Worcester Magazine July 18 - 24, 2019 by Worcester Magazine

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Up in smoke ‘Canna-preneurs’ find success in different ways, but system leaves some outsiders hopeless

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the cover

Up in Smoke: ‘Canna-preneurs’ find success in different ways, but system leaves some outsiders hopeless Story on page 12

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A man consumes cannabis at the Summit Lounge Photo by Rick Cinclair, Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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FEATURED

‘You are your own brakes’ Skate camp starts for Worcester Skate Collaborative BILL SHANER

acob Folsom-Fraster stood on the spine of a short, portable ramp in the middle of the Beaver Brook street hockey rink. He was surrounded by a handful of volunteers and 25 or so kids, most newly outfitted in helmets, wrist guards and boards. They ranged from 8 years old to early teens. “Welcome to skate camp,” he said. Over the next four weeks, Folsom-Fraster and other members of the Worcester Skate Collaborative, a new group geared toward encouraging skateboarding in

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Above, kids learn to skate at the Worcester Skate Collaborative summer camp at Beaver Brook Park. Left, Silas West, 9, skates on a ramp during the camp. ASHLEY GREEN

Worcester, will hold a skate camp at Beaver Brook Park as part of the Recreation Worcester program. Folsom-Fraster laid out an overview of the program — what they would be learning and at what part of the rink the kids should go based on their experience level. But he was interrupted by a question.

“Question,” one of the kids called out, “how do you hit the brakes?” The comment got a laugh, especially from the organizers. “You are your own brakes,” Folsom-Fraster said. And with that, Worcester’s first skate camp was underway. For about three hours on Tuesday, volunteers helped kids skate for the first time, or helped those with more experience improve. Earlier, organizers expressed worry about the turnout, but the first day seemed to absolve the fear. They brought about 20 boards and 20 helmets, and as kids streamed into the rink, they ran out quickly. “I didn’t know all these kids would want to skate but that’s a good thing,” said Folsom-Fraster as he passed out boards and helmets.

“Can’t complain.” Over the next four weeks, the WSC organizers will incorporate a program of group activities into the skate camp, with the goal of building both an interest in skating and a sense of community. Along with a host of volunteers, the camp employs two workers hired through the Youth Works program — Zakai Shelton and DJ Jones. Both were on hand Tuesday working with younger children who had never skated before, and both have worked at the WSC shop for several months. “It’s like, the best way to put it is the way Zakai put it,” said Jones in an earlier interview, back at the WSC shop on Portland Street. The collaborative shares the Portland Street space with WooRides. Jones, Shelton and others were surrounded by bike and skate parts as they sat in the small shop last week getting

boards and helmets organized, tuned up and ready to go. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world to teach someone your passion. Learning how to skate is impossible, is so hard and grueling. You hate it and you love it. Teaching someone something you put all your effort into and watching them grow, it’s like the greatest feeling ever.” The Worcester Skate Collaborative is a relatively new group, aided by Youth Works, Worcester Roots, WooRides, and drawing inspiration in part from Worcester Earn-A-Bike. With the core mission of improving access to skating and skate culture, the collaborative offers cheap beginner boards, cheap repairs, job opportunities and programs. A board that would be $150 elsewhere is $40 at the collaborative’s shop. “I mean, the whole mission of the skate shop is to just make

FEATURED

Benicio Calixto, 6, learns to skate during the Worcester Skate Collaborative summer camp at Beaver Brook Park. ASHLEY GREEN

and others have complained that police enforcement of skating in the downtown area has made it near impossible. WSC members said they’re excited about the construction of a new park at Crompton Park, but wish skating was more accepted and allowed in public spaces. “With the way that Worcester is changing I feel like there needs to be a push to create more public space that is actually open to regular, everyday people to do things without spending money,” said Folsom-Fraster. “We’re trying to all build that Worcester together that we hope to see. We need to bring more people into skating but also bring more skaters into other community spaces.” J U LY 1 8 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 9

skateboarding more affordable and accessible to people in Worcester,” said Folsom-Fraster. The group hopes to build off the youth skate camp program to offer more events as well. “Through that, we see skate boarding as a space that can provide learning more than just skate skills — empowerment, confidence, mental focus, risk-taking, all these things that are good values to take away from skateboarding,” he said. Though WSC is working to promote skating to a new generation, the culture was set back on its heels in Worcester. With the surprise demolition of Worcide Skatepark shortly before it was announced the Pawtucket Red Sox would take the space, and the city’s only other skate park at Green Hill Park in disrepair, skaters aren’t left with many options. Further, WSC members

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FEATURED

Making a connection

Worcester Academy alum Jessica Phillips in national tour of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’

Ben Levi Ross as Evan Hansen and Jessica Phillips as Heidi Hansen in the touring production of “Dear Evan Hansen.” COURTESY OF MATTHEW MURPHY

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RICHARD DUCKET T

t hasn’t taken long for the musical “Dear Evan Hansen” to more than endear itself to followers nationwide. Teenagers especially have been drawn to the show about a lonely teen with social anxiety, Evan Hansen, who inadvertently becomes a social media sensation amid a landscape that includes teen suicide, guilt, parental alienation and reconciliation. “It’s like a rock concert,” said Worcester Academy alum Jessica Phillips, who plays Heidi Hansen, Evan’s mother, in the national touring production, about the audience response during each performance. “The fan base — they already know what they’re getting into. There’s just huge fan support. They know every word.” “Dear Evan Hansen” (book by Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson and score by Grammy, Tony and

Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) was the winner of six 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The cast recording entered the Billboard charts at No. 8 in 2017, the highest charting debut position for an original cast album since 1961, and won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. While “Dear Evan Hansen” is still running on Broadway, the touring production has been playing to packed houses around the country where it is often the hottest ticket in quite some time. It is currently at the Citizens Bank Opera House in Boston through Aug. 4 as part of the 2018-2019 Lexus Broadway In Boston Season. Phillips was speaking on the phone last month while the show was in Cleveland. For the Boston run, she’ll have an opportunity catch up with some family members and friends. Originally from Nashville, she grew up in Auburn and East Douglas after her father took a teaching position at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. She graduated

from Worcester Academy in 1989, and Emerson College in 1994 with a BFA in musical theater. Local theater-goers might remember that she played Sally Bowles in a well-received and reviewed (“a blistering performance”) 1994 production of “Cabaret” put on by the much missed New England Theatre Company at Anna Maria College in Paxton. Phillips has gone on to play lead roles on Broadway (including “Leap of Faith”) and in regional work that included the starring role in the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of Michael Friedman’s “Unknown Soldier” in 2015. Meanwhile, she spent four seasons as A.D.A. Pippa Cox on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” She’s been Heidi Hansen in “Dear Evan Hansen” for over 10 months. “It’s just remarkable how this show has connected across the country. I’ve never done a show that has connected in this way to audiences,” Phillips said.

Is it a show of the moment in the right moment? “I think it’s the whole shebang. I think what we have at its root is a story that’s extremely remarkable. Teenagers are seeing themselves reflected in the characters on stage. At the same time we are telling the story of the parents of the children. Audiences are seeing themselves in multiple generations,” Phillips said. Heidi, who is divorced, has raised Evan on her own, but feels she is losing him. “Parents are feeling a lot of the time we’re failing and missing the mark. Almost everyone in the audience is seeing a character or multiple characters they can relate to. Parents are saying, ‘I am Heidi,’ or ‘That was my kid.’ It’s a testament to the writing. It’s really so spectacularly constructed.” Phillips lives in New York City with her husband and two sons ages 15 and 18. “I have teenagers of my own,” she said. Playing Heidi, “I haven’t had

to reach very far. What makes it so interesting to me, she is unwilling to stop trying. She works very hard to problem-solve. She makes a lot of mistakes but does so in such a sweet and adorable way. She uses humor to try to get through. I want to throw my arms around her. She works so hard to be a good mom.” A review in the Chicago Tribune by Chris Jones when “Dear Evan Hansen” was at the Nederlander Theatre in Chicago earlier his year embraced both the show and Phillips’ performance. “Phillips is far and away the standout performer in this new touring cast, finding depths to her character that I do not feel like I saw on Broadway and acting such songs as ‘So Big/So Small’ with so much vulnerability that you cannot but feel as she does,” Jones wrote. He also noted that “hand-holding teenagers could be seen snaking throughout the lobbies, brushing past the older adults as if they were unseen. They were half-singing the Benj Pasek and Justin Paul score, a formidably accessible song suite with nervous self-doubt built into every rich note. This is the rare show, many of them feel, that understands them.” “Dear Evan Hansen” is booked for venues at least into 2020, but Phillips said that she plans to leave the show when her contract is up in a couple of months. “I have loved traveling but I’m looking forward to being back home with my own family,” she said. When the show has been East she’s tried to get home on days off, and with “every city we make an adventure of it,” she said. Still, “It’s disruptive (to the family) … I’m really looking forward to being in one spot for a while. I’ll take a vacation and reassess.” Reinventing and reinvesting is part of an actor’s life, Phillips added. “Our lives are not linear. Our jobs are not permanent.” “Law & Order” came close to that for an actor in a TV show as Phillips had a four-year run. “I loved it. It was interesting to play a recurring character. To take a character and discover she had a whole back story,” Phillips said. “Television and theater are just so different. Theater is time sensitive. It’s about starting and ending in one three-hour period. With TV you’re shooting scenes out of order. You have to figure it out because it’s not

FEATURED

Christiane Noll as Cynthia Murphy and Jessica Phillips as Heidi Hansen in a scene from “Dear Evan Hansen.” COURTESY OF MATTHEW MURPHY

she said last month in anticipating a reunion while “Dear Evan Hansen” is in Boston. A trip to see “Dear Evan Hansen” and say hello to Phillips at a party afterward was being featured as a Worcester Academy alumni event. “I’m just super excited,” Phillips said. Contact Richard Duckett @TGRDuckett.

What: “Dear Evan Hansen” When: Now through Aug. 4.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Where: Citizens Bank Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston How much: Tickets starting at $49.50. Ticketmaster 800-982-2787; BroadwayInBoston.com

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happening chronologically. Theater is live feedback. I have found, especially traveling with this show (‘Dear Evan Hansen’), every audience has a different personality. It’s the missing piece of that night’s performance. It affects the timing. The laughter has a palpable effect on us on the stage.” Phillips has credited Worcester Academy and Emerson College with helping her find her identity and drive as a performer. “It was a transformative time as a teenager figuring out who I was as a human being through the arts,” she said in an earlier interview. At Worcester Academy, “I had these really wonderful teachers who saw in me something promising.” In 2016 Philips returned to Worcester Academy to perform a concert celebrating the completion of the school’s new performance center. She also taught a master class for Worcester Academy students. “I’m still in touch with everybody,”

