Worcester Magazine January 17 - 23, 2019

JANUARY 17 - 23, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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Local medium makes connections with pets

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in this issue J A N U A RY 17 - 23, 2019 • V O L U M E 44 I S S U E 21

the cover

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Animal Instincts: Local medium makes connection wit hpets Story on page 10 Photo by Elizabeth Brooks, Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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news Councilors move toward extending city manager’s contract BILL SHANER

contract was 9-2, with Councilor Konnie Lukes and then Councilor ity Councilors earlier Mike Gaffney in opposition. this week voted to begin Among other benefits, the contract negotiations with current contract includes 25 City Manager Ed Augustus vacation days, 10 sick days and Jr., launching the process a year three personal days, and $38,000 before his contract is set to expire. in other compensation like fuel, a “I’d hate to lose you, I think stipend for personal auto use and you’re doing a wonderful job for a stipend for life insurance. the City of Worcester,” said Mayor The council voted on TuesJoe Petty. “People respect this city day to send the contract item and they respect you and your to the Standing Committee on opinion.”

Municipal Operations, chaired Augustus’ current three-year by freshman District 1 Councilor contract expires in October 2020. Sean Rose. The committee will Under his current contract, which negotiate with Augustus on a was extended in 2016 before it ex- new contract before bringing it pired in 2017, he earns a base sal- back to the full council for a vote. ary of $209,141. Per the contract, Augustus did not speak on the the pay increases every year by 2 item Tuesday, but has previously percent. By July 2020, he is slated indicated he’d like to accept a conto make $217,590, unless the tract extension. terms change under the new conMost of the councilors who tract. At the time, the vote on the spoke on the item praised Augus-

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FILE PHOTO/STEVEN KING

tus, who was named city manager in 2014, and the work he’s done. When it was Lukes’ time to speak, however, she shifted the conversation toward the process.

She asked if the timing could be changed so that the contract was offered alongside the annual evaluation, which typically occurs over the summer.

“If we could have a coordination between evaluation and salary increase the whole thing would make sense, and it would make me feel more comfortable,” she said. “Otherwise, we are going through the process twice.”

Augustus scored high marks in his last evaluation, netting perfect scores from six of the 11 councilors. Rose said his committee would use the last evaluation to inform the negotiations, and agreed it would make more sense C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E

Worcester schools chief advances alternative sex ed proposal BILL SHANER

of the same topics as the initial proposal, called Making Proud fter members of the Choices, it is more conservative School Committee pushed in approach, and does not include back on an earlier propos- lessons on LGBT issues or navigaal for comprehensive sex tion of consent, save for “avoiding education at the middle school and escaping risk situations.” level, Superintendent Maureen Mayor Joe Petty identified comBinienda will offer a compromise prehensive sex education as a key solution at School Committee goal of his term in his inaugural tonight. address last January. In a phone That compromise is what interview, he called the Michigan educators call the Michigan Model something everyone on the Model, a comprehensive health school committee can get behind. curriculum that includes sex edu“I think it’s a good start,” said cation. Though it includes many Petty. “I think it’s a little less con-

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troversial. I don’t think everyone was opposed to sex ed. The way it was taught is the big issue I heard.”

School Committee members Brian O’Connell and John Monfredo were the most vocally opposed to the Making Proud Choices model, saying in past interviews they took issue with certain lessons which involved role playing models. The most commonly cited role playing lesson was one which students were taught ways to incorporate condom use in sexual situations in a way that

makes it less awkward or uncomfortable.

Monfredo and O’Connell are members of the School Committee’s Standing Committee on Teaching, Learning and Student Supports. The subcommittee was scheduled to take up a discussion of the Making Proud Choices model last September. But the proposal was pulled from the agenda by the superintendent after members complained about its content. Since, Binienda promised to come back to the School Committee with another model

that pulls from other curriculum across the country.

What she ultimately came up with is the Michigan Model, plus a lesson on male and female anatomy. She is expected to give a presentation on the proposal tonight, and the School Committee is expected to take up a vote at a meeting in two weeks.

While Petty said he feels the proposal is a good start, he said it is not necessarily a comprehensive sex ed curriculum, and it is only research-based, not

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to work off a more recent evaluation.

But At-Large Councilor Moe Bergman and others argued it would make the process too complicated.

“It would be a difficult dance to coordinate with this evaluation,” he said, “and the ultimate evaluation is a contract renegotiation.”

Plus, he said, next June will be in the middle of an election season for city councilors.

“I’ve learned a little bit about what happens in an election year,” he said. “Come June, we won’t be doing very much until November or December.”

Petty also said changing the process so that the two align would be too difficult. Lukes asked that, if not for this contract, the Council review the process for future contracts.

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

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incoming in place that doesn’t do anything to help the kids,” he said.

Part of the reason Petty made sex ed part of his platform is that STIs are on the rise in Worcester County, and Worcester’s teen birth rate is higher than the state average.

Evidence-based sex ed curriculums have been found across the country to cut down on teen birth and reduce STI rates

Superintendent Maureen Binienda

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

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FILE PHOTO

through awareness and education.

Joined by Petty in the push for sex ed is a coalition of advocates called the Worcester Impact on Sexual Health task force and the Worcester Board of Health. Advocates, as well as residents in opposition, are expected to attend and make their case tonight.

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evidence-based. He said he’d like to see LGBT issues added to the curriculum, but said he’s optimistic the School Department can tweak the program after it is implemented.

“I think there’s more to come as we evaluate it,” he said, The curriculum could be adopted as early as this year, allowing for feedback from teachers by year’s end, he said.

“I don’t want to put a program

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worcesteria

HOW DARE YOU, SIR: When you think of iconic reality TV duos, who comes to mind? Snooki and Pauly D? Flava Flav and New York? Stassi and Jax? Well, I think us Worcester folk should consider adding a new, more local team to the pantheon. Former City Councilor Mike Gaffney and Turtleboy Sports owner/head writer Aidan Kearney have had a public falling out on par with any season of reality TV, and it just keeps getting better. Earlier this week, residents of Holden received a postcard mailer in the style of a political campaign, but with a big picture of Kearney’s mug and some heavy criticism, along with a strange attempt to doxx his wife. The postcard campaign (which cost at least $3,000 per an estimate by a friend who knows these things) was, of course, anonymous.

But that didn’t stop Kearney from immediately accusing Gaffney. Regardless who did it, let’s stop for a second and remember: this borderline slanderous mailer campaign couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. I mean, I can’t think of anyone less deserving than Aidan Kearney of an anonymous smear attack using misleading to inaccurate information as a weapon. No, he’s never done that. It’s not like he’s reaping what he sows or anything.

THE PROMISE ACT: Big ups to state Rep. Mary Keefe for filing legislation

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that would fully fund the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Committee this legislative session. In normal human English, that means Keefe filed a bill that would give large urban and rural school districts money they are systemically cheated out of by a funding formula that favors well-off suburban schools. The Promise Act, filed last week, is a joint effort between Keefe and state Rep. Aaron Vega of Holyoke and Sonia Chang-Diaz of Boston on the Senate side. Education funding may be the issue of the year on Beacon Hill, and this is a nice opening salvo from Keefe.

DON’T TREAD ON MY NIPS: OK, I get it. Nip bottles are gross, they get littered everywhere and they seem a provision only purchased by the trash monsters amongst us. That’s why Councilor Sarai Rivera refreshed the idea of banning nips earlier this week, asking the administration to consider it. Sure, it would cut down unsightly litter, but have you stopped to consider how the trash monsters, such as I, feel about this? I love nips, as do many a resident of this fair city, and would hate to see them go.

That’s my only argument, really, so here’s a Hail Mary pass: City officials, before you do anything too drastic, think about the trash monsters you are charged to represent, and remember that we love our nips. And to all my fellow trash monsters, consider disposing of your nips responsibly. If the litter goes away, so does the city’s issue.

GIVE PETTY SOME CASH: Community organizer Bill Coleman is no stranger in City Hall and he’s known for ideas that cut against the grain. But Coleman raised some eyebrows Tuesday with a suggestion the mayor be paid more money. Who says that? His argument is that a full-time “legislative” mayor would help the city raise its profile without altering the form of government and that our part-time mayor is kind of embarrassing (to whom, I ask). “Ok, where do I sign up,” said Mayor Joe Petty before quickly ruling the item out of order. Petty, you didn’t put him up to that, did you?

