Worcester Magazine June 18 - 24, 2020

JUNE 18 - 24, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CULTURE • ARTS • DINING • VOICES

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THE NEXT STEP FOR MISTRESS CARRIE

Former WAAF personality moving on with new rock lifestyle podcast

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IN THIS ISSUE

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020 • V O L U M E 45 I S S U E 43 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

Note To Readers

100 Front St., Fifth Floor Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial (508) 767.9535 WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales (508) 767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com President Paul M. Provost VP, Sales & Strategy Andrew Chernoff Sales Manager Jeremy Wardwell Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Bill Shaner Contributing Writers Sam Bonacci, Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Robert Duguay, Jason Greenough, Janice Harvey, Barbara Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Craig S. Semon, Steve Siddle, Matthew Tota

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Worcester Magazine has put its calendar section and event recommendations on hold for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other standing features may be put on hold or appear more sporadically. Also, considering the pace of news these days, some articles may be updated online as the situation changes. For the most up-to-date versions of articles, visit WorcesterMag.com or Telegram.com.

City Voices...................................................................................4 Featured ......................................................................................6 Artist Spotlight .......................................................................14

Creative Director Kimberly Vasseur

Lifestyle......................................................................................16

Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Kate Carr, Laura Cryan, Diane Galipeau, Sammi Iacovone, Bob Kusz, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Regina Stillings, Randy Weissman

Listen Up....................................................................................16 Table Hoppin’ ..........................................................................17

Sales Support Jackie Buck, Yanet Ramirez

The Next Draft..........................................................................19

Senior Operations Manager Gary Barth Operations Manager John Cofske

Adoption Option ....................................................................20

Film .............................................................................................18

Games .........................................................................................21 WORCESTER MAGAZINE is a news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts.

The Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement.

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the cover Mistress Carrie.

Story on page 6 Photo submitted Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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CITY VOICES

FIRST PERSON

Michael Warshaw’s boundless love Former Worcester Magazine editor dies at the age of 64 SCOTT ZOBACK

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M

ichael Warshaw loved his aphorisms. The former Worcester Magazine editor would get a self-satisfied glimmer in his eye, his voice rising with an audible nudge-nudge, wink-wink every time he used one. “Be witty, not shitty!” he would repeatedly tell his staff when a piece of copy didn’t hit his high level of expectations. Those cries would ring out from his office, often when the paper was past deadline to get to press, the wall-hung red-ink stained pages being copy-edited in real time as a column was rewritten 2, 3, 4 times.

Michael was a vintage character in the modern world; a bitingly sarcastic, intellectually curious, and unflinchingly loving Brooklyn guy in Worcester, by way of Singapore, Thailand, Puerto Rico, and other itinerant stops through his child- and adulthood.

A polymath of esoterica and pop-culture arcana, he was the guy to call if you needed to find the best neon sign expert or radio repairman or vintage stock TV tube; wanted to reminisce about 1960s monster model figures or 1940s moviemaking; had an interest in debating the best Batmobile of all time or why Spaldeens were the best bouncy balls; someone who knew as much about Brooklyn’s Flatbush Avenue in the ’50s as he did about Worcester deli or Worcester politics.

He was an inveterate collector of friends, personal stories, strong opinions, random scraps of knowledge, and above all, vintage everything; his house was a selfstyled museum of his finds that he happily showed off. Original rare editions of records for his restored jukebox; sci-fi model kits; a working telephone booth; the old diner booth from a shuttered Worcester restaurant all found homes in his front room.

But above everything else — his beloved Brooklyn roots, his love of art, comics, antiques, pop-culture, and being in the middle of the

Michael Warshaw and former Worcester Magazine Publisher Diane Lieberman at Worcester Magazine’s 40th Anniversary party in 2016.

MICHAEL BELSITO

action, especially if it involved a vast and varied. Among them washed-up B-level movie actor, were stints as a DJ at WFTQ/ Michael loved Worcester.

He loved its history, its particular charms, and peculiar characters. He loved competing against media rivals, while staking out a unique role for Worcester Magazine. He loved to be part of the fabric of moving the city forward, and pushing back against those he viewed as too provincial or flush with power. He hated those who abused political power or power — because, as Spiderman taught him, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Michael Warshaw, veteran media and newsman, and the former editor of Worcester Magazine, died suddenly of natural causes on June 12. He was 64. He leaves behind his wife, Donna, his sons, Christopher and Michael Higgins, daughter-in-law Jill Epstein, three granddaughters: Olivia, Chase and Rhyen; his father, Fred, his sister, Lisa Warshaw Ellis, along with a host of relatives, in-laws, friends, and his dog Buster.

Michael’s roles in media, both in Worcester and nationally, were

WAAF, and in editorial leadership roles at Inc Magazine, Fast Company and The Boston Globe.

As an editor and boss, he was alternatively endearingly solicitous and infuriatingly overinvolved, sometimes within the same conversation: Jonah Jameson with a touch of a kind Jewish grandfather. His job was his life was his job, and in many of his interactions, that line would blur.

He was an artistic genius with words, painting with words and sentences; fitting for the grandson of a Depression-era painter of some renown. Yet, even as editor, he disregarded deadlines, and would have writers redo copy as the paper was heading out the door, after sitting on it for days.

But, that copy almost always sang when he was done with it.

Warshaw oversaw something of a second golden age at Worcester Magazine in the early and mid 2000s, in his second stint at the paper. With a peerless talent at honing words and stories, his ability to always seek and find new angles, his deep well of knowledge

about Worcester history, his wellsourced gossip about particular mucky-mucks, his infamous Chinese food staff parties at his house, his cutting commentary, his ability to conceive brilliant cover treatments — he shaped the paper into his vision at a time when the media industry had begun dying off. And, through that, he influenced and pushed the city forward in incremental ways that he would never quite get credit for.

His relationship with this writer could be complicated — as it was for so many of us who loved him, were loved by him, and worked with him.

We would huddle together, crafting text into beautiful passages of prose. He conspired with me to find new sources, new angles, new juicy bits of info. He threw office papers and pens at me in frustration.

He would call me endearing Yiddish names and talk about me like a son, with pride. We spoke almost every day for years after C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E

CITY VOICES

FIRST PERSON

Old white guy reflects on avoiding conflict

BY JOE FUSCO JR.

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was 13 in 1967 when my hometown of New Haven, Connecticut, went up in flames.

Racial tensions were high in our country that summer when a white restaurant owner in New Haven shot a Puerto Rican man who came at him with a knife in late August (or at least that’s the official record).

Four days of protest, rioting and looting commenced with Congress and Legion Avenues, thoroughfares of small businesses in the community, reduced to a rubble they have never recovered from.

I lived in a mostly Italian neighborhood of triple-deckers a few blocks from the unrest. The wise guys in our area hung out at the Checkerboard Bar & Grille at the corner of Legion and Winthrop Avenues.

Our street was untouched.

The following spring, the Fusco clan (my grandmother and aunts lived on the first floor, my uncle and aunt on the third floor) fled New Haven for the suburban confines of Northford, Connecticut.

I missed the buzz and camaraderie of city life and commuted to New Haven for 8th grade at St. John the Evangelist.

There were 31 students in our graduating class. We were all white.

In 1972, I was a long-haired, pot-smoking, politically unconscious, promiscuous freshman at Boston University.

I was dribbling my basketball to Sargent’s Gym one early evening when a gaggle of students chased by the Boston police flew by me.

They were protesting Spiro Agnew’s speech to B.U.’s ROTC at the Armory, and things apparently got out of hand.

I was not a Vietnam War pro-

testor. My draft-lottery number was a fortunate 262 and I had my sights set on a lucrative career as an advertising executive.

Watching the police rough up the students they caught, I quickly assessed that my hippyish appearance would not bode well for passing by the Armory unscathed.

I picked up my ball and ran like hell.

Once again in our country, there is turmoil in the streets.

Nobody of reasonably sound mind can condone what happened to George Floyd and other past incidences of police brutality to black men and women.

Our POTUS always seems to want to inflame rather than engage. Looting gives him a law and order platform that I’d like to see dismantled.

I saw New Haven almost burn to the ground and moved away from it. I witnessed the Vietnam protests and riots and ran away

from them.

