Worcester Magazine February 21 - 27, 2019

FEBRUARY 21 - 27, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

NEWS • ARTS • DINING • NIGHTLIFE

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h u L g a A t Rio Worcester’s Comed y Scene Booming

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in this issue F E B R U A R Y 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 1 9 • V O L U M E 4 4 I S S U E 2 6

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A Laugh Riot: Worcester’s Comedy Scene Booming Comedians Shaun Connolly, right, and Bryan O’Donnell get the crowd going during Hot Dog! A Standup Sideshow at George’s Coney Island in Worcester.

Story on page 11 Photo by Matthew Healey, Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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news Removal of Colin Kaepernick poster at Worcester charter school sparks protest BILL SHANER

Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel.”

Kerr could not be reached for comment.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of In his most recent statement, this story first appeared online at Brian Hass, executive director of worcestermag.com.

Abby Kelley, said the poster will student-drawn poster of for- go back up and the administramer NFL quarterback Colin tion will have a meeting with the students involved.

Kaepernick hung inside Haas also said he wanted to “set Abby Kelley Foster Charter the record straight” regarding the Public School in Worcester was discussion between Assistant Prinallegedly removed after a school cipal Rob Kerr and the students, as official took issue with it Friday, Feb. 15. Now, the administration is he feels it was misrepresented in the media. facing claims of racial insensitiv“At no time did anyone in this ity from students, and earlier this administration take down the week the executive director said picture or direct the student to do the poster would go back up after so,” he said. school vacation.

Worcester Magazine reported The poster, featuring the conearlier this week the students took troversial former San Francisco the poster down after Kerr said it 49ers quarterback, was hung in could only stay up if another poster the school with posters of other African-American leaders as part of honoring police officers was hung a Black History Month tribute. The next to it.

“At no time did Mr. Kerr suggest poster was hand drawn by an Abby Kelley student, and students taped taking the poster down. In fact, he told the student he could leave pictures of Black people who were it up, but the student ultimately shot by police, including Tamir decided to remove the poster,” Rice and Michael Brown, around Haas wrote. the poster.

Students interviewed by WorcesAccording to one student, ter Magazine, including two who an assistant principal, Robert said they spoke to Kerr directly, charKerr, approached him about the Kaepernick poster. The student, William Gitau, said Kerr told him This poster of former NFL the poster offended him because he had police officers in the family. quarterback Colin Kaepernick was hung inside After a 10-minute conversation Abby Kelley Foster Charter about what Kaepernick’s protest represented, Kerr offered the Public School in Worcester poster could only stay up if one as part of a Black Hishonoring police went up next to it, tory Month display, before according to Gitau. The students students took it down after instead opted to take it down, and they said a vice principal have made plans to meet with the complained about it. Stuadministration next week about dents said photos of Black putting it back up.

“I said the poster is supposed shooting victims including to represent those who died from Michael Brown and Tamir police brutality,” said Gitau, a Rice, had been taped to senior and member of the student the poster. council. “That’s the whole reason

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Twitter was abuzz with reaction to the removal of the Colin Kaepernick poster from a Black History Month display at Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School in Worcester. what Black History Month is,” she said.

Gitau, Osei Poku and another student, Marilyn Ifegwu, confirmed that part of Kerr’s argument against the Kaepernick display were the pictures of young Black people shot by police. He asked, they all said, whether the people in

the pictures, including 12-year-old Tamir Rice, had criminal records.

“Tamir Rice was a little boy, younger than me,” said Ifegwu. “I didn’t understand that at all, I was totally against what he said.”

Gitau said he felt Kerr was intentionally belittling the people in the pictures as criminals.

“It doesn’t make the situation better,” he said.

He compared the way we talk about police to the way we talk about people who work in nursing homes. He has family who work in nursing homes, and when he hears of elder abuse in nursing homes, he said he’s not personally

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the cause and the message behind it is even bigger than anything.”

The poster was part of a broader campaign to accurately depict black history in the school, she said, without glossing over the pain, suffering and struggle of African Americans.

“I wanted to show the reality of

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acterized the conversation differently. They said they took the poster down because they did not want to accept Kerr’s compromise offer of hanging a poster honoring police next to it. They said it would defeat the purpose of the demonstration.

In his statement, Haas did not indicate the Kaepernick poster would go back up on Monday with a pro-police poster next to it. In his statement, he made no mention of the pictures of police shooting victims, including Brown and Rice, which were taped to the poster as part of the demonstration.

Students said the poster was intended to raise awareness of the issue of police brutality, and frame it as a continuation of the civil rights struggle.

The student who created the poster of former NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick will be allowed to display it again on the wall with other posters celebrating Black History Month.

In an earlier statement, Haas said the moment is a teachable one for everyone involved.

“Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School strives to create a culture of inclusion and mutual understanding. Our mission is to ensure that students of all backgrounds have an equal shot at a high quality education to put them on the path to college and success,” Haas said. “We understand the sensitivity around the issues former NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has raised with his protest ... We intend to address this in a way that all members of our community can learn from each other.

Cassiroyal Osei Poku, a senior student council member who was involved in making the poster, said she wants to see it put back on the wall.

“I would love for the poster to come up,” Osei Poku said. “I think

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offended by that, because he knows his family members are doing their jobs well.

“If you know in your heart they’re doing the right thing, don’t be offended by it,” he said.

Osei Poku was with Gitau when the pair was confronted by Kerr about the poster, and said the exchange left her feeling defeated.

Weeks of work went into the poster and the overall Black History Month display.

“It had me very silent and quiet,” she said. “He saw the poster as a sign of disrespect, saying all police officers were bad, but that’s not what we’re saying.”

Naleigha Evans, vice president of the student council, said the exchange demonstrated a lack of understanding of and respect for black history.

“These administrators suggested that we posted a picture thanking police for doing their job during Black History Month instead of recognizing people who suffered and tried to stand against the system that is oppressing us. We are a predominantly black high school and we refuse to be ignored or have our people’s voices be disregarded,” said Evans.

Abby Kelley Foster Charter School has a diverse student body.

Per state data, the roughly 1,500 students are 51 percent AfricanAmerican, 23 percent Hispanic, 20 percent white and 3 percent Asian.

Evans was among the many students and parents taking to social media over the weekend. An image of the poster was put on Twitter.

“Abby Kelley, a school full of BLACK students refuses to allow us to recognize Kaepernick and all the people affected by police brutality because the admin have police in their family and they take offense to police brutality…. RIDICULOUS,” Evans tweeted Sunday.

Some said the incident points to a lack of diversity in the school’s administration. A commenter who goes by “M” on Twitter said, “This is why having an all white administration is bad. They will never understand oppression like their student body does. Abby Kelley needs to stop claiming OUR diversity for their own benefit if they aren’t going to actively support the communities that go to their schools.”

Bill Shaner can be reached at 508767-9535 or at wshaner@gatehousemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ Bill_Shaner.

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ECONOMOUVIN ON UP: Former City Councilor Tony Economou is

back in the saddle – well, he’s trying to get back anyway. The District 1 councilor for some time before stepping aside for the current term has had enough of his vacation from Worcester politics (sign of a sociopath, if you ask me), and he announced this week he’s running. Rather than challenge his D1 successor, Sean Rose, Economou is going to enter an atlarge field which increasingly grows crowded. We won’t know how crowded, as you can’t actually take out papers until March. But Economou joins Etel Haxhiaj and Evan Corrigan for sure, and there are rumors of plenty others. But not yet, nope, not telling you. And it should be said that, as far as I know, every current councilor is running for re-election, but that could quickly change as the field solidifies.

GOODBYE MCGOURTHY: Tim McGourthy, top man at the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, is set to leave the organization in March.

According to the Worcester Business Journal, with which the WRRB is close, he hasn’t announced where he’s going yet. That will come in the next few weeks. Also, no word on who is taking his place, and my request for comment has so far gone unanswered (we’ll update the online version). I might be biased here, but I’d say research associate Tom Quinn, the prior author of this column, would be a great fit.

GO GET EM: The MBTA is trying to raise prices for the commuter rail,

as you may have read in this column and elsewhere before. Well, in just a few weeks, on March 6, state transit administrators are coming to Union Station for a community meeting on the fare increases and the future of the Worcester-Framingham line (6:30-8 p.m.). This would be a good time for Worcester to treat the state to its singular brand of rude, crass and bitter hospitality. I mean, they’re trying to make the line 6-percent more expensive while they make it 0-percent better. Let’s show ’em we mean business about public transit.

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TREND ANALYSIS: Interesting pull by Tracy Novick on her education

blog Whos of Who-cester. From about 2009 to present day, Latino students have pulled away as the dominant racial group in Worcester public schools. Latino students in 2017-2018 made up just over 40 percent of the student body. White students, the second largest category, made up 30 percent. Compare that to graduation rates, as Novick did, and a disturbing trend emerges. Four-year averages of graduation rates for every major racial group in the district have been on the rise over the past few years, except the Latino category. That group took a slight downward tumble between 2016-2017, and it’s about 10 percent worse than the Black and White students, who are up near 90 percent. Also, because I know some real trash monsters read my column, data by race is not a free pass for racial pontification. So before you go all Himmler on this, understand these disparities are useful for school administrators allocating tight resources to best educate a diverse student body, not your grease-stained fingers clacking away a half-baked racist comment on the townie Facebook page.