FORECLOSURE NOTICE: Looks like the city is gearing up to take some action on foreclosures after the Worcester Anti-Foreclosure Team made a showing at the City Council meeting this week to demand the Council pass an ordinance and implement some internal policies to assist homeowners facing foreclosure. Their core argument is the Worcester Housing Court is shady, and so are out-oftown constables, and many evictions carried out in Worcester County are illegal. This seems a much more noble pursuit for an industrious City Council than, say, banning nips.

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

news

the beat

The fight over a marijuana cultivation facility in Charlton rages on, and will for the next

few months at least, as the Planning Board and Valley Green Grow agreed to an extension on when the board needs to make a decision. The new deadline is March 1. If approved, it would be the largest operation in the state, and some townsfolk are fiercely opposed to it.

Webster has found a new police chief. Michael Shaw was sworn in

earlier this week. Shaw, a 22-year veteran of the department, takes over the role held by recently-retired chief Timothy Bent.

State Rep. Michael Soter, a Bellingham Republican, filed a bill in-

tended to tighten state soil dumping regulations. The bill is intended, in part, to address two high-profile contaminated soil dumping projects in Uxbridge, which have angered nearby residents and sparked protracted fights in Town Hall. The issue, he said, was a pressing one for local voters in the 2018 election.

A winery is set to open in the Higgins Armory building. Sail to Trail WineWorks

will produce wine in the former museum building, using grapes from the West Coast and Texas. The business is expected to open in the spring.

Crompton Collective, the coalition of small businesses in a Green

Street mill building, is again expanding. Amy Lynn Chase, Crompton Collective owner, is set to open a boutique clothing store called Haberdash in the space. The 1,600-square-foot store on the first floor is expected to open within the month.

The Worcester Redevelopment Authority has begun negotiations with a nano-

District Attorney Joe Early Jr.

FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH BROOKS

Harrington Hospital will close its pediatric inpatient unit in March

due to low patient volume. The closure comes after Harrington ended its birthing center in 2017. Both operations were transferred from the Southbridge hospital to UMass Memorial Medical Center.

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joined DAs in Cape Cod and Plymouth Counties in appealing a decision that would require them to overturn public records brought on by Attorney General Maura Healey. Healey filed the lawsuit after the Boston Globe in 2015 asked for a comprehensive list of criminal cases filed in every county. Eight DAs complied, but three have held out, including Early.

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brewery and an arcade bar for retail spaces in Union Station. Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company and The Quarters are looking at two spaces in the station that occupy about 8,000 of retail space. If they sign, the two businesses will join the Cannabis Control Commission in moving to the station, which has struggled to retain longterm tenants in its retail and office spaces.

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opinion editorial

letter Time for

Can School Committee compromise on sex ed?

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everal months have passed by since Worcester School Superintendent Maureen Binienda pulled back a proposed sexual education curriculum titled Making Proud Choices, after some School Committee members voiced concerns over what they said were some of the program’s more liberal approaches to teaching kids about sex.

This week, the committee has a proposal back before them, and it isn’t the controversial Making Proud Choices, which would have been taught to middle school students.

Instead, Binienda is pitching the Michigan Model for Health, which she says is more comprehensive than Making Proud Choices. The plan is to implement the program in grades 4-7 and grade 9.

The School Committee was scheduled to discuss the proposal Thursday night.

This space has argued forcefully for the adoption of a comprehensive sex ed program in Worcester Public Schools to help combat rising rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Proponents of Making Proud Choices maintained the program did just that. The Michigan Model, meanwhile, delves into issues such as drugs and alcohol, rela-

100 Front St., 5th Floor Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial 508.767.9527 WMEditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales 508.767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com President Paul M. Provost Publisher Kathleen Real-Benoit Editor Walter Bird Jr.

tionships and others.

That’s not a bad thing. What would be problematic, however, is if, in an attempt to assuage the concerns of those riled up about some of the components of Making Proud Choices, students are in any way deprived of information and lessons that help them make informed decisions when it comes to sexual behavior.

Again, this space saw valid concerns about some of the pieces of Making Proud Choices, such as teaching students to play games with condoms in an attempt to make it more fun, and, by extension encourage them to use condoms if they opt to engage in sexual activity. It isn’t necessarily prudish to question whether such a practice mighty encourage students to have sex. That should not be the end game of a comprehensive sexual and health education program.

Indeed, that seems to be part of the issue. By focusing on the sex part of it, what is missed is the “comprehensive” piece of sex and health education.

There is much more to overall health to than sex, something Binienda mentioned in her decision to bring forth the Michigan Model. If critics and proponents alike get hung up on certain aspects of sexual

education, well you could argue for years and years and end up with no program in place. Then who suffers?

Neither Making Proud Choices nor the Michigan Model are likely to satisfy the concerns and questions of all involved.

Some question whether the Michigan Model is inclusive of the LGBTQ community, for example. Does it address consent and other important issues?

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 Sales Support Specialist Madison Friend WORCESTER MAGAZINE is an independent news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manu-

Whichever model the school district adopts, it should allow the flexibility to add or remove components. That would seem elementary.

What should not happen is further delay of teaching our kids something they’re learning on their own anyway, simply to satisfy personal or political agendas. Compromise, it would seem, is within reach.

scripts. The Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement.

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Congress to stop ‘fiasco’ and open government To the Editor: As a registered Democrat and veteran, I hope that the Democratic congressional delegation

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opinion I got mine. Who cares about you?

JANICE HARVEY

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have at my fingertips a cell phone that does everything but sauté onions, a tablet that already has 25 apps on it — and I got it for Christmas — and the laptop I’m using to write this column. I could easily use any one of these electronic gizmos to keep track of my financial obligations, but instead I keep a small spiral notebook with the next three months of projected expenses carefully figured on its pages.

That’s just how I roll. (I still type with two fingers, FYI; if a system ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I always say.) But what if my projected expenses — the ones written in smudged pencil because I’m a lefty — were put on hold because my projected income suddenly stopped? Then what?

I’m imagining myself in the shoes of the 800,000 federal

by their gold-plated idol no matter how much pain he causes. His grip on his minions is tenacious, though signs of it weakening have emerged. If we truly vote with our pocketbooks, as we’ve heard it said a thousand times by political pundits, his poll numbers should be below sea level.

At what point did we devolve into a nation of selfish creeps? The Great Tantrum of 2019 is the best example I can offer to illustrate such shameful selfishness. It tops throwing paper towels at Puerto Rico and telling California to rake the forests.

Perhaps the seeds of this terrible attitude were sown during the 1980s when greed was declared good, not sinful. But “Greed is Good” was the mantra of ambitious yuppies, not the guy living in a rented two-bedroom apartment trying to feed four kids. Was Michael J. Fox’s character that

impressive? I don’t think so. More likely, the nationalism Trump trumpets has morphed from not caring about other countries into not caring about each other.

Trump’s mean-spiritedness seems to be a catchy virus.

I’m an old Three Stooges fan and I’m reminded of the short where the boys, hoisting their swords into the air as they parodied the Three Musketeers, shouted: “All for One! One for All! And every man for himself !”

Maybe that should be the GOP’s 2020 message to replace “Make America Great Again.”

Problem is it might not fit on a hat.

Janice Harvey contributing writer

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Thomas J. Corrigan Worcester

What, what, what, would I do?

I raise these questions after reading that a sizable chunk of America is oblivious to the pain endured by employees being used as pawns by the man who sits in the White House. Donald Trump, or as he’s referred to in Robert Mueller’s court documents “Individual-1,” has proven once again that he is missing — among other things possessed by normal humans — the empathy gene.

This we always knew, but sadly we now see that his followers have embraced the same “I Don’t Care, Do You?” attitude he and his wife Melania espouse.

I don’t know how many of the furloughed workers and unpaid employees still on the job may have voted for Donald Trump in 2016. I’m assuming some did. I’m assuming some regret that vote.

I’m also assuming some won’t second-guess him, and will stand

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returns from their beach vacation in Puerto Rico and attends to their duties to pass legislation to open the part of the government that is currently closed.

