Worcester Magazine February 7 - 13, 2019 by Worcester Magazine

FEBRUARY 7 - 13, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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Finding support, carrying on after the death of a baby

A Devastating Loss

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in this issue F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019 • V O L U M E 44 I S S U E 24

the cover

A Devastating Loss Finding support, carrying on after the death of a baby Kara Ingalls hold a photo of her son, Parker, who was stillborn eight years ago. Story on page 11 Photo by Matthew Healey, Design by Kimberly Vasseur

Worcester bars battle it out on the ice: When six Worcester bars duked it out at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center last year, only one team could emerge victorious. 18

Podcast host Kwaku Nyarko: A junior at Doherty Memorial High School, Nyarko just started his own podcast. 31

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Azorean Bistro: “This is the kind of place you come for the food.” 22

news After two-day protest, Holy Cross students optimistic, want more BILL SHANER

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fter receiving some concessions from the administration, student activists vowed to keep the pressure on as a sexual misconduct scandal at Holy Cross boils to a head. “This is not over,” said Mithra Salmassi, one of the student organizers of a sit-in that last two days outside administrative offices in Fenwick Hall. “We can all come away from this protest from my eyes seeing it as a success,” she said. “We have really pushed the administration, and I believe we have conveyed to them that we expect more and we deserve better as a student body.” Salmassi was one of several students to meet for roughly an hour Tuesday with Holy Cross President Philip Boroughs and other school officials. They had met the previous day as well. As a result, Boroughs will draft an open letter acknowledging the students’ concerns and issue a report on a 20-month investigation into the sexual misconduct claim against a professor. Before the meeting, the students passed out sheets of paper with their specific demands. Broadly, they called for a public acknowledgement from the administration that it did not make public an investigation into Professor Christopher Dustin’s alleged misconduct as well as a policy that, in the future, dictates the removal of a faculty or staff member accused of sexual misconduct from campus. The students also asked the administration to fire Dustin and rescind the Distinguished Teaching Award he received in 2004, bring

Students sit outside the administration offices at The College of Holy Cross’s Fenwick Hall. BILL SHANER

on an impartial third party for a Title IX audit, and release a report detailing the timeline of the investigation into Dustin. Dustin was demoted from dean to professor amid sexual misconduct allegations brought forward by a former student and was placed on leave for the spring 2019 semester. A Holy Cross student told

Worcester Magazine in story published Jan. 24 Dustin had made passes and sexually-charged comments toward her while she wrote her senior honors thesis under his mentorship. The student, who spoke anonymously, said the advances gave way to intimidating behavior and abuse of power regarding the grade of her thesis in spring 2017. She reported the

conduct to the college’s Title IX office in April 2017. In June, she declined to pursue an informal resolution offered the college, leading to a formal investigation, which took approximately 20 months. In a statement, a spokesman for Holy Cross called the meeting productive and positive. “Both the administration and

students have some follow-up work to do, but they identified some clear next steps and areas of consensus. We are continuing to work together and feel good about where we are in this important conversation,” he wrote. Salmassi said the student organizers will be pressing for more from the administration, and if C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 6

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Affirmative action plan in Worcester draws praise, criticism BILL SHANER

hile there were a few criticisms and demands for more, the City Council overwhelming lauded an affirmative action plan brought forth by City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. this week. The plan, which broadly dictates a set of internal hiring practices for City Hall, has been in the works for a few years. Organizers have pushed for the city to adopt a plan, technically an update on an old plan, since at least 2016. Called the “Affirmative Action

Plan, Hiring, Recruitment, and Retention Policy Updates and Initiatives,” the document, created by the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, lays out a plan to hire more people of color and women, in the broadest sense, and implement some accountability for the city in reaching those goals. “Through the Affirmative Action Plan, the City is able to recognize that in various areas of employment, there are qualified and interested candidates that are underutilized and underrepresented, including women and minorities,” Chief Diversity Officer Suja Chacko wrote in a memo

The cover of the city’s Affirmative Action Plan attached to the roughly 15-page plan. “Through the plan, the City will make every effort to increase the presence of underrepresented protected groups, including women and minorities, at all levels of the City workforce,” she said. The plan also includes implementation of a “Cultural Hour” program, cultural understanding workshops and “affinity groups” employees can form for like-minded or culturally similar

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they don’t get it, she threatened another sit-in. “If we are not satisfied, I can guarantee everyone here that we will be right back out in this hallway for as long as it takes for them to meet our demands,” she said. One of the demands not yet met by the administration is the firing of Dustin. Per the organizers, the administration will issue a letter with information on why, legally, they cannot meet every

demand made by students. As for the sit-in, the air was thick, humid and smelled of pizza as about 150 students lined the hall Tuesday. They worked on laptops, talked in group and played music. The mood was an optimistic one, if a little subdued, as many of the students had spent hours on the floor for two days. “It’s inspiring, it’s intersectional, people are pumped,” said Hamilton Wyatt-Luth, Holy Cross student and member of the Holy Cross chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America. “I’ve heard from a lot of different

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Left, Holy Cross President Rev. Philip Boroughs addresses students on Monday outside his office. Above, Holy Cross seniors and event co-organizers Mia Yee, left, and Lorraine Mihaliak, outside the president’s office. WALTER BIRD JR.

people that they’ve never seen anything like this.” The protest also led to some minor controversy. Fliers hung up around the school showed a picture of Dustin with a text caption reading, “Friendly reminder: this monster who preyed on students is still a paid employee and awarded professor of this col-

lege.” In the post-meeting debrief, organizers said the administration called the signs “legally actionable,” and asked activists to take them down in order to not compromise their bargaining position. The signs were among hundreds hung up around Fenwick Hall and surrounding buildings.

In all, organizers estimate about 400 students showed at one point or another on Monday, and several hundred showed on Tuesday for the sit-in, which took up most of building’s main hall. Bill Shaner can be reached at 508-767-9535 or at wshaner@ gatehousemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bill_Shaner.

news A C T I O N P LA N

tions Subcommittee) that should be resolved,” she said. Later, she asked for a legal employees. Chacko lists a few opinion on what authority the examples of possible affinCouncil has to make changes to ity groups, such as LGBTQTIA, the plan, and whether the Counyoung professionals, veterans cil itself is subject to its policies. and people of color. Employees She pointed out Augustus could would be required to start the not have been hired under the groups, and they are intended to plan as written because he was offer networking and socializing chosen over a qualified member opportunities. of a protected class. Councilors called the plan a “If we followed this,” Lukes step in the right direction. said, “this manager would not be “It is so important we are sitting here today.” reflective of our community,” said At-Large Councilor Moe Mayor Joe Petty. Bergman complained the school District 4 Councilor Sarai department is exempt from the Rivera said she appreciates the policy, and asked the city considlanguage in the plan that seeks to er folding the school department create safe spaces for protected in before implementation, if classes of people within City Hall. possible. He also complained the When she was elected, she said, process laid out for complaints she was the only person of color and resolutions lacks teeth among Worcester’s delegation of because, ultimately, it cannot get elected officials. Today, she said, the person the job they wanted. it’s different in City Hall. “At the end of the day it doesn’t “We’re not where we want to seem like much of a resolution at be, but we’re not where we used all,” he said. to be, and that’s what we need to After Lukes, Bergman and celebrate today,” she said. others raised concerns, King took At-Large Councilor Khrystian the floor again to stress that he King praised the plan as well, but hopes “concerns do not derail cautioned the city has a ways this process.” The plan, he said, to go. Specifically, he asked for relies heavily on a good-faith more language around affirmainterpretation from city officials, tive action in succession plans to and he said he feels confident replace city leaders. that under Augustus’ leadership “I think of cabinet members that will happen. Diversity in and department heads and the city government is also the will lack of diversity there, it brings of the people, he said, using the me to succession planning,” he makeup of the City Council as said. “How does this fit in with evidence. those types of positions?” “I stand here as part of the King’s motion to include most diverse City Council in the succession language in the plan history of this city. That’s signifiwent to the manager’s office. cant,” King said. At-Large Councilor Konnie Lukes proved the most critical Bill Shaner can be reached at of the plan. She pointed to two 508-767-9535 or at wshaner@ instances in the document she gatehousemedia.com. Follow him felt conflicted. In one reference, on Twitter @Bill_Shaner. city officials must make people of protected classes a “preference” and in another, the plan reads that city officials “shall” go with the person of a protected class in the instance of having two equally-qualified candidates. “Those are two conflicting terms of this agreement and I think in (the Municipal OperaC O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 5

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news

worcesteria

SEX ED SHOWDOWN: Tonight is the night. I take pride in my ability to

count votes, but I honestly cannot say what’s going to happen when the School Committee makes a move on the Michigan Model, Superintendent Maureen Binienda’s compromise sex ed proposal. There’s basically three camps here among the seven School Committee members. The “definite yes” camp, as I’ll call it, consists of members John Monfredo and Brian O’Connell, who seem to like it mostly because it is not the more-progressive Making Proud Choices model initially offered. Then there’s the “something is better than nothing camp,” which, importantly, is led by Mayor Joe Petty. In this camp I would put Molly McCullough and Dianna Biancheria. These are the three who will ultimately decide the fate of sex ed in Worcester. I assume McCollough and Biancheria will go the way the mayor goes, though that may be unfair. Then there’s the “something is not better than nothing, this proposal is regressive bologne” camp, consisting of Dante Comparetto and Jack Foley. So what’s going to happen? There are a few scenarios. Petty goes full “something is better than nothing” and rams this through. That’s likely but a misstep, I would think, as many people have rightly pointed out the Michigan Model is rape culture nonsense. Or maybe he delays the vote, and we take some time to consider other proposals. In either case, both sides of this debate (people who want good sex ed in school vs. the people who don’t for mostly religious reasons, even though students can be exempted for religious reasons) have rallied the troops, and it’s sure to be a packed night at City Hall.

DOUBLE UP: Cool to see Hanover Insurance double its profits in 2018,

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per the Worcester Business Journal. Yeah, really cool. Remember when the company laid off 160-170 employees at once in 2017, and most of them were at the Worcester office? Wonder how that played into the profit and loss statement – probably not much, as the profit rose from $186 million to $391 million. Still, you just love to see it when one of the biggest corporations in Worcester is cutting staff while turning a profit.

CHOPPING BLOCK: From the corporate chopping block to literal chopping blocks we go as I regret to inform you Worcester may soon have one of those bars where you get drunk and throw literal axes. A License Commission hearing scheduled for last Thursday was postponed to next week. Axe Throwing Massachusetts LLC is seeking an all alcohol license, entertainment license and food license for a location at 179a Grafton St., a space near the I-290 on ramp next to Crown of Thorns Tattoo. This is cool and all, but there’s already a place you can get drunk and throw axes and people have been having great fun doing it for years. It’s called the woods and it’s free. THE NATION DESCENDS ON WORCESTER: Shouts out to The Nation, a magazine with national, probably international, reach, for writing about the gentrification fears surrounding the ballpark project and other recent developments in downtown Worcester. The article penned by Maia Hibbett features calls for more investment in affordable housing as the WooSox project aims to forever reshape the Canal District. It’s a good story, and it’s great to see an issue we tried to elevate a few months ago with a similar cover story get picked up by an outlet with a much larger reach. Nothing really came of it after we published “Time To Talk About Gentrification” last October, but maybe this Nation story will help, or at least convince some other outlets to pile on, because that’s what we media people do best. Also, and I’m speaking right to City Hall on this one, exceeding the state requirement for affordable housing is not the same as meeting the local need for it. The state requirement is there to make sure stuffy suburbs can’t ZBA the poors away, and it barely works. Talking about the state requirement doesn’t address the real problem of housing in Worcester, and certainly doesn’t assuage any concern out there the city doesn’t Bill Shaner, reporter quite care. Twitter: @Bill_Shaner

news

the beat

Animal rights activists rallied outside the DCU Center over the weekend to protest a fair involving live animals put on by the Commer-

ford Zoo in Connecticut. The protesters demanded the release of three elephants owned by the zoo. While the fair featured camels, snakes, goats and others, the elephants were not present.

A house fire on Upsula Street early Saturday morning took a resident’s life and left another hospitalized. The Worcester Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the fire, which reached a third alarm fueled by a “large amount of debris” within the house.

The Worcester Economic Index grew at a rate of 3.1 percent annualized in the last quarter, making a

3.2-percent rise overall for the year. Some call it the strongest year for Worcester economy in years. The Worcester Economic Index evaluates employment and jobs in the greater Worcester Metropolitan Area, which includes towns to the south and some parts of northern Connecticut.

The money laundering scheme that toppled the Blackstone Tap, The Chameleon and The Usual has produced another guilty plea. Joseph

Herman pleaded guilty in federal court to using restaurateur and drug dealer Kevin Perry’s money to reopen the Chameleon on Shrewsbury Street.

Temesca Wellness, a Worcester-based cannabis cultivation facility, will begin growing

product for the recreational market this week after the Cannabis Control Commission gave the company the final go ahead last week.

A former Worcester Polytechnic Institute football player is suing the National Collegiate Athletic Association and WPI for failing to provide safeguards

The owner of One Exchange Place, which used to hold Citizen Wine Bar and other restaurants before Niche Hospitality packed up and left last month, is looking at adding a micro-brewery to the space and possibly a cannabis business. No word yet on specific businesses. Uxbridge Town Meeting this week approved a withdrawal of $145,000

from town savings to the finance department to balance the town’s budget. The move comes after significant turnover in town hall, which led to a Department of Revenue intervention.

after the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl on Sunday. Investigators believe it was knocked over during a celebration of the win, and likely because it resembled a ram. School officials urged the students to let common sense prevail, while an expert evaluated whether the statue can be resurrected. Taking pictures with the ram has become a tradition at Nichols, but no one has ever knocked the statue over before.

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The Nichols College “Thunder” statue depicting a bison was knocked over

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against concussions and other head trauma. Donald Robert was on the team in 1999, according to the Telegram. WPI had denied allegations in the lawsuit the school did not have proper protocols for head injuries.

opinion editorial

Student safety comes to the fore

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edia coverage of concerns on the part of students and faculty at Holy Cross has centered largely on two accused individuals, in this case a former organ professor, who has since resigned, and a former dean, who was recently placed on administrative leave. It is important to note that, while they have served as the impetus behind many of the concerns now being voiced on the Holy Cross campus, there is a larger issue, one that is not confined to College Hill. The safety and wellbeing of students at whichever institution of higher learning they choose to attend, must always come first. And while the circumstances surrounding the allegations against the two individuals at Holy Cross demanded full investigations, so too should all colleges and universities ensure they are doing everything within their power to keep their students safe. At a sit-in at Holy Cross outside the president’s office earlier this week, Worcester Magazine heard from students who suggested issues of sexual violence and sexually inappropriate behavior are not confined to lecture halls, offices or dorm rooms. More than one student said the issue of student safety stretches to offcampus local establishments. Whether an incident allegedly occurred on campus or off, the message coming from students

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and professors who are supporting them is clear: transparency and swift action are paramount in establishing a safe environment. While not every incident and the circumstances surrounding them are always crystal clear, the call is being made for better communication of issues that could affect the student body or faculty. Certainly, legal issues and ramifications come into play, but there is also a perception that some colleges and universities are more about projecting and protecting a public image than they are in sharing information that may cast them in a less-than-flattering light, even doing so might help its students feel safer. At Holy Cross, some have blamed a culture of silence they say must be shattered. There is a chance, through trying and challenging times such as those at Holy Cross, for leadership to stand tall and deliver. There is an opportunity to consider what has been standard practice and what could be changed. There is an opportunity for students to learn as well — to learn what it means and what it takes to fight for what you believe in, while also understanding where those on the opposite side of the table are coming from. Indeed, students and administrators met this week to hash out demands made by a concerned and determined student body. That is an experience not every college student gets. And while it was born out of unfortunate and perhaps even avoidable

circumstances, had the lines of communication been clearer earlier on, it represented an opportunity to enact real change. In the end, what transpires at Holy Cross doesn’t just happen there, or in Worcester. It happens on college and university campuses everywhere. When it does, doors must be opened, not shut, and a reminder offered that student safety must come first.

Editor Walter Bird Jr. Culture Editor Joshua Lyford Reporter Bill Shaner Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell, Janice Harvey, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Kristina Reardon

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feature

From left: Vincent Ingalls, Bentley Ingalls, 6, Brielle Ingalls, 3, Kara Ingalls and Nancy Marculitis, RN at Saint Vincentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital in Worcester. Bentley and Brielle hold a photo of their brother, Parker, who was stillborn eight years ago. MATTHEW HEALEY

STEPHANIE JARVIS CAMPBELL

S T O RY B E G I N S O N PA G E 12

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Finding support, carrying on after the death of a baby

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A Devastating Loss

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our days before her due date, Clinton resident Kara Ingalls went to the hospital as a mom-to-be, in labor and ready to give birth to her baby – a son who would be named Parker. She was left with a devastating loss, one that has stayed with her to this day, more than eight years later. For nine months, Ingalls had a completely healthy pregnancy. She went into labor in the middle of the night, but after arriving at the hospital, her baby’s heartbeat couldn’t be found on the monitor, leaving Ingalls and her husband Vincent in shock and disbelief. “The doctor told me he had passed away,” she said. When the baby was born shortly after 1 a.m. that morning, the doctors discovered his umbilical cord was in a knot. When she was discharged two days later, they left with some photos and a lock of Parker’s hair, not with the son they had been so excited to bring home. That was in November 2010, but the loss is with Ingalls every day, as it is with many of the women who share their stories. “It never goes away. Time helps a little, but it’s always there,” said Brenda Johnston, leader of the Massachusetts chapter of the TEARS Foundation, a nonprofit that provides support groups and funds to help with funeral or cremation costs when a family has experienced a pregnancy or infant loss. And for those who choose to mourn silently, time also doesn’t heal all wounds. “The reality is, pregnancy loss is common, but it’s not commonly talked about,” said Jillian Santom, LICSW, a clinical social worker at UMass Memorial Health Care in Worcester. Said Johnston: “We’re part of that club that no one wants to be part of.”

TEARS

ccording to the TEARS Foundation, one in four women will experience pregnancy or infant loss, which includes the loss of a child at any gestational age through 1 year old. But although it’s common, there are few support groups locally for women who want to

Above: Kara and Vincent Ingalls with their son, Parker, in 2010. Parker was delivered at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, but was stillborn. Registered nurse Nancy Marculitis, who worked with the Ingalls during that time, and who is still employed by the hospital, took this photo for them. Below: The Ingalls’ children, Bentley and Brielle, visit Parker at the cemetery to bring him a pumpkin. He is buried with Ingalls’ grandparents. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INGALLS FAMILY

share stories of their losses. One is the Community Birth Loss Support Group at UMass Memorial, facilitated by Santom and held every third Thursday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m. at the hospital’s Memorial Campus. It is open to all parents, regardless of where they live in and where their babies were delivered. “It’s very much attendant-led, which is exactly how a support group is designed,” Santom said. “There’s a lot of healing in that camaraderie and sameness.”

Another is the Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Group, offered by the Massachusetts chapter of the TEARS Foundation. It meets the first Monday of every month, 7-9 p.m. at Becker College’s Linden Hall in Worcester. The TEARS Foundation, a nationwide organization based in Washington, was founded in 2002 by Sarah Slack, who had lost her son in utero two years before. The Massachusetts chapter was only formed in September 2015 by Kelly

Trefey, who “herself had suffered a loss and was feeling the way we all feel – we’re all alone, that no one understands us,” said Johnston. “No one wants to talk about their babies,” she said. Johnston knows the feeling all too well. After she lost her son, Liam Michael, due to a miscarriage at 19 weeks in August 2009, the only support services she received were through the social worker at the hospital, Mount Auburn in Cambridge. “We went on a Friday and found out he was a boy, and on Monday, they were rushing me to the hospital,” she said. It wasn’t until years later Johnston, who was living in Belmont at the time, but now resides in Marlborough with her family, discovered the Massachusetts chapter of the TEARS Foundation. “When I walked into that room, I felt like I was home,” said Johnston, who became a volunteer in 2016 and chapter leader in March 2017. Even though all of their individual experiences with pregnancy or infant loss are different, Johnston said, “We’re all moms. We’ve all been through the same thing. It’s a judgment-free zone. It’s a place for you to feel safe.” Emily Coelho, a Grafton resident and volunteer with the Massachusetts chapter of the TEARS Foundation, sought that same type of support when she lost her daughter Lena when she was six months pregnant. “I remember feeling so alone and desperate to connect with someone,” she said. That’s one of the reasons she volunteers with the organization, Coelho said, “so we can break the silence.”

‘THE PAIN IS STILL THERE’

oelho and her husband James and their son, Toby, who was 3 at the time, had learned their baby was a girl a few weeks before Christmas of 2015, and her anatomy ultrasound had revealed no problems. But by January, Coelho recalled, she wasn’t feeling much movement from the baby, and when she went in to the doctor’s office

for an appointment, the doppler only picked up Coelho’s heartbeat. Walking down the hallway to the ultrasound room, she said, “I knew in my gut something wasn’t right.” There, in the ultrasound room, Coelho learned her baby had not survived. In shock and disbelief, she had to call her husband and was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where she was induced for delivery. The date was Jan. 10, 2016 — months before the baby’s due date of May 3 — and it would be her second loss; she had already experienced an early miscarriage just before becoming pregnant with Lena. “You do feel so alone in the beginning,” Coelho said. “Even if you’re with your spouse, you grieve in different ways.” Coelho originally attended a support group meeting at UMass Memorial, but personally found it too difficult. “For me,” she said, “it was hard going back to the hospital. You’re walking by the gift shop, with all the baby clothes. It brings back a lot of memories,” she said. Through an online search, Coelho found the TEARS Foundation, started attending meetings and now helps other women through the process of losing a baby. “The pain is still there. It’s changed a lot,” she said, adding that going to baby showers or walking through the baby girls’ aisle at stores will still trigger her emotions. “You learn to live with it. It’s not a raw kind of pain. It’s a dull ache.” For these and countless other women, the grieving process is a long road, their babies never forgotten. And how one mother deals with her loss is not the same as another – and that is okay, they said. “Sometimes,” Coelho said, “you need to take a step back and spend a whole day in bed,” Coelho said. “That’s how you grieve. It’s healthy. You can’t rush the process.” Ingalls agreed, saying, “It’s OK to grieve. It’s OK to not be OK. It’s OK to include your baby. It’s OK to get pregnant right away. I’m not forgetting my child. No matter what, you’re never going to forget your child, no matter how you grieve, no matter how you move on.” “A lot of times,” Coelho said, “people think another baby is

feature Brenda Johnston (left), leader of the Massachusetts chapter of the TEARS Foundation, and Emily Coelho, who volunteers with the organization. Both women experienced a loss that prompted them to become involved with TEARS. STEPHANIE JARVIS CAMPELL

going to replace the one that was lost. It doesn’t work that way.” Many women do go on to have other children, but with that comes another set of challenges. Ingalls, who had carried Parker to almost full-term, discovered she was pregnant again on his first birthday. “I was petrified of making it to 39 weeks,” she recalled. Even though her doctor provided her with much information to help ease her mind, “There was still a lot of, ‘Is this baby going to be OK?’” Coelho – who later became pregnant with twins, Drew and Reid, now 2 – said, “We knew what

it was like to not hear a heartbeat. We were always waiting for the worst to happen.”

SUPPORT

hen a family does lose a baby, the bereavement team at UMass Memorial includes physicians, nurses and social workers who provide emotional and grief support, disposition planning for how to cope when they go home, funeral services support, and resources and information. No matter what type of loss it is, whether prior to or shortly after birth, “It’s a lot of

take in,” Santom said. “My job,” she said, “is to support families and take whatever I can off their plate.” The bereavement team provides families with memory boxes that include pictures of the baby, footprints and handprints and sometimes clay impressions, clothing and mementos, “little things they can take home with them, so they have something to go back to for years to come,” Santom said. At Saint Vincent Hospital, the process is much the same. “We slowly talk to them about how we’re going to create memories for them. We talk to them about how important it is to see

For more information on the TEARS Foundation, call 617-650-0499, email massachusettschapter@thetearsfoundation. org, or visitthetearsfoundation.org/massachusetts/ or facebook.com/MATEARS/

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and hold the baby, because this is their only opportunity,” said Nancy Marculitis, a registered nurse, adding, “It’s very important we create these memories. We dress the babies, we do those foot molds, a lock of hair.” For Ingalls, who delivered at Saint Vincent and who had Marculitis as one of her nurses, those moments were precious to her. A nurse by the name of Stephanie, who assisted delivering Parker, stayed after her shift ended to continue helping. Marculitis, who had the shift afterward, took some pictures of Parker, including one of him, Ingalls and her husband. “He had long hair. She cut a piece of his hair,” she said of Marculitis. “She dressed him in the outfit he was supposed to go home in. You never felt alone. The nurses were always there.” Johnston felt the same when she was at Mount Auburn Hospital. “Being in the moment, the last thing I thought of was taking pictures,” she said. “But I’m so grateful for the nurses. They came in and took photos. Not everyone gets to spend the time with their babies, but we did.”

From left, Jillian Santom, LICSW, a care coordinator at UMass Memorial, Amy Leboeuf, RN, and Theresa McGrail, RN, pose for a photo alongside a CuddleCot kit in one of the patient rooms in the Maternity Center at UMass Memorial. The CuddleCot is a cooling system that has been designed to fit within a small cot, allowing babies who have passed away to remain with their families so that they are not required to be cooled in a mortuary environment. MATTHEW HEALEY

At UMass Memorial as well, Santom said, “We encourage families when they lose the baby to spend time with the child.” At the Memorial campus hospital, the maternity ward has a CuddleCot, a special bassinet

with a device that keeps the baby cooler, allowing families more time to spend with the infant before the body begins to deteriorate. It was donated to the hospital last summer by Amy and

Joseph Loud, whose son Landon was stillborn June 14, 2017, at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Plymouth. After their experience, they began raising funds for CuddleCots and donated the first one to BID–Plymouth. “They are really on a mission to make sure families have this piece of equipment and resources available,” Santom said of the Loud family. With any birth, according to Santom, a woman typically stays in the hospital for two days after a vaginal delivery or four days after a Caesarean section. But with an infant loss, she said, “You can imagine how important that type of equipment is over a four-day period. Since its donation, it has supported a number of families during a very difficult time.”

‘SOMETIMES LIMITS’ TO MODERN MEDICINE

s the region’s only Level 3 NICU for high-risk obstetrical and neonatal care, UMass Memorial Medical Center delivers more than 4,000 babies a year – 4,093 in fiscal year 2017 and 4,232 in fiscal year 2018, with multiples counting as one delivery, according to Division

of Neonatology Chief Dr. Larry Rhein. “We are recognized as a model for other hospital NICUs throughout the world,” Rhein said. “Though we pride ourselves on our care for the smallest patients and their families and on our outcomes, we are also proud of the care we provide to families whose infant just cannot survive in this world of ours.” UMass has some of the lowest very-low-birthweight mortality in the country, Rhein pointed out, noting that in 2018, the rate was 6.2 percent. This excludes infants who died within 12 hours. From 2013-2018 combined, eight infants who were admitted to the NICU died within 12 hours, but only two since 2016. “Most infants who die that early are either extremely premature or have a severe congenital anomaly, which doesn’t make the loss any less painful for families, but explains that despite best efforts, there are sometime limits to what modern medicine can do,” Rhein said.

PHOTOS TO REMEMBER

nother service that is offered following an infant loss is professional remembrance photography of the family and the baby, and one

feature Emily Coelho, of Grafton, holds the shadow box with with the ultrasound image and birth card of Lena, the baby she lost three years ago. STEPHANIE JARVIS CAMPBELL

For more information on Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep or to volunteer services as a photogra-

pher, visit nowilaymedowntosleep.org/

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Paine, a Brimfield resident, became involved with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep because she felt it would be an amazing opportunity to help somebody who was dealing with infant loss. “I hadn’t experienced a loss at that point, but it just resonated with me so deeply,” she said. A year later, however, Paine did experience her own loss – an early miscarriage, too soon to know the baby’s gender. “The grief is obviously very different for someone in a different stage, but I definitely understood that heavy silence that comes early on,” she said. The baby would have been her second – she has a son who is now 4, and later, after her miscarriage, she gave birth to another boy who is now 1 1/2. She is expecting a baby girl in May. Through her work with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, Paine noticed one group of women was underserved, “people who never got to have pictures of their child

F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

such organization is the nationwide nonprofit Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Since its creation in 2005, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep has provided more than 40,000 portrait sessions, free of charge, and has about 1,500 active photographers, all of whom donate their time to capture a family’s remaining moments with their babies. Most often, the hospital will request the services by reaching out to the regional coordinators of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, although parents can schedule an appointment themselves directly through the organization’s website. Still, many people are not aware of the services, said photographer Melody Paine, who has been working with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep for about three years and has done sessions at both UMass Memorial and Saint Vincent Hospital. All of the images are taken in black and white, and what is especially important, Paine said, is that when the photos are delivered to the parents, it is to a passwordprotected online gallery that never expires. “This gives them the comfort of knowing they won’t ever have to see the photos if they’re not ready,” she said.

feature or didn’t want to share photos because it was too difficult,” she said. Paine’s Empty Arms Project, through her business, Melody Joy Photography & Design, aims to help these women capture those memories, but also give them a platform to talk about the babies they lost, if they choose to. In one of her photos, a mom and her two daughters are lying in the grass, with a flattened area where the baby she lost would have been. Another shows a woman breastfeeding, but without her baby, symbolic of the five months she pumped milk after losing her child and then donated the milk. Paine hopes to display her project once it is completed, to show that women who lose a baby are not alone.

DEALING WITH GRIEF

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F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

“I

t truly is amazing how many people silently share in this grief,” she said. “There are so many times it ends with a beautiful story, but there are countless women who don’t share their story.” When a family does lose a baby, it is important to recognize that loss and know how to help, the moms and hospital staff said. “I have a whole different perspective on things,” Ingalls said. “I never ask people, ‘Are you going to start a family?’ or, ‘Are you going to have another one?’ I’m very careful of what I say. You never know what somebody’s going through.” Johnston said sometimes she doesn’t know what to say herself when she is leading the TEARS support group, or when she is visiting someone through the chapter’s peer companion program, which trains volunteers to offer one-onone assistance to those experiencing loss. “When I go meet a family,” Johnston said, “I always try to bring something with me, like a small stuffed animal, a prayer shawl, a candle, a journal. A journal really helped me a lot. For the first six months, I wrote a lot, and I still go back and read it.” Santom said that for many people who are watching others experience a loss, they don’t know what to do or say.

the family hangs the ornament on their children, Bentley, 6, and Brielle, 3, go to the cemetery where a tree. At the end of the ceremony, they can take the ornaments Parker is buried every year on his home. birthday and on holidays. “It’s very emotional but very “We include our kids. My son is very aware he had a brother before beautiful,” Marculitis said. For Paine, and hospital staff, him,” she said, adding they will usually bring Parker a pumpkin on as well, it is devastating to watch Halloween, a Christmas wreath for women and families experience the holidays, sometimes flowers on loss, and it never gets easier, no matter how many times they have Valentine’s Day. witnessed it. Coelho, who said she, too, is “That child has an impact on my open with her oldest son about life,” Paine said of the babies she Lena, has a framed picture of her photographs through Now I Lay daughter in her office space, and Me Down to Sleep. She said she in their home, she has shadow loves being able to contribute to boxes of all her children hanging those truly in need, but “It’s not unon the wall. Lena’s has her ultrasound picture, her birth card from til I start editing the pictures and spend time with them that it sinks the hospital, a hat and an angel in. It’s very difficult to process figurine. On her anniversary date, these sessions.” they go to the cemetery, and on May 3, which would have been her Marculitis said the loss of a child due date, they have spent the day affects the entire maternity unit. at the beach the last couple years. “It doesn’t get any easier,” she One year, she and her son painted said, “but I find this is really our rocks, some with Lena’s name, and opportunity to help families when hid them at the beach. they need us the most. It’s hard, Every October is National Preg- but it’s very gratifying. We’re able nancy and Infant Loss Awareness to help them through the most difNancy Marculitis (left), with Kara Ingalls, said the loss Month, and local hospitals hold ficult day of their life.” remembrance ceremonies for anySantom, agreed. of a child affects the entire maternity unit. “It doesn’t “If it ever gets to the point where get any easier,” she said, “but I find this is really our op- one who wishes to attend. UMass portunity to help families when they need us the most. Memorial’s event has been running it gets easy, I should retire, Santom more than 20 years, with some said. “It’s a privilege that families It’s hard, but it’s very gratifying. We’re able to help them people coming for all of those allow us to support them in a time through the most difficult day of their life.” years, Santom said. The night is a that is holistically devastating MATTHEW HEALEY combination of music, speakers and incredibly vulnerable. But, as and readings. At the conclusion, providers, it is incredibly hard. We each family will get a rose for every grieve along with the families. Over Of particular importance is “No matter what type of loss, child they’ve lost and, if the loss time, it never gets easier.” remembering birthday and anthat child and that baby was and was during that year, they receive The same holds true for the niversary dates. is very real. To say nothing is not an ornament. countless women who have experi“That first year is really tough,” helpful. Often, it’s not the words “Sometimes, people bring their enced a loss. Said Marculitis, “Even you say, it’s the presence you keep,” Marculitis said. children. It’s not just for parents, when women are older and are she said. “I always say, if you’re not it’s for siblings as well,” Santom grandmothers, they think about a sure, just ask. Some people aren’t said. baby they lost.” ready for support, and that’s OK. Saint Vincent’s night started re“It doesn’t matter how long it’s There are never the right words for cently, but the remembrance event been. It could be years, it could loss, especially with a child. There’s last November was well attended, be decades. That hole is always never anything that’s going to be Marculitis said. Ingalls herself has there,” Paine said. “There is a bond n their babies’ birthdays peaceful or comforting with it.” gone the last two years. Attendants between mother and child, that no or anniversaries, families Marculitis pointed out that are given an angel ornament to matter how much time they spend don’t have to stop and rewhether it’s a loss at eight weeks, together in this earth, that can member the little ones they write their babies’ names down. 20 weeks or full-term. Each baby is called by name, and never be broken.” lost – it is something that always “A loss is a loss. It’s a child with them – but many do have spethey’re not going to be able to see cial remembrances. Johnston, her grow up.” The most important and appro- husband Paul and children Emilia, 12, and Colin, 7, always celebrate priate way to respond, Marculitis , call Liam Michael’s birthday (he would said, is to “acknowledge the loss have been 9 now). and tell them you’re sorry. People 508-334-1298 or 508-334-5715 or visit umass“If you gave the baby a name, tend to make comments that are memorialhealthcare.org/umass-memorialmake sure you use it,” Johnston inappropriate. They say, ‘You can said. “I love hearing my son’s name. have another baby.’ But that’s the medical-center/patients-visitors/supportHe is a part of me.” baby they wanted. That’s the baby groups/community-birth-loss-support-group Ingalls, her husband Paul and they lost.”

TIMES TO REMEMBER

For more information on the UMass Memorial Community Birth Loss Support Group

culture

F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

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culture

Worcester bars battle it out on the ice JOSHUA LYFORD

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F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

hen six Worcester bars duked it out at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center last year, only one team could emerge victorious. After a weekend of hockey, Breen’s Cafe, 18 Cambridge St., hoisted the keg cup over their heads, and for a full year the bar displayed their triumph for all patrons to see. For an establishment well known for their Boston Bruins hockey fandom, the inaugural keg cup victory made history in the now-annual Battle of the Bars.

This year, a few changes have been made in advance of the end-ofMarch sign up cutoff and only time will tell if Breen’s will repeat their victory in the tournament taking place April 5-7. Sarah Erlich is the tournament director for the Battle of the Bars. While the rink ran the event itself last year, this year the Power Play Hockey League has taken over operations. “It brings the community in, getting together for hockey,” Erlich said recently over a smoothie. She was seated in the Steam Energy Cafe, attached to the Ice Center, where the tournament will be held in a few months’ time. “For me, it’s the best sport. Last year, the crowd that came from Breen’s was amazing. There were three or four rows filled, they had a banner and everything.” Breen set the bar [pun intended] high last year in a battle against five other area establishments. While Erlich “roots for everyone,” she ad-

mitted there is certainly a chance of a Breen’s repeat in the tournament’s second iteration. “I think it’s pretty strong,” Erlich smiled. In the initial roll out of the Battle of the Bars tournament, there was some significant disparity in team ability. This has led to the creation of two divisions within the tournament, each with their own championship cup. The higher-tier division is equivalent to a traditional adult league A/B division, and a lower-tier equivalent to an adult league C/D division.

“Supposedly, they [Breen’s] have two teams, an upper and a lower,” Erlich said. “Last year, it was just one winner, that’s it. This year there will be upper and lower divisions.” The hope is that having two divisions will open up the level of competition and allow for more closely-matched teams within the tournament. While the Battle of the Bars is a fun-first event, there are also some significant perks for the winning team, keeping things competitive. “Fun first,” said Erlich. “It always goes in as fun and it comes out with some more competitive flare. That’s the nature of the beast I guess.” While the fun-first attitude was there in year one, the team-building capabilities of specific bars allowed for a high level of experience and ability.

“They [competing teams] were alright, a lot of them just wanted to get out there and have fun,” said the director. “Some of the teams were really strong, it was a bit of shell shock. I think that’s what prompted us to do two levels this year.” The cost of entrance for a bar looking to participate is $650 for the bar and $650 for the team as well as jerseys. The winning team takes home the championship cup, the “Stanley Keg,” as well as a free board advertisement in the Ice Center rinks and opening night tickets to the Worcester Railers Hockey Club. Still, from the tournament organizer perspective, getting more bars involved is integral to the experience. “We want to get more bars in, it’s fun, it’s different,” said Erlich. “You get to keep the keg for a year in the bar. People like to go in and see that.

Especially the team, their friends want to go and see it.” Teams have a maximum roster of 12 players, plus a goalie, and the tournament consists of four games with three 13-minute periods utilizing NCAA Hockey rules with blue line hybrid icing. While many bars may wish to put their own team together, Erlich said Power Play Hockey can help assemble a team or fill out roster spots. “Teams are a lot of friends, friends of friends,” she said. “There’s always someone that knows someone that plays hockey. Some of the bars might have six or seven guys and we can help fill the roster. They might not have anybody at all and we can give them access to that.” Bars interests in participating can sign up online at Powerphockey.com/ battleofthebars.

culture Worcester Tree Initiative a strong force for county canopy JOSHUA LYFORD

Traffic Island Planting on Franklin Street – Tower Hill staff and volunteers and extra WTI volunteers. COURTESY OF THE WORCESTER TREE INITIATIVE

between 100-200 volunteers annually, from corporate groups to colleges and everything in between. While the Asian Longhorned Beetle infestation is in a vastly different place than it was in 2009, there are still issues facing Worcester’s canopy. “We don’t have a pest emergency right now, we don’t have that infestation, but that said, there are a lot of stressors,” said Seward. “We are developing land all across the United States. That alone reduces a lot of trees. That is unnoticed by a lot of us. They don’t make the headlines like the Asian Longhorn Beetle does. The landscape is still losing trees. As part

of that, I feel like the need for tree education has actually grown. When you lose all your trees, you realize how important they are. You’re not so conscious about their role when you don’t see it. We want people to think about trees and care about trees.” While the infestation was devastating to the area, Seward explained there are positives to glean about Worcester County’s tree canopy, the Worcester Tree Initiative and its mission, as well as the volunteering opportunities the organization makes available. “I think the story of Worcester is a hopeful one,” she said. “This was a

devastating pest. This was the largest infestation of the Asian Longhorn Beetle in North America. It was a real model of how so many people can come together to get things done. It was politicians, the federal government, local workers, private partnerships. I think it won’t be easily forgotten. It’s a story of the consequences of losing all your canopy. Studies were done, energy uses, wind increase, loss of privacy. It’s a hopeful tale and also a tale of caution about how critical trees really are.”

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care is the biggest part of planting trees. We also increased our volunteer capacity. It was one dimensional. As our programs grew, we upped the ante with volunteers. We run a master tree stewards education program at Tower Hill that’s a five-part class, and then with the volunteer component after, 20 hours a week to give back to Worcester, mostly. We’ve been given permission to do a street tree pruning program. This is our fourth year doing that. We methodically prune young street trees.” Volunteering work is a huge component of the Worcester Tree Initiative and Seward said they work with

F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

hen U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern and former Lt. Gov. Tim Murray established the Worcester Tree Initiative back in 2009, the Asian Longhorned Beetle infestation was at its peak and the Burncoat neighborhood of Worcester was set to lose 30,000 trees. Representing 90 percent of trees in that neighborhood, the canopy loss was devastating. Formed to oversee the planting of 30,000 trees, the Worcester Tree Initiative achieved its initial goal, but these days, the organization has become a permanent agency, a part of Tower Hill Botanic Garden, the on-the-ground action may have changed, but the work continues. “Initially, the cuts happened the January prior to it starting. There was a ton of emotion in Burncoat,” said Ruth Seward, director of the Worcester Tree Initiative. “It was really devastating for people to lose all their trees. When the program was developed, they did a tree giveaway at Kendrick Field. It was chaotic. People couldn’t wait to get trees to go plant them in their yard. Essentially, it started as a tree giveaway program mostly for people in Burncoat.” These days, the agency has grown beyond their tree giveaway roots, but they still maintain the greater goal of increasing and enhancing the tree canopy in Worcester County, while providing tree education as well as follow-up care for area trees. Seward explained the organization’s five point program. “One was getting into the schools to do plantings, but also tree education,” she said. “One was to do a summer watering program. When city street trees were being planted, there wasn’t a consistent water follow up program. We hire youth in the community and have a truck and a watering tank, we partner with the city to get water and understand where trees have been planted. That still runs today. Once we got through with the complete emergency, it was noted early on that the follow-up

culture Lyford Files JOSHUA LYFORD

Every so often, as a writer, we put something together that just doesn’t make the cut. My original column this week was just such a piece

and I find myself having to figure out a new Lyford Files with approximately 20 minutes until printing starts. This is not ideal. Instead of trying to hamfist a column last-minute and end up messing up a date or address, I am going to go in a completely different direction and share a poem a younger, more idealistic version of myself wrote. There has been a precedent set for this, a year or two ago I shared a horror short in place of the column while I was on a rare vacation. This is a little different though, but I think given the circumstance it works. The first time I shared this poem was Dec. 13, 2012. My life was quite a bit different back then. Reading it now, the writing is clunky and I was clearly still knee-deep in my overdescriptive phase. Frankly, it’s a little embarrassing. Part of the job we do is to be exposed, I have talked about the emails and phone calls we get as reporters. So, if I’m going to be bashful, might as well be for something I find interesting. Besides, it is nice to zoom out for a minute and think about a hopeful, quixotic 27 year old, squeaking out a living freelancing and working odd jobs while playing music, riding bikes and traveling. That young man wrote this poem. It is called Old Friends. Sometimes I forget about the pine and the birch, the oak and the maple. I forget about lazy clouds traversing an infinite blue sky and I forget about the woodland creatures. Reluctant. Heads bowed low. Just far enough away. I forget the kiss of chilly fall air, the thrill of skipping along a moss-covered log precariously clutching the edge of a cool New England stream. I forget the uncounted miles of haphazard stonewalls, one million ideas waiting for a vessel bold enough to stop and sit.

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F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

It never takes all that long for those woods and those ideas to make their slow march back to subconscious wonder. There is a pen in my side pocket that I never think to use. I find myself sick of the click-clack-click-clack. I always appreciated the easy, even-keeled glide of ink, more fluid and more willing to yield smoothly scrawled ideas. Still, I rarely think to use it. As deliberate as they are obvious, these faithful resources wait patiently for my return. I am hounded indefinitely by the allure of old friends, but I forget about the forest and I rarely think to use that pen.

Joshua Lyford Culture editor @Joshachusetts

culture Lifestyle SARAH CONNELL

Haberdash Rules

This past weekend marked another grand opening for beloved hometown entrepreneur, Amy Lynn Chase. Chase’s newest iteration of The Haberdash is a bohemian botanical wonderland complete with affordable finds from brands like Hayden Los Angeles, Mod Ref and Free People. (I’m already saving my allowance for the most marvelous leather mini backpack.) The new storefront, located upstairs in Crompton Place, features a striking window installation from Bell Brook Farm that captures Chase’s fierce feminine spirit. Long live homegrown retail in Worcester. Amy Lynn Chase has opened a

Lace Up

clothing and jewelry boutique called The Haberdash, upstairs in Crompton Place.

I suggest you walk to the Park View Room on Feb. 8, lest Matt Green make you feel like a bit of a schlub. Green has walked every block of every street in New York City, taking him over 8,000 miles on a personal quest. Filmmaker Jeremy Workman and Executive Producer Jesse Eisenberg have captured Green’s journey in their doc, “The World Before Your Feet,” which is screening courtesy of Cinema Worcester at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Friday. “When I set down to edit the film, I really thought about what it was like to walk with Matt,” Workman said, “It’s never a furious goal-driven race to a finish line. It’s something much deeper. It’s about slowing down and experiencing life in a way that we seldom get to. Ultimately, that became how I saw the film and the story that I am trying to tell.”

Lines are for Suckers

Staying Strong, Smart and Bold

Good Taste

Worcester Public Library is speaking my language with two upcoming workshops: “Smoothies that Taste Like Girl Scout Cookies” on Feb. 9 and “Learn to Make Your Own Chocolate” on Feb. 12. The latter offering is designed for teens, but I have cleared my schedule, just in case they require a taste tester. Registration info is available at mywpl.org.

Sarah Connell contributing writer

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On Tuesday, Jan. 29, simjang hosted a book signing with Kirsten Amann, author of “Drinking Like Ladies.” Amann generously donated proceeds from the evening’s book sales to Girls Inc., an organization dedicated to inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold, through direct service and advocacy. Amann’s book upends the notion of “girly drinks” by posing toasts to extraordinary women in history with signature cocktails designed by the world’s leading female bartenders. Her personal favorite is “Step by Step,” a whiskey drink designed in honor of activist Ruby Nell Bridges Hall by New Orleans bartender Abigail Gullo.

F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

Whiskey Weekend is upon us, from Tuesday, Feb. 19 through Sunday, Feb. 24, which is exactly the length I like to clock all of my weekends. The annual celebration hosted by Julio’s Liquors is offering 50 VIP passes for $270 that include a presentation of limited Ardbeg expressions and a private dinner with Westland’s Master Distiller Matt Hoffman, in addition to a number of meet and greets with “head of the line rights.” Download the mobile app for more details.

culture Azorean Bistro Braves Uncharted Territory 35 Blackstone Road, Worcester • 774-420-2289 SANDRA RAIN

W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

artists culture

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Let us feature your artwork in Worcester Magazine’s Artist spotligh! Contact Joshua Lyford at jlyford@gatehousemedia.com for more information! tion ing communica

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diate and Span to bring the Photoshop from the imme camera and to provide “an escape a spin on the laws of biliHarnois seeksin,” and his work “places endless possi ces them with appears upbeat world we live ery world and repla the physical ” While some of his imag viewer to continue s. ntly has ties of dream hopes they will force the curre ois Harn he ows and happy, t them as time goes on. Worcester Wind ter abou town ing down orces think display in the shown in several ArtsW e at a photo on rth,” and has ’s work onlin exhibit, “Rebi find more of the artist can shows. You . Samharnois.com

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Portuguese steak ($23.95), so we ordered the steak skewers ($18.95). They offered to add Mozambique sauce at no charge, but we elected to stick with the sweet and sticky steak sauce it came with. We ordered the skewers cooked medium, but the steak tips emerged rare. Our server was happy to have the cook re-fire

uinsigamond Village was at one time a self sufficient community built up by Swedish immigrants. Now, it stands alone as a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of a college campus in a corridor with untapped college-town potential. Azorean Bistro is the only game on a narrow stretch of road with huge capacity for economic development. The decor is humble, defined by lattice overhangs embellished with faux grape vines and holiday lights. Decorative plates populate the walls. Fake hydrangeas harken back to warmer days, as do the criss-crossed chair The steak tips at Azorean Bistro, backs that give the illusion everyone is wearing a BYOB establishment in a sundress. Quinsigamond Village. The space smells and we chose not to object when the faintly of industrial cleaner, but cusmeat came back medium-rare. tomers don’t seem to mind. There’s The desserts are a big draw. Nearly a regular crowd and they’ve been every table indulges in rich custards telling their friends. Someone from (three for $5) and silky flan ($5.50). a foursome at the next table can be overheard saying, “This is the kind of These are the most reasonably priced items on the menu. place you come for the food.” At the end of our visit, the cook In some respects, I agree. Salads emerged to knock back a glass of arrive with every entree, garnished red wine with her favorite table. She with chickpeas. I could do without shared that her boyfriend lives in the bagged carrot slivers for color during root vegetable season, but the the area, though she is from Rhode Island herself. He encouraged her homemade dressing offers a perfect to open up shop over a year ago combination of acid, oil and salt. and although business isn’t always The Shrimp Mozambique ($9.95) consistent, she finds her customappetizer comes highly recomers loyal. She is proud to carry on mended from our lone server. She is a teenager with tremendous control traditional Portuguese cuisine in a community like Quinsigamond Vilover a full dining room. The dish lage, but says it can be hard manning is served with warm slabs of fresh the kitchen alone. Portuguese bread, slick with garlic Azorean is BYOB; I would return butter. The Mozambique sauce is for the Mozambique and the sweet Azorean’s signature, made with onions, garlic, paprika, cayenne, lemon treats. On my last visit, our bill came to $52.85. and saffron. When asked for entree recommendations, our server suggests the Explanation of Stars: Ratings are from zero to five. Zero is not recommended. Shrimp Mozambique ($19.95). I tell her I’d like to try something different One is poor. Two is fair. Three is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is excellent. and she recommends the Chicken Mozambique. We eventually settle on the Seafood Rice ($23.95) and Food: HHH when it arrives, I detect a familiar Ambience: HH flavor swimming among the shrimp Service: HHH and scallops. The Mozambique. Value: HHH 1/2 In this way, it’s a bit of a one-note menu, but it’s a good note. Azorean was out of the 12-ounce

culture Back from the dead JIM KEOGH

John Travolta in “Pulp Fiction”

Summer Guide Coming June 13

Book your space today.

508-767-9574

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Expendables” 1, 2 and 3; a fourth “Rambo” — when Ryan Coogler asked him to reprise Rocky Balboa in “Creed.” An Oscar nomination followed – we’d forgotten he can act with the right material. (He’s also back to doing more Sylvester Stallone things: “The Expendables 4” and “Rambo 5: Last Blood.”) Who else has benefited from a well-timed rebound? Mickey Rourke was the acting equivalent of deadend Randy “The Ram” Robinson, his character in “The Wrestler” – battered, bruised, practically counted out. Rourke’s Oscar-nominated role didn’t put him on the A-list, but it’s gotten him steady work. Matthew McConaughey, once a rom-com lightweight, had been struggling to enhance his reputation as a serious actor with modest success (check out “Killer Joe”). Then he played a man fighting AIDS in “Dallas Buyers Club,” and sealed the deal. Michael Keaton took a self-imposed hiatus from Hollywood before blindsiding the world with an amazing performance in “Birdman.” Drew Barrymore was still searching for an identity when she accepted a memorable selfknowing cameo in “Scream.” Now she’s producing her own films. Apparently, everyone has a second act, Jim Keogh maybe more. contributing writer

So. Are. We.

F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

aturday night while channel surfing, I stumbled onto the “Pulp Fiction” scene in which John Travolta plunges an adrenaline-filled needled into Uma Thurman’s heart to prevent a fatal heroin overdose. After Travolta snapped her from the brink, I stuck around for the follow-up where the two agree Thurman’s gangster boyfriend need never learn of this unfortunate event. I’d forgotten how good Travolta was in “Pulp Fiction.” Twenty-five years later, his earnest, thick-headed hitman Vincent Vega remains one of Quentin Tarantino’s most memorable creations, especially when paired with his partner in homicide, Samuel L. Jackson, as the Bible verse-bellowing Jules Winnfield. The needle scene was the perfect metaphor for Travolta’s professional circumstances at the time – “Pulp Fiction” resurrected an acting career whose gravestone was being quarried. Moviegoers don’t think about Travolta much these days. He played a mean Robert Shapiro in “The People vs. O.J. Simpson,” but his recent film work has been forgettable. “Gotti” earned him a Golden Raspberry (Razzie) Award nomination for worst performance, though I suspect Travolta will have to snatch it from Will Ferrell’s clammy grip for the disastrous “Holmes & Watson.” John Travolta was so far off the radar in 1994 that during the screening of “Pulp Fiction” I attended the audience gasped and giggled when Vincent removed his shirt to have a shooting victim’s blood and brain bits hosed off his body. We seemed to be pondering the singular question, “When did Travolta get so fat?” Turns out the actor had begun coasting into middle age, and nobody noticed. He wasn’t the skinny kid on the dancefloor from “Saturday Night Fever,” or the sculpted Broadway star in “Staying Alive” – he was the guy on his third “Look Who’s Talking” movie. He’d been appearing in gems like “The Experts,” “Chains of Gold” and “Eyes of an Angel” before Tarantino placed the paddles on his career and yelled, “Clear!” Travolta has since done some good stuff and some dreadful stuff, but he’s not dead yet. Professional revivals make some of the best Hollywood stories. Jackie Earle Haley was a child and teen star (“The Bad News Bears,” “Breaking Away”), and worked steadily if unremarkably until 1993. Then he

wandered the desert for 13 years, toiling as a limo driver, a furniture refinisher, and a pizza deliverer until he landed roles in 2006 as a mobster in “All the King’s Men” and a sex offender in “Little Children,” earning an Academy Award nomination for the latter. Now he’s all over the place. Sylvester Stallone had been doing Sylvester Stallone things — “The

Are you dreaming about summer?

culture

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

W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

SHERI BREADY PHOTOGRAPHY

This handsome guy was brought to the shelter when his family could no longer care for him. Deuce cannot wait to have a happy home of his own. He loves toys and loves to play. Whether it’s tennis balls, squeaky toys or stuffed animals he loves them all! He is energetic and loves to be outside on walks or runs. Deuce lived with children in his previous home, but he plays rough so he may knock little ones down in excitement. Deuce is looking for a home with no other animals and one where he can get plenty of exercise and attention. He is 1-2 years old, neutered and ready to go home!