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CITY VOICES

HARVEY

Strings attached JANICE HARVEY

Miller would eventually work as communications director for good ol’ boy Jeff Sessions, the former hen observing a attorney general whose disdain for marionette, we usually people of color is legendary. Miller watch its feet dance, also served as press secretary for or listen to the voice none other than failed presidential provided by the puppet master candidate and resident loony from above the curtain. We rarely conspiracy theorist Michele glimpse at the hands that give the Bachmann. Stellar credentials for a puppet life; we follow the show in front of us, much the way we forget presidential advisor, indeed. When Trump met Miller, the that a ventriloquist’s dummy isn’t marriage of two life-long bigots really chatting while the man on became a real and ugly love story. whose knee it is perched drinks a As Trump’s speech writer, Miller glass of water. We suspend reality. helps the inarticulate Trump That’s what we’re doing as we get his message out to his base, watch Donald Trump commit sometimes coded, sometimes atrocities at the southern border: not. (I’m going out on a limb here we’re ignoring the puppet master by assuming that even Miller pulling the strings. That puppet knows there were no airports to master, the architect of these protect during the Revolutionary crimes against humanity, is none War, hence he didn’t have a hand other than presidential “advisor” in writing Trump’s hilariously Stephen Miller. inaccurate Independence Day Out of sight, out of mind. The speech.) Miller’s venom seeps handful of times this wretched through every sentence Trump weasel has appeared before utters regarding immigration. cameras have been PR disasters. When we witness the caging of His snarling, sneering responses more than 400 men in sweltering to any and every question posed heat, penned like stray dogs behind by interviewers made him a cable news and internet target, mocking chain-link fences, it’s important to remember that the voice in Trump’s him for his faux baritone and his ear guiding this debacle is that of pathetic tough-guy act; even his Stephen Miller, the same sniveling spray-on hairline drew digs. The little man who personifies hatred is coward behind the Muslim ban. Trump is malleable and easily too nasty to trot out into daylight. Now he stays behind closed doors, manipulated; no doubt the engineering his grand plans for the intellectually superior Miller is able bleaching of America. He never did to appeal to his boss’s despicable racist tendencies while stroking his learn to play nice with the other fragile ego. Feed Trump’s ego and kids, especially the darker ones. he’ll follow you anywhere. This country has grown far too Observing the naked bigotry brown for Mr. Miller. His bigotry of the GOP, once hidden from goes way back to his high school the public with a flimsy veil of years as a creepy outsider when at tolerance, must be an orgasmic age 16 he told Latino classmates moment for Miller. Warehousing at Santa Monica High School to speak only English and complained brown-skinned men, women and about school announcements being children who speak little or no English must send the man who read in Spanish. Cinco de Mayo accused Maya Angelou of “racial celebrations rattled the young paranoia” writhing with pleasure. racist. This is a guy who, while The 2020 election will hopefully attending Duke University, labeled chase from the White House the the Chicano student movement likes of Miller, swept out with “a radical national Hispanic group Trump as we begin the arduous that believes in racial superiority.” He must have been incensed, since task of reclaiming the country’s soul. This nation is a marvelous he firmly believed then and now that racial superiority belongs solely multicultural crazy quilt, the stitches of which bigots like to the fair-skinned. Described as Stephen Miller cannot be allowed “incredibly intolerant” of anyone to unravel. disagreeing with his views,

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FIRST PERSON

Congratulations to Wootown Juneteenth organizers SUSAN CALLAHAN

this. I truly hope that someday the United States will make June 19th want to send a big shout a national holiday. out to the Wootown I feel that many of us privileged Juneteenth organizers for to have “freedoms” because of their phenomenal event. The the color of our skin can never event celebrated the abolishment fully understand the experience of slavery and specifically a person of color endures in our commemorates the day June world. How can the violence and 19,1865, when Union Major trauma inflicted for 400 plus years General Gordon Granger rode into upon people of color be healed? I Galveston, Texas, and informed the believe it is impossible. still-enslaved African Americans Racism, sexism and classism that they were freed by Lincoln’s are a plague of our world. I ask proclamation more than two years what have the Worcester Magazine earlier. In our current information readers done for their fellow super highway, the fact that human? What is Worcester as freedom for African Americans was a city doing to eliminate these not shared with the people of Texas profound problems? Why are for two-plus years is difficult to prisons filled with people of color fathom. I am grateful for all of the and those who are addicted or beautiful people who work to bring afflicted mentally? What would this Juneteenth event and history you do if your child was enslaved to Worcester. I continue to hope in a jail or institution? I ask these that our youth and schools will questions from a place of love. My work to educate our citizens about

LET TERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor are a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with thousands of

readers and online viewers each week. A full name and town or city of residence are required. Please include an email address or phone number for verification

deepest, most sincere desire is that all beings are treated equally and able to pursue their inalienable right to life, liberty and happiness. I was an adopted child that did not know my ethnicities until I searched as an adult. I was taught to love and work hard and judge others by their actions not their skin tone or accent or their level of education or their lack of money. The world and so called global village we live in gives us a unique opportunity to do what’s right for our fellow humans. I ask WM readers what good have you done for others? What are you willing to do? How do you really feel about the diverse city dwellers among us? He ain’t heavy people he’s my brother, sister, mother, father … Susan Callahan is a poet, musician and counselor living in Worcester with her elderly cat and dog. purposes only. Send them to Worcester Magazine, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 or by email to WMeditor@ gatehousemedia.com.

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Pawtucket is the new Miami BILL SHANER

Want to write for First Person?

Hey, you. Yeah, we’re talking to YOU. You look like you have something to say. So this is your chance: Worcester Magazine MIAMI BEACH: Every once in a while the Boston media produces a line is looking for contributors to our weekly First Person column! We’re seeking essays from our readers about whatever facet about Worcester so beautifully outrageous it inspires awe. The last truly of Worcester life they want to share. And not just politics: We great one was the WGBH “Worcester is hip? Really?” headline. The image want to hear about things in this city we might not otherwise of that headline is perma-burned into my brain, taking the space of at ever know: Things that make the city uniquely yours. Tell us least three childhood memories. But this new one, I think, tops it. Let us your story, and the story of the people around you. To submit turn to the Boston Globe, which sent a reporter to Pawtucket last week for consideration, please send a 750 word essay to WMedion the occasion of the WooSox ballpark groundbreaking. The reporter tor@gatehousemedia.com with the words “First Person” in went there, presumably, to capture the pure, unfiltered salt residents of the the subject line. Let us know what’s on your mind.

Calling all artists If you are a local artist, or know of a local artist, Worcester Magazine would like to show off your work. Email WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com some high resolution, digital examples of your work and a brief bio (things like where you’re from, influence, favorite medium). Fair warning, we reserve the right to choose what will run, based on space, resolution and what will reproduce best on newsprint.

former prison colony to our south had to offer. They did not disappoint. When a Globe reporter approached Pawtucket man Gilbert Taylor, he had his thinking cap locked and loaded like a 12 gauge shotgun. Here’s what he said: “Pawtucket is like Miami Beach compared to Worcester.” Can we just read that again? “Pawtucket is like Miami Beach compared to Worcester.” The quote was gleefully printed and later pull-quoted by the Globe, and I’m glad it was. The words are so intrinsically true, yet utterly absurd. It defies any analysis. How is Pawtucket in any way like Miami Beach? What are the attributes of Worcester which make it less like Miami Beach than Pawtucket? For these questions, we will never have answers – which is a good thing, I’d say. Better to not think about it, and rather let the truth reverberate through your subconscious unabated. Worcester is a lot of things, but it will never be Miami Beach. Pawtucket on the other hand …

THE NUMBERS: The only race worth following so far is at-large council,

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as far as the numbers go. There aren’t any district races that feel significant yet, and the School Committee side has a different, less transparent filing process because Massachusetts is horrible on public records. Anyway. incumbent Moe Bergman leads the pack currently with a whopping $32,000. He stands head and shoulders above the rest of the field, but he’ll have to work to stay there as some of these people are, historically, pretty big spenders. Mayor Joe Petty is certainly set to raise some funds, but now sits on a modest $12,000. Challenger Tony Economou is right there with Petty. Then the next rung down is challenger Etel Haxhiaj and incumbent Kate Toomey, who are each sitting on about $9,500. Khrystian King is behind them, with only $5,700, as is Donna Colorio, with $5,600. And then there’s Gary Rosen, whose number stands in hilarious contrast with any other incumbent at $64. His strategy of aggressive standing out is, apparently, time-rich and cash-poor. Not knocking it, so don’t go screaming, Mr. Rosen. It is clearly effective. None of the other candidates have more than $1,000 so I won’t bother listing them, though I’m sure at least some will emerge yet as serious fundraisers.

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CATCHING UP WITH THE CANDIDATES: OK, you’ve had your pudding. Here comes the meat (gross, I know, but I’m not deleting it). This is a politics column after all, and we’re quietly heading into what should be the most buck wild municipal election in years, maybe decades. For now, it’s all quiet on the Western Front. No one would throw any sort of bomb this early. As of now, we’re in the fundraising and endorsement stage. People are having campaign kick-off cook-outs and dinners, like School Committee candidate Tracy Novick and City Council candidate James Bedard; getting endorsements, like Etel Haxhiaj’s nod from the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund, and sending out mailers, like the one from Donna Colorio we discussed last week. It can be a lot to keep up with, especially with 30+ candidates. Note: If I don’t get your campaign stuff sent to me via email or Facebook, it’s not getting in the column. With so many candidates, this is the only way. The fundraising element is important, though, and can produce some interesting stories, so let’s take a look at the numbers, shall we?

What do you

Krave?

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Promote your food and drink destination, services and products to Worcester County Diners.

Krave - Coming October 24 to Worcester Magazine, The Landmark, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, Leominster Champion, The Gardner News, The Item, The Grafton News and the Telegram & Gazette. Reach more than 200,000 readers! Email WMSales@gatehousemedia.com or call 508-767-9574 to reserve your space today!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

Twisted Thursdays at Starlite Gallery Rappers and hip-hop fans gathered July 11 at Starlite Gallery in Southbridge for Twisted Thursdays, a hip-hop and R&B showcase and open mic hosted by hip-hop artist M-Ezy. Some of the performers that night included Aly K. of Worcester and Lyter of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. M-Ezy also hosts hiphop shows and open mics at the Raven Music Hall in Worcester. Photos by Steve Lanava

J U LY 1 8 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

COVER STORY

Up in smoke

‘Canna-preneurs’ find success in different ways, but system leaves some outsiders hopeless

CAROLINE BRODERICK

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assachusetts legalized recreational cannabis use in 2017, and South Worcester bar owner John Tarashuck Jr. wanted to turn his focus from alcohol to cannabis. Tarashuck owned JT’s Pub and McGuire’s Lounge for 15 years. He opened his first business at the age of 22 after graduating with a business administration degree. Cannabis was exciting to him, a new industry that he wanted to be a part of. He had dreams of opening a recreational cannabis dispensary, Kurdi’s Kush. When the city of Worcester chose 13 out of their allotted 15 dispensaries, Tarashuck felt defeated. To Tarashuck, there were no possible holes in his business plan. No problems with his potential business space. No

problems with the location. In reality, the possibility of opening a recreational dispensary in Massachusetts is slim. So slim, in fact, that of the 16 final licenses granted thus far, all have been given to larger companies and not to budding entrepreneurs like Tarashuck, according to Pot Guide, a Colorado-based website dedicated to cannabis news and events. Throughout the ballot initiative of legalizing recreational cannabis, “Yes on 4,” and the initial stages of legalization, a lot of emphasis has been placed on assisting communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. “Every year, thousands of people in our state are arrested, punished and prosecuted for cannabis use,” Shanel Lindsay, a Newton-based lawyer and cannabis advocate said at a “Yes on 4” event. “And the majority of those people are people of color.” The Cannabis Control Commission created an economic empowerment program to help minority cannabis entrepreneurs from areas disproportionately impacted get a step ahead of competition. Tarashuck and 122 other applicants were approved to be the country’s first economic

empowerment applicants. The CCC promised the status would give applicants priority, but none has opened their own dispensary. Tarashuck's application was made on the grounds that he is from South Worcester, which is considered a disproportionately impacted community. The unforeseen problems that face economic empowerment applicants and entrepreneurs have left them having to look for other options besides opening dispensaries. Competing with large businesses with endless capital and resources forces entrepreneurs to combine their experience, ingenuity and, most of all, luck to get a foot in the door. For those finding success, the real trick comes from cannabis experience. Not only do the entrepreneurs desiring a brickand-mortar store suffer and wait, but those who attempt to jump on the cannabis bandwagon now are running into more hurdles than those with an already established background in cannabis. There is yet to be a space welcome for newcomers.

