WORCESTER For the first time in more than a year, the city’s elementary and middle schools returned to full-time, in-person learning Monday.
The School Department, meanwhile, is also planning for the next target date, May 17, when high schoolers are scheduled to go back to five days a week of in-person learning.
Monday, at least, went “great,” according to Superintendent Maureen Binienda.
“There were no big issues that I know of,” she said.
She credited the smooth transition to Worcester’s monthlong acclimation to hybrid learning, which began for most students March 29. Under that model, students went to school twice a week, and received remote education the rest of the time.
WORCESTER With less than a week before residents 75 or older become eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, city councilors said they have been getting anxious phone calls from residents about the process, and they don t know what to tell them.
At-large Councilor Donna Colorio said that since Monday, when Gov. Charlie Baker announced the change to the state s phased vaccine rollout that will allow the seniors to get vaccinated, she has heard from many elderly residents. She said they are scared and confused, and wanted to know who they can call, or where they can go. She said many residents who have trouble getting out are concerned they will be passed over.
By Timothy P. Murray
Last year, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce came out in full support of Mayor Joseph Petty, City Manager Edward Augustus, and a majority of the City Council in their efforts to explore the feasibility of bringing the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate to Worcester.
These efforts were not simply about bringing a major league baseball affiliate and new ballpark to Worcester, but about whether a new ballpark could serve as a catalyst for the reuse of the 22-acre Wyman Gordon site, which has been substantially vacant for decades. In fact, the Wyman-Gordon property was included in the Worcester Redevelopment Authority s Urban Revitalization Plan, which was adopted by the City Council last year. This plan recognized its blighted condition, making it eligible for eminent domain. The Urban Revitalization Plan was to redevelop this property in a manner that would create jobs and expand the tax base.