Community Corner

5 Things: Waxy O'Connor's Liquor Hearing, New Restaurant Application for Patriot Place, National Grid Fines & More

Here's five things you need to know in Foxborough for today, Jan. 8.

Editor's note: Five Things You Need To Know Today is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. If you know of something happening in town that did not make our list, please add it in the comment section!

1. Expect a Sunny Tuesday with a High Near 44 in Foxborough

Today’s weather in Foxborough, according to the National Weather Service based in Taunton, calls for sunny, with a high near 44. Southwest wind 7 to 11 mph. Tuesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

2. Selectmen to Hold Liquor License Violation Hearing with Waxy O’Connor’s

Foxborough’s Board of Selectmen are expected to hold a liquor license violation hearing at 7:30 p.m. with Waxy O’Connor’s during Tuesday’s BOS meeting. Waxy O’Connor’s allegedly failed an alcohol compliance check in August. if found guilty Tuesday.

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3. Selectmen to Review Application for New Restaurant at Patriot Place

Selectmen are expected to hold a public hearing Tuesday to review Gillette Stadium’s request to transfer its club all alcohol license to Hong Yi, Inc. DBA Saga Hibachi Steakhouse and its manager Xing Zheng Lin. If the liquor license is transferred then selectmen will review the application for Common Victuallers license as well as a seven-day entertainment license for Saga Hibachi Steakhouse, which would open at 295 Patriot Place.

4. Patriot Place Events:

  • Lucky Lunch at CBS Scene - You could win playoff tickets: Join CBS Scene weekdays for lunch now through Friday, Jan. 11th between open and 4 p.m. and enter to win a pair of tickets to the Jan, 13th game, including a $100 CBS Scene gift card and exclusive reservations on game day.
  • Win Playoff Tickets at Tavolino: Tavolino will raffle off two Patriots playoff tickets, exclusive reservations at Tavolino, and a $50 gift card.  Join Tavolino for lunch or dinner between now and Jan. 11th to enter to win.
  • 11 a.m. - Storytime at Showcase Cinema de Lux: Meet Cookie Monster at Kids Club Storytime Tuesday.

5. Attorney General Announces More National Grid Fines

With hundreds of Massachusetts workers still unpaid after more than nine weeks, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office has fined National Grid $270,000 for various violations of the state’s wage and hour laws, according to a press release on Mass.Gov.

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National Grid had previously set a self-imposed target date of Dec. 14, 2012 to correct the pay issues.  After that date had passed, AG Coakley sent a letter calling for the energy company to rectify all wage issues no later than Dec. 21, 2012 or face penalties.

“These workers provided a vital service during a storm that knocked out power for thousands of families across the eastern seaboard, including here in Massachusetts,” AG Coakley said. “The continued delays in paying workers their hard earned wages is unacceptable and National Grid should do whatever it can to resolve this matter immediately.”

In November 2012, National Grid's new pay system encountered technical difficulties that resulted in a host of pay related issues, largely in connection with compensation for work performed during Hurricane Sandy. Thousands of problems were identified company-wide including the failure to pay wages in a timely manner to nearly 2,000 Massachusetts workers who worked to ensure that residents of Massachusetts and neighboring states had their power restored.

Many workers have suffered financial stress and hardship from not getting paid on time, sometimes for weeks. For example, multiple employees who had financial payments directly debited from their pay - including payments for child support, alimony or college tuition - received warning letters for failure to meet those obligations because of National Grid’s payroll problems. Working with the Attorney General’s Office, National Grid has prioritized many hardship cases that were brought to its attention over the past nine weeks.

After nine weeks, hundreds of Massachusetts workers continue to suffer pay-related problems constituting violations of Massachusetts wage and hour laws, including untimely payment of wages, inaccurate payroll records, and failure to pay earned overtime. The AG’s Office reserves its right to issue further penalties in the future, should National Grid fail to fully rectify these violations in a timely manner.

Under Massachusetts law, wages must be paid no later than six days from the end of the pay period during which the wages were earned. The Attorney General has the authority to issue fines for failure to comply with the statute.


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