My hope is that something positive and lasting emerges from our present unrest. I’m a pessimist regarding human nature but maybe my children and their children can prove me wrong.

Once again, I’ll stay on the sidelines and avoid engagement. I live a reasonably comfortable life and I’m a bit of a coward.

Good luck, America. I have a feeling you may need it …

Epilogue: Mere hours after filing this essay, Joe Fusco Jr. attended a protest against the closing of St. Mary’s Schools. Writes Fusco, “Guess an old dog can learn new tricks!”

Joe Fusco Jr. is a poet and humorist living in Worcester.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY Letters to the editor are a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with thousands of readers and online viewers each week. If handwritten, write legibly - if we cannot read it, we are not running it. A full name and town or city of residence are required. Please include an email address or phone number for verification purposes only. Please note that letters will run as space allows. Send them to Worcester Magazine, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 or by email to WMeditor@ gatehousemedia.com.

WARSHAW

snarky, and a lot more fun …. In a word, we’re smarter: in our choice of stories, how we cover them, and how we write them. When I we stopped working together, started here, I was grounded by a and he gave me some of the best few key questions on a weekly bapersonal career advice I’ve ever sis: Why are we doing THIS story? gotten when I was debating a Why are we doing this story move into politics. (“Whatever NOW? Why are WE doing this you do, always make sure you have a seat at the adult table!”) He story? The way Worcester Magazine answers those questions said something so hurtful to me — in the name of well-intentioned on its best day sets it apart from advice — that I refused to call him the imitators, and gives us our strength. We keep the bastards for over two years. honest, we keep the readers in the But the thing with Michael is know, and we have fun doing it.” that, for all of his warts, he was The last chapter in Michael’s among the most caring men you story was the best. In recent could work with, one of those years, anyone who knew Mike rare people who truly wanted watched his granddaughters turn to know everything about those him into a total softy. We have all around him. Apropos for a man been cheated that we didn’t get to who based his life on stories and watch him grow into the sage old storytelling. man he was born to be, doling out One of the most remarkable advice, stories, and bad jokes to things about Michael was the clear vision he brought to his job. all within earshot.

Scott Zoback is the former news When I left the paper in 2009, I wrote these words in my goodbye editor at Worcester Magazine. He is the director of Communications column. Really, if not his words, exactly, they were his sentiments, Strategy at ThinkArgus, a purposedriven marketing agency in Boston. re-packaged. “[Worcester Magazine is] the upstart, the underdog, the engine that could. A little edgy, a bit C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4

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FEATURED

Mistress Carrie puts her big foot first Former WAAF personality moving on with new rock lifestyle podcast JASON GREENOUGH

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he last time we spoke with Mistress Carrie, the wound sustained from seeing WAAF sign off for good was still very fresh. But now, after a little time off to figure out the future, she’s putting her big foot first, and moving forward with her latest project in a string of new ventures, “The Mistress Carrie Podcast.”

While the new podcast isn’t the first we’ve heard from her since February, as she’s cultivated a community on social media for a Facebook livestream called “Cocktails in the War Room,” which she considers to be a “happy accident,” the new venture marks the Leominster native’s official return to the mic after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the brakes on any opportunities she had lined up after the demise of AAF as we knew and loved it ended her 22-year run on the air. Podcasting is by no means new territory for Carrie, after having worked with the format during her stretch at the station, and she’s excited for the opportunities that lie ahead.

“Podcasting is something I’ve always been interested in,” Carrie tells WoMag. “But once the coronavirus hit, and it really looked like radio, as an industry, was going to change and maybe not go back to the way it was, I really started focusing a lot of my time on researching podcasting, really looking into how mine could be different, what I could bring to the table and what resources I would have available to me.”

While there were a lot of key elements to consider in starting her own podcast from scratch, the main thing was having a devoted space to make it happen — so she built her own studio.

Now, having her own studio, Carrie’s plans for the future of the podcast take on many forms above and beyond just sitting at the mic, and give her the freedom to explore a range of possibilities to grow the scope of her new production company, Big Foot First Productions, a name which gives a nod to both the idea of moving on to the next thing, as well as the fact that one of her feet is bigger than the other.

While she doesn’t want to be the girl who just talks about how she used to work at WAAF, Carrie is fully aware of the fact that no radio station in the region can fill its shoes, in terms of what they represented with exposing new bands to the rock and metal community. So, in a way, she’s taking the torch into her own hands and continuing the mission to bring new and exciting music to the masses with the podcast, and while she’s excited for the opportunity, there is a certain amount of nerves present as she soldiers on.

“It’s incredibly exciting, and it’s incredibly scary all at the same time,” says Carrie. “If you win, it’s on you, and if you lose, it’s on you too. I never was out there alone, because I had the staff of the greatest rock station that’s ever existed by my side, and now it’s all on me.”

While the 30 years of experience she has backing her brings a certain comfort level to the podcast, the friendships she’s forged with some of the biggest names in rock have also continued to repay her for the years of support and admiration she’s given them.

For example, the show’s theme song was composed and performed by Godsmack frontman Sully Erna after Carrie reached out to see if he had any unclaimed music lying around that she could use to give the show that “old school” Mistress Carrie vibe.

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What he came up with is an intense instrumental piece titled “War Drums,” which by no coincidence runs at 107.3 beats per minute (a nod to WAAF’s legendary frequency), and was inspired by Carrie’s “war room” at her house, which holds a plethora of military memorabilia from her time as an embedded reporter overseas, and mementos from family members who served.

In addition to the instrumental track, Carrie dug deep into the archives to revive some iconic voices for the sake of station identification, including Dave Grohl, Steven Tyler, Corey Taylor, Flea and the show’s first guest, Shinedown’s Brent Smith among so many others. While it might seem mindblowing to have so many of rock’s gatekeepers uttering the name of a local voice that we’ve always held dear, it’s really just a representation of how much Carrie has cared for artists and their many endeavors over the years.

Mistress Carrie with Brent Smith of Shinedown.

SUBMIT TED PHOTO

“I’ve tried really hard to take care of people, and be respectful of artists and what they’ve needed help with, and to always do what I said I was going to do and hold up my end of the bargain,” says Carrie. “Over the years, I’ve met so many people that have been incredibly generous, and I really wanted to make the trailer sound like my old show, where it made you comfortable. I wanted it to have that historical vibe where people will hear it and go ‘okay, there’s Mistress Carrie.’”

While the overall idea of the podcast will focus on rock music as a genre, and give members of the still-reeling WAAF community a place to congregate once again and expose them to new music from great bands, Carrie is excited to shine a light on the many aspects of rock and roll that you may not normally think of, like the plethora of stories archived in the minds of well-traveled roadies or the outside interests of rock stars, like Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch and his CBD product brand, or Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas’ Kleaver Clothing line. AdC O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 9

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FEATURED

Mask Making: the new cottage Industry EVE RIFKAH

Mask-maker mask-maker make me a mask Make it with care

nity. As MAW deals with the needs of individuals enduring financial crisis due to the COVID-19, FMWG stepped in to fill the needs of the medical workers and others at risk of infection.

In November, the USA sent 50% of PPD materials stockpiled for the possibility of a pandemic to China.

Later, President Trump refused millions of dollars-worth of PPD equipment from other countries. Stein-

man knew we have to take care of ourselves and our community.

For Steinman, a community artist, educator and activist, sewing and fabrics are her principle media.

She did her homework, researched the best materials to use and best patterns.

No one works in a vacuum when it comes to organizing. Steinman and Cherkas connected up with Lina Nguyen at Southeast Asian Co-

alition of Mass., who was organizing youth and elders making kits and sewing masks, and with Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Kristin Boudreau, of Worcester Stitchers for Health, and began collaborating with Mihoko Wakabasyashi of SAORI to fill requests for PPE (masks etc.). There are now three bins outside SAORI. One for material donation and kits for those C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 11

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Make it to last

T

he Face Mask Working Group, under the umbrella of Mutual Aid Worcester, a group of over 55 behind the scenes stitchers are the unsung/unseen individuals of Worcester, filling a need unmet by our federal government. The group was created on March 21 by Laura Evonne Steinman and Pam Cherkas, who were quick to realize the need for face masks in our commu-

Doctors at St. Vincent’s Hospital, three of whom are wearing masks made by Eve Rifkah.

