twiw-horizontal-trans-150h
Is there a story you think we should be covering? Have a tip on something we should look at?
Contact Us

5 Things You Need To Know Today In Worcester – January 12

By Tom Marino | January 12, 2022
Last Updated: January 12, 2022

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 – Wednesday, January 12 – Notre Dame Academy and Shrewsbury High School to face off on High School Quiz Show, Worcester’s Create 508 hiring for its second year, Worcester Arts Council awards $206,000 in new grants, join the Downtown Worcester virtual community meeting on Friday and gas prices drop by one cent this week.

High School Quiz Show: Notre Dame vs. Shrewsbury

High School Quiz Show revealed the competition brackets for its 13th season this week, which features two Worcester County schools. Notre Dame Academy, making its debut on the program, faces off with Shrewsbury in the first round.

Fifteen high schools across Massachusetts qualified for the competition during an event in November. The final bracket is reserved for the season opening wild card match between Buckingham Browne & Nichols and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. They were the two schools with the highest scores outside the top 15 who have never appeared on the show.

The program, produced by GBH, airs on GB2 and the High School Quiz Show’s YouTube channel on February 5. The host of the contest is Emmy Award-winning radio personality Billy Costa.

The program is endorsed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education and the Massachusetts PTA. Questions on the show are aligned with the Massachusetts high school curriculum standards in subjects that include literature, history, civics, science and math, as well as current events, and general knowledge.

Worcester Creative Program for Youth Now Hiring

Create 508, a collaboration between the City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Division, the Worcester Cultural Coalition, and the Division of Youth Opportunities, is now hiring.

The program, entering its second year, is a mentorship program that provides hands-on practice in cultural and creative activation to young people. Last year’s program culminated in with Color the City, a community festival planned and executed by the Youth Leaders and their artist mentors on the Worcester Common and Franklin Street on August 20th, 2021.

The program has three positions open:

The Program Coordinator

Responsible for supervising and mentoring a team of youth participants, managing program logistics, and more! This position has an anticipated start date of February 2022. Rate of pay: $25 per hour. See the job description or apply here.

Artist Mentors

Assist the Program Coordinator, working directly with youth leaders by supporting them to advance their skills while co-organizing and co-hosting a final community art event. Rate of pay: $17 per hour. See the job description or apply here.

Creatives and entrepreneurs age 16-21 are encouraged to apply for Create 508’s next cohort of Youth Leaders. Youth Leaders will be able to put what they learn into practice throughout the program, culminating in an event they’ll produce at the end of the summer. Rate of pay: $14.50 per hour. See the job description or apply here.

Worcester Arts Council Awards $206,000 in Local Grants

The Worcester Arts Council and City of Worcester announced the award of 57 grants totaling over $206,000 for arts and cultural programs in Worcester in 2022.

This year, Worcester Arts Council [WAC] received $187,700 in funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council [MCC].For the second year, WAC also received an additional $10,000 for Fellowship funding from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s Creative Worcester Initiative, which is funded in part by the Barr Foundation.

WAC’s 2022 project grant winners reflect a wide range of Worcester-based programs and organizations, including the Juneteenth Festival from the Black Heritage Juneteenth Committee, a DIY Paint n Skate Youth Program from Push Worcester, the Main South Community Mural Project from the Main South Community Development Corporation, the Making Music with Elm Park School After School program from Pakachoag Music School, and many more.

WAC also awarded fellowships to 7 Worcester artists, including $5,000 fellowships to fashion designer, musician, and artist Emmanuel Carboo and photographer Richard Cummings, and five $2,000 fellowships to photographer George Annan, Jr., visual artist Khalil M. Guzman-Jerry, musician Jerry Kazarian (Kaz Supernova), visual artist John Albert Powers, and visual artist Sharinna Travieso.

Downtown Worcester BID Community Meeting on Friday

The Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District community meeting will take place virtually on Friday, January 14, at 9 AM.

Joining this month’s meeting is:

  • Worcester Community Action Council Executive Director, Marybeth Campbell, who will discuss the role that WCAC plays in helping the entire Worcester community.
  • A representative from Worcester Community Fridges, a volunteer-run organization that is fighting to battle food insecurity within the city.

To join the meeting and learn more about these local organizations, RSVP by 3PM on Thursday, January 13 by sending an email to [email protected].

Gas Prices Down One Cent in Massachusetts This Week

AAA Northeast reports changes in gas prices across the region on a weekly basis. Massachusetts’s average gas price decreased one cent from last week, averaging $3.37 per gallon. That price is three cents lower than a month ago and $1.10 higher than January 10,  2021 ($2.27).

Massachusetts’s average gas price is seven cents higher than the national average.

“According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks rose by 10.1 million barrels last week. On the other hand, gasoline demand decreased from 9.72 million barrels per day to 8.17. Typically, pump prices decline due to lower gas demand and a rise in total stocks, but continued growth in the price of crude oil has helped keep pump prices from falling any significant amount,” says Mary Maguire, Director of Public/Government Affairs.

AAA Northeast’s January 10 survey of fuel prices found the current national average to be two cents higher than last week, averaging $3.30 a gallon. Today’s national average price is three cents lower than a month ago ($3.33) and 99 cents higher than this day last year ($2.31).

Comparison to neighboring states, according to AAA Northeast:

Region Current
Price
One Week
Ago
One Month
Ago
One Year
Ago
Massachusetts $3.33 $3.38 $3.40 $2.27
Rhode Island $3.36 $3.37 $3.39 $2.26
Connecticut $3.49 $3.49 $3.53 $2.33

Follow us on The016.com, the social network for Worcester and you!