Worcester Magazine June 21 - 27, 2018

JUNE 21 - 27, 2018 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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Community Preservation Act vote pushed off another week Page 4

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news Community Preservation Act vote pushed off another week A BILL SHANER

fter it sat for months in the Finance Committee queue, the Community Preservation Act proposal in front of the City Council appears headed for a

vote.

Mayor Joe Petty tabled a conversation Tuesday, saying he intends to bring it to a vote next week. Afterward, he and others put in for a series of reports from the city manager’s office that roughly illustrated the battle lines along which this vote, which is expected to be contested, will fall.

The vote before the Council is whether or not to put the Community Preservation Act, on the ballot for Worcester voters to decide.

The act, if adopted, creates a fund communities can chose to spend on either affordable housing, historic preservation or open space projects like parks. The fund is generated via a 1.5-percent surcharge on property tax bills.

That surcharge, for many opponents, is where the issue lies. Before the item was effectively tabled earlier this year when the

But advocates, who have coalesced around the name Yes for a Better Worcester!, argue the fund would give the city the ability to make improvements never thought possible in the standard operating budget. They also point to a state match on the fund, which is currently about 16 percent, and the fact that nearly every other major city in Massachusetts, including Boston and Springfield, have voted to create the fund.

Advocates also argue the cost would not be that great. The average single family home would pay about $32 on an annual tax bill, and the owner of an average triple decker would pay $36. In total, proponents say, the surcharge would generate about $3 million for the city to use, and the city would have the option of receiving additional support from the statemayor sent it to Finance Committee, some wide CPA trust. were quick to criticism the CPA as just another Earlier this week, a survey commissioned tax at a time when taxes are already too high. by the coalition found 82 percent of Worcester The most prominent opponent to the CPA is residents want to see the CPA question put the AWARE resident coalition, which is quick on the ballot. The survey used a sample size of to criticize anything that might put more tax about 500, and only 10 percent said they did burden on homeowners. not want to see the question reach voters.

At the City Council meeting Tuesday, councilors steered away from making opinion statements on the CPA, instead asking for reports on issues involved with adopting it and how it has played out in other communities.

Mayor Joe Petty spoke generally in favor of adopting the CPA, saying the city is missing out on millions. Cambridge, he said, has spent $45 million in community improvements using the fund.

Councilor-At-Large Konnie Lukes asked for a clarification of the process by which decisions with the fund are made. As it stands, an advisory board separate and apart from the City Council oversees the fund, but Lukes asked whether final decisions would come back to either the City Council or City Manager for approval.

Councilor-At-Large Gary Rosen focused his requests on some of the common criticisms that have arisen since the Yes For A Better Worcester first launched their bid for a CPA question. He asked for a report on what the actual rate is for the state match, saying it used C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 7

Fight for Notre Dame continues with appeal BILL SHANER

I

t might be the bottom of the ninth, two down, two strikes for the Notre Dame des Canadiens church, as one activist put it, but the Save Notre Dame Alliance is still fighting on two fronts: in the City Council chamber and in the courts.

Just one day after a Worcester Superior Court judge ruled he would not grant the injunction advocates sought to halt the demolition of Notre Dame des Canadiens, the group this week announced they intend to file an appeal.

“After reviewing Judge Gavin Reardon’s ruling denying a temporary injunction to stop the demolition of Notre Dame des Canadiens, the

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plaintiffs believe that Judge Reardon’s interpretation of the law is incorrect and therefore will be appealing the ruling to the Massachusetts Appeals Court,” the group, comprised of members of the Save Notre Dame Alliance, said in a release.

The also included a message for Hanover Insurance, the company that owns and plans to demolish the church.

“Should the defendants proceed with destructive demolition before the appeal is decided, they do so at their own risk,” they said.

Demolition looms, and city officials have warned the structure of the building could come down this month. At the church, a large crane appeared this week, and many of the stained glass windows have been blown out.

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Members of the group said the appeal would be filed Wednesday, but that could not be confirmed before print deadline. Check the online version of this story for more information.

On Monday, Judge Gavin Reardon Jr. released a six-page decision, four days after hearing an appeal brought by 13 plaintiffs, in which he cited four reasons for denying a preliminary injunction. Reardon cited a standard of review, the risk of irreparable harm, the balancing of risks of harm to both parties and risk of harm to the public.

The lawsuit centered around claims the church did not get its due review from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, as mandated in the Massachusetts Environmen-

tal Policy Act. Reardon also disagreed with the central claim on the lawsuit, that the company skirted state historical review.

“First, it is not clear, as a matter of law, that any review is required under the statute, even assuming the privately-purchased parcel of real estate does come under MEPA jurisdiction,” Reardon wrote.

Reardon also argued there was evidence the building had seen some state review. He cited a May 15, 2017 communication between a consultant for the Roseland Residential Trust, which mulled purchasing the building last year, and Matt Beaton, the state secretary of environmental affairs. He also argued the

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

news A crane lined up outside Notre Dame ahead of demolition.

BILL SHANER

NOTRE DAME

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P R E V I O U S PA G E

EOEA was adequately informed.

At City Council Tuesday, advocates brought two petitions forward, as they have for weeks, this time focused on preserving the shell of the church, using it as a fixture for gardens and open-air space around it. They used the Old Stone Church in West Boylston as an example.

They also contested the mayor and city manager’s assessment of how expensive it would be for the city to take on the building.

Interestingly, City Councilor-At-Large Konnie Lukes stood up to read from a structural report long passed around by activists and quoted in previous Worcester Magazine stories on the subject. The report said the building is in relatively sound condition and there are no direct barriers to rehabilitation.

But Lukes was particularly struck by the fact the report said the building had a steel frame.

She held both citizen petitions for a vote

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C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4

to be 100 percent, but is now only 16 or 17 percent. He also asked for clarification on the two processes by which the advocates can go about putting the question on the ballot. They can either obtain the approval of City Council, or solicit the required signatures to put it on the ballot themselves, he said. He made the claim that most ballot questions are put on by signatures, not City Council approval, and asked for a report on whether that was historically accurate in Worcester.

Petty later pointed out, in response, that both Holyoke, which he called a very poor community, and Springfield put the question on the ballot via city council vote.

Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson asked for a clarification on whether it would cost the city anything to put the question on the state ballot in 2018, saying she has heard some confusion about that point.

Councilor-At-Large Moe Bergman asked for a report on how the money in other cities or across the state has been divvied up between the three allowed uses: historic preservation, green space and affordable housing.

“There’s been a lot of discussion about preservation but housing is part of it and I just want to see where it’s going,” he said.

Bill Shaner can be reached at 508-749-3166 x324 or at wshaner@worcestermag.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bill_Shaner.

NOTRE DAME

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 5

next meeting, and asked City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. to try to find $10,000 in the budget to re-up the report and confirm that the information in it is valid. City Councilor-At-Large Moe Bergman cautioned that Hanover Insurance may not let a structural engineer on the property, asking Augustus to find that out before looking for the money.

The meeting came after a long discussion last week on whether the city should take over ownership of the historic structure, which the city council declined to do. Following Mayor Joe Petty’s lead, no councilor took the group’s suggestion that the city take the building from Hanover – which, it turns out, would have transferred it to the city for $1. They said it was too expensive to even close it up to sit vacant, and that the city’s budget had more pressing needs.

Bill Shaner can be reached at 508-749-3166 x324 or at wshaner@worcestermag.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bill_Shaner.

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worcesteria WORCESTER IS A FUNGUS: MassLive put up a story this week that has some problems. Ti-

tled “Meet the new Worcesterites: These people chose New England’s 2nd largest city,” the story sought to highlight some of the new blood coming into Worcester, attracted, they wrote, by the renaissance that is clearly and objectively happening in our city. So ... couple things.

One, the article kicks off by saying Worcester has long been stereotyped as a tossed-around, crime-ridden, little mill city that’s not worth 10 cents, let alone a dollar. That’s fine. That is the stereotype, no argument there. But here’s the thing: the rest of the article relies on that stereotype to set up the difference between “old Worcester” and “new Worcester.” New Worcester, if you look at their list, is basically just transplants from larger cities like Boston they could no longer afford. The entire article is as if to say that yes, the Old Worcester is still there, and it’s still terrible, but some people who aren’t from Worcester are moving here, so it might get better! It’s not hopeless now that people from Boston are coming. I disagree 100 percent with that premise, but I can’t really fault MassLive or the author of the story, or anyone featured in it, for the way it was presented. Basically, this story neatly packages the exact position – and the economic development strategy – the city at large has taken for at least the past 10 years.

The only fault of this article and others like it is accepting a marketing strategy at face value as fact. Big picture, what I fear this strategy will result in is the New Worcester (people who are juuust starting to get priced out of Boston) pushing out the Old Worcester (just Worcester). I don’t want to see everything cool and interesting about this city I call home be paved over for a sterile urban playground like Allston/Brighton. This is how gentrification starts, and we need our news outlets being a bit more critical of the narrative, not waving its flag.

Let’s write about Worcester for Worcester, new and old, and not for Boston, OK?

