Worcester Magazine July 16-22, 2021

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | CULTURE § ARTS § DINING § VOICES

Fighting addiction in the time of COVID HOW REHAB PROGRAMS WEATHERED THE PANDEMIC PAGE 16

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IN THIS ISSUE 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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4 City Voices ..........................................................................4 Featured ..............................................................................7 Cover Story.......................................................................16 Next Draft .........................................................................21 Screen Time......................................................................18 Adoption Option.............................................................28 Classifi eds ........................................................................29 Games................................................................................30 Last Call .............................................................................31

On the cover The COVID pandemic was a blow for those wrestling with addiction, but some programs found ways to stay functional. Page 16 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DANI CHERCHIO/ USA TODAY NETWORK, GETTY IMAGES

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CITY VOICES LANDGREN THINGS WE DON’T WANT TO SEE IN WORCESTER MONOPOLY ...

FIRST PERSON

Breaking crews are the heart of hip-hop Bridget Flaherty Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

WORCESTERIA

After prolonged battle to keep their space, the Bridge closes its doors Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

The eff ort to save the Bridge Academy and Community Center has gone on for either four months or more than two years, depending on how you look at it, but now, those efforts have come to an end: The hardscrabble venue, which housed arts nonprofi ts and vocation training programs for at-risk youth, has been shuttered, according to property manager Dan Ford, and all events scheduled on the building’s calendar have been can-

celed.

According to Ford, the news of upcoming block parties to raise money to save the venue spooked the property’s owner, a trust maintained by Benjamin Mantyla, because they threatened to scuttle the deal to sell the Southbridge Street property to a Boston-based developer. Ford thinks this is ironic, as the group had been closing in on the amount needed to pick up the purchase, with $750,000 in hand, and a clear path to loans to cover the rest.

See BRIDGE, Page 6

Hip-hop at its core is about humanity, relationships and connections. Crews play in the culture, especially in terms of fostering community and focusing on relationships. From their earliest iterations, crews off ered a sense of community to young kids who may not have had other options or outlets. This philosophy of crew and community as family is essential to the ethos of hip-hop.

Hip-hop evolved out of an environment that was oppressing minorities. It was a safe, artistic means of expression for these kids who were being marginalized and abandoned. In his book “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” Jeff Chang explains how this environment led to the birth and boom of hip-hop. He particularly discusses the role of crews as a safe haven for kids in a dangerous environment. As a result of the political and economic abandonment of the Bronx, white kids who couldn’t aff ord to leave the neighborhood formed gangs in order to assert their superiority over the Black and brown kids coming to the neighborhood. This led to them creating their own rival gangs in order to protect themselves. However, hip-hop provided an alternative to joining a gang as it too off ered community and safety in its own way.

In order to fully understand the impact that crews have on

Breakdancing made the great leap from underground art form to pop culture in 1983 after being confi ned mostly to street corners in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods of New York City for several years. By March 16, 1984, when these youngsters practiced their moves near the intersection of 41st Street and Rookwood Avenue, the breakdancing rage had arrived in Indianapolis. JOHN R. GENTRY/INDIANAPOLIS NEWS

its members, it is important to look at individual stories and testimonies from b-boys. In the fi rst episode of the series “Crew Code,” members of the Renegade Rockers crew explain how their community has impacted their lives in a positive way. They pride themselves on their sense of com-

munity. One b-boy stated that the Renegades “became brothers basically,” therefore emphasizing the familial bond between them.

The emphasis on human connection is inherent in the pedagogy of breaking. HipSee CREWS, Page 6

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 5

POETRY TOWN

‘Where’s My Tongue?’

USA TODAY NETWORK

Waiting for me To come back too?

Are you in grandma’s house Making café con leche, Eating cheese with crackers, And watching novelas?

I’ve looked in these places, To see if I recognized your sound, Hoping to find you or you find me, So I can be whole instead of broken.

Are you at the corner bodega Buying pan de agua And playing with the fat cat Lying on the Wonder Bread?

Because without you I’m not a whole Puerto Rican, I’m only a piece of what’s left, Until I can find my Spanish tongue And put myself back together again.

Dimitri Suriel Special to Worcester Magazine

Are you at Maria’s house, Who calls you papi, Where one plus one Still equals one in bed?

Or, are you back home On the island you were born

Dimitri Suriel is a Puerto Rican/Dominican-American raised in Worcester, where a lot of his work is in searching for identity, while embracing the cultures and identities he holds.

“Because without you/I’m not a whole Puerto Rican,/I’m only a piece of what’s left,/Until I can fi nd my Spanish tongue/And put myself back together again.”

JOHN RAOUX/AP

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Bridge Continued from Page 4

“The plan from the beginning was for me to take over the building,” says Ford, in a phone conversation. Ford has always been a level-headed voice in an always diffi cult and sometimes heated situation, a composure he maintains even as he expresses his disappointment in how events played out, all the way back from the announcement of the building’s impending sale back in March. Originally, they were given “a week in advance to come up with the money” to buy the building themselves, “and here we are,” he says.

“Still fi ghting. I see it from all angles. I never take a story from one side. I can understand where (Mantyla) is coming from. I just thought we had a better understanding.”

Programs that use the

Bridge for space include the Jubilee Career Center for the Performing Arts Inc., Worcester Youth Cooperatives, StandUp for Kids, El Salon, Side Note Programs and Worcester Free Fridge, as well as Ford’s own personal auto-repair business, East Coast Autoworks, and his program to teach kids mechanic skills, Crash Course Creations.

Ford says that most of the money raised to save the building will have to be returned, as it was contingent on a particular use. Still, while this particular fi ght is over, Ford remains undaunted, and he’s begun looking for a new space to continue the programs. He’s looking for a particular sort of space.

“A big premise on what this thing (the Bridge) was founded on was the actual building of the building with the kids.

Showing them how to do woodworking, masonry all that, so I’m not looking for a

fi nished building, as such.”

Ford theorizes that, with all eight nonprofi ts involved in the space, there are about 50 kids who are participating in programs at the Bridge, with many more fl oating through on an occasional basis. Largely, these are kids from the neighborhood, many who have fallen through the offi cial safety nets for at-risk children. That’s the salient point that often gets lost in discussions of the Bridge, which often treat it as if it were just a piece of real estate: When the system failed some of these kids, Ford and the Bridge were there to catch them, and instead of falling through the cracks, they began learning a trade.

“We’re really building community here,” says Ford. “It’s not about the individual kid, it’s about the ‘we’ not the ‘me.’

We’re gonna keep pushing. Out hearts haven’t gone anywhere.”

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Crews Continued from Page 4

hop is passed on from generation to generation, similarly to the process of oral tradition. Bboys and b-girls pass their knowledge on to each other in order to keep the culture alive.

Crews are the easiest way to establish this teaching environment, as they provide a space for b-boys to mentor new students.

In an interview with an Irish b-boy for the interview series “Breakwiser,” the iconic b-boy Que Rock discusses these ideas and provides even more insight into the role of crews in the hip-hop culture. Que Rock brings an interesting perspective to the culture, as he was born on a Native American reservation and grew up in both the Bronx and Toronto. He incorporates aspects of each of these communities into his style and philosophies of breaking.

Promoting a crew consists of travelling, putting on workshops and showcases, attending diff erent jams and events, and more. The internet has made connecting with others and promoting your crew much easier as it invites people from all over the world to learn about hip-hop. On YouTube, I found a showcase that Ready to Rock put on in Kawasaki, Japan. I clicked on it solely with the intention of watching Que Rock break. After listening to his insights about hip-hop, I was eager to see the legend himself get down. However, I was surprised to see that the fi rst person introduced in the showcase was the newest and youngest member of the crew, b-boy Krow. Que Rock hyped him up and gave him the stage fi rst. I thought that this perfectly represented the role of community and mentors in hip-hop.

This semester, I experienced fi rsthand the impact that one’s community can have on their breaking. Our

fi rst few classes were held virtually on Zoom, much to my relief. I was terrifi ed to dance in front of my classmates, most of whom were strangers. I was afraid to embarrass myself. I was traumatized from years of gym classes in elementary and middle school where it was essential to be a good athlete while pretending that you don’t care at all. I was worried that my classmates would have that same mentality and therefore that I wouldn’t get anything out of this course. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The classroom environment was positive, upbeat, and fun. The ease with which we went from a class to a team to a community to our own crew was thrilling to experience and a true testament to Prof. Taylor Travassos-Lomba’s energy and teaching philosophy. We all wanted to make him proud, so we tried as hard as we could. We cheered each other on and helped each other fi gure out diff erent moves. One of my favorite days was our second-to-last class when we were all preparing for our fi nal movement exam. I remember messing around with transitions and diff erent moves with Caroline, Joshua, and Ryan and feeling really inspired creatively. It was fun to watch them come up with different combinations and to offer suggestions for new transitions. It felt like a perfect way to wrap up the semester.

