Worcester Magazine April 1 - 7, 2022

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Featured ..............................................................................4 City Voices ..........................................................................8 Cover Story.......................................................................13 Artist Spotlight................................................................15 Next Draft .........................................................................21 Screen Time .....................................................................22 5 Thngs To Do..................................................................23 Adoption Option.............................................................24 Games................................................................................26 Last Call.............................................................................27

On the cover Comedian and singer Niki Luparelli sings outside the closed Skylite with new friends, Roger Belvins, right, and Michael DeCarolis, in a photo shoot for Worcester Magazine’s “REST of Worcester” feature.

PHOTO BY ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANI CHERCHIO/USA TODAY NETWORK, GETTY IMAGES

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FEATURES

Worcester’s Anthony Molinari gets fi rst lead role in ‘The Last Deal’ Richard Duckett Worcester Telegram & Gazette USA TODAY NETWORK

The new independent action crime drama fi lm “The Last Deal” represents a fi rst for Worcester native Anthony Molinari.

The former St. Peter-Marian High School football star and preschool and elementary school teacher left Worcester to try his luck as a stuntman in Hollywood just over 20 years ago. He is now the lead actor in a movie for the fi rst time at the age of 47.

“This is my fi rst lead role in a feature fi lm. It’s a new experience, one never to forget, but very exciting,” said Molinari, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.

Molinari made an impression with “The Last Deal” writer and director Jonathan Salemi from the start.

“He was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t have gotten a better actor,” Salemi said. “He was like my Tom Brady.

He delivered my message to the rest of the cast.”

In “The Last Deal,” Molinari plays Vince, a long-time marijuana dealer in Los Angeles facing the prospect of recreational marijuana sales becoming legal in L.A. in 2018. Vince tries to pull off one last big underground marijuana deal before getting squeezed out of business. The fi lm also stars Sala Baker, Jeffri Lauren, Mister Fitzgerald and Mike Ferguson, “It has all the action elements. It’s nonstop all the time. He’s (Vince) up against a series of obstacles,” Salemi said.

“The Last Deal” will have its premiere at 9 p.m. April 15 at AMC Theatre, 175 Tremont St., Boston, as part of the Boston International Film Festival.

Molinari and Salemi, who is originally from Revere and now also lives in the Los Angeles area, both intend to be on

Worcester native Anthony Molinari stars in “The Last Deal.” PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

hand for the screening.

That will also give Molinari a chance to come back to Worcester for a visit, something he said he tries to do often.

He grew up up on a dead end road just off Burncoat Street. His parents, older sister and younger brother all still live in the Worcester area, he said.

Molinari hasn’t forgotten where he’s from, and neither has his accent.

“He still has that accent, so that’s the character. It made it nice. Like a a working guy,” Salemi said of Molinari’s Vince.

“Thank God Jonathan took a risk. It was such an amazing leaning experience,” Molinari said.

Salemi was looking for an “action actor” to play the role of Vince — someone who can act and do his own stunts.

There are a lot of scenes “running, punching and falling. I knew I couldn’t aff ord an actor without stunt experience,” Salemi said.

Salemi’s stunt coordinator, Carl Ciarfalio, a veteran in the business, knew Molinari and mentioned his name.

Salemi and Molinari spoke to each other, Molinari auditioned, and “a couple of weeks later I got a call (where they) off ered me the part,” Molinari said.

“From there it kind of blossomed into a relationship that was a great one for me, anyway. I had a lot of fun working with him (Salemi).”

The fi lm was shot in August 2020, at a time when jobs were scarce because of the pandemic.

“He (Salemi) was able to go out and get an elite crew because no one was working,” Molinari said.

“Hard as it was going through the pandemic, this was a blessing in the darkness. We all went out and did it together, which was a lot of fun,” Molinari said.

At the former St. Peter-Marian Junior-High School (now St. Paul Diocesan Junior-Senior High School), Molinari rushed for a school-record 388 yards in a win as a junior football player, but a knee injury sidelined him for his senior season. He went on to graduate from Bowdoin College in Maine and then taught school for eight years, including in San Francisco and Newport, Rhode Island, and as a special education teacher at the Roosevelt Elementary School in Worcester.

“There were only nine of them (students) but it was like having 100 kids,” he recalled with an amused fondness.

Still, Molinari felt that he had established a good classroom when one day, Kenny, a student, took exception to having to relate about what he wanted to be when he grew up.

“This is stupid,” Kenny told “Mr. M.” Then he asked, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Molinari said.

The truth came out when Molinari mentioned Lee Majors and “The Fall Guy” and being a stuntman. A few days later Kenny gave Mr. M a brochure about See MOLINARI, Page 5

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 5

Molinari Continued from Page 4

a stunt school in Seattle. “Where did you get this?” Molinari asked. “Off the internet,” Kenny replied.

Molinari did go to stunt school, then moved to Los Angeles, setting “little goals” for himself.

“My career took off fi ve years after being out there,” Molinari said.

He worked as a stuntman and a double. After appearing in George Clooney’s “Leatherheads,” he was invited by Clooney to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2007 at his home.

Sitting in Clooney’s hot tub at the party, Molinari said he thought “‘This is crazy.’”

He has thoughts about his former life.

“It was hard leaving teaching,” Molinari said. “I’d go back to teaching pre-school again in a heartbeat, and I’m sure it would keep me younger.”

The 2010 movie “The Fighter,” about Lowell fi ghter Micky Ward’s brutal boxing match with Shea Neary, is centered on Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg) and his relationship with his brother (Christian Bale). However, Molinari portrayed Neary. (Incidentally, the referee of the bout was played by Dale Place, who theatergoers might remember as the longtime Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” at The Hanover Theatre.)

And after “The Fighter,” Molinari said he was told, “You can be an actor.”

Molinari was not initially impressed.

He said he told people, “‘That’s the last thing I want to do is act.’ I saw how the privacy can be taken away. But then I realized stunts aren’t so easy on my body. I started working on my acting chops.”

He was recently seen as Rohan in the movie “Tenet,” directed by Christopher Nolan.

Molinari will also be working again with Nolan on a new project, “Oppenheimer,” about J. Robert Oppenheimer, who has been called “the father of the atomic bomb.”

“I’m heading out this Saturday to go on that,” he said during a telephone interview last week.

Molinari said a friend told him he heard Nolan commenting, “Some guys have, it some guys don’t, and Anthony’s (Molinari) got it.” That bit of reporting made Molinari feel good.

“I’m very blessed to do what I do and get paid for it,” Molinari said.

Anthony Molinari, left, and the cast and crew of “The Last Deal.” SUBMITTED

He said he still does stunts, which leads back to being cast for “The Last Deal.”

“My whole foundation was stunts. A lot of producers and directors are looking for action actors as long as he’s got the (acting) chops.”

“The Last Deal” was “like family fi lmmaking because it was everyone chipping in, as opposed to, ‘You’re the stunt guy,’” Molinari said.

“That feeling of family fi lmmaking, for me personally, it was one of the most special parts of the fi lm.”

Salemi had written and directed a comedy when he fi rst came to Los Angeles titled “Ante Up.” But “it never got distributed,” he said. Salemi has since directed and produced critically acclaimed and world-wide distributed short fi lms, feature documentaries, and television. But “technically this is my fi rst feature,” he said of writing and directing “The Last Deal.”

So in a way Molinari and Salemi are in the same boat. “For me it’s been a long time coming,” Salemi said.

As Molinari had noted, Salemi said the pandemic helped with the fi lm coming together.

“I was able to get a cast and crew together that I wouldn’t normally have had,” Salemi said.

While “The Last Deal” may have been family fi lmmaking, it was also what Sa-

lemi called “guerilla fi lmmaking,” given the circumstances and Salemi’s small budget. The fi lm “is potentially one of the biggest guerrilla fi lms made in the last decade or two,” he said.

Salemi had taken inspiration, in part, from an old fi lm he watched one night in October 2019 by the late John Cassavetes that was he said he was “very guerilla-style, noir.”

With 2020 and “The Last Deal,” Salemi had his own story and an approach in mind.

Guerilla fi lmmaking includes showing up to a spot quickly and shooting without any permits.

“I used what I had around me. I have a buddy who’s a legal marijuana dealer. I know Los Angeles quite well now,” Salemi said.

“Because the pandemic happened there was no traffi c in LA. I could easily scout around — know where the sun was in the sky, know who’s there.”

Locations he eyed included a river, a street near an airport, in fact “quite a few streets — all these streets wanted a permit,” Which “The Last Deal” didn’t have.

Salemi and his team would only work at a given spot three hours at a time, “sometimes six, but we defi nitely pushed our limits quite often.”

Molinari knew what was going on, and even came on board as a producer

of “The Last Deal.”

“Anthony did great. He was exactly what I needed — someone who would fully buy into the fi lm. We have no permits. The police may come. Since it was his fi rst lead role, he completely committed,” Salemi said.

The police did come.

“We met the police often,” Salemi said. “The key to doing it is being very respectful of your surroundings. When the police came and saw that we weren’t running amok, I would very respectfully tell them what we’re doing and they would let us do it.”

Molinari approvingly noted Salemi’s ability to think on the run. “Jonathan — he’s amazing. What he adapts with, creative stuff , in a short period of time,” he said.

“Anthony came aboard the project and combined both his love for acting and stunt work to make the fi lm what it is,” said Salemi.

Several other people who are originally from Massachusetts worked on “The Last Deal,” including a sound mixer and music supervisor. “That’s a pretty good Massachusetts crowd that worked on the fi lm,” Salemi said.

The fi lm festival season is underway, and the Boston International Film Festival will screen over 100 movies beginning April 14. (The Massachusetts Independent Film Festival will be in Worcester for the fi rst time April 13-16, but “The Last Deal” won’t be shown there.)

“My goal is to play at two or three fi lm festivals and release the fi lm in the fall, playing that process as it goes,” Salemi said.

Successful screenings can lead to successful distributor deals. “Festivals are a good catalyst to start everything.

For me, in my unbiased opinion, it’s (”The Last Deal) a good fi lm. It should speak for itself when distributors watch it. It’s exceeded my expectations,” Salemi said.

With so many fi lms being made in the Worcester area these days, maybe Molinari should attach himself to a new fi lm project here in the future.

“Anything to be in Worcester. I love coming home,” he concurred.

Besides family, “My best friends are still back there. They all still live in Worcester and we’ve never missed a beat. I’m truly grateful growing up in Worcester for the people I met. It gave me a great foundation for life.”

For more information about the Boston International Film Festival, visit www.bostoniff .com.

6 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Rise Against kicks off return to heavy touring at Palladium Jason Greenough Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

For as long as they’ve been a band, the members of Rise Against have been a touring-heavy group. Whether that way of doing things is antiquated or anachronistic in this day and age is subjective, that’s what they learned from their favorite bands growing up, and they’ve been on the grind to carry that torch themselves for over 20 years.

So naturally, the pandemic-forced time off from the road had the group feeling out of sorts, aside from obvious reasons. Such is the case especially for guitarist Zach Blair, who is quick to admit that the only hobby he subscribes to is playing music, and now as the Chicago-bred punk quartet get ready to kick off its fi rst full year of touring North America since 2019 at Worcester Palladium on April 8 in support of its latest studio eff ort “Nowhere Generation,” Blair is just excited to get back out there and deliver the new songs to fans with the emotional power that comes along with playing music in a live setting.