GAME THEORY: If you go to one School Committee meeting this year (and yes, I know, be-

fore you send the emails, I do not go to enough of them), this one tonight is the one. Superintendent Maureen Binienda is presenting the School Committee with the results of her master planning process, which has been a collaboration between her, the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, and some consultants. It has also been criticized by some for being a pretty closed process to the community. But, that’s not what’s important tonight. What’s important is this document is intended to be the school’s guide for decades, and it will more clearly lay out the priorities of the school administration than any other single thing. We don’t quite know what’s going to be in there yet, as the presentation has not been released yet, but I do know that the more community stakeholders there tonight, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, the better.

SMALL TOWN POLITICS: It’s a common and much-beloved maxim among folks in my industry that small town politics is so vicious because there is so little at stake. I’ve covered some ugly, bitter meetings in my life, and I’ve covered boards that appeared ready to fight it out in the parking lot. But I have never, ever, ever, seen the kind of vitriol for town officials I saw Tuesday at a Board of Selectmen meeting in Charlton, which is featured in the cover story this week. At issue is a proposed pot greenhouse operation on what is currently an orchard.

And man. Man-oh-man. People do nooooooot like the idea. The opposition party pulled out all the stops. They filed an Open Meeting Law violation, a thick records request, and accused town officials of deceit, collusion, corruption, an orchestrated attack on the townsfolk, to fill their coffers at the expense of property values, which are 100 percent going to drop. People, one selectman in opposition ominously warned, won’t be able to sell their homes! I mean, it was really torqued, some reefer madness right out of the Nixon era. And then, on the other side, a farmer saying she just wants to sell her farm, retire, and she believes pot isn’t as bad as people have been taught to believe. Good for her, though, because the pot farm got approved by a 3-1 vote that was met with boos and hisses, as well as cheers. I have the utmost respect for those people up there on that stage that took that abuse, said thank you, then voted against the mob. On the way out of the meeting, I heard not one, but three people talking loudly about selling their houses. I think they should make that meeting required viewing before anyone moves to Charlton.

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Bill Shaner, reporter wshaner@worcestermag.com Twitter: @Bill_Shaner

news

the beat School’s out for summer. As you are reading this, Worcester Public Schools students are sitting through their final classes, eagerly awaiting the last bell for a summer full of fun and boredom and zero responsibility. Good luck and have a safe summer, all our WPS kids. As such, we will dedicate this entire column to opportunities Worcester families should take advantage of for their youngsters. There are a lot, so buckle up.

To prepare for summer vacation, the city has announced a few programs. For one, all Worcester pools open July 1, and swim lessons will be held weekly at Crompton Park Pool.

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For two, the Worcester Public Library’s Libraries Rock! Summer Reading Program kicks off, including music lessons, live performances and dance workshops. Information about that can be found at www.mywpl.org.

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At many of Worcester’s parks, the city will be providing programs for youth age 7-13 via the Recreation Worcester Program. Programs run Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., from July 5 to Aug. 16, in many of Worcester’s parks. For more information on that, visit worcesterma.gov/recreation-worcester, or just show up and have some fun.

The Department of Public Works and Parks will host a youth soccer program called GOALS, which

will host games and practices at Glodis Field and the Knights of Columbus in July and August. Register on the city website.

For those more interested in some engineering fun,

the DPW&P will host a summer program based on Legos at Green Hill Park or the Parks Admin Building from July 16-July 20.

The city is also courting youth for job opportunities.

There will be a family fishing derby at Coes Pond on July 26, from 3 p.m.-8 p.m.

A Summer Youth Symposium held June 25 will train 400 workers on social emotional learning, financial literacy, CPR, First Aid and others. As far as jobs with the city go, Recreation Worcester is looking for a site coordinator, an assistant site coordinator, and youth workers. The MassPort Park Stewards Program is looking for seasonal maintenance workers and a maintenance director, as well as an assistant director and crew supervisors. In total, the city will be providing up to 500 jobs for city youth this summer.

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So, there you have it. That’s the abbreviated list of what the city is doing to keep kids engaged

and active this summer. City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. has always placed a heavy emphasis on youth programing, and this summer appears to be no exception. Be sure to take advantage of it.

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editorial

opinion

letter

A lesson with the loss of Notre Dame Slavish devotion to Trump

T

he sad conclusion to the storied existence of the old Notre Dame Church seemingly was written earlier this weeky by a judge who appeared to be the last hope for the 89-year-old building.

Two days after Worcester Superior Court Judge Gavin Reardon Jr.’s ruling, however, the group leading the charge to save the old church, the Save Notre Dame Alliance, announced plans to file an appeal with the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

If the fight to keep Notre Dame from being demolished was in its 11th hour in Worcester Superior Court, the clock is now ticking dangerously close to midnight.

If and when the building does come down, it will be a sad day indeed in Worcester. And we all will have have had a hand in it. As we marveled at Notre Dame’s splendor for years, even after it stopped being a church, how many of us truly thought it would one day cease to be?

It is easy to think Notre Dame could have been saved, but it would have required forethought and planning long before now.

It would have required — and should lead to — a long-term vision of how Worcester should handle its stock of historic or otherwise significant buildings. That is where efforts should now turn.

It leaves a pit in the stomach to imagine a downtown cityscape minus the the Notre Dame building, its steeple reaching toward the sky. It has remained a constant among so much change in CitySquare. It is a link to

the city’s past and to those who have gone before us, who called the church their place of worship. Maybe they were our parents or grandparents. It is a connection to whatever we feel when we gaze upon the building.

Perhaps as much as it has been about preserving a stunning example of craftsmanship, the fight to save Notre Dame has also been about fear: fear of losing those connections, those links, that history. Fear that even as we admire the city’s steps toward the future, we will forget our past.

We can try to avoid that by working together in identifying those historic resources we want to preserve. City-owned property, such as the old Worcester Auditorium, would appear to have a better chance of being preserved, but even then the work won’t be easy. It becomes near impossible, however, when those involved butt heads and cast blame, rather than seek common ground.

Most important, it must be done earlier, not later, in the process. We were lulled into complacency with Notre Dame, not by the developer, but by our failure to realize early on in the development of downtown Worcester that, at some point, a building built in 1929, may not fit into the overall design. We can now put into practice the idea of learning from past mistakes and not being doomed to repeat them.

That, however, does not ease the immediate pain of losing Notre Dame. No, if the building is demolished, the sting will be felt for quite some time.

Photographer Elizabeth Brooks x323 Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell, Janice Harvey, Jim Keogh, Jessica Picard, Jim Perry, Corlyn Voorhees Editorial Interns Samantha Bratkon, Sophia Laperle 72 Shrewsbury St. Worcester, MA 01604 worcestermagazine.com Editorial 508.749.3166 x322 editor@worcestermagazine.com Sales 508.749.3166 x333 sales@worcestermagazine.com President Paul M. Provost Publisher Kathleen Real-Benoit x331 Editor Walter Bird Jr. x322 Culture Editor Joshua Lyford x325 Reporter Bill Shaner x324

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Director of Creative Services Don Cloutier x141 Creative Director Kimberly Vasseur x142 Creative Services Department Becky Gill, Stephanie Mallard, Wendy Watkins Ad Director Helen Linnehan x333 Media Consultants Diane Galipeau x335, Cheryl Robinson x336, Sarah Perez x334 Media Coordinator Madison Friend x332

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abounds among Republicans To the Editor:

For months I have been bewildered by the blind, unwavering, almost fanatical allegiance received by (Donald) Trump from his supporters. When Sen. (Bob) Corker recently called Trump followers a “cult,” I suddenly understood.

Of course. A cult leader demands and receives unquestioning loyalty from his followers. No one dares to disagree with or criticize

the fearless leader. Anyone who does not conform is punished because the leader can do no wrong. He insults people? So what. He bullies opponents? Shrug shoulders. He tells lies? He’s not lying, he has alternative facts. He tries to suppress freedom of expression? Well, perhaps the First Amendment should be repealed. He could kill opponents? Yes, because he’s above the law, and besides, despots in

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opinion

Choices

JANICE HARVEY

I

wish William Styron was alive.

Styron was the brilliant writer of “Sophie’s Choice,” the 1979 novel that was eventually adapted for the screen, leading to an Oscar win for Meryl Streep as the titular heroine. I was lucky enough to interview Styron shortly after the publication of his memoir, “Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness,” chronicling his struggles with depression. He was a patient subject as I gushed my way through the interview, so awed was I to be speaking with a writer so accomplished. I’m reasonably certain I made an ass of myself stumbling through goofy questions like a teenage fan meeting her idol.

Chris Farley’s hilariously painful “Saturday Night Live” interview of Paul McCartney comes to mind, and to this day I wince at the memory.

I mention Styron today because I awoke recently to the memory of the climactic

LETTER

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other countries do it.

At the G-7 summit recently, (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau of Canada dared to disagree with Trump, causing Peter Navarro, a Trump advisor, to exclaim, “There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader who questions Donald J. Trump.” Navarro later walked back that remark, but his first reaction is very telling; a typical remark from the member of a cult.

