Worcester Magazine December 13 - 19, 2018

DECEMBER 13 -20, 2018 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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Firefighter Christopher J. Roy End of Shift 12.9.18

A City in Mourning

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in this issue D E C E M B E R 13 - 20, 2018 • V O L U M E 44 I S S U E 16

the cover

End of Shift: Worcester mourns loss of Firefighter Christopher Roy Story on page 11

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Photo of Christopher Roy submitted by City of Worcester Photo of Webster Square Fire Station by Elizabeth Brooks Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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news

City Council widens tax rate gap with 6-5 vote BILL SHANER

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n a 6-5 vote, the City Council on Tuesday adopted a split tax rate that lowers the residential rate and raises the business rate for the fourth straight year.

The vote came after business leaders advocated for a lower business rate and homeowners and property owners advocated for the residential rate to stay low.

The adopted reate sets residential property taxes at $18 per thousand square foot for residential property and $34.90 for business property. Last year, the council passed a split of $18.91 per $1,000 valuation for residential and $34.03 for commercial.

The new rate will raise taxes for the median residential property by $47 and the median commercial property by $135 as valuations across the city are up nearly 6 percent.

Councilors Khrystian King, Candy Mero-Carlson, Moe Bergman, Konnie Lukes and George Russell voted for the rate. Mayor Joe Petty and Councilors Kate Toomey and Matt Wally voted for a rate put forward by the Chamber of Commerce that would have lowered the commercial rate and raised the residential rate. Councilor Sean Rose offered a compromise rate, which he and Councilor Sarai Rivera voted for.

Lukes proposed the rate that eventually passed. In doing doing so, she said she always votes for the lowest option reasonably available for homeowners.

I am trying with my vote to say I am trying to give as much a break as possible to residents,” she said.

But Lukes and many other

Councilor George Russell was the sixth councilor to speak in support of the lower residential tax rate option, giving it the votes it needed. Chamber of Commerce representatives Kate Sharry and Alex Guardiola (front row, far left and right), who opposed the rate, watched on from the crowd.

BILL SHANER

councilors argued the process of picking a rate is ineffective and politically damaging.

Wally, who proposed the rate put forward by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce as a way to start bringing the tax rate from a split to a single rate, made the argument that lowering busi-

ness tax burdens will increase the business tax base. The split share creates a warped balance, he argued, the residential rate goes down but the residential share of the tax burden.

Finding a middle ground between the two, Rose proposed a rate that would narrow the gap

between business and residence, but only slightly.

“I think the tax rate setting is about jobs and business,” said Rose. “We haven’t had a major company relocate here and there’s been a decrease in commercial growth.”

For fiscal 2019, assessed proper-

ty value across the city increased 5.96 percent, per a memo from City Assessor Bill Ford, to a total of $13.525 billion. The combined tax rate for all properties would be $22.41 per thousand square foot.

New tax growth over the past C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 6

news

Draft plastic bag ban advances in Worcester BILL SHANER

Wahya Wolfpaw, another member of Mothers Out Front, proposed ordinance to ban said protecting mother earth is for single-use plastic shopping future generations.

“I am a grandmother and my bags in Worcester moved to subcommittee review after grandkids live here,” said Wolfpaw. environmental activists descended “I’ll fight every fight I have to fight to make sure this city safe for on the City Council Chambers to them. tout its benefits.

In a memo to councilors, City The bag ban ordinance, heavily Manager Ed Augustus Jr. said he based on the new Boston rule, asked City Solicitor David Moore will require a public hearing in to draft an ordinance based on the subcommittee before it comes back to council for a vote. The city plastic bag ban that recently went into effect in Boston. The policy law department submitted the there, Augustus said, bans any ordinance after councilor’s voted in late November to have the man- retailer from using single-purpose plastic checkout bags, instead reager produce a draft. quiring either reusable bags, paper Worcester resident Patricia bags or biodegradable plastic bags Kirkpatrick, a member of the that can be composted. environmental group Mothers If approved by the Council, Out Front Worcester, argued the retailers would have until July 1, bag ban is one piece in a wider 2019 to change out bag stock, and environmental struggle.

“This is one way we can fight to then another six months during which they would only be issued protect the earth on a local level,” she said.

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 7

A

A plastic bag blowing in the breeze.

BILL SHANER

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any public recommendation on the rate to adopt.

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 A week ago, councilors were handed a thick packet of possible year is $6,198,050, per the memo. options for tax rates.

The figure is $198,050 over the Though residences have historiestimate and, per the mayor’s tax plan, that money will be put back cally paid a lower rate, combined, they make up a much wider share into the tax base, effectively reducing taxes. The figure is coupled of the tax burden. At the widest gap, in 2006, residential properby an accounting error made last ties paid 69 percent of the share year, which left $4 million worth and businesses paid 31 percent. of tax levy off the budget books.

Now, the gap is slightly narrower.

That money will also be put toward taxes, leading to a reduction In 2018, residences accounted for 60 percent of the $293,532,719 tax of tax increase from 2.5 to 1.35 levy, and businesses accounted percent overall, per the memo. for 40 percent. But because of In total, the calculation gives the city $18 million in unused tax levy, the split rate favoring residences, which City Manager Ed Augustus the percentages of assessed value Jr. said in a memo will give the city are wider. Currently, residences financial flexibility for future large account for 74 percent of the total available tax levy and business projects like school buildings. properties make up 26 percent.

The city’s split tax rate manThis disparity plays into the dates the $22.41 single rate be argument of those, including the split along residential and business properties, and this is where Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, who advocate for a the Council comes in. The body single tax rate. Lowering business is solely responsible for dictating taxes, they argue, would allow for the split rate, and though many more businesses to open, thereby outside groups lobby for either expanding the share businesses a wider or smaller gap, the city manager’s office steers away from C O N T I N U E D O N N E X T P A G E

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Bill Shaner can be reached at 508-767-9535 or at wshaner@ worcestermag.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bill_Shaner.

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pay toward the overall tax levy.

But those on the other side counter the argument by making the case that taxes on homeowners are already too high, and should be lowered. Certain councilors, like Konnie Lukes, have historically always voted for the lowest residential tax rate, regardless of the effect on the business rate.

In the packet, councilors are presented with 354 possible tax rate options, starting with a single $22.41 rate at option 1, and ending with the widest possible gap at 354, which this year would be a $16.48 tax rate for residences, and a $39.22 tax rate for businesses. The most extreme gap available, the option would have lowered the residential rate by 7.3 percent and raised the business rate by 13.9 percent. For contrast, moving to a single rate this year would drop the tax rate

for businesses by 34.9 percent, and increase the residential rate by 26.1 percent. Those who argue the tax rate should be single often advocate for a long-term plan to bring the business rate down and the residential rate up.

But councilors typically settle on an option in the middle. Last year, the vote was 6-4 to raise the commercial rate and lower the residential rate, by $1.10 and 31 cents, respectively. Councilors Moe Bergman, Khrystian King, Konnie Lukes, Candy MeroCarlson, Gary Rosen and George Russell voted for the rate, while Mayor Joe Petty and Councilors Sarai Rivera, Tony Economou, and Kate Toomey voted for a rate that lowered commercial and raised residential, bringing the city closer to a residential rate.

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C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 6

steamy

an effort to minimize the producC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 5 tion of plastic, but especially thin plastic, which harms animals, especially aquatic animals, and warnings from the Department of Inspectional Services for using makes for highly visible and unplastic bags. The draft ordinance’s sightly litter. Plastic, even the thin penalty structure would be a daily kind used for bags, takes 1,000 years to biodegrade. fine of $50 for first offense and In Worcester, the ordinance $100 for each after. Per Moore, picked up support only a few the timeframe means no retailer weeks ago, after sentiments it would face a fine in the first year would hurt business stalled the of the ordinance. proposal for years.

The draft ordinance requires Councilor Konnie Lukes, who retailers to charge a 5-cent fee for has proposed some version of any type of bag it provides customers, which the retailer retains. this for several years, put an order In his memo to the city manag- on the agenda at the Nov. 20 er, Moore said the draft ordinance meeting. After words of support may be superseded by bills in the from Councilors Sarai Rivera and George Russell, it moved to the state Legislature which would manager with unanimous supban plastic bags statewide. port.

Though Mayor Marty Walsh Former Mayor Joe O’Brien, signed the ordinance last year, though they’ve long held their Boston’s bag ban technically differences, gave Lukes a nod as starts Friday. Boston’s inspectors he addressed the council Tuesday will start checking larger estabnight, this time as an environlishments. In April, they’ll check mental activist praising the bag medium-sized stores, between 10,000-20,000 square feet, then in ban measure.

He thanked the council for two the summer the ordinance will go reasons: one, moving forward on into full effect, according to the a bag ban, and two, for “putting Boston globe. me in a position where I must More than 80 cities and towns across the state have passed simi- publicly compliment Councilor lar bag bans. Locally, Shrewsbury Lukes.” was one of the first, passing an Bill Shaner can be reached at ordinance in 2016. Westborough’s 508-767-9535 or at wshaner@ bag ban went into effect earlier worcestermag.com. Follow him on this year.

