Worcester Magazine January 28 - February 3, 2022

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | CULTURE § ARTS § DINING § VOICES

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IN THIS ISSUE

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Worcester Magazine 100 Front St., Fifth Floor Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial (508) 767.9535 WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales (508) 767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com VP, Sales & Strategy Andrew Chernoff Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Veer Mudambi 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 Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Kate Carr, Diane Galipeau, Sammi Iacovone, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Regina Stillings Sales Support Jackie Buck, Yanet Ramirez Senior Operations Manager Gary Barth Operations Manager John Cofske Worcester Magazine is a news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. The Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement.

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Featured ..............................................................................4 City Voices ........................................................................10 Cover Story.......................................................................13 Artist Spotlight................................................................19 Next Draft .........................................................................21 Screen Time .....................................................................23 Adoption Option.............................................................24 Classifi eds ........................................................................25 Games................................................................................26 Last Call.............................................................................27

On the cover Young Worcester musicians, from left, Hayden Blomster, Dalton Moon, Serenity Jackson, Syd Gay and Chloe Belsito, outside Worcester City Hall.

PHOTO/DYLAN AZARI. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANI CHERCHIO/USA TODAY NETWORK AND GETTY IMAGES

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FEATURED

A sandpiper hangs out on the water at Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary. TELEGRAM & GAZETTE FILE PHOTO

Mass Audubon receives grant for stream renovation at Broad Meadow Brook Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

For years, the neighborhood just adjacent to Broad Meadow Brook, by Dunkirk Avenue, has had fl ooding issues. There has been signifi cant investment by the City of Worcester to mitigate the situation, by creating an underground fl ood water storage system at the corner of

Firth and Brightwood. Despite these measures, during severe precipitation events, the storm drain system gets overloaded and backs up, leading to fl ooding in the neighborhood.

Mass Audubon knows the only lasting solution is to create more direct fl ood water storage capacity in the area, which will reduce peak fl ows, increase fl ow duration and reduce downstream fl ooding. How

does one do that? By “daylighting” hundreds of feet of the Broad Meadow Brook. For those of us who have no idea what that means, Tom Lautzenheiser, senior conservation ecologist (Central/West) at Mass Audubon, explained. It is the process of removing obstructions, like concrete or pavement, which have been used to cover up rivers, creeks or drainage ways, to restore

them to a condition somewhat similar to their original condition.

Daylighting a portion of the Broad Meadow Brook may reduce local fl ooding by eliminating choke points where the stream was forced into underground channels and also contribute to more eff ective stormwater management by diverting it from the sewage system.

It will increase the area avail-

able for water to pass through the channel, since open streams provide direct fl oodwater storage. Open streams are also highly eff ective in removing pollution by transforming nitrogen and phosphorus, which improves habitats for fi sh and other wildlife.

Though Mass Audubon was working on the idea before the See STREAM, Page 8

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 5

Musical project Stems takes organic, ethereal approach with new album Robert Duguay Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

The power of music comes in many diff erent forms, but when it’s emotive it can be the most personal. It can make the listener feel less alone, or like someone is speaking for them. With the musical project Stems, Worcester’s Penelope Alizarin Conley aims for this connection while being backed with distorted amplifi cation and personal lyrics. Her latest album, "From My Ever Bleeding Heart," which came out on Jan. 2, refl ects this approach with sonic brilliance. It’s also one of the best records to come out of the city so far into the infancy of 2022.

Tracks such as “Covered In Leaves,” “Cinder,” “I’m Here” and “In An Alien Sky” evoke a ‘90s alternative sound that weaves in between gothic post-punk and fuzzy shoegaze. This result comes from an approach that's very natural to Conley.

“It was defi nitely very organic,” she says about the making of the album.

“Typically, I don’t consider myself much of a singer or a musician, but I do consider myself as a songwriter because for me it’s about the whole picture. When I’m writing my material I don’t go for a specifi c theme, it’s more about the moment. When I go to record it later on, I’ll start with a sketch of a song either on my phone or some sort of recording device just so I won’t forget it. Then I’ll go into my production software and tinker around a bit until I fi nd something that sounds like what I can do and what I can handle.

“If it comes out a little bit on the alternative side, I tend to veer the album towards that,” Conley adds. “My songwriting style tends to have an alternative bent to it even if I’m not meaning it, everyone tells me that. It’s an organic thing but just by happenstance because that’s how I’ve written in the past, it’s how I continue to write.”

During the creation process, Conley did everything in completely DIY fashion as with every other Stems record.

This modus operandi ranges from in-

Penelope Alizarin Conley’s newest album as Stems is “From My Ever Bleeding Heart.” CHRISTINE PETERSON/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

strumentation and singing to mixing and mastering.

“I’ll start noodling around on guitar and it sounds so bizarre but something will come out of thin air,” she says. “I usually will come up with a vocal melody and actually most of the songs come together pretty quickly. The structure of it can change when I start to record, if I know I got a decent verse-chorus-verse down, the fi rst thing I do, because I started out as a drummer, is get a good drum track going. I can build just about

anything off of that while keeping something very simple at fi rst just so I can get the tempo right. Then I can start adding stuff in as I go along, I kind of have a formula in that way.

“After I start out with drums I usually go right into guitar because I want to have something to base the vocals off of and I tend to include them relatively quickly in the production,” Conley adds.

“Except for the drums, I do everything in my apartment so if I’m screaming my lungs out at the end of the production

it’s 9:30 at night, so I’m sure my neighbors will hate me for it.”

When it comes to production, Conley is mostly self-taught while using a specifi c program that you can fi nd in any modern Apple computer. She began this project on a slight dare from a friend over 20 years ago because she wanted to prove the friend wrong about the making of music from a certain decade.

“I learned a little bit from what my See STEMS, Page 8

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Stephen Murray off ers a fi rst look at “Nellie: The Musical” at Calliope Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s a change of tone for Worcester playwright, composer, performer and educator Stephen Murray.

And while his musicals have had varied settings, from Mount Olympus to Mudville, “Nelle: The Musical” is in a very diff erent place as well.

“Nellie: The Musical,” with book by Robby Steltz and music

by Murray, is based on “Ten Days in a Mad-House,” published in 1887 by Nellie Bly, a reporter for the New York World, who feigned insanity in order to be committed to the New York City Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island so that she could expose the neglect, abuse and brutality in the treatment of its female patients.

“This one’s diff erent,” Murray said of “Nellie: The Musical.”

“It’s defi nitely not lighthearted. Most of the things I’ve written up to this point have been lighthearted and comedic. I’m reaching into a lot of diff erent places emotionally that I haven’t done before, but I’m excited by the results.”

We’ll get an opportunity to see the results so far for “Nellie: The Musical” when it is given a public read-through at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at at Calliope Theatre, 150 Main St., Boylston, the home of Calliope Productions.

While not in costume and putting on the show like a fully staged musical, the cast of nine women and Murray (who will be taking all the male parts and playing piano) will act out the dialogue and perform the pieces of music before a live audience. The reading will be taped, and there are plans to

"Nellie: The Musical" tackles a darker subject than playwright Stephen Murray normally deals with. Last summer, Murray wrote a musical adaptation of the poem "Casey at the Bat" and a song from the mini-opera was sung at a Worcester Red Sox game at Polar Park. TRACY MARTINO

have it live-streamed as well.

Murray has written over 30 shows, including the romantic comedy “Making Scents,” which has been performed four times locally dating back to its premiere in 1995 with Worcester County Light Opera Company.

Last summer, Murray wrote a musical adaptation of the poem “Casey at the Bat” by Worcester’s Ernest L. Thayer. A song from the mini-opera was

sung at Polar Park at a Worcester Red Sox game, but a full performance that was to have been part of the annual Harvey Ball celebration struck out as the event was canceled due to COVID. Murray’s still hoping the mini-opera can get to step up at the plate.

Among Murray’s other popular shows, some written with a youth audience in mind, are “Kamp Kaos,” “Pom-Pom Zombies,” “Katastrophe Kate,”

“Help! I’m Trapped in a Musical!”, “The Enchanted Bookshop Musical,” and “Greece Is the Word: The Zeusical!” Murray is a music teacher at St. Paul Diocesan Jr/Sr High School and a board member of both Calliope Productions and Worcester County Light Opera Company.

Eldridge Publishing Company Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has published many of Murray’s musicals, and Eldridge

also recently published a oneact play, “Nellie,” about Nellie Bly, by Robby Steltz of Duluth, Minnesota. It is Steltz’s fi rst published play, Murray said.

Meredith Edwards, president of Eldridge Publishing Company, “noticed it has a lot of musical elements even though it’s a one-act play,” Murray said.

He said Edwards contacted him and “asked ‘could you take a look at it? We’d love you to try and make a musical out of it.’ “ Murray and Steltz have been working together long distance and things have evidently been going well, with the piece now expanded to two acts.

“Amazingly, it’s only been since June,” Murray said of the collaboration. “The work came very quickly. Some sections I just musicalized the dialogue.

Others, I knew where it was going and was able to set it to music and lyrics.”

Eventually, Murray had written 19 pieces of music for the musical.

“Nellie: The Musical” is “absolutely a drama,” Murray said.

The mistreatment of the women in the institution was particularly cruel and the music is dark in places.

In the late 1800s, disturbing rumors circulated about the treatment of patients at the New York City Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Female patients in particular were reputed to be victims of horrible abuse and even torture. Bly risked her own life by committing herself to the asylum in order to investigate. She documented her fi ndings and revealed these horrors to the entire world.

“Fortunately, This is all factual. She (Nellie Bly) does after See NELLIE, Page 7

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 7

Nellie Continued from Page 6

10 days come out of there and the result was a massive overhaul of treating people with mental illness in New York City and beyond,” Murray said.

Bly’s shocking press reports and the widespread release of her book led to a grand jury investigation and forever changed the way society looks at the treatment and housing for people suff ering from mental illness.

Murray initially made a demo tape of the musical, playing the piano and singing all of the songs.

Then he invited nine singers/actors, all women, to make a new tape by coming to the studio he has set up at his home and recording their individual parts. He sent each singer the original demo tape and sheet

Jessica DePalo of Framingham reads through her lines as Nellie Brown on stage with the cast of “Nellie: The Musical” at the Calliope Theatre. PHOTOS BY ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

music so they could practice.

The nine will now be featured at the read-through Jan. 29 at Calliope Theatre.

“The singers have done a See NELLIE, Page 9

Nicole Lian reads through her lines as Miss Grupe on stage with the cast of “Nellie: The Musical” at the Calliope Theatre.

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Stream Continued from Page 4

pandemic, it was only last fall that the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program was able to to make a roadmap. Thanks to recent funds from three grants — $30,000 from the Division of Ecological Restoration that was just authorized on Jan. 18, a $500,000 earmark from the American Rescue Plan Act by Gov. Baker in late December, and a $74,800 grant from the EPA Southern New England Program in early January, the design work can move forward again. And they are now pivoting to further assessment work with SNEP, but construction will probably not begin until later 2024 or early 2025. Lautzenheiser said, “It’s a huge project and we are trying to be deliberate about it because it has the capacity to infl uence upstream and downstream neighborhoods.”

