Worcester Magazine - January 7 - 13, 2020

JANUARY 7 - 13, 2021 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CULTURE • ARTS • DINING • VOICES

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Winter is for the birds!

Bird watching gains in popularity during pandemic

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IN THIS ISSUE

J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021 • V O L U M E 46 I S S U E 19 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

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Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Robert Duguay, Liz Fay, Jason Greenough, Janice Harvey, Barbara Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Craig S. Semon, Matthew Tota

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the cover Winter is for the birds

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Bird-watching gains in popularity during pandemic Story on page 8 Photo by Cynthia Rand, CJRand.com; Design by Donald Cloutier

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CITY VOICES

FIRST PERSON

HARVEY

An appeal for Rhina P. Espaillat to be Biden’s inaugural poet

BELEN ATIENZA

D

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ear President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris,

Congratulations on your victory. As you prepare for the celebration of your arrival to the White House, I would like to strongly recommend Rhina P. Espaillat as inaugural poet to carry your message of union, hope and equality. Espaillat is one of the most powerful and respected contemporary voices in the United States and the Caribbean, considered “the urban new voice of Latinx poetry” (Dana Gioia ). As a woman of mixed Afro-Dominican, Spanish, French and Arawak descent, in her works she explores the multiplicity of her identities, the pride of belonging to different cultural traditions, and the joys of nature and domestic life.

Espaillat writes both in Spanish and English and she has committed her life to creating bridges between speakers of different languages in the United States, as well between American writers and writers from other countries. Deeply in love with the country that welcomed her as a child, aware of the complexities of history, and the challenges of being a woman of color and an immigrant in the United States, she once wrote that for her, “poetry is not just for everybody it is from everybody.”

Espaillat is the perfect cultural

Poet Rhina P. Espaillat PROMOTIONAL IMAGE

ambassador for the United States, she embodies the best values of America: freedom, inclusion and solidarity. She is a great communicator and public speaker, with a clear vision about the need to create bridges between different generations of readers, as well as groups from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

As a public intellectual, she is a believer in bilingualism, in the need for speakers of all languages to shine and to coexist, because as she affirmed in an interview in the magazine Rattle when asked about assimilation: “those of us who have more than one identity, who have multiple languages and multiple loyalties, [we] are not really divided people [we are] multi-

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plied. I tell my Spanish language students, immigrant students from all over — because I see Asian students also — I tell them, ‘You’re not less, you’re more. You’re more because you have more points with which to touch other people.’” (Rattle No. 38, 2012)

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2020 had us all in ‘Jeopardy!’

JANICE HARVEY

T

ime has never dragged the way that it has since January of 2020. The 100 Years War moved at a faster clip that the 12 months that began this decade. We’ve waited for Godot, Guffman and downtown Worcester’s sidewalks to be completed; we’ve stared at useless datebooks in anticipation of January 20th, Joy Reid’s latest hairdo and Ronnie’s clam shack reopening. Nothing compares to the 365,000 days that were 2020.

Putting the year into words is a daunting task. Most of us threw our copies of Roget’s Thesaurus out the window months ago.

Since the calendar flipped last, up became down, friends became enemies and truth and lies became indistinguishable from one another. Coronavirus held all the cards and continued to grab us by the collar when we got too cocky, foolishly thinking we were in charge of anything. The ground shifted under our feet daily, as beloved figures like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Lewis lost battles

with cancer. Chadwick Boseman should still be here. When Alex Trebek drew his last breath, we knew there were no answers.

As 2020 crawled to a close, it occurred to me that someday, this year could be an entire episode of “Jeopardy.” Some categories pertaining to 2020 might include the following: Category: Selfishness on Parade ( for $200) The answer is: Toilet paper, sanitizer and pasta The question: What are things we would cut a grampy for?

The answer is: masks (For $400) The question: What simple piece of cloth can be the difference between life and death?

Alternative question accepted: What piece of cloth do some waitstaff and store clerks wear under their noses?

I’ve always found the year-end wrap-ups fun to watch and read.

Not this year. I don’t want to recall

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CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Everything’s coming up Wally!

VICTOR D. INFANTE

2020 HINDSIGHT: The president of the United States is still involved in trying to overturn a democratic election, it’s winter and we’re heading into what promises to be the darkest stretch of the pandemic, and as I write, about half the city has lost internet access, which is the only thing holding us together these days. Happy New Year? One wants to be optimistic, but there’s a lot of suck left to get through before we arrive at the Promised Land of vaccines and boring federal politics.

WALLY MAKES HIS MOVE: Meanwhile, on the Worcester City Hall front,

District 5 Councilor Matt Wally has announced that he’s running for City Council at Large in the next election. You might remember we reported this rumor a while back. “The governing perspective of an at-Large Councilor is much more expansive than that of a District Councilor,â€? said Wally, when I reached out to him.  “A good District Councilor puts the priorities of the District above all else. A District Councilor’s focus on ‘constituent services’ includes issues such as pothole repairs, snow removal, streetlight outages, etc. An at-Large Councilor deals with those issues as well but the main priority is to identify policies which impact the city as a whole. Three examples of issues which I would focus on as an at-Large District Councilor are the development of a municipally owned broadband network to ensure equitable internet access for all Worcester residents, the expansion of the downtown Streetscape Policy to commercial corridors and residential neighborhoods throughout Worcester in order to provide a more pedestrian safe city, and support for small businesses, especially restaurants, in order to expedite the economic recovery post-pandemic.â€?Â

MEANWHILE, BACK IN DISTRICT 5: Wally’s switch-up leaves the District 5 seat

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ON THE BUS: Public transit – both during and after the Age of COVID – remains a simmering topic, a truth which was put into focus by disability activist Deb Ellstrom’s experiences on New Year’s Eve, which was, according to the WRTA’s website, supposed to be running normally that day. “I waited over an hour for an inbound #7, which usually runs a bus to that corner every 40 minutes during the day,â€? wrote Ellstrom, who uses a wheelchair. “Other people also commented on the slowness, and on the bus being extremely off-schedule. ‌ Ghost buses would appear on the schedules, be announced, but no bus with that number would appear. I gave up on the #5, then then #26 — neither of which appeared.

Other people I overheard were calling on their phones, telling similar stories, and apologizing to the people they’d called, explaining buses weren’t showing up. There was no one to ask in the kiosk. The doors to the customer service area were closed ‌ When a #27 appeared, I grabbed it.� A representative from WRTA explained that they experienced a staffing shortage that day, with some of their drivers being quarantined for COVID-19, and were unable to find drivers to work overtime. That said, it seems there’s a growing consensus that infrastructure items — the little things that make the city run — need to top the city’s postCOVID agenda.

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up for grabs. Some early reports had Thu Nguyen vying for that seat, but they’ve since settled on running at-Large, and there’s no evidence so far that’s changed.