THE SUMMIT LOUNGE

yle Moon went into recovery for his heroin addiction in 2013. Moon saw his childhood friends die from their substance abuse and he knew he had to choose between an inevitable death or a long road of recovery. After joining a recovery program, Moon began working for the Boston Public Health Department and created his own programs for those looking to defeat their addictions. He worked with the cities of Boston and Worcester, his hometown, until a motorcycle accident left him without a job. Moon’s brother, Ethan Moon, is a chief operating officer for a Pennsylvania-based medicinal dispensary and worked with businesses in Colorado. When medicinal cannabis was legalized, the Moon brothers knew that the majority of patients had nowhere to use their medicine. Landlords often rule out smoking in their buildings and it is illegal to smoke outdoors. They had an idea: let’s start a private lounge where people can consume their medicine legally or recreationally. “(My brother) kind of pitched the idea of medical patients and someone who suffers from substance use disorder, I could

directly correlate that,” Moon said. “We need people with common interests, and that social connection is so important, especially when you’re suffering from a serious condition. We saw that lacking.” Moon saw cannabis use was prevalent with past addicts, he knew his background could reach and help more people with a lounge. Moon became the “chosen one” out of his family to make the dream a reality. Together, Moon and his father began lightly researching the idea for two months. Their biggest question about legality could only be answered by a lawyer. With a lawyer for an uncle, Moon and his family brought their plans for a private lounge directly to him. They needed to make sure the idea was viable. “He called me back and was like, ‘You guys need to come in,’ so we went and he was like, ‘I can’t find any reason why it’s not legal,’” Moon said. “At that point we agreed this is something we should do.” The Summit Lounge opened in 2017. Located on Water Street, a busy night life street in Worcester, the lounge lives between two bars, Ole and District Bar and Nightclub. The location, according to Moon, is perfect for this type of business. Though Moon runs the lounge, it is entirely a family business. His mother designed the interior of the lounge; Moon, his brother and father all help to run the business. They are all present at the lounge daily. When it comes to Worcester, two primary local

RICK CINCLAIR

COVER STORY

licensing boards in Worcester in November 2017. After three more meetings, they granted Tarashuck a cigar license and approval in January 2018. “(Clark) told me, ‘It was a mistake to give you that license. We shouldn’t have done it,’ and she effectively took it away,” Tarashuck said. “I went to (her) office before, I explained everything I was doing, but it all came down to, ‘No, we made a mistake.” Moon was not as open with the department of health about cannabis use, but Tarashuck was. Tarashuck felt as though the department was unfair to him, but the regulations for running a smoking lounge of any kind are strict, and Tarashuck was attempting to revamp his old space into a new one. Moon had a fresh slate and was able to follow the regulations accordingly from the beginning. Moon believes that Tarashuck’s experience was just another example of how hard it can be to open a business, let alone cannabis business. “Everyone wants to blame someone else for their lack of whatever it is,” Moon said. “(The Summit Lounge has) four industrial smoke eaters, we have nice

wood countertops, we have fire extinguishers everywhere, we have a sprinkler system. We have what it takes to do what we do and for that reason, the city has allowed us to continue to operate.”

612 STUDIOS

or Leah and Sieh Samura, cannabis has always been a no-brainer. The couple have been together for 23 years, and their relationship with cannabis is equally as long. The two began using cannabis as young teens and mutually agreed they wanted to enter the cannabis industry. They began this journey as advocates then business owners. Sieh operates his own private consumption lounge, 612 Studios, in Roslindale along with a memberonly delivery service. Leah works in Roxbury at a community center computer lab where she helps community members use computers, cameras and other technology. The two live in Mattapan with their son, dog and cat. Roxbury and Mattapan

John Tarashuck in his Clinton home. BILL SHANER

are both areas recognized by the CCC as areas of disproportionate impact, the Samuras were already very involved in their towns. Individually, Leah and Sieh are both economic empowerment applicants and Sieh is a retired veteran and medical marijuana patient. Leah has worked on creating her own cannabis-infused products in the past such as a lotion and alcoholic beverage, which she fondly refers to as “horny juice.” “I have been advocating for this

type of stuff for a while, so I’ve been part of the legalization movement, really, I’m going to say led by Shaleen Title before she was a Cannabis Control Commissioner. I don’t know if people know or not, but I mean she was leading us back then, too,” Sieh said. The two knew opening a dispensary themselves would be too hard of a job to tackle and it wasn’t necessarily their end goal either. They face the same difficulties all economic empowerment applicants

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government teams govern cannabis: The Department of Public Health, directed by Karyn E. Clark, holds rein on the medical side; the City Manager’s office deals with the recreational side. Having a business where patrons can smoke weed indoors sounds like a confusing concept, especially because it is completely legal, but Moon assures that Summit Lounge has all the necessary licenses. According to Moon, the Summit Lounge has pre-packaged tobacco and pre-packaged food licenses, an occupancy permit, and insurance. Proposing the idea to the city of Worcester went fairly smoothly. “We are a private membership association and we proposed it just like that,” Moon said. “‘We’re going to be a private smoking club, anything legal in Massachusetts.’ There were a lot of looks at each other like, ‘Oh? Weed?’ And we’d be like, ‘Yeah, anything legal in Massachusetts. Cannabis is now legal.’ And it was kind of not talked about, but kind of was.” The main focus in meetings with the health department and city manager were the regulations of a private smoking lounge, such as air filtration systems and sprinklers, not the smoking of cannabis. The City of Worcester questioned Moon on the basis of regulations for a private club no differently than they normally would. Clark said that there is not much that goes into opening a private club. Organizers must provide a business plan to the state that shows at least 51 percent of their revenue will come from tobacco sales. If the state approves the plan, a club is then allowed to sell tobacco and smoke it indoors. “So the way a private club works is basically if you want to sell — this is at least our involvement from the department of public health — if they wanted to sell cigarettes at a private club, all they had to do was get a permit,” Clark said. “Other than that, there was no other permits required. It’s this weird type of establishment. They’ve been around forever, there’s never been an issue.” In Clark’s memory, Moon asked for a tobacco permit and then the department of health saw him on Channel 5 news discussing the opening of a cannabis lounge. But Clark said there was no way for them to stop him, it appeared to be a “loophole.” For others, the process did not go as smoothly. Tarashuck wanted his own lounge while awaiting approval for a dispensary. He initially brought the idea of Green Light Cafe to the

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COVER STORY

face: capital. “So real estate and capital are two of the biggest issues,” Leah said. “Most of us don’t have a million dollars and so the thing is now you got big business trying to come in and take advantage of the economic empowerment applicants. And if you’re not smart enough to understand what’s really happening to you at the moment, you can be really screwed.” In March, the couple broke into the mainstream industry in a different way and got their cannabisinfused lubricant, Purient, on the shelves of medical dispensaries. They were able to accomplish this by working with Sira Naturals, a Milford-based cannabis company, in its Accelerator Program. Sira’s program invites entrepreneurs to pitch a cannabisinfused product and a business plan. The company then decides which team’s product they would like to help produce. At the end of the 12-week program, a team will have their product on the shelves of Sira’s dispensaries. While Sira’s program is the first in Massachusetts, other states have already established these types of incubators. In Colorado, Canopy Boulder is a leading cannabis business incubator, and the first and only of its kind in the state. The Accelerator Program is the first in Massachusetts, but other companies are following. Garden Remedies, a company with three dispensaries, began a Catalyst Cannabis Mentorship Program in September 2018. Sira Naturals received the first cultivation license in Massachusetts, allowing it to operate a large cannabis cultivation facility in Milford to supply its medical dispensaries. Sira has dispensaries in Cambridge, Somerville and Needham. The Accelerator Program was created in fall 2018 to help the budding cannabis entrepreneurs who are currently in the position that Sira once was in 2013, according to Ashlyn Plunket, director of programs and community relations. “When Sira was a start-up when I came into it, every day was exciting, and it all felt like a part of something bigger,” Plunket said. “It was really cool. With the Accelerator Program, one of the things I love so much about it is everything is start-up after start-up, helping them work through all of the things we faced ourselves.” The Samuras were no strangers to cannabis, and that’s why Sira chose them as one of two teams to debut the program with. Their background

gave them an advantage. “We’ve been doing this longer than other people,” Sieh said. “So it’s natural we are going to be ahead, it’s such an early program offering. It’s just kind of natural, we’ve been in class for years.” Plunket said after interviewing the Samuras, it was clear she wanted to work with them. More than 400 people applied to be a part of the program. “We know the market better than people understand,” Sieh said. “Delivery and private club make you understand the market to a totally different degree. We know what people want, it’s just what’s the reality breaking into the licensed market?”

NEW DIA

oss Bradshaw will be the owner of New Dia, a potential recreational dispensary in South Worcester. New Dia means “new day” in Spanish and is an acronym for “Diversity in Action.” Bradshaw wanted these ideas to be the foundation of his business. Bradshaw, an economic empowerment applicant, is predicted to become one of those 13 dispensaries out of 15 allowed in Worcester. That makes him one of the only equity program applicants to have made it this far, soon to be entering the market dominated by large companies. New Dia recently had a community proposal meeting, one of the final requirements of opening a dispensary. Bradshaw grew up in the innercity of Worcester where he became exposed to cannabis at an early age. Whether it be engaging in smoking or seeing people from his childhood jailed for using it, cannabis has always been a constant in his life. What really pushed Bradshaw in the beginning was the experience he has with alcohol in his community. “From my personal experience, I know that cannabis is not as harmful as alcohol,” Bradshaw said. “I’ve seen alcohol in my community destroy my family. I’ve lost loved ones because of alcohol and I’ve never seen those effects in someone who has consumed cannabis. I have always looked at it as a safer substance than alcohol.” As someone who is biracial — half-black and half-white — Bradshaw has seen the effects of cannabis from both lenses. “A lot of my family members and friends are biracial or AfricanAmerican, I got to see firsthand the

COVER STORY

Kyle Moon at the Summit Lounge. RICK CINCLAIR

fact that law enforcement serve certain areas with more force than in others,” Bradshaw said. “There’s definitely disproportion when it comes to previous law enforcement in cannabis.”

Bradshaw’s first brush with the legal cannabis industry came while working as a certified public accountant for Price Waterhouse Cooper seven years ago. People who were hoping to break into the

medical cannabis industry went to Bradshaw for assistance in devising financial plans and budgets. He began getting involved with smaller businesses and became the director of finance for a start-up. One of Bradshaw’s responsibilities included helping businesses gain funds from “angel investors” or anonymous investors. From there, he moved to Boulder, Colorado, to work more in-depth with the recreational side of the market after being accepted into the accelerator program Canopy Boulder in 2015. “I really got, what I would say, is like an MBA in cannabis,” Bradshaw said. “I started working with businesses that had specialized in security, POS systems, business analytics, everything you can think of in terms of the ancillary side of cannabis.” Bradshaw moved back to Massachusetts when he began seeing the advancement of cannabis and wanted to become a business owner. He said that what really struck him was the lack of minority representation in Colorado. He wanted to be a part of making that change in Massachusetts. In Colorado, only two of the 564

dispensaries are black-owned. Only 14 percent of Colorado cannabis business owners are minorities, according to Marijuana Business Daily. Less than 1 percent are African-American. “I saw that trend when I was living out in Colorado and I didn’t want to see it happen back here in Massachusetts,” Bradshaw said. “Especially in my community where I saw a lot of folks who wanted to get involved in this industry, so I decided to take up that cause as an advocate.” Bradshaw met four out of the six criteria for economic empowerment status. These met criteria include majority of ownership from minorities and from areas of disproportionate impact, residing in areas of disproportionate impact, and owners who demonstrate assistance to people from disproportionately impacted communities. To advocate for minorities, Bradshaw created Equitable Opportunities Now, or EON, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for a minority space in the cannabis industry in April 2018. EON attempts to help minorities break into the cannabis industry,

but even Bradshaw admits capital is his biggest issue. More and more mentorship programs like Sira’s Accelerator Program are popping up and the CCC is attempting to finalize its own social equity program. One of the biggest selling points for Bradshaw’s proposal was the positive impact to the community that New Dia would provide. He also believes that his background with EON, working with medical dispensaries, living in Colorado, and being biracial helped make his application stronger, much like the Samuras’ application for the Accelerator Program. Bradshaw’s background also includes knowing CCC Commissioner Shaleen Title for eight years; he and Sieh Samura have known each other for a similar amount of time. A large part of an application for a dispensary are plans for how the business will give back to the community. Every dispensary application must include a Diversity Plan and Positive Impact Plan describing the ways they intend to diversify their business and help the surrounding community. The Diversity and Positive Impact plans are so important to the

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COVER STORY

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A man prepares marijuana for smoking at the Summit Lounge. CCC that on April 25, it denied a provisional license for Mass Yield Cultivation because of wording in its plan. In its proposal, the company used the words “may” when describing its diversity and impact plans. The CCC wanted to keep the business accountable and denied the license until the wording is changed to “shall.” According to Bradshaw, outside of the impact and diversity plans, the provisional license application requires in-depth explanations of day-to-day operations, a security plan, employee training, and background checks. He thinks Worcester’s approval process has been better than most towns. “One thing Worcester, I think, has done right is that they made it a very transparent process in terms of how to apply and what it was going to entail to potentially receive the community-host agreement,” Bradshaw said. “And that made it extremely easy, or easier, for applicants to understand how to go about that application.” New Dia’s positive impact plan and diversity plan outlines ways it will help uplift businesses in the area. Bradshaw said the dispensary will help revitalize that area of Worcester. The company also plans to continue helping other entrepreneurs. “One of the things we’re looking to do is workshops for folks who want to get into this industry and may potentially want to be an owner,” Bradshaw said. “The great thing about that is I’ve already done it with my nonprofit and now I’m going to transition and do it with New Dia, so I have that experience.”