NOT MAD, JUST DISAPPOINTED: Not much to say about the Colin Kaepernick poster situation I didn’t include in the news story this week, except that this is the sort of thing the far right – including our local standard-bearers – get laser focused on, because their brains are weeping abscesses summoned back from a low static hum only by the mention of Colin Kaepernick, Sharia Law, Hillary Clinton or Iran, and that’s it. A lot of the conservative troll stuff on this was pretty boring and disappointing, but there was one bright spot. A Twitter account handled @naroui2, created in January, has six tweets, two followers and a bio which reads “I’m a high school student…”, as every real high school student would write. That account tweeted my story at Adult Boy Ben Shapiro, asking “Please give me your honest opinion on what my school has become now.” These Bill Shaner, reporter people, I swear.

Twitter: @Bill_Shaner

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the beat The MBTA will hold an open house meeting on the future of the Commuter Rail, including the Worcester-Framingham line, in early

March. The forum will take place in the State Transportation Building at 10 Park Plaza in Boston, 4:30-7 p.m., Tuesday, March 5. Called the “Rail Vision Open House” the forum is set to address strategies to transform the commuter rail system to support improved mobility. The transit agency is asking riders what they’d like to see. The forum is accompanied by an online survey available at mbtarailvisionsurvey.com

Worcester will begin negotiations with an additional four pot shops, on top of nine the city had previously announced. The four new

establishments are New Dia LLC, 118 Cambridge St.; Cultivate Holdings LLC, 1023 Southbridge St.; Munro Associates, 342 West Boylston St.; and Sun Mass II LLC, 56 Millbrook St. In total, 13 shops are in varying steps of negotiation with both the state and the city to open.

With the city, the companies need to negotiate a community host agreement which outlines special payments to the municipality.

A Worcester Business Journal study found Central Mass. Businesses slightly improved gender diversity in board leadership. In a review this month, women made up 35 percent of all executive positions, up from 33 percent last year. Still, the percentage is lower than the state and national average. As for the top slot at area companies, the field is still dominated by men. Only 12 of the 75 companies reviewed had female CEOs. Further, the pay gap between male and female executives widened, per WBJ analysis. Men made $416,082 versus womens’ $220,461.

storm Sunday into Monday morning, the city had 470 vehicles towed and issued 565 parking tickets, though the storm only dropped a few inches of snow, per the Telegram.

The old Melville Shoe Co. building on Hammond Road is set to turn into a U-Haul self storage

The Standing Committee on Economic Development was set to review on Wednesday, after print deadline, a proposal to control spikes

in electricity rates from energy suppliers. Called a Community Choice Electricity Aggregation Plan, the policy would give the city added control over electricity rate swings. “Given recent reports and complaints of overly-aggressive behavior on the part of some competitive electricity suppliers in the city, municipal aggregation will provide an excellent alternative for many residents,” wrote John Odell, director of city asset and energy management, in the draft policy filed with the committee.

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facility after clearing Historical Commission review last week. The company will rehabilitate many aspects of the old building, and will restore a mosaic depicting a shoe worker.

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City officials are having trouble getting residents to obey the winter parking restrictions. During a

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opinion editorial

An opportunity for more than lip service Letters to the Editor Policy

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ace has long been, and sadly continues to be, among the most divisive issues in our country. It is worth wondering whether Martin Luther King Jr. would, indeed, note any progress in improving interracial relations. Sometimes, it feels like giant, positive steps are taken. Witness the election of our nation’s first Black president.

For those steps forward, however, there often seem to be several more taken back.

When opportunities present themselves for real and frank discussion, oftentimes the result is the widening of existing divides.

Sparked by deaths of AfricanAmericans at the hands of police, the Black Lives Matter movement emerged, with people of color expressing outrage and releasing years of frustration. It yielded a counter movement, Blue Lives Matter, in support of law enforcement, which only further outraged many communities of color who argued it belittled their concerns and ignored larger, systemic issues. There appears now to be a much broader us-versus-them mentality that has made even more difficult any substantial gains in bringing people of all races closer together.

The inclusion of police brutality in discussions of racial equality is uncomfortable for many, but it cannot be ignored. It is the reality many people of color have known.

It does not mean all police are inherently racist. Humans are much more complex than that, and

100 Front St., Fifth Floor Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial 508.767.9527 WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales 508.767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com President Paul M. Provost Publisher Kathleen Real-Benoit

breaking down those complexities and bridging divides requires more than snappy slogans and hateful banter by people on all sides.

When, for example, there is an opportunity for open and honest dialogue, a chance to find common ground and understanding, it should be welcome.

The administration at Abby Kelley Foster Charter School in Worcester has such an opportunity in the wake of the removal of a poster of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick from a display of posters at the school as part of Black History Month, spurred by the objections of an assistant principal.

Students are railing against what they perceive as racial insensitivity. Kaepernick became a lightning rod of controversy, and a central figure in the BLM movement, when he took to kneeling during the National Anthem. He has since found himself on the outside of the NFL looking in, although a recent settlement may change that.

Some Abby Kelley students taped pictures of Black shooting victims such as Michael Brown and Tamir Rice around the Kaepernick poster.

That apparently upset the vice principal, who told students he had police officers in his family, and the poster was removed.

But why? Because someone who did not have the shared experiences or perspectives of students was uncomfortable? We cannot and should not see as our first reaction to something that upsets us, the silencing of expressions we feel caused it. Rather,

there is an opportunity to engage, to discuss, to reason. Abby Kelley Executive Director Brian Haas said administrators and students will meet after school vacation to talk about the issue. He said — and he is right — that it is a teachable moment for everyone involved.

Will it, however, result in bringing those involved closer together, with a greater sense of understanding and empathy? Or is it merely lip service? Now more than ever, the former is needed.

Letters to the editor are a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with thousands of readers and online viewers each week. There is no word limit, but we reserve the right to edit for length. If handwritten, write legibly – if we cannot read it, we are not running it. A full name and town or city of residence are required. Please include an email address or phone number for verification purposes only. That information will not be published. Make sure your letter makes it into Worcester Magazine in a timely fashion – send it in by the Monday of the next issue. Please note that letters will run as space allows. Send them to Worcester Magazine, 100 Front St., Fifth Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 or by email to WMEditor@gatehousemedia.com.

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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JOSHUA LYFORD

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t would be easy for a newcomer to Worcester to believe the strength of its current comedy scene comes from decades of well-established destination venues, but the truth is, it took years of intense effort and a force of will shared across dozens of like-minded comics to tear a space into Central Massachusetts. What that effort has created is a fierce loyalty to the area, an unparalleled work ethic, sense of creativity and a tightknit group that works to ensure what they’ve built can remain, long after they’ve gone.

With the buzz surrounding the recently-opened WooHaHa comedy club downtown and the open mics, events and new, annual WOOtenanny comedy festival, Worcester is most certainly making a case for its inclusion on the comedy map.

The Worcester comedy scene, like many of those things that makes the city so special, has become a force to be reckoned with by playing by its own set of rules.

BUILDING COMEDY IN WORCESTER

started,” said Baxter. “Nothing existed. To be able to have a few clubs in the city, The [Comedy] Attic and WooHaHa, it’s super exciting. For a guy like me, had I had those clubs around, I would have been able to scout it out a little earlier and get into comedy a lot earlier because it was around. It’s difficult to get into a scene that doesn’t exist. I think it’s a beautiful thing and I hope everyone takes advantage of it.

Everybody needs to laugh.”

Baxter was alone in his car, driving from Peoria, Ill. to Grand Rapids, Mich. Midway through a 10-day stretch of college shows, the comedian had four hours remaining in his drive as he recalled what pushed him into the literal spotlight of stand-up comedy.

“When I was teaching at Claremont [Academy] and coaching as well, I kind of felt like a hypocrite,” Baxter recalled. “I was always telling my students and players they should go after something they wanted to do. Go after your dreams. Believe in it.

I felt like a hypocrite because it was something I really wanted to try and do. I eventually got over that fear and tried it.”

Baxter would later get his shot while on vacation in Los Angeles, Calif., a well-established home for comedy. He returned to Massachusetts hungry for the open mic circuit. That was 14 years ago.

Four years ago, Baxter made the jump to full time.

“I consider myself a Boston comedian, even though I’m from Worcester because that’s where I started,” he explained. “There wasn’t a scene out here. There wasn’t much to talk about in Worcester, other than a night at a VFW or something. People have a stereotype about Worcester in general, ‘Oh, it was crazy, it was scary.’ Whatever. I think as I got on the scene and other comedians, Nick Chambers, Tom Dwyer, Shaun Connolly, all these talented guys started coming out of Worcester. We started being known as people from Worcester and wore that as a sense of pride.”

There weren’t many local opportunities for comics when Baxter was coming up through the scene, but that wasn’t for lack of trying. While comics made the trip to Boston and Providence to hone their chops at open mics, plans were constantly formulating back home.

