Worcester Magazine May 9 - 15, 2019

MAY 9 - 15, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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‘A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY’ Helping victims of sexual assault on college campuses

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‘A Public Health Emergency’ Helping victims of sexual assult on college campuses Story on page 12 Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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news Assessing the impact of Lukes’ decision not to seek re-election N

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BILL SHANER

need to see you and meet you and make up their minds.”

Incumbent At-Large Councilor ews that longtime City Khrystian King, however, feels Councilor Konnie Lukes Lukes decision to leave marks would not seek re-election this year marked the end of greater opportunity for a totally new councilor. a long and idiosyncratic political “You can never tell one year career. It also marked a dramatic from the next what will be the shift in an election that could priorities of the people,” he said, see more challengers than any in “but it certainly benefits someone recent history. who as never held office. History On Tuesday, a week out from shows it is difficult to unseat an the May 14 deadline to return nomination papers, 21 people had incumbent.”

Owura Kwaku Poku Sarkodieh, taken out papers to run for at-large a new candidate, said he plans to Council, in a race that will now run for mayor and at-large Council, have five incumbents for six seats. and said he feels Lukes decision to For years, Lukes was a reliably step aside gives him an opportumiddle-of-the-pack vote getnity to reach out to her supporters. ter, and consistently challenged “I would love to court that base,” for the mayorship, sometimes he said, adding he’s running a competitively, but sometimes out full-scale campaign and examining of principle. With Lukes gone, every avenue to gain support. the question of who runs against Sarkodieh was one of the only Joe Petty for mayor, and for what candidates reached by Worcester reason, remains an open one.

Magazine to say he plans to run Lukes is also one of the more for mayor, and it is still early in the conservative members, at least fiscally and on certain social issues. process for a candidate to declare Often out of step with the majority, a mayoral run. All at-large Council she represented a dissenting voice, candidates are automatically mayoral candidates, unless they decline and certain candidates believe nomination. The deadline to do so there is a claim to be made that is Sept. 17.

Lukes’ supporters should go their Sarkodieh wasn’t the only candiway. date to say he is interested in makBoth new candidates and ing a pitch to supporters of Lukes. longtime incumbents said Lukes Donna Colorio, a former School decision to leave the race does Committee member and chairnot so much affect their personal campaigns strategies, but they said woman of the Republican City it does change an already unusually Committee, said she has multiple crossovers with Lukes. They have competitive race. the same Albanian heritage, she “For the incumbents, it might said, and like Lukes, she has always take a little pressure off of them,” said Tony Economou, a former Dis- been conservative on fiscal issues.

“I’ve always been one to ask how trict 1 councilor challenging for an much this is going to cost, and for at-large seat. “But in the end you still have to get recognized, people the data to back it up,” she said.

“Konnie and I do align fiscally. I’d love to get the people that voter for her behind me.”

Incumbent At-Large Councilor Moe Bergman made a similar case, saying he and Lukes have been on the odd side of many close votes.

“I think the people who voted for Konnie by and large respected her independence,” Bergman said.

“Some of us, myself included, do not always vote with the majority.”

The two, he said, align on issues concerning the split tax rate, opposition to eminent domain and calls for architectural oversight on building projects. He and Lukes are also the only two practicing lawyers on the current Council.

“I know it’s not trendy to think much of lawyers,” he said, “but there’s real value in a law degree on the Council. It doesn’t mean you can’t be a great councilor without

one, but it is helpful.”

Perhaps the least aligned with Lukes on most issues, save her environmental focus on street trees and zero waste, more progressiveleaning candidates said they don’t see Lukes’ decision as helping or hurting their chances.

Challenger James Bedard said her decision doesn’t change his campaign’s strategy, but it illus-

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 6

news

City Manager unveils proposed $685.7M fiscal 2020 budget BILL SHANER

C

ity Manager Ed Augustus Jr.’s proposed fiscal 2020 budget, presented to the City Council this week, marks an increase of 5 percent over last year’s budget, and features new investments in green initiatives, public safety, youth programs and urban planning tools.

The budget recommendation totals $685,744,411, an increase of $32.5 million over last year. The budget is built on revenue streams city officials laud as strong. Local tax revenues are projected at $311.7 million, an increase of $12.5 million over last year. The increase includes $5 million in new property tax revenue, something city officials call new growth.

Along with the investments, the budget maintains an unused levee capacity of $18 million — meaning $18 million the city could tax its residents under Proposition 2 ½ but won’t — which officials say is the largest in city history.

By department size, the public schools are set to receive the most, at $395 million, followed by public safety at $101 million, and public works at $29 million.

“Given Worcester’s unprecedented time of growth and recognition, it is imperative to ensure we have the capacity, systems and structure in place to keep the momentum at full speed, address any challenges, and capitalize on the opportunities presented to us during this unique time in our city’s history,” Augustus said.

Augustus presented the budget to the City C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 6

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news LUKES

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C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4

trates a point.

“Councilor Lukes was elected to office before I was born. I’m now 31,” he said. “As our city moves into the future, I stand out as an experienced problem solver with a multifaceted 21st-century understanding.”

Challenger Etel Haxhiaj, herself Albanian, does not see Lukes’ decision to withdraw affecting her strategy.

“I’m not running against any-

BUDGET

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Bill Shaner can be reached at 508-767-9535 or at wshaner@ gatehousemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bill_Shaner.

initiative, two new parks staff at Hope Cemetery, and nuisance inspectors to handle illegal dumping and trash issues.

Council Tuesday night, and over The manager’s office also the next several weeks councilors will go through the budget depart- stressed in a news release that the budget includes succession ment by department in a series of planning for city officials per the hearings before approval. council’s request. The plan, AuAs far as public safety goes, gustus said, is to “make sure we’re the budget includes three safety prepared for the natural changing captains for the Worcester Fire Department, a new class of recruits of the guard as people move on.”

The budget also calls for an infor both police and fire, and new vestment in the cultural life of the communication equipment for city, by way of the organizational both departments. chart. Augustus said he wants to The budget also calls for more bring the cultural officer out of the building and code inspectors for Economic Development office and the city’s housing stock and more make it a direct member of the city staff for emergency management. manager’s cabinet. The move is a The inspectors, Augustus said, are a way of keeping firefighters out of way to better represent the cultural community and all it brings to the dangerous situations. table in the ongoing renaissance, “We would like to prevent structure fires and other issues we Augustus said.

Hearing concerns about wage see,” he said. Inspecting properties for fire hazards will help with that, theft and tax increment finance deal compliance, the city intends he said. to add a program and compliIn line with past investments ance manager, who will manage in youth programs, the budget compliance with TIF requirements, includes more summer jobs, inbrownfield programs, payroll cluding a park stewards program, inspections during construction and free swimming lessons at and work with human resources Crompton Pool.

The budget targets some invest- on reporting.

“We look forward to your quesments in what officials call urban tions and comments over the next innovation, so much so the manager wants to create an innovation couple weeks,” said Augustus.

Councilors did not discuss the office to analyze data. The budget budget, save for At-Large Counalso calls for an investment in a data and system analysis program cilor Konnie Lukes, who asked for a list of all the new positions in the called WOOstat. budget, along with salaries and rea“As we move into the 21st censons for the new positions before tury and we use technology more the hearings. Mayor Joe Petty said and more aggressively, we need to be thinking about how we harness the councilors have the next week to read the budget before hearings new technologies,” said Augustus. start.

Environmental investments include investments in LED streetBill Shaner can be reached at lights, a consultant to work on a 508-767-9535 or at wshaner@ Green Worcester Strategic Plan, gatehousemedia.com. Follow him on new staff to assist the blue space Twitter @Bill_Shaner.

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 5

You could be one of them!

one,” she said. “Councilor Lukes stepping down doesn’t affect anything my campaign volunteers or I are doing. I’m running because I believe good things are happening in our city and I want to make sure the Worcester renaissance benefits all of us.’

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STATE OF THE SIGNATURES: It’s almost that time. As you’re read-

ing this, candidates throughout the city are likely scrambling to get last-minute signatures to the clerk’s office to get on the ballot.

They have until next Tuesday (one could even say the clerk will.. see them… next Tuesday) to get on the ballot. In an especially-crowded field, about half of the candidates who have taken out papers have returned them. Of course, some are already officially out. First Mary Mullaney, a few days after she took papers out, then Konnie Lukes was the first incumbent to go, and challenger Paul DePalo followed her earlier this week. But there are also some who are locked in. For the at-large Council race, here’s who has already returned signatures: Tony Economou, Donna Colorio, Joe Petty, Moe Bergman, Etel Haxhiaj and Bill Coleman. There are also a whopping 17 candidates who have not yet returned signatures, including funeral director Peter Stefan. He took out papers to run on Tuesday, believe it or not. On the School Committee side, the field is more solid. Dianna Biancheria, John Monfredo, Chantel Bethea, Jermoh Kamara, John Trobaugh and Tracy Novick have returned signatures. Jack Foley, Dante Comparetto, Brian O’Connell, Ruth Rodriguez, Hermoine McConner (tough to read the handwriting on that one) and Mariah Martinez have yet to return papers. To recap, there could be 21 people on the ballot for at-large Council, and 15 for School Committee. Both require 13 candidates to trigger a preliminary election in September.

Ay caramba. Good year to be a district councilor.

RUBY SLIPPERS: Now that I basically have to write my weekly politics column before the week even starts, I miss a lot of good stuff, like last Wednesday, when it got out that the PawSox have trademarked three possible team names for the Worcester Red Sox which, it seems, will not be called the WooSox though everyone has been calling them the WooSox anyway and it is a perfectly adequate name. Here are three possible alternatives: The Worcester Worcesters, The Worcester Ruby Legs and the Worcester Wicked Worms. My God. Rather than share my opinion, here are the first images that come to my mind when I think of each.

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The Worcester Ruby Legs are the fanciest boys. They play ball with a keen sense of whimsy and make good use of flower lapels that double as squirt guns. The name is uniquely unsuited for Worcester, where spite is the principle motivator for nearly all residents.