SOME DOORS REMAIN CLOSED

RICK CINCLAIR

ut not everyone is able to combine their ideas, experience and luck to break into the industry. Tarashuck, who applied to open a dispensary and private smoking lounge, was one of the many who haven’t found success. Today, Tarashuck continues to chase the hope of breaking into the cannabis industry. From day one, people told Tarashuck he couldn’t do it. He kept trying, following the dream, but now he wonders if everyone else was right. “It’s like, goddammit, this is a giant waste of time, waste of money, and waste of life. I should have just listened to everyone (expletive) else,” Tarashuck said, laughing to himself. “Yeah, it was one of those, maybe they were right, but I’m still going for it.”

This story is provided by the Boston Institute for Non-Profit Journalism.

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

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

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and will be a senior at Saint John’s High School. Vigeant enjoys playing lacrosse and golf in the summer, when he’s not taking photographs. His favorite subjects are people and nature landscapes, specifically around the coastline. Check out more of his work at trevorvigeantphotography.com.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Trevor Vigeant, 17, was born and raised in Worcester,

CITY LIFE

Sunrise Movement Worcester builds momentum for upcoming Climate Emergency Declaration GARI DE RAMOS

limate change has and will continue to affect Worcester, and the folks at Sunrise Movement Worcester want to do something about it. This past Saturday, Sunrise gathered two dozen of its local members outside of the Crompton Collective to demand the local government pass a resolution being drafted by the Social Venture Collaborative’s Climate Action Circle. This resolution would declare a climate emergency in Worcester and establish a plan of action. Sunrise is a nationwide movement of young people working to stop the climate crisis. Sunrise held its event publicizing the resolution and its work in the Canal District – Worcester’s lowest point and most flood-prone zone. Members of Sunrise took the time to talk with Worcester residents about how climate change impacts Worcester today. A large whiteboard on display decorated with a tsunami wave

and the questions “What’s at stake for you?” and “What will you do?” served as a starting point for the conversation. When asked why he cares about climate change, Brandon Fairbanks, the Sunrise member who held the whiteboard, reflected on the future of his professional growth. “What’s worth doing to advance your career or to get a new place to live if we’re all going to be underwater in the future?” he asked. “What does it matter being a ladder climber if the ladder won’t exist?” Other concerns mentioned by Sunrise members and Worcester residents included increased floods, storms that would uncover chemicals from old toxic sites, and those who flee Boston due to increased sea levels and come to a Worcester unprepared for this influx of people. Sunrise was joined by members of other organizations such as the Worcester Socialists Alternative, the Worcester Food Policy Council, and members of the Social Venture Collaborative’s Climate Action Circle.

The Climate Action Circle, a growing alliance of local organizations like Sunrise and Renewable Energy Worcester that promotes cross-sectoral work on climate change, is in the final stages of crafting a Climate Emergency Declaration, which will be proposed to members of City Council in the fall. The declaration includes community-led provisions to combat climate change that would mobilize resources at all levels of government. In a statement, the Climate Action Circle explained, “We recognize that the crisis is not only environmental but also economic and social. The rapid, steep reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that we need will not be possible without addressing entrenched inequities in housing, health care, transportation, access to healthy food, and more.” Cloude McLaughlin, an organizer at Sunrise and member of the Climate Action Circle, explained that the Climate Emergency Declaration is necessary to “prioritize everyone’s well-being and safety, especially

Members of Sunrise gather at AIDS Project Worcester’s community garden before going to the Crompton Collective. GARI DE RAMOS

those who have lived here the longest, who may be the most unprotected and those who are the most exposed to the worst impacts.”

Members of the Climate Action Circle will continue to draft and begin meeting with City Councilors in the coming months.

LISTEN UP

Carlos Odria Trio offers gorgeous ‘El Rio’ J U LY 1 8 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 9

VICTOR D. INFANTE

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

TED THEODORE/ARTROCITY

t’s difficult to say more about the Carlos Odria Trio’s new album, “El Rio,” other than that it’s gorgeous: Stunningly, jaw-droppingly, trying-not-toweep-at-work beautiful. Guitarist Odria and his cohorts — drummer Thomas Spears and bassist Geoffrey Oheling — serve up a tapestry of Spanish music inflected with jazz that’s captivating from beginning to end, even on the 12-minute-long opener, “Morning of Carnival,” a composition by Luiz Bonfá. The trio — which will perform July 27 at Nick’s Bar and Restaurant in Worcester — uses the opening number to demonstrate its collective musical versatility. The arrangement begins with Odria digging deep into classical Spanish guitar, each note precise and startlingly lovely, their cascade a light rain. Then, it changes, taking on a sultry, jazzy quality, starting

slow, and then building in gradual steps. After a moment, Spears’ percussion comes into sharp contrast to Odria’s guitar. Soon after, the guitar escalates, then slides into the riptide of Oheling’s bass. That the piece is beautiful is one thing, certainly, but it’s even more impressive that the trio manages to take the listener on a complete emotional journey, all without a single lyric. The drums take on a heavier character as the song recedes, at the end the only prominent sound. It’s a bracing experience. The second song is an original composition by Odria, “Orange Dreams,” and it begins with Oheling playing his bass as a cello, creating a sort of wistful moment of repose before the guitar takes over, leading the listener to a more joyful place. That celebratory feeling carries over to “Niu Festejo,” a vibrant and cheerful Odria composition. Odria’s Latin guitar stylings shine

here, especially when they’re married late into the song by deeper bass notes. The sense of texture the trio manages to create and maintain from beginning to end is astounding. Each piece of music has depths for the listener to explore, making re-listens extremely rewarding. Odria’s “Sour Grapes” begins with a heavy feel, which is almost jarring, coming as it does on the heels of the cheerful “Niu Festejo.” The bass seems to drive this particular passage of the album, with the percussion lending a sense of weight to even the lightness of the guitar. The bass and percussion create a sense of gravity, which the guitar seems to almost imperceptibly escape by the end of the song. There’s a moment of flight, before it all fades into the spare beginnings of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s composition, “Corcovado.” For most of the album, the three

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CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

Trend Report SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

Trend Tok

As a 32-year-old woman, I soak up social media with the porous ease of a Neutrogena oil blotter. Trends that used to take years to make their way to mid-size cities like Worcester can now find me in mere minutes. Each and every one of us suddenly has a personal device capable of spawning street styles, inspiring Fortnite dances, and launching TikTok challenges with the swipe of a finger. Do we have enough imagination to affect fresh content? Generation Z thinks so. I, for one, will vouch for our public education system’s emphasis on creativity over rote memorization. In a world where we can google just about anything, we have begun establishing our own trends.

The Great Predictors

Elisa Kreisinger was the first one to affirm my suspicions that teenage girls are our most powerful trend forecasters. In an episode of her Refinery29 podcast titled “Teenage Girls Are Magic,” Kreisinger tapped a team of experts about female intuition, early-adopters, and “generation-defining obsessions.” Last month, Molly O’Connor and I conducted our own market research at the Better Together Girls Conference in a breakout session we called “The Power of Podcasting.” The teenage girls of Central Mass expressed repeated interest in YouTubers The Dolan Twins; K-pop sensations BTS; the genre bending songstress Billie Eilish; and Spider-Man actor Tom Holland.

Cross Body Baggage

The most surprising trend that I’ve seen emerge in the last two years is the popularity of dance among young men. Forgive the generalization, but dance was never particularly cool among my male classmates as I navigated the Worcester Public Schools. Now, the gravity of mastering a “Fortnite” dance is as pressing as scoring the winning goal. Masculinity is not as sharply defined, we operate with fewer constraints, and rhythm is something to be celebrated across all genders. The dances, referred to as emotes, are culled from various social media channels to reflect an ever-changing roster of individually choreographed moves. The floss may have come and gone, but Orange Justice is here to stay. Ride the wave. Master all the moves: scenario, fanciful, drum major, and marshmello. If you need some instructional assistance, get on TikTok, the short video sharing platform that marked the most downloaded social media app of Q1 2019. Heck, infiltrate “Fortnite” with your own moves. What Worcester finds cool finally matters — maybe it always has.

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Emote Kid

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In 2019, we want to embrace unconventional looks while subsequently breathing new life into familiar pieces that we never before recognized as fashionable. Take, for example, the evolution of normcore — a trend that encouraged us to stop rejecting popular brands for the sake of a hipster narrative and adopt them instead. The influx of fanny packs this summer is by design. There’s a reason Hypebae is hawking your grandma’s velcro trainers. For inspiration, I turn to Sweet Jane’s Designer Consignment Sweet Jane’s Designer whose feed curates a plenitude of Consignment on Main accessible high fashion right here in Street in Worcester. Worcester. Recycling is hot right now. My PHOTO COURTESY JUSTIN HALL friends have embraced routine clothing swaps in which we raid our closets and trade wares. Amy Lynn Chase originated this model with her first company, The Swapaholic, back in 2009. Now, Chase owns The Haberdash, a Worcester boutique that effortlessly channels the same eclectic style as a swap among friends.

CITY LIFE

DINING

Firefly’s BBQ: Finding the Fun and Excess 350 E. Main St, Marlboro • 508-357-8883 • fireflysbbq.com SAM BONACCI

irefly’s is about fun. Even as you pull into the parking lot, the font of the sign and abundant neon set the tone for something a bit zany and a bit over the top. And Firefly’s doesn’t disappoint. There’s excess everywhere. The inside is festooned with bright colors and where a salad bar would be at a more sober restaurant there’s a BBQ sauce station that has the restaurant’s own sauces along with a variety of pickled veggies. There’s even a collection on the wall of 60 hot sauces with categories including “HOT ENOUGH TO PEEL PAINT” up to “ARE YOU INSANE?” The outdoor seating area (it was a beautiful evening and you won’t catch me indoors if I can help it until the snow has covered every patio chair in New England) ditches the zany colors but is still a thing of excess. There’s a bar, numerous tables, a retractable awning that runs 40 feet across half the seating, two lounge areas with fires, and an

AstroTurf laden cornhole area. This upscale area is inviting and when acoustic music is being played out there on the weekend I could see this being one of the spots to go in Marlborough. But why am I talking about everything but the food? Because

honestly the food was a bit middle of the road. We started off with the cheerfully named Rachel’s Rockin’ Nachos ($13.50) that came piled high with plenty of pulled pork, cheese and salsa. The thing I liked the most about the nachos and the Candy Lacquered Bacon Pineapple Pizza

($12.50) was that they honored the fact they were made at a BBQ joint. The nachos come with BBQ sauce spread liberally across them and BBQ beans — there was no mistaking these for traditional nachos. Similarly, this Hawaiian pizza had big chunks of hand-cut bacon, liberal amounts of cheese and fresh pineapple on a flat-bread style dough with BBQ sauce as the base. We’re talking a dense mouthful of ingredients where the tang of the pineapple melded perfectly with the crispy bacon. They are owning being over the top and it creates something special here. The Two Meat Combination Plate ($20.50) with brisket and a Texas smoked beef sausage was oddly restrained. The meat sat unadorned next to cornbread and sweet potato fries. Where was the pizazz? Where had the fun gone? The sausage and fries were the standouts of the plate. The crispy sausage was lean and well flavored with a beef forward style and lingering heat. The fries were crisp

and had a fantastic, fresh sweet potato flavor. But the cornbread was dense and lacked the buttery crumble I’m looking for. And while the brisket was flavorful and moist, there wasn’t the fatty indulgence that outstanding brisket has. This is a good New England style brisket, meaning that it leans more toward the roast beef end of the spectrum. In the end, Firefly’s is totally over the top but you’re on board with it the whole time and it manages to be fun while not crossing the line to crass. Combine all of this with a friendly and attentive waitstaff and you’ve got a winning combination. Our meal at Firefly’s BBQ came to $46.50 before tax.