Communities are essential to hip-hop as a culture, as it promotes relationships. This encourages people to both learn and to teach, therefore spreading the culture. Communities and crews are like families and are crucial to hiphop culture as they provide a sense of encouragement, education, and safety to all of their members.

Bridget Flaherty is the winner of the Hip-Hop Essay Contest at the College of the Holy Cross. This essay has been edited for length.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 7

FEATURED

Central Mass. groups work to fi ll void after USDA food program ends Stephanie Jarvis Campbell Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

With the recent conclusion of the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program, many people have been left without the fresh fruits and vegetables those deliveries contained. But the need for food in the city is far from over, according to local pantries and nonprofi ts.

Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service partnered with distributors to purchase fresh produce, plus dairy and meat products.

These family-sized boxes were then packaged by distributors and brought to food banks and community, nonprofi t and faith-based organizations.

More than 173 million boxes were delivered across the country from May 2020 to April of this year.

The program was designed to be temporary, but now, there is a void for families that depended on the boxes.

“We’re missing about 500 boxes of food every week – that’s just the basic milk, cheese, fruit,” said Nelly Medina, lead organizer for the Parents Union of Massachusetts, or PUMA. “We have a population of people who have not rebounded from COVID, and they’re hungry and we don’t know how to feed them.”

PUMA – under the umbrella of Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, for which Medina is the Central Mass. regional organizer – ran a food outreach program from the Rock of Salva-

Willie Wheeler and Monroe Pitman deliver food to cars outside Belmont A.M.E Zion Church in Worcester as part of the Yes We Care and USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program April 28.

The USDA program has ended, but Yes We Care has partnered with the YMCA, the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging and the Worcester County Food Bank to continue providing food for those who need it. Several other local nonprofi ts and religious groups are working to fi ll the void. ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

tion Church. Throughout the pandemic, the organization worked with hundreds of families to distribute the USDA boxes, Medina said. She was able to procure boxes from different distributors participating in the program, including World Farmers in Lancaster and the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation,

which is based on Cape Cod and has run its Food4Vets program for the last six years.

In addition to helping Medina, the MMSF set up a distribution site each week locally at the Worcester Railers lot that was open to anyone. Although the MMSF’s main objective is to support veterans, it stepped in to help Central Massachu-

setts during the pandemic, according to Tom Foley, a member of the group’s board of directors.

Now that the Farmers to Families program has ended, Medina is searching for ways to get food to the families. “I wake up in the morning and have breakfast with my son, and I think, ‘This is crazy.’ I can feel

the ripple going through my heart, knowing that my brothers and sisters aren’t getting enough,” she said.

Medina said that although there are other food banks in the city, they are not always viable options for the people that PUMA helps. Many are homebound because they don’t drive, are disabled, may have an at-risk family member at home or are not vaccinated, she said. In addition, sometimes long lines at food pantries and hours of operation prevent people from utilizing certain pantries – plus, if fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy are available, it is quickly dispersed, Medina said.

“The phones had stopped ringing and now they’re ringing again – like they were a year ago,” she said.

Yes We Care, a nonprofi t in Worcester that off ers services and support to youth and families, also participated in the USDA program. A food hub was set up at Belmont AME Zion Church at 55 Illinois St., and by the end of the program, more than 5,000 boxes were distributed, according to the Rev. Clyde D. Talley, president and CEO of Yes We Care. What was benefi cial about the program, he said, was that anyone could utilize it.

“It’s not just people who are distressed or poor. Life happens. People lose their jobs.

There may have been a major expense in the house; now the money’s not there,” he said.

“You never know somebody’s See PROGRAM, Page 11

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�������� Nelly Medina is the lead organizer for the Parents Union of Massachusetts, or PUMA. PUMA – under the umbrella of Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, for which Medina is the Central Mass. regional organizer – ran a food outreach program from the Rock of Salvation Church. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Program Continued from Page 7

situation. If they’re showing up for whatever reason, they need it.”

The organization currently has a partnership with the YMCA, the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging and the Worcester County Food Bank to continue providing food for those who need it; pick-up is now from 3 to 6 pm Fridays, which helps those who couldn’t make the previous midday time, when the distribution trucks arrived. Plus, people are now able to choose what they would like from that week’s selection, rather than the pre-picked boxes, Rev. Talley said.

Rev. Talley, who is also pastor of Belmont AME Zion Church, noted that it’s important to spread the word about available food hubs in the city.

“There are some people who don’t know where to go because the food box program

ended,” he said, adding, “My intent is not to do this just for COVID, but continuously.”

The El Buen Samaritano Food Program Inc. did not participate in the USDA program, but operates a pantry at 39 Piedmont St. that has been in existence for 30 years. “The problem has not stopped. The problem is still an issue,” Executive Director Mari Gonzalez said of food insecurity. “I even get other pantries coming to my pantry.”

El Buen Samaritano is open for pick-ups on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In May alone, the pantry served 762 households, said Gonzalez, whose parents began the organization in 1991.

Like Rev. Talley, her goal is to be open more days, but right now, the pantry runs off of volunteers and donations. Until then, she said, “I have a saying: Together we can do more.

That’s now what we have to do as a city. We have to be unifi ed so we can fi ght this together.

We have to think outside the box to fi ght this fi ght in a beautiful, loving and kind way.”

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Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of Zamar coming to the Hanover Theatre Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

“To make music” and “To sing praise” are a couple of the defi nitions of the word “Zamar” from the Old Testament and the Book of Psalms.

More recently, “The Zamar Experience” has been defi ned as ballads and anthems giving glory to God through Trey McLaughlin’s richly arranged harmonies and beautiful blends.

Trey McLaughlin has his own conception of what he hopes people will take away from Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of Zamar when the Grammy Award-nominated gospel group performs at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts at 6 p.m. July 25 as part of the “Summer@MW” series presented by Music Worcester.

“What I’m hoping, they’ll be uplifted,” McLaughlin said.

“I’m also hoping if they’re unfamiliar with gospel music they’ll come away with a diff erent perspective.”

But the group, based in Augusta, Georgia, doesn’t just perform gospel music, McLaughlin said during a recent telephone interview.

“We’re gospel primarily, but we have a variety of diff erent styles — pop, R&B, African, musical theater, jazz, a little bit of country. You’ll hear some covers, some adaptations, and you’ll hear some originals music. It’s a variety.”

What the music has in common is the vocal harmonization

by McLaughlin, a composer, arranger, conductor, tenor vocalist singer, educator, and director of worship and arts at Tabernacle Baptist Church of Augusta.

“We’re gospel primarily,” says Trey McLaughlin, “but we have a variety of different styles — pop, R&B, African, musical theater, jazz, a little bit of country. You’ll hear some covers, some adaptations, and you’ll hear some originals music. It’s a variety.”

PROMOTIONAL IMAGE

You don’t have to be a Chris- “I’ve known since I was about 4 years old that I tian to be touched by the Zamar wanted to do music the rest of my life, and I Experience.

“We want people to be up- never really wanted to do anything else. I guess lifted by our presentation no matter what their belief system you could call that a calling.” is,” McLaughlin said.

Trey McLaughlin “We welcome non-Christians to come. We welcome all people to come. I think they will past 16 months by the pandem- can’t wait to get back to it.”

Asked if he comes from a ic. be uplifted.” background, The group had originally musical Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of Zamar has devel- been booked by Music Worces- McLaughlin said, “I actually oped an extensive YouTube fol- ter for Jan. 15, but the perfor- don’t. My mother sings, but my family is not especially musilowing that’s grown almost ex- mance was postponed.

The July 25 appearance here cal. They feel that God dropped ponentially since the group recorded its 14-track debut al- will be the group’s fi rst in me out of the sky.”

Was it a calling?

Worcester. Meanwhile, “Our bum, “Limitless,” in 2012.

“I’ve known since I was It has also toured the world, touring program is just starting although touring performances to get back up,” McLaughlin about 4 years old that I wanted have been put in check over the said. “We really missed it, so we to do music the rest of my life,

and I never really wanted to do anything else. I guess you could call that a calling,” McLaughlin said.

Regarding the music he listened to growing up, he laughed and said, “Everything … Through my mom I was exposed to a lot of diff erent styles early on — soft rock, R&B, and of course, growing up in the Black church, gospel.”