A Wicked Worm is what you might hear a townie at Breen’s call his member in announcing a trip to the bathroom between periods of a Bruins game. That, honestly, gives it points, but I don’t think the PawSox have the bravery to give it the mascot it requires.

The Worcester Worcesters. When the writers of ”Parks & Rec” hear it, they are going to be so mad they didn’t think of it first. We are in a cultural moment in which reality is outpacing satire. With a nihilistic sort of optimism, we should embrace the Worcester Worcesters purely for the fact that they will have to occasionally say the name on NESN and print it in the Boston Globe. It is probably the biggest middle finger we could give to the world outside our city’s borders, and for that, I wholeheartedly support it. Long live the Worcester Worcesters, may they forever Worcester in Worcester – and Worcester hard.

Bill Shaner, reporter @Bill_Shaner

news

the beat

A special School Committee meeting was initially expected to be held Wednesday night, after our deadline, to discuss the contract of embattled Superintendent Maureen Binienda. The meeting was pushed to Thursday. Look for the outcome at worcestermag.com.

Environmental advocates gathered at the YWCA for a forum on the Green New Deal, a piece of federal legislation proposed to combat the

coming climate crisis. Called the Green New Deal Town Hall, the Monday night forum was one of several hundred staged around the country as proponents work to build a national base of support for the proposal.

The Green New Deal is a 10-year plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while creating millions of jobs in the green energy sector.

Umass Memorial Medical Center will put a $200,000 grant toward a program for using telemedicine to treat addiction. The program, which involves video chatting with patients, is expected to increase treatment for addiction.

Officials unveiled a new mural inside Union Station last week. The mural, painted by local artist Ferdinand Nazario and funded by Pow! Wow! Worcester, depicts firefighters mid-rescue and the Ladder 6 truck made infamous by the Cold Storage Fire.

Unveiled Friday, the mural was unveiled to coincide with International Firefighter Day.

INSTAGRAM.COM/POWWOWWORCESTER

A new company called Ride The Woo is hoping to bring nightlifecentered quasi-public transit to the city. The service would be an

app-based trolley system to connect bars in Worcester, if it ever gets off the ground. With an app already developed, Aaron Perna hopes to get the service up and running by 2021.

gender-neutral name adopted by some other towns in the state. The meeting takes place Monday.

In Worcester, city officials aim to invest $2.2 million for renovations of the East-West Trail network along Coes Reservoir. The

At a Monday night meeting, state traffic officials discussed ideas for the planned Kelley Square peanut redesign, particularly what

the inside of the peanut might look like. Officials are considering a canopy for pedestrians to walk under and signs that depict Worcester and possibly lean into the smiley face iconography.

The Worcester Redevelopment Authority has acquired all the property the city needs to begin construction on the Polar Park project in the Canal District. The four acquired properties are 69 Washington

St. (Worcester Ambulance LLC), 62 Washington St. (Worcester Ambulance LLC), a portion of 2 Plymouth St. (Bafaro Realty Company LLC) and 90 Washington St. (Herbert R. Rasnick and Joseph Bafaro, Trustees of 85 Green Street Trust).

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money will go toward making the trail network more accessible, with more paths along the water’s edge.

M AY 9 - 15, 2019

In Grafton, voters will decide on whether to change the name of their executive body, the Board of Selectmen, to “Select Board,” a

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opinion editorial

Love her, hate her, Lukes made an impact

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K

onnie Lukes has her share of detractors, folks who would almost certainly volunteer to show up at her last Worcester City Council meeting later this year and hold open the door to the garage as she walks out. When you are outspoken, unafraid to challenge the status quo, and willing to take on a political system long dominated by men, you are going to earn critics. Along the way, however, Lukes gathered a lot of supporters.

Think about it: Lukes was first elected to School Committee in 1979, and started serving in 1980.

She went on to serve four terms on that board, a total of eight years.

After two years out of the political arena, she made her inaugural bow as a city councilor by winning a seat in the Nov. 7, 1989 election, gathering 12,588 votes. She finished sixth that year. According to city records, over the next 13 elections — from 1991 through 2015 — Lukes would finish no lower than fifth place. She won the mayor’s seat in one of those elections (2007). The 2017 election marked the first time since her inaugural run for Council that Lukes failed to crack the Top 5. That led some to suggest she was vulnerable going into this election.

We won’t find out.

After almost four decades in public office — 38, when you combine Council and School Committee — Lukes is calling it a day. She cited family reasons as her main reason for not seeking re-election. The decision guaran-

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

tees at least one challenger will find themselves being sworn in as a councilor next January. It will certainly be striking to not see Lukes sitting behind the mic in a councilor’s chair inside the Esther Howland Chamber inside City Hall.

For her part, Lukes would like to see a woman succeed her. Just as intriguing will be the new councilor’s approach. Lukes never liked being called a contrarian or naysayer, but she can certainly be oppositional. She has never shied from disagreeing with the city manager or mayor, although she has been generally supportive of current City Manager Ed Augustus Jr., if not his financial planning skills.

Much has been made of Lukes often being on the lonely side of votes, often the “1” in an 10-1 vote. At times, she has had a comrade or two. Some councilors who otherwise don’t often agree with Lukes have found themselves casting a vote with her. Largely, however, Lukes has stood on an island, whether putting forth motions some of her colleagues saw as unnecessarily stirring the pot, or pushing for a ban on single-use plastic bags. Until recently, Lukes waged that campaign almost single-handedly. She has since gained the support of some colleagues.

It is safe to say Lukes broke the glass ceiling at City Hall. She wasn’t the first female mayor (Sara Robertson served from 1982-83), but she was the first popularly-elected female mayor.

She succeeded Tim Murray, winning election in 2007. She served just one term, losing a bid in 2009 to Joe O’Brien.

Lukes has often railed against city government. Indeed, she believes government should be challenged, and that includes herself, being part of that system. It hasn’t

always made her popular, and her sometimes abrasive tone can put off some, but Lukes has also earned a reputation for not letting personalities get in the way. She has rarely lost her temper during a Council meeting. The same cannot be said for many of her past and present colleagues.

As councilor, Lukes has perhaps been best known as a fiscal watchdog. Will her successor be the same? That and other questions are yet to be answered. In the meantime, Lukes will serve out her term, and finish up a career that certainly has left an indelible mark on Worcester.

Editor Walter Bird Jr. Culture Editor Joshua Lyford Reporter Bill Shaner

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opinion Word games JANICE HARVEY

desperately to remain upbeat, but she’s admittedly the target of my vitamin D deprivation deranget hasn’t stopped raining since ment. With apologies to the CarApril Fool’s Day. penters, rainy days and Mondays, At least it feels that way.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, If the sun ever returns, we’ll Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays be squinting like blind moles always get me down. from the unrecognizable glare.

It’s been jigsaw puzzle and It rained right through Cinco de board game weather for weeks. I Mayo. It rained when I wanted to got my can kicked in “Chutes and return to the gym to lose some Ladders” twice, and I lost “Rhymof the poundage I acquired while ing Dominos” three times. As a waiting for spring to arrive, causconfessed logophile, I was glad ing me to slip into a depression, to see that the Collins English rendering me unable to muster Dictionary has approved new the gumption to actually visit the words for Scrabble, including aforementioned gym. It rained on “genderqueer” and “antivaxxer,” every Little League parade. Sorry, which have too many letters to kids. Nana doesn’t do rain. Maybe ever be used at once, and “bae,” a next year. I hope Cindy Fitzgibbons doesn’t hold it against me for word that vexes me. I was hoping giving her the finger every time she Donald Trump would be immorpredicts rain.The WCVB/Channel talized for creating the unforget5 meteorologist is pleasant enough table “covfefe” and “hamberder” and a snappy dresser, too. She tries instead of being remembered

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letter

University’s March 2019 report on hunger and homelessness (available on WSU’s Urban Studies site).

As MacDougall points out, the report confirms the correlation between hunger and lower grades.

The report does not, however, suggest hungry students “pay less attention to their GPA”, as the author writes. It does say hunger is directly linked to chronic health problems, weakened immune systems and depression, all of which disrupt students’ efforts to succeed academically.

We stress these points because it is more important than ever to ensure students have access to all federal and state nutrition programs for which they qualify, including SNAP, while protecting their dignity. Today’s college students differ from those of the past and require more resources to succeed. Many are low-income and first-generation college students.

Many have children and are working adults. The majority are older and financially independent.

Outlined in Worcester State’s report are key recommendations that WSU and other schools can implement to better support students who can do the work, but

who struggle to feed themselves, while paying for the high costs of school and living expenses.

Targeted suggestions stress that assessment and accommodations for low-income students should be a campus-wide initiative.

Recommendations include SNAP outreach at orientation and when students request financial aid, and on-campus retailers that accept SNAP and offer affordable nutritious options. Further, the report recommends ensuring all campus jobs pay at least $15 per hour, providing free housing and meals to homeless students, increasing donated “meal swipes,” and more – with the goal of ensuring a hungerfree campus.

If the state and the nation are serious about investing in higher education, we need to be serious about ensuring that all students – from kindergarten through college – have the resources they need to succeed, including guaranteeing their basic human needs.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

Judith Knight and the Worcester State University Hunger Outreach Team

contributing writer

Letters to the editor are a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with thousands of readers and online viewers each week. There is no word limit, but we reserve the right to edit for length. If handwritten, write legibly – if we cannot read it, we are not running it. Personal attacks and insults don’t fly with us, so save them for when someone cuts you off in traffic. A full name and town or city of residence are required. Please include an email address or phone number for verification purposes only. That information will not be published.

Make sure your letter makes it into Worcester Magazine in a timely fashion – send it in by the Monday of the next issue. Please note that letters will run as space allows.

Send them to Worcester Magazine 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 or by email to WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com.