Twitter @Bill_Shaner.

Environmentally, bag bans are

ELIZABETH BROOKS

BAG BAN

1,001 words

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worcesteria

CALLING ALL SKATERS: A proposal to build a new skatepark to redress the shadowy demolition of the community-built Worcide Skatepark two months before the city announced it would use the land for the PawSox development (I’m never going to stop framing it like that, sorry) is quietly moving through the mechanisms of City Hall, having cleared Councilor Gary Rosen’s youth and parks subcommittee this week. The new park, which is just one of several the Worcide organizers are seeking, would be at Crompton Park, in a 14,000-square-foot patch at the corner of Quinsigamond and Endicott. Which is cool, and could possibly be expanded to 32,000 down the road. Also cool. BUT. It’s at a critical juncture right now, as the proposal moves to the Parks Commission for a public hearing and review. Possibly on Dec. 20. The Parks Commission has not been publicly shamed for the Worcide demolition in the way the City Council and city manager’s office has. It would be a good idea to get down to City Hall on Dec. 20, AKA next Thursday, and be loud about it, lest this proposal fall through one of the cracks in City Hall good ideas often fall. Capeesh?

LUKES’S BIG DAY: It’s an odd day for City Hall when the ever-divisive

and sometimes outright contrarian Konnie Lukes is behind the two big consensus points of the night. The tax rate that passed? She motion to set it. The bag ban that moved forward with great acclaim from environmental activists? That’s her baby. She’s been talking about it for decades, probably. It was so much a winning night for Lukes that former mayor Joe O’Brien gave her a shoutout, in public, on livestreamed TV, and in front of every councilor. In case you didn’t make it to the bottom of my second news story this week – who ever does, let’s be honest – I’ll include the line again. He thanked the Council for two reasons: One, the bag ban; two, for “putting me in a position where I must publicly complement Councilor Lukes.”

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THE RENTS ARE ACTUALLY TOO DAMN HIGH: This news item from

the Worcester Business Journal last week has been perturbing me.

The median rents is up in Worcester are up 16 percent, they say. IN ONE YEAR. People are getting priced out and City Hall has done very little to demonstrate it cares or even considers it a bad thing. Now, I know what you’re saying. A lot of new luxury units came online this year, tipping the scales of the median without raising rent. But that’s part of the problem. The only growth in the housing stock around here is at the luxury end. Everywhere else on the spectrum there’s almost no vacancies, and, you know, supply and demand. Rents are going up.

Also, Dad, I know what you’re saying. Buy a home. To which I say this student loan-straddled millennial does not want to end up an extra in “The Big Short II.”

NOW, TO MINNEAPOLIS: Where city government has apparently got

a lot more chutzpah than I could imagine Worcester having. Imagine a Worcester city councilor getting up there and filing an order to get rid of single-family zoning entirely. They’d get eaten alive. But in Minneapolis, that’s exactly what they’re planning to do, as part of a comprehensive plan that takes them out to 2040. Doing away with single-family zoning would allow for new construction of multi-family units in those districts. In Worcester, it basically means the West Side and the more suburban-feeling part of the East Side by the Audubon Society and some other smaller pockets of little boxes on the hillside. The policy change is an effort to increase density, improve affordable housing stock, and rid the city of a zoning policy that was, at inception, entirely racist. A very righteous piece of municipal politickin, but I’ll bet anyone reading this my last $69 that Worcester will not pass a similar Bill Shaner, reporter proposal in wshaner@worcestermag.com my lifetime.

Twitter: @Bill_Shaner

news

the beat

Chronic absenteeism rates fell in Worcester Public Schools from the 2016-2017 school year to the 2017-2018 school year, dropping from 17 percent to 15 percent. Superintendent Maureen Binienda launched a campaign last year to bring the rate down to the state average of 14 percent by 2023. Chronic absenteeism is a metric used by the state defined at 10 percent missed days, which comes out to 18 days for most students.

The University of Massachusetts Medical School named a new vice chancellor for government relations: John Erwin (left), an executive director of the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals. He will start in early January.

The Worcester Planning Board voted unanimously to send a modified urban revitalization

plan around the WooSox ballpark to the City Council for a hearing. The hearing is scheduled for Dec. 18. The plan, which originally included tentative future plans for dozens of acquisitions and demolitions, has been scaled back to only include the seven properties the city needs to take to finish the ballpark project.

Leicester officials held another public hearing for residents to air grievances about the new pot shop in town, Cultivate on Route 9. Residents complained about traffic and parking, while representatives from Cultivate assured them the initial rush would die down as more shops open across the state. But Cultivate, and the only other pot shop in the state, New England Treatment Access, are still proven money makers.

In their second week of combined sales, the two companies made $2.6 million, per the Cannabis Control Commission.

In Spencer, the cannabis news of the week is a little weirder. The

In Charlton, the fight to block a cannabis grower rages on. Last

Wormtown Brewery is expanding into Connecticut, beginning distribution there in April. The company currently distributes in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

After news of its closure, Niche will reopen Citizen Wine Bar within a year, per ownership. Niche Hospitality has not settled on a location, but may consider Grove Street.

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week, residents opposed to the pot farm celebrated a rejection of the plan by the State Department of Public Health, but the ownership of Valley Green Grow said it was just a bureaucratic hiccup, and doesn’t affect its chances of opening. Meanwhile, selectmen have sought to sooth angry residents via a marijuana advisory committee, where they’ve added two resident seats to give residents more say in the legal cannabis process in town.

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selectmen there issues live event permits to the cannabis company Reliable Bud to hold a “bring your own cannabis” event in town, but were dismayed to find out people who went to the event were buying and selling pot. A selectmen who personally went to the event said he saw six transactions, according to the Telegram. The permits were issued with the understanding there would be no sales.

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opinion editorial

A city, fire department stung once more by loss

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his very space last week wrote that December was a cruel month for the Worcester Fire Department.

The Dec. 3, 1999 Worcester Cold Storage Fire that claimed the lives of six firefighters. The Dec. 8, 2011 fire on Arlington Street that took Firefighter Jon Davies Sr.’s life.

In what seems almost eerie now, this space spoke then of the threat of fire in the cold months, and how firefighters like the Worcester Six and Jon Davies, or one of our 2018 Hometown Heroes, Lt. Tim Ridick, would not hesitate for a moment to rush to our aid. It is what they chose to do. It is what they were trained to do. But that doesn’t make them any less a hero because of it.

Perhaps, in fact, it makes them even more heroic for choosing a profession they know well could require them to pay the ultimate sacrifice.

In the bitter-cold, early-morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 9, the month of December turned even crueler for Worcester and its firefighters when 36-year-old Christopher Roy ran into a three-decker home at 7 Lowell St. after flames broke out around 4 in the morning. At some point, he and a fellow firefighter became trapped. Roy was pulled from the building, but was pronounced dead.

The tragedy had an immediate and profound impact. Indeed, to watch Fire Chief Mike Lavoie struggle to maintain his composure as he informed the media of Roy’s death was to watch a man

72 Shrewsbury St. Worcester, MA 01604 worcestermag.com Editorial 508.767.9527 editor@worcestermag.com Sales 508.767.9530 sales@worcestermag.com President Paul M. Provost Publisher Kathleen Real-Benoit Editor Walter Bird Jr.

Letters to the Editor Policy

Have something on your mind? Don’t keep it bottled up, put it in words and send it to Worcester Magazine! Letters to the editor are a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with thousands of such as Farmers World on Route whose shoulders bear the weight readers and online viewers each week. There is no word limit, but 20 giving a man a wreath for free of so many tragedies, so much we reserve the right to edit for length, so brevity is your friend. If when told he planned to lay it at loss. City Manager Ed Augustus handwritten, write legibly – if we cannot read it, we are not running the memorial outside the Webster Jr. bore a similar expression, and it. Personal attacks and insults don’t fly with us, so save them for Square Fire Station. We’ve seen Mayor Joe Petty bowed his head when someone cuts you off in traffic. A full name and town or slightly when approached Sunday it in the fundraising efforts that afternoon outside the Grove Street sprouted mere hours after Roy’s city of residence are required. Please include an email address or death. We will see it again and fire headquarters. phone number for verification purposes only. That information will again over the ensuing days and This loss hurts. It hurts not not be published. Make sure your letter makes it into Worcester weeks. Worcester will stand tall because it is any more significant Magazine in a timely fashion – send it in by the Monday of the next again and the Worcester Fire Dethan the lives lost in 1999 or issue. Please note that letters will run as space allows. Send them partment will lean on its shoulders. to Worcester Magazine, 72 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA 01604 Davies’ untimely demise in 2011.

They need us and we need them.

It hurts all on its own, but carries or by email to editor@worcestermag.com.

the added weight of the others on its back. Another family without a loved one. A 9-year-old daughter without a father. A fire department and city that, just hours before the Lowell Street fire, had remembered Davies in a ceremony. Just days before that, they had gathered outside the Franklin Street Fire Station and honored the Worcester 6.

