Worcester Magazine April 23 - 29, 2020 by Worcester Magazine

APRIL 23 - 29, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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WARL digs in to keep shelter strong

Worcester Living, the lifestyle magazine that celebrates Central Massachusetts by telling the stories about the people, places and events that make our home a wonderful place to live. Worcester Living - 09/20/2019

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IN THIS ISSUE

A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020 • V O L U M E 45 I S S U E 35 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

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23 City Voices...................................................................................4 Featured ......................................................................................6 Artist Spotlight .......................................................................15 Lifestyle......................................................................................16 Listen Up....................................................................................16 Table Hoppin’ ..........................................................................17 Film .............................................................................................18 New on DVD .............................................................................18 The Next Draft..........................................................................19 Adoption Option ....................................................................20 Games .........................................................................................21 Classifieds .................................................................................22 Last Call .....................................................................................23

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17 the cover WARL digs in to keep shelter strong Story on page 6

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Photo by Ashley Green; Design by Kimberly Vasseur

CITY VOICES

HARVEY

Moody blues

JANICE HARVEY

When he was through with the stats and data, he changed topic and began talking about his family. fter seven weeks of captivHe spoke of his anxieties as a parity, thanks to time spent recovering from surgery and ent, how relieved he was to have pandemic isolation, the cat his daughter home after quaranhas stopped snuggling with me. He’s tine. He joked about liking her boyfriend, and the perils of voicing as tired of me as I am. I’ve weighed a dislike of a daughter’s boyfriend the pros and cons of living alone, (it leads to NDS, he said — Natuand depending on the day, I’m ral Defiance Syndrome) before either envious of those who have someone with whom to be isolated, describing a typical Sunday at the Cuomo house, growing up as the or grateful that I’m not stuck here grandson of Italian immigrants. with someone whose habits, voice All of these anecdotes had nothand very existence gnaw at my last ing to do with COVID-19 and evnerve. Since pleading insanity in erything to do with being human, a homicide case rarely succeeds, with being an American. Listening I’m leaning toward the benefits of to the car radio, I felt like I was solitary confinement. glued to a fireside chat. Sure, it was My secret well of optimism — a little hokey, but hokey felt good. the one I keep hidden beneath a crusty shell of cynicism — has been We could use something homespun right about now, and Cuomo’s running low, with little chance of reminiscence about spaghetti and replenishing in the near future. meatballs with his grandparents When five inches of wet snow felt right. At a time when nothing landed on the budding hyacinths, a small fuel tank lit up in my brain, feels right, the human touch goes a signaling a dangerously low level of long way. Back home, my warm and fuzzy hope. Sound familiar? These mood shifts, I’m discover- moment was short-lived when ing, are known to everyone follow- I watched the moronic Trump supporters who feel threatened by ing the pandemic guidelines. I’m stay-at-home orders. Armed Tea referring to the guidelines set by Party leftovers blocking emergency smart, sane individuals like Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker vehicles from entering hospitals have brought a new layer of embarand New York’s Governor Andrew rassment to this country. Nowhere Cuomo. I’m not referring to the daily stream of nuttiness that flows else in the world have citizens been this obviously and proudly ignofrom Donald Trump. I apply the George Costanza Rule of Opposites rant. I couldn’t decide who looked dumber: the ones carrying signs when forced to listen to the man that read “TRUMP 2020 MY BODY who would be king. If Trump says MY CHOICE” or the ones carrying it’s time to reopen the country, I guns while wearing masks. This is know that it can’t be. I’ve taken an irony-free bunch of cretinous to muting his briefings, glancyahoos if ever I saw one. ing up to see if an actual medical So my mood shifted. And it shiftexpert comes to the podium. Silent ed again when I opened the New Trump is much more interesting to observe, with his constant hand York Times magazine and saw a photo essay dedicated to the frontmotions and his ever-changing liners of NYC. It shifted again when hair color. One day it was shockI decided to watch a documentary ingly white, and the next day it on Gene Kelly, because at that point, had returned to its usual caramel I wished I could tap dance my way tint, swirling atop his head like a into another dimension. Pillsbury cinnamon roll poppin’I know I’m not alone, even if I fresh from the oven. Don’t get me am alone, and that’s what we all started on his bronzer. need to remember. Moods may There’s a reason why Andrew Cuomo has become a superstar to shift, but we can’t let the ground people who never heard of the guy beneath us do the same. I recombefore COVID-19: he’s human. This mend “Singin’ In the Rain.” Good mornin’! Good mornin’! It’s Sunday I listened to Cuomo’s daily great to be alive. briefing while driving nowhere.

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LETTERS

Notes from the Corona-Bunker II JOE FUSCO JR.

1) Supermarkets now have a special time, at least an hour and usually in the early morning, for senior citizens to purchase groceries. One headline reads “Grocery stores carve out special times for the elderly.” I worked in a supervisory capacity for three supermarket chains during my 50-year career in retailing. I made a lot of money for their stockholders. Don’t trust them! Be damned if they’re going to herd me with the rest of the Boomers into an enticing environment of exotic fruits, meats, wine and cheeses. “Soylent Green is people.” 2) I’ve learned that Spam and Fluff can co-exist on a sandwich. 3) Behind my garage, I saw my first fly of the Spring. It appeared a tad groggy when shooed so I just let it be. My neighbor caught an albino skunk behind his garage. He plans to bring it in his truck

been off the charts. A crow once sipped its waters then expired but it may have had underlying medical conditions. I’m pretty sure dog-paddling in 4) Just watched two Hallmark mov- “chlorine water” was one of the treatments our POTUS endorsed ies back-to-back with Cyndi then on Fox News so I’m just doing my ran out of the house to find the part to make my city safe again! nearest crowd. into the woods then release it so I turned off the grille. Hard times are sometimes kind times.

5) In an effort to support small business, I picked up subs and a salad from a nearby restaurant last night. The woman making our subs wore gloves. The old-timer next to her was tossing mozzarella onto a pizza with his hands. I gave him my best “Larry David” before exiting. 6) The package-store owner told us “It’s Christmas every day” as we stocked up on Tanqueray and red wine. Ho … Ho … Ho. 7) I contacted Leslie’s Pools because I’m certain that the Worcester Board of Health will ask me to open our pool early this season. It’s a 5,000-gallon above-ground with a chlorine count that’s always

8) Hello Instagram, Zoom and Discord. Goodbye, my sweet MySpace. 9) I visited my father, mother and brother at Notre Dame Cemetery. Mom and Bobby share a plot. By coincidence or Mom’s final revenge, Dad is five headstones down in the same row. I tidied up their sites, scraping the bird-droppings off their monuments. I prayed that they had God’s ear and, if so, to ask for mercy. It was a chilly day so I went back to the car, thought of a pleasant memory that involved the three of them, smiled, then wept a little. 10) “April is the cruelest month” … no freakin’ kidding! Joe Fusco Jr. is a poet and humorist living in Worcester.