“Once you record something and you see it through like that, it’s your baby, and you really want to go play it for everyone so they can check out the new stuff ,” says Balir. “Not being able to do that yet has been sort of an odd feeling, for sure. It’s almost as if we have some unfi nished business to take care of, so this is going to be great.”

Obviously, playing music is their job, career and their business all wrapped into one, and it’s not always glamorous.

However, it’s also the one thing that each of the four members of the band collectively love to do, and Blair is looking forward to having the opportunity to make that evident to fans as they scream the songs back at them, because as he sees it, that exuberance is contagious, and can dictate how the show will play out on any given night. Even more, Blair acknowledges that, at the core of the band’s historically energetic stage presence, is not only the excitement of playing their music, but also the desire

Rise Against is set to perform at the Palladium. COURTESY OF JASON SIEGEL

to help their fans forget about the struggles they’re going through for at least a few hours, and with everything that’s at play in their return to Worcester, and to the stage in general, they aren’t really planning on changing that objective any time soon.

“Any time you go see a good live band, and that’s not to brag about ourselves, the feeling is palpable,” says Blair. “You can tell when bands really want to be there that night, and of course, some bands have off nights for whatever reason, but you can look at that stage and know that they just don’t want to be there. Our band has never been like that.

We love doing this, and we want to make sure that if you’re coming to see Rise Against, that you’re going to see four individuals that really want to be up there on stage, and still recognize just how lucky we still are that people still show

up to watch us do what we do.”

The last time the band rolled through Worcester, as part of their “Mourning In America” tour in 2018 with AFI and AntiFlag, the messages pouring from the stage were naturally more urgent in a political and social sense. Now, as they prepare to return alongside Pennywise and Stick To Your Guns, that aspect isn’t as urgent as before, but in no way has the desire to bring awareness to important causes dimmed.

Citing frontman Tim McIlrath’s unwavering ability to express the band’s core beliefs in pretty much everything he does, Blair knows that there will never be a shortage of topics to touch on, either in the studio or on stage, and he hopes that with this new batch of songs and myriad troubles like climate change and the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the hands of a madman unfortunately

still prevalent in the news today, that Rise Against’s call to action will continue to encourage fans to get involved and make a diff erence in the world in their own ways.

“We made this record during the Trump years, and it came out during Biden’s administration. Of course, for us and our particular beliefs, we are much better off as a nation, and in my personal opinion, a rotting tomato would be a better president than the last one,” says Blair. “But it’s still politics, and you still want to hold their feet to the fi re because they’re still speaking for you and maybe they’re not doing it in a way you want. We’re much better off , but we’re still not perfect and there are still a lot of things to talk about, so I think there is always going to be a place for Rise Against, and I defi nitely don’t think that right now is an exception.”

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 7

Changing how we think about living with our animal neighbors Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

When a farmer was heard to say, ‘this particular group of boar is very sneaky,” Roopa Krithivasan, PhD student in Clark’s Graduate School of Geography, was intrigued. What contributed to her research was listening to farmers talk about their regular encounters with wildlife and the fact that they are very cognizant of the fact that anything they do prompts a type of adaptation in animal behavior.

Krithivasan has been working on the general topic of human/wildlife interaction issues since she fi nished college in 2007 and has studied interactions between farmers and wildlife all over the world. Her message is simple, “we simplify how we think about wildlife — there is a whole lot more behavioral complexity and adaptation that we don’t encounter in the literature or in how managers talk about wildlife, but it’s very much there.”

Her work of studying animal agency has a defi nite landscape and land-use component, especially her fi eld research which looks at land-use outcomes in response to human/wildlife confl ict. “The farmers’ understanding of individual animal personalities and adaptive processes infl uences how they use their landscape and is a big part of how they manage their crop protection decisions.”

In Western cultures especially, she believes there are a couple of assumptions that people make about wildlife.

“One of them is that species are fairly homogeneous and that animals of the same species will react the same way, but they have a fair degree of individuality; and the other is that wildlife always prefers the wild, but there are usually individuals and even many species that thrive in human-inhabited areas.”

Rachel Davison, zoological manager at the EcoTarium, agrees that If animals under human care can adapt and be trained for complex behavior, “there’s something to be said for wild animals learning and evolving to better interact with humans and their environment.”

A moose on the loose in Worcester!

JOSEPH FORJETTE/GREATER WORCESTER LAND TRUST

Rabbits are plentiful in the Worcester area. GREATER WORCESTER LAND TRUST

On the topic of bears, for instance, Krithivasan said, “one might fi nd really shy individuals who would never dream of coming into urban areas and others who are really bold and will go after every bird feeder.” Davison pointed out See NEIGHBORS, Page 9

A bear that was roaming the area of Hilma Street in 2019 – at one point making its way into a tree – was tranquilized by environmental officials. The black bear was relocated to a nearby forest, according to the state Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. STATE DIVISION OF FISHERIES & WILDLIFE

8 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Ancient Egyptian bling: WAM exhibit examines power and symbolism of ‘Jewels of the Nile’ Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Jewelry may seem like it has changed a great deal over the course of human history, but one constant is that it’s always held meaning. That meaning has varied in form over time and place.

These days it’s often material, as a symbol of wealth and power, or sentimental, as a family heirloom or keepsake. An upcoming exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum, however, will take visitors back to a time when the type of jewelry someone wore was considered a matter of life and death.

“Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures” will be on display this summer, beginning June 18 and running through Jan. 29, 2023.

“In all of these ancient cultures, jewelry not only fulfi lls the human urge to decorate the body but also to fundamentally protect the body,” said Yvonne Markowitz, curator of the exhibit. This protection extended from the practical — anklets to help prevent scorpion bites — to the metaphysical — such as beads to ward away malevolent forces arising from ill wishes of one’s peers.

Though it may be easy to dismiss such beliefs as archaic superstitions in modern times, Markowitz pointed out that many of these have fi ltered down over the centuries to aspects of cultures even today, such as blue eye beads, believed to ward off the evil eye. These fi rst appeared during the New Kingdom period of Egyptian history. Blue beads are still used in the Middle East, and even the practice of “something borrowed and something blue” in western weddings can be traced back to this.

These hidden meanings can be seen throughout the collection.

“Just because you don’t know something about an item, doesn’t mean it’s random or just aesthetic,” said Markowitz.

A gold fi sh pendant, for example, is representative of a species in the Nile, the upside down catfi sh, which fl oats on its back. The pendant was meant to transfer this property to the wearer, and thus protect young women from drowning. It would have also been inlaid with

Claw anklets – middle kingdom, ca.

1980-1760 BCE. One theory is that these were meant to protect against scorpion bites.

Scarabs – Middle Kingdom, 1980-1760 BCE, potentially one of the most well known symbols associated with ancient Egypt, these blue faience scarabs were of a mass produced type and available to all levels of Egyptian society as protective talismans. WORCESTER ART MUSEUM PHOTOS

colorful semi precious stones, each of which would have had their own meanings, and the whole piece is made of gold, which the Egyptians used to symbolize the sun.

“There’s nothing about that fi sh that doesn’t have some meaning,” said Markowitz. Such depth of meaning in every aspect of a piece is something rarely found in modern jewelry.

The collection itself is also something of a hidden gem, and is essentially unknown to the wider public. It came to WAM’s attention when one of their curators, Peter Lacovara, discovered it through connections from his previous work as a consultant in ancient art.

Uniquely tied to Massachusetts history, it was assembled by Laura Marrs

(1845-1926), daughter of Boston’s 19th mayor, Otis Norcross. She was aided in this by none other than Howard Carter, who would go on to become world famous as the discoverer of the Tomb of Tutankhamun. Carter steered Marrs and her husband toward authentic objects that were representative of a wide range of shapes, forms and materials — covering a span of Egyptian history that is almost “encyclopedic,” said Markowitz.

“Egyptian art is relatively conservative when you consider 3,000 years of history,” she said, with seemingly little changing between dynastic periods, “but if you look closely, you can see the changes.”

The collection loosely represents the changing of culture over a period and is

even indicative of how cultures peak and decline in a cyclical manner. Egypt has a history of golden ages and declines, known as the intermediate periods — the golden ages have unity and intermediate periods are more divided between north and south and provincial rulers.

However, the confl icts and unsettled times of the intermediate periods provide the source of ideas that formulate the next golden age. Akin to the way some look at the 1960s in the U.S., which was the source of many crucial ideas like civil rights, anti-war protests, revolutions in politics, music and society.

After the second intermediate period, Egypt became an empire, somewhat similar to the greater role that the U.S. played on the world stage after World War II. While this exhibit doesn’t have the grandiosity of the King Tut exhibit, which was one of a kind, Markowitz explained that the “putting together of the story with the jewelry makes it a little bit diff erent than your ordinary exhibition of Egyptian jewelry. I like the fact that the jewelry has a story behind it with a Massachusetts connection.”

Particularly, the necklaces have a timeless quality, because, as she pointed out, if you were to show them to a person walking down the street, they have appeal even today. The beads, especially, have a wonderful proportion for the human body — 4,000 years ago, they were a fashion accessory and still resonate in contemporary society.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 9

Wild turkeys make themselves at home all over the region. GREATER WORCESTER LAND TRUST

Neighbors Continued from Page 7

that the diff erent personalities could either benefi t or hurt them in surviving around humans.

Growing up in Central Mass., Krithivasan is familiar with bears and raccoons and coyotes. Coyotes, though, are a polarizing species and one that has deep cultural associations with humans, especially in Southwestern states. They symbolize playfulness, adaptability and trickery, and there are even some echoes in mythology of the divine role they played, in particular obtaining fi re for people.

Humans and wildlife have cultivated these relationships over many years and they are important in how we engage with them, but they aren’t taken into account when managing them.

“We’re not really thinking along the lines of what we have in terms of cultural association with these animals,” Krithivasan said, and what adaptive behaviors were learned and formed during their centuries-old interactions with humans, and passed down to their off spring and later generations.

“There are ways in which many species of animals pass down knowledge over generations,” Davison says, “something we normally associate with primates. I know that there are birds that pass down generational knowledge.”

Research shows how animals can learn in social settings and Davison thinks it is, “a cool idea to think about learning behaviors, not just in great apes and dolphins but also, badgers.”

“We think of most animals as automatons and we attribute some agency to complex higher mammals, but it exists

all across the animal kingdom.”

The question is how do we use this knowledge? Krithivasan believes it would help if we had this vocabulary in wildlife management. While we are usually worried about overabundance or extinction, “let’s think of their agency, the ways in which they are actively making decisions to survive, what are their local cultures and how they contribute to the landscape as it is now.”

Being able to articulate what could motivate behavioral variations will help not only farmers and ranchers but also conservationists.

“They are already stakeholders and participants and we need to acknowledge them as such as we try to shape the world. If we fail to do this, it becomes much more diffi cult to work with them.”

However, that raises the issue of anthropomorphism, which attributes human characteristics such as thoughts and feelings to animals.

“There has been a pushback in Western conservatism against anthropomorphism — in the case of wolves and coyotes — that has been a big part of why they have been hunted,” says Krithivasan.

Krithivasan believes there are many cultures where ideas of animal agency is already inherent.