McLaughlin was born in Augusta, and in high school was a member of the nonprofi t performing arts organization Creative Impressions, serving as both president and student director. McLaughlin graduated See HANOVER, Page 13

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 13

Hanover Continued from Page 12

The gospel group Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar will perform for Music Worcester at 6 p.m. July 25 at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Worcester PROMOTIONAL IMAGE

McLaughlin said he and the Sounds of Zamar have been “working on some new music that will be released before the end of the year and some tour dates that we’re super excited about.”

As for what they’ve learned over the course of the pandemic, he said, “I think it’s defi nitely caused us to value each other a lot more and value the time we spend together. It’s caused us to realize that what we have musically is special.”

The 6 p.m. July 25 performance of Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of Zamar at The Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester, will have socially distanced assigned pod seating available in the front orchestra in rows AA-N and the loge in groups of two and four for $55 each. General admission seating is available in the rear orchestra and the balcony sections for $35 for adults and $25 for students. For more information about the show and a link to buy tickets, visit www.musicworcester.org.

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from Columbus State University (The Schwob School of Music) in Columbus, Georgia, in 2009, with a degree in music performance with an emphasis on vocal pedagogy. While there he was member of its University Singers and Chorale and director of the Columbus State University Gospel Choir.

He has also conducted master classes and served as a guest vocal clinician for workshops and groups nationally and abroad. At Tabernacle Baptist Church of Augusta, he oversees 12 ministries and approximately 250 ministry volunteers.

McLaughlin has a terrifi c tenor voice in his own right, and Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of Zamar has its origins in McLaughlin getting some performing engagements right after he graduated from college, he said.

“I’m a shy individual,” he observed. “I didn’t like to go places alone.”

So he went to his performances with some friends, who would also perform with him.

“From there it started to become a group. And then we made it an offi cial thing,” he said of Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of Zamar being formed in 2009.

“We have about 24 (singers) in all. I started with six.”

They have performed everywhere from church basements to international stages and alongside gospel greats like William McDowell, Kierra “Kiki” Sheard and James Fortune.

“They started off all being here but people would move away (from Augusta),” McLaughlin said of some group members. But they’d still drive or fl y in to perform.

Group members are able to start getting back together again after months of being tied down/kept apart by the pandemic.

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14 | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Polar Park to host comedy show to benefi t the family of Offi cer Familia

PRESENTED BY

Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

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One would expect that organizing a comedy show with a line-up of some of New England’s best comedians on short notice would be a challenge. But when the cause is raising money for the family of the late Worcester Police Offi cer Emmanuel “Manny” Familia, the decision wasn’t hard for the comedians to make at all.

“Basically, all I had to do was say, ‘Hey there’s this worthwhile cause for a hero police offi cer’ and the reply was, ‘Sure, when do I have to be there?’” said Boston comedian Tony Viveiros, also known as Tony V. Through his long association with the Boston comedy scene, Viveiros has developed a wide network of contacts. Which is why John Fraioli reached out to him.

Offi cer Familia lost his life while trying to save teenager Troy Love, 14, who also drowned, at Green Hill Pond on June 4.

Billed as “A Night of Comedy for Familia,” the event begins at 7 p.m. July 20 at Polar Park, 100 Madison St, Worcester. Tickets are available online at mvp.tickets.com, starting at $30 per person.

Fraioli, a retired state trooper who works security for the WooSox at Polar Park, is organizing the event. He has been

Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel “Manny” Familia PHOTO PROVIDED BY WORCESTER POLICE DEPARTMENT

involved in other benefi ts for police offi cers killed in the line of duty as well. He observed that when the tragedy fi rst happens, there is usually a great deal of attention due to the processions and funerals but then a month goes by and memory fades. “We try to do these events a short time after the wake and funeral, to bring people together and continue to show our support,” he said.

Both Fraioli and Viveiros See SHOW, Page 15

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 15

Comedian Christine Hurley PROMOTIONAL IMAGES

Comedian Lenny Clarke

Show

fore so they were both in at the ground level. Viveiros fi rst performed stand-up comedy in

Continued from Page 14

emphasize they have put together a line-up that could stand up against any comedy show in the country. “For $30, it’s kind of unbeatable,” Fraioli said with pride, referring to the cost of general admission, which includes seating in sections 1 to 7 and 11 to 16. Also available is Home Plate seating for $50, covering sections 8 to 10, closest to where the comedians will be performing. Both levels include concession and cash bar.

Manny Familia’s wife, as well as his 17-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, will be in attendance for the fi rst of its kind show at Polar Park. It will feature some of Boston’s legendary comedians, including Lenny Clarke, Tony V, Dave Russo, Frank Santorelli and Christine Hurley, who performed on the show “America’s Got Talent,” along with several surprise appearances.

Viveiros reiterated that “we’re there to entertain people who put out money to help a family and it won’t be anything

other than the best we can offer.” He recalled that most comedians were all coming off a pandemic year and a half so “we’re chomping at the bit to ply our craft and if someone says they have Polar Park, why wouldn’t we do that?”

This benefi t will be the fi rst comedy show at the new stadium. It’s a testament to the impact Familia’s death had on the city that the benefi t is being held in such a large space.

Viveiros says that when he gets a call to do a benefi t for a cause like this, “It’s not really asking, it’s telling,” adding that, “most of us come from a working class background so we know what it’s like ... and we have a little bit of guilt because what we have is hardly a job and we try to convince ourselves that it is.”

According to Viveiros, a number of the people in the show started many years ago and didn’t realize comedy was going to be a job. He himself got into it in the early ‘80s through Boston’s nascent comedy scene — “nobody knew you could do comedy at a local level — just sort of took off as clubs opened.” Lenny Clarke had started only a few months be-

1983 at Boston’s now-closed Comedy Connection. The host couldn’t pronounce the debut-

ing comedian’s last name, so Viveiros was introduced as his now-alias Tony V.

16 | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

COVER STORY

COVID-19 crisis put addiction programs, patients in jeopardy Stephanie Jarvis Campbell Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

As a house manager for a residential sober facility, Jose Vazquez has seen fi rsthand — and has lived it himself — the strength and determination needed to stay in recovery after struggling with addiction, and even more so during the COVID-19 crisis.

While some avoided relapse during a time of quarantine, when all across the country people were confi ned to their homes, COVID for others was a deadly combination of idle time and lack of support. With recovery meetings mainly on Zoom instead of in person, access to doctors and therapists limited, and many recovery centers closed except for emergencies, COVID has hugely impacted the community.

“We lost a lot of members to relapse and death. Here is a disease new to us — COVID — and it’s contradictory to the disease we’re fi ghting — addiction,” said Michael Earielo, program director of Spectrum Health Center’s Everyday Miracles Peer Recovery Center, located at 25 Pleasant St. in Worcester. “We are told to go out, to go to meetings, to socialize. Now we are being told to isolate, don’t go near anyone, don’t go out, don’t go to meetings.”

“It was depressing for a regular guy,” Vazquez said of the quarantine. “Then imagine a guy whose whole well-being depends on the system, and that system is being taken

Participants virtually call into a meeting at Everyday Miracles Peer Recovery Support Center. ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

away.”

The eff ects from COVID, he said, have been “heartbreaking, but not surprising.”

‘Sheer willpower’ When COVID hit full force, Vazquez was the house manager for Dismas House in Worcester, and at the time, 12 men were living there. “Then COVID says, ‘We’re taking this all away, and it’s up to you and

sheer willpower.’ If I had sheer willpower, I would’ve done this a long time ago,” he said of being in recovery. “Sheer willpower might get you clean, but it won’t get you in recovery.”

After about six week of quarantine, only fi ve of the guys in the house remained, having either left for the streets or relapsed, Vazquez said. “I’ve seen fi rsthand how hard COVID hit.

It was tough,” he recalled. “You feel helpless because you see

all these guys going back. At the end of the day, you can’t make that choice for them. You get vested in the house. It’s like family. You’re losing a family member to the streets.”

Dr. Matilde “Mattie” Castiel, founder and medical director of the Latin American Health Alliance, which operates the Hector Reyes House in Worcester, also witnessed the eff ects of COVID on the men who live there. The men can earn passes

that allow them to leave for activities or visit their families on weekends, but during the quarantine, those outings didn’t happen, and that loss proved diffi cult.

“For us, it’s been devastating,” Dr. Castiel said of COVID. “Depression and anxiety have markedly increased. I have never seen a time like this, where the anxiety levels have See ADDICTION, Page 17

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 17

Addiction Continued from Page 16

reached such a degree.”

