Worcester Magazine May 2 - 8, 2019

MAY 2 - 8, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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TEN YEARS STRONG: Hector Reyes House keeps up fight against drug epidemic Part of an ongoing series

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in this issue M AY 2 - 8, 2019 • V O L U M E 44 I S S U E 36

the cover

Ten Years Strong: Hector Reyes House keeps up fight against drug epidemic Edguardo Rentas, Fernando Ayala, Ramon Matos, Roberto Santiago, Felipe Navarro and Jorge Vidot work at Cafe Reyes at 421 Shrewsbury St. Story on page 11 Photo by Matt Wright, Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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news Worcester’s first recreational pot shop now open for business A

WALTER BIRD JR.

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BILL SHANER

ttention Worcester weed smokers: the city finally has its own pot shop.

On Wednesday, Worcester got its first full recreational cannabis dispensary. Good Chemistry, at 9 Harrison St., opened for adult-use business — meaning anyone over the age of 21 can buy cannabis flower, edibles and a variety of other goods, given they have a valid ID and the money to do so — after a months-long approval process.

There is one catch: For the first week of business, Good Chemistry will be by appointment only for non-medical customers. The appointment must be made on the company’s website at least 48 hours ahead of time. The company started accepting appointments Monday morning, and can accept 45 appointments per hour. Per an agreement with the city, the company will employ several security guards and hire a police detail, as well as provide parking in a lot on Washington Street.

The appointment process isn’t a business tactic, but rather a city requirement, as both Good Chemistry and city officials hope to avoid the sort of havoc-causing, opening-day rush experienced by the first recreational marijuana stores (Cultivate in Leicester and New England Treatment Access in Northampton) to open in the state last November. After the first week of business, the city License Commission and Good Chemistry will review the restriction and other first-week requirements.

Good Chemistry has been open at the Harrison Street location — tucked in with other small retail businesses in the general Crompton Place complex — since last August, when the company opened for medical sales. Now, eight months later, the company will serve the general public as well, but stay true to its roots as a medical dispensary company, founder and CEO Matt Huron said in a recent interview with Worcester Magazine.

“We are a medical-focused company, that’s how we were founded. Our four core principles are science, access, dignity and compassion,” said Huron. “We care about education and helping both patients and adult use customers navigate the world of cannabis.”

On the menu will be 20 different strains of cannabis flower, as well as concentrates, cartridges and edibles like gummies and chocolate bars.

While it is the first location for Good Chemistry in Massachusetts, it’s not the company’s first go around.

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 6

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Advocates for Community Preservation Act make renewed push

FILE PHOTO

BILL SHANER

Members of the group made a pitch for each at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, saying s the city swings into in general that the new funds budget season, the would help the city make key group behind a failed push last year to adopt investments to improve urban life. the Community Preservation Former Mayor Joe O’Brien, a Act has made another similar member of the group, said the pitch to the City Council.

On Tuesday, Yes For A Better new funds are a way to achieve Worcester! filed three petitions what the CPA would have, but within the city budget. with the City Council. One “The Council decided last would create an Affordable year not to put this issue on Housing Trust Fund. Another would establish a Community the ballot, and instead decided to fund these programs locally, Recreation and Open Space so we’re here tonight to ask Fund. A third would create a the city council to create three Preservation Fund. The group requested $300,000 for the first funds to support open space two funds, and $250,000 for the and recreation programs, historic preservation and affordthird.

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able housing,” O’Brien said.

Affordable housing, open space and historic preservation are the three main tenets of the Community Preservation Act. Cities and towns that pass the Community Preservation Act can raise money toward those purposes through a surcharge of up to 3 percent on local property tax bills. Adopting the CPA gives communities access to funding from the state’s Community Preservation Trust Fund. Advocates estimate that, in the first year, the CPA fund in Worcester would grow to $2.6 million, which could then be spent on affordable housing, open space like parks and historic preser-

vation projects.

Since it was created in 2000, about 150 cities and towns have voted to join the fund.

In Worcester, a push to get a CPA question on 2018 ballot failed after the Councilors voted against putting it up for a vote. The vote was a close one, with five in favor and six opposed. Those in favor argued the decision should go to the voters, while those opposed argued the council should not get involved in anything which could raise property taxes, and said the Yes For A Better Worcester! group should gather the required 5,000 signatures themselves. After the

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news G O O D C H E M I S T RY

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Founded and largely based in Colorado, the company runs three

In Massachusetts, the Worcester location is joined only by a cultivation center in Bellingham, and Huron said he has no plans to expand as of now. In total,

Matt Huron, founder and CEO of Good Chemistry

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retail locations there, as well as several cultivation facilities in both Colorado and Nevada.

he employs 35 people between the Worcester location and the

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P R E S E RVAT I O N

partner in the business with him when they first started 20 years ago in San Francisco, with the early goal of treating patients with HIV/AIDs, which afflicted both his father and his father’s partner.

His father died in 2009, and in 2010 he moved the business to Colorado, the first state to pass medical marijuana legislation. In Colorado, he started with a small dispensary and cultivation center.

Seven years ago, he said, Good Chemistry started the process of opening in Massachusetts, and on Wednesday, the process is over.

“It’s been a rather emotional week for me,” he said. “I think my dad would be incredibly proud. It’s been 10 years and I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting about my dad and his partner and what they meant to me growing up.”

WALTER BIRD JR.

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Better Worcester!, Deb Packard, who also serves as executive director of Preservation Worcester, said a preservation fund would Council voted against putting it on the ballot, the Yes For A Better help small property owners maintain difficult properties and would Worcester! Coalition announced help create historic districts. they would not pursue signature Frank Callahan said the open gathering.

Now the group is trying a differ- space fund could be used to expand walking trails and connecent route. The funds put forward tors between existing parks and on the petition would achieve largely the same result as the CPA, open spaces.

“As far as recreation, expendibut would be funded within the tures could be used for projects in city budget. city parks, which are a major reOn Tuesday, advocates again source in this city,” said Callahan. stressed the need for investment No one on the City Council in affordable housing. spoke on the petitions. Mayor Joe “The buzz around is things seem to be getting more expensive Petty forwarded them to the office of City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. and the statistics also highlight for a report back to the Council to that as well,” said Joyce Mandell, “see what we can afford and what the voice behind the urban planning blog Jane Jacobs in the Woo. we can’t afford.”

Councilors will likely see a first “As we continue in this renaissance it’s important we take those draft of the fiscal 2020 budget next week, with Augustus saying steps to preserve affordability.” the budget document would be Ellie Gilmore, a member of Yes submitted to councilors at the For A Better Worcester!, said an next meeting, with hearings startaffordable housing trust fund is ing the following week. something 109 communities in Massachusetts have adopted and Bill Shaner can be reached at has “proven to be a successful and 508-767-9535 or at wshaner@gateessential mechanism for communities serious about sustaining housemedia.com.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bill_Shaner. equitable housing production.”

The fund, managed by an appointed board of trustees, would provide technical support to potential housing developers and centralize all the city funds already dedicated to affordable housing.

Another member of Yes For A C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 5

1,001 words reflection

Bellingham cultivation center, including 21 full-time employees in Worcester.

While it is opening several months after Cultivate, Good Chemistry is still in the game relatively early. Only a dozen or so stores across the state have opened. In Worcester, officials plan to allow 15 stores to open, and while many have applied Good Chemistry is the only one to yet receive approval from both the city and the state Cannabis Control Commission.

Huron said he chose Worcester for both its central location and his family roots here – his father was a graduate of Holy Cross and his grandparents lived here.

“I’ve always liked Worcester. It’s a real town full of real people and I’m really proud to be opening the first store here,” he said.

Huron’s father was also a

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worcesteria

LOTS OF SMOKE: It’s not every day you see a city government

meeting get outright canceled because of a possible Open Meeting Law issue. Usually, boards will just break the OML and hope no one notices, and even if they do, the punishment more often than not is a letter saying, “Don’t do it again.” In Worcester, boards break the OML all the time, and city councilors are on record complaining the law is too restrictive. Why, then, did the School Committee cancel an entire meeting because of one email from a local activist with an understanding of the law? Well, first, here’s what they actually did wrong: they posted only one of two agendas to the city website municipal calendar. Both were posted to the school website (albeit pretty buried, in my opinion), but the state considers the city website the legallyrequired place for posting. Now, the agenda that actually made it to the city website was for a mundane, routine hearing. Everything else, including an executive session (or private meeting, for non-wonks) to negotiate a contract with the superintendent, did not get posted. The contention around Superintendent Maureen Binienda’s contract makes this snafu all the more interesting, doesn’t it? They’re holding that private meeting tonight, by the way. Also, it’s worth pointing out the School Committee always meets in executive session for at least an hour before every meeting, which is … unusual, to say the least, for a city board to do. But hey, that’s just Worcester baby—love to see it.

artists culture

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TO RENEW OR NOT TO RENEW: That has been the ultimate question over the past couple weeks, as far as Binienda’s contract is concerned.