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Thank you for raising awareness of college student food insecurity in your feature article by Alex MacDougall (“Food insecurity a struggle for some Worcester college students,” Worcester Magazine, April 11). We write as members of the Worcester State University Hunger Outreach Team who work closely with low-income students to identify and address food insecurity on campus. The HOT team also helps students

my words might offend. Go figure.

This forced me to read books filled with words, instead of reading nutty stuff posted by nutty people.

I would have read my Sunday New York Times and the Sunday Telegram, but they never arrived, presumably because, you know, rain. This kept me from working the crossword puzzles. Instead, I had to rely on other sources for my news fix, which is why I now know what the Kardashian kids were wearing for Khloe’s daughter’s first birthday party and that I can use “ze” and “cigsgender” in Scrabble during the next round of rain, which is coming any minute Janice Harvey now.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

To the Editor:

Prozac. He was grappling with the word “suggest” Barr said, after the senator asked if the president or anyone else had “asked or suggested” that he open investigations.

Harris offered the words “hinted” and “inferred” for the Lightning Round, but finally moved on after nearly causing Cory Booker to spontaneously combust from holding in laughter. Hirono tried to send Barr home for good without a parting gift — not so much as a case of Rice-A-Roni, that San Francisco treat, was offered — when she strongly “suggested” he resign.

Fat chance! He labored long and hard to capture his position, and he’s worked even harder to trash his reputation. He’s not about to give up now.

Meanwhile, I have three more days in the Twitter gulag for saying something I considered lame, though the tweeting federales felt

M AY 9 - 15, 2019

Students deserve access to basic human needs

apply for federal nutrition benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and connect them with food pantries, donated meal swipes and more.

Although well-written, the recent article mistakenly suggests only students who are working 20 hours/week can qualify for SNAP. In fact, there are a number of ways low-income, full-time students in Massachusetts can qualify for SNAP, including if students care for a child, have a work study job, receive a MassGrant (financial aid), have a disability, or meet other criteria for students. And special state rules apply to help community college students qualify. Students can now apply for the SNAP program online through “DTA Connect” or with a SNAP outreach partner or local SNAP office.

Given the 2018 report findings from the Government Accountability Office (GAO-19-95), stating that, nationally, 57 percent of potentially eligible students do not receive SNAP benefits, we believe it is crucial that students be made aware of all the ways they might qualify.

Second, we wish to clarify information in Worcester State

solely for sowing discord, division and a soaring deficit, but alas, even the language experts had to draw the line somewhere.

I don’t know what the weather was like in D.C. last week, but it would appear Attorney General Bill Barr was all wet by the end of his testimony before the Senate, mostly for playing word games.

His can was roundly kicked by two savvy dames: presidential candidate and very scary school principal-ish Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono, the deceptively sweet-faced senator from Hawaii, who slammed Barr so hard for his bald-faced mendacity that he took his thesaurus home and refused to play with Congress.

Kamala Harris was masterful in her grilling, and by the time she played the 2019 version of that old chestnut “Password” with Barr he looked like Eeyore forgot his

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feature

‘A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY’ Helping victims of sexual assault on college campuses SARAH CONNELL

Worcester Magazine in January examined the effectiveness of Title IX amid concerns about sexual misconduct and assaults on college campuses. In this story, we look at legislative efforts to improve the process of reporting alleged crimes as well as the work done by city and campus police.

feature

R

ecent cultural shifts have produced a great deal of anxiety and fear around the existence of unjust accusations. If virtuous people are scared, they needn’t be.

throughout the hearing room.

Her conclusion landed with the mesmerizing cadence of a slam poet.

“I don’t want your sympathy, I want your action,” Zinn said, “Campus sexual violence almost cost me my life.”

Katya Zinn, assaulted during her first week on campus at Sarah Lawrence in Yonkers, N.Y. The chairperson stopped the clock before it reached zero as not to interrupt her. For the first time was assaulted during her first week all day, every lawmaker sat at full but only after his own daughter disclosed her assault did he realize on campus. According to the Rape, attention. hundreds of his students had likely Abuse & Incest National Network, Not everyone viewed the more than 50 percent of college experienced similar trauma. proposed legislation as positive.

“This is a public health emergen- sexual assaults occur between Attorney Wendy Murphy warned August and November – a period cy,” he told lawmakers. “Imagine if against the criminal language used a quarter of the students at UMass of time referred to as the “red zone.” in H.1208: An Act requiring sexual Although 5 percent of rape alZinn said she shared the came down with measles. There misconduct climate surveys at legations are found to be false, 95 n the morning of April 9, incident with a staff member on would be immediate and strong institutions of higher education. percent of college students do not Nora Gallo and her father action to deal with a crisis like that. campus who failed to identify as The bill in question defines report their rape victimization to Peter Houlihan faced the a mandated reporter. She said Everytime you delay, there will be sexual misconduct as “without police, according to a commonlystate Joint Committee on she was then escorted to adminmore victims.” limitation, an incident of sexual cited 2010 University of Colorado, Higher Education ready to testify By noon, red wet eyes dotted the istration to report the assault violence, dating violence, domestic Boulder study by Joanne Belknap in support of the campus sexual hearing room. Speakers, limited to immediately and was subsequently violence, gender-based violence, vi(“Rape: Too Hard to Report and violence bill. Lawmakers had punished for violating Sarah three minutes, appeared jarred by olence based on sexual orientation Too Easy to Discredit Victims”). designed the bill with intentions the sound of the alarm each time it Lawrence’s alcohol consumpor gender identity or expression, According to Belknap, false allega- of changing the culture on college tion policies while she says her went off to indicate time was up. sexual harassment and stalking.” tions number closer to .005 percent campuses and reducing the barattacker “was given the benefit of Katya Zinn, a student at Lesley Murphy urged legislators to use of all rapes, a figure that includes riers that discourage reporting by civil rights language instead, citing individuals who might choose to implementing climate surveys and the definition for sex discriminarecant an accusation for any num- mandating services like confidention: conduct that is unwelcome ber of reasons. tial resource advisors. and based on sex or gender.

Sexual violence, the numbers At 10:27 a.m., no fewer than 62 “Using the criminal definition for show, is prevalent on college cam- college students and recent alumni sexual misconduct makes it much puses. False reporting is not. filled the low, soft benches of hearharder to prove that an incident Lawmakers are pushing for mea- ing room A-1 at the State House. occurred, which in turn makes it sures to better understand campus By 10:31 a.m., the space held over much easier for schools to rule climates and provide confidential 90 individuals – standing in the against victims and sweep things reporting options for sexual asaisles and lining a gap on the far under the rug,” Murphy clarified for sault survivors who need time to wall below a portrait of Charles Worcester Magazine. process what steps they will take.

Bulfinch. In the testimonies that She called the term “unwelPolice, meanwhile, both on college followed, college students from come” the gold standard. campuses and in local communiaround the state expressed how “That’s why it is used in cases of ties, say they take seriously all campus climate surveys and access race and national origin, and it’s claims made to them. Sometimes, to confidential resource advisors supposed to be used for sex and a victim may be reluctant to come could have changed their lives gender too,” Murphy said. “The forward, and authorities know forever. space between equality and insome of that may stem from the Gallo told of being accepted earequality is where violence against fear of being acccused of making ly action to UMass-Amherst’s Class women happens with impunity a false accusation or somehow of 2019, having applied nowhere under the law.” being blamed for what happend.

State Sen. Mike Moore, D-2nd Worcester, discusses the else. In the fall of her sophomore In the end, the decision to undergo year, Gallo said, she was sexually campus sexual violence bill before the Joint Committee confidential counseling, seek a civil assaulted. She did not know her on Higher Education at the State House. rights finding, or pursue criminal resources at the time. Worse, it had PHOTO SUBMIT TED charges falls to the survivor in his been her dream to attend UMass. or her own time. tate Rep. Natalie M. HigShe felt betrayed. When she apThere are efforts being made gins, D-4th Worcester, wore plied as a high school senior, she’d the doubt.”

University, made a powerful case to encourage victims to report jeans to a House budget had no sense of the true sexual Zinn, whose story has been for confidential resource advisors alleged crimes, and to remove the debate on April 24 and she assault rates on campus. Climate shared in other forums, said Sarah as she spoke to the row of penobstacles that often stand in their surveys could have changed that. tapping legislators. Zinn began her Lawrence expelled her for attempt- wasn’t alone. way.

Higgins is a sexual assault Gallo’s father is a UMassing suicide in her dorm room, a college career at Sarah Lawrence survivor and a former rape crisis Amherst faculty member. He in Yonkers, N.Y., where she said she detail that produced hard chills counselor at Pathways for Change has taught over 10,000 students,

“I don’t want your sympathy, I want your action.

Campus sexual violence almost cost me my life.”

‘A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY’

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TIGHT JEANS

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feature in Worcester. Her decision to wear denim on April 24 along with more than 20 other lawmakers paralleled members of the Italian Parliament who wore jeans to protest toxic attitudes about sexual assault more than two decades ago.

The Denim Day campaign launched in response to a 1998 ruling by the Italian Supreme Court, which overturned a rape conviction. The chief judge argued, “Because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex.”

Higgins brought Denim Day to the Massachusetts State House as a freshman lawmaker in 2017.

“Too often,” she told Worcester Magazine, “survivors aren’t believed and are told, ‘Maybe you did this thing’ or ‘Maybe you asked for it.’”

Higgins is a staunch advocate for fellow survivors, pioneering state legislation to have sexual assault evidence kit tracking implemented in Massachusetts.

“We know from the #metoo movement that survivors might not be ready to press charges immediately after an assault.

They might need some time,” said Higgins.

Rape survivors have a 15-year statute of limitations to press charges in Massachusetts.

“The idea behind rape kit tracking is to give survivors the time to get the support systems to help them withstand the full criminal process, which can take a long time and be retraumatizing,” Higgins said. “We want to allow survivors the peace of mind knowing that their kit is there.”

