BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Since protests popped off across the nation this week, during the third month of a global health pandemic, the news might have seemed especially heavy over the past few days.
However, there were also a lot of positive news stories in the U.S. Here are some of the good news reports you might have missed this week.
Mass. Got One Step Closer To Pro-Sports
On Friday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced plans to sign an Executive Order on Monday, June 1st to allow the Red Sox, the Patriots, the Celtics, the Bruins, and the Revolution to start team practice inside their facilities again.
While it doesn't mean sports will be back in full swing anytime soon, the Order is a step towards at least letting athletes playing in front of empty stadiums while fans get to enjoy some competition from the safety of their own homes.
Two NYC First Responders Reunited After 37 Years
This week a nurse working in NYC was able to track down a retired firefighter who had saved her life as a young child. Nurse Deirdre Taylor currently lives in Virginia, but she is one of the many healthcare heroes who traveled to New York City in recent weeks to volunteer throughout the pandemic.
According to FDNY, after one of the "nightly 7pm celebrations to thank her and coworkers at NYU Langone Hospital for their service, Taylor asked a Firefighter in attendance if he could help her track down Firefighter Pugliese."
On December 29, 1983, he had rescued 4-year-old Deirdre and her mother from their sixth-floor apartment fire, for which Pugliese was awarded the Walter Scott Medal. On Monday, nurse Taylor was finally reunited with Firefighter Pugliese on the phone, and she got to thank him for what he did for her family.
"I had always wanted to track down the Firefighter who saved me, so I could say thank you," said Taylor. "I didn’t know if I had waited too long, but when the COVID-19 crisis started developing, I decided to come to New York City and help. I brought the copy of the Daily News with me and thought I would be able to track him down while I was here, and I did.”
Mass. State Police Saved Eight Ducklings
Cute story alert! This week, troopers with the Massachusetts State Police stopped to rescue eight tiny fluffy newborn chicks who had fallen down a storm drain in Nahant.
MSP called it "a State Trooper’s most fundamental mission: to help others in a time of crisis and danger. Sometimes those in danger can not speak for themselves. And sometimes they are a different species."
State Trooper Jim Maloney fulfilled that mission last Sunday morning when he found eight ducklings trapped in the water under a heavy grate. With the ducklings’ mother and one of their siblings standing off to the side watching in anticipation, Nahant DPW pried open the grate, and the Lynn Animal Control Officer fished the ducklings out the drain with a net.
"At 10 a.m. Momma and the other baby emerged from the grass and brush and the babies were taken from the box and placed at the edge of the grass," said MSP. "The mother immediately went to them, and together she and her nine babies — the family fully reunited — walked back into the grass."
A Very Good Boy Broke A World Record
Finley, a six-year-old Golden Retriever who lives near Rochester, NY has become a world record holder this week. According to his mom Erin Molloy's Instagram account, Finley took the Guinness World Record for holding the most tennis balls in his mouth, with six.
It hans't been an easy road to success for Finley. Molloy said he has been interested in the art of picking up tennis balls since he was two years old, but it took him more than a year to be confirmed by Guinness World Records for his hard work. Of course, Molloy felt Finley's achievement deserved a celebratory announcement:
Seniors In Lockdown Started Hosting A Pirate Radio Station
According to marketing company Luckie, there is now a "pirate radio station run by real Resident DJs at retirement communities across the country, so they can stay connected while they're confined to their rooms."
Radio Recliner is meant to help retirees in senior living communities, "where feelings of isolation are a problem even in the best of times." The digital radio station has been designed to turn "dedication radio" into a new social media for seniors. So the organizers worked to identify seniors across the country to host their own radio shows.
"These Resident DJs share stories and songs from the comfort of their recliners, recording their shows by phone," said Luckie. "They give shoutouts to fellow residents, family members, caregivers, and retirement community staff. Any retiree, and anyone who’s missing one, can participate by calling 855-863-0050 to tell a story and dedicate a song."
To listen to Radio Recliner, click here.
A 103-Year-Old Red Sox Fan Beat Coronavirus, Celebrated With Beer
Massachusetts centurion Jenny Stejna got a clean bill of health this week after beating COVID-19. To celebrate, staff at Life Care Center in Wilbraham, Mass. gave her one of her favorite drinks, an ice-cold Bud Light beer. "Ah, that's cold!" she said after taking a sip.
Stejna's grandson, Dave, said she kicked all the nurses out of the room after her recovery because they were annoying her. "If you knew her, you wouldn't be surprised," he said. "She is a firecracker, she has always called things as she's seen them, she does not mince words, her nickname has already been 'the general' or 'the sheriff.'"
Food Trucks And Markets Are Returning To Boston
According to The Greenway Conservancy, food trucks are now officially back in the area of the Rose Kennedy Garden. Although it will be on a reduced schedule, trucks in the Greenway Food Truck Program that are ready to restart vending "will be operating starting June 1."
The Boston Public Farmers' Market at Dewey Square on The Greenway is also scheduled to return for the season on Tuesday, June 2, bringing locally-sourced food to those who live or work downtown from local farmers and small businesses.
"Featuring enhanced cleaning and social distancing procedures to promote safe shopping, the market will be open from 11:30a to 6:30p on Tuesdays and Thursdays through mid-November as a resource for fresh, local foods to feed our community," said The Greenway Conservancy.
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