The biggest catalyst, though, was the decommissioning of the sewer line that runs parallel to the brook, said Martha Gach, conservation coordinator of Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook Conser-

Stems Continued from Page 5

friends taught me but most of it is myself,” she says. “I do everything on GarageBand because it’s free and I’ve had the program for so long that I’ve come to be quite intuitive with it. For me, it works, it does what I want it to do and it has everything I could possibly want. Believe it or not, Stems started in 2001 just as a fl uke. A friend of mine from college knew that I had played literally every instrument a band could require, we were listening to Depeche Mode or something from the ‘80s and he told me that during

vation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary. “The city doesn’t need it anymore so we have more freedom to work and it is, after all, a climate resiliency issue with houses that still deal with the fl ooding.” She was appreciative of the changes in municipal attitudes and how the area of focus has shifted to considering important natural systems as components of the city’s infrastructure. Besides, the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness action plan identifi es the area as chronically prone to fl ooding.

Gach explained that the whole Dunkirk Avenue area was originally a fl oodplain — a low, fl at piece of land that was probably once a huge wetland.

Somewhere long ago in the history of Worcester, it was probably drained for agriculture but then when the city expanded and there was no longer any food being grown there, it must have looked like a great place to build houses.

“I’ve been at the sanctuary for over 20 years and I remember wondering why the stream was so darn straight in some places and winding in others — it didn’t seem to be natural at all,” she said. “But back in the 1930s, the culture was to orga-

nize nature, make curvy things straight and neat.”

And then of course, the sewer line was installed. So it isn’t the way nature intended at all — a straight stream bed whose fl oodplain is crossed from side to side by a sewer line in the city’s infrastructure.

However, the idea has always been in the back of people’s minds to return it to its natural state. After all, curving brooks slow down water fl ow and create a gentler environment for wildlife.

Climate change, she said, creates “freaky storms channeling more water into that stream” and fl oods the neighborhood since there is no real fl oodplain to speak of, which might have alleviated the issue.

“If we can broaden the fl oodplain back to what it was initially, that will take a lot of pressure off the storm drains,” she said. The tentative plan is to daylight a section of the brook roughly parallel from Woodcliff e to Sandra Drive and breach the sewer causeway to unite the 40 acres of wetlands.

Giving the stream more room will also create more habitat for animals such as beavers and river otters, but also fi sh, frogs and muskrats, which in

turn will improve water quality.

Basically, bringing water into more contact with the wetland system and natural fi lters will be benefi cial in more ways than one — mitigate the fl ooding issue by creating more storm water storage and improve water quality due to natural fi lters in the wetlands.

Lautzenhiser agreed that the ecological aspects will be extraordinary. “Our hope in daylighting about 500 feet of the Broad Meadow Brook is that it will enhance the fl ood storage capacity of the existing wetland complex by making more of the fl oodplain available.” Right now, according to him, there is very little hydrologic connection between the east and west side of the causeway. And restoring the native plant community on the east side of the causeway with deeper water areas and a shallow emergent marsh will open the area up to more benefi cial native fl ora and fauna.

However, uniting the 40 acres of wetlands means breaching the causeway, which is one of the design uncertainties. “The more sewer line that we remove, the more expensive the project will become” due to costs associated with disposal

of the line as well as the causeway since that earth will have to go somewhere, Lautzenhiser said. Pie-in-the-sky thinking would like to see more of the causeway gone than less, but he is not sure where the balance is between restoring hydrologic function versus practicality. The causeway is also currently one of the most popular hiking trails on the sanctuary, so removing that will require more boardwalks and railing to compensate.

Both he and Gach hope to solicit public input in the future and in fact, Gach described herself as the “on the ground person responsible for connecting with the community about the project,” since it will impact not only visitors to the sanctuary but also all the neighbors in the area who use it for passive recreation.

Lautzenhiser emphasized that this project has been a great partnership so far with the City of Worcester. By doing this now, he said, “we’re heading off potential worse issues in the future because, ultimately, wetlands are the liver of the natural world” — they can prevent the damaging eff ects of fl oods and neutralize pollutants.

that era it must have been super easy to make an album with just a couple synthesizers, bass and vocals.

“I told him that I bet he’d be wrong and I was going to prove him wrong by making an ‘80s album myself and see if I can do it,” Conley said. “That’s how Stems got started, I was trying to answer a challenge to my friend about how easy or not it is to make an album. It took me about a year and I’m probably going to put it out later this year just to be like, ‘Hey, this is the fi rst ever Stems album if you want to hear it.’ It’s literally the drum pattern on a synthesizer with me playing one or two synthesizer parts then vocals and that’s it.”

Conley views her music as the exuding of internal strife and putting it on audial canvas.

She’s surprised by the positive attention Stems has gotten since she started uploading her music for the world to indulge, but she’s also grateful for it.

“I write everything with a lot of empathy in mind,” she said.

“We’ve all been through a lot of stuff , especially lately. A lot of my songs deal with pain, overcoming pain, going through trauma or something or someone specifi cally so I can wrestle with those demons and exorcize them. Music has always been a diary for me, it’s a way for me to express my innermost thoughts and innermost feelings. With Stems, I didn’t share

my music with anyone for years except for that one guy who challenged me in college. I only recently started putting these songs out there to the world because I was scared to share them.

“There’s so much darkness in there and so much emotion that I was worried someone would take it the wrong way or no one would listen to it or appreciate it after putting in so much work,” Conley adds. “All musicians would be lying to you if they said they didn’t want something from the audience for their music. After putting this project out into the world, I’ve been very, very lucky. I’ve been in a ton of different bands and this has been

getting way more attention than I have with any band I’ve ever been a part of. It blows my mind because I’m asking ‘Are you sure?’ because this is some dark stuff and I have to wonder sometimes if people are listening but I’ve been proved wrong.”

When it comes to what she hopes people take from the new album, she hopes to inspire more compassion and thoughtfulness.

“It means so much when I’ve actually reached somebody and they get it,” Conley says.

“The whole point is to build understanding and have empathy for each other because art needs to live so that everyone else can live.”

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 9

Worcester composer Stephen Murray and the cast perform a read-through of “Nellie: The Musical” at the Calliope Theatre.

PHOTOS BY ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Nellie Continued from Page 7

magnifi cent job with it,” Murray said.

The cast includes Jessica DePalo (Nellie Bly), Lorraine Hruska, Lisa Tierney, Paula Guilbault, Laura Gulli, Tracy Martino, Linnea Lyerly, Nicole Lian and Heidi White. The male roles in the musical are rather small, if sometimes unpleasant characters, which is why one person, Murray, will be singing them all at the piano.

Steltz will be unable to attend on Jan. 29, so Murray is hoping the live-stream will work and connect him to the show.

As for what the future might hold for the musical, “I’m very hopeful that this is going to be a piece that gives community theaters and high schools that have very talented women an opportunity to perform. This is a very educational show,” Murray said.

“I’m also fi nding that — hey I’ve got another voice as a writer. This was an experiment.

We’ll see what comes next. You never know. Perhaps doing more historically based shows.”

However, “My next project is back to my old tricks, a musical called ‘Totally Awesome!’ about superheroes,” Murray said.

“Nellie: The Musical” will premiere in August at Calliope with a cast of students entering Grades 6-10.

Following the performance of “Nellie: The Musical” Jan. 29, there will be a brief “talk-back” session for feedback from the audience. Admission is free, but space is limited, and tickets should be reserved in advance by visiting www.ticketstage.com/T/CALLIOPE. A freewill off ering will be accepted in order to defray costs. In case of a cancellation because of snow, the read-through will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30.

For more information, visit www.calliopeproductions.org.

Worcester composer Stephen Murray listens to a recent read-through/performance with the cast of “Nellie: The Musical” at the Calliope Theatre. A public read-through will be held Jan. 29 at Calliope Theatre in Boylston.

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CITY VOICES LANDGREN WORCESTER'S RAT POPULATION ON THE RISE

HARVEY

WORCESTERIA

COVID-19 surge mess could have been avoided Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

There are a few common refrains that I hear regarding vaccination and boosters: A.) “Why bother with the vaccine — people are getting sick anyways — it’s not working!” B.) “Why do we have to get a booster? It can’t be that eff ective.” And my personal favorite, C.) “My decision to not get vaccinated doesn’t hurt someone else who does.”

Worcester Health and Human Services Commissioner Dr. Mattie Castille had something to say about that: “We would never have had this sit-

uation if the majority of people were vaccinated.” You hear that? This could have been avoided. Omicron very well may not have happened.

So yes, not getting vaccinated does indeed aff ect those around you who made a more enlightened decision — because you are acting as a testing site for future variants. According to Castille, about 55% of the community is vaccinated. That’s nowhere near close to the coveted “herd immunity” that could be our ticket out of this mess.

According to the data scientists at the New York Times, as See MESS, Page 11

Thom McAn in the Worcester Galleria Jan. 7, 1983. T&G FILE PHOTO

Remembering when The Galleria was ‘a great place to be’ Janice Harvey Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Of all the gifts I received this past Christmas, none was a bigger surprise than the one that caused an instant nostalgia rush. Searching the internet, my daughter found a Tshirt that reads: “THE GALLERIA at Worcester Center.” Beneath a lime green arch is the slogan “We’re a great place to be.”

For a time, it was.

For those of us attending its much-ballyhooed opening, the Galleria was a marvel. It was as if L. Frank Baum, P.T. Barnum and William Filene had struck a deal to dazzle us. A replica of a hot-air balloon hung from the glass ceiling, and I remember thinking Dorothy Gale should be on the bridge with the city dignitaries. The event evoked the climactic scene from the "Wizard of Oz," when the magical kingdom’s citizens gath-

ered round in awe. Little did we know that just like the movie, the balloon would drift away without any of the native denizens of Oz on board.

The T-shirt represents personal history for me. It was in the Galleria that I held my fi rst real job (baby-sitting didn’t count) at Hickory Farms.

“America’s Leading Cheese Store” paid me two bucks an hour to shill summer sausage See GALLERIA, Page 11

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 11

Mess Continued from Page 10

The line for COVID-19 testing fi lls the courtyard outside Mercantile Center on Jan. 3. RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Galleria Continued from Page 10

and cheddar while wearing an ill-fi tting gingham blouse and jumper — not unlike Dorothy’s iconic get-up. One of my many duties each morning before opening was to scrape the mold off the cheeses in the case and rewrap them for sale.

I once had a full-blown anxiety attack in the storage room loft, thanks to my life-long fear of heights, while the only other employee in the store kept ringing the buzzer for me to come up front to help with sales.