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hese days, Orlando Baxter is a well-known figure in comedy, having been featured both nationally and internationally on television, appearing on shows such as “Conan,” as well as festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Johannesburg International Comedy Festivals, but the Great Brook Valley native’s path to success wasn’t always clear – not in a city with little-to-nothing to offer an up-and-coming comedian.

“Worcester is leaps and bounds ahead of where it

Jesse Burlingame SUBMITTED

Niki Luparelli SUBMIT TED/MELISSA KOOYOMJIAN

Niki Luparelli was sitting on a couch in her Worcester home. The vibrant blonde hair of “Worcester’s sweetheart” shined as she swirled a glass of red wine.

Luparelli has a long resume, from the musical comedy act The Steamy Bohemians and their Jerkus Circus to more traditional stand-up sets and musical performances (both solo and with her band, Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers), Luparelli is also the host of the Comedy Open Mic at Pearl Street’s Bull Mansion. She has her share of accolades, as the winner of the 2013 Ladies of Laughter contest in New York and host of the Boston Comedy Festival semifinals.

“I do the open mic not because I want to, because I hate every fucking second of it. I do it because I thought it was something that was needed at the time,” she said. “I’m not the comedy host that they want, but I’m the one that they deserve. I’m a cruel mistress, but they need it. They need discipline and they’re not going to get it anywhere else. The other guys are going to be nice to them, I don’t have to. I’m trying

to help, I’m not trying to hurt your feelings. I want you to get better.”

An open mic circuit is crucial to potential comics. Creating, developing and perfecting a 5-minute set is part of the game and if there are no open mics, there is no clear path. For those like Luparelli, creating an open mic environment stems from both a feeling of responsibility and necessity.

“I always thought I’d move far away,” said Luparelli. “I never thought I’d be voted ‘most likely to be able to walk to my fucking high school.’ I never thought that about myself. I always thought I’d be the one to move to New York or L.A. and do the thing. My family is here, I’m not going anywhere, so why not try to make my environment better? That’s what I’ve been trying to do. Keeping Bull Mansion going, it’s the most special jewel. I’m obsessed with it. I need it to stay. When places like Nick’s opened up, it’s like, ‘Wow, you can perform. You can be fulfilled right here. You don’t have to move, make your environment better.’”

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Shaun Connolly and Bryan O’Donnell have had an enormous impact on the Worcester comedy scene. Each has been responsible for numerous events and open mics throughout the city. Connolly is well-known for his monthly talk show, The Sort of Late Show, O’Donnell for Comedy in the Cabaret open mic at Nick’s Worcester. Each has a hand in hosting the Hot Dog! comedy show at George’s Coney Island, but two years ago the pair set their sights on an even bigger vision with WOOtenanny, an annual comedy festival that takes place throughout the city. Last year, WOOtenanny brought over 80 comics to Worcester and the

O’Donnell and let out an audible “mmm hmm” as he spoke.

“I want Worcester to be like Sundance,” Connolly said. “Before it was Sundance it was just a place. It was a place people liked being there, but then there was this thing. I don’t want it to get that crazy where it’s now on the other side of that hill. I’d prefer it to be like, ‘Oh, you’re doing Worcester?’”

Both Connolly and O’Donnell have a long history with the city, and while O’Donnell would take a leave of absence for L.A., working with his comedy group The Internet after his time at Fitchburg State University, he would find himself back at home

Shaun Connolly, Jimmy Cash and Nick Chambers at the closing show of last year’s comedy festival.

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splash from the event has been massive.

“If you want something, you have to make it,” O’Donnell said from an end booth at Nick’s on Millbury Street. “People aren’t going to give us attention, even people from Boston will dismiss this city. If you want to see something, you have to do it and it gives this city a very specific type of creative person where it’s like, ‘I guess I’ll work for it.’ But when you do, you own it and take a lot of pride in what you had to create.”

Connolly sat opposite

once again.

“After awhile, I like lost my mind,” said O’Donnell. “I thought I had to move home because I would run into the ocean if I didn’t get out of L.A. Literally, it is so expensive to live there. I was living with my brother and his girlfriend and their roommate. I couldn’t find a job. I couldn’t keep a job when I had one. You can’t not have a car in L.A. I went there poor and couldn’t get ahead and just digging in. If I work enough to survive, I can’t do anything. If I do the things I want to do, then you can’t survive.”

at the time” because the city had a significant amount going on in the comedy world, largely due to the open mics offered by comedians like Baxter, but it did not remain that way forever.

Ramirez started hosting an open mic at The Comedy Attic at Park Grill and Spirits back in December.

“There’s a variety of styles and different voices,” said Ramirez.

“Female comics, black comedians, hispanic comedians, white comedians. There’s a whole mix and that represents the city as well. To hear all those voices in the comedy world is great.”

Worcester, said Ramirez, is Comedian Kendra Dawsey of New Haven, Conn. performs in a really good spot as far as its during Hot Dog! at George’s Coney Island. current comedy scene is conMATTHEW HEALEY cerned. The Comedy Attic itself After returning home, the pair there used to have people that is an easy indicator of the city’s showed up. It was called the was introduced at the now-deoverall success in its campaign ‘Boo or Brew’ comedy show. funct StageTime Comedy Club. to carve out a comedy scene for “There were hearts in our eyes When you were done, he’d come itself. immediately,” laughed O’Donnell. up again and say ‘Give it up.’ He’d “A lot of people show up, it say ‘boo or brew.’ If they didn’t The years of shows, some fun, feels like a show,” he said. “It’s but fleeting, many less-so, had an like you, they booed you off the always packed. A lot of comediimpact on the pair, who decided stage. If they did, you got a free ans come by and do their thing. brew.”

— as many in Worcester have I think off the top of my head Ramirez said he was “lucky through the years — they had I can think of five or six open to do something about it. That attitude seems to have trickled down through the generations of Worcester comedians, as elsewhere upcoming and wellestablished comedians alike were taking it on themselves to create a scene that could be sustained.

‘THE BEST IT’S EVER BEEN’

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osh Ramirez was born in Puerto Rico, but moved to Worcester around 1989. A fan of comedy since he “was just a kid,” Ramirez gave standup his first shot at Bender’s (Now Beatnik’s on Park Avenue) at an open mic Comedian Josh Ramirez performs during Hot Dog! A run by Orlando Baxter.

Standup Sideshow at George’s Coney Island in Worcester.

“I remember it was a good MATTHEW HEALEY mic,” said Ramirez. “The mic

feature mics here in the city. WooHaHa, The Comedy Attic, they have weekend shows there as well. I think Worcester is the best it’s ever been. There’s a lot of new talent rising up that I think will do great. They’re very, very funny.”

‘A HUB OF COMICS’

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Eric Taylor and Shaun Connolly co-hosting a sold out Worcester Recovers to benefit three Worcester recovery nonprofits at The White Eagle on Green Street.

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were over 500 people at comedy shows across Worcester between WooHaHa, The Attic, Shaun’s show, the Don’t Tell shows. Worcester clearly wants to see comedy. That’s intriguing. We want people to be fans of comedy. Obviously, we want to see them at WooHaha and The Attic [ John Tobin recently acquired this space as well], but we want to see it everywhere.

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MATT WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Comedian Will Smalley at a secret comedy show downtown.

There are so many talents here, there are so many great comics, it is important for us to see them be invested. We want them to feel like this is their home club.”

Less than a mile away, another comedy event is making a splash in a somewhat unlikely location, The Summit Lounge, a private, members- and guestsonly cannabis club on Water Street. Since its inception, Summit Lounge Comedy has been a smash hit, with sellouts or near-sellouts at each event.

“I think the weed gimmick is a really strong gimmick for a comedy show,” laughed comedian and co-operator of the comedy show Jesse Burlingame.

“I was surprised the first couple shows sold out. We’ve done I think 10 now and I think they’ve all pretty much sold out. Every week we think it won’t, but it does.”

Fellow comedian and cooperator of Summit Lounge Comedy Paul Cyphers had his trademark hat down low, leaning forward at the central bar of The Summit Lounge.

“We talk about it all the time, there is so much going on,” he said. “It seems like we lucked into it at the right time. The Worcester mics, there’s Woo-

F E B R U A R Y 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 1 9

ately, the media buzz in Worcester has been the opening of the WooHaha Comedy Club downtown. Naturally, a dedicated comedy club is going to attract attention, and owner John Tobin is a well-respected comedy presenter in the area, with clubs like Laugh Boston and Nick’s Comedy Stop in Boston. The opening of WooHaha on Jan. 18 was a success, with a sold-out crowd. That early momentum has not yet slowed down.

“There is such a great hub of comics in Worcester,” said Ryan Cott, co-owner of John Tobin Presents. “Last weekend, there

feature HaHa, there’s so much stuff going on, it’s insane. From what I hear from Shaun [Connolly] and stuff, there were long periods where there wasn’t anything at all.”

