Worcester Magazine March 11 - 17, 2022 by Worcester Magazine

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | CULTURE § ARTS § DINING § VOICES

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IN THIS ISSUE

Worcester Magazine 100 Front St., Fifth Floor Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial (508) 767.9535 WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales (508) 767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com VP, Sales & Strategy Andrew Chernoff Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Veer Mudambi Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Robert Duguay, Liz Fay, Jason Greenough, Janice Harvey, Barbara Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Craig S. Semon, Matthew Tota Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Kate Carr, Diane Galipeau, Sammi Iacovone, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Regina Stillings Sales Support Jackie Buck, Yanet Ramirez Senior Operations Manager Gary Barth Operations Manager John Cofske Worcester Magazine is a news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. The Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement. Legals/Public Notices please call 888-254-3466, email classifieds@gatehousemedia.com, or mail to Central Mass Classifieds, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 Distribution Worcester Magazine is inserted into the Telegram & Gazette on Fridays and is also available for free at more than 400 locations in the Worcester area. Unauthorized bulk removal of Worcester Magazine from any public location, or any other tampering with Worcester Magazine’s distribution including unauthorized inserts, is a criminal offense and may be prosecuted under the law. Subscriptions First class mail, $156 for one year. Send orders and subscription correspondence to GateHouse Media, 100 Front St., Worcester, MA 01608. Advertising To place an order for display advertising or to inquire, please call (508) 767.9530. Worcester Magazine (ISSN 0191-4960) is a weekly publication of Gannett. All contents copyright 2021 by Gannett. All rights reserved. Worcester Magazine is not liable for typographical errors in advertisements.

Featured ..............................................................................4 City Voices ........................................................................12 Cover Story.......................................................................14 Adoption Option.............................................................24 Games................................................................................26 Last Call.............................................................................27

On the cover Yann Falquet & Pascal Gemme are set to perform as part of “GBH presents A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn with Brian O’Donovan.” PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM RICE; PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL VAN BLANKENSHIP/USA TODAY NETWORK; AND GETTY IMAGES

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FEATURED

Students learn STEM through app building to Minecraft at Code Wiz Monica Sager Special to Worcester Telegram & Gazette USA TODAY NETWORK

Cousins Avintha and Nihitha are hoping to build a mental health app to support their community, speciﬁ cally driving the technology toward high school students and teenagers. The high schoolers, who are a part of the technologically-focused Code Wiz of Westborough, realized that with the stress of the pandemic in addition to their own mental illnesses – there is a need for such support. “They decided they want to help their community because they did a lot of research and found there’s not any mental health apps speciﬁ cally targeted to teenagers,” Code Wiz Director Madison Ducote said. “They’re normally for everybody or targeted to adults.” Avintha and Nihitha will present their creations and work through Code Wiz at Technovation Girls, a competition for girls around the world to learn and apply technology to real-world situations. while one is working remotely from Texas, Code Wiz, which has locations across Massachusetts and in New Jersey, allows children to expand on their interests in robotics, technology, game development, and programming through classes. “I’m just so happy with these two very, very smart, driven high school students,” Ducote said. “We meet with them twice

One Code Wiz student made a robot that can identify Pokémon cards.

The Westborough branch of Code Wiz encourages students to strengthen their team building and problem solving skills. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

a week. They’re so driven and they want to help their community, and I love that they’re taking these themes and concepts and helping out the community.” The Westborough branch of Code Wiz, which opened right before the onset of the pandemic, encourages all of its students to strengthen their team building and problem solving skills as they work both collectively and individually on projects. “One of our students made a PokeDeck,” Ducote said. “He made a robot that when you put a picture in a slot, it could identify what Pokemon it was and

give a description of it.” Students complete projects in hopes that their work may later lead to world-changing technologies. Coaches are trained for the specifi c courses they teach. “A lot of times they get to come in and they say what they want to do today,” Ducote said. “The coach fi gures out how to let the student dictate the class even though the coach is still having them hit those curriculum points.” Ducote added that the skills the students are inevitably learning are transferable into other fi elds and areas within the kids’ lives.

The Westborough Code Wiz branch plans to compete in more robotics competitions, specifi cally the First LEGO League, a competition meant to introduce the STEM fi eld to kids between the ages of 4 and 16 through hands-on real world problem-solving experiences. Four students recently competed at the organization’s fi rst excursion to First LEGO League. They worked together for four months to build a robot that would go through obstacles. Ducote said they also had to present a project. “It was a lot of fun,” Ducote said. “We’ll be doing that every year … We’d love to enter as

many competitions as we could. It’s so fun to see the students so motivated and see them excel in the competitions.” Students become so engaged and immersed in the programs. Some, such as Ari Johnson have gone on to now become coaches for other students. Johnson originally started as a student at Code Wiz in 2018. He joined the branch in Westford, where he is from, to expand on his passion for gaming. “I wanted to make video games,” Johnson said. “I started to learn Java and then Unity, which is like a big gaming software.” See CODE WIZ, Page 6D

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All That Remains is set to perform at the Palladium. PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

All That Remains brings ‘Fall of Ideals’ 15th anniversary show to Palladium one of the biggest metal bands to ever come out of MassachuUSA TODAY NETWORK setts. They’ve sold millions of records, toured all over the world and have a dedicated folSince their beginnings in lowing both in their home reSpringﬁ eld during the late ‘90s, gion of New England and way All That Remains have become beyond their original footprint. Robert Duguay

Special to Worcester Magazine

Their blend of hard-core, heavy metal and hard rock is versatile and malleable with an intense vibe ﬂ owing through every song. In celebration of the 15th anniversary of their third album, “The Fall Of Ideals,” All That

Remains are going to be taking the stage at The Palladium on 261 Main Street in Worcester on March 12. Pennsylvania metalcore act Tallah, fellow Pennsylvania punks Varials and Troy, Ohio, thrashers Miss May I will be opening things up.

Led by lead vocalist Philip Labonte, who is the current sole original member of the band, All That Remains started out during a special time in the Massachusetts metal and See ANNIVERSARY, Page 6

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Anniversary Continued from Page 5D

The Westborough Code Wiz branch plans to compete in more robotics competitions, speciﬁ cally the First LEGO League. SUBMITTED

Code Wiz Continued from Page 4D

At 13 years old, Johnson started volunteering, and now, at just 14 years old, Johnson is a mentor at the Westborough branch of Code Wiz. “Code Wiz was really helpful for me in learning how to code,” Johnson said. “I wanted to be able to help other kids learn too.” Johnson teaches remotely, but students can still interact with diff erent visual coding and game programming courses as they complete creative and independent projects. Sometimes the classes are one-on-one, but more often there is a group of students, over their computers, working with Johnson. He has each student share their screen so that they can show what they’re working on but also brainstorm and work together. He teaches Roblox, which allows users to create their own games, as well as Minecraft, a 3D video game where players choose how they’d like to play the game. “Kids still love Minecraft. It’s kind of an ageless game,” Johnson said. “Anyone can like Minecraft. It remains so popular for so long.” Johnson said that Minecraft was the game that inspired him to get into coding. “Seeing their eyes light up for when something works for the fi rst time or when they’ve been doing all of this work and working through all of these problems or they’ve been working on a problem and then all of a sudden fi gure it out,” Ducote said, “that’s just the absolute best.” With the virtual option, the Westborough branch of Code Wiz has been able to host students from across the country. On Tuesdays, classes are off ered online. Wednesdays are in person at 30 Lyman St. in Westborough. To sign up for classes, visit https://thecodewiz.com/westborough-ma.

hardcore scene. They were coming up with the likes of Labonte’s former band, Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, Unearth, Diecast, Converge and many others. This amount of talented acts in a concentrated area made for a memorable era during the late ‘90s and early 2000s. “There was a little bit of the idea that we might be doing something special and when I say ‘we,’ I don’t specifi cally mean All That Remains, I mean people that were going to shows in that time frame,” Labonte refl ects. “They’re people who are no longer in bands that did their turn with their band and went on to do other things and stuff . But at the time, in Western Massachusetts, we kind of messed around with the thought that maybe New England is to metal what Seattle was to the grunge scene. We didn’t know how big it was going to get. We didn’t think that we had the next Metallica, but we knew that there was something special about the music scene that was happening. It was cool, it was very energetic and there were a lot of shows all the time. Wherever Scott Lee went, that’s where the shows kind of were because he was such a key fi gure as a promoter of metal shows and stuff .” “It was a really cool, special time to have all those talented people and people like Scott working behind the scenes to put together a scene that allowed for bands to display their talent on a national level,” he adds. Labonte has a wide range of musical infl uences he brings to the band such as ‘80s glam metal, death metal acts like Cannibal Corpse & Grave and even pop star Justin Timberlake. When it comes to working on new material with bassist Matt Deis, rhythm guitarist Mike Martin, drummer Jason Costa and lead guitarist Jason Richardson, they all approach it with an open mind while expanding what they can do within their genre of music. “A lot of it is vibe, a lot of it is, ‘Hey, do you want to do a song like that?’ and we would be like ‘Yeah, cool’ or ‘no,’” he says. “Very rarely do we say no, it’s not something that’s really in our repertoire as musicians and as a band. We kind of know we’re going to be a heavy metal band, then we can mess around with what that is and how far away from that we can go. When it comes to writing stuff , we just want to create music that people dig and remember. It’s the kind of stuff that hits people and stays with them. “We try not to approach writing as a competition so much as writing in a way that’s going to get people’s toes tapping, their head bobbing, which lyrics are going to stay with them and what melodies are they going to walk away with and still be humming later,” Labonte says. “Some people say that it’s bad when bands rely on hooks, but hooks aren’t just vocal hooks. A cool breakdown is cool

because of the hook, everyone from Western Massachusetts knows the Unearth riff because it’s the hook so we just try to make hooks that people are going to love and get connected to.” While performing on stage, Labonte often likes to get close to the audience and feeds off their energy. With that approach, he also likes to gauge how the people are reacting to All That Remains’ music in a live setting before planning a course of action. “It all depends on the crowd,” he says. “If they’re a singing crowd — and you can tell a singing crowd from other types of crowds — I’ll get down there and I’ll sing with them. If they’re a moshing crowd or a crowd-surfi ng crowd, I’m probably not going to get down there because I don’t want to get kicked in the face. I retired from the pit a long time ago so yeah if they’re singing a lot, I love getting down there so we can sing together. That’s literally my favorite thing to do when it comes to being in a band, playing shows. “If they’re crowd surfi ng and stuff then I’m super happy they’re having a good time but I want to stay on stage and not get kicked in the face,” Labonte adds. “I like having my teeth.” It’s been a few years since All That Remains released its most recent album, “Victim of the New Disease,” back in 2018. This year the band hopes to release some new music, and going forward they plan on changing up how they do releases and business as a whole to keep up with current industry trends. “We are working on new music and we’ve got demos that we’ve been working on, we’re working with Dan Laskiewicz again and he’s also the new singer of Bad Wolves now,” Labonte says about possibly releasing a new album in 2022. “There’s other people we want to work with to fi nish writing these songs and Dan’s schedule has been crazy, to be accurate, because of being in Bad Wolves and producing our record so we hope we can get it out this year even though I’m not 100% sure. One of the good things is that even if the record doesn’t come out this year, it’s the last one we have with our current label and we’re changing our whole business model afterwards. I don’t see the point in releasing entire records anymore every couple of years, I want to release a new single every two weeks or every other month or something like that and control our releases. I also want it to be a little more consistent as opposed to putting out a record, going on tour and then not doing anything for six months or whatever. “I’d much prefer a release schedule that’s more consistent,” he adds. “We’ll see what the future brings but we hope to have a record out this year. If not, early next year but there’s a lot of stuff we have planned right now. We’re building a content studio in Chicopee so we can produce streams on Twitch and YouTube content as part of changing the business model from releasing records every two years to doing more consistent releases.”