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Here are some of WARL’s regular needs: Pet Supplies: Dog and cat food (both canned and dry). Purina brand preferred. Please no grainfree; Non-clumping kitty litter; Bedding, comforters, blankets and towels (not pillows & sheets); Kuranda Beds; martingale collars. Pet Toys – For cats: furry mice and balls with bells, stuffed animals for

orphaned kittens to snuggle against; For dogs: Kongs, Ruff Wear, Jolly Balls, Tuffies, tennis balls.

Computers, Laptops, Printers: Newer models or gently used models are welcomed.

Office Supplies: Copy paper (white and colors), postage stamps, pink and blue post-its, etc. Staples gift cards are always welcomed!

Medical Supplies: Latex gloves, gauze, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, popsicle sticks, Dixie cups, One Touch Test Strips.

Monetary Donations: WARL is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donations of money, time, supplies, homes, and love are vital to our cause and the lives of the animals in our care. The animals depend on the heartfelt outpouring of people like you. Donations can be given online, mailed, or given in person at WARL.

Cleaning Supplies: Paper towels, 33-gallon trash bags, sponges, bleach, dish soap, high efficiency laundry detergent, Lemon Joy soap. Amazon Wish List: Can’t stop in? Do you like the ease of shopping online? Visit our Amazon Wish List, and the items will be shipped directly to WARL!

sports p Veteran, captain Mike Cornell brings experience, perspective to Railers WALTER BIRD JR.

ike Cornell isn’t put off by characterizations that his Worcester Railers have had an inconsistent season so far. At 20-19-3-3 and past the midpoint of the season, Worcester’s entry in the ECHL has battled injuries, call-ups and a frustrating inability to put the puck in the net with regularity. It’s not for lack of effort, and Cornell, as he did last year in the team’s inaugural season, is doing his part to help the Railers find their way. “I think the inconsistency is the challenging part,” said Cornell, the

team’s captain and a defenseman who ranks fourth on the team in overall points (22 in 42 games) with three goals and 19 assists. He cited the team’s recent, backto-back tilts with the Newfoundland Growlers on the road. On Friday night, Feb. 1 the Growlers pounded the Railers, 5-2. On Saturday, the Railers returned the favor with a 5-1 shellacking of their own. “Obviously, we beat up on a team [Saturday night],” Cornell said by phone from his Franklin home on Super Bowl Sunday, hours before his favorite NFL football team won their sixth Vince Lombardi trophy. “They might be tired, or didn’t play well, or

we played really well, but that’s been the challenging part, to try and find that consistency in our game and recognizing, if we’re not scoring three or four goals a game, we have to find ways to play squeaky clean defensively. I think there certainly have been times when it has been challenging and frustrating, for sure. “Having said that, I think we’ve done a solid job coming to the rink with optimism and saying, ‘You know what? The puck’s not going in, but maybe tonight’s the night we break out.” It is the sort of perspective that comes with being a seasoned veteran, an elder statesman of sorts. COURTESY OF THE WORCESTER RAILERS

F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

The 30-year-old, Canadian-born able to see a lot of my pro career. For University of Maine grad, who them to be a part of it, and have the resides in Franklin with his wife little one around the rink sometimes, Kelly and their 1-year-old daughter has been a lot of fun.” Leighton, has been around the block And Cornell has been a spark more than once in the hockey world. for the Railers, particularly when it He started his pro career in 2012 comes to dropping the gloves and with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. taking on an opponent. While his Interestingly, that squad ended up losing to Cornell’s Guilty Pleasure: “Below Deck” on Bravo eventual Railers teammate, Toughest Player on Team: Turc Barry Almeida, in Game Funniest Guy on Team: David Quenneville 7 in the second round of Favorite Spot in Worcester: Steam Cafe the playoffs against the Reading Royals. The following year, Cornell split time with teammate, Yanick Turcotte, garners the Everblades and the Bridgeport the lion’s share of attention for his Sound Tigers, who now serve as the affinity—and knack for—exchanging Railers American Hockey League knuckles, Cornell has a leg—or fist— affiliate. His third year saw Cornell up on him in that regard so far this move around, starting the year with year. With Turcotte having played Florida, then playing 40-50 games just 20 games this year, Cornell has with three different AHL teams. He racked up 112 penalty infraction wrapped up the season with the minutes to Turcotte’s 66. Charlotte Checkers, an affiliate of “I give Turc a hard time,” Cornell the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. In said, noting some of the injuries and 2015-16, Cornell played “a handful of a suspension earlier this year that games” with Florida before hooking have limited Turcotte’s time on the up with the Checkers again for the ice. “At the end of the season, all that next 50 games. stuff will wash out, minute-wise.” For the 2016-17 year, Cornell and Cornell said Turcotte’s fights are his wife ventured to Germany, where different than his, in that his teamhe played in the country’s top hockey mate is typically fighting big men in league in Straubing. long fights, whereas Cornell says his “It was a really good experience,” are more, “If it happens, it happens. he said. “A ton of culture and history. It’s often just a byproduct of playing It was a chance to see the world. It hard.” was a good opportunity for my wife While the Railers look for some and me.” offensive consistency to help propel Coming back from Europe, Corthem into the postseason, Cornell nell wasn’t sure of his prospects for and some of the team’s other veterthe 2017-18 season. That summer, he ans offer the consistency of experisigned with Bridgeport. He ended up ence. catching on with the Railers, playing “I feel like I’m a dinosaur, but 42 games and tallying 29 points, with we’ve got a couple other guys in that five goals and 24 assists. category,” he said with a laugh, men“It’s been unique, for sure,” Cornell tioning Almeida (30 years old) as well said of his time with the Railers. “I as Josh Holmstrom (29), Tyler Barnes feel like I kind of got the best of both (28, with a birthday on Feb. 13) and worlds. Obviously, I want to be in Nick Sorkin (27). “I think we’ve got Bridgeport and playing the [AHL], a good blend of older and younger like I have in the past, but this affords players. It’s fun. You can have a me the opportunity to be at home conversation and be kept in the loop every evening and be home with with the younger guys, give them a my daughter. It’s fun to play close to couple pages out of your book, and home and have my family be able give them some experience. We try to be involved. They haven’t been to teach them the ropes a little bit.”

calendar All February, ending March 2 Free February at the Worcester Historical Museum Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm St. Country Bank presents Free February at the Worcester Historical Museum. No cost admission! In Their Shirtsleeves is a permanent installation, with new objects and artifacts updated regularly to shed light on Worcester’s wide industrial legacy.

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F E B R U A RY 7 - 13, 2019

Thursday, Feb. 7 Crocodile River Music Presents: The African Music Series

Printer’s Building, 44 Portland St. Part one of a three-part concert series, featuring African music, food and community. East African cuisine provided by Fatima’s Cafe with presentations on performer regions and music, followed by performances. This debut event will host the Senegal-America Project.

Thursday, Feb. 7 We Grow Into Courage

QCC Hebert Auditorium, 670 W. Boylston St. The QCC Black Student Union and Diversity Caucus present dramatic readings of civil rights text excerpts from Hand on the “Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC.”

Friday, Feb. 8 Seeing Allred-Free Community Film Screening and Panel Discussion

Worcester PopUp, 20 Franklin St. The Worcester Chapter of the National Organization for Women presents a free screening of Seeing Allred, the documentary detailing attorney Gloria Allred and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a woman’s right to choose in Roe v. Wade.

calendar Friday, Feb. 8 Artist Talk and Demo: Tate Newfield

New Street Glass Studio, 35B New St. Visiting glass artist Tate Newfield visits the studio with a demo and artist talk.

Saturday, Feb. 9 Worcester Railers versus Wheeling Nailers

DCU Center, 50 Foster St. Pink in the Rink night! Players will wear special pink jerseys to be auctioned after the game to benefit breast cancer awareness.

Friday, Feb. 8 Three Dog Night

Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St. The beloved American Rock Band head to The Hanover Theatre.

The Score

Worcester Blades Saturday, Feb. 2 The Blades fell, 7-1, at home to the Markham Thunder. Sunday, Feb. 3 The Blades lost, 9-3, at home to the Markham Thunder. (Upcoming: The Blades are on the road Saturday, Feb. 9 and Sunday, Feb. 10 against the Calgary Inferno.)