Higgins also testified at the public hearing in support of the campus sexual violence bill filed by state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-3rd Berkshire, and state Sen. Michael Moore, D-2nd Worcester. The omnibus legislation encourages campuses to form a memorandum of understanding with rape crisis centers such as Pathways for Change in order to help survivors seek the services of a confidential rape crisis counselor.

“Healing for a survivor might change over time including what resolution that survivor wants,” Higgins said. “That comes with the support that they receive and their distance

from the assault itself. Trauma impacts people in different ways.”

Higgins also spoke in support of the climate survey bill, filed by state Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-8th Essex, and state Sen. William Brownsberger, D-2nd Suffolk and Middlesex. Higgins recognized campuses with higher rates of reporting are not necessarily less safe than campuses with lower rates.

“Often, high numbers mean a campus has been handling sexual violence reports unbelievably well,” said Higgins. “We know that one in five women is sexually assaulted during her time on a college campus. We know it’s happening on college campuses, and unfortunately the way that they are asked to report through the Clery Act isn’t necessarily showing that.”

The Clery Act is a federal statute requiring colleges and universities

JEANNE CLERY

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hrlich also testified at the April 9 hearing, sharing a recollection of her undergraduate experience at Lehigh University, where an unimaginable act of sexual violence would ultimately spawn the Clery Act. “I arrived on campus as a shiny new freshman and I was assigned to a coed dorm known as Stoughton Hall in room number 305,” Ehrlich began. At that time, Lehigh had only been admitting female undergraduates for a decade.

“The transition to a co-ed campus had a long way to go,” she continued, “and our social life was entirely driven by fraternity culture, peer pressure, beer and a punch

Above, state Rep. Natalie M. Higgins of the 4th Worcester District is a sexual assault survivor and a former rape crisis counselor at Pathways for Change.

Left, Wendy Murphy is an attorney specializing in campus sexual assault. She is concerned about the language of criminal law and violence in the campus sexual assault bill.

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participating in federal financial aid programs to make campus crime statistics and security information public. Inquiring minds will find the numbers buried in Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports.

Institutions that do not comply with reporting face fines in excess of $30,000.

made from cheap grain alcohol.”

Ehrlich graduated in 1985 and just three months later, Jeanne Clery moved into room number 301 at Stoughton.

“Domino’s pizza boxes were typically used to prop the doors open at night so students could come and go as they wished,” Ehrlich said. “After a night of crawling the hill where the fraternities were located, a sophomore at the school easily entered Stoughton Hall, walked up to Jeanne’s room at the top of the stairs where she was sleeping, and brutally raped,

sodomized and murdered her.”

Upon suing the school, Clery’s parents learned of 38 other violent crimes that occurred on campus in the three years prior. If they had known this information, the couple said, they never would have sent their daughter to Lehigh. In addition, the Clerys lobbied Congress for transparency and required reporting of campus statistics.

“Sadly, over the years, colleges have learned how to underreport campus statistics, and of course with 90 percent of sexual assaults not reported, the data out is only as good as your data in,” Ehrlich said. “But that law still stands today and every college knows they must comply or face consequences.”

Officials continue to grapple with what qualifies as “on campus” in adhering to the Clery Act. Ehrlich believes anonymous climate surveys are the most efficient means for overcoming under reporting and providing a powerful tool for college administrators responsible for students’ safety.

COMING FORWARD ON CAMPUS

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he Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is our nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

According to their most recent statistics, 23.1 percent of female undergraduates and 5.4 percent of male undergraduates experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation during their time as a student. Only 20 percent of female student victims, age 18-24, choose to report to law enforcement.

Becker College Chief of Police David Bousquet is the immediate past president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. He and his force are first responders in the event that a sexual assault is called

feature into the campus police.

“We basically give them options,” Bousquet said. “The first thing we do is to advise them of their rights and give them contact information for our Title IX coordinator, but it’s really up to them what they want to do. Right away, we would get the victim to the hospital and make sure they’re taken care of regarding first aid needs.”

Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 was intended to ban sexual discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding. Title IX offers colleges a civil rights option for the resolution of sexual misconduct cases and requires a lesser burden of proof than a criminal investigation. In Title IX cases, investigation and punishment are left at the school’s discretion; critics view it as a flawed system for institutions simultaneously tasked with public relations.

“If they were going to pursue it as a criminal investigation, that’d be up to them too,” said Bousquet,

“We would take a whole different approach. We investigate, get statements, secure evidence, and in that case, the Title IX coordinator would be advised that an incident occurred.”

Bousquet sees the first couple of hours as crucial to any criminal investigation. He also understands the hesitation of some survivors to go the criminal route.

“The first thing is re-victimization with the other person going to court and the process of testifying and being cross examined,” he said.

“It might be embarrassing. They might be scared because their parents are going to find out.”

Colby Bruno, senior legal counsel for the Victim Rights Law Center in Boston, echoed that sentiment.

“There is a huge list of social risks that come with reporting,” she said, “Most notably, the loss of friendships, the loss of trust in people, the loss of privacy and the ability to manage and control who knows, people not believing you,

Becker Chief of Police David Bousquet is the immediate past president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.

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feature and many, many other things.”

Bruno doesn’t believe the #metoo movement has created a marked shift in our society when it comes to victim blaming.

“For every one person who believes a survivor, there are two who doubt it ever happened,” she said, “In some places, attitudes have changed. But, by and large, this society and this culture caters to the perpetrator and his story rather to the story of the victim.”

Worcester Police Department Sgt. Donna Brissette runs the city’s Special Crimes Unit and boasts two decades of experience as a detective investigating crimes of a sexual nature.

She recognizes that reliving the details of an assault can be traumatic.

“For investigatory purposes, reporting a sexual assault requires the victim to explain in detail what exactly happened to them,” said Brissette. “It can be incredibly embarrassing, uncomfortable and daunting for the victim to relive.”

As for a timeline, the process is a long one.

“It is not uncommon for sexual assault cases to take a year or more to proceed through the criminal justice system,” Brissette said.

“Victims sometimes do not want to have the process hanging over their head.”

It can be challenging in that there are not typically witnesses to a sexual assault due to the nature of the crime.

“For some reason,” Brissette said, “it often seems that people find themselves unable to believe that someone they know, love or respect is capable of committing a sexual assault. It becomes easier for them to doubt and discredit the victim, leading to further angst and trauma for the victim.”

According to Brissette, when a survivor chooses to have a rape kit completed, they are subsequently asked if they would like to file a police report, at which time the police are called. In Worcester, sexual assault nurse examiners are available in Worcester at Saint Vincent’s Hospital, UMass Memorial Hospital and UMass University Hospital.

The WPD’s Sexual Assault Unit investigated 289 cases in 2018.

Brissette sees it as a common misconception that “many victims, specifically women and children,

lie about being the victim of a sexual assault.”

“That,” she said, “is categorically false.”

FIGHTING FEAR WITH LEGISLATION

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oore was one of a small handful of individuals who stood up to testify when the campus sexual violence legislation

was introduced three years ago.

Moore’s bill, S.764: An Act relative to sexual violence on higher education campuses, has only grown more meaningful to him in the interim, given his daughter begins college in the fall.

“I think we’ve had a lot of constituent and stakeholder based incidents that have really propelled this,” Moore said. “We know there are issues with how schools are dealing with the victims and the services that they’re providing.”

Moore laments that social media has put greater pressure on survivors who come forward.

“Think about it,” he said. “If they

come out as a victim, people will say they deserved it. Would you want your face to be the face on the news or in the article?”

Moore is a huge supporter of providing confidential resource advisers for survivors who may not be willing to come forward right away, if at all.

“The last thing we want is for someone to actually hurt themselves, and we don’t want them getting involved in developing a substance abuse issue, or reliving a traumatic experience for the rest of their life,” he said.

Moore wants survivors to know they have options.

“We also want the confidential resource advisor to explain to victims that they have the right to go to law enforcement, and if they do, they should know what the criminal process will entail,” he said.

Legislators, counselors, attorneys and law enforcement all seem to agree there is a disturbing level of fear and denial on the subject of sexual assault. Campus sexual violence legislation is not a matter of a mob-mentality. It will not implicate the innocent. It comes down to sheer numbers.

As Houlihan said, “This is a public health emergency.”

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 23.1 percent of female undergraduate students and 5.4 percent of male undergraduate students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation. Below are numbers reported by area colleges and universities through their annual security reports as required under the Clery Act. College

Rape On Campus

Fondling On Campus

Current Undergraduate Enrollment According to U.S. News & World Report

College of the Holy Cross

2017 - 2 2016 - 6 2015 - 3

2017 - 5 2016 - 3 2015 - 1

3,000

Clark University

2017 - 1 2016 - 3 2015 - 3

2017 - 4 2016 - 2 2015 - 1

2,240

Quinsigamond Community College

2017 - 0 2016 - 0 2015 - 9

2017 - 1 2016 - 2 2015 - 0

8,500 (Open Enrollment)

Assumption College

2017 - 1 2016 - 7 2015 - 8

2017 - 4 2016 - 4 2015 - 5

1,940

WPI

2017 - 5 2016 - 1 2015 - 0

2017 - 0 2016 - 0 2015 - 1

4,435

Worcester State College

2017 - 8 2016 - 6 2015 - 3

2017 - 2 2016 - 1 2015 - 1

5,495

Becker College

2017 - 1 2016 - 0 2015 - 1

2017 - 0 2016 - 0 2015 - 1

Approximately 1,700 (According to Becker College Admissions Office)

culture Chloe Hsu of Worcester gets a mouthful of cheese pizza served up by Anzio’s of Grafton at the second annual Food Truck Throwdown, hosted by Worcester Food Trucks Saturday, May 4. Worcester’s Green Hill Park was filled with the smell of great food, the sounds of an anticipated crowd of thousands having loads of fun and the scenery of one of the city’s most picturesque parks.

WALTER BIRD JR.

