City Voices

HARVEY

No postage required — or allowed

JANICE HARVEY

Merry Christmas! I’m saying it now because if Donald Trump has his way, the Christmas cards I mail won’t arrive until Easter. If ever.

I must say, of all the disastrous messes I envisioned for America when the electoral college stuck us with a bankrupt game show host, I did not have “Destroy the United States Postal Service” on my Trump To-Do List. How badly does this guy want to stay in the White House? What awaits him as an ordinary citizen to go this far to suppress votes? Trump hired a megadonor with no experience in the Post Office — Louis “DePalma” DeJoy — to remove sorting machines and drop boxes. If Trump walked around carrying a sign that read “I’M TRYING TO STEAL THE ELECTION” he couldn’t be more obvious.

Yesterday, I went for a walk with my grandkids. The mail carrier we met along the way was so cheerful, he broke my heart. He commented on the cooler weather and added that he parked his truck nearby, choosing to walk and enjoy the refreshing temp change. After we passed, I turned and shouted: “We’re with the Post Office all the way, my friend!” The look of gratitude on his sunburnt face was unmistakable. He thanked me.

“That means a lot,” he said.

Seeing this man walk from house to house made me recall Joe Servideo, the mail carrier who for 40 years walked the Burncoat area route that included Uncatena Avenue where I lived. A kinder, funnier and more thoughtful employee never wore the uniform. Before the days of online deposits, Joe would make sure my paycheck from Worcester Magazine got to me before the credit union closed. Seriously? Who does that? Who leaves a note in your mailbox, along with the keys you thought you lost? People like Joe, who took their jobs seriously, and understood how the Postal Service, for all its flaws, was the backbone, the lifeblood and every other cliche that suggests just how essential that service is to America.

Using that essential service to suppress votes — during a pandemic — is a maneuver both vile and corrupt. It doesn’t take a scholar to see that Trump’s usual bag of tricks has a hole in it this time around, and he needed to explore another route to continue as president. His campaign has no message, offers no plans for solving the myriad crises we face. “It’s gonna be great!” isn’t cutting it with thinking Americans. His familiar penchant for namecalling has grown stale this time around. He can’t seem to gain any traction with his efforts to demean Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Nothing seems to be sticking; hence voter suppression most blatant! It’s the only trick left in the bag, but “Thou Shalt Not Mess with the USPS” should be the 11th Commandment.

By the weekend, public outcry over the USPS travesty was beginning to rise. Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that members of the House will cut short their summer recess and vote to block any policy changes DeJoy is cooking up with Trump. DeJoy stated that he’s not removing any more sorting machines, though he didn’t say he was returning them, either. Proposed legislation would freeze current services until either the pandemic is over, or Jan. 1, 2021. Something tells me January will roll around before coronavirus packs its bags.

I’ve decided that I’m not mailing my vote. I will wear a mask, gloves — hell, I’ll don a Hazmat suit to vote in person if I have to. I want to experience the satisfaction of leaping over Trump’s barriers to democracy even if it means standing for hours in famously crappy New England weather. It’s almost always cold and wet on Election Day. I saw Joe Servideo deliver mail in the worst weather imaginable and never whine about it — through snow, rain, heat and over poorly shoveled sidewalks, likely making his rounds at dusk in winter. The way I see it, I owe it to Joe to do my duty and brave the elements, even if it takes me into the gloom of night.

FIRST PERSON

The Library of Disposable Art: The Penny

DAVID MACPHERSON

Ihave a penny collection. I don’t know where it is. It’s kind of small. It was one of those little portfolios that had indentations so you can put the coins in.

The idea to this wee grouping was that I would have one penny from each year. I was going to have a century of pennies. Each penny has the year it was minted.

The other part of the collection was that all the pennies were to be found in everyday transactions. I was not to purchase from a coin dealer. I just had to get them from the change I was given, from the “leave a penny — take a penny” dishes by the cash register, on the ground, in the change jar in the kitchen.

All the pennies were to be found in the wild.

I think this little project came about when I emptied my pockets filled with, keys, coins, wadded tissues and whatever detritus nestled in there (my wife has said that I am the boy with the frog in his pocket) and discovered a few old pennies.

It was amazing to see how the humble penny had changed, from heavy dark metal of the 1940s to the shiny pliable penny of 2002.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

One was from the ’70s. Another was 1969. Then I noticed a penny from 1946.

I was shocked. There was a lot of hard living right there resting in my palm. So, for a few years, I was determined to get a penny from every year. I think the earliest penny I got was from the 1920s.

It was amazing to see how the humble penny had changed, from heavy dark metal of the 1940s to the shiny pliable penny of 2002. The older ones seemed more valuable. Though, point of fact, they still were just a cent.

I never finished it. Hell, I don’t CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

WORCESTERIA

The mask looks stupid on your chin

VICTOR D. INFANTE

WHO WAS THAT UNMASKED

MAN?: My wife and I made it out to Nick's Bar and Restaurant last week for their Monday trivia night. It's out on the back patio, and surprisingly low key and fun. Which is good, because I fully admit, I'm still weirded out by going places. Even Nick's, which is one of my favorite bars, and where one of my favorite bartenders can still make the best Manhattan around. Everyone was great about social distancing and wearing masks when not at their tables, but it's going to take some adjustment. I'm happy though that the amount of people wearing masks in This is not a helpful way to wear a mask. public places seems higher, VICTOR D. INFANTE lately. People, on the whole, seem to be behaving better. But you still come across people walking around stores with their mask only covering their chin, and it's like, “Really?!?!” Not only is that not helpful, it looks ridiculous. There are both safety and fashion etiquettes, and you are breaking them both.

DISTANT, BUT SOCIAL: On the other hand, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, which we also visited last week, is definitely a tonic amid this pandemic. You have to make an appointment in advance to visit, and they check your ticket through a closed car window, but from there on out you barely have to deal with other people at all. It's just you and a whole lot of plants, and right about now, that's about my speed.

TEPID COMPETITION: In last week's Worcesteria, I tried to reflect the frustration most voters feel when they reach the bottom of the ballot and have no idea who the people listed are, or even what the jobs do. Many people appreciated this, except for people who found the story while Googling the candidates, trying to educate themselves. For them, my column proved frustrating, and I apologize. If it's any help, Lance Harris, of the Central Mass Politics blog, pointed out on Twitter recently that, “The Charlie Baker-aligned Mass Majority PAC has made its first expenditure of the fall … in the Dem primary for the #CMass Governor’s Council seat, of all races. This mailer touting Padraic Rafferty arrived today. There are no GOPs vying for Jen Caissie’s vacant seat.” Hmmm. Makes one wonder if some people aren't just wearing masks at the supermarket. On the other hand, his rival Paul M. DePalo's website shows endorsements from the likes of Harriett Chandler, Anne Gobi, Jim O'Day, Kate Toomey, Joe O'Brien, Sean Rose, Gary Rosen and, most importantly, comedian Jimmy Tingle. So make of that information what you will.

MUST-SEE TV: More on this later, I'm sure, but is anybody else watching “Lovecraft Country” on HBO? The recontextualizing of famed horror novelist H.P. Lovecraft's work does a bang-up job so far of not just centering people of color in a great horror story, but also of interrogating the notoriously racist writer's work and legacy. This is particularly relevant to us because 1.) Loving extremely problematic artists is hard; and 2.) There are some overt Worcester connections in the show. Like I said, we'll get into it later, but suffice it to say, it's must-see watching so far.

F I R S T P E R S O N CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

even know where they are. I hope I didn’t sacrifice them to the false god of CoinStar, one of those days I was feeling poor and thrifty. I think it’s been a decade since I found a coin that could be added to the collection.

But I think of those stout little guys often. I can hold a penny from 1943 pinched between my fingers and wonder on the long history it has had.

Did kids gamble with it, pitching it up against the wall?

Was it thrown into a cup to help the war effort?

Was it collected with other likeminded coins so that the ragged man can get a room, with a clean bed, for the night?

Was it pin money for a housewife?

Was it thrown up in the air as someone shouted “heads.”

Was it picked up lucky?

How many comic books did it help purchase?

How many times was it used to buy some penny candy?

How many times was it thrown into a dirty coffee cup sitting in front of a bearded man holding a cardboard sign asking for change?

How many pairs of penny loafers was it a part of ?

All of these coins have a long life. They are worn and beautiful. This century of pennies has a long story to tell us.

This penny has a history that is rich and valuable. And it is worth, almost, nothing.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

Letters to the editor are a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with thousands of readers and online viewers each week. There is no word limit, but we reserve the right to edit for length. A full name and town or city of residence are required. Please include an email address or phone number for verification purposes only. Please note that letters will run as space allows. Send them to Worcester Magazine, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 or by email to WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com.