Bones BBQ of Marlboro; Clyde’s Cupcakes of Exeter, N.H.; Off the Hook Roadside Eatery of Rutland; Melt of Worcester; Say Cheese! of Shrewsbury; Pangea Cuisines of Medway; Birds Nest Italian Food of Hudson; Cravin’ Shallot of Swampscott.

of the new building, said Travaglio, with Invidium on the second floor and a private function room on the third. “Everyone is excited about the rooftop,” she said. Groundbreaking is expected on Shrewsbury Street this month. FYI: The building will be built in the lot next to La Scala Ristorante, space previously used as a parking space for La Scala’s customers. La Scala’s owners Kevin Zona and his wife, Maria, have posted a sign on the restaurant door informing their customers that they can now park in a lot in back of Mac’s Diner on Shrewsbury Street, or use on-street parking. Travaglio said the family has purchased property off Shrewsbury Street for parking, with plans to do more.

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: HHH Ambiance: HHHH Service: HHHH Value: HHH

TABLE HOPPIN’

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BARBARA M. HOULE

Street Food Fest hits the road Save the date and your appetite for the Pulse Street Food Fest on July 20 at Great Good Imperial Brew Co., 55 Millbrook St., Worcester. The event from 5 to 9 p.m. will feature food trucks, “craft vendors” and live music by the band Hit the Bus. Pulse Magazine’s “first annual” fest is launched with sponsors Catiani Insurance of Worcester and Greater Good Brewing, according to Paul Giorgio of Pulse Magazine, who said this “one-ofa-kind event is like no other, with trucks and cuisine from around the region.” Tickets: Early Bird, $5 per person; General Admission, $7. VIP tickets also are available for $25 each, which includes a beer ticket, private VIP area and VIP bathroom access. Visit eventbrite.com.

New spot for Pepe’s Italian

Teri Goulette’s Say Cheese! foodtruck will be among the participants in Saturday’s festival. FILE PHOTO/CHRISTINE PETERSON

Food truck participants: Grill Daddy of Worcester; Minuteman Kettle Corn of Worcester; Pomaire (Chilean cuisine) of

Nashua, N.H.; Trolley Dogs of Framingham; Sun Kim Bop of Springfield; Moosey’s Muddy Brook Café of Ware; Travelin

Pepe’s Italian Restaurant, 274 Franklin St., Worcester, should open in its new location at 181 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, at the end of the year or early 2020, according to Teresa Travaglio, who owns and operates the restaurant with family members. Luigi Romeo (Travaglio’s husband) also will relocate his business, Invidium Salon & Spa (adjacent to Pepe’s), to the new site. Bigger than the move is the news that Pepe’s plans a rooftop bar at the Shrewsbury Street location. The restaurant will occupy the first floor

Will Wonders Never Cease? Word is the Wonder Bar, 121 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, will

CITY LIFE

Enjoy Beer Garden Fridays for the price of general admission to Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston. Visit towerhillbg.org for more info.

SweetTreats Godiva boutiques and cafes nationwide will be offering a Buy One-Get One 50% off deal on soft serve and parfaits on July 21, National Ice Cream Day. If you’re shopping at one of these locations, you can cool off with Godiva’s offer: Godiva Chocolatier at Natick Mall in Natick; Godiva Chocolatier at Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in Wrentham; Godiva Chocolatier Burlington Mall in Burlington. Visit stores.godiva.com for more locations.

Recipe for Tea-Tini

Check out Tower Hill’s Beer Garden on Friday nights this summer. COURTESY OF BECKY GILL

Growers and Growlers

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to take the trio deeper into an internal emotional landscape, until partway through, it hits a mournful, caesura, courtesy of Oheling’s bass. There’s a complete pause, and the music escalates again, finding that place of joy. The album ends with Roberto Menescal’s “Little Boat,” which almost feels like an epilogue, a short stretch of pure, well-earned musical bliss at the end of a staggering musical journey.

have worked more in concert than in solo, save perhaps for instances where Odria takes the lead. “Corcovado” gives the bass and guitar plenty of room to demonstrate what they’re capable of achieving, and from Oheling’s cello-like moments to an exhilarating drum solo, the pair makes each note count. When we return to Odria’s

compositions with the album’s title track, the earlier sense of joy has returned, but even here there are shadows. A tempo change at a bridge seems to cast that ineffable joy in jeopardy, before it’s rescued by another change. The trio takes a swinging turn at John Coltrane’s “Mr. P.C.,” before moving into the album’s penultimate track, Odria’s “Curruquito,” a soulful and bracing song that burns with a great deal of emotional content. Each passage of the song seems

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

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Beer enthusiasts can enjoy Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s Beer Garden on themed Friday nights

this month and next. The Beer Garden features concession-style food offerings, house-made snacks, warm pretzels and local craft beer and wine selections. The Beer Garden Fridays schedule: July 19, 5 to 9 p.m., it’s Taps and Tats: Get a sneak peek of the Botanical Tattoo Weekend ( July 20 and July 21) with henna, face painters and temporary tatoos. Growers and Growlers is set for Aug. 2, 5 to 9 p.m. Participate in a free plant swap. Bring a plant you can let go and bring a new one home.

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soon expand its seating capacity, adding outdoor tables that will accommodate about 20. Work to install an exterior door leading to the outside area will begin in a few weeks, according to an employee. The tables will be on the parking lot side of the building, she said.

Ryan Maloney, owner of Julio’s Liquors in Westboro, shared a recipe for Tea-Tini in the store’s recent newsletter. Maloney calls the recipe a “newer, more elegant, adult version of iced tea.” The simple recipe: Brew and chill your favorite black or green tea. Pour 1.5 ounces of vodka, 1 ounce chilled tea, 1 teaspoon honey and ¼ ounce fresh lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with several ice cubes. Shake well. Strain the mixture into a long-stemmed martini glass and garnish with a slice or wedge of lemon. Tip: When serving a Tea-Tini, rim the martini glass by first rubbing the edge with a lemon wedge and then dip the moist rim into a small dish of sugar before adding the mixed cocktail. Visit juliosliquors.com to sign up for the newsletter and Julio’s “spirited” events.

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FILM

Tough guys don’t brake in ‘Stuber’ JAMES KEOGH

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ou need only know one thing to gauge whether “Stuber” is worth your time. In the film, a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu is repeatedly called “Steve” by the lunkish cop he’s forced to chauffeur around L.A. for an evening. Stu corrects him, but it never takes. Does this sound funny to you? If the answer is “yes,” then buy your ticket to “Stuber” and enjoy the ride. Godspeed. I happen to be in the camp that believes the Stu-Steve disconnect is just the tip of a sprawling iceberg of unfunny. Let me offer a few more examples. The cop, Vic (Dave Bautista), undergoes Lasik surgery, which leaves his vision temporarily impaired. When he tries to drive, he rumbles onto people’s lawns and mows down saplings.

Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) invests in a spin gym called Spinster, not realizing the dated connotation of the word “spinster.” Vic and Stu brawl in big box store, hurling assorted sporting goods at each other. The battle ends in timehonored fashion: a kick to the crotch. And so on. These two exceptionally different people share the front seat because Vic can’t see clearly and needs to disrupt a major heroin deal happening that night. Stu is the unfortunate soul who picks him up and suffers through shootouts, car chases, and a bad-art exhibit all for the Uber driver’s Holy Grail: the fivestar review. The arrangement plays out like this. As they negotiate the bursts of near-fatal violence, burly aggressive police officer and thoughtful pacifist driver learn life lessons about themselves — from each other. Yes, the cop learns to be a more caring

father to his adult daughter who seeks his approval (please, enough with adult children whining that their parents don’t attend their events), and the driver discovers he can be less of a wimp when it comes to matters of the heart. Hugs. “Stuber” is the equivalent of what a “Deadpool” movie might be were it exclusively about the relationship between the scarred superhero and Dopinder the cab driver. Nanjiani (“The Big Sick”), typically a very funny actor, prattles for the entire running time, offering deadpan commentary on each development during this bumpy road trip. Bautista plays the same tough guy he’s been in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies and clearly has miles to travel if he hopes to reach Rock-level status for wrestlers-turned-actors. Mira Sorvino also pops up here in a ridiculous (this is “Stuber” after all) though not inconsequential

Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani in “Stuber.” TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

role. I’m always intrigued when an Oscar-winning actor appears in a C-grade movie like this, but it occurred to me Sorvino is continuing to piece together a career after being blacklisted by Harvey Weinstein for rebuffing his advances. More power to her as she continues to get in front of a camera. “Stuber” is what I call a trailer

movie. Whatever pure cleverness the film holds is captured in the trailer — for instance, Stu believing he’s calling 911 from a warehouse phone as he and Vic are stalked by a killer only to have the call go out on the building’s intercom. It’s a nice bit. Of course, you’ve already seen it in the ad, and I can’t think of a single reason to also watch it in this Stubid movie.

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FILM CAPSULES “Aladdin” — Live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1992 animated musical based on the timeless fantasy tale about a charming thief, a beautiful princess and a big blue genie. With Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Will Smith, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen. (2:08) PG. “Annabelle Comes Home” — The deadly doll wreaks horror on the family of demonologists in this franchise entry. With Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga. Written by Gary Dauberman; story by Dauberman, James Wan, based on characters created by Dauberman. (1:46) R. “Avengers: Endgame” — Captain America and the other surviving team members attempt to set the universe to rights in the aftermath of Thanos’ victory in this Marvel franchise entry. With Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd. (3:01) PG-13. “Booksmart” — Two studious high school seniors (Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever) try to pack four years of partying into one night in the comedy “Booksmart.” (1:45) R. “Breakthrough” — A woman turns to prayer as her teenage son lies unconscious in the hospital after nearly drowning in an icy lake. With Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, Mike Colter, Sam Trammell, Dennis Haysbert. (1:46) PG.

“Crawl” — Trapped in a flooding house during a hurricane, a young Florida woman and her father are menaced by alligators. With Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper. Written by Michael Rasmussen, Shawn Rasmussen. Directed by Alexandre Aja. (1:27) R.

“The Hustle” — Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson play con women who join forces for revenge. Written by Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, Dale Launer, Jac Schaeffer; story by Shapiro, Henning, Launer. Directed by Chris Addison. (1:43) PG-13. “John Wick — Chapter 3 — Parabellum” — The super-assassin played by Keanu Reeves is back, pursued by other hired killers looking to collect a $14 million bounty. With Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Jerome Flynn, Jason Mantzoukas, Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane. (2:10) R. “Late Night” — A swell romantic comedy of a very particular sort, a film that details the delightful attachment two women — played by Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling in tip-top form — have not to any man (or even each other) but to the profession they’re completely devoted to. R. “Men in Black: International” — A new generation of alien-busting agents searches for a mole in their midst. With Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rafe Spall, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson. Written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway; based on the characters created by Lowell Cunningham. Directed by F. Gary Gray. (1:55) PG-13. “Midsommar” — A young American tourist couple are drawn into the darker aspects of a pagan festival in rural Sweden. With Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgran. Written and directed by Ari Aster. In English and Swedish with English subtitles. (1:40) R. “Pokemon Detective Pikachu” — The son of a missing detective teams with the titular sleuth to find his father in this mix of live action and animation. With the voice of Ryan Reynolds plus Justice Smith, Suki Waterhouse, Chris Geere, Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy.