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

The home team steps up BILL SHANER

TEST EVERYONE: Kudos to Mayor Joe Petty for at least trying to put

in motion a plan to test all city residents for COVID-19 (I think we can just go with the virus on first reference now, huh). The mayor instructed the city manager recently to work with local healthcare providers to put together a plan to test everyone in the city over the course of a couple of months. Whether that’s at all feasible remains to be seen. But we know that countries that did this as a rule — South Korea and Germany especially — are looking at a much cleaner reopen and really mitigated a lot of the damage. There was a big turd on the ground, and they dodged it by mass testing. The U.S. on the other hand just sort of stepped in it then tried to mask the smell. Petty is quoted by Spectrum News as saying, “I think people want to be comfortable enough that they know they’re not spreading it” when it comes time to start reopening the economy. This makes perfect sense and in a sane universe it would be national policy. Even if all the other barriers present in our country’s botched response to this pandemic prevent Petty’s goal from being realized, it’s good he put it out there. If anything, it will allow us to later see what got in the way of it happening.

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GO OFF KING: City Councilor Khrystian King filed an order for this week’s City Council meeting requesting the city manager share race and ethnicity statistics as it relates to the virus to help advance health equity in the city. Racial equity is something that needs to be constantly part of the analysis here as we deal with the pandemic and we figure out how to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s been well published that this pandemic has already disproportionately impacted African American and Latino populations around the country and it’s likely to continue doing so. We deserve to know how it shakes out in Worcester. And, as always, we need to be conscious that disparities in healthcare aren’t just racial but class-based. You’re more likely to get this virus if you’re brown or poor, as evidenced by the extremely high 43 percent rate of positive tests among the city’s homeless. Good data on this stuff is important, not only for health experts to understand the virus, but for the general public to understand how this virus has exposed the inherent injustices and cruelties of our healthcare system. Good for Khrystian King for getting that conversation going. Also, I would like to point out that this is probably the first Worcesteria in my time of writing these where I said nothing but generally positive things about Worcester city officials. It wasn’t intentional but now I’m going to declare it this week’s theme. Go team!

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CLERKS II: Stephen “AJ” Pottle has been selected as the city’s deputy clerk pending any unforeseen drama at City Council this week (yes I am writing this on Monday afternoon per my new deadline; been a while since I reminded you of that hasn’t it?). Pottle’s appointment completes a tidy and well-organized changing of the guard from Sue Ledoux to Niko Vangjeli, who held the deputy clerk role before Pottle. The City Clerk is going to have a really interesting job come November. We’ll likely still be working with some sort of distancing restrictions at polling locations. And as we saw with all the used car dealership owners around the country who came out to protest the lockdown over the weekend, distancing restrictions are almost surely going to become a political football in the general election. Both Niko and Stephen have proven themselves to be technologically savvy and responsive in my experiences with them, and I think they’ll handle the job just fine. And, before you ask, no, I am not gassing them up so they process my records requests faster. I would … I wouldn’t do that. Nope, not this guy.

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Animal Rescue League ramps up foster program BILL SHANER

Amid the COVID-19 quarantine and social distancing, the Worcester Animal Rescue League is safely continuing operations. One of eight puppies born to mom Isabella gets a kiss from Tara Burdett.

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ASHLEY GREEN

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o way around it, the Worcester Animal Rescue League has taken a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic and all the social distancing policies enacted to combat it. Walk-in visitation, crucial for feeling out connection with potential

animals to adopt, has been tightly restricted. Boarding and clinic fees, a large source of revenue for the shelter, are way down. But the shelter is adapting to the times with a little help from its friends. In order to deal with potential overcrowding issues, the shelter

PHOTOS/ASHLEY GREEN

Boston area, and within Massachusetts but further than Central Mass.,” said Kristin Mullins. “There’s a lot of people who want to help and foster animals right now. It’s really been awesome.” The WARL has fostering programs for both dogs and cats. The cat

ASHLEY GREEN

fostering program has always been popular, but the dog option lagged. Now, with people at home more and entertaining the idea of taking on a pet, the fostering option allows them to explore life with an animal without fully committing.

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Above, Gigi came to WARL after her owner became ill, leaving Gigi and her housemate behind. Gigi is a sweet, kind and quiet girl looking to be a part of a loving home once again. When Gigi first arrived, she was very matted and sore and was shaved down because some of the mats were very close to her skin. Given her age and size, Gigi is arthritic and her legs and hips are sore. She takes daily medication to help her relieve some of the discomfort and her new family will need to continue this. She enjoys laying on a comfy bed or padded blanket, preferable in a sunny spot. She would do best in a home where there are not a lot of stairs to climb and she can comfortably rest and spend her days getting plenty of attention and love. Gigi is a cuddle bug and is excited to get back into a home! Below, Gandolf is a six-year-old cat is also available for adoption.

has reinvested in a dog fostering program. What was once a little-used option at the shelter has become massively popular, said Kristin Mullins, executive director of the Worcester Animal Rescue League. “We’ve had requests from Maine, New Hampshire, people in the

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Oscar is currently available for adoption. ASHLEY GREEN

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The shelter is still taking appointment-based adoption visits, but conservatively. Folks interested in adopting a pet are first screened for interest and ability to take on an animal, then a visit is booked with a specific pet ahead of time. The shelter allows only one potential adopter at a time. While adoption numbers were relatively on par with past years in March, the numbers are way down in April so far, Mullins said. Other shelters have actually seen an increase in adoptions, she said. “People are home, they have the extra time, and they think now is a great time to adopt a pet,” she said. But WARL is taking a conservative approach because they fear many of the people adopting now may return the pets when society reopens, life gets back to normal, and they find they no longer have the time to properly care for the animal. “We’re looking long term as well,” said Mullins. “We want to ensure that once life goes back to normal, once people go back to work and don’t have as much time on their hands, does that animal still fit in with their lifestyle?” The WARL has a contract with the City of Worcester to take in local

stray animals and neglected animals. While the rate of adoption has slowed, the volume of those animals coming in hasn’t. The fostering program is crucial, Mullins said, for helping to avoid the overcrowding issues that could arise should the quarantine conditions be extended. For people who want to help and have the time on their hands, it’s a win-win, Mullins said. The dog gets crucial social time with humans, while the fosterer gets a quarantine companion and helps the shelter cope with the crisis. “That’s part of the reason building that foster network is so important,” said Mullins. Folks looking to help WARL in other ways can do so with donations for pet food and supplies. As people are losing their jobs, Mullins said, the shelter has seen a huge increase in the number of people coming to them asking for dog food, cat food and cat litter. “We’ve seen a huge increase in people coming to us that say times are tight right now, do you have some things you can give us,” said Mullins. “Luckily we’re very blessed with generous donors who donate a lot of food, but now those donations are even more important.”

