Worcester Magazine Aug. 8 - 14, 2019

AUGUST 8 - 14, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CULTURE • ARTS • DINING • VOICES

FREE

Bringing people together 29th Latin American Festival set for Worcester Common Oval

2

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

IN THIS ISSUE

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019 • V O L U M E 44 I S S U E 50 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

100 Front St., Fifth Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial (508) 767.9535 WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales (508) 767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com President Paul M. Provost VP Multi-Media Sales Michelle Marquis Ad Director Kathleen Real-Benoit Sales Managers David Singer, Jeremy Wardwell

19

Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Bill Shaner Contributing Writers Sam Bonacci, Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Janice Harvey, Barbara Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Hope Rudzinski, Steve Siddle, Mark Sullivan, Matthew Tota Creative Director Kimberly Vasseur Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Anne Blake, Kate Carr, Laura Cryan, Diane Galipeau, Ted Genkos, Mia Haringstad, Sammi Iacovone, Bob Kusz, Helen Linnehan, Patrick O’Hara, Diane Parker, David Prendiville, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Henry Rosenthal, Regina Stillings, Randy Weissman Sales Support Jackie Buck, Kayla Kinney, 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.

Legals/Public Notices Please call (978) 728.4302, email cmaclassifieds@gatehousemedia.com, or mail to Central Mass Classifieds, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 Distribution Worcester Magazine is inserted into the Telegram & Gazette on Thursdays and is also available for free at more than 400 locations in the Worcester area. Unauthorized bulk removal of Worcester Magazine from any public location, or any other tampering with Worcester Magazine’s distribution including unauthorized inserts, is a criminal offense and may be prosecuted under the law.

Advertising To place an order for display advertising or to inquire, please call (508) 767.9530.

Worcester Magazine (ISSN 0191-4960) is a weekly publication of GateHouse Media. All contents copyright 2019 by GateHouse Media.

All rights reserved.

Worcester Magazine is not liable for typographical errors in advertisements.

18

31 the cover

Bringing People Together 29th Latin American Festival set for Worcester Common Oval Story on page 11 Photo by Christine Peterson, Design by Kimberly Vasseur

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

Subscriptions First class mail, $156 for one year.

Send orders and subscription correspondence to GateHouse Media, 100 Front St., Worcester, MA 01608.

Featured ......................................................................................4 City Voices...................................................................................8 In Case You Missed It ... .......................................................10 Cover Story ...............................................................................11 Artist Spotlight .......................................................................17 Listen Up....................................................................................18 Lifestyle......................................................................................19 Dining .......................................................................................20 Table Hoppin’ ..........................................................................21 Next Draft .................................................................................21 Film .............................................................................................22 Film Capsules ..........................................................................23 Calendar ....................................................................................24 Adoption Option ....................................................................28 Games .........................................................................................29 Classifieds .................................................................................30 Last Call .....................................................................................31

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

3

FEATURED

The other football Soccer illustrates the changing face of Worcester JONATHAN HARDY- LAVOIE

A

There’s another World Cup for all those in the Worcester area. The Worcester World Cup takes place this year on Aug. 9, 10 and 11. The event started off in 2006 at Elm Park Community School and moved to Foley Stadium several years later.

It’s no surprise that the organization that hosts Worcester World Cup is named Cultural Exchange Through Soccer. CETS runs youth soccer programs, teaches youth leadership, and advocates for soccer on behalf of the communities that it serves.

“I hope that the Worcester World Cup is an event that creates a main stage for immigrant communities in Worcester to shine,” says Laura

Suroviak, one of the co-founders of CETS. “It creates an accessible way for I’ll say ‘mainstream’ folks — people who were born and raised in an ‘American’ culture — to connect in with communities that haven’t been around for a long time and are less known in the city.”

CETS also invites other groups who work with immigrants and refugees to join them in a youth summer league. The league is held in June behind Elm Park Community School, where Worcester World Cup originally started. Other groups include African Community Education, Ascentria and Bhutanese Community of Massachusetts.

Moubarak Mahamat — a player

for the ACE team this year — was born in the Central African Republic and grew up in Chad. He moved to the United States three years ago at the age of 17. According to Moubarak, there’s still a lot of room for growth in Worcester. “In my country, soccer is the biggest thing,” he said. “In the United States many people like to play football and basketball and volleyball, but soccer is not famous in the United States. I think if we keep playing then more people will join us, and they will start playing with us.”

Walter Jovel and Kwame Appiah, both immigrants from El Salvador and Ghana respectively, run Pickup 4 Soccer. It’s a free, kids drop-in soc-

4

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

s the final whistle was blown in the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the United States was crowned champions again, the crowd watching on the Worcester Common Oval rose to its feet and cheered. The watch party was coorganized by the City of Worcester and Worcester Community Soccer Coalition. The excitement for the win was a hearty display of support for the beautiful game here in Worcester.

One of the booths at that watch party was the Worcester Smiles, who are bringing the women’s game

here to the city. They just finished their second season on July 8 in the national second division league.

Midfielder Jessica Ong spent much of her childhood in Southeast Asia and knows firsthand what the game means across the world. “In Vietnam and Indonesia, there wasn’t a ton of organized soccer, but all the kids played in the alleys, barefoot.

As someone who moved countries a lot, soccer was always a way to connect with people that didn’t require language. So, it was an easy way to make friends and connect with community.” The Worcester Smiles will be back in May of 2020 for those looking to back their local team.

Kwame Appiah joins some Worcester youth in warmups at Pickup 4 Soccer at University Park.

PHOTO/COURTESY OF MEAGHAN HARDY-LAVOIE

FEATURED

Worcester Smiles defender Micalea Goldenberg makes a pass at Foley Stadium.

PHOTO/COURTESY OF MEAGHAN HARDY-LAVOIE

cer program that runs at University Park on Saturday mornings for children ages 3-6. When asked what else could be done, Jovel had several ideas.

“The city could give them free access to fields. They could sponsor more tournaments and events that bring people together,” Jovel said.

Appiah adds, “There are a lot of

immigrant children who don’t have access to the game, and they are more likely to engage with a sport that they’re interested in. The city could provide bathroom access at fields. Soccer is a game that requires a lot of hydration, so kids can have a difficult time when there isn’t proper bathroom access.”

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

5

FEATURED

Hot Dog Safari returns for eighth year BILL SHANER

T

he hot dog is a food so innocent it offends no one and everyone at once. All hot dogs are nearly the same, but if you declare a preference in a public place — I’m a Coney Island guy myself — you’d best be prepared to defend it. The Hot Dog Annie’s people are coming for you.

So are the ones from some backwater like West Brookfield, defending some roadside stand called Auntie Ellen’s or something. Like municipal politics, the arguments are so heated because there is so little at stake. Or maybe it’s just a Worcester thing. Either way, it’s a thing. And it’s a thing that every year drives the Worcester Hot Dog Safari to greater heights.

“I think Worcester is pretty opinionated and everyone has their own idea on everything,” said Tom Ma-

honey, one of the safari organizers.

“Hot dogs are one of those things.

And they’re so harmless, it’s not like someone would get into fist fights — well, when we were kids we would.”

It’s in that spirit that the Hot Dog Safari lives on, this year in its eighth annual incarnation. Later this month, Mahoney and Co. will set hungry hot dog fiends on the trail out to six hot dog establishments in the Worcester area with score cards in hand. When they return, a new winner will be crowned and handed a statue of a big bronze dog. The statue gets bigger every year, like the Stanley Cup, and Mahoney said he’s looking forward to seeing it grow every year as the Hot Dog Safari tradition becomes more and more a part of the fabric of the city.

Like most things worthwhile, the Hot Dog Safari started almost as a joke — 20 or so friends doing it

Left, Sully’s Dog Shack in Dudley has been the reigning Hot Dog Safari champion two years in a row. One more win and it joins George’s Coney Island in the Hot Dog Safari Hall of Fame. Above, Shaun Connolly, left, and Tom Mahoney address the crowd at Ralph’s Rock Diner for the 2018 Hot Dog Safari

6

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

SUBMIT TED PHOTOS

for fun. But the next year, when 75 people came out, Mahoney and Co. started making it a bit more official.

Last year attendance was up to about 250, and the crew is hoping for more this year.

The way it works is simple. On Saturday, Aug. 24, show up to Ralph’s Rock Diner around 11 a.m. to grab a score card and a list of the destinations and get eating. If you can’t hit all six — or eat six hot dogs — don’t worry about it. The scoring metric relies on averages. Eat the hot dogs, grade them, then return to the bar around 3 p.m. for some live music and an award ceremony. Far From Eden, a local rock band, will round

out the night with a set outside on the Ralph’s patio while the ballots are counted. Hot dogs are ranked on five simple metrics: the dog itself, the bun, the topping, the presentation and the value.

“Your favorite hot dog place if you’re voting honestly may lose out in one category or another,” said Mahoney.

Most of the competing businesses this year are still a secret. They’ll be announced as the event nears. But we do know now that Sully’s Dog Shack in Dudley — the reigning champion two years in a row — is on the docket. Sully’s is competing for dynasty status and a place in the Hot

Dog Safari Hall of Fame. If you win three times, that’s where you go, and you’re retired from the competition forever. The only business currently in the hall of fame is Coney Island.

The idea is to get new places in the competition each year, so new places get the business — “Basically we want to bring all these little hot dog places so much business in one day they take the year off,” Mahoney said — and turn people on to new hot dog spots.

This year, Mahoney said to expect a few curve balls.

“We have a few really, really new places that we’re pretty excited about,” said Mahoney. “We’re trying

FEATURED

Participants, top row, Peter Dooley and Archie Bellos; middle row, Ben Senecal, Tom Mahoney, Chris Nilson and Rob Picking; and bottom row, Steve Polito and Andy Fletcher, celebrate after the 2018 Hot Dog Safari.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

to think a little outside the box this year, re-imagine it a bit.”

Though it is a competition, it’s mostly a party, and all of the proceeds go to the Worcester County Food Bank. For many Worcester folk, it’s become something of an end-ofsummer tradition. But it also serves as a way to honor the rich Worcester area hot dog tradition.

“As Worcester is changing it’s

important to remind people what Worcester has always been,” said Mahoney, “the older businesses and the smaller businesses are what makes Worcester unique.”

For updates as the event nears, follow the event on Facebook at @worcesterhotdogsafari and on Instagram at @ worcesterhotdogsafari.

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

7

CITY VOICES

POETRY TOWN

Gardner Street TONY BROWN

On Gardner Street the cobblestones no longer hide under asphalt. It’s an axle-breaker road, used by some to cut from Main South to a faster route to downtown, one not as direct but with fewer obstacles once you get past the hard historic rumble of Gardner Street.

Even though driving down Main Street offers a straight shot it’s never been easy to get to our shiny downtown from Main South, even before the rebuild, the driving out of the old tenants, the tear down of the old church, the ripping of old fabric in favor of something artisanal and pure and much more wholesomely rough; if they haven’t paved a condo courtyard down there with vintage cobblestones yet, they will.

Back on Gardner Street, right near the new Boys and Girls Club

8

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

(located off of what they used to call Kilby Street until someone decided that name reminded too many of who ran the corners there; GPS still calls it Kilby Street though all the signs are down and trashed) drivers not already in the know keep slamming into that open pit of exposed cobblestones and either brake hard or break down hard.

Townies know better. They know what’s under every shiny new surface. They know what will render your shiny ride useless.

Know what it means to be shined on. Know what their streets used to hold. Know real people live on Gardner Street and they don’t always just pass through.

LETTERS

Readers debate Trump’s racism

with Nazi Germany. She supports the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel because Israel’s defense of its right to exist is a moral outrage but, apparently, Muslim extremists slaughtering Christians in the Middle East doesn’t merit so much as a raised eyebrow. She accuses her fellow congress members who ••••• support Israel of being bought and onald Trump’s bigotry, his paid for by Jewish money and Jews hatred, and his cruelty he wonderful and inspiring of having a dual loyalty; as if somefrighten and disgust me. pro-America Trump 2020 how supporting Israel, an oasis of Even more frightening rally in Greenville, North Western Civilization in a desert of and disgusting though are his supCarolina, was unfortubarbarism, cannot be a matter of porters who say “This is why we nately a missed opportunity for conscience. I won’t even mention voted for him.” Stephen Bannon, a the president. When the president her snarky dismissal of the 9/11 Trump supporter and former aide, rightly pointed out Ilhan Omar attack on America as “some people has actually said that being called exhibits not a whit of gratitude that doing something.” Leading Demoa racist is a “badge of honor.” And a America saved her from a wretched crats have welcomed her with open current Trump advisor on immigra- existence in her crap-hole native arms. Our own Congressperson tion, Stephen Miller, oozes racism Somalia, his supporters unfortuJim McGovern has been a profile in from every sleazy pore. nately chanted: “Send Her Home.” cowardice who will not introduce I am not naive. I know that I say unfortunate because even a motion to censure Omar and is racism has always existed in this though it was said in jest and in therefore an unabashed enabler of country. But it is the first time in the spontaneity of the moment, it anti-Semitism, as is his Party. my lifetime that the president of the left the president vulnerable to the Yes, the Democrat Party accepts United States has openly expressed harpies in the mainstream press fixand nourishes Omar’s contempt racist sentiments, thereby giving ating on that innocuous chant and for America and President Trump permission to anyone else to do the transmogrifying it into fake charges (no doubt because he supports same. (And puh-lease don’t tell me that Trump and his supporters are Israel). She is quite at home with that Trump is not a racist. He. is. irredeemable racists.

McGovern and Pelosi and when the a. racist. Period.) His spreading of The president should have 2020 Democrat Convention comes hatred and bigotry is reprehensible, quelled the chant with the obseraround, I have no doubt she’ll be a but more than that, it is dangerous. vation that Omar is indeed home. featured speaker leading the DemoIt would take just one deranged The Democrat Party is her home. crats in chants of “The Jews Will individual who has been inspired by She has suggested the US military Not Replace Us!” Trump’s rhetoric to commit atroci- is the moral equivalent of Al Qaida.

– Steven Feldman ties against one or more of Trump’s She has equated the US and Israel

D

perceived “enemies.”

We have a long election campaign ahead of us. Trump’s rhetoric will only become more hateful and more divisive as time goes on.

The thought of the havoc he could cause makes me want to cry myself to sleep every night. Seriously.

– Barbara Moran

T

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Progressive, but make it sketchy BILL SHANER

A DEBATE BUT DIFFERENT: With so many School Committee candidates this year, learning what each of them are about is a real challenge.

That’s why I’m intrigued by the digital candidate forum the Worcester Education Collaborative launched this week. Basically, they’re just sending questions out to the candidates and posting their answers. Answers go up every Tuesday until election day at wecollaborative.org/schoolcommittee. Should be a good way to stay on top of all these candidates.

The first question, up now, has to do with local accountability. The answers easily reveal both policy positions and depth of understanding for every candidate — and there’s a quite a wide range for both! Woof ! I don’t want to get too snarky here but … wait, yes I do. One of the biggest problems with politics in the education realm is the utterly Orwellian bureaucratic language some school officials use to convey relatively simple ideas. This format really lays that bare in a way a news story wouldn’t. Take this quote, from Dianna Biancheria, for a ride: “Discussions collaborating with Administration with demonstrations and reviews are an effective opportunity to improve student performance for the district.” As far as I can tell, that means that … School Committee meetings are good? Or this, from Brian O’Connell: “The Strategic Plan of the Worcester Public Schools (‘WPS’) provides a firm baseline and methodology for implementing sound accountability provisions, guidelines, expectations and standards.” That’s all dressing, no salad. I’m going to drop off a copy of “Politics and the English Language” at the next School Committee meeting.

BALLPARK OFFICIAL: Definitely don’t follow Worcester Redsox Ballpark Updates Official on Facebook. Seriously, don’t. I warned you.

BIG BOTANIST: You may have missed a little Worcester reference in a

I’ll admit, this is a tough question to field. It is not the same as asking your Uber driver what they will do when driverless cars drive us all around; it is much more personal than that. After all, we have shared so many stories together. Stories about families, friends and who scored the winning touchdown at the high school football game on Friday night. Being the chronicler of the history of our community has been our duty – and our honor – and we consider it really important work.

Sure, our print readership is not what it used to be, and we have had to do more with less – much like any business these days. We know that we are not alone: our advertising team worked with over 1,000 local businesses last year, many who are also struggling to keep up with changing technology.

Our journalism duty to this community is important, but so is our role in helping local businesses survive. Or better yet, thrive.

Both missions are important, and it might surprise you to learn how we have embraced change to continue to remain relevant. For over 100 years we delivered only print, so we had a lot to learn.

We learned that our readers initially rebelled at the idea of giving up the tactile sensation of print and paper, but that most have become increasingly comfortable getting their news on a computer screen or in their hands over a smartphone. As our subscribers changed, so did we: now our papers have over one million website page views each month, over 300,000 subscribers to our 23 email newsletters, and we post over 20 stories a day on social media.

Digital audiences are very important to us. Not just so we can connect to the community, but also to give local businesses a place to put their advertisements where they will be seen – and hopefully acted upon – by their fellow neighbors. In an Amazon world, where goods and services can be routinely procured from throughout the world with only a credit card and a click of a button, we want our local businesses to continue to contribute to the vibe to our community from their Main Street locations.

When people are reading content, they are engaged and not talking, driving or fast forwarding.

Readers are concentrating and not distracted, so messages placed next to content remain top of mind. Print reaches affluent, educated, homeowners with a higher disposable income. In a world of targeted messages, that is a pretty desirable audience, and one that we want to keep engaged in our local commerce activity.

In the upcoming months we will be developing a new audience through an interesting new product called TapOnIt. For having such a unique manner of delivery – picture text messaging delivered directly to your smart phone – the concept is exceedingly simple: – when you opt-in by texting TapOnIt to 82928, you start receiving compelling offers from local businesses.

This makes it convenient for the people in our community to keep our local businesses top of mind, by allowing them to save money using offers and coupons they get on their phones. It’s free and once you sign up (message and data rates may apply), offers are sent to subscribers a maximum of three times a week.

If you are a local business we encourage you to give this new form of advertising a try. Text messages have a very high open rate and can complement other forms of advertising to help you drive new customers in your store or restaurant.

TapOnIt has been very well received on other communities, and we are excited to see it thrive here.

More importantly, we are excited to be offering a new promotional vehicle that will help our local businesses thrive as well.

Text TapOnIt to 82928 and check it out for yourself.

Sincerely,

9

Paul Provost Publisher

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

NOT MY BAG: The fight over the proposed switch to plastic recycling bags rages on. Earlier this week, a coalition of mostly environmental groups issued a statement opposing the move. “The production, distribution, and (yes) even recycling of these bags would all add to already overwhelming levels of carbon in our atmosphere. In the face of global climate collapse and ecological breakdown, the focus of city government should be developing and implementing policies that dramatically reduce our carbon emissions and dependence on harmful plastics,” Mothers Out Front, Renewable Energy Worcester, Clean Water Action and 350. org said in the statement. Later, they called the move “a big step in the wrong direction.” Should be no secret by now that I’m inclined to agree.

What to look for now is whether the city will double down on City Manager Ed Augustus’ line that one large bin is the equivalent plastic production of eight years of bags. Mayor Joe Petty already called for the city to look into the climate impacts of the switch to bags, so it seems like that’s where they may be headed. Two points on that line of argument: one, we can just continue to use the bins we have, thereby adding no new carbon impact. Two, this plan will likely be in place for a lot longer than eight years, given the last time there was a recycling change was in the 1990s.

As the publisher of a local newspaper, I am often asked: “How is business going? In our digitally-driven world, will print even be around much longer?”

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

recent Boston Globe Spotlight Team piece on recreational marijuana business practices in Massachusetts. One of the medical stores open in town, The Botanist, is referenced briefly in the piece as being the subsidiary of a massive company looking to skirt regulations to get a bigger market share than the rules are designed to allow. Acreage Holdings is the name of the company, and they’re just one of many, it seems, working to dominate the market by getting around regulations. Meanwhile, there hasn’t been a single “economic empowerment” application approved, in the state or in Worcester for that matter. The whole thing is just so Massachusetts — progressive, but make it sketchy.

A Note from Your Publisher

10

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

Duncan Arsenault and Friends at Vincent’s Duncan Arsenault is one of the seminal figures in the Worcester music scene, having played with several of the region’s biggest bands and having worked with most of the area’s best musicians.

Point being: He has a pretty big talent pool to draw from, and that shows with the caliber of musicians who accompany him on his regular Wednesday night residency at Vincent’s. On July 31 guitarist Pete Aleksi and keyboardist Darby Wolf joined, but most of the area’s best players have sat in at one time or another. Arsenault and friends are there at 9 p.m. every Wednesday, except the first Wednesday of the month.

Photos by Steve Lanava

COVER STORY

Bringing people together 29th Latin American Festival set for Worcester Common Oval

RICHARD DUCKET T

M

exican mariachi singer Veronica Robles is known as “La Mera Mera,” which approximately translates to “the real deal.”

You can get to see and hear why when Veronica Robles y Sus Mariachis perform as part of the 29th Latin American Festival at the Worcester Common

Oval on Aug. 17.

With a sunny disposition and voice capable of reaching and sustaining high notes against a distinctive mariachi musical backdrop (violins, guitars and trumpets), Robles and her group were a hit in their first performance at the festival in 2017. “The crowd was asking for more,” said festival cocoordinator and stage manager Delio Fernandez. Robles was saying to Fernandez, “Give me one more song … One more song.”

“I’m honored to be here again,” said Robles, who now lives in

11

This year’s festival will run from noon to 9 p.m. Aug. 17, although people can begin registering for a free bachata dance lesson at 11:30 a.m.

Gilberto Vazquez and Fern Rosario will DJ mixed Latin music starting at noon and there will be an open mic and local talent performing from 1 to 1:20 p.m., followed by the free bachata lesson by Tumbao Latin Dance.

The official opening ceremony will be at 2 p.m. and the performing lineup includes Venezuelan musician Luis Maldonado at 2:30 p.m.; Veronica Robles y Sus Mariachis at 3:15 p.m.; La Sonora Dinamita (Colombian music) at 4:15 p.m.; El Zifaro y Monchy Capricho (Dominican Republic meringue) at 5:30 p.m; and Luis Ayala y La Puerto Rican Power (Puerto Rican salsa) at 7:30 p.m.

There will be food vendors, artists and handcraft items, children’s activities, a Centro Kids Tent, a Super Hero’s Tent, a Project Bread Healthy Eating Tent, an Art and Craft Tent sponsored by Worcester Art Museum, a raffle for a new car ( from Gala Foods Supermarket, a longtime festival sponsor), and more.

The master of ceremonies throughout the day will be Jensy Rosario of Worcester, a broadcaster with Expresso 1620 Latin Radio as well as a DJ. Rosario said his goal is “to make the moment attractive and special. Make sure they receive the right message.”

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Rosario has lived here five years and this will be his third year as MC of the festival.

“CENTRO and Jensy was love at first sight,” Fernandez said. “His demeanor, his vision, his professional knowledge on stage — he was meant to be for this festival. We’re excited to have him again.”

“It’s a reunion and encounter of the Latin community. It’s a celebra-

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CHRISTINE PETERSON

a move to Worcester Common in 1992 drew a bigger attendance and audiences grew each year. For many years the festival was successfully overseen by Carmen “Dolly” Vazquez, who retired in 2015. This is Fernandez’s fourth year as festival co-coordinator.

“I think it’s the major cultural event in Worcester,” said Fernandez, who is also safety officer and outreach coordinator for CENTRO. “I don’t think there’s an event that has the magnitude of getting 10,000 to 15,000 people together.”

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

From left, mmcee of the Latin American Festival Jensy Rosario, mariachi singer Veronica Robles and co-organizer Delio Fernandez.

Boston. “I love bringing my music to the people of Worcester.”

The Latin American Festival itself could be said to be a real deal — make that a big deal — on the cultural calendar of Worcester.

Presented by CENTRO ( formerly known as Centro Las Americas), a multiservice nonprofit Latino organization, the 29-year-old free festival probably draws more people for one day than any other event in Worcester. Moreover, it has come to be recognized as one of the largest events of its kind in New England. From a relatively modest beginning when the first festival was held in 1991,

COVER STORY

tion of the unification of the Hispanics,” Rosario said of the festival.

“We do a Latin American celebration. Not just one specific country.”

All are invited to the celebration, Fernandez said.

“We welcome everyone.”

Last year’s festival was dedicated to Venezuela as the country continued (and continues) to face internal troubles. There was also a tribute to

Power was pure coincidence and was done before the current controversy erupted.

What has been deliberate is bringing ever more varied musical offerings to the festival, Fernandez said.

“This festival is no longer about merengue and salsa. It’s more diverse.” As was indicated earlier, this year’s festival will include music

Above: Alberto Tetegada, left, and Juan Ruiz sell quenepas, a shelled fruit from Puerto Rico, at the 2017 Latin American Festival.

Below: Paola Pomales and Christina Santiago show their Puerto Rican pride at the 2017 Latin American Festival.

12

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

FILE PHOTOS/CHRISTINE HOCHKEPPEL

Puerto Rico as it continued to recover from the ravages of Hurricane Maria in 2017.

This year Puerto Rico has been in the news again as its governor has just resigned amid political turmoil.

“There’s always been something to talk about (just before the festival),” Fernandez said. However, he said the booking of Puerto Rican

from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia. Groups from other Latin American countries are welcome to take part in the future, Fernandez said. “Come to CENTRO to let us know. We encourage your community to do so.”

Fernandez noted that “one of the biggest (musical) influences is the

COVER STORY

The 28th Latin American Festival in 2018 celebrated on the Common, despite the wet weather.

FILE PHOTO/STEVE LANAVA

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

13

COVER STORY

culture of Mexico.”

Meanwhile, “every country has their own mariachi,” said Robles.

“Not only in Mexico, but worldwide. And I’m bringing it to New

England.”

Originally from Sinaloa in Mexico, Robles said she was raised in Mexico City and started singing from an early age. Her singing took

Above: A Puerto Rican food vendor holds up a fried fish dough treat, at the 2018 Latin American Festival.

FILE PHOTO/STEVE LANAVA

Below: Attendees pick out flags and apparel at the 2017 Latin American Festival.

14

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

FILE PHOTO/CHRISTINE HOCHKEPPEL

COVER STORY

ENTER TO WIN A

$500

ARD GIFT C

$500 PRICE CHOPPER GIFT CARD!

Introducing our new mobile deals program. Get great local deals on things to do, see, eat and buy texted straight to your phone!

Opt-in now for great local deals and a chance to win!

Text TapOnIt to 82928 or visit texttaponit.com/worcester

Luna, a bulldog owned by Isis of Worcester, is all decked out in festival gear, at the 2018 Latin American Festival.

FILE PHOTO/STEVE LANAVA

“I joke ‘I’m going to start singing in English but if you don’t understand what I’m singing you can sing in Spanish.’”

Actually, Robles said she has a large “Anglos” following from per-

Visit taponitdeals.com for more information!

By joining TapOnIt you’ve opted in to receive recurring offers via text. Message & data rates may apply.

Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel. Go to taponitdeals.com/terms for privacy and terms.

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

15

her to different states in Mexico, and then to countries around the world, including the United States.

She subsequently settled in Boston with her husband. She’s made her mark in the city, including being appointed to the leadership board for the Boston Creates initiative by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and serving as vice-president of East Boston Chamber of Commerce. She is also co-founder and director of the Veronica Robles Cultural Center, a nonprofit organization that supports community action and economic growth in East Boston and offers Latin American arts and culture programs while also providing jobs for youth. She has been honored with a mural depicting her in a mariachi outfit.

“I’m a woman creating in this male-dominated field,” Robles said.

She has a mixed male and female mariachi group and an all-female ensemble, and besides being the singer, choreographs for both. “I’m not only happy managing the group but making it an event in people’s lives,” she said.

“My mission is to raise it (mariachi) to the level of the fine arts. Our music is very complex — simple tunes but very elaborate arrangements.”

“She’s gifted,” Fernandez said.

Robles’ repertoire includes her own compositions and arrangements of songs from different countries. “I sing a couple of English tunes.” One song adaptation is “Always on My Mind,” made famous by Willie Nelson among others.

COVER STORY

forming on different musical stages such as jazz and rock.

“I’m looking forward to the community opening up more to the diversity,” she said. “I like that the (Worcester) festival is free. CENTRO deserves a round of applause.”

Worcester has a significant population of people of Latin American heritage for the festival to draw from, but Fernandez said the event attracts a large number of nonHispanics as well.

“I call them our loyal customers.

They enjoy our music and our food so much. It is amazing to see them here every year.” Fernandez said that includes seeing more Asians and African-Americans come each year. “It is joyful to us see other cultures embracing the festival.”

A real big deal next year will be the festival celebrating its 30th year.

“There will be a lot of surprises for people,” Fernandez said. For example, the 2020 Latin American Festival will take place for two days. A man waves the flag of “We’re going to make it very joythe Dominican Republic ful and diverse,” Fernandez said. at the Latin American

16

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

Contact Richard Duckett at richard.duckett@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @TGRDuckett.

Festival.

FILE PHOTO

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

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Sharon Mansfield resides in Central Mass. and has worked in the public school system as an art/business instructor for more than 22 years. Her lifelong love of art started in her early teens and continues into the present.

She has inspired and worked with thousands of kids during her career as an art teacher. She continues to work on her craft and stretch her abilities as she still pursues educational opportunities by taking art courses and learning new strategies at local art museums.

Mansfield’s work has been displayed at the Worcester Art Museum, The Sprinkler Factory and Harvest Grill. Contact Sharon Mansfield at spmart24@gmail.com.

17

CITY LIFE

LISTEN UP

Lil Nas X and the politics of personal taste

Certainly, there are a handful of black country artists — such as Darius Rucker, Jimmie Allen and Kane Brown — but the genre’s fans have not reacted well to “outsiders,” particularly ones who try to take the genre’s sounds and recast them. Lil Nas X getting stripped from the country THE ASSOCIATED PRESS charts was a bit VICTOR D. INFANTE alarming, but not unexpected. aste is subjecReally, it wasn’t a tive, and no one far cry from the is obliged to chilly receplike or dislike tion Beyonce’s any particular song, “Daddy Lessons” even music critics. But received, even one thing I’ve found is when the remix that, when I dislike a featured The popular song, I should Dixie Chicks. probably take a few (Mind, the Dixie minutes to think about Chicks have gotjust why it is it gets ten themselves on my nerves. More in hot water with often than not, I find country fans before, and its never a goodly amount of cultural detritus stopped them from making good lurking underneath the disdain. music.) We’re still in the midst of Take, for example, “Old Town that particular long, dark night of the Road” by Lil Nas X featuring Billy soul, but kudos to Cyrus and other Ray Cyrus. The song, currently in its country artists who are willing to record-shattering 18th week on the push boundaries. top of the Billboard Charts, is by no • It’s the catchiest song since means the worst country-rap cross“Achy Breaky Heart”: If nothing over. That dishonor belongs to Brad else, Cyrus has an ear for the zeitPaisley and LL Cool J for the naïve geist. Mind, it took me a long time to and trite “Accidental Racist.” Still, to forgive him for “Achy Breaky Heart.” my ear, even though it’s got a good Actually, I’m not sure I ever have. hook, it’s — to borrow a phrase the hip-hoppers have recently reclaimed • Crossover songs feed creative innovation and build audiences: — corny. But, hey, maybe I can be This is totally the truth, although swayed. Here are a few thoughts while exploring the song on constant again I’d caution that just because a song is a crossover, that doesn’t replay and chatting about it online. mean it’s actually good. Of course, it doesn’t mean it’s not, either. Some• A lot of people like the song for times, they can ring most falsely to what it represents: That is totally someone who’s a purist. This was legit. It’s perfectly fine to be rooting often the case with critics of the for an indie trap artist who came 1986 Run-DMC version of “Walk This out of nowhere and upset the music Way,” which featured Aerosmith. A industry’s status quo. As has been widely reported, Lil Nas X bought the lot of rock purists hated it, but it was credited with propelling both beats on the song for $30. Moreover, acts’ careers. On a personal note, it it’s perfectly OK to be rooting for an was probably the first real rap song openly gay African-American man I was exposed to, and I enjoyed it in hip-hop, which is still a musical immensely. I’m forced to wonder, environment where gay musicians struggle. A lot of this came to the fore though, if part of me has become a hip-hop purist. Is that where the earlier, when R&B songwriter Frank reaction comes from? It would be Ocean came out as bisexual. Still, odd to think I’ve become that rigid.

Ocean was a critical favorite, and It’s worth considering. Certainly, I’m while some care for his music more generally not a fan of contemporary than others, no one worth listening country, so maybe this song is counto has ever questioned its quality. try enough for me to dislike.

Still, the power and importance of • It’s a lot of fun: At the end of the representation can’t be ignored.

• It’s made contemporary country day, this argument is unbeatable. You music reflect on itself: Contempo- love what you love, and you groove to what you groove to, and no music rary country has had what appears critic can or should tell you otherwise. on its face to be a race problem:

18

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

T

CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

Homegrown Fashion SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

Hats Off to the Sunglass Chain

Vogue has announced fashion’s biggest Instagram trends for summer 2019, and anklets, tie-dye and friendship bracelets are at the top

of the list.

Each style feels torn from the pages of Lesli Linka Glatter’s 1995 screenplay for “Now and Then,” which, incidentally, began streaming on Netflix last week. The film features Demi Moore as a moody author recalling an epic comingof-age tale in the summer of 1970.

In one scene, her 12-year-old self risks everything to retrieve her “best friends for life” bracelet from a storm drain during a flash flood. Sentimental value is priceless.

This summer’s trends are fueled by arts and crafts nostalgia. Add that to the 50th anniversary of Woodstock,

and we’ve got ourselves a look.

Nothing embodies DIY more than the sunglass chain, which, according to Vogue, has caught fire under the guidance of brands such as STAUD and DONNI. There are 10,000 posts hashtagged #sunglasschain, each one resembling a beadbuddy more than the last.

The 4ce

Sameness is uncool and if Vogue’s summer trend report reveals anything, it’s a shift toward customization. My macaroni necklace is better than your macaroni necklace. Why? Because I made it.

Worcester’s design community is keeping pace. Take, for example, Gregory Dubuisson and Emmanuel Carboo. Dubuisson and Carboo have merged their respective clothing brands, Wavvz Newage and Urban Pigeons, to target local youth and evoke their talents by organizing fashion shows under the brand: The 4ce. The 4ce hosts workshops and sewing lessons in an effort to help young participants create their own professional portfolios.

According to the Pew Research Center, 81% of Americans now

own a smartphone. Dubuisson and Carboo understand how important it is to be comfortable in front of the camera. The 4ce hosts modeling classes to teach youth how to get creative when the lights start flashing. Thumb through their account @the.4ce for inspiration.

The duo has also taken to welcoming celebrities to town by gifting them custom jackets. Dubuisson and Carboo report that they have attempted such offerings with the likes of Steve Aoki, Desiigner, Wyclef Jean, Kevin Hart, Kofi Black, Niska and Jay Hover. Sometimes all it takes is the right influencer’s photo to distinguish yourself as an up-andcoming designer.

Threads: Woven Together

One such local designer, Sam Donovan, is an alumni of both “Project Runway: Under the Gunn” and “Project Runway Allstars.” In September, Donovan will assume his role as the primary educator

Gregory Dubuisson and Emmanuel Carboo of The 4ce model their designs at Exclusive Where Music Meets Fashion on Pleasant Street.

PHOTO/COURTESY OF CAMYPHOTOGRAFFY

of Threads, a fashion design and youth identity development program brought to life by the Love Your Labels organization.

“Fashion can feel like a prison if you don’t feel like what you’re wearing reflects who you are,” says Donovan. “I’m excited to give these young people skills they can use to explore and express their own identities in such a tangible way.”

According to Love Your Labels, students will use fashion design as a lens to discuss personal expression, gender and sexuality, and help youth

on their journey of self discovery. A culminating fashion show will take place in November.

Threads is open to youth ages 1318 years old in the Greater Worcester and Central Mass. region. The first program will kick off on Sept. 25 and run for eight weeks on Wednesdays from 6-8:30 p.m. at Creative Hub Worcester’s Youth Arts Space at 653 Main St., Worcester. The deadline to apply is Sunday, Aug. 25.

Now, who’s going to make me a friendship bracelet?

Three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals performs with Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue as part of the closing weekend of the 2019 Tanglewood season.

19

WM-0000393415-01

summer 2019

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

TICKETS $15–$119 888-266-1200 • tanglewood.org

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

AUGUST 31 SATURDAY 7PM, SHED

CITY LIFE

DINING

Indulge your tastes at Rose Room Cafe

4 E. Main St., Webster • (508) 461-5344 • theroseroomcafe.com SANDRA RAIN

20

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

A

thorny silhouette welcomes guests at the front door of The Rose Room Cafe & Tonic Bar where owners draw inspiration from their prior stints in both Portland and Nantucket, where they met.

Please note the vintage glassware.

An antique loveseat. Embroidered cloth napkins. Mobiles made to look like terracotta earrings. Blush accents. White subway tile. Wood paneled statement walls. Sliding barn doors. Classic domed cake stands filled with sweets. A bowl of peaches obtained from a bonafide Georgia peach truck, just yesterday.

Where, pray tell, is this young urban creative wonderland? The answer is Webster.

Aside from presenting a dainty showroom of eclectic clutter, The Rose Room’s menu is divine, the WiFi is reliable, and there are freshly laundered hand towels in the restroom. Over the course of two hours, I watched them serve one firefighter, three landscapers, a table of moms, two teachers, a woman in a Phish hat, a man in a pink Vineyard Vines T-shirt, and a relatively famous children’s book illustrator. All babies are welcome. That is to say, the regular crowd is wide-ranging.

The Rose Room works with local farms, purveyors and apothecaries to source their seasonal menu. Pizza night is every second Wednesday and sometimes sells out in under 30 minutes. For the rest of the month, The Rose Room turns its focus to breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Start with a double shot of espresso, served on a floral tin alongside three ounces of sparkling water intended for a palate cleanser.

Tea drinkers will dare to try the super mushroom, a creamy mellow chai blend, with reishi, chaga and shiitake mushrooms for what The Rose Room calls “earthy superpowers.” The super mushroom is served with steamed milk and a touch of local maple syrup for good measure. If you prefer to avoid caffeine, order the tumeric tonic — a spicy orange elixir offering the sweetness of beet juice without the dirt. Water drinkers can help themselves from the large metal tank

at a station stocked with deep glasses that might be ice cream dishes, and a large ceramic bus bucket.

The egg sammy comes on a housemade oat bun laid thick with tangy adelisca cheese and steamed spinach. I chose to douse my sammy with The Kitchen Garden sriracha, but do as you see fit. Yolks and spuds

is also popular, replacing the supple bun with a side of smashed potatoes.

For lunch, The Rose Room puts out a beef meatball sammy served with heirloom tomatoes on a kaiser roll.

The barley pesto bowl is particularly popular among vegan clientele, made with a selection of local summer veggies and toasty walnuts.

Mimm’s sweet treats are the best way to leave things. Eat them on the drive home to consecrate your first trip to The Rose Room, or bring them to someone you love and make them promise to join you next time.

Seasonal coffee cake, chocolate chip and ginger molasses cookies, Nana's biscotti, and vegan layer cake round out the spread. If you plan accordingly, you’ll catch the cinnamon buns fresh out of the oven at 10:30 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

I watched a WRTA bus pass by twice on my last trip, so there’s really no excuse. Cough up the $1.75 fare and have yourself a day trip to Webster. There’s no escaping The Rose Room.

On my most recent visit for breakfast, my total came to just $10.

Explanation of Stars: Ratings are from zero to five. Zero is not recommended. One is poor. Two is fair. Three is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is excellent.

Food: HHHH Ambience: HHHH Service: HHHH Value: HHHHH

CITY LIFE

TABLE HOPPIN’ BARBARA M. HOULE

Hartman’s Herb Farm plans ‘Monday Lunch’

Lynn Hartman and daughter Carissa Hartman-Wozniak will host “Monday Lunch” this month through October at the family-run Hartman’s Herb Farm and Bed & Breakfast in Barre.

The four-course, herbal luncheons

NEXT DRAFT Todd, a former chef who attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, often helps with menus and cooking at the special events held at the farm.

Lynn Hartman and her husband, Peter Hartman, operated the family farm together for 30 years before his passing last December.

Hartman’s Herb Farm is a participant in the Canal District Farmers Market, held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays at Crompton

at farm events. “We use our own mojito mint to make the drink,” said Hartman. “It’s a citrusy flavored mint, and it makes the best mojito ever. So refreshing.”

Herbs have both culinary and medicinal properties. People love herbs because they grow so easily, said Hartman, and because they touch many aspects of our life. They are fragrant, flavorful and even magical, she said.

Hartman’s Herb Farm, located at 1026 Old Dana Road, also is gearing up for a Smoked Barbecue Buffet, beginning at 1 p.m. Aug. 11. The barbecue is $30 per person, plus tax and gratuity. By reservation only, call (978) 355-2105.

This popular barbecue event will feature Smoked Brisket, Pulled Pork, Pit Chicken, Coleslaw, Mac & Cheese, Mexican Street Salad and Cornbread.

The buffet also will include a variety of desserts. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.

Enjoy what summer brings to the table!

National Farmers Market Week is Aug. 4-10.

Carissa Hartman-Wozniak, left, and Lynne Hartman own Hartman’s Herb Farm in Barre.

RICK CINCLAIR

The Vin Bin, 91 Main St., Marlboro, announced that it would offer 20% off the purchase of six or more regularly priced bottles of wine every Monday in August.

The business calls it “Case of the Mondays,” deciding Mondays should be more fun and something to look forward to. Visit thevinbin.com for more information about events and store locations in Marlboro (two stores), Hopkinton and Southboro.

Something special at Jenkins Inn

A summer dinner special, “Thursday Nights,” is on the August menu at the Jenkins Inn & Restaurant, 7 West St., Barre.

The Thursday special is Baked Atlantic Haddock with Sea Scallops, topped with herbs and cracker crumbs for $26 per person. The meal includes salad, potato, vegetable and dessert.

Visit jenkinsinn.com, or call (978)

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 22

21

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 22

M

aureen Fabry, co-owner and head brewer of Milford’s CraftRoots Brewing, is not a white male hipster.

I point this out in light of a recent Boston Globe op-ed published under the headline, “Craft beer’s diversity problem: Too many white male hipsters.” The column, by Shirley Leung, describes the craft beer world as a “haven for white males,” using the incident of racial profiling at Angry Orchard’s Hudson Valley cidery last month to highlight the industry’s lack of diversity.

As a member of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild (MBG) Board of Directors and chair of its Diversity Committee, Fabry was disappointed

by Leung’s reductive description of the industry, especially since she had sent the Globe columnist her detailed thoughts on everything the state’s craft beer community has gotten right about diversity.

Apparently, she said, they were left out.

“Craft beer in MA is actually quite diverse and we’re focusing more and more on inclusivity and being welcoming to all,” Fabry told me in an email, adding, “The moment is building towards greater inclusion, and we have lots of real examples of this.”

Leung does highlight efforts, both locally and nationally, that the industry has made to expand diversity.

There’s “Hop Forward,” a job fair that Mass Bay Brewing Co., parent company of Harpoon Brewery, will host this fall for Boston area breweries to pick from a pool of minority candidates.

Last year, the Brewers Association appointed its first diversity ambassador. And the nonprofit trade group continues to offer guidance and grants centered around diversity and inclusion.

But Fabry, who runs CraftRoots with her wife, Robin, struggled to get past the column’s damaging headline — “too many white male hipsters” — since changed to “The craft beer industry has a diversity problem.”

“To say there are ‘too many’ of one demographic — white males — misses the point of inclusivity and being welcoming to all,” she wrote.

“The point is to remove barriers that may exist in order to expand the

reach of craft beer and improve accessibility. The point is obviously not to cut back on any demographic but to find ways to reach more folks who are interested in craft beer.”

Fabry was not the only one to question the headline. The Brewers Association’s diversity ambassador, Dr. J. Nikol Jackson-Beckham, tweeted that believing there is “too many” of anyone in craft beer is a hindrance to social change.

“When you talk about underrepresentation in terms that make … populations agonistically dependent, you fuel zero sum thought,” Jackson-Beckham wrote. “The point of ‘diversity’ is that there’s a whole lot of everybody.”

Jackson-Beckham suggested framing the need for more diversity in craft beer not as a problem, but an opportunity. “Help me reframe ‘diversity’ as an exciting, fulfilling, ethical, and socially and financially sustainable opportunity, rather than a laborious problem that no one knows how to solve,” she tweeted.

The MBG also thought Leung painted with too broad a brush in her picture of craft beer as overrun by hordes of white men with stylish beards. That is not the case in Massachusetts, it said, a state with the largest chapter of the female brewers’ advocacy group, the Pink Boots Society, in the country.

In a response to the Globe op-ed, the MBG’s board of directors wrote, “The craft beer industry in Massachusetts has come a long way in shifting both its consumer base and employee rosters from being a typically male demographic to one that more fully reflects the demographics of its communities, neighborhoods and the Commonwealth as a whole.”

In Massachusetts, the board wrote, women no longer only work in marketing and sales or front of the house jobs, but put on boots to fill more brewing, packaging and quality control positions. And it is a state where female consumers outpace men, according to data from the Brewers Association.

The Diversity Committee has been gathering stories from breweries highlighting the ways in which they have worked to reach both employees and customers from under-represented communities, Fabry said.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Place on Green Street in Worcester, and Tower Hill Botanic Garden’s annual plant sale held on the grounds of Tower Hill in Boylston.

Hartman’s grows herbs, vegetables and flowers, which have been exhibited at Worcester and Boston flower shows. Visitors to the farm can sometimes catch a glimpse of sheep and goats on the grounds.

Visit hartmansherbfarm.com for more about the function room that’s attached to the main house and used for weddings and private parties.

Visit weddingwire.com; theknot.com for info and photos.

Expect Lynn Hartman to share practical information about growing herbs and even enticing recipes at the Monday lunches. She’s a great storyteller!

She often makes nosegays, a small bunch of herbs and flowers, not only for table centerpieces, but also for guests to take home.

For cooling off this summer, Hartman and her daughter will have mojitos, with or without alcohol,

Monday deal at Vin Bin

MATTHEW TOTA

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

on Mondays will be served at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. by reservation only. Cost is $20 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call (978) 355-2015 to reserve, or for more information.

A sample menu: Hartman’s herbal dip and crackers; Gazpacho, Cucumber Soup, or Fresh Baby Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette; Chicken Mediterranean, Butternut Ravioli or Chef ’s Special Flatbread Vegetable Ratatouille; Potatoes; Seasonal Dessert, such as Blueberry Cobbler. Lavender lemonade and herbal teas will be served. Local craft beer and wine will be available for purchase. Spirits, too.

The menus will change monthly, depending on what’s seasonally available at Hartman’s or nearby farms. “We grow a variety of squash, and have created some amazing summer and fall recipes,” said Hartman-Wozniak. The rotating menus also will allow guests to pick the ones that interest them the most, she said.

Hartman-Wozniak’s husband,

Join the celebration by supporting local farmers. We all share in the success of sustainable farming practices.

Talking diversity in craft beer, beyond ‘too many hipsters’

CITY LIFE

TA B L E H O P P I N’

FILM

The Rock is on a roll

JIM KEOGH

22

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

T

he funniest thing I’ve read lately was an IMDB item about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson being a finalist for the role of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s 2005 film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The part, of course, went to Johnny Depp, who gave it his usual dose of Deppian weirdness.

But The Rock as the Candy Man? How could we have been robbed of such a spectacle? He would have made the sun rise, sprinkled it with dew, then kept it burning forever, like Apollo inventing the solar version of an Everlasting Gobstopper. The man who punished his opponents in the wrestling ring would have found novel tortures for the pudgy brats who toured his factory — low-carb diets, interval training regimens, videos of Vince McMahon proclaiming his sport clean.

And don’t insist The Rock doesn’t do fantasy. He once played the Tooth Fairy.

I’m a much bigger Dwayne Johnson fan than I thought I ever would be when he permanently crossed over from professional wrestling to acting — in 2002’s “The Scorpion King.”

He was legitimately funny in “The Rundown,” brought dignity to the small-town potboiler “Walking Tall” and had fun with his righteous tough-guy image in “Get Smart” and “The Other Guys.”

If he was just a big body,

Johnson would be, well, he’d be Ralf Moeller. You don’t recognize the name, but he’s a former Mr. Universe with dozens of film credits to his name. He fought alongside Russell Crowe in “Gladiator,” pounded lagers in “Beerfest” and escaped all but his mother’s notice as an Arkham Asylum Guard in “Batman & Robin.” In his prime, his muscles rivaled Johnson’s.

His charisma did not.

Johnson avoided becoming Ralf Moeller by realizing early that without a memorable persona to accompany it, a chiseled form will get you only so far. He learned how to deliver a line, cock an eyebrow, mug for the camera — though not too much. I have no idea how smart he is, but he seems smart. In the movies, seems is all that matters.

Two absurd movies convinced me I’d follow Johnson into just about anything. The first, “San Andreas,” was a disaster picture of exquisite cheesiness. In my review I wrote: “[T]o get from L.A. to San Francisco to rescue his daughter, Ray pilots a helicopter, a truck, and a plane, then parachutes into AT&T Park. Later Ray steers a boat into a tsunami bearing down on the city, climbs the wave, and at the crest is met by an oncoming cargo ship with boxcar-sized containers plummeting into the sea around him.

Intellectually I know this is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen on a movie screen, but I’m also kind of awed by the audacity of it all.”

The audacity was just getting started. Three years later came “Skyscraper.” Again, from my review: “Here’s the scene: Johnson scales a massive crane 90-plus stories above the street in about 30 to 40 seconds.

He then races the length of the crane’s boom, while dodging automaticweapon fire, launches himself 30 feet through the air, and crash lands in the adjacent building.

And he does this all on one leg.

It is among the most preposterous leaps in human history — Bob Beamon in Mexico City preposterous, Butch and Sundance evading the posse preposterous, Papillon escaping Devil’s Island preposterous. But the Rock transcends time and space, so in a strange way The Leap is the perfect expression of his existential brand of heroism.”

Johnson is now appearing in the ungainly titled “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.” He may be Hobbs or he may be Shaw. I don’t know, and I don’t think it matters — it demands to be seen. I’ll make that leap.

from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 21 through Friday, with 24 hours notice.

Delivery is made within seven miles of 355-6444 for reservations. the restaurant. Door Dash continues to be available for the same delivery, Summer beer according to the restaurant. Call for dinner at Tomasso more information.

Trattoria

Tomasso Trattoria, 154 Turnpike Road, Southboro, will have a Summer Beer Dinner beginning at 7 p.m. Aug. 16.

The five-course dinner will be paired with craft beers from Jack’s Abby in Framingham. Call (508) 481-8484 to reserve; visit tomassotrattoria.com for more information.

A reception will precede dinner.

On the menu: First course: Housebaked pretzel, beer cheese; Second course; summer watermelon salad; Third course: fish & chips; Fourth course: pork sausage (pork, broccoli rabe and cheese); Fifth course: chocolate pecan pie.

FYI: Tomasso Trattoria was sold several months ago. New owners are Jamie and Lisa Carpentier, who relocated from Long Island.

The restaurant staff at Tomasso remains the same after the sale, according to Lisa Carpentier.

The restaurant now delivers lunch

Summer menu at Not Your Average Joe’s

Not Your Average Joe’s locations continue the “Wicked Summah Menu” promotion through Aug. 14.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl, New England Style Lobster Roll, BBQ Baby Back Ribs and Watermelon & Goat Cheese Salad are included in the menu options. Drinks, sides and more!

The local Not Your Average Joe’s is at 291 Turnpike Road, Westboro.

Visit notyouraveragejoes.com.

Set sail for lunch on Boston Harbor The Boston Harbor Lunch Sails event gets underway on Aug. 29 and Sept. 14 with guest chef Tatiana Rosana, two-time Food Network Chopped champion and executive chef at The Envoy

Hotel’s Outlook Kitchen and Bar in Boston planning menus.

The chef has created lunch options featuring modern takes on New England staples.

About the sailing adventure: Guests will enjoy two hours aboard Roseway, Boston’s only historic tall ship, where they can help the crew raise the sails, explore the decks below or sit back and enjoy Boston’s cityscape.

Tickets are $65 per person. Note: Lunch menu options are added to ticket orders when reserving a spot on the ship. Visit https:// worldoceanschool.org to register and menu ordering. Reservations are required and tickets must be purchased at least three days before the sail date. Pick-up and drop-off will be at the Moakley Federal Courthouse Dock (2 Northern Ave.) in Boston. Rain or shine event.

Everything you need to know about tickets, etc. is on the website. The World Ocean School’s ongoing educational programs benefit from the event.

Show support for local farmers If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.

NEXT DRAFT

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 21

Breweries have taught their staff sign language to better serve deaf patrons, hosted drag shows and sessions of “Queer Bingo,” invited in senior centers for tours and tastings, raised money for veterans and built gender neutral bathrooms and nursing rooms at their taprooms.

The MBG’s board — consisting of seven men and two women, all white — was not afraid to acknowledge that the industry in Massachusetts still has “plenty of blind spots.”

“We know that nearly 80% of craft beer consumers in Massachusetts are white, and that there are only a handful of brewers and brewery owners of color across the state,” the board wrote.

The board provides examples when an absence of diversity in craft beer has bred ignorance, such as beer labels that objectify women or alienate different cultures. And it warns that too often, the staff or customers at a brewery do not represent the diverse community around it.

Change, the board said, can only come through self-reflection.

“Whenever there’s a misstep in the industry, it’s an important lesson and reminder to all of us that our words, our marketing efforts

CraftRoots founder/brewer Maureen Fabry.

NORMAN MILLER

and how are employees are trained, carry enormous weight and significance,” the board wrote. “When they give shape and awareness to our unconscious biases we must listen intently and open our eyes and minds to change.”

Fabry is excited about Hop Forward — the diversity and inclusion job fair — and its potential to address a need in the industry for more diverse, qualified candidates.

Mass Bay worked with Boston’s Office of Diversity to reach people interested in craft beer jobs. Set for

Oct. 8 at Harpoon’s South Boston beer hall, the job fair will bring together more than a dozen Boston area breweries.

And moving forward, the MBG plans to expand the model to other parts of the state, Fabry said.

“I think we need to challenge ourselves to make it a priority to build our brewery staff in a way that better reflects our neighborhoods and communities, to look for balance and more diverse representation in our staff and in our customers,” she said.

CITY LIFE

FILM CAPSULES

T&G Readers: For today’s movie showtimes, please see the television page.

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

23

“Aladdin” — Live-action adaptation of “Men in Black: International” — Disney’s 1992 animated musical based A new generation of alien-busting agents searches for a mole in their on the timeless fantasy tale about a charming thief, a beautiful princess and midst. (1:55) PG-13.

“Midsommar” — A young a big blue genie. (2:08) PG. American tourist couple are drawn “Annabelle Comes Home” — The into the darker aspects of a pagan deadly doll wreaks horror on the festival in rural Sweden. (1:40) R. family of demonologists in this “Once Upon a Time in franchise entry. (1:46) R. Hollywood” — Leonardo DiCaprio “Avengers: Endgame” — Captain is a has-been TV star and Brad Pitt America and the other surviving plays his longtime stunt double in team members attempt to set the writer-director Quentin Tarantino’s universe to rights in the aftermath 1969-set multi-narrative tale set of Thanos’ victory in this Marvel franchise entry. (3:01) PG-13.

“Booksmart” — Two studious high school seniors try to pack four years of partying into one night.

(1:45) R. “Crawl” — Trapped in a flooding house during a hurricane, a young Florida woman and her father are menaced by alligators. (1:27) From left, Jiang Yongbo, Aoi MizuhaR. ra, Chen Han, Tzi Ma, Awkwafina, Li “A Dog’s Journey” — The pooch with a purpose forms Xiang, Lu Hong and Diana Lin star a new attachment and vows in “The Farewell,” in theaters now. to watch over her in this A24 FILMS sequel. (1:48) PG. during the closing days of the studio “The Farewell” — Lulu Wang’s system’s Golden Age. (2:39). tender, funny and melancholy “Pokemon Detective Pikachu” — dramedy about an elaborate family The son of a missing detective teams deception is personal filmmaking with the titular sleuth to find his at its most incisive, with superb father in this mix of live action and performances. PG. animation. (1:44) PG. “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs “Poms” — Diane Keaton stars as a & Shaw” — Dwayne Johnson and woman who starts a cheer squad at a Jason Statham grudgingly team to retirement home. (1:31) PG-13. battle a cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist wielding a bio threat in this “Rocketman” — Mild-mannered English piano player Reginald Dwight globe-spanning spinoff of the speedtransforms into rock superstar Elton fueled action series. (2:14) PG-13.

John in this musical fantasy biopic “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” — The giant reptile vies with Mothra, starring Taron Egerton. (2:01) R. “The Secret Life of Pets 2” — A Rodan and the three-headed King sequel to the computer-animated Ghidorah for world domination. comedy reveals more of the antics (2:12) PG-13.

“The Hustle” — Anne Hathaway and our animal companions get up to when we’re not around. (1:26) Rebel Wilson play con women who “Spider-Man: Far from Home” join forces for revenge. (1:43) PG-13.

— The young web slinger’s trip to “John Wick — Chapter 3 — Europe with his school friends is Parabellum” — The super-assassin interrupted by Nick Fury and some played by Keanu Reeves is back, elemental creatures. (2:08) PG-13. pursued by other hired killers looking to collect a $14 million bounty. (2:10) R. “Stuber” — A mild-mannered Uber driver is pressed into service by a “Late Night” — A swell romantic gruff undercover cop in pursuit of a comedy of a very particular sort, violent criminal. (1:33) R. a film that details the delightful “Toy Story 4” — The gang goes on attachment two women have to a road trip and reunites with Bo the profession they’re completely Peep in the fourth entry in Disneydevoted to. R. Pixar’s beloved computer-animated “The Lion King” — The young franchise. (1:40) G. Simba has a series of adventures on “Yesterday” — A struggling the way to claiming his birthright in musician wakes up to find he’s the this computer-animated remake of only person on Earth who knows the the 1994 animated Disney musical. music of the Beatles. (1:56) PG-13.

(1:58) PG.

CITY LIFE

All’s fair

THINGS TO DO COMPILED BY RICHARD DUCKETT, VICTOR D. INFANTE, HOPE RUDZINSKI AND CRAIG S. SEMON

Thursday, Aug. 8

24

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

PAWS to Read: 10-11 a.m. Aug. 8, Worcester Public Library Burncoat Branch, 526 Burncoat Street, Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org.

Thursday Story Time: 10:3011:30 a.m. Aug. 8, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main Street, Boylston.

For information: (508) 869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org. Ages 0-6.

Out to Lunch 2019 ft. Whitney Doucet and the Moonshine Band: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 8, Worcester Common Oval, 455 Main St., Worcester. Free.

Nutrition Classes — Great Whole Grains: 2:30-3:30 p.m. Aug. 8, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Street, Worcester. Presented

by Judy Palken, MNS, RD, LDN. Register online at mywpl.org or call (508) 799-1655x3.

Sundance favorite “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” directed by Joe Talbot and starring Jimmie Fails, had an immediate impact when it was shown at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, with Talbot winning the Best Director award. Fails, playing a real-life version of himself, dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend, Mont, Fails searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind. With “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” likely headed for more awards, cinemaworcester gives the film a local screening Friday.

What: “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” When: 7 p.m. Aug. 9 Where: Park View Room, 230 Park Ave., Worcester How much: $10; $8.50 students and seniors. cinema-worcester.com

2019 Bolton Fairs: 5-10 p.m. Aug. 8, Bolton Fair, 318 Seven Bridge Road, Lancaster. Cost: $5-$40.

Midway Preview only.

Mount Carmel/Loreto Italian Festival: ft. music by Windfall, 5-6 p.m. Aug. 8, 37 Massasoit Rd, 37 Massasoit Road, Worcester. Cost: $2. For information: (508) 7535001, olmcoll@gmail.com.

Community Harvest Project Farm to Table Dinner & Garden Tour 2019: 5:30-9 p.m. Aug. 8, Community Harvest Project, 37 Wheeler Road, Grafton. Cost: $100.

Ukulele J presents Hank Williams Songs & Stories: 6-7:45 p.m. Aug. 8, Mill Street Stage, Mill Street, Fitchburg.

Sip & Stars: 6-10 p.m. Aug. 8, Brimfield Winery & Cidery, 35 Main Street, Brimfield. Cost: $5$25. For information: (413) 2459977, sue@hitchcockacademy. org. The Thames Amateur Astronomical Society will have telescopes for stargazing.

Little Black Dress: 6-9 p.m. Aug. 8, Sonoma Restaurant, Sonoma Restaurant, 363 Plantation Street, Worcester. For information: (508) 754-2000, sales@ beechwoodhotel.com.

Summer in the Park Concert Series — XS Band: 6-8 p.m. Aug. 8, Dr. Arthur and Dr. Martha Pappas Recreation Complex, 203.5 Pakachoag Street, Auburn.

For information: kpappas@town. auburn.ma.us.

Genealogy Group: 6:30-8 p.m.

Aug. 8, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main Street, Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, efurse@cwmars.org. Bruce and

Nancy Filgate from the Boylston Historical Commission will be on hand.

Sarah Grace & the Soul: 7:30-11 p.m. Aug. 8, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. Cost: $16.

For information: (978) 425-4311, BryanSawyer@bullrunrestaurant. com.

Hot Dog! A Comedy Sideshow: 8-9 p.m. Aug. 8, Coney Island, 158 Southbridge Street, Worcester.

For information: (508) 826-8496, woocomedyweek@gmail.com.

Hosted by Shaun Connolly and Bryan O’Donnell Featuring: Kevin Knightly (grumpy dog), Liam Meagher (douche dog), Moseph Mussa (wild card dog), Ezra Prior (Western MA dog), Aaron ‘Tiny’ Smith (big dog) and Brandon Vallee (Resident Hot Dog).

Friday, Aug. 9 Free Fun Friday sponsored by Highland Street Foundation: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 9, Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm Street, Worcester. For information: (508) 753-8278, lynnsoucy@ worcesterhistory.net. See how vastly different it is between 1869 and 1969 at the Museum and also at its largest artifact— Salisbury Mansion. See maps of the transition of farm land to industry. Gather the chickens and pigs on the farm and put them back in their pen. Then experience the 1960s at the Museum with a streaming video of the 1969 moon landing. Meet Dr. Goddard, inventor of the world’s first liquidfueled rocket.

In its 137th year, the Bolton Fair is pretty much everything you’d want a regional agricultural fair to be: Awesome animal exhibits, including native raptors and endangered breeds; classic fair activities, including a lumberjack show, and lots of great food from farms all over the area and a number of purveyors of delicious fair food.

There’s music, too, including performances by Reiner Family Fiddle Band, the Tim Buono Band, Vinny B Music and the Strawberry Jazz Ensemble.

Throw in the magic of Lance Gifford, wacky rubber duck races and the Woodbooger Demolition Derby, and it’s clear the fair has something for pretty much everybody.

What: 2019 Bolton Fair When: 5-10 p.m. Aug. 8 (Midway Preview Only); noon to 9 p.m. Aug. 9, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Aug. 10, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 11 Where: Bolton Fair, 318 Seven Bridge Road, Lancaster How much: $5-$40

2019 Bolton Fair: noon-10 p.m.

Aug. 9, Bolton Fair, 318 Seven Bridge Road, Lancaster. Cost: $5$40.

Murder Mystery Dinner Theater: “The Murder Mystery Company” performs, 5-8 p.m. Aug. 9, Northborough Senior Center, 119 Bear Foot Road, Northborough.

Cost: $35. For information: (508) 393-5035, kburke@town. northborough.ma.us.

Crown The Empire with Attila, Veil of Maya, Gideon, Hawk, Life Right Now, TrueShot, Martial Law, Hallowell, Hollow Betrayal, Fathom Farewell and Rise & Resist: 5:30 p.m. Aug. 9, Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $25-$28.

Canal District Music Series: We & the Dawg: 6-8:15 p.m. Aug. 9,

Worcester Ice Center, 112 Harding St, Worcester. For information: (508) 981-4632 or ckburr2@ gmail.com. Free.

Ed Farrington: 6-9 p.m. Aug. 9, Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park Avenue, Worcester.

“The Last Black Man in San Francisco”: screening, 7-9 p.m.

Aug. 9, Park View Room, 230 Park Ave., Worcester. Cost: $8.50-$10.

Woo LaLa! with Niki Luparelli: ft. comedians Nate Johnson, Chris Coxen, Sam Pelletier, Poise N Envy and Lindita Taka, 8 p.m. Aug. 9, The Woohaha Comedy Club, 50 Franklin Street, Worcester. $20.

Comedian Brian Glowacki: 8 p.m.

Aug. 9, The Comedy Attic at Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park Ave., Worcester. $15.

The Flock: 8 p.m. Aug. 9, Indian

The force is strong with this one Billy Dee Williams, who played swashbuckling hero Lando Calrissian in the “Star Wars” films “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” (and will be back manning the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon in “The Rise of Skywalker” out in December), will be joining other pop culture icons and celebrity guests at Terrificon, Connecticut’s largest comic book convention, being held this weekend at the Earth Expo Center at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. Also, on the bill are Val Kilmer (“Batman Forever,” “Tombstone” and “Top Gun”), Robert Wuhl (“Batman” and “Bull Durham”), John Barrowman (“Torchwood,” “Doctor Who” and “Arrow”), John Wesley Shipp (“The Flash” from 1990 and now), Tony Todd (“Candyman”), Derek Mears (“Friday the 13th” and “Swamp Thing”), plus many, many others.

What: Terrificon When: 2 to 8 p.m. Aug. 9; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 10; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 11.

Where: Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd, Uncasville, Conn.

How much: Tickets for adults are $26 for Friday, $30 for Saturday, and $30 for Sunday; $75 for a three-day adult pass. Tickets for kids ages 9-12 are $13 for Friday, $15 for Saturday, and $15 for Sunday; $40 for a three-day kid pass. Prices increase by $5 on the day of the show, if they are not already sold out. Children 8 and younger admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult. Free parking.

For more information, check out terrificon.com

CITY LIFE

A powerful ‘Voice’

Great Road, Shirley. Cost: $38.

For information: (978) 425-4311, BryanSawyer@bullrunrestaurant. com.

Sarah Grace’s powerhouse voice had an impact from the beginning of season 15 of “The Voice” last fall as the then 15-year-old from Houston performed a scorching, soulful, mature-beyond-her-years rendition of “Ball and Chain.”

After making it to the semi-finals, Grace is on to the next stage — literally — as she comes to the Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley Aug. 8 as part of a live tour with her band The Soul. Grace will perform her original songs as well as a mix of other classics heard on “The Voice” (including “I’d Rather Go Blind”) and recent hits such as Alice Merton’s “No Roots.”

Monday, Aug. 12

What: Sarah Grace and The Soul When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 8 (doors open for dinner and seating at 5:30 p.m.)

Where: Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley

Ranch, 200 Gore Road, Webster. $10.

Plein Air Film Series: screening of “Kusama — Infinity (2018): 8-11 p.m. Aug. 9, Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester.

Cost: $12-$16. For information: information@worcesterart.org.

DeadBeat: 8-11 p.m. Aug. 9, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. Cost: $18. For information: (978) 425-4311, BryanSawyer@ bullrunrestaurant.com.

Our So-Called Live Music & Friends presents “Jagged Little Pill”: 9 p.m. Aug. 9, Rye & Thyme, 14 Monument Sq., Leominster.

Saturday, Aug. 10 Spartan Race Boston Super and Sprint 2019: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Aug. 10, 508 International, 219 Brookfield Road, Charlton. Cost: $79-$89. For information: us@ spartan.com.

2019 Bolton Fair: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Aug. 10, Bolton Fair, 318 Seven Bridge Road, Lancaster. Cost: $5$40.

Gavin DeGraw: 1 p.m. Aug. 10, Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Rd, Webster. $47-$55.

Outdoor Digital Photography with Richard Hoyer: 2-4 p.m. Aug. 10, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem

Festival takes flight

Tuesday, Aug. 13 “Discovering David Bowie”: Documentary screening, 5:30-7 p.m. Aug. 13, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Street, Worcester.

For information: (508) 799-1655, wplref@mywpl.org.

Tool Training — Sewing Machine: 6-8 p.m. Aug. 13, Technocopia, 44 Portland St, Sixth Floor, Worcester.

Cost: $50. For information: annie. stegink@technocoipa.org.

Intro to MIG welding with Fred Manke: 6-9 p.m. Aug. 13, The WorcShop, 243 Stafford Street, Worcester. Cost: $69-$89. For information: theworcshop@gmail. com.

Shrewsbury Run Club: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 13, Marathon Sports, 50 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury. Cost: Free.

Wednesday, Aug. 14 Harm’s Way 7-10:30 p.m. Aug. 14, Palladium Upstairs, 261 Main St, Worcester. Cost: $15-$15.

John Mayall: 7:30-11 p.m. Aug. 14, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. Cost: $52.

For information: (978) 425-4311, BryanSawyer@bullrunrestaurant. com.

Wacky Wednesday Jam: 8:30 p.m.

Aug. 7, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W. Boylston St, Worcester.

Duncan Arsenault and friends: 9 p.m. Aug. 7, Vincent’s, 49 Suffolk St., Worcester.

Thursday, Aug. 15 0.0 UN-Race: 6-9 p.m. Aug. 15, Bull Spit Brewing Company, 339 Seven Bridge Road, Lancaster. Cost: $25.

For information: (978) 348-2749, office@ncmhabitat.org.

Dale LePage & The Manhattans: 6-9 p.m. Aug. 15, Sonoma Restaurant, Sonoma Restaurant, 363 Plantation Street, Worcester.

Cost: $5.

Summer in the Park Concert Series — Aquanett: 6-8 p.m. Aug. 15, Dr. Arthur and Dr. Martha Pappas Recreation Complex, 203.5 Pakachoag Street, Auburn.

Thursday Book Club: discussion of “Us Against You,” by Fredrik Backman, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 15, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main Street, Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, efurse@cwmars. org.

Getting Paid to Talk — An Intro to Professional Voice Overs: 4-8 p.m.

Aug. 15, Clearly Coworking, 474 Grove Street, Worcester. Cost: $20.

Stage “Shrek The Musical”: 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 9, 10, 16, 17; 2 p.m. Aug. 11, 18. $24 The Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. $24; $21 for seniors and students. thebradleyplayhouse.org.

“The Music Man”: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 8, 9 and 10. $20. Presented by Vanilla Box Productions. Joseph P. Burke Center for Performing Arts - Holy Name CCHS 144 Granite Street, Worcester. vanillaboxproductions. com.

25

2019 Bolton Fair: noon-6 p.m.

Aug. 11, Bolton Fair, 318 Seven Bridge Road, Lancaster. Cost: $5$40.

Drag Bingo: featuring Victoria Obvious, 1 p.m. Aug. 11, Bull Mansion, 55 Pearl St., Worcester. $5 per packet of bingo cards.

Spencer Summer Concert Series — Wolfsoul: 3-5 p.m. Aug. 11, Luther Hill Park, Spencer, Park Street, Spencer. For information: youthcommission2000@yahoo. com. $uicideboy$ with guests Pouya, City Morgue, Germ, Night Lovell and Trash Talk: 4:30-11:59 p.m.

Aug. 11, Palladium, 261 Main Street, Worcester. Cost: $49.50.

For information: (508) 797-9696, info@thepalladium.net.

The Weight Band: 7:30-11 p.m.

Aug. 11, Bull Run Restaurant, 215

What: India Day — “Connections” When: 2 p.m. Aug. 10 Where: DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester How much: Free. iswonline.org/iswsite3/

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

What: 12th annual Barbara J. Walker Butterfly Festival When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 10 Where: Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Road, Worcester How much: $5 adult and child members; $6 adult and child nonmembers; $25 family maximum. massaudubon.org

Sunday, Aug. 11

“Connections” is the theme of India Day 2019 presented by the India Society of Worcester on Saturday at the DCU Center. Specifically, cultural events depicting connections of regions, languages, cultures and festivals. The event will include Indian dances, food vendors, a bazaar, children’s activities and a free health shop. India Day commemorates India becoming an independent country 72 years ago on Aug. 15, 1947.

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

Poets have rhapsodized that butterflies are flowers that fly. Charles Dickens observed that butterflies are free. The 12th annual Barbara J. Walker Butterfly Festival at Broad Meadow Brook on Saturday will include naturalist-led walks and workshops, performances, live caterpillars, butterfly art, face painting, children’s activities, butterfly garden tours, butterfly plant sales, food and more. Come in costume and get a prize.

The festival is named after Barbara Walker, a beloved volunteer at Broad Meadow Brook who died in 2008. She devoted a lot of time and energy to helping preserve the sanctuary, and because of her special dedication to butterfly conservation and her love of butterflies, the festival and a butterfly meadow at the sanctuary were named in her honor.

Street, Worcester. For information: (508) 799-1655, wplref@mywpl. org.

Papa Roach — Who Do We Trust?

Tour with Asking Alexandria and Bad Wolves: Beginning 4 p.m. Aug. 10, at the Palladium, 261 Main Street, Worcester. Cost: $45-$299.

For information: (508) 797-9696, info@thepalladium.net.

2019 Cap’n Luke’s Clam Bake: 5-10 p.m. Aug. 10, 10 N. Lake Ave., Regatta Point Community Sailing, Allan Fearn Boathouse, Worcester.

Cost: $20-$35.

Comedian Owen Bowness: 8 p.m.

Aug. 10, WooHaHa! 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $20.

The Comedy Attic Showcase: with Ben Bosunga, Josh Ramirez, Colleen McCauley and Makenzi Berg, 8 p.m. Aug. 10 The Comedy Attic at Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park Ave., Worcester. $15 19 Miles Per Hour: 9-11:59 p.m. Aug. 10, Beatnik’s, 433 Park Avenue, Worcester.

Toys & Games (aug 12-16th): 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 12, Technocopia, 44 Portland Street, 6th floor, Worcester. Cost: $300.

For information: lauren.monroe@ technocopia.

Bees Deluxe: 7-10 p.m. Aug. 12, Gardner Ale House, 74 Parker Street, Gardner.

“The Office” Themed Trivia at the Red Heat Tavern: 7-9 p.m. Aug. 12, Red Heat Tavern, 227 Turnpike Road, Westborough.

Dirty Gerund Poetry Series: 9 p.m.

Aug. 12, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester.

Celebrating ‘Connections’

CITY LIFE

THINGS TO DO “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10; 2 p.m. Aug. 11.

Presented by Regatta Players.

Flanagan Theater, Southgate at Shrewsbury, 30 Julio Drive, Shrewsbury. $18; $15 for students and seniors. regattaplayers.com, ​​ (508) 925-0583 “Singin’ In The Rain”: 8 p.m. Aug. 9, 10, 16, 17 and 2 p.m. Aug. 18. $22; $15 for ages 16 and younger.

Theatre at the Mount, Mount Wachusett Community College, 444 Green St., Gardner. mwcc.edu/ tam.

“Newsies”: 8 p.m. Aug. 9, 10, 16, 17; 2 p.m. Aug. 11, 18. $20; seniors and students, $18; youth 11 and younger, $10. Stageloft Repertory

Theater, 450A Main St., Sturbridge. stageloft.org/.

“Forever Plaid”: Aug. 23, 24, 25. Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. thebradleyplayhouse.org.

“Beer For Breakfast”: 8 p.m. Sept.

6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21; 2 p.m. Sept. 8, 15, 22. $20; seniors and students, $18; youth 11 and younger, $10.

Stageloft Repertory Theater, 450A Main St., Sturbridge. stageloft.org/.

“Tuesdays with Morrie”: Sept. 13, 14, 20, 21, 22. Gateway Players Theatre. gatewayplayers.org.

“Beautiful”: Sept. 26-29.

The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. thehanovertheatre.org.

Feeling ‘The Weight’ “The Weight” is a 1968 classic by The Band. The Weight Band is a a group of accomplished veteran musicians led by Jim Weider (vocals, guitar), a former member of the The Band, who take a “load off” playing the hits, going deep into the catalog, and performing new music.

What: The Weight Band When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 11 (doors open for dinner and seating at 5:30 p.m.)

Where: The Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $38. (978) 425-4311; bullrunrestaurant.com

Under the ‘Sudden Sky’

26

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

Metalcore band Crown The Empire is touring behind its recent album and single, “Sudden Sky.” The single explores the concept of life’s fragility and the importance for human connection: “We’re here for a moment then buried below / afraid to be human / scared that we’ll get too close / so we shut down the airwaves.” The lineup Friday includes other metalcore bands Attila, Veil of Maya and Gideon, along with newer bands Hawk, Life Right Now, TrueShot, Martial Law, Hallowell, Hollow Betrayal, Fathom Farewell and Rise & Resist.

What: Crown The Empire Where: Palladium, 261 Main St, Worcester When: 5:30 p.m Aug. 9 How Much: $25-28

“There’s a Monster in My Closet”: Oct. 4, 5, 6. Gateway Players Theatre. gatewayplayers.org.

“Deathtrap”: Oct. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 30. The Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. thebradleyplayhouse.org.

“Don’t Dress for Dinner”: 8 p.m. Oct. 4, 5, 11, 12; 2 p.m. Oct. 13. $22; $15 for ages 16 and younger. Theatre at the Mount, Mount Wachusett Community College, 444 Green St., Gardner. mwcc.edu/tam.

“Spitfire Grill, The Musical”: 8 p.m. Oct. 11, 12, 18, 19; 2 p.m. Oct. 13, 20. $20; seniors and students, $18; youth 11 and younger, $10.

Stageloft Repertory Theater, 450A Main St., Sturbridge. stageloft.org/.

“Once on This Island”: Oct. 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20. New Players Theatre Guild, 15 Rollstone St., Fitchburg. nptg.org.

“The Woman in Black”: 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 17, 18, 19, 25, 26; 2 p.m. Oct. 20, 27. $20; $17 for seniors and students. Calliope Productions, 150 Main St., Boylston. calliopeproductions.org.

“Wait Until Dark”: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18, 19, 25 and 26; 2 p.m. Oct. 27. $20; senior (65+) and children 12 and younger, $15. Barre Players Theater, 64 Common St., Barre. barreplayerstheater.com.

“The Haunting of Hill House”: 7:30 Oct. 25, 26, Nov. 1, 2; 2 p.m. Oct. 27, Nov. 3. $15; $12 for seniors and students. Pasture Prime

Productions, 4 Dresser Hill Road, Charlton.

“The Play That Goes Wrong”: Oct. 31-Nov. 3. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. thehanovertheatre.org.

“A Murder Is Announced”: Nov. 15, 16, 22, 23, 24. Gateway Players Theatre. gatewayplayers.org.

“A Christmas Story, The Musical”: 8 p.m. Nov. 29, 30, Dec. 6, 7; 2 p.m.

Dec. 1, 8. $22; $15 for ages 16 and younger. Theatre at the Mount, Mount Wachusett Community College, 444 Green St., Gardner. mwcc.edu/tam.

“Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some)”: 8 p.m. Dec. 6, 13; 2 p.m. Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15. $20; seniors and students, $18; youth 11 and younger, $10.

Stageloft Repertory Theater, 450A Main St., Sturbridge. stageloft.org/.

“Annie”: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, 6, 7, 13, 14; 2 p.m. Dec. 8, 14, 15. $20; $17 for seniors and students.

Calliope Productions, 150 Main St., Boylston. calliopeproductions.org.

“Miracle on 34th Street”: Dec. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22. The Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. thebradleyplayhouse.org.

“Forever Plaid”: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, 13 and 14; 2 p.m. Dec. 8 and 15. $20; senior (65+) and children 12 and younger, $15. Barre Players Theater, 64 Common St., Barre. barreplayerstheater.com.

CITY LIFE

Audition

‘Trust’ issues

The Pasture Prime Players auditioning for “The Haunting of Hill House” by F. Andrew Leslie, at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 and 10 a.m. Aug. 10 at the Charlton Arts and Activities Center, 4 Dresser Hill Road, Charlton. The show will run two consecutive weekends, Oct. 25 through Nov. 3. There are roles for three men and four women ages 20s to 60s. Auditions will be cold readings from the script. For more information, email pasture.prime. players@gmail.com.

“Who Do You Trust?” — the new album by alt.-rockers Papa Roach — is a remarkably well-textured piece

Tickets Darrell Scott: 8 p.m. Aug. 16. $30. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Rt. 2A, Shirley. bullrunrestaurant.com (978) 4254311.

Walter Trout: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18. $35. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Rt. 2A, Shirley. bullrunrestaurant.com (978) 4254311.