How much, it bears asking, can one city, one fire department take?

The answer to that is beyond the scope of this space, but we know this of Worcester: Its heart beats strong. It does so especially when the chips are down. In the wake of the Cold Storage Fire, this city welcomed mourners from around the country and globe, and stood tall for all to see. It was not easy. It got harder when Jon Davies died, and it is harder now with the loss of young Christopher Roy. But this city and its people will band together because that is what we do as people, and that is what Worcester does as a city.

We’ve already seen it in gestures

And we will be there.

Culture Editor Joshua Lyford Reporter Bill Shaner Photographer Elizabeth Brooks Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell, Janice Harvey, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Kristina Reardon Director of Creative Services Don Cloutier Creative Director Kimberly Vasseur Multi Media Sales Executives Diane Galipeau, Helen Linnehan Media Coordinator Madison Friend WORCESTER MAGAZINE is an independent news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manu-

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feature End of Shift: Worcester mourns loss of Firefighter Christopher Roy

Dressed as a firefighter, Sammi Thacs of Worcester on Monday placed flowers at a memorial for Firefighter Christopher Roy outside the Webster Square Fire Station, where he served on Ladder 4. Thacs turned to salute firefighters who were cleaning the truck bays of Engine 5 and Ladder 4.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

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or the second-largest city in New England, Worcester sure can feel like Smalltown U.S.A. If everybody doesn’t know everybody, they know somebody who does. Or they feel like they do.

When 36-year-old Christopher Roy died while trying to save others in an early-morning fire Sunday, Dec. 9, the city doubled over in pain.

Those who did not know Roy knew the Worcester Fire Department for whom he toiled for two-and-a-half years. They felt for parents who now had to bury a son, for a brother who lost his sibling, and for the 9-year-old girl who lost her father. They knew the agony this department and city has already gone through, losing seven other firefighters previously. And now, incredulously, it has lost another.

Mayor Joe Petty called December “the cruelest month” for Worcester firefighters. It is hard to think otherwise, and even harder to fathom a

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WALTER BIRD JR.

feature ‘IT HURTS A LOT’

spate of tragedies similar to those that have befallen the Heart of the Commonwealth.

“Especially in Worcester, when you look at the history of departments that lose firefighters, it’s like once in every 50 years,” Auburn Fire Chief Stephen Coleman Jr. said. “No one could ever imagine they would lose eight guys in 19 years. I think even for them, it’s another kind of kick in the gut. It’s not supposed to happen this soon.

God forbid it happens again.”

In short, an entire city and region took this tragedy to heart.

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‘IT’S PERSONAL’

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“I

t’s personal. It’s personal for the whole city of Worcester,” city resident Jay Marcimo said after having laid a wreath at the base of a flagpole outside the Webster Square Fire Station Sunday afternoon, hours after Roy’s death. Roy served on Ladder 4 at the station. “We remember what happened in 1999. It’s horrible.

When something like this hits, it just affects the whole city.”

On Dec. 3, 1999, six Worcester firefighters lost their lives when they became trapped in the Worcester Cold Storage building.

They had gone in believing there were people inside. What they didn’t know is the two who had been inside, who had sparked the fire when they knocked over a candle, had already fled.

Lost that night were Lt. Thomas Spencer, Lt. James Lyons and Firefighters Paul Brotherton, Timothy Jackson, Jeremiah Lucey and Joseph McGuirk. Their deaths triggered an outpouring of grief and support from around the state, the country and the globe.

The tragedy ultimately led to huge changes in firefighting and rescue technology.

Several years later, on Dec. 8, 2011, Firefighter Jon Davies Sr. was among those responding to a blaze inside a three-decker at 49 Arlington St. He and fellow firefighter Brian Carroll had been told someone might still be trapped inside. Rushing into the second floor, Davies died when it collapsed beneath them. Carroll was injured, but rescued.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, joined by City Manager Ed Augustus Jr., left, and Mayor Joe Petty, right, hugs a Worcester firefighter at the scene of the 7 Lowell St. fire that claimed the life of Firefighter Christopher Roy. ELIZABETH BROOKS

Hours before flames tore through the triple-decker building at 7 Lowell St. on Sunday, where Roy would do what he was trained to do without a second thought, the city had memorialized Davies on the seventh anniversary of his death. Shortly after the fire broke out around 4 a.m. Sunday, the city and its fire department would suffer yet another loss.

“Unimaginable, I guess, is the first word that comes to mind,” Coleman said. “I just don’t even know you could script something like this. It’s too much for one department to handle. They’ve suffered enough.”

Auburn, he said, is on Worcester’s “run card.” When there is a three-alarm fire, the fire department provides coverage at the Park Ave. fire station. When a fourth alarm is sounded, the department responds to the scene.

On Sunday morning, Auburn’s Engine 1, with a captain and three firefighters aboard, was en route to Park Ave. when they received word of a fourth alarm. The crew headed straight to Lowell Street, and ended up being directed to the rear of the building, where they helped remove Roy from the

building.

“Everybody was … there was a lot of heroic stuff going on that I don’t know if it will ever be accurate to tell the story of the heroics that went on with people putting themselves in harm’s way to try to remove him from that building,” said Coleman, who said he arrived at the scene early Sunday morning and ended up going to Worcester’s fire headquarters at Grove Street, where Fire Chief Mike Lavoie would later address the media.

“Fire crews were heroic in their efforts to rescue their colleagues under extreme conditions,” a visibly shaken Lavoie said, fighting to contain his emotions. “Every person on the fireground gave 110 percent to try to rescue the firefighters who were in danger.”

A TEDDY BEAR

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eputy Fire Chief Martin Dyer had “the opportunity and the pleasure” to serve as captain of Roy’s training division for his drill school class in 2016. Officials,

Dyer recalled, took an instant liking to the 6-feet-plus Roy. “He was a big, strapping man, but he was a teddy bear, too,” said Dyer, who said what initially stood out about Roy was his enthusiasm for wanting to be on the job.

“The way he talked about his current work and the love he had for that,” Dyer said of Roy’s former work in construction. “You could tell it didn’t matter what he was doing. If you asked him to work, he was going to work and do the best possible job he could at it.”

But there was something else, too, Dyer said: the father side of Roy. That and the way he carried himself “He was constantly talking about his daughter,” the deputy chief said. “You could tell what a good man he was right away. The fun face, the smile and the respect.

He was a very respectful man.

That’s where we took a liking to him.”

“I still can’t believe this, that we’re doing this,” Dyer said. “It’s heartbreaking. It’s the worst experience of my life. I can’t describe it any other way.”

n the hours following Roy’s death, a heavy and somber air hung over the city. City officials, who for the past several weeks had basked in the afterglow of successfully negotiating to bring the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Triple-A team of the Boston Red Sox, to Worcester, now walked with heads hung low. The 6-foot6-inch frame of City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. lumbered wearily outside fire headquarters. Petty hung his head when approached by a reporter. An ashen-faced Lavoie, who has been through all three December tragedies as a member of the Worcester Fire Department, accepted a hug and condolences.

A few days later, talking by phone with a reporter, Petty struggled to find the words to explain what had happened.

“Maybe this isn’t the best analogy,” he said, “but I remember my uncle, he buried his son, who was a Worcester police officer. He said, ‘I’ll be gone before I have to bury any more [of his children]. He ended up burying two more kids.”

“We’ve buried eight of our sons,” Petty said of the firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty since 1999. “The first time, you don’t think it’s going to happen again.

Then, the second time. And this time was bad, if not worse, than the others. You never expect it to happen, and it hurts a lot.”

The sting is particularly harsh because of the amount of tragedies Worcester has had to deal with, said Shrewsbury Fire Chief James Vuona, whose department provided coverage of the Franklin Street Fire Station during Sunday’s blaze.

“Some places, like New York City, have multiple instances,” said Vuona, adding his department has trained with the Worcester Dive Rescue team, with both sharing jurisdiction over Lake Quinsigamond. “But you’re talking about a fire department with thousands of guys on it, one of the biggest in the country, if not the world.

“For a city [Worcester’s] size,” he continued, “it has certainly had what can be considered an unfair share of grief.”

Vuona said he worked a couple

feature 18-hour shifts in Worcester in the aftermath of the Cold Storage fire, when crews searched for the bodies of their fellow firefighters.

This, he noted, is the third time he’s going through the loss of life in Worcester.

“Even though you don’t know the person,” Vuona said, “I don’t feel any different. You still feel like you lost a member of your family. I think pretty much all the guys feel that way. It hits close to home, because you know it could be anyone of us or anyone of our communities.”

Petty was on City Council when the Cold Storage Fire ripped at the city’s soul. He knows well the big city-small town feel to Worcester.

“Worcester is a big family,” he said. “It’s the second largest city, but a small town. Everybody knows everybody. It’s a big family, and I think the whole city’s hurting right now.

“It’s hard, it’s very hard. You talk to anybody in the community, I think everybody’s having a tough

time with it. Even now, with you, I just have a tough time talking about it.”