This has been a travesty and it appears to me that many of these politicians are putting the needs of this country behind their hatred of President Trump. I have seen news clips where Democrats Schumer, Pelosi, Obama and Clinton were all in favor of barriers on our southern border which, in my opinion from serving in the military, work. The situation is worse now, and yet everything is being held up over $5 billion in a budget of over $4.4 trillion.

Within this budget, welfare accounted for over 20 percent, a portion of which is going to support illegal immigrants. To put this in perspective, there is a report from three years ago stating that $60 billion in Medicare Funds was improperly paid. All that is necessary is to have our legislators cut the waste and the money is already available.

Stop this fiasco and pass a budget that the president will sign.

workers left holding the empty bag by the Trump government shutdown. Like millions of Americans, I would be ruined if my paychecks dried up unexpectedly. The neat little notebook with those columns of numbers would be mocking me right now. I used my credit cards while Christmas shopping – who didn’t? What if the bill arrived in January and my direct deposit read “0.00” when I checked my balance? What would I do when I opened my National Grid bill ? I heat with electricity and currently it’s 13 degrees where I live ( feels like 1 degree according to the weather app on my new tablet). Would I cancel cable TV and the Internet? These gizmos need electricity to charge, unless I charged them in the car I could end up moving into if my income dried up. I’d better hold on to that pencil! I could be writing my next column in that spiral notebook.

feature ANIMAL INSTINCTS: Local medium makes connections with pets JOSHUA LYFORD

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can attest.

I’ve been advised to thoughtfully detail my return plans to the worrisome hound whenever I leave the house.

“He’s your little protector and he’s very worried about you,” she says, before returning my phone.

I have no choice but to laugh and agree to the condition, Brisco

is a thoroughly-concerned adolescent with no shyness in nibbling valuables when he feels he has gotten the cold shoulder.

Cartagenova is a medium and

t’s early afternoon and Mari Cartagenova sits back in a tall green chair. Her eyes are squinted in concentration as she processes the information before her. She inhales deeply and leans forward, her long black hair a stark contrast to the deep peach walls of her office. Soaked in warm light and the soft aura of salt lamps and crystals, she smiles.

“What a sweet, sweet boy,” she says.

In Cartagenova’s hands is a 7-year-old iPhone. She has spent the last several minutes absorbing all she can from a single image on the screen.

“I can just feel how sensitive he is,” she says softly. “You can feel it.

He is so sensitive. Does he have anxiety? I feel like he’s got nerves.

You’ve definitely got to talk to him, because he gets so nervous. What a sweet soul in him.”

The sweet, sensitive bundle of nerves Cartagenova is addressing is a 2 1/2-year-old brindle hound dog named Brisco County, Jr. Jr. and she hit the nail on the head: the hound is concerned often and deeply.

“With the anxiety piece, I feel like he’s a worrier,” she continues calmly. “I feel like when you’re gone, he’s worried about you coming back. I feel like he might be a little destructive at times. I feel like he’s worried. He wants you to come back. I would definitely talk to him and tell him. Take him on your adventures. He’d rather be with you and he just wants to make sure you’re OK. He’s a caretaker, but he’s like a worried mom.”

Brisco does, in fact, hold a proclivity for destruction when Mari Cartagenova reads a brindle hound dog via digital image. left to his own devices, as a faded hand-me-down couch in shambles

intuitive psychic specializing in both humans and animals. She offers her mediumship and intuitive psychic guidance as well as readings and two very unique

ELIZABETH BROOKS

feature services: animal communication and assistance in finding lost or missing pets.

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artagenova has held a connection with the spirit world her entire life. While she states several times through the interview things can “sound a little woo-woo,” she has a measured approach to that connection and the services she offers.

“I would say that I’m a normal person,” she laughs. “When people hear about what I do, they imagine a crystal ball and a scarf and big earrings. I think I’m pretty normal.

I’m just a mom.”

Cartagenova grew up bouncing around. She “sort of grew up all over” and has lived in California, Texas and Canada. She settled in Massachusetts with her husband

The worrier on top of New Hampshire’s Mt. Garfield. back in 1999 and the pair are raising three children here.

“I always say, mom first, medium second,” she says.

Cartagenova is a warm presence. She smiles often and whirls her hands in front of her while she speaks, drawing you in. Even the biggest skeptic can appreciate her

personality. When she discusses her history, the medium’s selfprofessed goal of helping others comes through. While she is confident in her role of connecting individuals with spirits, lost loved ones and animals — both living and dead — it wasn’t always so clearly laid out.

“I’ve had this connection to spirit my whole life,” she says. “I started out being normal, having a family.

I became a therapist, got my master’s in social work, but spirit was insistent. That might sound kind of weird, but I was getting these nudges. After my grandmother passed away, it was like, ‘You need to do this. You need to do this.’ I was like, ‘OK. Here I am.’ When you start doing the right thing, all the doors start opening, so that’s kind of how it’s been. I’m a medium. I do psychic work, that’s more intuitive.

Everybody has that. I always tell people, I’m not magical.”

Cartagenova says her family was always supportive of her, but the constant moving and general bustle of family life meant they never needed to understand her attunement.

“When I was a little girl, I’d see little bits of light in my room dancing around,” she recalls. “I felt like they were angels or spirits. I would talk to them. It was always part of me. I would talk to the trees, everything is energy. Nothing can

be created or destroyed. We’re all connected in some way. It’s always been around me. I’ve always had the sixth sense. I’ve always seen and talked to spirit. As I got older, went to school, it was made clear to me that not everybody had this.

Maybe it was a little weird. As you can imagine, I was maybe the weird kid.”

For years, Cartagenova kept her spirit connectivity to herself, calling it her “dirty little secret.”

Interestingly, her path in therapy offered some perspective.

“I worked a lot in one-on-one,” she says. “I worked at Jewish family services, I worked at psych hospitals. A lot of that is the same.

You are connecting intuitively with them. It was already part of what I was doing. I feel like that training and work informed what I do now.

I’ve always been interested in this.

I was the weird kid. I was interested in astrology and tarot cards and all of that stuff.”

Still, she wasn’t always prepared to make the leap into committing to a life of mediumship and

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feature tell me where they saw them. After a few months, that’s draining.”

While the work can be daunting and there isn’t always the benefit of a family reunion payoff, Cartagenova says she has had success in that world.

Enter Eddy the dog.

A friend of Cartagenova’s daughter lost her dog in the Slieve Bloom Mountain region of Ireland. All the medium had to guide the lost dog home was a name and a photo.

“I want to make my kids happy, I said, ‘OK, I’ll try,’” she says. “The animal kept showing me the number six and this whole area with pine artagenova is the first to trees. I’ve never been there, I don’t admit tracking down lost know where they are, but I was seeing pine trees and this forest. or missing pets is not her favorite pastime. She Eddy was a puppy. It turns out they does it because she is programmed were taking a walk and he was lost to help people and she has the ca- in a mountain logging area. He was showing me the area and the pability. It is long, taxing work on her end that doesn’t always have a number six.”

Cartagenova calls the process happy ending.

“It’s hard,” she says, crossing her she uses to find lost pets a partnerhands on her lap. “I’m a helper, I’m ship. She is communicating with the dog and in-turn passes the a giver, I want to help and fix. It can go on for months, there are an- information to family members imals gone for four or five months. and vice-versa.

“The dog kept showing me a They’ll send me pictures, they’ll psychic readings. She continued to get what she calls “the nudge” from the spirit side, but it seems that world decided Cartagenova needed a bigger push. A push she felt acutely while on a family trip to Florida.

“We were in the airport and we had to use the bathroom,” she recalls. “I walked into the bathroom and the stall had one tarot card in it. All the tarot card said was ‘trust.’

I was like, ‘OK, I got it. Fine.’”

FAST EDDY

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red flag or a ribbon,” she said of Eddy. “I asked the woman about it and she said in the logging area, they tie the red flag to a gate when they’re all done so no one is left behind. The number six and the red ribbon. He was found on the sixth day at six o’clock at the gate with the red flag.”

‘NOT 1-800-DIALA-SPIRIT’

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n her office, Cartagenova keeps things relaxed. It’s an agreeable space with warm lights and colors, comfortable chairs and the medium’s general demeanor is fun and friendly. The assumed accoutrements of someone involved in psychic readings are on hand, but not the focus.

