🌱 Poll Worker Recruitment Day + Play Banned In Pawtucket Schools

Happy Wednesday, people of Woonsocket, and happy National Popcorn Day! Here are the most important things happening today in town.

The City is looking for ways to encourage residents to serve as poll workers. Also, a play has been banned from Pawtucket classrooms. Finally, is the latest virus surge finally peaking?

First, today's weather:

Rather cloudy and milder. High: 45 Low: 34.

Here are the top five stories in Woonsocket today:

1. The Board of Canvassers and Registration has decided to participate in Tuesday’s National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. The day is supposed to inspire people to serve as poll workers. “National Poll Worker Recruitment Day aims to address the shortage of poll workers, strengthen our democracy, inspire greater civic engagement and volunteerism, and help ensure free and fair elections.” RI poll workers have to be 16 years or older and registered to vote (or pre-registered if 16). (City of Woonsocket)
2. The play titled “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by Alison Bechdel has been removed from Pawtucket local schools. According to a parent who read the play, “It included illustrations of nude women having sex, full-frontal male nudity, topless underage girls, and an adult man enticing underage boys (with) alcohol for sex.” The action was decided on January 4. (The Valley Breeze)
3. Is RI reaching the peak of the latest COVID surge? According to Tuesday’s latest update, there’s “the first decline in case numbers and positivity rate since the end of November.” That said, hospitalizations are still going up. (Patch)
4. Have you received assistance through the RentReliefRI program? We learned Tuesday that 14,000 RI residents received “more than $100 million in rental assistance.” The program was open to renters making about $69,200 a year for a family of four. (Patch)

From our sponsor:

Today's Woonsocket Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at GoodRx — the best way to save money on your prescriptions. GoodRx helps you locate the lowest prices for medications at local pharmacies, so you're not overpaying. Works for pet medications too! To see how much you can save, go to GoodRx.com.

Today in Woonsocket:

• Oak Street Health Primary Care hosts Bingo! (2 PM)
• The Warwick Public Library’s Mystery Book Group (online) (5:30 PM)
• Lops Brewing hosts Bingo (6:30 PM)
• Snowman Resin Window Workshop at the MoonStone Art Studio (6:30 PM)
• Forge Your Own Bottle Opener Workshop at The Steel Yard (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Woonsocket Cat Sanctuary had another adoption! Katzu is going to her forever home. They will definitely miss this young lady and her zoomies through the sanctuary, but couldn’t be happier for her. Congratulations to all and many happy meows! (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Divorce Boot Camp – Vesta's N. Attleboro, MA / Providence, RI Hub (January 21)
• Add your event

Loving the Woonsocket Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link, so they can subscribe
• Get your local business listed in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at Woonsocket@Patch.com

That's it for today. I'll see you around!

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.