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culture

Changing the world, one artist at a time: Worcester’s slam scene with Alex Charalambides LORI SHANLEY

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he Monday night crowd at Ralph’s Rock Diner knows Alex Charalambides by his beard and by his big voice that fills the back room venue under red neon lights. One after another, Charalambides calls performers to make their way to the mic and share their words with the room. Some are shy and speak softly to the audience while others talk loud and take command of the space.

The Dirty Gerund is an open slam mic where local artists come together to support each other and perform their poetry, rap, comedy

and other creative works. Charalambides presides as the revered MC of these weekly poetry shows at Ralph’s, but he is also a youth educator, a community organizer and a poet.

The 44-year-old Worcester native got his first taste of performing spoken word at an open slam mic WHAT: The Dirty Gerund WHEN: Monday nights WHERE: Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester COST: Free at the age of 25 after graduating from Boston College with a degree

in history and English. A year later he made the Worcester Poetry Slam Team and ended up competing at the 2001 National Poetry Slam in Seattle, Wash.

“That was the first time I was like ‘Woah, my poetry actually took me somewhere,’” Charalambides said.

Charalambides has been all over the Worcester poetry scene since then. After inheriting The Dirty Gerund in 2008 from Rushelle Frazier, a Worcester organizer and activist, Charalambides has added a few features to the show. There’s now the “Holy Hot Sauce Sonnet” challenge, during which participants attempt to read a Shakespearean sonnet seconds after

downing a shot of burning hot sauce.

Another addition has been a live band that plays every week between poems and even accompanies performers if they choose. In addition to open mic, The Dirty Gerund also features special guest performers who include comedians, writers, actors, musicians and poets—all of whom are up and coming in their field. These additions have helped to enhance both the artistic and the community-oriented aspects of the show.

“Everyone gets a huge round of applause the first time they read,” Charalambides said. “It’s part of the culture.”

The slam at Ralph’s is 21-plus, but Charalambides is also a driving force in the local poetry scene for those under 21. Inspired by the youth poetry scene in Providence, Charalambides started a Worcester Youth Slam in 2003. Over the years, his work with young poets has grown and taken many different forms. Charalambides is passionate about the weekly slams at Ralph’s, but admits it does not compare to the energy and spirit of some of the youth workshops and slams he has taught.

Charalambides has worked in his poetry programs with teens who have gone on to be activists, teachers, authors and community organizers.

“So many young people are used

to not being listened to or not being asked what they feel about something,” he said. “So when they’re in that space it doesn’t take much, you just plug in the mic.”

It would follow that this is especially true for young marginalized voices in the community.

Charalambides’ most recent work has been with his nonprofit the Massachusetts Literary Education And Performance Collective, which supports local teens, ages 13-19, as well as artists, educators and organizers in Worcester and Boston by providing a platform for youth spoken word poetry and art education. In 2012, Charalambides helped MassLEAP bring Louder Than a Bomb, the world’s largest poetry slam festival, to Massachusetts. Five years later, some 50 different schools and 340 young people participated in the MassLEAP chapter of this annual festival.

Why are these growing platforms for slam poetry so important to the Worcester community?

“I don’t think a piece of art or a poem can change the world,” Charalambides said. “I think a world full of more artists and poets will change the world.”

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culture

Rusty Blades ready to skate for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

FILE PHOTO/STEVEN KING

JOSHUA LYFORD

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or the past five years, the Rusty Blades have raised money for the American Cancer Society alongside the F Troop nurses from Harrington Hospital. Now, the Rusty Blades return to raise money to fight cancer, but with some new faces and a new destination for the funds raised.

On May 18 the Rusty Blades Hockey Fundraiser returns to Buffone Arena, 284 Lake Ave. For the last half a decade, Buff Congdon has organized the event alongside

his Rusty Blades Senior Hockey League teammates. For the duration, the team partnered with F Troop and their fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Back in March, Harrington Hospital closed their pediatric unit and much of F Troop left or retired. The Rusty Blades were ready for a new venture, this time raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

“Buff told me back in March that he wasn’t doing the tournament this year. I asked if I could take it over and he said absolutely,” said Mike Gervais, Rusty Blades player and volunteer fundraising coordinator. “I asked about transferring the funds to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and he said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’”

“Cancer is cancer, all of the money raised goes to funding victims,” he continued. “I had a very short window to say Buff, let me do it, I’ll do the whole thing. He said go for it. I’m picking it up on short notice.

We’ve got 30 hockey players out there now getting funds. It’s been a lot of fun seeing the donations come in and seeing guys going everywhere from private donations to guys going out getting ads for our booklet.”

The inspiration for donating the funds to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society wahit close to home, as Gervais’ daughter Elizabeth was already soliciting donations for the organization.

“It’s quite satisfying to see the donations coming in,” said Gervais.

“It’s great. People say, ‘Mike, I can help, I want to help, I will help.’

They go out, they knock on doors, they call people, they use their networks. People tend to say, ‘Yes, I will donate.’ There is a small amount of the population that won’t, most people say, ‘Yes, I want to help out.’ For me, that’s part of the enlightening portion of this all.

You ask people to do something and they do more than expected.

We’ve got guys on the team out there killing it, doing more than expected. That says a lot about human nature. They do a good job simply because you ask them to.”

The event itself will largely remain what fans and participants expect from the hockey fundraiser.

The Buffone Skating Arena doors open at 9:30 a.m. and there will be refreshments available while the annual raffle begins.

“We’ve got many local business in Central Massachusetts that say they’ll donate a raffle prize you can sell prior to the game,” said Gervais.

“We sell tickets to the event, we have a fruitful raffle with excellent prizes. People say, ‘Hey, I want to do more than buy a raffle ticket.

I want to make a personal dona-

tion. I’ll do that from my personal checkbook, or my business will take out an ad.’ To see local businesses donate raffle prizes, that’s really nice to see.”

Like many, the Rusty Blades team have themselves been affected by cancer, making the event personal.

“My mother had cancer, there’s a few guys on the team,” said Gervais. “One teammate, his brother has leukemia. Joining with the Leukemia Society is extra special for him. There’s many other people on the team that have had cancer themselves and got through it, or had relatives get through it, or unfortunately not gotten through it. When you can do something to help somebody, yeah it’s work, but it’s not heavy lifting. You should step forward and do these things.”

culture

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

G

This big goofball is Lovey. She certainly lives up to her name and greets everyone with a smile and a wagging tail. Lovey was originally adopted from WARL when she was about 2 months old. Her family couldn’t give her the attention and care she needed so Lovey is on the search for a new family. Lovey is 65 pounds and acts very puppy-like. She pulls on the leash and likes to jump and play. She would do best with a family who has the time to do some training with her and teach her some leash manners. Lovey loves people of all ages, but does not like other animals. We have introduced her to a few dogs here at the shelter, but have not found any she likes. Lovey is a sweet and silly girl looking for the right fit for her new family. She is almost 3 years old, spayed, and ready to go!

M AY 9 - 15, 2019

Pet Supplies: Dog and cat food (both canned and dry). Purina brand preferred. Please no grainfree; Non-clumping kitty litter; Bedding, comforters, blankets and towels (not pillows & sheets); Kuranda Beds; martingale collars.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monetary Donations: WARL is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donations of money, time, supplies, homes, and love are vital to our cause and the lives of the animals in our care. The animals

Cleaning Supplies: Paper towels, 33-gallon trash bags, sponges, bleach, dish soap, “HE” (high efficiency) laundry detergent, Lemon Joy soap.

Amazon Wish List: Can’t stop in?

Do you like the ease of shopping online? Visit our Amazon Wish List, and the items will be shipped directly to WARL!

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Here are some of WARL’s regular needs:

21

culture Lyford Files JOSHUA LYFORD

I can’t top last week’s column, so I won’t even try. I’ll give that column a B-plus and what you’re getting today

will be somewhere around a C-minus. Yeah, it will pass, but that doesn’t make it any good. A little housekeeping before we get going, then. First of all, my dog am I excited about the season. Yes, I’m aware that we’ve been dealing with quite a bit of rain, but I own a raincoat and I enjoy green things, so there is no trouble there. Let the earth soak it all in and give us some nice flora to gawk at. While it wasn’t my first hike of the season, I grabbed the hound dog (And his cute little plaid jacket … who am I?) and headed up north to see the tops of Mounts Lafayette, Lincoln and Little Haystack. It was snowy and the trails were pretty tough below the treeline, but up on the ridge, New Hampshire’s White Mountains are looking incredible. One of the most important things I do for my personal mental health is shut my phone down and spend a day, or two, or three deep in the woods with my dog. If a black bear gets me, all the better. I’d rather that than my inevitable rage explosion heart attack in my cubicle.

OR SHOULD I SAY…: A mountain lion?! Just kidding, but in a

totally different arena, the EcoTarium is finally unveiling their Wild Cat Station Mountain Lion exhibit and I am so, so excited. I should send an email over there and see if I can come cover the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday. Hmm. I should do that and COURTESY OF THE ECOTARIUM not type out that I should do that.

BACK ON TRACK. If this is reading as sarcasm at all, it shouldn’t, I am very, very excited about this.

According to the EcoTarium, this is one of the largest mountain lion exhibits at 44,000 square feet.

I grew up calling these creatures catamounts, something I picked up from my father and Vermont family, I suppose. Anyway, if you’ve been kicking it around the city for awhile, you may remember that sad old polar bear at the EcoTarium years back. Well, that space has been changed significantly thanks to a $3.8-million investment. Get over to the EcoTarium (the exhibit opens to the public on Saturday) and see what I find to be one of the most interesting creatures in the United States.

For my final 250 or so words, I am taking to Facebook, where I shall click the events tab and write about whatever event I’ve been “invited to” that catches my eye. Here we go.

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HIGH SPIRITS, SAVAGE MASTER, HESSIAN, DEMON CHROME: Ooh, easy enough. The aforementioned bands

rip at Ralph’s Thursday, May 9. I’ve seen Savage Master and Hessian before and both were sick. I can’t speak for the other two bands, but Demon Chrome is a sick name. The show is $15 and the extra five will buy you a fistful of Genesees. That’s a rock and roll bargain, buddy.