“I don’t want to make it sound like we’re the fi rst to think of this but we’re trying to bring it all together in a way that is helpful to the larger public — there are conversations happening in management circles, but not part of the mainstream or when policy is being made.”

Studying animal agency and how it can contribute to conservation and bring that idea into practice means thinking about animals as complex beings. There have been massive strides in

Coyotes come with a pretty complex cultural context. PAUL DELL'AQUILA/GREATER WORCESTER LAND TRUST

behavioral research — “anytime you have species interacting, we’re learning about them and they’re learning about us.” According to Krithivasan, all of that ultimately shapes what we see in our

cultural landscape.

“What we don’t always see is those diff erences addressed — how do we deal with bears and racoons in our neighborhoods or elephants on farms.”

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10 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CONNELL SANDERS

5 things I learned about the publishing process while writing my fi rst book Sarah Connell Sanders Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

I wrote a book.

After a year of hard work, the fi nish line is fi nally in sight thanks to a tremendous amount of guidance and encouragement from my mentors, loved ones and colleagues.

Publishing a work of such magnitude has been a goal of mine ever since I was a 7-year-old ragamuffi n sneaking out of our three-decker apartment to interview passersby on Park Avenue for my “newspaper.” Some days it feels like not much has changed; however, with 65,000 words under my belt, I do believe I have fi nally taken a substantial step toward fulfi lling my childhood dream.

“Small Teaching K-8” is a response to America’s teacher exodus. If all goes according to schedule, it will be available for purchase by the fall of 2022. “Small Teaching K-8” outlines the practical application of scientifi c principles to increase learning outcomes while reducing time spent planning and grading. It is based on an earlier title, “Small Teaching,” written for college professors

by James Lang (www.jamesmlang.com) — more on his true brilliancy later.

I am excited to share lessons from “Small Teaching K-8” in the months to come, but fi rst, I want to refl ect on the process of writing and preparing a manuscript for publication. I had a hard time locating resources that explained what to expect. One of my most-read columns of all time was called, “5 Tips for Starting Your Own Podcast.” I hope this piece can function in the same way, providing transparency of process and peace of mind for aspiring creators.

1. Make contact with writers you admire and off er to do their job for them.

Odds are, your favorite writer probably has an inbox jam-packed with requests that they couldn’t dream of fulfi lling on their own. Off er a helping hand. Send out an email detailing your appreciation for their body of work and

Columnist Sarah Connell Sanders has fi nished writing her fi rst book. STOCKSNAP

then let them know they can forward any of the opportunities in their “pass” pile along to you. Attach a couple of links to your own writing samples, then wait and see. This is more or less how I met James Lang. We connected at a Worcester Public Library event, I followed the steps outlined above, and when his publisher asked him about writing a book for elementary and middle school teachers, he thought of me.

The publisher, Wiley-Jossey Bass, trusted in me based on the recommendation of Lang.

2. Craft a proposal.

A proposal begins with your “author biography.” On my fi rst go, I detailed all of my experience in local journalism, which it turned out the publisher cared very little about. Lang encouraged me to

highlight my content expertise — 13 years as a public school teacher and two master’s degrees in education. Turns out, that was far more impressive than my experience waxing poetic about Worcester’s best chicken wing. A publisher views writing experience as a bonus whereas content expertise with a willingness to write is a necessity. Next, you will be asked to provide a portrait of your target audience, a description of the book, and a plan for promotion. Finally, you will need to conduct a competitive research analysis. Ask yourself, “What are similar titles that have performed well in the last year, and what makes my take on the topic diff erent?”

Once you have the competition fi gured out, you’re ready to write.

3. Build an outline.

My favorite writing guru, Bianca Marais, divides writers into two groups: pantsers and plotters. As a new author, your publisher is going to expect you to be a plotter. In other words, this is not a time to fl y by the seat of your trousers. I worked closely with Lang to devise a precise outline for approval by WileyJossey Bass. I used Lang’s original book and the titles identifi ed in my competitive research analysis to devise my own plan. I also became familiar with Wiley’s most well-known brand, the “Dummies” series, which launched with DOS for Dummies back in 1991. Next to each chapter in the outline, I provided an estimation as to how long I thought it would take me to write.

4. Impose your own deadlines.

While Lang assured me the publisher’s deadlines were fl exible, I did not want to self-sabotage or derail my fi rst shot at publishing a real book. I’ve been told my distilled “lean in” energy is becoming a problem, but I’m not sure how I would have fi nished this project on deadline without putting “Small Teaching K-8” fi rst. Now, as an expectant mother, I’m relieved the bulk of the work is done. I’m also grateful to my husband who supported me wherever we went.

He drove and I wrote. He did the laundry and I wrote. He made a sand shield for my laptop at the beach and I wrote. I wrote, and I wrote, and he never once complained. I have a feeling I won’t be able to prioritize my next book with the same singularity.

5. Show appreciation for your peer reviewers and developmental editors.

I am in the fi nal edit of my manuscript. My peer reviewers and developmental editors provided thoughtful feedback and questions to make the book sing. This afternoon, I will write them handwritten thank-you notes and send my literary baby off to be printed and pressed for fall. Here is where I leave you.

Do you have more questions about navigating the publishing process? Find me on Instagram at @SARAH_CONNELL.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 11

CITY VOICES WORCESTERIA

‘They were human beings. You have to respect that’ – A remembrance of Peter Stefan Kim Ring Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

Peter Stefan changed me.

For years, I’d drive through Main South turning my head from the panhandlers, the women being prostituted, the drunks passed out on the sidewalk or staggering in traffi c.

It was a lot to take in. I’m from a small town and this? It made me wary and sometimes it scared me. But I would change.

I met Peter Stefan, the owner of Graham Putnam and Mahoney Funeral Parlors in Worcester — who died on March 21 — in May of 2013.

Outside the funeral home on Main Street, protesters were gathering, angry that Stefan had agreed to bury Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

He bought them pizza and let their comments roll off his back as one of the biggest stories of the decade was unfolding in his funeral home.

I knocked on the door that night and was stunned to have it opened to me when I fl ashed my Telegram & Gazette ID badge. I was pulled inside the hulking three-story funeral home where Tsarnaev’s body was being prepared, washed and wrapped in the Muslim tradition, for burial — a burial that wouldn’t take place for days because fi nding a cemetery willing to endure what was happening on Main Street in Worcester was no easy feat.

There’s no way for me to know whether I saw Tsarnaev’s body that night. I can say I saw “A Body” but whose it was, I do not know.

I sat for hours talking in the kitchen with an interesting man named Lone Wolf who regaled me with stories of his work rebuilding the faces and bodies of the recently deceased so their family members could view them one last time.

Only once, he told me, did a family choose to close the casket. Peter em-

Peter Stefan died on March 21. KIM RING/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

ployed him because of his high standard and his desire to bring peace to grieving families, especially those whose last memories of a loved one might have been seeing them as they looked after a disfi guring accident.

He could reset that image with a different one and off er them a better memory of their loved one, at peace.

Peace was what the sometimesrabble-rousing Stefan sought to bring to people, his community in Main South and his city, and if he got the ear of a reporter, he’d bend it any chance he got.

He bent mine for hours, talking about the hundreds of cremations stored in his basement and his desire to return them, even those dating back to the 1800s, to their families.

He’d never met them, but he valued their lives anyway.

“At one time they were born, they must have brought joy to someone. And then something happened in between, who knows what, and now they’re here.

They were human beings. You have to respect that,” he told me.

He and I, and his staff — a crew worthy of both a humanitarian award and their own sitcom — began going through the cremations one by one.

We created a project called Lives Left Behind and I gathered up as much documentation as I could, then wrote a story that would be published in the Telegram & Gazette about the deceased in an effort to fi nd someone related who could take the cremation and provide a permanent resting place.

We returned three cremations, at no cost, lovely urns thrown in for free. I thought we were about to succeed with

a fourth connection when I got a call from a relative of the deceased I’d just written about. I was berated for nearly an hour on the telephone. They didn’t want their family member’s cremation; they hated the story I’d written and another relative had lied to me. I was a terrible person. I should leave well enough alone, they said, I was hurting families dredging up the past.

I was reeling and I was done. Even though we were working on returning baby twins, I was too afraid of another call like that. I gave up.

Peter and I never talked about what happened, but I’m sure he fi gured it out.

My ability to let it roll off my back was not as strong as Peter’s.

Still, our long talks in his offi ce sharing pizza and beers with the staff while Peter sat beneath a halo of smoke from his pipe, took root. His awareness of the needs of people was an example to me.

Every time I visited, there was someone laid out for calling hours and in the quiet dark, on my way out, often late in the evening, I’d step into the room and say a prayer for them.

There was an elderly man covered to his neck so his family members, who couldn’t aff ord a casket, could say goodbye privately. There was a child whose family’s culture kept them at the funeral home for hours every day for almost a week. There was a gentleman dressed so dapperly I was sure he was someone important but I learned he’d been homeless and his fancy suit and classy tie came from Peter’s stash.

In the basement a stack of wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and other medical devices sat. Peter’s staff , in their down time, fi xed them up and handed them out to those in need.

He just wanted to help everyone. He was always pitching a story about his latest idea: a pet ambulance, a Veteran’s See STEFAN, Page 12

12 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

BAD ADVICE

Take bold steps to end ‘Encanto’ rewatches Shaun Connolly Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

DEAR SHAUN: My 4-year-old daughter insists we watch “Encanto” almost every day. I think the movie is good, but after a month and a half straight of watching this movie I am getting very sick of it. If I try anything else she has a complete meltdown and honestly I just want her to be happy and “Encanto” makes her happy. What should I do?

DEAR NOT BRUNO (BECAUSE WE DON’T TALK ABOUT HIM): This is tough. The movie is good, not 45 days straight good, but good nonetheless. I have watched it. My son, who is 11⁄ 2, likes it. He is still at the age where he doesn’t sit long for things. He is a very busy toddler who would much rather try and eat a dry erase marker, suck on an electrical cord or attempt to pull all of the hair off of my dog’s tail. But we have watched and he stops for certain points. I say you start lying to your daughter. Tell her that “Encanto” had to be taken off streaming.

Tell her that Disney+ pulled it off for the time being because they were going to

Mirabel, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz, left, and Bruno, voiced by John Leguizamo, in a scene from the animated fi lm “Encanto.” AP

make it even better. They wanted to add a couple of songs and really make the movie the best it can be. Tell her that they actually took most of the movies off of streaming, so “Frozen” isn’t there, or “Moana,” or even a classic like “Aladdin.”

Tell her that because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the U.S. response with sanctions, Russian hackers got into our streaming services and pulled all

LANDGREN ANOTHER TROOPERGATE PAPER SHUFFLE SUGGESTION

movies off all platforms except for one.

It’s a French dubbed version of “Without a Paddle.” You remember that movie starring Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, Dax Shepard and Burt Reynolds? Tell her that she can learn French, slapstick comedy and how stars die out unless they get a podcast.

I know you are asking yourself at this point, “well, would he do this?” The an-

Stefan Continued from Page 11

Day ceremony and burial of unclaimed veteran’s cremations, a prescription drug program … the list never ended.