The staff of the Worcester Animal Rescue League holds eight puppies born to mom Isabella. These puppies are not yet available for adoption, and applications are not be accepted at this time. ASHLEY GREEN

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Clockwise from top left: Harley, an eight-month-old cat, is currently available for adoption. Aaron, a cat currently available for adoption. One of Isabellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eight puppies. One of eight puppies born to mom Isabella gets its nails trimmed by Annemarie Manfredo. PHOTOS/ASHLEY GREEN

A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020

With housing courts closed, eviction notices provoke fear and confusion

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BILL SHANER

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A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ince courts closed in midMarch, the Central Housing Court, which covers the broader Worcester area, has seen almost 100 eviction filings. Landlords have filed 89 summons in Central Housing Court for failure to pay rent on tenants either electronically or by mail since the courts closed, according to the court’s online database. Though the courts are closed, tenants still receive notices of the eviction filings, which advocates say are often misinterpreted as a final notice of eviction, and not the start of a legal process. “People are getting scary notices and letters and calls and pressure tactics,” said Grace Lynn Ross, director of the Worcester AntiForeclosure Team. “It’s terrifying for people. And there’s no way to get information.” When the courts reopen, planned for now for May 4, the eviction proceedings become active. A bill to put a moratorium on evictions was passed by both branches of the State Legislature on Friday, but the governor has not yet signed it. As the COVID-19 pandemic reaches a fever pitch, advocates for a moratorium on evictions say that it is irresponsible public policy to allow evictions while people are being told to shelter in their homes. “It is a public health emergency. It is an unprecedented situation. Every day we are learning about the kind of terrifying and invisible spread of the virus,” said Andrea Park, a housing attorney with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. “It seems like one of the easiest and most obvious ways to prevent the spread of the virus is to keep people in their homes.” The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute is one of the leading sponsors of the bill. The bill, titled An

Act Providing For A Moratorium On Evictions And Foreclosures During the COVID-19 Emergency, would prevent any action on eviction or foreclosure cases for as long as the COVID state of emergency lasts. The

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Finding her voice

Short film ‘Snowflake,’ #FollowYourVoice sessions headed online RICHARD DUCKET T

“

nowflake,” an award-winning short movie produced by Goldilocks Productions of Worcester about a young girl, Jesse, who literally stays true to her voice despite negative pressures, is looking to bring its positive message home. Or, rather, Kristen Lucas of Goldilocks Productions is gearing up to stream the film into the homes of children nationwide during free one-hour sessions titled #FollowYourVoice that will also feature a Q&A with cast members and crew, including Ava Fratus of Carver, who plays Jesse, and some fun and educational activities. Lucas said there are about 56 million children marooned at home right now,

Ava Fratus portrays Jesse in “Snowflake.”

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primarily at elementary and middle school children, anyone can watch. “High school kids like the movie,” she said of “Snowflake.” The program is free. “Right now nobody’s working, nobody has any money.” Lucas said she is hoping to find sponsors. You don’t need a computer or WiFi to participate. “As long as they have smart phone that can get on the internet they can get access.” For the Q&A, if a questioner is selected “we can turn their cameras on and they can join us.” Each session will be different, with other “Snowflake” members also taking part. “It’s not always Ava. It will change every time. It will be new event each time,” Lucas said. “I think we could be doing this all summer long. It could be become more educational, too, talking about filmmaking. I think once we build an audience and kids become engaged, it will have a life of its own,” she said. “Finding your own voice doesn’t just have to be at school – it can be at home or watching Netflix,” said Ava. “So I think it’s going to be really cool.” For more information about Goldilocks productions, visit www. goldilocks-productions.com.

artists CITY LIFE If you are an artist, or know of a local artist, email WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com. Fair warning, in order to publish your work, you’ll need to provide a small bio and high resolution digital copies of some of your art. We reserve the right to choose what will run, based on resolution and what will reproduce best on newsprint.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Colette Aimée is the daughter of an actor and a ballerina. Throughout her upbringing Aimee had all kinds of art flowing in and out of her life in the small town of Kent, New York. Musicians, actors, dancers, poets, painters and aristocrats were many of the influences that Colette took in to create the artist that she is today. Aimee found herself going on to art school at SUNY New Paltz in New York, receiving her BFA in 2006. She now shows all over the country in gallery shows and events as well as at various music and arts festivals. She continues to surround herself with the same types of creative people which inspire her to paint the luminous colors of her surrealistic world. For several years now she has been working with the idea of the Harlequin, a magical being that can change itself and the world that surrounds it. These esoteric Harlequins are sexual, playful and sometimes devious in their thoughts of traveling beyond the boundaries of our world and their own to reach tremendously elastic points of views. Check out more of her work at rawartists.com/coletteaimee or at the following events: Spencer Street Party in downtown Spencer: Aug. 24, Wormtown Festival: Sept. 13-15 in Greenfield.

Voice) then it would have been easier. But I think I’ve found my voice. Music is my voice. I can put my ideas out in the world for other kids. This project will definitely help them out.” For the one-hour #FollowYour Voice (with introductions, interactions, the screening of the 18-minute “Snowflake,” and the Q&A) people in the online gallery can punch in questions and have the opportunity to be chosen to come “on stage” during the webcast, Lucas said. There will also be “exclusive access” to the unreleased music video, “Speak Up,” that Ava has been working on with Lucas. Ava said she continues to write her own music and songs, and has a mixed tape ready for release. Meanwhile, she was about to promote #FollowYourVoice live on Instagram, and similar appearances will be taking place on Facebook. Lucas is getting the word out by eblast and social media outlets to schools, after-school programs and related groups and organizations nationwide. A day after creating the www.followyourvoice.com website, she said, “I already had a bunch of people sign up.” She is aiming for large attendance across the country at each #FollowYour Voice session. “At least 200 for the first time.” While #FollowYourVoice is aimed

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Let us feature your artwork in Worcester Magazine’s Artist Spotlight! Email a brief bio and some samples of your work to WMeditor@ gatehousemedia.com to be considered for our Artist Spotlight!

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A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020

I?” that her teacher praises, Timmy applauds, and other classmates look in silent awe at. “Snowflake” had its premiere at Worcester Showcase Cinemas North in 2016, and been shown at film festivals where it has won awards. Meanwhile, Lucas and Ava also started to get invitations to speak with elementary and middle-school children. Jesse is poorly treated by some of her peers, and Lucas put together a Snowflake Anti-Bullying Project to share the film’s message of perseverance, kindness and being true to yourself against any odds. The program has visited several schools, including in Worcester, and been featured on WBZ-TV. Ava has talked about bullying from firsthand experience. #FollowYourVoice will have a somewhat different emphasis. Also on hand will be DJNixx, aka Nikki Oberle – a DJ from Austin, Texas, and originally from Boston – who is a friend of Lucas. DJNixx will help lead audience interaction. #FollowYourVoice “will try to lead in a positive way. We don’t want to lead with the bullying, because it’s already still so dark right now. Obviously the bullying is part of it,” Lucas said. Ava’s presence could be counted on to bring light based on the success of the school program. “It’s always fun when Ava shows up. We already know that people love it. Kids love it, and it’s fun,” Lucas said. “Rather than the bullying aspect – which is like more behind each other’s back and not face to face – you need to find your own voice. Be yourself. That’s the main aspect right now. Like find your voice and speak up,” Ava said. “There’s been certain phases where I haven’t found my voice, and if I had something like this (#FollowYour

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albeit taking online classes. “I don’t think there are any kids going back to school until the fall. I thought it could be a perfect platform,” she said. “Kids need content. It’s a positive thing. We say ‘follow your voice.’” Lucas has created a website – www.followyourvoice.com – that people can sign up on to get information about when the #FollowYourVoice events will take place and how to tune in and take part. (You must be 13 or older to register, or children can ask a parent to sign up.) She also created and produced “Snowflake,” which stars then 9-yearold Ava as a shy and introverted Jesse who finds identity in hip-hop music. Before she was cast, Ava had already performed to big audiences as a rapper, including opening at the 2014 Kiss Concert. “I’m really excited for this project,” said Ava, now 13 (she’ll turn 14 next month) during a telephone interview about #FolllowYourVoice. “Kids are stuck at home and there are plenty of people who need encouragement right now so I think this will be pretty good.” Lucas has said she envisioned Jesse as a 20-year-old white female rapper, but when she was a judge at a Miss Central Massachusetts competition at Mechanics Hall, she saw Ava perform as part of the entertainment. She was so impressed she got together with Ava and her parents. Jesse was Ava’s first major role in a movie. In “Snowflake,” Jesse has a loving but harried dad who doesn’t want to hear about hip-hop dreams. Jesse sits alone at school with her secret that music is magic. There are mean girls, but there’s also a kind boy in her corner, Timmy. Aspiring to be a rapper, Jesse gives voice to that in a class presentation on the topic of “Who Am