‘Fighting minute by minute’ Dealing with addiction or working on recovery is a “challenge,” said Dr. Castiel, who is also the commissioner of health and human services for the city of Worcester. “Add that challenge to COVID — it’s a tough time,” she added.

According to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., the CDC estimates that opioids will be the cause of death for more than 100,000 people during the pandemic — up from approximately 70,000 in recent years.

“Most people overdose in the bedroom or home. Now you’re being told you can’t leave your house, shelter in place,” Early said of the quarantine.

“The people in early stages of recovery are so fragile.”

Said Vazquez, “An addict’s worst thing is isolation, being in your own mind and idle time.

That’s awful. If you’re not busy, you’re literally fi ghting minute by minute.”

At Dismas, no one from the outside was allowed to come to the house, which meant that recovery meetings didn’t happen in person and instead were held on Zoom, Vazquez said. He attended online meetings two to three times a day, but for others, Zoom was too diffi cult a platform to share stories and feelings.

“I can’t stress how important it is to have that personal contact, to be sitting in the same room with someone who is struggling,” said the Rev. Janice Ford, who is president of the Board of Directors for Opening the Word Peer Recovery Center and Reconciliation House, both in Webster. “If you’re a person who’s sitting on the fence … it’s much easier to walk away from something on Zoom than in person.”

That was an experience that Joey Siekierski is all too familiar with. When he was 13, he had his fi rst taste of drugs and alcohol. Being bullied by kids his own age led him to spending time with others older than he was. “To fi t in, the cool thing was to drink and do drugs. It was every weekend, and then it turned into every day after school,” he recalled. “By 16 years old, I was an IV user.”

In and out of jail and sober houses multiple times, he would always “pick up the same place where I left off ,” Siekierski said. “When you’re an addict, especially as an opiate addict, you become reliant on that opiate. You become sick without it.”

Siekierski credited Opening the Word for having a huge role in his recovery. He was a frequent attendee when it fi rst opened on Mechanics Street in Webster; it relocated to its current location at 174 Main St. last June when COVID was continuously on the rise. By then, the fear of COVID had kept him home, and although he tried the Zoom meetings, he just wasn’t comfortable with it.

“I wasn’t working my program; I wasn’t going to my meetings,” he said. “COVID did aff ect my recovery. I didn’t want to risk myself or others, but I risked my recovery, and I realize that now. If COVID didn’t happen, I would’ve been going to my meetings.”

Peer Coordinator Bridget DelRio leads a meeting July 6 at Everyday Miracles Peer Recovery Support Center, located at 25 Pleasant St., Worcester. ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

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I had a year clean, and that was the best time of my life,” he said. “I got tired of disappointing everyone in my family. I didn’t want to live that life anymore.”

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Addiction Continued from Page 17

(IOP) after detox. As part of the IOP, he had to do online meetings for about four hours in the morning, but he balanced that with in-person sessions at the recovery center, which, by that time, he felt ready to attend.

“Without the center now, I’d probably still be in trouble out there,” Siekierski said, adding that although he was worried about returning after his relapse, nobody judged him.

“They all said, ‘Welcome back.’”

Now, he takes that same approach when he sees new people at the center. “The center is my home group now, and I try to welcome the next person.

Not push them, but let them know that uncomfortable feeling is the fi rst step in feeling comfortable,” Siekierski said.

“With COVID, don’t let it be an excuse. Don’t let it be that big of a fear, letting it get in front of your recovery,” Siekierski said. “Don’t stop what’s working for you because COVID is a fear. I lost my sobriety because I became complacent at home. You’re stuck in your head; that addict thinking comes back, that no one wants to hear my problems. It’s a downfall. The drugs make you feel good for a moment, but don’t lose everything you worked for.”

Because Opening the Word is all-volunteer, it was able to stay open throughout the quarantine while other state-funded facilities were closed. “We felt like we were essential workers, too. People in recovery desperately needed support,” Ford said. “Idle time is the devil’s workshop, as they say. It made it very diffi cult. That was the reason we decided to open – and stay open.”

Opening the Word followed all of the governor’s mandates as far as mask-wearing, sanitizing and cleaning and was able to off er most of its usual programs during the quarantine. The center has a robust

Marie Bugbee shows off her completed collage during an art class July 2 at Opening the Word Peer Recovery Center.

PHOTOS BY RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

schedule of meetings and activities, including Recovery Yoga, Music in Recovery, Recovery Art and Recovery Bible Study. According to Ford, not a single person contracted COVID through attending programs at the center the entire time it was open during the quarantine.

“We felt like we did the right thing,” Ford said of staying open. “A lot of people were grateful to have 12-step meetings online, but there were really people who needed to be in person.”

She added, “A lot of groups were totally displaced because of COVID. Even churches — so many 12-step programs happen in church basements.”

Crystal de Angelo, who helps run the Loved Ones Support Group at Opening the Word, said that for many people going See ADDICTION, Page 19

Projects from past art classes hang on the wall at Opening the Word Peer Recovery Center in Webster.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 19

A yoga class is held at Opening the Word Peer Recovery Center.

PHOTOS BY RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Addiction Continued from Page 18

to meetings or seeing their therapists online, it was very diffi cult. “It’s really hard to do telehealth and connect. If it’s the only option, people are using it, but it’s not always helping. Can you imagine someone who’s struggling with substance abuse and trying to explain that over the phone?”

Everyday Miracles Peer Re-

covery Center was one of the places that was not able to fully open during the quarantine, because it is funded by the state Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, according to Earielo. The center did maintain services by hosting Zoom meetings every single day, and staff members would call members they didn’t see online to check in and provide support.

They provided technology for people who didn’t have access to the Zoom meetings, did grocery drop-off s and distributed

bers are excited to be back, but even so, the center’s population is lower than what it was preCOVID. Currently, approximately 150 people a week utilize the center, which was about

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‘There still are a lot of people who aren’t sure about coming back’ By early March of this year, Everyday Miracles was able to have in-person meetings for up to 10 people; now, up to 25 people can be in the center at one time and masks are still required. Earielo said the mem-

the number who came in just one day prior to the quarantine, he noted.

“There still are a lot of people

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Instructor Katie Gould leads a yoga class June 30 at the Opening the Word Peer Recovery Center in Webster.

masks when supplies were low.

After a couple of months, the staff was able to be in the building for emergencies, Earielo said.

“Our doors were open, but they weren’t open for regular business. If it was someone who desperately needed to talk to someone, our door was open.

If someone needed to detox, our door was open, and we provided the cab fare to get them there,” Earielo said.

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Addiction Continued from Page 19

who aren’t sure about coming back or haven’t been vaccinated. The population we deal with, they’ve either been mistreated by the health system or they don’t trust the health system,” Earielo said.

At Opening the Word, attendance also dropped during COVID, and it was particularly low in January and February. To help increase membership, Ford recently applied for and received a Promoting Cultural Humility in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment grant of $94,000, awarded through the offi ce of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, that will allow the center to add four part-time paid positions and aim to bring diversity to the center. The money will also help pay for cultural diversity training for the staff and to have materials printed in Spanish.

For centers like Everyday Miracles and Opening the Word, that accessibility for all people, welcoming environments and a variety of programs are key to helping those in recovery or those who are thinking about being in recovery. “For us, we need to put a face on recovery, and that’s what we try to do here,” said Earielo, who himself began as a member of the center. “We know about the deaths and the hardships that come with addiction, but we want to put a face to there’s another side of the coin – that recovery is possible.”

For those who utilize the centers, like Vazquez and Siekierski, that has made a diff erence throughout their recovery path. Kevin King, treasurer of Opening the Word Board of Directors, said the center provided a healthy atmosphere for people to come together during COVID. And because the centers are for those in recovery for all substance use disorders, people like Ann Marie Ebbeling

have also benefi ted from the programs throughout the pandemic. Ebbeling, who turned to alcohol during the quarantine to cope with being home and not working, found a safe space at Opening the Word where she said felt welcome and not judged.

“It helped me because I felt alone with my disease,” Ebbeling said. “I personally think it saved my life.”

Siekierski agreed, saying, “That center off ers a lot, and it’s going to continue to off er a lot.

The people who go there are serious about their recovery, and they can be because there are so many programs.”

Like Siekierski, Vazquez, too, credited Everyday Miracles with saving him, after a life of gangs, drugs and prison time. “I fell in love with heroin and went on 20-something-year spree of programs, detox,” he said. “I got comfortable on the streets. Doing drugs – it felt natural to me.”