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Despite COVID-19 challenges, Great Stories is on the rise Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Comics and hobby store Great Stories Inc., formerly of Uxbridge and now of Whitinsville, came out of the pandemic stronger than ever, expanding to a new bigger space and gathering a larger customer base. While many small businesses became economic casualties of the pandemic, that was not the case for Great Stories. “Coming out of the COVID restrictions, our numbers just exploded in early 2021,” said owner Christopher Mills. At ﬁ rst Mills and his team thought it was an aberration — with customers just excited to be out and about again. “But it kind of sustained itself through the whole year,” he said. As it became clear this was the new

normal by the end of 2021, they realized the shop’s 1,600-square-foot location in Uxbridge was not big enough to accommodate the rapidly expanding community. So, they began the hunt for new digs toward the end of the year in November. Sitting comfortably at their present 5,000 square feet, Great Stories Inc. is now positioned to use its newfound space to become not only a store but a community hub as in-person events make a comeback. “As we get settled, we will launch more tournaments and regather our community,” said Mills. Card table seats have tripled to 90 — making space for about 45 games — along with six tables for miniature gaming. Most comics stores eventually expand into the games and hobby sector See STORIES, Page 11D

A wide selection of Marvel, DC and other comics GREAT STORIES COMICS AND GAMING

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Along comes (Poison) Mary: ‘Batwoman’s’ Nicole Kang to appear at Northeast Comic Con Craig S. Semon Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

As loyal fans of The CW series “Batwoman” know, Nicole Kang plays Dr. Mary Hamilton, who makes it her mission in life to provide aid to Gotham City’s underserved communities. After she discovers the identity of Batwoman, Hamilton joins her crusade and becomes a key and crucial (but often undervalued and ignored) member of the Bat Team. In season three, which just wrapped up on March 2, Mary, who seemed destined for superhero grooming, was pricked by one of Poison Ivy’s vines that caused her to be corrupted and become a new Poison Ivy (referred to as Poison Mary) when exposed to sunlight. After Batwoman’s attempts to cure her fails, Mary went full-fl edged Uma Thurman supervillain, sporting a sexy green outfi t with a constricting corset, long red hair and a killer connection with one of Gotham’s most infamous femme fatales, as well as the forces of nature. Kang — who is one of the celebrity guest Friday through Sunday, March 1113, at the NorthEast Comic Con Collectible Extravaganza in Boxborough — was absolutely fl oored when she found out that her “Batwoman” character was slated for a nefarious transformation as Poison Ivy/Pamela Isley’s protegee Poison Mary. The daughter of Korean immigrants and MIT graduates, Kang was born in Boston and grew up in Lexington before the family packed up their belongings and moved to Virginia when she was 7. “It was a tough house, being the dumbest one in the family,” Kang jokes. In her adult life, Kang, who has been living in Los Angeles for only the last month and a half, was living in Canada during the fi lming of “Batwoman” the last few years. Prior to that, she called New York her home, so much so that she considers the New York Knicks to be her sports team. At least she didn’t say the Yankees. If she did, I would have cut the conversation short. Kang — who is very articulate, per-

sonable and passionate about her craft — has an infectious personality and likable demeanor that instantly draws you in whether you know the diff erence between Bruce Wayne and Wayne Brady or have ever seen an episode of “Batwoman.” After the initial shock of the plot twist that turned her socially conscience and caring character into a botanical badass and the femme fatale equivalent to a bouquet of razor blades, Kang — a New York University BFAtrained actress and a Helen Hayes Award recipient for “Sense and Sensibility” — couldn’t help but think about one of her acting heroes, Uma Thurman, who played Poison Ivy in 1994’s “Batman & Robin.” “I was like, are you sure? Me? How? I had a lot of questions about the function of it, like that doesn’t make sense? That hasn’t been done before because I am not Pamela Isley,” Kang recalled. “My favorite movie of all time is ‘Kill Bill.’ Uma Thurman to me is a great and I have her Poison Ivy version in my head and I really couldn’t believe it.” But, at the same time, Kang points out her Poison Mary is so diff erent than Thurman’s Poison Ivy. “I’m a host. Poison Ivy is a plant. You get bitten. So I’m just it’s new host. So how it’s going to manifest through Mary Hamilton is a diff erent way than it’s going to manifest through Pamela Isley, who’s a scientist,” Kang explained. “And I feel that Mary Hamilton was the perfect host because she was vulnerable. She was overlooked. And she has a huge heart for advocating for those who can’t advocate for themselves. Oh my gosh, plants. Mother Nature, she can’t speak for herself. It’s like the perfect match and I feel like Poison Ivy was searching for her. So, in a way, it releases me from having to be derivative, having to copy anything of Uma Thurman’s version of Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy.” Still, Kang is such a big Uma Thurman fan that her dream job would be cast as Lucy Lui’s daughter in the often rumored but far from being green-lighted “Kill Bill Vol. 3,” in which the daughter of Vivica A. Fox’s character, Vernita Green, sets out to avenge her mother’s death by killing Uma Thurman’s Beatrix

Nicole Kang, who was transformed from Dr. Mary Hamilton into the supervillain Poison Mary on “Batwoman” this season, is one of the guests at the NorthEast Comic Con Collectible Extravaganza in Boxborough March 11-13. JUSTINA MINTZ/THE CW

Kiddo, aka “The Bride.” “I could deﬁ nitely be Lucy Liu’s kid,” Kang enthusiastically said, “Yeah, Let’s go!” Kang said Batman is her favorite comic book superhero of all time because it’s the one that she and her father bonded over when she was a kid. She said she has fond memories of family movie night on Fridays and watching various incarnations of Batman with her dad. When she saw herself in the mirror in

her Poison Mary costume for the ﬁ rst time, Kang said her ﬁ rst reaction was “Where are my ribs?” Then she got emotional. “I was stunned,” Kang said. “It wasn’t me. It felt like an-out-of-body experience.” As for her character’s backstory and the original source material, Kang insists that nobody can come up to her and tell her that they know more about See KANG, Page 9D

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Kang Continued from Page 8D

Poison Ivy than she does. “I do my homework. I feel that comes through and that’s why she was really well received. I was really nervous because it’s for the fans. It’s for the fandom. Everything is,” Kang said. “My favorite part is this immediate relationship with this fan base. And they know. They can smell it if your performance is grounded into what exists or if it’s formula or if it feels right to the character or if it’s not.” Although Mary Hamilton’s transformation into Poison Mary is all make-believe, Kang can’t help imagining the magnitude of having her super powers and having control of all of Mother Nature. “You know how the trees communicate with each other through their roots? I imagine that this Earth is her brain. And she can communicate with all of it,” Kang said. “I don’t know if I would want power that great. With great power comes great responsibility, I suppose (Wrong universe). But I think about that and how the power runs through her veins and transformed her body were some of my favorite parts.” On “Batwoman,” Bridget Regan — who plays Pamela Isley (whose nefarious alter-ego is “Poison Ivy”) — became a mother ﬁ gure for Kang, she said. “I called her Mama Poison,” Kang said of Regan. “She’s really lovely and generous as an actor and I’m always amazed by people’s kindness. And she stepped in and her performance made me feel supported. She has a way of being so present and having this huge presence while also reminding you that I’m here to support your story and be, like, I’ve seen what you’ve done and you’re incredible and then she asks me what is the nature of your Poison Ivy? (And I told her) ‘When I strangle someone in roots that’s from below the ground. When I get vines, I pull them down from above.’ And she’s like, cool and we both agreed on the physicality and she really was, like, I want to learn ... And when somebody comes in like that, you have that opportunity to create something even larger than one person.” Episode 10, which was titled “Toxic,” is Kang’s favorite episode for the entire season. “It’s epic. It’s large scale. We spent the most money on it, actually, with all the CGI and all the locations. We went to

Nicole Kang as Dr. Mary Hamilton on “Batwoman.” FRANK OCKENFELS 3/THE CW

a dam,” Kang said. “Looking down at a dam and you’re on a bridge is the scariest but most exhilarating feeling in the world. It was undeniable the power of nature.” As for playing an Asian villain that isn’t two-dimensional or a bad racial stereotype, Kang says, “It feels like it’s time.” “Mary Hamilton is undeniably an Asian woman living in Gotham City. That’s going to inform her and her life and feeling overlooked, feeling like an outsider, we accept that as the audience,” Kang said. “There are a lot of communities that I would like to see represented in this scene because it’s time.” Kang said she loves how her “Batwoman” character has developed over three seasons. “I feel Mary Hamilton’s story has been developing since day one, planting those seeds of Mary always wanting to be loved, always feeling overlooked, never being chosen, still doing the right thing, always trying, trying, trying, losing a parent, losing another parent, having a step-sister that’s a villain and having a step-sister that disappears but is her hero, then readjusting to this new person who she takes in and recognizes herself in, and they become really close,” Kang explained. “And, meanwhile, she’s in her life. She’s graduating med school. Things go wrong. The Mad Hatter takes over and suddenly her step-sister, who’s a villain, they have never been closer because they’re all each other have in the world. What a great social experiment. It’s what we wanted to see.” Kang said she caught the acting bug because she always felt like an outsider. “I grew up in Virginia, for the most part, and I felt like I was always observing because I was always so diﬀ erent

than everybody else. So I was raised in this country as an outsider in a place where I didn’t really see people who looked like me and then I love stories,” Kang recalled. “I love storytelling and I would ﬁ nd any way to do it. I love performing, I would sing. I would dance. I would act … I love characters. I would try out accents. I’m an annoying person to watch a movie with because I’m always repeating (the lines) after them (the actors). It’s almost like I want to try it out in my own mouth, in my own brain. And I was always like that … Now looking back, it seems like acting was the only career choice I have really.” Kang credits Heather Anderson Boll — a visiting professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio that Kang met in her freshman year when she was studying accounting — for changing her life. “One day, she (Boll) said, ‘You know, you are allowed to want to do this (acting) as your job. It doesn’t just have to be something that you do for fun.’ And that really blew my mind. I never considered it,” Kang said. “I went to New York and the rest is history. I think, if I’m really speciﬁ c, my love of acting happened before I was even aware of what that was.” Seeing the premiere of “The Batman”

the other night in New York, Kang said she would love it if her Poison Ivy-inspired Poison Mary character would cross over into the Robert Pattinson universe. “I would love to team up with Zoë (Zoë Kravitz, who plays Catwoman) and make something happen,” Kang said. “And, Rob, I think is an incredible actor and an incredible artist. I love his journey. I would love to get in the ring a little bit, throw a couple of punches, see what happens.” “Batwoman” just wrapped up its third season on the CW. The show is on hiatus with the cast and crew waiting to see if they get the order for another season. “As for Mary Hamilton’s future, I hope there is one and I’m ready to take it on,” Kang said. “I love the time that we can take to reﬂ ect back on her huge journey that just ended a few days ago with the last moment in her journey thus far.” The NorthEast Comic Con and Collectible Extravaganza features celebrity guests Nicole Kang, Tara Reid, John Wesley Shipp, Vernon Wells, Candy Clark, The Harp Twins, as well as many comic book artists and writers and vendors. For ticket information, log on to https://necomiccons.com/ticket-page/.