That leaves newcomer Yenni Desroches as the only declared candidate for that seat, although it’s VERY early and things could change. We had caught up with Desroches a few weeks ago, asking about her motivations for running. “I am running for the District 5 City Council seat,� she says, “because I want to bring my experience and enthusiasm to our City Council so we can better address the needs of this community. There are a wide range of infrastructure and accessibility issues that need greater attention or more urgent action.

Our streets and sidewalks are in bad condition especially when many have no usable sidewalks. The city’s methods for parking bans, especially spring and fall cleanups, are inefficient and problematic, especially for people without driveways who may be elderly or disabled. We also need to move forward with a zero-fare transit system that is convenient and accessible. I will advocate for these and other infrastructure projects that impact our daily lives.�

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FEATURED

Comedian Kevin H. Brady keeping us laughing through it all RICHARD DUCKET T

Productions presentation of “Helen’s Most Favorite Day” that Christie Brady directed, although her main t was no laughing matter for interest remained acting. comedian and Worcester In Worcester, the couple lived native Kevin H. Brady. in the Burncoat Street/Lincoln Now living in Hackensack, Street area.

New Jersey, his day job was working “My wife and I were both involved for “an essential retail business” that with the arts for 10 to 15 years. My had stayed open through the panwife is an actor. She had always demic. Until it filed for bankruptcy. talked about how she had wanted “I got laid off yesterday,” he said to go to New York to pursue acting over the phone last week. “It’s a fun professionally, and she never did. and exciting time all around.”

Kevin Brady will be one of the I just said I’m not going to be 60 one So Brady, 35, noted that “Today’s the first official day of being laid off. comedians on the “Friday Virtual day and hear you say ‘I never went Yoo Hoo Room Comedy Show” to New York.’ “ I’ve already submitted my unemThey were, Brady said, “Young ployment paperwork. I’m looking at from Flappers Comedy Club in a handful of places. We’ll cross those Burbank, Calif., starting at 10:30 enough to do something stupid, old enough to be smart about it.” bridges when we get to them.” p.m. (Eastern Time) Jan. 8.

They moved to Hackensack, But although the day job had SUBMITTED PHOTO about 45 minutes from New York gone, the night job, making people he said.

City, in 2017. They live with two cats. laugh, isn’t going too badly under And since Brady is relatively new “Right now that is sufficient,” Brady the circumstances. There are virtual/ to the world of comedy himself, said.

Zoom bookings, including being The company that Christie Brady one of the comedians on the “Friday some learning curves might have been expected, although 2020 may was working for at the time actually Virtual Yoo Hoo Room Comedy have bent them out of any previous gave her a raise and a promotion to Show” from Flappers Comedy Club shape of recognition. make the move, her husband said. in Burbank, California, starting “It definitely wasn’t a late develShe’s now working for another at 10:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) Jan. oping interest,” Brady said of his company after the previous employ8. Ray Lau is the host. Tickets are interest in comedy. “When I was er went out of business. $7. For information, visit http:// younger, when I came home from Regarding the acting, “She’s gotwww.flapperscomedy.com/shows/ ten a few decent acting jobs locally. friday-virtual-yoo-hoo-room-come- school, I was putting on Comedy Channel. I came home watching Some behind the stage stuff. She dy-show/62148/ stand-up comedy, watching comeworked on a few professional shows,” Brady has more virtual shows dians I had no business watching.

Brady said. Then the pandemic booked for later in the month.

George Carlin.” closed the curtains on that for a Unfortunately, it’s also the case Brady grew up on Vernon Hill in while as well. that his in-person comedy conWorcester, and went to Vernon Hill Brady was aware of open mic nections as he commuted from Elementary School and the “old” nights here where prospective Hackensack to clubs in New York City were increasing just prior to the North High School. College included comedians can get up and see how a stint at Quinsigamond Communi- they fare with stand-up or, for more pandemic. ty College. experienced hands, try out new “Things were trending upwards But “music was what I was doing material. when the world exploded,” he said. for the longest time,” said Brady, who He said he would say “’I’m gonna “I was booked the week New go, I’m gonna go, I’m gonna go.’ I York shut down all of the clubs. That was in several New England metal bands. never did.” week alone I had six or something “I fell into acting when I was 23, Then in New Jersey he shows that were canceled.”

24 … On a different stage to music, thought, “You know what, I’m gonna Brady, however, does not come it exposed me to that live experigo. We’re a 30-minute bus ride from across as bitter. Rather, he seems New York City (where) you can’t go a like someone who sees silver linings. ence.”

Something else, however, was block without finding an open mic.”

Closing the clubs “in hindsight This time he did, and as Brady put was absolutely the right call,” he said. also lurking. Comedy, “was always in it, something terrible happened: A comic he was supposed to appear the back of my mind,” Brady said.

In 2012 he met his future wife, “I went on stage, did my material, with at one of the engagements Christie, when they both appeared and people laughed.” that week tested positive for the Life might have subsequently coronavirus shortly afterward. Brady in a show put on by Pilgrim Soul Productions. been easier “If no one had laughed,” feels he may have dodged a bullet.

He later stage-managed a Braid he noted. “I would have said ‘I tried Fortunately, the comic is now OK,

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it. It’s not for me.’”

Too late. He was hooked. Well, pretty much hooked, anyway. From March 2018 for six months he did open mics in New York, and then for no particular reason stopped for six months.

“There are a lot of different things I find funny,” Brady said. “I’m not above doing a stupid pun. Not above those stupid, silly one-liners.”

His grandparents lived at home, and “Dean Martin roasts where very popular in my house,” Brady said.

He avoids politics in his material.

“I try not to go that route, not because that’s taboo but I’m not after low-hanging fruit about something that’s going on (now). It should be relevant one year from now, two years from now …

“Most of what I write is your standard in-my-life type of thing, and you might find it funny too.”

Brady said he has “a couple of jokes about Worcester — not disparaging.”

One is, “Birthplace of the Smiley Face and oral birth control. I don’t think those two are mutually exclusive.”

In March 2019, Brady responded to a Facebook announcement looking for comics, and much to his surprise “booked my first professional show.”

The show was “Fashionably Funny” run by comic Maryssa Smith at the Broadway Comedy Club in New York.

“It was my first audience experience with people that weren’t just comics looking to try out material.” Furthermore, he was at “a known and famous comedy club.”

Evidently once again people laughed. A while later, Smith messaged, “ ‘I have another show coming up if you’re free.’ It was kind of downhill from there,” Brady said. “I did her show five or six times.”

Other venues he’s performed at include New York Comedy Club and Greenwich Village Comedy Club.

Along the way Kevin Brady has learned the importance of his middle initial as in Kevin H. Brady.

“There are way too many of us out

there,” he said of the Keven Bradys of the world. Back in Worcester he once got a message from an actor he knew after casting for a show had been announced saying he was looking forward to working with Brady in the upcoming production.

