Storm Leaves Thousands Of Clams In Its Wake: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Monday, February 8. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• And they’re off! A Democratic former state senator has kicked off the 2022 gubernatorial race by announcing his candidacy.
• While hate group activity is down in Massachusetts, it’s becoming more difficult to measure extremism during the pandemic.
• They’d probably like to close the book on this one in Woburn, where a contentious battle is taking place over who runs the library’s Board of Trustees.

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

Monday's Top Story

Last week's Nor'easter left a sea of shellfish in its wake on Revere Beach. The Division of Marine Fisheries said tens of thousands of surf clams washed up on Revere and Nantasket beaches following the Feb. 1 storm.

Good news for the gulls, bad news for humans: Marine Fisheries said both beaches are closed to shell fishing due to bacterial contamination.

So put that chowder recipe down because these clams are unsafe for people to eat.

Read more here.

Nearby News

• Medford Bakery Among Best Dessert Spots In U.S., Yelp Says: Medford residents can enjoy the best dessert in the state right in their backyard, according to Yelp.
• How Pooled Testing Will Work In Reading Schools: Reading schools are implementing free, optional pooled testing for the coronavirus for in-person students and staff.
• Pooled Coronavirus Testing Starts In Medford Schools: MPS switched from individual to group testing to ensure the program's sustainability, district officials said.
• Malden Hobby Shop Moving To Wakefield Due To Redevelopment: Hobby Bunker's current building on Exchange Street is being redeveloped, and the owners say they can't get a new lease.

Today's Top Stories in Massachusetts

And they’re off!: There are 638 days until Massachusetts voters elect their next governor — and the race has officially started. Former State Sen. Ben Downing, a Democrat, announced on Monday his candidacy for governor. The 39-year-old from Pittsfield is running on “working to make a fairer, stronger, Massachusetts.” Downing likely won’t be the last candidate to toss their hat in the ring — several other Democrats have been openly mulling entering themselves. But the race will be shaped by whether Gov. Charlie Baker decides to run for reelection.

Extremism in MA hard to measure: The number of active hate groups in the United States declined for a second consecutive year in 2020, the Southern Poverty Law Center said in a report this week, but warned that it's more difficult to measure extremism in Massachusetts and other states as groups move to encrypted platforms during the coronavirus pandemic. The group's "hate map" shows extremist groups are active in nearly all U.S. states. In Massachusetts, 12 groups are active.

An ugly chapter: A bizarre battle over the Woburn Library Board of Trustees is not showing any signs of ending. The trustees met last week without President Jan Rabbitt, who is fighting her removal from the board by Mayor Scott Galvin. Galvin sent Rabbitt a letter Jan. 27 removing her from the Board after an acrimonious recent meeting where it emerged that two members had not been informed of a meeting. Rabbitt called her removal illegal, and a lawyer for the trustees sent Galvin a letter saying the mayor lacked the authority to remove her and that she remains on the board.

Treasurer tests positive: The state treasurer is quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19, her office said Sunday. Deborah Goldberg got tested after learning of recent exposure to the virus. "She is monitoring her symptoms, following the guidelines established by the CDC, and is quarantining at home," her office said in a statement.

By the Numbers

57.6: Perhaps our number should have 7 for No. 12. But how about this Brady Super Bowl nugget? The Sports Business Journal reported the Big Game’s television rating in the Boston market was 57.6 — higher than the Tampa market’s 52.3.

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