Good times.

I moved on to Lerner Shops, where for $2.05 I sold everything from overcoats to nylon stockings. We had quotas, and were told that if we didn’t sell 20 kids’ back-to-school dresses, we’d have to wear one pinned to our chests for a day.

Imagine a store manager pulling a stunt like that today? Fat

chance. I soon tired of selling (it was dog-eat-dog in the coat department, working with older, seasoned saleswomen who would cut a mother for a sale) and wrangled myself an apprenticeship of sorts with the window dresser named Richard. Richard was a patient and funny gentleman who lived with his mom and told stories about her over bottles of Coke. I was soon dressing mannequins and fi xing displays that were tugged on by customers in both Worcester and Framingham’s Shoppers World.

I was in the Worcester window when I met the man I would marry. Gary worked for Worcester Center Associates, and he wore a suit. I wore denim overalls to hold my scissors, Allen wrenches and pins. We were an odd pair. Gary had been called to the store to help eject a regular mall nuisance named Joe, who fancied himself a spy. Joe was sniffi ng garment tickets for the presence of explosive materials. The mall

of Jan. 19, new reported cases in Worcester county had reached a seven-day average of 1,956.

Considering we have no less than three diff erent vaccine options, with centers popping up all over the city ready to administer them, this fi gure is staggering. Clearly, a conversation must be had.

The key fact is that the more people get infected, the more the virus mutates. We’ve all heard the saying ‘what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’ — well, that doesn’t apply to COVID-19, instead ‘it’s what doesn’t kill you will mutate and try again.’

That’s how we get new variants — especially the deadly delta variant and most recently, the highly transmissible omicron. When a virus mutates

enough, it can overcome the vaccine in what’s known as a breakthrough infection. In this way, the virus persists even as the antibodies from vaccines administered back in the spring begin to wane.

This isn’t to say that vaccines don’t work against variants. Yes, you may get sick but your symptoms will be milder and you’re far less likely to be hospitalized. And because it bears repeating — these breakthrough infections could have been avoided with higher vaccination rates.

And before you proudly declare you got it, got better and didn’t even get a runny nose, studies clearly show that the antibodies from the vaccine are superior and last longer than what you get from contracting COVID-19.

As far as masks go, Castille said, “I think the best protection is KN95 or N95 masks, and well-ventilated indoor spaces

The Worcester Galleria in 1979. T&G FILE PHOTO/FRANK JAMES

had its share of memorable characters, but Joe was truly an original. Most were panhandlers who were shown the door for trying to scoop the change from the fountain, but Joe was on a mission.

Upstairs, in Paperback Booksmith, my brother Kevin

was busy managing both the store and his complicated dating life. He would eventually marry Nancy, one of his assistants. It was in that bookstore where I would become lifelong friends with Wendy, a Clark student from New York. The friendship lasted, though the

are important as well.” About home tests, she indicated they had given away about 140,000 tests right before Christmas and New Years and will be doing so again.

Anyone who was vaccinated more than fi ve months ago is now eligible for a booster and she was clear that, “we have got to get our numbers up — part of our issues is communities of color and our youth, where 5-11 year olds are only 15% vaccinated.”

When asked why she thought the vaccination stats were low, she didn’t hesitate, “there’s a huge distrust of what the government says so people just don’t believe it is a danger or they’re spending most of their time working to make ends meet and cannot take the time to go get the shot.”

“If you’re not boostered, you’re not considered fully vaccinated right now,” said Castille.

marriages didn’t, but they produced two great kids apiece.

Regrets? A few, but not the marriages.

The T-shirt made me think about my lunch breaks, when I would sit in Toupin’s bakery with Gary and Jay and Buz, all employees of the Galleria. Buz would sometimes epoxy quarters to the mall fl oor just for the fun of watching shoppers try to pick them up. We were easily amused. How could we know that I would outlive all three?

I’ve often crabbed about how the Galleria at Worcester Center was the worst thing that ever happened to the city. It decimated Main Street as a business district and ruined many a locally-owned shop.

Now, when I marvel over Legos my grandson constructs and watch my granddaughter feed the chickens she’s raised, I have to be thankful for the notexactly-yellow brick road that led to retail Oz. The Galleria really was the place to be.

I just hope this T-shirt fi ts.

12 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

FIRST PERSON

The Library of Disposable Art — QSL cards David Macpherson Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Sometimes, when you enter the Library of Disposable Art, you can look at what’s there and get it right away. “Hey, that’s a T-Shirt.” Or “Look at those cute ceramic animals that came from the tea box.” You can understand what they are and fi gure out for yourself if it is cool or not. Then there are some alcoves in the library that have items that make a fella scratch their head in confusion. What the hell is this and why do people collect them?

And this is not me attacking the lovers of Hummel fi gures (though I just don’t get that one bit. Those are nightmare inducing totems). No, this is not about your personal taste, but things that you look at and don’t understand and when someone explains it to you, you still don’t understand. It’s like we are suff ering from bric-a brac aphasia.

That is the case with QSL cards. I have a zine that reproduces authentic QSL cards from Washington State during the 1970s. You see. I wrote the words using as much English as I ever was

taught, and yet the damn sentence does not make much sense. But just because it is odd for myself and you (probably) does not mean that somewhere in town, there aren't several people with large collections of these aforementioned QSL cards.

What are QSL cards? I have been dreading this part of the column. The part where I explain what I am going on about. I have never been an ace at making myself clear (see earlier essays in the series to prove my point). And I feel like I might not make much sense (so what else is new?). But here goes.

When people communicate to each other through Ham Radio or through CB radio, they will reach one person somewhere in the globe. That is the purpose.

To contact another lover of Ham or CB. To reach somewhere you never have reached before.

When you do have contact with someone, the routine is to send a QSL card to a central processing center who will then send the card to the other person involved in the conversation. The QSL card has the user’s personal information on it. It will also give details of the contact the two users had. This card

means, “I acknowledge this transmission.” People collect these cards to show where all the people they spoke to over their radio were. They try to get cards delivered from as far as possible.

The cards themselves can be plain postcards with just the info printed on it. But in the peak of the CB craze in the '70s, the cards became illustrated. They had funny cartoons on them. They had pictures. There were people who made a living drawing QSL card cartoons. They are a little bit folk art, a little bit underground comix and a touch of “what the hell is this.”

I was going through the zine that had all of these examples of QSL cards and an old friend confessed he was getting his Ham Radio license. He told me that he loves QSL cards. He still gets them.

He is in the process of creating the image for his own card, which will be an aerial photo of his hometown.

This blew me away. The idea that people still do this is crazy to me. That they still use Ham radios to communicate with and use postcards to acknowledge that moment of contact with another. Yesterday, I spoke to a co-worker in Oaxaca, Mexico. I picked up my mo-

bile phone and we chatted about work for a half hour. While it was sleeting here in New England, he described the 75degree weather he was aff orded outside his house in the mountains. Do we need Ham radio to shrink the world? Do we need kitschy postcards to say that, “I am here. And for a moment, we spoke together over a radio. We are here together?”

And for some of us, the answer is yes.

Yes. I need to talk to someone outside of Zoom and unlimited minutes. I need to put some eff ort in the act of reaching out. I need to get something in the mail, something that was touched by many hands, to say that we are all here together.

The world is a lot smaller than we ever thought it would be. But we need to put some eff ort into it. We need funny postcards sent to us, to remind us of the world that is all around us. We need someone to say to us, in the friendliest tone possible, “I acknowledge this transmission.”

David Macpherson is a poet and humorist living in the Worcester area. His book "Gin and Tonics Across Worcester" is available for sale online.

BAD ADVICE

Getting soaked by the landlord Shaun Connolly Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Editor’s Note: Worcester comedian Shaun Connolly provides readers bad advice in his brand-new weekly column.

Send your questions to woocomedyweek @gmail.com.

DEAR SHAUN: My landlord never cleaned the gutters and now it’s raining in my kitchen. What should I do?

Hello Gutters: The phrase “raining in my kitchen” is so full of whimsy. It sounds like it’s in a twee Michel Gondry movie where a manic pixie dream girl off -handedly says to the doe-eyed male lead, “oh yeah, sometimes it rains in my

kitchen.” Then she takes a bite of a Twizzler and skips back outside while a Band of Horses song swells in the background. I understand that this is not your life. No one wants to have soaked socks as they fry an egg and make their coff ee. The toughest thing is it is totally not your fault. Unfortunately the responsibility lies on your landlord, who is not a real human being as is true of all landlords, and that is a scientifi c fact.

My advice is lure your ogre-ish landlord out from their dwelling with a piece of meat or whatever their monsterish liking is. Then have them go up a ladder to the gutters. Then, tell them that all the gunk in the gutters needs to be eaten by them because it makes landlords extra

powerful and cool. Then as they eat, mop up your kitchen and play a Band of Horses song while the credits roll on our hero, you.

DEAR SHAUN: Is it Bad Advice to suggest you tell your new boss (editor) to edit the period out of the end of your gmail address? Let’s face it, most people who actually read the paper are over a certain age and while they are literate, they tend to be literal when it comes to navigating technology and websites.

Cut and paste will not allow them access to your not so sage advice because they will end up at gmaildotcomdot They may seek bad advice from a worse source in order to rectify this issue.

Would it be better that they get the

worst bad advice possible?

Dear Inept: It seems like you are trying to give me bad advice by telling me to tell my editor (after I just got this job, by the way) what to do. If you are not a person of a certain age and you are generalizing about their technological grasp, shame on you. That is ageist. Plus people of a certain age don’t want my bad advice anyways. They are too busy killing our environment, voting for Trump and taking their bi-weekly trip to Twin River to worry about what this aging millennial has to say. If you are that person who is of a certain age, I will gladly give you a tutorial of how to copy and paste correctly so it doesn’t include that last period. My fee is for you to stay home on voting day, to start recycling and use your gambling money to donate to a nonprofi t for children. You’re welcome.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 13

COVER STORY

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT Making music when you’re under 21 in Worcester Continued on next page

Young Worcester musicians, from left, Serenity Jackson, Hayden Blomster, Chloe Belsito, Dalton Moon and Syd Gay at a photo shoot on the Worcester Common.

PHOTO/DYLAN AZARI

14 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Dalton Moon,left, and Hayden Blomster, shown here on the Worcester Common, are prone to busking in Harvard Square in Cambridge. PHOTO/DYLAN AZARI Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

Popular music has almost always been aimed square at teenagers, from Danny and Juniors inviting teens to “The Hop,” to the Who talking about “My Generation,” to Irish punks the Undertones lamenting the power of “Teenage Kicks,” to Katy Perry extolling the virtues of a “Teenage Dream.” It’s not exactly subtle. h Still, it’s one thing to have the music on the radio and the popular streaming playlists aimed at teenagers, but teens fi nding rock or hip-hop in Worcester without having to purchase expensive concert tickets? That’s a little tougher.

