Worcester Magazine September 24 - 30, 2020 by Worcester Magazine

SEPTEMBER 24 - 30, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CULTURE • ARTS • DINING • VOICES

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H. Jon Benjamin talks ‘Bob’s Burgers,’ ‘Archer’ and growing up in Worcester

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S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020 • V O L U M E 46 I S S U E 5 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

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the cover An animated conversation H. Jon Benjamin talks ‘Bob’s Burgers,’ ‘Archer’ and growing up in Worcester Story on page 10 Images courtesy of FX and Twentieth Century Fox Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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‘An Unexpected Quest’

West Boylston author hits all 50 states in new book RICHARD DUCKET T

n Jim Ford’s amusing new short film “Small World,” two American tourists (played by Ford and Hannah Sloat) in a far away foreign land realize they are not just both from New England, but, as the conversation in a bar intensifies, Central Massachusetts, near Worcester. Shrewsbury, to be precise, and even from the same street in Shrewsbury. Alas, the conversation doesn’t end well. But Ford, who grew up in West Boylston and has had a successful career as an actor and a stuntman, evidently fared better in his travels in the United States. He has visited every state, as he relates in his book “My Take On All Fifty States: An Unexpected Quest to See ‘Em All,” published earlier this month. One of the rules for qualifying as a state visited, Ford decided, was that

credits as actor/stuntman in films, TV shows and commercials and working with actors such as Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Gerard Butler, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Adam Sandler and Kevin James. However, “I didn’t want to say ‘Oh, I worked on this movie ...’” What had struck Ford early in his career was that his work, unexpectedly, was taking him to a lot of the 50 states. “I thought I’d be working on a sound stage in Burbank, but I was filming in a myriad of interesting states and locations,” Ford said. “Deserts in New Mexico, jungles in Puerto Rico, bayous of New Orleans. This is where I was working and I didn’t see that coming. I was just constantly traveling. Some years I’d work in 14 or 15 states.” It got to the point where Ford realized there were only a handful of states he hadn’t visited to make it to the total of 50. He decided to take

… Come on, I’ve only got four or five states to go.” When his parents called on another occasion and asked what he was doing, Ford replied, “I’m driving in West Virginia.” Some of the remaining states were the ones that people don’t usually go to unless they have to, he said, like Arkansas and West Virginia. But after a trip to Alabama, he only had two states left, Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska proved to be his favorite state. “Less traveled. More exciting.” He went on hikes and almost got charged by a moose. Juneau is the only U.S. state capital not connected by roads to the rest of the state as it is sur-

steam vents and sink holes.” One of the volcanoes erupted a few days after his visit, and part of the park had to be closed down. “I had some awesome adventures, but it wasn’t my favorite state,” Ford said of Hawaii. “It’s a pain in the

a postcard from each state. “I would find a post office. That will bring you away from the tourist areas,” he said. “I hope people are entertained by it,” he said of “My Take On All Fifty States.” “I hope people are inspired to get out of their comfort zone.”

Author Jim Ford in Helena, Montana, (above) and at the post office in Hawaii. The actor and stuntman’s book about his travels came out earlier this month.

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SUBMIT TED PHOTOS

he have at least one conversation with someone in the state. Airports didn’t count. All the 50-plus conversations went well. The book is part memoir reflecting on Ford’s more than 200 combined

matters into his own hands. “I was just, ‘I have to. I have to check the remaining states.’” A call one time to his now wife, Danielle, went along the lines of “I’m going to Little Rock for the weekend

rounded by mountains and water, Ford noted. “It feels like another world.” Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park made for an interesting hike when he was in Hawaii. “There were active

… to get to. We were traveling just forever to get there. And it’s expensive. Seventy-five dollars for breakfast, and then not a fancy breakfast.” Speaking of food, his best culinary experience was crawfish jambalaya in Shreveport, Louisiana. “We don’t eat too exciting in West Boylston,” Ford said. A film shoot in Puerto Rico proved interesting as it took Ford to jungles and shanty towns that tourists wouldn’t usually see. The tourist mecca Miami was rather disappointing in Ford’s view. “I just didn’t get what all the hoopla is about. Miami was all construction and gratuities.” He was told that gratuities get added on to bills because Miami receives so many European tourists who aren’t used to tipping. Among the 48 contiguous states, Montana most impressed Ford. “It was gorgeous. Montana is just so expansive,” he said. Besides Ford’s “rules” that airports don’t count and he must have at least one conversation with someone from every state, he also would mail

Ford certainly can’t be accused of standing still. “It all started in Worcester,” he said. Ford has previously recalled that he jumped off the bridge over Lake Quinsigamond as part of stunt while trying to make a movie with some friends. The problem was that an outside observer thought there was no clowning or stunt or filming going on - but a suicide. The police were called. Ford had jumped into some very shallow water littered with shopping carts. The incident made the newspaper the next day. His father was upset. At St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, Ford developed an interest in acting after taking a theater class and trying out for a school production of “Romeo and Juliet” and getting cast as Romeo. After St. John’s, Ford earned a BFA in acting in the prestigious drama program of the Hartt School at the University of Hartford. One of his teachers there, a “fight master” trained in the art of staging fights and stunts, recognized C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 7

FEATURED

Into the Woods Justin Raphaelson plans to hike 11 forested trails in 24 hours VEER MUDAMBI

ustin Raphaelson plans to hike 11 forested trails of about 30 miles through the Greater Worcester Land Trust’s properties.

In 24 hours. Raphaelson, 29, will be taking this to the extreme as an ultramarathon. “Going to be running the whole set,” he said, “and should take roughly six to eight hours.” Between Oct. 9 and 16, GWLT,

which oversees 2,788 acres, will be holding its first annual “Hike Week” to encourage Worcester residents to hike as many trails as they can on its lands. Participants will be supported with pledges that will go toward trail maintenance.

SABRINA GODIN

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Justin Raphaelson with his mountain bike at Tetasset Ridge Trail.

als who may feel uncertain about how they can contribute. “You see all these people with more experience and connections, but just being passionate about what you’re interested in and learning what you can about the issues will give you the confidence to step up to the table and say, ‘I want to be a part of this organization/this effort.’” While individual donations may be smaller, sheer numbers could make up for it. It’s all about the angle of approach, said Bergmann. “Even if it is just five dollars.” Young people are more likely to contribute, and not just monetarily, to causes in which they have a personal stake. That’s where the Hike Worcester Challenge comes in — making green spaces stewarded by the GWLT a tangible rather than abstract presence in people’s lives. The obvious benefits of urban green spaces are they provide recreation, relaxation, wildlife viewing. But they also reduce urban temperatures, improve air quality, reduce noise pollutants and increase property values. “You don’t notice those right away,” said Bergmann, “but it’s part of conservation for ages — the value of nature.” “Before I became a parent, I thought about nature in terms of how I enjoyed it, but now I just know so much more about how much nature is important for kids and getting out there,” she said. She says GWLT can help young families can see how important open spaces are, especially in urban areas. “We’re hoping that people will go out to hike, see these great places in Worcester and be excited about an organization that is preserving them,” Bergmann said. Hike Week can also offer a window into what the city has to offer to new and veteran hikers alike. “Just getting outside, out of your comfort zone, off the streets and into the trails, is very fulfilling when you don’t expect to have trails like this,” said Raphaelson. “I hope the run can raise awareness that you don’t have to go up to Maine or Vermont to find those wild areas.”

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

GWLT, a small nonprofit organization created to steward critical open space parcels in Greater Worcester, is run by a board of trustees, volunteers and a small office staff. The event developed out of the existing Hike Worcester Program, in which hikers get a patch for completing 10 out of 11 trails in Worcester. An avid hiker and outdoorsman, Raphaelson came up with the idea — modeled after similar programs in New Hampshire and Vermont. The next step was brainstorming ideas to encourage people to explore the properties — like a designated hike week to raise awareness of conservation. “The goal is to get people outside to see and understand what it is that we’re trying to protect,” said Raphaelson. The youngest on the board by a long shot, he also suspects the addition of the millennial perspective helped drive this event. “The changing of the guard is happening,” he observed. Though there is some debate over what exactly constitutes a millennial, also known as NextGen, the general consensus is the demographic that reached young adulthood in the 2000s. This places them between the ages of 18-35, and are set to be the largest generation in the workforce. Despite this, many nonprofits often overlook millennials, as they are less likely to be a reliable source of donations. “A lot of volunteers with the organization are retired people or career people who volunteer on the weekends,” said Rebecca Bergmann, the other millennial board member at GWLT. They both stress that one does not need to have a career in conservation to be involved in an environmental nonprofit. “There are things you can do to be on such a board that aren’t necessarily conservation related. You can be interested in it but there is other expertise that is needed and can be applied to a board — law, business, public relations,” Bergmann said. She sympathizes with millenni-

FEATURED

Liberty and food justice for all

The pursuit of food equity has never been more important - but it’s also never been harder VEER MUDAMBI