Months after I stopped working on the project, I saw a man sitting up against a wall in a parking lot as I drove by. Honestly? He looked dead. I turned my car around, pulled in and shined my lights on him. I blew the horn and swore when he didn’t move. I dialed 911 as I got out of the car and tried to rouse him. He wasn’t breathing. He had no pulse.

I dragged him onto the ground and started CPR as police arrived and used Narcan. After a very long time in the ambulance, he was breathing again but not conscious. He went off to the hospital and the police offi cer looked at my 4-foot, 8-inch self and asked, “What

swer is no, because I’m a good parent and you have clearly lost control. It seems like the real “encanto” here is Disney’s addictive animation and Lin Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hooks.

DEAR SHAUN: I’m a senior in high school, I want to do a prom-posal, but don’t have money and I don’t think I’m very creative. Could you help me?

DEAR ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL FROM BREAKFAST CLUB-TYPE: Dude, do you even know the person you are asking? Do they want that? Are you with this person? If you don’t know the answers to these questions or one of them is a no, then stop. Don’t go to prom, stay home and play “Elden Ring.” If you think this person does want this and you know the answers to all of these then write in again next week, and I can ask this person for you through this column.

That’s what kids these days like, right?

They love print media and the voice of a 35-year-old local comedian who happens to be a dad as well? They’ll love it.

Trust me.

Worcester comedian Shaun Connolly provides readers bad advice in his weekly column. Send your questions to woocomedyweek@gmail.com.

made you stop? It’s not really safe.”

“I saw a human being on the ground,” I said.

But what I really thought was, “At one time he was born, he must have brought joy to someone. And then something happened in between, who knows what, and now he’s here. He’s a human being. I have to respect that.

Maybe, if he lives, he’ll bring joy to someone again.”

There have been a few more nights with stops to help someone in need and every time, when I should feel fear, I hear those words in the voice of the old jokester who always had a twinkle in his eye as he called to welcome me: “Well, if it isn’t the bodacious Kim Ring.”

That voice may be silenced now, but I’ll always hear it encouraging me when someone needs help and I am forever grateful for that.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 13

COVER STORY

The

REST of Worcester!

Our guide to the weird, wild and wonderful of Worcester County Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

Ah, Worcester. For years, local periodicals have tried to capture your essence in various “Best Of ” polls, where the public is invited to vote for their favorite actuaries, taxidermists and banks. Never mind that few people have strong feelings for any of these things. They are usually decided by the people who care the most about the subject, or who are able to motivate a fan base. h Indeed, my very fi rst week at Worcester Magazine (the fi rst time around, in 1997), we were working on the annual “Best of Worcester” issue. Back then, we had to count paper ballots that were mailed to us, and then-editor Walter Crockett warned me to look out for “ballot stuffi ng,” because the rivalry between fans of House of India and India Café was getting heated. The memories! h We don’t do The Best of Worcester anymore — it’s a long, boring story — but we thought we might be able to accomplish much the same eff ect by polling local comedians, humorists, Comedian and singer Niki Luparelli sings outside the closed Skylite. ALLAN JUNG/ TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

poets and journalists. What we ended up with was things such as the best graffi ti tag, the best place to meet bearded hipsters, and the best park in which to be a werewolf. h It’s entirely possible we’ve made a terrible mistake, but it’s too late for us to back out now. h So without further ado: You’ve seen the Best of Worcester … now we bring you, The REST of Worcester! See WEIRD, Page 14

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Weird Continued from Page 13

Dining Best place to blow your diet The Miss Worcester Diner Typically, it starts with best intentions: Meeting some friends at the Miss Worcester Diner for breakfast, which just so happens to be the most important meal of your day. You go there with the mindset that you’re just going to have egg whites, but upon walking in to this old trolley-car diner, with the aromas of carbohydrates fi lling the air, your original game plan fl ies out the window, without even a second thought. It was the enormous stack of French toast that got me. The bread looks so thick, much like myself. With all the fl avors to pick from, choosing just one is not an easy task, which is I why I recommend going back and trying all of them. Each one is just as good, if not better, than the last one, which is why this was my last day on a diet. Forever thick, full and satisfi ed. (SJ) Best restaurant to eat southwestern omelets in while appreciating fi ne taxidermy Michael’s Bridge and Diner, Lancaster If you have never eaten breakfast in the shadow of a huge bear, then really, what the hell is the point to life? The omelets here make you want to slap yourself and the taxidermy isn’t even creepy. Plus nobody looks at you funny when you order three meals and aren’t there with anyone else. (LR) Best view from a restaurant window on Shrewsbury Street The Aces and Eights table at Dell’ovo Kitchen The other fi ve tables in this tiny but awesome Italian eatery face the kitchen.

One table for one in the far corner off ers a panoramic view of Shrewsbury Street.

As the waitress sneaks up behind me, I gaze on Boulevard Auto Body, which towed my illegally parked car on a rainy Friday in 2014, and Franchi Auto Body, which repaired the same vehicle two years later. Over a bowl of pasta e fagioli, these sweet memories haunt me still!

(JFJ) Best place to consider converting to Judaism while enjoying an awesome pastrami sandwich Chani’s Kosher Deli in the back of the synagogue on Newton Avenue

Comedian Serenity Jones and a heaping plate of French toast at the Miss Worcester Diner. CHRISTINE PETERSON/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Everything is made to order including the chicken soup that was so hot I spoke in tongues for 40 days. I’d follow Rabbi Mendel Fogelman anywhere! (JFJ) Best place to get a bagel with cream cheese then sneak your new book onto the best- sellers section Root & Press Café and Books I divert owner Rich Collins’ attention by spilling my latte onto the elderly woman reading the serial-killer novel, and then it’s James Patterson … Margaret Atwood … Joe Fusco Jr.! (JFJ) Best cheap healthy snack The quenepas at Gala Foods The quenepas at Gala Foods right on Main Street. I know Puerto Ricans will laugh at this gringo because quenepas are everywhere and practically free back home, however, they are not in Worcester, and they are my favorite snack to eat while walking my dogs. I will not explain what they are if you are unfamiliar, just go buy a bunch and get snacking. Just don’t swallow the pit!

(SC)

Worst restaurant-chain gift card received at xmas Wendy’s No matter what Wendy’s I go to in Central Massachusetts, their gift card doesn’t work. The counter-person calls the French fry person over, who calls the assistant manager over who shrugs as I’m forced to be The Angry Old White Guy again. (JFJ) The best Worcester restaurant I never ate at Jekyll and Hyde Burrito on Park Avenue It was around 2000. I was hungry and went into the fi rst sandwich shop I found. The place was empty. The people behind the counter were putting things in boxes. I asked if I could get a burrito.

One of them shouted, “Does it look like you can get a burrito? We are out of business. Why didn’t you come here earlier and we wouldn’t be broke.” I left, wondering which one he was: Jekyll or Hyde.

(DM) Best place for an inexpensive meal

The Community Fridge We’ve all been hit hard by the pandemic and the rising cost of gas, however, Worcester has one place that anyone can aff ord, making it the best place to eat on a budget. So whether you are a family or simply dining for one, the community fridge might not have what you want, but will always have what you need. It’s always open and run by the community for the community. So when in a pinch, Community Fridge will always be there. (SJ)

Drinking & Nightlife Best place to meet a guy with a beard Armsby Abbey If you’re looking for a quintessential beer nerd to take you home to his mom, look no further than the bar at Armsby Abbey. Just make sure you get there early. She usually picks him up around 5:30 and she doesn’t like to wait. (SCS) Worst drink I’ve ever had made by

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Weird Continued from Page 14

the best bartender in Worcester Absinthe on the Rocks at Nick’s Bar and Restaurant I thought it would be green and make me wax poetically like Lord Byron. Instead, it was milky white and gave me cramps. Bartender Sean Courtney warned me to stick with Tanqueray &Tonic! (JFJ) Most regrettable restroom Nick’s Bar and Restaurant There’s a lot of Nick’s nostalgia fl oating around these days, but if I’m being honest, their restrooms never impressed me. Every time I tried to use them, Sean Courtney, the bartender, insisted on waking me up. It’s called a “rest” room for a reason, Sean. (SCS) Best pothole in the Ralph’s Rock Diner parking lot The Big One By The Train Tracks There are two kinds of people who park at Ralph’s Rock Diner: People who hate their car’s suspension, and cowards. Low riders have been known to order a taxi just to get to the front door.

WM-28954443

The Railer is a special beast because it is located at an unavoidable pinch-point between that haunted carpet factory and a lifted truck from Lickspittle, Pennsylvania. It’s lined with rocks that must dent one thousand rims in order to escape Samsara. It can’t be driven around, it must be charged at from the front like some kind of weird sexual bullfi ghting metaphor I’ll think of later.

(MS) Best local beer for drinking in your basement Double Down Brewing Co’s ‘Sugar Plum’ Sour Allow me to sing for you the praises of the sensually complex sour beer, like really good fruit juice that’s been locked up in the Château d’If for a decade. Sour beers are incredibly mouth-loud and deliciously fruity, just like yours truly.

There’s one brew which towers over the opposition, in the fi eld of “consumed in secret, while hiding from one’s family,” and that’s Double Down Brewing Co’s “Sugar Plum” Sour. Ideal for sipping while cramped behind a water heater, or discreetly poured into a Big Gulp during a videocall that should have been an email. (MS) Liquor store with the best music

WoMag columnist Sarah Connell Sanders and her bearded husband, Jake, at Armsby Abbey. ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

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Weird Continued from Page 15

Webster Square Liquor Store Let me tell you about Webster Square Liquor Store: Every square inch of this place is covered in quality product. Do you need $2 tallboys? Booze jellies?

Pocket bongs? Sex powders? They’ve got that, and their music? Incredible. Do I know anything specifi c about the music, like which country it’s even from?

No, I could have asked the employees, but I tried not to be weird about it so hard that I got sweaty and frightening to behold. Webster Square Liquor Store, know that I pine in secret for your funky playlists. (MS) Best street to admire the nip bottles in the gutter Millbury Street If you keep your eyes down while walking this historic boulevard, you will be treated by a glittering display of art and desire. It glitters in the sun. You will see a variety of nip bottles on the ground, gathering together to tell an exciting tale of abandon and despair. The amazing thing about it is that this art installation is always growing. There are many volunteers contributing to the piece by downing and dropping a new bottle on the concrete canvas. Another brushstroke of genius. Be careful where you step.

Art is everywhere. (DM) Best hook up joint Worcester Police Department With eight diff erent college and universities in the area, along with the general rejuvenation the city, it’s no wonder this is a place where singles come to meet and fi nd love for at least one night.

Worcester has the best pick-up joint, but it’s only good if you like it rough. It’s a place where everyone gets in but not everyone gets out and handcuff s are involved, so it’s not for them faint at heart.

(SJ)

Nostalgia Best place to sing ‘No Diggity’ and cry over your wasted youth Skylite Roller Skating Rink Another gloomy, gray day? That’s the perfect time to get all dressed up and head to the most nostalgic spot in Worcester … if you happened to have come of age anytime between 1981 and the 2010s, and could get a ride. Celebrate the funeral of your youth while

Malt Schlitzman “being a werewolf” in the woods at Hadwen Arboretum. ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

humming “No Diggity.” Gaze wistfully at the brightly painted husk that once was Skylite Roller Skating Rink. You can almost hear her ghostly siren call, “Pizza slices! Skate at your own risk! You have to wear socks with those rental skates!”