PHOTO/EVE RIFKAH

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M I S T R E S S CA R R I E

badder than before. It’s pretty safe to say that after a bit of time off the air, Mistress Carrie is back and about to be everywhere again, and she’s hoping that soon enough, she can be everywhere we are too.

“I really hope that, as the world begins to open back up and we’re allowed to start congregating again, this will turn into something where we can host events at different places and be able to meet up and take the Mistress Carrie brand and carry it forward,” says Carrie. “I want to give everyone a common place to hang out and love the music, and be that accepting place where all of us in the land of misfit toys are welcome.”

Want to Write For First Person?

Hey, you. Yeah, we’re talking to YOU. You look like you have something to say. So this is your chance: Worcester Magazine is looking for contributors to our weekly First Person column! We’re seeking essays from our readers about whatever facet of Worcester life they want to share. And not just politics: We want to hear about things in this city we might not otherwise ever know: Things that make the city uniquely yours. Tell us your story, and the story of the people around you. To submit for consideration, please send a 750 word essay to WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com with the words “First Person” in the subject line. Let us know what’s on your mind.

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well, since the rock and metal community is constantly on the road checking out their favorite bands.

“That’s what the goal will be with my podcast and my company. I want to galvanize that community again, and give them a place to go,” says Carrie. “I think the audience knows after 22 years on the air at AAF that I’m not going to steer them wrong. I just want to be there to help them discover new music that I know they’re going to love, and be there to help them stay connected to the bands they already love, that WAAF was involved in breaking in the first place. I also want my podcast to be about the rock lifestyle. The music is the common thread, but the lifestyle is

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ditionally, she’s hoping that it can become somewhat of a travel guide to showcase other things like cool regional liquors and beers, and great places to eat all over the country as

a massive umbrella that so many people fit under.”

While a lot has changed for Carrie over the last four months, it’s still the same voice, the same passion for rock and roll and working with veterans, and the same purple hair. It’s just going to be bigger and

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‘Pineapple fact checking out’ The unofficial Table Talk Pies Twitter signs off BILL SHANER

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o more pineapple facts for Worcester.

The extremely unofficial Table Talk Pies Twitter account – which calls itself “Table Tok Pies” on the social media site – called it quits June 12 while simultaneously throwing its support behind the Black Lives Matter movement. “can’t square with any reason to not clearly state that #BlackLivesMatter,” the account tweeted Friday. “policing as it exists cannot remain. had a lovely time goofin all these years but giving a company a whimsical voice it didn’t ask for doesn’t feel fun anymore. love you all. pineapple fact checking out.”

The account then linked to the Black Lives Matter urgent donation fund.

For years, the Table Tok Pies Twitter account has been a strange gem of Worcester internet. It is

“I had already felt like I’d wrung not in any way affiliated with the out all the fun to be had here company, and no one knows who with this account, and when the runs it. Some of the account’s company failed to take even the tweets have become the stuff of bare-minimum, often performalocal legend. tive step of making it clear on their “Look at this pineapple fact” official social media that they stood “lunch is when lunch is” with Black Lives Matter, I decided “give the pie a squeeze” to call it a day.” “stare in hush quiet at the pie I When they created the account deserve” “one pie worth it two pies unmis- in 2015, they chose Table Talk because the company did not already takable three pies that’s unforgethave a Twitter, and they thought it table” As others have pointed out, Table would be funny.

“I just wanted to make people Tok Pies was a deliciously weird break from an internet that at times smile.” can leave a person suffocating in misery. The person behind the account has remained a mystery, and people have long argued whether it was someone who was extremely online, or barely knew what the internet was. With posts like “is this what you want,” it could have gone either way.

But in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, the creator of the account said they feel it’s time to part ways. The tone on social media has shifted, and Table Tok’s glib, dry humor no longer felt right.

The @tabletalkpies Twitter account has Though they wish no affiliation whatsoever with the real to remain anonyTable Talk Pies. mous, Table Tok PHOTO/COURTESY OF CLAUDIA SNELL answered a few of my questions via As for the company, they never email. heard from them.

“What the account added to the “They seemed cool to just let me swirling miasma of social media no be.” longer felt beneficial, and maybe The creator said they never plan never was. It was whimsical, loving to come forward and reveal their and goofy, and that possibly creidentity, leaving the account forever ated a positive association in folks’ a mystery. While they declined my minds with a business for which gentle invitation to come forward, I had no business speaking,” the they did leave me with one last creator said.

The decision also stemmed from Table Tok thought: “have the best day in the sun or disappointment with Table Talk out of it its there either way” Pies for never taking a stance on official social media channels.

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MASK MAKING

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 8

Eve Rifkah wearing a matching mask and dress.

PHOTO/EVE RIFKAH

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

they wear came from FMWG. There are currently nearly a hundred local sewers spending hours a day constructing masks. In reality sewing masks is a tedious, repetitive job. While we delight in milking out as many masks as possible from each piece of fabric and working with the different fabric designs and colors, we are still cutting the same 6” x 9” rectangles and 7” strips of elastic over and over. When a friend gave me a stack of five woven all-cotton flannel sheets, I delighted in telling her that I got 116 mask liners from one fitted sheet.

Tedious yes, but at this time also meaningful. We are helping, alone in our homes – so much safer than those out in the field, working in hospitals, clinics, shelters. We sit at our machines then deliver to a bin in front of a house. We don’t see others, yet we have developed a community through the MAW/ FMWG Facebook page. We post photos of our finished masks, ask questions about the process, machine troubles, and tell stories about bloopers. The feedback and communication keeps us going along with the knowledge that we are doing our part to cut back the numbers of those being infected by COVID-19.

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who don’t have access to fabric, the second for specific orders and the third for finished mask drop-offs to fill the designated requests.

“Little by little forms were created: masks requests, volunteers, a question and answer file, donated masks file, and since early April a weekly Sunday email newsletter is sent to about 70 volunteers.

We also got a page on the MAW website that shares information as well,” Steinman said.

Stitchers’ often have an abundance of fabric remnants – flotsam and jetsam from projects finished.

And there are those who once sewed and still have machines but no fabric. In this time of self-captivity, sewing face masks works as voluntary employment, a meaningful thing to do.

FMWG continually needs sewists and funds for materials. They put out a call through Facebook for donations. Some choose to order online and have the materials sent to SAORI. MAW also seeks donations to help out those in dire need due to lost jobs. Wakabayashi handles the donations of fabric, elastic, thread, and organizes the cutting and packaging into kits for distribution to those without materials. FMWG has received urgent requests from hospitals, shelters, emergency daycares, nurses and other individuals at risk of contracting the virus. Wakabayashi knows that this initiative is helping because hospitals send messages of appreciation for the masks. She has driven all over Worcester and beyond delivering masks and picking up materials. Born in Japan, she understands that wearing masks really does slow the spread of contagion in public when seasonal allergic symptoms arise, or earthquakes send waves of dust in the air. Wearing masks is a longtime custom of protection.

In the meantime thousands of mask orders continue to flood into FMWG. Today, more than 16,000 masks have been distributed. Some of the organizations which received masks include VNA, Worcester County Jail, public school meals volunteers, every hospital, Head Start, New England Center for Children, Stop & Shop, Planned Parenthood, homeless shelters and Jeremiah’s Inn. The list goes on for pages. At the DCU Center, of the 200 employees caring for the homeless who are infected, only one person has tested positive. The masks

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Youth group joins effort to build youth vote BILL SHANER

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head of what could be one of the more contentious elections in recent history, a new group of Worcester youth are making a push to get out the youth vote.

The Worcester Voter Registration Initiative was launched earlier this spring, and later this month, on June 26, they’re planning a large digital launch campaign with partners in the community.

“We’re youth helping youth, and I think that’s powerful in and of itself,” said Morgan Johnson, director of

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civic partnerships and community outreach, a 19-year-old college student and Worcester resident.

The group is currently composed of about 15 members and 15 student ambassadors who range in age from young teens to college seniors.

The ambassadors will work within their school communities to drum up interest and support. Along with voter registration, the group plans to focus on census work and financial literacy. Over the course of the next several months, they plan to host registration drives, launch online campaigns through social media, and also partner with local artists for a series of events called 508 Rising.

For Johnson, a Black woman, the series is an important way to bring in and elevate voices that are often ignored in politics.