‘HEART JUST ACHES’

L

ike him, Petty’s colleagues on City Council were fighting to make sense of yet one more December

tragedy.

“It … seems incredibly ironic that December is supposed to be a month of celebration,” Councilor Moe Bergman said. “Hopefully, this is the last December, or any month for that matter, where we have to deal with a tragedy like this.”

District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson said Roy’s death was an unbelievable tragedy in a month that has proven brutal for Worcester through the years.

“My heart just aches for the family and for all the men and women in the Fire Department here in

Worcester,” she said. “To have another loss is just hard to imagine.”

At-Large Councilor Kate Toomey, who also chairs the Public Safety Committee, shared that sentiment, calling Roy’s death overwhelming.

“This is a cumulative loss,” she said. “I think that it’s incomprehensible that we would be dealing with the loss of our eighth firefighter in 19 years, and during what should be a season of joy and happiness.”

District 1 Councilor Sean Rose called it “a very odd feeling,” and said while he did not know Roy personally, “It feels for all of us like we lost a family member. It’s a very odd and surreal kind of feeling we have about it.”

Rose expressed particular concern for Lavoie—who beyond his address to the media Sunday, has maintained a low public profile since Roy’s death—and other longtime members of the Worcester Fire Department.

“I literally want to hug every person here and hold them,” Rose

Oscar Moqute, a resident of 7 Lowell St., talks about the fire that sent residents fleeing and claimed the life of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy. ELIZABETH BROOKS

said. “It’s just so incredibly said. It’s really hard to put into words.”

Councilors lauded the actions and risks taken by first responders every day, and offered support for Roy’s family and the Fire Depart-

ment.

“It’s time to remember that our public servants, our firefighters, when they go and place themselves in harm’s way for others that they not only go in with brother and sis-

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ter firefighters, they go into those buildings carrying their loved ones with them, their family with them,” At-Large Councilor Khrystian King said. “That’s something that should be ever present on our minds.”

“I believe in time we’ll be able to do right by Christopher Roy,” he added. “It’s a very acutely sensitive time right now and I think we need to exercise patience and respect for the family and for the fire department.”

District 5 Councilor Matt Wally, too, stressed the importance of taking care of Roy’s family and his fellow firefighters. He also advised residents to check their heating systems and fire protection apparatus as the weather turns cold.

“But,” he said, “that’s all secondary to making sure the fire department and Chris Roy’s family knows the entire city has heavy hearts and they’re thinking about the immediate family as well as the Worcester Fire Department family.”

District 4 Councilor Sarai Rivera, noting the Fire Department’s “tightknit unit,” said an incident such as Sunday’s tragedy sends “a wave of emotion” through all of them.

At-Large Councilor Konnie

and thank god we have them.”

Other local officials are also grappling with the loss.

“Words cannot fully express the sorrow that we all are experiencing with the loss of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy,” Police Chief Steve Sargent said. “We are committed to assisting our partners at Worcester Fire Department with whatever they need during this difficult time.”

GRIEVING ON SOCIAL MEDIA Jay Marcimo, of Worcester, places a wreath in honor of Firefighter Christopher Roy at the Webster Square Fire Station, where buntings hang over Ladder 4.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

Lukes and District 3 Councilor George Russell praised Roy’s heroism and that of other emergency personnel.

“We’ll never be able to fully

understand the actions of our employee Christopher Roy,” said Lukes.

Added Russell: “This kind of heroism goes on every day and they

don’t get a key to the city and don’t get congratulations all the time.

These men and women, all first responders, I mean, it’s just what they do, it’s what they want to do

C

ondolences poured out from every corner on social media, from within and outside Worcester.

Twitter, particularly, was abuzz with expressions of sympathy in the hours immediately after the tragedy.

U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern, whose district includes Worcester, said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of Roy’s passing.

“December is already a difficult

feature month for the @WorcesterFD & this tragedy only adds to the grief we feel for heroes like Christopher who have been taken from us too soon,” McGovern wrote.

From Attorney General Maura Healey came this message: “The @WorcesterFD knows too many heroes who gave their lives running toward danger to save others.

Today we mourn Firefighter Christopher Roy and hold his family, friends, and fellow firefighters in our hearts.”

Added Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early Jr.: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women of the Worcester Fire Department after the loss of firefighter Christopher Roy who died in the line of duty this morning.”

David LeBoeuf, who in January will be sworn in as the next 17th Worcester District state representative, said, “My heart goes out the family of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy, who served at the Webster Square Station.”

Local businesses such as Early’s towing service in Worcester, which

public safety at hte @WorcesterFD. Our thoughts and prayers are with you this morning.”

TV news station Boston 25 News shared this: “Our hearts are heavy this morning after learning Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy was killed in the line of duty.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Firefighter Roy’s family, friends and the Worcester Fire Department.”

Messages also came from fire and police departments around the region.

‘WE’LL GET THROUGH THIS’

Fire Chief Mike Lavoie walks near the scene of the fire.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

often works in partnership with police and fire personnel, also expressed their sorrow.

“Our entire staff at Early’s on Park Avenue offer our condolences to our friends, family an deven

co-workers of the Worcester Fire Department this morning with the tragic loss of FF Chris Roy of L4,” Early’s towing service wrote.

“Chris, Thank you for your service and sacrifice to the citizens of

Worcester.”

The Worcester Police Department wrote: “We offer our deepest sympathy to the family of Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy and all of our brothers and sisters in

A

s a city mourns and grieves, Lavoie, his deputy chief said, is having an especially hard time. But, Dyer said, the chief is “incredibly strong for the department” and is showing a lot of leadership. In fact, Dyer said, it started before the fire was even out.

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We would like to take this time to thank you for your continued support.

Wishing you a very Happy Holiday Season filled with love and peace. aff of t s e h t m o r F

He said Lavoie had already activated the department’s critical incident stress team to make sure it was available to anyone who needed help.

The team is composed of volunteers — firefighters, non-firefighters, retirees — who are specially trained in helping first responders deal with incidents such as Roy’s line-of-duty death.

“While this is tough for him,” Dyer said, “[Lavoie has] learned a lot of lessons and he’s extremely proactive about understanding exactly the toll this is going to take on the department and he’s ahead of it.”

The department also knows it has support beyond its own inner forces.

“I think knowing the city’s going to be there for us, that the people of the community are going to be there, City Hall, the press, they all stepped up for us,” Dyer said. “They know we’re having a hard time. They give us what we need. State officials have come down and whatever we need, they make it happen. That’s really helped. We’re going to rebound from this because we don’t have a choice.”

Indeed, life goes on, as it did Tuesday afternoon when Roy’s body was being transferred back from the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Boston to Alfred Roy & Sons Funeral Home on Hammond Street. Roy’s family, police and fire personnel and others were all on hand to receive the body. As they did, a call came in for a possible fire at the Midtown Mall on Front Street. Some of the firefighters who were taking part in Roy’s procession had to leave.

And early Wednesday morning, Roy’s Ladder 4 rolled once more when a three-alarm fire broke out on Allen Street, not far from the funeral home where Roy’s body has been resting ahead of his wake and funeral.

“That’s our job,” Dyer said. “That’s why we’re here. We’ll continue to do it.”

But they won’t be doing it alone. With Roy’s calling hours and funeral set for Friday night and Saturday morning, the department will receive help wherever they need it. Coordination is already in place to provide 24-hour coverage by outside fire departments to allow Worcester firefighters to attend Roy’s services, although Dyer said some Worcester crews will stay behind to help pilot the mutual aid companies.

That, said Coleman, is perhaps the best way fellow firefighters can express their support.

“I think the best thing we can do, not only as a fire service collectively, but especially locally as a neighboring community, is to be there and to respond to whatever needs they may have,” Coleman said. “For me, I don’t know there’s anything that can be said. I would rather stand at the ready for whatever Chief Lavoie and the Worcester Fire Department needs, and demonstrate our love and respect and action.

So, too, will the city do what it can to help its firefighters and the family who lost a son, a brother and a father. No matter the pain, this big little city will continue to rally together as it did in 1999, in 2011 and now once more. It won’t be easy, but Petty knows it is what must be done.

“I think our job is to make sure the city gets through it, and I’m pretty proud of the way we’ve handled it so far,” the mayor said. “We’re doing the right thing, and we’ll continue to do so, and be professional, and show our support and emotions to the family and to the firefighters and to the people of Worcester. They’re hurting, too. Everybody’s crushed.

“I think the city’s very resilient. We’ll get through this, but it will be hard, it will be very hard. But we can get through this as we come together as a community.”

Calling hours for Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy are Friday, Dec. 14, 4-6 p.m., at St. John’s Catholic Church, 4 Temple St. Funeral services are Saturday, Dec. 15, 10 a.m., at St. John’s Catholic Church, following a private family procession from Alfred Roy & Sons Funeral Home. Burial will immediately follow the funeral at Notre Dame Cemetery, 162 Webster St.

culture ERB PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY OF HANOVER THEATRE

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culture

‘Lumina’ casts new light on WAM JOSHUA LYFORD

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T

he Worcester Art Museum will hold something of an enlightening experience through Jan. 20 in “lumina,” a new envisioning of the museum’s space.