This is defi nitely 2022’s “Best Place to Have One Tear Roll Down Your Face While Dressed Wildly Inappropriately for This Time of Day,” you weirdo. (NL) The best mural that is no longer present advertising a business that is also no longer around Heidi’s Hippie Hideaway For years, while driving on 290, I would see the quaintly illustrated mural for Heidi’s and be fi lled with joy and hope. The idea that Worcester had such an Eden was groovy. Every time I saw the mural I was enticed with the thought of pulling off the highway and checking it out. What kind of bar or coff ee shop would be so perfectly named? In fact, the store was a thrift shop and it’s been out of business for many years. Now, the mural is also absent and our chance to make Worcester a hippie paradise is fading like so much sandblasted paint.

(DM)

Best place in Worcester to buy your back-to-school clothes that no longer exists Maurice the Pants Man “Come on down!” If you were a teenager in the ‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s and heard that invitation on the radio, you did just that. You came on down, maybe with your mother as your chauff eur (and in charge of your fi nances) and bought some genuine Levi’s dungarees at Maurice the Pants Man at Millbury and Lamartine streets. In its heyday, Maurice the Pants Man was a goldmine of durable, fi ve-pocket, denim jeans with copper rivets and a small red tag on its back pocket. The store was founded in 1923

by Maurice J. Ravelson, and his son, Arnold H. Ravelson, took over the family business at the age of 22 after his father was injured in a serious car accident.

The store went from being a simple Army and Navy supply store to becoming a legendary, one-stop location for brand-name casual wear and jeans at off prices. With the help of their catchy radio spots, Levi’s became all the rage for Worcester’s middle-class suburbia.

Mothers were more than happy to cough

up the dough at Maurice’s for a genuine pair of Levi’s. (CSS) Most missed service for cancer patients Hope Lodge, 7 Oak Street First opened in 1985, Hope Lodge provided free housing to cancer patients and caretakers from across the globe. In addition to free lodging, the program included daily transportation for guests to and from multiple local hospitals. A home away from home for thousands of people facing the medical challenge of their lives, the Lodge was a beacon of hope for more than 30 years before it was closed at the end of 2016. No joke here. It’s just really missed. (DMcG) Best bar playlist The Dive Bar It is and always will be Ricky Nelson’s from the Dive (RIP). A great mix of nostalgia, genres and moods. It wasn’t just the bar, it was that playlist, too. (SC)

Getting Out and About Most obscure repurposed factory North Works You want to live in a former envelope

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 17

Weird Continued from Page 16

factory? Loom factory? Shoe factory? A recycled wool factory? You’ve come to the right city. Worcester is fi lled with repurposed manufacturing buildings. I especially can’t get over the barbed wire factory. Seriously, I tried. It was painful.

(SCS) Best vacant parking lots to visit that used to be the home of beautiful Catholic churches Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church Worcester is the demolished church capitol of New England. Where else can you point to a pile of rubble and say to your child, “I married your mother there.” Symbolism notwithstanding, it can be a little unnerving, to say the least.

Then again, we live in a city with no churches on Church Street. We used to have a church standing on Church Street, the majestic Notre Dame des Canadiens, which stood for 150 years before being shuttered. In fact, two beautiful churches have been demolished in recent years, three, if you count Sir Morgan’s Cove. But spirituality is something you fi nd from within. You don’t need a church, a cathedral, a monastery, a temple or an All-You-Can-Eat Steamers night at Funky Murphys to feel a oneness with God. That’s why whenever I have a spiritual crisis and need to talk to the Almighty above, I pull my car over at the vacant lot on Mulberry Street and spill my guts. (CSS) Best park for being a werewolf in Hadwen Arboretum This spot has everything. Plenty of suburban houses nearby, so lots of freeroaming cats to prey on. Good moon visibility from the attached baseball fi eld, also ideal for Important Pack Meetings.

It’s also attached to a nearby lake via a whole other park, meaning you can cool off with a refreshing swim after concluding your Werewolf Business. The attached hilltop hospital is also perfect for sinister medical experiments, so if you wanted to be a werewolf with a laser eye, you need to hoof it to Hadwen. (MS) Best view from a cemetery you have no family buried in Woodlawn, Clinton Walking through cemeteries can be a somber experience, but here it doesn’t always have to be. Once you get over the fact that you have to pass by hundreds of dead people, there is a great piece of lovely eye candy: At the top of the hill,

Comedian Shaun Connolly is looking for “unique trash” at Castle Park. ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

toward the very back, the trees open up and give way to a sprawling view of my hometown, where we are still very proud of having the most bars per square mile. We don’t, but it’s pretty damn close. I think. It really might never have been. Bars aside, Clinton is home, and this point really shows off its charm. (LR) Most unique trash at a playground Castle Park Castle Park far and away has the most unique non-playground items at it. I have found a yellow paint can, numerous car batteries, two guitar stands and just a bicycle frame, no wheels. I truly don’t believe any of these things are left there because people think it is a dump. I believe in my heart of hearts, they were all just having a whole lot of fun on top of that hill in Main South.

(SC) Best sledding Belmont Street Belmont Street coming from Shrewsbury into Lincoln Square: During a snow fl urry, just put your car in neutral and let it fl y, baby. DPW won’t be there till morning. (SC) Best athletic event Softball on Mountain Street

18 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Weird

rage across an empty city as we watch from a distant hill. “They have saved us from ourselves” we will say in unison.

(MS) Ugliest downtown building 175 Main Street In the 1970s, AT&T built a windowless fi ve story building on a historic stretch of Main Street known as “Goddard Row.” The brutalist structure was designed to house hardware rather than human employees. Back then, AT&T needed all that room for gadgets and gizmos a-plenty, but today’s technology takes up the equivalent of a broom closet. I’ve heard the building is haunted by the ghost of Robert Goddard. It seems like a perfect place to haunt if you ask me. There’s plenty of room. I bet he never runs outer space. (SCS)

Continued from Page 17

Do yourself a favor and go watch softball being played over on Mountain Street near the corner of Great Brook Valley and Lincoln Street. There’s always grilling, always great music, and these softball players hit bombs. Best part is, it is free! Nice try WooSox. (SC) Insurance companies’ favorite rotary in the city The Kelley Square Peanut Whether it be the seven double lanes in or out, or the mere risk of a scooter barreling through, not adhering to any of the driving rules, insurance companies love this rotary, one fender-bender at a time. I wonder if some of the scooter riders have even ridden in a car before, but one thing is for certain: They don’t have insurance and are best avoided at all costs. Although no longer the top crash site in the state, we still reign at No. 8, and I do believe with the rejuvenation of the area and the pandemic winding down, we will reclaim our No. 1 spot. (SJ) Best walkable street Richardson Terrace It’s actually only walkable. It’s adorable and it’s short. You can make your way to Duff y Field afterward and go play catch or read in the sun. It is Richardson Terrace. It’s only a sidewalk, it isn’t wide enough to even push a wagon. And it is an offi cial street! You can fi gure out exactly where it is on your own. (SC) Best place to park downtown Pearl Street Parking Garage It’s only a dollar and a short walk to the Hanover Theatre. (SJ) Best place to park near the New Polar Park ???

There isn’t. Take an Uber. (SJ) Best free parking ???

You think I would tell you this? Absolutely not. Get over yourself. (SC)

Locals Best reason to consider moving from your current apartment The Neighbors Having a beer with an off -duty police offi cer, I mentioned my address. The off duty police offi cer became animated and said, “Oh, I know that building.

That’s right next to that place where we busted those guys who were setting up a

Life in Worcester

Humorist Joe Fusco Jr. and owner Annie Jenkins at Annie’s Clark Brunch.

ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

bomb-making operation. We got them.

You don’t have to worry anymore. Drink your beer.” (DM) Best next-door neighbor in Worcester Paul For 30 years, Paul has tried to circumvent my adversarial relationship with machinery. Whenever I open the hood of the car, the door of the garage or the cover of the pool, he walks over, shakes his head, and saves the day. If not for Paul, we’d be renting again in a heartbeat. God bless him! (JFJ) Most customers named ‘Joe’ in a Worcester breakfast spot at the same time Annie’s Clark Brunch, 934 Main St., Worcester Last Thursday, while devouring my hash omelet and well-done raisin toast, Annie greeted fi ve other customers besides myself with the salutation, “Hey, Joe!” … thus breaking the previous record of three, “Hey, Joes!” established on

April 8, 2018. (JFJ) Best place to watch the city council meetings Worcestery Council Theater 3000 Shameless plug, but Bill Shaner, Brendan Melican and WOOtenanny stream the meeting on their Twitch channel. It’s called Worcestery Council Theater 3000 and they all just comment and talk about what is happening to make inane public service meetings more palatable. (SC) Local band most likely to instigate a literal riot Sapling Here’s the most terrifying thing you can say about Sapling: They live their politics every day. They live their art every day. They kick ass because music should kick ass, because kicking ass is the one thing the entertainment-industrial complex remains too scared to colonize. When the weight of our sins heaps up like wet hay and ignites, it will start in a Sapling show. The fi res will

Best place to visualize a postapocalyptic world ruled by fancy plants Seed to Stem Who thought the rubble of civilization would be so shiny? As I enter to replace the last succulent my brown thumb doomed to slow death, I contemplate its plot for revenge: Is that monstera near the table about to strangle me or make me its meat-servant? Where did all these bird bones come from? Will I be eaten by the carnivorous plant section before I can fi nd the fancy bath salts? Is the taxidermy bear a spy for its green overlords spilling out of fi le drawers, or just a trophy of their bloodlust?

(LCD) Best mystery that always felt like something specifi cally about Worcester was at its core “SHOT JUCE” Any time I see the “SHOT JUCE” tag — that bridge over 190 comes to mind, but it shows up everywhere — I wonder who those bombers are and are they still active. (Also, where is “starchild” now?)

I’m sure people know, but I don’t want to. It reminds me of the grittier Worcester I frankly prefer to what it’s becoming. (Leave me in the dark, please. I prefer the mystery.) (TB) Best bathroom stall for hiding from your bullies Burncoat Middle School Music Room Storage Closet B I was not lucky enough to attend the prestigious Burncoat Middle School.

But if I did, and I were the type to be bullied by cool kids in Thrasher shirts, I would absolutely hide myself behind a

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 19

Weird Continued from Page 18

tuba in Music Room Storage Closet B. We all know the radio-friendly Closet A. But B is for the real music closet connoisseurs. It’s got that stain in the drop ceiling that looks like a depressed rabbit. The carpet isn’t adhered to the fl oor anymore, so you can crawl under it and pretend to be a roly-poly isopod. Plus, sometimes, people drop nickels. (MS) Best movie seats on a matinee Wednesday for senor citizens Blackstone Valley 14 Cinema de Lux The front row at Showcase Cinemas in Millbury where the Four Old Guys get soaked if the actors are sweating onscreen! You haven’t lived cinematically until you’ve seen the hairy mole on Stallone’s neck in the fi nal scene of “Rambo 13-Last Drop of Blood” up close and personal. (JFJ) Best place to get a pedicure while the workers talk in Vietnamese about the crazy old guy in chair 4 Tip Top Nails on Grafton Street I take off my shoes, loosen my tie, and watch “Ellen” on the big-screen as my bunions are fi led away. “Clear polish, please!” (JFJ) Best dentist offi ce to prove you’re a klutz in, embarrassing your daughter Allure Dental Leominster For some time now, we have been taking our children here for their dental needs. The staff is very welcoming, and the doctors do a great job of easing one’s fears of metal objects poking around in their mouth. What else is the staff aces at? Putting up with clumsy parents who are working “from home,” while taking their anxiety riddled teenager in for a cleaning. As I walk up to the window, laptop open, I reach for my wallet to grab my card and make my copay. What ensued was a hilariously pathetic chain of events that saw me drop my wallet, my debit card, my charger, my charger again, forget my debit card at the window, and cause my daughter’s face to turn a very crispy shade of crimson.