“In the midst of everything going on right now I think it’s important that we target the black community in Worcester especially,” she said.

Events that combine art, music and political organizing will help the youth feel less a sense of disenfranchisement from the political system, she said.

“A lot of times we think our vote doesn’t matter as Black people,” she said. “The point of this is ‘you are heard. No one is left out.’”

While the group is organizing in the run-up to a presidential election, the focus is distinctly on Worcester.

Sam Greenberg, director of public affairs and media for the WVRI, said the group got together after seeing how few people, especially young people, participated in the 2019 city elections. The 17% turnout rate in that election was a problem, he said.

“We really want to chip away at that. We want to get everyone involved,” he said. “We have a unique ability to reach people in the community and reach youth in the community by nature of us also being young people. I really see it as a unique opportunity.”

Youth in Worcester right now are particularly interested in issues going on within the school system, he said, and the group plans to rally around that, making the case for why voting in local elections matters.

FEATURED

“This is a really great opportunity for young people to start using their voices and make sure the young people are heard,” he said. “Without organizing and energizing one another, it’s going to be a lot harder to affect any change.”

For Johnson, the power of youth has been demonstrated over the past few years, both with Black Lives Matter and demonstrations against gun violence.

“Around the country the past few years we’ve seen how much youth can do, what we can create,” she said. “We control the future. We really do.”

But, she said, the energy needs to be harnessed and directed, and that’s where the voter registration organizing comes in.

“You have to attempt to change the community, to make a space where we embrace each other and raise each other’s personal competency, political competency,

cultural competency,” she said.

To focus it on Worcester, and try to create a space for specifically Worcester-focused youth political involvement, is something Greenberg said adds a layer to the work.

“Having the ability to affect that same change in the place where I was born and raised really felt like a great opportunity,” he said.

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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CITY LIFE

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Kylie Marion is 16 years old and has always enjoyed art, in all its forms - whether it be painting, drawing, or creating music. One of her favorite artistic activities is painting mandala rocks.

CITY LIFE If you are an artist, or know of a local artist, email WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com. Fair warning, in order to publish your work, you’ll need to provide a small bio and high resolution digital copies of some of your art. We reserve the right to choose what will run, based on resolution and what will reproduce best on newsprint.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020

and taught high school art at Quabbin Regional in Barre for 35 years. She now teaches some adult classes and workshops in the area. She has been on a couple of art councils, belongs to local art groups, including the Massasoit Art Guild, and won awards for all types of media in local shows and her work has made the cover of the course catalogue for the school of the Worcester Art Museum.

Oil is her favorite, but she also does watercolor, pastels, acrylic, and drawing. You can see more of her work at https://m.facebook. com/LindaSpencerArts.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Linda Spencer has lived in Worcester County all her life,

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CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

I grew up moving from apartment to apartment; now, I’m a homeowner SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

L

ike most kids with parents who are separated, I’ve always been accustomed to bouncing between places. I lived at more than 10 different addresses before I graduated high school. As an adult, I’ve continued to view “home” as a construct rather than a location.

That ends today.

Somewhere between the surge of a global pandemic and the touch down of murder hornets, my husband and I managed to close on a house in Worcester. I should note that our agent, Joe Abramoff, is nothing short of a miracle worker.

I am a gal on the fly, ready to pick up at a moment’s notice. By contrast, when my husband makes a decision, he’s in it for the long haul. His unyielding patience was rewarded when we found the home of our dreams.

On moving week, I got the wild idea to try and visit a bunch of the

old apartments where I grew up. I thought it might make the transition feel more permanent. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hit them all, but I gave my personal quest an honest effort and set out to conquer Bolton Street, Pratt Street, Gordon Street, Hartshorn Avenue and beyond in search of closure or something close to it.

I had already secured a 2020 Chevy Silverado for the big move and I knew it would suit my solo road trip perfectly. Something about riding high in a luxury cabin added to the gravity of the journey. It felt like a vehicle pulled from the pages of a science fiction novel. My rearview mirror transformed into a backup display with the flick of a switch.

Plus, the head-up display let me keep my eyes on the road as I sped down memory lane. I was propelled into the future.

None of our old buildings looked the same. In one case, the lawn had been paved over for a parking lot.

Another had burned down. Many of

them had changed colors on account of new siding or a fresh coat of paint.

Each stop felt more foreign to me than the last.

I wanted to make some sort of grand symbolic gesture, so I left an ear of wheat on every stoop. Wheat is often used in literature to symbolize life and new beginnings. It felt like just the right emblem for my self-reflection tour. I’m surprised no one opened the door to ask what I was doing — a clear sign of my privilege as a white woman driving a fancy truck. The final stop was our new home. I set a whole bundle of wheat on the mantel to help me remember just how far I’ve come.

In college, my roommates and I made long lists of goals for ourselves.

It was a chapter of my emerging adulthood defined by vision-boarding, hot yoga and hookah bars. We were manifesting our own destinies with sharpies and glitter glue. The first thing on my list said, “Live in one place for long enough to plant a tree and watch it grow taller than

Writer Sarah Connell Sanders secured a 2020 Chevy Silverado for her big move and promptly got lost on a detour down memory lane.

MIKE HENDRICKSON

I am.” Who knew the real challenge would be finding a place where I would actually want to stay? Until now.

I am so grateful to have a permanent residence in the city of Worcester with the man that I love. I finally feel at home.

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020

LISTEN UP

Eye Witness haunting and heartbroken on ‘Miss Me’ VICTOR D. INFANTE

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ith the new album “Miss Me,” Worcester indierockers Eye Witness deliver a portrait of pain and personal struggle that’s almost unbearable. Ghosts haunt every corner of the album, as do warring angels and demons, and our principal guide through the inferno is the mononymous singer Milo, whose voice throughout here resonates with anguish. It is not a happy album, but it is an excellent one, if you can withstand the heartbreak that unfolds.

Interestingly, the album begins with the song “Final Curtain,” where Milo sings “Bad men are coming, la la la la la la la/I’m still pretty, la la la la la la.” There’s a sort of mania to the lyrics and tone, one compiled

by Rainy Milo’s steady, martial percussion. It’s at this point, one’s

forced to wonder if we’re finding the persona at the end of the album’s story, or at the end of a previous story, from which the album unfolds.

It’s unclear, and the dizzy mania of Milo’s lyrics – “Friends don’t lie, it’s what you tell me/Help me hide, let no one find me/Ride our bikes, don’t tell your family/Watch me bleed” – offer few clues, save the evidence of pain. When the next song, “Artemis,” begins with the lines, “Let us begin with a bitter end images of God in a world of sin,/Live life in a paranoid crowd, count down the days watch the bombs drop down,” our placement in time remains uncertain, save for one thing: It’s the end of the world. Or at least, the end of someone’s world.

Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt and chastity, and when the album’s persona resolves to “surrender now on a lonely night,” there’s a sense of ritual about the

whole thing, of consenting to being alone or becoming prey. Maybe both.

Although Eye Witness is primarily a duo, with Milo on guitar and vocals, and Logan on drums and vocals, the pair are capable of creating a thick, at times otherworldly sound, here abetted by Kristy Foye on cello, Amber Tortorelli on theremin and Mark Leighton on piano. The album was recorded and mixed by Leighton, and mastered by Roger Lavallee, and it’s a testament that amid so much sonic lashing, so much of the album still seems to clear, even deliberate. Everything is pushed toward the cacophonous, but nothing feels out of place.

The album takes a more grounded turn with the haunting “Miss Me,” wherein a lover leaving – “there goes my love/there goes the sun” – has the persona contemplating oblivion: “Would you miss me?/My

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 19

CITY LIFE

TABLE HOPPIN’

The Castle resuming lakeside patio dining and music BARBARA M. HOULE

T

Bull Run offering outdoor dining options

Dine under the tent at Arturo’s …

Chuck’s Steak House in Auburn offers dining in the “giant” outdoor tent located in the restaurant’s front parking lot, 10 Prospect St. Dinner hours are 4:30 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday through Thursday; 2 to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The owners said the tent also would be available for “private small corporate, socially distanced luncheons, family gatherings, or any event that isn’t Zoom worthy.”

Visit www.chucks.com or call (508) 832-2553.

Hebert’s ice cream window open for business

The ice cream window at Hebert’s Candies, 574 Hartford Turnpike, Shrewsbury, is open from 1 to 8 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays. Note: Masks are required.

“Ice cream can be enjoyed on the property, so bring along a picnic blanket and eat your treats (ice cream, frappes and floats) on the lawn!” is the message from Hebert’s.

Dean’s Beans raising funds for school food programs Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company in Orange recently launched a “Kids Stimulus Package” in support of Massachusetts’ school feeding programs, and to date has sent $57,000 to area schools, with contributions based on the number of students the district feeds each day.

Schools that have been provided with funding include Springfield Public Schools; Greenfield Public Schools; Royalston Regional School District; Gill-Montague Regional School District (western Massachusetts); Orange elementary schools; Ralph C Mahan Regional School in Orange; AmherstPelham Regional Public Schools; Narragansett Regional School District in Baldwinville; Gardner Public Schools.

“Throughout this pandemic, we have seen adults get stimulus checks,

The Castle Restaurant’s patio overlooks Lake Sargent.

SUBMIT TED PHOTO

banks get stimulus, small businesses and corporations get stimulus, and we think kids need a stimulus, too,” said Dean Cycon, founder and CEO of Dean’s Beans. “Their worlds have been turned upside down, just like ours, and kids should not have to worry about where they are going to get their next meal.

“Every school district operates differently and serves varying numbers of children, but one thing remains consistent — these feeding programs are overextended and underfunded,” said Cycon.

Dean’s Beans has seen a surge in online retail sales a coffee drinkers are brewing more at home due to social distancing and telecommuting, said Cycon, which left the company in the unique position to redistribute profits directly into meal programs. “The Kids Stimulus Package is designed to ensure area school feeding programs are able to meet the growing need,” he said.

Dean’s Beans is working with other local school districts as the company looks to increase its impact on child hunger. The Kids Stimulus Package program will be ongoing and evolving at least until the pandemic ends, according to Cycon. The company also is reaching out to its customer base encouraging them to support local feeding programs.

Dean’s Beans, “a social justice company that uses coffee to create positive change around the world,” also has launched a “Thousand Pounds of Light” campaign to give away 1,000

pounds of coffee to people on the frontlines and whose jobs and livelihoods have been directly impacted by the virus. The company also provides food banks, survival centers and other organizations with free coffee.

Dean Cycon founded Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company in 1993.

Visit deansbeans.com for more info.

Corner Grille closed after 23 years

Corner Grille, 806 Pleasant St., Worcester, is closed.

The June 13 posting on the restaurant’s Facebook page: “It has been my greatest pleasure serving my neighborhood and the entire Worcester community for the past 23 years. I have made so many friends and built relationships that will last my entire life! I look forward to seeing everyone down the road. Love and peace to all!”

Worcester native Raena Heppenstall owned the restaurant. In a 2018 Meet the Chef column published in the Worcester Sunday Telegram, Heppenstall said the popular thin crust pizza on the restaurant’s menu was influenced by her grandmother, Helen Litsas, and that she knew the west side of Worcester was the place to establish her business, given “the great neighborhood.” She lived in the city most of her life.

If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.

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Arturo’s Ristorante, 54 E. Main St., Westboro, now offers outdoor seating under a tent, by reservation only.

Owner and chef Dom Fabiano requests customers visit www.arturosristorante.com for information about reservations and new dining

… And at Chuck’s

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

In Shirley, Bull Run’s Six Feet Away Outdoor Café held its grand opening on June 13.

The café currently is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Sunday Brunch. There’s live music Friday and Saturday; trivia on Thursdays.

Visit www.bullrunrestaurant.com for concert lineup.

Outdoor dining also includes Bull Run’s upper patio, lawn, lower patio and the covered bridge. Full menu and bar service.

The restaurant will offer a special Father’s Day menu on June 21, according to Alison Tocci, co-owner with her husband, George Tocci.

Visit the restaurant website for more information.

The business will continue with groceries and provisions for pick-up or delivery and take-out meals and delivery, said Tocci.

As for outdoor dining at Bull Run, Tocci said eating on the restaurant’s covered bridge is a memorable New England experience. “It’s pictureperfect,” she said.

The Bull Run is a restaurant, concert hall and function venue located at 215 Great Road, Rout 2A, Shirley.

Telephone: (978) 425-4311.

guidelines. Outdoor dining and curbside take-out are available from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Follow Arturo’s Ristorante on Facebook, www.facebookcom/arturositalian; Instagram, @arturosristorante.

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020

he Castle Restaurant in Leicester will reopen its patio for outside dining on June 19, offering a Friday-throughSunday lunch and dinner menu, in addition to special events and Jazz on the Patio beginning July 5.

James (Jim) Nicas said as owners he and his sister Evangeline Nicas are ready to safely and responsibly return to some sense of normalcy at the Castle. The restaurant and staff will adhere to the state’s safety and sanitation protocols, he said, adding, “We know reopening will be a little different, but we’re just happy to be back home.”

New hours will be from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Nicas also plans to host a tasting of Austrian wines at 3 p.m. on June 21 on the patio, an event originally scheduled in April. Visit www. castlerestaurant.com for info about sending email to reserve a spot.

It’s Patio Dinner & Bourgogne Blanc wine tasting at 5 p.m. June 28, with the option of patio seating, or Pop-Up Pick-Up dinner. Cost is $85.50, inclusive, by reservation only; email the Castle Restaurant.

The menu with three paired wines: First course: Ipswich mid-neck clams stuffed with the Castle’s casino butter and topped with a turkey bacon accent; Main course: Escalope of veal, encrusted and sautéed with a diced tomato lemon caper cream; Dessert: Denise’s key-lime tartlet garnished with cream from Cooper’s Hilltop Farm in Rochdale.

In May as a result of COVID-19, the Castle, known for fine dining, pivoted to weekend pop-up take out dinners, which completely sold out only after menus were posted online. “The response to the pop-ups was amazing and sort of took us by surprise,” said Nicas. “We continued to get emails and calls after reservations closed. We actually added more meals. Customers really reached out.”

Jazz on the Patio overlooking “beautiful” Lake Sargent will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Sundays, no cover.

Refreshments will be available.

The current schedule: July 5, Bill Fanning Trio; July 12, Worcester

Jazz Collective; July 19, Wonderland 4 Jazz Band; Aug. 2, Mauro DePasquale; Aug. 9, Russo Brothers Jazz Quintet; Aug. 16, Mark Holovnia; Aug. 23, Mass-ConnFusion; Aug. 30, Joan Cleary Band; Sept. 6, Jim Porcella Trio.

Great outdoor dining venue!

The legendary Castle Restaurant, owned and operated by the Nicas family since 1949, went up for sale in January. James Nicas and his sister plan to operate the restaurant until it’s sold.

CITY LIFE

FILM

Spike Lee miscalculates on ‘Da 5 Bloods’

JIM KEOGH

S

pike Lee needed to make a big decision before filming “Da 5 Bloods.” He had three actors nearing 70 and another close to 60, playing veterans of the Vietnam War. Their characters return to Vietnam five decades after their service to recover a cache of gold they’d long ago buried, but the screenplay called for battlefield flashbacks to add context to their current-day motives and emotions.

Lee didn’t have the millions Netflix had forked over to Martin Scorsese to digitally de-age Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in “The Irishman,” so he boldly let the actors play the younger versions of themselves. Delroy Lindo, 67, Isiah Whitlock Jr., 66, Clarke Peters, 68, and Norm Lewis, 57 — with their paunches, limpy gaits and more-salt-than-pepper beards — engage the enemy like, well, like it was 50 years ago.

It took me a while to sort through the dissonance of watching these ac-

tors fight alongside the fifth “blood,” Chadwick Boseman, who’s 42 and looks younger. Boseman’s character didn’t make it out of the war, which is another reason his friends want to return to the place of his last stand.

Lee apparently had determined that the advancement of years doesn’t matter — that perhaps there is some poignance to showing the older men take up arms alongside a friend who never had the opportunity to turn gray.

The conceit doesn’t work; in fact, it’s silly. Why not simply hire young actors capable of interpreting their elders’ fresher selves? The roster of talent must be endless. Consider Robert De Niro won an Academy Award for playing Vito Corleone in “The Godfather Part II.” How ridiculous would it have looked to have 50-year-old Marlon Brando reprising the role, playing himself decades younger? (Though, to be fair, the four actors in “Da 5 Bloods” have aged far better than Brando did.)

Unfortunately, Lee’s (non)casting

decision points to deeper issues with “Da 5 Bloods,” which at two-anda-half meandering hours feels like a rough draft of the great movie it could have been. Lee folds powerful sentiments about the plight of the African American soldier, and history’s casual disregard for the black wartime experience, into a trite heist story that sucks the energy out of the enterprise. The pop-culture references to “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” “Apocalypse Now” and even “The Wire” (Whitlock and Peters are veterans of the signature series) are enjoyable, but the movie wades into a quagmire of extraordinary coincidences, face-slapping symbolism, cliché (The GI-fathered child left behind? Really?), and absurd shootouts where the enemy’s poor aim would make “Star Wars” Stormtroopers cringe with embarrassment.

The film’s propulsion is supplied

by Delroy Lindo, who plays Paul, the one of the four buddies whose life never came together after the war.

He clearly suffers from PTSD (he

Spike Lee film “Da 5 Bloods.”

DAVID LEE/NETFLIX VIA AP

confesses to seeing “ghosts”) and carries a simmering rage that erupts in torrents of narration he unleashes several times during the movie. Paul is King Lear, staggering across the landscape, howling at the injustice of the universe — or at least of the United States.

There is power here, and sadness, but I yearn for the movie that could

have used Paul to better advantage: By the third impassioned monologue I’m not sure I was paying much attention anymore. Lee is one of four writers on “Da 5 Bloods” and the movie feels like it was assembled by committee. Spiritually, this is still a Spike Lee Joint, but structurally it’s disjointed.

Monsters”: In this computer-animated film, Shazam (voiced by Sean Astin) must save the Justice League from the evil Monster Society.

“The Marshes”: A team of biologists (Dafna Kronental, Sarah Armanious, Matthew Cooper) discover a sinister presence while doing field work.

“Pretty in Pink”: The 1986 romcom starring Molly Ringwald as a high school outcast with a crush on a popular boy is being released as a Blu-ray collectible.

“Project Blue Book Season 2”: The History network’s sci-fi series follows Dr. J. Allen Hynek (Aidan Gillen) and Air Force Capt. Michael Quinn (Michael Malarkey) as they travel around the United States in search of the truth behind possible UFO sightings.

“The Quarry”: A fugitive takes over a small-town preacher’s identity after killing him. Stars Shea Whigham, Michael Shannon and Catalina Sandino Moreno.

“Sniper: Assassin’s End”: Fatherson sniper team Thomas and

Brandon Beckett (Tom Berenger and Chad Michael Collins) face threats from Russian mercenaries, a yakuza-trained assassin and the CIA. “A Soldier’s Revenge”: A bounty hunter (Neal Bledsoe) searches for a missing mother (AnnaLynne McCord) while looking to destroy a Civil War major (Rob Mayes).

NEW ON DVD

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020

Say amen to ‘Saint Frances’

KATIE FORAN - MCHALE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

A

n aimless 30-something gets needed life lessons from an incoming first-grader in the top new DVD releases for the week of June 16.

“Saint Frances”: Embarrassed and frustrated with her job as a server, Bridget (Kelly O’Sullivan), a 34-year-old woman who doesn’t want to admit she’s a millennial (or talk about her feelings), lands a nanny position to 6-year-old Frances (Ramona Edith Williams), despite a lack of experience or a general interest in kids. Meanwhile, after hooking up with a sweet, somewhat hapless 26-year-old man, Jace (Max Lipchitz), Bridget gets pregnant and has an abortion. Physical side effects linger through the intense care of the life-loving child, her recovery lasting the duration of the gig, one gorgeous Chicago summer.

Written by O’Sullivan, the quiet but powerful script tackles the physical messiness of sex, men-

struation and abortion with grace and silliness, and manages to make Frances equal parts precocious and grounded (largely thanks to Williams’ life-affirming performance).

After being exposed mostly to peers who look down on her, well-meaning parents who don’t understand her and men she feels ambivalent toward, Bridget finds a community with Frances and Frances’ moms (Charin Alvarez and Lily Mojekwu), and through them, with herself.

ALSO NEW ON DVD JUNE 16 “2 Minutes of Fame”: After going viral, an aspiring stand-up heads to Los Angeles to make it big. Jay Pharoah, Katt Williams, Andy Allo, Keke Palmer and Valery M. Ortiz star.

“Bad Therapy”: A therapist (Michaela Watkins) wreaks havoc on a couple’s (Alicia Silverstone and Rob Corddry) relationship.

“Braveheart”: The 1995 film starring Mel Gibson as the leader of the

revolt against King Edward I of England has a commemorative Blu-ray release for its 25th anniversary.

“The Etruscan Smile”: An elderly Scotsman stuck in his ways (Brian Cox) heads to San Francisco to seek medical treatment and a relationship with his estranged son. In English and Scottish Gaelic.

“Friday the 13th”: The classic horror film has a commemorative Bluray release for its 40th anniversary.

“Gladiator”: The 2000 film starring Russell Crowe as a wronged Roman ex-general has a commemorative Blu-ray release for its 20th anniversary.

“Impractical Jokers: The Movie”: Based on the truTV reality comedy series, The Tenderloins (Brian Quinn, James Murray, Sal Vulcano and Joe Gatto) participate in hidden camera challenges for a shot at redemption.

“Kill Mode”: An ex-freedom fighter (Dave Mantel) returns after uncovering a scandal regarding the world’s biggest company.

“LEGO DC Shazam: Magic and

Out on digital HD June 16 “Roger Waters: Us + Them”: Documentary follows Waters’ “Us + Them” tour.

“Seahorse: The Dad Who Gave Birth”: Documentary follows a transgender man’s pregnancy.

“What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael”: Documentary centers on the life of the famed film critic.

Out on digital HD June 19 “Babyteeth”: A sick teenager falls for a low-key drug dealer. Stars Ben Mendelsohn, Essie Davis and Eliza Scanlen.

CITY LIFE

THE NEXT DRAFT

Returning to breweries, a taste of normalcy MATTHEW TOTA

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C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 16

Tap Notes

yet arrived, and a cool breeze moved through the covered patio. The beer – apart from notes of papaya and pine — tasted like normalcy.

And yet everything else is different. You can’t drink in the taproom, which has been closed since mid-March, so the city has allowed Wormtown to put tables along the front of the brewery. To order, you scan a QR code with your phone, which brings up an Untappd menu.

When you’re ready, you place a small laminated “Need Beer Please”

placard over your table number. The same person who brings your beer is not the same one who cleans up your cup and sanitizes your table.

None of the changes took away from my experience, though, which is what I most feared. In the end, you’re still just drinking a beer at a brewery. Anything else is there to keep us safe, keep our local breweries open and keep us all connected. And meanwhile, curbside and takeaway beer isn’t going anywhere, so if even if you’re concerned about going out, you

The Massachusetts Brewers Guild will hold its first virtual beer festival Thursday, a loose and kooky variety show of breweries and music.

The MBG’s “Mixed Bag” will be a free broadcast from 8 to 9.m.

Thursday on Facebook Live, including brewery tours, tastings, trivia, scavenger hunts and musical performances.

The guild is asking for donations — telethon-style — to support its efforts to protect and promote state’s craft beer industry and the more than 200 breweries within it.

blames us.” Honestly, this would come off far more melodramatic if it didn’t feel so viscerally honest. “Take Away” brings a pleading sense of bargaining, one that feels extremely human and utterly unresolved.

The album’s thematic descent into heartbreak takes a twist when Logan takes up the vocals on “Time to Kill,” where she sings, “It’s time to kill quit standing still, tell me what do you think of me?/Fill your cup drink the blood, sink your teeth in to me,/I want to waste away and watch the world decay.” Here, Logan gives us the apocalypse from a different

angle, one filled with a dark beauty and the unearthly sound of the theremin. Milo’s vocals return with “Under Attack,” which feels like the persona lashing out, wounded, a feeling that seeps into the next song, “Tulips.”

“No one knows where dead men go but we still follow,” sings Milo, as the musical tapestry returns to the paranoid, haunted feeling of earlier in the album. “Darling don’t you go,” sings Milo, “he’s just the ghost in your bed./It’s quiet now/His voice is calling out/I’ll always love you, he said.”

The album’s metaphysical imagery comes to a fever pitch with “Tug of War,” which is, in many ways, the album’s most bracing song, delving deep into a frenetic rock ‘n’ roll groove, as drums thrash and Milo sings the hooky chorus, “Calm down let us choose our sides,/White devil on his left, black angel to his right,/ Whispers into my brain, left side right side/I’m going home.”

Both the listener and the persona are left with a muddled view of good and evil, right and wrong. It’s impossible to say at this point if we’re supposed to be rooting for the

persona, but by the same token, it’s impossible not to empathize with his pain. Everything is desolate as the album winds down to the last song, “Nothing Left.” This seems to be a more decisive ending than the earlier “Final Curtain,” as the persona comes to a sort of bleak acceptance. “I can hardly recognize this place,” sings Milo, “Where the Devil and God wear the same (expletive) face.” In the end, the listener is left only with the ashy taste of absence, and the fade to silence at the end is absolutely heartbreaking.

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end is coming quickly/Could you kiss me once/Before I leave?” All of this puts the more mythic preceding two songs in a very personal light, a tack that continues in the more raw-nerved, guitar- and drum-driven “Ghost,” and the more ethereal and metaphysical-tinged “Here She Comes,” which finds Milo singing, “Here she comes my savior, here she comes to save us,/She was once my favorite, he blames God but she

MATT TOTA

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

LISTEN UP

If you need a beer at Wormtown Brewery, just put up a sign.

Its two largest beer festivals — and biggest fundraisers — Power Beer Fest and The Great Mass Collab were postponed this year because of COVID-19. Both events usually account for half of its operating revenue.

During the last few months, the MBG has been critical in helping breweries navigate life without their taprooms. The guild has also advocated for breweries on the state level, while updating them on new laws and guidelines. And with the MBG’s guidance, brewers are beginning to reopen again.

“With so many people experiencing financial difficulties right now we wanted to make the show accessible to everyone,” Katie Stinchon, executive director of the MBG, said. “For our craft beer fans who could use a laugh, or want to learn something new and interesting, or simply want to feel connected to others, we hope that they’ll tune in, open a local beer, and maybe their wallet too.”

Breweries will offer behind-thescenes tours and virtual tastings between live performances from local artists — Carly Tefft, of Sandwich, Sam James, of Worcester, and Alex Rohan, son of Tree House Brewing Co.’s co-founder Dean Rohan.

For more information on Mixed Bag, visit massbrewersguild.org, where you’ll also find a running list of the breweries open for outdoor service.

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020

t only took one sip.

Last Thursday, my first visit to Wormtown Brewery since early March, on beer one, in phase two, I remembered how much I loved going to breweries.

There has been a pit in my stomach over returning. They’ve reopened, albeit only for outdoor service, after months of strictly to-go sales. Exciting, yes, but would all the new safety measures that allow them to sell draft beer again prove too distracting? Would the strangeness and scariness of these pandemic times detract from the joy?

After two brewery visits last week and four draft beers — two IPAs, a stout, and a Berliner Weisse — I can report that everything has changed while somehow staying the same. Let me explain.

The nervousness was there when I got to Wormtown minutes before it opened. But the staff quickly explained the new policies — when to wear your mask, how to order — leaving me with the only important question you should have at a brewery: what beer to drink.

I went with “Pass Me The Laser Beam,” a bright orange-colored IPA with a fluffy white head that just reached the top of my plastic cup. It’s Wormtown’s newest New England IPA. I hadn’t seen it in stores, and while I could have driven to Shrewsbury Street to buy a four-pack, trying it on tap for the first time at the brewery seemed right.

Then came that first sip.

The foam stuck to the top of my lip. There was a pleasant smoothness on my mouth, a sweet bubble gum aroma on my nose, and a piny bitterness on my tongue. The rain had not

can continue to support breweries.

The next day, I visited Lost Shoe Brewing & Roasting Company in downtown Marlboro. Going to Lost Shoe, my hometown brewery, felt a little different, because I’ve been there so many times in the last couple of months to pick up coffee and beer. Every time, its empty taproom taunted me.

My reservation for Lost Shoe’s patio was booked a week in advance.

Music blasted from a speaker inside the brewhouse. It was a perfect evening, made even better by the peach, plum and apricot Berliner Weisse I ordered first. The ale had a blissful balance of sweet and tart, with graham cracker, cinnamon and vanilla rounding out the layers of fruit.

Co-founder Melynda Gallagher came out to say hello and point out the new tables in front of the parking garage across the street. It’s not an ideal setup, but she said at least the brewery can see and serve familiar faces again.

“It’s been great to have the community back,” she said.

It feels good to be back. I hope your first sip goes as well as mine.

CITY LIFE

ADOPTION OPTION Welcome to Adoption Option, a partnership with the Worcester Animal Rescue League highlighting their adoptable pets. Check this space often to meet all of the great pets at WARL in need of homes.WARL is open seven days a week, noon-4 p.m., 139 Holden St. Check them out online at Worcesterarl. org, or call at (508) 853-0030.

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J U N E 18 - 24, 2020

Meet Tigga!

Last autumn, a woman surrendered Tigga because she was homeless. She described him as cuddly and friendly. He likes laser lights (chasing the light is a good way for him to lose weight). Tigga liked the family’s kids who were under 10 years old. He does not like other animals. He was adopted for a few months but was returned for not getting along with the roommate’s pet. It’s fortunate he came back because we discovered he’s diabetic. It can cost a couple hundred dollars a month to give him insulin injections twice a day. His adopter has to be experienced with feline diabetes or be a diabetic.

Tigga uses human Lantus. Tigga is a staff favorite. He loves people. His favorite thing is to take a walk with someone through the shelter. He walks beside you like a dog. Even though he’s a big cat, he enjoys hugs and sitting on you. Tigga qualifies for our Senior for Senior Program.

We have many animals in our care who depend on us to stay healthy and well. The above measures help to protect our staff and community from the spread of COVID - 19 by minimizing face-to-face interactions while continuing to operate only core essential services. Please continue to follow our Facebook page for additional updates. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the shelter at (508) 853-0030 or info@worcesterarl.org.

GAMES

J O N E S I N’

Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

39 One of two presidents with two Ivy League degrees 41 Like an angry cat’s back 43 Summer, in France 44 Granola concoction, in some places 47 Falco’s request to Amadeus 51 “Hello” singer 53 “Let’s Roll” jazz singer James 54 Giants or Titans 55 Backtracking computer command 57 Commentator’s page 58 Consequently 59 Some Mr. Potato Head parts 60 “Knives Out” director Johnson 63 “Boyz N the Hood” actress Long 64 Chicago Loop carriers

Last week's solution

21

©2020 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #993

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Down 1 Shed tool 2 “Escape (The ___ Colada Song)” 3 Bryant Gumbel’s brother 4 “Friends” spinoff 5 Bunk-bed choice 6 12 of 12, briefly 7 Sch. that’s home to the Sun Devils 8 Racetrack advantage, theoretically 9 Notes for sopranos that are only so tall?

10 Equipment 11 Automated programs 13 Move merchandise 14 Country/comedy series with Buck Owens 17 Clergy official 21 Archipelago components 24 Roving adventurously 25 Electric guitar pioneer Paul 26 2008 Pixar film about a robot 27 Ring-making material?

28 Protective covering that released Mega Man and Street Fighter?

30 Place for paternity testing 32 Backyard buildings popping up now that people have chickens for pets 33 Battling 36 Pharmaceutical founder Lilly

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020

Call 888-254-3466 or email classifieds@gatehousemedia.com today to place your ad here!

Across 1 Activity that may use multiple dice, for short 4 Friedlander of “30 Rock” 9 Former Soviet spy org.

12 What the snooty put on 14 “Fingers crossed!”

15 “The Matrix Reloaded” role 16 Esoteric bit of pop culture that’s mired?

18 Do a sub service?

19 Keen observer of surroundings 20 Twitch subscription levels, e.g.

22 “Well, ___-di-dah!”