This type of slavish devotion abounds

wrenching scene in the film, when the choice made by Sophie is revealed. For days I have grappled with headlines and news segments about the Trump administration’s forced separation of children from their asylumseeking parents, and more than once I’ve been reminded of that terrible moment when the SS guard forces Sophie to choose which of her children to sacrifice. To me, there is little difference between this horrific celluloid scene and the very real snatching of babies from their mother’s breasts, and that little difference lies only in the brutal fact that no choice is offered these mothers: all of their children are being taken from them.

Styron’s evil SS guard lives and breathes as Stephen Miller, the ghoulish and racist senior advisor behind this horrific and inhumane policy. And make no mistake in confusing policy with law - there is no law that requires parents to hand over their children. No law exists that demands a mother endure hearing the terrified cries of her

among Republicans, and who can blame them? We’ve just seen what happened to Mark Sanford for agreeing with the president “only” 90 percent of the time.

So the lesson is: Let’s all just play “follow our hallowed leader.” The trouble is that we’ll end up like lemmings, led right into the sea.

The prospect scares me out of my wits. I don’t want to drown.

Barbara Moran Worcester

toddler as he is placed in a cage. This is the punishment for wanting to escape a terrible life elsewhere. How bad can it be in their homeland to risk crossing our borders? Very bad, indeed.

Both presidents Obama and G.W. Bush rejected the idea of such brutal treatment, considering it morally wrong first and political suicide second. They were certainly correct to consider it inhumane and reject the idea, but only time will tell if the political fallout shows in the ballot box. Tone deaf Speaker Paul Ryan had the bad taste and utter stupidity to post a Father’s Day message about his pride in parenting. While sitting back and watching this nightmare unfold, Ryan perfectly represents the soullessness of his party. Republicans cherry-pick the Bible. Democrats would wring their hands if they weren’t tied behind their backs. Donald Trump is holding babies hostage in order to fulfill his campaign promise to build a wall. I ask you: where is the outrage?

If William Styron was alive — he left this world in 2006 — I’d ask his opinion of this debacle. I’d ask him if he ever dreamed we’d be witnessing scenes nearly as horrific as the one he created 40 years ago. Choices are being made by the people who help to enforce this policy, either by directly dealing with the children corralled into tents and cages, or by those elected officials who stand by clucking their tongues. Choices were made by those who crafted this disgraceful blackmail scheme. For now, they’d all better hope and pray that choices regarding the heaven and hell they profess to believe in will one day be made in their favor by a higher authority.

Janice Harvey contributing writer

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. We reserve the right to edit for length, so brevity is your friend. If handwritten, write legibly. A full name and town or city of residence are required. Please include an email address or phone number for verifica-

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feature Slow Rolling: Worcester County waits for cannabis shops P

erhaps the most contentious debate over a proposed marijuana facility is the situation in Charlton, where some residents this week angrily petitioned selectmen to rescind an agreement with a cultivator hoping to purchase an orchard to

set up greenhouses.

The proposal is for a million-square-foot facility on the Charlton Orchards property on Old Worcester Road. The facility will employ Dutch greenhouse technology to run a fullyorganic operation that recycles water and carbon dioxide within contained units. It will also run off a generator hooked straight to a gas main on the property. The town stands to gain

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f you’re eagerly awaiting opening day for pot shops, particularly in Central Mass., where there are more proposals than anywhere else in the state, get ready to hurry up and wait.

The July 1 deadline to open recreational, adult-use cannabis shops set by the Cannabis Control Commission appears, as it inches closer every day, to look more like a guideline.

Though the Cannabis Control Commission (the state board tasked with issuing licenses to pot sellers, cultivators and other aspects of the industry) has identified 16 first-wave applications for Worcester County, it is unlikely a single one will be open by July 1, and, even if it does open, it’s unlikely to have enough product to meet the demand.

Still, the Worcester area has emerged as an early leader in the state to embrace the nascent industry, with municipalities such as Worcester, Uxbridge, Charlton and Leicester actively courting businesses that are expected to generate millions annually in municipal tax revenue.

When the Cannabis Control Commission announced earlier this month that Worcester County had the most proposals of any county in the state (the next closest, Middlesex, had five), voices in the area began to speculate the Worcester area, with its central location and relatively cheap land, could emerge as the state’s cannabis hub.

At the pace the state is moving, it may take years to know for sure whether that speculation has any merit, but, at least for now, the deep set of proposals surfacing around the area show it’s a very real possibility – and one that’s not without its critics.

A GREENHOUSE

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BILL SHANER

Banned Moratorium *Partial - allows cultivation

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about $6 million annually from the business, and it would employ roughly 300 people.

But neighbors see it having a negative impact. After selectmen initially signed a community host agreement with the company earlier this year, residents complained town officials did not do enough to inform the public.

They complained loudly at a community meeting last month, and earlier this week.

At a packed and heated meeting held in a school auditorium Tuesday night, the Charlton Board of Selectmen reaffirmed their support for the project with two 3-1 votes, one against reconsideration and the other affirming the decision made in may to support the community host agreement.

The room was packed, and a dissenting group called Preserve Charlton’s Character accused town officials of a deceitful negotiation process (because it was done, as negotiations are typically done, in closed sessions), and stoked fears the proposal would decrease property values and impact the schools, though they didn’t elaborate on how.

On the other side, the farm’s owners argued the proposal was completed in a fair and transparent way, and that the proposal would ultimately benefit the town.

The one dissenting selectman, Karen Spiewak, argued the town doesn’t need the revenue, and it could possibly lead to disastrous consequences down the road.

“The status quo is not so bad,” she said.

But Selectman Joe Szafarowicz challenged the claim.

“I would ask that you ask the schools if they think the status quo is not so bad,” he said.

Another selectman in favor of the project, Deborah Noble, said the town has just recently passed an override to support the school systems, and that the tax increase will only

feature bail out the schools for another three years.

She called the override a “Band-Aid on a bullet hole” in the budget.

The two votes were met with equal parts cheers and boos from the crowd. As people filed out into the parking lot, some loudly announced they intended to sell their homes, while others chuckled at them, shaking their head on the way to their car.

Nathan Benjamin, owner of the orchard, said he is selling the farm either way. It’s no longer profitable. He said he has lost money on it for the past three years, even withdrawing from a 401(k) fund to keep it running. If not to cannabis cultivators, he said he will entertain proposals for housing developments, perhaps even entering discussions with Chapter 40B affordable housing developers. But he wants to sell it to the cannabis cultivators, in part because he believes in the mission.

He said he believes in the viability of cannabis, both as a medicine and as an industry, and believes the proposal is a suitable use of the land.

“We’ve been told so many things,” said Benjamin. “I’m a kid of the ’60s, I won’t even go into what happens today that I was told was criminal behavior, but today we realize that hey, people are people.”

As for his neighbors, who have hotly contested the proposal, he said he feels empathy.

They’ve dealt with pollution from a nearby underground ExxonMobil oil tank that has left many of the homes with dirty wells, and he said it’s natural for people abused by a company in such a way to be distrusting of anything new.

“But when they say to me, you know, ‘Take it someplace else,’ I’m like ‘Guys, it’s an agricultural crop grown on an agricultural property,’” he said.

Jeff Goldstein, CEO of Valley Green Grow and a physician by trade, insisted the proposal is safe, out of sight and a net benefit for the town.

“I think what people are missing a bit in Charlton is this: This is not your grandson’s cannabis grow. Don’t compare us to something from the illegal industry,” he said.

The employees brought on will be trained in high-tech modern horticulture, he said, and the jobs being offered are not minimum wage, but the kind one could build a career on. On top of it, Goldstein said he wants to invest significant money into research and development, and plans to open a cannabis research institute with the profits generated from the farm.

But advocates contest every one of those points, saying cannabis has been prevalent in society for decades, and building a legitimate industry around it will only make it safer and more beneficial. And, from an industry perspective, it has the effect of driving all the business — which is expected to generate $1.2 billion in revenue by 2021 — a town over. Case in point: Worcester, where city officials say the interest in setting up shop has been high.

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Jake Sanders, assistant to City Manager Ed Augustus Jr., breaks down the system being put into place for Worcester pot shops.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

The industry, he said, naturally wants to cluster, and if Charlton and other towns in the area open the door, South Worcester County, with its bounty of cheap farm land, skilled labor pool and access to nearby colleges and hospitals, could prove to be the type of area the industry could coalesce around.

“There is no cluster of companies at this time,” he said. “There is no center for cannabis research and development in the U.S. It doesn’t exist. Someone is going to do it and once its done that opportunity is lost. The opportunity is really now to try to grab it.”

azine they’re hungry for the kind of industry cannabis is expected to bring, and prospective businessmen looking at the Worcester area said the barrier to entry in Worcester is so much lower than Boston.

Colonel Boothe, a Worcester resident looking to open a store in Coes Square, said the building he’s looking at would cost $3 million in Boston – a little more than three times as much as it does in Worcester.