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S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

t’s easy to see how the pandemic has changed our outward lives. In Worcester — offices are closed, schools are closed, and no school buses. The number of people struggling with losing jobs and food insecurity? Those are harder to see. Food insecurity is traditionally cast as a Third World or “poor people” problem by those not experiencing it, but is a manifold problem fed by systemic conditions such as poverty, income inequity, healthcare inequity, systemic racism and homelessness. Food insecurity doesn’t mean there’s no food at all, but may be no healthy options, leading to a rise in obesity; all poor people are not food insecure, and not all food insecure people are poor. The pandemic acted as a force multiplier for these challenges. Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, projects for Worcester County an overall food insecurity rate of 13.1% and a child food insecurity rate of 18.1%. There are 20 to 25 food pantries in Worcester and all of them are seeing increased demand as well as greater need for volunteers and donations. More than 82% of U.S. food banks are seeing an average increase of 50% more visitors and the number of food insecure Americans could be 54 million by year’s end — 17 million more than were food insecure before the pandemic. Bill Riley, manager at St. John’s Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, says that they serve about 300 people a day. Riley, who is a COVID-19 survivor himself, has taken note of many new faces, not just at St. John’s but at food pantries around the city. People are traveling farther in search of resources, so there’s “no doubt about it that the pandemic has increased food insecurity,” The Regional Environmental Council, a grassroots food justice program focused on providing food to Worcester’s most food insecure communities, aims to alleviate this condition. While in emergency response mode since March, with the primary goal being to get food to people as quickly as possible, the group has fought for food justice for over 15 years. “When I talk about food justice, I like to define it as the right of all

people regardless of identity, race, income, location, to access good food,” said Grace Sliwoski, “produced in a way that’s ethical for people and the planet, affordable, culturally relevant and accessible in a dignified way.” It’s a broad definition to encapsulate a response to a systemic problem. Their multi-tiered approach is meant to permeate all levels of the community to ease the inevitable food shortages as the shutdown and unemployment wears on. Sliwoski also observed that the need for food resources has increased dramatically and remains high. The REC’s work goes a step beyond feeding people, even though that’s certainly a big part of it. The larger goal is to address food inequity and the root causes of hunger on multiple levels: •The UGROW program fosters community and school gardens program so members of the community have resources to grow their own food in Worcester •Community farmers markets, which ensure that local healthy food is easier to access •The youth development program, YouthGROW, in Worcester and Central Mass. to create a space for young people to explore food systems in a social justice framework. It’s not only kids trying to develop their green thumb — there has been a clear rise in interest from adults in growing their own foods. One of REC’s fundraising events, an annual plant sale, was changed to an online and curbside pickup model this year. “We made it more about getting plants to people who needed them,” explained Slikowski. Seeds were priced on a sliding scale to make them more affordable, and they sold more plants this year than before and are considering keeping the sliding scale even after a return to normalcy. Government response to the pandemic has been an issue, and oftentimes the problem is adjusting existing programs to the current circumstances. Food justice groups step in to fill the gap, in what Slikowski referred to as food equity. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Healthy Incentives Program are good examples. In theory, the program seems fine — HIP users get back

one dollar for every dollar of their SNAP balance that they use on local produce from HIP-authorized farms or vendors. However, payment for SNAP purchases must be made at the time of the transaction, meaning low-income families were unable to use the grocery delivery services that have become increasingly necessary during the pandemic. If participating in SNAP or HIP requires users to place themselves at greater risk, that becomes a food injustice and it needs to be addressed. To that end, REC takes the role of middlemen, delivering produce as well as opening multiple mobile markets in Worcester, currently accounting for four of the city’s seven HIP vendors. The idea is to come up with creative solutions in the short term, said Slikowski. “Since we can’t change how SNAP works immediately, we can still make sure that homebound people can get food delivered and use their HIP dollars.” They also deliver produce to the Worcester Regional Food Hub, where contactless methods of pickup are in practice. It’s not only a question of sustenance — a tenet of the food justice movement is “culturally appropriate food” in addition to healthy and sustainably sourced. The psychological benefit of familiar cuisine cannot be underestimated. Worcester boasts a diverse food scene through its restaurants, and groups like the REC work to have that reflected agriculturally as well. Farmers markets always offer a variety of produce beyond the traditional New England fare — “immigrants brought other crops and seeds with them, and we want to reflect that diversity,” said Slikowski.

From top: Grace Sliwoski, REC director of programs, in rows of Swiss chard at the farm on Oread Street; a United Way volunteer from Luk Inc. harvests kale; farm manager Tom Trepanier, center, directs United Way volunteers from Luk Inc. during a harvest. CHRISTINE PETERSON

FEATURED

Ending the cycle

Students wage public campaign for a private need KATHERINE HAMILTON

“

oilet paper is provided in all public bathrooms and it’s an essential aspect of the restroom experience, so why are we expected to have quarters on us if we get our period and have nothing to use?” asked College of the Holy Cross senior Janna Hearty, who currently serves as the

due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the pilot programs were put on hold as students no longer used campus bathrooms. However, those leading the initiatives planned to resume their efforts this fall as students returned. During the lockdown in Massachusetts, Clark’s student council also provided some free menstrual products in their non-perishable food pantry, which was open to

feminine products provider INTIMA, the average menstruater spends almost $14 a month on menstrual products, which, for many low-income students, is an unaffordable expense. “We think of college students as economically privileged and, therefore, can’t imagine there should be initiatives for menstrual equity on college campuses,” said Cinzia PicaSmith, a professor in Assumption

to buy supplies. “For me, it’s easy to walk into Target and buy products,” said Hearty. “That’s not the case for everyone. We need to eliminate those barriers,” she says, noting that free products on campus will make a difference. Holy Cross’s pilot program hit the two-year mark at the end of the spring semester, and Hearty said she hopes it will become an established

cept that everyone is familiar and comfortable with yet, according to Ivette Mendoza, the student council treasurer and head of the Menstrual Equity Initiative at Clark. Her initiative, which began February 2020, includes women’s and men’s bathrooms in two residential halls and the University Center. It gained the support of over 1,700 students who signed a petition last fall.

From left, Janna Harty from Holy Cross; Ivette Mendoza of Clark University; Alex Lehman from WPI. SUBMIT TED PHOTOS

part of the school’s budget. The project was dubbed “Cura Personalis. Period.,” rooted in the Latin term for “care of the entire person,” which is a common phrase within Jesuit education and has been used by other Jesuit colleges to leverage menstrual equity initiatives. “We’re a community that cares for one another and this is part of that caring,” said Hearty. Activists like Lehman and Hearty also have called attention to gender identity, emphasizing that not all people who menstruate use the women’s restroom. This is not a con-

As the push for menstrual equity spreads across Worcester campuses, it is also climbing into the consciousness of legislators. Bill H.1959/S.1274 aims to increase access to menstrual products in prisons, homeless shelters and public schools, and is currently waiting in the House to be heard. “To see a bill that’s fairly new with such momentum behind it, I’m cautiously optimistic that we can pass this in sessions,” said state Sen. James Eldridge, who cosponsored the bill. “It’s really been a national movement.”

U N E X P E CT E D Q U E S T

He is still on the move in that he and his wife and their young son, Zander, recently relocated from New Jersey to Rockland County in New York state. “It’s my 29th move since college.” He gets back to Worcester/West Boylston to visit friends and family, including his parents, John (a retired captain in the Worcester Fire Department) and Linda (a retired nurse practitioner). In January, Ford and his fellow cast members received a Screen Actors Guild Nomination for Outstanding

Action performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture for their work on the film “The Irishman.” Since then the landscape has changed. “With the pandemic, some of the big film and TV stuff had completely shut down. They tried to start back up but I guess some people tested positive,” Ford said. In Manhattan for a meeting recently, there were “zero tourists,” he noted. “It’s definitely a different time, but I’m staying busy.”

Ford has been writing and producing his own short films, including “Small World” and also “A Boat Time,” which was filmed entirely on open water. “Everyone was available for this,” he said of assembling a crew for “A Boat Time.” He plans to submit the film to festivals. He had spent three years writing “My Take On All Fifty States” and then “it took me about two years to get it published. It was a long process.” The book is published by Atmosphere Press and is cur-

rently available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, Walmart and many bookstores in and around Worcester. With his unexpected quest ending successfully, Ford said, “I got the traveling out of my system. I hang out with the little guy (Zander).” All his travels were pre-pandemic, and it might be more difficult to pull off such a feat now. “I probably could do a little road trip, but I think it would be hard to get to Alaska or Hawaii,” Ford said.

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4

Ford’s dexterity and potential stunt ability and recommended him to the summer program of the International Stunt School in Seattle. After graduating from the Hartt School, Ford auditioned for anything he could get. In 2006 he was hired as a stunt/body double for star Edward Norton in the crime thriller movie “Pride and Glory.” His travels to all the states would begin in earnest.

College’s women’s studies department. According to Pica-Smith, over two-million college students nationwide are eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food coupons to low-income households. “You can imagine, then, that expensive menstrual products become cost-prohibitive for many college students struggling to make ends meet,” she explained. Along with financial obstacles, some students with disabilities or other accessibility issues may struggle to physically get to a store

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Clark students still living on or near campus. At WPI, the student group Period. began its efforts to distribute menstrual products last year. “We really wanted this project because there are so many times where you’re caught in between classes or in class, and your period started suddenly, and you can’t really run home to grab a product,” explained Period. Vice President Alexandria Lehman. For college students, there are a number of barriers that make pads and tampons harder to access. According to a poll commissioned last fall by

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

school’s student council Director of Health and Safety. “You’re not choosing to be on your period.” Hearty is just one of many Worcester college students speaking out about the need for free and accessible menstrual products. In fall 2019, she spearheaded a two-year pilot program to provide free pads and tampons in bathrooms across Holy Cross campus. Since then, students at Clark University and WPI also have launched pilot programs as part of a nationwide effort at colleges and universities known as menstrual equity. Since classes were moved online

