You've got a chance to own some big pieces of Cape Cod history. Two signs from the iconic Christmas Tree Shops near the Sagamore Bridge head to auction today. A store property manager had donated them to Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod. Bidding lasts for the next three weeks, WBUR's Amy Sokolow reports. "We have no idea who's going to want to purchase these signs," Wendy Cullinan, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod, told Amy. (Both are 27 feet long.) "But it could be fun if you've got a big farm or a barn or maybe a big backyard or maybe a Christmas tree-selling business or something," she added. The possibilities are endless. Now, let's get to the news: A light in murky waters: Last month's sewage overflow into the Merrimack River led to the emergency closure of shellfish beds along the North Shore. With water quality improving since the spill, Massachusetts officials say clammers and oystermen should be good to work this week. To help make up for lost time, Gov. Maura Healey is sending the fishermen hurt by the 12-day closure a total of $300,000 in economic relief. “Last week’s sewer line break in the Merrimack River was very disruptive and significantly impacted many people,” Healey said in a press release. “We know that it really hit our shellfish harvesters hard, especially at their busiest time of their season when prices and demand for local shellfish is really high." - How it works: The economic relief program will be administered by the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries, who will distribute the $300,000 among shellfish harvesters who lost out during the shut down. Payouts will cover the "maximum estimated shellfish harvest from the impacted growing areas" over those 12 days, the release said. Harvesters from Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, Essex, Gloucester and Rockport are eligible.
- Will the newly harvested shellfish be safe to eat? As harvesting areas reopen, state officials promise to employ "rigorous national standards and active management" to ensure what's collected is safe. There’s a chance rainfall may stall reopenings in some spots.
- Speaking of clams: The invasive Manila clam has been spotted along New England coastlines. But researchers say it'll take time before they know whether or not its presence is detrimental — or beneficial — to the local ecosystem.
Back to the grind: Thousands of nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital who participated in a one-day strike last Wednesday will return to their posts this morning. The hospital extended the work stoppage through Monday morning to honor the contracts of the replacement nurses. It was the largest nurses' strike in Massachusetts history, WBUR's Priyanka Dayal-McCluskey reports. But even as operations reset, the hospital and the union have yet to agree on a new contract for the workers. - Nurses and home care workers walked off the job last week to advocate for pay raises. While they were locked out, hospital leaders hired 1,300 travel nurses to keep the facilities running. According to Priyanka, hospital leaders accused picketing nurses of disrupting patient care; while the union criticized the hospital for putting profits above patients and workers. As nurses return, about 450 Mass General Brigham home care workers — including occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, social workers, and dieticians — will remain on strike.
Hot homes: The temps have been hotter, and so has the local real estate market, according to the latest data from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. WBUR's Dan Guzman reports that the number of single-family homes sold in June jumped 7% from a year ago, while "closed sales" for condos rose 9%. Pending sales were also up, Kristen Keegan, the association's president, told Dan. "Those were up 38% for single families and over 39% for condos," Keegan said, adding many of those sales will soon close. It's not all up, however. The median sale prices for a single-family home fell last month to $715,000, a 1% drop from a year ago. P.S. — The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources is resurfacing its statewide ice cream trail for July, which is also National Ice Cream Month. The map features more than 100 shops — including sweeties in Roslindale, Holy Cow in Peabody and Trombetta's Farm in Marlborough — and is meant to highlight the state's dairy industry, department Commissioner Ashley Randle told WBUR's Dan Guzman. "That's really what it's all about, is the community aspect," she said. "When you visit a local ice cream stand, you're supporting local communities as well." |