“People who go to shows are moms and dads who have a night off of work,” says Dalton Moon. ”It’s not young people going to scenes looking for substance, it’s parents looking for a place to loosen up.” The 18year-old Shrewsbury musician should know: Not only has he been playing guitar since he was 13, he’s also the son of veteran Worcester musician Bob Moon. The younger Moon says it’s great that there are so many people willing to go see bands play in bars but, “The only chance I get to see live music

(in a public setting) is when I go with my dad to see his cover band. That should defi nitely not be the only option for kids to go see music.”

He has a point: The options for young people to see original popular music (rock, hip-hop, country) in Worcester are slim, the options to do so in their own space (as opposed to a space clearly meant for adults their parents’ age) even slimmer.

And musicians under the age of 21 who want to play original music in public for an audience of their peers, especially out-

side an academic setting?

Yeah, they have it toughest of all. But whatever the challenges, Worcester’s young musicians are forging their own paths, and many of them are talented, strong-willed and resourceful … useful traits for a music career.

It’s the Same Old Song If given a choice, 18-year-old Chloe Belsito of Sutton will almost always opt to play an original song over a cover. She broke the mold when she won

WCCCA-TV’s “New Voices” youth singing competition using only original material, and even got past the fi rst round of “American Idol” auditions playing an original song, which is almost unheard of. (In the interest of disclosure, this writer is a judge on “New Voices.”)

“I call myself a singer-songwriter,” says Belsito, who began performing publicly at 15, mostly playing music at restaurants such as Lock 50, which is an environment that generally favors cover songs. “That’s one of my biggest things, sharing

originals of mine. I get to watch people’s attention when they hear something I wrote. Heads turn, eyes, widen. That’s what makes me unique, in a way.”

Indeed. While Belsito – now a student at Berklee College of Music – can and does play cover songs, her propensity to buck that trend is something of a gamble where audiences, at best, want to to hear something familiar and at worst aren’t really paying attention at all.

Not all young musicians fi nd See MUSIC, Page 15

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 15

Music Continued from Page 14

that a problem. Satchell Moore, 19, of Holden, son of Worcester music scene veteran Doug Moore, has been playing blues and rock – ranging from ‘60s songs to more modern covers – as part of the band Game On since junior high, starting off with school dances and talent shows, then graduating to playing restaurants and breweries such as the Specialty Sandwich Co. and Wong Dynasty, where he says, “it’s common to have live music. Easier to do gigs there since there’s already a crowd there, where musicians don’t have to draw crowds themselves.” A gig, as they say, is a gig, but Belsito points out that there’s a fundamental difference between playing a restaurant and playing a bar or nightclub, where original music might be expected.

“I feel like, when you go to restaurant,” she says, “it’s very family-friendly. People are having dates there, family dinners, kids, all that. Then you go to a bar, there are people there alone, or having the time of their life and dancing. Now that I’m 18, almost 19, I’m closer in age to people who are 22 and 23. I always have to read a crowd. I fi nd out when I play more upbeat music, because of the crowd, I feel like the headlining act, rather than just background music.”

Moore says he gets that perspective, but that musicians in Game On, “do our best to engage with the crowd, clap in songs and get the audience to clap along.” He says he, too, tries to read the crowd, and if the audience isn’t very engaged, they try to play something everyone will know by heart.

“People who are young like me,” says Moore, “it might be harder to reach audiences playing current music … other more-modern genres like hiphop, it might be harder than that. Playing older music has

Chloe Belsito PHOTO/DYLAN AZARI

Satchell Moore performs with Game On. SUBMITTED PHOTO

worked to our advantage.”

Musician Daniel Gay, the father of the 13-year old nonbinary singer Syd Gay, who accompanies him at festivals and coffeehouse shows, thinks that it’s important for young musicians to fi nd their own spaces, saying that, “having been a musician here, most people playing are 40, 50, 60 years old. Not a lot of youth in a traditional scene.

And I think kids notice that …

I’m their dad, and they’re not really doing their own shows, but they’re getting to the point where they want to. I think, having grown up playing as a young person myself, those are the places that you fi nd yourself. Even with the external elements that might not be good, I think you fi nd your community in those places, and that’s the community that stays with you See MUSIC, Page 16

Syd Gay,left, with her father, musician Dan Gay. PHOTO/DYLAN AZARI

16 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Music Continued from Page 15

… I’d like to see more forums for kids at safe places. I want my kid to be part of a scene like that. They want to sing, they want to perform, and my job is to help them fi nd places to do that.”

Still, Moore – currently a freshman at Columbia University – admits he’s feeling the call of playing original music, and it’s something which he and the rest of Game On – who have remained together, and meet over Zoom while they’re separated by school and COVID-19 lockdowns – are working on. Other artists, such as 19year-old musician Isaiah Caraballo, work in genres that are far less welcome in many public spaces.

Caraballo, who works under the name Been Dead, plays something he calls “trap metal,” a hybrid of lyrical rap music mixed with strong heavy metal infl uences. Discussing his genre, Caraballo says, “people don’t want to go to a library and hear me scream at the top of my lungs.” Being under 21, he fi nds there are no real public spaces available for his work, save the internet.

“Worcester is a town that has a lot of talent,” says 20year-old Worcester rapper Jay Naz. “It’s just a mater of discovery … From what I’ve seen, there is a lot of talent in the youth, but there’s not a lot of opportunity for them, so they get a little overshadowed.”

Here We Are Now, Entertain Us …

When asked, Moon says he doesn’t feel he has many opportunities to perform in Worcester. Instead, he and his musical partner, Hayden Blomster, “busk in Harvard Square.

In the fall, we used to busk every Saturday, now we’re getting a subway permit, busking the subways near Harvard Square in a couple weeks. We sell CDs

Joy Murrieta, executive director of the Worcester-based nonprofi t Main IDEA Youth & Arts. FILE PHOTO

Isaiah Caraballo SUBMITTED PHOTO

when we busk.”

It’s a little rattling that he feels he has to go all the way to Cambridge to perform, but it’s not an uncommon sentiment.

Belsito noted having more opportunities now that she’s attending Berklee.

Novian Wright, 18, has garnered some respect as a Worcester rapper, being an opening act for Joyner Lucas’ recent festival at the Palladium and appearing on a recent album by his uncle, hiphop artist William Hurt, with Worcester rapper Louie Gonz.

But as a student at University of Massachusetts Lowell, he says, “there are defi nitely a lot of opportunities at school, cyphers and rap battles.”

Joy Murrietta, currently the executive director of Main IDEA Youth & Arts who has also taught music programs at

Worcester Academy, noticed there was a paucity of opportunities for young artists when she fi rst moved to Worcester, 10 years ago.

“A lot of the programs that I launched … were to fi t that need for youth in Worcester to have spaces where they could perform publicly outside of school,” says Murrietta, who says that, among other eff orts, she worked with venues such as the Raven Music Hall to create a youth rock concert series.

“A lot of my individual students needed experience playing in front of people, strangers especially,” says Murrietta.”

There’s a value to that. There’s something that you do learn in doing that that’s really healthy in youth development, See MUSIC, Page 17

Novian Wright SUBMITTED PHOTO

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 17

Music Continued from Page 16

in particular.”

There are very few venues which host all-ages rock or hiphop shows in Worcester. In addition to the Raven, there are often shows at the Palladium, or newer spaces such as the JMAC. Sometimes, younger bands such as the Western Mass. group Evil Felipe have been able to play outside Ralph’s Rock Diner during outdoor art festivals, and of course, there are some opportunities at festivals and concert series such as Out to Lunch and stART on the Street. Most of these opportunities have been muted in the past couple of years because of COVID, but Raven owner Chris Bettencourt is upfront on why he thinks there aren’t more such opportunities, even in the best of times.

“A lot of these shows aren’t moneymakers,” says Betttencourt, who likens underage shows to AAA baseball. “For me, it’s investing in these bands,” he says, noting that he hopes those young musicians will support the venue later.

When their audiences can patronize the bar. But putting aside strictly practical concerns, Betttencourt says, “it’s important for them to have a place to play and hone their craft and to play to an audience; it’s important for the music scene in general.”

The Raven was damaged by a fi re in 2020, and is undergoing renovations before reopening.

Moon says that he knows “a lot of people who like to play the Raven, and I love to play the Raven. When the Raven opens back up, that’s the fi rst place I want to play.”

Teenage Riot For Moon, some of his most positive concert-playing experiences have come from playing house concerts. “The House

Serenity Jackson PHOTO/DYLAN AZARI

Liam Coleman SUBMITTED PHOTO

Show scene in Worcester and Shrewsbury is huge,” he says.

“It’s the big thing that kids like to go to, which is awesome. All our friends are kind of in bands and stuff , kids love to go to those whenever there’s a basement open.”

This is not really anything new, from underground shows at the Firehouse or Distant Castle in recent memory, all the way back to the block party hip-hop shows of the ‘80s, there’s always been an off -thegrid music scene, if you looked hard enough to fi nd it.

For Moon, the house concerts are important because of their support for local hardcore and emo bands. “It’s all these kids,” he says. “It’s diff erent than going to a bar and see-

ing a kid band play ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine.’ That’s fi ne, but going to a basement to see an emo band play to all these teenagers, we love it.”

Moon notes he hasn’t played such a show since August, as COVID concerns have made them more scarce. Other musicians, such as Caraballo, have found their audience online.

“I think a lot of ‘normal’ musicians would be surprised at how large the counterculture in Worcester is,” he says. “People that listen to my music stay in their room, and reach out on the internet to tell me they like what I’m doing. It’s the only place I’ve been able to perform.”

Carabello, who started his nascent artistic career as a poet, says he’s still uncomfortable

referring to himself as a “rapper,” and that he seriously started pursuing music after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “I started producing loops and stuff ,” he says. Indeed, it seems the trauma of the pandemic has been transformative for a number of young artists, probably an entire generation, in ways we’re only beginning to see. Certainly, many young artists used the time in lockdown to learn new skills.

“I started putting out music when the pandemic started,” says Wright. “I spent a lot of time isolated, and taught myself to mix.” Soon after, he put out his fi rst album, “I Might Need Therapy.”

For Carabello, Wright and other artists their age, the in-

ternet was a vital tool for learning skills and maintaining careers that were just in their beginning stages, but many other artists feel it’s no substitute for being in front of a live audience.

“You don’t have the stage,” says Bettencourt. “That’s a start, too. Having the experience of being on stage in a venue is a good experience for a newer act.”

Stand By Me In addition to organizing concerts, Murrietta pushed several of her students to compete in “New Voices,” including Belsito. Murrietta also nudged See MUSIC, Page 18

18 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Music

on the guitar, gave me my fi rst guitar, and showed me a lot of the bands I love now, like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead.”

Naz thinks a lot of people see a divide between “old-school” and “new-school” music, but that it’s kind of an illusion.