Brady replied, “ ‘I didn’t audition for that show.’

“In Central Massachusetts there’s another Kevin Brady into acting.”

There are at least two other people named Kevin Brady in comedy — one from Seattle and the other from Nebraska, Brady said. There’s also a Republican Congressman from Texas, Kevin P. Brady.

As was mentioned earlier, Kevin H. Brady was getting known in comedy circles just before the pandemic.

“I had been booked for my first comedy festival in Pennsylvania in April,” he said.

“I was starting to get booked at venues I hadn’t performed at with people I hadn’t performed with. It was that slow build.”

But “on the other side of the coin,” Brady said he is thankful there has been Zoom. He has done five comedy festivals virtually since the pandemic, including the recent Boston Comedy Festival.

Also upcoming for Brady is an All-Massachusetts show hosted by the Chicago-based improv duo Flower Shop Bangers. The show is at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24 and broadcast on Facebook Live and YouTube Live.

“It does feel like there’s a silver lining to the COVID cloud,” he said.

Brady acknowledged that early on in the pandemic his attitude had been “it’s not really gonna be that bad.”

People were doing online shows as early as mid-March but Brady tended to think “ ‘I don’t really need to.’ “ A friend posted Brady a message on Facebook: “ ‘If you’re not willing to do Zoom shows, comedy is going to pass you by.’ “ Brady saw the light. “OK, I’ll give it a try.”

There was technology to learn, and etiquette, Brady said.

Performing online, “You don’t C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 7

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Worcester County Conservation District doing some soil-searching VEER MUDAMBI

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He’s done shows where 30 people viewed online and no one donated.

In contrast, one show watched by two people saw one of them give $30, which was divided up among the comics.

“That was cool. $5 (each). That’s not much, but that’s your coffee in the morning,” Brady said.

Having just lost a day job, he has thoughts of making a living doing comedy, but they are framed with a gradualist, realist vision.

“I’ve been telling everyone if I could make minimum wage in the arts I would never work 9 to 5 again,” he said. Actually, he would be happy to be “at a point where

I’m able to earn an income ( from comedy) and still maintain a regular job in a part-time capacity.”

When the pandemic ends he will have a good line for comedy producers in all seriousness.

“I can say I was able to stay working through COVID, I can do your show,” Brady said.

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always know if your joke worked.”

If you know that a joke usually gets a laugh at some certain points in the telling, should you pause?

Still, “It’s great. You don’t have to worry about going to a place. You’re

at home — all in all it’s been a pretty positive experience.”

As for the money with online shows, however, “There’s not much,” Brady acknowledged.

A headliner will get paid quite well, he said. Shows that are free but where donations are encouraged can be unpredictable.

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orchards that need bare root plants.”

Bare root plants are able to remain in a dormant state for a time after being dug up, where their roots don’t need soil to survive in this state. The plants — such as evergreens, flowering shrubs, fruit bearing plants and perennials — will begin growing once replanted. “Each year we have a theme,” she said, “this year it’s native plants.” The sale will be held primarily online Feb. 1 to March 31.

“It’s great for homeowners trying to populate their yard with the right plants,” said Stimson, “Natives, pollinators, what’s good for the environment.”

WCCD will provide assistance relating to the conservation of soil, water and other natural resources to any land occupier, whether a farm or a non-farm. For a fee of $40 per sample, the staff will visit your site and take soil samples. They will dry your samples and mail them to a soil testing lab; once the lab has finished an analysis, staff will walk you through the results, and can make recommendations based on your needs. Soil health is for everyone and WCCD strives to make conservation accessible to Worcester County residents, independent of scale.

Stimson is now getting ready to plant her sprouts for the spring and pollinator plants that would do well in the shade on her land. She has been working with WCCD to set up a new composting system as well, having bought three composting units from them. With their help, she has basically rescued and rehabilitated her property, nurturing the land with healthy soil practices.

For information, visit https:// worcesterconservation.org/ or call (508) 829-4477, ext. 5.

J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

enny Stimson’s initial attempts at cultivating her land were not coming up roses. After losing a peach tree last summer, she chalked it up to the notoriously sandy New England soil which has a high level of sand and acidity but is low in nutrients.

When sulfur and lime additives to enrich the soil failed to improve the fertility, she resorted to soil testing.

The results were eye-opening, revealing a hidden hazard on Stimson’s land. The slope on the backside of the house proved to have toxic lead levels, and any food grown there would be unsafe to eat.

The Worcester County Conservation District, which performed the soil test, aims to help landowners like Stimson. Part of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts, the WCCD’s Healthy Soil Initiative launched in 2016. This past November, WCCD received $42,000 as part of the state’s Conservation Partnership Program specifically for Healthy Soils.

The money will go toward programs such as soil health workshops, supplies, promotion and the salaries of full-time workers like Joel Betts, WCCD soil analyst. “Without the grant, we wouldn’t be able to charge as little as we do for the soil testing,” said Betts. “It’s really what allows us to dedicate the time to go out into the field and meet with people.”

Betts has done over 100 soil tests with over 60 landowners, whose land can encompass as little as a small garden plot in the city to a couple of acres in the country where owners grow their own food and livestock. Large farms often receive

back to the landowner in a couple of weeks with a chemical report. Betts aims to help people look at soil in a holistic way, beyond just what’s in the ground. Knowing the soil has high PH levels or low carbon content doesn’t mean much if someone doesn’t know how it affects what they’re trying to grow. “We encourage practices that encourage healthy soil — thinking of it as a living ecosystem and treating it as such,” he said. He will often discuss invasive species and pollinator habitats — both of which indirectly affect the success of a garden or small farm.

Betts did five different areas — Jenny Stimson’s property in the Rochdale section of Leicester has Stimson said she had never seen such a comprehensive soil test from many raised beds and an arched trellis to grow cucumbers and start to finish. Reports arrived after zucchini. about a week, with each location CHRISTINE PETERSON having at least a page and a half flooding) but Stimson was reasonanalyses from fertilizer companies, report on what they found, includably confident. but WCCD provides local landing soil PH, organic and nutrient However, these issues were only owners with these same resources content levels along with optimal they otherwise would not be able to scratching the surface of the real range for each of them. Comments problems — literally. Heavy rains access. included what should and shouldn’t often reveal what had been buried.