Billed as a “canvas of moving light and color” where visitors can immerse themselves “in a stained glass window or a painting” while becoming a part of “a cascade of shimmering, radiant, moving light and color,” the installation is unique and can be tricky to define.

“We proposed an imagining, an imagining of walking into a stained glass window and being surrounded by and being a part of shimmering brilliant light and color,” said Lyn Burke, co-founder and executive director of Bostonbased LuminArtz, the organization behind the installation. “We wanted to create that experience for visitors. We incorporated visual themes from the stained glass exhibit. In January it will turn into the Monet exhibit as well as some of the other permanent exhibits in the museum. We transform them into a projection, and that projection is on these strips of silk and you can actually walk through it.”

The installation debuted with a Dec. 1 opening and, according to Burke, visitors were excited about the new way to view the space.

“On opening night I witnessed 40 or 50 people sitting in a stairway just being mesmerized by the color and the music that was synced to it,” she said. “You had little children running through the strips and running in and out of it and people were sharing photos through social media. I saw little children and big children alike. One woman was walking through there with the strips wrapped around her having fun and dancing. I think that’s rare in a museum.”

While it is understandably frowned upon for visitors to touch or interact with art in a museum, in the case of the current light and art installation, those rules have changed. The experience is designed to be an engaging one and, hopefully, one that visitors can take with them long after they leave.

“I think even the Worcester Art Museum witnessed something they had never seen before,” said Burke. “When [visitors] have an

experience like that they can take with them, it’s wonderful to see art, but when you have such a fun time and can bring your children at 3 years old and they’re having fun too, that’s special. It also leaves an impression on any age to want to return and know that was really fun and wanting to bring your friends back, or do it every year as a tradition.”

Burke resides in Gloucester, but grew up in Gardner and has fond memories of Central Massachusetts. LuminArtz was founded in 2014 and achieved 501 (c) (3) status in 2015. LuminArtz works with regional and local artists creating public art installations (and, in the case of Worcester Art Museum, museum installations). The organization also runs the Boston-based Illuminus festival each year.

“I think in general, this light- and technology-based art has become very popular and it reaches a wide range of age groups,” said Burke. “Young children love it, older demographics love it. They [Worcester Art Museum] felt this was something that would attract all ages and everyone is trying to reach that younger crowd. They are technology-driven. They are going to festivals and these things they have this experience with.

They recognized this would be a way to reach all demographics and wanted to see if we could come up with something. I think we nailed it. You walk into the museum and before you reach the actual exhibit, you are immersed.”

The artists behind the LuminArtz production are Sam Okerstrom-Lang and Vanessa Till Hooper. The artists involved in LuminArtz productions are always paid and the setup costs are covered by the organization.

“The Worcester Art Museum is a perfect example of how we fulfills the mission,” said Burke.

“We give local and regional artists a platform through the Illuminus festival. When we do a call for art, we do what we feel is the most powerful message or story. When we choose the artists, we do it very carefully and with a lot of thought about our world today. These artists are given a platform. We pay our artists. We support the cost of the production of it and pay these artists. When you give artists a platform like that, people notice.”

culture No humbugs here: ‘A Christmas Carol’ returns to Hanover Theatre JOSHUA LYFORD

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ow in its 11th year, “A Christmas Carol” is set to return to the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 15-16, and Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20, 22-23. The fan favorite brings returning cast members and the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ with Hanover President and CEO, Troy Siebels directs the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s self-discovery.

And, hopefully, audiences can take a bit of that message home.

“Hopefully, [audiences] carry it about with them,” said Siebels.

“I think that people do leave the theatre with a new sense of humanity and shared purpose. I think some people carry that sense with them longer than others. Some get sucked into their daily reality more quickly than others. If any bit of good comes

from it, it’s been a success. Even more than that, it’s a shared experience. It’s coming together to experience a common thing and feel a common way. The story takes people from very different perspectives and puts them together and together they learn a lesson. We don’t do that, we watch the news we want to watch, we communicate with people we want to communicate with.”

The directing role is in addition to Siebels’s duties as theatre president

ERB PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY OF HANOVER THEATRE

and CEO, making December a very busy month, though the experience is an appreciated one.

“This is a time when I am in rehearsal from 2 in the afternoon to 10 at night,” Siebels said. “I try to get my day job done between 8 and 2.

It is long days, this period putting it together. But it’s worth it, it’s rewarding.”

Siebels is no stranger to directing the beloved Charles Dickens classic, having held the reins 17 times over the last 25 years. For 11 of those productions, Siebels has directed in his home theatre, the Hanover.

“My background is in producing theatre,” he said. “I went to college for scene design and moved into production and then directing from there. I used to love mysteries, I loved to direct mysteries, I loved the challenge in that. I really love this production. I’ve always loved it. It is a lot of things in one. There is mystery and ghost stories, there’s pageantry to it, it’s universal. You can look at it from almost any perspective and the truths are still there.”

The director has a special place in his heart for this yearly iteration of C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 20

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“A Christmas Carol” and the hope is others do, too.

“It’s a time of year where we’re told to pay attention to those around us,” said Siebels. “You see the Salvation Army folks, you see the food drives and the Toys for Tots. It’s also true that we identify with Scrooge a little

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Last Minute Gift Guide

bit. We all want to live our own lives and focus on that. Part of the message of the show is that Scrooge is not a bad guy, he made the wrong decisions, but I think we all identify with him a bit. By the end of the show we take the same journey he took.”

And how does Siebels know when audiences have loved the Hanover production of “A Christmas Carol?”

“They haven’t left at intermission,”

he laughed. “I think you can feel it in the audience, the way they respond.

Do they applaud, do they stand up at curtain call? It goes deeper than that.

You can hear what they talk about in the lobby. Hopefully, they’re talking about it. In a perfect world they’d be walking out saying, ‘I’d do that differently, or I’d do what he did.’ They put themselves into the story.”

For Siebels, returning to the musical each year is a chance to get into

the holiday spirit, but also a way to connect with the world of theatre production from which he came from.

“It gets me in the holiday spirit, but it also keeps me connected to the producing theatre world,” he said. “The Boston actors community, the design community, the creative people I used to work with every day. At least once a year it allows me to keep my foot in that realm. I love

that. I value those connections a lot.”

“A Christmas Carol” at The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., will be performed Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 15-16, and Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20, 22-23. For more information, head to hanovertheatre. org.

culture

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

Say hello to Jackson! Jackson was brought to us after he had been been posted on Craigslist for adoption. Jackson is looking forward to a quiet, adults-only home where he would be your one and only pet love. Jackson does enjoy playing with other dogs, for short periods of time, and he requires supervision throughout his entire play-date.

Jackson loves to play with toys and really loves to go for walks with our volunteers and staff. This handsome fella will make a great companion and couch buddy for some lucky person. Jackson is 6 years old, neutered and current with his vaccines. His adoption fee is $225.

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culture Lyford Files JOSHUA LYFORD

FAIRY TALE OF WORCESTER: Yeah, it wasn’t a very good Pogues reference, but here I am. On Friday, Dec. 14, Cinema-Worcester is hosting a screening of “Liyana,” an incredibly interesting film project. I just wrapped my weekly radio show with the Worcester Railers’ Tom Matthews and had a stout, so I’ll do my best to make sure this makes sense.

South African storyteller Gcina Mhlophe worked with five Swaziland orphans to craft an original fairy tale. The five orphans shared their darkest memories and brightest dreams and the team put together a brand new character, Liyana. The story is animated and the lead sets off into the world to rescue her twin brothers. There two screenings of “Liyana,” one at 6:45 p.m. the other at 8:30 p.m. This bad boy is ripping on Friday, Dec. 14 at The Park View Room on Park Ave and sounds like ya won’t wanna miss it.

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BONE CIRCLE: Honestly, the content of this item is interesting enough on its own. I didn’t really feel the need to alter anything for a subhead. One of my favorite poets, Susan Roney-O’Brien, just released her latest collection, “Bone Circle,” at the top of December. There isn’t a whole lot of extra info on this one. I haven’t secured my own copy yet and a launch has not yet been planned, but they will soon and this should be on your radar. I owe nearly my entire interest in reading and writing to my former English teacher, so rest assured I’ll be scooping one of these as soon as I can.

HARVESTER OF SORROW: Is a Metallica song. Actually one of my favorites and, I know this isn’t a popular opinion, but it’s on my favorite of their albums, “...And Justice for All.” Listen, “Ride the Lightning,” “Master of Puppets” and “Kill ‘Em All” are great, but there’s just something about “… And Justice” that really does it for me. Further? I am convinced that the “Black Album” was the beginning of the end. Anyway, get off my case, I’m the one with the platform here and none of this has anything to do with what I’m actually writing about, which is The Harvest Cup at the DCU Center on Dec. 15 and 16. New England now has two states with recreational cannabis and the rest have medical, so it’s only fitting that Worcester would host New England’s premiere cannabis competition. I don’t know what Gatehouse Media’s marijuana policy is AND I WOULD NEVER THINK ABOUT SMOKING IT ANYWAY so I’m going to take it easy here, but it seems like it could be a lot of fun for folks. I can’t list all of the sponsors and vendors in here, or I would eat up my meager word count before 6 p.m., so check out their website at Theharvestcup.org and get pumped up. If I had $43 for a single day pass, I’d be there with bells on. I don’t, so I’ll check in via social media instead.