“Poms” — Diane Keaton stars as a woman who starts a cheer squad at a retirement home. With Jacki Weaver, Pam Grier, Celia Weston, Rhea Perlman. Written by Shane Atkinson; story by Atkinson, Zara Hayes. Directed by Hayes. (1:31) PG-13. “Rocketman” — Mild-mannered English piano player Reginald Dwight transforms into rock superstar Elton John in this musical fantasy biopic starring Taron Egerton. With Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard. (2:01) R. “The Secret Life of Pets 2” — A sequel to the computer-animated comedy reveals more of the antics our animal companions get up to when we’re not around. With the voices of Lake Bell, Hannibal Buress, Dana Carvey, Harrison Ford, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Pete Holmes, Ellie Kemper, Nick Kroll, Bobby Moynihan, Patton Oswalt, Jenny Slate, Eric Stonestreet. Written by Brian Lynch. Directed by Chris Renaud, Jonathan Del Val. (1:26)

“Shazam!” — A teen can transform himself into a full-grown superhero. With Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou. (2:12) PG-13. “Spider-Man: Far from Home” — The young web slinger’s trip to Europe with his school friends is interrupted by Nick Fury and some elemental creatures. With Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, JB Smoove, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal. Written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers; based on the comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Directed by Jon Watts. (2:08) PG-13. “Stuber” — A mild-mannered Uber driver is pressed into service by a gruff undercover cop in pursuit of a violent criminal. With Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Mira Sorvino, Karen Gillan. Written by Tripper Clancy. Directed by Michael Dowse. (1:33) R. “Toy Story 4” — The gang goes on a road trip and reunites with Bo Peep in the fourth entry in Disney-Pixar’s

beloved computer-animated franchise. With the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, KeeganMichael Key, Christina Hendricks, Jordan Peele, Keanu Reeves, Jay Hernandez and Joan Cusack. (1:40) G. “UglyDolls” — The plush toys break out in song in their own animated musical adventure. With voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monae, Blake Shelton, Wanda Sykes, Gabriel Iglesias, Bebe Rexha, Charli XCX, Lizzo, Wang Leehom, Emma Roberts, Pitbull. “Yesterday” — A struggling musician wakes up to find he’s the only person on Earth who knows the music of the Beatles. With Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, Ed Sheeran. Written by Richard Curtis; story by Curtis, Jack Barth. Directed by Danny Boyle. (1:56) PG-13.

“The Dead Don’t Die” — A small town is overrun by zombies in writer-director Jim Jarmusch’s star-studded horror comedy. With Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Tom Waits. (1:45) R.

“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” — The giant reptile vies with Mothra, Rodan and the three-headed King Ghidorah for world domination. With Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, David Strathairn, Ken Watanabe, Ziyi Zhang. (2:12) PG-13.

Written by Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly; story by Hernandez, Samit, Nicole Perlman. Directed by Rob Letterman. (1:44) PG.

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“Child’s Play” — The murderous doll Chucky is back in this revival of the 1988 horror classic. With Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry, voice of Mark Hamill. (2:00) R.

“A Dog’s Journey” — The pooch with a purpose forms a new attachment and vows to watch over her in this sequel. With Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott, Dennis Quaid and the voice of Josh Gad. (1:48) PG.

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“Captain Marvel” — A female superhero leaps into action when Earth faces an intergalactic threat in this Marvel movie set in the 1990s. With Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou. (2:04) PG-13.

T&G Readers: For today’s movie showtimes, please see the television page of today’s Telegram & Gazette.

CITY LIFE

THINGS TO DO COMPILED BY RICHARD DUCKET T, VICTOR D. INFANTE, HOPE RUDZINSKI AND CRAIG S. SEMON

Festival For a Cause Kimball Farms will host the third annual Future Nurse Fest to benefit the Estelle R. Ford Future Nurses Scholarship Fund, named for a Gardner native who died in 2016 after a lifetime dedicated to nursing. The scholarships are awarded “to encourage excellence in nursing, character, leadership and community service in the Central Massachusetts area,” according to the group’s website. All the money raised at the music and arts festival goes toward the scholarships. Chris Tapper, Danielle Miraglia and Ric Allendorf are among the musicians performing, and there will be more than 100 craft and food vendors. What: Future Nurse Fest When: 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. July 20 Where: Kimball Farm Lancaster, 1543 Lunenburg Road, Lancaster How Much: Free. $10 suggested donation. 508-769-0041, erfscholarship@gmail.com

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THURSDAY, JULY 18

Rocket launching honoring Robert Goddard: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. July 18, Pakachoag Golf Course, 15 Upland St., Auburn. For information: 508523-9666, charles@wowinc.net. Thursday Story Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m. July 18, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: 508-869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org. Ages 0-6 Animal Craze at Tatnuck Magnet Branch: 4-5 p.m. July 18, Worcester Public Library Tatnuck Magnet Branch, 1083 Pleasant St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org. Tickets to see the animals will be awarded upon arrival. Out to Lunch 2019 ft. Niki Luparelli: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 18, Worcester Common Oval, 455 Main St., Worcester. Free. Little Black Dress: 6-9 p.m. July 18, Patio at Sonoma Restaurant, 363 Plantation St., Worcester. For information: 508-754-2000, sales@beechwoodhotel.com. Summer in the Park Concert Series -Boombox: 6-8 p.m. July 18, Dr. Arthur and Dr. Martha Pappas Recreation Complex, 203.5 Pakachoag St., Auburn. Movies on the Common — E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: 6:30 p.m.10 p.m. July 18, The Worcester Common Oval, 455 Main St., Worcester. For information: oval@ worcesterma.gov. In the case of inclement weather, movies will be moved to the Worcester

PopUp which is adjacent to the Worcester Common located at 20 Franklin St.. For the most up to date information visit Worcestercommonoval.com. Bike Night with Cactus: 6:30-10:30 p.m. July 18, Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn. Miss May I & The Word Alive with Afterlife and Thousand Below: 7 p.m. July 18, Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. Cost: $18 in advance, $20 at the door. Terry McBride: 7:30-11 p.m. July 18, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. Cost: $30 For information: 978-425-4311, BryanSawyer@bullrunrestaurant. com. Firefly Gazing: 8-9:30 p.m. July 18, Stillwater Farm, 228 Redemption Rock Trail, Sterling. For information: 774-261-1809, Kathryn.Parent@mass.gov. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Musical Bingo presented by Wise Guys Trivia: 9-11:59 p.m. July 18, Beatnik’s, 433 Park Avenue, Worcester.

Comedian Jimmy Cash, 8 p.m. July 19, The Comedy Attic at Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park Ave., Worcester. $15. Matty Mudstain’s Last Show: with The Excrementals, Elaine FRIDAY, JULY 19 Drive, Scotty Saints and the True Pawsitively 4 Pink – Putting with Believers and The Pathetics, 8 p.m. Paws Golf Tournament!: 9 a.m.-3 July 19, Beatnik’s, 433 Park Ave., p.m. July 19, Leicester Country Worcester. $8. Club, 1430 Main St., Leicester. Gorilla NEMS, Raff the Ruler, Cost: $125. Christ Smoov and Gorilla Smooth: Kidleidoscope Nature Story: 10:30-11:30 a.m. July 19, Stillwater 8 p.m. July 19, The Pavilion at the Beer Garden, 4 Franklin St, Farm, 228 Redemption Rock Trail, Worcester. $20. Sterling. For information: 774261-1809, Kathryn.Parent@mass. The Flock: 8:30 p.m.-12 a.m. July 19, Halligan’s Bar And Function gov. Stories followed by a nature Hall, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn. walk and craft. Children’s Tour of the Worcester Art Museum: 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. SATURDAY, JULY 20 July 19, Boylston Public Library, House & Garden Tour: 9 a.m.695 Main St., Boylston. For 3 p.m. July 20, Westminster information: (508) 869-2371, Historical Society, 110 Main St., efurse@cwmars.org. Children Westminster. Cost: $25-$30. For must be accompanied by a information: 978-874-5569, caregiver. westminsterhistoricalsociety@ First Mime on the Moon: mime, gmail.com. comedy and interactive stories GWLT Hike Series: Moreland by Robert Rivest: 3:30-4:30 p.m. Woods: 9-11 a.m. July 20, 19 July 19, Worcester Public Library Orrison St, 19 Orrison St., Frances Perkins Branch, 470 West Worcester. For information: 508Boylston St., Worcester. 795-3838, lea@gwlt.org. GWLT Hot Night in the City: 6-9 p.m. July President Allen Fletcher, will 19, Worcester Center for Crafts, lead a hike through the Trust’s 25 Sagamore Road, Worcester. Moreland Woods conservation For information: 508-753-8183, area. Free. wccregistration@worcester.edu. One Small Step for Man, One Hot demos in ceramics, glass and Giant Leap for Mankind — Apollo metals. Music by Jubilee Gardens. 11 Lunar Landing: 10 a.m.-5 Exhibit “Life As It Happens” on p.m. July 20, Worcester Public display, featuring streetscapes by Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. Scott Erb and Uday Khambadkone. For information: 508-799-1655, Canal District Music Series — Ric wplref@mywpl.org. CBS coverage Porter and Liam Coleman: 6-8:15 anchored by Walter Cronkite will p.m. July 19, 112 Harding St, 112 be on digital displays throughout Harding St., Worcester Ice Center, the first floor of the Main Library. Worcester. For information: 508Tea Tasting: 10-11 a.m. July 20, 981-4632, ckburr2@gmail.com. Acoustic Java Roastery & Tasting Free. Room, 6 Brussels St., (Behind Way Up South with Nikki Howard: Rotmans Furniture), Worcester. 6 p.m. July 19, Electric Haze, 26 Cost: $27. Millbury St., Worcester. DWC’s Inspiration Garden Tour:

Cool happenings at ‘Hot Nights’ The Worcester Center for Crafts is planning a sizzling party Friday night. The annual

free “Hot Night in the City” promises creative and festive goings-on inside and outside the center, 25 Sagamore Road, including artists demonstrating glassblowing, raku firing, flame working, blacksmithing, wheel throwing and more. There will also be music, food, drinks, and the opening of a new exhibit, “Life as it Happens,” featuring photographs by Scott Erb and Uday Khambadkone. What: “Hot Night in the City” When: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday July 19 Where: Worcester Center for Crafts, 25 Sagamore Road, Worcester How much: Free admission 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 20, Dudley Grange, 139 Center Road, Dudley. Cost: $20. For information: dudleywomansclub@gmail.com. Includes a visit to Fay Mountain Farm. Proceeds from this event will be shared with the Dudley

Battle lines Watching Gorilla NEMS’ music video for his song, “Who Got Ya,” it’s easy to see the hip-hop artist’s battle rap roots. There’s an unrestrained sense of aggression, a ferocity that resonates with each bar. “When you put me next to any rapper I’m way advanced,” he raps, even calling out his own son. “I’m glad I could inspire you/just know the day we go face to face/I will retire you.” As exercises in hip-hop braggadocio go, NEMS has a lot of skills to back up the boasts, and it’s certainly a lot of fun to watch. What: Gorilla NEMS with Raff the Ruler, Christ Smoov and Gorilla Smooth When: 8 p.m. July 19 Where: The Pavilion at the Beer Garden, 4 Franklin St, Worcester How much: $20

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Woman’s Club, the Dudley Grange, the Dudley Elementary School’s Garden project and Charlton’s Fay Mountain Farm. Future Nurse Fest: featuring 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. July 20, Kimball Farm Lancaster, 1543 Lunenburg Road, Lancaster. For information: roblevey@gmail.com. Featuring Chris Trapper, Steve Beckwith, Daniel Chauvin, Ric Allendorf, Fred Swedberg, Kala Farnham and the Jazztronauts. Funds support the nonprofit Estelle R. Ford Future Nursing Scholarship Fund. Worcester Nourished Festival: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 20, DCU Center - North Hall, 50 Foster St., Worcester. Cost: $5-$35.Formerly the Gluten Free & Allergen

Raw & authentic

20, Kimball Farm Lancaster, 1543 Lunenburg Road, Lancaster. For information: 978-407-4824, erfscholarship@gmail.com. Walk the Streets of Revolutionary War Worcester: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. July 20, Salisbury Mansion, 40 Highland St., Worcester. Cost: $10. For information: 508-753-8278, robertstacy@ worcesterhistory.net. Haunted Voices author event with Claire Gem: 1-3 p.m. July 20, Booklovers’ Gourmet, 55 East Main St., Webster. For information: 508949-6232, deb@ bookloversgourmet. com.