That didn’t pan out as well as I’d hoped. Hold on, I’m going to search for something to fill the last 150 words on Discovercentralma.org.

THE SHADOW OF WAR: Alright, alright, I can work with this.

That subhead, while quite similar, is not in reference to the “Lord of the Rings” video game. Nope, the Worcester Chamber Music Society is lettin’ ’er rip at ArtsWorcester’s new digs on Portland Street on Thursday (which, for me, is later in the week. For you, will either be today, or in the past, it’s tough) night. I’m going to let their own words speak, because they sound awesome. “In 1918, the dark threat of war hung over the world. This café concert presents music that was created during this time of fear and uncertainty in an atmosphere that reflected turmoil and chaos. The mystical yet grand sonata of Ives, the driving but unsettled flute writing of Boulanger, and the gentle yet turbulent Impressionist masterpiece of Ravel, display the dynamism of a time of crisis.” Nnnph, okay. If I had $45 to my name, I’d rock dessert and concert. But I don’t, so I’ll play some Rachmaninoff radio Joshua Lyford on Pandora while drinking Busch Culture editor instead. @Joshachusetts

culture Lifestyle SARAH CONNELL

The Comeback Comic Comes Home

Worcester native Alignon Mitra is performing on May 9, 10, and 11 at WooHaHa! “I was born in the old Saint Vincent Hospital, raised primarily in the old Dream Machine in the Greendale Mall, and my parents still live in the house I grew up in,” Mitra shared, “That phone number is still marked as ‘Home’ on my cell phone.” Like comedic legends John Belushi, Chevy Chase and (Worcester archrival) Conan O’Brien, Mitra wrote for the Harvard Lampoon during college. “I got to see a lot of funny people take comedy seriously and, after graduation, try to pursue it as a career. When there’s so many students going down traditional paths — banking, medicine, law — it was revelatory to see you don’t have to do that,” he said, adding, “In Worcester’s own Alingon hindsight, I totally should have hung Mitra will perform at Wooout with the banking kids, though.”

HaHa! on May 9, 10 and 11.

Every day in May, Mitra is posting PHOTO SUBMITTED a clip from a comic he enjoys and explaining why. “It’s like Amazon: if you like them, you may also like me,” Mitra said. Follow him at: @alingonmitra.

Streaming live, 24-hours a day at worcestermag.com

A Meaty Mother’s Day

Kate Stillman wants you and a woman you love to celebrate Mother’s Day with butcher knife in hand. Stillman Quality Meats is hosting a “lady butcher workshop,” where participants will discuss pasture-raised farm meats and the “ins and outs of nose to tail butchery.” Expect a live demo as the SQM team cuts up a fresh pasture-raised chicken before your very eyes followed by a charcuterie tasting. The cost is $75 and includes a butchered chicken to take home.

Tequila Rosé Time Out

City Bar and Grille Hosts its Inaugural Cocktail Dinner

Shorties

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A group of Gates Lane sixth-graders will premier their original short film “Basketb511” on May 16, from 4-6 p.m., at Razzo Hall in the Traina Center for the Arts at Clark University. A panel discussion with the filmmakers will follow accompanied by light refreshments. This opportunity was made possible by the Hiatt Center. You can follow them on Instagram at @hiattcenter. For more information on New Media & Storytelling Workshops, email Sarah Connell adersimonian@clarku.edu. contributing writer

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Mad River Distillery is rolling out four cocktails and four courses at City Bar and Grille on May 15 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Chef/owner Al Soto has worked in top kitchens in Japan, France and Spain. Now he’s building a devout following on the west side of Worcester. The menu for this exclusive cocktail dinner includes foraged ramps and mushrooms as well as an entrée featuring Feather Brook Farm chicken. Join Mad River and City Bar and Grille to celebrate local producers and sustainable agriculture. Tickets are available on Facebook.

M AY 9 - 15, 2019

Saturday is supposed to be in the 60s and sunny. Perfect for day drinking.

You’re in luck: Julio’s Liquors’ annual Tequila Rosé Festival will kick off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 11. The lineup showcases 20-plus tables of topshelf tequila and 2018 Rosé selections from all over the world.

culture Find Middle Ground at Jasmine 711 Southbridge St., Auburn 508-832-8868 • jasmineauburn.com SANDRA RAIN

$6.25, but it’s worth a small upcharge to get it with Tito’s for $7.95. The charge for a glass of soda water at asmine in Worcester tries to $2.75 feels less justified. do it all, marketing itself as The best dish on Jasmine’s menu a lounge, hibachi spot, sushi is the Singapore rice noodles ($8.95) counter and Asian buffet. You made with stir fried chicken, pork, can’t be everything to everyone shrimp, snap peas and curry. The and nothing about Jasmine exudes noodles are dry and delicate, not saucy, by design. Supplement with crab rangoons ($7.25) or orange-flavored chicken ($11.95) if you came for American Chinese cuisine. Jasmine’s fried appetizers are light and crunchy, never dense.

All dishes are designed to be diet conscious, meaning they are low in sodium, mildly seasoned and cooked with vegetable oil.

Servers will offer to sharpen your chopsticks for you if you choose to dig into Jasmine’s sushi menu. Perhaps it’s the contrast of fresh spring greenery outside, but even the mermaid maki Jasmine’s Singapore rice noodles ($15.95) that our server are an excellent dish. recommended didn’t enliven my senses. The mermaid is rice-free, wrapped in rice paper and filled with lobster precision or excellence. Then again, tempura, avocado, cucumber, cream people like options. Not to mencheese and topped with spicy tuna. tion, Jasmine’s is pretty sleek for a Jasmine’s rolls require soy sauce. stripmall joint.

Jasmine’s is a great place to take Six-foot greenery shoots up from a big family with a spectrum of behind the host stand where guests needs and ages. It is what I call a arrive to state their intentions. “compromise restaurant.” No one will Choose your own adventure, please. be elated, but no one will go home The lounge is sort of sad, piled with hungry. battered stools for the marble bar The absence of natural light was a and diamond-patterned booths.

Dark curtains block out the light and huge turnoff on a bright and beautiful evening, but we ate our fill. The the space is cluttered with odd storage including a domestic refrigerator. total for our party of three came to $98.23 including appetizers, dinner Follow the slate tiles down the hall and drinks. to hibachi tables for a livelier show.

Lunchtime customers can continue Explanation of Stars: Ratings are all the way to the big, bright, all-youcan-eat buffet room at the rear of the from zero to five. Zero is not recommended. One is poor. Two is fair. Three restaurant for $10.50 on weekdays is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is and $11.50 on the weekends. excellent.

Jasmine is the kind of restaurant where you can order a Scorpion Food: HH Bowl ($6.75) for one without any raised eyebrows. Embrace your large Ambience: HH fluorescent straw with pride. Bar Mai Service: HHH Value: HH Tais go down like fruit juice for just

J

Saturday, June 22, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm

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W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M M AY 9 - 15, 2019

BIGGER DIPPER

ICE CREAM FESTIVAL & ABILITYFEST WALK Join us for the Bigger Dipper, an inclusive event for people of all abilities featuring a one-mile walk, all-you-can-eat ice cream, entertainment, and more!

Worcester’s Elm Park 9:30 am Walk Registration 10:30 am Walk Begins 11:00 am Ice Cream Festival Proceeds will benefit Children’s Friend services for children and families in Worcester, and Community Connections for people with disabilities supported by Seven Hills.

sevenhills.org/biggerdipper

culture Goodbye, John and Peter JIM KEOGH

A

few thoughts as one dreary spring day bleeds into another: RIP John Singleton. He upended the film world with his raw depiction of inner-city Los Angeles in “Boyz in the Hood,” and he was Oscar-nominated for best director at the tender age of 24, a full two years younger than Orson Welles when he was nominated for “Citizen Kane.” In another year, Singleton may have brought home the winner’s trophy, but 1992 was all about “The Silence of the Lambs,” which earned seven Academy Awards, including best director for Jonathan Demme.

Singleton most recently was the guiding force behind the TV series “Snowfall,” a searing dramatization of the ravages of the crack epidemic on the same L.A. neighborhoods where he’d introduced us to the boyz.

RIP Peter Mayhew. How does one express a character’s empathy and

and even survived with his pride intact after appearing in the infamous “Star Wars Holiday Special” (perhaps having his identity hidden during the show was a Christmas gift). The career prospects for a giant are limited, yet like fellow 7-footer Richard Kiel, who played the metaltoothed assassin Jaws in the “James Bond” movies, Mayhew found the character who would define his legacy. More accurately, it found him.

I’m a sucker for clickbait, rarely passFrom left, Peter Mayhew, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in “Star Wars: ing up the opportunity to learn which co-stars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi” secretly hate each other (1983). or which former child actors have aged into hideous adults. But the number of of fur and fangs? Mayhew accom“Avengers: Endgame” dissections plished the feat playing Chewbacca cluttering my digital clutter is wearin most of the “Star Wars” movies, humor — their utter humanity (or, Wookieness) — speaking only in an unintelligible strangled howl and draped in a 7-foot-long costume

ing me down. Some fans are particularly distressed that “Avengers” violates its own rules for how time travel should work (one headline I saw: “ ‘Avengers: Endgame’: That Last Scene Makes No Sense”). I say, ignore those posts and instead read the story about Luke Perry being buried in an eco-friendly “mushroom suit.”

This is what clickbait was made for.

I’ve never been a Zac Efron fan, but I’ll give the guy his due. As serial killer Ted Bundy in the Netflix film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile,” he nails every adjective in the title. Not only does Efron bear a reasonable resemblance to Bundy, he transmits the man’s notorious charisma, which earned him entrée into the good graces of unsuspecting women. Still, one of the movie’s most effective techniques occurs when documentary footage of Bundy — representing himself in court, glibly answering TV interviewers’ questions — plays over the closing credits. The lesson: No acting job can do justice to the real, chilling thing.