A FRIENDLY PSA: This

is just a quick reminder from your friendly neighborhood arts and entertainment editor to give a check to that ABV tag on the side of beer cans.

While interviewing the fine sales manager of Jack’s Abby for the Tuesdays with Tom (FEATURING Josh Lyford) Radio Hour this week, I indulged in a Brigadeiro breakfast stout and didn’t notice it was 7.5 percent. Whoopsie daisy.

Let’s see how many spelling mistakes sneak through this week. Give the show a listen every Tuesday, 1-2 p.m. on 102.9 FM, or online at worcestermag.com.

Joshua Lyford Culture editor @Joshachusetts

culture Lifestyle SARAH CONNELL

Mele Kalikimaka; It’s Tiki Time.

Simjang is hosting a “shop local social” Sunday, Dec. 16, 4 -8 p.m. Nothing gets me in the yuletide spirit like fried chicken, steamed buns and tiki drinks.

Joy Flanagan of M.S. Walker Imports will be on site, serving up cups of

cheer all afternoon. The impressive list of vendors includes Chris Ploof Designs, Bohème Botanika Herbals, Laura Marotta, Lincoln Crafted, Sarah Brueck Williams, dunn design, Carmiclay, sludge house studio, Victoria Lee Auger, Wooden Noodles, Veronica Van Jura, Jess Baer, Perri Fairy Silversmith, Hollis Leather and the Beefcake Boys: Tallow and Castile Soaps.

Finder’s Flounders

Market at the Mansion

Speaking of closings, you may have heard Bull Mansion has bowed out of the dining scene in favor of hosting events. Nevertheless, on Dec. 15, their Christmas Market Brunch will be back by popular demand. The occasion will feature local crafters, mulled wine and cocktails throughout the historic Victorian mansion. Guests will enjoy a cookie decorating station, holiday tunes, and of course, a festive brunch. The bistro will be open for business from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cash is preferred by some vendors.

Eat Up

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Sarah Connell contributing writer

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The Worcester PopUp is keeping us well fed this holiday season. On Saturday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m., the PopUp team will assemble a delightful sampling of Worcester’s burgeoning food purveyors including Asylum Coffeetorium, Glazy Susan, SpiceNectar Trading Co., Teaquinox, Black Seed Farmers Market and Nutty Bird Granola. The Worcester PopUp is also playing host to this year’s Sugar Mama Vegan Cookie Swap, organized

by VegWorcester and Worcester Vegan Meetup. The swap will take place Wednesday, Dec. 19. According to the rules, all cookies must be displayed from 6-6:30 p.m. All ingredients must be vegan. Participants will be asked to provide six dozen cookies arranged on a platter and bring a large container to take home others’ entries. One vegan baker will be named Sugar Mama at the end of the night.

D E C E M B E R 13 - 20, 2018

Finder’s Pub in West Boylston abruptly closed its doors on Thursday.

A note indicated the establishment may reopen in the future under new ownership. This is the latest in a number of Central Mass restaurant closings including British Beer Company, Kummerspeck and The Citizen Wine Bar. Given the sheer number of restaurant openings in the region, this isn’t entirely surprising. For context, 54 new common victualer licenses were awarded in 2017 alone, allowing establishments to cook, prepare and serve food throughout the city of Worcester.

culture

The Wexford House 503 Shrewsbury St., Worcester • 508-757-8982 • wexfordhouse-ma.com SANDRA RAIN

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W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 13 - 20, 2018

t’s not hard to believe the chef at The Wexford House once worked in the kitchen of Worcester’s most revered restaurant, when you taste The El Morocco salad ($6.95.) The salad is well dressed in an herbaceous lemon vinaigrette that will jolt you to consciousness amidst your quiet surroundings. Feta cheese and Greek olives pop with each bite, punchy reminders of a former time. If that’s not enough to transport you, The Rat Pack smiling

down from a framed poster on the wall will be.

The Wexford House is sanitary and casual. Green booths are scrubbed clean and places are symmetrically set with a careful eye.

Clean, patterned carpet compliments geometric light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Specials arrive on a hand scripted index card.

maintains that it’s not a Middle Eastern restaurant, per se.

The Port Said ($19.95) arrives with cubes of tenderloin sauteed in mushrooms and garlic, served on a bed of rice pilaf. My favorite entree is the haddock tarrator ($24.95), for which fresh haddock is baked and topped with creamy tahini, crispy onions and whole caramelized

There is no point of sale system.

Dark lattice work and wall length shutters obscure the view into the kitchen, but every once in a while a celebratory whoop rings forth from the back of the house. If it wasn’t so tidy, the decor would seem distractingly outdated.

There is ample parking outside where hanging flowers beckon customers in from each curtain clad window. Some customers come for the free popcorn and Keno at odd hours of the day, though most arrive in time for dinner at 5 o’clock. The restaurant is well staffed with two dining rooms separated by glass bricks in a central bar area. Menu covers proudly dub The Wexford House, “The Gateway to Worcester.”

Warm grape leaves ($9.95) are loosely stuffed with lamb and rice, well seasoned with a touch of allspice or cinnamon and a generous lemon spritz. Baskets of cold pita bread arrive with pads of butter as a welcoming accompaniment, and come in handy to scoop up the remains of the grape leaves that fail to hold their form.

The Wexford House serves up sandwiches and burgers; however, their Middle Eastern selections are the best on the menu. Still, the staff

walnuts over rice pilaf. I’d dare to try it with crushed walnuts in the future for a more cohesive crunch if the kitchen agreed to humor me. When The Wexford House took the tarrator off the menu last year, they received so many special requests for it that they decided to bring it back.

The staff is clearly experienced.

Food comes fast. Cuisine is consistent. The Wexford House is a nice place to bring someone nostalgic for the days of The El Morocco. Frank Sinatra won’t be cozied up to the bar, but someone with a tall tale about meeting him at The El Morocco in its heyday very well might be.

On my last visit, dinner and drinks for two came to $76.85.

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 Ambience: HH1/2 Service: HHH Value: HHH

culture Movies to get you high JIM KEOGH

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f you haven’t seen it yet, check out the documentary “Free Solo,” which, as of this writing, was playing at West Boylston Cinema and is sure to stream somewhere soon. Rock climber Alex Honnold will leave you squirming in your seat as he becomes the first to scale Yosemite’s El Capitan with nothing but strong fingers and toes and an unerring sense of where to place them. To prime yourself for the experience, sample some of these mountainous movies: Meru (2015) –Jimmy Chin, who did the camera work on “Free Solo,” chronicles two dizzying attempts to scale the previously unconquered “Shark Fin,” a cliff face in the Himalayas so sheer hard-core climbers consider it a tougher challenge than

Cliffhanger (1993) – Leave it to Sylvester Stallone to find a way to climb a mountain in a t-shirt. This goofy action-thriller kicks off with a botched rescue attempt on a wire strung between two ledges, allowing you to count each vein in Stallone’s pulsating neck (Jim Carrey hilariously lampooned the scene in an “Ace Ventura” movie). The inner satisfaction of summiting a peak is not what director Renny Harlin is going for here, hence, the automatic weapon fire, exploding helicopter, and John Lithgow’s sneering Eurotrash villain who actually says, “Kill a few people, they call you a murderer. Kill a million, and you’re a conqueror.”

Everest. The story of these expeditions, led by climbing legend Conrad Anker, reveal the painful truths of contesting the world’s most dangerous rock, including the harsh calculus that determines when retreat is necessary, even when you’re only a football field’s-length from the summit. Chin’s imagery is stunning, and even the talking-head interviews are a notch above. My favorite is with author Jon Krakauer (“Into Thin Air”), who, as I noted in my “Meru” review, “helpfully breaks down all the reasons why this expedition is batshit crazy — it’s like being given a litany of warnings why you don’t get into a cell with Hannibal Lecter.”

Touching the Void (2003) – Two men go up a mountain, one man comes down. What happened?

Through interviews and reenactments, “Touching the Void” recounts the true saga of buddies Simon Yates and Joe Simpson, who encounter disaster on their descent of a Peruvian slope. Joe, who has broken his leg, is dangling by a rope over a crevasse

with no possibility of climbing back up, his body weight threatening to pull Simon over with him. In a moment of existential anguish, Simon cuts the rope, and Joe plummets into the crevasse, seemingly lost forever — and here’s where the film becomes a gripping survival tale teeming with grit and guilt, courage and conscience.

The Eiger Sanction (1975) – This lesser known Clint Eastwood nugget has long been one of my guilty pleasures — part of the joy is seeing how badly dated it’s become, yet how oddly fascinating it’s remained.