“There’s just more opportunity in Central Mass. than anywhere else,” he said.

But Central Mass., like pretty much everywhere else in the state, has had its share of communities say absolutely no way to the cannabis industry. About a dozen towns neighboring Worcester have voted to ban or temporarily ban pot companies, including Holden, Paxton, Spencer, Auburn, Boylston, West Boylston, ith its central location, relaNorthboro, Westboro, Southboro, Suttively cheap real estate, and high ton, Southbridge, Sturbridge and Milnumber of applications thus far ford. Common arguments for banning the — not to mention the fact the industry in those towns are the cost of Cannabis Control Commission will move its policing may rise, property office to Worcester next year — some say the values may drop and the Worcester area is a prime candidate for the availability of cannabis hub of the cannabis industry in Massachusetts. could negatively impact City and town officials told Worcester Mag- children.

n Worcester, officials are expecting the 15 retail stores allowed by the city’s zoning ordinance to fill up rather quickly. Based on the volume of calls the city manager’s office has already received, Jake Sanders, a staffer in the office overseeing the recreational cannabis rollout, said the city plans to consider them all at once, rather than on a case-by-case basis.

“There’s been a lot of calls, a lot of interest,” said Sanders.

The city will do so via a process known as a request for qualifications, or RFQ. The city will gather applications via the process, vet them one by one and choose the best proposals.

They’ll also use the process to make sure the stores are evenly spread around the city, which was the primary concern of the City

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feature Council as it discussed the zoning ordinance.

The only businesses that will not apply to are four provisionally-licensed medical marijuana facilities which are also applying for recreational licenses. Those facilities are Good Chemistry, 9 Harrison St.; Temescal Wellness (cultivation only), 141 SW Cutoff; Medicinal Alternatives, 1191 Millbury St.; Mission Massachusetts, 640 Lincoln St.; and Prime Wellness, Pullman Street.

The city is also anticipating a healthy amount of revenue from the industry. In the fiscal 2019 budget, city officials slated

$1.1 million from pot production for revenue.

Sanders called that a conservative estimate, based on about $550,000 in community host agreements, and revenue based off a 3-percent local sales tax, and a 3-percent community impact fee.

The figure, Sanders said, does not account for the full 15 stores, only the four medical seeking additional licenses. And it doesn’t take into consideration any cultivators or production facilities to open up. That $1.1 million figure is expected to grow in budget cycles to come, he said.

One proposal, for a mixed dispensary and cultivation center in Coes Square, has attracted the attention of both City Hall and the surrounding community.

A Hopkinton-based company called Holistic Health, owned in part by a Worcester resident, plans to turn an old mechanics shop just off Park Ave, and adjacent to the Lakeside Apartments, into a dispensary.

The company has held a community meeting outside the building, and plans on holding another one Thursday, June 28, 6:30 p.m., at the Knights of Columbus.

Some have spoken out against the proposal, saying it’s too close to the neighboring apartments and may have a derogatory impact on the neighborhood.

At a recent City Council meeting, Jennifer Davis Carey, a Worcester resident, said the site

Nathan Benjamin, owner of Charlton Orchards, on the back of his property proposed for the greenhouse.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

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Colonel Boothe, co-owner of Holistic Health, at the proposed Worcester location.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

is in a location children walking to the nearby elementary school will pass twice a day.

“I am concerned that the frequent exposure of neighborhood children to this facility will normalize drug use at a time when we as a community are wrestling with the alarming growth of residents struggling with substance abuse disorders,” she said.

While she said she’s not opposed to the sale of marijuana in general, she’s “vehemently opposed to the siting of these facilities in thicklysettled residential neighborhoods.”

She added there are other locations in the area that are vacant, and requested City Council revisit its zoning laws for the new industry to make it harder for shops to set up in residential neighborhoods.

“This is an emerging and growing industry,” she said. “The decisions we make today will have broad implications for this city, its residents and its neighborhoods for many years.”

But Colonel Boothe, a Worcester resident and co-owner of Holistic Health, argues the store would not have the sort of impact Davis argued it would.

Standing outside the building on a recent morning, he pointed to the façade, and said the only words on the front of the building — indeed the only words allowed by state law — will be “Holistic Health,” and the only windows will be tinted, also a requirement by law, so that those outside cannot see in.

“There will be no marijuana leafs, nothing that says the word ‘cannabis,’ nothing that says the word ‘marijuana.’ Nothing,” he said.

And as for the possibility of children getting into the store, he said it’s impossible. The company plans to install a small room inside the front door where a teller will check IDs, then allowing those over 21 years old into a waiting room. From the waiting room, workers will bring clients into the dispensary, where IDs are again checked at the register.

The dispensary would also be staffed by a security guard, who would prevent anyone from loitering on the property, and secured by a system of cameras the Worcester Police Department has real-time access to.

“Security is paramount,” he said. “For us, we’re not going to jeopardize the huge amounts of money we’re putting into this building, as well as the millions of dollars we’re putting into our cultivation facility over some underage kid who’s going to spend $40, you know what I mean?”

Boothe also stressed the positive benefits a legal dispensary would bring to the community. For one, he said his company plans to hire exclusively from the community, to train and bring up people in the industry who currently struggle to find good opportunities.

“It’s a brand new industry. There’s not many new opportunities out here right now and people are struggling economically,” he

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Pictured here is Julio’s Liquors owner Ryan Maloney (right) and Tom Welton, operations Manager. The winner, Thomas Johnson, was unavailable for the photo.

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feature said. “Cannabis could be the city’s next major industry.”

From an economic development perspective, Boothe said, the community benefit is twofold. For one, the tax revenue the city will make off the dispensary is significant, in the millions of dollars, even in the first year.

Second, the dispensary would take a property that has sat vacant for several years, renovate it, landscape it and turn it into a destination.

It’s going to be beautiful, it’s going to be a really beautiful building,” he said.

The company also plans to put a heavy emphasis on consumer education — the different strains, potency levels and ways to ingest the product — so as to build a better understanding of the health benefits of the product.

“I believe the education piece is critical to the survival of our industry and I believe if dispensaries take it serious like we are, we’re going to educate everyone in the community and we’re going to have a lot more acceptance of the product,” he said.

But the deal for this proposal, like most of them, is far from done. The company still has to obtain a license from the Cannabis Control Commission, and before it can do that, it has to negotiate a community host agreement with the city.

Nevertheless, Boothe said he’s optimistic Holistic Health will make it work, despite what many in the industry see as a far-too-slow rollout. If everything goes well, he hopes to open shop in the fall.

Most likely, the first licenses will be issued to medical marijuana companies that applied for recreational sale as well. In Worcester, there are four such businesses, according to city officials.

Though the CCC published a list of firstwave applicants, and where they were located by county, they did not release any more information about individual businesses.

While commissioners maintain they’re working as fast as they reasonably can, industry advocates have been disappointed with the pace thus far, and foresee major supply problems as stores begin to open.

Maggie Kinsella, board member of the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, said the roll-out, especially on the production and cultivation side, has been entirely too slow.

“From their perspective, they are trying to do this carefully and responsibly, which we would like to be empathetic to that, but at the same time, looking at the world right now as it is, seeing all of the problems, this seems like an unnecessary pace,” said Kinsella.

Kinsella and others have complained the major problem is the licensing of cultivation.

Cultivators need about 90 days to bring a crop to harvest, and, until they do, the entire industry will have to rely on medical cultivators who have to keep a certain portion of their product reserved for medical patients.

“We’re going to have a shortage and then

SLOW YOUR ROLL

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t the most recent public meeting of the Cannabis Control Commission in Downtown Boston last week, commissioners worked their way through routine business as a room full of reporters and TV cameras awaited any bit of news on when the first retail license would be issued. The meeting came to a close after an hour and a half, and, still hearing no word on a timeline, a press scrum formed around Commission Chairman Steven Hoffman who, when pressed, doubled down on the commission’s standard line: the July 1 deadline is not mandated by the Legislature and the CCC is going to do what it needs to ensure an orderly roll-out. Though there is a meeting Thursday, June 21 at which a license may be issued, it’s up in the air as to when or where. Even after the CCC issues its first licenses, it remains to be seen when a business could reasonably anticipate opening it doors.

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there’s going to be nothing,” she said. “Even if someone does open on July 1, there’s no telling what that will look like, or how long that’s going to last.”

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ore than perhaps any other town in the area, Uxbridge officials have loudly declared the town open for business. They’ve already signed five host community agreements, more than any other city or town in Worcester County, according to a Worcester Magazine review, and officials there see the new industry as a new source of revenue.

“Uxbridge is kind of hungry for business of all types,” Selectmen Chair Justin Piccirillo said.

Like Worcester, Uxbridge has set a cap on retail licenses to 20 percent of the number of liquor licenses in town. Initially, he said, there was plenty of hesitation to embrace the marijuana industry, but that has waned in the months since cannabis was fully legalized.

“Really, what we’re trying to do is listen to the will of the people,” said Piccirillo.