“It was invaluable information be planted there as well as how to One year the earth gave up an entire amend soil for intended planting, and really helped me have confidence as kind of a newbie in dealing bed frame. Turns out the land had along with directing to further not been wholly ignored — it had with toxic soil and high water resources. “They’re really invested in been used as a landfill. Further digtables,” said Stimson, “Newbie or what your goals are for the property,” experienced though, no matter who ging unearthed garbage everywhere, said Stimson. including old batteries, shoes, piping, you are, you can learn something Stimson found out about WCCD roofing materials and car parts — from them.” through a neighbor in winter 2017, all of which had contributed to the When she purchased her who directed her to their annual toxicity in parts of her property. three-quarter acre property back seedling sale. The seedling sales People reach out to the WCCD in 2016, Stimson knew she was have been going on since at least the taking on something of a restoration when they want to make their soils ‘60s, said seedling sale coordinator more productive or are concerned project. Situated in the Village of Kathyrn Zichelle Sullivan. They about its acidity (PH) level. EspeRochdale in Leicester, the land was began as a fundraiser to make the cially now, said Lisa Trotto, WCCD drastically overgrown and required District more financially indepenadministrator, since “they want to the removal of shrubs, bushes and dent but are now something the even trees before even the first seeds educate themselves on how they can local garden and farm community grow vegetables to produce their of a garden could be planted. The looks forward to every year. previous owners had left it in a state own food during COVID.” “It’s a source of plant material However, WCCD does more than for small farms,” said Sullivan, of neglect and the land was situated simply take a soil sample and get on a high water table (prone to “especially Christmas tree farms or

COVER STORY

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The early (winter) birder gets the bird: Winter bird watching in Worcester VEER MUDAMBI

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very year, Martha Gach would find the winter berries in her yard thoroughly picked over. “For years, I always wondered what happened,” she said, as she never managed to catch the culprit.

However, as the pandemic forced more people to work from home this year, she was finally able to solve the mystery when she witnessed a flock of robins decimate her berries. Throughout the summer they hunt the lawn for worms but in the winter, as Gach observed, they enthusiastically switch to fruit.

While the common understanding is that birds fly south to avoid the cold weather, migration

is more about food availability than temperature. In the spring and summer, most birds are eating bugs, which become harder to find in winter. “All our warblers, for example, have hightailed it down to Central America and the Caribbean because there are bugs there year-round,” said Gach, conservation coordinator at Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary. The species that can find other food sources — namely seeds and berries — are the ones that stay through the winter months, such as chicadees, blue jays, gold finches, and, of course, robins.

Not only do a variety of species stay year-round, New England is actually a winter destination for birds from Canada or even

A rare hybrid of a red-shouldered and red-tailed hawk, two species who prefer to stay local during the winter. This bird was photographed by Worcester County resident Cynthia Rand in West Boylston. the Arctic. “It’s like Florida to them,” said Gach. These part-time residents start arriving around November, including multiple sparrow species but also raptors such as hawks and even snowy owls.

Migrations, especially long distance ones, are fraught with danger and take an enormous

amount of energy. “It’s an incredible journey that birds will undertake, if they have to,” Gach pointed out. “It will blow your mind what these little, tiny creatures are capable of facing — hummingbirds, for instance, can cross the Gulf of Mexico.” But the birds who stay on are probably wondering why migrate when

you can make it through the winter with a change of diet?

Raptors, while they don’t change what they eat, will also try to stay through the winter until the depth of snow cover prevents them from hunting. Their behavior has more to do with how much snow covers the ground C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 10

COVER STORY

A junco - a member of the sparrow family. Juncos are one of the sparrow species that spend the winter in New England, typically arriving around November.

A cardinal takes a rest on a snowy pine.

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A blue jay in the snow.

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COV E R S TO RY

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J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

among the first birds to nest, in preparation for breeding, in C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 8 Worcester County, as early as the end of January. than the cold. Mark Lynch, So if you’re thinking of taking teacher at Broadmeadow Brook and a hawk expert, said that even up birding, there’s no need to wait until spring. In fact, winter birds of the same species may can be the best birding season in have different migratory habWorcester County. Counter-inits. He speculated that perhaps tuitive, yes. Practically speaking, the landscape may not be able it is very true. Lack of foliage to support as many. Red-tailed hawks may change their territory provides better visibility, the smaller number of species can in the winter, one for breeding, prevent the neophyte birder from one for hunting — depending on snow levels. “They may move but being overwhelmed and the birds not too far and, as local migrants, are more likely to congregate at are more flexible, but the long dis- backyard feeders.

Winter bird watching can tance migrators are more locked be so rewarding that it may be in.” Rough-legged hawks migrate the reason why the Christmas to our area from the Arctic, and Bird Count is so popular. While broad-winged hawks, who feed not always on Christmas, bird on snakes and frogs that cannot watchers nation-wide head out be found in the winter, regularly on specific days depending on migrate farther south to warmer their area to count as many birds climes. as they can. For the last 121 Some owl species may also find it necessary to move on once years between Dec. 14 and Jan. 3, birders have sent the data back the snowpack gets too deep and to Audubon. This year, the city hunting rodents becomes near of Worcester conducted its bird impossible. However, the largest count on Dec. 19, recording 42 of them, the Great Horned owls, species and 601 individual birds. usually stay year-round and are

“You have a geographic circle, divided into sectors, each with a team [of bird counters] led by a coordinator,” explained Gach.

The CBC is essential to monitoring the population changes of birds within a given area. Many experts have noted migration and habitat changes among certain species, but the data from the bird count provides quantifiable, not just anecdotal, evidence.

By way of example, Lynch counted over 20 black vultures accompanied by more than 100 turkey vultures a few weeks ago in Blackstone on the Worcester/Rhode Island line. This was surprising because black vultures used to be rare in Massachusetts. “When I was growing up, most vultures went south but as winters on the whole have become warmer, more vultures stay,” he said, “and now we see them all the time.” He connects the dots by explaining that the increase in developed areas and the addition of roads means more roadkill, giving the vultures a steady food source.

Both Lynch and Gach have a

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A Carolina wren (left) and a woodpecker share a bird feeder as it snows. few tips for new bird watchers this season. Bird feeders are always useful, but even more so in winter, when food is scarce. The seed eating birds will be drawn to feed and in turn will be followed by raptors such as Cooper’s hawks who prey on them, said Gach.

After dark, owls may even hunt the mice that come out to eat the fallen seeds. Ornamental fruit trees, such as berries and crab apples, will also attract winged visitors, as Gach can attest. Drive down any major highway in the early morning, said Lynch, and

red tailed hawks sunning themselves will be a common sight. Or if you’re not a morning person, listen for the calls of the great horned owls in the late evenings, when breeding pairs duet with overlapping calls to create one song.

If the pandemic has curtailed any of your annual travel plans, take a moment for a walk in the woods or maybe even set up a bird feeder in your backyard. You might get a chance to see who else is skipping a flight south this year.

COVER STORY

FIRST PERSON

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

A believer in public education, Espaillat worked in New York City for decades as a teacher, and to this day she is still teaching poetry at community colleges in the Northeast. I had the honor to hear her read her poems to my students last year, as a guest speaker in my class about Hispanic writers and the diaspora at Clark University. I have invited many poets over the years, but her reading stood up and made a profound impact in my classroom. Humble,

H A RV E Y

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

a single day of this doomed dozen of months. I’ve been wracking my brain for a positive on which to hang my hat, but all I can do is look forward. Reviewing the year makes me Zoom my therapist.

