THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020 Page 7 Season still hopeful for Revere softball, baseball W By Greg Phipps ith uncertainty still in the air regarding the 2020 high school spring sports season, the Revere softball and baseball squads are hoping a spring season can be salvaged. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of all schools two weeks ago with an initial reopening date set for April 6. This forced the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) to put off the start of the season to April 27. That date is now certain to be extended, at the very least, after Gov. Charlie Baker Wednesday ordered schools to continue in lockdown mode until May 4. The MIAA reportedly is going to decide early next week on how to proceed following Baker's announcement Wednesday. In the meantime, the Revere softball and baseball programs are hopeful that a season of some magnitude will play out this spring. The softball team under Joe Cicarello made the Div. 1 North playoffs last year by going 10-10, good enough to notch the 23rd seed out of 24 teams. In their first-round playoff game against Reading, the Lady Patriots put two runs on the board in the top of the first inning but could produce no more from there in an eventual 5-2 loss. Revere was coming off a 2018 campaign in which they finished 13-9 and defeated Beverly, 3-1, in the first round of the tournament before falling to Methuen by one run in the second round. After last year's postseason defeat, Cicarello acknowledged the loss of key players Olivia McManus, Danielle Dion and Joli Giuliano, but the return of players such as all-star catcher Alexis Iacoviello, Lynzie Anderson and Julianna Raffa should keep the team in playoff contention. "We have a good nucleus of returning Revere man indicted in connection with stealing $25K from Encore hotel room safe A Revere man has been indicted in connection with stealing $25,000 from a safe inside an Encore Boston Harbor guest’s hotel room, according to Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office. Angel Hiduchick, 38, was recently indicted by a Middlesex County Grand Jury on one count of Larceny over $1,200 and one count of Larceny from a Building. He will be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court at a later date. The charges are the result of a joint investigation between the State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit at Encore Boston Harbor and the State Police Gaming Enforcement Detective Unit. Healey’s Office alleges that on Oct. 16, 2019, Hiduchick gained unauthorized entry to an Encore Boston Harbor guest’s hotel room and stole $25,000 from the safe – the majority of which he deposited into his personal bank account. State Legislature passes bill waiving waiting period for unemployment benefits T he State Senate recently passed a bill that waives the one-week waiting period for any person making a claim for unemployment benefits, if the unemployment is a result of any circumstances relating to or resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak or the effects of the Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency on March 10. The Legislature has taken this step so that workers impacted by COVID-19 can access the benefits they need right away. “Public health crises disproportionately impact the working class. We cannot begin to predict how vital this regulatory change will become over the next several weeks,” said State Senator Joe Boncore (D-Winthrop). “I am grateful to Governor Baker and our House colleagues for collaborating with the Senate to quickly pass this legislation. The Legislature will continue to identify ways to support those impacted by COVID-19.” “Massachusetts workers drive our economy, and the action we took today will help thousands of individuals and families as we confront the economic effects of this public health crisis,” said House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop). “I am grateful to my colleagues in the House for their work to address the urgent needs relating to the outbreak. I am proud of the work Chair Michlewitz did to move this legislation so quickly.” The unemployment insurance bill, which was signed by Governor Charlie Baker shortly after being passed by the Senate, is the latest action by the Senate to address the COVID-19 public health crisis and its impacts. New legislation to help municipal governments The Legislature also provided a $15 million infusion of funds to enhance the state’s COVID-19 response. The Legislature expects to act quickly on H.4580, An Act addressing challenges in municipal governance resulting from COVID-19, to provide communities with needed flexibility to address this unprecedented situation. players that will bode well [this year]," Cicarello said. For the Patriots baseball team, the goal will be to challenge for a postseason berth. Spring sports season delayed further By Greg Phipps W ith Governor Charlie Baker’s announcement on Wednesday that school closures would be extended to May 4 due to the COVID-19 crisis, the high school spring sports season appears to be in jeopardy, or at the least significantly compromised. Following Baker’s decision, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), in a public statement on Thursday, said its Board of Directors will address the situation on Monday, March 30. Two weeks ago the MIAA delayed the start of the season to April 27 after Baker gave the initial order to shut down schools until April 6. That date to open the season is now certain to be extended, and the season could possibly even be cancelled. An extension could also lead to abolishing playoff tournaments. The MIAA’s Tournament Management Committee (TMC) has recommended that if the start of the regular season must be extended beyond April 27 then playoff tournaments would need to be cancelled. The Board of Directors were in the process of reviewing the TMC’s plan before Baker’s latest announcement was made on Wednesday. “This recommendation, as well as a plan to save a spring season for MIAA student-athletes will be the substance of [our] March 30th board meeting,” it said in Thursday’s statement. Spring high school sports include baseball, softball, outdoor track & field, lacrosse and girls golf and tennis. Revere Athletic Director Frank Shea posted on Twitter that it’s “not an ideal situation but there is still hope we can salvage a shortened season.” Back on March 16, the TMC voted unanimously to allow teams to play regular-season games after seven days of practice time following an April 27 opening. The amount of games played will likely be reduced as well due to the season being further delayed. The Patriots finished with a 7-13 mark last year and won eight games in 2018, missing the tournament on both occasions.
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