She unfurls a deck of cards, she shuffles stones and crystals in her

Mari Cartagenova with one of her family horses.

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feature hands. These, she says, are a tool, but perhaps not with the function you would expect.

“It gives your left brain something to chew on while you’re connecting,” she says, a stone in her hand. “I might shuffle the cards, or pick up some stones. I always tell people I could use pencils. That’s how I use them, I use them as a tool and then my mind or spirit, I guess I’d say, connects with stuff.”

The connections themselves are fascinating, as Cartagenova explains them. While she listens to the wishes of clients and hopes to connect them to their desired individual, it isn’t always that cut and dry.

“A lady wanted a reading on her boyfriend that had died,” she says, mouth turned down. “She really wanted it. She really wanted ‘X’. Sometimes, that can block the feeling. I got all these other people, I pulled in all these other people, but she really wanted to talk to the boyfriend. I was able to get pieces, but that grief made it difficult to connect to him. It’s not 1-800-diala-spirit.”

Pets, she says, are easier. Cart-

agenova and her family are animal lovers with pets of their own. The medium herself is a vegetarian.

She jokes that maybe they come through “because I don’t eat them.”

With some manner of inwardfacing disappointment, I ask Cartagenova the most cliched question I can think of: “Is all of this a gift or a burden?”

“It’s definitely not a burden,” she says. “I’m not sure if it’s a gift either.

I’m not magical. I think anyone can do this. If you wanted to be a bodybuilder, you’d go to the gym, you’d cut your carbs, you’d work out all the time. You could do it, you’d have to put effort into it. I feel this is the same way. I’m not special. I wasn’t ordained by somebody. You just have to train and make yourself available.”

Cartagenova references her view on helping others often. She went to school to be a social worker, later worked as a therapist and now connects people with their loved ones. She says the satisfaction is in seeing others find peace. Further, she thinks the general attitude toward the spirit world — however that may be defined individually —

is a shame.

“There’s a lot of fear around it,” she says. “Movies have all these scary spirits. You see the ghost hunters. I don’t know everything, but I’ve never run into a spirit that’s been scary. Humans can be kind of crappy. You have to be way more afraid of humans than you do of spirit. There are the people that go on ghost hunts and the scary ghost tries to scare you. In my experience, it’s all love. The bad ones [in life], they usually come back asking for forgiveness. In my experience, you don’t have anything to be afraid of.”

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

L

ater in the interview, after determining Brisco County, Jr. Jr. needed a bit more communication to ease his worrying ways, and following a reading of our photographer Elizabeth Brook’s cat Mr. Miyagi and dog Scout, she relays a story that stuck with her from a gallery reading.

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feature

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“I had brought a dog through,” she recalls. “This dog had passed.

It was large. As soon as he came through, he showed me a message in a bottle, a glass bottle. I’m like, ‘OK? Dog. Message in a bottle.

OK. Not connecting.’ A woman in

most part, look, I don’t want any drama. You can believe whatever you want to believe and I’ll just do my thing. I do this work, I did therapy, because I wanted to help.

The number one question I hear is, ‘Is my loved one OK?’ It’s part of

Cartagenova and friend.

SUBMIT TED

the audience started to sob. She had a German Shepherd that had passed and they held a goodbye ceremony for him at the ocean.

She had taken a bottle and left a little message in it and tossed it into the ocean.”

Cartagenova leans forward in her chair and shifts gears.

“Some people get messages saying, ‘You’re the devil,’ ‘You’re going to hell.’ I haven’t gotten those, but I know it’s out there. My husband and kids are on board, I don’t know if the rest of my family is. I think some of them might think I’m a little weird. For the

the healing. I let them know they are OK.” Leaning back and considering the German Shepherd’s message in the bottle, she smiles.

“You can’t make that up,” she says. “If I had said, ‘Oh, your dog likes bones,’ alright. Message in a bottle? That’s different.”

Mari Cartagenova can be found online at mediummari.com.

culture

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO SUBMITTED

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Andrea Ajemian with her brother Mark on the set of “Honest Thief.”

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culture

Central Mass native Andrea Ajemian brings Hollywood to Worcester JOSHUA LYFORD

“I’m walking back one night from my new office, cutting through Portland Street, and I look up and any residents were undersee the Printers Building, where I had standably excited when my office for seven years,” Ajemian film star Liam Neeson said. “You have dreams and aspiracame to town to film the tions of making the bigger ones. I action drama “Honest Thief,” but remember wishing there was a coffee Worcester’s budding film industry shop on that street, I turn the corner has deeper roots than you might expect, and while it continues to garner and Brew on the Grid is there and something was filming, I don’t know more attention as a go-to film locawho, they were filming a scene. Here tion, the individual stories behind I am, in town filming a Liam Neeson the Heart of the Commonwealth’s movie, walking from my office across burgeoning industry can be just as from the Hanover Theatre, and here interesting as a Hollywood tale.

Producer Andrea Ajemian grew up is another show shooting next to a coffee shop. It was surreal. I got in Central Massachusetts. Her first goosebumps. That was the dream.” producing role was the comedyAjemian has held a longstanding cum-love letter to small-town New appreciation for Worcester, having England, 2002’s “Rutland, USA.” created the “Worcester Love” series These days, her credits include the aforementioned “Honest Thief ” and a while producing Indie movies and litany of films like “Slender Man” and television movies. When she later moved to Los Angeles, she brought “The Possession of Hannah Grace.” films like “Fatal Flip,” “The Assault” Long before she made the move to Los Angeles, Calif., and long before and “The Spirit of Christmas” to the she would begin bringing big budget area.

“Because I’ve done so many films like “Honest Thief ” to Worcesmovies in Worcester, I know how ter, Ajemian was working from her to navigate it better than anybody,” Printers Building office on Portland she said. “I know hotels are more afStreet. For her most recent production, with a temporary office on Main fordable here, production offices are more affordable, the police are lovely Street, the return experience was to work with, the city is wonderful to striking.

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M

Year

Film

2001 2003 2005 2007 2008 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 2016 2017 2017 2018

Rutland, USA Freedom Park Still Green Worcester Love - internet series Breakdance Academy (BoyBand) A Christmas Kiss Sexting in Suburbia Lockdown Last Hours in Suburbia March Sisters at Christmas Sins of the Preacher Betrayed Don’t Look Back The Assault Fatal Flip The Spirit of Christmas The Possession of Hannah Grace Proud Mary Slender Man Honest Thief

work with here. There’s a lot of different looks to Worcester.”

Besides Worcester’s ability to lend itself in appearance to many different geographic locations and time periods (a la 2013’s “American Hustle”), the Massachusetts Film Tax Credit is appealing to studios.

“More and more people are coming for the tax credit,” explained Ajemian. “With the streaming services, Apple, Amazon, Hulu, there is so much more room for content.

All these new series and movies that didn’t exist when it was just the indies and major studios, now there’s more work. Those companies are coming to the tax credit states.

It’s only a matter of time before they start exploring more of the state.”

While there have been several films shot in Worcester County in recent years — “Honest Thief,” “American Hustle,” “Sea of Trees,” et al, — it had been years since Worcester had been the location for a television series. That changed with the arrival of Stephen King’s “Castle Rock” series streaming on Hulu.

“We didn’t have a series shooting in Massachusetts since ‘Spenser For Hire’ in the ’80s,” said Ajemian. “Last year, we got ‘Castle Rock’ here. Now series are coming here. Movies are

ELIZABETH BROOKS

great, I make movies. But the TV shows, it’s a longer length of time. For me, they might be on seven weeks or 15 weeks depending on their position, for my movie. But they might be on for six months on a show. If the network likes the show, it might come back. Series are really great.”

An interesting bonus for both production teams and residents is Worcester’s relative naiveté for the

Andrea Ajamian Filmography

filming process.

“Everyone gets so excited,” Ajemian said with a smile. “When I made ‘Rutland, USA’ in 2001, when I made ‘BoyBand’ in 2008, when I made ‘The Spirit of Christmas’ in 2015, all of that excitement was still there in Worcester. In some cities, that goes away, they take it for granted. I think the people and the town gets excited.”