CITY VOICES

FIRST PERSON

LETTERS

The Library of Disposable Time to recognize Art: The T-shirt

DAVID MACPHERSON

But there is an issue if you are washing your art every few weeks t was one of those weeks where after wear. If I wore that shirt 25 times, then it was thrown into the I probably should have done washer that many times. a few large loads of laundry, I guess it was fading from the because the shelves were getminute I got it. It stayed in the ting a little thin on clean clothes. I closet for some time and then reached up and pulled out one of it was out the other day and the the few remaining T-shirts. It was a plain tee, a nice gold rod yellow. I image is just a ghost. A shadow. didn’t know I had a plain tee of this No one knows but me that hidden in the seams is a cool piece of art. color, but that was fine. I put it on Everyone else will think it is a dirty and went about my day. shirt and I should know better to It was a few hours later that I noticed something was off with the wear it. It’s not a smudge! It’s art! I also have a T-shirt where Tom shirt. It seemed that I got someWaits used to cavort. I picked the thing smudged on it. This is not shirt up at a Record Store Day a rare occurrence. I am a sloppy seven years ago. It was a gray shirt eater. Food stains on my shirt is with a strong graphic PIXABAY of Tom Waits and guitar sleeping in front of a stock of amps. You can tell this was a favorite shirt because it has been washed to a tabula rasa. There are dark, unfocused things on the shirt. I know what they are. I still love the image; the image that I can hardly make out. It is a gallery for one. There are a lot of broken canvases in my shirt shelf. There are the shirts just an indication that I liked the with busted seams that I can’t wear meal. On closer inspection, I realbut I cannot bear to toss them out. ized that it wasn’t a smudge, but a faded image. I looked hard at it and The shirts so faded no one knows what once was on the front. The saw the faint black ink image of a shirts that don’t fit because time lady bug. and age shrinks them (I will say A lady bug! I remember this that instead of the fact that I ain’t T-shirt. We had gone to an art gallery up the beanpole I once was). But this is private. T-Shirts in Portsmouth. There were some are a portal to a time and place. cool prints done with Linotype (I They are so dear that no one will don’t know what that is, just saying) of animals but done in an 8-Bit understand your devotion to it. retro video game style. In addition It isn’t what the shirt is, it is what happened when it was worn. to the prints, the artist put some This column was written in the of the images on T-shirts. I bought dining room, wearing a 19-year-old the ladybug shirt for something T-shirt I got as part of a wedding like $20. party. I was honored to be the best The question is, was it just a man. I got this light gray shirt with shirt or was I wearing art? I supa graphic design of a sailboat on the pose that for the most part it was back. It is nothing special. It is very something to wear, but I liked the thin in spots. I love it to pieces. And image, I liked the memory of the I am sure that when it is in pieces, I time in the gallery. I guess it was will treasure it all the more. both things.

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S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

Going postal JOSEPH GUSTAFSON

transgressions

The loony left really likes to distort facts, and so it is with Ann McCrea, in her Sept. 17 letter to the WILLIAM B. HYNES editor. President Trump never advoTalk about “Hoist on his own cated to vote twice. He said very petard,” Mr. Joseph Gustafson, after comparing BLM to Marxists clearly vote in person or request an absentee ballot. What he does and Nazis (in a Sept. 17 letter), not want mailed out are unsolicconcludes that a democratic society which favors one race over ited ballots which can be used in a fraudulent way. Ann and her far another ceases to be democratic. out Dems would like nothing more BLM is a recognition that this than to fix the election for the democratic society we live in has done just that to them for over 400 addled Joe Biden and their socialist, mob agenda. years and that the time is now to recognize and begin to correct all those transgressions once and for Joseph Gustafson lives in Leicester all. A simple reading of “Driving While Black” would do wonders for his perspective on the matter.

Time to eliminate white privilege S. JANE ARNTZ

I did agree with one thing Joseph Gustafson wrote in his Sept. 17 anti-Black Lives Matter letter to the editor. He wrote that “When a democracy starts favoring one race over another, it ceases to be democratic.” How can he not realize that it’s what our country has done since its founding? It is well past time to recognize and eliminate white privilege. S. Jane Arntz lives in Holden.

William B. Hynes lives in Holden

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY A full name and town or city of residence are required. Please include an email address or phone number for verification purposes only. That information will not be published. Make sure your letter makes it into Worcester Magazine in a timely fashion — send it in by the Monday of the next issue. 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.

CITY VOICES

WE TREAT YOU LIKE FAMILY

WORCESTERIA

Maybe things aren’t as rosy as Glodis, Sargent remember

HONEST CARE &

Warm Approach

VICTOR D. INFANTE

NOT MY GUY: Former Worcester County Sheriff Guy W. Glodis’ op-ed piece in the Telegram & Gazette last week arguing against police reform was certainly an interesting and valid perspective. Of course, as a former law enforcement official, he has an understandable point of view. I do wish, however, that he had disclosed that he is also a paid lobbyist for several segments of the law enforcement community. According to the state Lobbyist Reporting website, Glodis has received, on his 2020 filing, $124,500 and, on his 2019 filing, $253,000 in compensation for lobbying efforts on behalf of clients that include the Massachusetts Bay Constables Association, the Massachusetts Chief Probation Officers Association, the Massachusetts Constables Association, the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union and the Massachusetts State Police Commissioned Officers Association. All on the up-and-up, of course, but definitely a relevant fact.

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WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT: I do have to take issue with Glodis’ as-

sertion that, “Our biggest abuse of Police power had to do with an overtime scandal, not police brutality.” Just off the top of my head, I can think of several incidents that at the very least raise questions. The events of the arrests after the June 1 Black Lives Matter protest are still being sorted out, and there are legitimate concerns about the use of police force that night. And of course, there are the events of the night of the Beer Garden altercation, where police accounts don’t match video of the event that’s surfaced. And if we want to reach a little further back, we have that time the Worcester SWAT team raided the apartment of someone who had already moved out, allegedly holding the new tenants – including children and a naked mother – at gunpoint. And of course, let’s not forget the full-on three-ring circus that was the ouster of officer Mark Rojas, which involved a lawsuit by the Telegram & Gazette to acquire the public records of his disciplinary record, accusations of police brutality, disturbing poetry written by Rojas to his exgirlfriend, who happened to be then-Chief Gary Gemme’s daughter, and of course the counter claim from Rojas that all of this was a vendetta against him from Gemme for dating his daughter. Really, the plot of that one would have been rejected by an episode of “Law & Order.” Again, this is just off the top of my head, but they all concern me more than the overtime scandal. I’m not saying any of this rises to the level of the slayings of Breonna Taylor or George Floyd. I’m just saying that I’d rather we not get to that place at all. To paraphrase comedian Trevor Noah, you don’t install a smoke alarm while the house is already on fire.

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BUT WHERE THERE’S SMOKE: I might be lazy and just remembering things off the top of my head, but Cara Berg Powers is doing the actual work, as evidenced by her recent blog post on the Worcester Beacon, “Your denial is proving the point.” In a retort to Chief Steven M. Sargent’s assertion that he’s never seen racism in his 35 years at the WPD, she reminds “that in 2015, racial tensions in our city were so bad that the Department of Justice was called in to lead an unprecedented series of Race Dialogues, with one of the stated goals being to ‘influence attitudes of local law enforcement.’” She also reminds us of “the literal institutional racism against Black officers, litigated by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. Filed in 1994 and finalized in 2011, two Black officers alleged a pattern of discrimination that kept them from advancing in the force. The MCAD finding supported their claim, writing: ‘We conclude that Harris and Tatum have sustained their burden of proving disparate treatment, and that the City of Worcester engaged in a pattern and practice of discrimination where the interests of white officers were consistently favored over those of minority officers.’” Perhaps Glodis and Sargent had just forgotten about these incidents. After all, they didn’t affect them directly, and that’s where the blind spots usually occur.

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FLIPPING BARBS WITH H. JON BENJAMIN OF ‘BOB’S BURGERS,’ ‘ARCHER’ Worcester native provides the voice in two long-running animated sitcoms CRAIG S. SEMON

She also taught dance at her own studio for 40 years, while her husband used to dance at hen talking to Worcester native H. Jon Ben- weddings. Benjamin’s parents (hereafter referred to as jamin, it becomes quickly obvious that you Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin) are alive and kicking can take the boy out of Worcester, but you and now living in Branford, Conn. can’t take the Worcester out of the boy. “First correction, Mr. Benjamin interjected. Benjamin provides the voice of Bob Belcher on the “We are alive but not necessarily kicking.” popular, animated sitcom “Bob’s Burger,” which kicks When asked what kind of kid their son was off its 11th season Sept. 27 on FOX, as well as the voice growing up, Mr. Benjamin interjects, “Wait of Sterling Archer on “Archer,” which kicked off its 11th a minute, Shirley. Is Jon grown up?” before season on FXX earlier this month. saying, “Jon was an extremely early walker and Benjamin’s precision sarcasm and self-deprecating humor is inherently Worcester. So much so, a reporter’s he was athletic at a very young age. He could throw a ball like a baseball pitcher. People well-thought-out questions serve merely as comedic fodder and set-up for Benjamin’s fine-tuned punchlines. were amazed because you got this little guy, five, six years old, and he throws a ball But, underneath his morose delivery is an all-around 100 yards. It was just amazing.” nice guy. “Jon was always really curious,” Jokingly asked how it feels to be the most famous person to ever graduate from Worcester Academy, even his mother added. “He would wander over to people having more famous than Abbie Hoffman and Cole Porter, a conversation when he was Benjamin responded gamely. “Abbie Hoffman came to the Homecoming one year,” three years old and park himself down, look up he said. “That was a big thrill. And we marched from and listen to what was the academy to the field with Abbie Hoffman leading going on. And he never the march, which must have been probably been the shared the information least important march that he ever marched in,” Benjamin said. “I will take Number 2, after Abbie Hoffman. with us.” Benjamin grew up That’s only fair.” When asked if he had any fond memories of the city, on Rustic Drive on he deadpanned, “None. None. No … I’m kidding. I have top of Mooreland Street, off Pleasant, plenty of fond memories. The further away I am from in the Tatnuck Worcester, the more I appreciate it. Gee, that’s a dicey Square section of way to put it.” Worcester. He As for whether he gets his sense of humor from his has one sibling, father or mother, Benjamin said it’s probably a combian older sister, nation of both. Jodi Schneider, “My dad’s a funny guy but he’s pretty dry and very who’s a literacy sarcastic, and my mom can dance,” Benjamin said. “So teacher in the there you go. Put that together and it makes a good New Haven Public combination.” Schools. Jon’s father, Howard B. Benjamin, was the CEO and “Jon had a very treasurer of Benjamin Electric Supply and Lighting happy childhood Center, with operations in Worcester and Fitchburg. and we were Jon’s mother, Shirley N. Benjamin, began her career performing with the Joffrey Ballet in New York and then happy to have him as a child,” worked with several dance companies in Massachusetts, before serving as the executive director of the Per- his mother said. forming Arts School of Worcester for nearly 10 years.

