Worcester Magazine May 24 - 30, 2018

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Edward Martinson lives next door to the Green Acres site and said his well has been contaminated for two years.

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news

Budget hearings kick off with little noise BILL SHANER

trainer, the rest coming from raised money and a partnership with the Worcester County Sheriff ’s Office. ity Manager Ed Augustus Jr.’s proposed “If you get a mounted unit for fiscal 2019 budget saw almost no op$45,000, I think you’re doing pretty position at the first budget hearing well,” said Augustus.

Tuesday night.

Others focused on the school Councilors approved budgets for the Police resources officers — seven at a Department, Fire Department, Emergency roughly $850,000 cost — a relatively Communications, Human Resources, City Manager’s Office, City Council, Mayor’s Office, new expense in Worcester, and City Clerk, Elections, Inspectional Services and a controversial one when it was Technical Services, with unanimous votes and implemented several years ago.

Councilor-At-Large Khrystian no apparent threat of cutting any line items, King pushed for more adjustment save for one line related to electricity costs in councilors in school, and asked the Department of Public Works budget. what specific training school Still on the docket for a meeting next week resource officers receive. is the schools, which makes up more than Councilor-At-Large Gary Rosen half the $649.8-million proposal, as well as the asked whether the program has library, health and human services, the audibeen worthwhile. Sargent said it tor, retirement, administration and finance, has been successful and popular the law department and money set aside for among teachers, administrators financial planning. and students.

First up as always, the Police Department, “It was controversial at one and its proposed budget was widely praised point, but I think it has weathered by city councilors, who touted the city’s drop the storm,” said Sargent. in crime rates and moves toward community The Fire Department also passed policing policies. through with little to no criticism.

“The results are amazing,” said Mayor Joe Councilors lauded the investment Petty. “Keep up the good work.”

With crime going down, Petty asked wheth- the department is making in the Worcester Mayor Joe Petty er overtime costs may dip as well. Police Chief health and wellness of firefighters.

FILE PHOTO Councilors had plenty of quesSteven Sargent said such a direct line between tions for the Office of Economic crime and overtime can’t be drawn.

Development, but not necessarily The mounted police unit was an area of the reasons for leaving were specific to both focus for some councilors. At-Large Councilor related to the proposed budget. Rosen took the companies. While Allegro’s move was part of Konnie Lukes pressed the chief on the need for opportunity to press the department on why an overall restructuring, Primetals likely would a $45,000 horse trainer. Lukes said the program Primetals and Allegro Industries recently dehave stayed if Worcester had a pad-ready cided to move their campuses from Worcester. development site for them. was billed to City Council as a measure that He asked them whether it was due to the relawouldn’t cost anything.

In the Department of Public Works budget tively high commercial tax rate. Mike Traynor, hearing, the longest of the night, officials Augustus stepped in, saying the only cost chief economic development officer, said the city bears for the program is the horse focused on the inability of the department to

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find and retain staff.

Director of Public Works Commissioner Paul Moosey said his department is losing laborers, engineers and architects to private industry, and said he feels like the department can’t compete. Councilors pressed the department to do more local outreach and said they’d consider it themselves.

“I just find it hard to believe we can’t hire people that live in the city of Worcester to take these jobs,” said Petty.

District 3 Councilor George Russell took issue with a line related to electricity in the DPW budget specifically the new LED streetlights program. He said the anticipated cost savings on electricity were not in the budget. Chief Financial Officer Tom Zidelis said the city hasn’t yet budgeted for the savings because an agreement with NGRID had not yet gone through. Russell said he wanted more information at the next hearing, next week, before approving that section.

As the hour grew late (the hearing started at 4:30 p.m. and ended at 10), Konnie Lukes decided to skip her usual speech on the municipal golf course at Green Hill Park. But she requested the DPW look at testing for gas leaks before planting shade trees, and look at a plan to move the city toward a zero waste policy by 2040.

“Those are my requests, minus the speeches,” Lukes said.

Bill Shaner can be reached at 508-749-3166 x324 or at wshaner@worcestermag.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bill_Shaner.

news Canal District’s $21M Harding Green gets under way

WALTER BIRD JR

WALTER BIRD JR.

secretary, Jay Ash; City Manager Ed Augustus Jr.; and others. Among those looking on were District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson, hen he hosted an open house for Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce one of his properties 17 years ago, President and CEO Tim Murray and Pawtucket people would approach Allen Red Sox General Manager Dan Rea. Fletcher saying the same thing.

There was no announcement of whether “People would come in and they said, and the PawSox were coming to Worcester, not on I learned to hate this, they would say, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe I’m in Worcester,’” Fletcher this day, but Rea’s presence only heightened recalled as he stood aside a small dirt pile from speculation – and only swelled the optimism which six shovels protruded on another of his surrounding the continued growth in and properties in Worcester’s Canal District earlier around the city’s Canal District.

When it is done, Harding Green will feature this week. “Well, we’d better start believing 48 market-rate apartments, a restaurant and it. We’re going to create a world-class district about 16,000 square feet of market space. here, so get used to it. This is Worcester, get used to it. It’s a golden age.”

Fletcher on Tuesday was presiding over the City Manager Ed Augustus Jr., far left, ceremonial groundbreaking on his newest property owner Allen Fletcher, venture, Harding Green, at 152 Harding St., a second from left, and Lt. Gov. Karyn $21-million, mixed-use development wedged Polito were among those tossing out between Green and Harding streets in the heart small mounds of dirt during a of Kelley Square. Dozens were on-hand, and ceremonial groundbreaking at several spoke, including Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito; 152 Harding St. on Tuesday. the state’s Housing and Economic Development

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news

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PRE-APPROVED: Mayor Joe Petty was joking around when, a few minutes before the budget

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hearing Tuesday started, he slapped the gavel, grinned at Police Chief Steven Sargent, and said “approved!” But was it that far from the truth? The Police Department budget is such political death for city councilors to even look at sideways that they might as well not hold a hearing.

Also, can we get a Council rule in place banning speeches during the budget hearing? This is supposed to be questions related to line items, but many of the city councilors used it as an opportunity to lavish praise, tout programs or suggest new programs in the future. It all amounted to a six-hour meeting. Yes. Six hours. Of mostly speeches that didn’t need making. It made me wish I had kept a tally: actual budget questions/concerns versus political commentary. I have a pretty good idea which way the scale would tip. Again: Six hours, and we didn’t walk away with any inclination the councilors would try to make significant changes to the budget. So what were we doing there?

ON BOARD: Lowell may be the next Gateway City to hop on the Sue The State Express. Last

week, officials there expressed interest in entering in with Brockton and Worcester on a proposed lawsuit to recoup education funding money school officials feel they’re owed but were not paid, according to the Lowell Sun. The school funding formula, they argue, unfairly punishes large urban districts, which have higher numbers of poor students and students requiring special services like English language learning and special education. Meanwhile, more affluent suburban districts make out with a relatively larger piece of the state pie. It seems, to me, that the powers that be always seem to find a way to make it shake out like that. But anyway. This has been an issue for educators for years, but they’re just now starting to show their fangs. In Lowell, they’re facing a $3.2-million budget shortfall. There, like here, it appears the general consensus is something has got to give. So hey, come aboard Lowell, and lets ride this train right to the statehouse and back.

ANOTHER AIRLINE: This is mostly just gossip, but hey, this is Worcesteria. And people are start-

ing to talk about the next big thing to come to Worcester Regional Airport. The consensus seems to be Delta Airlines early next year with flights to Detroit. That’s what they’re calling over at the FlyORH blog, at least, and they broke the news American Airlines would be the one last month. Do they have anything to prove it? No. But do they have anything to disprove it? Also, no.

So let’s just wait and see.

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IN COME THE BIGWIGS: Would it really be a development in the Canal District without some

PawSox speculation? Well, the PawSox franchise added a lot of fuel to the fire earlier this week when a higher-up in the administration, General Manager Dan Rea, attended the groundbreaking for Allen Fletcher’s new Harding Street mixed-use development (the one right on Kelley Square, where the Crompton parking lot used to be). Why, oh whyyyyy, would a PawSox official attend such a thing? The official word: blah blah, just curious. Meanwhile, the proposed ballpark site is right down the street. If you’re looking for a sign this is for real, that groundbreaking offered a pretty good one.

LOCKED IN: Here’s a quick list of people who’ve emailed us to say they’re 100 percent going to be

on the 2018 ballot. For the 17th Worcester District state rep. seat: Stu Loosemore and David LeBoeuf, both Democrats. And U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern will officially have a challenger for his seat. Grafton Republican Tracy Lovvorn will officially be on the ballot. The deadline to get on is next week, so we’ll soon know exactly what we’re looking at for candidates in our local races, which include the 17th Worcester seat, register of deeds, McGovern’s second congressional seat, district attorney and Governor’s Council. It’s actually a pretty interesting campaign season.

Lots of newsworthy threads. For a mid-term, I’ll take it. An unresolved question, however, is the ballot question game. Specifically, the Community Preservation Act proposal, which I’ll remind you all is still tucked in committee at City Council. Haven’t heard about that recently, have we?