I’m telling myself that some day soon, when I sneeze I won’t think the Grim Reaper is knocking on my door. I’m thinking ahead to when I don’t have to hang a mask

humorous and generous with her wisdom and her advice, my students were mesmerized by her charisma, her respect to their questions and insights, and her genuine love of people and words.

One of the ways in which she shows this commitment to cross-cultural communication and making poetry and culture accessible to all is through her work as translator. While translating poetry, she is able to recreate the beauty and nuances of meaning in the original language, while at the same time replicating the musicality and rhythm

of the stanzas. A master of form and verse, she has the gift and talent to translate poems written in verse to verses in the new languages, creating an illusion for the reader of being able to experience translated work as if it were never translated. Translating for her is a labor of love as well as a political act, where linguistic and cultural borders are transcended.

Thanks to her mastery of language, the poetry of Robert Frost and Richard Wilbur has been appreciated by Spanish speakers.

English audiences have been able to enjoy her translations into English from authors as diverse

as Charles D’Orleans (French), Dafydd ap Gwilym (Welsh), Marko Marulić Splićanin (Croatia’s national poet), Luís Vaz de Camões (Portuguese), Bedrich Bridel (Czech) or Gaspar Aquino de Belén (Tagalog).

Espaillat’s ability as a translator from Spanish into English has given us the opportunity to now enjoy beautiful translations of American some of the greatest Hispanic poets, such as Sor Juana Inés (México), Vicente Huidobro (Chile), Alfonsina Storni (Argentina), Saint John of the Cross and Miguel Hernández (Spain), and countless others. She has also

translated the work of fellow Dominican-American poets César Sánchez Beras and Worcester Poet Laureate Juan Matos, to name just a few. In conclusion, Rhina Espaillat will be a great voice to commemorate this new presidency. As inaugural poet, she will be a great companion in the project of reuniting the country and bringing hope and healing to all.

in the same place where I hang my keys.

I’m looking forward to the day when I don’t think about the president of the United States. I used to go days without checking to see what the leader of the free world was up to, trusting that he was acting in our best interests. In truth, I haven’t felt that way since 2016, but 2020 really made me feel like I stumbled into a cheesy spy novel.

I’m dreaming of the day when I can reserve two seats at the bar at Nuovo’s and have Tildi Froku make me a delightful pear martini without ordering it from across the room through a mask that matches my outfit. Someday I will comfortably enter the fish market when there are more than two customers in line. Someday I will once again use an elevator.

But I digress. Back to Jeop-

ardy.

Category: Oh! The Places We Will Go! (For the whole enchilada) The answer is: Everywhere and anywhere our hearts desire.

The question: Where will Americans go when COVID-19 is a memory?

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Let us feature your artwork in Worcester Magazine’s Artist Spotlight!

See you there.

J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

artists

Category: Presidential Pardons (For $400) The answer is: law student Ted Bundy The question: Who would Donald Trump pardon and hire as his new personal attorney based on his reputation as a lady killer?

Belen Atienza is an Associate Professor in the Department of Language, Literature and Culture at Clark University.

CITY LIFE

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

Lord of Solitude

Phenex

Author. Musician. Actor. If there’s a creative outlet, chances are that Aaron White has at least dabbled in it, from his first solo exhibit at the former Dark World Gallery in 2011 to playing the infernal Dr. Void in Worcester’s infamous and enigmatic live improv writing troupe, the Federation of Belligerent Writers. Having developed a fascination with monsters and the macabre at a young age, Aaron has brought the inner workings of his dark imagination to the public eye a few times, notably when he curated and organized the “Phantasmagoria” exhibit at the Sprinkler Factory in 2017.

When he is not drawing or writing, he is sometimes making music under the name Order of the Black Pyramid. Just recently he has released his first book, “The Language of Shadows: an Illustrated Collection of Stories.” The anthology boasts 16 horror and sci-fi stories with 25 accompanying penand-ink drawings. The drawings presented here are “Lord of Solitude,” “The Stars Align” and “Phenex.”

The Stars Align

CITY LIFE

CONNELL SANDERS

At-home workouts HIIT the spot SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

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here are few things I treasure more than the feeling of post-workout bliss — a sensation that is hardest for me to conjure in the cold. A few weeks back, I put out an ask on Instagram to find out how my community is staying active during this one-of-a-kind winter. Immediately, my feed filled with endorsements for Tabata and other popular HIIT regimens that can be done from the comfort of one’s own home.

Here’s the skinny: ...Or the fat or the muscular or the hourglass or the pear shape.

Bodies are different and that’s the way I like them.

HIIT & Tabata HIIT stands for High-intensity interval training. Basically, alternating all-out exercise with active recovery. Tabata is a specific routine developed in the ‘90s by Japanese professor Izumi Tabata in which each exercise lasts for

Tabata and other popular HIIT regimens can be completed from the comfort of one’s own home.

sition to spend a lot on a trainer, right now,” posed Carlson, “You could organize a group of people who each throw in ten bucks, post it on the app, and pretty soon you and your friends in Worcester are enjoying a live private yoga class taught by a professional Broadway dancer in New York.”

Walk the dog Working from home and avoiding other humans has definitely abated my motivation to stay fit.

In our household, we’re about to take a drastic measure: we are getting a puppy. I will try not to let this column metamorphose into a second-rate knockoff of “Marley & Me,” but I’ve already revealed my admiration for Jennifer Aniston once this week and I fear it may be too late. See you out there.

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Month of January

J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

13

The Class by Taryn Toomey I am partial to The Class, a goopy combination of HIIT, meditation and dance favored by the venerable Jennifer Aniston.

The Class was created by former Dior executive Taryn Toomey.

Workouts offer music-driven collaborations with artists such as Alabama Shakes, Amos Lee and Gregory Alan Isakov. Every session ends in an oddly emotional heart clearing The Squatz app safely connects fitness exercise derived from a variety of trainers to their clients. ancient meditaPROMOTIONAL IMAGE tion practices.

It’s kind of like swimming the four minutes. The four-minute butterfly on your living room floor blocks are broken down further while releasing a series of dramatinto 20-second spurts of exertion ic exhales through your mouth. followed by 10-second resting periods. I have a handful of friends File it away under, “Things I would have never tried a year ago.” who gather regularly for Tabata sessions on Zoom. Others turn The Squats App to popular Youtubers like Chloe If you require a highly specific Ting or local trainers such as KYA form of training for say, Tai Chi, Fitness for a HIIT fix.

PROMOTIONAL IMAGE

pilates, boxing, barre, or aerial yoga, there are plenty of options at your fingertips. MIT grad Scott Carlson recently launched the Squatz app as a marketplace solution for fitness trainers, many of whom faced career setbacks over the last year due to COVID. “There are approximately 400,000 personal trainers in the U.S. who are out of work,” Carlson pointed out before asking, “How can they access their clients and continue to deliver their core services?” The answer was clear: virtual fitness.