Filming Location

Title

Distribution

Worcester, Rutland, Holden, Paxton, MA Worcester, Westboro, Grafton, Rutland, MA Naples, FL Worcester, MA Worcester, Fitchburg, Paxton, MA Richmond, VA, with select scenes in Worcester, MA Worcester, MA Worcester, Lancaster, MA Worcester, Millbury, MA Worcester, Grafton, MA Worcester, MA Falmouth, MA Idyllwild, CA Worcester, Clinton, MA Worcester, Auburn, MA Worcester, Barre, Weymouth, MA Devens, Boston, MA Boston, Lawrence, Lowell, Waltham, MA Devens, Ayer, Shirley, Tewksbury, Lancaster, MA Worcester, Oxford, Leicester, Westboro, Fitchburg, MA

Producer Producer Producer Producer Producer Co-Producer Co-Producer Co-Producer Co-Producer Co-Producer Co-Producer Co-Producer Producer Producer Producer Producer Co-Producer Co-Producer Co-Producer Executive Producer

Indie Film Indie Film Indie Film/Osiris Ent. Internet Series Indie Film/Indican Pictures ION Network Lifetime Network Marvista Entertainment Lifetime Network Lifetime Network Lifetime Network Lifetime Network Lifetime Network Lifetime Network Lifetime Network Netflix/Lifetime Sony Pictures /Screen Gems Sony Pictures /Screen Gems Sony Pictures /Screen Gems The Solution Ent. Group

calendar Thursday, Jan. 17 Snow Science Art

Worcester Public Library Frances Perkins Branch, 470 West Boylston St. The Worcester Public Library presents Snow Science Art. Children and their guardians are welcome to the event, where youth will use household materials to make four different types of pretend snow.

Thursday, Jan. 24 Truth, Form, Life Opening Reception

Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College St. The opening reception for Rodin: Truth, Form, Life. The “father of modern sculpture,” many of Rodin’s pieces will be on display.

Thursday, Jan. 17 Hops and Harmony January Edition

Mechanics Hall, 323 Main St. The monthly group singing event returns in the new year with informal singing, no experience necessary, with snacks and drinks on deck.

Friday, Jan. 18 Owl Prowl for Adults

Broad Meadow Brook Conservations Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Road Learn all about native New England owls at Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary, with their calls and behavior while exploring the sanctuary looking for the brilliant birds. Dress to be outdoors.

Thursday, Jan. 24 DRUMline Live!

Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St. The music, percussion and dance extravaganza from the creators of “Drumline” heads to the Hanover Theatre.

Friday, Jan. 18 The Promise is Hope

Worcester PopUp, 20 Franklin St. Ashley and Eric L’Esperance bring their twin harmony stylings to the Worcester PopUp.

Saturday, Jan. 19 Emo Night Brooklyn: Worcester MA

The Palladium, 261 Main St. Travel back in time and enjoy a night of emo and pop punk with music from Taking Back Sunday, The Used, My Chemical Romance and more.

Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St. The Worcester Art Museum’s annual floral show returns with arrangements from the area’s top designers throughout the museum.

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.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Pretty Kitty’s owner had to surrender her cat because she lost her home. That was a tough blow for PK because she is one of those cats who bonded with the woman she trusted as well as her home.

Pretty Kitty is looking for a quiet home and enjoys long naps and sitting in windows. She isn’t a lap cat, but likes attention. Her owner said when PK wants something she’ll swat at your legs to get your attention. Pretty Kitty can’t tolerate confinement. When we moved her from a cage to a room, her transformation was instantaneous. She went from hissing to winding around our legs. Pretty Kitty is not a fan of being picked up, but she is a devoted companion once she trusts you. She is 6 years old, spayed and ready to go home today.

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EAST DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Adoption option

Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 24-27 Flora in Winter 2019

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culture Lyford Files

Lifestyle

JOSHUA LYFORD

SARAH CONNELL

FLASH FLOOD: As I’ve said many times before, it’s probably pretty obvious that I’m

The Fuel Father

an athlete. If you couldn’t read the sarcasm in that statement, well, welcome to the Lyford Files new friend (or, more likely, new person to send me death threats via email). I wanted to toss a quick shout out to Mother Nature for flooding a section of Beaver Brook Park a few months back. Now that it’s cold as hell, I’ve been able to take a quick evening jaunt across the street and play a bit of puck in my own neighborhood. Of course, while it is a brief cruise away, Elm Park is a much nicer place to rip some pond hockey with friends, an activity that is about as New England as that guy wearing gym shorts on Park Avenue during a snowstorm. Which brings me to my next point …

WHY IS WORCESTER SO WEIRD ABOUT ICE SKATING?:

The City of Worcester Department of Public Works and Parks made a bizarre Facebook post on Jan. 15. I’m going to copy and paste directly from the post so there won’t be any mistakes here. Let me know if it seems off to you. “As a reminder, ice skating is not allowed on City lakes, ponds and waterways. While the surface may look solid, the layer of ice could be thinner than it appears.” Let me lay out my issue here. They clearly posted that no ice skating is allowed in the city of Worcester. The weather has been a bit up and down this winter, so ending that initial sentence with “yet” could make a lot of since. It’s the implied “ever” that hurts here. The second largest city in New England, a city the powers that be like to call a hockey town, doesn’t allow its residents to play pond hockey on its waterways EVER? That is straight up embarrassing. I’ve noticed in years past that the “Danger Thin Ice” signs around Elm Park remain up throughout the winter and I assumed, as I’m sure many did, that this meant the city was covering its ass. “Hey, we’re ALWAYS telling you the ice is thin, can’t sue us if you fall through.” And while I think it would be infinitely more helpful to have someone with a drill and a ruler officially test the ice for safety, I understood where they were coming from with the signs. Look, I am garbage at hockey, but I love getting on the ice and passing the puck around with my friends. Are we now at risk of being arrested for trespassing? Is this something we should be proud of as a community? I’m sure you’ll all tell me how stupid this opinion is, but I’d ask you to think of the most iconic New England sights you can imagine.

If one of them isn’t young people and their families in long scarves ice skating on a city pond in the dead of winter, we have very different images of what winter in Central Massachusetts can be. Step it up. If anything, I’d hope Worcester would be figuring out how to be a destination for pond hockey tournaments, a la Saratoga Springs, N.Y. or Meredith, N.H. Now, this may have been an honest mistake and if that’s the case, I’ll happily write about that in this space next week. I would also ask the DPW&P post a correction themselves, otherwise, I’m afraid we all know the logical conclusion of this silly debacle: If playing pond hockey is outlawed, only outlaws will play pond hockey.

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GIMME THE LIGHT: Maybe you’ve seen the ads in the arts and entertainment

(culture, duh) section of the paper lately. We’re bringing the Artist Spotlight back! It was a favorite feature of mine, but alas, my inbox dried up and those I reached out to slowly stopped replying. I get it, I do. My feelings aren’t hurt, nope, no way. But I would really like to feature more artists and that requires your help. Toss me a line via email with your name, some information and some work that you might like featured and maybe we can get you a nice full page in here. Hate the idea? I KNOW you’ll let me know.

Joshua Lyford Culture editor @Joshachusetts

Jeff Bonasia is the Managing Partner of Fuel America located at 6 Mercantile St. In Bonasia’s long marketing career, he revamped McDonald’s breakfast program by forging an instrumental connection with Newman’s Own coffee.

He also rebooted the Dunkin’ Donuts brand with the “America Runs on Dunkin’” campaign. Now he’s bringing the next great American coffeehouse to downtown Worcester. At Fuel America, you can pull up a $2,000 Restoration Hardware Aviator Chair and sip your bulletproof coffee like a boss.

Fuel’s roastery and tasting room also features a roster of modern seltzer drinks and pints from Flying Dreams.

Bracing Ourselves to WooHaHa!

Craft Table & Bar is set to open in the lower

Baristas Mariah and Chris round out level of Worcester’s historic Bancroft Hotel along with WooHaHa!, Worcester’s only the opening team at downtown’s stand-up and improv comedy club, on Jan. 17. new coffeehouse, Fuel America.