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Worcester 78â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Upcoming: The 78â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s host the Jersey Express Saturday, Feb. 9 at Worcester State University.)

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Worcester Railers Wednesday, Jan. 29 Kicking off a threegame road trip in Canada, the Railers (19-18-3-3) lost, 5-4, in a shootout against the Brampton Beast. Friday, Feb. 1 The Railers (19-19-3-3) fell, 5-3, on the road to the Newfoundland Growlers. Saturday, Feb. 2 The Railers (20-19-3-3) gained some measure of revenge against the Growlers with a 5-1 win on the road. (Upcoming: The Railers host three different teams in a three-game homestand starting Friday, Feb. 8 with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, followed by the Wheeling Nailers Saturday, Feb. 9 and the Cincinnati Cyclones Sunday, Feb. 10. The team is on the road Wednesday, Feb. 13 against the Maine Mariners.)

ARTS • LITERATURE • THEATER • MUSIC • FILM

s t r A Spring

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Preview

Your comprehensive guide to SPRING ARTS in Worcester County. Coming March 21. Advertising Reservations close March 14. Contact your media consultant to reserve your space today! 508-767-9574 or WMSales@gatehousemedia.com

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39 40 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 55 57 58 59 60 61

the American Theatre Wing State hwy. Hand down to heirs Food court pizza chain Get a victory Go around, as an issue “The Jungle Book” bear Affirms as true Formal ceremonies “___ shoe fits ...” No, in Scotland Triple Crown category in baseball Ungainly one Take advantage of Actress Vardalos Penn of the “Harold & Kumar” films Show with Ego Nwodim, briefly

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Down 1 Flash drive letters 2 “___ Carter V” (Lil

Wayne album of 2018) 3 Goof 4 Sounding like a clunky engine 5 ___ about (approximately) 6 Every 24 hours 7 Actor Max ___ Sydow 8 “Ew!” 9 Actress Bullock of “Bird Box” 10 Central Florida city 11 City in the Black Forest, when doubled 12 Inspire, as Kondoesque joy 14 Radio features, once 18 It might give you chills 21 “Princess ___” (Gilbert & Sullivan operetta) 22 ___ loading (marathon runner’s strategy) 23 “... partridge in ___ tree” 24 Horned charger 26 Part of SOTU 27 “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself” org. 29 ___ Jam Records 32 Dress up fussily 33 Consenting vote 34 Gold, in Latin 35 Monetary stand-in 36 Onion peels 38 Award co-presented by

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Across 1 “In ___” (Nirvana album of 1993) 6 506, in Roman numerals 9 Breaks down 13 Diminished 15 Youngest woman to serve in Congress, initially 16 “___ for Steve” (Morley Callaghan short story) 17 Coen Brothers movie of 1991 19 Zip 20 Internet annoyance 21 Lazybones 22 Lenny’s friend on “The Simpsons” 25 2007 T-Pain song feat. Yung Joc 28 Garden pests 30 March Madness org. 31 Queen of Quebec? 32 Sandcastle tool 34 “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” disguise 37 Good value, slangily 41 “___ y Plata” (Montana motto) 42 “Tres ___” (“Very well,” in Paris) 43 Bindi and Robert Irwin’s mother 44 Crawl around? 46 Bedazzler item 47 Color categorized as #DA1884 and Pantone 219C and trademarked by Mattel 52 Diamond experts? 53 Bird-related 54 Laissez-___ 56 Tolkien trilogy, to fans 57 Islands off the North Carolina coast, or the theme of this puzzle 62 One in the red 63 Volcanic dust 64 “The Death of Actaeon” painter 65 ___ buco (Italian veal dish) 66 ATM charge 67 Word of the future?

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LEGAL WORCESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS February 7, 2019 SEALED BIDS shall be received at the Purchasing Office, 69 Tacoma Street., Worcester, MA 01605 IFBs may be picked up at the location above or may be downloaded from our website: www.worcesterha.org, or call (508) 635-3202/3203, TTY/TDD (508) 798-4530. Bidders are responsible for ensuring they have received any/all addenda prior to submitting a bid. Separate awards will be made for each IFB. WHA reserves the right to reject any or all responses, in whole or in part, deemed to be in their best interest. Award of all contracts is subject to the approval of the WHA Executive Director or Board of Commissioners. The Operating Agency shall indemnify and hold harmless the WHA and its officers or agents from any and all third party claims arising from activities under these Agreements as set forth in MGL c.258, section 2 as amended. Bid Surety Bid Opening Bid No. Release Date Project Title 19-02 2/7/2019 Maintenance & Repairs of Mini Splits Systems 5% 2:00 PM February 25, 2019 Pre-Bid Conference at Purchasing Dept, 10:00 AM February 18, 2019 69 Tacoma Street Jackson Restrepo, Chief Procurement Officer Visit our website at: www.worcesterha.org

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last call Kwaku Nyarko podcast host DYLAN AZARI

Are these boundaries that you’ve set for yourself or are these boundaries that you’re learning how to set at school?

Your first three podcast episodes touch a lot on education.

— Sarah Connell

I was listening to the first episode and I really liked the part when you were talking about Worcester Public Schools under-utilizing their Twitter account. I laughed when you

What is your social media philosophy? I don’t use Snapchat, which is very popular among people my age. I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with it, but it seems almost too enticing. The thing that really turned me off about Snapchat was their use of “streaks,” in which people

are encouraged to come back every day. I usually use Instagram and I keep my notifications off, so then I don’t have to go back to it whenever it pings. I guess that allows me to engage with it when I want to, when I’m ready to or when I have free time, as opposed to it calling to me. If you’re using social media to an extent where you feel okay with yourself — with or without it — I think that’s probably the healthiest way of not becoming dependent on it. And I think a good test might be deleting the app for like two days and seeing how you react. Social media has been here for such a long time and we grew up with it, but we don’t necessarily learn the best way to manage it.

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Congratulations on your podcast. Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

said it reads like it is “run by some 43-year-old white dude” and that’s not necessarily a voice students will be receptive to. Who do you think would be the ideal candidate to run the Worcester Public Schools’ Twitter account? Maybe we need one administrative account and another account that’s trying to cater to teens and get a message out to young people. That second account should be run by a high schooler, ideally someone who is well known and has the skills to manage a social media page.

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waku Nyarko is a junior at Doherty Memorial High School. Aside from powerlifting, running cross country, taking two classes at Quinsigamond Community College, advocating on behalf of the Hope Coalition, and serving as a student representative on both the School Committee and the city manager’s Youth Council, Nyarko just started his own podcast. You can (and should) rate, review, and subscribe to GenZ Worcester on iTunes and Spotify.

What is your biggest criticism of the education system and what’s something you’re excited about? Grades are something that aren’t particularly beneficial. For some groups of people, grades motivate them in the wrong way to learn. It makes learning impure. Grades get in the way of actual learning, sometimes to the point where there are people who will only study for the grade. And then there are others who are getting bad grades so they no longer want to learn. I think if there was a better way to identify progress, in which teachers could give feedback without attaching it to a numerical value, that would be a better way. I love the way Worcester is trying to follow I can already tell you have a path of innovation by integratmuch better self control than ing technology, because there are I do, but I am a millennial many different ways that students and you are part of GenZ. Tell can learn and technology can me what makes Generation Z be a great asset in addressing definitive. How are you different them. For example, students can than millennials? We are serious take classes outside of school or about a lot of things. GenZ likes to conjoined with Worcester Tech to question everything, which can be learn different trades that they’re good and bad. But I think the good interested in. I like the way that outweighs the bad, because if you Worcester is intentionally trying are questioning everything then to identify the old systems that you are willing to try new things have been in place for too long and you’re not just going to be and actively working to find better stuck in certain ways. That could ways to approach education. represent how every teenager has felt, I suppose. One thing that I see What do you see in your future? about Generation Z is that we’re I’ve always liked problem solving. willing to embrace new things I want to be an entrepreneur one because there’s a constant flow of day. I think I mentioned in one of new things coming out, especially the episodes that my long-term when it comes to technology. goal is to start my own charity, There’s so much information out but before then, I really enjoy there that we can’t just be stuck in business and engineering. I’d like one place. And I think that adapt- to go into either environmental ability almost makes us more will- engineering — dealing with solar ing to try so many new things and panels and windmills and how to see different views through music find a more efficient way to make and culture and food. We adopt those available — or biomedical new things. technology. I can’t recall a time I’ve ever learned about social media usage in school. It’s mostly personal. For me, sometimes there have been times when I have gone too far and I could tell. I get home and tell myself to relax for 5 or 10 minutes. Next thing you know, I’m still scrolling through and it’s like 45 minutes later. I’ve learned that giving myself “5 minutes” doesn’t work, but picking a specific time when I’m shutting it off does work. If I can’t do that, then I’ll delete that app entirely. My friends sometimes get mad at me because I will leave apps for a couple of days, especially during weeks at school where there’s a lot of work and I don’t want to distract myself.

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