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10 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

REFLECTING CURRENT ANXIETIES

ArtsWorcester announces 18th Annual College Show winners Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

A squid climbing out of a park fountain. A seven-foot-long mural of endangered animals on parade. A beautiful portrait painted over literal trash. The artworks on display in ArtsWorcester’s 18th Annual College Show are at once eclectic and unifi ed in their message. “The diversity of media and subjects were exciting, and many works approached our current anxieties in varied and surprising ways,” said Jessica Roscio, director and curator of the Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University and this year’s guest juror. Every year, students from colleges in the Worcester area submit their work to be displayed online by the organization and be evaluated by the guest juror, who picks four prize winners. This year, the winning pieces will also be on display at the ArtsWorcester gallery at 44 Portland St. Wynne Dromey, a freshman at Clark University, was initially concerned she would not have time to paint at school. These worries proved unfounded however, when a few weeks into her fi rst semester, she began work on her prizewinning piece, “Place of Repose,” on the fl oor of her dorm room. “Back at home, I would always paint in my room on the fl oor,” said Dromey, “so I’m used to painting in non-studio spaces.” Her roommate, she said, generally took it in stride and enjoyed seeing the process. “Place of Repose,” a portrait of Dromey’s cousin, is acrylic paint and mixed media on canvas, with the mixed media being recycled paper and food wrappers. “It gives the items a second life,” she explained, and is a way to incorporate a message of sustainability into her art. “Now whenever I have small trash pieces like receipts, chip bags or clothing tags, I think, I can throw it away … or I can paint with it.” Dromey’s previous work focused solely on color. However now that color can be enhanced by the unique texture — through the material pasted on the canvas and the extra layers of paint.

“Flying Glitter,” by Mariam Soas, College of the Holy Cross, 2022, Neuroscience. Archival inkjet print, 9” x 12.5”, 2021 - Prize winner

“Fragments of Myself,” by Shea O’Scannlain College of The Holy Cross, 2022, English and Studio Art. Oil paint on masonite, 48” x 72”, 2021 - Prize winner.

“Fragments of Myself,” by Shea O’Scannlain, Holy Cross ‘22, one of the other four prize winners, also uses mixed media, though of a slightly more traditional sort — combining oil painting and a photo collage of the artist. The piece, as explained by the artist in her accompanying write-up, “attempts to get viewers to consider how we remember small moments and the ways they are blurred, fragmented or broken down with time.” The photos are, as the name suggests, fragmented — an eye there, a smiling mouth here, a hand in the center. To Roscio, both Fragments and Repose are similar in that they take a classic medium — acrylics and oils — and combine them with mixed media, or “through the manipulation of form they

“Procession for the White Rhino,” by Jori Dudzikowski, Clark University, 2021, Studio Art & Art History. Mixed media on cloth (gouache, acrylic, oil pastel, colored pencil), 87” x 32”, 2021 - Prize winner ARTSWORCESTER PHOTOS

make traditional, contemporary.” What’s old is new seems to be a common theme in the last few years, but these pieces are far more interesting than any reboot. “Procession for the White Rhino” by Juri Dudzikowski, Clark ‘21, was the biggest winner — literally — measuring over seven feet long. Inspired by her lifelong love of nature, the mural is painted on cloth and depicts numerous endangered species, including the eponymous rhino. Dudzikowski stated it was a memorial to these animals that have been tragically failed. “Artists have an absolute responsibility to be political,” she said in her written statement, and the work represents the erosion of the natural world through how the piece itself will degrade and break down over time. “Flying Glitter” by Mariam Soas, Holy Cross ‘22, was the one full photography piece of the four winners, depicting a woman blowing glitter at the camera. On ﬁ rst glance, it seems to be a fairly uplifting piece, but the artist’s write-up draws attention to the illustrated irony. Through the subject’s red rimmed eyes and unenthused expression, the image is a literal portrayal of covering up our inner turmoil and sadness with a happy facade. “Mini-mart,” by Clark University senior Nadia Sostek, an honorable mention, uses a mix of wood and polymer clay to create a miniature farmer s market with surprisingly (given its size and material)

appetizing produce. Fruits, vegetables, cheese, bread and even poultry are all on off er. “Most people, when they work with polymer clay, it’s more cutesy than artistic,” said Sostek, describing how other works she’s seen add little eyes or make it bright pink. “Which is great,” she added, “but I try to get it as close to the real thing as I possibly can.” To achieve this, Sostek says, more than half her time on the project was spent mixing colors to get the perfect fi t for each food item. “The translucent glaze was my secret weapon,” she said with a laugh. “Especially for the chicken to get that shiny, raw meat look.” Though she made the submission as part of a class assignment, Sostek says that she doesn’t consider it complete and after a break, she plans to come back to the project to add further accents like staining the wood and plexiglass for the food displays. “Unexpected,” also an honorable mention, is a title that doesn’t give much away. The pastel painting by Evelyn Kitchen, a senior at Assumption University, depicts a giant squid making its way out of a park fountain on a sunny day. The absurd, yet terrifying, image is fi tting analogy to our current times. “It perfectly sums up how I am feeling now,” said Roscio. “I have no idea what is coming next, but it will likely not be anything I could have imagined.” Check out the online gallery at www.artsworcester.org.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | 11

Owner Chris Mills in front of a portion of the store’s extensive comic collection.

Stories

With its increased space, Great Stories can offer far more seating for gaming events. GREAT STORIES COMICS AND GAMING PHOTOS

Continued from Page 7D

since comics draw in a large portion of tabletop and card gamers, and in fact the same franchises can straddle both markets. Marvel comic characters can now be collected and painted as detailed miniatures in Marvel Crisis Protocol. “Star Wars” holds multiple comic series, and its Legion tabletop game has a large following. More often than not, when selling tabletop minis (Warhammer, Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars Legion) or trading card packs (Yu-GiOh, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering), it helps to give your customers a place to play with them. Community members are already making use of the vastly increased space, booking the tables for tournaments and hobby nights at the store and fi nding it much easier to do so. “The new location is great,” said Rob Fossey, who is currently organizing a game night. “Wide open space for gaming with plenty of room for social-distancing and lots of hobbyists. You really can’t ask for a better FLGS (Friendly Local Gaming Store).” Like many great stories, Great Stories follows a formula. “Comics is where it started for us,” said Mills, when the store fi rst opened in 2015. Whitinsville is actually the fourth location — the fi rst three being in Uxbridge. Beginning with only 400 square feet, the store moved two years later to a space double that

size next to the Uxbridge Public Library. Like this most recent move, community interest necessitated further expansion. “When we started doing bigger tournaments there, it was clear that a 400 to 800 move was not really that substantial,” Mills recalled, as they often had to rent space for larger events. After only 11 months they moved to the location they occupied for the last three years. Mills and his wife had hoped to remain in Uxbridge but agreed that a massive space in the next town over was too good to pass up. The new location is still in what Mills calls a “soft opening” despite having been open for business since January, as they settle into the new space. “The grand reopening ad campaign is still to come,” he said. “The problem with any move is communicating with the customer base through various platforms since not everyone follows the same social media.” In the meantime, while the store may have survived COVID, the supply chain issues aﬀ ected the means of acquiring even structural materials like gridwall, shelving, display cabinets. As Mills quipped, “you want it to look professional, not hodgepodge it.” He did however have plenty of wellwishers and helpers, both from staﬀ and community as people pitched in with their skills to make his vision a reality.

Trading card games range from Yu-Gi-Oh to Magic: The Gathering.

From as basic a thing as moving boxes to helping with construction projects, people with diﬀ erent kinds of expertise showed up. “What we’ve built, not just my wife and I, has happened because the community has been in lockstep with us.” Customer and tournament organizer Matt Pearson was taken with how inviting the new space seemed. “I have not hosted events here before, but I think

the new location will work very well for them. Plenty of space for all the diff erent kinds of gaming they want to do.” Over the last few months, Mills has been focused on improvements to show off . They closed the old location on Dec. 12 and opened on Jan. 8 in the new one. “We’re still not at full capacity in terms of projects and features, but we will be off ering more and more services as we go.”

12 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CITY VOICES LANDGREN: GAS PRICES ON THE RISE

BAD ADVICE

FIRST PERSON

The best way to learn the identity of the dog misbehaving near your car is to inﬁ ltrate the pack at a dog park. DAISY CREAGER/EXAMINER-ENTERPRISE

In the ﬁ rst morning session, when the artists had gathered to record Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” timpani player Cliff Kersing announced he had second thoughts about playing on a song that celebrated hook-up culture. GERD ALTMANN

Dog owner not cleaning up after his pooch Shaun Connolly

The highly unlikely tale of ‘Classical Pop’ Mark Wagner Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

When the Pining Bluﬀ s Symphony Orchestra arrived in Muscle Man Sound Studios to record a series of songs under the moniker “Classical

Pop” for the streaming service Bubblegoose, expectations were high. Jesyaka Pawlaski, the violinist who has brought audiences to their feet in Des Moines, had now a ﬁ rm grip on ﬁ rst position. And the symSee CLASSICAL POP, Page 13

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

DEAR SHAUN: I live in an apartment building where there are few spots to let your dogs relieve themselves. One popular spot is a grassy area next to the building’s parking lot. We have designated spots and mine is next to this grassy area. For the most part my neighbors do a nice job cleaning up after the dogs. However, at least once a week there is a

mess made by a dog quite close to where I get into my car. Not often, but often enough, I have stepped in that mess. I don’t know the dog or the owner that is doing this, but how can I get a clean path to my car in the future? — In Deep Dog Doo DEAR DOG DOO: This is tough because you do not know the oﬀ ender. I suggest you do some recon. Start hanging around dog parks, sniﬀ a couple butts, shake a couple of tails, interrupt someone’s game of fetch if you have to.