Based on the book by Trevanian, the film follows a professional assassin coaxed out of retirement to avenge a friend’s murder on an expedition in the Alps. “Eiger” features wonderful climbing scenes — including training sequences at an Arizona resort — and a ham-sandwich performance by Jack Cassidy as Eastwood’s flamboy-

ant, lap dog-stroking nemesis. The late great George Kennedy supplies the plot twist that almost causes Clint to register an emotion on his flinty face. Almost.

Storm Over Everest (2008) – Several movie and TV adaptations have been made of Jon Krakauer’s book “Into Thin Air,” which chronicles the catastrophic 1996 ascent of Mount Everest that resulted in the deaths of eight climbers. Forgo the hokey “Everest” (2015) and try to see this Frontline documentary narrated by David Breashears, the cameraman who was on the ill-fated expedition and whose images supply youare-there urgency.

You’ll never forget the face of survivor Beck Weathers, who sits for an interview with a blob of grafted skin where his nose used to be.

Jim Keogh contributing writer

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calendar The Palladium, 261 Main St. Presented by Popi’s Production & Latin Roots Media, the Palladium welcomes the Dominican bachata singer.

Friday, Dec. 14 Worcester Railers versus Manchester Monarchs DCU Center, 50 Foster St. The Railers take on their rivals from Manchester in this home tilt.

Friday, Dec. 14 Liyana

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Park View Room, 230 Park Ave. Presented by Cinema-Worcester, “Liyana” is a collaboration between South African storyteller Gcina Mhlophe and five orphaned Swaziland children. The group comes together to create an original fairy tale “drawn from their darkest memories and brightest dream.”

Saturday, Dec. 15 Holiday Food Market

Worcester PopUp, 20 Franklin St. The Worcester Regional Food Hub presents a Holiday Food Market at the Worcester PopUp. With vendors Asylum Coffeetorium, Glazy Susan, SpiceNectar Trading Co., Black Seed Farmers Market and Nutty Bird Granola.

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Saturday, Dec. 15 Zacarias Ferreira

calendar Saturday, Dec. 15 508 The Take Over Documentary Premiere and Panel Discussion, Q&A

Worcester PopUp, 20 Franklin St. The 508 Pedal Bikelife youth cyclists documentary premiere at the Worcester PopUp. Proceeds and donations will be used to send young cyclists to a youth bike conference in New York City.

Wednesday, Dec. 19 Sugar Momma Vegan Cookie Swap

Worcester PopUp, 20 Franklin St. The eighth annual vegan cookie swap. See this week’s Lifestyle column in the culture section of Worcester Magazine for more information.

Tuesday, Dec. 18 WGBH presents A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O’Donovan

Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St. 15 years of Celtic Christmas music by way of A Christmas Celtic Sojourn. For more information and participating acts, head to Hanovertheatre.org. Presented by WGBH.

Wednesday, Dec. 19 Salisbury Mansion Associates Candlelight Celebration

Salisbury Mansion, 40 Highland St. Celebrate years of history by candlelight at Salisbury Mansion.

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sports p Railers look for offensive consistency during early struggles WALTER BIRD JR.

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here’s still plenty of calendar left, but it is fair to say the start of their second season in the ECHL has been a bumpy ride for the Worcester Railers Hockey Club. Heading into last night’s opener of a three-game homestand

a spate of injuries and roster moves that has made it difficult to achieve consistency and cohesiveness among players.

The Railers, playing as the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders, have looked better of late.

After a seven-game losing streak that started in late October and stretched

Tyler Barnes

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DYLAN AZARI

at the DCU Center, the team sported a record of 10-11-3-0. With 23 points, they were sitting in the cellar of the North Division looking up.

Interestingly, the area where they most saw a need for improvement in the offseason — offense — has been among the Railers’ biggest challenges. That and, in keeping with the spirit of what is referred to as the Ever Changing Hockey League,

well into November, and saw them fall to 3-8-1-0), the team has gone 7-3-2-0), Most recently, the team won four of six, including three in a row.

They lost on the road Sunday, Dec. 9 to the expansion Maine Mariners.

They were set to host the Manchester Monarchs Wednesday night.

“It’s been a learning process here,” coach Jamie Russell said. “We went through a tough stretch early on.

We’ve had a pretty thin roster with some injuries here in Worcester to our roster, and injuries in [AHL affiliate] Bridgeport. Combine that with a schedule, we played I think six games in nine days with flights to Newfoundland, I thought we were getting strong goaltending and playing well defensively. We’ve been challenged to score goals.”

Offensively, Russell said, it has been challenging to create chemistry among the new and returning players. Lately, he said, the tide has been turning. Forward Tyler Barnes, signed in the off-season, “has really heated up,” the coach said, adding the former 20-goal scorer with the Toledo Walleye has developed “terrific chemistry” with fellow forwards Barry Almeida and Ryan Hitchcock. Barnes leads the team with 18 points, scoring seven goals and notching 11 assists.

Another new acquisition, forward Nick Sorkin, was also expected to help light up the lamp. Russell said Sorkin (three goals, seven assists, 10 points) has played “very well,” but has been snakebit by shots that have hit the goalpost and goalies’ sticks.

The goals, Barnes acknowledged, have been hard to come by for the team. In the meantime, strong defense and goaltending, with Evan Buitenhuis looking solid in the net as Mitch Gillam moves up and down between Worcester and Bridgeport, have been the key.

“It’s definitely something,” Barnes said of the lack of scoring. “We’re getting our chances. I think we’ve got to finish a little bit better. It’s something you have to find your team identify.

We’re definitely on the bottom end in goals for, but on the top end for goals against. We’re trying to focus on the ‘D’ zone.

“Until something changes, that’s kind of the identity we’ve had and we’re finding it now. Offensively, it’s definitely been a struggle, but we can lean back on the defensive end and talent of our goaltenders.”

The standout in that group had been Gillam, who became a fan favorite in the team’s first season last year, roaming the space between the pipes to chants of “Gilly! Gilly! Gilly!”

But an injury last month kept him out for several games. Not long after his return, Gillam, an all-rookie last year, was called up to Bridgeport (another player, Jeff Kubiak is also on call-up with the Sound Tigers).

That has meant a quicker transition to the starting role than the team may have expected for firstyear pro Buitenhuis. He has a 5-5 record, a 2.33 goals against average and a save percentage of 92.7. The player they call “Boots” has certainly stepped up to the challenge.

“He has come in and answered every question along the way,” Russell said. “He went to the Islanders rookie camp, went to the Bridgeport came, and kind of answered the question that he could play at the pro level. The question he answered when Gillam was hurt, could he play back to back? Could he handle a heavy schedule? He stepped up and answered a lot of questions.”

Indeed. In the Railers’ loss on Sunday, Buitenhuis made his third straight start in net.

With more than half the season left to be played, there is, Russell acknowledged, no reason to panic.

But he does know the team must develop more consistency, particularly on power plays, if it is going to turn on the jets as last year’s Railers team did in making the playoffs in their inaugural campaign.

“Would I complain if we were 15-2 right now? No,” Russell said. “If we were lighting up and performing in every aspect of the game, but we’ve had obstacles we’ve had to overcome.”

For their part, the players try to take it one game at a time, to take

the highs with the lows.

“I think a lot of us players, we’re more of the ‘who do we play next’ mentality,” Barnes said. “Obviously, you want to be on top of the division.

That’s what you come in here to do as a competitor. You want to be first.

We’re trending in the right direction.

That’s something we can take away.

It’s one day at a time. You can’t get too low, can’t get too high. You’ve just got to be keep riding your win streaks and work to get out of the [losing] ones.”

The Score

Worcester Railers Wednesday, Dec. 5 The Railers (9-10-3-0) tied things up late, but feel, 3-2, in overtime to the visiting Brampton Beast.

Friday, Dec. 7: Hosting the Beast again, the Railers (10-10-3-0) won, 3-1.

Sunday, Dec. 9: The Railers (10-11-3-0), on the road against the Maine Mariners, fell, 4-2.

(Upcoming: The Railers kicked off a threegame homestand with the Manchester Monarchs Wednesday, Dec. 12. The two teams meet again at the DCU Friday, Dec. 14, before welcoming the Maine Mariners Sunday, Dec. 15. The Railers head back out on the road Wednesday, Dec. 19 to take on the Beast.)

Worcester Blades Saturday, Dec. 8 On the road, the Blades fell, 5-1, to the Toronto Furies.

Sunday, Dec. 9 The Blades lost again, 4-2, on the road to the Furies.

(Upcoming: The Blades take on the Markham Thunder on the road Saturday, Dec. 15 and Sunday, Dec. 16) Worcester 78’s Saturday, Dec. 8 Returning home, the 78’s (3-3) fell, 135-129, to the Western Mass Zombies.

Sunday, Dec. 9 On the road, the 78’s (4-3) won, 124-117, over the New England Outtatowners.