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EVICTIONS

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bill has been widely sponsored in the Legislature and the governor is expected to act on it this week. The shutdown has put an unprecedented amount of people out of work, and advocates say that in the months ahead, people out of work and dealing with inconsistent government assistance will have more trouble paying rent. “The reality on the ground is the

would afford people a measure of security. “It’s already really difficult for people to pay rent, and then if you lose your job, what are you going to do?” Landlords, however, have been critical of the bill. The advocacy group Mass Landlords has vocally opposed the moratorium, saying it would lead to small landlords being unable to pay their bills. But advocates argue that eviction was already a confusing process, and

“People are getting scary notices and letters and calls and pressure tactics. It’s terrifying for people. And there’s no way to get information.”

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020

- Grace Lynn Ross, director of the Worcester Anti-Foreclosure Team longer this goes on the more people are going to lose their jobs, the more people are going to struggle to pay rents and mortgages,” said Park. State Rep. Mary Keefe, a local sponsor of the bill, said that if evictions are allowed to continue, the problem of homelessness will continue to worsen. “The last thing we need right now is predatory practices increasing the number of people who don’t have a place to live,” she said. With an unprecedented amount of people out of work, a moratorium

it was made doubly confusing by the fact that courts aren’t open. The e-filing system and the notices sent in the mail are confusing and scary, especially in the midst of a pandemic. With the courts unopened, it’s hard for folks to get clear answers on what the legal documents mean, Ross said. “It’s so horrifying. I can’t imagine for the people who are actually going through it,” she said. “People really need to know that they can’t just get evicted.”

CITY LIFE If you are an artist, or know of a local artist, email WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com. Fair warning, in order to publish your work, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to provide a small bio and high resolution digital copies of some of your art. We reserve the right to choose what will run, based on resolution and what will reproduce best on newsprint.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Julie Ann Bellerose of Seams and Stones is a Holdenbased artisan and crafter. She specializes in natural and earth-centered products. Bellerose uses natural stones and sterling silver in her jewelry while her bags, clothing and sewn wares feature colorful batiks and upcycled or vintage corduroy. She has been recently making and donating masks in an effort to keep loved ones safe. See more of her work at Seams and Stones on Etsy.com, at Funky Stuff of Worcester or at Soulstice Gifts in Holden.

CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

How to buy a work of art without looking like a total lamebrain SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

OVID-19 has taken a hefty toll on Worcester’s creative scene. Performances are canceled. Galleries are shuttered. Exhibits put on hold. We’ve relegated ourselves to mimicking iconic works of art with household items for the curiously brilliant Getty Museum Challenge. Times are, at best, peculiar for the art world. I want to do my part to keep art alive, but only in my wildest dreams — which, to be fair, I’ve been having a lot of — have I ever imagined becoming an art “collector.” Growing up, we had an oil painting of a mighty oak that hung in our apartment. My dad and I bought it at a neighborhood yard sale. I remember him feeling strongly suspicious it was someone’s discarded paint-bynumber canvas, but we purchased it anyway and hung it above the couch. This is where my curatorial knowhow begins and ends. Before investing in any substantial work of art, I decided to reach out

to someone with more experience. I phoned ArtsWorcester Executive Director Juliet Feibel. “Take the word ‘investment’ out of the equation,” she said. “There’s a certain mythology around art that it’s supposed to increase in value. It’s not. Think of it as a purchase like any other.” “Like buying a couch?” I wondered aloud. “Exactly like a couch,” Feibel said. “It’s something that you’re going to live with and enjoy every single day. And, much like buying a large piece of furniture, artists are often very willing to sell their art on a payment plan.” This was good news. “How will I know it’s the one?” I asked. “When you see something you like, trust your taste,” she told me. “You generally want to start at a gallery where you’re going to see a lot of different work and get to know what you like,” she explained. “Eventually, you get into a position where you are much more confident about seeking out the artist whose work you want

Susan Mampre’s “Rift,” $150. COURTESY OF ARTSWORCESTER

to buy and working directly with them. And boom, you’re a collector.” “But once I get it home, how do I take care of it?” I pressed her. “I’m so glad to strip the mystery out of that with a few very simple rules,” Feibel assured me. Here they are: 1. Don’t put works of paper in direct light where they’re going to get

hours of (particularly Western) sun every day. Putting UV glass in the frame will help. 2. Don’t hang paintings, especially those made with encaustics, directly over a radiator and don’t put them next to the stove. 3. Don’t keep paper works in the bathroom. 4. Dust your art. It has already

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020

LISTEN UP

Mandeville and Richards offer an exquisite ‘Road May Rise’ VICTOR D. INFANTE

here’s something both bittersweet and beautiful nestled in the middle of “Road May Rise,” the new album by local Americana duo Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards, an indelible pulse of emotion that cuts through everything and speaks directly to the listener’s own sorrows. It’s a gorgeous album, certainly, but more than that, the feeling the pair imbue it with is evident on every song. Ultimately, “Road May Rise” is an album about change, and sometimes not changing. It begins with “There Will Come A Day,” a gentle song that plays well to the pair’s harmonies and the understated acoustic guitar. “There will come a day, there will be a time,” the pair sing. “In a place you least expected and you’d never thought you’d find … A graceful frozen moment, for no reason and no rhyme.” It’s a paradoxical song, in some ways, being simultaneously about death and about finding peace, but it sets the tone well for what follows, particularly “As Long As It Takes,” where the smoldering embers of unfulfilled dreams are soothed by Mandeville’s harmonica. It’s a song about pa-

tience, yes, but it’s also a song about forward motion. That sense of movement is important, because it begins to build as the album unfolds, starting with the subsequent song, “Honey Bee.” “Oh baby, can I be your honey,” sings Richards, “Nobody knows me like you do/Be the greatest team, this old world has ever seen/I only want to smile with you.” It’s exceptionally sweet, and delivered with a sort of entwined dreaminess and earthiness: The lyrics never sound saccharine in Richards’ hands, but instead seem to evoke possibilities. A sense of two people moving forward together, love lifting the shackles that tether them in place. Interestingly, it’s the only song Richards plays guitar on, which might account for the relative lightness in the music’s tone compared to the rest of the album. But the darkness returns with “Ain’t No Easy Answers.” “And the wolves are buying rounds for the whole town,” sings Mandeville in the lead vocals. “And no one knows any different/Someone screamed fire so many times, the heroes all retired/Is this how friends become such enemies.” The song is a counterpart to “Honey Bee,” in so much as it portrays a heaviness that holds a whole town in place, C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E

had a rough life in the studio and in transit; gentle dusting won’t hurt. “Are there any other rookie mistakes I should watch out for?” I asked. Go low. “In the beginning, everyone hangs their artwork too high,” Feibel said. “At ArtsWorcester, we use a pretty standard measurement for an individual who is five foot, five inches. You want their nose to be in the center of the artwork. It’s much lower than you think it will be.” I thanked Feibel for her time and promised to keep her posted on my progress. My imposter syndrome waned. I couldn’t find any mighty oak trees in the ArtsWorcester “Look Book” on their website, but Feibel was right. I knew what I liked immediately — the oil and wax paintings of Karen Reid and the florals of Sue Dion. No couch could ever compare. ArtsWorcester is making online sales during this unprecedented time. Follow their latest show “In Transition” on Instagram @ artsworcester and inquire about purchases at (508) 755-5142.