23 Burger topper 26 Concave cooker 29 Ill-mannered guy 31 Decent stand-in 34 Novelist Patchett 35 MLB figures 37 Entertainment awards acronym 38 Use as a bed 40 Carte lead-in 41 Put on ___ 42 “Stay (I Missed You)” singer Lisa 43 “Angels and Earthly Creatures” poet Wylie 45 Tax preparer busy in Apr. (but later this year) 46 Defunct Microsoft encyclopedia made obsolete

by Wikipedia 48 “Tic ___ Dough” 49 Georgia, from 1921 to 1991 (abbr.)

50 Creature on a slide 52 Word ignored when alphabetizing 54 Rapper whose hologram appeared at Coachella 56 Improve 61 Abbr. at the bottom of some applications 62 Noodle dish that gears up for skateboarding?

65 Bustle of activity 66 “Layer Cake” actress Sienna 67 Kirlian photography phenomenon, supposedly 68 May celebrant 69 Facilitated 70 Tax form ID

“That’s the Joint” — taking a few.

By Matt Jones

CLASSIFIEDS

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LEGAL Invitation For Bids The Worcester Housing Authority invites sealed bids for Roof Replacement at Belmont Tower Apartments, WHA Job No. 2019-09 in accordance with the documents prepared by GAROFALO DESIGN ASSOCIATES, INC. The work is estimated to cost $475,000.

Project consists of but is not limited to: Roof replacement and related work.

General Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. on Thursday July 2, 2020 at the Worcester Housing Authority, Department of Modernization, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

A pre-bid conference will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 18, 2020 at 40 Belmont St. Worcester, MA at which time bidders will be invited to visit the project site with the Worcester Housing Authority representative. Failure to attend or visit the premises shall be no defense in failure to perform contract terms.

Bids are subject to M.G.L c149 §44A-J and Davis Bacon wage rates as well as other applicable laws. General Bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the following category of work: ROOFING. Each bid shall be accompanied by a bid deposit in the amount of 5% of the bid price in the form of a Bid Bond, issued by a responsible surety company licensed to do business in Massachusetts, or a certified check, or a treasurer’s or cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company, made payable to the Worcester Housing Authority by bidders for the greatest possible bid amount (considering all alternates).

Bid forms and Contract Documents will be made available on the Worcester Housing Authority website (http://www.worcesterha.org/currentbi ds.html) at no cost. Hard copies will be made available on June 10, 2020 at the Worcester Housing Authority, Department of Modernization, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 and thereafter, Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM. through 4:30 P. M. Copies of the contract documents may be obtained by depositing $50.00 in the form of a company check, made payable to the Worcester Housing Authority, for each set of documents so obtained. The amount of the deposit will be refunded to each person who returns the plans, specifications and other documents in good condition within ten (10) days after bid opening. Bidders requesting contract documents to be mailed to them should include a separate check in the amount of $40.00 for each set payable to the Worcester Housing Authority to cover mailing and handling costs.

The contract documents may be seen, but not removed at: 1. Worcester Housing Authority, Department of Modernization, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 2. F.W. Dodge, 24 Hartwell Ave., Lexington, MA 02173 3. Reed Construction Data, 30 Technology Parkway South, Norcross, GA 30092 4. Project Dog, 18 Graf Road Unit #8 Plan Room, Newburyport, MA 01950 Attention is called to the following: 1. Provisions of Equal Employment Opportunity; 2. Provisions for payment of not less than the minimum wages as set forth in the Specifications; 3. Provisions of Chapter 14, Acts of 1966,Imposing a Temporary Sales Tax, Section 1, Subsection 6 {d) and {k) exempting the Authority from the operation of such a chapter; 4. Requirement to furnish and pay for a Performance Bond and a Labor and Materials Bond as set forth in the specifications, 5. Insurance certificate indicating coverage for public liability, property damage and workers compensation, in accordance with the contract requirements, must be filed by the successful bidder upon signing of the contract.

The contract will be awarded to the responsible and eligible bidder with the lowest proposed contract price including the dollar amount of all accepted alternates.

Questions regarding this project shall be submitted in writing 72 hours prior to opening and emailed to Mod-Bids@worcesterha. org. Reference the WHA Job Number only in the subject line.

Worcester Housing Authority Joseph P. Carlson, Chairperson

SERVICE DIRECTORY

HELP WANTED SR. SOFTWARE ENGINEER (Shrewsbury, MA) Perform problem analysis and IT software consultation with Customers. Lead Agile/ITIL/SDLC methodology used across IT, conduct inspections and post implementation reviews. Must have Bach.’s Deg. in Info. Systems, Comp. Sci. or rel. field, and 5 yrs. rel. exp.

University of Massachusetts Medical School.

To apply: go to: jobsUMMS@umassmed.edu.

No calls please.

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Sudoku Answers

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LAST CALL

Tina Sullivan A travel agent in the time of COVID-19 I was planning to travel to Italy in April, but for obvious reasons, the trip had to be delayed. Luckily, for the first time in my life, I used a travel agent.

Tina Sullivan took care of canceling and rebooking everything on my itinerary without hesitation. I’m not sure what I would have done without her. At a time where everything is so uncertain — especially international travel — having an agent in your corner is invaluable. You can reach out to Sullivan Travel about planning your next trip at www.sullivantravelservice.com.

What do you typically offer your clients as a travel agent?

A lot has changed for me in the last couple of months. Normally, as you know from working with me, I spend time helping my clients craft their journey and finding out what the expectations of their ideal trip are. I help them figure out where they want to travel and then put together the trip of their dreams.

DYLAN AZARI

How will travel look different in the future? What precautions do you think airlines will take?

Regulations are still evolving.

Airlines are requiring face masks.

Travelers are asked to remove masks in order for TSA agents to see their faces and verify identification. Travelers can also bring 12 ounces of hand sanitizer on a plane instead of complying with the normal 3-ounce liquid rule.

Airlines are doing a lot of extra cleaning on planes. Plans are still being put in place in terms of figuring out how to get through the airport while keeping a social distance. Some airlines have reduced seat capacity on the plane by leaving the middle seat open.

Have the vendors and hotels been pretty forgiving about having to rebook everything?

They have been outstanding. They are all being very accommodating by either refunding or giving people a couple of years to use their credit. They know that not everyone is going to be able to travel within a year. There’s a lot of flexibility being offered.

How did you make the transition from accountant to travel agent?

I bought Sullivan Travel as an existing business back in 2004.

The owner stayed on with me to teach me the industry. I learned how to sell and book travel. It was a great change. I love what I do.

This year has definitely been the most challenging since I’ve owned the business, but I know it will be

all right. People are going to travel again.

Are there any other tips or tricks that you want to share with our readers?

The best piece of advice I have for people is to start thinking about the options that you can drive to.

I have a whole bunch of vendors putting together great programs for families that are drivable and

keep social distancing in mind.

Hotels are stepping up to make that happen. Also, if your passport is going to be expiring anytime soon, I would get the application in sooner than later, because they are very behind due to the shutdowns from COVID. – Sarah Connell Sanders

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Correction: Magdelene Barjolo’s name was misspelled in last week’s Last Call column, and one sentence was misquoted. The actual quote was, “They push a narrative that black people and violence are synonymous, which is not true.”

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Are there places right now that are deemed safer to travel than others?

Things are opening up for Americans. Obviously within the contiHave you had to reschedule a nental U.S. there are lots of really lot of trips for your clients? nice travel options for people right Most clients rebooked for 2021 here at home. Mexico is slowly or they are planning to rebook starting to open up as well. Most for 2021. Postponements started of the Caribbean islands will when the virus broke out in be opening to U.S. visitors this China and impacted many of my summer by mid-July. In terms of travelers going to Southeast Asia, Thailand and South Korea. At first, Europe, that hasn’t happened to I had a few who just outright can- date. There’s no known date yet when that will open up for Americeled. When things got bad here, can visitors.

I began handling the logistics of getting people home who were

J U N E 18 - 24, 2020

I’ve heard you plan group trips too.

Yes, I organize group trips as well. I’ve done a lot of things with women’s groups. I had a group going to Thailand in February, then we rescheduled for April, and now we’re going next February because of COVID. I also do group trips related to wellness including spa treatments and yoga retreats, as well as food and wine trips.

traveling while borders were starting to close. I was canceling trips, rebooking trips, and keeping up with places that were reopening and what that would mean for U.S. travelers.

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