Throughout the entire ordeal, everyone remained pleasant and patient, except one person: My beautiful daughter, who then had to deal with metal objects poking around in her mouth. It was a most lovely experience, for me anyway. (LR) Best place to discard pizza boxes on trash-day in Worcester ???

Phoenix Ramos, 16, is embarrassed by her father, comedian Lou Ramos', inability to hold on to things. ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

After 37 years, I’m still not sure. Put them under the yellow bag, not picked up. Put them in the green bin, not picked up. Put them with the other cardboard, not picked up. Hand them to the sanitation-worker, handed back! (JFJ) The best indicator that business in Worcester is tough The Ripped Grand Opening Sign on Pleasant Street There on Pleasant, is the hulk of general store. The name is not clear. In the window is half of a Grand Opening sign.

It seems that someone attempted to rip it off , but only got a rough half of it removed. It is there to remind you how close the Grand Opening is to the Going Our of Business. There are so many questions. Was it open for a very short time? Did they just forget to take the Grand Opening sign off ? Could they have just moved to a better location?

And is anything ever going to go into that space? (DM) Contributors: Tony Brown, Sarah Connell Sanders, Shaun Connolly, Lea C. Deschenes, Joe Fusco Jr., Serenity Jones, Niki Luparelli, David Macpherson, David McGrath, Lou Ramos, Craig S. Semon and Malt Schlitzman.

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20 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CITY LIVING CANNABIS CONFIDENTIAL

Tower Hill hosts online symposium on science of cannabis Eric Casey Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Last week, Tower Hill Botanic Garden dove straight into the weeds in an online symposium that took an extensive look into the botanical science behind the cannabis plant. In doing so, it was among the fi rst few major botanical gardens in the country to host a cannabis focused event, providing another example of how cannabis is being embraced more and more by mainstream institutions.

“There hasn’t been a lot of mainstream horticultural focus on [cannabis],” said Jessica Pederson, Tower Hill’s director of education. “There’s a lot of people who know about the horticultural components of cannabis but it’s long been not in the eye of the public garden world, so we felt like it was time to explore the horticultural components of cannabis and hemp.”

Founded in 1986, Tower Hill Botanic Garden is located in Boylston, and is owned and operated by the Worcester County Horticultural Society, the country’s third oldest horticultural organization. The 171-acre property features 17 diff erent gardens, a number of greenhouses, and miles of walking trails that wind through woodlands and meadows.

Last week’s event represented the fi rst cannabis-themed event for Tower Hill. The focus of the event was to attract people who are generally interested in horticulture, as well as people whose interest in horticulture originated with the cannabis plant.

“There wasn’t much out there,” said Pederson in regards to other cannabis focused events being hosted by similar

organizations, “so it felt like something that there was a need for and was worthwhile to pursue.”

The symposium featured a number of academic experts discussing the latest scientifi c research regarding the cannabis plant, including lectures from Dr. Monique McHenry, director of the Medical Cannabis Center for Research and Education at the University of Vermont, and Ernest Anemone, a lecturer at Tufts University who has been an instructor for several cannabis related courses. Examples of some of the topics of presentations include the “Genetics and Taxonomy of Cannabis” and “Cannabis in Context: Botanical Medicine in the 21st Century.” Approximately 50 people attended the virtual event that was spread over two nights.

The fact that there were even academic professionals who were able and willing to speak at a cannabis event shows that the stigma toward the plant has also begun to fade in the world of academics. Even though no university has ever lost federal funding as a result of participating in cannabis research or marijuana focused events or organizations, this fear has been cited by numerous educational institutions in the past as a reason to avoid any involvement with the plant.

Tower Hill’s cannabis symposium is just the latest example of local mainstream institutions embracing — or at the very least, acknowledging — legal cannabis. In the sports world, Worcester’s arena football team — the Massachusetts Pirates — have been sponsored by local dispensary Resinate for the past two seasons, while the Worcester Red Sox’s foundation recently signed a deal with Southbridge-based dispensary

Tower Hill Botanic Garden presented a symposium last week featuring academic experts discussing the latest research on the cannabis plant. GETTY IMAGES

Green Meadows to jointly host events that benefi t veterans.

Partnerships between traditional mainstream institutions in the area and cannabis companies show how much cannabis has been destigmatized in the last few years — although it certainly didn’t happen overnight. Even in the fi rst few years after legalization, it could be next to impossible for a cannabis business to fi nd willing advertising partners, or to even to fi nd a nonprofi t that was willing to accept a fi nancial donation. Organizations that rely on any sort of federal funding have been particularly fearful of potential ramifi cations of accepting money from an industry that is still illegal under federal law.

While the stigma around cannabis in Massachusetts has diminished, strict laws and regulations still limit what organizations can do. The WooSox were quick to note that Green Meadow’s partnership was with their foundation and not the actual ballclub; Minor League

Baseball does not allow clubs to have sponsorship deals with cannabis companies, and it's also possible that such a deal would run afoul of the state’s cannabis advertising regulations, which state that 85% of the audience of any cannabis advertisement must reasonably expected to be 21 years of age or older.

Similarly, Tower Hill was considering an event where artists would sketch various types of cannabis events live on-site, but had to re-consider due to concerns over the legality of such an event.

Still, with the success of this online symposium, Tower Hill is interested in possibly making this event an annual occurrence or hosting future exhibitions that are focused on diff erent aspects of the cannabis plant.

“We have outlined other formats that might work for doing educational programming on cannabis,” said Pederson.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 21

THE NEXT DRAFT

Historical Museum, Redemption Rock team up to brew beers to honor Worcester Matthew Tota Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

For 145 years, the Worcester Historical Museum has housed priceless artifacts, including such relics as the John Hancock trunk that, knowing it held documents crucial to planning the Revolution, Paul Revere hid from British soldiers, a backup “Snoopy Cap,” invented by Worcester’s David Clark Co., worn by astronauts during the Apollo 11 moon landing, and a booth from the city’s legendary El Morocco restaurant.

Soon the museum, which has chronicled 300 years of Worcester’s history, will add three new items to its trove: beer cans from Redemption Rock Brewing Co. Brewed in collaboration with the museum, the special-edition beers recognize three city milestones, including its tercentennial.

On May 19, Redemption Rock will release the fi rst brew, “Rescue From Oblivion,” a pre-prohibition corn lager celebrating the 200th birthday of Samuel Staples, founder of the Worcester Society of Antiquity (today the Worcester Historical Museum). We’ll get “Made In Worcester,” an American pale wheat ale tripled-hopped with Centennial hops, in June for the city’s much-anticipated 300th birthday celebrations. The last beer, “Salisbury Mansion Old Ale,” arrives in October, an English-style old ale paying tribute to the 250th anniversary of the mansion’s construction.

The collaboration marks the fi rst time the museum has worked with one of the city’s breweries. “I always like to think that many historical events took place over a cocktail or a brew, so why not honor these events with something like that?” said Vanessa Bumpus, the museum’s exhibit coordinator.

Bumpus took inspiration from Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.’s ongoing partnership with the Field Museum in Chicago. Packages of the Iowa brewery’s “King Sue” IPA and “PseudoSue” pale ale, two of its most popular beers, draw attention to the natural history museum — and SUE, its famous Tyrannosaurs rex skeleton — by bearing its lo-

go. “What a great idea, to tie in something cultural with a product as popular as craft beer. It gets people more interested in it,” she said.

She reached out to Redemption Rock fi rst, knowing its history of community activism and its other historical brew, “Esther,” a weizenbock honoring Worcester artist Esther Howland, largely recognized as the “Mother of the American Valentine.” What began as a conversation over brewing one beer for the tercentennial turned into planning for three unique releases.

Collaborations between two breweries often produce stellar beers. But Redemption Rock always fi nds the most memorable, impactful brews come when a brewery teams up with businesses or nonprofi ts that have nothing to do with the brewing industry.

“Our take has always been that as much as craft beer is about the beer, it’s also about community. So, it makes sense that breweries should collaborate with other parts of the community outside of the beer industry,” said Redemption Rock co-founder Dan Carlson.

“From a creative and inspirational standpoint, it’s very interesting and probably more interesting than working with other breweries, because there’s diff erent cultures involved, diff erent experiences, and it leads into some really innovative and fun products.”

Redemption Rock CEO and co-founder Dani Babineau also loves history and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work directly with the historical museum. And in planning the beers, the history informed the styles and fl avors.

“Rescue From Oblivion,” comes from Samuel Staples’ own words in the letter he penned in 1875 calling for the creation of the Worcester Society of Antiquity. Staples and the four other history buff founders wanted to start preserving pieces from the past so as to “rescue from oblivion such historical matter as would otherwise be lost.” The museum would offi cially open in 1877 on Foster Street.

“At fi rst, they aren’t just collecting Worcester stuff . They’re collecting things like pots from Pompeii, fl eas from

One of the beers, “Salisbury Mansion Old Ale,” will honor the 250th anniversary of the construction of Salisbury Mansion, the museum’s largest exhibit. MATTHEW TOTA

Mexico and other touristy, kitschy things,” Bumpus said. “Then they quickly realize that Worcester has some impact to, so they need to start preserving specifi cally Worcester stuff .”

Redemption Rock chose to make “Rescue From Oblivion” a corn lager because the style would have been common in industrial-age America.

“Made In Worcester,” meanwhile, is a clear nod to the city’s industrial past and rich history of manufacturing.

Among the museum’s collection of See DRAFT, Page 24

April 7-10

sponsored by Berkshire Bank

TheHanoverTheatre.org Worcester Center for Performing Arts is a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, which owns and operates The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts.

22 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

SCREEN TIME

Remembering the time Al Pacino came to Worcester’s El Morocco restaurant Craig S. Semon Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

“Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”

In the spring of ’72, a relatively unknown Broadway actor from the Bronx became an overnight Hollywood sensation playing a World War II hero who, at fi rst, reluctantly takes over the family business when its rightful heir, his older brother, Sonny, is riddled with bullets at the Long Beach Causeway toll plaza, The actor, of course, is Al Pacino. The family business is organized crime. And the movie is “The Godfather.”

In the height of the popularity of this cultural phenomenon, Don Michael Corleone (Pacino) made his way to an unsuspecting Worcester, not in a shiny Rolls Royce worthy of the up-and-coming Don but a crowded, dinky, yellow school bus better suited for a juvenile delinquent being transported to reform school.

Enter John S. DiBenedetto, better known as “Johnny Dee.” From 1942 to 1972, Johnny Dee was the much beloved and well-respected manager of Loew’s Poli Theatre — “The Palace” that, in 1968, became the Showcase Cinema 1&2 and, later, Showcase Cinema 1-4, before becoming The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Johnny Dee was waiting for Pacino’s arrival. They were supposed to pull up to the front of the newly renovated theater.