Four years ago, he overdosed for the fi rst time, and that changed his outlook. He started going to Everyday Miracles and, after a suggestion from Earielo, Vazquez stayed at Dismas House fi rst as a resident and then became house manager. He has now been in recovery for three years and is the house manager of Reconciliation House in Webster, but still helps out at Everyday Miracles.

“That’s what saved me – I took the advice of someone else,” Vazquez said. “I fell off so many times before this that this time I decided to listen to someone else. Best decision of my life.”

For those who are struggling, Vazquez said he would tell them to fi nd a system and others to talk to. “You can’t do it alone. You’ve got to reach out,” he said. “Recovery is like money. It’s absolutely awesome to have, but it’s a lot better to share it with others. If you feel something bad coming on, call someone. There are a lot of good people in recovery who will help other addicts.”

And while COVID may be

A Friday night art class is held at Opening the Word Peer Recovery Center.

PHOTOS BY RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

not as severe as it was during its peak, the eff ects from it still are. “It’s the fault of COVID for this ripple eff ect,” Ford said.

“The experts say it’s going to be years before we fully realize the impact. It’s everywhere and allencompassing.”

She added, “Maybe one of the things that hopefully we’ve learned from the pandemic, because of the long reach it’s had into people’s lives, is how vulnerable people are who are suffering from substance use disorder, in terms of relapse – as anyone else who’s suff ering from any type of disease – and maybe more. I believe it’s because of the stigma associated with substance use disorder.

We need to pay attention to this going forward, just as we would any other chronic illness.

That’s what this is — a chronic illness.”

Colby Peete works on a collage of photographs cut from magazines that represents aspects of his life during a Friday night art class at Opening the Word Peer Recovery Center.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 21

CITY LIVING THE NEXT DRAFT

TABLE HOPPIN’

Jack’s Abby looks back on decade of wild growth, lagers Matthew Tota Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Dogfather owner Mark Gallant at his food truck headquarters in Boylston. He'll be hosting the Worcester Food Truck Throwdown and Craft Fair July 31 at Beaver Brook Park.

CHRISTINE PETERSON/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

FRAMINGHAM – Ten years ago, a local writer of legendary renown wrote a story about a new brewery opening here in a warehouse on Morton Street.

I happened to read the piece, authored by “The Beer Nut,” and began counting down the days until Jack’s Abby’s grand opening.

I’d just discovered craft beer, but still felt disconnected

to the idea of a local brewery. well as walk-in coolers,” he There were none in MetroW- wrote. “There will also be a est. And at the time, I didn’t tasting area, and beer will be know Wormtown Brewery, sold to go, on site, in 64-ounce which would have been the growlers.” closest, existed.

Jack’s Abby opened its Even as IPAs were growing doors on July 21, 2011. I made it in popularity, Jack’s Abby there the next week to buy a chose to brew strictly lagers. growler of Red Tape Lager, The brewery would debut with which would mark my fi rst onfour beers, the Beer Nut wrote premise purchase at a brewery. in the April 6, 2011, edition of Many, many more would folthe MetroWest Daily News. low.

“They will have several stainAnd Jack’s Abby, like my less steel tanks for brewing and lagering their beers, as See JACK’S, Page 22

Food Truck Throwdown and Craft Fair returns July 31 Barbara M. Houle Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Worcester Food Truck Throwdown and Craft Fair returns July 31 to the city after being put on hold last year due to the pandemic. Rain or shine, 19 food trucks, more than 20 crafters and artisans have signed on, in addition to several local nonprofi ts.

WooTrucks (www.wootrucks.com) of Worcester, a division of Dogfather Vending LLC, owned and operated by Mark Gallant, hosts the event scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. at Beaver Brook Park, located across the street from Commerce Bank Field at Foley Stadium on Chandler Street in Worcester.

Admission the day of the event will be $5 per person; children younger than 12, admitted free. Tickets purchased online (WooTrucks) before July 31 are off ered at the discount price of $4 each.

Mark Gallant is a familiar face in Central Mass as he’s owner of four Dogfather food trucks and the Worcester Food Truck Center and Commercial Kitchen in Boylston.

The throwdown would have celebrated three years last year, according to Gallant, who previously held the event at Green Hill Park in Worcester.

“We outgrew Green Hill and decided on Beaver Brook because as a venue it off ers us more space,” he said. There’s See HOPPIN’, Page 22

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Jack’s

premise of your question.

Jack: I think the one thing we have done right over the last 10 years is be true to the vision we had when we started, and we started as an all-lager brewery. And we’ve continued with that. We’ve certainly done some things that are borderline hazy IPAs on the lager front; but we stuck with the vision and that was probably the best decision. It’s the one thing today that still diff erentiates what we’re doing and makes us unique.

Sam: It’s funny looking back. There were about 2,000 breweries in the country then.

We were license 56 or so in the state. And we thought it was an

extremely crowded marketplace, and we needed some sort of point of diff erentiation, even then. Jack thought at the time we missed the boat and were late to the whole craft beer thing. Of course, we could not have been more wrong.

How have you managed the brewery’s growth over the last 10 years?

Sam: While we grew really fast, it does feel like we took all the steps, but we just took them in really quick succession.

So fast, but calculated?

Sam: Oh, I don’t know if it was calculated. A lot of the time it felt like frantically trying to keep the train on the tracks and often it was like chucking the

tracks ahead of the train when there weren’t any out there.

Jack’s Abby was happening.

And our job was just trying to corral it and keep it going.

Jack: A big thing about our growth was just the change we weren’t a part of: the changes in the industry in general. One of the big things that happened for us a few years into opening was the ability to have a taproom. You couldn’t have a taproom previously. As soon as that was available it gave us another focus. As you can see by looking around our beer hall, we took advantage of that change. Also people’s shifts to want to travel to breweries – while I always toured breweries, it wasn’t really a thing for your average consumer. But it’s really important now. Our community wants to know who we are as brewers.

The breweries that succeed tend to have a tight-knit team of leaders at the top.

You don’t get any closer than siblings. How has the power dynamic worked at Jack’s Abby and has it changed?

Jack: It’s an evolving thing.

In the early days it was just the three of us. So there were no employees – or at least paid employees. I focused on production, Sam focused on sales and marketing, and Eric focused on the business end.

That dynamic still exists at some level, but certainly we have stepped out as best we can from a lot of the day-to-day stuff . And we have a had great team to fi ll in underneath us.

downs. Gallant explained that he later “downsized” and cut back the number of trucks to better accommodate the crowd. “When there are too many trucks, people get a little overwhelmed,” he said. Crafters’ participation is the result of “popular demand.”

At the throwdown, food judges (I’m one) will vote “The Best Food Truck,” and eventgoers will vote on the “People’s

Choice” award. We’ve got our work cut out for us with trucks dishing out everything from barbecue to seafood to baked potatoes. It’s one bite at a time!

Food truck participants: The Caribbean Press; Gonzalez Food Truck; Kona Ice of Shrewsbury; Get Baked Potato Company; Food Combi; Jackson Effi e Coff ee Cabin; Bruiser’s BBQ; The Grub Guru; Off the Hook Roadside Eatery; The

Dogfather; Shabby Gourmet Juices; Nom Nom Hut, LLC; Rancho Cantina (Pangea Cuisines); Sub Zero Ice Cream; Minuteman Kettle Corn; Trolley Dogs; Say Cheese!; Moe’s Street Eats; Mrs. Moriconi’s Ice Cream, and Travelin Bones BBQ. For Gallant, the throwdown is his “fl agship event.” It’s a big deal, he said. Go to his website for a list of upcoming events

Continued from Page 21

love of craft beer, would only grow from there. But faster. The brewery produced a total of about 1,000 barrels its fi rst year; last week it brewed twice that.

On Morton Street, Jack’s Abby started with 6,000 square feet of space. Now on Clinton Street, it has 130,000 square feet.

Just last year, Jack’s Abby became the second largest brewery outside of Boston, signed a historic new distribution deal and penned a fi rst-ofits kind partnership with the Boston Celtics.

It’s there, among servers and bartenders preparing for the beer hall lunch rush, that I met brothers Jack and Sam Hendler, who co-founded Jack’s Abby along with their other brother, Eric. With how much Jack’s Abby has infl uenced my adoration for craft beer, I look at the Hendlers sort of as local rock stars.

We talked for an hour about their brewery’s 10th anniversary and the decisions they made along the way that have shaped its remarkable rise as a paragon in New England craft beer.

In a decade of operating an all-lager brewery, why were you guys never pressured to brew a hazy IPA? Jack: We were always pressured to do that.

Sam: I disagree with the

Hoppin’ Continued from Page 21

also free parking at the municipal lot on Chandler Street. At Green Hill, attendees were transported from Worcester Technical High School to the food truck area, or walked to it.