Both Burlingame and Cyphers were well acquainted with the works of Connolly and O’Donnell, and each has spent plenty of time at Luparelli’s open mic at Bull Mansion. They took what they could learn from all of them in developing their own show.

“If they give you advice, it’s probably solid advice,” said Burlingame. “[Connolly and O’Donnell] have been doing comedy for what, more than 10 years here in Worcester? It seems like most people here in Worcester get started through one of them.”

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F E B R U A R Y 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 1 9

‘THE JOB ISN’T DONE’

C

omedian Eric Taylor was driving back to work, after spending some time with his son.

Taylor runs Addicted To Laugh-

ter, a comedy organization that brings weeknight comedy events to recovery centers throughout the area as well as the fundraising event, Worcester Recovers. The Marlborough comic is no stranger to the city, its challenges and its possibilities.

“One of Worcester’s strong suits was that they always had a high batting average,” said Taylor. “There wasn’t really a scene. People like Shaun [Connolly] would try in earnest.

He and Nick Chambers, they tried like a decade ago to try a couple open mics in worcester to save us the drive to Boston.

That was like the extent of the scene. But there was a high batting average, without much of a scene. The people that came out of Worcester, they had a higher ratio of very good acts.

Orlando Baxter, he came, he drove into Boston every night, or Foxwoods. He had one show.

Sometimes he’d host a mic in Auburn, sometimes at Three G’s in Worcester, that was really it.

They had a propensity for having good people come out of it, but they were basically comics that lived in Worcester that happened to do comedy but were doing it in other places.”

The beat that is continuously hit throughout the discussion

Comedian Zach Brazão closing out a sold-out show at Worcester’s Summit Lounge.

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on comedy in Worcester is that the community created the scene for itself. Never easy, it wasn’t thin air it was being pulled from; it was hard work, dedication and an intense desire for Worcester to succeed.

“The new people, I appreci-

Orlando Baxter FILE PHOTO/STEVEN KING

ate it, they have like a fire under their ass,” said Luparelli. “I think doing at least three open mics a week when you’re figuring it out is a really good way to go. I just do the occasional show. When the comedy festival calls me or something it’s like, ‘Alright, one more gig.’ I get pulled out of retirement.”

Luparelli, like so many other involved in developing what Worcester currently offers, did it out of a sense of responsibility. If you are going to move forward as a comic, then you need to figure out a few rules.

“I’m giving them the basics.

Hey, rule number one, don’t shit on the club you’re trying to play at,” she said. “ It could be funny, but you might never get booked again. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Don’t be a creep. Prepare some material, don’t just get on the stage and be a fucking asshole for five minutes.”

Back at Nick’s, Connolly’s glass of Jameson was empty and O’Donnell needed a refresher for his Coke. A poetry reading

is taking place next door and the pair try to keep their voices down when discussing the city that has been more than home, but a four-dimensional passion project for close to the entirety of their adult life. The topic of what Burlingame would call “Worcester Comedy Day,” with seven shows and nearly 500 in attendance the weekend prior, comes up and Connolly couldn’t remove his grin.

“I couldn’t stop fucking talking about it,” he said. “I brought it up to anyone that would look me in the eyes that night. I was on cloud fucking nine. When I was yelling at an audience, telling them how to be an audience eight years ago at the Center Bar, that was all worth it. All that stress, riding my bike in a suit to host a show for free pizza and beer, it was all worth it.”

“It’s vindication of what we want to see in this city,” added O’Donnell. “I think Worcester has an existential crisis six or seven times a year. I like that in a lot of ways. I like that people care about this city. That last weekend of shows, wherever you stand on that spectrum, whether Worcester needs to be this sort of horrible gutter, but has to be an authentic gutter, or needs to be a metropolitan whatever, there is something for you and also for anyone doing shows.”

It’s obvious the pair have worked together for years as the beats come quick under the intricate ornamentation of Nick’s.

“Our success in comedy in this city is 100 percent a reflection of what this city is. We created the boat, but the people got in and started traveling,” said Connolly.

“The voyage was there,” added O’Donnell. “But it’s not over, either. I don’t think either of us are satisfied. The job isn’t done.

We have a lot of work left to do to have the things we want. I want this in Worcester. I want all my dreams to come true in this bar.”

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COURTESY OF QUEER AF

F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

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Queer AF: Art & Fashion Show

COURTESY OF QUEER AF

JOSHUA LYFORD

W

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F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

hen Love Your Labels started last year, the mission was clear: to work tirelessly for acceptance, inclusion and representation. The goal wasn’t to dismantle labels, it was to claim those labels and

empower people — young people, in particular — and show the world their identity can and should be celebrated.

Putting that mission into action, Love Your Labels launched their debut Queer AF: Art & Fashion Show.

Now, in year two, Queer AF returns Friday, March 1. Presented by PAGECOURTESY OF QUEER AF

BOY Inc. hair salon, the event takes place, 7-10 p.m., at Bull Mansion, 55 Pearl St., Worcester.

Joshua Croke founded Love Your Labels in 2018. The team knew they had to establish a fundraising event, but they weren’t comfortable with a traditional — stuffier — sort of event.

“We thought, ‘You know what would be great? Let’s do a fashion show and not do a more traditional plated dinner style gala type event,’” Croke said. “We wanted it to be accessible to a young professional demographic. We didn’t want people to feel like they were at a fundraiser.

We put this thing together in four weeks. The turnout that we had was so great.”

That first event was held last August. The fundraiser was a success and showed opportunities to make Queer AF more impactful in year two.

“We’re elevating it now even,” said Croke. “It’s still a fundraiser. It’s for our youth program that we’re launching focused on using fashion design education as a lens to discuss gender identity, sexuality, social bias, eliminating stigma attached to label identifiers. It’s really pushing and addressing how labels have been used to marginalize people because of components of their identities.”

Those labels, and reclaiming them in order to destigmatize bias, are a huge component of both the Love Your Labels movement as well as the Queer AF fashion and art show.

“In order to shift and change that, I feel like it’s important to claim those identifiers so emerging generations can feel more prideful of those components of who they are,” Croke said. “Words like ‘queer,’ or ‘gay,’ or even outside of the queer space, ‘Muslim,’ ‘Black,’ that society has used to put people in those boxes.”

Queer AF doesn’t follow the

path of large international fashion shows like those in Paris or Milan; the focus is, after all, on inclusion, representation and visibility. This means across gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, body type and age diversity, as well as ability variances, the models represent as accurate a picture of the world we live in as

Love Your Labels can manage.

“The show is going to be very representative of what the world looks like and that maybe isn’t usually the focus of the fashion or entertainment industries, and how that industry overall portrays who is beautiful or valid,” said Croke. “Seeing yourself represented in a space

culture

seeks to eliminate stigmas like TV, film, performance, fashion, seeing yourself represented is so important for people to feel like they’re valid. We’re trying to flip the script on that.”

Croke and the Love Your Labels team saw the fruits of their labor immediately, both in their fundrais-

ing efforts as well as in the takeaways of the models and guests at the event.

“One of the things that I didn’t expect at our first event, because we wanted to prioritize representation and inclusion in our models, we reached out to friends, perCOURTESY OF QUEER AF

F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

Queer AF will be hosted by Allison Maldonado, host of Amazon Prime’s “The Vintage Voyageur,” with designers Cosmic Unicornz, The 4CE, Sam Donovan, Pretty Snake and Gerald Hopper. Performers Joslyn Fox of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will headline and musician Giuliano D’Orazio will perform. There will

be an additional drag collaboration between the Worcester City Sirens and the Trailers Park Girls.

Tickets are available online at Eventbrite.com.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

sonal connections, we got a bunch of people to model in the show that had never done any type of modeling before,” Croke said. “The conversations that I had with the models who had participated said it was one of the most empowering experiences they’ve had. [They said] ‘I felt like I had never been told or felt that I had the body type to be a model, and this provided me that opportunity.’”

Part of the conversation Love Your Labels, and by extension Queer AF, is trying to introduce is there is a larger discussion around labels that needs to be had. Conversation building in general is a part of the overall identity, and hopefully people will look at ideas they may not have been previously aware of, like intersectionality.

“As we look at the challenge of a person in a minority group,” said Croke, “your life is exponentially more challenging the more intersectional you are.”

While Queer AF hopes to bring a new way to view labels, it is also a fun event, and the hope is models, attendees, musicians, artists and everyone else that heads to Bull Mansion can leave with something to think about.

“I hope that everybody involved has some experience or interaction with something that they hadn’t necessarily had previously and that they think about, whether it’s something they haven’t thought about, or if it’s seeing an identity in the show that’s reflective of them and maybe have an insecurity about, and kind of walk away feeling excited and kind of valid and included and represented,” said Croke. “Hopefully, it will get more people involved in what we’re doing, but I think the people who attend the event will probably be across the board in terms of intersectional identity and some people might come from some very marginalized groups.”