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S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

H. Jon Benjamin. RAY MICKSHAW/FX

COVER STORY

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Burgers’ is what we love. ‘Archer’ comes in second.” Before becoming a voice-over star of the small screen, Benjamin was a comedian with years of comedy troupe experience behind him. He said he realized he had a knack for comedy when he started performing in Cambridge with his friend Sam Seder, another former Worcesterite. Their success led them to become members of David Cross’ Cross Comedy, a popular comedy troupe in Boston. “By coincidence, we went to college together,” Benjamin recalled. “Unbeknownst to us, we were of the same comedy minds and we ended up in Cambridge after college after a couple of years. Sam was pursuing stand-up and we just started performing together. And we were, kind of, successful, H. Jon Benjamin is the voice of Bob Belcher on the Emmy Award-winning “Bob’s Burg- like fairly quickly. And I don’t mean very successful financially. We ers” airing Sundays on FOX. made people laugh.” TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX Benjamin has had a working H. Jon Benjamin plays Edward Larkin in “The Trouble With Edward” episode of relationship with “Bob’s Burgers” “Star Trek: Short Treks.” creator Loren Bouchard since the CBS INTERACTIVE largely improvised Squigglevisionanimated “Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist” in the late ‘90s. Benjamin credits Bouchard for putting him on this wacky career path as a voice-over artist. “He (Bouchard) was the first person I auditioned for, him, the guy who ran the company that made ‘Dr. Katz,’ and, of course, Jonathan Katz,” Benjamin said. “But, at the time, he (Bouchard) was an audio editor, and I think he just liked the way I did my audition. I would credit him for certainly the career I have. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be doing comedy right now.” The last time we saw Bob Belcher, the patriarch and chief restaurateur on “Bob’s Burgers,” he agreed to deliver his arch-rival Jimmy Pesto his hernia medication and proceeded to play with his belongings while he was sleeping. The synopsis of the season premiere episode of “Bob’s Burgers” says Bob Belcher goes on an epic quest to find a misplaced lock box key, while the second episode of should go for it. And that’s what They were quietly and reluctantly when you’re in your 20s, my parthe new season is about a pinhe did.” supportive.” ents had some panic, like ‘You’re worm epidemic that breaks out Not only are Jon’s parents big “I was definitely supportive,” doing what?’” Benjamin recalled. at the kids’ school. That should supporters of his career, they are Jon’s mother said. “I never had “Comedy isn’t the easiest career get your mind off the coronavirus easily his biggest fans. qualms about his career choice at to get started in. On the whole it “We’re big fans of ‘Bob’s Burgers,’” pandemic. takes a long time to start going and all.” So what else can we expect from Mrs. Benjamin said. “You notice my silence,” Jon’s that certainly happened with me. I Bob Belcher and “Bob’s Burger” this After joking that they need pafather added. “We were in support didn’t really have a job until I was season? rental guidance to watch “Archer,” of whatever Jon wanted to do. At in my late 20s in comedy. So they “‘Bob’s Burgers’ has gotten very Mr. Benjamin said, “We missed (my parents) got a little concerned. that point, in my thinking, it was good at infusing music into the most of the ‘ A rcher’ stuff but ‘Bob’s unconventional, but, however, he But, they didn’t get in the way of it.

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

“I’m not sure if he was happy to have us as parents,” his father interjected. Looking back at his childhood, Benjamin said Worcester had its share of problems back then and, it turns out, so did he. “I grew up Jewish in mainly a Catholic neighborhood. I think, certainly, it informed me to think quick on my feet and also move quick on my feet,” Benjamin recalled. “I was actually a small kid. So I was fair game but I was bit of a wise ass, and being in a minority religious group in a majority Catholic neighborhood, there was a lot of activity around that, but it’s not like anything horrible happened. It was, sort of normal kids beating up other kids’ stuff.” His parents were a little bit baffled by their son’s recollection about being beaten up by kids in the neighborhood. “It’s interesting. I think it’s a story that was really something that Howard experienced,” Jon’s mother said. “I think there might have been some carry-over of his experiences.” “The difference is, I beat up all the Catholic kids,” Jon’s father snapped. “He (Jon) didn’t tell us too much about that.” Although not quite a hamburger joint, Benjamin’s first date was at the former Arby’s at the corner of Park Avenue and Mill Street, in Webster Square. “I was, like, in sixth grade. I borrowed $3 from my parents. I rode my bike,” Benjamin said. “And she took the roast beef sandwich and ran.” Forty years later, Benjamin is Arby’s on-camera “Head of Sandwiches” for a series of quick service brand TV ads. If only his sixth-grade crush could see him now. One thing Jon’s parents both agree on is that their son always had the gift of laughter. “Jon always had a great affinity for knowing how to connect with whatever younger generation was around,” his mother recalled. “He was always funny but he got funnier when he got older.” When asked what does his parents think of his success in two prime-time cartoons, Benjamin quipped, “I don’t know if they know about it. I have yet to break the news,” before answering the question truthfully. “Early on, pursuing comedy

COVER STORY

show and there will be a lot more of that this season,” Benjamin said. “There’s a lot going on. We’re also in the midst of working on the movie right now (‘Bob’s Burgers: The Movie’ is slated for an April 9 release).” When asked what his favorite “Bob’s Burgers” episode is, Benjamin said he likes a lot of them. “I have a soft spot for the first season, like the second episode when Bob got stuck in the wall, which is a good scenario for comedy, and ‘The Equestranauts’ episode,” Benjamin said. “I like when they started getting into the more musical episodes. The ‘DieHard’ musical versus ‘The Working Girl’ musical (in the episode, ‘Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl’) was great, My favorite song from the series is ‘Electric Love’ from the ‘Topsy’ episode,’ which is probably the one I have sung the most, and the duet between me and Kristen

Schaal, ‘Bad Stuff Happens in the Bathroom.’” Benjamin confesses that he has his share of “Bob’s Burgers” memorabilia, but clarifies that he doesn’t collect toys. “I got some stuff that has been given to me, including a bunch of Funko Pop!” Benjamin said. “It’s not so strange anymore. The show has been on so long and now it has become part of the cultural fabric, I guess. So it’s not that weird.” Benjamin credits the astonishing success and mass appeal of “Bob’s Burgers” to character, story and plot over all else. “It’s a really heartwarming show about a family that cares about each other and they’re funny,” Benjamin said. “They’re funny people and they’re, actually, in a grounded situation. Also, people like cartoons.” For a decade, Benjamin has been playing Bob Belcher, a

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sardonic-yet-big-hearted underdog chef who runs a burger joint with his family, and Sterling Archer, a vain, semibumbling spy with crippling mommy issues, a serious drinking problem, an itchy trigger finger and a bedside manner that

harkens back to the Stone Age. So, which character is closer to Benjamin in real life? “Well, now that you laid it out, I’ll just say Bob. It be would awful to say Archer,” Benjamin said. “I’m certainly more like Bob in my real life for sure than I am Archer. I don’t think I could survive being Archer very long. But, I certainly have elements of Archer’s personality, a little bit. But I’m too tired now.” However, if he had a chance to be one of his cartoon alter-egos, Benjamin would favor interna-

tional intrigue, foreign espionage, fancy gadgets and exotic locales, before being a burger-flipping family man. “Probably Sterling Archer but that’s a big risk,” Benjamin said. “Archer’s really great. It’s so much fun to play and it’s certainly more like fantasy. So sure, I’m going to go with the fantasy version. I would definitely, probably, spend a day in Archer’s animated body.” As for whose voice is harder to, Bob Belcher or Sterling Archer, Benjamin said it’s certainly the dimwitted superspy. “Sterling Archer, there’s a ton of yelling. I would say more than half the episodes is simply yelling throughout, usually over gunfire or some catastrophic event that Sterling Archer finds himself in that mainly requires me to be incredibly loud. There were a couple of episodes where I had to stop and wait for my voice to come back the next day. So I’ve lost my voice a lot doing Archer,” Benjamin said. “While Bob does yell, it’s never for a halfhour straight. He’s a quiet guy and Archer’s always semi-aggressive in his tone anyways.” As for the voice that people who meet him on the street (or a comic con) ask for most, Benjamin said it has shifted back and forth. “I used to get a lot of ‘Please say, ‘Lana’ (the name of Archer’s ex-girlfriend and fellow superspy) and ‘Danger Zone’ (his often cited reference to Kenny Loggin’s ‘Top Gun’ theme that annoys the hell out of Lana). That was huge for a few years,” Benjamin said. “Bob doesn’t have the same hit rate on catchphrases as much. So Archer gets called to do people’s voice mails a lot.” In the age of the coronavirus, Benjamin has been getting recognized for his voice in his everyday life and he’s convinced it’s because he’s wearing a mask and they’re not distracted by his face. “When I’m wearing my mask, you just hear the voice,” Benjamin said. “It works on the brain differently. And, now, I can’t go anywhere without it being like, ‘Oh my God. You’re Bob.’” If “Archer” and Bob’s Burgers” wasn’t enough to secure his place in the pop culture universe, Benjamin’s appearance last fall as