THAT TIME ALREADY?: While the 2018 midterms are the race to follow, it looks like there’s already a little bit of action for the 2019 city elections, if you can believe it. Councilor-At-Large Khrystian King held a fundraiser last week at Worcester Fitness, asking for $25, $50 or $100 already. Is it really that time Bill Shaner, reporter already? I suddenly feel exhausted.

wshaner@worcestermag.com Twitter: @Bill_Shaner

news

the beat

Boston still in the hunt for the new Amazon headquarters. If you think this wouldn’t affect

Worcester, you’re dead wrong. That kind of economic engine would rave a ripple effect through the state, and it’s not necessarily a good one (skyrocketing rents, for one). Gov. Charlie Baker was on Bloomberg TV last week repping the state, and saying he remains confident Boston is still in the running.

A Worcester forum with state leaders last week including Senate President Harriette Chandler focused on pushing energy legislation through before the deadline in July. An Act to Promote Clean Energy Future would call for more renewable energy from sources like solar and wind.

Worcester Police officials will hold a forum next month to discuss Chief Steve Sargent’s brand of com-

munity policing. The forum, titled an Update of Police Community Relations, will take place Monday, June 4, at 6 p.m. in the City Hall council chambers. Police will present on hate crime statistics, neighborhood watch activity, give an update on the timeline for a body camera policy, and discuss the department’s diversity recruitment and training initiatives.

Commuters on the Worcester-Framingham line will have to take buses for 11 weekends

this summer as the MBTA works on safety measures for the line. The good news, though, is the buses will be free. The bus trips start this weekend, and customers are advised to check for time differences on the MBTA website.

The 110 Grill attached to the new AC Marriott Hotel on Front Street has officially

opened. The restaurant, which is the chain’s 14th, is promised to be part of the experience at the new hotel and, with a storefront façade, an integral part of the emergence of downtown. Wish it luck.

Memorial Day is just around the corner and city officials are planning a few days of celebration, including a water ceremony at Elm Park on Sunday, May 27, at 2 p.m., a remembrance at Hope Cemetary on Monday at 9 a.m., and a wreath laying ceremony at the Green Hill Park Vietnam War Memorial Monday at 11 a.m.

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editorial

opinion

A taste of what’s to come?

O

n its own, property owner and developer Allen Fletcher’s ambitious, $21-million, mixed-use Harding Green, which will feature 48 marketrate apartments and several thousand square feet of market space, is tantalizing.

The artist renderings alone are impressive enough. The project will no doubt enhance what has already grown to be one of Worcester’s biggest attractions: the Canal District.

Indeed, with restaurants dotting the landscape (Water Street is becoming a mini version of Shrewsbury Street’s restaurant row), shops such as Crompton Collective providing reason to stay a while and the prospect of a Minor League baseball team taking up residence a few hops, skips and jumps away from Harding Green, it is hard not to brim with excitement over what is happening in the Canal District.

Oh, did we say baseball team? Yes, “conversations with the Pawtucket Red Sox are ongoing,” as City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. has made part of his weekly refrain. The city is as silent as a nuclear submarine on the matter, but that hasn’t stopped pesky media types and others from peppering them with questions and making something out of virtually every tweet, news report and observation.

Take Tuesday’s groundbreaking of Harding Green. At least one eagle-eyed reporter noticed a familiar face among the crowd of dozens. That would be PawSox General Manager Dan Rea. Now what, pray tell, would a baseball guy be doing at a ceremony for the future site of a new apartment and business complex? According to Charter TV 3’s Olivia Lemmon, Rea was “just observing.” A spokesperson for the PawSox told Worcester Magazine, “We simply have no comment on this.”

Given the mounting uncertainty surrounding the team’s future in Rhode Island, never mind its present - what with low fan attendance so far this season - and the not-sosubtle teases dropped by folks like Augustus and others in the city, it is hard to stem the tide of growing optimism about the PawSox landing in Worcester.

The Canal District appears to be doing just fine without a baseball team. Heck, not too far away from it is a team called the Worcester Bravehearts, which is about to start its fifth season in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. That team has enjoyed tremendous success. Even if the PawSox don’t end up in Worcester, the future of baseball here is bright. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a major coup for the city to get them.

Fletcher is counting on folks not to just be happy about his plans for Harding Green, but to be frequent shoppers there when it opens.

No doubt, it would be buoyed by a steady stream of visitors to PawSox games right down the road off Madison Street.

The Canal District may not get the recreated or re-opened canal it so dearly craves, but it is seeing major investment and redevelopment, the likes of which are transforming it on an almost weekly basis. Longtime players, such as Table Talk Pies, and others have remained committed to reimagining the area for what it could be. Fletcher is among them. Newer to the table could be the PawSox. Their arrival would seem to put the Canal District over the top.

Of course, for now, that’s wishful thinking.

After all, the PawSox are “just observing” and “discussions are ongoing.” Meanwhile, the Canal District is moving full steam ahead.

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opinion Texas and its (one) open-door policy JANICE HARVEY

N

ot again.

Yes, again. Another school shooting resulting in more dead children, more dead educators, more thoughts and prayers and no solutions. Ah, but I stand corrected: Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, has the answer. Patrick thinks too many doors are the problem.

People like Patrick are the reason why we’re rarely amused by “The Onion” anymore. You can’t make this stuff up. God forbid an elected official from Texas — the state that threatens to secede every time the wind blows — suggests gun control as a solution to the slaughter of children. I’m sure Patrick’s A-plus rating with the National Rifle Association doesn’t have a thing to do with his suggestion that a school housing 1,400 kids and hundreds of staff should have a single entrance. Problem solved. No doubt the local fire department would recommend such a sensible alternative to, say, stricter gun laws.

The orderly exit one might envision when

a fire breaks out in the chemistry lab or kitchen is surely the way it would go: 1,400 level-headed kids in single file, quietly walking through the only open door to a designated area on campus, while their teachers carry attendance records to make certain everyone is accounted for. Ninth-graders don’t panic. They aren’t prone to hysteria, after all. I’m sure there would be no pushing or shoving as smoke billowed down stairways and flames shot from windows. No one would be trampled. Surely, every child would follow the command to refrain from cell phone use.

This idiotic proposal forces me to recall descriptions of the 1942 Cocoanut Grove Boston nightclub inferno that killed 492 people, including many Holy Cross students celebrating a football win over Boston College.

Bodies “stacked like cordwood” were found by firefighters at the only door that wasn’t locked.

That image has never left me. One entrance, one exit. I hate to tell you what you’d find behind Door 1 when there’s no Door 2.

When the “new” North High was built several years ago, I wondered about the wisdom

of having only one door for each classroom, rooms where the windows only open from the top. I work now in a nearly 100-year-old building with two doors to each room, providing alternative exits for students and staff. During recent “active shooter” training (I gasp every time I have to use that phrase), faculty was advised to utilize these doors to flee. In the event that escape was impossible, we rehearsed blocking them with furniture. That second door comforts me, as do the paths to alternative exits we’ve memorized.

Perhaps the fact that the shooter was allowed to enter the school wearing a long, Columbine-inspired trench coat to conceal a shotgun is part of the problem. No one stopped this kid as he walked into the building dressed like the assassin he is? Texas will never support gun control, nor will that state’s fire departments ever go along with Patrick’s goofy “one door” idea, so its school committees might consider a proposal that every district should give a look-see: public school uniforms.

I’ve been a proponent for years.

School uniforms solve a boatload of

problems. They eliminate peer pressure and embarrassment for kids from less affluent neighborhoods. Uniforms lessen the chances of smuggling weapons beneath baggy clothing. As a teacher, I’d love to know that “What am I wearing?” was no longer a question that plagued me. I bet kids would like to take that stressful dilemma off the table, too.

Do I think school uniforms are the answer to the bloodshed that has become a regular news item? Of course not. I’m simply trying to find ways to cope with and lessen the probability of more school violence. Until meaningful gun reform becomes a national reality, we will continue to mourn the senseless loss of our children and the educators who try to protect them.

Carrying their bloodied bodies out the only open door is no solution.

Janice Harvey contributing writer

Your Turn: Literacy – The Time for Action is Now REV. CLYDE TALLEY AND RANJINI GOVENDER

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assachusetts has the best public schools in the nation, and one of the worst achievement gaps – that chasm that separates the education students often get in poorer school districts compared to wealthy ones.

In Worcester — which has the third most number of high needs students in the state — and in cities across the Commonwealth, teachers, administrators and elected leaders are constantly debating what are the best new tools, ideas and investments that can make a difference.

Despite these efforts, the achievement gap persists. Although every community and district is unique, there is one common element that nearly every struggling student in Massachusetts shares: the inability to read effectively by third grade.

Poor literacy has lifelong social, health and economic consequences. Research shows students who are not reading proficiently by third grade will begin to rapidly fall behind and 75 percent of them will never catch up. These students are more likely to drop out of school,

be unemployed, have substance abuse problems and end up in prison. They will also earn less, pay less in taxes, and be far more likely to have health issues.

Simply put, if you cannot read, you cannot succeed. Right now far too many students in Worcester and across Massachusetts are on a path to failure. In Worcester, 69 percent of third-graders can’t read at grade level, significantly worse than the state average of 53 percent. The numbers are even bleaker among our minority, poor and ELL students – with over 70 percent of Black and Latino children, 71 percent of poor students, and 80 percent of ELL students unable to read proficiently by the end of third grade. The rate of Massachusetts students meeting the critical milestone of reading on grade-level at the end of third grade has also declined over the past five years.

Behind each of these stats is a third-grader who is missing out on the power of reading, who can’t comprehend classics like “Charlotte’s Web,” “Little House on the Prairie” or “James and the Giant Peach.” These students also can’t make that vital transition from learning to read to reading to learn – the foundation of future academic success.

So what can we do?

Massachusetts likes to lead, and we can do that here. As the Commonwealth looks for the best way to close the achievement gap and lift up kids and our schools, they should look to literacy. It is the single most pressing education issue of our time.

We know what works, and there is a solution to address this crisis. The Early Literacy Act, filed by state Sen. Joseph A. Boncore and state Rep. Michael S. Day, provides a blueprint to stop the decline in literacy and catch struggling readers before they fall too far behind.

The bill establishes a competitive grant program to improve literacy rates among Massachusetts students in grades K-5, focusing on the highest-need districts with funding provided on a per-pupil basis. Districts will be able to screen and intervene with the children facing significant reading difficulties, and then do something about it – providing reading coaches, teacher home visits, literacy consultants, advanced literacy technology, summer literacy and academic programs, vision and hearing screenings and adjustment councilors.

These are all initiatives research shows are most effective to improve literacy and help M AY 24 - 30, 2018

students.

This legislation is crucial to tackle Massachusetts’ literacy crisis, and we can no longer afford to wait to take action. While the legislature is considering the full bill, immediate and meaningful action can be taken in the fiscal 2019 budget cycle. By increasing funding for a key line item, the Commonwealth can begin the process of providing these grants to help Massachusetts elementary and middle schools improve literacy rates.

Literacy is a serious problem, but we know how to help students learn to read. The time for action is now. Let’s help struggling readers.

Let’s invest in literacy and finally close Massachusetts’ achievement gap once and for all.

Ranjini Govender is the executive director of Stand for Children Massachusetts. Rev. Clyde Talley is the pastor at Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church in Worcester.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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feature

ALARMED Water contamination fears stirred in Uxbridge BILL SHANER

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feature

(Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part series on water contamination in two Worcester County communities.)

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here the dirt goes is hardly a consideration a construction layman would give when looking at a project, and it’s not something someone is likely to hear in a news report or even a zoning board meeting. But where that soil goes – especially when it’s contaminated – is a complicated issue, pitting a project’s budget against the cost of environmentally-sound disposal against state and federal regulations.

Where it goes, especially after a 2014 law change, might surprise you, as it did a group of concerned citizens in Uxbridge, when they found out hundreds of thousands of tons of contaminated soil were being dumped above their aquifer.

South Street heading from Uxbridge to Rhode Island can feel a bit like a time portal.

Modest, colonial farmhouses dot wide swaths of farmland, most of which has been owned by the same few families for decades. There are barns and tractors in various states of disrepair next to small idyllic orchards next to empty fields. Save for modern cars, there would be little sign any time had passed at all since the land was first settled. At one bend, the road narrows and travels over a small brook, which rushed with clear water toward a reservoir on a recent afternoon.

But just a few more feet down the road, up a hill and across from a row of houses, there’s a 45-acre plot of land that bucks the narrative.

Like a giant hole, the land is recessed 20 to 30 feet from the tree line around it, like a field was cut from the earth in a single scoop. A dirt road that appears well-traveled heads toward the center of the hole, stretching past a small

patch of farmland and toward a large mound of dirt in the middle. Several trucks and pieces of large machinery idled by the mound.

“That’s what two-and-a-half million tons starts to look like,” said Susan Franz, an environmental activist and newly-elected selectman in Uxbridge, as we walked the road along the property, careful not to get too close for fear of a lawsuit (“They’ll get ya,” said Franz of the property owner, who is prone to filing lawsuits on town officials and activists).

On its face, that big mound of dirt in the middle of an empty, recessed field is a relatively innocuous site, aside from the oddly-industrial aesthetic in such a pastoral and agrarian area. The problem Franz and others have with that big pile of dirt is not that it’s there, but where it came from – and what could be inside it. And that complicated question has sparked something of a war in Uxbridge town politics.

As development boomed after the reces-

sion, construction companies across the state – especially in the Boston area – sought cheaper ways to dispose of contaminated dirt and construction waste. In came the practice of soil reclamation, where landowners, especially farmers, could take on soil that would otherwise have to be sent to a landfill or incinerator, if they followed a loose set of guidelines and demonstrate it would be used for something, like farming.

Uxbridge became one of several towns around the state to become home to such a site – two in fact: one at a lot on Millville Road that is now chained off, and the other on the farm on South Street, which was previously a gravel pit for decades. And, like a good deal of the soil reclamation sites around the state and region, the deals were brokered by a man named Patrick Hannon, a man with a long paper trail of court cases, company names and appearances at town meetings.

The Green Acres site on South Street in Uxbridge.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

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feature Like many towns in South Worcester County, most homes in Uxbridge rely on private drinking wells. Only about a third of residences are connected to town water, which is over-capacity as it is. Local officials fear if the soil reclamation projects led to a contamination event, they would have no way to provide municipal water to people affected by it.

Last week, the first installment in this series, we wrote about 47 homes in Charlton with private wells poisoned by the archaic practice of burying oil tankers underground. In many of those cases it took years for contamination to show in the wells and it took even longer to find a resolution. In every case, the folks affected are still drinking from bottled water.

In Uxbridge, activists have sounded the alarm about a practice they feel could very well lead to contaminated drinking wells (There’s plenty of evidence to support the existence of contamination on the sites themselves, but not so much in the water table).

But where the fight in Charlton is now, after decades, moving to a resolution, the one in Uxbridge is just beginning.

“For us, the sensitivity is that both sites are directly over the Blackstone aquifer, which is our primary water supply,” said Franz. “Our town wells are there and the areas those sites are are surrounded by private wells, people drawing directly off the aquifer, so our major concern is that that aquifer doesn’t get contaminated.”

Under pressure from locals, the property owner, Elias Richardson, and the soil broker, Patrick Hannon, signed an agreement with the DEP called an ACO in August 2016, which required random sampling and testing of incoming loads, among other things.

Since the ACO was signed, 10 trucks were found by outside inspectors to have harmful chemicals in higher concentrations than allowed. The first load to test high came from a Roxbury Community College project on Dec. 6, 2016. It contained Benzo(a)pyrene, a carcino-

board complained that thus far, the incoming trucks had failed two samples of out of five, giving it a 40-percent failure rate if extrapolated.

“It is difficult to understand how MassDEP has determined that an on-site soil testing frequency of approximately one in 1,000 loads and groundwater testing once annually adequately protects the residents of Uxbridge,” the board wrote. “Given the soil sample failure rate of 40 percent by the Independent Third Party at this time, it appears that a review is

TWO SITES

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n February, a Worcester Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction against the property owners and soil broker at the two reclamation sites.

The order put a temporary stop to the practice as a myriad of lawsuits proceed, but it came after almost four years, and each site contains at least hundreds of thousands of tons of trucked-in soil.

The practice started in 2014, first at a site on Millville Road, owned by Immanuel Corp., which, at the time, was called Rolling Hills.

Shortly after, soil dumping picked up at the South Street site, in late 2015 to 2016, according to nearby residents who became active in the fight against the practice.

The South Street site, known as Green Acres, has accepted soil from the Wynn Everett Casino project, the Peabody Essex Museum expansion project in Salem, roadwork projects in Lynn, developments in Brookline and Brighton, among others, according to DEP documents.

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Susan Franz is among those raising concerns in Uxbridge about contaminated soul some fear will affect water supplies.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

genic chemical connected to skin cancer and tumors.

Shortly after, on Jan. 10, 2017, the town of Uxbridge filed a cease and desist against all soil importation. While the work stopped at the Millville Road site, the work at Green Acres on South Street kept going until the preliminary injunction. Between the filing of the cease and desist and the injunction, nine more trucks were found to contain harmful chemicals and heavy metals, from petroleum vapors to lead to petroleum hydrocarbons.

As the dumping continued, the Uxbridge Board of Health looked to the DEP for further enforcement. In a March 13, 2017 letter, the M AY 24 - 30, 2018

warranted to protect public health.”

Mary Jude Pigsley, the regional DEP director, responded in April, saying the fact the trucks failed inspection and were rejected meant the protocols were working. The site accepted truck loads until the injunction from the court.

In all, 10 trucks failed inspection and were rejected during 17 monthly inspections from August, 2016 to February, 2018, according to DEP documents. Several others were quarantined temporarily for testing but eventually cleared. But, during that time, it’s estimated 8,000 trucks dumped loads on the property, dumping about 353,000 tons of material. Franz and others feel the independent inspectors

were not testing nearly enough trucks.

“You know, you would need to sample more than 400 to have a scientific sample,” she said.

“And the unscientific sample looks kind of bad on the face of it.”

While there has been extensive testing of incoming loads to the South Street site, there has not been much oversight at all of the Millville Road site, and little is known of the material dumped there, or the condition of the soil.

Meanwhile, circumstantial evidence shows there could yet be a problem. Eddie Martinson, a man who lives next door to the Green Acres property, said he had his private well test positive for toluene, a chemical used in paints as a drying agent, on April 23, 2016, just a few months after soil reclamation activity began next door. Since then, he said, he hasn’t used the water for anything besides cleaning, instead relying on water brought from another well down the street, he said.

There’s no way to connect for sure the toluene contamination to the soil reclamation activity next door. But Martinson said he feels it was no coincidence.

“I couldn’t believe what they were doing,” said Martinson.

He had been opposed to the industrial use of the lot since it became a gravel pit in the mid-90s. But the soil reclamation project took the lot to a new direction.

“When this started,” he said, “it kind of changed things.”

Over at Millville Road, across the street from the Rolling Hills site, a private well tested positive in February for TCE and PCE above acceptable levels, according to a MassDEP report. That test was part of a follow-up DEP investigation of contamination coming from another, unrelated contamination incident on Kempton Road in Millville. As a result, the DEP said at a presentation in April they intend to test about 50 more wells on Millville Road.

PRIVATE WELLS

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ost of the town’s water supply, both private wells and the town water system, comes from the Blackstone aquifer, on which both Rolling Hills and Green Acres sit, according to GIS data.

Uxbridge is a small, post-industrial community of modest means. If there were a contamination event that rendered part of the aquifer useless, Uxbridge officials wouldn’t be able to do much about it. To resolve such an issue, Selectmen Chair Justin Piccirillo said the town

feature would have to extend its municipal water supply, which could cost upward of $10 million.

“We don’t have the money for it, and the state is unwilling to support us in any way,” said Piccirillo.

Piccirillo was the only town official who agreed to be interviewed for this story. Others, including the remaining four selectmen and the town manager, declined to comment, given the ongoing legal action, or simply did not respond.

As it stands, the town’s municipal supply is already overburdened. Just this March, the town had to bring it to Town Meeting vote to lift a moratorium on new connections to assist a home with well water contaminated by the Kempton Road incident. The pumping station supplying that area now has 186 connections and it was built for 150 houses.

The decision to allow soil reclamation, Piccirillo said, unfairly targets small agrarian communities like Uxbridge. The policy demonstrates that the developments in Boston are more important to state leaders than the health and safety of the town.

“So a lot of this has come down to money and jobs and big political decisions that got us here,” he said. “But not a lot of consideration for the town.”

BIG BUSINESS

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hile the practice of soil reclamation is unpopular among locals, it stands to make some people good money.

Seen by construction firms as a cheaper alternative to landfills or incinerators, projects can save millions using soil reclamation sites, and brokers, like Hannon, stand to make millions arranging deals between developers and landowners.

Recently, Hannon’s son, Patrick Hannon Jr., advertised in the Massachusetts Municipal Association classified ads, promising $60 million in host agreement money for towns willing to allow soil farming activity.

Uxbridge isn’t the only town that saw a reclamation site open. The soil reclamation policy led to nine sites around Massachusetts,

including Dudley, Rutland, Westford, Tewksbury, Saugus, Bridgewater, Carer and Kingston, according to data compiled by activists. And that’s only sites that have ACO agreements, Franz warned. There could very well be others.

When the practice started, Uxbridge had a ban on landfills, but no protections against soil reclamation activities. Since then, Town Meeting has passed a soil bylaw that would require Hannon and others to get a permit through the town, and are working on getting a rule change in the Legislature to implement recall elections in town. The bill has been heard several times, but has not yet come out of committee, according to the state’s bill tracker.

The action in Uxbridge has inspired other towns to pass similar protections. In January, health officials in Middleboro passed new regulations that banned the importation of contaminated soil to town. The Middleboro regulation was, in part, modeled after the Uxbridge bylaw, which passed in 2016.

THE LAWSUITS

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hough Hannon declined to comment for this story and Richardson could not be reached for comment, they have been active in town. Since Uxbridge officials have hit the companies with tighter enforcement measures, the pair have fired back with a dizzying number of lawsuits. In total, there was one case in federal court, which has been dismissed, and five in various jurisdictions at the state level.

Two lawsuits, in land court, seek to challenge the town’s interpretation of zoning laws.

Two cases against the Board of Health seek to challenge the cease and desist order.

The federal case, which was dismissed last year, alleged a violation of civil rights when Hannon was kicked out of a town board meeting.

Before his legal war with the town, Hannon served as chair of the Conservation Commis-

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feature sion, a role he was appointed to by previous Town Manager David Genereux. Genereux was also the one to initially usher in Hannon’s soil reclamation projects, according to the ACO agreement, and some in town government feel he did so without the consent of other officials.

Franz said the extent of legal problems and inter-town drama the push against the soil broker has caused has been staggering.

“As far as within town politics, (Hannon)’s not afraid to weaponize government, and he weaponizes it for his own benefit,” Franz said.

“A lot of this is control. He wants the town to get out of his way, and the town has refused to do that. This is a really small town standing up to a really big guy.”

CITIZENS FOR CLEAN WATER

O

pposition to Hannon and the soil reclamation projects has coalesced around a Facebook group called Uxbridge Citizens for Clean Water, which has more than 800 members.

The group was started by Wendy Richardson Timmons, cousin of Elias Richardson and property abutter. She was among the first to raise issue with the soil dumping activity.

Now the group works almost like a crowdsourced research engine. Folks do their own digging on DEP documents and court cases and share their finding with the group, which gives important or newsworthy information a signal boost.

“We’ve all gone through hundreds and hundreds of pages of documents,” said Franz.

“We’re the little town that could.”

Since obtaining the injunction, the group has turned its efforts to making sure a soil reclamation business cannot again open in Uxbridge. Timmons said she wants to see the town pass an aquifer overlay protection district.

The group is also working on what to do to have the soil at Green Acres and Rolling Hills removed or at least tested.

“Whatever it takes,” said Timmons.

The group is working with Toxic Action and Clark University on next steps in the fight, she added.

Others, like Franz, who is also a prominent member of the group, are pushing for statewide protections, including a mitigation fund that soil haulers and construction firms would

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pay in to, in the event a contamination event happens. That way, she said, those left with dirty well water wouldn’t have to wait years for the courts to decide who is liable.

POLITICAL ANGLE

Brian Plasko, another candidate friendly to the cause also, beat out incumbent Jim Hogan and challenger Christopher Grant in the town elections this Tuesday. Also running on an environmental activism platform was Joann Lindenmayer, who won a Board of Health seat on Tuesday as well.

“A lot of us, we’ve been working on this for

pounds – and how long it would take those chemicals to seep through the ground and into the aquifer below.

As I thought about it, I was reminded of something Martinson showed me – an article quoting Patrick Hannon speaking at a Board of Selectmen meeting in Rutland as an expert on soil reclamation projects in 2013.

T

he issue may have ramifications outside of Uxbridge. In the race for the Worcester Norfolk state senate seat, a young Democratic challenger to Ryan Fattman is making the soil reclamation sites a campaign issue.

Tom Merolli calls the regulations that allow for this sort of soil dumping a legal loophole, and one that should be closed. If elected, he said he would try to close the loophole with an amendment, and he accused Fattman, the Sutton Republican who has held the seat since 2014, of being inactive on the issue.

“I just found it weird that he’s been so silent on it,” said Merolli on a recent phone interview.

“There’s residents that feel this is a huge issue, everyone I talk to at the door speaks about this and I just find it strange that to this point no amendments have been filed to solve this issue.”

He called it a “no-brainer” to file legislation that prevents soil reclamation projects from landing on top of aquifers, and said he’d like to require that all soil reclamation projects have a liner and more state oversight.

Further, Merolli is among a chorus of voices from Uxbridge calling for a mitigation fund that soil haulers and construction firms pay into, so that should the soil contaminate groundwater, the town could act immediately to clean it up.

But Fattman pushed back on the assertion he’s been inactive on the issue.

“This issue has been around long before campaign season, and I’ve worked to be an advocate,” he said in a statement sent to Worcester Magazine. “We’ve worked to secure $2.5 million for Uxbridge and its water treatment program to help ensure people know what’s coming out of their faucets.”

He also pointed to the recall petition rule change, which he helped the town government file in the Legislature.

The political ramifications are also local, and showed at the town elections earlier this week. Franz, a Finance Committee member, won a Board of Selectmen seat, where opinions on the soil reclamation business are more or less split across the five-member board.

M AY 24 - 30, 2018

Uxbridge Selectmen Chair Justin Piccirillo: “So a lot of this has come down to money and jobs and big political decisions that got us here. But not a lot of consideration for the town.”

ELIZABETH BROOKS

two and a half years and we’re now becoming active in the town because we’re still seeing pressure from Hannon to try and take over our town government,” Franz said.

DOWN THE ROAD

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ack at the big mound at the South Street site, storm clouds started to gather along the tree line and the scent of rain snaked through the humid air. The area was slated for the most violent thunderstorm of the year later that night, and I couldn’t help but think about all the pollutants likely trapped in that soil, the lead, the petroleum byproducts, the carcinogenic com-

Martinson held a print-out of a Holden Landmark article in his hand and read a line from it, in which Hannon was quoted telling Rutland officials not to allow a farmer there to accept soil from contaminated construction sites.

“It’s nothing you will know right away,” the article quoted him as saying, “but 10 or 15 years go by and you might find you let a big problem into town.”

Martinson slapped the paper with the back of his hand and shook his head.

“Sounds like he knows what he’s talking about,” he said.

culture

Ian Petrie prepares his layout for the Artists-inResidence exhibition.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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culture

Worcester Center for Crafts showcases Artists-in-Residence JOSHUA LYFORD

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Paige Ward makes finishing touches on her work.

ELIZABETH BROOKS

Worcester Film Wars returns JOSHUA LYFORD

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he Worcester Film Wars began humbly enough, as two friends discussed making films at a cookout. Now, in its third year, the event has grown into something larger than either could have imagined. On May 24-27 teams are tasked with writing, filming and editing a short film - from scratch - that will premiere at Ralph’s Diner Saturday, June 2.

“The whole point of this was that me and Anthony [Bridgford] wanted to make films,” recalled Molly McGrath, co-founder of Worcester Film Wars. “We started talking about it over a cook-

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out, back when we first started. We both wanted to make films and that first year, we got to make them. After that, I was just sort of running this thing, there’s no time to make a film. Anthony is feeling that as well.”

McGrath is standing behind the counter at Grime-New and Used Clothing, her Shrewsbury Street consignment shop. Co-founder Anthony Bridgford is leaning against the counter.

“Literally, last year between doing the technical stuff, getting everything together and making my own film, it felt like I took a year off of my life,” Bridgford said.

The reception toward the film contest has been massive. While McGrath and Bridgford were expecting a few teams and some fans to come watch the premieres, it has grown exponentially since its inception. Last year, McGrath ran out of voting ballots, of which she had 350.

C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E M AY 24 - 30, 2018

he Worcester Center for Craft’s aptly named “Artists-in-Residence” exhibition opens at the center’s Krikorian Gallery Thursday, May 24, 5:30-7:30 p.m., and while the artists bustle about the gallery, setting up their pieces and perfecting the layout of the space, their individual efforts and contribution to the larger community of makers is on full display.

“We’re all residents here at the Craft Center, that’s what we have in common,” said Paige Ward, one of the center’s artists-in-residence and a ceramics artist and maker from Idaho. “It is balancing the narrative and making that somewhat cohesive. I think because the residency is to work on our own bodies of work, that is what we step forward with.”

Ward is joined in the open area abutted by personal studio space by Abby Nohai from the Hudson Valley area of New York, Faith Connor from Massachusetts, Ian Petrie from Minnesota and Jon Glabus from Illinois. Each of them have come to the Craft Center, accepted into the Artists-in-Residence program and honing their ceramics skills.

“I wanted experience in the field and I felt like this offered that and catered to that in terms of functional ceramics,” said Nohai.

The artists and makers are milling about the Krikorian Gallery, now filled with empty

pedestals, boxes of artwork and various stacks of pottery, plates and various other forms of art that will be transformed into a cohesive group show by the Thursday launch.

Tom O’Malley is the head of ceramics and photography at the Worcester Center for Crafts. He sees the residency program as a benefit to both those participating and the center itself.

“The program offers the Craft Center a range of assets,” O’Malley said. “We are able to bring in new artists with new vision and new energy as well as resources for the studio in terms of teaching, development of classes and workshops, plus we can utilize these residents for their skills.

In ceramics, they’ll load kilns and mix glazes.

They can provide public demonstrations. They do some outreach on an as needed basis. They’re a wonderful resource.”

O’Malley pegs the program at more than 30 years running, and while he and the staff are willing to offer help and advice as needed when it comes to the exhibition, this is the artists-inresidence show and their decisions to make.

“We look at the whole residency year as a learning experience,” he said. “The show is orchestrated by the residents, in terms of making the body of work. It represents their avenue of exploration, but also, they learn all the behind the scenes that go into a show. Developing press releases, developing an exhibition plan, how do C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E

culture you bring nine people together in one space?

The show works best when they see it through.

When it is appropriate, we will give key advice, but really, it is all up to them. It celebrates their vision and our program.”

While finishing up last-minute additions to the gallery, some artists are in their studio space.

Others squint their eyes and imagine what the space could, or should, look like. The individual work is highly varied and it will be interesting to see how the residents bring them together in a cohesive fashion, from Jon Glabus’ inspiration in the mountains and hills of New England — a stark contrast to his Illinois home — to Faith Connor’s artistic reaction to experiences in her own life.

FILM WARS

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P R E V I O U S PA G E

“It’s truly representative of Worcester, because it’s all different walks of life, it’s all different kinds of people that show up,” said Bridgford. “You have movies that are so incredibly bad, they’re good.

They’re hilarious. On the polar opposite side, you have guys that are making movies that are basically Hollywood-caliber.”

While the filmmakers and their crews have just three days to write, film and edit their pieces, they also must include a randomly-selected prop.

The prop selection process, which is a big part of the fun, has changed in the initial two years. In year one, it was a Yankee Swap-style prop swap.

Last year, it was a massive wheel a la Wheel of Fortune.

“Me and Anthony agree when we first started doing this that we didn’t want to force anyone to do a specific genre film,” said McGrath. “So, if Anthony wants to make a horror movie, he can do that, that’s his right to do whatever kind of film he wants. We didn’t want it to be restrictive for anyone.”

Of course, there were unforeseen issues with a bring-your-own-prop style swap.

“I really made this in response to my anxiety and depression, ceramics helps me deal with it,” said Connor, swirling a pot in her hands. “I found parallels between how I was making these and how I was feeling. The dots, I was dealing with some nervous, anxious feelings. The pieces that look diseased and kind of gross, making something that I think is beautiful out of these behaviors that were destructive.”

with Stephen Gostkowski!

The Artists-in-Residence exhibition opens on Thursday, May 24 at the Worcester Center for Crafts’ Krikorian Gallery, 25 Sagamore Road. The art will remain on display through June 23. For more information on the Craft Center, head to Worcester.edu/wcc

“We didn’t think to say, ‘Don’t bring any sharp objects,’ or ‘Don’t bring 5 pounds of cabbage or something that might get broken,’” said McGrath.

“Someone brought something that was their grandmother’s that needed to be given back.”

“You’re essentially letting someone borrow an item and then expecting strangers to take care of it and return it,” added Bridgford.

For year two, Bridgford and McGrath stepped their game up, moving on from the prop-swap to the massive prop wheel.

“I wanted a wheel. Last year, I wanted a wheel,” said McGrath. “I wanted it to be showy at launch.

I told my friend in Atlanta, I really want to make a wheel and he loves to tinker. He makes a giant wheel, almost 5 feet tall. He had to ship it from Atlanta to Worcester in a bunch of different pieces. It was taped together by like eight rolls of tape.”

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Kick off the Season0

Worcester Film Wars, the three day film-making event, kicks off May 24 and runs through May 27.

Sign ups are held online at Worcesterfilmwars.com.

On Thursday evening, a team representative heads to Ralph’s Diner, 148 Grove St., to select a prop and begins filming. All the films that make the cut will be premiered at Ralph’s on June 2 at sundown.

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M AY 24 - 30, 2018

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GOTH GOLLY, GEE WHIZ: It’s a goth darn Goth Dance Party. On Thursday, May 31, Ralph’s Diner is playing host to “Black Transmission Presents: Goth Dance Party Vol. 1.”

Bands on the show include Sisters of Shadowwe from Boston as well as House of Harm (they are absolutely fantastic, if you’ve never seen them play) and Variable Man, the debut of Worcester’s newest New Wave act, which I’m going to dub a Worcester supergroup in black shirts. There will also be a DJ playing new wave, goth and post punk jams (I honestly wouldn’t be able to define goth jams, but I’d like to think I know it when I hear it). Look, obviously this is going to be a good time and it’s only six bucks, so there is no excuse not to go and probably even buy fishnet armlets. Thursday is tough and it means there is a zero percent chance I get my weekly copy in on time on Friday, but sometimes in this life you have to make sacrifices. This event is cool enough that I’ll even forgive barback Razzle for his false wine glass shattering accusation last week.

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HAVE A BIT OF INTEGRITY, WILL YA?: I am full on manic today and I don’t even know what’s coming out of my fingertips. This item is one of those rare exceptions I’ll make and write about Boston for once. Here’s why: There’s an important Worcester connection. Legendary hardcore/metal act Integrity is heading to The Middle East in Cambridge on May 29, which is cool, but wouldn’t allow me to violate my self-imposed radius clause. What makes it work is that Integrity will be joined by Florida’s Bloodlet, Boston’s Colin of Arabia and Worcester’s favorite crossover-thrash sons, High Command. This is a rad show and if you’re feeling saucy, you should probably make the trip. If tickets haven’t sold out yet, they likely will, so track down the Facebook event page and buy yourself some.

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again folks, baseball season. To kick it off, the Worcester Bravehearts take on the Nashua Silver Knights at the Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field on May 30. From the Bravehearts website, there will be post-game fireworks, which is cool and all, but really, let’s cut to the chase. Watch some solid local baseball while mowing fried food and annihilating beers, that’s the whole point here. Plus you can annihilate beers with your family, if someone has loved you enough to craft a brood from scratch. I am cold and alone, so I’m drinking for two. Go Bravehearts and hey, Jake the Lion, give me a high five for once would ya?

WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS…: it becomes necessary to discuss the Declaration of Independence, you’re in luck! Because on May 31 the American Antiquarian Society will be hosting a panel discussion about it. The shindig kicks off with a 40-minute performance piece about the document and will be wrapped up with a tidy discussion.

Get educated, I hold those truths to be self evident.

Worcester-Boston Full Service Radio for New England 20

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

M AY 24 - 30, 2018

WORCESTER MAGAZINE REPORTERS CAUGHT JUICING: Yeah, that’s right. Did you notice how this week was a little extra insane? Well, if you happened to catch the Bill and Josh Excellent Radio Hour Adventure last Friday on Unity Radio 102.9 FM in Worcester (or streaming live at worcestermagazine.com), you may have noticed we were challenged to a three day juice cleanse. Bill Shaner and I take challenges very seriously and while I have many interests in my life, talking shit after accomplishing something is priority number one. By the time you read this, the three-day juice cleanse will have been finished, but I’m typing from the past, like a lo-fi time traveler, and I am mid-way through day two. Now, before you email me about the health detriments or supposed benefits, I don’t care. This was entirely about proving that we could do something that folks said we couldn’t. Day One was admittedly brutal, but Day Two, we woke up feeling like a million bucks. Still, my brain was scattered and I’m not sure if a single thing I’ve written makes any sense, my apologies. Shout out to Tom Matthews and Eric Lindquist from the Worcester Joshua Lyford Railers for inspiring this. Shaner/Lyford beach Culture editor swimsuit calendar releasing soon. @Joshachusetts

culture

DON’T REPLACE. REFACE

FACTORY FINISHES APPLIED IN-HOME

Lifestyle SARAH CONNELL

Getting Canned

The 110 Grill is officially open on Front Street, and aside from launching fun spring specials like the Mediterranean mussels and chicken lettuce wraps, our new neighbor is paying mind to seasonal beverage trends. Thoughtful “buzz-free” options are perfect for sipping outside by the firepit like the raspberry lime rickey and the 110 sparkling blackberry lemonade. The restaurant is also introducing its own 110 Grill rosé, served by the can. Canned wines have experienced rapid growth as sustainable vessels over the past two years. Not only do cans chill faster, but they also help to avoid oxygen and light exchange. The 110 Grill’s signature canned rosé boasts notes of red fruit, flower, citrus and melon hailing from the Southeast region of France and Mediterranean coast.

Road Trip

REFINISHING

The Test Kitchen is coordinating a cross-cultural American culinary adventure with beer, wine and cocktails. For $85 per person on Friday, May 25, guests will enjoy dishes inspired by Washington D.C., Michigan, Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore and San Diego. For each destination, the chefs have selected an iconic ethnic dish.

For example, the Houston course will feature a Viet Cajun crawfish and shrimp boil with cobb corn and chili lime butter. Viet-Cajun crawfish emerged as a fundamental part of Houston’s dining scene twenty years ago. The Fall of Saigon marked major growth in the Gulf Coast’s Vietnamese population, making the region ripe for fresh culinary influence. In the interim, Houston has been widely considered America’s most diverse city and has, in turn, sparked an American appreciation for Viet-Cajun crawfish – a new interpretation of a southern classic.

PAINTING REFACING

The Cabinet

Rehab Shop

Spreading the Word

There is something highly personal about handwriting. My first year as a teacher, I had over 100 students and I could identify every nameless paper by thickness of script and the size and shape of each letter. I knew my students’ handwriting just as well as I knew their homework habits.

But in a digital age where the written word is punched out on a keyboard and rarely penned by hand, we have come to commend the ancient art of calligraphy. Instagram is flanked with talented calligraphers. (Just check out @calligraphile, @jessiekatzgreenberg, and @imagine876 for inspiration.) And on Thursday May 24, you have a chance to preserve your penmanship at a Sip & Script workshop hosted by Crompton Collective. Learn the basics of modern calligraphy with a pointed dip pen and ink, then add special lettered touches to stationary, envelopes, and gifts. Class will include two hours of instruction and demonstration, a beginner’s calligraphy kit, writing materials, wine, spirits, and refreshments. Class starts at 6 p.m. at a cost of $65.00 and always sells out quickly.

I Dream of Ice Cream

On May 24, 4-7 p.m., the Scoop Daddy is hosting an ice cream social at Food Truck Row. Food Truck Row regularly hosts local lunchtime favorites like The Dogfather, Sabor Latino, Pangea, Teddy’s Lunchbox, Captain Ron’s, and Big T’s Jerky House in the municipal parking lot at 40 Highland St., directly behind Worcester Memorial Auditorium. At Thursday’s social, passersby can expect free samples of Gibson’s ice cream on their way home from work along with an opportunity to meet the chefs of Worcester’s finest food trucks. As always, parking is free.

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Business is booming at Greater Good Imperial Brew Co. on Millbrook Street.

Pork Sausage and Pints

Everyone is talking about Greater Good Imperial Brew Co., Millbrook Street’s new kitchen and taproom. The current menu includes key collaborations with our favorite butchers from Kummerspeck, including “V” braised fleischwurst. “V” is Greater Good’s first beer in the “8 is the new 5” series, referring to their aptitude for high abv brews that range from 8-12 percent. Greater Good is open from 3-9 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday; and 12-6 p.m. Sundays.

Sarah Connell contributing writer M AY 24 - 30, 2018

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M AY 24 - 30, 2018

La Scala 183 Shrewsbury St. 508-753-9912 Lascalashrewsburystreet.com

S

hrewsbury Street’s “restaurant row” is where community, history and family meet. With a half dozen Italian eateries to choose from (and that’s not counting another handful within walking distance of the strip) you’ve got room to be fastidious about your fusilli. There are fine dining options, neighborhood spots with a bar scene after dark and quiet political hangouts. Then, there are bonafide family tables where presumably, everyone in the dining room grew up on the same block.

When it comes to the latter, La Scala should be your first choice. Exhibit A is an inscription on the menu that reads, “Benvenuto al nostro desco familiare, non vediamo l’ora di vedervi al piu presto,” which translates to: “Welcome to our family table, we look forward to seeing you soon.” Exhibit B is the sign above the host stand proclaiming, “It is what it is.”

The staff at La Scala are homegrown and welcoming. Service is patient and attentive. Dishes arrive with enormous spoons, urging guests to share with family (or at least act like family) because no one is shy at La Scala. You’d better bring your appetite if it’s a Wednesday, when all-you can-eat chicken, pasta, salad and fries will cost you under $14 and save you the gas money to Harrisville, R.I. La Scala’s interior space resembles a kitchen in one of the neighborhood’s modest homes. Wood paneling, exposed brick, clean tile floors, and patterned metal ceiling blocks make this place the sort of restaurant families can go after baseball practice with their little leaguers still dressed in uniform. An ominous wooden oar hangs above the bar and the twinkle of Christmas lights bounce off of a faux crystal chandelier by the window. Modern looking chairs with back slats provide a comfortable view of a steep stairway that leads up to the kitchen where homemade tomato sauce is simmering on the stove.

The menu is curious in some of its offerings.

The small signature antipasto can really serve two as an appetizer, emerging on a heaping plate with peppers, red onions, olives, iceberg lettuce, bits of sliced cheese and a smattering of cured meats.

Eggrolls ($10) and a PuPu platter ($15) feel out of place amidst bruschetta ($6) and caprese ($8), though they each offer their own Italian spin.

I suggest you start with something traditional, like the crock meatballs ($10) - two fluffy clouds topped with provolone and served with grilled garlic bread. The small signature antipasto ($6) can really serve two as an appetizer, emerging on a heaping plate with peppers, red onions, olives, iceberg lettuce, bits of sliced cheese and a smattering of cured meats. University students take note: this is the deal of the century.

Wine service makes for a pleasant pairing. Try the easy-drinking Giulio Straccali Chianti ($30), which emits the faint aroma of leather and shows flavors of ripe red fruit with a clean finish.

If you value a dish that will make you sweat, then you’ll find the veal Milan ($20) with penne irresistible. The pasta has a boisterous spring to it and the lightly breaded veal will arrive sauteed with hot cherry peppers and artichoke hearts in a white wine sauce. For something lighter and brighter, try the Francesca sautee ($20) served with shrimp, linguine, sweet peas and prosciutto, then finished in a roasted red pepper white wine sauce.

The menu needs work. A narrower focus would help to eliminate misplaced items like chicken fingers and burgers, which don’t have a clear place under La Scala’s tight Italian familystyle concept. The “Signature Items” section feels like a relief amidst a menu offering over 90 dishes until you realize that more than one of these signature options has a little red starburst next to it proclaiming it a “NEW” dish. Then again, they warned us from the start that “It is what it is.”

Your kids will love La Scala and so will you.

This isn’t just the most family friendly restaurant on Shrewsbury Street, it’s also the most economical. Large portions, reasonable prices and home cooked fare are a guarantee.

Our last date at La Scala totalled $89.88.

Food HHH1/2 Ambience: HHH Service: HHH1/2 Value: HHHH

culture ‘Deadpool’ resurrected JIM KEOGH

T

he box-office success of “Deadpool” made “Deadpool 2” as inevitable as ticks in the woods. It was coming for us, and there was nothing we could do about it.

In this case, it’s okay. “Deadpool” was created for those who enjoy a solid R-rated superhero picture, the kind that can make a disemboweling seem like the world’s funniest fart joke.

Ryan Reynolds reprises his role as Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, the wisecracking former Special Forces soldier who volunteered as the guinea pig for an experimental treatment to stave off Stage 4 cancer and emerged as a disfigured yet superhumanly gifted, anti-hero.

He’s turned himself into a toxic avenger, traveling the world to gut drug kingpins, human traffickers and other assorted criminal types with his ninja blade. His mission is captured in montage form to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” (like its predecessor, this film masterfully employs counterintuitive soft-music artists, Air Supply and Enya, to choreograph hyperviolent sequences).

A personal tragedy leaves Deadpool wishing for his own death, which he tries to enact, unsuccessfully, with barrels of petroleum and a match. He auditions for the X-Men, only reaching trainee status before he’s arrested and tossed into a special jail for mutants. There, he befriends Russell (Julian Dennison), a teenager capable of igniting fireballs in the palms of his hands and hurling them at people — because what use is an unhurled fireball? Russell is being hunted by a vicious super soldier named Cable (Josh Brolin), who has traveled Terminator-like from the future to take him out for distinctly personal reasons.

“Deadpool 2” captures the same profane, irreverent spirit that made the first one a surprise hit. What it loses in originality it compensates for with throw-it-at-the-wall mayhem and humor, just to see what sticks — it may be bits of brain, or a good joke.

I haven’t seen the first “Deadpool” in a while, but my sense is this one relies far more on actions sequences, which gets tired. Pointless battles involving characters who can’t be injured — the ghostly sailors in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” Superman when he’s not around kryptonite — bore me.

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One thing I’ve noticed about Deadpool movies is their inability to hold true to the laws of their comic-book universe. Deadpool is essentially immortal, capable of being blown to pieces, then having his entire body regenerate. If he can be riddled with machine-gun fire and apparently feel no pain, why, then, does he run down an alley screaming in fear when pursued by thugs with pistols, or howl in agony when stabbed in the leg? I don’t mean to be that guy, but the inconsistency bugs me.

Characters from the original, including Wade’s bartender buddy (J.T. Miller), girlfriend (Morena Baccarin) and blind landlady (Leslie Uggams) are back for another go-around. Deadpool also assembles his own Suicide Squad-ish band of misfits whose lone mission — the skydiving am-

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bush of a prisoner caravan — starts off in thrilling fashion and ends horribly and hilariously. Pay special attention as Steve Buscemi look-a-like Bill Skarsgard comes to a fitting Buscemi-in“Fargo” end.

Writers Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Ryan Reynolds keep the torrent of snarky one-liners and pop-culture references jetting from Reynolds’ masked mouth (Deadpool periodically turning to the audience to decry the “lazy” writing is the ultimate inside joke). It’s fun stuff for a May day at the movies.

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M AY 24 - 30, 2018

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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culture ELIZABETH BROOKS

Through Sept. 2 Exploring the Myths of James Dye

Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St. A reminder to head to the Worcester Art Museum to check out local artist James Dye’s incredible exhibition of work.

Thursday, May 24 Artist in Residence Exhibition 2018

Worcester Center for Crafts, 25 Sagamore Rd. Ceramic and glass art on display in the Krikorian Gallery, an exhibition from the Craft Center’s artists in residence. Opening is on May 24, the show runs through June 23.

Friday, May 25 Hammerfall

Worcester Palladium, 261 Main St. Swedish heavy metal act Hammerfall is joined by thrash act Flotsam and Jetsam at the Worcester Palladium. General admission is $30 via Ticketfly.com.

Friday, May 25 The Flock returns to the Cove!

The Cove Music Hall 89 Green St. Fan favorites, the Flock of Assholes, return to The Cove Music Hall for their wild take on songs from the ’80s.

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

M AY 24 - 30, 2018

Radio Show & Podcast!

Broadcasting LIVE from Julio's Liquors

Saturday 11am - 1pm!

Listen on WCRN AM830 or stop by Julio’s and join the fun!

No Radio, No problem!

culture Saturday, May 26 Gallery Tour of the Special Exhibition: Rushnyky

Museum of Russian Icons, 203 Union St., Clinton A guided tour of the Rushnyky: Sacred Ukrainian Textiles exhibition by registrar Laura Garrity-Arquitt.

Tuesday, May 29 Faculty Oboe & English Horn Recital

All Saints Church, 10 Irving St. Pakachoag Music School faculty member Colton Ray Cox heads to Vinton Hall to perform an oboe and english horn performance.

Thursday, May 31 Black Transmission Presents: Goth Dance Party Vol: 1

Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St. Sisters of Shadowwe, House of Harm and Variable Man are joined by DJ Mindphaser in this evening of goth dance. 21-plus event, $6 at the door.

Monday, May 28 16th Annual Memorial Duck Race

Auburn Public Library, 369 Southbridge St. Get all your ducks in a row! Or, better yet, win $500 if your duck crosses the finish line first. $5 a duck, $25 for a “six quack” and $50 for a flock of 13.

Money raised goes to the Auburn Junior Women’s Club.

LIVE & LOCAL Jim Polito 5-9 am

WTAG.COM

Jordan Levy 3-6 pm

M AY 24 - 30, 2018

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

25

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.

Angel has a history with WARL. In 2012, Angel came into the

shelter after she was abandoned in an apartment with another dog.

She was here with us for two years in search of a new home! Being as sweet and lovable as she is staff and volunteers could not figure out what took so long. Just recently her loving family had to move to a place that doesn’t accept animals. Heartbroken, her family knew the best thing for her was to find a new family though WARL again.

As if Angel hasn’t had a hard enough life, a couple of weeks ago she was playing in her back yard when a coyote got into the fenced in area and got into a scuffle with her. Angel was bitten a few times, but luckily did not sustain any serious wounds. Angel is healing very well and doesn’t seem to be phased by the event at all. Angel would prefer a home with no other animals to relax in and enjoy her golden years.

This sweet soul is deserving of a loving home full of warm beds, daily walks, and plenty of snuggles.

26

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

M AY 24 - 30, 2018

games “So I Heard”--honestly, it could go either way.

by Matt Jones

JONESIN’

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

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

INSPIRATION Need a friend?

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Across 1 Fake name 6 Beige-y tone 9 Cut down, as a photo 13 Lundgren of “The Expendables” 14 ___ polloi (general population) 15 States of mind 16 Log-rolling contest that sounds like a cowboy contest 17 Cardiologist’s test, for short 18 “Downton ___” 19 QUIP INSPIRED BY RECENT CONTROVERSY, PART 1 22 It may oscillate 23 32,000 ounces 24 Impertinence with an apostrophe 25 QUIP, PART 2 31 Mel in three World Series 32 Completely mess up 33 18-wheeler 34 Candy bar served in twos 37 QUIP, PART 3 38 Microsoft search engine 39 YouTube premium service (or color) 40 Squeezing snakes 42 The Mustangs’ sch.

44 QUIP, PART 4 50 Tiny Greek letter?

51 Musical ability 52 Arced tennis shot 53 QUIP, PART 5 57 Hopeless 58 Fairness-in-hiring abbr.

59 “Aaaaawesome” 60 Santa-tracking defense gp.

61 “___ Blues” (“White Album” song) 62 Comedians Carvey and Gould, for two 63 Prep school founded by Henry VI 64 Scratch (out) a living 65 Group of asteroids named for a god of love Down 1 “Set ___ on Memory Bliss” (P.M. Dawn song) 2 Spongy exfoliant 3 “Fighting” NCAA team 4 Take down ___ (demote) 5 Berate 6 Final film caption 7 Electro house musician Steve known for throwing cakes into

8 9 10 11 12 15 20 21 26 27

28 29 30 34 35 36 37 38 40 41

42 “Don’t leave!” the audience 43 Director July Date, for example 45 Pathfinder automaker Hang-up in the attic?

46 A.A. Milne pessimist Prefix for call or Cop Former NBA #1 draft pick Greg 47 Pacific weather phenomenon who left basketball in 2016 48 Hot Wheels product “Gangnam Style” performer 49 Dwell (upon) Football video game franchise 53 Dig (around) name 54 Cyprus currency, currently Lopsided victory 55 Timid Car with four linked rings 56 Author/linguist Chomsky Word ending two MLB team 57 157.5 degrees from S names “Well, ___ into your hallway Last week's solution / Lean against your velvet door” (Bob Dylan, “Temporary Like Achilles”) Former press secretary Fleischer Element before antimony Kinder Surprise shape Uni- + uni- + uniNeeding a towel Age-verifying cards Register surprise, facially (and just barely) Backside, in Canada Ousted Palindromic “Simpsons” ©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) Reference puzzle #885 character

M AY 24 - 30, 2018

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Estate of: Doris M Flynn Also Known As: Doris Flynn Date of Death: 12/09/2015 To all interested persons: A Petition for Formal Probate of Will with Appointment of Personal Representative has been filed by: Patricia A Flynn of Grafton, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition.

The Petitioner requests that: Patricia A Flynn of Grafton, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond in an unsupervised administration. IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before: 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 06/12/2018. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an affidavit of objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you. UNSUPERVISED ADMINISTRATION UNDER MASSACHUSETTS UNIFORM PROBATE CODE (MUPC) A Personal Representative appointed under the MUPC in an unsupervised administration is not required to file an inventory or annual accounts with the Court. Persons interested in the estate are entitled to notice regarding the administration directly from the Personal Representative and may petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration.

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

Date: May 11, 2018 Stephanie K. Fattman, Register of Probate 05/24/2018 WM

classifieds CONTRACTOR Steven P. Ryan Tile Contractor

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Est. 1987 N.G. www.stevenpryantile.com 508-839-9845; Cell 508-326-0869

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(Never known to fail) O most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity, O Star of the Sea, help me and show me where you are my mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity, (make request). There are none that can withstand your power, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (three times). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (three times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and you must publish it and your request will be granted to you. DMH

LEGAL Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Worcester Probate and Family Court 225 Main St. Worcester, MA 01608 508-831-2200 CITATION ON PETITION FOR FORMAL ADJUDICATION Docket No. WO18P1505EA Estate of: Angelo J Iaconi Date of Death: 03/12/2018 To all interested persons: A Petition for Formal Probate of Will with Appointment of Personal Representative has been filed by: Francesca M Iaconi of Shrewsbury, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition.

The Petitioner requests that: Francesca M Iaconi of Shrewsbury, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond in an unsupervised administration.

IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before: 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 06/12/2018. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an affidavit of objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you.

UNSUPERVISED ADMINISTRATION UNDER MASSACHUSETTS UNIFORM PROBATE CODE (MUPC) A Personal Representative appointed under the MUPC in an unsupervised administration is not required to file an inventory or annual accounts with the Court.

Persons interested in the estate are entitled to notice regarding the administration directly from the Personal Representative and may petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration.

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

Date: May 9, 2018 Stephanie K. Fattman, Register of Probate 05/24/2018 WM

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LEGAL Worcester Housing Authority Invitation For Bids The Worcester Housing Authority invites sealed bids for Backflow Preventer Installation at MA 12-13,15 Webster Square Towers West and East in accordance with the documents prepared by Garofalo Design Associates, Inc. The work is estimated to cost $43,000.

Project consists of but is not limited to: installing back flow preventers in two high-rise buildings.

General Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday June 20, 2018 at the Worcester Housing Authority, Department of Modernization, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Two pre-bid conferences will be held, one at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday June 6, 2018, the second at 2:00 p.m. on Monday June 11, 2018 in the front lobby at 1050 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01603. The Worcester Housing Authority strongly recommends attending at least one, at which time bidders will visit the project site(s) with a Worcester Housing Authority representative. Failure to attend or visit the premises shall be no defense in failure to perform contract terms.

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

Each bid shall be accompanied by a bid deposit in the amount of 5% of the bid price in the form of a Bid Bond, issued by a responsible surety company licensed to do business in Massachusetts, or a certified check, or a treasurer’s or cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company, made payable to the Worcester Housing Authority by bidders for the greatest possible bid amount.

Bid forms and Contract Documents will be made available on the Worcester Housing Authority website (http://www.worcesterha.org/currentbids.html) at no cost. Hard copies will be made available on Wednesday May 23, 2018 at the Worcester Housing Authority, Department of Modernization, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 and thereafter, Monday thru Friday 8:00 A.M. through 4:30 P. M. Copies of the contract documents may be obtained by depositing $50.00 in the form of a company check, made payable to the Worcester Housing Authority, for each set of documents so obtained. The amount of the deposit will be refunded to each person who returns the plans, specifications and other documents in good condition within ten (10) days after bid opening. Bidders requesting contract documents to be mailed to them should include a separate check in the amount of $40.00 for each set payable to the Worcester Housing Authority to cover mailing and handling costs.

The contract documents may be seen, but not removed at: 1. Worcester Housing Authority, Department of Modernization, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 2. F.W. Dodge, 24 Hartwell Ave., Lexington, MA 02173 3. Reed Construction Data, 30 Technology Parkway South, Norcross, GA 30092 4. Project Dog, 18 Graf Road Unit #8 Plan Room, Newburyport, MA 01950 Attention is called to the following: 1. Provisions of Equal Employment Opportunity; 2. Provisions for payment of not less than the minimum wages as set forth in the Specifications; 3. Provisions of Chapter 14, Acts of 1966, Imposing a Temporary Sales Tax, Section 1, Subsection 6 (d) and (k) exempting the Authority from the operation of such a chapter; 4. Requirement to furnish and pay for a Performance Bond and a Labor and Materials Bond as set forth in the specifications, 5. Insurance certificate indicating coverage for public liability, property damage and workers compensation, in accordance with the contract requirements, must be filed by the successful bidder upon signing of the contract.

The contract will be awarded to the responsible and eligible bidder with the lowest proposed contract price including the dollar amount of all accepted alternates.

The Worcester Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids, in whole or in part, or to waive any formalities in the bidding if it be in the public interest to do so. No bid of a General Bidder shall be withdrawn, after opening thereof, prior to thirty (30) days, Saturday, Sundays, and legal holidays excluded, without the consent of the Worcester Housing Authority.

Questions regarding this project shall be submitted in writing 1 week prior to opening by noon time and emailed to Mod-Bids@worcesterha.org Reference the WHA Job Number only in the subject line.

Worcester Housing Authority Joseph P. Carlson, Chairman DATE: MAY 23, 2018

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last call Alice Mizrachi artist U

sually, I conduct my own one-on-one interviews for our Last Call feature, but this week I had some help from the fifth-graders of Swanson Road Intermediate School in Auburn. These youth correspondents spent an entire week with New York-based artist Alice Mizrachi helping her design and paint her latest mural “Gaia.” The wall was named for Greek mythology’s primal Mother Earth goddess, based on the suggestion of one passionate student.

You’ll likely recognize Mizrachi’s work, “Maiden, Mother and Crone,” at the YWCA in Worcester, which was painted during the summer of 2016.

This year, Mizrachi’s visit came in conjunction with a community service learning unit grounded in urban planning and environmental stewardship. In her artist statement, she explains that her work, “Explores the interconnectedness of individuals and community through the dual lens of compassion and empathy.”

Mizrachi estimates she spends four months each year traveling and working in the mediums of painting, mural and installation. She goes on to say: “My public art works often engage local communities and reflect positive visual responses to social issues affecting neighborhood residents. My process activates a space of love, hope, optimism and healing as a means to connect with people.“ In 2018, Mizrachi has painted in Senegal, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

Her visit to Auburn was made possible by a Mass Humanities grant. On Saturday, May 19 Mizrachi unveiled her mural to more than 200 families from the Auburn community who had gathered to celebrate “Mother Earth Day” at Swanson Road Intermediate School, despite the heavy rain. Students expressed intense pride regarding their hands-on participation throughout the creation of “Gaia” and invited their guests to reflect on the question, “How

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do our habits currently and historically help or hurt our land?” as they walked through the school’s arboretum. Mizrachi has served as an arts educator for two decades, working with BRIC Arts, The Laundromat Project and The Studio Museum in Harlem. In addition, she has been recognized and selected to develop arts education curriculum for organizations

a lot of times I would be home and I would have to find things to occupy myself. When I was home, my mom and dad were very artistic. Either my mom would teach me how to crochet or I’d be working on the car with my dad downstairs. I really liked to read. As I began getting older, I realized when I was in my room, instead of just sitting there, I could create art. I discovered drawELIZABETH BROOKS ing and I thought, “Wow, this is a really fun way to express myself.” I could create a whole universe in my own room, almost like a fairytale universe that didn’t allow me to feel so closed in. Drawing made me feel like I could travel to another dimension.

represent a goddess Mother Earth. So what we did is we took a picture of the wall and I was able to outline a sketch of something that I envisioned as being a woman personified as Mother Earth. I’m adding things like flowers, and one of the students suggested vines and butterflies and birds. You can see a symbolic tree is growing out of her hand and maybe

What age did you start getting into painting? Really young. Younger than you. I knew that I enjoyed making art when I was 5 or 6 years old.

But I really got serious about it when I was in middle school.

I had some great art teachers.

In middle school, I had an art teacher named Mrs. Smith, and then in high school I had a teacher named Mr. Potter. Those two teachers were really helpful in encouraging me to paint and draw as much as I could. When I got to high school, my art teacher encouraged me to apply to art school for university. That’s where it really became clear that I was going to be an artist. such as HI-ARTS in Harlem, Dr. Richard La Izquierdo School and Miami Light Project.

Mizrachi has been featured as a panelist in the discussion of community-engaged art at Brown University and The Devos Institute of Arts Management. We have a feeling this won’t be the last we see of her in Central Mass.

What inspired the picture for the mural that you are working on with us? This picture represents an image or a vision that a lot of the students here had. They wanted to M AY 24 - 30, 2018

we’ll add some roots. I thought that was really wonderful, because we took a tour of this school’s arboretum yesterday. Overall, she is the Mother Creator. Mother Nature.

What was your inspiration for doing artwork growing up? When I was young, my parents were really strict with me. They were so protective because they wanted to make sure their little baby girl was going to be kept safe. Sometimes, I would go to the Y and I would go to the swimming pool, but

What’s your favorite color? Wow. It depends on the day of the week and how I’m feeling.

Today, when I look out at your school, I see so many beautiful shades of green. See the trees?

One is a yellow-green, one is a blue-green, one is a red-green. Today I’m really feeling green.

It depends on my mood, where I’m going, and where I’ve been. If I stuck to just one favorite color, that would limit me. I like to keep my options open.

— Sarah Connell

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