COURTESY OF QUEER AF

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culture Lyford Files JOSHUA LYFORD

DON’T LOOK NOW: But in case you haven’t noticed, the

Worcester Railers are just two points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand (as of the time of this writing) on the currently-fourth place Manchester Monarchs. In spite of some real injury issues (particularly on the back end), the Railers have battled back into the conversation and you have to imagine that they are feeling prettttty, prettttty good after their recent Texas roadtrip. They recently parted ways with fan-favorite Woody Hudson, who made way for Indy Fuel defenseman Robert Powers. This shores up some of their defensive woes, but we’ll see how it goes. All I know is I want to see the blue and grey back in the playoffs. Once you’re in, you’re in and there’s no telling where they could end up.

WINNER, WINNER, PASTA DINNER: That was sort of

a slow-burn PUBG reference and one that I’m kind of embarrassed that I made. Whatever, man. I am writing this from my house and I’m in gym shorts (and I’m not even at the gym!) and a sweatshirt (And I’m only sweating because of these seitan buffalo wings!) and it feels really nice. If I still had some incense, I would burn the hell out of it. Moving on, it’s that time of year again.

Annual Worcester Center For Crafts Pasta Dinner time! It’s ripping on March 2 and, as always, you get to take home a one-of-a-kind handmade plate. I made a plate once, so one of you suckers got a Josh Lyford plate. Have fun eating a microwave hot pocket with that, pal. The event is rad and it supports the Craft Center and you can check out Eric Nichols’ Portraits in Masculinity on display now.

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F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

KARAOKE JOE OVER HERE: That’s a quote from Niki Lu-

parelli in this week’s feature story. Give it a read, unless 3,200 words is scary you lil baby. This has nothing to do with that story, but it does have something to do with karaoke. This Friday, you can sing your friggin’ heart out at Bull Mansion’s second Karaoke Contest (real missed opportunity to use a second ‘k’ here and Mortal Kombat stylization). Competitive karaoke gets my motor running and reminds me of one of the first times I met my archnemesis Victor Infante. We faced off at a karaoke fundraiser and I thought it would be hilarious to sing Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades.” While the jury is out on that, I was never invited back, so what can ya do.

SPARKLE, SPARKLE, SPARKLE: Like I said earlier, I’m on

my couch, so I’m not really putting any effort into these subheads. My hound dog is dangerously close to finishing his “aggressive chewing toy,” though, so I gotta get a move on. I’m going to break down that fourth wall yet again (kidding, it was never there) and say I’m not exactly sure how to cover a flower shop opening, but I also can’t deny the fact that no less than six people (people I respect, mind) have told me about Sparkle opening up on Park Ave. Honestly think about that. These are people that know me well (one I live with) and they decided this was relevant to me. This place has to be special and, lo and behold, I received some of their flowers and they looked great. When I’m done with this thrown together column, I’m actually going to figure out how to dry these bad boys out and make my bedroom look like a sexy wizard’s den.

I got a little backtracked here. If you take a peek at their website, Sparkleonpark.com, you will see that it’s more than cool-ass floral arrangements. They will also be working with local artists and makers and that is awesome. It’s also close to my house, so if I can save enough money somebody is getting some real nice stuff next Valentine’s Day. Joshua Lyford Culture editor @Joshachusetts

culture Lifestyle SARAH CONNELL

Representation on the Runway

I just bought my runway-side seat for the Queer AF: Art & Fashion show set for the evening of March 1 at Bull Mansion. “Project Runway” competitor Sam Donovan and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” favorite Patrick Joslyn, aka Joslyn Fox, are just two of the notable participants among a star-studded cast of influencers and local creatives. Queer AF prioritizes inclusion and representation across models, designers and performers. I had the pleasure of chatting about the event with Joslyn Patrick Joslyn and Joshua Croke and Love Your Labels discuss the upcoming Queer AF: founder Joshua Croke on Art and Fashion show at Bull Manthe Feb. 27 episode of the Pop It podcast, available on sion on March 1.

UNITY MIKE HENDRICKSON Spotify and iTunes.

Build Your Empire

Business After Hours attracts Chamber of Commerce members and

guests to meet new contacts, develop new leads and exchange ideas each month. February’s destination is Redemption Rock Brewing Co., Shrewsbury Street’s bright, warm watering hole. If I’m being honest, I’ll network all night for an Edelstein. Register on the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce website for the event which begins at 5 p.m. on Feb. 21.

Ale and Artistry

Wormtown wants you to Drink and Draw. Let resident artist Eamon Gillen be your master of creativity for the evening. Bring your art supplies

and a thirst for imagination. Gillen, who aside from painting murals is also one of Worcester’s most sought after tattoo artists, will be in house on Feb. 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

You had me at satiric feminist fairy-tale. Stop by the Park View Room on Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. for Rungano Nyoni’s award-winning debut feature “I Am Not A Witch.” The film chronicles 9-year-old orphan Shula as she is accused of witchcraft and exiled to a corrupt witch camp. Witches are very hot right now – so is a deep fear of organized females. Look no further than Urban Outfitters and Sephora for starter-spell kits. Last fall, The New York Times even reported on a bonafide witch-themed adult sleepaway camp that is attracting hordes of millennial women upstate. I say we all embrace the witch within.

Who runs the Woo?

Oscar Pick

I was exceptionally moved by Bing Liu’s documentary “Minding the Gap,” which is up for an Academy Award on Sunday. The film follows three skateboarders over the course of 12 years in a complex exploration of modern masculinity and cycles of abuse. It’s streaming on Hulu, along with another one of my favorite docs of the year, “RBG.” Indulge yourself this weekend.

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Sarah Connell contributing writer

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A throw down is brewing. St. George Spirits, Origin Beverage Company and deadhorse hill are hosting a New England regional cocktail competition. Entries are due by March 8. Ten participants will be selected and evaluated based on use of product, taste, originality, presentation and the cocktail’s name. Interested parties can find details on Instagram @runthewoo or by emailing runthewoo@gmail.com.

F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

Witching

culture Mac’s Maintains its Woodland Charm 185 Shrewsbury St., Worcester • 508-868-7508 SANDRA RAIN

made with spinach leaves, black olives, slices of provolone and thick ac’s Diner & Italian Grille is slabs of cured Italian meat. The the closest thing Worcester carrots are freshly shredded and the peppers bring substantial heat. has to a whimsical woodThe menu size is refreshing, comland fairy kitchen. The ing in at just two pages. Anything flagstone floor is the first indication longer than that makes me nervous. you have wandered into a bonafide gnome home, complete with quilted Servers depend on guests to read the specials boards; Mac’s is a low-presdaisy wallpaper and late-season sure environment. poinsettias. The specials menu Most dishes arrive in large bowls, includes venison and rainbow trout. a personal preference of mine. A The dining room winds into a host house favorite from the “Sea & Grill” of private nooks with exposed brick section is the ciambotta ($19) served and an antique wood stove that is with sautéed shrimp, scallops, haddock and mussels with housemade marinara. I believe the addition of basil, red pepper and a sprinkle of freshly grated parmigiano, would take the ciambotta to new heights.

As it stands, the bowl is overwhelmed by a large serving of boxed pasta that maximizes valuable quantities of sauce and lends nothing interesting to the dish.

The Italian combo Mac’s ciambutta and Italian combo ($16) is the way to are served with fresh baked bread. go. It’s served with meatballs, chicken, mushrooms, peppers, onions and cute as a button. hot Italian sausages. Mac’s sausages Some things have aged better come straight from Union Station than others. The cracked fixtures Farms on Pleasant Street in Worcesdangling above each booth cast off ter. The combo is fit for an army. an iridescent glow that negates the Mac’s reminds me of “The Little need for flash photography. Suffice House,” a children’s book in which a it to say, the faux wood table tops world of industry builds up around are not fairy approved. Some of the a sturdy family home. Mac’s feels magic dissipates as Guy Fieri sinks like an untouchable little cottage his teeth into a pastrami sandwich that has stood the test of time and up on the television screen. will play on for decades to come.

I’ve never met a group of regulars The familiarity Mac’s incites among who seemed more at home. Guests its valued customers cannot be help themselves to glassware (Mac’s replicated. is BYOB) and refill their own founOn our last dinner date at Mac’s, tain sodas. They hug the waitstaff and one another like family. This is a the total came to $50.29 and we brought home enough leftovers to ride or die crew. last us the weekend.

Mac’s prides itself on homemade bread, which is as fresh as it Explanation of Stars: Ratings are is comforting. Large sheet pans of from zero to five. Zero is not recomthe supple loaves are stored on the mended. One is poor. Two is fair. Three bottom rack of a server station on is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is the edge of the main dining room. excellent.

Its proximity to the floor can be offFood: HH 1/2 putting for some, but seems like an Ambience: HHH easy fix for staff willing to undertake Service: HH 1/2 a bit of rearranging.

Value: HH Start with the antipasto ($12)

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culture Oscar’s ‘Roma’ holiday JIM KEOGH

I

used to be good at this, the whole picking-the-Oscar-winners thing. Five movies would be nominated for best picture, with one of them a clear favorite.

The frontrunner would earn a bunch of other nominations and typically pull in victories in categories ranging from adapted screenplay to supporting actress.

