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, June 26 – Anna Maria College honors the 20-year anniversary of the disappearance of Molly Bish, ArtsWorcester is hosting a sculpture show, AAA forecasts a significant drop in summer travel, find out how to get Dunkin’ delivered for free and the City still needs people who love to fish to take an angler survey.
A Legacy for Molly Bish
Saturday, June 27, marks the 20th anniversary of the disappearance of Molly Bish from her lifeguard post in Warren, MA.
Bish’s disappearance led to the largest search that had ever been conducted in the history of Massachusetts. Just 18 days short of a full three years later, on June 9, 2003, her body was located in Palmer.
No one has ever been charged for the murder of Molly Bish.
In 2004, Molly’s parents, John and Magi Bish, collaborated with Anna Maria College to create the Molly Bish Center for the Protection of Children and the Elderly. The Center promotes safety and protection of children and elderly, the two most vulnerable groups in society
The Center played a pivotal role in promoting the current Familial DNA Bill introduced by Sen. Ann Gobi and Rep. Todd Smola in January 2020. The bill would permit the familial searching and partial DNA matching in investigating certain unsolved crimes.
The bill is currently before the Forensic Science Oversight Board [FSOB] for review.
Dr. Ann Marie Mires, Director of the Molly Bish Center and Program Director of Forensic Criminology at Ann Maria College, was appointed to the FSOB and and serves as the representative from academia.
The review and recommendations for the Bill will be reported to the legislature in summer 2020.
The Center also sponsors the Missing Children’s Day annual event at the Massachusetts State House to advocate and recognize the plight of missing and murdered children in the commonwealth.
AAA Forecast First Decrease in Summer Travel Since 2009
AAA forecasts that Americans will take 700 million trips this summer, a 15% decline from last year and the first decline since 2009.
AAA says its booking trends show Americans are making travel plans, but are doing so in the spur of the moment more often.
Travel by car is the overwhelming more of travel, accounting for 97% of the favored mode of transportation. Car travel is expected to fall by 3% over last summer, and that’s the good news in the AAA forecast.
The expected drop in air travel when compared to last summer is a shocking 74%. Rail cruise and bus is even more ominous, with a 86% drop.
Overall, the AAA forecast see a decrease from 828 million trips last summer to 707 million this year.
Without the pandemic and the resulting recession, the AAA says it’s forecast would have been for a 3.6% increase in travel this summer.
Based on those projections, the pandemic eliminated 150 million trip this summer.
ArtsWorcester Opens All-Sculpture Show on July 9
ArtsWorcester is hosting its first all-sculpture show, Gravity/Levity: A Juried Members’ Exhibition.
The show features 25 artists and 29 pieces that capture approaches to weight and weightlessness.
Lisa Crossman, Curator of American Art and Arts of the Americas at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, served as juror and selected the sculptures.
The show opens at ArtsWorcester at 44 Portland St. and on its website on Thursday, July 9.
ArtsWorcester’s hours are Thursday – Sunday from noon to 5 PM. The Gravity/Levity exhibition runs through Sunday, August 16.
Get Dunkin’ Delivered Free
Dunkin’ has partnered with Uber Eats for free delivery on orders over $10. The offer is available now.
Using the Uber Eats app or by visiting UberEats.com you enter your order, customize everything how you like, and select the nearest Dunkin’ in the app.
If your order comes to more than $10 before taxes and other fees, you will see a donut where the delivery fee should be. $0
This offer is only available for a limited time. See the Uber Eats app or website for further details.
Anglers on Worcester’s Lakes and Ponds Needed
The Worcester Lakes and Pond Program is asking for the input of the city’s fishing enthusiasts to help identify water challenges that are affecting local fisheries.
The Lakes and Ponds Angler Survey is open to all levels of those who fish the city’s waterways. The questions are a mix of multiple choice and open-ended questions where you can give your input.
If you fish in the city you can help protect, preserve and improve the waterways you love by starting here.