“Music’s not just there to be there,” he says. “You also have to know where it came from to say, ‘This is the person I am, and this is the reason why.’”

Continued from Page 17

Ryleigh Modig of Spencer, a now 19-year-old Spencer singer who won “New Voices,” and then became a fi nalist on “The Voice.” Murrietta said she saw the WCCA competition as an opportunity for her students.

“There’s not a lot of opportunity for contemporary musicians,” she says. “There are more opportunities for classical musicians. That opportunity was something I was excited about, because it was rare. As a teacher you have to push your students. They’re not going to self-initiate to do that.” Murrietta also created opportunities for her students by having them share the bill with her at gigs at places such as Birchtree Bread Co. For 18-year-old country musician Liam Coleman, that experience proved invaluable.

Coleman recently moved to Nashville to pursue a music career, and will be opening for Ricky Duran in the near future at the Palladium.

“When I started doing all this,” says Coleman, “I was in a teen rock band that was at Worcester Music Academy, and Joy ran it … Joy was actually the one who pushed me to do some solo acoustic stuff . I was the drummer in the rock band, and she pushed me to start doing some open mics at Queen of Cups … I was a little hesitant, but I met some other people who were playing music, and I started going every week … She gave me that confi dence, and we’re here where we are today.”

As diff erent as all of these young musicians are, it’s clear that many of them have benefi tted from having strong mentors and teachers, musicians in their immediate family, or at the very least supportive families. Which is important, because the high school years can be an experience fraught with anxiety.

“Weird enough,” says Belsito, “I never played at school …. I

The Future’s So Bright

Serenity Jackson, left, and her older cousin, Slam Jackson. PHOTO/DYLAN AZARI

didn’t fi t in much at my school, I was friends with everyone, but I always felt that people didn’t like that I was talented, so I hid my talents. I never got up to sing, never shared my accomplishments. When I went to (‘American Idol’), that was a huge step to even announce it. I was nervous that people would fi nd a way to bring me down.”

When it all came out, she actually found widespread support for her eff orts, but still, it’s almost startling to hear that admission from the almostunrelentingly positive young singer. It’s a pretty common story, though. “The thing that nobody talks about,” says Caraballo, “is that the bullying in Worcester Public Schools is ridiculous.” Caraballo says that he uses those negative emotions for artistic fuel. It’s a sentiment that 12-year-old Worcester rapper Serenity

Jackson can relate to.

Jackson, the daughter of longtime Worcester rapper Papa Shawn Boo, performs in festivals around the city with her older cousin, the rapper Slam Jackson, and has had a rapidly growing profi le for her age, including an upcoming performance in March at an independent artist showcase in Texas.

“I think the hardest part is the haters,” says Serenity.

“When I have people who don’t like me, even people I don’t know, they’re always hitting left and right. It makes me not want to do it. It bothers me, but at the same time, it doesn’t.”

She took out her frustrations with a rap that, “made haterade from my experience.” She also takes comfort in her support from Slam, saying, “I feel like when I have her by my side, I don’t feel alone, and she’s always my hype man. If I have a

problem, she’s right there, she’s always my biggest support.”

Slam, who is 35, says she “helped Serenity learn how to rap when she was 5. I wrote her fi rst song. She learned it in 15 minutes. She used to come with me to the studio, always wanted to record, so I wrote her a song. I was impressed that a 5year-old could learn a song that fast.” Now, Serenity writes most of her own songs, or comes up with concepts for Slam to write about for her.

It’s clear the impact a parent or mentor can have on a developing musician, and obviously, not every young musician is that lucky. Still, Belsito credits a good deal of her success to the unwavering support of her parents, who don’t play music themselves.

Moon says, “My dad taught me how to play my fi rst chords

Discussing Serenity, Slam Jackson says that, “She has defi nitely inspired me to do more shows … It’s pretty cool, because she’s more hype than I am. She gets me way more hype than I normally would. Once the music drops, she’s like a whole diff erent person.”

And there, perhaps, lies the crux of the importance of young artists: Infl uence works both ways. Without fresh voices and ideas, music can become stagnant, frozen in time, less a product of boiling blood and operatic emotion than an exercise in nostalgia. The future needs to constantly be challenging the past.

Some of the young musicians interviewed for this story have begun the next stages of their journeys already, moving on to college or other opportunities. Others are still here, but you can feel that all of them are still indelibly tied to the city and its musical scene. They all have projects in the works, including Wright, whose video, “Loop,” is set to be released soon, and Modig has two singles, “Heart on Fire” and “Mother,” which are streaming now. All of these young artists are busy.

Moon only really sees one way forward for the city’s young artists: “Believe in what you’re doing,” he says, “demonstrate excellence … (Youth) have their own agency, they have a lot of talent to off er. They have their own set of power. Let them have space, let them take space.”

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 19

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Gloria J. Goguen Gloria Goguen Special to Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

Gloria J. Goguen is a visual artist exploring classical forms of botanical art in non-traditional mediums. She chooses subjects and themes which move her emotionally and express the fragility and wonder of fl ora. Gloria enjoys fi nding new techniques to express her view of nature while extending the traditional botanical practice and form. She utilizes a variety of mediums including colored pencil, pastel, watercolor and sumi ink. Her compositions in vibrant hues evoke tranquil memories of familiar lyrical images and lend a dreamlike quality in which fi ction and reality meet. She is inspired by the classical artistry of Dutch Masters as well as other pure botanical studies of plants, fruits and vegetables, which often serve as the foundation for more impressionistic renderings in which light and color are captured in their natural environment. Gloria is a member of ArtsWorcester, Arts

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20 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CITY LIVING TABLE HOPPIN’

Executive chef embraces Salem Cross Inn’s mission Barbara M. Houle Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Wayne Taylor, new to Salem Cross Inn in West Brookfi eld, is an executive chef who brings skill and charismatic personality to the family-owned and operated restaurant that marks 61 years in business in June.

Taylor channels his passion for cooking through food that falls in the category of classic American cuisine. Depending on the restaurant, his signature dishes have slightly diff erent takes, he said. “Diff erent variations,” said Taylor, an experienced chef with a long history in the hospitality industry.

He got on board at Salem Cross last summer and as head chef shares the kitchen with chefs and best friends James Bliss and Patrick Carroll. “At times in our careers we all worked the line beside one another,” said Taylor, who explained he met Nancy Salem through an introduction from Carroll.

“When I told Patrick (Carroll) that I needed a new project after my last job, he put me in contact with Nancy, who was looking to hire a chef,” said Taylor.

Nancy Salem and her brothers and sisters own and operate Salem Cross Inn. Taylor of Brookfi eld is a lifelong fan of Salem Cross. “The place has ambience and the food and events are awesome,” he said. “The Salem family members want to ensure people have a great experience when they’re on the property, and they go out of their way to make it happen.”

Originally from Brimfi eld, Taylor graduated from Tantasqua High School in Sturbridge and Johnson & Wales University in Providence. He has worked the line at hotels, restaurants, catering companies and at Eddy Pond in Auburn when the senior facility fi rst opened. In Sturbridge, he has worked for the Publick House, Ox Head Tavern and Host Hotel and Conference Center. He’s done gigs at the Brimfi eld Flea Market and a stint at the former Mad Maggie’s (Route

Wayne Taylor is the new executive chef at Salem Cross Inn in West Brookfi eld.

RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

20) in Charlton, “a steak and ale house.”

He spent his formative cooking years on Nantucket in restaurants. Through word of mouth, Taylor was hired to prepare meals in clients’ homes and at small intimate weddings and parties.

He said he loved working with fresh Atlantic seafood and seasonal summer recipes highlighting the island’s cuisine.

Friends and colleagues sometimes went to Nantucket to work with the chef. Off season, Taylor said, he took jobs in construction, etc.

With 25 years of industry experience under his belt, single and in his 40s, Taylor left Nantucket around the time the pandemic hit. He returned to the Sturbridge area and worked at the Host Hotel and at local events and functions

before deciding to take vacation. Referring to himself as a “rogue chef,” he contacted Carroll when he got antsy to get back to work, he said. “For a while I thought I was out of the restaurant game,” said Taylor. “Then I met the Salem family.”

Salem Cross guests have come to appreciate its excellent cuisine, atmosphere and special events such as the annual sold-out Fireplace Feast, according to Taylor, who said the restaurant off ers Colonial cuisine, a type of quality comfort food that utilizes not only ingredients grown on the property, but also supports local agriculture whenever available. The Salem Cross farm-raised beef is featured on the restaurant’s menu, with prime rib a signature dish

alongside other favorites like the Signature Sirloin and Salem Cross Farm Burger, he said.

The chef likes to tweak the menu now and then, adding a new appetizer such as prime rib potato skins, or the authentic German Schnitzel in the fall. He also likes to mix and get creative with ingredients and ups the ante with sauces, dressings, herbs and spices.

The current restaurant menu off ers starters, salads, sandwiches and entrees that include a Skillet Roasted Pork Chop (bone-in, apple bacon jam, cider supreme sauce, toasted walnuts); Cedar Plank BBQ Salmon (rosemary BBQ glaze, frizzled sweet potato); Succotash Roasted Acorn Squash (sage and cranberry corn polenta, white beans, caramelized onion, spinach, red pepper relish, maple drizzle, toasted pumpkin seeds); Maple Jack Chicken (melted Monterey Jack, local maple syrup, bacon, roasted tomatoes). Seasonal libations, beers and seltzers and wine are available. So are desserts!

Salem Cross Inn is not a pretentious restaurant, said Taylor, despite what some people may think. His take is “the more fl annel, the better!”

Taylor is defi nitely enthusiastic, personable and descriptive in conversation. He’s into English literature, he said, and likes playing with words when creating menus. He’s a stickler for spelling.

For this interview, he left the traditional chef ’s jacket (black or white) in the closet and wore one with colorful printed pineapples, reminding us that the pineapple is symbolic of hospitality and celebration. He feels at home at Salem Cross and welcomed as part of the family, he said.

“The kitchen team and everyone who works the front of the house are here for each other,” said Taylor. “We learn together. I’ve always believed that if you make great food and are consistent, people will come to your restaurant.”

See SALEM, Page 22

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 21

THE NEXT DRAFT

Changes giving Gardner brewpub early taste of spring Matthew Tota Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Mired in winter, still a month from the start of spring, I try to escape the doldrums by searching for signs of rebirth and renewal.

I found one in downtown Gardner last week, across two cold, gray days.

Outside the Gardner Ale House and its brewery, Moon Hill Brewing Co., staff in sweatshirts and jackets needed a dolly to drag a giant fermenter into the brewhouse. When up and running, the tank will allow Moon Hill to gradually increase production from about 700 barrels a year to 1,200.

A day later, owner Rick Walton closed the brewpub and helped unload a truck of new chairs and barstools, capping a spree of recent changes at the Ale House, including a new menu.