I’m not feeling so steady about this year’s Academy Awards, not with all the first-timers and dark horses dotting the Feb. 24 program. In other words, don’t use this column to place any bets. My take:

Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”), Adam Driver (“BlacKkKlansman”), Sam Elliot (“A Star is Born”), Richard E. Grant (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”), Sam Rockwell (“Vice”) Winner: Mahershala Ali Notwithstanding the dust-up surrounding his character, Ali earns his second Oscar.

Actress in a Supporting Role: Amy Adams (“Vice”), Marina de Tavira (“Roma”), Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Emma Stone (“The Favourite”), Rachel Weisz (“The Favourite”) Winner: Regina King The tragicallyoverlooked “Beale Street” gets its due.

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Jim Keogh contributing writer

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Best Actor: Christian Bale (“Vice”), Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), Bradley Cooper (“A Star is Born”), Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”) Winner: Rami Malek If I was going to favor a portrayal of a singer, I’d go with Bradley Cooper’s troubled country rock star in “A Star Is Born.” But the tides are not with Cooper this year — he wasn’t nominated in the Best Director category, and his film was shut out at the Golden Globes. So I’ll cast my vote for Rami Malek’s toothy take on Queen’s Freddy Mercury. Despite the movie being knocked for biographical liberties, his performance persevered (and was a Golden Globe winner). Malek will be the champion.

Best Director: Spike Lee (“BlacKkKlansman”), Pawel Pawlikowski (“Cold War”), Yorgo Lanthimos (“The Favourite”), Alfonso Cuarón (“Roma”), Adam McKay (“Vice”) Winner: Alfonso Cuarón How is it possible that Spike Lee was never nominated as Best Director before this year? For “Do the Right Thing” if nothing else? Like Close, he deserves a major make-up call. I just don’t think he’s getting it on Feb. 24. I’m going with Cuarón, whose “Roma” has attracted more lateseason buzz.

F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

Best Picture: “Black Panther,” “Vice,” “BlacKkKansman,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “A Star is Born,” “Roma,” “The Favourite,” “Green Book” Winner: “Roma” The fate of Alphonso Cuarón’s textured look into the life of a Mexico City maid makes an interesting case in a changing media landscape.

The film streamed on Netflix at the same time it debuted in a handful of theaters, leading to speculation some purists might not consider it a legitimate entry. I think that’s just old-timey disgruntlement with the 21st century. “Green Book” earned some love at the Golden Globes, though the family of Dr. Don Shirley, the character portrayed by Mahershala Ali, has denounced the film as grossly inaccurate. Late-in-the-game controversies aren’t deal-breakers, but they don’t help.

Best Actress: Yalitza Aparicio (“Roma”), Glenn Close (“The Wife”), Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Lady Gaga (“A Star is Born”) I haven’t seen Glenn Close’s performance as the long-suffering wife of a renowned author. In fact, I don’t know anyone who’s seen the film. Doesn’t matter. She won the Golden Globe, delivered a gracious acceptance speech, and, well, this is her time. Consider Close’s victory a lifetime achievement award, like Julianne Moore’s win for her performance in the little-seen “Still Alice.”

Lady Gaga made me a fan with her work in “A Star is Born,” and Olivia Colman is a special talent. They’ll be back.

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.

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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 21 - 27, 2019

EAST DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Meet Buddy. Ten years ago, a woman adopted Buddy from WARL. His name with us was Leno. The woman can no longer care for him because of her age and health issues. Buddy is a bit lost without his owner. She used to brush him and kiss him on his forehead. He slept with her or sat next to her chair. We have a lot of notes from her owner on what a wonderful cat Buddy is. He hopes he can find a quiet home with one or two people who will be as devoted to him as she was.

Buddy is 13 and qualifies for our Senior for Senior Program meaning his adoption fee is waived if the adopter is over 65. Otherwise, his adoption fee is $50.

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.

against; For dogs: Kongs, Ruff Wear, Jolly Balls, Tuffies, tennis balls.

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

Pet Toys – For cats: furry mice and balls with bells, stuffed animals for orphaned kittens to snuggle

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

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

depend on the heartfelt outpouring of people like you. Donations can be given online, mailed, or given in person at WARL.

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

Cleaning Supplies: Paper towels, 33-gallon trash bags, sponges, bleach, dish soap, “HE” (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 Worcester’s Nick Briggs: ‘Without boxing, there’s no me’

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The Score Worcester Railers Wednesday, Feb. 13 The Railers (21-205-3), starting a season-long, seven-game road trip, fell in overtime, 5-4, to the Maine Mariners.

Friday, Feb. 15 The Railers (22-20-5-3) scored a season-high six goals on the road in a 6-2 victory over the Allen Americans on road.

Saturday, Feb. 16 The Railers (23-20-5-3) won their second in a row as their seasonlong, seven-game road trip continued, holding off the Tulsa Oilers as goalie Evan Buitenhuis made 47 saves.

Sunday, Feb. 17 The Railers (23-21-5-3) fell, 6-3, to the Oilers on the road.

(Upcoming: The Railers played the Manchester Monarchs on the road Wednesday, Feb. 20. The Railers continue their road trip Sunday, Feb. 24 against the Maine Mariners and Wednesday, Feb. 27 against the Manchester Monarchs.)

Worcester 78’s Saturday, Feb. 16 The 78’s (11-4) trounced the New England Outtatowners at home, 154-108, winning their seventh straight.

(Upcoming: The 78’s host the Western Mass Zombies Saturday, Feb. 23.)

Worcester Blades Saturday, Feb. 16 The Blades fell, 7-1, to Les Canadiennes Montreal at home.

Sunday, Feb. 17 The Blades fell at home, 4-2, to Les Canadiennes.

(Upcoming: The Blades go on the road Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24 to take on the Toronto Furies.)

Round-Up The Railers traded fan favorite and forward Woody Hudson to the Indy Fuel for defenseman Robert Powers. Railers goaltender Evan Buitenhuis was named ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Feb. 11-17.

He went 2-0-0 with a 1.09 goals-against average and a .973 save percentage for the week.

The Massachusetts Pirates have signed former NFL and Boston College defensive back Al Louis-Jean, defensive end Dajaun Drennon, former Columbus Lions kicker Tyler Rausa and former University of Louisville defensive back Chucky Williams for the 2019 season.

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going through after his father died.

He had promised Michael Briggs Sr. he would be there to help his son, but didn’t think it would amount to much more than phone calls and verbal support.

“When he came back in 2018, he sent me a video on messenger of him training at another gym in Fall River,” Santos said. “I told him, ‘Come down to the gym. Anytime you want, come down, let’s do it.’ The very next day he showed up at my gym. I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ “From that day on he never left.

He’s with me more than I am with any of my kids. I used to pick him up at 9 [in the morning], drop him off at 12, then pick him back up at 3:30, if he even went home.”

To hear his promoter, Jimmy Burchfield Sr. of CES Boxing, tell it, Briggs will be the next Worcester fighter to earn the opportunity Ortiz has on Saturday.

“I love to work my heart out for underdog people,” Burchfield said.

“And when Nick first came to me … because of how he’s had to live his last few years, he couldn’t trust anyone … He didn’t trust me, either.

We had to earn each other’s respect, and he’s lived a very tough life.

“To give him this opportunity, I’m going to work my heart out for him.”

Briggs said he is doing what he’s doing now for many people: himself; his father; his “brother” Mark; and his family, including his mother Tina; his older sisters, Bianca and Katerina; his older brother, Michael Briggs Jr.; his younger brother, Marco; and a little brother, Dante, who Briggs said died in 2003 of sudden infant death syndrome.

His professional aim is to become world champion, but his more personal goal is to make it for his family and people like Mark Anthony Padilla.

“I won’t settle for anything less than that,” Briggs said. “Being a world champion in multiple divisions, and being able to help my friends and my family out, and what me and my father worked our whole life for. And [Padilla], he’s my brother. He always wanted to make it out of the city and do something for our family. That’s something I’m going to try for.

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15 in 2014, spending more than two years in juvenile lockup in connection with an armed robbery. He was released in November 2016, but a little over four months later he ended up back inside, arrested in March 2017 on gun, drug and assault charges. Briggs was locked up for six months, until Oct. 2, 2017.

When he was released the second time, he didn’t stick around Worcester.

“Something made me move to Rhode Island,” where he lived with his sister and uncle, he said.

A big factor, he said, was the April 2017 stabbing death of Mark Anthony Padilla, a close friend to whom Briggs refers as his brother. He said Padilla was stabbed inside an apartment building, put on life support and died four months later. Briggs was still in jail when Padilla died.

“He was a very close friend,” he said of Padilla. “When I got out, I felt like life is life. It happens a lot in our city, but I see how his mother was grieving, how his family was grieving.

Do I really want to put my mother through that? We don’t have the best communication, but I don’t want to see my family go through that pain, or my friends.”

In Rhode Island, Briggs connected with Jose Santos, who had worked closely with Briggs’ father and who had helped Briggs as an amateur. Santos is now Briggs’ coach, but he has also become much more.

“In the gym,” Briggs said, “[Santos] is my coach.

Outside the gym he’s like a second father. He tells me what to do, what not to do. He just gives me input and advice.