I watched chunks of Adam Sandler’s “Saturday Night Live” appearance online this morning, and was pleasantly surprised. The epi-

sode featured good stuff, something rare for an SNL episode, which typically peaks with the cold open, muddles through a series of incrementally unfunny sketches, then limps to the 1 a.m. finish line. Sandler’s song tribute to Chris Farley was genuinely touching, and the Sandler family reunion sketch proved speaking nonsense words is a nice way to earn a living. In his monologue, Sandler joked about his firing from SNL, noting he moved on to star in movies grossing $4 billion. Of those, I would recommend 2009’s “Funny People,” one of his less-recognized efforts, despite being written and directed by Judd Apatow. The story of a self-loathing former stand-up who earned his fortune starring in silly movie comedies carries an autobiographical edge you’ll never find in, say, “The Waterboy.”

Jim Keogh contributing writer

M AY 9 - 15, 2019

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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calendar All May, through July 5 Buddhas over Worcester

Saturday, May 11 One Funny Mother

Boundless Way Zen Temple, 1030 Pleasant St. The seventh annual Buddhas Over Worcester sculpture exhibition returns to the Boundless Way Zen Temple on Pleasant Street this summer.

Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St. Comedian, former Miss New Jersey and mother of three Dena Blizzard heads to the Hanover Theatre with her award-winning, one-woman show.

Friday, May 10 “Rafiki”

Park View Room, 230 Park Ave. Cinema-Worcester presents “Rafiki,” a love story between two young women living in Nairobi and the difficulties they face.

Saturday, May 11 Mountain Lion Exhibit Grand Opening Friday, May 10 Queer Comedy Night

Bull Mansion, 55 Pearl St. Worcester Pride presents Queer Comedy Night at Bull Mansion, hosted by Dale LePage and featuring Amy Tee, Sarah Blodgett, Dylan Uscher and Karen O’Donnell.

EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way The long-awaited Wild Cat Station opens to the public. Visitors can experience the outdoor mountain lion exhibit right here in Worcester.

Saturday, May 11 Whole Kids 2019: Art Edition

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

M AY 9 - 15, 2019

Worcester Common, Front Street The third annual Whole Kids 2019: Art Edition is presented

by Recreation Worcester and features take home crafts, food vendors, music and more. The event is free to the public.

Sunday, May 12 Sarah French at Redemption Rock Brewing

Redemption Rock Brewing Co., 333 Shrewsbury St. Sarah French returns to Redemption Rock for a matinee performance featuring originals and covers.

Wednesday, May 15 Joy of Music Spring Gala

Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St. Admission is free to the Joy of Music Spring Gala at Mechanics Hall. The JOMP Youth Orchestra performs, as well as Jazz Blues and Jazz Safari.

sports p Going out like a champ: Worcester’s Rivera getting ready for 50th fight WALTER BIRD JR.

I

t is being billed as the “Quest for 50.” That’s how many professional fight Worcester’s Jose Antonio Rivera will have logged after his June 14 bout with Travis Scott at The Palladium. It will be, Rivera, says, his

Rivera will be the main event on a June 14 card promoted jointly by Shearns Boxing Promotions and Rivera Promotions Entertainment, the latter a joint venture between Rivera and his son A.J. He will carry a record of 42-6-1 (25 KOs) into his fight with Scott, a former WFC champion with

him a long time. I matched his fight and Scott is no joke.”

Shearns complimented Rivera’s son with putting together a competitive field of fighters, and said he hopes fans will show their support.

“I hope we are showing people that boxing can be the fourth sport

FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH BROOKS

in Worcester,” Shearns said.

For Rivera, reaching 50 fights came into focus when he and A.J. got the idea of fighting together as father and son for the first time. To do that, Rivera had to come out of retirement, his last fight having been in 2011. As it turned out, medical concerns would keep A.J. from being able to fight, but his father stepped into the ring last August, shook off the rust and emerged with a win over Larry Smith.

“It really didn’t start out to be the whole thing. It was just when we were putting together the fight with my son and me on the same card,” Rivera said. “We said if I was going to come back for that one, we’d do one

The Score

Massachusetts Pirates May 4 The Pirates (1-3) lost at home, 5536, to the Jacksonville Sharks.

(The Pirates go on the road May 11 to take on the Columbus Lions.)

Round-Up

The Worcester Smiles kick off their second season of United Women’s Soccer at 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 11 against the New England Mutiny at Foley Stadium in Worcester.

27

a 19-5 record and five knockouts to his name.

Rivera and several other fighters scheduled to fight at the event were expected to attend a press conference Thursday at Grille 57 on Highland Street to promote their matches. Other Worcester fighters slated to join Rivera on the card will be Eslih Owusus (1-0), Owen Minor (1-0) and Philip Davis (1-1-1).

Co-promoter Chuck Shearns, who staged his first solo boxing show in March at The Palladium, said he is happy to co-promote this event with Rivera.

“Jose is driven by accomplishments,” Shearns said. “I’ve known

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

final fight in Worcester. Whether it is his last fight ever remains to be seen, but the three-time, two-division world champ, now 46 years old, is preparing like it is the final time fans will see him in action inside the squared circle.

“At the moment, right now, it’s my last fight,” Rivera said recently.

“And I’m glad I can give my fans who supported me my whole career, that I can I do it here in Worcester. If some big opportunity comes along, a big offer or something like, I don’t know anything after that. I just know for now we’re focusing on this fight, that I get this opportunity to say goodbye to my fans.”

training, followed by a day off.

As for his opponent, Rivera expects Scott to show up ready to fight. His record certainly indicates that. A Louisiana native, Scott won his first 17 pro fights, before earning a no decision against K’Lon Spencer in August 2014. Two months later, he was back in the win column with a unanimous decision over Taronze Washington. In September 2015, Scott lost for the first time to Zane Marks, following that up with a December win over David Lujan. Then came four straight losses, starting in November 2016 and stretching into his last fight in February against Connor Coyle.

“Now,” Rivera said, “he’s trying to get a winning streak again. I’ve got to make sure I keep him on a losing streak.”

He admits to not knowing much about Scott, whom he saw fight against Mark DeLuca in a March 2017 loss at the House of Blues in Boston.

“It was a good fight, went eight rounds,” Rivera said. “[Scott is] a boxer. He switches to southpaw. He’s a guy that we’ve got to put a lot of work in to keep him busy. Otherwise, he likes to control the pace.”

Win or lose, Rivera was asked how he will feel after the fight.

“Accomplished,” he said. “We did it our way, and you’ve got to remember, after this night, we still have Rivera Promotions Entertainment. We still have other fighters we want to keep helping to bring up, who want to accomplish their own goals and dreams.”

M AY 9 - 15, 2019

Jose Antonio Rivera, right, lands a punch against Larry Smith durning a fight last August at The Palladium.

more to do an even 50. That’s how it all started out last year.

“Fifty pro fights is something that is always remarkable, and to be a part of that … There’s fighters that had more fights than that. I’m just excited I’m healthy enough at 46 years old to be able to do that.”

It isn’t happening without a whole lot of sweat and preparation. Rivera said he wakes up around 5 or 5:30 each morning to go running. Depending on what he has scheduled, it could be a speed run, hills, or a longdistance session After that, he does an ab workout at home, showers and goes to work as a court officer in Worcester. At night, after work, it’s back to training.

Rivera spars and works out at Camp Get Right on Millbrook Street several nights a week. For two nights, he heads into Brookline, where he trains at Fitness Together with Radovan Serbula, to whom Rivera jokingly refers as “the Croatian Assassin.”

There, he works with kettlebells and engages in “a lot of explosive workouts” emphasizing speed, strength, cardio and core, Rivera said.

“I have a hard time talking about it because I hate it,” he said. “I hate how it just destroys me, but it feels good after.”

Serbula first worked with Rivera in 2005, when Rivera was training for his 2006 with then-WBA Super World Welterweight champion Alejandro Garcia. Rivera and Garcia squared off at the DCU Center, with Rivera winning the title by unanimous decision.

“He was kind of an underdog,” Serbulan recalled of Rivera, who was stepping up in class to fight at 153 pounds. “I love working with him, because his dedication and professionalism are at high levels.”

Rivera, he noted, travels some 50 miles to train with Serbula. Another Worcester fighter, WBC World Youth Lightweight champ Jamaine Ortiz, sometimes joins him. “[Rivera’s] very, very dedicated,” Serbula said. “He’s a great person and a great professional. I just enjoy working with him.”

Rivera said he gives himself one day a week off. Depending on the schedule, he could go 10 days straight with

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LEGAL Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Worcester Probate and Family Court 225 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 Docket No. WO09P1848GD CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION TO EXPAND THE POWERS OF A GUARDIAN In the Interests of: Samantha J Wickson of Worcester, MA RESPONDENT Incapacitated Person/Protected Person To the named Respondent and all others interested persons, a petition has been filed by Dept. of Developmental Services of Shrewsbury, MA in the above captioned matter requesting that the court: Expand the powers of a Guardian.

The petition asks the court to make a determination that the powers of the Guardian and/or Conservator should be expanded, modified, or limited since the time of the appointment. The original petition is on file with the court. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return day of 05/14/2019. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date.

IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the abovenamed person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, Hon. Leilah A. Keamy, First Justice of this Court.

Date: April 19, 2019 Stephanie K. Fattman, Register of Probate 05/09/2019 WM

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FOR SALE LEGALS WORCESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS SEALED BIDS shall be received at the Purchasing Office, 69 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605.

IFBs may be picked up at the location above or may be downloaded from our website: www.worcesterha.org, or call (508) 635-3202/3203, TDD (508) 798-4530. Bidders are responsible for ensuring they have received any/all addenda prior to submitting a bid.