CITY LIFE

LISTEN UP

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 16

TABLE HOPPIN’

Local chefs share some home-cooking ideas

Chef Enton Mehillaj at home with daughters Altea and Livia. SUBMITTED PHOTO

BARBARA M. HOULE

Chef Drew Day at the Flying Rhino Café & Watering Hole in 2018. FILE PHOTO/RICK CINCLAIR

Day said he is working from home to help update the Flying Rhino’s inventory, etc. He’s also digging into home projects. “Stuff that I never had time to complete,” said Day. The Flying Rhino is closed due to COVID-19, but owners Paul Barber and his wife, Melina Capsalis Barber, are taking advantage of the time to work on restaurant projects. “We’ve done over parts of the kitchen and addressed small issues that we didn’t have time to resolve before we had to close,” said Barber. “Melina came in and repainted the dining room. There’s no stopping her.” C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 19

Parmigiano Garlic Linguine 1 package linguini, see note 5 tablespoons of Kalamata olive oil

the street from him. “No complaints so far,” joked Day about his day-today menus. “No picky eaters in the crowd.” Winning the 2020 title of Worcester’s Best Chef, Day faced the challenge of turning mystery ingredients and pantry basics into a delicious and award-winning dish. He uses the same strategy at home. Pasta is always a good choice, he said, and it’s delicious and quick to make no matter whether it’s tossed with chicken or a red sauce. Cooked pasta can be turned into a pasta salad the next day, said the chef. “Dry goods, such as beans, lentils and quinoa can be transformed into a variety of dishes. Rely on staples as much as you can.”

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lot of people right now are cooking their way through the coronavirus pandemic. It’s not just the home cooks who are spending more time in the kitchen, turning out comfort food to soothe the soul and one-pot meals to help stretch the budget until the next grocery trip. Professional chefs also find themselves cooking more at home, their restaurants closed or adjusting to a new schedule for takeout and curbside pick-up only. We routinely talk to local chefs and last week asked several of them what they were cooking at home. Here’s what the pros shared: Executive chef Enton Mehillaj and wife Orioa Koci, owners of Worcester’s Livia’s Dish and Altea’s Eatery, said this is an unprecedented time for restaurants and like everyone else in the industry they are living their worst nightmare, but that they try to make the best out of it by staying positive and looking for ways to become more productive to help people get through the pandemic. “If there is one thing that we enjoy about this self-quarantine is that we are able to spend more time with our daughters, Livia and Altea,” said Koci. “Starting both of our businesses like any startups has taken

time from our kids. We have tried our best to always be there for them but just like anyone who commits to a business, there is a sacrifice to be made,” she said. Despite having amazing staffs at both restaurants, the couple always felt that as owners they should be at the restaurants to help out on busy days, explained Koci, who also is GM of both businesses. “Enton is definitely the chef at home, and as our kids grow older he has found himself a sous chef and her name is Livia,” said Koci. Their daughter loves to cook, she said, and does anything she can to help her mom and dad. Koci attributed some of Livia’s cooking skills to her mother, who has spent a lot of time with her grandchildren. Livia also is learning more culinary skills from watching her dad since all the family now is at home, said Koci. “Enton is a true believer that less is more when it comes to cooking,” she said. “One of the best dishes we enjoy together is Parmigiano Garlic Linguine.” The chef usually makes his own linguini and uses organic and local ingredients. However, home cooks can make substitutions in his recipe.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 cloves minced garlic 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 2 chopped fresh parsley leaves, optional Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste Note: Seggiano brand of organic linguine is sold at Whole Foods Market. Home cooks can substitute linguine for another type of pasta. Vermont Creamery cultured butter also was used in original recipe. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain pasta well when done. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes over medium heat until butter has melted. Cook, whisking until the foam subsides and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes, skimming foam as necessary. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta and Parmesan until well combined, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired. Altea’s Eatery, 259 Park Ave., Worcester (www.alteaseatery.com; (508) 767-1639) and Livia’s Dish, 1394 Main St., Worcester (www. liviasdish.com; (508) 926-8861) are both open for take-out, curbside pickup and delivery (GrubHub) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and are among Worcester restaurants participating in April 27 “Take Out Day” to support local businesses. At home, Drew Day, executive of the Flying Rhino Café & Watering Hole on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, has been sticking to simple and the basics when cooking. “I made hog dog Panini the other day,” said Day when asked about stay-at-home meals. He explained how he split hot dogs and seared them before adding them to whole wheat pizza dough he had baked and shaped. “A little sauerkraut, sautéed onions, cheese, mustard and you have a great warm grilled sandwich,” Day said. “Add any condiments you want.” Day cooks for his wife and 4-yearold and makes the food for their six – month-old baby. He also sends meals to family members who live across

A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020

stasis leading to a sense of hopelessness. It’s a state messed described in the next song, “The Winds of Change,” where they sing: “A fog so thick the truth becomes concealed.” That morass described in the earlier song is expanded on a national scale: “The food is on the table, people in the square/Fighting for a country as divided and unfair/As history had heroes to define what it was/To defend the greatest virtues instead of empty causes.” The duo poses the question, “Do you have any clear idea what it is that you believe?” It’s a good question. The answer ,is what gives value to everything. The next two songs, “Little By Little” and “Hand I Hold,” fill the emotional void of the previous songs with a sense of healing, and a return to motion: “Where I’m bound at is uncertain,” sings Mandeville, in the latter song, “Where I’ve been it’s a beaten trail.” The guitar work is delicate and evocative here, small explosions of notes that suspend in the air before disappearing. The lovers in the song vanish into the unknown. It’s gorgeous work, cast in relief by the rich and bluesy “So Blue,” a song that Mandeville had released earlier, which captures a feeling of love outweighing weariness. In the penultimate song, “Don’t Let Me Come Home A Stranger,” written by Jerome Clark and Robin Williams, the song’s persona takes a moment to consider the cost of leaving places behind: “Will there come a time when the memories fade,” she sings, “and pass on with the long, long years,/When the ties no longer bind?” The cliche is that you can’t go home again, but the truth is that sometimes, when you come home, both you and it have often changed, and if the place you return to hasn’t, that’s almost worse. There’s a sting that comes with that sort of realization, and the song captures it well. That the pair chose to put one older song and a cover before the closing number is not insignificant, as both lay a bridge to the album’s last song, “Road May Rise.” The title song has a breezy cool reflective feel about it, an appropriate feeling of a brisk open road. In a lot of ways, the song is the culmination of the album’s themes: “Leaving the past behind, coming to terms with time/ Casting out meanness, shedding off sorrow/When we are lost sometimes, often a road may rise.” The question is, if that road arises, will you follow? The alternative is stasis, and that’s where this journey began, and Mandeville and Richards have already shown us where that leads.

