Worcester Spent More Than $100 Million Building Polar Park. Minority Companies Got Peanuts
Libis Bueno, CEO of Domitek, stands outside of Polar Park in Worcester, Mass. on April 6, 2021. He said he and other minority-owned businesses were frozen out of the ballpark s construction contracts.
Meredith Nierman
Minority-owned businesses shut out of building Polar Park
When the city of Worcester won the rights to build the new home for the Red Sox minor league affiliate, city leaders promised the giant construction project would bring vast new opportunities to local businesses particularly companies owned by women and minorities.
But as the team prepares to take the field next month, GBH News has learned that minority-owned businesses were largely shut out of park construction.
After outdoor dining was expanded in Worcester amid COVID pandemic, city launches $50,000 grant program for restaurants to purchase supplies
Updated Apr 01, 2021;
More help is on the way for restaurants in Worcester.
Hours after the city’s License Commission approved an extension to outdoor dining through the end of 2021, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. announced a new Outdoor Dining Grant Program.
The $50,000 program, made possible through donations from the Worcester Business Development Corporation, Unity Bank and Fidelity Bank will run for two weeks from April 5 through April 16.
Applications for the grants will be available on the city’s website starting Monday.
Worcester License Commission extends outdoor dining in city through 2021, as talks of making it permanent continue
Updated 12:44 PM;
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The tables and chairs outside of restaurants in Worcester along sidewalks and parking lots will most likely continue at least until Jan. 1 of 2022
The Worcester License Commission on Thursday voted to approve an extension of expanded outdoor dining in the city through 2021. The pervious order that allowed restaurants to use outdoor space for tables and chairs was set to expire on May 1.
The order is in effect due to the Gov. Charlie Baker issuing a state of emergency regarding COVID-19. The order states outdoor expansion is possible due to the state of emergency. If the state of emergency ends before Jan. 1, expanded outdoors dining would conclude 60 after the state of emergency ended.
Discussions about school resource officers ongoing in Worcester, Superintendent Maureen Binienda says
Updated Mar 17, 2021;
Discussions about school resource officers and their role in the Worcester Public Schools are ongoing as city students return to classrooms for the first time in a year, Superintendent Maureen Binienda said Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the Worcester City Council voted narrowly to remove school resource officers from schools by the end of the 2021 calendar year. The measure was among various items brought before the council by City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. to address racism and police reform.
Binienda told MassLive that she is setting up a meeting with the city manager, Police Chief Steven Sargent and Mayor Joseph Petty, who is also the chair of the school committee, to solidify plans involving school resource officers, also called SROs.