You need to become one of them, earn their trust. You have to make them believe you’re a dog and that they can talk to you. Once you are on the inside casually talk about your favorite spots to sniﬀ . That can lead into trading of stories of times of where you went and what happened. You can casually bring up a story about how you peed on a woman’s shoes in Boston and she petted your See BAD ADVICE, Page 13D

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | 13

Classical pop

In the first morning session, when the

Continued from Page 12D

artists had gathered to record

phony, having survived years of fi nancial struggles, anticipated progress on its endowment. The union had deferred compensation and the proceeds of this venture — in the fi ve fi gures — would secure years of classical music for midstate. In the fi rst morning session, when the artists had gathered to record Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” timpani player Cliff Kersing announced he had second thoughts about playing on a song that celebrated hook-up culture. Cutting the timpani part alleviated this challenge and a passable version of the anthem was captured. In the late morning sessions, as conductor Sergie Flywing assembled his changes to nail down Def Leopard’s, “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” the woodwind section, who had missed the rehearsals, staged a not so silent protest by deliberately missing their entrees. The ensuing confusion included language such as “sophomoric (expletive)”

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,”

Bad advice Continued from Page 12D

head anyways because she was a very forgiving human. They will not believe you at fi rst. “Surely, you were given the shame tone.” “They must have even balled up their fi st and yelled, ‘no!’” And you will tell them, “no.” You say that you have perfect empathy eyes, you have fi gured out the perfect angle to crimp your ears and tilt your head. They’ll ask you to prove it, they’ll ask you to go over and pee on a woman’s shoes. This will be tough for you, because while you have fi gured out how to infi ltrate and convince a bunch of dogs you are a dog, humans will still see you as a person. But you have to do this, you need to fi gure out who is letting loose near your car. So you go over to a woman at the dog park on all fours and you lift your leg like a dog does. You do this with your back to the other dogs. As you do this, you whisper to the woman that you are puppy training and you are showing the dog how to do it. She giggles. The dogs are in awe. When you come back they bark and yip and wag their tails.

timpani player Cliff Kersing announced he had second thoughts about playing on a song that celebrated hook-up culture.

and “absolute slop,” which strained what had long been a civil tone in most artistic disagreements. In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before Samantha Jacuzzi, known for outspokenness, and whose children had gone through addiction and recovery, protested making light of sexual promiscuity and drug use in Oasis’s “Sally Can Wait.” She wondered aloud why The Carpenter’s “On Top of the World” was not on the playlist. Oliver – Oli – Jack, the union steward, reminded all that they had rehearsed, and in any event new song rights would require weeks. Close to noon, Mr. Flywing made the

The next day at the park, the dogs all notice you and run to you. They revere you. You ask if anyone has ever taken a deuce right in front of a car. They all say they have at least once at some point. But one barks that they have a spot they like to go to in the morning in front of a car that looks a lot like a car that you own. You ask the dog who their owner is and you chase the dog over to the owner. This is where you have to break character. Despite making a bunch of new friends that are dogs, you have to betray them now. And you confront the owner and ask why they haven’t been picking up the poop in front of your car. And they say it’s so early in the morning they always forget bags. And then you say no problem, I will set up a little dog bag carrier near my car for you. And then you shake hands and the dogs are jealous that they don’t have hands in this moment to share in this little slice of humanity. Please let me know if this doesn’t work, because I will be very, very surprised. Worcester comedian Shaun Connolly provides readers bad advice in his weekly column. Send your questions to woocomedyweek@gmail.com.

astute observation that the pandemic, travel and the care for the delicate instruments had brought on stresses; a lunch break was in order as he consulted with union rep Mr. Jack. On return from lunch, it became clear the fragile love aﬀ air between Jesyka and Tom Bafaro, who usually sang lead tenor, but was sitting in on triangle, had reached an end. In tears, Jesyka took her place, while Tom – in good voice — stood on a chair, dressed in the Full Cleveland, and began to sing “I Will Always Love You,” at which point Jesyka required intervention and was removed from Concertmaster’s Chair. As might have been predicted, during the lunchbreak, the local crew had introduced the brass players to African Dreamland, an iconic rib and beer place in the woods outside of town made famous by The Rolling Stones. The entire brass section returned, in the words of trombonist Francis Nordman, “ready to hit and quit it on The One.” When Mr. Flywing canceled the early afternoon session to attend to Ms. Pawlaski, the brass began second lining around the studio, managing to snap the audio snake, which would require some re-

pair. Undeterred, Mr. Flywing and Mr. Jack gathered all for the late afternoon session to record Katy Perry’s “Firework.” During warmup, attorneys for Journey sent a cease and desist letter and threat of a lawsuit. Unbeknownst to all, Muscle Man Studios had livestreamed the morning session. With “Firework” postponed, at the end of the day, union head Oli Jack reminded all that they had faced hardships before, that the evening was free, and all would gather at 9:30 the next morning to record, as rehearsed, Radiohead’s “Creep.” In one of the happiest endings anyone could recall, the evening produced its own unusual sight: Jesyka and Tom had reconciled and were seen dancing under a streetlight on the corner of Main and Sheﬃ eld, as the The Pine Bluﬀ s Orchestra Brass Section played an adagio version of The Ramones’ “Every Time I Eat Vegetables I Think of You.” Mark Wagner is an educator and storyteller, seen most recently performing at the Gloucester Stage Co. in Gloucester. He can be reached at markgwagner@charter.net.

14 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

COVER STORY

‘St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn’ returns to Hanover Theatre after 2 years

Brian O’Donovan, the Irish-born host of Boston radio station GBH’s popular “A Celtic Sojourn,” has traditionally gathered some of the best Celtic singers, musicians and dancers for touring shows both in the holiday season and around St. Patrick’s Day. PHOTO COURTESY TIM RICE

Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

“We were on the way there and the world shut down,” recalled Brian O’Donovan about traveling to bring his annual “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” show presented by GBH to The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Worcester on March 12, 2020. h Indeed, the light and sound crews may have already been in the theater setting up, O’Donovan said, but the show was canceled — one of the ﬁ rst of many live performances to fall victim to the pandemic. h Now just over two years later, “GBH presents A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn with Brian O’Donovan” is coming back to The Hanover Theatre on a most auspicious date — March 17. See SOJOURN, Page 15D

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | 15

Sojourn Continued from Page 14D

The show will include the quartet Ship in the Clouds (fi ddlers Nathan Gourley and Laura Feddersen, accordion player Natasha Sheehy and bodhran player Anna Colliton), harper and Scottish Gaelic singer Dominique Dodge, Uileann-piper Torrin Ryan, choreographer Ashley Smith-Wallace with her troupe of dancers, and Keith Murphy, the show’s music director and a mainstay of the Boston fi ddle group Childsplay. Alasdair White, widely regarded as one of the foremost Scottish fi ddler players of his generation, is also expected to join the cast. Besides being enormously entertaining (standing ovations and cheers at The Hanover Theatre have been a regularity) the goal of “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” each year is to explore the impact of Irish traditional music, song, and dance around the world, O’Donovan said. Dominique Dodge is from New Hampshire, but has steeped herself in Irish music and especially Scottish Gaelic mu- The Friel Sisters are among the performers set for the Hanover Theatre performance. PHOTOS COURTESY TIM RICE sic. Her repertoire includes songs from Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton. Her 2019 album, “Cànan nan Teud” GBH presents ‘A St. (”The Language of the Strings”), features Scottish Gaelic songs from Cape Breton Patrick’s Day Celtic Island. Dodge has a passion for melody- Sojourn with Brian driven dance music and responsive, rhythmic accompaniment, as well as for O’Donovan’ Gaelic songs, airs, and 18th-century harp When: 7:30 p.m. March 17 tunes. There are both reels and beautiful melodies on the album, indicating that Where: The Hanover Theatre and the language of music is universal as Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester harp and voice magically combine. “Absolutely. If you take it back, every How much: $25, $35 and $45. (877) culture has their own music. (For) those 571-7469; www.thehanovertheatre.org. that are lucky enough to have the language still alive it’s very compelling,” Virtual concert dates: 7:30 p.m. March said Dodge said, who is fl uent in Scottish 17, 18 and 19; 5 p.m. March. 20. Your ticket will get you access to the stream Gaelic. O’Donovan, the Irish-born host of on the date chosen and video on Boston radio station GBH’s popular “A demand from that date through March Celtic Sojourn,” has traditionally gath- 27. $40. More information at ered some of the best Celtic singers, mu- www.celticsojournlive.com sicians and dancers for touring shows Music Director Keith Murphy, right, performs as part of “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic both in the holiday season and also Liu Performance Center in Rockport and Sojourn.” around St. Patrick’s Day, which offi cially the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, as falls on March 17 although celebrations of well as a virtual package. Worcester has a large Irish-American For the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day season, ally. the Patron Saint of Ireland are known to The Worcester date of March 17 “has population, and happenings such as the occur before and after. However, both so- the show is back on the road with stops, journs went virtual after the pandemic, besides Worcester, in Shalin Liu in Rock- huge signifi cance for us,” O’Donovan St. Patrick’s Parade draw the biggest and then last December “GBH presents A port, The Zeiterion in New Bedford, the said. All told the “A Celtic Sojourn” crowds in the city for any event all year. “We’ve noticed over the years that the Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, and shows have been coming to The Hanover O’Donovan” was a hybrid endeavor with the Cabot Theatre in Beverly. The show Theatre since the holiday season of live, in-person performances at Shalin can also still be ordered and seen virtu- 2008. See SOJOURN, Page 17D

16 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Fiddler's Green an oasis of Irish heritage, culture Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

It's a bit surprising to see a bar ﬁ ll up at 3 p.m. on a Thursday, but that was the case at Fiddler's Green March 3 as the Western Mass.-based Irish music favorites, the Healys, ripped through a jaunty, soulful set that mixed Irish traditional songs with American '50s rock favorites. The crowd skews older, although the age demographics balance a tad more as the show progresses, but there's one thing seemingly everyone has in common: They're mostly all Irish-American, even the guy with the Italian surname and features sitting at the back of the bar, taking notes. Fiddler's Green itself – a bar attached to the Hibernian Cultural Center – is one of very few bars I've been to in the U.S. which actually feels like a pub from the British Isles. Usually, most such attempts end up feeling a bit like sports bars, and that's ﬁ ne, if it's what you're into. In Ireland and Great Britain, the phenomenon of a pub is more of a community gathering point, often whole families gathered together. That's what comes to mind as an older couple slow dance in the middle of the bar to a bright rendition of "Fields of Athenry," and later when a younger couple arrive with a young baby, who gets passed around between what seem to be relatives or family friends. There's an aura of joy in the room, certainly, but it's more than that. Everyone here seems to know each other, with the exception of myself. “That's OK,” says the bartender with a smile when I point that out. “Everyone's welcome here.”

The Road Back to Ireland The ﬁ rst time I set foot in a real Irish pub was around 1991, when I was 19 years old. I was studying in England at the time, and I decided I wanted to meet my Irish relatives. With some help from my mother, I contacted Mary Carroll, my great-grandmother Maggie Woomer's sister. Mary and her brother Dan lived in Abbeyfeale, a small town in County Limerick. Communication was hard – the internet wasn't widespread yet, especially in England, and Mary didn't have a phone. I mailed her a letter to let her know I wanted to visit, and roughly when that would be, and I received a letter back inviting me to come. Abbeyfeale was a small town, although I hear it's gentriﬁ ed a bit since I last visited, and Mary's home was an hour or so's walk from the main road. I was a scraggly punk with long hair and a leather jacket, who clearly looked like he had been traveling rough for days. A few people suspiciously asked me who I was and where I was going, lightening a bit when I said I was Mary Carroll's great-nephew, come to visit from America. Someone – an older man who was familiar with my great-grandmother – even asked if I was a “Woomer,” to which I explained my father was ItalianAmerican, and the line to my Irish heritage was all

through women, with several changes of married names. Mary and Dan lived in a small cottage with a sodand-straw thatched roof. I had arrived in time for dinner, which was ham and buttered bread. She and Dan were teatotalers and devoutly Catholic. We talked about Maggie a bit, and Mary conﬁ rmed my suspicion that she had come to America for love, which I knew, but that she always had an adventurous streak. She didn't see much of a future for herself in Ireland, and America glistened with possibilities in the distance. Mary was more interested in learning about me then talking about herself, and we talked about our family in the U.S. I spent the night, and then – after a breakfast of, again, ham and bread – I decided I'd be imposing if I stayed longer. I bid them farewell, and then hitched a ride with a delivery truck, paying my way by hauling bags of grain. I made my way to Galloway by dusk, and after securing a bed at a youth hostel, I accompanied some fellow travelers to the pub, where the sounds of traditional Irish music blared joyfully and raucously out into the night air.