CITY LIFE

FILM

Casting catastrophes averted, for the most part JIM KEOGH

oaquin Phoenix as Batman isn’t the worst idea Darren Aronofsky ever had (that would be “Mother!”), but Warner Bros. just couldn’t pull the trigger on it. The director recently told the entertainment site Empire that he’d proposed a Batman reboot in the early 2000s with Phoenix playing a troubled and battered Caped Crusader, in line with graphic novelist Frank Miller’s tortured reinvention of the character spiced with dashes of “Taxi Driver,” “Death Wish” and “The French Connection.” Oh, where is that movie? Is it too late to get it made? As Aronofsky describes his vision for the character, Phoenix’s Batman would have been nearly as psychotic as his Joker, such that even Miller was disturbed by the darkness in this Dark Knight. With Phoenix in the lead, Aronofsky was offering a palate cleanser for Joel Schumacher’s “Batman & Robin,” an abomination from the jaunty ampersand in the title to the nipples on the batsuit. So who did the studio

counter with? Freddie Prinze Jr. (The boldest Batman casting is still Michael Keaton — whose slight stature, thinning hair and weak chin elicited shrieks from fanboys. Imagine if social media had been around in 1989.) The Empire story got me thinking about other casting near-misses. Robert Redford was considered for the character of Ben in “The Graduate,” Ryan O’Neal for the title role in “Rocky,” and Jack Nicholson for Michael Corleone in “The Godfather.” A world without Dustin Hoffman, Sylvester Stallone and Al Pacino in those iconic roles is, well, is a world that would have put Freddie Prinze Jr. in Batman’s cowl. Can you picture Halle Berry steering the bomb-laden bus in “Speed”? Apparently, it almost happened. Instead, Sandra Bullock got the part and launched an Oscar-winning career. Michelle Pfeiffer as Clarice Starling in “The Silence of the Lambs”? The part was hers, but she turned it down (she also rejected “Pretty Woman” and “Fatal Attraction”). Her backup, Jodie Foster, did okay with it.

Tom Selleck cracking the whip as “Indiana Jones”? It almost happened, too. Selleck was actually George Lucas and Steve Spielberg’s first choice, but he couldn’t break his “Magnum P.I.” contract so the part went to Harrison Ford, whose early career is a string of happy accidents. Lucas cast Ford as Han Solo after Pacino rejected the part because “I didn’t understand the script.” Actors of elevated status can elbow just anybody out of their way once they’ve become fixated on a character. When Tom Cruise was cast to play Lestat in “Interview With the Vampire,” at his insistence, Anne Rice, author of the source novel, denounced the move (she wanted George Clooney, left, and Chris O’Donnell in Rutger Hauer, who was overruled “Batman & Robin.” by the film’s producers). Rice called WARNER BROS. Cruise “no more my Vampire Lestat than Edward G. Robinson is Rhett James L. Brooks, “Nobody is going to physical dimensions of the towering Butler.” After she saw a cut of the give a sh** about an agent.” Jack Reacher as described in the Lee film, she recanted in grand fashion: “I And so we’ve been robbed of like to believe Tom’s Lestat will be re- Childs novels, Cruise secured that part, Joaquin Phoenix brooding beneath too, snatching the role from Dwayne membered the way Olivier’s Hamlet a cape and a teary Woody Harrelson Johnson. He did, however, land the is remembered.” role of Jerry Maguire only because first telling Renee Zellweger that she On the subject of Tom Cruise, completes him. The former I give a choice Woody Harrelson passed on it. despite having nowhere near the sh** about; the latter, not so much. As Harrelson told the film’s producer

NEW ON DVD

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020

‘Bad Boys for Life’ keeps ’90s action alive

KATIE FORAN - MCHALE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Tribune News Service critic Katie Walsh in her review. “It really makes you believe that these bad boys just might actually be for life.”

wo classic action heroes get back in the game in the top new DVD releases for the week of April 21. “Bad Boys for Life”: It’s been a minute since we last heard from Martin Lawrence and Will Smith’s wisecracking Miami detectives Marcus and Mike (Want to feel old? “Bad Boys II” came out 17 years ago). But, thanks to directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the ’90s nostalgia keeps on coming. In the film, Mike (Smith) is injured by a family seeking revenge for the detective’s role in a drug lord’s prison sentence. He seeks help from his partner, Marcus (Lawrence), and an elite team called AMMO to track down and stop the cartel. If you were a fan of Michael Bay’s first two installments of the franchise, this one is more of the same, with plenty of love for the genre and

This image released by Sony Pictures shows Martin Lawrence, left, and Will Smith in a scene from “Bad Boys for Life.”

BEN ROTHSTEIN/ COLUMBIA PICTURES-SONY VIA AP

even more love for its characters. “El Arbi and Fallah have done seemingly the impossible. They’ve taken over an action franchise 17 years after the last installment and made a film that’s a delightfully dizzying love letter to action filmmaking of yore, while respectfully preserving the franchise’s best elements,” wrote

ALSO NEW ON DVD APRIL 21 “The Turning”: Eerie events haunt a nanny (Mackenzie Davis) who’s taking care of two orphans in an East Coast Gothic mansion. “Fatal Attraction”: The 1987 hit thriller starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close is being rereleased on Blu-ray with a remastering under the supervision of director Adrian Lyne. “The Gentlemen”: An expat in London (Matthew McConaughey) faces layers of schemes while attempting to sell off his weed business. “Ip Man 4: The Finale”: The Kung Fu master Ip Man (Donnie Yen) heads to the United States as his student opens up a martial arts school and faces discrimination from the community. In Cantonese, English and Mandarin.

“King Creole”: The 1958 film starring Elvis Presley as a young man supporting his family as a club singer after joining a gang is being released on Blu-ray. “The Last Full Measure”: Airman William H. Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine) is awarded the country’s highest military honor posthumously. “Looking for Alaska”: Based on the John Green novel of the same name, the Hulu miniseries follows boarding school student Miles (Charlie Plummer), whose love story with Alaska (Kristine Froseth) results in tragedy. “Party Hard, Die Young”: A trip to a techno party in Croatia turns deadly for a group of friends celebrating their graduation. Stars Marlon Boess, Markus Freistatter and Michael Glantschnig. In German. “Sea Fever”: A trapped-at-sea crew attempts to ward off a deadly parasite. Stars Connie Nielsen, Hermione Corfield and Dougray Scott. “To Catch a Thief ”: The Alfred Hitchcock classic is being rereleased

on Blu-ray for its 65th anniversary. NEW ON DIGITAL HD APRIL 21 “Himalayan Ice”: In this documentary, ice climbers Ari Novak and Karsten Delap embark on a dangerous journey in India. “Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All-Time Volume 1: Midnight Madness”: This documentary explores the history of cult classics like “The Big Lebowski” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” NEW ON DIGITAL HD APRIL 24 “1BR”: An insecure Los Angeles woman (Naomi Grossman) finds belonging in an apartment complex that quickly turns dark. “To the Stars”: A farmer’s daughter (Jordana Spiro) hits it off with an outgoing new girl in town (Malin Akerman) in 1960s Oklahoma. “True History of the Kelly Gang”: This Western/drama follows the gang of outlaws led by Australian bushranger Ned Kelly as they seek to evade law enforcement.

