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 10 – there’s a mobile equity vaccination clinic on May Street today, bid applications are open for a $40 million platform construction at Union Station, the Worcester Public Library is hosting a ribbon cutting for its new renovations, Massachusetts is ranked the best state to have a baby and gas prices increase by one cent in Massachusetts this week.
Worcester Mobile Equity Vaccination Clinic
The number of new positive COVID-19 cases is increasing in Worcester and across Massachusetts.
From now until August 31, the City of Worcester’s Department of Health & Human Services is offering several clinics throughout the city. No appointments are necessary.
Today — Tuesday, August 10 — there is a clinic at Nu-Red Cab at 6 May Street from 9 AM to 1 PM.
Bid Applications Open for Union Station Construction
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority [MBTA] is accepting construction bid for Union Station accessibility and infrastructure improvements.
The planned work includes construction of a new high level center island station platform, including, but not limited to:
- Canopies
- Elevators
- Head Houses
- Pedestrian Bridge
- Stairs
- Foundation Systems
- Mechanical
- Electrical Including Emergency Power
- Plumbing
- Communication Systems
- Signage
- Earth Support Systems
- Lighting Systems
- Civil And Drainage Improvements
- Reconstruction of Tracks Through Select Segments
- Modifications to the Existing Interior of the Worcester Union Station Building.
The existing commuter line service, the existing inter-city passenger service and freight line service continues to operate while improvements are made.
City and state officials expect the work to cost around $40 million.
Bids are accepted through September 9 at 2 PM.
For more information, visit the MBTA Business Center website.
Worcester Public Library Renovation Ribbon Cutting
The Worcester Public Library holds a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new renovations on Thursday, August 12 at 4 PM.
The renovations include a new “front door” on Franklin Street, which opens the library up to the Worcester Common. It also increases the library’s footprint by 8,000 square feet, creating more public space, and allowing for the new and exciting Arthur M. and Martha R. Pappas Children’s Center on the third floor. There is also a mural by local artist Ryan Gardell leading up to the new Children’s Center.
Worcester Public Library will also host a Community Block Party to celebrate the completion of the renovation on Saturday, August 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This will include free entertainment, activities, and fun for all ages.
Massachusetts Ranked the Best State to Have a Baby
A new study that ranked each state in the United States to find the best and worst state to have a baby.
The study compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia [Washington D.C.] across 31 key measures of cost, health care accessibility and baby-friendliness. The data set ranges from hospital conventional-delivery charges to annual average infant-care costs to pediatricians per capita.
Here is how Massachusetts ranked in some of the key measures in the study:
- 1st – Parental-Leave Policy Score
- 1st – Positive COVID-19 Testing Rate in the Past Week
- 3rd – Infant Mortality Rate
- 12th – Pediatricians & Family Medicine Physicians per Capita
- 13th – Hospital Cesarean-Delivery Charges
- 19th – Rate of Low Birth-Weight
- 21st – Midwives & OB-GYNs per Capita
- 22nd – Hospital Conventional-Delivery Charges
- 23rd – Child-Care Centers per Capita
Here is how states in and around New England ranked overall in the study:
- 1st- Massachusetts
- 4th- New Hampshire
- 5th- Vermont
- 7th- Connecticut
- 9th- New York
- 11th – Rhode Island
- 13th – New Jersey
- 26th- Pennsylvania
To see the best and worst states to have a baby in the U.S., see the video, below.
To see the full study and review its methodology, visit WalletHub.com.
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 $3.04 per gallon. That price is two cents higher than a month ago ($3.02), and 90 cents higher than August 2, 2020 ($2.13).
Massachusetts’s average gas price is 15 cents lower than the national average.
AAA Northeast’s August 2 survey of fuel prices found the current national average to be four cents higher than last week, averaging $3.19 a gallon. Today’s national average price is five cents higher than a month ago ($3.14), and $1.01 higher than this day last year ($2.13).
Comparison to neighboring states, according to AAA Northeast:
Image: Artist rendering of Union Station platform/Courtesy of HDR