(Upcoming: The 78’s take on the Bronx Flames on the road Saturday, Dec. 15)

Round-Up The Railers picked up forward Matt Schmalz from the Orlando Solar Bears for future considerations. The team also sent forward Nick Bligh to the Atlanta Gladiators for future considerations.

games J O N E S I N’

(editor@jonesincrosswords.com) Reference puzzle #914

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35 Kardashian matriarch 37 Scrabble piece 38 Sheared stuff Down 39 They’re “on” in binary 1 Rocksteady precursor 41 They’re always in February 2 “Never Tear Us Apart” band 42 Good-natured 3 Global extremity 47 “___ Poetry Jam” 4 Ancient stone slab 49 Double ___ (Oreo variety) (anagram of TESLA) 51 Q-Tip ends 5 State of change 52 Ancient city in Jordan 6 Snippets, like those shown 53 With an ___ distinction on 21-Across 55 Bring delight to 7 Core group 56 High-end Toyota 8 Vinegar variety 58 Make good (for) 9 Spring bloom 60 Six Flags attraction 10 Credit counterpart 61 TV “Warrior Princess” 11 “The Smartest Guys in the played by Lucy Lawless Room” company 62 Acapulco accolades 12 Cardiologist’s dilator 63 1996 veep candidate 14 Heighten 66 Hither and ___ 17 Excruciatingly loud, in Last week's solution sheet music 20 Roth of “Inglourious Basterds” 24 Nervous spasms 25 “Rebel Yell” singer Billy 26 Inbox item 28 “thank u, ___” (Ariana Grande song) 30 Farm residents?

32 Venmo and Hinge, e.g. ©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords 34 Egypt’s cont.

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D E C E M B E R 13 - 20, 2018

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Across 1 Little drinks 5 TV monitoring gp.

8 Waits 13 Muscle problem 14 Jazz legend Fitzgerald 15 Fail to be 16 Lubricant used at the front and rear of an automobile drivetrain 18 Cuba ___ (rum drink) 19 Artistic interpretation of one’s feelings, maybe 21 Alfonso Ribeiro-hosted show featuring viewer submissions, for short 22 Ward of “Gone Girl” 23 “Claws” network 24 “Matilda the Musical” songwriter Minchin 27 Lover 29 “___ Believer” (Monkees song) 31 It may be half-baked 33 Cedar alternative 36 Bisected 40 It contains numerators and denominators within numerators and denominators 43 Skier’s spot 44 Clean up some topiary 45 ___ gin fizz 46 Lamentable 48 Family member, briefly 50 PGA VIP Ernie 51 Place to chill out 54 Lemon zest source 57 “Death ___ Funeral” (2007 or 2010 film) 59 Snarky social media response to an undeserved boast (and this puzzle’s theme) 64 Heart chambers 65 Eddie Murphy’s role in “Beverly Hills Cop” 67 Adrien of “The Pianist” 68 Adjust, as banjo strings 69 Dory helped find him 70 Heavy items dropped in cartoons 71 ___-Pekka Salonen (conductor soon to lead the

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Sudoku Answers

Marketing: Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP is seeking Marketing Analysts II for its Westminster, MA location to develop performance metrics & dashboards to track progress for initiatives such as product growth, service sales growth, share-attributable targets, & vertical market & sub-segment penetration; analyze external market intel & internal performance metrics & customer data for segmentation scheme promotion; conduct market intel, customer intel & competitor intel data to provide comprehensive view of targeted or underserved customer segments. To apply, mail resume to: JS/JCI, 5757 N. Green Bay Ave., X62, Milwaukee, WI 53209. Must reference job code: MA-WMA. EEO.

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Marketing: Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP is seeking Marketing Analysts II for its Westminster, MA location to develop performance metrics & dashboards to track progress for initiatives such as product growth, service sales growth, share-attributable targets, & vertical market & sub-segment penetration; analyze external market intel & internal performance metrics & customer data for segmentation scheme promotion; conduct market intel, customer intel & competitor intel data to provide comprehensive view of targeted or underserved customer segments. To apply, mail resume to: JS/JCI, 5757 N. Green Bay Ave., X62, Milwaukee, WI 53209. Must reference job code: MA-WMA. EEO.

WORCESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY The Worcester Housing Authority’s 2019 Annual Plan is available for review and public comment at its main administrative offices located at 40 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA during its regular business hours of 8:00AM to 4:30PM Monday through Friday. A public hearing will take place relative to the Plan in the lower level conference at 40 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA on January 4, 2019 at 9:00AM.

last call Hannah Akre and Ethan Klausmeyer Gloves Go Global

H

annah Akre of St. Louis, Missouri and Ethan Klausmeyer of Holden met last year as graduate students at the University of Vermont. In 2019, they will embark on a journey to South and Central America on behalf of Gloves Go Global, a nonprofit organization promoting preventative health care measures in developing countries.

So where specifically will this MSR endeavor take you?

HA: We will be implementing the SE200 in La Tronquera, Nicaragua and Georgetown, Guyana in communities only accessible by small plane. Just outside of Georgetown

I read that you have an anonymous donor matching gifts of up to $5,000 made to Gloves Go Global.

HA: Yes! That’s huge for us and really powerful for folks donating to know their dollar is going twice as far.

EK: We’re kind of like a small business in that when you choose to contribute to us it makes a huge difference. We work really hard to cut costs and make your donations have a considerable impact. For our upcoming project we’re really going to work hard to showcase to our contributors exactly where their dollar went. For that reason, we’re actively seeking out technologies

like a drone to film a video series.

We encourage everyone to checkout our active blog. We really want you all to feel as though you are coming along on this journey with us.

HA: We encourage readers to consider making a donation in the name of a loved one or as a gift for a friend this holiday season. You will be able to print out a donation certificate and place it in a cute card, great for those of us stuck on giving tangible gifts.

EK: UNICEF estimates that safer water could prevent 1.4 million deaths from diarrhea, 500,000 deaths from malaria, and 860,000 child deaths from malnutrition each year. Your gift is not only a gift of life, but to the person opening that card it’s inspiration and encouragement that each of us can play a part in stewardship for humanity.

— Sarah Connell

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In your opinion, what would be a broader solution for preventing waterborne illness?

EK: We started searching for a product that was economically feasible, portable, easy to operate and sustainable. Through our search we discovered the MSR Global Health Initiative. We grew up knowing MSR as a leader in technical engineering and outdoor adventure gear; however, in 2015, they invested in global health initiatives, specifically in safe water, sanitation and

we will additionally be serving a camp of Venezuelan refugees fleeing crisis in their own country. Another NGO, called Adventist World Aviation, will support us on the ground and in the air to get to these people.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

How did your idea for Gloves Go Global come about?

HA: A few years back, I traveled to Kenya with a medical group. While there, I was struck again and again by their lack of access to basic resources. Specifically, I remember witnessing nurses washing medical gloves with soap and water, hanging them out to dry to be reused. This baffled me, because in the U.S., for medical professionals, every different patient interaction warrants a new set of exam gloves. The World Health Organization states that hand-to-hand contact is the number one method of transmission of disease. With that knowledge, and relentless energy I founded Gloves Go Global.

hygiene. We reached out and spoke with their business development manager, and this past September we publicly announced our official partnership. We’ll be taking their technology to Central and South America. It’s called the SE200 Chlorine Maker. All it requires is salt, water and an electric current sourced from a power outlet or car/ motorcycle battery. The electricity splits the salt molecule creating a chlorine concentrate that can be put into a large vessel of water to kill disease-causing microbes. We’re going to be teaching communities how to use it and documenting our efforts to raise awareness.

D E C E M B E R 13 - 20, 2018

Can you tell us a bit about the work you are doing?

HA: Gloves Go Global is a nonprofit organization focused on preventative health care. We aim to provide medical supplies and modern technologies, along with health education, to communities and under stocked clinics, empowering them to focus on prevention rather than treatment of diseases and illnesses.

We started with the distribution of examination gloves to protect the health care worker and the patients they serve. Now we have expanded to incorporate water purification technologies in partnership with an MSR [Mountain Safety Research] Impact Project. What began as a simple idea has now grown into something much bigger.

Ethan, can you tell us about your role and your involvement as a medical journalist?

EK: Absolutely. I grew up with a strong interest in science and writing, along with an enthusiasm for global travel. Over the years I have attempted to unite my interests.

This past summer I served as a medical volunteer in Panama with the organization Floating Doctors.

We worked to set up mobile clinics for remote indigenous communities that otherwise have extremely limited access to healthcare. Throughout my experience I found a lot of the communities we visited had serious issues with contaminated drinking water. Physicians were doling out antiparasitic medications.

As an observer, I felt like it was putting a band-aid on a more critical issue. To make matters worse, community markets sold bottled water for a dollar, while soda was just 50 cents. Lack of proper health education, contaminated water, and limited economic resources has created a crisis, evidenced by a large percentage of patients presenting with severe diabetes, dehydration, parasitic infections and cavities.

When I arrived home in the U.S., I made a pitch to Hannah that we should really expand her nonprofit to include other modes of preventative healthcare, beginning with water purification.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

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