Every day we’re together, probably six, seven hours a day.”

The 43-year-old Santos, a father of four who has been a trainer since he was 19, saw what Briggs was

F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

ick Briggs started boxing when he was 3 or 4 years old.

“I have pictures of me, really, in my little tighty whities boxing,” the 19-year-old Worcester native who turned pro last year said recently.

It is, quite simply, his path in life, and that path continues Saturday, Feb. 23 when the undefeated Briggs (2-0, 2 KOs) goes for his third win in a super lightweight bout with Bridgewater’s Andy Aiello (1-1-1) on a card promoted by CES Boxing at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I. On the same night, another undefeated Worcester boxer, Jamaine Ortiz (9-0, 4 KOs), will be fighting in the main event for the vacant WBC World Youth Championship.

Briggs isn’t going for a title — not yet— but he will be taking another step forward in his quest to fulfill what started so long ago.

“Without boxing, one thing I came to realize,” Briggs said, “me without boxing, there’s no me.”

It hasn’t come easy. Boxing may be his life, but it isn’t all he has had to contend with. In fact, learning to jab, stick and move, and everything else it takes to succeed in the ring may be the easiest part of what Briggs has dealt with.

Growing up, there was little doubt boxing would be his life’s pursuit. His father, Michael Briggs Sr., was an amateur boxer and coached his son from his youngest years. As he got older, Briggs spent time with his father in the gym along with Ortiz and trainers Carlos Garcia and Rocky Gonzalez.

“We trained our hardest every single day,” Briggs said.

“We had a gym in our garage, and we trained at the Boys and Girls Club every day and night. We did an exceptional job in amateurs, training hard, winning fights.”

Briggs posted more than 50 wins as an amateur. He won a 2011 Ringside Tournament and advanced to the finals of the Junior Olympics Regionals three years in a row, from 2012 to 2014.

But just as he was showing so much promise as a boxer, Briggs’ life was turned upside down. On Feb. 9, 2012, his father died of lung cancer.

Briggs was about to turn 13. His father’s death sent him on a downward spiral that ended up landing the talented young fighter in jail, not once but twice.

“I didn’t have no structure no more,” he said of life immediately after his father died. “I didn’t have nobody picking me up, taking me to the gym. I just felt more free. I felt like I knew what I was doing. I thought I knew what the world was about, when I didn’t at all. I started getting in trouble and ended up being locked up.”

He did his first stint when he was

WALTER BIRD JR.

WALTER BIRD JR.

calendar Thursday, Feb. 21 Konstantin Simun: The Sacred in the Profane

Museum of Russian Icons, 203 Union St., Clinton Presented in partnership with the Fitchburg Art Museum and cultivated by FAM curator Lisa Crossman, discover what made Simun’s work so fascinating at this opening. Remarks will be made by Crossman and wine and hors d’oeuvres will be provided.

Thursday, Feb. 21 Wreck the Tech!

Worcester Public Library-Roosevelt Branch, 1006 Grafton St. For ages 8 and up, tools will be provided to take apart and discover what’s inside old electronics.

Thursday, Feb. 21 I Am Not A Witch

Friday, Feb. 22 Curling on the Common

Park View Room, 230 Park Ave. Worcester Common Oval, 455 Main St. Presented by cinema-worcester, the captivating story, directed The Petersham, Marlborough and Blackstone Valley Curling

by Rungano Nyoni, comes to the Park View Room and folClubs come together for an interactive curling demonstration. lows the plight of an eight year old denounced as a witch in a Zambian Village.

Friday, Feb. 22 History Detectives

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F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm St. The Historical Museum and Salisbury Mansion, 40 Highland St., invite guests for a family scavenger hunt to uncover stories of Worcester.

Sunday, Feb. 24 27th Annual Worcester Model Railroaders Show & Sale Auburn Elks Club, 754 Southbridge St., Auburn Worcester Model Railroaders Inc. holds its 27th annual show and sale, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Auburn Elks Club, 754 Southbridge St. Kids will love the working 20-by-30 HO-scale railroad layout. Buy raffle tickets for a smaller layout. Cost $5 for adults.

Children under 12 free.

Sunday, Feb. 24 WPI Orchestra and Brass Concert

WPI Alden Memorial, 100 Institute Road WPI’s orchestra and brass team perform, featuring trombone soloist Christian Scillitoe with Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9. Admission is free.

Saturday, Feb. 23 Professional Bull Riders Velocity Tour DCU Center, 50 Foster St. The Professional Bull Riders Tour comes to the DCU Center.

calendar INSTAGRAM.COM

Nominate your favorites at worcestermag.com Nominations end at midnight, Feb. 28.

Sunday, Feb. 24 Zumba and Brews at Greater Good Greater Good Imperial Brew Co., 55 Millbrook St. Crunch Fitness Zumba Instructors hit Greater Good, ticket purchasers also receive a beer.

F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

DCU Center, 50 Foster St. The singer performs at the DCU Center.

Full priced tickets include a CD or digital copy of Bublé’s new album, love.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Tuesday, Feb. 26 An Evening with Michael Bublé

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games

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

J O N E S I N’ Across 1 Bodily pouches (and not something like what Santa carries, unfortunately) 5 Airline to Adelaide 11 Adversary 14 How some sit by 15 Lacking the resources 16 Hedwig, for one 17 Midday song by The Moody Blues, out of order?

19 Cup edge 20 Blissful 21 Jots down 23 Throat problem, briefly 24 “Forgot About ___” (2000 single) 26 Frigid 27 Oscar winner 29 Stylish, to some 32 “We try harder” rental company 35 “Forever Mine” singer Day 37 Ray of sunshine 38 “Good Will Hunting” campus 39 Comedian Black who was Anger in “Inside Out” 40 GOP fundraising org.

41 It’s red, white, and blue for a bunch of countries 43 “Love Story” author Segal 44 “The Duchess of Alba” painter 45 Croquet need 47 “Far out!”

49 “Smallville” villain Luthor 50 “Moonrise Kingdom” director Anderson 51 Addis ___ (Ethiopia’s capital) 55 Breed of chicken once known as Indian Game 58 Vexation 59 Kimono sash 60 Punny Stephan Pastis comic strip, out of order?

63 Guitar master Paul 64 “Honor Thy Father” author Gay 65 River from Lake Victoria 66 Turn purple?

67 Like some tomatoes 68 Boat bottom

“You’re All Out of Order” — it’s all about the position.

by Matt Jones

Down 1 Building locations 2 Mature 3 Disperse 4 “All ___ go!”

5 College square 6 “... join in ___ reindeer games” 7 Photographer Goldin 8 Short loin cut 9 ___ gobi (Indian potato dish) 10 Mailed, as a contest entry, way back when 11 Temperature where the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales meet, out of order?

12 Boo-boo 13 They give shade 18 ___-Provera (birth control injection) 22 “But she’s calling ___” (“Mr. Brightside”) 24 Off-the-highway eatery 25 It pairs with steak 28 Parking person 29 Malia’s sister 30 Buffoonish 31 1970s song whose first two words denote the first two letters 32 Letters on a boom box 33 '80s “This Old House”

host Bob Persevere, out of order?

Some side dishes Country singer Campbell Fail to bring up a memory Is Cassette contents During Eagle’s perch Disney “princess” fond of reading 54 Adams who photographed Yosemite 55 Target of some over-thecounter medicine 56 Toe the line 57 Go after flies 58 Went 40 in a 20 zone, e.g.

61 Mint-condition 62 Ending for Nepal Last week's solution 34 36 42 44 46 48 50 52 53

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

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

Call 978-728-4302 or email cmaclassifieds@ gatehousemedia.com today to place your ad here! ©2019 Jonesin’ Crosswords (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #924

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LEGAL

LEGALS

Staff Psychiatrist-Assistant Professor (Worcester, MA) sought

by University of Massachusetts

Medical School to evaluate patients by interviewing patient, family and other persons; conduct physical examinations; observe behaviors, review medical history and related documents; select, administer, and interpret psychological tests; order laboratory test and evaluate results.

Must have M.D., MA Medical License; Residency in Psychiatry, and 1 yr. Fellowship in Psychoanalysis. To apply, email

resume to jobsUMMS@umassmed.edu.

No calls please.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE Notice is hereby given pursuant to the provisions of M.L.C. sec. 39a the following vehicles will be sold March 2, 2019 at a sale to satisfy our garage lien thereon for towing and storage charges and expenses of sale and notice: 2004 Acura TL VIN# 19UUA66204A065961 2006 Ford Explorer VIN# 1FMEU74E66UB71227 2017 Kia Soul VIN# KNDJP3A57H7413926 2009 Lexus IS250 VIN# JTHCK262695029769 The location of the sale will be Early’s on Park Ave., Inc, 536 Park Avenue, Worcester, MA 01603

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Worcester Probate and Family Court 225 Main St. Worcester, MA 01608 Docket No. WO19P0427GD CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN FOR INCAPACITATED PERSON PURSUANT TO G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of: Allison E Dyer Of: Millbury, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Department of Developmental of Worcester, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Allison E Dyer is in need of a Guardian and requesting that Marie Dunn of Worcester, MA (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve Without Surety on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, and that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 03/05/2019. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the abovenamed person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense.

