecurity. WalletHub also considered factors like how large and how crowded homes are in the state.
Massachusetts is ranked #5, behind only Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C. and New Jersey (#1).
Working from Home in Massachusetts (1=Best, 25=Avg.):
- 10th – Share of Population Working from Home
- 22nd – Share of Potential Telecommuters
- 1st – Households’ Internet Access
- 25th – Average Home Square Footage
- 15th – Internet Cost
For the full report, click here.
