Native American Groups Protest Boston Marathon Date: Patch PM

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

• Native Americans in Massachusetts are calling on the organizers of the Boston Marathon to move the already rescheduled date for the storied race because it now conflicts with a day meant to commemorate the contributions of Indigenous people.
• Less than 1 percent of construction contracts related to Polar Park, the new stadium for the Red Sox's top minor league affiliate, went to women and minority-owned firms — well below the 17 percent officials promised.
• Cape Cod officials are expecting a record-breaking tourism season this summer but are worried the influx of visitors will hamper efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

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

Today's Top Story

Native Americans in Massachusetts are calling on the organizers of the Boston Marathon to move the already rescheduled date for the storied race because it now conflicts with a day meant to commemorate the contributions of Indigenous people.

The Boston Athletic Association announced in January that the 125th edition of the marathon would be pushed back from its traditional April running to Oct. 11, assuming road races are allowed to take place under Massachusetts' COVID-19 restrictions by then.

But the Indigenous Peoples Day Committee in the Boston suburb of Newton complained the new day undercuts a day reserved for recognizing the contributions of Native Americans, past and present. The group said its first planned celebration of the Oct. 11 holiday has to be canceled because of the marathon's new date.

Read the full story.

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Thursday's Other Top Stories

Polar Park problems: Less than 1 percent of construction contracts related to Polar Park, the new stadium for the Red Sox's top minor league affiliate, went to women and minority-owned firms. The city of Worcester and Polar Park construction manager Gilbane-Hunt had said 17 percent of contracts went to women or minority-owned companies. But the WGH discovered many of those contracts did not actually meet that standard.

Burglars busted: Two men were arrested and charged Wednesday in connection to a series of burglaries across Middlesex and Essex counties and southern New Hampshire in 2019 and 2020. Investigators used surveillance images to identify the burglars, and later found evidence on their cell phones about the burglary conspiracy. Gabriel Estuardo Rojas, 28 of Methuen, and Manuel Jose Lopez, 24 of Lawrence, were charged with multiple counts.

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

They Said It

"If you're not doing that (wearing a mask), you're just plainly being a jerk. Know that if you're not wearing a mask, you're really just disrespecting the people that live here year round."

• State Sen. Julian Cyr, a Democrat from Truro. Cape Cod officials are expecting a record-breaking tourism season this summer but are worried the influx of visitors will hamper efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

By The Numbers

$20.9 billion: The net worth of Fidelity's Abigail Johnson, making her the richest Massachusetts resident, according to Forbes. There were 24 billionaires from Massachusetts on this year's list.