Trainers on Squatz can set their own rates and schedules after submitting to background checks and providing documentation of their credentials. Trainees have the freedom to co-create their experiences by putting out specific bids that suit their own lifestyles.

“Let’s say you aren’t in the po-

CITY LIFE

SCREEN TIME

Finding delight in really, really bad movies JIM KEOGH

I

n the classic “Seinfeld” episode set in the foyer of a Chinese restaurant, Jerry urges George and Elaine to accompany him to a one-nightonly screening of Ed Wood’s “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” a legendarily terrible film. When it becomes clear neither wants to go, Jerry fumes: “Well I can’t go to a bad movie by myself. Who am I gonna make sarcastic remarks to — strangers?”

Of course not. Horrible cinema is meant to be shared with others, like Smores around a campfire.

Some of my favorite moments in a movie theater were with my friends, and later my kids, as we hammered away at some truly awful piece of filmmaking. I’ve mentioned in past columns that I intentionally attended “Holmes & Watson” to bathe in its foulness, but the experience was a little hollow because I attended alone

and suffered all the pain without even the sweet release of muttering snarky comments to a fellow appalled human.

Which brings me to the main attraction of this column. One of my favorite podcasts, “How Did This Get Made?” is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and if you are a fan of bad cinema and have not listened to “HDTGM”, then you need to get on it. The podcast is hosted by comic actors Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas and June Diane Raphael (Scheer and Raphael are married), who, accompanied by a series of guest stars, carve up a dreadful movie in each episode in a way that somehow is not mean or pissy. They genuinely are curious to unearth the answer to the question in their podcast title.

And they are hilarious in their quest. Scheer and Mantzoukas were already familiar to me from their roles in the late great FX series “The League,” and they are so smart and quick that they often

of the doubt to a sincere effort gone awry. They are at their best on the road doing shows with live audiences, feeding off the energy of people who also have endured the likes of “The VelociPastor” or “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo” and need an outlet to unburden themselves. (The pandemic has confined the show to the studio over the last year.)

One of my favorite episodes of “How Did This Get Made?” involves the gang’s review of the 2004 Chris Evans-Kim Basinger thriller “Cellular.” They dissect the general lunacy of Basinger’s character being held hostage and managing to make a random call for help that finds its way onto Evans’ The original poster for the Ed cellphone. But the podcast takes Wood movie, “Plan 9 from Outer a giddier turn when guest host Ike Space.”

Barinholtz (“The Mindy Project”) FILE PHOTO points out the absurdity of having surprise one another with their the very British Jason Statham play observations. Raphael has a less a Los Angeles cop and launches frantic style, is also funny, and is into a riff of Statham desperately more inclined to give the benefit trying to establish his bona fides

by name-checking a different L.A. landmark in every sentence.

I’m also partial to their takedown of the 2017 police procedural “The Snowman,” a film I reviewed about a burnt-out detective (Michael Fassbender) tracking a serial killer whose trademark is building a snowman at the site of each of his killings. The movie is set in Norway, with no Norwegian actors (though J.K. Simmons seems to be attempting some kind of accent-y thing), and features a weirdly dubbed Val Kilmer (who was battling throat cancer and who was given a substitute voice that sounds like he was battling throat cancer) and a plot with so many holes it stands to reason the main character is named Det. Harry Hole.

If I was making any of this up about “The Snowman” there would be no reason for “How Did This Get Made?” to exist. For “HDTGM” beginners, it’s a good place to get started.

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J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

NEW TO DVD

Start the year with ‘Love and Monsters’ KATIE FORAN - MCHALE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

A

monster apocalypse tops the new DVD releases for the week of Jan. 5.

“Love and Monsters”: Monsters have overtaken the world and decimated 90% of humanity. Young Joel Dawson (Dylan O’Brien) survived by fleeing underground, but his yearning for love compels him to find his high school sweetheart, Aimee, at a different colony dozens of miles away — and he has to go above ground to get there.

It’s reminiscent of “A Quiet Place” and “Zombieland,” not to mention pandemic anxiety, to mixed results, wrote Noel Murray in his review for the Los Angeles Times.

“The story really only finds a good groove in its final third, when Joel has a major setback and dis-

of a Russian mobster (Nick Stahl) after refusing his money. Out on DVD Jan. 12.

ALSO NEW ON DVD JAN. 5 “Audrey”: Documentary follows “12 Hour Shift”: A nurse with the life of the legendary Audrey a drug addiction (Angela Bettis) Hepburn. and her cousin (Chloe Farnworth) “Gun and a Hotel Bible”: A devise an organ trafficking scheme man (Bradley Gosnell) reconsiders at an Arkansas hospital.

“Mystery Road, Series 2”: Aus- the murder he plans to commit tralian neo-Western mystery series after finding a Bible in his hotel room. returns as Detective Jay Swan “His Dark Materials: Season (Aaron Pedersen) heads to a new 2”: The show based on the novel town to solve a new murder.

“The 100: The Seventh and Fi- series by Philip Pullman returns nal Season”: The CW post-apoca- as Lyra (Dafne Keen) makes her lyptic sci-fi series comes to a close. way to Cittagazze after stepping “Yellow Rose”: A young Filipina through the portal.

“Industry: Season 1”: A group singer in Texas (Eva Noblezada) grapples with following her dreams of job candidates compete for roles of becoming a country star amid at a top London bank. family woes.

“Lena & Snowball”: A young girl finds a white lion cub and must OUT ON DIGITAL HD JAN. 5 protect him from poachers. Look “American Dream”: A pair of for it on DVD Jan. 12. entrepreneurs (Michiel Huisman and Luke Bracey) face the wrath does it feel genuinely relevant.”

Michael Rooker and Ariana Greenblatt star in “Love and Monsters.”

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

covers courage and perseverance can only carry him so far,” Murray wrote. “Though it’s moderately lik-

able throughout, only when “Love and Monsters” gets serious about the difficulties of Joel’s situation

CITY LIFE

LISTEN UP

STEMS delivers haunting, powerful ‘One Swan Daughter’ VICTOR D. INFANTE

T

Penelope Alizarin Conley of STEMS at Union Station.

the gentler-toned “Stuck,” where Conley sings, “Stuck by the way we get lost/Stuck in a way we can’t prove/And so it seems/we are still/wasting away/all alone.”

There is light in that song, and hope, but in both cases Conley makes both the persona and the listener work for them.

“Welcome To The U.S.A.” is interesting in that it’s the only song wherein the subject is someone other than the persona.