Separate awards will be made for each IFB. WHA reserves the right to reject any or all responses, in whole or in part, deemed to be in their best interest. Award of all contracts is subject to the approval of the WHA Executive Director or Board of Commissioners. The Operating Agency shall indemnify and hold harmless the WHA and its officers or agents from any and all third party claims arising from activities under these Agreements as set forth in MGL c.258, section 2 as amended.

Project Title Bid Opening Bid No. Release Date 19-13 5/8/2019 Purchase of Heating 2:00 PM May 23, 2019 Equipment Jackson Restrepo, Chief Procurement Officer

Public Auction Notice Notice is hereby given pursuant to the provisions of M.L.C. 225 sec.

39A, the following vehicles will be sold on 5/11/19 at a sale to satisfy our garage lien thereon for towing and storage charges and expenses of sale and notice: 2009 Nissan Versa VIN #3N1BC11E69L443398 2013 Nissan Altima VIN #1N4AL3AP8DC134967 The location of the sale will be at Early’s on Park Avenue, Inc. 536 Park Avenue, Worcester, MA 01603

Invitation For Bids The Worcester Housing Authority invites sealed bids for FRONT ENTRY UPGRADES MA12-12 BELMONT TOWER APARTMENTS, 40 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA 01605. WHA Job No. 2017-01 in accordance with the documents prepared by the Architect, DIXON SALO ARCHITECTS, INC. The work is estimated to cost $175,070, including Alternate #1.

Base Bid: Alterations to existing front entrance canopy at Worcester Housing Authority Belmont Tower Apartments as indicated on the Contract Drawings.

Alternate #1: Add Alternate is for the replacement of light fixtures and all other work indicated on the Contract Drawings.

WHA Job Release Project Title Bid Important dates No. Date Surety & time 2017-01 4/24/19 Front Entry Upgrades Pre-Bid Conference @ 40 Belmont St. 10:00 5/1/19 Worcester, MA 01605 AM Sub-Bid Opening @ Modernization Dep. 5% 2:00 5/8/19 81 Tacoma St. Worcester, MA 01605 PM Gen. Bid Opening @ Modernization Dep. 5% 2:00 5/22/19 81 Tacoma St. Worcester, MA 01605 PM General Bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION category of work.

Filed sub-bids will be taken for: SECTION 08800, GLASS AND GLAZING and SECTION 09900, PAINTING. Filed Sub-Bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the GLASS AND GLAZING and/or PAINTING categories of work.

Bids are subject to M.G.L. c149 §44A-J and Davis Bacon wage rates as well as other applicable laws.

Bid Forms and Contract Documents will be made available on the Worcester Housing Authority website (http://www.worcesterha.org/currentbids.html) Questions regarding this project shall be submitted in writing 72 hours prior to opening and emailed to ModBids@worcesterha.org. Reference the WHA Job Number: 2017-01 only in the subject line.

WHA reserves the right to reject any or all responses, in whole or in part, deemed to be in their best interest.

Award of all contracts is subject to the approval of the WHA Executive Director or Board of Commissioners. The Operating Agency shall indemnify and hold harmless the WHA and its officers or agents from any and all third party claims arising from activities under these agreements as set forth in MCL c.258, section 2 as amendment.

Worcester Housing Authority Joseph P. Carlson, Chairperson

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J O N E S I N’ Across 1 Baked, so to speak 5 Cocoa substitute 10 Talk show host who’s somehow board-certified 14 Cookie with a “Game of Thrones” variety in 2019 15 “Battlestar Galactica” commander 16 Become entangled 17 Luxury SUV manufactured in the U.K. 19 Singer Burl 20 Playground equipment 21 Avgolemono ingredient 22 Peregrine falcon place 23 Gooey stuff seen on Nickelodeon 25 Jousting outfit 27 Hurdle for a doctoral student 32 Freshen, in a way 35 “Three’s Company” landlord 36 Grates harshly 38 2 + 1, in Italy 39 Troublemakers 40 Fielder’s feat 41 Neologism for an extreme enthusiast (just added to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary) 42 “___ the ramparts ...”

43 Revamp 44 Old movie holders 45 “Mr.” in “Elmo’s World” segments 47 Practice 49 Circulatory system components 51 Hunk of gum 52 Iowa State University town 54 John who appears in a 2019 episode of “The Twilight Zone” 56 Balkan capital 61 Boggs of the Red Sox 62 Relinquished 64 Dumpster emanation 65 Go on stage 66 “SNL” segment?

67 Got out 68 Loads cargo 69 Poetic tributes

“A Few Good Turns” – cycling through.

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Down 1 ___ d’oeuvres 2 “Dies ___” (Latin hymn) 3 Wilder who played Willy Wonka 4 Sty occupants 5 Paint job protectant 6 “And now, without further ___ ...”

7 Type of party chronicled in Mixmag 8 Psi follower 9 Pie chart alternative 10 Key of Beethoven’s Ninth 11 Semi-aquatic mammal with webbed feet 12 Quarry deposits 13 Lemon peel part 18 Pumped up 24 Jeweler’s measurement 26 Prefix trickily paired with “spelled” 27 Betelgeuse constellation 28 Shakespearean character in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet 29 Gave a thumbs-up to 30 Guitar maker Paul 31 He gets knighted in “Cars 2” 33 Asia-Europe border range 34 Nerve-wracking 37 Phillips-head hardware

40 Strong holds 41 Galilee, e.g.

43 “Aladdin” song “Prince ___” 44 Decorated again 46 Negev, e.g.

48 They’re gonna ... do what they do 50 Obsolescent contraction 52 Off-base, unofficially 53 Crafted 55 Unfooled by 57 Caramel-filled Hershey’s brand 58 Like many fans 59 “Scream 4” and “Party of Five” actress Campbell 60 Olympian war god 63 Mtn ___

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last call Laura Marotta Creative Hub Executive Director DYLAN AZARI

there was also room for growth within the arts community.

As an artist, how would you describe your style? I definitely get a lot of inspiration from nature. I love organic forms and I love color.

I was a painting major at Boston University and we got to do lots of cool traditional things like mix our own paints using pigments and things like that. I studied abroad in Italy, so I just kind of fell in love with vivid colors and natural surroundings. I do a lot of watercolor work, pen and ink, and some photography.

Is there anything else Worcester Magazine readers should know about Creative Hub? I mean, everybody keeps asking what’s happening with Creative Hub with the capital campaign. Usually, capital campaigns can run over a year, or two years, depending on how long they take. We’ve had so many different businesses and individuals who have supported us through naming opportunities, which we also have available on our website.

Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, Baystate Bank, Webster Five, just to name a few, have come and and supported us through our campaign. We’re super, super close.

We’re over 90 percent of the way there. And we’re still looking for support from the community.

– Sarah Connell

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What other local organizations are you actively involved with?

I am involved with Love Your Labels, which is a brand new nonprofit organization in Worcester.

I have a fondness for startups. My friend Joshua Croake started Love

When you’re not driving change and pushing for creative opportunities in the city, where do you like to spend your time? I love to spend my time at Central Rock Climbing Gym in Worcester.

I started rock climbing about a year and a half ago. One of my board members got me into it.

Now I’m climbing outdoors and it’s just something I never thought that I could do. But the mind-body connection, and the connection between being able to feel like you’re getting stronger, and feeling like you’re being active and getting better at something translates into other areas of your life.

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Can anybody apply to be a part of this program? Yeah, anybody can register age 6-14. That’s the only stipulation. Other than that, we love to have everyone and Main Idea also does a teen arts

I know you’ve transitioned out of the public school classroom, but you’re still very involved as an art educator. What leadership role do you hold statewide? I’m the president of the Massachusetts Art Education Association. It’s a nonprofit, allvolunteer organization that’s been around for almost 45 years. We represent art educators throughout the state of Massachusetts.

Our mission is to advocate for and provide professional development and support for art educators throughout the state. We do that through annual conferences, professional development workshops, and political advocacy on the state and national level.

And we don’t just support art educators in schools. We support parents who homeschool in the art education field. We support museum educators. We support independent school educators. So there’s a whole wide variety. We have almost 1,000 members and it’s just a great organization to be a part of. This is my last year as president, but I’ve been involved with organization for about seven or eight years.

Your Labels to raise awareness about acceptance and diversity, not only within the LGBTQ community, but beyond. We have hosted fashion shows and photo shoots. We’re starting a youth fashion program next fall to focus on youth development along with elevating a dialogue around expression, identity, and equality.

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a half years ago to start Creative Hub Worcester. I grew up in Leominster and I worked in the North Shore as an elementary art teacher for five years. Then I met Stacy, my partner and co-founder.

Stacy took me through Worcester and I just kind of fell in love with the city as a lot of transplants do. I decided to start the business here What’s your history with the city for a couple of reasons. I think that we saw that there was a really of Worcester? How did you end vibrant arts community here, but up here? I moved here three and aura Marotta is the executive director of the Creative Hub. Creative Hub Worcester is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide affordable and accessible opportunities in the Arts to our community with special attention to at-risk and underserved youth.

What stage are you at with Creative Hub? There’s a couple of exciting things right now.

We’re sitting in a space that we renovated about nine months ago that we call our youth art space for Creative Hub. Some people get confused because they think that Creative Hub is already open at 2 Ionic Ave. We’ve been working to renovate the former Ionic Ave Boys Club there. We decided to renovate this space to be able to start our programming sooner, and to be able to have another venue that’s extremely visible that will help us connect with the community and develop relationships with the city. So then, when we do open, we’ll kind of have a headstart a little bit. Our afterschool program here runs Monday through Friday. We serve a lot of families from the Main South community, but families from all over Worcester as well. It’s an arts-based after-school program.

We do art projects with them every day.

night here on Tuesday nights in the same space. So that’s available for kids who are a little bit older.

We’re a state-licensed after-school program, which means we’re able to accept Massachusetts State Childcare Vouchers. Registration is on our website at creativehub. org under the youth arts tab. We’re also planning a full-day summer arts program for kids, so registration is open for that as well.

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M AY 9 - 15, 2019