WooHaHa! guests will soon be able to enjoy selections from Revolution Pie + Pint, a personalized pizza spot with a revolving oven designed to cook pies at 700 degrees in 3 minutes or less. Personally, I’m just eager to catch Jared Freid at WooHaHa! on June 6. Freid is a Needham native and beloved podcast host. His hilarious modern dating podcast, “U Up?”, is co-hosted by the venerable Jordana Abraham of Betches fame. Freid and Abraham regularly help me manage monotonous tasks like washing the dishes and sitting in traffic with their hilarious commentary on millennial relationship norms. I can’t wait to welcome him to Worcester IRL. SARAH CONNELL

Pierogi Watch

On Friday, Jan. 18, Jaju Pierogi is warming up Worcester at 3Cross Fermentation Coop, 6-9 p.m. Jaju employs the traditional Polish process of mashing potatoes and cutting dough by hand.

Sisters Vanessa and Casey will feature flavors like cabbage and mushroom, sweet potato, butternut squash, apple & sage, kielbasa, potato and cheese, and jalapeño cheddar.

Triple A Teamwork

On Tuesday, Jan. 22 The PopUp on Franklin Street is connecting Worcester’s creatives to the Worcester Red Sox. Local artists are invited to learn about the future ballpark, network and collaborate. Beyond baseball, the park is slated for use as an entertainment and cultural event venue. Interested parties should RSVP via email: info@worcesterpopup.org.

Taking the Bar

John Rinaldo, owner of The Muse on Main Street, is offering bartending workshops beginning in February. With 65 new establishments licensed to serve food in Worcester during 2018 alone, Rinaldo knows the hospitality industry will be thirsty for qualified professionals. The first 20-hour workshop is called “Bartending for Employment” and will meet on Feb. 4, 5, 7 and 12, 5-10 p.m. The cost is $450. Additional specialized programs will cover Amari and Vermouth. Sign up online or in person Sarah Connell at 536 Main St. contributing writer

TALK OF THE COMMONWEALTH ECONOMOU AND ROSEN SHOW WORCESTER MAGAZINE RADIO HOUR

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

culture

White City Sushi at Osaka 20 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury • 508-753-1144 • osakashrewsbury.com

Osaka offers a variety of sushi options. Pictured here are the Red Sox roll and fire cracker roll.

SANDRA RAIN

O

saka Japanese Restaurant has been a fixture of White City Shopping Plaza for 17 years. At this point, only

the “-ka” lights up out front, but that doesn’t seem to deter diners.

As one of the only teppanyaki options in the area, teenage birthday parties turn out in droves year in and year out.

The staff ’s ambivalent attitude is downright likeable, against my better judgement. There’s an eye roll with every rendition of “Happy Birthday” and the crowd eats it up.

It’s the same dry sense of humor that can forgive a partially-illuminated sign in favor of a round of Mai Tais ($6.95 a piece) unabashedly poured from a plastic jug into tall pint glasses. Osaka is not concerned with pretension, though the linen napkins are a nice touch.

The dining room itself is carpeted, an odd choice for a restaurant characterized by flipping shrimp into the air. Red and orange accent walls make thick working-glassware pop throughout the space.

Light fixtures hang like inverted red milk jugs, casting a seductive hue on one half of the otherwise fluorescent space. Katanas are mounted on the wall, along with a mixed media portrait of a kimonoclad woman.

Whether you opt for teppanyaki or not, you’ll witness the show.

A large mirrored wall behind the bar makes sure of it. The shrimp and teriyaki chicken combination ($18.95) is a steal, served with onion soup, salad and fried rice. But, to be honest, I prefer Osaka’s sushi.

For all of the staff ’s candid commentary, they swear by their sushi’s freshness. The Red Sox roll ($10.95) presents an educational opportunity in its ability to express raw tuna in two forms. The roll wraps oily white escolar tuna and avocado in white rice, topped with spicy mayo and a pink albacore tuna that tastes mild and light by comparison. The fire cracker roll ($9.95) is also a raw pleasure, swapping out tuna for refreshing bits of salmon.

The phoenix roll ($10.95) is Osaka’s most popular cooked sushi special, containing tempura eel, tempura shrimp, avocado, spicy mayo and eel sauce. Even the

tempura rolls exercise enough constraint to showcase the flavors at hand, offering a pure pinch of sweetness.

Don’t bother with the gyoza ($5.95) fried dumplings unless you need something substantial to soak up a Bahama Mama ($6.95).

The appetizers at Osaka are heavy handed and relatively slimy, a stark contrast to their clean and controlled sushi.

Osaka stands as a reminder that stripmall dining can still glimmer in the suburbs. This spot will appeal to families seeking a memorable group outing, as well as couples in search of simple and affordable sushi.

On my last visit to Osaka with a friend, dinner and drinks came to $85.65.

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: HH Service: HHH Value: HH1/2

It’s elementary: H&W is a crime JIM KEOGH

R

Roberto Benigni’s live-action version of “Pinocchio” on Dec. 26, 2002 (we’d had a Christmas Day snowstorm)

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imagine anyone involved in the filming — especially writer-director Etan Cohen and co-stars Ferrell ecently, I indulged my and John C. Reilly curiosity by slipping into a — didn’t quickly late-afternoon screening of “Holmes & Watson.” I hadn’t realize they were striking a match planned on seeing it — the reviews aboard the Hinwere abysmal, and life is precious. denburg. I suppose But days after its release, the utter awfulness of “Holmes & Watson” once you’ve booked passage, you just try took on a viral quality. The ABC to enjoy the view Nightly News devoted an entire and wait for the segment to whether “H&W” is the worst movie ever made. A New York explosion.

I’m not sure Times story attempted to discern if the film is bad-but-loveable, like the where I’d place legendary “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” “H&W” in the pantheon of terrible or just a grim descent into a Will films. I’ve been Ferrell-haunted hellscape. Rotten reviewing movTomatoes was unkind.

Finally, there was the damning re- ies since 1986 and have been wounded port that Sony, aware it had a piece many times by the of flaming garbage on its hands, worst cinema has asked Netflix to buy the film and avoid a theatrical release altogether. to offer. When I sit through a “Holmes And yes, even Netflix, curator of a & Watson” the old seemingly infinite universe of content, said, “You’ve got to be kidding.” scars start to throb with phantom With press like this, avoidance pains. was not an option.

I recall attend“Holmes & Watson” is indeed ing a screening of bad, almost aggressively so. I can’t

Clarkson, apparently because she’s the only girl bold enough to wear cargo pants to the beach. with my kids in tow. We were the There was Eddie Murphy wonderonly people in the theater, which ing which gods he’d angered to be allowed us the luxury of vocally starring in “The Adventures of Pluto mocking the disaster unfolding on Nash”; director Joel Schumacher’s screen. Writer-director Benigni decarnival-esque “Batman and Robin” cided it would be a good idea to cast with its nippled batsuits; Cuba himself as the famous puppet boy, Gooding Jr. wandering the wilderfiguring no one would care he was ness in crap like “Boat Trip” after 50 years old, balding and speaking winning an Oscar for “Jerry Maguin badly dubbed Italian. We cared. ire”; and the Pauly Shore years.

We mocked.

“Holmes & Watson” takes its If you have Netflix, you can check rightful place among all of them, out the “Mystery Science Theater standing shoulder to shoulder 3000” lampoon of “Mac and Me,” but with some of the most laughable I’d suggest watching this one straight, examples of writing, directing and like I did back in 1988, and making acting ever your own jokes. The movie was an projected “E.T.” rip-off about a little lost alien onto a screen. who befriends a boy in a wheelchair. Is it the worst It also was funded by the McDonald’s ever? The Corp., which led to some of the most white whale audacious product placement in of ineptitude? history, including a dance party set I’m not sure in a McDonald’s parking lot. That the we’ve seen movie wasn’t simply titled “A Big Mac that beast yet, for Me” still surprises. which scares Ah, the memories of trying to me. make sense of “Howard the Duck,” “Freddy Got Fingered,” “Ishtar,” and “From Justin to Kelly,” in which Jim Keogh “American Idol” runner-up Justin contributing writer Guarini pines after AI winner Kelly

sports p A family affair: Chuck Shearns starts new boxing promo company WALTER BIRD JR.

Editor’s Note: This story first appeared online at worcestermag.com.

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C

huck Shearns has been around boxing his entire life.

As he branches out with his own promotional company, it’s no surprise he’d make it a family affair.