Reopening last Thursday, Walton felt a little like he did in the spring of 2006 when the brewpub fi rst opened, then as an important piece of the downtown’s revival.

“The place is just looking really marvelous,” he said. “We’re trying to do a regrand opening after 15 years of being in business. We revamped the menu, reconfi gured the kitchen. It’s been an early spring cleaning.”

The overhaul has been long overdue.

The past two years have not been easy for the brewpub. Like other breweries and restaurants, Walton has had to change things up to adapt to the pandemic.

One of the few true brewpubs remaining in the state, Moon Hill was better suited than most to weather the storm. The two elements of the business – food and beer – worked together to keep the whole operation afl oat.

“We were forced into a position where we had to make changes or call it a day,” he said. “We decided to make some changes – huge changes. We had to tighten our belt incredibly, change up the kitchen, reduce the size of the menu.

And we had to get to canning.”

To off set slower draft sales, Walton added a canning line in the fall of 2020 and started distributing through Berkshire Brewing Co. “That was too much fun,” he said of

Rick Walton is the owner of the Gardner Ale House. RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Moon Hill’s foray into canning. “We started designing labels, because before we didn’t really need labels for our beer.

All of a sudden, we’re designing labels left and right for 10 or 12 diff erent beers that we’re now distributing through Berkshire – 30 to 40 cases a week.”

Head brewer Chad Warner has been on a tear, Walton said, putting out new styles for Moon Hill such as sour while upping production of its staples like the American IPA “Pufnstuf.”

Last year, Moon Hill brewed around 700 barrels. Now with the additional fermenter, Walton expects to fi nish the year right around 1,000 barrels, which is close to about all the brewery can make

at its size.

“If we want to do any more, we’re looking at opening a second brewery or moving to a new location,” he said.

It’s unlikely Moon Hill would ever move, though, based on the success of the Ale House. The restaurant remains the biggest piece of the business and running it, especially recently, consumes much of Walton’s time. Still he can feel his attention starting to shift more to the brewery.

“It’s hard to separate the brewery from the restaurant,” Walton said. Almost as if to reinforce that point, among the changes to the restaurant has been the addition of a new sign hanging out-

side that better advertises Moon Hill.

“Brewing was my fi rst love. But because I loved the people in this community so much, I had to have a restaurant,” he said. “The restaurant just took over my life. But now it’s the other way around. The beer gets so much of my attention.”

In the spring, Walton will revamp the Ale House’s restaurant again and prepare for the rush that follows the onset of warmer days.

Meanwhile he’ll enjoy this early taste of the vernal equinox happening around the brewpub.

“I feel like I’m starting all over again,” he said.

22 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CONNELL SANDERS

Paradise at risk — Can someone put my nana in touch with Joni Mitchell?

the resort intended to bulldoze her beloved backwoods to make way for a parking lot.

On a visit fi ve years ago, my eighty-something Nana suggested a “recognizance” mis-

sion. I suspected she just wanted to indulge in a sunset cocktail by the ocean, but she proved me wrong on the moonlight trek home through the woods where we discovered a

clearing marked by the deep tracks of heavy machinery. “For heaven’s sakes!” she cried beneath the shimmer of her beloved Cape Cod sky.

So began the long campaign to put a stop to Special Permit and Site Plan Review Application #2022-01 which requests approval to construct a parking facility for use by club members and their guests adjacent to a private recreational facility in a residential medium density zoning district. Put simply, Nana can’t stand the idea of getting an eyeful of asphalt every time she looks out her window.

First, she rallied the support of her neighbors and friends.

Then, came the virtual meeting notice. I got a panicked call asking me how to change her display name to include the word “opposed” so she could prepare her full-frontal attack for the big event which was held on Jan. 26th, after the deadline for this article. Finally, just days before the meeting I got an email from her with the subject line, “CRAZY IDEA?” It read: “You’ll probably think I’m losing my mind, but here goes!

You are the one family member that might appreciate my latest idea. How can I get in touch with Joni Mitchell?

“Listen to the above attachment [“Big Yellow Taxi”]; it captures the essence of our

The menu: Rosé Buttered Roasted Oysters; Kumquat Salad Lyonnaise; Pink Peppercorn Crusted Lamb Lollipops. Entrees: Drover Roasted Prime Rib Au Jus; Atlantic Swordfi sh “Oscar”; Surf and Turfy (with fi let mignon and grilled butterfl ied jumbo shrimp); Champagne and Asparagus Risotto. Sweet

Endings: Chocolate Seduction (fl ourless walnut crusted chocolate terrine with crème anglaise); Strawberry White Chocolate Tiramisu; and Love Bird Cream Puff s.

Salem Cross Inn, 260 W. Main St. (Route 9), West Brookfi eld currently is not open for lunch. Dining room hours are

from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Special COVID 19 notes can be found on the website. Call about booking weddings, etc.

Note: The Hexmark Tavern at Salem Cross Inn is not open at this time. The Salem family plans to resume outdoor dining on the lawn this summer.

Sarah Connell Sanders Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

My nana wants to take down a multi-million dollar Cape Cod resort, and she thinks Joni Mitchell is the only one who can help.

Nana raised six kids in a single-income household, weathered a messy divorce as soon as they were all grown, and pieced together a late-inlife career to become fi nancially independent. By the 1980s, she had saved enough money to buy a rustic cottage in the town where she spent childhood summers selling pies at the local fi sh shack with her mother. Not long after she moved in, real estate developer Corcoran Jennison purchased a seminary on the adjacent property and opened a luxury resort and golf club.

For a long time, they were cordial. Sure, her golden retriever got loose and crashed the occasional wedding reception, but the staff learned to wrangle him back through the patch of pine forest that led to Nana’s house and most of the brides laughed it off . Occasionally, she even spent a summer season hostessing at the waterfront terrace to earn some extra cash. Things remained amicable, that is, until she got wind

Salem Continued from Page 20

The chef ’s Valentine’s Day Specials 2022 will be off ered Feb. 12-14, by reservation only.

Call (508) 867-2345 or visit www.salemcrossinn.com.

No one is going to pave paradise to put up a parking lot on Nana's watch. PHOTO COURTESY SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

neighborhood challenge against a global corporation.

“Maybe she would write a letter in opposition for us to be published in the local Cape Cod Times or maybe the Boston Globe. I’m a risk-taker and will do anything at this point to beat the resort.

“Is your Nana gone wild or let me know what you think? I always say … ‘What have I got to lose?’ If the resort wins and I didn’t give it my best … the rest is history!”

If you’re not familiar with the lyrics of Mitchell’s preeminent track, “Big Yellow Taxi” she sings: “Don’t it always seem to go/That you don’t know what you got til it’s gone/They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” My Nana has always had fi ne taste.

I can coach a wily crew of senior citizens in the nuances of Zoom. I can plead with my friends who spent teenage summers camping out in Nana’s old barn. But, for the life of me, I’m not sure how to capture the attention of the greatest folk singer of all time.

And so, I will leave it at this — if you’re out there, Ms. Mitchell, an old woman needs your help. I can promise there’s a delicious pie and a hell of a story in it for you. There’s no one quite like my Nana.

The picturesque, awardwinning Salem Cross Inn has built a solid reputation on good food, ambience and family. The new chef helps continue the tradition.

If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282.

Send email tobhoulefood@gmail.com.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 23

SCREEN TIME

Movin’ on up — Zara Cully’s journey from Worcester to TV’s Mother Jeff erson Craig S. Semon Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

When “The Jeff ersons” moved on up to the east side to a deluxe apartment in the sky, one of the most popular characters in the fi ctitious TV was played by Worcester native Zara Cully.

Wednesday, Jan. 26, would have been Cully’s 130th Birthday.

Acclaimed as being “one of the world’s greatest elocutionists” in the 1940s in New York City, the fi ve-foottwo, 125-pound actress did not achieve real fame until she secured the scene-stealing role of Olivia “Mother Jeff erson” Jeff erson on the hit CBS sitcom, “The Jeffersons.”

Zara portrayed the character on the series beginning in 1975 until her death in 1978.

Whether taking a little nap or nip in the form of a Bloody Mary (which she claimed she drank “for the vitamins”), Cully added lightness to the show as she needled her daughter-in-law Louise “Weezie” Jeff erson (Isabel Sanford), spoiled her grandson, Lionel (fi rst played by Mike Evans and later Damon Evans; no relation), and proclaimed that her dry-cleaning mogul son, George Jeff erson (Sherman Hemsley), could do no wrong.

Yvette Porter Moore of San Diego is the family’s historian and genealogist. Cully was Moore’s great-aunt and her grandmother’s sister.

“I loved the parts when she would hit George Jefferson with the purse. That always got to me. And I just loved some of her facial expressions,” Moore said with a hearty laugh. “It was always a treat to see her on TV.” “Isn’t this nice. Here I am in my golden years in the home of my wonderful son and my handsome grandson,” Mother Jeff erson enthusiastically says before her voice trails off as she frowns, “and my daughter-inlaw.”

Moore said Aunt Zara was the total opposite of Olivia Jeff erson, her television alter-ego.

“She always gave Weezie a hard time,” Moore said.

“Looking at her character (on “The Jeff ersons”) and looking at who she was, she was a very sweet motherin-law in real life. She was very supportive of her family.”

In an interview she did for the Archive of American Television, Isabel Sanford spoke about Cully.

“Wednesday, we would read the script and she’d say, ‘Oh, I have to be mean to you again this week,” Sanford recalled. “I said, ‘If you want your job, you be mean to me this week and every other week.”

Despite being a distinguished actress, drama coach, director and writer whose career spanned 50 years before she died at the age of 86, Cully will always be best known as Mother Jeff erson, a character she

When she was 82, Zara Cully, who was born and raised in Worcester, became an overnight sensation playing Olivia “Mother Jefferson” Jefferson on the hit CBS TV sitcom “The Jeffersons.” Wednesday, Jan. 26, marks what would be Cully’s 130th birthday.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

fi rst played on an episode of “All in the Family” entitled “Lionel’s Engagement,” which aired Feb. 9, 1974. She was 82 years old at the time.

With her precise manner of speaking, her perfectly coiff ed hair and her sheer elegance, Cully eff ortlessly stole every scene that she was in. She was a sassy, classic, petite lady that could stand toe-to-toe with Archie Bunker (Carol O’Connor).

“Hey there (George) Jeff erson, that ain’t very nice talking that way to your little mammy here,” Archie said.

Waiting for the audience’s laughter to subside, Mrs. Jeff erson rolls her eyes and then roars, “Who you calling mammy? … Don’t you dare call me mammy! I’m nobody’s mammy! I’m his mother. Now, if you got anything to say to me, you call me Mrs. Jeff erson.”

With that quick verbal exchange, a memorable television character was born.