Indeed, in a lot of ways, the song’s subject feels like something of a

cautionary tale, stuck in a deadend job, dreaming of traveling to far off places. “She just wants to make it to far away lands,” sings Conley, “Can’t you see she just wants to be free/She wants to believe/she cries every night for the American dream.” Without giving away too much, that belief undoes her. Conversely, “Seventeen Forever” feels mournful and darkly tragic, but there’s a sense of forward movement, even if it’s painful. “Used to walk with me/ As we lived and breathed,” sings

15

we’re holding hands/You can sense they’re burning all the dark in me,” sings Conley. “As we’re sitting/The light on your hair does dance/Swear I’ve seen your soul reach through the heart of me/ Seems so fitting/you know what I mean/This is something that needs to be seen.”

Love needs to be seen. The persona needs to be seen. It’s a sweet, honest sentiment, but there’s something menacing in the tone, and it makes that sentiment seem fragile, especially as it leads into

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CHRISTINE PETERSON

J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

here are really two songs at the heart of Worcester musician Penelope Alizarin Conley’s – who records under the moniker STEMS – recent album, “One Daughter Swan.” The first is “Welcome to the USA,” which centers on a 17-year-old girl trapped in a dead-end life; the other, “Seventeen Forever,” is racked with emotional anguish as the persona yearns for the freedom of youth, mourning a relationship that’s changed with age. It’s quite clear this parallel is intentional: “One Daughter Swan,” as an album, is a vivid portrayal of the persona’s need to change, and the forces that both prevent and drive that change.

The album – the fourth Conley released in 2020 – is a spare affair in a lot of ways, just her and a guitar, but there’s a richness to the vocals and a depth of emotional resonance throughout that gives the album a layered effect, beginning straight out the gate with the opening song, “Your Little World.”

Here, there’s a brightness in the guitar that belies the anguish in the vocals. “You don’t know how it feels to be sad/When everybody listens and they’re on command,” sings Conley. “You’ll never how it feels to be bad/When you have no money only contraband.”

The guitar line dirties up as the song progresses, which serves to highlight the song’s underlying feeling of betrayal: “It’s really cold now you’ve been warned/And your friends or family have all be torn.” By that same token, the subsequent song, “Rise Again,” has a darker, murkier tone which contrasts the song’s sense of defiance, of rising out of fear and hardship.

These parallels and contrasts give texture to the album’s structure, which makes a song such as “Falter” pop. In a lot of ways, despite the heaviness of the instrumentation, it’s a straightforward love song: “As

Conley. “Cloven cigarettes/Then tear apart the page/And then one day/go our separate ways/Will you remember me/In the asylum of your soul?” It’s an easily relatable pain, one that rises with the intensity of Conley’s vocal wails.

From here, the rest of the album feels like embers, sparks of light and heat that remain when the fire dwindles. “As Long As It’s Good Enough For You” has the persona looking at a relationship and realizing, she “keeps having to breathe/You keep taking/From me.” That’s paralleled immediately with “V&T,” a song written for her children, where she sings, “There’s a perfect world in your eyes.” But even here, in the song’s deeply evident sense of love, there’s a heartbreaking fear of being forgotten: “Will you still remember my name,” she sings, paralleling the end of “Seventeen Forever, “Cuz one day I’ll grow old/And I know time it moves real slow.”

The last two songs – “Are You Satisfied” and “Rest on a Fable” – open up the album’s narrative lens, resonant vocals and the jangle of electric guitar capturing the heartache of the earlier songs and connecting them to others’ suffering.

“We’re kneeling/And pleading/ How many have to die?” she sings in the former song, directly connecting to the near omnipresent violence that haunts our culture, then following that with, in the latter song, “We just sleep/And bury the loss/Amazed at words, we sit at the table/Amazing world that rests on a fable.”

In the end, the album is a story: The story of the persona, or of a teenage girl trapped in a dead-end life, or maybe the story of an entire culture. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. What DOES matter is that the story ends one way if one remains silent, and another way if one sings one’s truth out loud.

CITY LIFE

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

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Meet Rufus! This big boy was surrendered after his owners had a change in their lifestyle and they were no longer able to care for him. Rufus enjoys walks, romps in the snow, playing with toys and treats.

He is a thinker and is very smart. He is a big teddy bear, weighing in at 113 pounds and is looking for an experienced Rottweiler owner. He appreciates a slow introduction when getting to know new people. Rufus has never lived with other dogs and is aloof when meeting them, for this reason we feel a home with no animals would be best. He has been around children before, but he does get startled easily at the shelter, so older children like teens and up would be best. He loves affection and will lean into you for more. If you’re sitting down he will lay his big head on your lap. I’m not sure who this is more comforting for, him or us. Rufus is currently on a diet and looking for a walking buddy who can help him shed that holiday weight. If you would like more information about this handsome man or you would like to make an appointment to meet him, please contact our shelter.

WARL COVID-19 Procedures

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J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

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As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our team protected. • ADOPTIONS: At this time, adoptions are being held BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you are interested in adoption, please visit our website worcesterarl.org/adopt/ to learn more about our available animals then call us at (508) 853-0030 ext.0 or email us at info@worcesterarl.org to schedule an appointment. • Casual visits to the shelter are prohibited. We will strictly enforce this in order to keep our animal care team protected while still maintaining the most essential function of our operation...finding homes for animals in need. • ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030. • SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off/pick up procedures. • DONATIONS ACCEPTED except

for open bags of food. • Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can be purchased online from our Amazon Wishlist - https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0 • Weekly training classes are going on for adopters. • The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we can.

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

Thank you for your continued FURiendship and support.

GAMES

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Last week's solution

©2021 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1022

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Down 1 Workout facility 2 Square or cube follower 3 Short story-writer?

4 Inaudible on Zoom, maybe 5 Full of legroom 6 “Munich” star Eric 7 Florida explorer Ponce de ___ 8 Caribbean island near Venezuela 9 Skeletal makeup 10 Poem with the line “Darkness there and nothing more” 11 “Mr. Robot” actor Malek 12 “The joke’s ___!”

