WooSox Home Opener Christens Polar Park: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Tuesday, May 11. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• The Worcester Red Sox christened Polar Park on Tuesday with the team's home opener.
• The Biden Administration gave final approval to the Vineyard Wind project Tuesday, providing the green light for the nation's first large-scale offshore wind farm.
• More than 500 people logged into a four-hour zoning meeting Monday night to hear about a controversial proposal that would strictly regulate gun shops in Newton.

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

Today's Top Story

It was 998 days ago the Pawtucket Red Sox owners signed a letter of intent to move the minor league team north to Worcester. The WooSox took the field at the new $160 million Polar Park in Worcester's Canal District for the first time Tuesday.

The first WooSox game at home hosted about 2,500 fans (reduced capacity due to coronavirus restrictions), local dignitaries, mascots and even James Taylor, who sung the National Anthem with his son, Henry.

Tuesday's home opener begins a six-game stand against the Syracuse Mets in Worcester — and there were only a few tickets still on sale as of Tuesday afternoon.

More WooSox opening day coverage:

• WooSox Opening Day: How To Ride Transit To Polar Park
• How To Watch, Listen To Worcester Red Sox Games: 2021 Season

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Tuesday's Other Top Stories

Route 9 repaving: Construction season is here. The paving work will repair a bumpy stretch of Worcester Road, plus parts of Speen Street.

Hot topic in Framingham: The Massachusetts-based Hot Table panini chain is under construction at Shoppers World. The owner told city officials Monday that he hopes to open this summer.

$1 million jackpot: Christine Lane, of Marlborough, bought a "$1,000,000 Payout" scratcher at the Hudson Stop & Shop in April.

Wind farm gets federal okay: The Biden Administration gave final approval to the Vineyard Wind project Tuesday, providing the green light for the nation's first large-scale offshore wind farm.

Newton divided over gun shop: More than 500 people logged into a four-hour zoning meeting Monday night to hear about a controversial proposal that would strictly regulate gun shops in town.

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

Picture This

Cross-state donut war: Two doughnut shops — one on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island and the other in New Bedford, MA — are at odds over who has the rights to their name. Photo and story by Rachel Nunes.

They Said It

"We don't allow partisan politics cloud our objectives and delay progress and that is something our counterparts in Washington could improve upon."

• Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant announcing he'll run in 2021 for a sixth term.

In Case You Missed It

Baker under pressure to reopen MA sooner: As of Tuesday, 25 states have fully reopened and lifted all the coronavirus restrictions that had been placed on businesses. Five more, including Rhode Island, plan to do so by the end of this month. Other states are targeting being fully reopened in June or July, with July 4 being the latest reopening date in all but one of the 15 states that have laid out a schedule. And then there's Massachusetts, which under the current reopening timetable won't lift restrictions until Aug. 1. On Monday, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker hinted that date may be moved up, but declined to commit to an earlier reopening.

By The Numbers

$100 million: The estimated amount Jordan's Furniture will refund to customers if the Red Sox throw a no-hitter between Aug. 3 and Oct. 3. The company has a policy with an insurer, which is reportedly "nervous" after four no-hitters were thrown in the young Major League Baseball season.