H. Jon Benjamin voices Sterling Archer on “Archer.” FX

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H. Jon Benjamin during the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Burgersâ&#x20AC;? panel in 2018 at the San Diego Comic-Con. PHOTO/SCOTT KIRKLAND/FOX

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Algernop Krieger (voice of Lucky Yates), left, examines the brain of Sterling Archer (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Orpheus Gambit,â&#x20AC;? the season premiere of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Archer.â&#x20AC;? FX NETWORKS

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pregnant and reproducing at a dangerous rate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t particularly hard to play that guy, because he was oblivious. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure he knew how despicable he was. So that was the fun of it,â&#x20AC;? Benjamin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From what I gathered, there are some â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Star Trekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fans that took issue with that the way tribbles were discovered. People get very deep into everything working perfectly or logically based on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Star Trekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; universe. Maybe that was a problem, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not my problem.â&#x20AC;? Not only that, Benjaminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character is the first one who has ever admitted to eating a tribble. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true,â&#x20AC;? Benjamin said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;But you never know. You never know if

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Science Officer Edward Larkin in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Star Trek: Short Treksâ&#x20AC;? episode â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Trouble with Edwardâ&#x20AC;? certainly was. And, with the role, Benjamin became arguably the most despicable character ever introduced in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Star Trekâ&#x20AC;? universe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I never thought I would make it in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Star Trekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; universe but I did,â&#x20AC;? Benjamin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Star Trekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fan when I was a kid. It was really cool. I was thrilled to be asked.â&#x20AC;? In the 15-minute episode, Benjaminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character genetically modifies tribbles against his captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s orders. Being that this timeline takes place before â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Troubles with Tribblesâ&#x20AC;? episode of the original â&#x20AC;&#x153;Star Trek,â&#x20AC;? Benjaminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character is technically blamed for tribbles being born

Fall is sitting by a lake, with a spiced drink in one hand and a comfort meal in the other...nothing better!

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S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

Scotty drunk ate one.” Benjamin met his longtime girlfriend, Amy Beth Silver, a set decorator for television shows, movies and commercials, in New York, even though she’s also from the Tatnuck area of Worcester. “We discovered each other in New York much later,” Benjamin said. “But, I’m sure we crossed paths on Pleasant Street.” When asked if he ever took his longtime girlfriend to Arby’s, Benjamin said no but he revealed that he did give her a $50 gift certificate from Arby’s when he got the commercial spokesman job. “I’ve ran out,” Benjamin said. “I think I had a $1,000 worth of Arby’s, which is dangerous.” The couple live in Brooklyn and they have a 17-year-old son, Judah. Silver’s mom still lives in the Worcester area and last time the couple returned to Worcester was in January. “We checked out the new stadium and we were in Kelley Square. That’s how I went to school every day,” Benjamin said. “So they still haven’t fixed that like crazy, there’s

Bob Belcher (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) goes on an epic quest to find a misplaced lock box key in the “Dream A Little Bob of Bob” season premiere episode of “Bob’s Burgers” airing at 9 p.m. Sept. 27. TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

16 ways to get into a car accident.” In 2018, Benjamin wrote “Failure Is An Option: An Attempted Memoir.”

Obviously, the title was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek but, at the same time, Benjamin is from Worcester and that lingering de-

featist sentiment is something that percolates in plenty of Worcesterites’ brains. So does Benjamin, a man whose

disembodied voice inhabits the title character in two hit series, feel he’s a success or a failure? Turns out, the question isn’t as easy as it would seem. “My career has been a success, which I’m thankful for, and I am thankful every day,” Benjamin said. “But there are certainly other parts of my life which would be considered failure, so it runs the gambit. But I’m not defined by either my successes or my failures. That makes no sense. That just makes me completely disillusioned.” When he’s ready to slip off this mortal coil, Benjamin said he wants to be remembered as being “a nice guy from Worcester.” Then again, he acknowledges “Archer” and “Bob’s Burgers” are probably going to ruin that. “Certainly, I’ve been really fortunate to be the title character of two animated series that have been on so long. I think, that’s going to end up, probably, defining my career in a way,” Benjamin said. “And, yeah, I’m good with that, but I’ve got more to give, maybe, but not much more.”

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, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

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ist. He has done drawings but specializes in acrylics. He started drawing as a young boy using Archie comics covers as inspiration. He then picked it up again while out of work with a torn rotator cuff. See more of his work on Facebook @The Art Guru Painting by Glenn Ferraro.

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Glenn Ferraro is a lifelong Worcester resident and art-

CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

Marco Polo is my favorite app of the COVID era SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

Marco Polo is the new water cooler except, instead of venting or chatting with my work colleagues, I get to banter with my oldest pals throughout the day.

hen I saw Marco Polo was going to start charging for certain features, I got huffy. My husband was surprised by my resistance. He asked, “Is there any other technology that has helped you get through quarantine like Marco Polo?” The answer is no. There is not. I have used Marco Polo every single day since I downloaded the app in March. It has served as a steadfast social lifeline for me and my friends and I don’t know how I would have managed the most grueling months without it. Marco Polo is a video messaging service, but it’s different than Facetime or Zoom. I send anywhere between five and 10 “Polos” per day to my college roommates who are scattered across the country. Something about the app makes it more intimate than sending a text. Having my best friends on-call while we all work from home makes it feel like they are my colleagues. Marco Polo

is the new teacher’s room, except, instead of venting or chatting with other educators, I get to banter with my oldest confidants. My friends joke that I am actually saving the stream of hundreds of

video clips for a future art installation that will examine life in the time of COVID. The truth is, a lot of important moments have taken place over Marco Polo for us this year. We celebrated a pregnancy. We weathered a postponed wedding. We engaged in deep discussions about institutional racism. My friends were in my pocket when my arm broke and when my car broke down. We developed new inside jokes with thousands of miles between us. We rejected isolation in favor of a deep virtual connection. We laughed — like, a lot. Even on our worst days. I’ve had a hard time describing to others what makes Marco Polo feel like such an intimate and fluid forum. My friend Jeana Fletcher put

it best when she said, “I like how humbling it is, not to be able to edit myself.” She’s right. Marco Polo is a form of social media that doesn’t tempt users to filter their natural inclinations. It’s easy to build context and negate small talk. Videos are streamed in real-time. There’s no dress rehearsal. No pleasantries. Just the good stuff. I feel closer to my college roommates right now than I have in over a decade. So much so, that I got on a plane to Seattle a few weeks ago because Marco Polo had nurtured my time-warn affections for them. (I tested negative three times in two weeks, but I understand if you would have resisted the urge to travel.) I wouldn’t be surprised if the airlines took an interest in the app’s ability to rekindle deep connections with friends and family in other parts of the country. Marco Polo’s only failing is how satisfying it is, up to a point. Nothing compares to looking for shooting stars and polishing off a package of Oreo cookies with your best friends in real life. Marco Polo is a reminder of

how meaningful the mundane moments are in every relationship — a window to the simple instants that don’t warrant a call or an email or a text. In some Polos, I don’t even use my voice. My eyes do the talking. Marco Polo has also been good practice for leading a remote classroom. After six months of video messaging my friends, I feel comfortable on camera. I am free of stage fright. Yes, there is a big bad blemish on my chin. No, no one cares. My imperfections are what make me more than just the lady behind the screen for my middle school students. Eventually, I gave in and paid for the Pro features so I could send links, play messages at double time, and replay old videos I didn’t want to forget. If the world ever goes back to “normal,” maybe I’ll retire the app. But, for now, it’s something to look forward to every day. An extra dose of friendship. And, of course, fodder for my video art gallery debut, which I will call: “The Marco Mates”? “The Polo Pals”? Maybe just, “MARCO!”

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S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

LISTEN UP

Dandy Highwaymen charm with wicked ‘Land Shanties’ VICTOR D. INFANTE

“

and Shanties,” by the Rhode Island- and Colorado-based “rococo punk” trio the Dandy Highwaymen, is the sort of album that lets you know upfront that it is going to be utterly bonkers, and then proceeds to lean into that insanity and push it to levels you really don’t see coming, none of which matters, because the listener is quickly abducted and taken on a madcap musical journey. The Highwaymen — comprising Jean-Jacques J’Adore (aka Gregory David Caunt), Sovay Beausoleil (aka Heather Marie Caunt-Nulton) and Beau Pummel (aka Peter Edward Nulton) — bring a lot of layers to their creation, taking on the theatrical roles of 18th-century highwaymen, complete with outfits, and performing adaptions of traditional songs, more recent pop and folk music, and a few originals, weaving them into what is, almost against all odds, a strikingly coherent narrative. The whole album might be madness, but there is certainly method

in it. Indeed, it’s the marriage of the two — embracing insanity while shaping eclectic material to fit their needs — that makes this album both successful and fun. Naturally, the album kicks off with a cover of Adam and the Ants’ “Stand and Deliver,” the song from which the band derives its name: “I’m the dandy highwayman who you’re too scared to mention/I spend my cash on looking flash and grabbing your attention.” It’s an off-kilter rendition, even more so than the original, with a brightness and sense of fun that makes it delectable. It’s also a nice foil to the subsequent “Sovay,” an arrangement of a traditional folk song about a woman who disguises herself as highwayman and robs her true love, to see if he’ll part with the ring she gave him. “‘I only did it for to know,” they sing, “Whether you were true to me or no/If you had given me that ring,’ she said,/’I’d have pulled the trigger, I’d have pulled the trigger and shot you dead!’” Which is pretty much how those stories often end, but as Caunt-Nulton has taken on the persona of “Sovay Beausoleil,”

one presumes the relationship did not continue happily ever after, although her new career in highway robbery seems to have blossomed. The next song, an original by Nulton, details his character’s efforts to rob a judge, and what comes of the affair. This followed by an irreverent drinking song, “Four Finger Frederick,” which tells the outrageous tale of a thief who “loved a five-finger discount,/ and he fancied lady fingers quite as well,” and how that was his undoing. It’s a fun, boisterous blast of energy, which feeds into the extremely self-referential, “What Do You Do with a Drunk Highwayman?” While this is another one best enjoyed as a drunken singalong in a roadside pub, the answers — includ-

ing “Tie him to a tree until he’s sober,” “Dress her as a man and threaten her lover” and “Cut his periwig with a rusty razor” — reference other songs on the album, reinforcing

the idea that this is all one story, and as with any good story, it shifts directions now and again. Here, the first twist comes with “Way Hey — We Go Again,” sung to the tune of “Randy Dandy Oh,” about the need to avoid the Night’s Watch as they rob nobles. This is followed by “East Australia,” a twist on the traditional “South Australia” popularized by the Pogues. Both songs illustrate the risks of the highwaymen’s life of crime, but there’s also a sort of braggadocio in the songs: “But once she’s on Australia’s strand,” they sing, “She’ll have a flintlock in her hand/Her life of crime will never end/And that’s why we’re proud to call her friend.” It’s a defiance that