Instead, Dee got the call that they had ended up at the Greyhound Bus Station on Madison Street.

Dee and his ushers (dressed in black slacks, white shirts, black ties and blue blazers) ran down Southbridge street and rushed over a couple of blocks to bring Pacino back to the theater.

After introducing themselves to each other, Dee and Pacino walked the whole way back to the theater, speaking only in Italian to each other.

In those days, long before the internet, VHS tapes, cable TV and when movies edited for television with commercial breaks was the norm, it wasn’t unheard of for an actor to pop up at a local movie theater to view their fi lm with

Craig S. Semon, left, with Al Pacino.

SUBMITTED

Al Pacino (seated in the middle of the table) next to his then girlfriend Jill Clayburgh (who has her hand in front of her face) at the El Morocco in 1972.

Johnny Dee, the manager of the old Showcase Cinema 1 & 2 (standing behind with hand up), was responsible for Pacino going to the El. COURTESY OF THE ABOODY COLLECTION

the audience and stir up some interest in a fi lm, even though “The Godfather” didn’t need the added promotion of one of its stars.

After spending some time at the Showcase Cinemas 1&2, Dee took Pacino to his best friend Joey Aboody’s place, the El Morocco on Wall Street.

Here, they celebrated the actor’s success with “The Godfather” with wine, laughs and a freshly baked cake by Aboody.

Pacino enjoyed a post-midnight meal in the cellar dining room at the legendary El Morocco, and Worcester Telegram entertainment columnist Jack Tubert was as close to him as the Corleone’s family personal consigliere.

In a May 28, 1972, Telegram article,

Tubert described Pacino as “a shaggy puppy of a guy, hungry on a cigarette.”

“Up close, Pacino looks like an underfed Dead End Kid of the 1930 movies,” Tubert wrote. “Shy in taking the spotlight to cut the traditional El Morocco party cake. Friendly warm, but modest when interviewed.”

Enjoying some off -hours in between David Rabi’s stage play “The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel” at Boston’s Open Circle Theater, Pacino, who played the title character of an Army soldier fi ghting in the Vietnam War, had been in the small production since “The Godfather” exploded two months earlier.

“I haven’t felt the change that much.

I’ve been deeply involved in something I really wanted to do (play Pavio Hummel

on stage). I think it was a good move.

But,” sighed Pacino, as ran his hands across his eyes, “my lifestyle is changing every day, more and more. Still, I’ve tried to keep my life close to a certain perspective. It’s hard to with so much attention being paid to you.”

Joe Aboody made a special cake in honor of Pacino. Johnny Dee stood behind Pacino and his clan and kept watch as the actor cut the cake while Aboody and Pacino’s then girlfriend Jill Clayburgh watched in glee.

Clayburgh began acting as a student in summer stock and, after graduating, joined the Charles Street Repertory Theater in Boston, where she met Pacino. In 1967, the two starred in JeanCluade Van Italie’s play “America, Hurrah.” They had a fi ve-year romance and moved back together to New York City Even though the festivities were in full swing and conversation and all attention was focused on him, Pacino couldn’t help to notice a photo of John Garfi eld (of “The Postman Always Rings Twice” fame) hanging on the wall at the El over his shoulder.

“A lot of people have said that I remind them of Garfi eld as an actor,” Pacino said with pride. “We come from the See PACINO, Page 25

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 23

5 THINGS TO DO

WAM COMMUNITY DAY, ARTSWORCESTER EXHIBITION AND MORE Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

Members’ exhibition at ArtsWorcester

Worcester Art Museum celebrates community

ArtsWorcester’s “Material Matters: A Members’ Exhibition” in partnership with the Fitchburg Art Museum features over 70 artists in a wide range of media in response to a loan of 10 items from FAM’s collection of African art. For this exhibition, artists consider the materiality of their own work, the choices behind their medium, and engage with one of the works loaned by FAM. From “Material Matters,” FAM’s curators select 10 works to go on view there, alongside the original loan.

Ten percent of ArtsWorcester’s commissions from art sales out of “Material Matters” will support the Post-Second“Beauty in the Beads ary Success Series,” acrylic and Fund of Afrimixed media on canvas, can Commu30x40, 2021, NFS ABU nity Education MWENYE/ARTSWORCESTER of Worcester.

The Worcester Art Museum is celebrating the welcome change of seasons with a Free Community Day April 3. There will be activities throughout the day for all ages, from performances to Roman reenactor demonstrations, art making, face painting, and much more. Performances and demonstrations will explore how people from other cultures and times from around the world have welcomed the coming of new life every year.

The Southeast Asia Coalition’s Worcester Youth Nian Dancers will perform the traditional Lion Dance, a Chinese-Vietnamese dance that dates back over 1,000 years and is believed to bring good luck. The living history group, Roman Legion III Cyrenaica, will give interactive demonstrations on how spring was celebrated in ancient Rome.

Students and faculty from the College of the Holy Cross, under the direction of Shirish Korde, will present diverse musical pieces that hail the arrival of spring.

What: “Material Matters: A Members’ Exhibition” in partnership with the Fitchburg Art Museum When: Now through April 24 Where: Online, and at ArtsWorcester, 44 Portland St., Worcester. Public gallery hours run Thursdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.

How much: Free. www.artsworcester.org

A Worcester Youth Nian Dancers lion dances across the stage during the 2017 Asian Fest. RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

What: Worcester Art Museum Free Community Day When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 3 Where: Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., How much: Free. www.worcesterart.org

Brazilian percussionist at BrickBox As part of a residency at the College of the Holy Cross, Brazilian-born percussionist and composer Cyro Baptista has been leading workshops with a variety of community groups and participants, using everyday objects as well as traditional instruments. On April 3 at the BrickBox Theater at the JMAC, Baptista will lead his band the Banquet of Spirits in a performance that is the culmination of the residency and workshops and includes community participation. Presented by Arts Transcending Borders at The College of the Holy Cross.

What: Cyro Baptista & the Banquet of Spirits — Cyro Baptista COURTESY JEFFREY MACHTIG Sounds of Community When: 3 p.m. April 3 Where: BrickBox Theater, Jean McDonough Arts Center, 20 Franklin St., Worcester How much: $25; $10 Holy Cross faculty and staff; $5 students. www.eventbrite.com/e/cyro-baptista-the-banquet-ofspirits-tickets-252368540097 Continued on next page

24 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ADOPTION OPTION

Meet Billy

Neil Young tribute act Rust Never Sleeps will perform at Bull Run Restaurant. PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

Rust Never Sleeps bring’s Young’s classics to Bull Run They aren’t just “Out on the Weekend.” Rust Never Sleeps was born from the passion to perform Neil Young’s music and “to find the magic and follow the muse each and every time they take the stage.” Performing music from every period of Neil Young’s career, Rust Never Sleeps promises that each night is a unique and special experience. The band includes Kenny Gibson, vocals, guitars, harmonica, piano; Mike Garron, bass, vocals; Chuck Nemitz, guitars, vocals; Rob Hamilton, pedal steel, keyboards; Reena Langmeyer, vocals; and Jeremy Esposito, drums.

What: Rust Never Sleeps — A Live Neil Young Retrospective When: 8 p.m. April 2 (doors open for dinner and seating at 6 p.m.)

Where: The Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $20. www.bullrunrestaurant.com

‘Worst Person in the World’ to be screened “The Worst Person in the World,” one of the nominees for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars, is described as a modern dramedy about the quest for love and meaning. Set in contemporary Oslo, Norway, the movie unfolds as chapters in the life of Julie (Renate Reinsve), a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of boyfriends, breakups, family, and trying to find her career path. Reinsve and the film’s director and co-writer Joachim Trier have been receiving great acclaim.

The Guardian called the film “an instant classic.” Presented by cinema-worcester.

What: “The Worst Person in the World,” A poster for “The Worst presented by cinema-worcester Person in the World.”

When: 7 p.m. April 1 PROMOTIONAL PHOTO Where: Park View Room, 230 Park Ave., Worcester How much: $11; $9 students and seniors. www.cinema-worcester.com

Meet Billy! Billy is an amazing dog. Arriving at the shelter after a caring member of the community found Billy alone, it soon became apparent why this lovely person decided to help him get a second chance at a loving home.

Billy is sweet, playful, and aff ectionate. Although he can be shy at fi rst, it is only because Billy has a very gentle soul. His beautiful eyes gaze at you with love and a longing to be a part of your life. Billy has been fortunate to spend time in a foster home. There they discovered that he is housetrained and walks well on leash. Billy has daily playdates with other dogs here at the shelter. His favorites friends are the ones who enjoy a good game of chase. Billy loves to run! He prefers that to lots of wrestling. To watch him run and have fun with the other pups is pure joy! Billy also played with the 8-year-old child in his foster the home, but has no experience with younger children.

Please email the shelter at dogs@worcesterarl.org if you are interested in meeting this handsome boy!

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) 8530030.

Draft Continued from Page 21

60,000 artifacts are dozens of examples of Worcester inventions.

The English-style old ale, “Salisbury Mansion Ale,” would have been consumed often inside the pubs of the 18th century. Redemption Rock is adding molasses, as well, to copy a common practice in early American brewing and capture the fl avor of rum, which is what the mansion’s namesake, Stephen Salisbury, would have sipped on. The mansion, the museum’s largest exhibit, was built for Salisbury in 1772 to act as both a home and his store. And the museum has a replica of Salisbury’s store as one of its exhibits.

Billy is available for adoption through WARL. SUBMITTED

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.

“Salisbury would have stored things like molasses in the store,” Bumpus said.

After the beers are released, the museum will enter three cans as offi cial artifacts, where they’ll sit alongside decades-old growlers made by city’s Norton Company and a can from the Brockert Brewing Company, one of the city’s earliest breweries.

Perhaps not as culturally or historically signifi cant as other items in the enormous collection, Redemption Rock’s beers will nonetheless be preserved in the museum for at least the next 300 years, if nothing else as mementoes from the city’s ongoing craft beer renaissance.

Follow Redemption Rock online for updates on the three brews and their releases. To learn more about the Worcester Historical Museum, visit www.worcesterhistory.org.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 25

Pacino Continued from Page 22D

same neighborhood in the Bronx, two blocks away.”

Despite his expressive face and eyes, Pacino still was tough to pick out in the crowd at El Morocco, Tubert said. And the actor agreed.

“I know,” Pacino beamed. “People often are surprised when they meet me. I’m just shy. That’s why I act. I feel that in playing a character I can do things I, myself, would never do.”

On March 22, 1972, “The Godfather” opened at Showcase Cinemas 1&2 and became an instant mob hit, both fi guratively and literally.

Its fi rst matinee, on a Wednesday (a workday, no less), “The Godfather” drew its biggest matinee crowd to the Franklin Square theater in the cinema’s history.

About 15,000 moviegoers paid a record gross of $36,700 to see “The Godfather” at Showcase Cinemas 1&2 in its fi rst fi ve days of release. Pretty good when tickets were probably no more than $2.50 for an adult.

Another record was the fi rst $10,000 one-day gross in the theater.