Well, it’s another week, so of course there’s another blistering statement from At-Large City Councilor Sarai Rivera about the state of racial equity issues in Worcester Public Schools. This, from the statement: “Rather than seeking solutions, some have questioned my motivation for making critical statements of the administration of the Worcester Public Schools over the past few weeks. My decision to speak publicly was forced by the frustrations I was hearing from community leaders and organization serving communities of color in our city who feel ignored and rejected by school administrators….”

She goes on to say she first became aware of the frustration of the community in 2015, as a member of the community dialogues on race organized by the Department of Justice, and recently joined the public call for Binienda to go because dialogue and change has failed. Rivera is one of several expected to speak at the School Committee meeting tonight on several orders put forward by the mayor to take action on racial disparities. Those include a call for more data, and a call for the school district to employ its own chief diversity officer.

WORCIDE REDUX: This has sort of flown under the radar for the past few weeks, but it’s worth pointing out quickly that City Manager Ed Augustus Jr.’s proposed capital budget for the next fiscal year includes $1 million to put a new skate park in Crompton Park to replace Worcide. That’s good! But it still needs to make its way through the Council approval process, so something to keep an eye on.

PIE IN THE SKY: Let’s just say there have been rumors going around for the past few months that Table Talk Pies is going to ditch its Canal District factory due to the Polar Park project next door. They’ve got a brand new shiny facility in the South Worcester Industrial Park, so is it really worth the headache to continue operating next to a ballpark? Well, the Worcester Business Journal managed to get owner Harry Kokkinis on the horn (by dark magic, probably), and he told them “our property is of interest to the developer” and “we’re still kind of figuring out ourselves what we’re going to do.” Like Ozzy Osbourne before it, the Canal District is going through changes.

Bill Shaner, reporter Twitter: @Bill_Shaner

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the beat

The Worcester Redevelopment Authority filed orders of taking with the Registry of Deeds for three properties needed to realize the Polar Park baseball park project. The filing last week calls for a combined $1.37 million to be doled out for three properties on Washington Street and Madison Street.

City officials introduced a new app this week intended to help com-

bat the opioid addiction crisis. The app, called Stigma Free Worcester, provides provides local resources for substance abuse recovery, mental health support and housing. Users can access information about area clinics, hospitals, shelters, and abuse and mental health care. The app was developed in partnership with Worcester Polytechnic Institute students.

Several local, state and federal officials gathered at Mechanics Hall last week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Latin American

Health Alliance and the Hector Reyes House. The Alliance works to address health disparities in the Latino community, while the Hector Reyes House helps Latino men overcome addiction. One of the aspects of the program is the Hector Reyes Cafe on Shrewsbury Street, where men in recovery at Hector Reyes House make strides toward reentering the workforce. See this week’s feature story for more on LAHA and the Hector Reyes House.

The Worcester Superior Court hearing on the fate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church has been delayed to May 9. The Mount

Carmel Preservation Society filed a lawsuit against the Worcester Diocese, the state and the contracted demolition company. The group hopes to secure an injunction against demolition, as well as a transfer of the building to the state, citing a restriction in a deed from 1947 they say the Diocese violated.

leadership change. Police Chief Marc Montminy will serve as both roles as the Board of Selectmen searches for a new interim town manager.

St. John’s, the private Catholic high school in Shrewsbury, is expanding operations. The school’s new middle school program will Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, the Worcester-based company looking to redevelop part of the Cogmedix building, was awarded a $3.5-million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to redevelop the space into an incubator space for life sciences.

There’s a new book about Major Taylor, once the fastest man on a bike and a Worcester resident, in the works. Michael Kranish, author

of “The World’s Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America’s First Black Sports Hero,” will launch a book tour in Worcester next week. The talk will take place Tuesday, May 7 at the Worcester JCC, 633 Salisbury St., at 7 p.m. The talk is free. Kranish is a political reporter for the Washington Post. The book is set for a May 7 release.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

launch next fall with a class of seventh graders. The school has not offered middle school since 1925.

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In Uxbridge, the police chief has been appointed acting town manager as the town has struggled in recent months through tumultuous

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opinion editorial

In Worcester, a much-needed investment

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worries that area businesses and residents could be left in the lurch as new development takes residents and businesses, hold. There have been concerns the city’s announcement this of increased rents, and while week of $3 million worth of many see the ballpark and the investment in housing stock and Sox as a boon to the city, some other areas of need in the Green point to the inevitable move of Island neighborhood near where some businesses, whose properthe ballpark will be built is good ties are needed to build the news indeed. ballpark, along with the possible Whether it prevents the displacement of residents, as a gentrification some worry could cause for alarm. come as a result of the projPlenty has been written, pro ect, which includes millions and con, about building ballin development around the parks in urban settings. For ballpark, remains to be seen, but Worcester, this is its first foray City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. has into such a venture. Sealing made a strong statement with the deal was only the first big his commitment to a program hurdle. Now the city must see designed to encourage home the project done in a way that ownership. benefits everyone — baseball The investment of Commufans, mom and pop businesspernity Block Development Grant son, area residents, et al. That is funding in Green Island is sure no easy task, particularly when to heighten confidence of those you have watchful eyes of the that live and do business there. media and others on your every The level of excitement surmove. That is as it should be, for rounding the pending arrival this project is, as so many city of the Pawtucket Red Sox, the leaders have called it, a game Boston Red Sox’ Triple-A basechanger for Worcester. That is ball team that plans to start hard to dispute, whether you fall playing in Worcester in 2021, into the camp that believes the has been at a fever pitch ever presence of the yet-to-be-nicksince the deal was announced named minor league will rise last August. But there have been all ships, or you harbor a more iven concerns that the Polar Park project in Worcester could displace

cautious view.

With or without the PawSox, Worcester is in the midst of a resurgence. This project will be remembered as a significant piece, and how it is accomplished will go a long way in determining whether the resurgence is indeed for the entire city. The investment of money into Green Island through a program that encourages folks to stay in their homes is a positive sign.

Correction In Worcester Magazine (Best of Worcester, April 18-24, 2019), we incorrectly listed Dr. Trung Le (Best Plastic Surgeon) as part of Saint Vincent Hospital. He is actually with Reliant Medical Group. We appologize for any confusion.

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feature Ten Years Strong: Hector Reyes House keeps up fight against drug epidemic STEPHANIE JARVIS CAMPBELL Part of an occasional series examining area efforts to combat the opioid overdose epidemic. In this issue, Worcester Magazine looks at the role played by the Latin American Health Foundation and Hector Reyes House, now celebrating their 10th anniversary.

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Front row, left to right, Victor Rodriguez, Richard Sullivan, Carlos Maldonado, Dr. Mattie Castiel, Agustin Majano; second row, left to right, Marcos Diaz, Carlos Hernandez, Jose Martinez-Vazquez, Jesus Hernandez, Jose Acevedo; third row, left to right. Erick Tourigny, Edwin Valle, David Lazarit, Freddy Borrero, Ricardo Juarbe.

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rom the outside, the house at 27 Vernon St. may look like any other on the block, but on the inside, it is vastly different. Inside the Hector Reyes House, a group of men have been battling their addictions – some have struggled with alcohol, some with drugs. But inside, there is also teamwork. There is encouragement. There is help. There is hope.

“They’re people, they’re just going through some struggles like you and I,” said Tammy Weiner, director of operations and clinical director for the Latin American Health Alliance, which runs the Hector Reyes House. “That’s what we have to see – the human side of this. They’re suffering. They don’t want to be like this.”

Erick Tourigny, who was 24 when he first started using alcohol and drugs, knows this all too well.

He is now 30 and has been working on recovery for about five years.

“Some people don’t consider it a disease, but I do,” he said. “I know it’s not good to go back to it, but I think about it all the time. If I had known what a withdrawal was, and how you feel when you don’t

have it, I never would’ve come down this road. I wish I could help other people when they think about doing it.”

One year ago — May 2, 2018, to be exact — Tourigny arrived at the Hector Reyes House, after having been in and out of different programs, and never making it more than two months at any of them.

Kicked out of a detox center in Westboro, he was given a cab ride to Union Station in Worcester and ended up at Community Healthlink before coming to the Hector Reyes House.

A MULTITIERED APPROACH

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Latino-based residential home for those struggling with addiction, the Hector Reyes House is a 25-bed facility that offers in-house medical treatment, behavioral therapy and employment opportunities

The Hector Reyes House at 27 Vernon St., Worcester.

MATT WRIGHT

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Gerado’s Italian Bakery

feature to promote recovery and reduce relapse. It opened in April 2009 – the first of its kind in Central Massachusetts and still the only Latino treatment program in the region, although it is open to men other than of Latino heritage. The facility celebrated its 10-year anniversary with LAHA last month.

From the moment they step through the door, said Weiner, the staff at Hector Reyes works with residents to transition them to life after they leave the house. Many of the men are mandated to attend, some come from being in jail, and

people don’t. It’s understanding and advocating.”

Over the past decade, the program has expanded to become a three-tiered approach to recovery: the Hector Reyes House, the transitional housing program at Casa Reyes and the worksite training at Café Reyes.

When LAHA Founder and Medical Director Dr. Mattie Castiel thinks back to the beginning, she couldn’t have foreseen how lifechanging it would be for all those involved.

“Never in my wildest dreams,”

Tammy Weiner, director of operations/clinical director at the Hector Reyes House and The Latin American Health Alliance of Central Massachusetts.

MATT WRIGHT

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she said. “I never realized how passionate I would become about treating addiction. It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever done in my lifetime. I don’t think there’s anything more rewarding.”

Castiel has worked about 30 years as a board-certified internal medicine physician in Worcester, including at UMass Memorial Medical Center. Since 2015, she has served as Worcester’s commissioner of health and human services.

Castiel’s and LAHA’s belief is that treating and simply releasing those struggling with addiction is not the answer; it also must include services after the program as well.

“Graduation is all good, but what we advocate for is those wraparound services after,” said Castiel.

“To make it full circle, you have to make those services available.”

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others choose the house on their own as a path to recovery. The environment is structured and rigid — there are rules, there are chores, there are required groups and clinics — but, Weiner said, “when they come here, they feel safe.”

Many of the men are reluctant at first to trust anyone, she said, but will start to open up when they see how much the staff cares. Many also have significant trauma that was never addressed in the past, or tremendous guilt because a loved one passed away and they never had closure. Then there are their own personal battles.

“They try and they do well, and then they might relapse, and they have their own horrible guilt about it,” Weiner said.

But, she added, “They’re great guys. You have to look at the addiction as a disease, and a lot of

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Tourigny knew he needed something different than the treatment centers where he had been in the past.

“I figured out being at places where I was comfortable wasn’t working,” he said.

The treat-and-release model wasn’t working for him, either.

“Battling addiction for years, and in three months, you have to figure out what to do?” he said. “I wish more programs were set up like [the Hector Reyes House]. I really found a passion for this place.”

The house was the vision of the late Hector Reyes, who had lived in Puerto Rico, where his father owned a farm. After coming to Worcester with his family in the 1960s, he worked as a baker at Widoff ’s for 14 years, but spent much of his time advocating for the Latino community, especially those who had struggled with addiction, like himself. Reyes started the first Latino Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, worked with his daughter Marlyn to start Latino radio programming on WICN 90.5 FM, and formed the first Latino softball league, among other initia-

Roberto Santiago, a resident at the Hector Reyes House, working at Cafe Reyes STEPHANIE JARVIS CAMPBELL

tives.

“When we were looking at starting a project, it wasn’t something people were interested in talking about,” said Castiel, who met Reyes when he was one of her patients.

“No one wanted to talk about addiction. No one even wanted

feature to say addiction was a disease, even though we’ve known it for decades.”

Together, Castiel and Reyes advocated from 2004-2009 for the house, gathered political and community support, and worked to secure funding, which came from the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. The goal was to make the house a culturallysensitive and bilingual treatment program for Latino men, as well as a medical assistance treatment, or MAT, model, where psychiatrists, infectious disease doctors and medicine would be brought directly to those struggling with addiction.

Such an approach “has a much better outcome,” Castiel said.

Reyes died in July 2009, just after the house opened.

“I feel like if he could see how it’s running,” Tourigny said of Reyes, “he’d be proud.”

At the house, the residents’ day begins at 8 a.m. with morning reflection, followed by group sessions throughout the afternoon – classes such as triggers/coping skills, life skills, relapse prevention, humility reflection, self-worth,

parenting, infectious diseases, business coaching, dealing with emotions and responsibilities.

Chores are divided among the men, and after a certain period of time, if they’ve earned a pass, they can leave the house on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Last summer, Tourigny said, he was able to go to the zoo with the group.

“It helps you realize there are other purposes to life than using. I used to need drugs and alcohol to have fun,” he said.

Nows, he said, “I can do these types of things if I get my life together.”

‘THE WRONG ALLEYS’

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or Terry Hamner, living at the Hector Reyes House has helped him forget his bad habits, and he feels further along in his recovery.

“It keeps me morally straight and clean. I have maintained sobriety for six months,” he said. “It’s

helping me not be a criminal in my elderly living. I’m back into serving God the way I’m supposed to.”

Originally from Alabama, Hamner came to Massachusetts to be closer to his sister, who had moved here.

“I ventured down the wrong alleys,” he said. “I started boozin’ it up and spent a lot of money. I was foolish to think I should spend my money to drink or get high.”

After going through a detox program, Hamner came to the Hector Reyes House, where he has found his spirituality and hopes to be a good example for others who are trying to recover.

“Maybe I can help somebody,” he said. “You can remember your sobriety and hold onto your sobriety, or you can go out and mess up. I’m too old to go back out there.”

The program, he added, “gives you structure. It gives you a little mobility to use your own strength.

You have to really put the program to work – or it won’t work.”

Said Castiel, “That’s the beauty about it. It can’t be an institution, it has to be a place where you can foster.”

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feature A PLACE TO LIVE

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ut Castiel didn’t stop with the Hector Reyes House – she quickly realized that after residents graduated from the program, they would still need services.

“They graduate and they’re doing great, and they have nowhere to go,” Weiner said. “They’re working, their physical health is good, their mental health is good, but they have nowhere to go.”

To help alleviate the issue, in 2011, LAHA purchased the house next door for a transitional sober house, Casa Reyes, where those who graduate from Hector Reyes can reside, if they choose to.

“The transition from being in a structured environment to being on their own, even if it’s right next door, is very difficult,” Castiel said. “They’re afraid of going out.

They’re afraid of going into the community. They don’t want to live the lives they’ve had. This is

the first time they’ve been in a safe environment.”

Living in Casa Reyes allows them to keep in contact with the treatment center services, as well as participate in the programs and groups. That is important, Castiel said, because of the threat of relapse. LAHA’s aim is to combat this through its model of residential and treatment services.

Rent is $425, and if they pay between the first and fifth of the month, $100 of the rent is deposited into their savings account, so that when they leave the program, they will have money already saved.

The program has been so needed that LAHA recently purchased the building next to that one, for a second transitional house. Renovations have been ongoing, and it is scheduled to open by June 1.

feature A PLACE TO WORK

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ith Casa Reyes up and running, Castiel then noticed another issue for those in recovery: finding a job.

“A steady job was not easy to find,” she said.

Without housing and without a job, she said, the cycle repeats itself and many end up back in jail again.

Because CORI checks often prohibited those in recovery from finding jobs, they often would take seasonal jobs, but would then be unemployed again, Castiel said. So, in 2015, LAHA opened Café Reyes, a Cuban-inspired restaurant at 421 Shrewsbury St. that employs those

who live at the Hector Reyes House and Casa Reyes. The café partners with Quinsigamond Community College, which offers classes that teaches the employees ServSafe regulations, prep chef skills and more.

“It’s a way to teach soft skills,” Castiel said. More importantly, she added, “It brings addiction into the community. People realize that addiction is no different from any other disease. For the residents, it’s a way to expand their community so they can see people care.”

Because LAHA runs the only localized job site in conjunction with a treatment home, and because work training has been so successful, it recently expanded as part of the Access to Recovery program to help other residential centers. Through a partnership with the state, the café is a 14-week

training site for residents in other programs. At the conclusion, they receive a certificate and LAHA helps to find jobs for them. The program began last month, and the first training group was from Catholic Charities Crozier House on Hammond Street, Weiner said.

Tourigny is one of the Hector Reyes residents who has been working in the café.

“It’s nice and homey. I love being there,” he said. “I love to talk to people, to try to make them laugh and make their day.”

Roberto Santiago, too, enjoys working in the café. A secondtime resident of the Hector Reyes House, he had previously worked at the café up until graduating from the program after a year-long stay. He went home to Brockton for a couple months and stayed with his mother, but, “Before I got into

MATT WRIGHT

residents are facing because he himself is in recovery, he said. At one time, he had been in and out of AdCare, a substance abuse treatment facility, more than 15 times in at least two years, and also had been incarcerated at the House of Corrections.

“I’ve slept in cars, I’ve slept on the streets, I’ve slept in empty buildings,” Gonzalez said.

Now, however, he loves coming to work. He has been at the Hector Reyes House about two years now, and is also the president and substance abuse liaison for Ex-Prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement, also known as EPOCA, a Worcester-based organization that works to create resources and opportunities for those who have been incarcerated.

“I don’t have the urge to ever want to use again,” Gonzalez said, adding he hopes to pass that feeling along to the residents he works with.

“Having a sober environment with the people to back you is very important. I think the program’s success is because of that, but it

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MATT WRIGHT

Jenesky Martinez, program director at the Hector Reyes House.

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Fernando Ayala makes an empanada in the kitchen of Café Reyes.

trouble, I decided to go back to Worcester,” he said.

Once he returned to the house, Santiago also asked to work again at the café. He’s a handyman, dishwasher, prep cook, server – “Whatever has to be done, I do it,” he said.

“I love this place,” Santiago said, adding that working at the cafe has helped make him stronger to deal with everyday things in life. “It was really hard for me to get back into society because I get stressed. This place helps you.”

And, he said, “It makes me feel like I did a good job when they tell me. When I was out on the street, I didn’t feel I was worth it. It makes you feel special.”

Jose Rivera, manager of Café Reyes, is there first thing in the morning when the guys arrive for work to give them a pep talk, to “remind them that it’s a day at a time.”

“We’re here for them, and we carry out our day,” he said. “I try to remind them why they’re here.”

Usually, at least five workers staff the café on a daily basis: front staff, cook, prep, dishwasher and barista. In addition to the meals served at the café, the restaurant offers catering services, which keeps workers busy even during the slower hours.

A recovering addict himself, Rivera loves working at the café and with the guys.

“My dream was to work with addicts,” he said, adding that combined with his background in food service and managerial experience, plus having once operated his own business, the café job was a perfect fit for him when he was hired last August.

“It is rewarding. I was one of the lucky ones, and I can show them that it can be done,” Rivera said.

David Gonzalez, a case manager at the Hector Reyes House, also understands the issues the

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also has to be a person’s determination,” he said. “This is where I belong. This is my calling.”

CHANCES

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ttitudes like Gonzalez’s and other staff members help the residents in their journey. The residents said they feel the staff really cares about them and for their well-being.

“She treats us almost like one of her own kids,” Tourigny said of Castiel. “Ever since I’ve been an addict, I feel like I’m worthless. She

‘I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS’

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t’s also a place for people who need a first chance at something new.

Like Tourigny, David Serrano has been working on recovery for five years and has been through numerous different programs – the Hector Reyes House is the sixth one he has been to.

“Here they treat you as a hu-

David Gonzalez, a staff member for the Hector Reyes House.

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MATT WRIGHT

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doesn’t look at us like that.”

Santiago agreed, saying Castiel treats him like a son and Weiner “went out of her way” to find him a doctor who could help him with his anger management issues.

“She’s the type that will stop everything she’s doing and take five minutes to help me,” Santiago said of Weiner. “That’s the most important thing. She tells me, ‘I’m proud of you, Roberto.’”

“They all really care about us,” Tourigny said. “They want to see us succeed.”

So much so, that even when there are relapses, there are new chances. Tourigny, who initially finished the program around Christmas last year, moved into Casa Reyes after graduation. But after a relapse, he asked to return to the Hector Reyes House and was accepted.

“This place was willing to give me a second chance,” he said.

man,” Serrano said. “They actually care about the people. They followed Hector Reyes’ dream.”

Serrano was graduating Crozier House in Worcester and had plans to go to a three-quarters house through the program. But on his last day, he had gone to Six Flags with his daughter and, because of traffic, was late getting back to the house. It was his third write-up, and it meant he was no longer eligible to go the three-quarters house.

He then made plans to get an apartment with a friend, but soon after, Serrano found him dead of an overdose. Not only had he lost his friend, “I was immediately homeless. It was really rough,” he said.

Serrano’s turning point came when he woke up in the hospital one day – and had no recollection of what had happened. He was told he had been found almost dead on Green Street in Worcester with a .59 blood alcohol level. His heart had stopped in the ambulance, his

feature lungs were 65 percent full of fluid and he was in an induced coma for three days.

“I had interns coming into my room studying me because people with .59 usually don’t make it,” he said. “That was the turning point.

I knew I had to do something, or I was going to die. But no matter how many people told me, I had to experience it for myself.”

It had been a long time coming. The 49-year-old Serrano was 13 when he first started drinking because it was cool to do, he said.

“And then I’m 40 years old and drinking before I go to work just to feel better,” he said. “I hate to say it’s all I did these years, but it’s pretty much the truth.”

Even having pancreatitis twice, the first time when he was 32, didn’t help him stop drinking.

“Alcohol led to other things,” Serrano said. “Marijuana was a big thing. I lived on marijuana. If I got a prescription, I would abuse them constantly. Instead of taking one, I’d take three.”

Serrano owned a home in Millbury and always had a job. He said he worked as an auto body painter,

was the manager of an auto body shop and then wrote programs for computerized precision machines – until one day, he didn’t anymore.

“I never thought in a million years I’d be homeless,” he said. “To go from being a father in Millbury, to a boarding house, to being on the streets, to almost dead … I’m too old. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“I’m a little embarrassed with myself, but mostly mad at myself,” he continued. “I thought I was the smartest guy in the world, but I wasn’t.”

Serrano has been at the Hector Reyes House about two months now and has been concentrating on helping himself and following the 12 Steps program. He said without the house, he’d probably be trying to recover somewhere else, back on the streets or, worse, “I would’ve just given up on myself.”

Someday, Serrano said, “All the things I learn I want to pass on. I can hopefully help someone. It’s not nice, the things I’ve seen, it’s not nice.”

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feature A NEW PERSPECTIVE

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or many of the residents, like Juan Molina, 32, who will graduate from Hector Reyes in less than a month, it’s the first time they’ve completed a program. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Molina had been in and out of the Worcester County House of Corrections at least 10 times, the longest for two years, and was living on the streets before arriving at the house.

“I was out there doing the same things I was doing the last 10 years, committing crimes and going to jail every year,” he said.

Molina’s story began when he was a teenager and visited his father, who was living in New Jersey, for the first time.

“He called me into the bathroom and said, ‘I got something for you,’” Molina said.

That something was heroin.

“My dad got me hooked up when I was 14. I was young, so I got stuck

in that life,” Molina said. “I didn’t know the consequences.”

Although he got himself clean for a while when he moved back to his native Puerto Rico, and eventually to Florida with his mother and brothers, his former life was too strong.

“Once you try it and you like it, even if you want to get out, your mind is telling you that you want to do it one more time,” Molina said. “You want to get better, but you want to keep using.”

Molina started stealing to pay for the drugs, which is what sent him to jail every time. He would commit one crime, he said, and then already have a plan in his head for the next one.

“My eyes would open,” he said.

“I was already doing crimes. It was like a full-time job just to get high,”

From left, Jorge Vidot, Roberto Santiago and Felipe Navarro weigh and prepare portions before the lunch rush at Café Reyes in Worcester.

MATT WRIGHT

feature he said. “I didn’t care about people.

I took from people. I didn’t respect people. I’m not proud of that.”

Today, Molina has a new perspective, and he said he has a good support system from his mother and his five brothers, who all now live in Worcester. He works as a barber and a tattoo artist, has a job as a metal assembler at a factory, and paints and draws. He had taught himself to draw in jail and now sells some of his artwork. He created the mural at Café Reyes and also did canvas paintings that were given away at house’s 10th anniversary celebration, held April 24 at Mechanics Hall.

“I’m getting older now. I see things differently. Too much time wasted. The years pass so quickly,” he said, adding, “I’m not thinking about using. I’m just thinking about moving forward.”

Tourigny said the same. He doesn’t want to be remembered as the party animal, but instead as someone reliable. Someday, he would like to attend college and run his own business.

“I just want to get it together before it’s too late. Where have the last five years gone?” Tourigny

asked himself, and then answered his own question, “I’ve spent it in programs. I’m never going to be a good person if I’m an active user. I just can’t live like that anymore.

“I feel like I have a long way to go, but I feel like this place is pointing me in the right direction where I want to go. This place means a lot to me. It’s done a lot for me. I don’t think I’d be the person I am today.”

MORE PROGRAMS NEEDED

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ut the question remains: Why aren’t there more programs like LAHA’s three-tiered method?

Certainly, there should be, Castiel and Weiner believe.

“I don’t know if it’s resources or funding, but it’s definitely needed.

We’re one of a kind around here,” Weiner said.

According to statistics from the state Bureau of Substance

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Addiction Services provided by Weiner, the average state graduation rate for any type of residential treatment facility is 37.6 percent.

The Hector Reyes House has a 49-percent completion rate. The state average length of stay is 102 days; at Hector Reyes, the average is 157 days. Of those who graduate, 9 percent return to the house, Weiner said, citing the statistics.

Beyond that, it is hard to keep track because they don’t always know where the residents go after graduation if they don’t move into Casa Reyes or keep in touch, Castiel said. But they recently formed an alumni group and have a private Facebook page for the

residents and graduates. LAHA also received a grant from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation to help keep track of statistics, according to Castiel.

Castiel also believes, in addition to having more programs for men like LAHA’s, there should be a women’s house as well. But, she said, it will require finding a person who is willing to take the initiative and who has the passion to do it.

“It requires a lot, and it has to be done well,” Castiel said. “You don’t get the big dollars. What it does to your heart, what it does for yourself, is a huge pay that I never got in other places that I got here.”

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culture

Classical Indian sitarist Partha Bose returns to Worcester JOSHUA LYFORD

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t will be the two-year anniversary — nearly to the day — of the first time world-renowned Indian sitarist Partha Bose performed at the Sprinkler Factory when he returns Sunday, May 5. Appearing with tabla musician Indranil Mallick, the two are bringing their aweinspiring ragas along with them Event organizer Barin Bando is excited to bring the international star back to Worcester, where he was welcomed with open arms two years ago.

“We were very happy,” Bando said. “What we expected for the first time, exploring bringing Indian classical music to a nonconventional auditorium, I was skeptical, but the coverage and support and the Sprinkler Factory’s dedication has helped.”

Bando points to the crossover interest between those who appreciate classical sitar music as well as art and music lovers in Worcester who are interested to see what Bose and Mallick bring with them.

“I think the quality of the audience, they are art lovers,” Bando said.

“They are considered art lovers. They tend to be into classical music also.

They do not mind exploring international genres and getting to know different cultures. They are the right kind of audience.”

Bose, in a press questionnaire released several months ago, said while many musicians in the genre tend to come from longstanding musical families, he himself came forward unconventionally. His father enjoyed sitar as a hobby and his son followed suit, but he dug much deeper, growing to international renown. Bando described the process of “making it” as “tough, very tough.”

“Performance opportunities were very few and mostly ill-paid or without honorarium, and students were few, as most potential students were young girls, whose parents preferred elderly teachers or middle-aged married men as Guru,” Bose said. “Performance opportunities seemed to be monopolized by children of well-known musicians or celebrities.”

The reaction after Bose’s first performance was enthusiastic, Bando said, and it took two years of working around the sitarist’s schedule to get him back. As soon as this second performance was announced, people were excited.

“The uniqueness of Indian classical music, even though it’s very structured, artists always improvise,” he said. “They have a performance, the audience would get to see how they play with their emotions and their endeavors toward the music.”

Traditional ragas provide a framework for the music, but the musicians themselves improvise throughout. The performer may play the same raga twice, with entirely different feeling within that framework.

“It could be a morning raga, evening raga, between dawn to dusk, a variety,” said Bando. “It could be a spiritual aspect embedded into that music also. It’s a mood. It could be euphoric. That’s what Indian ragas are all about, to be precise, between Western rigid and structured music.

Indian ragas can fluctuate knowing the boundaries. The audience influences the musicians, the artist’s mood, nature. It’s a whole scenario that drives them to go deeper, or lighter, or expand a little more, and get to the ultimate accomplishments. It varies and changes, that improvisation. It’s almost like a painting that is happening in front of your eyes.”

To check out sitarist Partha Bose with Indranil Malick, head to the Sprinkler Factory, 38 Harlow St., on Sunday, May 5. For more information on the artist as well as upcoming exhibitions at the Sprinkler Factory, head to sprinklerfactory.com.

culture Dining in the Dark gives glimpse into being blind JOSHUA LYFORD

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or three years, Audio Journal, a nonprofit broadcast service offering access to information, culture and employment opportunities for individuals who are blind, has held an annual event designed to do more than just raise funds for the organization. The goal is to give those with sight the ability to glimpse a tiny sliver of what it means to be visually impaired.

On Friday, May 10, Audio Journal brings “Dining in the Dark” to Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston.

The organization’s premier fundraising event invites the community to come together, put on a blindfold and enjoy a meal.

“We’re careful not to say this is what it feels like to be blind. It’s just a few hours, but there will be blind patrons at the table,” Audio Journal Director Vince Lombardi said. “For once, they will have the advantage,

WHAT: Dining in the Dark WHEN: Friday, May 10 (cocktails/hors d’oeuvres, 7-8 p.m.; dining, 8-11 p.m.)

WHERE: Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, 284 East Temple St., Boylston HOW MUCH: $85 per ticket ($80 per ticket for two or more) as they go through this challenge every day. We find that the other diners have a lot of questions.”

The questions the dinner guests tend to come up with are often functional ones, and can offer insight otherwise unavailable to them, but largely it is an experience encapsulated by connectedness.

“It’s more of a connectedness than direct questions,” said Lombardi. “‘Oh man, I can’t believe you guys do this.

Are there tricks?’ Things like that.

The respect, I could say, they develop for the people who face this every day is a big part of the conversation.

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culture POW!WOW! Worcester gears up for ‘508 Day’ JOSHUA LYFORD

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orcester isn’t exactly in dire need of cheerleaders. As the development renaissance continues, the city has likely been highlighted more in recent months than it had in years.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a day to shine on its own and that is exactly the plan behind “508 Day,” happening on May 8, or 5/08.

“The past couple of years, we’ve been talking about how on May 8 it’s literally 508 day,” said Amy Peterson of the POW! WOW! Worcester committee. “Other cities have adopted this idea around their area code, making a city-wide effort. We floated it out to other agencies and people in the city and no one really adopted it. POW! WOW! Worcester decided this year to make it a thing. We want to encourage other people around the city to show their pride. There’s already a ton of that, but it’s a great day to proclaim it Worcester day.”

While the day will be anchored by exclusive 508 Day merchandise and artist collaborations at Worcester Wares, Door 22 at the DCU Center, as well as some surprises by way of POW! WOW! Worcester social media accounts, the hope is that folks around Worcester can latch onto the day and celebrate it for themselves.

“POW! WOW! is taking the lead on it, but it’s mostly because no one else has,” said Peterson. “We’re just declaring it. It’s short notice this year, but

we’re hoping people wrap their arms around it and city wide people start recognizing it.”

It is easy to see how 508 Day could take hold long-term and, likely, will become an annual event. While pride in the city is at a high point, there is still purpose in celebrating the city and its residents, according to Peterson.

“I think that we’ve seen so much momentum building in people’s pride

in Worcester,” Peterson said. “Whether they are homegrown or people who have moved in and recently become residents, whether they are college students, we want people to have pride in where they live and where they work. We want people to have an idea they can rally around. Whether it’s city pride, arts and culture, economic development, we want people to feel pride in their city and pride in their fellow citizens. There are so many great things happening here in the city. I think it’s a city that’s kind of coming into its own. I think Worcester should be celebrated every day, but this is a good opportunity to put a loudspeaker on it.”

For more information on POW! WOW! Worcester, head to Powwowworcester.com. For more information on Worcester Wares, head to Worcesterwares.com. To check out POW! WOW! Worcester’s social media, check them out on Facebook, or @Powwowworcester on Twitter, or @Powwowworcester on Instagram.

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They ask if there are types of foods they don’t order because it’s hard to eat. It’s functional questions. The eye opener is that blind people are just like everyone else, they have likes and dislikes. Some will never touch a lima bean, some love them.”

While the event is fun and guests can expect to have a good time over a great meal, it is also a learning experience for those in attendance.

“I think [it fosters] an appreciation for the daily challenges, for how much we depend on our sight or vision,” said Lombardi. “Not just for finding food on the plate, but when you’re blindfolded or blind, when you hear your name, you don’t know if someone is talking to you or about you, or if they’re even seated next to you. Some people get up and leave without mentioning it to their blind friends, and before you realize it you’re talking to a chair. For some reason, the decibel level seems to increase as well.”

In addition, guests may find their other senses come to the fore.

“From that,” Lombardi said, “they’ll take away not only where the

food is on the plate, but also paying more attention to their other senses.

We’ve heard people remark on their sense of smell being increased, or taking more time eating. You’re hearing things that you aren’t quite sure where it’s coming from. It’s striking.

We’re not saying this is what it’s like to be blind. It’s a little taste, so to speak.”

In addition to drinks, hors d’oeuvres and a meal, Mauro DePasquale and the Jazzed Up Trio will be the guest performers and Larry Raymond, president of the Memorial Foundation for the Blind and former director of the Office on Disabilities for Worcester, will be honored

by Audio Journal. Tickets can be ordered online at audiojournal.net/ dining-in-the-dark.

Dining in the Dark takes place Friday, May 10 at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, 284 East Temple St., Boylston.

For more information on Dining in the Dark, as well as Audio Journal and the organizations offerings, head to audiojournal.net.

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culture Lyford Files JOSHUA LYFORD

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n this, the morning of Monday, April 29, in the golden morning sunlight in Worcester of Central Massachusetts, the maesters transcribed the notes of one Joshua Lyford, first of his name, firstborn son of Ernest and Kyle, singular trueborn Massachusetts-native Lyford, consoler of Brisco and knight of Beaver Brook. Nay, though many do contradict, the words writ were not put down by Lyford himself, in the vile third person, but by Maester Bird of the Cubicle. “Sers,” the people spake, “we read this edict on Thursday!” Yes, the speed at which the raven flies is expeditious, but the printmakers’ hands are stained dark and the work is slow. Thus, Maester Bird took ink to paper and the fair-skinned and fiery bronze-headed Lyford’s words were read by dozens.

I’M NOT SURE HOW LONG I CAN TOLERATE THIS WRITING STYLE: Pay no mind to the title above, wrote

the ancient document-keepers, for had Lyford held any doubts whatever in his long-term capabilities in words written in a peculiar writing style, he would have most assuredly scrapped the idea outright, as he was both intelligent and just. Having continued ahead, it must be revealed that the wordy ginger did indeed partake in the viewing of a particular popular culture event. The event, this Home Box Office spectacular, was viewed by many.

Some say that it was seen by more eyes than the Tourney of Broom, in which the sheriffs did take on the maesters and their wordlings in the Holdfast of Duke Augustus the Developer, as he was known throughout the land. Attended by Viscount Petty the Drab, the event saw many a wounded heart as the word-writers numbers were small. Though they would lose the day, those names were written in the Citadel’s books and none will soon forget them.

DON’T LET ME WRITE MY ENTIRE COLUMN LIKE THIS, WALTER: Ha! Do not for a moment read into the

bolded titles, in this, the dark and brutal year of 2019 AD (after the development renaissance, as the bleak years following the Worcester blood-thinning by particular Pawtucket invaders would come to be known), titles mean little-to-naught and the bait therein efforted to capture small beasts known as “clicks” and not dragons. In this year, on the cusp of the Great Departure of the Local Population, there were many red-faces and caliginous thoughts throughout the Land of Many Townies. While the signs above the aimless roads and streets were emblazoned with hearts, no true individual of the local population would allow unadulterated love to be on display, lest not their own eagerness for the glory of the socks of red be drawn down. In the years that followed, the maesters would write at length of the ability for the smallfolk to cast them own selves into the fire for naught.

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IF YOU ARE STILL READING THIS, SEND HELP, I CAN’T SHUT IT OFF: It is well known that the mummers and

scribes were want to add their own changes and nuance to the tales as they were not near as trained as those of the Citadel, just as the clergy themselves would cast out notes they considered blasphemous. As such, titles and subheads in their day were known to be singularly pernicious and not to be regarded with any seriousness. It was in that same year, the year 2019 AD (that would come to be known as the Year of the Further-Drying Canal), that the smallfolk saw their homes gobbled up by the rich and mighty Ser Lucchino.

In time, the maesters would marvel as the population was ousted from their homes, businesses, places of worship and out of the taverns and yet, would cheer in the streets for the coming end, the days that would spell their doom.

GOT A LITTLE HEAVY HANDED THERE, EH? It is

there that the tale ends. Whether Lyford himself did perish, or the maesters lost hold of the bold, strong and handsome man’s notes, is unknown. His words, and the words of Ser Shaner of the Steel Pen, were the last to decry the coming gloom, before the fog of development enveloped the community. With the scribes ousted and the local population gone, the denizens of luxury apartment complexes throughout the city were forced to battle one another once the kombucha wells and consignment mines went dry. These Yo-Pros, as they would come to be known, dwindled in number until they escaped to the far-east, to Boston, never to be seen again. Worcester, a hollow waste, would serve only as a vehicle for popcorn sales Joshua Lyford at amateur baseball games until the Culture editor end of time. @Joshachusetts

culture Lifestyle SARAH CONNELL

brb dad needs comp

Set your away message. Nkd’s 90’s Prom wants to party like it’s 1999 – a very good year for the teen makeover montage. Proceeds will support Dress for Success in Worcester, an organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence. Your $55 ticket will include food and dancing courtesy of Atlas Entertainment at The Manor in West Boylston on Saturday, May 4. Unity Mike Hendrickson is bringing his laser beam backdrop to Nkd 90’s Prom organizers Kristierectify any missed opportu- Lee Laskes and Crystal Whittemore nities from the picture days of your youth. A prom queen at left, with event photographer and king will be crowned at Mike Hendrickson the end of the night. I had ROLAND SILVA a chance to discuss event details on the Pop It Podcast with Hendrickson and organizers Kristie-Lee Laskes and Crystal Whittemore.

I am unavailable because I am judging a food truck that takes up the entire screen.

The second annual Food Truck Throwdown will take place Saturday, May 4, 12-5 p.m. at Greenhill Park. Organizers are expecting thousands to sample dishes from more than 25 local food trucks. In its second year, Throwdown organizers have learned to downsize portions and prices in order to encourage attendees to visit as many trucks as possible. Neither Rosie O’Donnell nor Judith Light will be available that day, so I have been asked to attend as a “celebrity judge” in their stead. I am wholly flattered and I vow to take the role very seriously.

iso: loosies

Mama Roux is kicking off its friend-inspired dinner series with the help of Amy Peterson and Che Anderson. The May 4 menu will benefit Worcester Youth Center and feature NYC Bodega-inspired fare like chopped cheese, Jamaican curried goat patties, and cosmic brownies with Bustelo chocolate ganache.

MaY fLoWeRs

shower. beer. home.

I’m a microbiome in a bottle, you gotta rub me the right way

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Iapetus Wines will visit deadhorse hill on Tuesday, May 7 for an exclusive tasting and a personal meet and greet.

Iapetus is the name of an ancient ocean that covered the Champlain Valley hundreds of millions of years ago. Iapetus Wines specialize in the most mysterious hearty hybrid varietals, which will be featured by the Sarah Connell glass, along with a number of other Vermont-made wines. contributing writer

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

My bridal shower is the same day as this year’s Craft Brew Race on Saturday, May 4, which means that: A.) I will show up at the starting line wearing a toilet paper gown, ready to run.

OR B.) I will show up at the Greater Good beer tent wearing a toilet paper gown, ready to drink.

Either way, I’ll see you at City Hall Plaza at noonish.

M AY 2 - 8, 2019

I’ll admit that my catnip is when optimal Instagram content aligns with the great outdoors. Take for example, Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s Daffodil Days on May 4 and 5 where you will find a field of more than 25,000 vibrant spring blossoms to soothe your soul and boost your likes. Let sunlight and double taps boost your dopamine this weekend. Adult admission is $16, but you can find discounted passes at the Worcester Public Library.

culture

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W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M M AY 2 - 8, 2019

Artist spotlight

After a brief hiatus, Artist Spotlight is back! We can only run Artist Spotlight if we have artists to spotlight. See how that works? So, if you are an artist, or know of a local artist then email Joshua Lyford at jlyford@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.

Jilda Casillo is a local artist working with acrylics. Casillo is obsessed with rust, and much of her work has been inspired by her trip across the country by way of old Route 66. Her work has appeared in several shows in the area, and she has worked as a commercial and residential painter specializing in faux and plaster finishes.

culture

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.

against; For dogs: Kongs, Ruff Wear, Jolly Balls, Tuffies, tennis balls.

Office Supplies: Copy paper (white and colors), postage stamps, pink and blue post-its, etc. Staples gift cards are always welcomed!

Pet Toys – For cats: furry mice and balls with bells, stuffed animals for orphaned kittens to snuggle

Computers, Laptops, Printers: Newer models or gently used models are welcomed.

Medical Supplies: Latex gloves, gauze, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, popsicle sticks, Dixie cups, One Touch Test Strips.

depend on the heartfelt outpouring of people like you. Donations can be given online, mailed, or given in person at WARL.

Monetary Donations: WARL is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donations of money, time, supplies, homes, and love are vital to our cause and the lives of the animals in our care. The animals

Cleaning Supplies: Paper towels, 33-gallon trash bags, sponges, bleach, dish soap, “HE” (high efficiency) laundry detergent, Lemon Joy soap.

Amazon Wish List: Can’t stop in?

Do you like the ease of shopping online? Visit our Amazon Wish List, and the items will be shipped directly to WARL!

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Pet Supplies: Dog and cat food (both canned and dry). Purina brand preferred. Please no grainfree; Non-clumping kitty litter; Bedding, comforters, blankets and towels (not pillows & sheets); Kuranda Beds; martingale collars.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Here are some of WARL’s regular needs:

M AY 2 - 8, 2019

She’s everything and more – meet Marmalade. Marmalade is a senior, as was her owner. The man’s wife took care of Marmalade and him. She passed away, and the gentleman couldn’t care for Marmalade on his own. Marmalade is over 14 years old. The vet said she is in good health for her age. She drinks lots of water, which indicates kidney disease, but it doesn’t require treatment.

Marmalade is a cranky old lady who will tell you her opinion about everything.

She is an ideal companion for a senior who doesn’t have any other pets. You can talk to her throughout the day, and she’ll talk right back to you. She’ll sleep next to you on the couch or in your bed.

Marmalade qualifies for our Senior for Senior Program, which waives the adoption fee for adopters over 65. Otherwise her adoption fee is $50.

culture Barber’s Crossing is Leicester’s Watering Hole 861 Main Street, Leicester • 508-892-7575 • barberscrossingrestaurant.com SANDRA RAIN

B

arber’s Crossing wants you to enjoy their new deck this summer, but there’s plenty of room inside while the spring showers last. Choose between the

bright dining room, the stacked service bar, or the wood-paneled back bar room. Dense red curtains, festive lanterns and plaid carpeting abound.

The bartenders are astute and forever in motion. Large mirrors track their paths like the dotted line

in Family Circus. They run drinks, take orders, and man a full house fueled by townie glee and cash tips.

The only thing the unflappable front of house staff doesn’t do is run Keno numbers. Barber’s Crossing boasts a dedicated Keno employee at the ready at all times for the precise moment when you’re feeling hot.

Barber’s Crossing’s spira-bound menu is a mile long. Enjoy the complimentary buttered popcorn while you flip through. This is not the time or place for draught beer. A Wormtown Be Hoppy will run you $4.75 from a compromised keg line, while a basic bottle like Coors Light offers consistency for just $2.99.

Grab one of the laminate high tops in the corner with a wooden rim and a red leather bar stool. The staff recommends beginning your meal with a combo platter ($9.99) of fried chicken tenders, three mozzarella sticks and four mealy potato skins topped with bacon bits. This is food you could prepare yourself from the frozen section of Big Y, but if you came for the social hour, you may

not mind.

The pork osso buco ($19.99) on the specials menu states “*highly recommended*” in bold with an

water, but that’s a story for another column.

My last visit to Barber’s Crossing in Leicester was on account of

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Barber’s Crossing pork osso buco is highly recommended by the staff. underline. Don’t resist. A 16-ounce pork shank will emerge from the kitchen like a volcano erupting with sweet bourbon sauce. Sautéed mushrooms and onions bedeck a rich bed of mashed potatoes. The meat falls off the bone of what must be a dinosaur’s descendent. It is unrealistic to believe you will finish the whole thing.

If you enjoy pork, but find yourself lacking the appetite of a caveman, try the sappy sweet marsala pork chop ($18.99). In all his years at Barber’s Crossing, the bartender has never seen it sent back, which is an endorsement if I have ever heard one. It is dry but edible.

Regulars come for Yankee pot roast ($13.99), which is moist and tender with the sort of low and slow love that homecooks pass down through generations. Families also relish the kids menu, which tops out at $6.99.

Every neighborhood needs a watering hole. Leicester just needs

friends who live in town. I would meet them there again for the company and consistency, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for the cuisine.

Dinner and drinks for three came to $97.69.

Explanation of Stars: Ratings are from zero to five. Zero is not recommended.

One is poor. Two is fair. Three is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is excellent.

Food: HH1/2 Ambience: HH1/2 Service: HHH Value: HHH

culture

‘Avengers’ gets the job done JIM KEOGH

I

more enduring than other recent friendships (Iron Man-SpiderMan).

The film’s depiction of a world enduring a Rapture-like vanishing is vaguely unsatisfying. I wasn’t expecting an Omega Man brawl for

loves, and the transfer of a legacy.

The “Endgame” filmmaking team led by directors Anthony and Joe Russo have done the saga justice and spun the story out to its inevitable conclusion. Time for a breather.

and those who aren’t into superhero movies won’t read beyond the headline. My wish would be to have a full-on discussion with spoilers, but obviously that can’t happen. Many folks care enough to see the movie, just not enough to get to the theater during the first weekend of release — yet they’d still issue a fatwa on my living soul if I revealed key plot points. No witness-protection location would suffice, not Nepal, not Antarctica.

Even the walruses would come after me.

Instead, here are some impressions of what I’ve seen, and how I feel about the wrap-up to one of the most impressive franchises in movie history : “Endgame” is three hours long, and two-thirds of it involves the team employing the quantum realm (see “Ant-Man and the Wasp”) to reach places and moments that offer them a fighting chance against Thanos and restore order to the universe five years after he decimated half the human population. These stretches are word-heavy, action-light, and start to feel a little sleepy. I’m not opposed to exposition, but, you know,

Chris Evans (Captain America) his ever-patient straight man. And Chris Hemsworth (Thor) really needs to do more comedies. My favorite exchange occurs between Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and involves a diner, a selfie and a group of superhero fans who don’t know or care what an Ant-Man is.

Ah, Thor. My greatest disappointment is “Endgame’s” handling of the celestial character. When we first encounter Thor, he’s in a rut.

I mean, a John Belushi-in-“Animal House” rut; a Ben Stiller-at-theend-of-“Dodgeball” rut. The jokes kill at first, until they start to turn pathetic. How painful to witness the warrior turned soft; to watch the light leave the eyes of someone who literally can shoot lightning bolts from his retinas. There will be redemption (anything less is inconceivable), but not on a large enough scale.

The Black Widow/Hawkeye story arc is far more emotional than I would have expected. While they are two of my least favorite Avengers characters, they share a genuine bond unsullied by ego (Iron Man-Captain America) and

survival, but how about something a little more dystopian than sad people bitching about their dating woes (in a support group run by Steve Rogers/Captain America!) in cities with uninterrupted utilities?

I suppose that was Thanos’ original vision for a sustainable planet.

The culminating battle has action, drama, pathos – all of it pretty spectacular. The event is briefer than, say, “Game of Thrones’” much-hyped battle of Winterfell, though, unlike GOT’s murky conflict, it mercifully takes place in the light.

Finally, yes, there is death. And a funeral, and reunions with old

Jim Keogh contributing writer

Streaming live, 24-hours a day at worcestermag.com

M AY 2 - 8, 2019

’m not sure who I’m writing this review for.

Anyone passionate about the Marvel Universe has already seen “Avengers: Endgame,”

seduce me too.

This is the funniest Marvel movie since “Thor: Ragnarok,” and with rare exception the humor doesn’t intrude on the narrative. Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) remains master of the throwaway line, with

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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calendar Thursday, May 2 Free First Thursday

Fitchburg Art Museum, 185 Elm St., Fitchburg The first Thursday of each month is free for the public at the Fitchburg Art Museum.

Friday-Sunday, May 3-5 Pottery Invitational 2019

Worcester Center for Crafts, 25 Sagamore Road The nationally-recognized event, juried by guest curators Sarah Heimann and Jerilyn Virden, returns to the Worcester Center for Crafts with 19 potters.

Demos provided by artists-in-residence and the WCC ceramics studio.

Friday, May 3 Putting the Art in EARTH

Worcester PopUp, 20 Franklin St. Southwick’s Zoo presents an interesting opportunity to observe some of their animal artists’ paintings live. Staff will be on hand to answer your questions and the masterpieces are even available for sale.

Friday, May 3 Kevin James

Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St. For the first time since 2014, comedian and actor Kevin James returns to the Hanover Theatre. The “King of Queens” store brings his boisterous stand-up routine to Worcester.

Friday, May 3 Andy Black

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The Palladium, 261 Main St. Black Veil Brides frontman Andy Black heads to The Palladium on his Ghost of North America tour with The Faim and Kulick.

Saturday, May 4 Do Woodpeckers get headaches?

Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Road Well, do they? Join the Broad Meadow Brook staff in learning all about the unique birds, their habitats and behaviors.

calendar

Saturday, May 4 Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical

Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St. Based on the novel “Les Liasions Dangereuses” and the film starring Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe, check out the musical that brings the manipulative world of Manhattan to life in a whole new way.

Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Road, Princeton Join the Wachusett Meadow staff in tracking down the diverse birdlife of the area, including migrant and breeding species. Bring your binoculars and a field guide.

Massachusetts Pirates April 27 The Pirates (1-2) cruised to their first win of the season with a 45-12 trouncing of the Orlando Predators at home.

Round-Up

35

Worcester’s Jamaine Ortiz (11-0, 6 KOs) successfully defended his WBC World

Youth Championship Friday, April 26 at Twin River Casino with a first-round technical knockout of Vitor Jones in a CES lightweight boxing match. Joining him in the winner’s circle was Worcester native Nick Briggs (4-0, 3 KOs), who also earned a first-round TKO over his opponent, Latorie Woodberry in their welterweight fight.

Another area fighter, Southbridge welterweight Wilfredo Pagan (6-1) lost for the first time as a pro when he was knocked out in the third round by Marqus Bates.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

The Score

M AY 2 - 8, 2019

Sunday, May 5 Spring Bird Walk

games

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

M AY 2 - 8, 2019

J O N E S I N’ Across 1 One of Cher’s friends in “Clueless” 4 Thrown tomato sound 9 Went idle 14 Summertime coolers, casually 15 Contemporary of Shelley and Byron 16 Justice Kagan 17 Hit 2019 puzzle game 19 Huck Finn’s creator 20 Cheese slices from Kraft 21 Marcos with many shoes 22 Key near the space bar 23 Lies low 25 Mid-May honorees 28 Discovery/TLC reality show (1998-2007) following expecting couples 33 Horseshoe trajectories 34 “Sharp as a tack,” for example 35 Red or Dead, but not Redemption 36 MTV cartoon with the fictional show “Sick, Sad World” 38 Pot top 39 “Taking a Chance on Love” singer Waters 41 Singer of 60-Across, slangily 42 Tiny footwarmer 45 Altered mortgage, for short 46 “Voulez-Vous” and “Waterloo,” for two 48 Smooth (the way) 49 Take ___ of faith 50 It’s about 907,000 grams 52 Celebratory outburst 55 People in the red 59 Common Daily Double gesture (and bet) from “Jeopardy!” whiz James Holzhauer 60 Lyric that follows “We’re poor little lambs who have lost our way” 62 Photographer Arbus 63 British-based relief organization 64 Exercise machine unit 65 Karaoke performances

“Two From the Top”--same two, different order.

by Matt Jones

66 Anthem competitor 67 “Of course”

Down 1 Browser indicators 2 Berry from palms 3 Library catalog no.

4 Prowess 5 Madrid money, once 6 Poppables snackmaker 7 Get from ___ B 8 Nashville sch.

9 “I’ll need time to think about it” 10 Mariners’ div.

11 Ardor 12 Kids’ author Blyton 13 Fictional agent Scully 18 1992 Wimbledon winner 21 Pastoral verse 23 Overdo a scene 24 Footnote word that’s usually abbreviated 25 Tyler Perry title character 26 Toothbrush brand 27 “Limited time only” fast-food sandwich 29 Ginkgo ___ 30 “Straight Outta Compton” costar ___ Jackson Jr. 31 Nautical hazards 32 Singer of 60-Across,

slangily 37 Large mollusks 40 Starbucks size launched in 2011 43 Margarine, quaintly 44 One-named guitarist of infomercial fame 47 Expressing delight 51 “Dreams From My Father” author 52 Big rolls of money 53 Mishmash 54 “The Good Earth” heroine 55 Slightly off 56 Do as told 57 Very hard to find 58 Goes limp 60 Drag show accessory 61 Wood-chopping tool

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SERVICE DIRECTORY

LEGAL

LEGALS Worcester Housing Authority Revisions to the Worcester Housing Authority’s 2019 Annual Plan are available for review and public comment at its main administrative offices located at 40 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA during its regular business hours of 8:00AM to 4:30PM Monday through Friday.

A public hearing will take place relative to the Plan revisions in the lower level conference room at 40 Belmont Street on June 15, 2019 at 10:00AM

Public Auction Notice Notice is hereby given pursuant to the provisions of M.L.C. 225 sec.

39A, the following vehicles will be sold on 5/11/19 at a sale to satisfy our garage lien thereon for towing and storage charges and expenses of sale and notice: 2009 Nissan Versa VIN #3N1BC11E69L443398 2013 Nissan Altima VIN #1N4AL3AP8DC134967 The location of the sale will be at Early’s on Park Avenue, Inc. 536 Park Avenue, Worcester, MA 01603

M AY 2 - 8, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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Invitation For Bids The Worcester Housing Authority invites sealed bids for FRONT ENTRY UPGRADES MA12-12 BELMONT TOWER APARTMENTS, 40 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA 01605. WHA Job No. 2017-01 in accordance with the documents prepared by the Architect, DIXON SALO ARCHITECTS, INC. The work is estimated to cost $175,070, including Alternate #1.

Base Bid: Alterations to existing front entrance canopy at Worcester Housing Authority Belmont Tower Apartments as indicated on the Contract Drawings.

Alternate #1: Add Alternate is for the replacement of light fixtures and all other work indicated on the Contract Drawings.

WHA Job Release Project Title Bid Important dates No. Date Surety & time 2017-01 4/24/19 Front Entry Upgrades Pre-Bid Conference @ 40 Belmont St. 10:00 5/1/19 Worcester, MA 01605 AM Sub-Bid Opening @ Modernization Dep. 5% 2:00 5/8/19 81 Tacoma St. Worcester, MA 01605 PM Gen. Bid Opening @ Modernization Dep. 5% 2:00 5/22/19 81 Tacoma St. Worcester, MA 01605 PM General Bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION category of work.

Filed sub-bids will be taken for: SECTION 08800, GLASS AND GLAZING and SECTION 09900, PAINTING. Filed Sub-Bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the GLASS AND GLAZING and/or PAINTING categories of work.

Bids are subject to M.G.L. c149 §44A-J and Davis Bacon wage rates as well as other applicable laws.

Bid Forms and Contract Documents will be made available on the Worcester Housing Authority website (http://www.worcesterha.org/currentbids.html) Questions regarding this project shall be submitted in writing 72 hours prior to opening and emailed to ModBids@worcesterha.org. Reference the WHA Job Number: 2017-01 only in the subject line.

WHA reserves the right to reject any or all responses, in whole or in part, deemed to be in their best interest.

Award of all contracts is subject to the approval of the WHA Executive Director or Board of Commissioners. The Operating Agency shall indemnify and hold harmless the WHA and its officers or agents from any and all third party claims arising from activities under these agreements as set forth in MCL c.258, section 2 as amendment.

Worcester Housing Authority Joseph P. Carlson, Chairperson

last call Patricia Altomere and Kristi Rucci Owners of Elizabeth Grady

Y

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M AY 2 - 8, 2019

ou might remember the skin care experts of Elizabeth Grady from the Worcester Galleria era in the 1980s. Elizabeth Grady is back in town, now located in the 145 Front Street complex in CitySquare, which is also home to 365 apartments. In their retail space in the building, owners Patricia Altomere and Kristi Rucci, had run a store in Millbury in The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley, continue to promote achievement and maintenance of healthy skin for all people in the community.

Tell me the history behind Elizabeth Grady.

KR: Elizabeth Grady was founded in 1975. The first store opened on Newbury Street in Boston. Today there are over 20 locations. Half of them are franchised and the other half are company-owned stores.

Tricia and I own two franchise locations: Worcester and Waltham.

The premise of the company is very European. We provide European skin care. Elizabeth Grady also has our own school, where we are teaching the next generation of estheticians about all the new and exciting things that are coming into the industry. We have our own skin care line, so all of our retail products are developed and formulated and adjusted for Elizabeth Grady exclusively. Our marine facial includes an amazing algae mask and the algae is harvested off the south of France.

We were definitely pioneers in the industry.

Patricia, I know you’re from the legal world, and Kristi, you’re from the business world. How did each of you find your way to Elizabeth Grady?

KR: We met on the baseball field when our sons were young, play-

ing Little League baseball. We were friends for years before we went into business together.

PA: Kristi was going to the Elizabeth Grady that existed in Millbury and asked the woman who owned it if she would ever want to sell. Kristi called me and she was like, “You want to go into business with me?” I’m not the type that gets a lot of facials, or does my nails, or anything like that, so my friends laughed when I told them about going into this. I looked at the numbers and said, “Yeah, let’s do it.” We yin and yang very well. Kristi’s background includes decades in corporate marketing and I’ve been an attorney for over 30 years. We know our strengths and weaknesses.

Why Worcester?

KR: We had really run our course in Millbury. We’re so grateful for the years that we spent up there with our loyal Milbury clientele, but being in the business world for as long as I have, I know that retail is in trouble. There’s a thought process that in five years malls won’t even exist. A lot of my background has been in travel and tourism. I spent half my career as a regional director of sales in the hotel industry. I’m always watching where new hotels are being built. My former employer opened The AC by Marriott in Worcester. Wherever Leo Xarras builds a hotel, I pay attention. He’s probably one of the most brilliant business men I’ve ever known in my life. I learned a lot from him. I saw that he was building The AC downtown, so Tricia and I came to check it out. There wasn’t a lot to look at here at the time, but there’s been talk forever that Worcester is on the move, and I just really felt like this was far removed from a mall atmosphere. I knew

that our clientele would need to include people living and working in a certain area so that we could move beyond the expectation that people would travel to a destination spot. At an outdoor mall, on impulse, shoppers might get some sort of a service. I wanted to be somewhere where we could be ingrained in the community. This just screamed to us. We signed the lease before this building was even finished. There was no talk of the Triple-A Red Sox. The Railers weren’t even in town yet.

We just knew it was going to be the right place for us. That’s really how Elizabeth Grady came to be in Worcester. We are thrilled beyond belief to be down here. I can’t tell you how helpful the city was getting us up and running, right down to the fire department.

Peter Dunn in the Economic Development Office has been a great advocate.

What kind of new equipment are you about to introduce and how do you make sure people know what they’re buying into?

KR: A partnership has developed between Elizabeth Grady and Cynosure. Their SculpSure technology is untouchable. There are other body sculpting services out there.

Some of that technology has been around for a very long time. Our technology versus the old technology is the difference between a flip phone and an iPhone. They can both get the job done, but how quickly you might see the results, or how easy the service is compared to others, is not an applesto-apples comparison. We will be doing SculpSure, which uses heat and lasers to permanently destroy fat cells. Our new laser technology is world class. There are other machines out there that might cost $20,000. Our machine

ment, this is not the place. But if you’re a mom, you’ve had a couple of babies, and there’s an area you want to work on, then we can certainly help with that.

PA: Kristi and I were both single moms and we went into this with the attitude of helping other women. Not to say that a lot of our clients aren’t guys, because we help men too. We help everyone.

KR: We’re good and decent local people trying to make a run of a How do you approach services business that we’re passionate like SculpSure from an ethical about with employees who are like standpoint? family to us. The majority of our KR: It’s not going to do me any services can be done during the good to misrepresent anything lunch hour. I don’t think people that we do here, whether it’s a realize that even things like a facial or laser treatment, because our business is built and grown on quick microdermabrasion treatrepeat customers. If you don’t have ment can be done in half an hour with no downtime. I get my micro that, you’re pretty much dead in done and go right back to work. the water. We go to great lengths to make sure our staff is educated. If we just have a heads up, we can We won’t treat somebody if they’re get people on the books, and that frees up their time after work so not a good candidate. We won’t they can go home to their families. do it. If you’ve got somebody who wants to come in and lose vast – Sarah Connell amounts of weight with a treatcosts $250,000. It’s important on every level, from ownership to our front desk, that our aestheticians be as well versed and educated in the new services as possible. We have been undergoing months and months of training to make sure, when we talk to customers, we set the right expectations with the kind of results that they can achieve.

2019 Fun-Filled Summer!

Features* may include, but are not limited to:

Contact your media consultant today!

508-767-9574 or via email at WMSales@gatehousemedia.com

*subject to change without notice

COMING JUNE 13, 2019 • SPACE RESERVATIONS CLOSE MAY 9, 2019

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Inserted in: Worcester Magazine, The Landmark, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, Leominster Champion, The Grafton News, The Gardner News, The Item and The Telegram & Gazette

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Outdoor Dining and Drinks Indoor Fun Road Races Recreational Parks & Trails Local Breweries and Wineries Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Beaches! - Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island Fresh and Local - Farmers’ Markets Golf Courses Local Arts Fairs and Festivals Sounds of Summer Summer Theater

M AY 2 - 8, 2019

Summer Guide

Reach more than 200,000 consumers — looking to have a

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