13 Some House votes 21 “Lord of the Flies” leader 22 2014 World Cup final city 25 Irritated state 26 Half a 360 27 Neutral, blah color 29 Starting on 30 Less numerous 32 Murphy of 2021’s “Coming 2 America” 33 Former One Direction member Horan

34 Markets successfully 37 Public TV chef Ming ___ 40 “Back to the Future” director Robert 41 $100 bill, in old slang 42 Fleet-footed heroine of Greek myth 47 It’s milked in Tibet 51 Truman declaration of 9/2/45 52 Country-blues guitarist Steve 54 Draw ___ on (take aim at) 55 Waxing target 56 Chauffeur-driven vehicle 57 Rice who writes of vampires 58 Ancient British Isles settler 59 “The Bridge on the River ___” 60 Hurrying, maybe 61 Airline to Jerusalem 65 Language suffix

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70 Bigfoot’s Tibetan cousin 71 Singer with the Grammy winning album “21”

J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

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Across 1 “21 ___” (2003 Sean Penn film) 6 Go on and on 10 1982 movie with a 2010 sequel 14 Quick text that’s usually abbreviated even more 15 Pilot’s prefix 16 Mandlikova of tennis 17 “Raging Bull” boxer Jake La ___ 18 Person, place, or thing, in grammar 19 One of many for “Game of Thrones” 20 Band whose album “No Need to Argue” features the track “Twenty One” (followed by their biggest hit, “Zombie”) 23 ___ de los Muertos 24 Largest continent 25 Trivia locale, once (and hopefully in the future) 28 “Frozen” snowman 31 “Great British Bake Off” fixtures 35 Ending for suburban 36 Rattled 38 Actress Falco of “The Sopranos” 39 1950s news involving Charles Van Doren and “Twenty-One” 43 Primal calling 44 Holiday spread 45 Kind of wind or will 46 Opposite combatant 48 “Live!” cohost for 20+ years 49 1994 and 1997 U.S. Open winner Ernie 50 Icicle lights locale 53 “Skyfall” actor Rapace 55 Place to play Twenty-One 62 Penguins’ milieu 63 Former “Whose Line” host Carey 64 “Spunk” author Zora ___ Hurston 66 Present prefix 67 “Rondo ___ Turca” (Mozart piece) 68 Casual goodbyes 69 Calamities

“Must Be ‘21 to Enter”--happy new year to you!

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CLASSIFIEDS LEGALS WORCESTER WORCESTER HOUSING HOUSING AUTHORITY AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FOR BIDS SEALED SEALED BIDS BIDS shall be shall received be received at the at Purchasing the Purchasing Office,Office, 69 Tacoma 69 Tacoma Street.,Street., Worcester, Worcester, MA 01605 MA 01605 Solicitation Solicitation package package may bemay downloaded be downloaded from our from website: our website: www.worcesterha.org/ www.worcesterha.org/ currentbids.html, currentbids.html, or by contacting or by contacting the Purchasing the Purchasing Department Department at purchasing@worcesterat purchasing@worcesterha.org.ha.org.

Bidders Bidders are responsible are responsible for ensuring for ensuring they have theyreceived have received any/allany/all addenda addenda prior toprior to submitting submitting a bid. a bid.

Separate Separate awardsawards will bewill made be made for each forsolicitation. each solicitation.

WHA or WHA its affiliate or its affiliate reserves reserves the right the right to reject to reject any orany all responses, or all responses, in whole in whole or in part, or indeemed part, deemed to be in to their be inbest theirinterest. best interest.

AwardAward of all contracts of all contracts is subject is subject to the to approval the approval of the of WHA theExecutive WHA Executive Director Director or Board or Board of Commissioners. of Commissioners.

The Operating The Operating AgencyAgency shall indemnify shall indemnify and hold andharmless hold harmless the WHA the WHA and itsand officers its officers or agents or agents from any fromand anyalland third allparty third claims party claims arisingarising from activities from activities under under these Agreements these Agreements as set as forth setinforth MGLinc.258, MGL c.258, sectionsection 2 as amended.

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Bid No. BidRelease No. Release Date Date Project Project Title Title Bid Opening Bid Opening 21-04 21-04 12/30/2020 12/30/2020Lease Lease of Office/Warehouse of Office/Warehouse Space Space 02:00 PM 02:00January PM January 29, 2021 29, 2021 Michelle Michelle Ngo - Ngo Vice-President - Vice-President of Procurement of Procurement

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LAST CALL

Bryan Feliz

Slate Chocolate Milk Marketing Intern

L

creating advertising content to not only help people make purchases, but to also make purchasing more efficient. On Snapchat, users are able to swipe up and they are immediately directed to the Slate website. After I create new ads, I go back and see how much we spent, how many purchases were made as a result of the ad, how many swipe ups occurred during the ad, how many reactions we received to the ad, and then I can gauge how the ad is performing overall, so I can report out to the company from there.

ast year, I attended one of Professor Lawrence Norman’s “Marketing to You” classes at Clark University where I was immersed in a deluge of pop culture, hype and impressive guest speakers. Norman is a Clark alumnus who spent two decades of his career strengthening the Adidas brand. He also built an impressive professional network along the way, which he happily extends to the members of his class. Almost all of Norman’s students leave the popular class dead set on landing a marketing internship.

before he suggested I reach out to Slate. After that, I took it on myself to pitch the company and find an internship. It was really nice to get an opportunity like this with the support of a professor.

What makes Slate a unique product?

They don’t just market the milk itself, but also a style of living.

They’ve been able to create a brand in such a short time. They were established only one year ago.

The more I see the company working to grow, the more they seem to be thinking like serious competitors. There’s a lot of chocolate milk out there. I’ve been focused on marketing analytics; my interest is in learning from a company that is both small and growing.

It’s really empowering because I get to see Slate develop from the very beginning and also transform along with it.

What does your internship entail? How are you helping Slate up their marketing game?

I work with Snapchat and Facebook, and soon TikTok, in terms of

– Sarah Connell Sanders

19

How did you get connected to Slate Chocolate Milk?

I made the connection through Lawrence’s class. He really showed an interest in all of us and made us feel confident. I talked to him about how I love marketing analytics and he emphasized the importance of mentorship. We went back and forth with my résumé

SUBMIT TED PHOTO

What are your future career ambitions?

It’s hard to nail down a job description. The work that goes into psychographics combined with the behind-the-scenes elements of what gets people excited about a product is what engages me the most. Anything from the creative process to the specific analytics that take us back to the drawing board is super interesting to me.

I enjoy seeing what works just as much as I enjoy learning what does not work. I’m not sure how that would translate into a career, but that’s kind of where I’m at.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

What year are you at Clark and where are you from?

I am partaking in the fifth-year program at Clark University. I am currently studying Marketing Analytics for my Master’s that I will finish this June. I am originally from the Dominican Republic. I came to Worcester when I was 12 years old because my family wanted me to take advantage of better educational opportunities.

My entire family is back home and I live here with my dad. I am a graduate of Claremont Academy in Worcester.

J A N U A RY 7 - 13, 2021

How will TikTok transform the marketing space?

I think it’s quite simple for brands to make an impact on TikTok because people don’t really think of TikTok as a platform where companies market directly. It’s a nuanced approach in terms of advertising and creating natural content. A lot of our competitors are doing this as well, but we’re basically just creating organic content that people would enjoy and find entertaining on Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok. We hope people will get to know the brand through the organic content in order to get them to shop efficiently from Slate’s site.

I have had the pleasure of checking in with a couple of Norman’s former students over the last few months to learn how they fared.

This week, I spoke with Bryan Feliz who is on track to complete Clark’s Accelerated Master’s Program this spring. As a result of his determination in Norman’s class, Feliz secured a marketing internship with Slate Chocolate Milk — a new healthy lactose-free beverage favored by athletes.

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