Twenty-fi ve trucks participated in the fi rst of the throw-

Sam and Jack Hendler founded Jack’s Abby in Framingham 10 years ago with their brother Eric. Their all-lager brewery has grown into the second-largest outside Boston.

PHOTO COURTESY MATTHEW TOTA

It’s no longer just about my brothers and I. It’s about – well pre-COVID, 150 people – and now 110 people maybe who are employed here, maybe 150 again by the end of the year. It’s a big change, to go from three people to 150, while making sure everyone can have the resources to do what they need to do every day.

Beyond production and sales numbers, how do you measure success these days?

Sam: It really isn’t an exaggeration to say that the growth period we experienced wasn’t a well-planned out, well-executed thing. Something special happened, and we were in the positions of trying to guide it.

That kind of dynamic doesn’t lend itself to stability and sustainability; it doesn’t necessary lead to quality of life, especially when you go from a period like that directly into a global pandemic, that rips everything down and really posed an existential threat to the brewery.

We haven’t focused on stability and sustainability enough. And that needs to be our primary goal.

Jack’s Abby will commemorate its 10th anniversary with a three-day celebration beginning July 23. The weekend will include live music, food popups and the release of a new, limited edition mix-pack featuring 12 beers from the brewery’s past, present and future.

You can fi nd more information about the celebration here: https://www.instagram.com/ p/CRE5F2fMi5E.

that include the Terptown Throwdown (East Coast’s premier cannabis and reggae festival) to be held Aug. 20-21 at the Spencer Fairgrounds. In September, food trucks roll into Rutland, Marlboro and Fitchburg; October, Sturbridge for more festivals and throwdowns.

Gallant has been in business See HOPPIN’, Page 23

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 23

Hoppin’ Continued from Page 22

for 11 years and has a “soft spot” for Worcester, where he was born and raised. His fi rst food kitchen built specifi cally for the Dogfather was located in the city’s Canal District. In Boylston, Gallant currently rents space to 35 food trucks, and he estimates the new location is four times the size of his former one.

“We survived 2020, or I should say the majority of us did,” said Gallant. “There were a couple of food trucks that shut down for good.”

Gallant said owners he’s in contact with say they expect to be back to normalcy by next year. Some of them, including Gallant, look to hire workers and post job ads on social media. “When you have four trucks, you need drivers,” said Gallant. “The industry still struggles to get workers.”

The local food truck scene is diverse and dynamic, and the July 31 throwdown brings together food and live music for all-day fun.

Remembering chef Gary Killeen Sincere sympathy to family and friends of Gary D. Killeen of Worcester, who passed on July 2.

Killeen, 60, most recently was executive chef at Quail Hollow & Country Club in Oakham. His career focused on the hospitality industry in and out of Central Mass. and included stints in New York. He graduated from St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury and attended Assumption College in Worcester. Killeen’s obituary published in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette described him as an “avid golfer and a proud and opinionated New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan.”

As an executive chef, Killeen not only worked the back of the house, but also helped

others gain work experience in the fi eld, especially on the Worcester restaurant scene.

Some foodies in the city go way back with Killeen at a time when he was executive chef and co-owner with his sister Jean Killeen of the former Thymes Square on Hudson, located on the corner of Hudson and Pleasant streets in Worcester. The restaurant at the time was considered one of the city’s best places to go for great food and ambiance.

Note: Jean Killeen, also an executive chef, co-owns Paired, Poured & Plated in Northboro with her husband, David Tiberii.

The late chef will be remembered by colleagues and friends.

SUMMER IS BACK NOW – SEPT 5TH

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MONDAYS

Nuestra moving to Bull Mansion The news that Natalie Rodriguez will bring her restaurant Nuestra to Bull Mansion in Worcester is good news for diners and the city.

The Puerto Rican restaurant, previously located on Staff ord Street in Worcester, reportedly will open in the fall.

“Latin fl avor to the downtown scene,” according to Rodriguez, who also plans to cater special events.

The historic Bull Mansion at 55 Pearl St., formerly GAR Hall, has housed restaurants in the past, beginning with executive chef/owner Mitchell Terricciano, who purchased the building in 2005 and opened TiNovo after shutting the doors to Tiano’s, his restaurant on Grove Street in Worcester.

There were others who leased the property after Terricciano, but for one reason or another, closed after a short run. So many stories!

Bull Mansion is a beautiful venue, and we wish Rodriguez all the best in bringing it back to life.

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24 | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CONNELL SANDERS

Preserving Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre’s Green St. home Sarah Connell Sanders Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Historic details of the John T. Cahill house included in this column were gleaned from the 2019 Master of Arts thesis penned by Clark University student Julia Klas, and shared with me by founding president of the Worcester County Hibernian Cultural Foundation Paul Foley.

“Nothing squeaks,” Paul Foley told me, as we climbed the grand staircase of the historic John T. Cahill House. “Solid construction,” he declared.

According to Foley, the grand mansion was built at 42 Green St. in 1852 by an Irish contractor and went on to serve as the family home of two generations of Irish physicians.

Today, the building is better known for its lively Irish pub, Fiddlers’ Green, and Worcester’s Ancient Order of Hibernians. Foley is the founding president of the Worcester County Hibernian Cultural Foundation and the hall’s unoffi cial historian. “My memory is going,” he admitted. “Things just take a little longer to come back to me these days.” This came as a surprise to me.

Together, we walked every inch of the property, from the defunct basement barroom to the decaying attic where he commented, ever so nonchalantly, “A lot of people think it’s haunted; they’ve seen a little boy up here.”

From outside, the Hibernian doesn’t look like much, but beneath its 1960s metal sheeting is an Italianate architectural masterpiece designed by Elbridge Boyden with decorative iron railings and ornate brack-

Foley’s dream is to see the building restored to its former glory and transfi gured into an Irish-American museum.

The John T. Cahill House at 42 Green Street was once an architectural gem of Worcester, designed by Elbridge Boyden who also produced Mechanics Hall.

Founding President of the Worcester County Hibernian Cultural Foundation Paul Foley holds a photo of the John T. Cahill House taken in 1894. PHOTOS COURTESY SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

ets. Boyden is also known for his design of Mechanics Hall.

Some of the building’s unique features have been lost over time, like the front balcony and a towering cupula. But, inside, glimpses of grandeur remain. Paint peels from the intricate tin ceilings, bits of marble crumble from the fi replaces, and a set of enormous curved double doors pulled from their hinges sit propped against an upstairs bedroom wall.

Foley is perplexed why Tobias Boland, the Irishman who contributed to both the Erie Canal and our own Blackstone Canal, is not more prominently celebrated. Boland created

housing for the Canal workers, sold Cahill the land to build his iconic home, and built a school for Irish children who were not permitted to attend Worcester’s academic institutions at the time.

Foley has it on good authority that the College of the Holy Cross possesses detailed historic records of Boland’s life and work in Worcester that could be pivotal to the Cahill House’s future. “If the right person heard Boland’s story, that might be enough to save this place,” he said.

In February, the Worcester Planning Board approved a site plan including a Tobias Boland

statue to be constructed in Pickett Plaza on Green Street.

As the Canal District undergoes a moment of monumental transition and the Ancient Order of Hibernians’ membership grows older, Foley fi nds himself in need of an angel. Major players like Preservation Worcester and local entrepreneur Frank Carroll have shown an interest.

Foley’s dream is to see the building restored to its former glory and transfi gured into an Irish American museum.

He insisted I take one of the original bricks home with me for inspiration. By the end of our tour, I was sweating from the weight of it. A hand-paint-

ed sign on the wall read, “What butter or whiskey does not cure cannot be cured.” It reminded me of my nana McGarry.

“I’m mostly Irish,” I told Foley proudly, huffi ng and puffi ng my way up the stairs.

“Then, I expect to see you here soon,” he said.

Foley has been carrying the burden of the Cahill House for far too long on his own. It is an honor to be the Irish American columnist to share his vision, but what we really need is an Irish American investor to make it a reality. Ben Affl eck?

Conan O’Brien? Donnie Wahlberg? Meet me at Fiddlers’ for a pint and a chat.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 25

LISTEN UP

Punk Rock TreeHouse is up to ‘Mischief ’ Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

It's hard not to love a little “Mischief,” and that's exactly what the Worcester-areabased duo Punk Rock TreeHouse deliver on their recent album of that name. “Mischief ” is, in a lot of ways, a strange retro sort of aff air, a sweet little love letter to the rock 'n' roll of the late '60s and '70s, stripped down but rife with energy. It's a little manic, a little old school, and – most importantly – a lot of fun.