In an interview she did for the Archive of American Television, Marla Gibbs, who played another scenestealer, Florence Johnson, the Jeff ersons’ wisecracking maid, called Cully “a delight.”

“She would always be on Sherman’s side … You don’t need a maid with this itty, bitty house,’ she said.

(And I would say) ‘Well, your son is the one who wants me here.’ She said, ‘Well, on the other hand … I guess he needs someone to keep the house clean for a change,’” Gibbs recalled. “She had a way of just breaking these sentences up that was just perfect.”

“The Jeff ersons” became a spin-off on Jan. 18, 1975.

In its fi rst season, “The Jeff ersons” ranked at number four, surpassed by its parent series “All in the Family,” which landed at number one for the 50 year in a row.

“As Aunt Zara was growing up, acting was something that she wanted to do. She was very talented,” Moore said. “I don’t think the success of ‘The Jeff ersons’ surprised her but she only wanted to take roles that met with her own standards of who she was.”

Except for the rare exception of Sidney Poitier, Lena Horne and Bill Cosby, Cully grew up in a time when Black actors and actresses were usually portrayed as butlers, maids and servants on a good day, and pimps, prostitutes, drug-pushers and voodoo priests and priestesses on every other day.

In 1974’s Blaxploitation zombie fi lm “Sugar Hill,” Cully played Mama Maitresses, a former voodoo queen who comes out of retirement to help Diana “Sugar” Hill (Marki Bey) whose boyfriend was killed by the mob. In no time, Mama Maitresse is summoning the voodoo lord of the dead, Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley), who enlists his army of zombies to destroy the men who killed Sugar Hill’s boyfriend.

“They had snakes in ‘Sugar Hill’ and Aunt Zara was scared of snakes. And she was like, I will not do it, doesn’t matter how much money it is,” Moore recalled.

“I don’t know what made her change her mind but she ended up playing that role in the movie, Mama Maitresse. I do not know for sure and I have to look back if she actually held the snake or not, because that was one of the things that she didn’t want to do.”

Zara’s parents, Ambrose E. and Nora Ann (Gilliam) Cully, were born and raised in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina, and, in 1880, relocated to Worcester.

At a meeting at Belmont AME Zion Church in Worcester, the newly-born Sons and Daughters of North Carolina chose Zara’s father, Ambrose Cully, who was the music director of the church, to be the group’s secretary. (Worcester Spy, 12 Nov. 1889).

“On her father’s side, Ambrose’s family, they were free people of color. So they had been free since the late See CULLY, Page 24

24 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Cully Continued from Page 23

1700s. And, then, my two-times great-grandmother, Hannah, she had been born enslaved. From my research, I tend to believe, because she was a very fair-skinned woman, that she was the child of the slave owner,” Moore said. “The family was very interesting. The family was very active in the political scene in Worcester, Massachusetts, as far as building the Black community in Worcester, Massachusetts.”

One of 10 surviving children, Zara was born Jan. 26, 1892, in Worcester.

“They all played instruments. They all could play the piano. They all played an extra instrument or sang or performed or spoke poetry,” Moore said. “All of them were very talented and it carried on, even into the next generation.”

Zara’s family lived in homes on John and Bowdoin streets in the Highland Street area, part of the “clustered” community of African Americans on Worcester’s West Side.

“Ambrose was a very fair-skinned man. He could pass for white,” Moore said. “They moved around a lot. He would go in and rent the house that the family was going to live in. And, so the reason why that they moved a lot is when they would come out of the home, here trailing behind him would be all these diff erent skin-toned children, which would be from the lightest to the darkest. And, from what I heard, Nora (Ambrose’s wife and Zara’s mother) was very dark-skinned …

We even had an uncle (William S. Gilliam) that actually passed as white and became the director of one of the Boy’s Clubs in Worcester. And they have his picture when you walk in.”

(NOTE: In July 17, 1917, Gilliam enlisted in the Worcester Light Infantry, Co. C, 2nd Mass. Infantry at the Camp Barrett, Green Hill, Worcester. By the time his tour of duty was done overseas, Gilliam, who would go on to become the superintendent of the Ionic Avenue Boys Club, was promoted to lieutenant. William Gilliam and Zara Cully’s mother were fi rst cousins.)

Zara graduated from the Worcester School of Speech and Music. And, according to “Jet” magazine (published March 16, 1978), she was acting, even as a tot.

“I guess God gave me the talent,” Cully once said (according to “Jet”).

“As a little bittie girl, I had a photographic memory. I could take a poem of 22 verses, read I over and get right up and recite it.”

And the talent in the Cully family didn’t end with Zara.

Zara’s younger brother, Wendell Cully, who was born in Worcester on Jan. 8, 1906, played trumpet for Sissle Noble, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton and played on over 200 recordings for many other singers and musicians including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn.

Moore said her Aunt Zara and most, if not all, of her family, worked for the prestigious and wealthy Higgins family, as in the Milton Prince Higgins, the fi rst superintendent of WPI’s newly opened Washburn Shops and the founder of the Norton Emery Wheel Company “Ambrose was the head of the people that were employed by the Higgins,” Moore said. “They served the family. They did. But, however, the Higgins took a special interest in the Cullys. That’s the reason why Uncle Wendell was able to go through his schooling with his music. And, some of the other uncles did too.”

Zara and her sister Hannah both married a set of Brown brothers. Zara married James M. Brown Sr. and they were married from 1914 until his death in 1968. Together, Cully and Brown had four children.

Worcester was good to the Cully family but the city couldn’t hold on to them because they had talent and ambition that was too much to contain in Worcester, Moore said. So Zara left when she was a young woman in her late-teens/early 20s, Moore said.

After leaving Worcester and moving to Jacksonville, Florida, Zara began producing, writing, directing and acting in numerous plays. For 15 years, she was a drama teacher at her own studio as well as at Edward Waters College, a historically black college founded in 1866 to educate freed slaves, but was disturbed by her encounters with Southern racism.

“It was a traumatic experience,” she once recalled (according to “Jet”).

“I met with such violence and things…and I was always having confl icts because I couldn’t take it. If I’d been a man, I guess I would have been lynched.”

Zara moved to New York to be close to her sister Agnes (Moore’s grandmother). Agnes, who taught herself how to sew in Worcester, was hired by American contralto Marian Anderson to be her main seamstress, and she also sewed for many entertainers and the elite in New York and Los Angeles, including Bette Davis.

“Every Easter, Aunt Zara would make her granddaughter dresses,” Moore said. “So she could sew also and they were lovely dresses.”

In the early ‘50s, the two sisters were movin’ on up to Hollywood, where Zara became a regular performer at the Ebony Showcase Theatre.

On Feb. 28, 1978, Cully died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Moore was 10 years old when her Aunt Zara died. News of her death brought expressions of grief from her fans who only three days earlier watched her in a 90-minute retrospective of “The Jeff ersons.”

Funeral services were held March 2, 1978, at the Church of Christian Fellowship in Los Angeles. She was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) in the Freedom Mausoleum, Columbarium of Victory, during a driving rainstorm.

According to the funeral program, Zara’s son, Emerson Brown, sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and her granddaughters Diane D. Dix and Zara Gale Taylor sang “City Called Heaven” and “Ride On King Jesus.”

In addition, Tom Bradley, the mayor of Los Angeles (and a family friend), and Paul Benedict, who played George’s English neighbor Harry Bentley on “The Jeff ersons,” spoke in memory of Zara Benedict was also one of the honorary pallbearers, which also included Sherman Hemsley and Damon Evans (the second actor to play Lionel Jeff erson).

On June 9, 1978, Cully was posthumously awarded an NAACP special Image Award.

“From the viewpoint of a child, Aunt Zara was very fascinating to me.

She was very kind to us,” Moore said.

“She’s a beautiful soul and I just I wished I knew her as an adult. I wish I had that time with her.”

Norman Lear, the creator of “All in the Family” and “The Jeff ersons,” and Marla Gibbs did not answer any inquiries to be interviewed for this article.

ADOPTION OPTION

Mary is available through WARL's adoption program. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Meet Mary Hi! I’m Mary! I am an extremely sweet 10year-old girl looking for a quiet home with someone special to shower me with love. I have been well taken care of here at the shelter and am a favorite among staff , but it is now time for me to fi nd a home of my own. I am looking for a home where I will be the only pet. I am also looking for a home with someone who has experience administering insulin to dogs, as I am diabetic. Are you interested in meeting me? Please contact the shelter to fi nd out how to go about setting up a visit. I promise I’ll make a great best friend.

I hope to see you soon!

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.

COVID-19 Protocols: The Worcester Animal Rescue League remains closed to walkin visits with the animals and appointments must be made, in advance, to meet with any of the animals. Masks are required.

Visit https://worcesterarl.org/ for more information.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 25

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The bids to be . Tutorials and insubmitted at are www.biddocsonline.com . Tutorials t www.biddocsonline.com structions on how to completeand the inelectronic bid documents are available plete the electronic bid on documents are available online (click the "Tutorial" tab at the bottom footer).

General bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Manageal" tab at the bottom footer). ment and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the following category of work, HVAC, ertified by the Division of Capital Asset Manageand must submit a current CAMM) in the following category of work,DCAMM HVAC, Certificate of Eligibility and signed Prime/General Contractor Update Statement. nt DCAMMDCAMM Certificate of Eligibility and signed General Bids will be received until 2:00 PM on Wednesday, 16 Februntractor Update Statement. aryPM 2022 publicly opened ed until 2:00 onand Wednesday, 16 online, Febru-forthwith.

Sub-bids for the trades listed below will be received until 2:00 PM on ned online, Filed forthwith.

Wednesday, 2 February 2022 and s listed below will be received until 2:00 PM onpublicly opened online, forthwith. sub-bidders must be DCAMM certified for the trades listed below and 2022 and Filed publicly opened online, forthwith. bidders must include a current DCAMM Sub-Bidder Certificate of Eligibility DCAMM certified for the trades listed below and and a signed DCAMM Sub Bidder’s Update Statement. rent DCAMM Sub-Bidder Certificate of Eligibility SUBTRADES Bidder’s Update Statement.

All Bids should be submitted online at www.biddocsonline.com and received no later than the date and time specified above. and ed online at www.biddocsonline.com General bids and sub-bids shall bereaccompanied by a bid deposit that is te and timenot specified above. less than five (5%) of the greatest possible bid amount (considering all shall be accompanied by made a bid payable deposittothat Holden Housing Authority. alternates), and theis he greatestBid possible amount (considering all will be available for pick-up at Formsbidand Contract Documents ble to the Holden Housing Authority. (may be viewed electronically and hardcopy rewww.biddocsonline.com Documents will be available pick-up quested) or at Nashobafor Blue, Inc. atat433 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 may be viewed electronically and hardcopy re(978-568-1167). ue, Inc. at 433 Main Hudson, MA 01749 per set (maximum of 2 sets) payable to There is a Street, plan deposit of $50.00 BidDocs ONLINE Inc. may electronically paid or by check. This deposit will be $50.00 perPlan set deposits (maximum of be 2 sets) payable to refunded for up to two sets for general bidders and for one set for subbidders upon return of deposit the setswill in good tronically paid or by check.