'Joy, connection and safety' The Healys started their set with a moment of silence for the people of Ukraine, and played a recording of the Ukranian national anthem. It was a solemn moment, a reminder of what was happening out in the world, but the mood lightened quickly with a take on Johnny Cash's “Forty Shades of Green, then after a run of traditionals, a take on Ewan MacColl's "Dirty Old Town," which is probably better known in the U.S. from the version by the Pogues. Later in the set, they played a rendition of the Clancy Brothers' “Moonshiner,” which had most of the bar joining in: “I'll eat when I'm hungry/And I'll drink when I'm dry/And if moonshine don't kill me/I'll live till I die.” Almost everyone knew the words. From my stool in the back, I watched an older man close his eyes and sing along dreamily. It was a rapturous moment, one of many that afternoon. “I think the Worcester crowd is one of the best,” says Don Healy, in a brief conversation between sets. He and his wife, Sheila, along with their colleague Charlie Bongiovi, have been playing the bar regularly for a few years. “The crowd is always appreciative,” says Don. In addition to playing music around New England, the Healys also host a radio program in Western Mass., "Healys Irish Program," and lead tours to Ireland, the next of which is in April. Several people in the crowd were joining them on the trip. They plan on visiting Mayo, Galloway and Killarney. Sheila notes both of their families are from County Kerry, and I note that I have family from there, too, although I don't know them. Indeed, one of my uncles is named “Kerry,” after the county. Sheila says she knows Abbeyfeale, as it's not far from Kerry. The Irish diaspora is large, and the world, sometimes, is very small. Don chocks up the crowd's enthusiasm to the music's familiarity, but honestly, it feels like something

The Healys, performing March 3 at Fiddler's Green. T&G STAFF/VICTOR D. INFANTE

bigger than that. There's a deep-seated feeling of connection in the room when they play, an electric current that passes through everyone. The second set of the evening starts up with the classic, "Take Me Home to Mayo,” which is greeted with cheers and hugs around the room. Even as the song list fades into more familiar American fare such as Elvis Presley's “Can't Help Falling in Love,” Van Morrison's “Gloria” and the ubiquitous Darius Rucker song, “Wagon Wheel,” there's still something more going on, something I can't quite put my fi nger on, at least until the room explodes into a singalong of James Taylor's “Sweet Caroline.” Even I'm singing, and I don't much care for that song. That's when it hit me that there was a feeling of safety in that room, a feeling of everyone reveling in the joy of being together, even in what feels like the most distinctly American moment of the night, singing along as though everyone were at a Red Sox game. The Fiddler's Green of legend was, after all, a haven for sailors, a place of safety for those lost to the sea. In that moment, everyone was American, and everyone was Irish. They were safe to be both. Maybe some of us were also safe to be both those and Italian. And with that comes a bone shaking truth: We should all be safe to be who we are, and to celebrate where we come from. Not everyone gets that opportunity. The history of the Irish in America is not always a pretty one. Most came here fl eeing violence, poverty and famine, reasons which have brought so many others to these shores. Hardship and persecution are hardly unique to the American story. But this moment of song, joy and connection brings with it a feeling of shelter from the storm, of being alive and together, and that's a reason to celebrate, any time one can. I step out into the cool Worcester night, and remember back to that night in Galloway, where the fi ddles and guitars played loudly, and people laughed and danced. The memory brings a smile. It feels a little like home.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | 17

Sojourn Continued from Page 15D

Worcester audience is particularly warm and welcoming. There are some audiences that are ‘show me.’ In Worcester, they come through the door and they are ready,” O’Donovan said. Dodge has been to Worcester before and is “excited to come back,” but this is the ﬁ rst time she has been part of one of O’Donovan’s “A Celtic Sojourn” tours. “I have many friends who have (toured with ‘A Celtic Sojourn’),” Dodge said. “They have a great reputation. I’ve been enjoying them from afar. I’m absolutely delighted to be taking part this year.” The musical program for the tour was still being worked on as she was being interviewed. “There are quite a number of musicians involved. We’re all really excited to be working together. We’re in the putting everything together phase right now,” she said. “We’re so excited to have her. She’s immensely talented,” O’Donovan said of Dodge. He refers to Celtic music that’s related to Irish music as “kin.” Scottish

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Gaelic music is part of the family. “Always a sweet spot for us is these kins that have touched Irish music and Irish music has touched back. We like to root out the similarities in technique and spirit,” O’Donovan said. “Audiences love to go on journeys with us. Scottish Gaelic is very close. We’ve gone to Scandinavia and Appalachia (for Celtic music), he said. Dodge grew up in the small town of Jackson in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. “My extended family had a farm house on the island of Cape Breton,” she said. Scottish Gaels settled in Nova Scotia beginning in the 18th century, and Dodge became enamored of the traditional Scottish music she heard at gatherings on Cape Breton. “I fell in love with the music,” she said. She holds a a BA (Honours) in Scottish Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, and is a former Fulbright Scholar and a 2012 graduate of the University of Limerick in Ireland with an MA in Irish Music Performance. The Gaelic language comes from a root historical language that developed diﬀ erent paths. And so with Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic or Irish “there is

much that connects them and much that is diff erent,” Dodge said. But when she studied Irish music, “I developed a greater understanding of what Scottish music is,” she said. Also, after discovering Irish music “I fell madly in love with it,” she said. Being able to speak Scottish Gaelic fl uently “has been one of the best experiences. To speak the language and engage the community in music is very compelling,” she said. The number of people who still speak Scottish Gaelic (mostly in the Scottish highlands and islands) is “hard to get a fi x on it. The number I often see is 60,000, and about 2,000 on Cape Breton,” Dodge said. “The language is at a place where the communities who speak it need a lot of support. Economic policies have been very destructive.” Some people who were born in Gaelic-speaking communities have found property values soar to unaff ordable levels, she noted. “A lot of work is being done to fi nd ways to support these communities and (there is) a great deal of contentious debate on how that should take place.” Meanwhile, “Cape Breton has experienced a renaissance for Gaelic language

Dominique Dodge is set to perform as part of “A Celtic Sojourn” at the Hanover Theatre. SUBMITTED

and culture,” Dodge said. She returned to New Hampshire about ﬁ ve years ago but within that time, “the landscape has changed dramatically” for performers of traditional music, she said. She is also a traditional arts educator. “Before the pandemic it was 70 percent performance-based,” Dodge said. “I had a brand new album (“Cànan nan Teud”) I had spent 10 years working towards. I recorded it at a parish hall in Cape Breton.” See SOJOURN, Page 20D

18 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ON BEING IRISH IN AMERICA

‘WE BUILT THE CANALS AND BRIDGES’ Jack McClintock Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Sometime during the summer of 2020 I stumbled upon the online video of a poem titled “If this Time has Taught me Anything,” by European artist Kevin McCormack. He’s a writer, poet, musician and actor who conducts international podcasts from his studio in Ireland. The poetry was so compelling I reached out, and after establishing contact the two of us fell to corresponding. Shared interests formed the base of mutual regard, and after sharing details of a book I’m planning to publish, Kevin invited me to be a guest on his program, “This Fruitful Mind.” During August of ‘21 he recorded two shows titled: “Meet the Sin Eater: In Conversation with Jack McClintock”; Parts 1 and 2. The name of the unpublished book we discussed is “Sin Eater, Memoirs of a Prison Psychologist,” a manuscript I’ve been working on for more than a decade. The term “Sin Eater” harkens back to the days of pre-Christian Europe, referencing the relation between the ancient means of rendering spiritual absolution, and the profession I’ve worked at for nearly 50 years. The podcast was a smash, and McCormack asked me to do another soon after. A native son of old Erin, he also expressed curiosity (something common among Irish nationals) about the interest many expatriate descendants of Irish ancestry have in their cultural lineage. After asking whether it was all right to explore my interest in and love of all things Gaelic/Celtic we began talking about why people long separated from a nation/culture strive to maintain connection with it. As the last of the Celtic holidays approached, a day known as Samhain by the ancients, today called Halloween, I followed up his request for another podcast with an email explaining why I and many of my New World brothers across the globe share this mysterious aﬀ ection for something most Irish nationals take for granted. What follows is the story I shared with him. The prose poem at the end of the story is a work inspired by the sentiments expressed.

The Irish in the New World “Kevin, your interest in my aﬃ nity for

our shared ethnicity, my love of Irish culture and fascination with Celtic history fi ll me with a need to explain myself. Many Irish nationals seem mystifi ed by the love expatriate people and the successive generations that spring from them have for their mother country. Let me begin by sharing a story with you. Like everything I’ve shared about my experiences as a prison psychologist, this is a true story. It’s hard to recapture the exact words, but the situation and sentiments expressed are precisely as they were when it occurred. “I was a young man working at a rehabilitation hospital in a place called Rutland, Massachusetts. I was an entry level counselor and after making friends with a number of colleagues, fell to having beer with some of them on Fridays after work. We typically stopped at a country-club barroom where we discussed events of the week: who died, who dropped out of treatment, who gave a great shite about any of it, and so on. “One day, a more personal discussion broke out about how diverse we all were and after noting each other’s ethnic background, it was decided we’d take turns telling one another what it was about our racial or ethnic heritage we were proudest of. Let me tell you here that I was not enthusiastic about this, because I knew little of my heritage or people. I was American, and that was all I needed to know, but while I’d no idea what to share with them I agreed to participate in this collegial ethnography, more from a wish to get along with my workmates than any interest in touting my mixed Irish/Scottish background. “The fi rst to speak was a fellow of German ancestry, and he spoke at length about the great scientifi c, artistic and philosophical contributions his people had wrought. This took some time as there were many names and many contributions to be mentioned, some of which had shaped the modern world. The next fellow was a Jew, and he spoke at even greater length about the cultural, religious and historical contributions his people had made to western culture over the millennia. The third fellow was of proud Italian stock, and he spoke about the system of laws and governance, the arts and technologies from which the mighty Roman Empire created the foundation of western civilization, as well as

Vintage illustration features the Philadelphia Riots of 1844. Also known as the Philadelphia Prayer Riots, the Bible Riots and the Native American Riots, these violent clashes were a result of rising anti-Catholic sentiment at the growing population of Irish Catholic immigrants, provoked by Protestants and native-born Americans. KEITH LANCE/GETTY IMAGES

Irish workers, led by Tobias Boland, helped build the Blackstone Canal from Worcester to Providence beginning in 1825. In the photo, circa 1900, construction workers cover up the canal in an area where Green Street is today. FILE PHOTO

the inﬂ uence that civilization has had upon all mankind. “When he ﬁ nished speaking they all looked at me as I sat quietly in their midst. My face began to redden as the reality sank in that my people, the poor and destitute who came or were shipped to the New World, belonged to a culture that had

no great achievements. No heritage of renowned intellectuality, or world changing science; no stories of great empire or historic conquests to claim. “My people, considered the aborigines of Europe by modern Anthropology, were See IRISH, Page 19D

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | 19

Irish Continued from Page 18D

all part of those tired, poor and huddled masses Emma Lazarus mentions in her famous poem The New Colossus. I sat silently among them for an awkwardly long time, until, feeling sympathy for me; one by one my new friends began to invent accolades on my behalf. One mentioned Joyce, another Beckett. Someone spoke of Ireland’s proud literary history, another mentioned famous whiskies and the love the Irish have of drink. “They smiled compassionately as they strove to rescue me, and their pity was more unbearable than my shame. It was then that a slow rolling anger began to fi ll me as I looked around the table at men whose gratuitous good intentions mocked my race with sheer ignorance of it. They pitied the poor Irishman, who sat among them with a lump in his throat and nothing to say about his wretched forebears or their place in a world that had always moved over and around them, as though the Celts themselves were nothing more than an impediment to civilization. “Ready to turn the table over in frustration I thought of the suff ering of my people, the stories of hardship and oppression handed down in drunken rage and quiet whispers for age upon age. Then, as if inspired by the ancient Gods of our people a dam burst somewhere in my soul and I slammed a fi st on the table before them, rumbling my response with deliberate menace. “‘Perhaps the Irish have no great stories of conquest, or contribution to Western civilization. My people came here with nothing but hope and have always struggled to survive, to persist, and get by or rise ... But the uprooted tribes of Celtic Europe built the skyscrapers this country is so proud of. We built the streets, the highways and roads you use every day. We built the canals and bridges, the railroads and all the wonders that made America the envy of the world. We fought your wars, and guarded your homes as you went about the peaceful enjoyment of your daily lives.’ Then I added with venomous emphasis, ‘And when we get tired of being taken for granted, we’ll tear everything down behind us when we leave.’ “There was silence at the table. My friends looked at each other as if they’d just witnessed a sun rise for the fi rst time. We resumed amicable conversation and the issue of ethnic pride was never raised again.”

