Posh pools, new Rockland eats and girls hockey rankings

Jennifer Wagner, The Patriot Ledger
·5 min read

This week, we want to tell you about a new way to see the stories that ONLY subscribers can read. Check it out at patriotledger.com/for-subscribers/. Don't worry, you'll still get this awesome newsletter every Sunday morning, too ;)

As usual, make sure you read all the way to the bottom, where you'll find even more great links to stories – including the favorite food story of the week, a new restaurant about to open in Rockland. (Be sure to click on the real estate story – yes, it'll help you dream of summer with some fabulous pools, but it also has ALL the latest South Shore real estate sales - residential and commercial.)

Stories coming this week:

  • Where to find some of the best cups of cocoa on the South Shore

  • Local vets are slammed

  • A Braintree restaurant people are going crazy over

Thanks for reading. Thanks for subscribing. Have a great week, Ledgerland.

Brad Croall went to the hospital with what he thought was a migraine. Instead, he learned he had kidney failure.
Brad Croall went to the hospital with what he thought was a migraine. Instead, he learned he had kidney failure.

Former Quincy councilor Brad Croall, 42, needs a kidney

"Brad is a very private person and really has not been talking about it as much as I would have liked him to. But he's finally OK with us talking about it, for no reason other than we have three young kids, including a newborn baby. We need Brad to be alive and healthy." Read the full story here.

Still time to Lend a Hand

We're wrapping up our Lend a Hand giving campaign. Won't you consider giving? Every dollar counts. The Ledger donates all money to the agencies, taking nothing for overhead. You can assist this North Quincy man with mental health issues. You can help this grandmother raising kids with disabilities. Or this abused Quincy mom with unexpected bills to pay. The easiest way for many to give is here at Paypal. But there are other ways, too, detailed here. And if you've already given, thank you, thank you, thank you.

South Shore COVID-19 cases still increasing, latest report says

We've started our weekly COVID-19 story on the local numbers of cases again. See the town-by-town numbers on the South Shore here. (Or see them earlier at Patriotledger.com every Friday morning.) In other COVID news this week:

No sophomore slumps for North Quincy basketball stars Gormley, Quinn

They burst onto the scene last winter as wise-beyond-their-years freshmen. Now we are happy to report that Quincy's Orlagh Gormley and Daithi Quinn have proven to be much more than one-hit wonders on the court. Read the full story here.

Snowy owl sightings

Hopefully, you're staying inside this weekend as much possible. So, we'll just share a little of the cold outside with you. Nature is always pretty amazing. Patriot Ledger reporter Sue Scheible headed out with some photographers hoping to catch sight of snowy owls that have been back at Duxbury Beach. They weren't disappointed. Read the full story here.

How a scammer made off with $459,000 from an Abington pot shop

After losing more than $459,000 to a scammer who hacked his email and pretended to be a contractor, a Worcester and Abington pot shop owner is suing the bank he says made it all possible. Read the full story here.

HGTV is seeking South Shore homes for 'Houses with History'

HGTV is on the hunt for several historical homes on the South Shore to feature in the second season of its hit series, “Houses with History.”

The series follows Plympton a couple – designer Jen MacDonald and historian Mike Lemieux, owners of Full Circle Homes – and carpenter Rich Soares as they refurbish historic – but dilapidated – homes on the South Shore. Last season’s oldest was built in 1666. Read the full story here.

South Shore businesses struggled through 2021. Will this year be better?

Many business owners say they feel optimistic about the next six months, but the latest monthly survey by the National Federation of Independent Business showed that high inflation and a lack of qualified workers are the biggest issues facing small businesses. Read the full story here.

South Shore stars: 2022 will be a big year for entertainers with local connections

Lights, camera, South Shore! From Chris Cooper to Jennifer Coolidge to the Christmas movie 'Spirited,' there is a lot of popular entertainment coming this year with local ties. Read the full story here.

Petersen Pool has its third developer. Will cash left in 1963 really lead to water this time?

The builder of the Thayer Sports Complex is the third developer to score the contract to construct the long-awaited Petersen Pool/Rink complex in Braintree. ESG Associates, doing business as Edge Sports Group, has been selected for the public-private partnership, Mayor Charles Kokoros announced Tuesday. ESG was the sole bidder on the project. Read the full story here.

An awesome autumn: Find all of our Fall 2021 All-Scholastics here

See our recap of the best of the best fall high school athletes. Plus, if you missed any of the stories highighting all of the great players, you'll find links to them in this story.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Posh pools, new Rockland eats and girls hockey rankings