While it’s too early to tell for sure, he said

he envisions the industry being a net positive for the town. The town may see an increase in public safety costs associated with the new industry, as many critics fear, or it may not.

Regardless, the revenue from the new businesses will compensate any additional police work, he said.

“I don’t think it’s going to be nothing, and I’m not necessarily one to think the sky is falling either,” he said. “I think the truth will be somewhere in the middle.”

Bill Shaner can be reached at 508-749-3166 x324 or at wshaner@worcestermag.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bill_Shaner.

COURTESY OF THE CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION

culture

Jaime Johnston and son Jayden prepare for the upcoming Outer Space pop up at 50 Lagrange St. ELIZABETH BROOKS

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culture

Cinema-Worcester aims to fill need with film screenings

FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH BROOKS

JOSHUA LYFORD

arthouse cinemas, you have to go to Amherst or Lowell.” here is a new hope for Worcester and With the first Worcester-area cinema aficionados, as Cinema-Worcester begins film screenings Cinema-Worcester at the Park View Room, 230 Park Ave., with screening at the Park View Room, Grigorov the heartfelt documentary “The Heart of Nuba” is hoping to attract on Saturday, June 23. area film aficionados.

Andy Grigorov, founder of Cinema-Worcester, “It’s a fairly new is a longtime fan of film and is hoping to fill a need in the area. A need that hasn’t been fulfilled release,” Grigorov since the closing of the Bijou Cinema in the early said of “The Heart of Nuba.” “It’s a 2000s. documentary about “I had been researching Cinema-Worcester an American doctor for a couple years,” said Grigorov. “It has been in the back of my mind since I was in college, really. who lives and works in a warzone in That’s when I came to Worcester originally, back Sudan. It’s his story, in the 80s. I went to Clark. I was really happy about how he’s dediwhen the Bijou came around, I felt that it filled a cated his whole life niche. Since then, it seems like the opportunity to being over there. is there, I think there is interest there. It’s just There is one hospital a matter of getting people aware of what’s out in this area that there.” serves up to one milGrigorov is quick to point out others have lion civilians. He is stepped up to provide screenings of films in the only doctor. He’s Worcester in the years since, including Clark’s trained the staff, he’s own Cinema 320. done all this upkeep, “I think maybe some of the other available but he’s dedicated venues had filled part of that niche. Cinema 320 his life to it. It shows has some great films they show on a sort of limAndy Grigorov the terrible condiited schedule,” he said. “Showcase North shows tions, with the some of the arthouse features if they’re popular bombings and that, enough. Having something very Worcester-cenbut also, it shows tric, as far as full time cinema goes, is something him back home and that would satisfy a lot of interest out there.” how his family has Crucial to the success of Grigorov’s project is responded. It’s a very keeping a distinctly-Worcester feel intact. While there are successful independent cinema projects interesting story.”

Prior to the June 23 event, Cinema-Worcester in other areas of the state, such as Amherst screened “Leaning into the Wind,” a docuCinema, Grigorov knows for this to work in the heart of the commonwealth, it has to be uniquely mentary about British environmental sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, at the Worcester PopUp, 20 Worcester.

Franklin St., in May. Grigorov deemed the event a “I’d like it to be a very Worcester-focused,” success, with an estimated 40-50 attendees. he explained. “I wouldn’t want it to feel like it’s “I don’t have super high expectations,” he dropped in from Amherst or Cambridge. I want said. “But I’d like to see support for it build. More it to be really responsive to local interest. As I’ve people coming to the screenings, more people gotten to know more people in the arts community here, I can see they’re looking for more things recognizing what Cinema-Worcester is doing. to do at night, for one thing, but also, different en- We’ve had more followers on social media, I’m tertainment out there that is not being captured. not a social media whiz, but as long as we feel like it’s growing and I feel like I’m barking up the I think people would be really excited to see a right tree.” local nonprofit be the showcase for that kind of Grigorov himself has been a fan of movthing. Also, inviting in local filmmakers and local ies from a young age, and while he is a fan of film festivals to give them a more permanent arthouse and foreign films, he is not one to stick space. If you look around at other independent

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up his nose at more mainstream films, having enjoyed recent releases like horror film “Hereditary” and “The Avengers” films.

“I’ve always loved movies, since I was a kid,” he recalled. “When I was at Clark I got into the more challenging, more independent types of movies. I really do have a preference for those. I have plenty of affection for mainstream movies, as well. I think the thing for me was a course I took on international cinema that really got me paying more attention to what’s going on on the screen and glimpsing into different cultures and being surprised by what you see in the movies, rather than knowing what’s going to happen next.”

At the end of the day, Cinema-Worcester is designed to not only bring film to area movie buffs, but to help facilitate shared experience, where the discussion before and after the film is a major part of the enjoyment garnered.

“Instead of having people alone in their living room, there is an added value in having people together and talking about each other’s reactions to it,” Grigorov said. “The communal part of it is another reason to have a cinema that folks can rely on. I think it can’t help but broaden your perspective, when you see a thoughtfully-done movie showing a glimpse into another culture.

Even if you don’t have anything to do with it or may never travel there, it makes you familiar with how other people live. It points out your differences, but also your similarities. In a lot of ways it’s reassuring seeing that around the world, people aren’t all that different.”

For more information on Cinema-Worcester and to see their schedule of events, head to cinemaworcester.com.

culture Lagrange Street popup channels outer space JOSHUA LYFORD

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t’s not every day an art show can teleport you into an alternate dimension, but that is exactly what the Outer Space Pop-Up aims to do starting Sunday, June 24 and subsequent last Sundays of the month through the end of summer at 50 Lagrange St. Long a home for artists and creatives, the Lagrange Street space has played host to the Next Fest in years past, and internally the creativity knows no bounds, particularly those of the earthly variety.

“I grew up with A Gemini GI Joe or Barbie astronaut doll, I think it was GI Joe, but I don’t remember,” said artist and Lagrange Street manager Jaime Johnston. “It had the Gemini, and the space program was so innocent back then. Now you watch ‘Ancient Aliens’ and the aliens are supposed to be here, and you have the internet and you read different books, it’s a domino effect. You start researching the people on the shows that have talked about aliens. Maybe they were there all along. In the early days growing up, it was the 60s, pop art was popular and astronauts. I’m combining that feeling of pop with the astronaut space age. I remember when they landed on the moon, that was a big deal.”

Johnston’s space-turned-pop-painting aesthetic is on display in his home gallery. There are stacks of large-scale paintings of women in space gear, some with a uniquely Soviet slant, others more American in design and some positively

Hartmann, Sue Dion and Scott Boilard.

“I want to get a little exposure for people, myself included,” said Johnston. “It’s so hard to get a show. If you do the Sprinkler Factory, which is a place I started when it was the Worcester Artist Group, now you have to wait a long time, because it’s so nice. The prices are going up as they improve the place.”

Johnston has spent much of his life surrounded by art, whether creating it or facilitating the art of others through the Worcester Artist Group, Grove Street Gallery and the Heywood Gallery. The work was satisfying, but there were downsides to his warehouse gallery experiences.

“I was sick of gallery sitting,” he recalled. “You have the openings that everyone goes to, and then you have to be sitting on Saturday and Sunday, and you get maybe four or five people coming up. But now I kind of miss having a space like that. This will get me more involved and also showcase the artists that are up there.”

Another artist that will be Worcester Magazine Culture Editor Josh Lyford talks with Jaime Johnston, manager of featured at the pop up event is Lagrange Street, where the the Outer Space Pop-Up is about to go on display.

Johnston’s son, Jayden, who has ELIZABETH BROOKS seen some success with his paintings previously.

Worcester Artist Group because we didn’t know atmospherically-foreign. Throughout the space, “Now he’s doing it on his own. He was selling what to do with them anymore,” he said. “We did there are installations and three-dimensional the floor over, but it was plywood on top. We had out his work. It’s so affordable and he’s so cute, designs. but he’s getting a little older now, so it might not to use crowbars and there was sheet after sheet Many of the paintings and installations are of them. They had a linoleum coating on them, so work,” Johnston laughed. “We were selling all his crafted on — or by — what Johnston calls “obwork up there. He made like $200. He was tickled they wouldn’t warp. We said, ‘Yeah, let’s paint on tainium,” or things he finds while out and about. pink.” them.’ There were hundreds of them.”

An example of obtainium being the large crop The Outer Space Pop-Up, 50 Lagrange St., will Johnston’s obtainium works will be on display circles crafted out of massive boards removed kick off Sunday, June 24, noon-4 p.m. The pop-ups as well as many of his other pieces. He will be from the Worcester Artist Group, the space now will continue on the last Sunday of the month known as The Sprinkler Factory on Harlow Street. joined by the other artists who call Lagrange through the end of summer.