Shearns Boxing Promotions, with its first show, billed as “Every Man For Himself,” scheduled for Friday, March 15 at The Palladium, will see Shearns team up with his wife Karen and daughters Kayla and Olivia.

The family resides in Auburn. With an accounting background, Karen will handle finances. Kayla, who has a marketing degree, will serve as marketing and social media manager, while Olivia will handle event management and operations. As a licensed matchmaker, Shearns will take care of contracts and commission relations.

The son of an amateur Navy boxer., John Jr., whose own father John Sr. was a club fighter in Boston, Shearns already has dabbled as a promoter, having partnered with Chris Traietti to put on shows with Granite Chin Promotions. A former amateur and pro boxer himself, Shearns has also worked with former world heavyweight champion Jose Antonio Rivera and his son A.J. and their promotional company Rivera Promotions Entertainment. He will look to put those experiences to good use with his own venture.

Chuck Shearns, in his family-owned car dealership in Auburn, prepares for a new boxing venture.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

“I have experience because I worked shows with my friends, Jose Antonio and A.J. Rivera and Chris Traietti,” Shearns said. “Also, having been a pro fighter, I understand what it’s like to sell tickets for purses. I also know what it’s like to get shortchanged by a promoter. Because of these factors, I decided that I was ready to go out on my own, starting a business with my family.”

Shearns’ most recent partnership was with RPE for Jose Antonio Rivera’s comeback fight in August last year. That show was also held at The Palladium. Having done about five shows with Granite Chin Promotions

and two with RPE, Shearns is set to strike out on his own, and wants to focus on New England-based fighters.

“For me, the shows I do, I want to try to get New England guys to fight each other,” said Shearns, who is still finalizing the fight card for his first show. “We want to do fan-friendly.

We want to do affordable. There’s an active [boxing] scene in New England.”

Friendly with some of the other area promoters, including Jimmy Burchfield Sr. of CES Boxing in Rhode Island, Shearns wants to work with them on shows, including put-

ting fighters from different organizations on his cards.

He also wants to tap into areas such as college campuses, where he sees a potential customer base.

“What you really need, what I’m going to to try in Worcester is to keep that standing-room ticket inexpensive, affordable,” said Shearns.

“And you need a walk-up. You need boxing fans that don’t necessarily have a guy they’re there to see.

They’re boxing fans that don’t necessarily have a guy they’re there to see.

They’re there to see a show.

“College kids around here. What’s wrong with, like, $25, going to The Palladium, watching a boxing show and having a few beers?”

Shearns sees the local boxing scene poised to take off in the future.

“Personally, and [Rivera] and I certainly agree on this, we think [boxing] could be the fourth sport in Worcester. You’ve got the [Worcester] Red Sox, [Massachusetts] Pirates and [Worcester] Railers,” he said of the incoming Minor League baseball team and the city’s current indoor football and hockey teams, respectively. “But it’s never going to be that if we’re not competitive, affordable.”

Shearns sees it happening if he can get young boxers who are already fighting, or want to fight, to actually fight each other. His first card is a step in that direction, and while all the matches haven’t been finalized, some notable local fighters are set to take part.

Worcester’s Kendrick Ball Jr. will be taking a shot at his first title.

With an 11-1-2 record, Ball will be coming off consecutive wins, both by technical knockout – in November over Zain Shah at Twin River Casino and in August over Fabian Valdez at The Palladium, on the same card as Rivera’s comeback.

Also expected to take part are undefeated Wilfredo Pagan (5-0) of Southbridge, Edwin Rosado (1-8-1) and Owen Minor, both of Worcester.

Minor will be making his pro debut.

Rosado will take on Carlos Marrero (0-2-1) in what Shearns called “a very winnable fight” for Rosado.

“They both desperately need

wins if they want to keep [boxing],” Shearns said.

As for his new business, Shearns, who also operates Lundgren Honda car dealerships in Auburn and Greenfield, is still learning the ropes.

“I’ve been around [boxing] so long in New England,” he said. “I’ve been very involved with [the state Boxing Commission], in terms of trying to make Massachusetts an active boxing scene again. It has the reputation of being very difficult [to negotiate in]. Part of my goal, getting my matchmaker and promoter’s license originally, was, ‘Let me experience this firsthand and see if it truly is that difficult to promote a boxing event in Massachusetts.’ That’s an ongoing education for me, right now.”

Shearns said he is excited about the latest chapter in his boxing life.

“It’s something where I’m going to sink or swim on my own, I guess,” he said. “Whatever decision I make, good ones or bad ones, and I’m sure I’ll make some of them both. Let’s get this first one done, learn what we did well, what we didn’t do so well. It’s like anything else in life.”

The Score

Worcester Railers Saturday, Jan. 12 The Railers (15-16-3-2) kicked off a four-game homestand with a 4-1 win over the Reading Royals.

Sunday Jan. 14 The Railers (16-16-3-2) won their third straight, this one a 4-2 win at home over the Manchester Monarchs.

(Upcoming: The Railers continue their homestand with games against the Newfoundland Growlers Friday, Jan. 18 and Saturday, Jan. 19) Worcester 78’s Saturday, Jan. 12 Playing at home at Worcester State University, the 78’s downed the Elite Kings, 128-118.

(Upcoming: The 78’s host the New England Outtatowners Saturday, Jan. 19 at Worcester State University, then visit the Oneonta Octane Sunday, Jan. 20) Worcester Blades Wednesday, Jan. 9 The Blades lost, 4-0, to the Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays.

games J O N E S I N’

the library 40 Dehumidifier’s target 44 It may be listed before or after “per” 45 Krispy ___ 49 K-Cup maker 51 Fading flame feature 52 “Birdman” actress Watts 54 Pigpen dweller 55 “Bohemian Rhapsody” star Malek 56 Denny’s rival 58 British weapon of WWII 60 Ancient Greek harp 61 Pirate spoils 62 Phoenix court team 64 “Wow!” in texts 65 “The buck stops here” presidential monogram

Last week's solution

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©2019 Jonesin’ Crosswords (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #919

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71 Figures out Down 1 Comic book explosion sound 2 “The Amazing ___” 3 “Johnny’s Theme” composer Paul 4 Gabe of “Welcome Back, Kotter” 5 1040 info 6 Owns, archaically 7 Has a yearning (for) 8 “___ Off the Boat” 9 Road repair stuff 10 Sudan’s capital 11 Pasta ___ (boxed dinner) 12 Bunches 13 Mercedes-___ 18 Acronym on a record label 22 Yard component 24 Baton master 26 Venn diagram feature 27 Drive forward 28 Rick’s grandson, on TV 29 Apple desktops from a while back 30 Oklahoma city 32 More desertlike 33 In tune 34 “August: ___ County” (Meryl Streep movie) 37 JFK flier, once 38 Take some time at

J A N U A RY 17 - 23, 2019

Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

Across 1 “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” character with a spinoff series 5 Isaac Hayes soundtrack 10 The Krusty ___ (“SpongeBob SquarePants” locale) 14 “Archer” character Kane 15 Pelvic bones 16 Minigolf segment 17 2018 movie about Cathy being startled by a big cat?

19 Unknown quote source, for short 20 Blue Apron offering 21 “___ dead, Jim” (“Star Trek” line) 22 “Metropolis” director Lang 23 Play division 25 Inject 27 “That’s amazing!”

31 Type of doll for the vengeful 35 Palindromic parent 36 2018 movie about bowling lanes?

39 British baby carriage 41 Stair part 42 “Morning Joe” cohost Brzezinski 43 2018 movie about a cinematic alien’s voice?

46 Brain activity diagnostic test, for short 47 Amino acid that helps treat cold sores 48 Deli bread option, maybe 50 Fire engine feature 53 “___-wee’s Big Adventure” 54 ___ Reid (The Green Hornet’s true identity) 57 More, in Mexico 59 Considers carefully 63 Mt. Ka’ala is its highest point 64 2018 movie about an annoying Irishman?