Punk Rock TreeHouse, which comprises vocalist, guitarist and producer Steve Blake and percussionist Pamela “Sheena” Tiger, cut their way through a brisk set of songs, with the wicked and lighthearted, “You Suck,” a retort from the persona to someone who seems unable to keep their opinions to themselves. While the duo slides around a bit stylistically, the opener is a pretty good exemplar of the band's core style: An unabashed punk rock, lickety-split manner of straight-up rock, softened on the edges with sort of Brit-pop vocal stylings that are surprisingly rich and lovely for the rough and ready songs in which they rest. Blake doesn't reach for a lot of vocal theatrics, but he brings a sort of warmth to a songs such as “Real,” which sort of resembles work from early indie rock bands such as the Smithereens. The delicacy is appreciated, especially when the album transitions to a down-and-dirty rendition of Frank Zappa's “Trouble Every Day” and a blistering and soulful take on R. Dean Taylor's 1970 murder ballad, “Indiana Wants Me.” (Note from the author: Yes, I know it's not technically a ballad. Don't at me.)

One of the things the album does well is mix up its tone and

textures. After a raucous few songs, the delicate and moody “Pretty Hands” is a nice respite for the listener, before picking up the pace with the guitardriven rocker, “Running Away With You.” On occasion, it's hard to remember that there are only two people playing here, the sound seems so full, especially on the title song, an instrumental that's both brooding and bouncy, which is a hard trick to pull of simultaneously.

But really, what the album does best is evoke rock's history. “Bad Attitude” is a gutter punk snarl of a song, drums thrashing against a whiskeysoaked bar band groove, while the subsequent song, “This Wheel's on Fire,” evokes the Bob Dylan song of that same name – as well as the perhaps more popular versions by the Band and Siouxsie and the Banshees – while remaining its own thing entirely: “Smoke in the wind,” sings Blake, “blood on the wire/radio on/this wheel's on fi re.”

“Consequences” and “Say Goodbye” bring the album's energy to a fever pitch, reaching its apex with the song “Shelter,” which of course shares a name with a song by the Rolling Stones. As with “This Wheel's On Fire,” the song almost can't help but evoke its namesake, even if it is, ultimately, a very diff erent beast. Its conclusion leaves the listener with a sort of heaviness, one which is cut by Tiger singing an a cappella rendition of the Welsh traditional song, “Ash Grove,” most particularly one with lyrics by the 19th-century Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant. (Second note from the author: Yes, I know there are numerous other versions of “Ash Grove.” Don't at me on this one, either.)

The album ends, appropriately enough, with “This Is Where it Ends,” a high-octane

blast of rock which keeps its searing momentum all the way to a sort of dreamy bridge, before kicking back into high gear, eventually subsiding, then erupting briefl y again for a coda. It's a fi tting conclusion to an album which is, at its heart, some good, straight-up rock 'n' roll, but which somehow still manages to surprise at nearly every turn.

The album is available online at http://instantdogma.net/Store.html.

Punk Rock TreeHouse’s newest album is “Mischief” SUBMITTED PHOTO

Crompton Place Building @ 138 Green St..

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26 | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

5 THINGS TO DO

MISS MASSACHUSETTS, VIC DIBITETTO AND MORE ...

Scenes from the Miss Massachusetts pageant at The Hanover in Worcester on June 29, 2019.

T&G FILE PHOTO/ MATTHEW HEALEY

Picking Miss Massachusetts

Richard Duckett and Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

Here she is … Miss Massachusetts returns to The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts for preliminary competition July 16 and the pageant for the finalists July 17. The 2020 Miss Massachusetts competition was canceled because of the pandemic. This year’s field of 23 candidates will be narrowed to a Top 10 plus the People’s Choice candidate. Supporters help select the People’s Choice position by voting online. (For more details, visit www.missmass.org and click on the online voting link.)

Young women will be judged in talent, evening wear and onstage interview events. The winner will go on to Miss America, planned for December at the Mohegan Sun. “Our 2021 Miss Massachusetts class is made up of some of the best and brightest young women from across the Bay State,” said Dolores Rabuffo, executive director of the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Foundation Inc., which puts on Miss Massachusetts. “With the rising costs of a college education, The Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Foundation is proud to be able to assist our candidates with scholarships which help ease the financial burden they face after graduation.”

(RD)

What: Miss Massachusetts When: Preliminary Competition 7 p.m. July 16; Miss Massachusetts Pageant 7 p.m. July 17 Where: The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester How much: $35 July 16; $50 July 17. (877) 571-7469; www.thehanovertheatre.org Continued on next page

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 27

Rant Worthy!

It’s a familiar refrain: “I gotta get the bread and milk! I gotta get the bread and milk! They said snow!”

However, comedian Vic DiBitetto took that archetypical New Englander moment – I swear, it’s like we forget it snows here every year – and turned it a hysterical viral video. Same with his rant about someone parking right next to him an empty parking lot, and the headaches of dealing with banks. It’s a sort of over-the-top indignation which is both hilarious and a little familiar. (VDI)

Heavy Horses will perform at Powder Mill Park in Spencer PROMOTIONAL IMAGE

Heavy Horses is back in the saddle again, so to speak, as this band of veteran local musicians who focus on 1970s rock reemerge after the pandemic. You can catch them from Sunday at Powder Mill Park in Spencer.

“Heavy Horses” was the title of the British group Jethro Tull’s 1978 album, and the band Heavy Horses is known for its extensive repertoire of instantly recognizable hits and deep cuts. The show is part of the Spencer Parks & Recreation Commission’s 2021 Summer Concert Series. (RD)

What: Heavy Horses When: 2 to 5 p.m.

July 18 Where: Powder Mill Park, corner Smithville and Meadow Roads, Spencer How much: Free

What: Comedian Vic DiBitetto When: 7 p.m. July 16 and 17 Where: Rascals, 70 James St., Worcester How much: $30 Comedian Vic DiBitetto will perform at Rascals in Worcester. PROMOTIONAL IMAGE TREE SERVICE, INC.

Keep it Dark Sounds like things are getting a little dark at Ralph’s Rock Diner. At least, that’ll be the case when Boston-based darkwave band Biproduct and neofolk musicians Infinity Ring take the stage upstairs. They’re very different bands, the former creating a more driving industrial beat with heavy overtones, with the latter creating brooding, ominous music with vaguely threatening vocals. The dichotomy alone promises several shades of shadow, and that should make for an interesting show. (VDI) What: Infinity Ring, Biproduct and Gaud When: 9 p.m. July 17 Where: Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester How much: $8

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A Lit Bit Country If you’re on the lookout for a country & western party, you could do a lot worse than to head to Peppercorn’s Country Fest, where musicians Stomp ‘n Holler will present work by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Kenny Chesney, The Eagles, Neil Young, Doobie Brothers, Tom Petty, Chris Stapleton and more. (VDI)

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28 | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ADOPTION OPTION

Meet Tidbit!

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.

This little tidbit is sure to steal your heart. Tidbit came to us as a stray from Worcester back in March and is just now ready for a new home. The last 3 months our staff and veterinarians had been working diligently trying to fi gure out why Tidbit was missing fur and had a distended stomach. After several rounds of testing and medications trials we found that he is Hypothyroid and has Cushing’s. Now on the right track with his conditions, Tidbit is feeling much better and is ready for a fresh start with a family who is willing and able to give him the attention and love he deserves. Tidbit loves everyone he meets and that includes other dogs. He does get excited and at times has fallen over. Due to his age and health issues he is looking for a home where he can relax and rest. That means no small children and no young animals bouncing and jumping on him. This sweet old man loves to be held and will happily sleep in a comfy bed for hours. Tidbit is looking for a family who can commit to his medical treatments and establish a relationship with a veterinarian who can see him for blood testing and medication refi lls. This may seem like a tall order, but we promise you he will fi ll your heart and home with a great deal of love. For more information about Tidbit or to set up an appointment to meet with him, contact the shelter 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.

• 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.

• 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 animals in need.

• 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.

• SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss

Tidbit is available for adoption through WARL. PHOTO/SARA MCCLURE

changes to our drop off /pick up procedures.

• DONATIONS ACCEPTED except for open bags of food.

• 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 • Weekly training classes are going on for adopters.

• The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look forward 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.

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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 11th graders’ exam (abbr.)