As part of the monthly “Blues at the Vernon” series, traditional blues trio GA-20 will be bringing its uncompromising, raw and authentic blend of late ’50s-early ’60s Chicago blues to the Hotel Vernon. Touring behind its soon-to-be released debut album, “Lonely Soul,” GA-20 (which gets its name from a line of popular Gibson amps from the late ’40s to the ’60s) is made up of singer-guitarist Pat Faherty, guitarist Matthew Stubbs and drummer Tim Carman. Stubbs — a second-generation, working-class musician who has lived in three of the six New England states and three years in Los Angeles — has been a member of the touring band for blues legend Charlie Musselwhite for the last 11 years. On Aug. 7, Stubbs will be backing up Musselwhite again on a triple-bill that also includes more blues legends, Buddy Guy and Jimmie Vaughan, at the legendary Hollywood Bowl.

‘Phone Home’ If you’re outside at the Worcester Common Oval this evening, look up and you’’ll see E.T. The classic family science fiction 1982 movie “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” that is, being shown as part of the Movies on the Common series. Steven Spielberg directs the story of Elliott, a young boy who befriends an alien trapped on Earth and trying to find his way home. Bring chairs and blankets to watch the film, which will be shown at dusk. Movies on the Common returns Aug. 22 with a screening of “How to Train Your Dragon 3.”

What: GA-20 with Big Jon Short Where: The Hotel Vernon, 16 Kelley Square, Worcester When: Doors open at 8 p.m. How Much: $10

East Coast FXR/Dyna Weekend: 1-2 p.m. July 20, Spencer Fairgrounds, 48 Smithville Road, Spencer. Cost: $5-$10. Performances by Harley-Davison Stunt team Grim Co.. Outdoor Digital Photography with Richard Hoyer: 2-4 p.m. July 20,

Sky’s The Limit For fans of Southern-style rock ’n’ roll, it’s hard to go wrong with Way Up South, the Worcester-area band which impressed with its 2016 album, “Big Sky.” At its core, Way Up South’s sound is guitardriven, countrified rock, but it’s so well executed and so filled with fervent love for the music that listening is just a pure joy.

What: Way Up South with Nikki Howard When: 6 p.m. July 19 Where: Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester

SUNDAY, JULY 21

Worcester Nourished Festival: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 21, DCU Center - North Hall, 50 Foster St.,

Worcester. Cost: $5-$35.Formerly the Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expos. The Festivals have five zones to visit: Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo, Keto & Plant-Based. All products in all zones are glutenfree. Make Astronaut Pudding: 11 a.m.12 p.m. July 21, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: 508-869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org. Corn Hole Tournament: 1-4 p.m. July 21, River Styx Brewing, 166 Boulder Drive, Fitchburg. Cost: Free. George Thorogood: 2 p.m. July 21, Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Road, Webster. $70-$170. Wedding and Party Expo 2019: 3-7 p.m. July 21, Leominster Road, Sterling. Cost: Free. Dance2Swing with The Workingman’s Band: 6:4510:30 p.m. July 21, Leominster

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Friendly Expos. A single day pass works for either day of the event. The Festivals have five zones to visit: Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo, Keto & Plant-Based. All products in all zones are gluten-free. 3rd Annual Music and Arts Festival: 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. July

Snake(s): 7 p.m. July 20, Ground Effect Brewing Co., 312 Main St., Hudson. Comedian Will Noonan: 8 p.m. July 20, The Woohaha Comedy Club, 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $20. Comedian Jimmy Cash, 8 p.m. July 20, The Comedy Attic at Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park Ave., Worcester. $15. “Macbeth”: presented by The Shakespeare Academy @ Stratford, 8 p.m. July 20, The Sprinkler Factory, 38 Harlow St., Worcester. A 3-person production that explores the roles of gender in hierarchical society, the intersection of choice and fate, and the effects of fear on our actions.

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What: Movies on the Common: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” When: July 18. Worcester Common Oval opens for seating on the green space at 6:30 p.m.; movie begins at dusk Where: Worcester Common Oval, behind City Hall, 455 Main St., Worcester How much: Free

Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. For information: 508-799-1655, wplref@mywpl. org. Moon Landing 50th Anniversary Party: 4-5 p.m. July 20, Worcester Public Library Roosevelt Branch, 1006 Grafton St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl. org. Pulse St Food Truck Festival: 5-9 p.m. July 20, Greater Good Imperial Brew Co., 55 Millbrook St., Worcester. Cost: $5-$25. Post Script Poetry Reading featuring Patrick Donnelly: 7-8:30 p.m. July 20, Bedlam Book Cafe, 138 Green St., Worcester. Fender Road Featuring Gary Suter and Paul ‘Fender’ Lirange: 7-9 p.m. July 20, Blackstone National Golf Club, 227 Putnam Hill Road, Sutton. For information: lirange70@charter.net. Tyra Penn and Her Army of

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THINGS TO DO Elks Lodge, 134 North Main St., Leominster. Cost: $15. For information: dance2swing@ comcast.net. Comedy Open Mic: 7 p.m. July 21, The Woohaha Comedy Club, 50 Franklin St. Listen! A Poetry Series: 7 p.m. July 21, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. The Duende Project: 9-11:30 p.m. July 21, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester.

MONDAY, JULY 22

Buildings & Cities: 8:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. July 22, Technocopia, 44 Portland St., 6th floor, Worcester. Cost: $300. For information: email lauren.monroe@technocopia/ Children will learn how to safely use basic hand tools and have age-appropriate access and training on our digital fabrication

resources such as a 3d printer, laser fabricator and digital vinyl cutter (for making custom stickers of all sizes.) Tatnuck Toddlers! Learn and Play Storytime: 10-11 a.m. July 22, Worcester Public Library Tatnuck Magnet Branch, 1083 Pleasant St., Worcester. For ages 1½ to 3 years old with caregiver.

Night Sky Origami (Frances Perkins Branch): with artist Cheryl Perrow, 3-5 p.m. July 22, Worcester Public Library Frances Perkins Branch, 470 West Boylston St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org. Summer Workshops: Painting a Goblet: 6-9 p.m. July 22, Westminster Senior Center, 69

The winding road Terry McBride’s 2017 album, “Hotel’s & Highways,” is a fascinating study of the pushand-pull between wanderlust and homesickness. There’s a wistfulness about the album, a sense that no one is exactly where they’re supposed to be at any moment. Home calls. The road calls. The coast beckons a lover to leave. It’s beautiful, heartfelt work from a consummate country songwriter.

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What: Terry McBride When: 7:30 p.m. July 18 Where: Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $30

Main St., Westminster. Cost: $50. For information: 978-874-5569, westminsterhistoricalsociety@ gmail.com. Screening of “Tampopo”: 7-9 p.m. July 22, Greater Good Imperial Brew Co., 55 Millbrook St., Worcester. Cost: $7.50. The tale of an enigmatic band of ramen ronin who guide the widow of a noodle shop owner on her quest for the perfect recipe. Dirty Gerund Poetry Series: 9 p.m. July 22, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester.

TUESDAY, JULY 23

Make a Mini Zen Garden: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. July 23, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: 508869-2317. Ages: Teens & up Windsor Chair Making Demonstration: 6-7:30 p.m. July 23, Fitchburg Public Library, 610 Main St., Fitchburg. For information: fplref@cwmars.org. Concert on the Common: 6:30-8 p.m. July 23, Brimfield, Common, Brimfield. Central Massachusetts Genealogical Society: 7-9 p.m. July 23, American Legion Post #129, 22 Elm St., Gardner. Membership is $15 for an individual or $20 for a couple per year. Outer Space Research with Les Blatt: 7-8 p.m. July 23, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. For information: 508799-1655, wplref@mywpl.org.

‘Good to be Bad’ In 1973 George Thorogood, who had been playing solo acoustic blues at various small gathering spots including in Cambridge, formed a band and started to go bad. In a good way, as the bluesrock George Thorogood & The Destroyers smashed out such songs as “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” “I Drink Alone,” “Move It On Over,” “Who Do You Love” and “Bad To The Bone” and developed a relentlessly driving performing style and a loyal following that has long endured. George Thorogood & The Destroyers return to Indian

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24

Make a Button Moon: 11 a.m.12 p.m. July 24, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: 508-869-2371, estretton@cwmars.org. Ages 3 & up Princess Jasmine at Tatnuck Magnet Branch: 3:30-4:30 p.m. July 24, Worcester Public Library Tatnuck Magnet Branch, 1083 Pleasant St., Worcester. Wacky Wednesday Jam: 8:30 p.m. July 24, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W. Boylston St, Worcester. Duncan Arsenault and friends: 9 p.m. July 24, Vincent’s, 49 Suffolk St., Worcester.

THURSDAY, JULY 25

Thursday Story Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m. July 25, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: 508-869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org. Ages 6 and younger. Out to Lunch 2019 ft. Abraxas: 11

Ranch July 21 as part of their “Good To Be Bad: 45 Years of Rock” tour. The group is in its fifth consecutive year of supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by donating $1 from each ticket sold. They will also continue donating 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of their LLS-branded Destroyers shirt to the organization. What: George Thorogood & The Destroyers “Good To be Bad: 45 Years of Rock” tour. Opening Act: Nick Schnebelen When: 2 p.m. Sunday July 21 (doors open at noon) Where: Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Road, Webster How much: $55 to $71. indianranch.com

CITY LIFE

a.m. to 2 p.m. July 25, Worcester Common Oval, 455 Main St., Worcester. Free. Throwback Thursday Theater: 2-3:30 p.m. July 25, Worcester Public Library Roosevelt Branch, 1006 Grafton St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl. org. Dale LePage & The Manhattans: 6-9 p.m. July 25, Sonoma Restaurant, 363 Plantation St., Worcester. Summer in the Park Concert Series featuring 4 Ever Fab: 6-8 p.m. July 25, Dr. Arthur and Dr. Martha Pappas Recreation Complex, 203.5 Pakachoag St., Auburn. Bike Night with ViVi and DaFunk:

6:30-10:30 p.m. July 25, Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn. Musical Bingo presented by Wise Guys Trivia: 9-11:59 p.m. July 25, Beatnik’s, 433 Park Avenue, Worcester.

STAGE

“7 Ways to Say I Love You”: 8 p.m. July 19, 20; 2 p.m. July 21. $20; seniors and students, $18; youth 11 and younger, $10. Stageloft Repertory Theater, 450A Main St., Sturbridge. stageloft.org/. “West Side Story”: 7:30 p.m. July 18, 19; 1 and 7:30 p.m. July 20. $20; $17 for seniors and students. Calliope Productions, 150 Main St.,

Roots and rock Local legend Ric Porter, co-founder of Zonkaraz, gets to the roots of the matter with his band Ric Porter and The Sons of Soil. The sound is country roots-rock, with Porter originals mixed in with Bob Dylan, rockabilly and country. Meanwhile, Liam Coleman is a 16-year-old musician covering songs of all genres from the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s and through to today. He is a student in the Main IDEA Teen Music Program. The Canal District Music Series is being held Friday evenings starting at 6 p.m.

Formerly called the Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expos, The Nourished Festivals put the focus on food for those living a gluten-free, allergen-friendly or special diet lifestyle. The exhibition is split into five sections: Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo, Keto and Plant-Based. Hundreds of products will be on display, and there will be classes for people looking to learn more. But if you’ve been before, don’t wait until the last minute, because lines at booths can get long quickly. What: Worcester Nourished Festival When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 20 and 21 Where: DCU Center - North Hall, 50 Foster Street, Worcester How much: $5-$35 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10; 2 p.m. Aug. 4. $20. Presented by Vanilla Box Productions. Joseph P. Burke Center for Performing Arts - Holy Name CCHS 144 Granite St., Worcester. vanillaboxproductions. com. “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2, 3 and 10; 2 p.m. Aug. 4 and 11. Presented by Regatta Players. Flanagan Theater, Southgate at Shrewsbury, 30 Julio Drive, Shrewsbury. $18; $15 for students and seniors. regattaplayers.com, 508-925-0583

TICKETS Danny Klein’s Full House: 8 p.m. July 27. $20. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Rt. 2A, Shirley.

bullrunrestaurant.com 978-4254311. Milton: 8 p.m. July 27. $15. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Rt. 2A, Shirley. bullrunrestaurant. com 978-425-4311. The Menzingers - Summer 2019 with special guests The Sidekicks, Queen Of Jeans: 8 p.m. July 28. $25 in advance, $28 at the door. The Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. thepalladium.net. 508797-9696. Davina & the Vagabonds: 7:30 p.m. July 28. $24. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Rt. 2A, Shirley. bullrunrestaurant.com 978-425-4311.