Ferdinand Nazario, left, and Ryan Gardell work on a mural on Ash Street depicting legendary ﬁ gures from the Canal District's history, including Tobias Boland, left, and Emma Goldman. VICTOR D. INFANTE/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

America’s Melting Pot “Kevin, I hope this explains in some substantive way the enduring aﬀ ection Wild Geese emigrating from counties around the globe feel for the hallowed lands of their fathers. It’s something felt more keenly by some than others, as the orphaned children of many nations blend and miscegenate in hope of forming that ‘more perfect union’ America’s Constitution mentions. However subtly that aﬀ ection’s felt, it remains a source of comfort in the minds and hearts of all expats and their progeny. “Whether Irish or Chinese, Nigerian or Norwegian, those who wash up on the shores of the New World are striving either to escape oppression or discover opportunity. The story of America is not half written. The many nations of our world are all bricks in a grand piece of American architecture. We sons and daughters of Europe’s Celtic Realm are like the mortar holding those bricks together. If we are unrecognized it’s because we are unassuming. But humble as we may be, we’re rightfully proud of our part in building this nation, this beacon of hope for the

world, this long sought ‘Shining City of a Hill.’”

A Prose Poem The Celtic Realm I am Ireland, born of a thousand ancestral mothers scattered across space and time. A wayfarer from ancient Celtic lands lost in the mists of war and conquest. Long centuries have I been in diaspora, and lost my mother’s tongue and lilt. Forsaken, I hold her dearer with the passing of each year and generation. A wandering child of Ireland’s broken home, of Gaul’s conquest, and Scotland’s brave last stand. A son of legendary heroes, restless in my exile I bellow with pride that I’m as much a son of the Celtic Realm as any born before or since. A loving child who cherishes his mother’s blood more than life. I thank you, Daughter of Houlihan, for the displaced family that brought me to this here and now; for the ancient heritage that taught me decency, manhood, resilience, and aﬀ ection. I thank you for the virtues and strengths that made life possible among the thorns and nettles of

this fearsome world. And thank you as well, Macushla, for the Welsh, Cornish, Manx, and Breton brothers you breathe into my world. The Galician, Asturian, and Cantabrian sisters who sing old songs along the coast of Spain, and for the noble race that taught me more respect for valor than for fame. Though an epoch and a world away I say to you, my ancestral love, Is Mise Eire. Glossary: Wild Geese: One of many terms referring to Irish citizens forced to ﬂ ee the nation after failed revolts/wars. Daughter of Houlihan: Macushla, ancient names for Ireland used during the penal days when mentioning the name of the nation (Ireland) was a criminal offense. Galicians: (Galician: galegos, Spanish: gallegos) are a Celtic ethnic group, closely related to the Portuguese people. Their historic homelands (Galicia, Asturia, and Cantabria) lie along the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Is Mise Eire: (phonetically: Iss misha air-ah) Irish Gaelic meaning, “I am Ireland.”

20 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

LISTEN UP

Five contemporary Irish pop acts worth knowing

Bond?/Anseo,” she raps, “Spice box, taxi by the Centra?/Anseo/Sailor Moon remixed by Fela,/C’est moi/I am not a queen, I’m a Pharoah.” It’s a highly addictive song, as are the hilarious sendups of people not being able to pro-

nounce her name, “Chaila,” and the bracing “Duel Citizen.” Kila: This is one of those bands that nearly every afi cionado of Irish music in my immediate proximity has recommended to me, and with good reason: While clearly existing in the traditional Irish music space, the band has a way of breaking up and modernizing the sound in such a way as to make it feel new. They are all extraordinary musicians, and fi nding just one song to point to is diffi cult, but let’s go with the gorgeous “The Mother’s Portrait.” It’s a beautifully wrought piece of instrumental music, one marked by a deep sadness. It’s the kind of song that sits with the listener a while, that nestles into your chest. Rejjie Snow: Snow is an electrifying hip-hop artist, one who creates music which is lush and melodic without sacrifi cing the genre’s strong spine. Nowhere is his ability to layer sound and voices on display as it is in the song “Egyptian Luvr,” featuring rapper Aminé and singer Dana Williams. Williams, particularly, creates an intoxicating mood with the beauty of her vocals, which Snow’s raps lacerate with an understated confi dence: “Breakdance and boogie, my love/This is 1971/I crave that brain and that fl esh/Cups of tea and gums that bleed red.”

Soda Blonde: This band, driven heavily by vocalist Faye O’Rourke, creates a really exciting alt-pop sound. Their music is catchy as all heck and has a way of cutting straight past the listener’s emotional defenses: These are the sort of pop songs that reﬂ ect a brooding sense of desire, and it can be arresting. On the song “Small Talk,” for example, with its electro-pop overlays, O’Rourke’s voice seems a bright burst of humanity: “Never been so bound to anybody like you,” she sings, “Your silhouette is all around/But now that you don’t want me/You’re making it easy.” O’Rourke makes each note count. Imelda May: Hands down, my favorite song by Irish rocker Imelda May is the blast of rockabilly awesomeness, “Johnny Got a Boom Boom.” It’s a sort of big-band blues that you don’t get a lot of these days, and every inch of it is cool. May has a pretty deep song book, though, and has proved a versatile musician and songwriter, especially with her captivating cover of Metallica’s “The God That Failed,” to her recent barroom brawler of a song, “Just One Kiss,” a whiskey-soaked dirty-blues number where she’s accompanied by Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones. It’s the kind of song you devour straight, no chaser necessary.

hood, but it’s something that feeds the soul. The prospect of going out again is really thrilling.” If O’Donovan had been trying to organize “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” tour in Ireland 30 or so years ago, there might not have been much of an audience for it. “When I was a lad, St. Patrick’s was quite a religious and cultural holiday. It was quite like lower key,” he said. “The pubs closed early.” In the United States it has been another story. “I think with any ethnic holiday the diaspora is going to feel stronger about celebrating it on a designated day than the old country people. Then I think Dublin looked (and said) ‘If these guys are having so much fun, why don’t we? So now it’s a bigger deal (in Ireland) than it used to be 30 years ago.”

Getting the “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” tour up and running again here after two years has had its challenges. The Irish folk duo Ye Vagabonds with Diarmuid and Brian MacGloinn from Dublin were supposed to be part of the show but their visas will not be issued in time. “Embassies are quite backed up,” O’Donovan said. Still, with the connections he has made from his radio show, O’Donovan has quite an ensemble of Celtic performers he can call on for his Sojourn tours. “We have some amazing ﬁ repower,” he said of this year’s performers. But to some extent it might have been “easier to stay with the virtual performing,” O’Donovan said. Last December’s hybrid had been planned carefully, but when December arrived the COVID Omicron variant was raging. “It was very

stressful,” O’Donovan said. But the shows did go on. “I felt we had a duty to do it.” Similarly, in planning for March, “I thought we’ve got a duty to reemerge from the isolation and celebrate the arts on stage,” O’Donovan said. In March 2020, with the Coronavirus suddenly appearing, “We had a duty to shut down.” March 12, 2020, in Worcester was the ﬁ rst. “Now we have a duty to get back on stage. Particularly with what’s happening in the rest of the world,” O’Donovan said. “It’s harder than it was, but it’s more important than it was.” For more information about Dominique Dodge, visit www.dominiquedodge.com. For more information about “A St. Patrick’s Day Sojourn,” visit www.celticsojournlive.com.

Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

In 2016, I put together “A Thoroughly Non-Cliché St. Patrick’s Day Playlist.” It was a pretty basic concept: A celebration of contemporary Irish music, without stereotypes. No traditional music, no U2, no Pogues. No strictly IrishAmerican bands such as the Dropkick Murphys. But while a number of fantastic Irish pop and rock acts have made their way across the Atlantic over the years — such as Sinéad O’Connor, the Cranberries, Stiﬀ Little Fingers, the Waterboys and Hozier — there are still numerous popular Irish acts that break all the molds. Here are a few that are worth getting to know: Denise Chaila: Chaila creates hiphop music that doesn’t so much fold Irish and African traditional music together as she reinvents them entirely. You can hear elements of melodies from both hidden in the background of her song “Anseo,” which is Irish for “Here.” They’re subtle, transformed by synthesized music and modern production, but when combined with Chaila’s wit and lyrical skills, the eﬀ ect is both completely fresh and strangely familiar. “If you’re looking for your black James

Sojourn Continued from Page 17D

Dodge was touring to support the album in early 2020. “We ﬁ nished our last gig and the world shut down,” she said, echoing O’Donovan’s description of the impact of the pandemic. “The traditional music world has taken such a heavy hit because we’re so community-based. I moved my whole teaching practice online,” Dodge said. One beneﬁ t of that is that she now has students from all over the world, she said. “But I’m thrilled to be going back on the road,” she said of the “Celtic Sojourn” tour. “To share live music, it’s a critical important thing we need. Yes, it’s our liveli-

Denise Chaila PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | 21

CITY LIVING SONG TO GET YOU THROUGH THE WEEK

Jafet Muzic gives thanks with ‘Heavenly Father’ Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