5 “Now, ___ from our sponsor” 10 Hill’s high point 14 “It’s ___ Quiet” (Bjork remake) 15 Doritos flavor 16 Any of the three “Survivor” motto words 17 Place to make a vinyl purchase 19 He’ll give you a ride, on “The Simpsons” 20 Muse for Keats 21 Norse pantheon chief 23 Oedipus ___ 24 “Scarface” director Brian 27 Mushroom with white buds 29 Second side in a game, perhaps 31 Cherry ___ (Ben & Jerry’s offering) 34 “Can’t Fight This Feeling” band ___ Speedwagon 37 A little above the pitch 39 Drum kit cymbal stand 40 Stumbles 42 “... the bombs bursting ___” 44 ___ speak (as it were) 45 Start a meal 47 Shoelace tip 49 “Shiny Happy People” group 50 Casino worker 52 Camera that gets strapped on 54 Name, in Latin 56 Vacationing traveler 60 Ray gun sound 62 Came up short 64 “___ just not, please?”

65 “___ please the court ...”

67 Protester’s forum 70 Wine valley 71 Spanish footballer Sergio 72 Miners’ quarries 73 Acceptability, for short 74 Painter Gustav who often used gold leaf 75 Rodeo item that I can’t seem to properly get around the theme answers Down 1 Read carefully (over) 2 “The Jungle Book” tiger ___ Khan 3 Music licensing org.

“Go Get ‘Em”--actually, this is my first rodeo.

by Matt Jones

4 Greet with a honk 5 “What next?”

6 Existed 7 Eight, in El Salvador 8 Half a state name 9 Olympic athlete’s violation 10 Guac ingredient, casually 11 Scent after the first rain in a while 12 Mononymic Art Deco designer 13 Microsoft system launched in 2001 18 Acting jobs 22 “The Daily Show” host Trevor 25 Half a Hawaiian fish?

26 Kitchen appliance manufacturer 28 Khloe’s mom 30 “Thatcherites” singer Billy 32 “... can’t believe ___ the whole thing!”

33 Tiniest speck 34 “SNL” cast member Chris 35 Lake on four states and a province 36 Component of some church instruments 38 First show 41 Grain storage tower 43 Govt. auction auto, perhaps

46 “Finding Dory” fish 48 It may be called 51 Edit considerably 53 One who talks the talk 55 Tibet’s neighbor 57 Opening notes 58 Win all the games 59 Brief 60 Most of a penny’s makeup 61 From a long way 63 Singer Lovato who announced their new pronouns in 2021 66 Lincoln’s son 68 Chow down, slangily 69 Amphibious WWII vessel

Last week's solution

©2021 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1049

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | 31

LAST CALL

Giselle and Brooklyn Flores of Crate and Howl Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

Crate and Howl, a dog supply store, opened at 16 Portland St. at the beginning of this month. Beginning from a pop-up at Worcester Public Market, this familyowned business promotes healthy and environmentally friendly products for dogs. Specifi cally, taking the health conscious approach aff orded to human food, and applying it to feeding man’s best friend as well.

While on paper, the owner is Giselle Rivera-Flores, Crate and Howl is actually the brainchild of her 14year-old daughter, Brooklyn. Last Call sat down with the mother-daughter duo to talk about how they’re keeping it all in the family.

How did this start?

G: A year and a half ago, Brooklyn said she wanted to start a dog walking business. My husband and I were a little concerned about that — her having to manage 10 dogs at a time that she didn’t know — it just didn’t seem safe. So we asked if she had another idea and she said she wanted to open a pet supply store.

Brooklyn’s ultimate goal is to be a vet and is very concerned with what dogs ingest and eat.

We started with leasing a space at Worcester Public Market to see if people were interested in the type of products we wanted to carry for dogs. It did very well and we just fi nished a year at the Public Market but it was only 96 square feet. We wanted to carry more items like beds and collars so expanded to the 16 Portland Street location. We’ll see if we hold on to the market location but for now we have two.

How did you make the big jump from a dog walking business to a pet supply business with two locations?

G: It actually seemed easier to me than her walking dogs, when Brooklyn suggested opening a store in the public market area. I’m an entrepreneur and I work on branding for clients in the city. So, I felt this was a better approach as soon as she came up with it, based on the fact that I have experience taking businesses from idea to reality.

The second shop was really on a whim — we saw it was available and in the middle of a neighborhood that has plenty of dogs, so we saw an opportunity to expand. The second location is designed for both humans and pets — we wanted to stay away from the congestion of a regular pet shop and have it be modern with an open, clean, Soho feel.

If you’re prioritizing space and an uncluttered set-up, does this mean you might rotate products in and out?

G: Absolutely, we actually do that quite a lot. Every time we have new products we like to rotate them based on seasons and holidays. We display diff erent treats every month.

What’s your criteria to carry a product?

B: Defi nitely has to be healthy for animals and not have any ingredients that could possibly have a long-

Brooklyn, 14, and Evian Flores, 10, recently helped their parents, Jamie and Giselle Rivera-Flores, holding little Shia, come up with the idea for Crate and Howl, a dog supply store that promotes healthy and environmentally friendly products for dogs.

ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

term harmful eff ect on them. I just want to make sure dogs are properly cared for. We don’t have any grains or dairy and make sure to work with companies that are cruelty free, so a lot of our products are vegan. We try to make sure they’re made by local or regionally owned companies.

G: They’re small-batch companies so you won’t fi nd them at a Petsmart or Petco yet. Many of them are online and they work with small retailers like us. Some of these brands are relatively new because healthy foods have only recently translated to pets from humans. It’s kind of like the same thing with kids — people started becoming more conscious of what our kids are eating, so it expanded to our animals. There’s a market there that hasn’t been touched upon by larger companies.

When it comes to food, we like to avoid grain, dairy, gluten, soy and wheat and we also don’t carry mixed meats, sticking with things that are 100 percent one kind of meat, no chicken with beef fi ller.

We also try to cater to diff erent eating styles — like people, dogs prefer diff erent tastes and textures.

They’re also actual meals — if it says salmon and rice, then it’s just salmon and rice.

What about toys and other items?

B: We make sure they have no choking hazard and are made of recycled materials and plastic, or no plas-

tic at all.

G: We try to keep things that are one piece and high quality, not sown together that can come apart. The other thing is functionality — we work with a sustainable company that makes collapsible bowls that can fi t on a keychain. Easy to travel with and make sure your dog is always hydrated — even backpacks for dogs.

What encouraged you to go this route with a pet supply store?

G: I’m a mom of three so a healthy lifestyle is very important to me and making sure my kids are eating well. When Brook and I decided to do this, we thought that the food we’re eating as humans should translate to pets as well. There’s this notion around dogs that they have a garbage disposal stomach, that they can eat anything and are kind of indestructible, but that’s not true. We always made sure to feed our dogs good food and learned that some breeds are more at risk for certain health issues. So we try to fi nd products that are not only 1) sustainable and 2) healthy but 3) general wellness, addressing issues like anxiety that domesticated animals also experience.

We work with a company called Fox and Hound and they’re one of our top sellers — they do shampoos and fl ea/tick spray but they have ingredients that are 100 percent natural. Another thing we have is Wolf Spring.

It’s a hydration formula and it’s almost like Gatorade for dogs that you can supplement in their water and food. We’re trying to show pup parents that water doesn’t always do it, it doesn’t carry any electrolytes and you can still be dehydrated after drinking water.

Where did the name Crate and Howl come from?

G. We were sitting down thinking of names and we’re big on wordplay so Crate and Barrel led to Crate and Howl.

Would you say this is a family project?

G. It started with just Brooklyn and me at the shop in the Public Market but then it got popular and we needed all hands on deck. So now it’s myself, my husband, and our middle child as well. Brooklyn is very good at picking items to carry, Evian (our middle child) does packaging and inventory, I do marketing and PR, and my husband does art portraits for clients. I even had the baby here for a few hours.

How did COVID aff ect the beginning?

G: It was hard but we made it. We opened the market store in June 2020 and didn’t get a lot of in-person traffi c at fi rst, so we’re very grateful for online orders.

Customers were inspired by Brooklyn, and wanted to support her as a young entrepreneur. We had customers from the market location come to our soft opening of the second location.

Do you have any pets of your own?

B: We have a rabbit.

Anything to add?

G: It’s important to support the ideas of everyone, no matter how young they are. This is a practical experience that you won’t get in an MBA.

32 | JULY 16 - 22, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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Terms and Conditions: 40% off any order of $1000 or more or 30% off any order of $700������ on any complete custom closet, garage, or home office unit. Take an additional 15% off on any complete system order. Not valid with any other offer. Free installation with any complete unit order of $600 or more.With incoming order, at time of purchase only. Expires ����/21. Offer not valid in all regions.

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