Local News

Morning update: Transgender swimmer, big supermarket news

Schuyler Bailar will enter Harvard this coming fall, after taking a gap year off. Handout photo

By Jack Pickell @pacmanjack

June 24, 2015

2 minutes to read

Good Wednesday morning, Boston. An openly transgender swimmer has made a decision regarding which Harvard team to join, a change in the local grocery-store landscape, a Massachusetts city makes a strong casino statement, and the rest of the news you need to know today.

Harvard swimmer breaks new ground: “Schuyler Bailar had two options: He could compete on Harvard University’s women’s swim team, excelling as a leading breast-stroke competitor, or he could join the men’s group in its quest to capture an Ivy League title.

The choice was difficult and emotional — and most certainly rare — but in the end, Bailar decided there was only one way to be true to himself. Next semester, when he arrives on campus, Bailar will train on the men’s squad, and his team believes he will be the first-ever openly transgender swimmer at a Division I program.’’ (The Boston Globe)

Stop & Shop parent to purchase competitor’s owner: “Royal Ahold NV on Wednesday agreed to acquire Delhaize Group for about $10.4 billion in shares, creating the fifth-biggest US supermarket retailer in the industry’s biggest transaction for almost a decade.

The deal, which follows more than a month of talks between the European owners of the Stop & Shop and Hannaford chains, will create a company based in Ahold’s Dutch homeland and run by its chief executive Dick Boer. Ahold investors will own 61 percent of the enlarged group.

Ahold is clearly taking the lead in this transaction,’ said Alan Vandenberghe, an analyst at KBC Securities. ‘Our first take is that the merger agreement comes short of expectations for Delhaize investors.’’’ (The Boston Globe)

New Bedford really wants a casino: “New Bedford voters supported the city’s casino bid by a nearly 3 to 1 margin Tuesday, placing their bets firmly on the thousands of jobs and millions in annual revenue that developers and city officials say the waterfront casino, hotel and conference center project could bring.

Numerous voters spoke about a desire for something new, something to stoke economic fires, something to change a city that has long struggled with high unemployment and financial shortfalls. ‘No’ votes were hard to find at polling locations across the city, on a day that began with sunshine and ended with a tornado watch, thunder and downpours.’’ (SouthCoastToday )

Apparently there was a pretty nice sunset last night: You may have noticed one or two images posted by your buddies on Instagram… “With Boston under a tornado watch Tuesday, the mix of severe storms and sunset provided a memorable light show over the city.’’ (Boston.com )