66 Cicero’s love 67 They may be dank on the Internet 68 Steel ingredient 69 Bright and evenly colored, for dragon fruit 70 He played one of the Weasleys

“Late to the Movie” – what did I miss?

by Matt Jones

classifieds

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LEGAL Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Worcester Probate and Family Court 225 Main St. Worcester, MA 01608 Docket No. WO19P0056GD CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN FOR INCAPACITATED PERSON PURSUANT TO G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of: April M Sargent Of: Worcester, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Department of Developmental of Worcester, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that April M Sargent is in need of a Guardian and requesting that Tracy E. Abarca of Worcester, MA (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve Without Surety on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, and that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 02/12/2019.

This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, Hon. Leilah A Keamy, First Justice of this Court. Date: January 03, 2019 Stephanie K. Fattman, Register of Probate 01/17/2019 WM

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LEGAL Invitation For Bids The Worcester Housing Authority invites sealed bids for Penthouse Chimney Demolition at 30 Wellington Street, Worcester, MA 12-06 Wellington Street Apartments in accordance with the documents prepared

by CBI Consulting, LLC. The work is estimated to cost $70,000.

Project consists of but is not limited to: Penthouse chimney demolition. Work to include removal of the chimney masonry structure to 3’-0" above the roof. Cap remaining masonry with metal form deck and concrete, cover masonry with ¾" fire rated plywood and EPDM roofing and flashing, coat exposed concrete wall of the elevator penthouse with elastomeric coating, and reinstall existing lightning rod cable & supports. Install full height garbage chute vent.

General Bids will be received until 3:00 p.m. on February 7, 2019, at the Worcester Housing Authority, Department of Modernization, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

There will be a pre-bid conference on January 24, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at 30 Wellington Street, Worcester, MA 01610.

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

Each bid shall be accompanied by a bid deposit in the amount of 5% of the bid price in the form of a Bid Bond, issued by a responsible surety company licensed to do business in Massachusetts, or a certified check, or a treasurer’s or cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company, made payable to the Worcester Housing Authority by bidders for the greatest possible bid amount.

Bid forms and Contract Documents will be made available on the Worcester Housing Authority website (http://www.worcesterha.org/currentbids.html) at no cost. Hard copies will be made available on January 16, 2019, at the Worcester Housing Authority, Department of Modernization, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 and thereafter, Monday thru Friday 8:00 A.M. through 4:30 P.M. Copies of the contract documents may be obtained by depositing $50.00 in the form of a company check, made payable to the Worcester Housing Authority, for each set of documents so obtained. The amount of the deposit will be refunded to each person who returns the plans, specifications and other documents in good condition within ten (10) days after bid opening. Bidders requesting contact documents to be mailed to them should include a separate check in the amount of $40.00 for each set payable to the Worcester Housing Authority to cover mailing and handling costs.

The contract documents may be seen, but not removed at: 1. Worcester Housing Authority, Department of Modernization, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 2. F.W. Dodge, 24 Hartwell Ave., Lexington, MA 02173 3. Reed Construction Data, 30 Technology Parkway South, Norcross, GA 30092Street, Worcester, MA 01605 4. Project Dog, 18 Graf Road Unit #8 Plan Room, Newburyport, MA 01950 Attention is called to the following: 1. Provisions of Equal Employment Opportunity; 2. Provisions for payment of not less than the minimum wages as set forth in the Specifications; 3. Provisions of Chapter 14, Acts of 1966, Imposing a Temporary Sales Tax, Section 1, Subsection 6 (d) and (k) exempting the Authority from the operation of such a chapter; 4. Requirement to furnish and pay for a Performance Bond and a Labor and Materials Bond as set forth in the specifications, 5. Insurance certificate indicating coverage for public liability, property damage and workers compensation, in ac cordance with the contract requirements, must be filed by the successful bidder upon signing of the contract.

The contract will be awarded to the responsible and eligible bidder with the lowest proposed contract price.

The Worcester Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids, in whole or in part, or to waive any formalities in the bidding if it be in the public interest to do so. No bid of a General Bidder shall be withdrawn, after opening thereof, prior to thirty (30) days, Saturday, Sundays, and legal holidays excluded, without the consent of the Worcester Housing Authority.

Questions regarding this project shall be submitted in writing 1 week prior to opening by noon time and emailed to Mod-Bids@worcesterha.org Reference the WHA Job Number 2017-08 only in the subject line.

Worcester Housing Authority Joseph P. Carlson, Chairman

last call Joe Gonzalez-Dufresne photographer J What is your history with the city of Worcester? I was born and mostly raised in Worcester.

When I was in first grade, my parents moved us to Northridge, but I spent a lot of my time back here because I always liked being in a city environment more than a small-town environment. When I finished high school, I moved back to Worcester with friends.

What do you like about working with people? How everyone interacts. I started with families. I never intended to shoot weddings.

I was suckered into shooting a family wedding because I had a nice camera. It was a nightmare.

I told my wife, ‘I never want to shoot another wedding in my entire life.’ Then another photographer, Jonnie Coutu, invited me to be second-shoot for him. Because of Jonnie, I fell in love with weddings. He was the lead and I was the second photographer. There was no pressure. Because of how he worked, it made me enjoy it too. When I was approached again to shoot a friend’s wedding. I said yes and it was incredible.

How do you decide which jobs to accept? The people who see how I work and appreciate that my work is not traditional are the people I want to photograph. Everything has to have a good vibe.

I love energy. I love capturing the moment when it’s chill as much as when it’s chaotic. I love movement. I learned early on I had to shoot what made me happy. Some people respond to that and some people don’t. It worked out. Once I started being true to myself and shooting what made me happy, people were attracted to that.

How would you describe your style? I don’t pose people. I aim for the random nuggets, genuine candids. The last photo I posted on Instagram was of a bride on Thompson Island during a

nor’easter. I took it in one of the homes on the island where the bridal party was getting ready. She was trying to untangle her rain jacket – a poncho. The photo is of her trying to figure it out. I lurk.

You have to wait patiently and shoot with two eyes open.

Who is your favorite subject?

My daughter is unpredictable and it’s fun to capture her childhood on camera. When she doesn’t want her photo taken, she lets me know. The camera phone in my pocket is responsible for most of the photos on my personal Instagram. If we’re at the playground and she’s doing something spontaneous, I’m not going to pull out my Canon.

Have we gone overboard as a society capturing every little moment on our cell phone cameras? I’ve learned, especially when photographing my daughter, if all of the ingredients add up naturally for a great shot, it’s OK to snap a photo and then put the cell phone away. It’s important to be present.

It’s not always easy. Everyone’s taking pictures all the time.

Does that devalue your work at all? No, they’re making their own memories. Facebook is our version of a shoebox full of old photos.

When you aren’t working, how do you like to spend your time in Worcester? I don’t mind hanging out anywhere as long as friends are there. I go to The Queen’s Cups lot. They’re open late, which is great. I also frequent BirchTree [Bread Company]. There are so many new places opening up. I’ll go wherever my people are.

– Sarah Connell

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What has your career trajectory looked like? I played in bands for most of my younger years. My career spurred from that. I ended up doing a lot of graphic design.

I taught myself Photoshop and layout programs. I did design for my own band and whoever else needed it to make a little extra money. Eventually, once I was done playing, I decided to go to school for design. I went to [Quinsigamond Community College] for an associate’s degree. At that point I didn’t want to deal with four years of school, but I figured employers would want someone with a degree. In the design program, I had to make mock ads and all that. I decided to purchase my own camera, because I didn’t want to use the stock photography the school was recommending. I guess I’m an overachiever. I don’t mean to be.

I just like to be original. I asked some friends who had kids if I could take their family photos.

At first, I didn’t know what I was doing, working with people. I would make the mock ads using the family photos. I remember creating an ad for wind turbines

that said, “The Future is Now,” with a photo of my friend’s family looking up at the turbine at Holy Name. I realized I liked the human connection. I couldn’t get that with a logo. I ended up shifting slowly over time to photography.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

originality. I caught up with him recently for a meeting at Maddi’s Cookery + TapHouse in the Canal District, where every check

arrives paired with fortune cookies. Gonzalez-Dufrene’s fortune read, “You have an active mind and a keen imagination.” I cannot fathom more accurate descriptors.

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SANDRA PAEK

oe Gonzalez-Dufresne is one of the most sought-after photographers in Worcester. He is an expert third wheel for engaged couples or newlyweds, and a wild visionary on commercial shoots.

Gonzalez-Dufresne’s signature storytelling style is noted for its natural

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