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, August 17 – Worcester Public Schools holds a virtual School Reopening forum today, Brew on the Grid is hiring, Anna Maria College celebrates its 75th anniversary, the USDA urges residents to be on the lookout for signs of the Asian Longhorned Beetle and gas prices up one cent in Massachusetts this week.
Worcester School Reopening Forum
Worcester Public Schools [WPS] is holding a virtual School Reopening Community Forum today — Tuesday, August 17 — at 6 PM.
WPS invites parents and caregivers of Worcester Public Schools students to attend.
To join the virtual meeting, click here. The passcode is 836658.
To call into the meeting by phone, dial (929) 205-6099 or (301) 715-8592. The Webinar ID is 821 2387 4665.
Brew on the Grid is Hiring
Downtown coffee shop Brew on the Grid is hiring.
Primary requirement: A passion for coffee.
Brew on the Grid is located at the corner of Franklin Street and Portland Street.
Those interested in the position should contact Mike at [email protected].
Anna Maria College Celebrates 75th Anniversary
Anna Maria College celebrates its 75th anniversary on Wednesday, September 1, with a poetry reading starting at 4:30 PM.
Presenters include:
John Hodgen, author of In My Father’s House, winner of the Balcones Poetry Prize and the Donald Hall Prize in Poetry. He is a visiting professor of English at Assumption University.
Craig Blais, author of About Crows, winner of the Terrance Hayes for the Felix Poliak Prize in Poetry. He is a Massachusetts native and associate professor of English at Anna Maria College.
Lori M. Nelson, author of Woven Words and Compass Rose who is also published in many sources, including the Boston Globe. She is an alumna of Anna Maria College.
Registration is required by Friday, August 27 to attend. Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information and to register.
USDA Urges MA Residents to Check for Asian Longhorned Beetle
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, August is the most critical time of year to spot the Asian longhorned beetle [ALB] as adult activity peaks. Worcester County remains under a federal quarantine for the ALB, and the movement of wood out of the area is not allowed.
USDA declared August as “Tree Check Month” for this invasive pest.
The ALB is an invasive wood-boring beetle that attacks 12 types of hardwood trees in North America, such as maples, elms, buckeyes, birches, and willows. Infested trees do not recover and eventually die. Infested trees also become safety hazards since branches can drop and trees can fall over, especially during storms. In its larval stage, the insect feeds inside tree trunks and branches, creating tunnels as it feeds, then adults chew their way out in the warmer months, leaving about 3/4-inch round exit holes.
The adult beetle has distinctive markings that are easy to recognize:
- A shiny black body with white spots that is about 1” to 1 1/2” long.
- Black and white antennae that are longer than the insect’s body.
- Six legs and feet that can appear bluish in color.
Signs that a tree might be infested include:
- Round exit holes in tree trunks and branches about the size of a dime or smaller.
- Egg sites that are shallow, oval or round wounds in the bark where sap might weep.
- Sawdust-like material called frass found on the ground around the tree or on the branches.
- Branches or limbs falling from an otherwise healthy-looking tree.
If you think you found a beetle or tree damage, report it by calling the ALB hotline at (866) 702-9938 or submitting an online report at AsianLonghornedBeetle.com. Try to photograph the ALB or tree damage. If you can, capture the beetle in a durable container and freeze it, which helps preserve the insect for identification. Then report it.
Gas Prices Up One Cent This Week in MA
AAA Northeast reports changes in gas prices across the region on a weekly basis.
Massachusetts’s average gas price is up one cent since last week, averaging $3.05 per gallon. That price is three cents higher than a month ago ($3.02), and 93 cents higher than August 16, 2020 ($2.12).
Massachusetts’s average gas price is 13 cents lower than the national average.
“Although a drop in demand has helped to minimize pump price increases and stabilize the national average, elevated crude prices continue to keep pump prices high as the end of summer draws near,” said Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast Director of Public and Government Affairs.
AAA Northeast’s August 16 survey of fuel prices found the current national average to be one cents higher than last week, averaging $3.19 a gallon. Today’s national average price is two cents higher than a month ago ($3.16), and $1.01 higher than this day last year ($2.17).
Comparison to neighboring states, according to AAA Northeast:
