Cape's Vaccine Push Lagging In Communities Of Color: Patch PM

BARNSTABLE, MA — It's Thursday, May 13. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Over 700 St. Vincent Hospital nurses are on strike, and the hospital in Worcester said Wednesday it will begin to replace some of them permanently.
• Troy industries, which has been making guns and accessories in Massachusetts since 2003, will move its headquarters, manufacturing and 75 jobs to Tennessee.
• Tom Brady is coming back to Foxborough, and he'll be lugging his seventh Super Bowl ring, Rob Gronkowski and a dynasty's worth of memories with him.
• Thursday is the first day Massachusetts residents ages 12 to 15 can get vaccinated against the coronavirus. We're asking readers to share their thoughts.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

Cape Cod remains on track to meet its goal of having 75 percent of the region's population vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the summer season, but breakdowns by racial and ethnic groups show a "significant gap" among different demographics, Sen. Julian Cyr said Thursday.

On a call with other members of Cape Cod's COVID-19 response task force, Cyr said 62 percent of white Cape Codders had received at least one vaccine dose, compared to 37 percent of the region's Black residents, 53 percent of its Hispanic residents, 51 percent of its Asian residents and 15 percent of its Native American residents.

"This is unacceptable, and we must do a better job reaching out to communities to ensure that they have easy access to vaccines and increase the trust in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine," the Truro Democrat said.

Read the full story.

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Thursday's Other Top Stories

Striking Nurses' Jobs At Risk: Over 700 St. Vincent Hospital nurses are on strike, and the hospital in Worcester said Wednesday it will begin to replace some of them permanently.The threat from St. Vincent leaders is the latest volley in a public relations war over the strike, which is now more than two months old, the longest active strike in the nation at the moment. The nurses are seeking a new contract, and want it to include boosted staffing ratios across many departments.

Gun maker leaving MA: Troy industries, which has been making guns and accessories in Massachusetts since 2003, will move its headquarters, manufacturing and 75 jobs to Tennessee. The move will cost the company $7.2 million and will begin next month. "While Troy has enjoyed a very successful period of growth in Massachusetts, the changing climate for firearms manufacturers in the state determined the need for our relocation to Tennessee to ensure the continued success of the company," founder Steve Troy said.

Mark your calendar for Sunday, Oct. 3: Tom Brady is coming back to Foxborough, and he'll be lugging his seventh Super Bowl ring, Rob Gronkowski and a dynasty's worth of memories with him.

Learn more about getting a COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts at Patch's information hub.

Patch Reader Survey: Should MA Children Get The COVID-19 Vaccine?

Thursday is the first day Massachusetts residents ages 12 to 15 can get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Patch wants to know where you stand on children being vaccinated against the coronavirus. Fill out our survey, which will end on Sunday, and the results of which will be shared in the following days.

Picture This

Middlesex County drug bust: A months-long investigation involving the Massachusetts State Police, the U.S. Secret Service and police departments from Somerville, Cambridge, Woburn, Malden, Melrose and Wakefield targeted suspected members of the Port44 gang, police said. Police searched four homes and recovered $16,000 in cash, drugs and weapons (Somerville Police Department photo).

They Said It

"It's very concerning. We do know what the swastika symbolizes — the hate and the anti-Semitism, which is obviously counter to our values as an organization.

• Salem Public Schools Superintendent Steve Zrike. Police are investigating after a swastika was found at Salem High School Tuesday afternoon.

In Case You Missed It

Some Proms Are Back, With Masks, Testing And Distancing: Schools from Miami to Charlotte to El Paso have already cancelled prom over safety concerns. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has described proms as a high-risk activity due to the singing and dancing and has recommended that districts scrap proms and come up with alternative celebrations for seniors.

Only In Massachusetts: Candlepin Bowling

Only In Massachusetts is an occasional series where Patch tries to find answers to questions about life in Massachusetts. Have a question about the Bay State that needs answering? Send it to dave.copeland@patch.com.

If you grew up in Massachusetts and certain pockets of northern New England, you know there is "bowling" and there is "big ball bowling." "Big ball bowling" is what everyone outside the region calls "bowling." You grew up going to birthday where you chucked softball-sized bowling bowls at skinny pins, and, after the last cartoon ran on Saturday morning, you may have watched a few strings of "Candlepin Bowling" on Channel 5.

"I was always prejudiced in that I felt the large ball seemed to be an easier game," Don Gillis, who hosted "Candlepin Bowling" on WCVB, told the Wall Street Journal when the final episode was taped in 1996.

But candlepin bowling is also a dying sport. The Massachusetts Bowling Association lists 23 bowling alleys with 406 candlepin lanes in Massachusetts, down from 40 alleys just 10 years ago.

Read the full story.