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Boylston. calliope-productions.org. “Matilda”: 7 p.m. July 18 and 19; 1 p.m. July 20 and 21. $15. Presented by Vanilla Box Productions. Joseph P. Burke Center for Performing Arts - Holy Name CCHS 144 Granite St., Worcester. vanillaboxproductions. com. “Trial of the Wicked Witch: The Musical”: July 19, 20, 21. Gateway Players Theatre, Fellowship Hall of Elm St. Congregational Church, 61 Elm St in Southbridge. gatewayplayers.org. “Seven Keys to Baldpate”: 7:30 p.m. July 26, 27 and Aug. 2, 3; 2 p.m. July 28. Presented by Daft Theater Productions. Singh Performance Center,50 Douglas Road, Whitinsville. $20; $18 for seniors. 774-287-8374 “Shrek The Musical”: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17; 2 p.m. Aug. 4, 11, 18. $24 The Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. $24; $21 for seniors and students. thebradleyplayhouse.org. “The Music Man”: 7:30 p.m. Aug.

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What: Ric Porter and The Sons of the Soil; opener Liam Coleman — Canal District Music Series When: 6 p.m. July 17 Where: Front parking lot, Worcester Ice Center, 112 Harding St., Worcester (in case of inclement weather, the concert will move to Fiddler’s Green, Hibernian Cultural Centre, 19 Temple St., Worcester). How much: Free

Nourishing exhibition

CITY LIFE

THE SUMMER OF COCKATIELS

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. LYNDSEY LETOURNEAU

38 Cockatiels were brought in on July 10. They have all been seen by a veterinarian on July 11. Most are thin and dirty, most have patches of missing feathers. A small handful have wounds that will require medication. All need vitamins, a good consistent diet, and handling. The veterinarian recommends the birds be monitored for the next week prior to adoption. Follow their story on our Facebook page where we’ll post updated pictures and videos. We are looking for either foster homes or potential adopters to foster them for the next week (or longer for some). Once they are cleared, we can complete the adoption paperwork. Their adoption fee is $25 per bird and we are asking for them to be adopted out in pairs, trios, or more (within reason!). It is difficult to know the ages and genders of most of the birds, so owners must be on the look out for eggs.

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The homes must:

Meet Oliver: Oliver is a gentle giant (over 20 pounds). We put him on canned food only (no dry food) to help him lose weight safely. Oliver had a wonderful life with his owner until she went into a nursing home. Oliver is shy and easily overwhelmed, so he needs a quiet home. If there are children, they need to understand what he’s been through. Initially, you may have to coax him out of hiding places. Oliver loves attention. Give him lots of TLC, put him on your bed or on the couch. Assure him he won’t be alone again. Oliver qualifies for our Senior for Senior program. He is 10 years old.

• Have bird experience • Be able to take 2+ birds • Keep them isolated from other birds in your home for at least 1 month • Provide them with vitamins, medication, or whatever specific needs they may have • Monitor them for any abnormalities like sneezing and congestion (upper respiratory infections), increase in balding/plucking, lethargy, etc. • Be comfortable handling birds who are not well-socialized. This group did not have much human interaction. • Homes must not breed these birds. It’s safe to assume most of these birds are related, which will result in unhealthy birds. Do not provide them with a nesting box, nest, etc, and should eggs appear, they should be disposed of. • We may be able to provide seed, toys, supplies, and cages should we have enough. Here’s a helpful link about cage sizes: herebird.com/bird-cage-sizes/ If you’re interested in fostering or adopting, email Holly at Holly@worcesterarl.org.

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

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!

GAMES

J O N E S I N’

Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

36 Like lovestruck eyes 40 Imbibes 43 Words said with a shrug 47 Nice with? 49 Like every era except this one 51 “Turn on the A/C!” complaint 52 “Toy Story 4” co-star 53 Beckett no-show 54 “Straight, No Chaser” jazz pianist 55 Top-shelf 56 Aer Lingus land 57 Ye ___ Shoppe 58 NASCAR course shape 59 2020 Milwaukee conventioneers, for short 60 “Live ___” (Taco Bell slogan)

Last week's solution

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Down 1 Leader at a mosque 2 “She Used to Be Mine”

singer Bareilles 3 Petri dish gel 4 “¡Three ___!” (1986 comedy) 5 Fried squid 6 Don Draper et al. (with or without an “M”) 7 Smoky chimney deposits 8 Reaction from 1990s-era Keanu 9 Bridge defenders 10 Doctorate pursuer, presumably 11 Muffin topper? 12 Unit of sweat 13 Lamentable 19 Sci-fi character who sings “Yub Nub” 21 Modified 24 Illness with swellings 25 Nebraska city on the Missouri 26 Marching band section 28 Colder and windier 29 Whirlpool Corporation brand 30 Impersonation with two “V” signs and hunched shoulders 33 “Jeopardy!” all-star Mueller 34 Prankish one 35 Word before interested or guilty

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Call 978-728-4302 or email cmaclassifieds@gatehousemedia.com today to place your ad here!

Across 1 Author Asimov 6 “Even ___ speak ...” 10 Convulsive sounds 14 Basalt, once 15 2022 World Cup city 16 DuVall of “21 Grams” 17 Thin as ___ 18 Hunting lodge decoration 20 Author whose highly anticipated sequel “The Testaments” comes out in September 22 “Good ___” (show that, despite online petitions, is not on Netflix) 23 It’s not far from fa 24 Israeli intelligence agency 27 Part of DKNY 31 Maya Hawke’s mom Thurman 32 Rodeo activity 37 “Bohemian Rhapsody” star Malek 38 Highest capacity 39 Emotional ... or how the four theme answers are presented? 41 Candle ingredient that can be made from soybeans 42 “That’s a relief!” 44 “Caveat ___” 45 “Ambient 1: Music for Airports” composer 46 “I Am... ___ Fierce” (Beyonce album) 48 “The Prophet” author Kahlil 50 Prefix meaning “egg” 52 Anguish 54 Request at a hair salon, maybe 60 Someone born under the sign Cancer, in astrology 61 Figure out 62 Sister of Charlotte and Emily 63 Snack served at some crossword tournaments 64 Allow to flow freely again 65 Distort 66 Campsite sight 67 Clementine leftovers

“I’m Feeling It” – it’s what’s on the outside. by Matt Jones

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My secret is CLASSIFIEDS! Over 90,000 Readers! Call 978-728-4302 or email cmaclassifieds@ gatehousemedia.com

Sudoku Answers

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Call 978-728-4302 or email cmaclassifieds@ gatehousemedia.com LEGAL WORCESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS SEALED BIDS shall be received at the Purchasing Office, 69 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605. Solicitation package 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 solicitation. WHA or its affiliate 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. Project Title Bid Opening Bid No. Release Date 19-23 7/18/2019 K9 Services for 2:00 PM August 7, 2019 Bed Bug Detection Jackson Restrepo, Chief Procurement Officer

HELP WANTED Medical Director, Adult Mental Health Unit (Worcester, MA) sought by UMass Memorial Medical Group, Inc. to evaluate, diagnose, and treat common & complex psychiatric illnesses of adolescents, adults, and elderly patients. Must have MA Medical License. Apply to Leigh M. Corl, HR Business Partner, UMass Memorial HR, HB-791, 55 Lake Ave. North, Worcester, MA 01655. No phone calls.

YARD SALE

LAST CALL

Aaron Perna and Ben White Ride The Woo A aron Perna and Ben White are the duo behind Ride The Woo, a free trolley service planned to launch in 2021 that would connect entertainment and dining hubs of Worcester with six trolleys. The pair have already launched a phone app showing how riders could accumulate ride vouchers by visiting participating local businesses. The service is not designed as an alternative to existing public transportation, but as both a tourist attraction and a means to connect parts of the city that make up some of Worcester’s key entertainment destinations.

AP: So we thought the park opening was a coalescing event. But we also need the time to plan, to drive demand and create energy. This is not what we do full time. We are doing this because we love the city. What do both of you do when you’re not working on Ride The Woo? AP: I’m a director of patient experience. I have been in the biotech and drug space for 17 years, and before that,

operations in a variety of different businesses such as banking and telecommunications. So I run a variety of teams focusing on patient experiences. BW: I work as a morning show producer here in the city of Worcester for a Worcester talk radio program hosted by Worcester legend Hank Stolz. We provide a morning show in the city of Worcester called “Talk of the Commonwealth,” talking Worcester politics every weekday morning. Why do you see there being demand for Ride The Woo? AP: We need to change people’s perception about Worcester. Part of that is people knowing they can get on this trolley and be in a safe environment and get around. And Ben put this best when he said it, you’re not going to need to know the hot spots, this is going to take you everywhere you want to go. BW: Instead of Googling cool

bars in Worcester, this will take you right to them. This is real Worcester. What do you say to somebody who might be skeptical about this coming to fruition? AP: My biggest part is that it’s easy to say no. The easiest thing in life is to say no, but finding a way to say yes is always a little bit more difficult and then having the vision to do it. How many people said no about Polar Park and ever getting the PawSox? How many people said you’d never connect Front Street again? There’s a defeatist attitude that exists in Worcester, although it’s changing. People are now believing because things have come to fruition. This is like that, you have to believe and you have to know that this is needed. People want this. They are demanding it. There is an energy behind this. They want an experience. – Sam Bonacci

You are talking about timing this with the opening of Polar Park. Why is that the right time to get this up and going? AP: Part of that was asking when are we going to have a big enough mass of things going on. There are going to be people coming into the park and navigating to get to all the good places for dinner. Worcester is doing a lot of great work to advance walkability in the city, but we are not there yet. You are going to be able to get on this trolley and have a fun experience. It’s going to open up business opportunities and it’s going to be a great promotional item for the city. BW: All of these things are happening in the city and we need something interconnecting them. You create this trolley with a window to the world; they have windows that can be removed

DYLAN AZARI

and you can look out on the city of Worcester. You’re getting people who don’t come out a lot or haven’t been downtown in 20 years. You show them the fantastic things that are going on and it gets them hooked again. They have a positive experience with the city, so it’s not only getting people around, but it’s promoting the gorgeous city of Worcester.

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This was Aaron’s concept that grew out of discussions of a trolley service in the city that had been discussed at different levels over the years, how did you get involved Ben? BW: Aaron had this idea and we met up to talk about it. I was skeptical at first but we ate some lunch and he told me about it. I came away glowing. I just was struck with how this could be a revolutionary idea and, you know, why not Worcester, why not right now? I grew up in Boston. After college I got my first job in MetroWest and eventually made my way over to Worcester. When I got here I just threw myself

Aaron Perna, left, and Ben White of Ride the Woo.

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What is the concept of Ride the Woo? AP: The idea is to have six trolleys running in a continuous loop that interconnects downtown, the Canal District, Shrewsbury Street, the DCU Center, Highland Street and back to Main Street and to The Hanover. The concept is to have three going in one direction and three going in the other direction. That’s a ninemile loop with 20 stops along the way and you will be able to track the trolleys through the app. Two of the trolleys will be ADA compliant so that one trolley in each of those loops has accessibility.

in. I just completely dove in to Worcester, which has a rich cultural scene in arts and music. But it’s hard unless you really go looking to find some of these hidden gems and things that Worcester has to offer. Once you’re willing to say I love Worcester and this is something I want, they accept you. So we say, why not us? Worcester is at this point in the history of the city, you can call it a tipping point or a renaissance or whatever cliche you want to use, where something like this that creates an experience for young folks trying to make their way around the city that is easy and affordable. It’s a great way to connect all these experiences. I want to go with my friends and jump on it!

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