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 19

CITY LIFE

TABLE HOPPIN’

Pickles get Salem Cross Inn out of a jam BARBARA M. HOULE

information. FYI: Chefs incorporate produce from the garden and fresh herbs into the farm-to-table menu. Maybe, just maybe, homemade apple pie will be on the menu on your next visit. Salem Cross was once home to the “The Best Apple Pie in New England,” an annual contest where contestants used the inn’s beehive oven to bake their pies. Some of the recipes have been featured on the inn’s menu. We should note that Salem-Leasca is an apple pie expert, having worked the contest for years. As the days shorten and the leaves turn, enjoy a taste of New England at the historic Salem Cross Inn.

Webster House cookbook coming out this fall

Nancy Salem, Joshua Chaffee and Martha Salem-Leasca near the garden as Chaffee holds a jar of his homemade pickles made from cucumbers in the Salem Cross garden. CHRISTINE PETERSON

Lee also are on the committee. Stay tuned for more cookbook information. It definitely will be a local best seller as Liazos was beloved by family and friends. He also was a community leader and generously supported Worcestersponsored events. I especially look forward to the book and the dessert recipes, some of which Liazos forwarded to me before he passed. The recipes got me back into the test kitchen!

Big E food favorites available in drive-thru

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

Eastern States Exposition announced Big E food favorites would be available at a Food-To-Go Drive Thru at The Big E grounds in West Springfield, sponsored by Westfield Bank. Drive-Thru will operate Sept. 22-27; Sept. 29-Oct. 4; Oct. 6-11; Oct. 13-18. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Different vendors will bring their

iconic Big E foods to the fair grounds. There is a $5 per vehicle entry fee and reservations for a specific time slot must be made online in advance. Food purchases are not included in the vehicle entry fee. All vehicles will follow a one-way route through the fairgrounds, passing by each vendor. A bypass lane will be available along the route. The Drive-Thru is open to standard passenger vehicles only. Visit www.thebige.com for more information. Special offers will be announced on social media. “It’s clear The Big E will be missed, and this is our way of creating a safe, socially distant opportunity to present the genuine foods people have come to know and love, and continue to create memories for our guests,” said ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy. “This is the real thing.” A maximum of 50 cars per hour within two-hour time slots will be registered each day. All time slots are final.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

The Webster House Restaurant cookbook should be available to the public this fall, according to the committee members who have worked tirelessly to make the late Chris Liazos’ dream cookbook a reality. Liazos passed last year after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He and his late wife, Helena, owned and operated the former Webster House Restaurant in Worcester for more than 30 years. “The cookbook is one written by employees for the loyal customers, former employees and anyone who has interest in a feel-good story about life behind the scenes in a restaurant,” said cookbook committee member Deborah Alcorn. “The Webster House Cookbook, Recipes, People, History” has more than 250 pages, 60 of which are devoted to just desserts, said Alcorn. Photos in the book date as far back as 1939, she said. Liazos had taken on the cookbook project before his death, outlining plans at cookbook committee meetings held in his Worcester home, where there was endless food talk and tastings. It was his wish that proceeds from the book would be given to a local charity, such as the Worcester County Food Bank, said Alcorn. The cookbook committee includes former Webster House Restaurant employees Alcorn, executive chef Joan St. Denis Clarico, Cindy Garvin, Ann Robert and Ray Young. Gloria St. Denis and Rod

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

ost days you’ll find Josh Chaffee of Warren at his maintenance job at Salem Cross Inn in West Brookfield. For a few days this summer he wore a different hat, making pickles for the business. Sweet, crunchy bread and butter pickles that are served alongside sandwiches and burgers on the Salem Cross menu. “This was by far our biggest year for cucumbers,” said Salem Cross general manager Nancy Salem, explaining how the inn’s garden at times seemed to grow out of control. “With a cuke dilemma, Josh said, ‘I know what to do. Make pickles.’ He went into the kitchen and made these amazing pickles,” said Salem. “We only hope our supply will last long enough to take us into November.” Chaffee loves to cook and annually freezes and pickles produce from his own garden. Early on, he was given a recipe for homemade pickles from his “Aunt Judy,” who got the handwritten recipe from his grandmother. Chaffee has made the pickles ever since, omitting peppers from the original brine recipe and adding a spice or two of his own. He doesn’t share the recipe, he said, preferring to keep it in the family. Chaffee has worked at the inn for three years. At home, he stocks his kitchen shelves and freezer with food he’s prepared during the summer and fall. He recently picked the last of his tomato crop, making tomato sauce for winter months. The slow-simmered sauce has a fresh, vibrant flavor and makes his homemade lasagna the best, he said, and the perfect option for large family get-togethers (pre-COVID-19) or even a weeknight dinner. His pickled garden medley signals the end of summer. Chaffee takes pride in the work he does, said Salem, and also is a passionate home cook. Nancy Salem and siblings Richard, John, David and Robert (Bo) Salem and Martha SalemLeasca and Heather Salem, all of the Henry Salem family, own and operate the Salem Cross Inn, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2021. When it comes to dining at Salem Cross, guests will discover operational changes as a result of

COVID-19. The business strictly adheres to state regulations on mask wearing, social distancing, sanitation, etc. Guests currently have the option of indoor and outdoor seating. I recommend taking advantage of outdoor reservations while you still can. Being seated at one of the tables on the lawn (side and back of inn) offers a spectacular view of the landscape and is very serene. Early autumn is a magical time of year in New England, especially at this historic landmark. Food and service also hit high marks. It’s mind-boggling how wait staff juggle trays of drinks, walking up and down the lawn without spilling a drop. Salem-Leasca describes the lawn gazebo as a special place, or a private dining room for up to six people. Guests have told the owners that outdoor dining at the inn is like a Sound of Music experience, she said. Some garden flowers still are in bloom, fresh herbs are picked daily and Salem Inn’s cattle can be seen roaming the fields. There’s a lot to take in, said Salem-Leasca. “Some days there’s quite a show out there.” Salem Cross Inn is notably known for annual events, such as the popular Drover’s Roast, Fireplace Feast, Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas festivities. It’s also a popular wedding venue and tourist attraction. “COVID-19 put a damper on a lot of our events,” said Nancy Salem. “As for weddings, couples are rescheduling into next year, and we are very lucky to have smaller weddings scheduled for the remaining year. “There’s so much space that we aren’t able to use,” said Salem. “We have socially distanced tables in all our dining areas and comply with all the rules surrounding food and alcohol. We especially appreciate that our guests tell us that they feel very safe dining here,” said Salem. “We want everyone to be safe and comfortable. Both guests and employees.” Plans for Thanksgiving Dinner at Salem Cross are in the works, according to Salem, who said holiday updates would be posted early next month at www.salemcrossinn.com. Current hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Call (508) 867-2345 for reservations and more

CITY LIFE

FILM

Not in the mood for a downer JIM KEOGH

alking to my sister the other day, I asked what she’s been watching. Episodes of “30 Rock” on Hulu, she said, “The Office” on Netflix, and any movie that makes her laugh. There is no room in her psyche for anything too grim these days. A favorite novel of hers, Wally Lamb’s “I Know This Much is True” — about identical twins, one an institutionalized schizophrenic, whose lives come undone — was made into an HBO miniseries she still hasn’t seen, in part because of my non-recommendation. I believe the words “relentless downer” were nested somewhere in my review to her. “I don’t need that right now,” she conceded. “Only comedies.” I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard similar sentiments from friends, family and co-workers. During the cataclysm that is 2020, our own annus horribilis, many are seeking comfort from sources that soothe rather than agitate — funny movies,

Skyler Gisondo appears in “The Social Dilemma.” NETFLIX

nostalgic TV shows, heartwarming videos about different species of animals becoming fast friends. These people are not entirely burying their heads in the sand, they are simply being choosier about which negative stimuli to be assaulted with at any given time. I’m with them. At the end of a long work day, often dealing with matters related to the pandemic, I’m in no mood to subject myself to crime shows, talking-head politics, or

most documentaries (a genre I normally love). Until Saturday, the last documentary I’d watched was “Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of the Dana Carvey Show,” which detailed the former “SNL” actor’s gloriously irreverent, and tragically short-lived, 1996 sketch show that shredded the playbook about what was acceptable on network television. Apparently, Carvey, as Bill Clinton, breast-feeding a litter of Golden Retriever puppies was not.

I said “until Saturday” because this past Saturday I settled in to watch “The Social Dilemma,” and emerged from it wishing I’d instead watched puppies lapping at Dana Carvey’s fake teats. The documentary features a series of tech experts describing the ways social media has corrupted our political and cultural space, feeding us an algorithm-determined “reality” that buttresses our world views and leaves us incapable of considering alternative opinion or even objective fact. The designers of some of the most popular platforms (including some who appear in this film, blowing the whistle on the “persuasive technology” they helped develop) are blunt about the tactics used to addict social media users, who are briefly energized by the dopamine hits to their brain supplied by every “Like” and every affirming comment made after a post. From there, “The Social Dilemma” connects the dots to authoritarian governments’ deployment of social media to influence elections, arouse

public sentiment and even promote genocide, as evidenced by the Myanmar military’s use of Facebook to incite the massacre of the Rohingya people. A few years ago, Joaquin Phoenix starred in the film “Her,” about a man who falls in love with his computer’s operating system. I concluded my review of “Her” with this: “The ‘Terminator’ movies envisioned a day when artificial intelligence would grow self-aware then crush the world with an army of cyborg assassins. Forget about it. Computers will do more damage by becoming our best friends and then taking us down one broken heart at a time.” I still believe it. As I write this, artificial intelligence has recorded my last keystroke and is already predicting my next one. By now, I’m sure it’s assembling a list of movie comedies that will miraculously pop up on my news feed, setting me up for the heartbreak yet to come.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

NEW ON DVD

‘Babyteeth’ builds depth of joy amid family tragedy KATIE FORAN - MCHALE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

vibrant story gives new life to the coming-of-age sick teen subgenre in the top new DVD releases for the week of Sept.

22. “Babyteeth”: As teenager Milla (Eliza Scanlen) zones out while waiting for the train, a considerable distance from her peers, she looks a little too longingly at the tracks below. When the train barrels toward the platform, she sharply inhales after being shoved by a 23-year-old man, Moses (Toby Wallace). It’s the breath of fresh air she needs, in the midst of dealing with cancer, chemo and loneliness. As the two become friends, her parents, Anna and Henry (Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn), struggle between the sketchiness of the age difference, let alone Moses’ criminal leanings, and seeing their dying daughter reawaken to the world. For a film swirling around death, it

glows with life, with small moments carrying the most weight: Anna smiling at Milla passionately dancing to Sudan Archives at a music lesson, a pregnant neighbor going into labor, an impromptu photo session at the beach that leaves Henry attempting to hide his devastation in seeing Milla hint at her final days. Davis’ effortless charm shines through Anna’s drug-addled coping mechanisms, while Mendelsohn achieves melancholic disconnect without hiding Henry’s humanity, and the spirited soundtrack is perfectly complemented by a heavy string score by Amanda Brown. Director Shannon Murphy and writer Rita Kalnejais ultimately succeed in taking a coming-of-age subgenre that has become familiar in recent years and making it as lively as Milla’s bright blue wig. ALSO NEW ON DVD SEPT. 22 “Babysplitters”: Two couples who aren’t wild about the concept of having a baby decide to share one among the four of them. Stars Maiara Walsh, Danny Pudi, Emily Chang and

Eddie Alfano. “Beckman”: A former assassin who now serves as a church pastor (David A.R. White) seeks revenge against a cult leader who took his daughter away. “Full Metal Jacket”: The classic 1987 Vietnam film directed by Stanley Kubrick is being released in 4K resolution. “Iceland Is Best”: Discouraged by her community, an Icelandic teenager (Kristin Auður Sophusdottir) dreams of moving to The Golden State. “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Fifth Season”: The CW superhero series picks up after the Legends have gained celebrity and respect for defeating Neron. “Man with a Plan: Season 3”: The CBS sitcom returns as Adam (Matt LeBlanc) and Andi (Liza Snyder) have decided to begin working together professionally. “Rick and Morty: Season 4”: The hit Adult Swim animated series makes its return after a two-year

break. “Sanctuary, Season 1”: Canadian sci-fi series follows an organization that hunts supernatural creatures. “The Good Fight: Season Four”: The CBS All Access legal drama starring Christine Baranski kicks off with an alternate timeline in which Hillary Clinton won the 2016 presidential election. “The Secret: Dare to Dream”: A struggling widow (Katie Holmes) meets a handyman (Josh Lucas) who teaches her about the law of attraction. OUT ON DIGITAL HD SEPT. 22 “Jay Sebring ... Cutting to the Truth”: Documentary follows the life and legacy of the hairstylist, who was murdered by members of the Manson Family. “Let It Snow”: A snowboarder (Ivanna Sakhno) sets off on a dangerous journey and faces bitter cold, as well as a masked pursuer on a snowmobile. “Resisterhood”: Documentary

follows the movement that kicked off with the 2017 Women’s March following President Donald Trump’s inauguration. “Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story”: Documentary shows behind-the-scenes look at the women powering action sequences since the dawn of cinema. “The Swerve”: A woman (Azura Skye) struggling with insomnia begins to question her reality. OUT ON DIGITAL HD SEPT. 23 “I’ll Be Around”: Scores of 30-somethings reveal complications in their lives at a post-punk music festival. OUT ON DIGITAL HD SEPT. 25 “LX 2048”: A dying man (James D’Arcy) fights to keep his family safe as the sun’s toxic rays prevent anyone from going outside during the day. “Misbehaviour”: A group of ‘70s era feminists attempt to take over a London-based beauty competition. Stars Keira Knightley, Gugu MbathaRaw and Jessie Buckley.

CITY LIFE

THE NEXT DRAFT

State’s newest brewery prepares to open in Millbury MATTHEW TOTA

Rondeau needed to start applying for licenses and searching for space for his brewery. Preparations were going smoothly until COVID-19 delayed the brewery’s planned opening date several months. Rondeau is hoping to partner with local restaurants to fulfill the state’s food requirement for breweries. The brewery does not have any outdoor space, but Rondeau said the taproom is large enough to keep tables spread safely apart. I didn’t get to try any of Penny Pinchers’ beer, so what struck me the most about the brewery was how refreshingly realistic its owners were in accepting that they likely can’t offer anything wildly different from

the more than 200 other breweries in the state. “There are yoga classes at some breweries. Some breweries have you pet cows. Some have cupcake decorating events,” Katrina Rondeau said. “I love the brewing industry just because it is so fun. I don’t know if we can actually differentiate ourselves much more from any of these other places. But I think for us, it’s about offering an inviting location with a great assortment of beers that people are intrigued to try.” To follow Penny Pinchers’ progress as it nears its November opening, check the brewery out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennyPinchersBrewing, Twitter @PennyPinchBrew, or Instagram, @pennypinchersbrewing.

Bon” have the trio mulling their hard luck, trying their hands as bards and taking their act to Paris, where they rob wealthy parties with a little help from ladies of the court. Indeed, while there’s hilarity and romance throughout the album, there’s also been a much subtler revolutionary streak, and while it begins to burble over with “C’est Bon,” it barrels forward with the raucous explosion of rock ‘n’ roll, “A Modest Proposal.”: “No

Cake! No Bread!/Let’s eat the rich instead!/Maybe then we’ll have our fill/ We have — no need/For aristocracy!/ Never have and never will.” It’s about here where the album lays its cards on the table, taking us from cheeky, Adam Ant-inspired playacting with fun, silly songs to full-on French Revolution against a legitimately oppressive aristocracy. That they follow it up with an adaptation of the Phil Ochs folk classic,

“The Ringing of Revolution” only hammers the point home: “And the quivering floor responds to the roar,/ In a shake no longer surprising./As closer and closer comes the ringing of revolution.” But rest assured, this is still a devilish and mischievous album, and rather than ending on a big “Les Miserables” number, they take a much more whimsical bow with “French Court Ladies,” where they sing,

“Vive la France! Vive la Revolution!/ Though our hearts are French, we can’t stay here with you/For England is where we avoid apprehension/ Though the politics change — the rogues never do.” No, they don’t, do they? And it’s that sense of wicked mischief that makes this album such a charming delight.

echoes through the next song, “Heart of Steel.” Things take a comic turn again with “The Ballad of the Dandy Highwaymen,” which explains why there are only three highwaymen in the band, and what happened to the others, whereas “Let’s Go” and “C’est

slowly getting more feedback on his beers, giving him the confidence needed to jump from homebrewing to commercial brewing. Not all of the experiences have been positive, though. In 2018, Rondeau brought some his beer to the Spirit of Hudson festival and though he made clear Penny Pinchers was not an active, licensed brewery, he was reported to the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control Commission for potentially operating an illegal brewery. Two Northbridge cops came to his door after the event to check that he was not in fact brewing commercially from his basement. That incident, while unsettling, was a good thing for Penny Pinchers, as it ended up being the final push

MATTHEW TOTA

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

LISTEN UP

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 16

From left, Jody Barton, Jason Rondeau and Katrina Rondeau are opening Penny Pinchers Brewing Co. in downtown Millbury this winter.

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

ost breweries begin with a dedicated homebrewer who sets out to grasp that ever-elusive dream of transforming a passion into a profession. I have heard and read so many of these tales that they’ve all blended together into one standard origin story. But what separates one brewer from another isn’t how they honed their craft, but why. So last week when I met Jason Rondeau, the co-owner and head brewer at Penny Pinchers Brewing Co., a new brewery opening downtown this winter, I was not so much interested in hearing his wild adventures in homebrewing. No, I wanted to know what motivated him to invest his future in a hobby. After 15 years of homebrewing, Rondeau said it was his father’s death in 2018 that finally spurred him to take a chance at opening his own brewery. “It made me realize life is short, and I don’t want to have any regrets,” Rondeau said. “I look at my dad’s life: He lived the way he wanted to live. He didn’t have one regret. He did what he wanted to do and had a great time doing it. I looked back on that, and thought, ‘If I don’t try this, I’ll always wonder what if ?’ Even if it fails, we can say we tried it.” Penny Pinchers will open an 1,800-sqaure-foot taproom at 75 Elm St. as early as November. Rondeau plans to work in a makeshift onebarrel brewhouse, brewing twice a week to start. His wife, Katrina, and his friend, Jody Barton, are his fellow co-founders. All three of will operate a brewery while keeping their day jobs as dutiful TJX Companies Inc. employees.