WITNESS, Hon. Leilah A Keamy, First Justice of this Court.

Date: November 06, 2018 Stephanie K. Fattman, Register of Probate 02/21/19 WM

F E B R U A RY 21 - 27, 2019

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HIGHWAY DIVISION Sudoku Answers NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING Project File No.609226 A Design Public Hearing will be held by MassDOT to discuss the proposed Kelley Square Improvement Project in Worcester, MA. WHERE: Worcester Technical High School, Auditorium, 1 Skyline Drive, Worcester, MA 01605 WHEN: Wednesday, February 27, 2019 @ 6:00 pm (Snow Date February 28, 2019) PURPOSE: The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with the opportunity to become fully acquainted with the proposed Kelley Square Improvement Project. All views and comments made at the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible.

PROPOSAL: Kelley Square poses a number of safety risks for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motor vehicles. There were 403 reported crashes between January 2013 and December 2016, including 1 fatality. Twenty-one of these crashes involved pedestrians and five involved bicyclists. This project will address the safety and operational deficiencies faced by all users, including Senior Engineer, Chip Design pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists, while also supporting (Mellanox Technologies, Inc., the local businesses and residents who call Kelley Square their Westborough, MA) Translate mkt home. reqmts into working A secure right-of-way is necessary for this project. Acquisitions in fee and micro-architecture. Reqs.: permanent or temporary easements may be required. The City is responsiMaster’s deg or foreign equiv in ble for acquiring all needed rights in private or public lands. MassDOT’s Electrical Engg, Comp Engg, or policy concerning land acquisitions will be discussed at this hearing.

Comp Sci plus coursework, Written views received by MassDOT subsequent to the date of this notice internships, or exp to incl dsgng and up to five (5) days prior to the date of the hearing shall be displayed for complete multicore system public inspection and copying at the time and date listed above. Plans will (running simple application). Mail be on display one-half hour before the hearing begins, with an engineer in resumes to HR. Dept., 350 attendance to answer questions regarding this project. A project handout Oakmead Pkwy, Ste 100, will be made available on the MassDOT website listed below.

Sunnyvale, CA 94085.

Written statements and other exhibits in place of, or in addition to, oral statements made at the Public Hearing regarding the proposed undertakSenior-Epic, Applications/ ing are to be submitted to Patricia A. Leavenworth, P.E., Chief Engineer, Systems Analyst (Worcester, MA) MassDOT, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Roadway Project sought by UMass Memorial Medical Management, Project File No. 609226. Such submissions will also be acCenter, Inc. to lead or perform cepted at the hearing. Mailed statements and exhibits intended for inclustudies to develop a clear sion in the public hearing transcript must be postmarked within ten (10) understanding of medical center & clinical or business business days of this Public Hearing. Project inquiries may be emailed to processes, and corresponding kelleysqproj.worcester@dot.state.ma.us This location is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides information systems & needs. reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge Analyze existing reports, procedures, systems and controls; upon request (including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign conduct feasibility studies and Language and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats, such as cost/benefit analyses. Design clinical and business information audio tapes, Braille and large print), as available. For accommodation or systems to meet medical center language assistance, please contact MassDOT’s Chief Diversity and Civil needs; develop detailed conceptual Rights Officer by phone (857-368-8580), fax (857-368-0602), TTD/TTY (857designs/specification which define 368-0603) or by email (MassDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us). Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting, and for more difthe scope and objectives, and ficult to arrange services including sign-language, CART or language transfunctional and reporting requirements. Must have Bachelor lation or interpretation, requests should be made at least ten (10) business & deg. in Computer Sci. or rel. and 5 days before the meeting. yrs. rel. exp. Apply to Leigh M. Corl, In case of inclement weather, hearing cancellation announcements will be posted on the internet at http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/ HR Business Partner, UMass JONATHAN GULLIVER PATRICIA A. LEAVENWORTH, P.E. Memorial HR, HB-791, 55 Lake CHIEF ENGINEER Avenue North, Worcester, MA HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR February 14, 21, 2019 01655. No phone calls.

LEGAL

last call Danielle Montgomery retail manager and artist D

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F E B R U A R Y 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 1 9

anielle Montgomery is the manager of Worcester Wares, 105 Commercial St., and the designer behind many of the store’s top sellers. You can follow her on instagram at @ugly_cat_sweaters.

What was your path to Worcester? My family moved around a lot growing up. If I had to say one spot was my home, I would probably say Buffalo, N.Y. because I was there for the longest amount of time. Actually, what brought me to Massachusetts was I got into a bad car accident. My parents were living in Chicopee at the time. I broke my knee and my hip in the accident. I was just out of college and living on my own. I was like, “OK, now I have to move back with my parents and relearn how to walk.” I started looking for teaching jobs and I got one 20 minutes south of Worcester.

I thought, “Where’s the closest city?” Worcester was the closest city, so I moved here and I didn’t know anybody, but it worked out really well.

On the Seltzer Time podcast, you mentioned that a lot of people discovered you on Instagram and I realized that was how I first met you. How did your Instagram presence evolve into a community of friends IRL? I guess the reason why I started using Instagram is that I enjoy photography. I love taking pictures of what’s around me and trying to make them look beautiful and artful, and then post them. Some of the first spots I found through hashtags and geotags were Grime and Crompton Collective. As I began following other accounts, I would find more places I liked. I remember the first time I saw someone out and they said, “I know you, you’re

Ugly Cat Sweaters!” And I was like, “Oh yeah, I guess I am.” And even though I didn’t know a bunch of people, there was a shared interest of going to the same places and eating the same food. Ryan Hacker became one of my first Worcester friends. He’s an architect who has lived here his whole life. We met through Instagram. I think of him as my first gateway friend.

as I became inspired around the city. I was still really new to the city when I was making it and there was a lot of research involved. Sometimes I would stop and think, “I like this, but is this important to anybody else?”

You were one of the first people I saw using flat lays in your photos. Can you explain what that is? A flat lay photo is when you arrange whatever you’re taking a picture of and then you situate yourself above it and you take the picture looking down.

I’ve always been really drawn to them. I think I saw them on other people’s accounts first and I found them so beautiful. I’ve always been somebody who plates my food at dinner time. I don’t just put food on a plate, I think about where I’m putting everything. And I used to joke around and say, “Oh, I would love to work at a restaurant not to cook, not to serve, just to do all the finishing touches and garnishes.”

Oftentimes, I find when my view is looking down at something, it’s a way that I can share my own perspective.

Are you an illustrator or a graphic designer? I get really insecure whenever I have to talk about art stuff, because I have no formal training.

When I was going to college, I was trying to decide between the visual art route or the musical art route. I chose music.

All through college I was solely focused on singing and performing. Now, I do make art and sell art.

ELIZABETH BROOKS PHOTOGRAPHY

beautiful. You just feel so good when you’re there. You can feel the warmth of all the people who are working there. It’s a really good I’d say you can very legitimately spot to take photos for Instagram. call yourself an artist. Thank I just recently went to the opening you. of Redemption Rock Brewery and I loved it. Everything is so thoughtBut you must have developed ful. You can tell that the owner some business acumen as the thought about all the decisions manager of a retail store. What that went into the design, but also have you learned? A great deal of The first thing I bought from the product is really good. I can’t Worcester Wares was a coloring thought has to go into every single What is next for you personally wait for the summertime, because thing that we do here. I don’t mean as an artist? I’m hoping to keep book you designed. Where did they have a big garage door there. you get the idea to do that? The that there’s no flexibility because Bancroft Tower has always been expanding and defining a certain there definitely is. But even when idea for the coloring book hapone of my favorite places to visit. style. I think it’d be really cool to we’re thinking about putting out pened with the owner of WorcesI remember the first time I found work on another big project, like a new design, we have to consider the coloring book, that draws on ter Wares, Jess Walsh, because it, I was like, “Why is this here?” questions like: “What’s the best we were already collaborating Same thing with Elm Park. I think my background in education. I day of the week to release this on designs for the store. I met Bancroft Tower and Elm Park have a lot of passion for creating design? Is it the right season? her through Instagram, too. As things that are accessible to youth. will always be special, because How can we market it to people?” somebody who really likes black they were early discoveries in the and white line drawing, I thought, I don’t have any professional city when I first fell in love with When you’re not on the clock “Oh, my gosh, I would love to make marketing experience, but I think and you’re just out and about Worcester. a coloring book.’” Coloring is really I’ve learned a lot from paying enjoying yourself, where do attention to how people respond. stress relieving. Working on it – Sarah Connell you like to go? Seed to Stem is Business and 2019 is all about Inswas kind of like a passion project tagram and social media. We have noticed there is a direct correlation between putting something on social media and the sales of a certain item, which is great. One thing that’s been really helpful is opening up the online store, because how else do you compete with Amazon? It’s funny, most of our online sales come from people in Worcester.

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Your comprehensive guide to SPRING ARTS in Worcester County. Coming March 21.

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