With the music video for his song, “Heavenly Father,” Worcester rapper Jafet Muzic gives thanks — in ways both subtle and overt — to those he feels have supported him in his music career: And let’s face it, ANY music career is a tad quixotic, no matter how talented the artist, so support from anyone is always a blessing. Muzic praises God, of course, and the video features the hip-hop artist walking through the city, which looks strangely beautiful in the black and white video and the crisp winter sky when it was shot. Muzic’s frequent collaborator, Danny Fantom, also pops into

the video for a bit, representing elements of the community which he feels have had his back, but there’s one image that keeps leaping out at me, particularly: Several issues of Worcester Magazine, including last year’s “Favorite New England Albums” issue, where he and Fantom were among the artists featured on the cover. It’s an exceedingly gracious gesture, but don’t get it twisted: Muzic isn’t on the rise the way he is because he got good press. He got good press because he puts out dang good music. So while I can’t help but grin at the site of the two rappers looking at themselves on the cover of WoMag — that sort of thing is a big deal to any up-and-coming artist — the laurels have been earned by putting out songs that are surprising, well-

crafted and intensely personal. “Heavenly Father” is no exception. Produced by Dr. G, the song has a relaxed vibe, with Muzic rapping in a relaxed, confi dent fl ow. But even here, as he’s thanking God for what he’s been given, he’s still giving a window into his own struggles: “Young kids who admire me ask for autographs/Though I deal with anxiety but put on a mask/Fears of hearing a daughter laugh and I can’t provide/Amplifi ed by the shock from light like lamp to fl y.” In a turn that could become saccharine, Muzic instead remains grounded and emotionally honest. It’s a fi ne line which he sells with confi dence, rather than braggadocio, especially at the song’s end, where he raps, “School of hard knocks, graduated with a foul de-

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22 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CANNABIS CONFIDENTIAL

A lack of the clones in Mass. dispensaries Eric Casey Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

If you’ve ever considered attempting to grow your own cannabis, or have read about the science behind cannabis cultivation, you’ve probably heard about clones. While cloning sounds like something you would need a fancy laboratory and a PhD to pull oﬀ , in the cannabis space, a clone is simply a cutting from a plant (known as the mother) that is planted using a particular process to encourage the cutting to grow roots and begin to turn into a plant of its own. By using clones, cannabis growers

cut down the amount of time it takes to grow a plant and guarantee that the plant they are growing is a near genetic match to the plant from which it came. While cannabis companies in Massachusetts are allowed to sell clones to customers, few dispensaries took the opportunity to do so. This changed last August, when one of the largest cannabis companies in the country announced that they were going to launch a pilot program to begin selling clones in one of their stores in Massachusetts. Trulieve, a multistate cannabis company operating in six states, put out a

press release announcing they were going to begin selling clones on a trial basis at their store in Northampton, with Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers proclaiming, “We’re delivering on our promise to meet cannabis consumers wherever they are in their level of experience, as well as our commitment to expanding access to the plant as we continue to grow in the Massachusetts market.” From the outside looking in, it’s hard to tell how successful this pilot program was, but it seemingly didn’t create a huge buzz within the cannabis space, and no clones are currently listed on Trulieve’s on-

line menu. (A representative from the company claimed that they still intend to sell clones in the future but confi rmed that none are currently available.) Rather than being a serious attempt of opening up a new opportunity for revenue for Trulieve, it’s more likely that this clone pilot program was a bit of a peace off ering to the homegrow community, and a chance for Trulieve to differentiate themselves from other MSOs in the industry. After all, many large multistate cannabis companies have a habit of lobbying against homegrow in states that are considering legalization — even though there’s a lack of evidence that allowing homegrow has any impact on dispensaries’ profi ts. Most recently, cannabis companies were part of a successful eff ort to ban home cultivation in New Jersey. To further investigate whether or not homegrowers had any interest in growing using clones from state-licensed cannabis companies, I jumped in the car and headed across town to Green Zone Grow

A rooted clone of a mother marijuana plant. GETTY IMAGES

Shop. Located in the shadow of Polar Park on Madison Street, Green Zone has all the resources and equipment needed for any homegrow set-up, regardless of experience level. Inside I was greeted from behind the counter by Joe Dalton, a self-described cannabis educator who is clearly enthusiastic about growing high quality cannabis. While giving me a tour of the showroom, Joe highlighted Green Zone’s prices (which are lower than what you’ll ﬁ nd on the internet) and their wide selection of grow tents, lights, nutrients,

and everything else needed to grow from the comfort of your own home. The tour ended in Green Zone’s classroom, where Joe teaches a free fourweek seminar that gives prospective homegrowers all the required knowledge to get started. At this point, I began to pick his brain regarding the clone situation in Massachusetts. Joe said it doesn’t really make sense from his perspective for dispensaries to be selling clones, saying “a dispensary could sell a clone to a customer, and then never see them again,” once they started cultivating cannabis for themselves. Joe explained that many novice growers prefer growing from seeds, as they are often intimidated by the perceived technical challenge of cloning. For cultivators who are interested in growing from clones, there’s nothing stopping them from growing their own mother plant and creating clones themSee CLONES, Page 25

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | 23

FIVE THINGS TO DO

RED HOT CHILLI PIPERS, RONNIE EARL AND MORE ... Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

High school singers square off

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers TELEGRAPH &GAZETTE FILE

Bagpipes burn up the stage They’re hot. They’re the Red Hot Chilli Pipers (no, not Peppers) from Scotland, and now they’re back at The Hanover Theatre. “Bagrock” has apparently never been more popular with its mix of traditional piping classics and rock/pop anthems — from “Amazing Grace” to “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The Chillis have over 350,000 Facebook followers and 3.5 million views on YouTube, and awards include the UK Gold disk and three triple-platinum disks for album sales. What: Red Hot Chilli Pipers When: 8 p.m. March 12 Where: The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, Southbridge St., Worcester How much: $29 and $39. (877) 571-7460; www.thehanovertheatre.org

A “pitch perfect” afternoon. That’s what a cappella singing groups from ten high schools in Massachusetts and New York state competing at 2 p.m. March 12 in Mechanics Hall will be hoping for. Varsity Vocals presents the International Championship of High School A Cappella 2022 Tournament Northeast Semi-Finals. Among the groups are Voices ReChoired from Marlborough High School. Mechanics Hall Hall on Main Street in Worcester. ASHLEY The top finishing group will GREEN/TELEGRAPH & GAZETTE advance to the ICHSA Finals on April 22 in New York City. What: Varsity Vocals presents the International Championship of High School A Cappella 2022 Tournament Northeast Semi-Finals When: 2 p.m. March 12 Where: Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester How much: $20. For more information, visit www.mechanicshall.org

‘Mercy Me,’ it’s Ronnie Earl

Ronnie Earl the Broadcasters PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

“I titled the album ‘Mercy Me’ as I was thinking about all the things going on in the world. We need to have more mercy for the world, for other people and for ourselves,” says blues veteran guitarist Ronnie Earl about the latest album from Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters to be released on April 15 via Stony Plain Records. You can get likely get a preview of the album, and a glimpse of the mesmerizing playing that has made up Earl’s award-winning career, when Earl and the band, including vocalist Diane Blue, return to the Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley March 12. “Mercy Me” promises to be quite a treat with a diverse mix of originals and unique covers of songs from such legends as Muddy Waters, John Coltrane, Dave Mason and Percy Mayfield. Earl, formerly of Roomful of Blues, is a fourtime Blues Music Award winner as “Guitar Player of the Year.” What: Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters When: 8 p.m. March 12 (doors open for dinner and seating at 6 p.m.) Where: The Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $32. www.bullrunrestaurant.com

“Black Wedding,” mixed media collage (2020) KAREN KASSAP

Jewish artist reflects on pandemic “What good is an omen, if you can only see its meaning by looking back?” That’s the question that inspires Karen Kassap’s latest work, a new exhibit “Medieval Modern” on display at the Worcester JCC through April. Kassap is a mixed media collage artist based in Woodbridge, Conn. “Medieval Modern” is a personal response to the pandemic and relies on Medieval manuscript iconography, art and totemic imagery. “My work continues to represent my identity as a Jewish woman in times that try our faith,” Kassap said. The JCC Art Gallery is located in the lobby and main corridors of the JCC. What: “Medieval Modern” — exhibit by Karen Kassap When/Where: March-April, Worcester JCC, 633 Salisbury St., Worcester

See 5 THINGS, Page 25D

24 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ADOPTION OPTION

MEET TOONIE! Handsome Toonie came to WARL as a local stray. He is an outgoing boy, loves petting and people, but he is not a fan of other cats, and should probably go to a cat only home where he can look out lots of windows and chatter at birds and squirrels. As a young, rambunctious and very smart boy, he will need lots of playtime and stimulation. We think he may have been taught that hands are toys, so we recommend toy play, and, if he gets too wound up, walk away and give him time to settle down. Given his slightly rough play style we do not recommend him with young children. Older cat-savvy teens will be ﬁ ne. To meet Toonie or to learn more about him, contact the shelter at info@worcesterarl.org. Adoption Option is a partnership with the Worcester Animal Rescue League highlighting their adoptable pets. Check this space often to meet all of the great pets at WARL in need of homes. WARL is open seven days a week, noon-4 p.m., 139 Holden St. Check them out online at Worcesterarl.org, or call at (508) 853-0030. COVID-19 Protocols: The Worcester Animal Rescue League remains closed to walk-in visits with the animals and appointments must be made, in advance, to meet with any of the animals. Masks are required. Visit https://worcesterarl.org/ for more information.

Toonie is available for adoption through WARL. SUBMITTED

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | 25

CONNELL SANDERS

Can Worcester be ‘up-and-coming’ with zero sense of style? Sarah Connell Sanders Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

How did Rihanna manage to usher child-bearing and low rise jeans into the fashionverse at the precise moment I needed them? The Queen of Barbados works in mysterious ways. In case you missed it, last month, Bad-Gal-RiRi revealed her pregnancy in a vintage Chanel puff er coat, unbuttoned to her bare belly, but for a dangling jeweled crucifi x. Since then, we’ve seen cob webby crop tops and shoelace thin blouses, all of which managed to preserve Ms. Fenty’s characteristic defi ance and unfl appable composure. Sophie Turner followed suit, parading across the Golden State in her bikini with a “power bump” on full display. Soon after, Turner and husband Joe Jonas stepped out in coordinated knits, her lime green micro-dress hugging a radiant midsection. Pregnancy has become more than just charming on superstars like Sansa Stark and Rihanna — it’s on-trend. There are plenty of expectations for pregnant women when it comes to get-

Rihanna arrives at the Gucci show during Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2022-23 on Feb. 25 in Milan, Italy, a few weeks after revealing her pregnancy. VITTORIO ZUNINO CELOTTO/GETTY IMAGES

ting dressed, but not a lot of options. Most of the maternity looks presented by retailers attempt to conceal my cur-

Clones Continued from Page 22D

selves. Growers also participate in swaps, where they trade clones that have diﬀ erent genetics with one another, with some dedicated growers driving all over the country to chase down particular strains.

5 things Continued from Page 23

St. Patrick’s Parade is back Marching bands, floats and Shriners will be some of the sights and sounds as the first Worcester County St. Patrick’s Parade in Worcester since 2019 steps out at noon, March 13, from the corner of Park Avenue and Mill Street. The parade will make its way along

rent weight and state in billowing bolts of pastel fabric. The problem is, I’m tired of keeping secrets. Entering my sixth month of pregnancy, the last thing I want to do is hide. I believe I’ve earned the right to celebrate out in the open. My recent fashion plight is a microcosm of a bigger problem: the quashing of personal style in a conservatively dressed city like Worcester. We can’t talk about rethinking motherhood esthetics without mentioning Beyoncé, whose Botticelli-esque reveal of her 2017 pregnancy rendered the most liked photo in the history of Instagram up to that point. In nothing but a veil and lingerie, Bey showed us how beautiful and conﬁ dent her growing body could and should make her feel. Worcester is not Hollywood or Paris or New York, and I am not Rihanna. There’s no use belaboring the fact that despite our Beyoncé-level “renaissance,” we suﬀ er from a major inferiority complex as a city. Keeping this in mind, I propose a small change; it starts with style. Although social media and fast fashion have made it far more manageable to keep up with the trends than back in the

Overall, there’s plenty of places for growers with connections in the tight knit homegrow community to obtain the particular cannabis genetics they’re seeking, leaving dispensaries an unlikely place for most to go to seek clones. There’s plenty of dispensaries in California that have successfully sold clones for a number of years, proving that there is a marketplace for clone sales where cannabis businesses are able to truly connect with the homegrow

Park Avenue before finishing at Highland Street. Thousands of spectators are expected to line the route. Dr. Michael P. Hirsh, the city’s medical director, and City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. are the 2022 grand marshals. The parade is dedicated to essential workers. What: Worcester County St. Patrick’s Parade When/Where: noon, March 13, at the corner of Park Avenue and Mill Street and proceeds along Park Avenue How much: Free

days of my youth, I’m still not so sure how I would fare walking down Main Street in nothing but a blazer and crop top during my third trimester. (I suppose there’s only one way to ﬁ nd out …) To watch something as familiar as my own body changing every day makes me feel like a work of art. I’ve decided I won’t let a polo shirt and chinos kindof-city rob me of this moment. May I urge you to join me on my journey? You don’t need to be pregnant and you certainly don’t need to follow me into the delivery room. All I’m asking is for you to wear something that brings you joy this week, regardless of whether it conforms to popular fashion. I’m not saying you have to sport your lime green beret to the board room — maybe just to the grocery store or the post oﬃ ce. It’s time Worcester stops playing style safe and starts dressing like we love ourselves. I’m giving you permission to set your insecurities aside. See you out there, belly and all. Did you wear your lemon squeeze yellow leather pants to the drugstore? Your pistachio platforms to pick up takeout from Blue Jeans? I want to know. Find me on Instagram at @sarah_connell.

community. Unlike California though, our cannabis industry has been rather corporate from the beginning, and a wide gap still exists between the industry and homegrowers. As long as cannabis companies do not make a signiﬁ cant eﬀ ort to meaningfully engage with the local homegrow community and prove that their cannabis genetics are worth buying, this gap between the homegrowers and corporate cannabis is likely to remain.

This Week’s Park Avenue will once again be ﬁ lled with marchers, and its sidewalks ﬁ lled with parade-goers, when the Worcester Country St. Patrick's Parade is held on Sunday. TELEGRAPH &

Answer

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0311

26 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J O N E S I N’

Enjoy Fun By The Numbers puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

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Across 1. British men’s mag 4. Mennen shaving brand 8. Dangly throat bit 13. Future school members 14. Pig’s feed 15. What “atterizar” means, at Ibiza Airport 17. Late Canadian wrestler and brother of Bret 19. When many work shifts start 20. Soup at sushi bars 21. Wesley’s portrayer on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” 23. “___ in St. Louis” (1944 Garland film) 25. Battle cry against Cobra Commander 26. Acted as guide 27. Was a candidate 28. Dungeons & Dragons humanoid 31. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” composer Morricone 34. ___ Bop (child-friendly versions of hit songs) 36. Squished circle 37. Louisiana band named for the genre it played 40. “The Sopranos” actress Falco 41. Atmospheric prefix for sphere 42. Had all rights to 43. In medias ___ 44. Disco ___ (“Simpsons” character) 45. Indian state formerly ruled by Portugal 46. Excessively theatrical 48. Like library materials 52. Star of multiple self-titled sitcoms 56. “To Sir With Love” singer 57. Cold sore-fighting brand 58. Father of Pocahontas (and example of the hidden word in the theme answersthis one just happens to be consecutive) 60. Fasten again 61. Legal appeal 62. “We ___ the Champions” 63. Country type 64. Himalayan monster 65. Big letters in gossip

“It’s In a Name”--for all across theme answers. by Matt Jones

Down 1. Psychoanalyst Erich 2. “Deal Or No Deal” host Mandel 3. 1980s attorney general Edwin 4. Pokemon protagonist 5. Far from perfect 6. Television’s Spelling 7. In a befitting way 8. Team that moved from New Orleans in 1979 9. Determine by ballot 10. Arm bones 11. Cafe au ___ 12. A as in A.D. 16. Recliner room 18. Dissimilar, say 22. It comes before “the wise” or “your mother” 24. Cat call 28. Roast roaster 29. See who can go faster 30. Ball of dirt 31. Celebrity hairstylist Jose 32. “The Thinker,” for instance 33. “JAG” spinoff on CBS 34. Actress Riley of 2021’s “Zola” (and granddaughter of Elvis Presley) 35. Actor Ziering 36. Juice brand bought by Coca-Cola, then discontinued in 2020

38. Reach the limit 39. “The Sun Is Also a Star” author Nicola 44. Fleetwood Mac singer Nicks 45. Stood out in the rain, say 46. Move stealthily 47. Like some small dogs 49. ___ sea (cruising) 50. It might help you get up 51. Oscar of “The Office” 52. Candy unit 53. Don’t ignore 54. Czech Republic’s second largest city 55. Walk-on, for one 59. “Bali ___” (song in “South Pacific”)

Last week's solution

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | 27

LAST CALL

Quinn Fitzgerald and Sara de Zarraga, Flare founders Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

When it comes to unusual missions, Flare has probably the most uncommon of them all. The company openly states on its website that its mission is simple: to put themselves out of business and create a world where Flare is not needed. Flare manufactures a personal safety device that looks like a piece of jewelry and works with an app that allows an individual to discreetly reach out to request help, without drawing unwanted attention. Founder Quinn Fitzgerald, a Holy Cross graduate, along with her co-founder, Sara de Zarraga, sat down with Last Call to discuss how it all came about. Where did the name Flare come from? Q: Flare is a double entendre: you send up a fl are for help and fl air is about having style. We chose the name because we believe safety shouldn’t be about fear and vulnerability, it should be about tapping into your own confi dence and agency to live out loud and bring your full self to every situation. How did you get the idea? Q: Sara and I are both survivors and our story is, frankly, not at all unique and that’s a huge problem. We were fed up with an industry dominated by men that created devices for stereotypical situations — emergencies like someone approaching you in a dark alley. But most assaults are by someone you know. We knew there was a role that tech could play in providing people with better tools to tackle these everyday situations, because they don’t always feel like emergencies. What do you do when someone touches you in a weird way and you don’t know what their intention is, or you get a weird vibe? Or if your Uber driver takes a wrong turn. We want to empower people to feel safe both in those situations and clear-cut emergencies. So we created Flare. Could you tell me a little more about what it's like to break into an industry with a completely new product philosophy (not escalation)? Q: We are fi rm believers that you don’t have to already be an expert in a specifi c industry in order to disrupt it. Our expertise comes from our personal experiences. We overcame a lot of naysayers, people who didn’t value our perspectives,

Sara de Zarraga, left, and Quinn Fitzgerald, founders of Flare. FLARE

and people who didn’t see the impact that Flare could have. But we always kept our customers front of mind and that has made the biggest diﬀ erence. Tell me about how you settled on the idea of a bracelet. S: When we looked at other personal safety devices on the market, we found they only escalated the situation like weapons or alarms. It was clear people needed more options — with pepper spray, it can only do one thing. It’s hard to anticipate what you’re going to need, so we created Flare and the heart of our product is our mobile app. It allows you to reach out to people if you need backup. Instead of reaching for your phone, dialing a number, which is incredibly obvious, we made a bracelet that can trigger it for you. The app can let us reach out to 911 and share your location — or a live location if you’re moving — and share that you need help. The other thing you can do is have us send your location and a request to friends and family, letting them know that you need someone to check in. The third feature is you can request a “fake phone call” — a recorded conversation — that can be an interruption and an excuse to leave a situation that doesn’t feel right. Sometimes, you don’t need anyone to know but you need a way to leave. How did you start working together? Q: Sarah and I both met at Harvard Business School and began working on Flare while we were there. We spent four years doing deep research, product development, iteration, making pilots, and we spoke to literally thousands of other people about their safety needs. One of the reasons that the industry was stuck was the notion that safety equals emergency, but it isn’t always that kind of sit-

uation. We designed what we would have used or needed so nobody else would go through the experiences we did. We’re very grateful to all of the survivors who shared their stories with us — I hope it is empowering for them to know that their story went towards the creation of a product that would help other people. And now that product has been on the market for about two years. Was it diffi cult getting survivors to share their stories for the focus group? Q: To be honest, it was not diffi cult because we always start by sharing our own stories fi rst. As soon as people understand that it is personal for us too there is a shared understanding and connection. What have you learned since the launch? S: We found that we were getting a lot of interest from customers of all ages and all genders, so we started thinking a lot more broadly about the product. Initially, we were targeting college students — Boston was a nice little testing ground during development. But like Quinn said, COVID happened the same time we launched so it was not a good time to market a product. So, we began to sell it to diff erent kinds of people. A really powerful thing happens when you have a multi-generational customer base — a senior citizen who wants to age in place, a woman in her forties, who wants it for herself at work or her children, women deal with this problem in a lot of diff erent ways. We built a community out of these customers through the website and app, so they could share information, safety tips and support. Q: Flare is only one tool on your tool belt. What we fi nd is your ability to utilize these tools really comes down to the individual — who you have been exposed to in your life and how have they talked about safety to you? Have you learned about self-defense or not? We think it’s really important that our users not only have access to tools but knowledge on how to use them, like how do you handle a stalker? How do we bring them together so they can learn how to use Flare better, as well as give them more tools? We provide free training and workshops for our community to participate in as well as a safe space for them to share with each other. Do you think it’s hard for people to

talk about issues of safety? Perhaps because the idea of being unsafe implies some fault of our own? Q: Maybe because we view safety as being refl ective of ourselves and our own strength and vulnerability and not on the world or the people perpetrating these acts. That idea alone, that it’s your fault, is what stops people from taking action. There’s a larger culture of victim blaming around the country and the world. Where do you see it going forward? S: We defi nitely see the product growing and expanding because there are so many people who need safety devices in so many diff erent ways. Right now, we’re geared towards the U.S. but obviously this is a problem around the world. We want to expand on the responses as well as diff erent ways to trigger the response. Presently, we have three kinds of bracelets — the leather is more gender inclusive since safety knows no gender. But the actual technology can go inside a lot of diff erent things. Tell me about your biggest challenges. Q: Last year, we sold out three times and at the same time there was a global supply chain shortage. Managing the demand with the supply has been really challenging. We’re a really small team. We have tried to be proactive in addressing that so we didn’t sell out even more. I read that your stated goal was to go out of business — meaning a world where devices like Flare aren’t needed. What do you think needs to change for that to happen? Q: Safety is a problem that everybody experiences in their life and it’s aff ected not just by our environment but our culture, institutions, justice and education systems. Real change needs to aff ect all of those institutions — and we’re lucky enough to partner with nonprofi ts working on that. S: The problem is the actions of the perpetrators and how we keep ourselves safe but we as a society, have not done a good job of holding perpetrators accountable. Defending ourselves is what we have to do today so Quinn and I thought, what can we do right now to enact immediate change so people feel safe, because the larger systemic change that is needed will not happen right away.

28 | MARCH 11 - 17, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Worcester Magazine March 11 - 17, 2022

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