CITY LIFE

THE NEXT DRAFT

A legendary beer program alive again Bill allowing beer takeout offers salvation for Armsby Abbey MATTHEW TOTA

Because the kegs are so expensive, it would not make sense to sell full-size growlers. “One of the most popular things about that event is you get to sample a bunch of beers at once. I keep thinking of some way to package a small flight of beer, for a Stoutfest to go,” Lopez said. As much as Sadowski and Lopez try to restore some normalcy to their restaurant and their beer program, there have been daily reminders that things are not as they were and may never be. “We moved all the seats from our beautiful bar. You look at it, and there are all the pickup slips down the bar,” Sadowski said. “We use the ice bin to store the growlers.” Armsby Abbey remains open for take-out and curbside pickup. To see their menu and an updated list of beer and wine to-go, visit armsbyabbey.com.

Chef Bill Brady

William (Bill) Brady had opened his new restaurant, Brady’s in Leominster only three months when he had to shut down. Currently, there’s no takeout or delivery at the restaurant. “I don’t expect reopening before June 1,” said Brady. “But who knows? We’ll have to wait and see how things play out. The industry already has had to change its business models.” When Brady’s reopens there will be fewer seats, according to the owner, who already has removed 50 seats from dining and bar areas. “We’ve made adjustments,” said Brady, “and we want to assure our guests that we have taken proper steps to help with social distancing. It’s a new reality.” Brady also has set up a fund that

gives 25% of all restaurant gift card purchases to his employees who don’t qualify for unemployment benefits as a result of the one-year base period that determines eligibility. “The restaurant industry is really going through a tough time, and we’re trying to help out as much as we can,” said Brady, who employees 35. This award-winning chef is a guy who can rattle the pots and pans. He and his wife, Kim (who works with him in the restaurant), both cook at home and support local independent businesses by ordering take-out. The couple resides in Leominster. Brady’s been focused on making simple dishes, such as a quick sauté or roasted chicken. He said leftover cooked chicken can be lunch the

next day, or tossed into a soup or stew. He supports local growers and farmers and he also sometimes shops for fresh produce at local Asian markets, he said. “Honestly, I try to limit shopping trips out as much as possible,” added Brady. Purveyors, such as Dole & Bailey, known for providing chefs with high-quality foods, recently have expanded their businesses to include a home delivery service, according to Brady. Dole & Bailey’s “Sharing the Love” is the new farm-to-fork operative offering home consumers an assortment of chef-quality meats and seafood delivered to their door. Visit Dole & Bailey’s Facebook page for more info.

TA B L E H O P P I N’

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 17

FYI: Worcester artist Melina Capsalis Barber has previously hand-painted the restaurant’s décor, including the tables. Guests love her inspiration! The Flying Rhino celebrates 20 years in business this month, according to Barber, who said, “The celebration will have to take place when we reopen. That’s what we’re planning, anyway.” He expects the restaurant’s outdoor deck will be up this week, with more seating. Inside, there most likely will be a change in seating capacity to make way for social distancing, said Barber. “None of us in the industry know really what to expect,” he said.

restaurant restriction, too. Lopez managed to piggy-back on an order with the owners of Medusa Brewing Co. and expects at least two pallets of growlers to arrive this week. Before offering growlers, though, Lopez made sure, as a courtesy, to get permission from the breweries. “Breweries don’t want restaurants filling growlers because it’s a difficult process to do well,” he said. “I assure you brewers are not happy that restaurants are filling growlers. The beers that we’re filling, out of respect, we ask permission to sell, so we’re on the same page as breweries.” Earlier this month, Armsby would have celebrated Stoutfest, its biggest event of the year. Lopez had already assembled the draft list and ordered the kegs; some of the rare stouts will be fine to cellar until next year, but a few kegs won’t make it that long, and Lopez and Sadowski have been discussing ways to release them.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

takeout was excruciating, they said. Lopez and Sadowski expected the bill to become law March 24, not April 1. “Every day was really hard, to ring just the food dollars with no beer behind it,” Sadowski said. “Let’s face it, Armsby Abbey built its name on craft beer.” In that time, Armsby poured a lot of money in beer down the drain, Lopez said. “My standards with the program are higher than most. If it isn’t perfect, I don’t sell it,” he said. “There were quite a few hoppy beers I’m sure most would have sold, but we decided not to. We lost a lot of money in the interim.” The only real change to Armsby’s draft program has been the switch to growler fills. That a restaurant was even able to procure growlers when some breweries are struggling to get them is a testament to Lopez’s deep connections in the craft beer community. There’s an industry-wide shortage of growlers, as for safety reasons, most breweries will no longer refill used ones. But Lopez got help from Trillium’s co-founder, J.C. Tetreault, who gave Armsby enough growlers to jumpstart its draft program. “With how many years I’ve spent in the beer universe building relationships, the resources are amazing,” Lopez said. “It was pretty awesome to make a phone call to J.C. and get access to the growlers we needed to get rolling.” Armsby should have plenty of growlers to make it through the

A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020

he last time Armsby Abbey had a crowd was more than a month ago. Employees, not customers, filled the seats, and most of them had lost their jobs. During two staff meetings after the March 15 order banning dine-in service, Armsby owners Alec Lopez and Sherri Sadowski projected confidence, both in the restaurant’s ability to survive the ban and in their belief that the state would make good on its plan to lift it in three weeks. Inside, though, they were reeling. “We talked about the confidence we had in ourselves. We were all gung-ho about it, but we knew it would be more than three weeks,” Sadowski said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are at running a business, how seasoned, the 13 years of growth — all of sudden the wind is taken out of your sails.” Lopez and Sadowski had to lay off 30 people, nearly all front of house and kitchen staff, reducing the size of their team to just nine managers. They’ve completely reinvented their menu for takeout — with familysize dinners and cocktail kits — and built a new website for orders. And Armsby lost its legendary draft lines, coveted for tapping kegs you won’t find anywhere else in the state. Getting those lines back, with the state now allowing beer and wine takeout at restaurants, has been critical for Armsby’s survival. Beer sales should buoy it through however long the ban

lasts, Lopez and Sadowski said. “We wouldn’t survive without it. We would not make it. It’s not even a question,” Lopez said. I spoke with Lopez and Sadowski last week about how they plan to manage their legendary beer program in the weeks ahead, as the state has extended the restriction on dinein service until at least May 4. In short, they will continue to piece together their draft and bottle list with the same care and scrutiny as if people were still crowding the bar every night. “The beer goals are the same,” Lopez said. “We’re committed to getting the best beer. We’re going to keep it exciting. Our bottle list is available, as well — all the weird and interesting things there to buy. As far as what we’re going to stock and restock, we’re looking at fresh, hoppy beers and some really nice lagers.” That selection will include constant deliveries from Vermont’s Hill Farmstead — not only kegs, but cans, as well – as well as from Trillium Brewing Co. Armsby will also get regular shipments from some of Lopez’s closest friends in craft beer, including Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, Conn., Kent Falls Brewing Co. in Kent, Conn., and Brick & Feather Brewery in Turners Falls. “With our draft and bottle program, it will always be about giving people what they can’t have,” Sadowski said. Waiting for Gov. Charlie Baker to sign the bill allowing beer and wine

CITY LIFE

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

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A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020

COURTESY OF THE WORCESTER ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE

Meet Aaron! Aaron was an Auburn stray. He hung around

a woman’s yard since last autumn. It was fortunate she brought him to WARL because he needed a dental with extractions. Aaron is around 7 years old. He clearly lived with people. He’s a big cat that hasn’t missed many meals. Aaron isn’t a fan of cats or dogs coming near him. We think he would be fine with kids. He likes being with people. Aaron starts calling to staff as soon as he hears us nearby.