Ticket sales for “The Godfather” set a record for the 30 years Johnny Dee had been at the former Palace Theater. And Dee believed it was a record attendance for any theater in town.

There was no denying it. Worcester loved “The Godfather.”

Not only is “The Godfather” the best movie made in the last 50 years (I challenge you. Name a better movie from 1972 to present day. And don’t you dare say, “Avengers: Endgame”), its sequel, “The Godfather Part II,” is not only the greatest movie sequel of all time, it is as good (and, some will argue, is even better) than the original.

Half a century later, “The Godfather” is still relevant. There are no bad scenes and no bad performances in the movie. It is also the most quoted and quotable movie of the last 50 years. Practically every line in the movie is worthy to repeat.

At the time Tubert sat down with Pacino at the El, there was no script for “The Godfather Part II,” nor was the project even greenlighted yet by Paramount, but Pacino was already anticipating the call.

“I’d like to do ‘Godfather Part II,’ if it’s a continuing story, one that lets me grow older in it,” Pacino told Tubert.

Not only did “The Godfather Part II” continue Michael’s story and the Corleone saga, it won the Academy Award for Best Picture, like its predecessor, and both fi lms brought home Oscars for Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro, respectively, playing the same character, Don Vito Corleone, aka Michael Corleone’s father.

“Francis made it a picture about people,” Pacino mused on the success of “The Godfather” in Worcester.

“Most of the gangster pictures have been one-dimensional things, but Francis got inside his people. The characters were believable. You could identify with them.”

The party at El broke up around 3:13 a.m. Pacino, who said he was in desperate need of a rest after the

Shortly after the release of “The Godfather,” actress Jill Clayburgh, seated, watches Al Pacino cut a cake at The El Morocco. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ABOODY COLLECTION

Back in 1972, Joe Aboody delivers a cake that he made especially for Al Pacino, seen here smiling and seated at the El Morocco.

play closes, led Clayburgh and the rest of the cast upstairs for a pre-dawn trip back to Boston, unbeknownst to him that he was about to become one of the most beloved and respected (and imitated) actors of his generation.

Before departing the El Morocco and Worcester, Pacino thanked Johnny Dee and Joey Aboody for a great time.

Pacino then turned to Johnny and said in Italian, “Sono molto orgoglioso Johnny, essendo Italiano e avento un grande lavore, un di teatro,” which translates in English to “I’m very proud of you Johnny, being Italian and having a big job, a theater manager.”

In June 2016, Al Pacino made his devoted fans (including the writer of this column) an off er they couldn’t refuse: an evening with the celebrated actor talking about his legacy and his craft at Foxwoods.

And, while it was strictly business, Pacino made it very personal and very funny.

Pacino talked about how director Francis Ford Coppola wanted the then-unknown actor to play the much sought-after role of Michael in “The Godfather,” to the chagrin of Paramount brass. Even Pacino thought Coppola was out of his mind.

“I got a call from Francis Ford Coppola and he’s telling me he’s directing ‘The Godfather.’ I thought he was mad,” Pacino said. “Now, everybody knew ‘The Godfather.’ This is a long time ago but the book was very famous. It was like ‘Gone with the Wind’ and everybody wanted to know who’s going to be the guy who plays Michael. So I’m on the phone with Francis and he said, ‘And I want you, Al, to play Michael.’ That’s when I thought he really lost it.”

Not only did the “Sollozzo scene” in “The Godfather” make Pacino an international sensation, it saved his

job. When Pacino’s character kills rival gangster Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) and corrupt police captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden), after a trip to the bathroom in an Italian restaurant, it convinced the fi ckle Paramount Pictures brass, once and for all, that they found their Michael.

“Now, during shooting, they wanted to fi re me. They wanted to fi re Francis but they thought, ‘Let’s fi re the guy he hired,’” Pacino recalled. “The Sollozzo scene comes up. Later, I found out Francis moved it up. It wasn’t going to be shot that day but he moved it because he knew they were going to bounce me. Without Francis, I wouldn’t have the part.”

Due to the success of “The Godfather,” there was a period where Hollywood was asking Pacino to do everything, including the role of Han Solo in “Star Wars.”

Pacino, who loves and understands Shakespeare, said he couldn’t wrap his head around George Lucas’ script.

So he passed.

“Look what I did,” Pacino said in hindsight at Foxwoods in 2016. “I gave Harrison Ford a career. That’s what I did.”

This Week’s Answer

0401

26 | APRIL 1 - 7, 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. Popeyes side 5. “Surprise” subtitle in “The Price Is Right”’s “Hole in One” game 10. Sherman ___, CA 14. Nautical prefix 15. Ecstatic hymn 16. “On Air with ___ Seacrest” 17. Cash cab, really?

19. Architect Saarinen 20. Construction worker on “Fraggle Rock” 21. Brand in the dairy aisle 23. Dumbstruck 26. Too inquisitive 27. On the clock?

30. Gary’s st.

32. Doesn’t give up 35. Recovered from 36. Make it through 38. “___ Junipero” (Emmy winning “Black Mirror” episode) 39. Petty peeve 40. Item near a litter box 41. ___ nutshell 42. “Get ___ Ya-Ya’s Out!” (Rolling Stones album) 43. Like some wages 44. Long journey 45. Parenthetical comment 47. Lao-___ (Chinese philosopher) 48. “The ___” (podcast hosted

by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise) 49. Math subj.

51. Commend highly 53. Willingly obedient 56. 22-Down variant 60. “Yeah, I get it” 61. Magazine for the discerning Abominable Snowman?

64. Lt. Dangle’s city 65. Prolific writer Asimov 66. Finn on a raft 67. Words of clarification when spelling 68. Lose intentionally 69. Accident-monitoring gp.

Down 1. Right ___ Fred 2. Host of the recent “You Bet Your Life” revival

“Can I Finish?”--yes I can.

by Matt Jones

3. Gas brand that’s also a musical direction 4. More dizzy 5. “Jerry Springer: The ___” 6. Templeton, in “Charlotte’s Web” 7. Spilled drink 8. Like some cheese rinds 9. Vegetable for which goggles may be used when prepping 10. End of an ultimatum 11. Electronic assistant for a Madagascar lemur species?

12. Byron of “MythBusters” 13. Runny nose problem 18. Become well 22. See 56-Across 24. Triumph in the end 25. Countersign 27. Margot played her in 2017 28. Elite eightsome of higher ed 29. Author Morrison, when writing poetry?

31. Two-unit home 33. Team of judges 34. Like a winding road 36. “Foucault’s Pendulum” author Umberto 37. “Curious George” author H.A. ___ 40. Display unit

44. Word to a hound 46. Japanese radish 48. Means of escape 50. Ark measurement unit 52. “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” network 53. Bilingual explorer 54. Jake Shimabukuro instruments 55. Phil who jammed with Jerry Garcia 57. God, to Caesar 58. Carve in stone 59. “Morning Joe” cohost Brzezinski 62. Stuff in a pit 63. Principle behind yin and yang

Last week's solution

©2022 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1086

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | 27

LAST CALL

Kyle Mikolajczyk, vice president of WPI’s Model Train Club Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

As a student who was into robotics in high school, Kyle Mikolajczyk was used to seeing the code WPI Lib on materials that he used. He was curious what it meant and when he found out, he applied to WPI in his senior year of high school in Mahwah, New Jersey. Now he is ready to graduate with a degree in Computer Science and even his childhood dreams have come to fruition.

While he may not be a train driver like he hoped to become, he is the inaugural vice president of WPI’s new Model Railroading Club. Mikolajczyk sat down to talk with Last Call about all things model railroad, about how to get a college hobby club off the ground and where to go from there.

How did you get started with this club?

I’m not the principal founder but it’s been known in my friend group that I’ve been into trains and railroading for some time — it’s like a running joke. I saw fl yers around campus and I thought, I need to be a part of this. And from there we started the long task of getting signatures. We actually had a table set for nine hours but within the fi rst two hours we had enough signatures.

Around this time two years ago, I reached out to my computer science professor as the advisor. He was a new professor then and was very excited since he used to have a train set when he was a kid, and liked the opportunity to be more involved with students.

The Model Railroading Club was offi cially recognized by WPI in October of 2021, but it’s been in the making since 2020, when the group fi rst began seeing the interest around campus and presented the petition to the Student Organization Council.

So what do you guys do?

Each meeting has a diff erent theme to it. One meeting, we talked about the Providence Worcester road — it goes right by campus — and its history.

Kyle Mikolajczyk, WPI 2022 and current head of the WPI Railroad club. WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

Sometimes, we have an open setup where one of our members brings their own model and sets it up. Occasionally, we do a thing called Trainspotting, where members purposefully go and hunt down a special type of train that they heard is coming by and go see it.

We watch videos together and we’ve all learned a great deal about trains and engines. I had no idea about the number of existing variations of trains and engines.

And a bunch of our members are civil engineers so they’re into models in general. Since we know there’s not really another club that focuses on models, we’re slowly expanding. One member has a lot of construction equipment and the best part about model railroads is if you’re trying to replicate a city for a scale model, it encompasses a lot more — so you need roads, a crane, that kind of thing.

Do you see it developing into a hub to talk about their work?

Yeah, it’s very collaborative. Another thing is hacking the trains — these days,

trains are basically computer based and you can control models with your phone. It’s really open ended and people can make whatever they want.

How are you working on that? Is there an app design aspect?

We haven’t started yet but I’m taking classes on that. It would be using everyone’s technical know-how — comp sci, designing, and coding web interfaces, mobile UI, but also including electrical, mechanical engineering. Theoretically, all disciplines on campus could be involved.

How many members do you have currently?

I’d say about 15 to 20 members, but we’ve only been a club since November.

Now that many of the pandemic restrictions have been dropped, we are meeting regularly. We weren’t able to be at the activities fair at the beginning of the year to advertise ourselves, but more people are interested in joining us.

I imagine it’s kind of exciting now that things are back to normal Yes, it is exciting. I’m very confi dent

it will explode in popularity and things to do.

Are guest speakers a possibility?

I know that’s something that will happen. A staff member came in and talked about it since he knew people who work at railroads, so it makes sense for people from the industry to come in — maybe people from the model railroad industry.

What’s your favorite aspect of the hobby?

Besides the part that I love trains, it’s a very creative and open-ended hobby.

You can take it wherever you want and each person can do something diff erent.

I’m more interested in writing code to make the train go where you want, but a modeling engineer would be interested in the model aspect.

Do you have a favorite train?

I’m a big fan of steam engines. I love steam trains. I’ve been to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and rode on the old steam engines as a kid. They’re so massive and beautiful, you can see how much work went into designing and casting and the steam coming out of it.

They’re a rare breed at this point because most of them were melted down during World War II. Worcester has a long history with railroads. We were the fi rst train line between Worcester and Boston, and we were one of the fi rst cities anywhere in the world with trains in the early 1800s.

Think this will be your legacy?

It will defi nitely outlast me and that’s what kept me going because it would be nice to see what it becomes in many years.

Are alumni donating their own collections?

Yes, there’s one who doesn’t live too far away and he wanted to donate his track and trains. He said he’d much rather see other people using it.

One of the biggest challenges of the hobby is the price and space needed, but WPI is a great place for that. We can all use student life fees to pay for that kind of stuff for anyone to enjoy.

28 | APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM