Worcester Magazine June 18-24, 2021

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | CULTURE § ARTS § DINING § VOICES

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IN THIS ISSUE

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Worcester Magazine 100 Front St., Fifth Floor Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial (508) 767.9535 WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales (508) 767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com VP, Sales & Strategy Andrew Chernoff Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Veer Mudambi Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Robert Duguay, Liz Fay, Jason Greenough, Janice Harvey, Barbara Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Craig S. Semon, Matthew Tota Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Kate Carr, Diane Galipeau, Sammi Iacovone, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Regina Stillings Sales Support Jackie Buck, Yanet Ramirez Senior Operations Manager Gary Barth Operations Manager John Cofske Worcester Magazine is a news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. The Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement.

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City Voices ..........................................................................7 Cover Story .......................................................................11 Featured ............................................................................15 Artist Spotlight................................................................19 Next Draft .........................................................................20 New on DVD .....................................................................25 Adoption Option.............................................................28 Classifi eds ........................................................................29 Games................................................................................30 Last Call .............................................................................31

On the cover Worcester Community Fridges makes adjustments to combat food insecurity during summer heat.

ASHLEY GREEN / TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

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CITY VOICES WORCESTERIA

Turtle Boy statue renovation reminds Worcester of what’s important Victor Infante Columnist Worcester Telegram & Gazette USA TODAY NETWORK

TURTLE-EYE VIEW, TUESDAY: Worcester City Hall has spent rather a lot of psychic capital portraying Polar Park as the new face of Worcester – and yeah, that creepy bobblehead doll at the Gold Street entrance is certainly in line with the city’s history of vaguely disturbing public art – but in a deft move, the city June 8 returned the focus to the true heart and soul of the city: The Burnside Fountain, better known to

city denizens as Turtle Boy. That’s right, for reasons that we are legitimately too afraid to directly inquire after, the city has cleaned Turtle Boy’s green patina, revealing the bronze Adonis lurking beneath: A bronze Adonis being inappropriate with an equally bronze turtle, one whose strained facial expressions indicate that he really wants no part of this activity. As the song by Worcester’s great barrelhouse blues band, Dr. Gonzo and the Roadkill Orchestra, sang in its cult favorite song, “Turtleboy”: “You better learn when no means no.”

And by “bronze Adonis,” we mean “mostly brownish,” as one imagines they’re not done with restoration proc-

ess yet. Obviously, this is part of the city’s ongoing eff orts to restore the statues on the Worcester Common – they’ve already done so with the John Vincent Power Memorialandthe Civil War Memorial– but one can’t help but think there’s something more at work here, because there are reasons why Turtle Boy is the most beloved statue in town. Sure, it appeals to the city’s sense of humor, one which doesn’t take itself too terribly seriously, but in a lot of ways, the city is a lot like the statue: You can clean it up so that, if you’re not looking at it too closely, it’s just another bronze piece of public art on the city Common, just another memorial among many. But you can shine that bronze up

as nicely as you want, and the statue is still a boy, a turtle and a thousand jokes that have already been told by funnier people.

Turtle Boy has, as mentioned earlier, been the subject of numerous songs; it’s been emblazoned on T-shirts; had music festivals named after it; been the namesake for drinks at local cafes and bars; and, most importantly, been the thing everyone brings their out-of-town friends to get a photo with when they visit. There are people who volunteer their time to keep up the memorial’s appearance, and others who bring it a Santa hat to wear at Christmas. It is utterly See STATUE, Page 8

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Statue Continued from Page 7

ridiculous, and we all know it, and we wouldn’t change a single thing about it. Turtle Boy is, in short, the best of Worcester: It is us at our most absurd, inappropriate best.

So thank you, whoever at City Hall was brave enough to begin the statue’s restoration with little pomp and circumstance. You are a true hero … a person who knows what this madcap city really needs: For every Polar Park, there must be a rejuvenated Turtle Boy to remind us of who we really are.

But now that we’re thinking about it, maybe the Gold Street Bobblehead needs a pet. He looks rather lonely up there …

TURTLE-EYE VIEW, THURSDAY: By the time Thursday afternoon rolled around, things were looking up for Turtleboy. The statue on the

The freshly refurbished Burnside Fountain, more commonly referred to as “Turtleboy.” VICTOR D. INFANTE/ T&G

Worcester Common – offi cially called The Burnside Fountain, but really, no one ever calls it

that – had become the center of a social media maelstrom when it was discovered that it had been cleaned … and even more shockingly, was no longer green, but was instead a sort of muddy brown.

By June 10, Turtle Boy was a shiny, more defi ned blackishbronze, which sources familiar with the process say is pretty close to its original color. The work is being done by conservators from Aegis Restauro – the same company which has preserved numerous other monuments and statues on Worcester Common and elsewhere in the city – and is, apparently, not just cosmetic.

The refurbishment ensures that the beloved statue would last longer, and excepting some routine cleaning, would probably be good for another 20 to 30 years before needing another serious refurbishment. In the past, this would have been needed even less frequently, but the pollution of modern city

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life puts extra wear on bronze statues.

Many commenters on social media decried that the refurbishers were removing the statue’s patina, when it turns out, the opposite was true: The original patina was being restored when possible and repaired where necessary. Some people complained that they preferred the statue green, but in a lot of ways, that’s like telling someone, “You looked so much better before you got healthy.”

Indeed, judging from social media, nearly everyone in the city was suddenly an expert on monument restoration, but one can’t help but think there was something more to the outsized emotional reaction: After all, as we’ve pointed out, statues are refurbished in the city all the time. And while it’s fun to just automatically assume that the city must be just fl at-out doing it wrong, that doesn’t feel quite right, either.

No, perhaps there’s something else at work: After all, Turtleboy isn’t just a statue.

He’s very much an avatar for the city itself. That the city identifi es itself with a statue of a boy having an unhealthy relationship with a turtle is a separate question, entirely, but what happened is, one day, we looked all up and realized that it had changed. Mind, lots of

things have changed, even right there on the Common. It appears construction is about to start where the Notre Dame des Canadiens Church used to stand. Where once was a pornographic theater, now there’s a beer garden. There are trendy restaurants where there used to be empty shop fronts, and WCRN radio has long left the corner of Franklin and Salem streets. Even the Worcester Public Library is getting a makeover.

Whether any of these are positive or negative changes is an exercise for the reader.

Sometimes, change is just change … and Worcester has been undergoing a LOT of change, lately. Turtleboy, however, was supposed to be eternal and unchanging, a touchstone at a time when the city fears losing its identity to luxury apartments and gentrifi cation. Any change to that symbol was going to be a bit jarring.

But the funny thing is, this change wasn’t about taking anything away from the statue, it was about making sure it would endure. So it’s not green anymore. So what? It’s still a Boy and his Turtle, and that’s all we ever wanted it to be: Only now, it’s shinier and more visibly disturbing than ever. We should take that as a win.

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POETRY TOWN

‘An Elegy for Offi cer Manny Familia, a Worcester Hero’ Juan Matos Special to Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK “I love you too, my buddy!” said Manny to his friend their last day on the job.

His open smile was like the flight of a happy bird building the nest it would share.

This gentle son of Worcester wore his uniform his duties his life with such dignity!

ADMIRE THE LAKE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

“Death, you’re out of line!Nobody doubts the mettle of my sons!” roars Worcester, in pain, breathless with sorrow, proud of her countless heroes — selfless, determined, brave men and women — modest in the service of Community.

She knows them all, each one.

She knows Death could have drowned his own beloved son, but never, never diminished his spirit, his willingness to give his all for another.

She knows that Manny — like his brothers and sisters in uniform — did not hesitate for a second, before leaping into deep water, as they all so bravely did.

Nor one asked the color of eyes, of skin … but simply leaped in to do their duty.

The calendar knows it too.

In its incessant hours, ceaseless heartbeats illuminate memories: Paul Brotherton, Timothy Jackson Sr., Jeremiah Lucey, James Lyons III, Joseph McQuirk and Thomas Spencer: firefighters, Worcester heroes, they all leaped into fire as they also bravely did.

�������� Reservations required

Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel “Manny” Familia WORCESTER POLICE DEPARTMENT

“Oh, Death! How wrong you are!

Let there be no doubt as to the caliber of my sons!”

Manny’s path — a smile upon the landscape — nurtured so many lives.

His Mother-Community knows it.

Standing, in tears, she applauds when 13-year-old Jovan Familia throws his fastest ball at Polar Park just two days after his hero Dad jumped in to rescue 14-year-old Troy Love.

They didn’t make it.

Mother Community knows It — and grieves — but the example, the heroic legacy — is forever.

Juan Matos is the Poet Laureate of Worcester

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FIRST PERSON

Save family time for writing your obit Joe Fusco Jr. Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

More and more, older people are writing their own obituaries for their families to post when they kick the proverbial bucket.

Not wanting to miss my online moment of infamy and knowing the Telegram & Gazette charges a bloody fortune per word, I’ve composed my own death notice for my wife and/or off spring to save money for and publish upon the commencement of my dirt nap: Joe Fusco Jr. died unexpectedly at the tender age of 107 of unnatural causes. He leaves his wife of 75 years, Cynthia, who was getting her “points” on her iPad slot machine at the time of his departure.

Joe Fusco Jr. is saving his family some money by writing his own obituary. ANDREW MARTIN

Joe also leaves his four children, fi ve if you count his oldest daughter from his fi rst marriage who hasn’t spoken to him

in 65 years, and a plethora of grandchildren. They are to share the royalties from his 92year-old comic book collection.

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Joe was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on the second fl oor of an Italian-family tripledecker. His mom was a pin-up model for World War II G.I.s and his dad was a grocer and stranger to his son until 1997.

Being the fi rst-born grandson, Joe could just tap on the heating pipes when he was in trouble and his fi rst-fl oor grandmother would rescue him.

Joe went to a parochial school where he got his only detention in 4th grade when he and Mike Solakian re-enacted the JFK assassination. He went to an all-boys Catholic highschool where he was third in a class of 250, averaged 12 points and 9 rebounds for the basketball team, and had an aff air with a 32-year-old journalist while he wrote movie reviews for a socialist newspaper during his senior-year internship.

Joe married his high school sweetheart after his second year at Boston University after four semesters of complete debauchery. Upon graduation, he wrote for a Boston advertising agency (“Richard’s Hair Salon: Your Hair is Why We’re Here!”) until his ex-wife’s disdain for Boston and a serious lack of funds pulled him back to New Haven ala Michael Corleone and into the grocery business.

Joe won an award as “Most Educated Dairy/Frozen Manager” for the Food Marts of Greenwich, Conn., in 1976. A year later, he was beaten up in a New York bar for drunkenly chanting “Free Dave Berkowitz, Free him now!”

Joe’s penchant for alcohol amplifi ed his decision to move to Massachusetts alone to take a store-manager position with his father’s company. He preferred Tanqueray warm in a dirty glass or sake and weed on nights after he closed the store with his good friend and assistant manager Tom Gildea.

Then, Cyndi came along and life became … good.

Joe and Cyndi moved to Worcester, where he spent 9 years as Director of Operations for Goretti’s Supermarkets. He moved on to Victory/Hannaford Supermarkets for 13 years where he found his increasing lack of empathy a detriment to managing people. Thankfully, he returned to Goretti’s as a buyer in 2008. He stayed on another 10 years and looked back on Thursday nights at Piccolo’s on Shrewsbury St. with Mark Goretti and veal parmesan as the high point of his grocery career.

Joe worked briefl y after Goretti’s for another Central Mass. supermarket who let him go for no apparent reason then an even briefer time with Kellogg’s as a salesman (it wasn’t G-R-E-A-T) before retiring during the Pandemic of 2020.

Joe spent his 41 years of retirement writing monthly humor-pieces for Worcester Magazine and the Belgium Times, and establishing a powerful presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok. He bought a plastic Flamingo that pooped and became quite profi cient at cornhole, cooking Italian delicacies for his large family, and woodworking.

In 2023, Joe joined forces with Worcester real-estate magnate Rodrigo DeOliveira in establishing a chain of Vinny’s Male-Boutique/Mini-Golf establishments where patrons could shop for erotic pleasantries while lining up a birdie putt. They sold the chain to OnlyFans/Titleist in 2030.

Joe absolutely cherished Cyndi, his children, grandchildren and close friends. He was lukewarm to the rest of the world.

His headstone reads: Joe Fusco Jr. — 1954 to 2061 — “That was a tad disappointing!”

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COVER STORY

Organizers of Worcester Community Fridges Maria Ravelli and Echo Louissaint pose in front of the fridge on Portland Street during its March 7 opening.

CHRISTINE PETERSON/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Worcester Community Fridges works to beat the heat this summer Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

When Saket Lohia, longtime Worcester resident and owner of Fantastic Pizza, saw people stop at the restaurant asking for a free slice of pizza or a free bottle of water, he knew something had to be done. h “You always see that in Main South where people struggle just to get a drink of water when it’s hot outside — I see the lines in front of the food pantries of families with young children.” h What he did was donate the space for the fi rst Worcester Community fridge on Main Street, having seen reports of the community fridge initiative on Mutual Aid Worcester Facebook page, begun

by Maria Ravelli. It was installed in January. h Now he says, “whether it is 10 below or 100 degrees, it’s the most used fridge — I’ve seen it fi lled about 20 times and emptied as many times. It’s a bit heartbreaking to see people check the fridge and fi nd it empty. Main South is the poorest area in Worcester so this is the real bottleneck, especially because it’s near bus stops.”

See FRIDGES, Page 12

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Saket Lohia and Maria Ravelli stock the community fridge outside Fantastic Pizza, which he owns, on Main South on June 11. ASHLEY GREEN PHOTOS/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Maria Ravelli cleans up trash near the community fridge outside Fantastic Pizza on Main South on June 11.

Fridges Continued from Page 11

A fourth community fridge opened June 5 at 16 Brooks St. “We’re expanding, gearing up and preparing for the heat,” said Echo Louissaint, a key volunteer. “We’ve been suggesting that people put more drinking items in the fridge like water and Gatorade, out of consideration for those who don’t have their own refrigeration or even places to sleep.”

Louissaint, whose radio show, “Word from Echo and Friends” is broadcast on Unity Radio at 5 p.m. Tuesdays, also

lamented the fact that there is not enough communication about the amazing things happening in Worcester. Her show touches on “everything about the community that people don’t know about and should know about or would want to know about,” she said.

She expects that the latest one on Brook Street, across from Kendrick Field, will be accessed by neighborhood kids this summer. It is on the property of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and marks “a fantastic partnership.” Factors that they take into consideration for deSee FRIDGES, Page 13

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Fridges Continued from Page 12

termining the placement of the free fridges are bus access, foot traffi c, handicapped and wheelchair accessible, and in communities in need.

With the heat, WCF is “not necessarily in crisis mode but certainly trying to be proactive,” said founder Maria Ravelli. This not only includes donation requests, such as more fruit and fewer dairy products, but maintaining the actual fridges themselves. “When we were fi rst organizing, we tried to get any fridge in our price range,” said Ravelli, but now the organization is being more selective, searching for garage ready fridges that can withstand the weather year round.

While this may mean a higher initial investment upfront, in the long run, paying for a single, long-lasting appliance is more effi cient than having to purchase multiple cheaper ones as they need to be replaced. “We learned that the hard way with Main Street,” said Ravelli. The search is underway to replace the original community fridge, but the organization intends to eventually update all four. Unfortunately, WCF has been informed that a nationwide fridge shortage means this will be easier said than done.

Wanda Alvarado Eaton, in her second week as a volunteer, is responsible for trips to Shaw’s in Webster Square on Tuesday mornings, to collect donations and distribute them to the fridges. Last week, they were given four boxes (one per fridge), which was a good haul but it fl uctuates depending on the market. “It’s mainly from the clearance rack — it’s still good.” She said a number of agencies and individuals support the community fridges.

“It’s a full fl edged community eff ort — compassionate organizations that recognize that the food insecurity issue doesn’t just aff ect the homeless but

A woman unpacks broccoli for the Portland Street fridge. CHRISTINE PETERSON PHOTOS/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

working families as well.”

What allows community-led eff orts to succeed is when members are personally invested and passionate about the cause. It’s real for them and more than just an abstract charity for an issue that only affects other people. It’s their issue. Alvarado Eaton remembers when she was raising her kids, how she depended on them going to school to get two meals a day and struggled to navigate the weekends. “They don’t give families enough food stamps to feed themselves or feed themselves healthy, anyways.” Even further back, she shared that “I was a runaway kid and remember walking into CVS to sneak soda and potato chips every morning for breakfast and that’s what I lived on.”

The initiative made sure to include basic safety measures, according to Louissaint, espeSee FRIDGES, Page 14

Brooklyn Flores, 13, who painted the artwork on the outside of the fridge at the Printer’s Building on Portland Street, was on hand to cut the blue ribbon for its March opening.

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Lucy Barrett stocks the community fridge outside Fantastic Pizza on Main South on June 11.

Lucy Barrett cleans out the community fridge outside Fantastic Pizza on Main South on June 11. ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Fridges Continued from Page 13

City Manager Ed Augustus and Mayor Joe Petty wait in line to donate food food to the fridge in March. CHRISTINE PETERSON/ TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

cially since it came of age during the pandemic and they wanted to ensure that people felt safe enough to take food and leave food. There are hand sanitizers available and volunteers clean the fridges with bleach twice a day. While the interior of the fridge can be cleaned regularly, shelter for the exterior was also deemed important. Every fridge sits inside a shed; Howe Lumber in East Brookfi eld donated the wood to build the latest shed on Brook Street, and it was actually built by a community member. The lumber for the fridge shed on Main and Portland Street was donated by North-

borough-based XL Studios, and the Southbridge Street enclosure was crowdfunded.

Each fridge also has an attached pantry where non-refrigerated food items can be found.

While Ravelli, Louissaint and a small core group are leading the charge, the free fridge initiative is essentially community managed. The objective is for the community around the fridge location to monitor the contents and the immediate surroundings. Louissaint explained that the approximately 100 volunteers undertake about 30% of the organizational tasks and the rest is done by the residents of the area. The organization’s offi cial Facebook group is updated almost in real time with photos showing which fridges are full, empty or

need more (or maybe less) of a certain type of food.

Some food items that any fridge can never have too much of include; frozen meals, milk, eggs, grab’n go snacks, fruits, vegetables and frozen, precooked meats. Raw meats, items in glass jars, homemade meals or expired items are not accepted. Summer or winter, hot or cold, the community fridges are not only here to stay, but keep expanding. Four is only the beginning, and WCF intends to keep setting up fridges where they’re needed most.

Contact info and donation information is available at www.worcestercommunityfridges.com. For more information email Worcestercommunityfridges@gmail.com or call (508) 244-1770.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | 15

FEATURED

Peter Sulski hopes to help keep the music playing in West Bank, Gaza Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

There’s tremendous discord, and then there’s tremendous music ...

Tensions between Israel and the Gaza Strip and West Bank erupted into violence again last month before a cease-fi re went into eff ect. While the main confl ict was between Hamas in Gaza fi ring rockets into Israel and Israel responding with air

strikes, there were violent protests in the West Bank, where several Palestinians were killed

by Israeli army fi re. There were also clashes in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, turbulent political processes in Israel include a struggle to put together a government.

The area remains a troubled, discordant place, but musician Peter Sulski of Worcester is planning a couple of visits to the West Bank in July and August to check on friends, meet

with music teachers and students, and make some music together.

“Its tough time for musicians. A tough time for my young musician colleagues who are starting out,” he said.

By the same token, “It’s an incredible place. I’m very committed to being there. I’ve been really fortunate to be around lots of incredible people.”

Sulski, a classical violist and See SULSKI, Page 16

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Peter Sulski is a classical violist and music teacher.

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Sulski Continued from Page 15

violinist, music teacher, professor and founding member of the Worcester Chamber Music Society, knows the area well, dating back to the late 1990s.

Besides performing with orchestras from around the world, Sulski is a former United States Cultural Envoy to Jerusalem for his work bringing music to young Palestinians living in refugee camps. He was Head of Strings of the Edward Said Palestinian National Conservatory, which has branches in Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nablus and Gaza City, before returning to his native Worcester. His numerous affi liations here besides WCMS and many concerts have included positions at the College of the Holy Cross, Clark University, Assumption College and Worcester State University.

He has stayed very much engaged with the West Bank and Gaza including also being involved with the Barenboem-Said Foundation, which organizes The East West Divan Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboem.

However, Sulski’s primary work abroad in recent years has been helping create and musically support the Al Kamandjati Music Schools in Ramallah and Jenin, both on the West Bank, founded by his fi rst Palestinian student, the acclaimed violinist Ramzi Abu Redwan.

“Al Kamandjati” is Arabic for “The Violinist” “During the last 18 years we have managed to teach and support over a thousand young musicians,” Sulski said.

There are about 3 million Palestinians living on the West Bank, many still in refugee camps.

The story of Al Kamandjati has been told in the book “Children of the Stone”

by Sandy Tolan and in various documentaries.

After a long travel limitation as a COVID precaution, on July 1 individual tourists are expected to be able to enter Israel subject to several criteria. Israel administers a large portion of the West Bank, while other areas are under the internal control of the Palestinian National Authority. Hamas is in charge of The Gaza Strip, but Israel has many controls, including gas and electricity going in and the movement of people.

In July and August Sulski will be go-

Peter Sulski is a classical violist and music teacher, RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

ing to the West Bank, mainly Ramallah.

For July, “I’m just going over there to see my friends and see if they’re OK,” he said.

In August, Sulski plans to be back to run “a very intense string workshop” at the Al Kamandjati Music School in Ramallah. “The music school is so beautiful. It’s just to give them a boost.”

The school got its start by putting on music workshops for children in Palestinian refugee camps on the West Bank.

The workshops are something akin to the Neighborhood Strings program run by the Worcester Chamber Music Society, Sulski said.

The award-winning program in Worcester provides free music lessons and the opportunity to perform several concerts a year to youth from downtown and Main South while fostering family involvement.

“Diff erent schools run diff erent models. Neighborhood Strings and Al Kamandjati are basically a free program for the children involved. It’s a love of bringing music to where this is no music,” Sulski said. “To create safe haven for children to learn in peace.”

Eventually, Al Kamandjati became a full-time music school with 200 to 300 students a year in Ramallah and also in Jedin, Sulski said.

Students are ages 7 and up to young adults going into their 20s. Many go on

to be students (whether studying music or other subjects) at Birzeit University in Birzeit and An-Najah National University in Nabulus, both on the West Bank.

“Palestinians see music as a valuable part of a children’s education,” Sulski said.

The conservatories are also very important for Arabic music as well, Sulski noted, including the voice. Western classical music gives some students “a passage into Europe and opens up the world.”

When Sulski went to the West Bank with the New Hampshire-based Apple Chamber Players in the 1990s, very few music groups ever went there, he said.

In 2014 just before Christmas, Sulski helped arrange for some members of the Worcester Chorus to perform portions of Handel’s “Messiah” at Ramallah and Beit Jala near Bethlehem on the West Bank, and in the centuries-old Church of Saint Anne in Jerusalem.

“It’s a life-altering experience, it really is,” said chorus member Rick Rudman of Princeton at the time.

About 20 chorus members and guests conducted by Worcester Chorus artistic director Christopher Shepard sang as part of the ninth Baroque Festival put on by the Al Kamandjâti Association. Sulski invited the chorus as artistic director of the Baroque Festival.

At each venue, “the audience was in-

credibly appreciative,” then chorus president Katherine Rooney had said after returning. In St. Anne’s, “the audience was on their feet applauding.” In Ramallah, “They just love the music,” Ms. Rooney added, “I think we sang pretty well, too.”

Sulski has performed in classical concerts at the Latin Patriarch Church in Gaza.

“It’s my favorite place to play. The church gets so full it’s more like a rock concert than anything,” he said.

“Just showing up there, the people are very emotional. When I went to play there that was the only concert they had heard in a year or two for two million people.”

The Gaza Strip is more diffi cult to access than the West Bank, something likely amplifi ed by last month’s troubles.

“Because the situation there is so politically tense, I don’t have the freedom to be there as I do in Ramallah,” Sulski said.

Last month’s troubles have a long perspective, Sulski said. “It’s nothing really diff erent. It’s nothing new for them. If I think about my work there, I’m not a policy maker.”

Sulski’s most recent trip to the West Bank was in February 2020, “Just when they were about to tighten up,” he said.

In a recent message to friends and supporters of his work, he said, “I feel it is important now more than ever, with resources so scarce on the ground because of current events, to be there when possible and to continue the students’ musical development. I am also working with the French Cultural Institute in Gaza to continue my teaching project there as well. Being in Gaza is a powerful experience for many reasons and I know I’m fortunate to have been there several times, starting way back in 2004.

“I’m simply hoping to create a travel fund, with the account open for anyone to peruse. My contribution is my time and teaching and performing, as it has mostly been all these years. When my work is supported by Al Kamandjati, which is possible on occasion, and the Barenboem Foundation, the fund won’t be used.”

Regarding personal safety on the West Bank and Gaza, Sulski said, “I’ve never feared for my life. Yes, there are security protocols. I’ve never experienced anything but appreciation and love for being there.”

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | 17

A RUNNER SHARES HER THOUGHTS

Some questions you can’t outrun Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

There are 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, and I have decided to run them all. At least one mile in each. Fourteen counties spread over more than 10,000 square miles. Three islands. Known and unknown towns. Some I could navigate by memory and others I’ve never heard of. All full of people I’ve never met and places I’ve never seen.

I plan my routes ahead of time. It’s most effi cient that way. I want to know where I’m going and where my roads will lead and when there will be sidewalks and how far I’ll end up running. I map them online and write down the directions on scrap paper. I need to be prepared in case my phone loses charge or signal and can’t access the map. What is that building on the street view? Is it abandoned? How old are these photos? Where can I park? In this town should I run residential or commercial? Main street, backroad, bike trail, or woods?

Friday, June 28, 2019: A 23year-old woman went for an afternoon run alone on the popular Charles River Esplanade in Boston. A man assaulted her, stabbing her in the head with scissors and tackling her to the ground before running away.

It’s a busy pathway, and bystanders helped her get help.

I have never run in Boston.

I have heard, Don’t wear your hair in a ponytail or a braid because an attacker could use it to grab you. Don’t wear headphones because it will seem like you’re not paying attention to your surroundings. Don’t use public restrooms. Don’t talk to strangers, especially not to ask for directions.

"I have heard, 'Bring a weapon. One you’re comfortable wearing.

Switchblade, claw, ring, stun gun, pepper spray, whatever works for you.'" PHOTO COURTESY AMANDA BRANDT

I dig around in a drawer of black Lycra, the legs wrapping around each other like shiny, fl at tentacles. I am looking for comfort and ease of movement.

How hot is it? Tights? Capris?

Shorts? I move to another drawer, pit-stained T-shirts folded Kondo-style in tidy rows. How hot will I get once I’ve started? A long-sleeve and a short-sleeve?

Two long-sleeve? How visible do I need to be? How windy is it?

I extract a roll of thick ankle socks, a pair of full-coverage underwear, and a sports bra.

Would I be too hot in taller socks? Are these the newer underwear, or the older ones that chafe? Squeezed and layered and Lycra-ed, I sit on the couch to put on my shoes. Do I even want to go for a run? Why is it so much work? Why am I already losing motivation even though I haven’t even left the house? Is it too late to change my mind? Can I keep myself from changing my mind? I tug the rim of my left sock to smooth the fabric, slip my foot into the left running shoe, and tug again before I double-knot the laces. Then to the other

side.

Thursday, July 14, 2016: A woman was running along a Morton Park trail in Plymouth.

A park employee grabbed her, and when she tried to break free, he attacked her with a pair of pruning shears. A male runner intervened.

I have never run in Plymouth.

I have heard, Don’t run in busy areas. Don’t run in secluded areas. Don’t stop en route.

Don’t look tired. Always be ready for a fi ght. Always.

I collect my gear. Should I bring my running fanny pack?

How much can my shorts pockets hold? If I put my stuff in my pockets instead of the fanny pack, will it bounce too much while I run and make my shorts sag? I toss my fanny pack, pepper spray, light-up refl ective vest, neon hat, neck gaiter, wallet, keys, and an extra mask into a duff el bag. What am I forgetting? I probably don’t need the light-up vest, but what if I’m lost or injured and it gets dark and I need someone to fi nd me? Is it better to be fi ndable by rescuers or invisible to bad

guys? I fi ll my water bottle and add it to the bag. Is one bottle to run with enough? Will I be unnecessarily weighed down if I bring two, or is it better to be overstocked? I pull everything together.

Friday, May 30, 2014: A teenage girl was running with friends on the Minuteman bike path in Arlington, but fell behind. A teenage boy approached and sexually assaulted her. She kicked him in the knees and ran away.

I have never run in Arlington.

I have heard, Don’t run in the morning. Don’t run at night.

Don’t cut your nails too short.

You want to be able to scratch your attacker and pick up DNA samples.

I double-check my bag for everything and add my handwritten running directions, my phone, a Swiss Army knife, and a few packets of energy chews.

What’s the worst that could happen? What might I need?

What if my car breaks down?

What if I get hypothermia or hyponatremia? I add a sweatshirt and a towel and my sunglasses and my Xanax. Is that everything? I look around, take

a deep breath, grab my bag, say goodbye to my husband and teenage son, and walk out the front door. My husband says, “Have fun! Be careful!” My son says, “Don’t get 'Datelined!'”

Sunday, June 17, 2018: A 37year-old woman was on a morning run down a busy road in Bridgewater. At about 7:30 a.m., a man pulled over near her, ran over to her, grabbed her, and tried to drag her to his vehicle. She fought him off , kicking him and screaming for help. A neighbor yelled to him, and he ran back to his car.

I have never run in Bridgewater.

I have heard, Tell a friend your planned running route and ask them to track you during your run. Take a photo of yourself before every run and send it to a friend so the police know what you were wearing.

Take photos en route and send them to friends. Text friends about anything suspicious or unsettling you encounter along the way.

At my car, I hover my right hand around the door handle and the car door unlocks, like See RUNNING, Page 18

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18 | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Abbie Cotto set for fi rst full-length local show Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Hip-hop and R&B artist Abbie Cotto has been making music for about eight years now — performing in New York, New Hampshire and Connecticut, building a loyal following. But June 19 will be his fi rst ever fulllength performance in Worcester, his home city.

“I’ve never touched home base,” said Cotto. “Not sure why.” However, with the return of in-person gatherings and events, Cotto says it’s the perfect time. “It’s a way to get back to reality,” he said, after what feels like a year on pause for many people. Plans have been in the works since the beginning of May, he said, when word fi rst began spreading that the COVID-19 restrictions were due to be lifted.

Currently, the show — sponsored by Jamn 94.5 — is scheduled for 9 p.m. June 19 at the Bridge, 300 Southbridge St., Worcester. Cotto will have a 30minute set at 11:30 as the main act, featuring DJ Kid Kash. DJ 4eign will bookend the main act.

Cotto said he fi rst started seriously making music as a career at 22 with hip-hop. He expanded to R&B with the help of

Running Continued from Page 17

magic. I toss my duff el bag over to the passenger seat and ease myself into the driver’s seat feet fi rst, feeling the heat of the leather seat in a New England summer on the back of my legs.

I press the button to start the car, plug in my phone, and set my GPS to the location of my fi rst run of the day. Are my tires okay? The air pressure looks

beART is the brand name for Cotto's merchandise, celebrating doing what one loves as art.

a mentor who encouraged him to start singing. “He saw something in me,” said Cotto, who then started vocal training. “I like to keep an open mind and try diff erent genres and challenge myself,” he said. Though he still raps, he fell in love with R&B. “A lot of people forget that you need to have an ear for [R&B],” said Cotto, “to pick up on the melody and rhythm. So I started training my ears as

well.” Cotto’s work has been praised for the crossover between melody and rhythm — something that could certainly only be achieved with trained ears.

His music brought him to the attention of lifelong Worcester resident Manny Alvarado.

Once Alvarado started at Unity Radio, he invited Cotto for an interview on “508 Live” last year. “I wanted to bring atten-

tion to his talent and star quality,” said Alvarado. Cotto’s songs focus on self refl ection, he said, learning to love yourself and put yourself fi rst. It’s about not taking the naysayers to heart. Alvarado’s favorite song is “Rose in a Wildfi re,” which he personally connects with. “It has a Ja Rule and Ashanti type vibe,” he said, describing what some have referred to as a versatility to Cotto’s style.

It was not just Cotto’s music that appeals to Alvarado, but also their shared vision for their community. “We’re both

low. What if I need more air?

Can I make it out to the world and back before I have to do anything about it? Am I more likely to get a fl at, or just to lose fuel effi ciency? It’s an overinfl ated tire that is at risk for popping, right? Is that a risk for underinfl ated tires too? Or maybe that’s a risk only if your tires are so low that you mess up the rims? I back out of the driveway and head toward the highway.

Thursday, April 23, 2020: An 18-year-old woman was on a late-afternoon run down a

main road near Wales. A man in a white van started stalking her and yelling vulgar comments at her. He then pulled over to trap her against the guard rail. She ran into a nearby yard and hid there until he left.

I have never run in Wales.

I have heard, Bring a weapon. One you’re comfortable wearing. Switchblade, claw, ring, stun gun, pepper spray, whatever works for you.

I go through the mental checklist on my drive. How long will it take to get there? Did I in-

advertently pick a dangerous area for my run? Will it be okay to leave my car there? Will the area look safe but not actually be safe? Or is it usually safe but today has a creeper lurking?

Where’s my watch? Do I have a backup tracking source on my phone? Is the account still active? What’s my password?

What will the route be like?

How wary will I have to be of my surroundings? Will the roads connect the way I think they do? I arrive at a park in a quaint mill town and gather from my

Abbie Cotto will have his fi rst full-length Worcester show this weekend. IMAGES PROVIDED BY ABBIE COTTO

tired of seeing our young people killing each other and going to jail,” said Alvarado. He went on to say that despite his rising star status, Cotto has not lost touch with his base and can be found at almost every major community event. “If he’s not performing, he’s supporting,” said Alvarado, citing his presence at the BLM mural rally, the George Floyd Rally and his performance at the Save the Bridge initiative. Cotto will also be at a back-to-school block party for the Bridge.

Cotto is also a fashion designer, and has launched his own clothing line, beART. “The idea behind the clothing line is doing what you love as art ... I’m trying to grow and have fun at the same time,” he said.

Describing the line, Alvarado harkens back to a time when “all we had were the clothes on our back and the feelings in our gut.” The way people in showbiz dressed became an important part of maintaining that authentic image of “the everyday urban person.” In projecting that image, Cotto’s clothing brand follows themes similar to his music, a celebration of following your passion.

But Alvarado says Cotto still maintains a personal touch: “He hand delivers his merch, man.”

duff el bag what I will need for this run: vest, pepper spray, hat, water, phone. I don’t want to be too weighed down. My run is on the road, not the trail, and I should have plenty of time before the sun sets. What should go in which pocket? I shouldn’t put a food or drink product in the same pocket as my pepper spray, right? ‘Cause the spray might leak? It’s not really pepper, right? It’s chemicals? With some capsaicin or See RUNNING, Page 24

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | 19

ARTTIST SPOTLIGHT

CITY LIVING TABLE HOPPIN’

Sunfl ower Shanty beer garden opens at Houlden Farm in North Grafton Barbara M. Houle Special to Telegram & Gazette USA TODAY NETWORK

“Infi nite Essence Unfolds, #2: Repersonalization,” watercolor, ink and wax on canvas DOREEN CONNORS/ARTSWORCESTER

Doreen Connors Doreen Connors Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Doreen Connors creates sculptures, 2D works, and altered books refl ecting her endeavor to rise out of the ashes of abuse, grooming, and conditioning. She makes it part of her mission to live in semi-reclusion with the aim of transmuting the rapes she experienced in this life.

Her artwork can be seen on her website, opentoheal.com.

This Artist Spotlight is presented by Worcester Magazine in partnership with ArtsWorcester. Since 1979, ArtsWorcester has exhibited and advanced the work of this region's contemporary artists. Its exhibitions and educational events are open and free to all. Learn more at www.artsworcester.org.

The Sunfl ower Shanty at Houlden Farm in North Grafton offi cially opened this month, spotlighting an outdoor beer garden and pizza concept, plus so much more.

It’s all about family, friends and the enjoyment of local food and drinks al fresco in this business venture with owners of the farm, brothers Tyler and Trevor Houlden and the team from Flatbread Company, a Boston pizza restaurant. Thomas Keane of Boston heads Flatbread Company. He’s also a partner with Churchill James LLC, the developer that purchased the former Lucky Dog Music Hall in Worcester.

The dish on Sunfl ower Shanty: The six-tap beer garden, hand-built from a storage container, sits within the sunfl ower fi elds at Houlden Farm, 139 Old Westboro Road. The sunfl owers are expected to bloom sometime in July, according to Chloe King, the Sunfl ower Shanty’s general manager, who with manager Cindy Swanson helps run the beer garden. “The sunfl owers’ bright colors will be an awesome sight,” said King.

The shanty operates from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, weather

permitting. It features a wood-fi red pizza oven with rotating fl atbread pizzas ranging in fl avors from Jay’s Heart — Flatbread Company’s take on a classic red sauce with cheese — to a Buff alo Chicken Flatbread with house-made buttermilk ranch. All fl atbreads are made with organic, all-natural ingredients with a strong emphasis on sustainable sourcing and seasonality, according to the company.

Houlden Farm’s food truck, Seed to Table, parked nearby, operates throughout summer and fall, off ering salads, sandwiches, smoothies, etc. Food is based on ingredients grown on the farm, said King.

The beer garden’s rotating draft list highlights brewers, including Greater Good in Worcester, she said. Guests also can opt for hard cider from Carlson’s Orchards in Harvard. Artic Chill hard seltzer (Harpoon and Polar Seltzer collaboration) and 90 + Cellars wines are available. Live music is “in the works.”

The farm features a variety of family-friendly attractions such as a playground, farm animals and seasonal pick-your-own fruit. There’s also a fall pumpkin patch and corn maze. Pick-your-own fl owers at the farm is expected to start up soon, said King. An onsite See HOPPIN’, Page 21 Cindy Swanson, left, and Ashley Letourneau inside the Sunflower Shanty at Houlden Farm. RICK CINCLAIR/ TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

20 | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

THE NEXT DRAFT

Charlton father-daughter bakery off ers Father’s Day craft beer cakes Matthew Tota Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

The idea to bake cupcakes with beer initially mystifi ed Frank Manzi.

Forget about Manzi’s decades of baking experience – from working at the long-defunct John J. Nissen Backing Co. plant in Worcester to founding Francesco’s Italian Bakery, a Charlton institution now in its 30th year.

He simply would never have thought to mix beer into a cupcake batter.

“I told him to trust me,” said his daughter, Gianna Manzi, the executive pastry chef and manager of Francesco’s. You see, the beer cupcakes were her idea.

Manzi felt as though she should clarify, too, that she would use local beer from one of the world’s most popular breweries, Charlton’s own Tree House Brewing Co., for her cupcakes, not Budweiser, her father’s go-to.

Brushing off any skepticism, Frank did what he usually does these days with matters concerning his namesake business. “He said, ‘That’s what I do: I trust you, and you fi gure it out. It ends up working out,’” Gianna Manzi recalled.

Francesco’s released its fi rst batch of beer cupcakes for Father’s Day 2019.

And, of course, they were a hit. Since then, the demand for beer cupcakes from the father-daughter bakery has only grown, the annual Father’s Day releases becoming something of a new family tradition.

Each year Gianna Manzi has tried to incorporate more breweries into the mix.

“I love going to the breweries and talking to the diff erent brewers,” she said, adding, “It has been an awesome way to meet people in the community.

All the brewers have thought it was a cool idea.”

This year, Manzi’s menu features four diff erent breweries: Altruist Brewing Co. in Sturbridge, Oakholm Brewing Co. in Brookfi eld, Timberyard Brewing

Gianna Manzi, 25, shows off craft beer cupcakes, baked with brews from some of Central Massachusetts’ best breweries. Manzi, half of the father- daughter bakery, Francesco’s Italian Bakery in Charlton, has been baking the cupcakes as special Father’s Day releases. MATTHEW TOTA/SPECIAL TO WORCESTER MAGAZINE

Co. in East Brookfi eld and Tree House.

And she will bake her fi rst hard cider cupcake, using bottles from West Brookfi eld’s Ragged Hill Cider Company, another father-daughter business.

Manzi, 25, who has worked at Francesco’s virtually all her life (she was featured in a Meet the Chef column in 2013), said her beer cupcakes draw inspiration from an old family recipe for beer bread.

“You just take a can of beer and four other ingredients, then put them together. It’s the perfect little thing,” she said. “That’s what led me to use beer in other recipes.”

The recipe for her89 beer cupcakes is as easy as swapping out the milk or water in the batter for beer, using anywhere from 16 to 20 cans per batch. More challenging is planning out how to take ad-

vantage of the fl avors from the brews and enhance them with diff erent cakes, frostings and curds – or vice versa.

When I think of dessert, my mind always goes to decadent stouts. But Manzi embraces all styles for her cupcakes.

Sunday’s six-pack of cupcakes, for example, has a blueberry cake baked with Altruist’s sour Berliner Weisse, “Pucker Face: Blueberry Hibiscus.” A fi lling of hibiscus lime curd plays off the beer’s tartness, and a topping of Italian cream both mellows the cupcake’s sharpness and adds sweetness. Manzi prefers margaritas to beer, but she loved the Altruist sour even before transforming it into a cupcake.

For the Oakholm cupcake, she found an unlikely pairing in chocolate cake and the noble hopped ale “Tractor Bier.”

With the ale so light, Manzi could make

the cupcake richer through a cookiedough base and a chocolate and buttercream frosting.

Much like putting out beer-infused cupcakes, these collaborations would have been unheard of when Francesco’s opened in 1999. Small businesses were more insular then, and social media didn’t exist.

“We are in this cool era of small business, where there is so much support,” Gianna said. “Now, after COVID, we saw what happened, we all felt it, and people want to support each other. It’s a beautiful thing. Running a small business is tough. We feel that across all industries.”

The Tree House cupcake typifi es the small business community today. In true call-and-response fashion, Tree House brewed “Hello Again Central Mass,” an American IPA, and highlighted Francesco’s – along with several other local business – on a batch of the cans, then Manzi used the beer in a cupcake.

“How can I not use that?” she said of the IPA. “It was a little bit of a challenge.

But I fi gured out something after a lot of taste testing.”

She went with a brown sugar-roasted pineapple cake, dipped in a strawberry glaze and topped with coconut butter cream, which paired perfectly with the tropical fruit fl avors of Hello Again Central Mass.

Even her father, the traditionalist that he is, approved of that beer-cake combo.

“He’s mainly a classic man and drinks his Bud Heavy, but he’ll try anything when I put it in front of him,” she said.

Orders for Francesco’s Father’s Day Flight of cupcakes – fi ve enhanced with craft beer and one with cider – were only accepted until Thursday. Call the bakery at (508) 248-9900 if you want to check if there are any left, or if there are plans to make more. Each six-pack is $19.99.

For the full menu of cupcakes, visit www.facebook.com/FrancescosItalianBakery.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | 21

Hoppin’ Continued from Page 19

seasonal farm stand sells fresh fruit and vegetables. Visit Facebook for updates on all farm events. More about the farm at https://houldenfarm.com.

Flatbread Company Brighton opened in the Boston Landing neighborhood in 2019 and features nine bowling lanes and two “primitive clay ovens dishing out hearthcooked pizzas.”

Keane said he and Churchill James partners Paul and Harry DiLeo plan to “”re-introduce” candlepin bowling to Worcester and open a fl atbread pizza restaurant on Green Street in Worcester, referring to the development as “The Cove.” FYI: Keane’s take on candlepin bowling is “a ton of fun and exciting.”

The DiLeo brothers grew up in Millbury, he said, and DiLeo Gas in Worcester is a family property.

Keane estimates that the Canal District development he’s involved in is “about three years out, maybe two and a half if we’re lucky.” He’s excited and looking forward to being part of the Worcester business community, he said. “We love the city.”

Steven H. Foskett Jr. in a story published in the Telegram & Gazette on April 26 reported on Churchill James future plans in the Canal District.

Keane, who grew up in southern New Hampshire, “spends a lot of time in the Worcester area” and was on site for the debut of Sunfl ower Shanty. “Tyler and Trever (Houlden) are so passionate about the farm and their community,” said Keane. They’ve worked hard and done an amazing job.”

The brothers have lived on the farm their entire lives and took over the operation of the multi-generational familyowned business seven years ago. Keane met the owners through his business partners.

Besides summer and fall activities, the farm is a place where you can “sit back and watch the sunset,” according to Keane. “With food and maybe a beer or wine, it’s pretty cool.”

Keane may team up with the farm’s owners in other projects, throwing out the idea of a seated dinner around Thanksgiving partnered with a local brewery or winery.

For now, enjoy what Houlden Farm off ers, especially the showy sunfl ower fi elds.

JULY 18TH

JULY 29TH

AUGUST 5TH

AIR SUPPLY

LADY A

DUSTIN LYNCH

AUGUST 6TH

AUGUST 8TH

AUGUST 20TH

FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS

STRAIGHT NO CHASER

JEFF DUNHAM

AUGUST 21ST

AUGUST 22ND

AUGUST 27TH

DEFTONES

JASON MRAZ

TOM SEGURA

Farmers Market season underway The Regional Environmental Council’s Summer Farmers Market season opened June 14.

Ashley Carter, farmers market program coordinator, said markets will run six days a week (except Sundays) through November.

The REC Standing Farmers Markets operate at Beaver Brook (326 Chandler St., Worcester) from 9 a.m. to noon Monday and Friday; and at University (Crystal) Park, 965 Main St., Worcester, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

The REC Mobile Markets will bring fresh and local produce to city neighborhoods Tuesday through Thursday.

The schedule: Tuesdays: Seabury Heights, 240 Belmont St., 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.; Green Hill Towers, 27 Mt. Vernon St., 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Webster Square Towers, 1050 and 1060 Main St., 1 to 2 p.m.; Coes Pond Village, 39 First St., 3 to 4 p.m.

Wednesdays: Family Health Center, 26 Queen St., 10 to 11 a.m.; Elm Park Towers, 425 Pleasant St., 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.; Plumley Village, 34 Laurel St., 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Thursdays: Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence St., 8:30 to 10 a.m.; Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester, 90 Holden St., 11 a.m. to noon; Lincoln Village Apartments, Victoria Center, 116 Country Club Blvd., 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.; Edward M. Kennedy CommuSee HOPPIN’, Page 22

Buy tickets @ comixmohegansun.com

JUNE 22ND

DALLAS WINGS

JUNE 27TH

CHICAGO SKY

JUNE 18TH, 19TH, 20TH, 25TH, 26TH, 27TH

SPINNATO’S COMEDY MAGIC

JUNE 17TH – 19TH

RYAN REISS

JULY 9TH

ATLANTA DREAM

JUNE 18TH, 20TH, 25TH, 27TH

LIPSTICK, LASHES & LIES: A VARIETY DRAG SHOW

AUGUST 17TH

MINNESOTA LYNX

AUGUST 19TH

MINNESOTA LYNX

JUNE 24TH – 26TH

ANTHONY DEVITO

AUGUST 24TH

LAS VEGAS ACES

MEN IN MOTION MALE REVUE

AUGUST 26TH

LOS ANGELES SPARKS

JULY 17TH JULY 22ND – 24TH

Call 1.877.SUN.TIXX for details.

RYAN O’FLANAGAN

SUNDAYS 11:00AM–5:00PM BUILD YOUR OWN BLOODY MARYS AND MIMOSAS

See more at mohegansun.com or call 1.888.MOHEGAN. Must be 21 or older to attend shows in Comix Roadhouse or Wolf Den. Times and performers are subject to change.

22 | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CONNELL SANDERS

Young Worcester muralists unveil fi rst of many Main South works to come Sarah Connell Sanders

Main IDEA Executive Director Joy Rachelle Murrieta; youth collaborators: Armaro, Sarai, Lillian and Nya; and artists: Eamon Gillen and Jennessa Burks unveil their social justice mural at the Boys & Girls Club. PHOTO

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

On Tuesday, the girls showed up in record breaking temperatures to fi nish what they had started — just like they had the previous Tuesday and the one before that. Armaro, Sarai, Lillian and Nya clutched spray cans in their fi sts, wearing matching aprons, much too heavy for the heat. A crack of thunder sounded in the distance, threatening to slow the fi nal days of painting to complete their hundred-foot mural in Main South.

The girls looked to professional muralists Jennessa Burks and Eamon Gillen for guidance throughout the project. Burks and Gillen met last July while working on the Black Lives Matter mural at the intersection of Major Taylor Blvd. and MLK Jr. Blvd. in downtown Worcester. For that project, Gillen had been assigned a letter and named one of the leads; Burks worked as his assistant.

On Tuesday, he recalled the manner in which she had encouraged local youth to contribute to the mural in the sum-

Hoppin’ Continued from Page 21

nity Health Center, 19 Tacoma St., 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The markets accept cash, SNAP, HIP, Senior Coupons, WIC, credit and debit cards.

Visit www.recworcester.org for more information.

Extended hours for On the

COURTESY SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

mer of 2020.

“The kids were so excited by her invitation to help us paint,” Gillen remembered. “They worked so hard that we fi nished ahead of schedule, so I asked them all to sign their names to our letter.”

For Gillen, a father of two, the experience was eye opening. For Burks, a former Worcester Public School teacher, amplifying youth voice has long been an integral part of her identity as an artist.

When Main IDEA Worcester and Boys & Girls Club of

Worcester put out a call for a social justice mural this spring, they received an outpouring of original designs from 11- to 18year-olds across the community. Main IDEA Executive Director Joy Rachelle Murrieta immediately thought of Burks for the project. This time, Burks called on Gillen to work as her assistant.

In the end, Burks opted to combine the designs of Sarai and Nya for a celestial portrait of two young people raising up a megaphone, accompanied by the words of Martin Luther

King Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“The outline was our biggest challenge,” Armaro said, “because the texture of the wall was very bumpy.” The more detailed the work, the more time they found to dig deep into the message behind their mural.

The girls all cited inspirational conversations with the artists and each other as the best part of the project.

The mural was supported in part by a grant from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation and by the Worcester

Rise Baking

times. Indoor and outdoor seating is available at the bakery.

the food business and owned restaurants. This was a fun day out, no strong critiques.

Among local wineries: Hardwick Vineyard Winery, Common Ground Ciderworks in North Brookfi eld; Brimfi eld Winery; and Broken Creek Vineyard in Shrewsbury. Other wineries (12 total) were from Ipswich, Florence, Hawley, Westfi eld, Richmond and Franklin. If you discovered a new wine you liked, you could

On the Rise Baking, 1120 Pleasant St., Worcester, has extended summer hours.

The bakery is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday through Wednesday.

Telephone: (508) 752-3809.

Executive pastry chef/owner Betty Casey said customers requested the longer opening

Pioneer Valley Wine Fest a success The second Pioneer Valley Wine Festival, hosted by Brimfi eld Winery & Cidery at Brimfi eld Auction Acres was held last weekend.

I attended Saturday’s event with friends, both of whom love food and wine. They’re also in

Arts Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. In many ways, it is only the beginning. This summer, the POW! WOW! Worcester festival aims to channel youth voices in the Main South neighborhood from Aug. 13 to 22. The festival will result in at least fi ve works of public art including murals at Jacob Hiatt Magnet School and the Regional Environmental Council’s YouthGrow farm.

When I asked Sarai if it was hard to share the limelight, she shook her head, "no." “It’s interesting because Nya and I didn’t even know one another, but our designs both included chains and the planet Earth,” she said smiling.

The girls assembled in front of their wall to pose for a television reporter who had arrived in a hurry, ahead of the storm.

Another thunderclap sounded in the distance, obscured by their peals of laughter. Armaro beckoned Burks and Gillen to get in the frame and a little sliver of sunshine peeked out from the clouds. From behind their masks, the whole group beamed for the camera.

buy a bottle to take home. Of course, we did.

Four food trucks, including Off the Hook Roadside Eatery out of Rutland, owned and operated by executive chef Adam Foreman, and “The Fork” in the Road, owned and operated by Table 3 Restaurant Group in Sturbridge. There was adequate seating throughout the grounds to enjoy food and See HOPPIN’, Page 24

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | 23

LISTEN UP

Danson not happy on engaging ‘Ever After’ Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

If there’s a thesis to the mononymous Worcester R&B artist Danson’s recent album, “Ever After,” it’s right there in the preamble to the very fi rst song, “Ever After Intro”: “There’s no fairytale come true/There is only Ever After.”

The hip-hop-infl ected album is a paean to fl awed and failed relationships, starting in the full blush of lust and infatuation, then eventually crumbling into disarray.

The “Intro” is something of an ominous note on which to start, which should pretty much tell the listener what to expect. The sung vocals have plaintive quality that resonates against the antiseptic, mechanized electronic feel of the music. Sung lines such as, “I hold tight to the memories/I know I wasn’t the better man/I hope you are the happiest/Cause you are everything” give way to later rapped lyrics such as, “I’m sorry for making you feel like you’re less/Stress your appearance and judge how you dress/ you needed me to not be like the rest/Instead I just added more weight to the bench.”

Danson gives the listener the bare bones of the narrative right up front, implying mistakes on both sides of the relationship but, really, letting the persona take ownership for its failure. This preface frames the rest of the album, casting a shadow on songs such as the otherwise sweet-spirited, “Stairway Kisses.” Even that song is an exercise in nostalgia, the persona looking back at photographs on the precipice of a breakup, but still, there’s a genuine emotion that echoes throughout the song, as well as an almost understated revelation: “I fell in love with another one/I never thought I’d be back here/I just broke up with an-

Danson’s newest album is “Ever After.” SUBMITTED

other one/This was now that was last year.”

This is, for the persona, cyclical behavior. Which is fairly normal: After all, most of us make the same mistakes over and over again until we, if we’re lucky, learn to stop. Certainly, the recognition of the cycle adds a sort of poignancy to the deep loneliness expressed in “Nights Like This,” and a sort of self-awareness to the empathetic “One You Love,” where the persona acknowledges, “Yeah I know you’ve been betrayed by the one you love/ You’ve been put through so much pain by the one you love/ You don’t know how you could stay by the one you love/Be-

cause you do not feel okay with the one you love.” Just because one recognizes they’re stuck in a cycle of behavior, doesn’t mean they know how to break that cycle, and while the album only gives so much of the partner’s side of the narrative, there’s a sense that she’s stuck in her own cycles.

What’s interesting is that the rap breaks, such as one by featured artist Drice Napoleon on “One You Love,” don’t so much shake up the perspective or tone like they normally do on R&B songs, but rather drive the point deeper. Likewise, the subsequent track, “Interlude Falling Apart,” brings the album’s fl ow to a standstill with

ambient music and purposefully distant recordings from a breakup argument. It’s the same point that’s been driven home throughout the album, but the interlude adds a layer of emotional resonance. The next track, “Mistakes,” brings us a tempo uptick, but no fundamental change in the situation: The relationship is broken, and the persona wants her back and is owning his mistakes, but by this point, the cycle is evident. Danson sings, “Pardon me if I thought that I could change/But there’s no excuse for mistakes made.” “Pieces” conveys much the same sentiment, but the song’s tone takes a tighter, more controlled tone,

inferring a hardening of wall, which might explain the more antagonistic tone taken in “Like This” and the more bitter undertones of “Two Sides,” where Danson sings, “And now I see them two sides to you/And now I see the one lying to me.”

Structure wise, it’s clear that the “Interlude” in the album’s middle is meant to put the album’s sense of cyclical behavior in focus, and indeed, it’s not too deep into the album that we see themes repeating. “Don’t Stay” fi nds the persona pushing his partner further away, whereas “Girls” refrains the loneliness from “Nights Like This,” and “Right Now” brings us the sense of self-awareness that we began the album with.

Has anything changed? Not really, and that bakes a sense of tragedy into the album.

The album ends with a triptych of songs which both encapsulate the album’s themes and reveal just the slightest glimmer of being able to change. “Not So Simple” starts the cycle all over, and it’s almost ironic that it’s the catchiest, most hook-laden song on the album. “Sometimes” rings with a sense of acceptance, even as the soulful vocals drip with loss and regret, burbling over into the album’s closer, “Firework.” “Firework” ratchets up the album’s sense of steam tonally, even as the persona leans into the sense of selfawareness and acceptance.

“Did you fi nd someone to comfort you when you were left alone?” sings Danson. “If I come around I’m only causing problems for you both.”

Does the awareness of causing harm break the cycle? The album leaves it an open question. One hopes for the best, but the album itself makes it clear the persona has been here before, and that sort of change is easier said than done.

24 | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Running Continued from Page 18

something, right? But mostly chemicals? I fold my paper route directions twice, grip the paper in my right hand, and head to the road.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016: A woman was on a mid-day run through the urban Forest Park in Springfi eld. A man grabbed her, groped her, and smashed her cell phone. She called out to bystanders to call 911, pulled out of his grip, and ran away.

I have never run in Springfi eld.

I have heard, Don’t run alone. Never run alone.

I am a runner. I have been catcalled and honked at and told what a man wanted to do with me. I have wondered whether I was being stalked or whether the vehicles were just similar. I have run with my thumb on the pepper spray trigger. I have feigned a look of strength and determination

Hoppin’ Continued from Page 22

drinks. Also, live music at the event and jewelry vendors, etc.

Tastings began at noon and by mid-afternoon people were in line for food and beverages.

A lot of people seemed to love the idea of a “to-go” wine slushy in a pouch.

At tastings, you always want to learn more about the wine you’re sipping, and the owner or rep off ers the info and answers questions. Throughout my wine tasting years (too many to count), I’ve waited in long lines while people in front sip and chirp with friends about the weather, kids, job or whatever, not the wine they’re sampling. They don’t move an inch and seem clueless about the people behind them who sometimes wait up to 15 min-

when I was actually lost or fatigued. I have seen beautiful vistas and old downtowns. I have run under trees, over railroad tracks, up hills, down trails, through neighborhoods and shopping districts. I have felt the rush of endorphins and the invigorating fresh air. I have smelled the seasons as mud and leaves and manure and exhaust and cider doughnuts. I have felt the lurking, the uncertainty, and all the numbers. The statistics. I have not stopped running.

Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016: In the scenic small town of Princeton, 27-year-old Vanessa Marcotte went for an early afternoon run from her mother’s house. Police found her body a few hours later, half a mile away on a forestlined road. A man had raped her, murdered her, and burned her body. Police found a man’s DNA under her fi ngernails.

I have run in Princeton.

Amanda G. Brandt is a writer and editor living in Central Massachusetts.

utes before getting to try a wine, or decide to forget it altogether. At the weekend tasting, wine was poured into mini disposable cups, so it was a sip or two and you were done. Wineries showcased more than one wine, most had three or more.

Personally, I think a show of wine etiquette would help move lines. Move to the side and continue conversations with friends. Let the rest of us move up. Tastings at a wine dinner are a diff erent experience. You’re not going table to table.

There were great new wines to try at this festival, and the owners and folks working booths were friendly and informative. We look forward to next year’s event, and yes, the wine tasting lines!

If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282.

Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | 25

NEW ON DVD The monster clash: Godzilla battles Kong in the action adventure “Godzilla vs. Kong.”

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES

The beasts of ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ head (back) to small screen The latest entry in the MonsterVerse franchise, pitting two beloved fi lm titans against each other, tops the DVD releases for the week of June 15.

“Godzilla vs. Kong”: Though it debuted on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously at the end of March, the movie marked the return of the blockbuster to the big screen after a year of pandemic-driven delays and postponements.

“Director Adam Wingard knows how to deliver what a movie titled ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ should be” writes Tribune News Service critic Katie Walsh in her review of the fourth MonsterVerse entry, which follows “Godzilla” (2014), “Kong: Skull Island” (2017) and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019).

“As befi tting the franchise, entirely too many actors have been cast to run around the feet of Godzilla and Kong spouting vaguely scientifi c dialogue,” Walsh writes, and the fi lm does indeed boast a considerable cast, including Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Eiza Gonzalez and Kyle Chandler.

While the movie’s story may be lacking, the action lives up the billing. “Wingard knows the appeal of this fi lm is two beloved movie giants pulverizing a city, and

off ers that spectacle dripping in neon and techno,” writes Walsh. Break out the glow sticks, it’s time for the kaiju rave that is ‘Godzilla vs. Kong.’”

ALSO NEW ON DVD JUNE 15 “French Exit”: Michelle Pfeiff er is an aging New York socialite on the verge of being broke, so she moves into a small Paris apartment with her adult son and cat.

“Voyagers”: A multi-generational spaceship carrying the future of humanity descends into chaos and madness. Stars Colin Farrell, Tye Sheridan and LilyRose Depp.

“SAS: Red Notice”: It’s up an SAS agent who was just along for the ride to save the day when a group of mercenaries betrayed by the British government take a Chunnel train hostage.

“Anything for Jackson”: A grieving Satanist couple summon more than they bargained for as they fi nd themselves battling demonic forces.

“Rock Dog 2: Rock Around the Park”: Animated feature follows canine rockers True Blue, who leave their small town home to tour with pop star Lil’ Foxy and learn that there’s always a price to fame.

“The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Season 1”:

“Walking Dead” spinoff set a decade after the zombie apocalypse focuses on the fi rst generation to grow up with the terrifying new normal.

“The Space Between”: Kelsey Grammer stars as an eccentric washed-up musician in this inspiring coming-of-age story set amid the ‘90s Los Angeles music scene.

“Enforcement”: Danish drama examining police brutality follows two offi cers trapped in a riot after the police killing of a young Muslim man.

OUT ON DIGITAL HD JUNE 15 “H.P. Lovecraft’s The Deep Ones”: A couple rents a beachside Airbnb, but the reviews didn’t say anything about a mysterious cult or ancient sea god.

“Lost Airmen of Buchenwald”: Documentary about the 168 Allied airmen sent to Nazi Germany’s Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II and their fi ght for survival.

“The Misfi ts”: Pierce Brosnan is a renowned thief recruited for an elaborate gold heist. Also starring Jamie Chung and Tim Roth.

“Night Walk”: Framed for murder and now behind bars, a man seeking revenge partners with a dangerous gang to break out of prison.

26 | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

5 THINGS TO DO

Robin O’Herin, left, and Marylou Ferrante PHOTO COURTESY VICTORIA FERRANTE

FIVE THINGS TO DO WITH MARYLOU FERRANTE & ROBIN O’HERIN, STEVE SWEENEY AND MORE Richard Duckett, Veer Mudambi and Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

‘American Music’

In a free virtual musical and interactive program with Marylou Ferrante and Robin O’Herin, “The Melting Pot of American Music” explores early American instruments, songs and songwriters. Instruments will range from Appalachian dulcimers, banjos and diddlybows to resonator guitars and mandolins.

Music will range from Appalachian and old time music, all the way to Delta and Piedmont blues with a focus on the men and women who created this seminal American heritage. There will also be time for questions, and requests. This program is made possible through a Southbridge Cultural Council grant, Continued on next page which is part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. (RD)

What: The Melting Pot of American Music with Marylou Ferrante and Robin O’Herin When: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 24 Where: Virtual Zoom, from Jacob Edward Library, Southbridge How much: Free. Registration required: https://zoom.us/.../tJAufuqrTMuGN2mq3Ta8O6OEEJWvvOLBs3j

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | 27

Comedian Steve Sweeney PROMOTIONAL IMAGE

Comedy legend Whether he’s harnessing “The Power of Negative Thinking,” or mimicking locals checking Lotto numbers at a Boston packie, or just explaining why he doesn’t care that it’s the humidity, not the heat, that’s bothering him, Steve Sweeney proves over and over again why he’s a regional comedy legend.

(VDI) What: Comedian Steve Sweeney When: 7:40 p.m. June 18 and 19 Where: The Beer Garden, 64 Franklin St, Worcester How much: $25

The Celtic group Banda Gan Ainm SUBMITTED PHOTO

A Celtic Treat In the mood for some Celtic folk music? Then you have the luck of the Irish.

Head over to Douglas Orchard and Farm tomorrow evening for your regular dose of outdoor music from Banda Gan Ainm. This Celtic music group, whose name translates to “band without a name,” will perform traditional Irish songs such as “Cliffs of Moher,” “Galway Girl,” and others with fiddles, cello, guitars and flutes. As per usual, hot dogs, burgers and other BBQ by EB Flats. Bring your own chair. (VM)

What: Live Music at the Pavilion — Banda Gan Ainm When: 6 to 8 p.m., June 19 Where: Douglas Orchard and Farm, 36 Locust Street, Douglas How much: $10 per person, kids under 16 are free, pay at the door

‘Igniting passionate conversation’ The Forge Theater Lab will present “Past Tense,” an online showcase of short plays about people coming face-to-face with their past selves. By turns comic, poignant and powerful, these stories explore the challenge of living in the present when you can see the past in the mirror. Featuring works by Steven William Beck, Matt Cogswell, Cayenne Douglass (two), Ken Green and Ashley Lauren Rogers. The Forge Theater Lab, in residence at Fitchburg State University, “develops new plays that ignite passionate conversations.” This online event is supported in part by a grant from the Fitchburg Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Mass Cultural Council. (RD)

Aquanett PHOTO/BRIAN EVANS

A scene from a rehearsal for the short play, "Black Lipstick," part of the Forge Theater Lab's "Past Tense." PROMOTIONAL IMAGE What: “Past Tense” When: June 18-27 Where: Online. “Pay What You Can.” Check for the link and more information at www.theforge.ink.

Rock On! Aquanett is anchored by the sound of 1980s bands but calls itself “One of the most decadent and colorful tribute acts today.” You’re back in a time when Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi and Whitesnake ruled the world. With a complement of lights, special effects and costumes (and hair), the full production of an ‘80s rock concert is brought to life. You may not have seen anything like it since … 1991. (RD)

What: Aquanett When: 1 p.m. June 20 (doors 11:30 a.m.)

Where: Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Road, Webster How much: $20. www.indianranch.com

28 | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ADOPTION OPTION

Meet Ethan Allen 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.

Ethan Allen hung out on his namesake street by a trash barrel for a few days. He had been neutered so he belonged to somebody at some point. He's an adolescent brat who makes you smile. He licks your skin before putting his teeth on you, and is getting better about keeping his claws sheathed when he bats you. Other animals agitate him, so we think Ethan should be your only pet, and he shouldn't live with little kids.

We can give you tips on how to play with him. Tip No. 1 is not to use your hands as toys. Ethan needs to learn that toys are toys and human hands rub his head which feels good.

WARL COVID-19 Procedures As of Nov. 9, 2020 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our team protected. h ADOPTIONS: At this time, adoptions are being held BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you are interested in adoption, please visit our website worcesterarl.org/ adopt/ to learn more about our available animals then call us at (508) 853-0030 ext.0 or email us at info@worcesterarl. org to schedule an appointment. h CASUAL VISITS TO THE SHELTER are prohibited. We will strictly enforce this in order to keep our animal care team protected while still maintaining the most essential function of our operation ... fi nding homes for ani-

Ethan Allen is available for adoption. PHOTO COURTESY WARL

mals in need. h ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030. h SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off /pick up procedures. h DONATIONS ACCEPTED except for open bags of food.

h Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can be purchased online from our Amazon Wishlist — https:// www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0 h Weekly training classes are going on for adopters. h The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look for-

ward to welcoming you back as soon as we can. We have many animals in our care who depend on us to stay healthy and well. The above measures help to protect our staff and community from the spread of COVID - 19 by minimizing face-to-face interactions while continuing to operate only core essential services. Please continue to follow our Facebook page for additional updates.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the shelter at (508) 853-0030 or info@ worcesterarl.org.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | 29

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PUBLIC PUBLIC AUCTION AUCTION NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE ISIS HEREBY HEREBYGIVEN GIVENPURPURSUANT SUANT TOTO THE THEPROVISIONS PROVISIONSOFOF M.L.C. M.L.C.225 225SEC.39A SEC.39ATHE THEFOLLOWFOLLOWING WILL BEBE SOLD ONON JU-JUINGVEHICLES VEHICLES WILL SOLD LYLY3,3,2021 2021TOTOSATISFY SATISFYOUR OURGAGARAGE TOWING RAGELIEN LIENTHEREON THEREONFOR FOR TOWING AND EX-EXANDSTORAGE STORAGECHARGES CHARGESAND AND PENSES SALE AND NOTICE: PENSESOFOF SALE AND NOTICE: 2008 x5x5 2008BMW BMW VIN#5UXFE43578L007403 VIN#5UXFE43578L007403 2008 BENZ S550 2008MERCEDES MERCEDES BENZ S550 VIN# VIN#WDDNG86X18A175664 WDDNG86X18A175664 2011 E-250 VAN 2011FORD FORD E-250 VAN VIN# VIN#1FTNS2EW8BDB27860 1FTNS2EW8BDB27860 2012 E-350 VAN 2012FORD FORD E-350 VAN VIN# VIN#1FBSS3BLOCDA88433 1FBSS3BLOCDA88433 2010 COROLLA 2010TOYOTA TOYOTA COROLLA VIN# VIN#2T1BU4EE6AC287036 2T1BU4EE6AC287036 2007 CIVIC 2007HONDA HONDA CIVIC VIN# VIN#1HGFA16897L045748 1HGFA16897L045748 SALE IS IS ATAT SALELOCATION LOCATION EARLY’S ON PARK AVENUE EARLY’S ON PARK AVENUE 536 AVENUE 536PARK PARK AVENUE WORCESTER, MA 01603 WORCESTER, MA 01603

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30 | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J O N E S I N’

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

R U O Y E C A PL AD HERE! Call

66

-34 4 5 2 8 8 8 cla

or email a.com i d e m e s u o ateh ssifieds@g

Across 1 Concession stand drinks 6 Tugs 11 Shot in the arm 14 Authoritative decree 15 “You’re ___ and don’t even know it” 16 Need to square up with 17 Compliant “Transformers” director?

19 Milliner’s product 20 Printer refill 21 Coast-to-coast vacation, maybe 22 “(You’re) Having My Baby” singer Paul 23 Sheepish sounds 24 Orchestra woodwinds 25 Beach atmosphere 28 Sapphire novel on which the film “Precious” was based 29 T, e.g.

30 Allowed past the door 35 “Lara Croft: ___ Raider” 36 Showing little emotion 37 Roman emperor after Claudius 38 Mixed vegetables ingredient, maybe 40 Laundry day target 41 Distant lead-in 42 Car accessory 43 ___ pastry (eclair basis) 45 Five-iron nickname 48 Architect Ludwig Mies van der ___ 49 Casino customer 50 Bearded zoo animal 53 Intent 54 Pop soloist familiar with the Egyptian underworld?

56 “Don’t text and drive,” e.g.

57 Optimal 58 Come together 59 RR stop 60 Teacher’s summons 61 Printer refill Down 1 Big rig 2 Mythological deity with two ravens 3 Nickname for Nixon 4 German grumble 5 Illuminated, as at night

“Just Ir-ish”--oh, whatever.

by Matt Jones

6 “Big Three” conference site of 1945 7 “To reach ___, we must sail ...” (FDR quote) 8 “Dona ___ pacem” (Mass phrase) 9 Hold onto 10 Mess of a spot 11 Unfortunate tractor inventor?

12 Up 13 Software versions still being tested 18 At any point 22 Kind of ballot 23 Potato chip flavor 24 In circulation 25 They haven’t flown for 18 years 26 Self-help Internet site 27 Disappointing “Save Me” singer-songwriter?

28 File on a phone 30 “What am ___ do?”

31 Mail motto word 32 “F9” actor/producer Diesel 33 Reggae Sunsplash adjective 34 Taboo 36 Biol. or ecol.

39 Prom piece 40 Foments 42 Pest greeting 43 Vegas game with rolls

44 Raise, as a flag 45 Battle royale 46 George Peppard TV series, with “The” 47 Mode of fashion 49 “I’ll ___ my time” 50 Hang on tight?

51 “Last ___” (The Strokes song) 52 Tablet owner 54 Prefix with information 55 ___ nutshell

Last week's solution

©2021 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1045

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JUNE 18 - 24, 2021 | 31

LAST CALL

Andrew Ahern, outgoing hub coordinator for Sunrise Worcester Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Andrew Ahern has served as the hub coordinator for Sunrise Worcester since January 2020.

On July 1, he and a colleague will be stepping down to make room for new leadership. Ahern was part of the core group that resuscitated Sunrise Worcester, setting up the organization as the nerve center for climate activism in the area. What went into this activist renaissance was detailed in a Worcester Magazine article in January. Last week, he sat down with Last Call to discuss his plans for the future.

Why are you stepping down and what’s next?

I’ve known for probably a couple months that I would be stepping down — I’ve been looking for a diff erent job and knew there wasn’t much opportunity in Worcester for climate change work.

In September, I’m moving to Vermont and working in the Brattleboro Offi ce of Sustainability. Teaching the public about climate change, working with the local energy committee, removing invasive species, urban planning. Sustainability is a pretty general and vague word and encompasses a lot — we are aiming to educate and activate the public.

What will you miss most about Sunrise Worcester?

It really comes down to the people. We have been working basically throughout a worldwide pandemic where we’ve all been in lockdown. It’s been really comforting and helpful to meet with folks my age who are going through similar experiences — not just the pandemic

Andrew Ahern leads a Sunrise protest. KELSEY HARRIS

but growing up in an age of such chaos. It helps me understand why we’re doing this work — not for some abstract carbon measurement of parts per million in the atmosphere but for people. It’s what motivates me.

Does Sunrise plan to take advantage of the easing of lockdown restrictions in your last month?

Yes, we’ve been active. Our political project the last three months has been endorsements for Worcester City Council and the School Committee.

We created an endorsement sub team that’s been really committed to getting people in offi ce, and interviewed a handful of candidates two weeks ago. We just made a couple de-

cisions of who to endorse: Etel Haxhiaj for District 5 City Councilor and Tracy O’Connell Novick for School Committee.

Sunrise members have also joined 350 Central Mass for inperson protests.

What swayed you in your endorsements?

It’s a question of principles and values versus harm reduction. There were candidates we interviewed who may not put the climate crisis at the top of their list but are defi nitely better than their opponents. Naturally, we have to factor in whether they could win or not.

As you probably know, there is a real lack of knowledge and understanding around the climate crisis with our current City Council. We really need

someone who is going to put it at the top of their platform and has proved their commitment to combating the climate crisis as soon as possible. Etel is a member of Mothers Out Front and there’s really no better candidate for our endorsement.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere just set a record. What would Sunrise suggest for Worcester to combat this crisis?

The scale and scope of the crisis requires more from the city in terms of where they’re attacking it and how much money they have committed.

The Green Worcester Plan is too slow — we can’t wait until 2045 or 2050, we needed to implement harm reduction yesterday, to have done this in the

1990s.

In terms of more specifi c steps that the city could be taking — massive reinvestment in aff ordable housing and a carbon budget that aligns with the 1.5 C warming increase.

Worcester also has a huge transportation problem — get cars off the street and implement public transport.

Will anyone from the old guard be staying on for the sake of a transition?

Other hub members have known about this for a while and have worked to ease the transition. If there are any bumps along the way, even if we’re not offi cial hub coordinators, we’re only an email or a phone call away.

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