GAMES

J O N E S I N’

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

40 41 46 48 50 51 52 54 56 57 60 61 62 63

Place to put your fedora Circus performers Cleverly skillful ___ d’hotel Extemporaneous response Fictional anchorman Howard of “Network” Beginning stage Play the banjo African antelope with curvy horns “That ain’t good” Inserts in some car changers ___Pen (injection for allergic reactions) Fish that goes into some British pies Concert wear

Last week's solution

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Down 1 Boxer’s move

2 “Blue Rondo ___ Turk” (Brubeck song) 3 People in charge, briefly 4 Believer in spiritual unity 5 Respectable 6 GQ and EW, e.g. 7 Hartsfield-Jackson airport code 8 Item on a seafood menu 9 Tough and stringy 10 Blasts of wind 11 Follow logically 12 Streep of “Florence Foster Jenkins” 15 Back-of-the-book material 18 2010 Eminem song featuring Lil Wayne 22 Battle of Hastings combatants 23 Light up 24 Shape of a DNA strand 25 Scarlett’s Butler 29 Hopes to get 30 Sheet music line 32 Roller coaster reaction 34 “Prêt-à-Porter” actor Stephen 36 Dressing named for the type of location where it was created 37 “Go ahead, ___ you!” 38 Flavor quality

A P R I L 23 - 29, 2020

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Across 1 Door frame parts 6 Some laptops 10 Ring decoration 13 Fish tank buildup 14 Heart chambers 16 “Ceci n’est pas ___ pipe” (Magritte caption) 17 *Largest city in Somerset, known for Roman-built spas 19 Tajikistan, once (abbr.) 20 “Abnormally Attracted to Sin” singer Tori 21 *Brooklyn neighborhood, colloquially 23 Hulu show starring Aidy Bryant 26 Big figure in pop? 27 “Whatever” 28 Cry of pain 30 Bobcat’s cousin 31 Soccer stadium shouts 33 Be changeable 35 Actress Day of Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” 39 *City in southern Ontario, a little over an hour from Toronto 42 Superfluous 43 Spider monkey’s feature 44 Breeze 45 Greek vowels 47 Internet address ender 49 ___-Magnon 50 On the train 53 Nut and bolt spacer 55 *Country home to Legoland 57 Part of SVU 58 Word before Palmas or Cruces 59 *Portland thoroughfare often mispronounced by visitors (it’s an “oo” as in “boot”) 64 Land in a riviËre 65 Friendly, gender-neutral address for a child 66 Pakistani money 67 Make a wager 68 Backside 69 Writer Zola

“Around the World in 1000 Steps” – a world tour of the home. by Matt Jones

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LAST CALL

Meghan Gomes

deputy director of Emergency Management

eghan Gomes plays an essential role as the City of Worcester’s Mass Care Unit Leader for the COVID-19 Response. Gomes is a graduate of Worcester State University. She has worked for the City’s Emergency Management Division since 2014, serving as a 911 dispatcher before that.

DYLAN AZARI

(Note: This interview was conducted on April 13. Since then, the DCU field hospital has shifted to also accommodate members of the city’s COVID-19 positive homeless population.)

from the Emergency Operations Center at this time? There’s so much going through my mind. This situation is so complex on so many different levels. We’re learning more and more about the situation every hour of every day. And the team that’s working in the EOC as well as throughout the city departments have come together to face this incident and it is really incredible. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be

part of the city network that has formed to fight this pandemic. – Sarah Connell Sanders

How are things going at the shelters? Have you had any big challenges? Things at the homeless shelters are What can the community do going pretty well. It’s still a growthat will contribute to the work ing, evolving situation. We are trythat you’re doing? And, what’s ing our best to keep the homeless the worst thing that we could population as healthy as possible. do? We’re keeping the populations I think what the community really at the site at a manageable level needs to do is to take the guidance so we can staff it properly and that’s been issued by the CDC and provide the care that the homeour city government seriously. less population needs during this Stay at home and keep your family time. The challenges being faced safe. I know that social distancing are with volunteer management is hard. It’s hard for me and my because, as I mentioned before, family as well. Everyone faces the we have a large number of comstress of this pandemic in different munity members who want to ways. But, it’s just so important volunteer in some way, shape or that we keep ourselves as safe as form. But, because we’re a large possible. That extends to our fami- community and because there lies and to our community so we is so much interest in being a don’t overwhelm our healthcare volunteer, we need to make sure systems. That being said, it folds that we are properly vetting those into the worst thing the compeople and putting them in a role munity could do — to not heed where they would be best suited. that advice or that guidance from It’s an overwhelmingly good feelour government and to continue ing when you get so much support to socialize and go out when not from the community members necessary. We really need to keep who want to pitch in. our distance for hopefully just a little bit longer so we can beat this Are there any other takeaways the right way. that you would like to share

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

What has been the biggest obstacle along the way and how did you pivot to try and solve that problem? The biggest challenge with this whole response is that we are trying to build a plane while we’re

That sounds very difficult. Have there been any moments that have managed to brighten your day? The community has really come together to help everyone. It warms my heart to see all of the private industries and all of the different community partners that are willing to help with everything from donations to volunteers. A lot of people are quarantined right now, but they still want to help. They can see that we are trying to fight this pandemic. It really means a lot to me as an individual and to the city.

Who is the DCU field hospital designed to serve and who’s going to staff it? The DCU Center field hospital is designed to serve the overflow of acute care patients from the hospitals that are COVID-19 positive. There are 216 beds to take the overflow from any hospital. They have a whole transfer and access protocol in place for accepting patients from different healthcare institutions. It is staffed primarily by UMass who either work within the hospitals or volunteers who have signed up through the UMass network to provide medical support there.

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What is your typical role with the City and how has it changed over the last month? My typical role is deputy director of the Division of Emergency Management for the City of Worcester. That entails managing the city’s comprehensive emergency management program — everything from preparedness to mitigation, response and recovery for natural and manmade disasters. That being said, most of my time in a typical work day is spent coordinating with different internal and external stakeholders to manage emergency planning for any type of disaster. In the past month, my role has changed. We stood up our emergency operations center about a month ago and we have been fully activated ever since then. My role has now shifted from preparing the plans for the city to enacting a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am just a piece of that picture as the Mass Care Branch Lead which focuses on sheltering some of our vulnerable population to help decrease the spread of the virus. My role is mainly assisting with coordination and setup for homeless shelters as well as planning for the potential overflow of hospital patients. I worked very closely with partners from UMass, DCU and MEMA during the buildout and coordination of the DCU Center field hospital.

flying it. This has happened so fast and a lot of the situations that we’ve had to deal with on a city level, on a state level and on a national level have not been dealt with before. There was no playbook. We just have to try to do the best we can with the information in the moment and be able to make the best decisions in that moment to move forward.

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