Street home as well as local artists such as Don “We had ripped up the floorboards at the

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culture Lyford Files JOSHUA LYFORD

READY TO GET RAILED: It’s pretty obvious I’m a homer here, eh? Luckily, I’m in a unique position. Reporter, yes. But also columnist and hockey fan. Local pro hockey is the one realm where I am really allowed to kind of just spew my thoughts (unless we’re talking generalizations in this here column, it’s pure stream of consciousness so I can do whatever I want). With that, we’ve got some Worcester Railers news coming in hot. First of all, the team has announced the hiring of a new assistant coach. Mutually departed from the team is Terry Bangen, coming in hot is Derek Army. I don’t know much about Army, apart from what I read in a press release, so I won’t try and fake a lecture about his pros and cons here. What I do know is he is a New England local, which I like, he has experience at all levels of hockey, which I also like, and he has worked with head coach Jamie Russell in the past with the Providence Friars. Hopefully, they’ve got themselves some good chemistry and they can enhance on the playoffs grab they snuck in their inaugural season. Props to Bangen though, he was a blast to interview last year and I wish him the best of luck. As a second lil’ bit of saucy Railers news, the team has announced their season-ending roster. I’m not going to list the entirety of the names returning next season, but rest assured, there are a number of fan favorites on that list. Saracino, Hudson, Langkow, Gillam (Gilly! Gilly!) and many others will return (as of now, who knows where the offseason can take us), as well as one name that pleases me greatly. Forward Barry Almeida has re-signed (not resigned, the spelling of which made Washington Capitals fans lose their mind on social media when head coach Barry Trotz resigned, not re-signed earlier in the week). The dude is a beast and you may recall that I named him as one of my favorite Railers players to watch back in April. That’s because he is s-i-i-i-ck. Can’t wait for next season. As long as the guys can keep away from a Mike Hoffman/Erik Karlsson level of off-ice drama, I think we can push it to the limit. Still have to buy an “I love Tuesdays” shirt in honor of one Tom Matthews, however.

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radio show on 102.9 FM, Unity Radio (and streaming online at Worcestermag.com). It’s generally something along the lines of “The Bill and Josh Excellent Radio Hour Adventure Show,” or whatever else we can come up with that, essentially, trolls our listeners. If you’ve listened to my colleague Bill Shaner and me on Fridays, noon-1 p.m., then you already know that we are, um, a bit irreverent. We like to think it’s a lot of fun with a dash of chaos, pretty similar to what would happen if you smashed Worcesteria into The Lyford Files after a Thursday night of beers at Ralph’s Diner. You would also already know that the one voice that tends to save the whole thing is Sarah Connell’s, our Lifestyle columnist, who calls in every Friday with weekend updates. Well, if order and a prevailing sense of calm is your thing, you’re in luck. Sarah will be joining us in-studio this week (June 22) for the entirety of the show. She will either whip us into shape, or quit immediately.

Tune in to find out which.

YES, I AM OUT TO LUNCH: Mentally, sure, you could make that argument. If you

could look inside my brain, it would be four tiny hound dogs riding on giant yellow jackets splashing liquor on one another beneath intermittently flashing red lights as the siren sound from “Kill Bill’s” more extreme scenes plays loudly. That is, of course, not what this item is about. The Out to Lunch series returns to the Worcester Common Oval! Why am I excited about this? Because I really love lunch, music and mingling. Each of those three things tend to shut the siren sound off, so I try to get after them as often as possible. Here’s the skinny: each Thursday through the end of summer, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., food trucks pull up on the common and musicians play some jams. It’s nice. Additionally, there are local artisans, a farmers market, little shops, entertainment and more. It’s scheduled to be a fun lunch break period and it works. If you’re picking up this issue on its June 21 launch, well then rip over ASAP and catch Dale LePage & The Manhattans, but in the future, there will be K Fingers and the Exploration Project, The Furies (which I admittedly read as The Furries, my interest was piqued, let me tell you), Crocodile River Music Joshua Lyford and more. Catch me at the Vegan Nest food Culture editor truck. @Joshachusetts

culture Lifestyle SARAH CONNELL

The Madhouse

Maddi’s Cookery and Taphouse opened at 64 Water St. this week, where Executive Chef Christopher O’Harra has teamed up with owner of the Depot Street Tavern, Adam Hicks. Together, the duo expects to cultivate an elevated pub scene in the former home of The

most #shakeitpww hashtags on Instagram posted between Aug. 26 and Sept. 9. Best of Worcester 2018 honorees Armsby Abbey, Birchtree Bread Co. and deadhorse hill have already signed on to compete. Interested bars, restaurants and cafes who would like to participate can email fun@powwowworcester.com for details.

Chicken Out

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Big Buck Hunter is calling your name on Shrewsbury Street and simjang has the hook up. Enjoy 12 pieces of fried chicken and a pitcher of Wormtown for $25 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays all summer long. If you haven’t been upstairs yet, you’re in for a treat. Table shuffleboard and classic arcade games await.

Be a Lasting Part

Everlast Nursery will host its first pop-up farmer’s market on Sunday, June Alex Mateer, Tim Brodeur and Tyler Smith 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market will welcome local celebrated the opening of Maddi’s Cookery and favorites like Birchtree Taphouse at Sunday’s soft opening.

Bread Co., Wooberry SARAH CONNELL Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt and Acoustic Java.

The event has also attracted some of the region’s Perfect Game. The tap list includes brews from newer vendors including Wildwood MushSingleCut, Fiddlehead, Modern Times and rooms from Spencer, Crooked Creek Farm Exhibit ‘A.’ Industrial decor features vintage from East Brookfield and Waterford Farm from signs and license plates as well as an open Charlton. Attendees can look forward to handkitchen. The opening menu includes a variety made windchimes, soaps, jewelry and artwork. of “handhelds” like namesakes: “Matthew’s “We understand the importance of community Grilled Cheese” and “Addi’s Little Pig Press.” support,” says Levon Kachadoorian, owner Matthew’s+Addi’s=Maddi’s. and founder of Everlast Nursery. “We’re celebrating our 33rd year of business and it wouldn’t be Vibranium Viewing possible without the loyalty of our friends and Catch a free screening of “Black Panther” in neighbors. It seems like the natural progression University Park on Friday, June 22 courtesy of would be to provide a platthe Main South CDC. The show starts at sunform for our local farmers, down (that’s 8:30ish) by the basketball court off of finders, and fabricators to Gates Street. Hit up Ed Hyder’s first and prepare showcase their goods and a splendid little picnic to share. receive the community support they deserve.” Big Shake It Jon Short will be on site This year’s Pow! Wow! festival will kick off with for live entertainment. a fierce rivalry. “Shaking it Up for Pow! Wow!” is a creative drink competition in support of public art. Competitors have been asked to design an original cocktail or beverage based on a Pow! Wow! wall or artist (past or present) and Sarah Connell donate $1 from each sale to the festival. A winner contributing writer will be determined based on the drink with the

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t is unclear whether Gary Coleman, Verne Troyer, Sarah Bareilles, Lou Ferrigno, Ron Howard, Burt Reynolds or the Fonz have ever dined out at Nancy Chang Restaurant.

Autographed photos flank the walls of the long, narrow dining room where patrons sit at marble top tables the shade of millennial pink. Most of the photos are made out to Nancy herself, leading us to believe that either she was a diligent collector or 372 Chandler St. has a la-di-da underbelly to which we have not proved privy.

The prints’ protective glass glints in the light of an industrial bulb trio coupled with a luminous fixture that resembles giant folds of fettuccine.

Why parade a small army of celebrities across

The moo shi pork from Nancy Chang Chandler Street.

Worcester-Boston Full Service Radio for New England 22

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the dining room if they bare no connection to the establishment? Bait. Intrigue. Wonder. Has Val Kilmer tried the beef Santa Fe ($8.50)? What did he make of the maraschino cherries on the beef teriyaki ($11.50)? We may never know.

The menu is bent on radiating wellness.

Tiny illustrated tabs denote “diabetic friendly,” “gluten free,” and “vegan” options. The “about us” section on Nancy Chang’s website proudly states, “Discover an eating philosophy that combines freshness and flavor with low fat, healthy cuisine. And, there’s absolutely no MSG.”

Many have jumped to the defense of monosodium glutamate recently, including Helen Rosner of the New Yorker, who reaffirmed the falsities of “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” in her April article, “An MSG Convert Visits the High Church of Umami.” In the piece, Rosner reminded the food world that they are likely already consuming MSG in addition to the fact that glutamate is a natural amino acid found in human muscle tissue, the brain and breast milk. America’s trendiest homecooks promptly left for the Asian market where they purchased their own bottles of MSG flakes for their spice racks. It has been back in their repertoires ever since.

This is not to say that all of Nancy Chang’s dishes lack the savory delicious depths of umami, though some of them do. The vegetable spring rolls ($4.50) for example, largely consist of cabbage, rendering them colorless and plain.

The steamed pork buns ($8.50) are missing the pillowy yield I have come to expect of them. But the vegan Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce ($10) is good. Really good. I’ll venture to call it a textural masterpiece that does not suffer for lack of MSG. The moo shi pork ($12) is also delightful, served with a half dozen pancakes and a sticky dish of hoisin sauce. The chicken with broccoli ($12) tastes healthy, and it probably is.

As for libations, the bartender knows how to make a Hendricks martini ($10) and the mango mai tais ($9) can be spruced up with spicy color changing ice cubes for just $1.50. I could see myself sipping a drink on the pagoda out front while I wait for takeout (they guarantee a turn around of just 20 minutes or less.)

One thing’s for certain: you can depend on Nancy Chang for large to-go orders that cater to a multitude of dietary restrictions. As for on whether or not a celebrity has ever SANDRA RAIN walked through the door, I suppose that depends on your definition of a celebrity.

On my last visit with a party of four, our total came to $117.17.

Food: HHH Ambience: HHH Service: HHH Value: HHH

culture A Tiny night at the movies JIM KEOGH

T

wenty-five years ago this month, the call came.

“Jim. It’s Tiny. Let’s go see some dinosaurs.”

The movie was “Jurassic Park,” Steven Spielberg’s much anticipated adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel depicting the dinosaur mayhem on a tropical island.

The caller was Paul “Tiny” Stacy. As the impresario behind the legendary Blue Plate bar in Holden, he held a Spielbergian reputation among local musicians who found the small Blue Plate stage a welcoming venue for their talents.

Tiny himself was a T-rex-sized man, about 6-feet-5-inches, 350 or so pounds, with a lot of

Forrest Gump in him. In August 1969, he caravanned to the Woodstock festival in Bethel, N.Y., posing as a newspaper photographer to get within 10 feet of the stage (he never bothered to load film into the camera slung around his neck).

When the Rolling Stones played at the late, great Sir Morgan’s Cove in 1981, Tiny did crowd control just below the stage area.

A newspaper photo of him “fronting” for Mick Jagger hung in the Blue Plate for years, though if I recall the image correctly he was watching the performance instead of the audience.

He was also quite possibly the world’s largest Buddhist. Tiny had given up booze and drugs to devote himself to the teachings of the Dalai Lama, even serving as the great man’s security chief for a time. I always loved that Tiny preached nonviolence, yet moonlighted as a bodyguard and served as the Blue Plate’s bouncer. The key to

ejecting an angry drunk without roughing him up? “Patience,” he said.

The prospect of accompanying Tiny Stacy anywhere was impossible to resist, so I found myself with him among a movie mob at the old White City Cinema. He suffered from poor health at this point — diabetes had eroded his legs, and angina pain stabbed at his chest periodically. Still, Tiny was game, and, hobbling on crutches, he climbed the stairs to the second-floor theater. At the top stair he began hyperventilating and started to wobble — the angina — and as I stood behind him with my hands pressed against his back, I quickly calculated the potential outcomes if he toppled backward. Clearly, a life was in danger.

Tiny’s, too.

He took some medicine, caught his breath, and emerged from the episode ready for his dinosaur fix. But with Tiny, adventure always lurked ahead.

We found seats in the jammed theater next to a disheveled man devouring a gallon of ice

J U N E 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 1 8

cream (Did he sneak it in under his shirt? Down his pants?). He was sloshed, and about halfway through the film he slumped forward, his face practically resting inside the carton — gone, baby, gone.

When the movie ended (we loved it), I figured we’d quietly slip out and let the ushers and cops handle Mr. Ice Cream. Tiny wouldn’t have it.

Where I saw a person to avoid, he saw a troubled soul. He shook the man awake and offered to drive him home. The guy gratefully, and woozily, accepted. The moment was quintessential Tiny.

Tiny lived only another year. The diabetes was simply too much, even for someone with a direct line to His Holiness. Since then, three more “Jurassic Park” movies have been released, with another, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” opening this week. I never attend one of these without remembering what it was like to be in the company of a good friend, rampaging dinosaurs and a box of melting ice cream.

Jim Keogh contributing writer

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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calendar Thursday, June 21 Out to Lunch 2018 Dale LePage & The Manhattans

Worcester Common Oval, 455 Main St. The Out to Lunch series returns to the Worcester Common Oval, this time around featuring award-winning singer Dale LePage and The Manhattans. Beginning at 11 a.m. and running through 2 p.m., grab lunch from food trucks like Big T’s Jerky House and BBQ, The Vegan Nest, One Love Cafe, The Dogfather and more.

June 21, Make Music Day 2018 Worcester Make Music Day returns to Worcester for its second year. The annual free, outdoor day of music takes place each year on the summer solstice. Anyone interested can take part in the day of musical festivities that involves the entire city. Worcester joins more than 750 cities across 120 different countries in the annual event.

Friday, June 22 Hops & Harmony

Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St. Group singing at Mechanics Hall, no experience required.

Thursday, June 21 Metal Thursday: Castle

Ralph’s Diner, 148 Grove St. San Francisco heavy metal doom act, Castle, heads to Ralph’s Diner, joined by Benthic Realm, Altar of Ash and New Hampshire’s Onera.

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calendar The Score

Saturday, June 23 Central Mass Film Festival

Saturday-Sunday June 23-24 Family Fun Overnight: Ecotarium Campout

Sprinkler Factory, 38 Harlow St. The Central Mass Film Festival-MidSummer’s Night of Shorts heads to the SPrinkler Factory from 7-11 p.m. with five shorts and a cash bar

Ecotarium, 222 Harrington Way An overnight event of fun and outdoor skills at the Ecotarium. Knot-tying and songs around a campfire (weatherpermitting). Pitch a tent and campout, or choose a spot among the museum exhibits in this unique event.

Saturday, June 23 Emo night Worcester

Worcester Palladium, 261 Main St. Travel back in time and enjoy tight baseball tees and fringe haircuts while enjoying singalongs from bands like Taking Back Sunday and The Used.

Worcester Bravehearts June 13 The bats went silent as the Bravehearts lost, 6-1, to the defending champion Nashua Silver Knights, and fell to 6-7 on the season.

June 14 The Bravehearts woke up from an offensive slumber for a 7-0 win over the Bristol Blues, to climb back to .500 on the year.

June 15 Errors plagued the Bravehearts once again, as they fell, 6-3, at home to the Pittsfield Suns.

June 16 On the road in Pittsfield, the Bravehearts beat the Suns, 6-1.

June 17 Jumping out to a big, 6-0 lead early, the Bravehearts once again succumbed to shaky defense, falling on the road to the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, 9-7.

June 18 The Bravehearts’ game at home against the Nashua Silver Knights was postponed due to inclement weather.

June 19 A contest saw them named the Coney Island Hot Dogs for one night (beating out the Table Talk Pies), but the team lost again, this time 4-2 at home to the Bristol Blues. The loss dropped the Bravehearts to 8-10 on the year.

(Upcoming: The Bravehearts on Thursday kick off a sevengame road trip. They return home Friday, June 29, to take on the Pittsfield Suns.)

Massachusetts Pirates June 16 The Pirates improved to 7-3 on the season, with a 62-55 win at home over the Columbus Lions.

Worcester Smiles June 16 On the road, the Smiles were shut out, 6-0, by the New York Surf. The team fell to 1-5 on the season.

Round-Up

Thursday, June 28 - S.O.N.G. & Celebration

Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St. Roomful of Blues (above), Peter J. Newland & RadioX and Mitch Chakour perform at a benefit for orphaned children at Mechanics Hall in an evening of music, dining and dancing.

Worcester Bravehearts pitcher Cody Laweryson, who was in his second year with the team, but made his first start this season, has been shut down due to arm fatigue and sent home for the summer, the team announced this week.

The Worcester Railers have announced the hiring of Derek Army as assistant coach. He replaces Terry Bangen, who left after the team’s first season in the ECHL. The Bravehearts announced 27,621 votes were cast in a contest to determine whether they would play their game Tuesday night as either the Coney Island Hot Dogs or Table Talk Pies. The dogs won out, and the team took to the field in jerseys emblazoned with a hand holding a hot dog, and the Coney Island and Braveheart logos affixed to the left and right short jersey sleeves. Players also wore hats with the hot dog log on them. Jerseys for both brands were auctioned off as part of the contest.

LIVE & LOCAL Jim Polito 5-9 am

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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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home together. These two sisters rely a lot on each other and have been through a lot together. They came from St. Thomas Humane Society and traveled here looking for a fresh start. At their age, training and socializing is a must. Everything is brand new and can be a bit scary to them. Patience is needed for these two shy cuties. They love other dogs and enjoy the company of calm visitors. If you think Zeba and Zera would be a good fit for your home, ask about them today.

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games "A Changing Business" — one letter makes all the difference.

by Matt Jones

JONESIN’ Across 1 5 10 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 23 25 26 30 33 36 38 40 41 42 43

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!

45 46 47 49 50 52 54 58 62 63 66 67 68 69 70 71

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There are 10 million in a joule Cookout unit Nos. on checks Free of slack First word of a counting rhyme Sidesplitting show Gyro meat from a roadside cart?

Lowdown Sports car engine type Got together Seat in Parliament?

Thomas who drew Santa Claus The Tritons of the NCAA David ___, founder and former CEO of Salon Owns “Don’t pick me” Redeemable ticket “Blue screen of death” event Addresses represented by URLs Seat of the Dutch government, with “The” Singer with the autobiography “Out of Sync” Company with an early console Bent pipe shape Stick in the microwave Israel’s first U.N. delegate Abba Bus. major’s course Coffee dispenser Really fail Prolific author Asimov Financial record, for short Like some mushrooms, ravioli, and wontons a la “Rangoon”?

Seagoing (abbr.)

“So ___ to the guy ...”

Prefix with phobia or bat Ann Landers’s sister Big name in car racks New restaurant logo in a June 2018 promotion (and inspiration for the theme answers)

Down 1 2 3 4

Roswell visitors, for short “Lay It Down” ‘80s rockers Hindu spiritual guide Ending for hip or dump

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 24 26 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 37 39 44

2018 Oscar winner for Original Screenplay 5-Down costar Lil ___ Howery ___ the last minute Original Skittles flavor Beirut’s country Pisces follower Be aware of unnecessary chatter?

Soybean stuff Four-letter word with eight sides?

Recede gradually Powdered green tea leaves Grammy winner Carey “I surrender!”

Reef makeup Baby bear owned by a hardware company?

Part of DVD Run out, as a subscription Guinea-___ (West African nation) Honda subdivision Knitter’s coil “Atomic Blonde” star Charlize Not like in the least Charity event

J U N E 21 - 27, 2018

48 Three-part vacuum tube 51 Feline 53 Bouncer’s letters?

54 “Archer” agent Kane 55 Words after call or hail 56 Be effusive 57 Actress Summer of “Firefly” 59 Antioxidant-rich berry 60 Half an M? 61 L.B.J. biographer Robert 64 Rapper ___ Uzi Vert 65 Drew’s predecessor on “The Price is Right”

Last week's solution

©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) Reference puzzle #889

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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classifieds LEGALS Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Worcester Probate and Family Court 225 Main St. Worcester, MA 01608 Docket No. WO18P1940PM CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF CONSERVATOR OR OTHER PROTECTIVE ORDER PURSUANT TO G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 & §5-405 In the matter of: Stephen A Ellis Of: Worcester, MA RESPONDENT (Person to be Protected/Minor) To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Dept. of Developmental Services of Worcester, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Stephen A Ellis is in need of a Conservator or other protective order and requesting that Rebecca Amaral of Fitchburg, MA (or some other suitable person) to appointed as Conservator to serve With Surety on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is disabled, that a protective order or appointment of a Conservator is necessary, and that the proposed conservator is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 07/17/2018. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date.

IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the abovenamed person's right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer.

Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense.

WITNESS, Hon. Leilah A Keamy, First Justice of this Court.

Date: June 12, 2018 Stephanie K. Fattman Register of Probate

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CAMPERS & TRAILERS

WORCESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS June 21, 2018 SEALED BIDS shall be received at the Purchasing Office, 69 Tacoma Street., Worcester, MA 01605 IFBs may be picked up at the location above or may be downloaded from our website: www.worcesterha.org/purchasing, or call (508) 635-3202/3203, TTY/TDD (508) 798-4530. Bidders are responsible for ensuring they have received any/all addenda prior to submitting a bid. Separate awards will be made for each IFB. 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 MGL c.258, section 2 as amended.

Bid No. Release Date Project Title Bid Opening 18-28 6/21/2018 Supply & Delivery of Heating Equipment 2:00 PM July 12, 2018 Jackson Restrepo l Chief Procurement Officer Visit our website at: www.worcesterha.org

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J U N E 21 - 27, 2018

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29

last call Jeanelle Wheeler Fulbright Scholar J

eanelle Wheeler has left an indelible mark on her hometown of Auburn as well as her undergraduate community at Brown University. She is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship.

What do you think led to your nomination for Brown’s Joslin Award? I started volunteering at Dorcas International Institute and Women’s Refugee Care in Providence three years ago and it was the perfect fit. I haven’t looked back. I started out tutoring a couple of young Burmese women at their apartment, and then I was asked to be a classroom assistant in an English class for refugee and immigrant adult students. Many countries are represented – particularly, a lot of Arabic, Swahili and Spanish speakers. Also, Congolese Syrian, Haitian, Guatemalan, Afghani, the list goes on. I would spend weekends on the bus going from one apartment to another in Providence. There’s a woman who I became an official mentor for, along with her family. They are from Syria. She’s teaching me Arabic. (I’m teaching her a little English, but it’s more that she’s teaching me Arabic.)

I’ve been able to learn so much and also get to use new languages, especially my French.

It has been a great exchange and one of my favorite parts of my Brown experience. I also volunteer with Women’s Refugee Care. I took a French course, called “The Experience of Refugees and Immigrants,” and we partnered with Women’s Refugee Care, which is run by a Congolese woman who speaks French and I’ve maintained connections with her. It’s so great to go to events. I ride the bus to south Providence and I I’m talking on the bus in Swahili and Spanish and French.

Was applying for a Fulbright always a goal? I think I knew I wanted to participate in some sort of international fellowship because I love languages, cultures and teaching.

Fulbright was definitely on my radar, but it felt like this big intimidating thing that I figured was out of reach. I’m so glad I went for it.

France is definitely one of the more competitive countries, with only 10 Fulbright spots.

By comparison, the other countries I could

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have applied to had 100-200 spots. I have studied French, but I’ve never really been immersed in a French-speaking environment. I’ll be teaching English at a high school outside of Lyon in a priority education zone. There are a lot of refugees and immigrants in the school. I can’t wait to get involved with the community; teaching is only one part of the Fulbright, the other part is becoming a cultural ambassador. I’m also looking forward to riding public transportation. In Providence, we get free access to public transportation with our Brown IDs and I have become a huge advocate.

I am curious to hear about the about the deep dialogues you began along with your push for meatless Mondays. When I was 7 years old, I befriended the Thanksgiving turkey that my dad brought home.

I named him William. I promised him that I would never eat meat again.

And I never did. I always thought vegans were pretty extreme. But then I went to the New England VegFest in Worcester. I was walking around and talking to people. I realized how intertwined the meat and dairy industry actually are. I said to my mom, “Oh no, this means no more cheese, doesn’t it?” That was pretty much it. The Brown Animal Rights Coalition was founded my sophomore year. In my junior year I was asked to take over, and at the time I knew nothing about running a club. We hosted great presentations about intersectionality and veganism with respect to race and feminism and talks about class and animal experimentation. I was also a Mercy for Animals Fellow. I participated and led the meatless Monday campaign, which is happening at all the Ivy League schools. I’d get to go to every freshman dorm to knock on doors and say, “Hello. Have you heard of Meatless Mondays? Would you like to join over a thousand Brown students who have said, ‘I’ll eat less meat on Mondays. Help the environJ U N E 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 1 8

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ment. Help animals. Help the world.’” It was a pretty easy sell.

Where are your favorite spots to visit at home in Central Mass.? I kind of grew up at Holy Cross. I really love being on the track there because it overlooks all of Worcester, especially at night if you’re on top of College Hill. You can see all the lights of Worcester sparkling everywhere. You can see the windmills and the rolling hills. I have a lot of memories in the Hart Center next door. I had a big obsession with Holy Cross basketball, starting in fourth grade. I would tape the team roster to my wall and invite family and friends to an induction ceremony, which included recreations of the commercials with

clarinet music and my own impressions of the broadcast. When I think of home, I also think of the Worcester Public Library.

Can you talk a little bit about your passion for clarinet? I started playing clarinet in the basement of Pakachoag with my teacher, Mr. Chadwick. I never imagined when I first picked it up that I would continue playing in college, but it has been such a big part of my years at Brown and being involved with the musical community has been a great way to connect to people, express myself and give the part of my mind that’s focused on studying a break. This last semester, I took advantage of as many music ensembles as I could. I’ve played in wind symphony for all four years as well as a lot of pit orchestras for musical theater productions. I sang in gospel choir. I really enjoyed the moments that were not necessarily big performances, but led me to my musician friends. One beautiful day, a group of us got together and said, “We’re going to make a Facebook event to play out on the main green. We’ll call ourselves Clariphonia.” People came and listened to us play Mozart for two hours.

And that felt like what college is, you know? Connecting with other musicians and performing. I had a friend who was in charge of making the admissions video soundtrack for incoming students. He asked me to improvise clarinet. That got me into the recording studio. It was my first time hearing my sound on professional equipment.

It definitely made me want to keep playing. At Brown, it’s not a conservatory; it’s just really exciting to play with others in a way that it remains a passion. For two summers, I taught English in this tiny village in the middle of Germany with Cambridge and Oxford students. The first summer, I music directed “West Side Story” and also played clarinet.

The second summer, I acted and played clarinet to compliment the director’s original songs for “Spring Awakening.”

— Sarah Connell

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Backyard Entertainment G

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Celebrate Place Motor's 95th Anniversary with the Backyard Entertainment Giveaway!

Enter for a chance to win a Built Ford Tough Thermometer Cooking Fork, Two Ford Performance Camp Chairs, a Ford Frio 45 QT cooler and an Ultimate BBQ Set. (A $700 Value)

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