Peppa Pig Live: 6 p.m. Sept.

6. $35.50-$70. The Hanover

Still on fire Gavin DeGraw has been on fire since his first album in 2003, the platinum “Chariot” with its hit singles “I Don’t Want To Be,” “Follow Through” and the title track. His

What: Papa Roach with Asking Alexandria and Bad Wolves When: 4 p.m. Aug. 10 Where: The Palladium, 261 Main Street, Worcester How much: $45-$299

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. thehanovertheatre.org or (877) 571-7469.

Judy Collins: 8 p.m. Aug. 23. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Rt. 2A, Shirley. bullrunrestaurant. com (978) 425-4311. Sold Out. Victor Wainwright & the Train: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 29. $25. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Rt. 2A, Shirley. bullrunrunrestaurant.com (978) 425-4311.

Alan Parsons Live Project: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18. $29.50$79.50. Tickets on sale May 10.

The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. thehanovertheatre.org or (877) 571-7469.

REO Speedwagon: 8 p.m. Oct. 3. $45-$95. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. thehanovertheatre. org or (877) 571-7469.

Carol Burnett: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17. $68-$250. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. thehanovertheatre.org or (877) 571-7469.

Lewis Black: The Joke’s On US Tour. 7 p.m. Dec. 8. $55-$75.

The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. thehanovertheatre.org or (877) 571-7469.

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

27

pop-rock-soul sometimes tinged with country continues to win him a great following, complemented by his outgoing stage presence in live performances.

What: Gavin DeGraw; opening Hannah Ellis When: 1 p.m. Aug. 10 Where: Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Road, Webster How much: $42-$60; $19 child general admission. indianranch.com

of work, finding its fuel in a sense of outrage that sears on songs such as “I Suffer Well,” “Renegade Music” and the title song. But while the album’s at its strongest when its flatout rocking, more layered sounds such as “Feel Like Home” and “Better Than Life” put the metal-fueled aggression in sharp relief, making them pop even more.

CITY LIFE

ADOPTION OPTION

28

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

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.

Meet Sonora. A good Samaritan found Sonora in Worcester with an injured leg. The person took her to Tufts where her leg was amputated, then she was transferred to our shelter. Sonora is doing well and ready for adoption.

Because of her amputation, Sonora has to be an indoor-only cat for the rest of her life. Sonora isn’t fond of other animals in our shelter, which is likely due to her amputation. She can’t defend herself. We think she will be more comfortable with older kids. Sonora is 3 years old, spayed, and ready to go home today.

Can’t adopt, but still want to help?

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

Pet Toys – For cats: furry mice and balls with bells, stuffed animals for orphaned kittens to snuggle against; For dogs: Kongs, Ruff Wear, Jolly Balls, Tuffies, tennis balls.

Office Supplies: Copy paper (white and colors), postage stamps,

pink and blue post-its, etc. Staples gift cards are always welcomed!

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon Wish List: Can’t stop in?

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

GAMES

J O N E S I N’

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

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

48 49 50 54 55 57 58 59 61 62 63 65

“Are you kidding me?”

Where Microsoft trades Polishes Bertie ___ Every Flavour Beans (“Harry Potter” candy) “___ Majesty’s Secret Service” Units with nos.

“Star Trek” counselor Deanna Sardine containers Celebrity chef Matsuhisa, or his restaurant Pelicans’ gp.

Kids’ card game for two “Xanadu” group, initially

Last week's solution

29

©2019 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #948

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Down 1 “Hotel Artemis” star Foster 2 Alda and Arkin, for two

3 Title that’s usually abbreviated 4 1922 physics Nobelist Niels 5 GI’s address 6 “___ lizards!” (comment from Annie) 7 Oreg., formerly 8 “Ye” follower, sometimes 9 Fit like Russian dolls 10 Folded-over page corner 11 Tea flavored with bergamot 12 Life force 13 On loan 18 Ziggy Stardust’s alter ego 22 Two, to Tom Tykwer 25 Outfielder’s yell 27 Part of NYSE 28 Instinctive impulse 30 Golfer Ernie 31 Giraffe-like creature 32 Christmas tree type 33 Like some country songs 37 Les Claypool’s instrument 38 “___ Gangnam style ...”

39 Tells a secret 41 Global currency org.

42 Steamrolled stuff 44 Life partner?

46 No-___ (gnat)

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

Call 978-728-4302 or email cmaclassifieds@gatehousemedia.com today to place your ad here!

Across 1 Door piece 5 “Good Eats” host Brown 10 Geometric art style 14 Miscellany 15 Jordan heard in “Toy Story 4” 16 Island WNW of Molokai 17 Speedometer locations 19 Sandpaper grade 20 Song starter 21 Oktoberfest snack 23 Language suffix 24 2006 Nintendo debut 26 High-priced Japanese beef 29 Part of the French Revolution noted for guillotines 34 Brad’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” costar 35 New Zealander, informally 36 Workout unit 37 Corner office occupant 40 Pageant wear 42 Kiddo 43 Waze, for one 44 ___ Bizkit 45 Intelligence-gathering org.

47 Cheerleader’s equivalent to “jazz hands” 51 Willamette University locale 52 Positive vote 53 “Barry” network 56 Canadian beer orders 60 Word after trade or credit 62 Pro sports org. with teams whose names begin the four theme entries 64 Annual June celebration 66 Leave suddenly 67 Like almost all music 68 ___ noire (fearsome thing) 69 Overly ornate 70 “Thong Song” performer 71 Georgia used to be part of it

“Kickin’ It Around” — visualize your goals.

by Matt Jones

CLASSIFIEDS

uff

Where do I find such cool st and helpful services?

My secret is CLASSIFIEDS! Over 90,000 Readers! l Call 978-728-4302 or emai cmaclassifieds@ gatehousemedia.com Sudoku Answers

YARD SALE

30

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

LEGAL Notice: The following vehicle is listed to obtain a title for future sale, to satisfy our garage lien, storage. Charges and expenses of sale and notice.

2004 GMC Envoy Vin. # 1GKDT13S842368663 Location of Vehicle: Clean Rides, 84 Blackstone River Road, Worcester, MA 01607 PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE Notice is hereby given pursuant to the provisions of M.L.C.225 sec, 39A the following vehicles will be sold August 17, 2019 to satisfy our garage lien thereon for towing and storage charges and expenses of sale and notice: 2005 Honda Pilot VIN# 2HKYF18115H553724 2009 Hyundai Sonata VIN# 5NPET46C99H541487 2000 Mercury Sable VIN# 1MEFM55S0YA642406 2011 Hyundai Elantra VIN# 5NPDH4AE2BH012541 2015Nissan Altima VIN# 1N4AL3APXFC433038 The sale will be held at Early’s on Park Ave., Inc. at 536 Park Ave., Worcester, MA 01603

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Place your ad here!

Call 978-728-4302 or email cmaclassifieds@ gatehousemedia.com

LAST CALL

Dexter McCluster professional football player

D

exter McCluster almost quit football when he was a freshman at the University of Mississippi. In his sixth game, he took a hard hit that made his right arm go numb and prevented him from playing for the rest of the season. McCluster grew frustrated. He wanted to give up on physical therapy altogether, but his girlfriend — now his wife — convinced him to stick with it.

By his senior year, he had earned a reputation as the only player in SEC history to rush for over 1,000 yards and receive for 500 yards in a single season. In 2010, he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round and went on to play in the 2013 Pro Bowl.

Today, he plays for the Massachusetts Pirates.

Do you have a career highlight that comes to mind?

My punt return against the New York Giants. It was kind of surreal. I was on the field making the moves, but I don’t know how my body was doing it, you know?

I was back deep. I made the spin. Made one guy miss. Made a couple more guys miss. Then, I took it to the house. That was a pivotal moment in the game. And it was just one of those highlights where when I watched it I said, “How do I do that?” My body just took over.

helped make that happen. There is nothing like it to have your family around pro football players like Deion Sanders shaking hands. Our team actually won, so I got some of my money back.

I think the winners got $50,000.

I recouped some of that money from those plane tickets.

fun with the game.” I’ve never been a guy to go crazy, but I treat myself. One of the highlights was I bought myself a Bentley. A GT Continental Speed.

31

You must feel a little bit of pain going from the NFL to a small team in Worcester, but I hope there are beautiful parts about I’m glad you brought money up it too. because I’m curious about your Worcester feels like Nashville was five years ago. Worcester has multi-million dollar contracts great food and it’s a place that while you were playing in the keeps me humble. It keeps me NFL. What was the smartest purchase you made and the cra- grounded. ziest purchase you made during What is challenging about that time? arena football?

How was your experience at the When I first got a lump sum of With the arena being so small, money, I bought my parents a Pro Bowl? both ways, width and length, Aloha! I brought my whole family. house. I wanted to get that out it’s kind of hard to do what I do of the way because when I was I think I paid for 14 flights. But, and set people up because I’m in 10 years old, I told my mom, “I’m it was just an experience that I going to go to the NFL. I’m going tough spaces. Once I catch it, I want everybody to be a part of. to make a lot of money. Then, I’m have no choice but to get vertical.

My dad proposed to my mom in going to buy you a house.” She Hawaii on that Pro Bowl week.

– Sarah Connell Sanders looked at me and I remember to That was special for me because I felt like, in a small way, I kind of this day, she was like, “Just have

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

What was the biggest difference between college football and the NFL?

What makes a great running back?

You definitely have to have heart.

You have to have great eyes. You have to have great feet. Slow feet don’t eat. If your feet can’t keep up with your mind, you’re not going to be a great running back. It takes determination because I’m a small undersized guy playing with guys that weigh 300 to 400 pounds. In my rookie year, first playoff game, we were playing the Ravens. They had Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. I’m like a deer in the headlights. Like, man, I know I want to win this game, but that’s Ray Lewis. Man, that’s Ed Reed.

To this day, Ed Reed hit me so hard in that game, it’s the hardest hit I ever took in my career. I was a running back, but I was running a check down route. Matt Castle threw the ball to me and I kind of felt that I was going to get hit. When I caught it, I got hit so hard that my body almost made an ‘S’ in slow motion.

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019

Can you tell me about your football career trajectory?

I’m from a place called Largo, Florida, right outside of Tampa.

It’s a small city. Every time I say “Largo,” everybody always asks, “Key Largo?” I say, “No. Largo.”

I played high school football at Largo High School then I went to Ole Miss. I played four years there. I did seven years in the NFL. Four with the Chiefs, two with the Titans, and one with the San Diego Chargers. I took a year and a half off to be with my family; I have four daughters and I wanted to be home and be present. Last year, I got a call from the CFL to play for the Toronto Argonauts. I got up off the couch, worked out, and I went and played there. Out of nowhere I got an unexpected call by the Pirates’ owner, Jawad Yatim. He wanted me to come and try to play down here. I said, “You know what, why not?” Cause I’m a firm believer that when one door closes and another one opens, you gotta walk through it. Good or bad. See what happens.

DYLAN AZARI

I played in the SEC. I would say it’s the best conference in college football, but the NFL is just the best of the best. Everybody’s fast, from the linebackers to the lineman. Everybody’s a grown man out there. Playing in the SEC kind of helped me out because I had to bring my A-game every single week. Going to the NFL was a transition. I had to realize how to get the angle and maintain the speed of the game. I scored in my first NFL game. I think I had just turned 21 years old. Javier Arenas was our punt returner; he was all-collegiate for Alabama. He was the man out there.

Things weren’t going too well for him that game and I heard the head coach whisper to another coach, “Hey, I want to see McCluster return one.” I’m freaking out, panicked. It’s raining. I’m like, “Dexter, all you gotta do is just catch the ball.” And when I caught it, I noticed I had room and I scored my first NFL touchdown on the first punt return of my career.

32

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A U G U S T 8 - 14, 2019