This be condition within thirty (30) days of receipt of general bids.

Otherwise the deposit shall be the property of the ets for general bidders and for one set for subAwarding Authority.

Additional sets may sets in good condition within thirty (30) days of be purchased for $50.00 Contract Documents herwise theBidders depositrequesting shall be the property of the to be mailed to them shall include $40.00 per set for UPS Ground (or $65.00 per set for a separate check for for $50.00 onal sets may be purchased UPStoovernight), refundable, payable to the BidDocs ONLINE Inc., to ct Documents be mailed nonto them shall include cover mail handling costs.

00 per set for UPS Ground (or $65.00 per set for ndable, payable to the BidDocs ONLINE Inc., to General bidders must agree to contract with minority and women business enterprises as certified by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO), formerly known as SOMWBA. The combined participation benchmark reserved for e to contract with minority and such enterprises shallwomen not be business less than 13.0% of the final contract price iny the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO), formerly Request for waivers must be sent to cluding accepted alternates. combined participation benchmark reserved for 5 calendar days prior to the DHCD (David.McClave@mass.gov) be less than 13.0% ofBid thedate final contract price in- WILL BE GRANTED AFTER THE General - NO WAIVERS es. Request for waivers must be sentSee to Contract Documents - Article 3 GENERAL BIDS ARE OPENED. 5 calendar days to the @mass.gov) of the Instructions toprior Bidders.

WAIVERSPRE-BID WILL CONFERENCE BE GRANTED AFTER / SITE VISIT:THE ENED. SeeDate Contract Documents - Article 3 2022 at 11:00 AM Address: 9 Flaand Time: Wednesday, 26 January gler Drive, Holden dders.

Instructions: Meeting will begin at Community Building and then proceed E VISIT: to units.

Covid-19 protocols must be observed, including face coverings y, 26 January 2022 at 11:00 AM Address: 9 Flaand social distancing both prior & during the Pre-Bid Conference.

SITE VISIT BY APPOINTMENT: begin at Community Building and then NONE proceed Contractincluding Documents may be seen, but not removed at (by appointls must beThe observed, face coverings ment prior & during theonly): Pre-Bid Conference.

Nashoba Blue Inc. T: NONE Worcester Housing Authority 630 Plantation St 433 Main Street may be seen, but not removed at (by appointWorcester Ma. 01605 Hudson, MA 01749 verdini@worcesterha.org 978-568-1167 ity Nashoba Blue Inc. 433 Main Street Hudson, MA 01749 978-568-1167

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Richard Sneade

508-839-1164 www.sneadebrothers windowandsiding.com

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26 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J O N E S I N’

Enjoy Fun By The Numbers 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!

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Across 1. West African amulets (and bad word to open a certain game with) 6. Smoke detector noise 10. Frozen waffle brand 14. Backspace over, maybe 15. Pac-12 powerhouse 16. “Moonraker” villain Hugo 17. Entry at the top of some crossword grids, or a good description of the game’s dimensions?

19. Spice Girl who got a 2022 honor from Queen Elizabeth 20. Phobia 21. “Except ...”

23. Chess rating system 24. Make a choice 25. “You don’t have to tell me” 27. “In Living Color” acting family 31. Malfunctions, like a printer 34. “Easy On Me” singer 35. Radiant glow 36. Light bulb unit 39. Advanced H.S. math class 40. Blend thoroughly (and bad word to open with) 41. Highlight at The Met 42. Norway’s largest city 43. “Sorry, can’t” 44. Snarly kitten, maybe 45. “The Gift of the Magi” writer 47. Goat-legged revelers 48. Shows signs of tiredness 50. Complete collection 51. City area, briefly 52. Spirited gathering?

56. 1% alternative 60. It’s protected by a pad 62. Representation of a synthesizer sound, or the onslaught of game solutions people are posting on social media?

64. “To ___ a Mockingbird” 65. Door word 66. Ending with way or sea 67. Cryptozoological giant 68. “The Lion King” lioness 69. Wood-related isomer derived from coal tar used to make tear gas and dyes (and a *terrible* word to open with) Down 1. “Survivor” host Probst 2. “Ugly Betty” actor Michael

“Wordle Has It”--when _everyone_ is posting results.

by Matt Jones

3. Morning mugful 4. Operator 5. Coral or Caspian, e.g.

6. In the toaster for too long 7. Earth sci.

8. Contrarily 9. “Yeah, I’m out this round” 10. Dubstep or techno, e.g., for short 11. Eco-friendly bloc also seen when you win the game?

12. Ernest or Julio of winemaking 13. U-shaped bend in a river (and bad word to open with) 18. Baking measures 22. “Pretty sneaky, ___” (Connect Four ad line) 24. Free throw value 26. Iraq neighbor 27. Home of Baylor University 28. “Law & Order” figures, for short 29. Beginner’s karate wear, or clump you may see when letters are in the wrong places?

30. Tenor sax player who worked with Zoot Sims 31. Nervous from caffeine (and bad word to open with) 32. Indy champ Luyendyk 33. “Mad ___: Fury Road” 35. Love, in a telenovela 37. Stadium section 38. Road materials

40. Tavern 44. Mammal in a cave 46. Snaky letter 47. Fortune teller 48. Bad-tasting (a variant spelling ... and worse word to open with because of that) 49. Schwarzenegger, informally 50. Milan’s Teatro alla ___ 53. “2 Minute Drill” channel 54. Bluish color 55. ___ and void 56. Move back and forth 57. Designer Lagerfeld 58. Judith of “Brighton Beach Memoirs” 59. Jerry Garcia collaborator Saunders 61. Peyton’s brother 63. Das ___ (1990s hip-hop group)

Last week's solution

©2022 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1077

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | 27

LAST CALL

Jennifer Madsen, Central Regional Director at Mass Audubon Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Jennifer Madsen, Mass Audubon’s fi rst Central Regional Director, is in charge of the organization’s more than a dozen sanctuaries throughout Central Massachusetts, including Worcester’s own Broad Meadow Brook and Wachusett Meadow. The concept of Regional Director is fairly new and refl ects Mass Audubon’s shift toward a greater focus on the wider areas surrounding both staff ed and unstaff ed sanctuaries. Madsen is one of those charged with implementing the organization’s new Five Year Action Agenda in the region, which includes a greater role in community involvement and climate advocacy. She sat down with Last Call to discuss some key items on her agenda, past experience and what drew her to Mass Audubon.

Which is your favorite wildlife sanctuary?

I haven’t been to all of them yet — but I think the two staff ed sanctuaries, Broad Meadow Brook and Wachusett Meadow, are absolutely my favorites right now. I get to see the staff in action at Broad Meadow Brook. The trails come to life — there are classrooms, a preschool, birding classes and at Wachusett, there’s owl prowl walks at night. Between the staff and community, there’s just something really special there.

What drew you to Mass Audubon?

The fact that it is a transformative role and those don’t come around very often. When I fi rst saw it, my fi rst call was to Deb Carey, my predecessor, to talk more about it. She introduced me to the Action Agenda and I was just sold. It’s an inspiring, massive, bold agenda and I wanted to be a part of it.

My background is supporting

Jennifer Madsen is the new Central Regional Director at Mass Audubon. JENNIFER MADSEN

social justice work, especially around youth, and I sit on the board of the Regional Environmental Council and Edward Street (child services), so the ability to merge my personal interest in environmental justice with my professional skills was great. I feel tremendously lucky to be a part of it.

What part of your experience is going to be most useful to this position?

I will draw on my previous work in diversity, equity and inclusion, the social justice work with nonprofi ts like YWCA and Girls Inc. It’s exciting to bring that experience to Mass Audubon — I think there’s a hunger and interest for it here.

How will you go about implementing the start of the fi ve year action agenda in the Central region?

The fi ve-year agenda has three big pillars — resilient landscape, inclusive access for the community and climate policy and advocacy. The fi rst is protecting and being stewards of the land so what we’re doing is looking for specifi c places, where we can either put in conservation restrictions or purchase that land outright so we can steward and help manage it.

The second is all about inclusive and equitable access — expanding our urban green spaces like Broad Meadow

Brook and going out into other communities. Like right now, we’re doing a lot of work at the Flat Rock Wildlife Sanctuary (in Fitchburg) where we’re doing some amazing ecological management projects out there. That’s meant to draw in more community members and foster that greater access to these spaces.

And the climate policy, that advocacy piece is really at the heart of everything we do. Protecting the nature of Massachusetts for people and really connecting people to nature.

Expand on inclusive access?

We’re bringing in more summer camp opportunities at Broad Meadow. This is our second year of using the sliding scale price model for summer camp and it brings in more populations who wouldn’t be able to access this incredible education and immersive nature-based experience. It’s going to transform who we bring into these incredible spaces and how we do, in a sustainable way. At the end of the day, we want every kid to come to camp if they want to come to camp.

Our centralized approach to work means expanding our partnerships to do more with the public schools in Fitchburg, which is something that we haven’t been able to do with the previous sanctuary system due to lack of staff and resources.

What’s the diff erence between the regional system and the previous sanctuary system that allowed you to do this?

It’s about a change in focus — the sanctuary system was all about the staff ed sanctuaries in terms of funding and staffi ng.

The regional system lets us allocate funding and staff to unstaff ed or non-sanctuary areas, so we have a wider lens and goals include those places. We can do things that we haven’t historically been able to do now

that our staff is allowed to think at a larger level.

When was the regional system implemented?

Pretty recently — really with the adoption of the Action Agenda in 2021. It was already a part of the long-term vision, and COVID just accelerated it.

I’m actually the fi rst person to hold the Central Regional title — I just came on the team in December. Deb Carey was already trying to take this regionalized approach. The Central region is why this system was adopted statewide when the organization saw that it could be done. They said if it works in Central, let’s make it bigger and broader and use it across the state.

What challenges are you anticipating?

In so many ways, I’m coming to a very privileged space — we work with strong staff who have built up these strong partnerships in the community. But one of the biggest things is that we’re still building some of the systems internally at Mass Audubon which is an opportunity and a challenge — it’s like building the plane as you’re fl ying. But I don’t think that’s going to be a barrier at all.

There’s a tremendous will and a way. A lot of my background has been in fund development as well, and one of the challenges is going to be educating our funders about moving from that sanctuary-based perspective to that regional perspective — it’s new. I’m excited to go on walks with them and show them what we could do. Imagine the life that is at Broad Meadow Brook or Wachusett growing and going to other sanctuaries.

We, in the Central regions, are luckier than some because Deb has been working towards this centralized system. But now that there is some statewide push behind it, it’s picking up speed.

28 | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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