The name of their brewery is quite literal. Rondeau and Barton got into brewing after a Groupon for a homebrewing course. And they have taken the penny-pinching approach to nearly every aspect of the brewery, including reusing Rondeau’s weathered homebrewing pots rather than investing in new equipment and helping their contractor with the taproom’s construction to save on labor costs. “Pinching pennies is kind of how we were able to get the taproom,” Rondeau said. “It’s not that it is cheap or looks cheap; we just put a lot of sweat equity into this place.” The downtown storefront they chose was in shambles when they signed the lease last year. Through the years, 75 Elm St. has been the home of a consignment shop, bakery and pharmacy. And Rondeau believes Millbury is excited for the space’s next life as a brewery. “The town clerk can’t wait to come in and have a beer to see what we’ve done with it,” Rondeau said. “We constantly have people looking in the windows and giving us the thumbs up.” The Rondeaus initially looked for a site in Northbridge, their hometown, but could not find affordable real estate. Millbury was the next closest option. It allows Rondeau to brew at night while still just a short drive away from home. Construction on the taproom wrapped up last month. Now Rondeau is ready to set up and test his brewhouse. He will debut with four core beers on tap: a creamy golden ale that drinks like a stout, an East Coast, though not hazy, IPA, a blueberry wheat beer brewed with graham crackers, and a pilsner with Australian hops. Over the years, Rondeau has been

CITY LIFE

ADOPTION OPTION Welcome to Adoption Option, a partnership with the Worcester Animal Rescue League highlighting their adoptable pets. Check this space often to meet all of the great pets at WARL in need of homes. WARL is open seven days a week, noon-4 p.m., 139 Holden St. Check them out online at Worcesterarl.org, or call at (508) 853-0030.

ANJIE COATES FURRY TAILS GROOMING SALON & SPA

Meet Max. This exuberant and loveable boy is a lot

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

of fun! Max was surrendered to the shelter after his family found out they weren’t allowed to have dogs where they were living. Max is in his adolescent years, which means he has the energy to burn and things to learn. Max is a happy-go-lucky guy who is excited to meet new people and other dogs. He plays rough, jumps and uses his mouth to play, making him ideal for a family with teenagers or older. Max knows his basic commands, but needs some help with leash manners and impulse control. This active boy would be great for a family who is outdoorsy and likes to hike or jog. Max also has a sweet and sensitive side making him a great snuggler and kisser. If you would like to make an appointment to meet him, please contact the shelter.

WARL COVID-19 Procedures As of March 25, 2020

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

• ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030. • SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off/pick up procedures. • DONATIONS: We will not be accepting linens of any kind or used, stuffed dog toys. While we are grateful for your thoughtfulness, we will not accept these donations if brought to the shelter. • Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can be purchased online from our Amazon Wishlist - https://www.amazon.com/gp/ registry/wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0

• Weekly training classes are suspended until further notice. • The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we can. We have many animals in our care who depend on us to stay healthy and well. The above measures help to protect our staff and community from the spread of COVID - 19 by minimizing face-to-face interactions while continuing to operate only core essential services. Please continue to follow our Facebook page for additional updates. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the shelter at (508) 853-0030 or info@worcesterarl.org.

Thank you for your continued FURiendship and support.

GAMES

J O N E S I N’

39 Activity done in heated beds 43 Well-known quotations, often 45 “Are you a man ___ mouse?” 47 Warm up after being in the freezer 49 Amounts on a bill 50 Liability counterpart 51 Physiques, in entertainment tabloids 52 Lotion ingredient 53 Actress Sorvino 55 Shower gel, essentially 56 Hit for The Kinks 57 Actor McGregor 60 Clumsy sort 61 Org. that provides W-2 forms

Last week's solution

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Down 1 Like some checks: Abbr. 2 Operatic solo 3 Sty dwellers 4 Crafty plans 5 Symbols after brand names 6 Rule over a kingdom 7 Chilean mountain range 8 Checklist component 9 Rawls of R&B 10 “Land sakes alive that’s awesome!” 11 Prefix for byte meaning “billion” 12 Amorphous clump 15 Jam, margarine, or cream cheese, e.g. 18 Sci-fi film set inside a computer 23 Exercise machine unit 25 Makes embarrassed 26 Class warmup before a big exam 27 Postpone 28 Make big speeches 29 Do the “I am not a crook” thing with the V-signs, for example? 30 Three, in Germany 31 Completely devour 32 ___ fatty acids 35 Troy’s friend on “Community” 36 Under the weather

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

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

Across 1 What your answers must be written in to understand the theme 5 Hiking path 10 “Which came first?” choice 13 Clapton or Cartman 14 Candy branded as “The Freshmaker” 16 Stuff to fix a squeaky hinge 17 Aligned correctly 19 Pompous attribute 20 Stun gun relative 21 Jewel 22 Amy Winehouse hit song 24 Complainer’s sounds 26 1980s hairstyle that may have involved a kit 27 Donut shop quantities 30 Cop show with the line “Just the facts, ma’am” 33 Cupid’s Greek counterpart 34 Wire-___ (like some terriers’ coats) 37 Rowboat propeller 38 Transmit electronically, in a way 39 Devices that, when turned, adjust themselves (just like the theme answers) 40 Greek vowel 41 Suffix form for twenty and thirty, but not ten 42 Audrey Tautou’s quirky title role of 2001 43 Stay away from 44 Moved the borders to create a new area, perhaps 46 They’re collected in passports 48 Coffee dispensers 49 Cartoonist Guisewite, or her comic strip 51 Faith whose name comes from the Arabic for “glory” 53 Rapper ___ Def 54 Walkway on an airline flight 58 Bullfighting cheer 59 What Neil Armstrong partook in, e.g. 62 Homer’s outburst 63 It may be tossed after a wedding 64 Charity benefit, maybe 65 Take notice 66 Some religious observances 67 Stretch across

“Adjusted to Fit Your Screen”--what the flip is going on? [#590, Sept. 2012] By Matt Jones

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LAST CALL

Naomi Augustin marketing intern in the time of COVID T

TED

Is there a mechanism for you all to get tested at Clark whenever you need to? Yeah. You can get tested whenever you need to, but it’s mandated that you get tested every three days,

That’s awesome. What advice do you have for young people interested in studying marketing? I think if there’s one thing I’ve learned this year with the influence of Professor Law-

– Sarah Connell Sanders

Yes, I had the pleasure of sitting in on one of his classes and by the end, I was like, “Where do I sign up?” I think this was my favorite class that I’ve taken at Clark. It was definitely not conventional, which is something you expect here. He had my attention throughout the whole semester. It was one of the classes that I looked forward to every week. He taught us lessons, but not

Can you share one of the strategies you proposed, or are they top secret? Sure. In regards to colors, I suggested the importance of understanding the emotion that is tied to your brand’s specific colors. For example, their website was a shade of green that was not associated with the tone of their business. Also, their content menu on the website kind of began to assimilate to other websites in the industry. I wanted to make sure Start Line would stand out from the rest of the industry as a whole.

Are most of your classes over Zoom? Yes. I have one that’s a hybrid.

Is it a pretty quick process? It only takes five minutes.

rence and Clark as a whole, it’s that even as a college student, just remember, you’re also building your brand. You’re building a picture of who you are. It’s not only corporations or companies that have a brand; you as an individual also have a brand. Represent yourself in the best way possible, especially when you interact with professionals in the industry. A lot of people are watching. As you go through college, take advantage of the strong influences and opportunities that are provided to you.

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Can you talk about how you landed an internship after taking a class with Professor Lawrence Norman? I was really interested in the class overall. My entrepreneurship minor advisor actually told me that this was a new course Clark was offering and she thought I would be a good fit. I decided to take it. Professor Lawrence was definitely not your average college professor.

What is it like being a college student right now? A little weird. It does not feel like we’re going to college, but I have a lot of work that definitely makes me a college student. I’m a fifth-year grad student. It has been a shift from undergrad to graduate-level work because it requires more personal responsibility.

which is basically twice a week.

S E P T E M B E R 24 - 30, 2020

What are you studying? My major is business management. I’m on a marketing track with a double minor in entrepreneurship and East Asian studies.

What sort of responsibilities did they task you with? I was responsible for analyzing marketing strategies within the brewing industry in Massachusetts. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Massachusetts Brewers Guild. It’s a collection of breweries that came together to strengthen the industry, and I was tasked with looking at how they promote themselves to their customers. It was a combination of learning and consulting. One thing I learned about was the impact of branding colors and the importance of constructing your website in a way that makes it easy to view. Funny enough, I learned that a lot of breweries do not have websites built to sustain viewers by allowing them to browse. That was interesting. I came forward with a couple of recommendations for the company moving forward. The owner said he will be implementing some of the strategies that I suggested. In a few months, we’ll be able to see how Start Line has progressed.

The brewing industry is notorious for marginalizing women and people of color. Was that something that you felt comfortable addressing during your internship? Yes, I had a valuable discussion at the end of my internship. I think, moving forward, understanding that human rights is a part of sustainability is pivotal. Overall, addressing issues that are beyond business is so important. I think one thing the company took away from my work is that it is important to have an overall brand purpose. Implementing your beliefs into your brand personality is a real challenge.

S U B M IT

How did you end up in Worcester? I am originally from Saint Lucia, a really small Caribbean Island, but my family came up here so I could go to high school. Funny story, I actually did not apply to Clark. I didn’t know much about Clark until I learned I got accepted. When I came to visit, I was happy because I had been looking for a small, very intimate college.

concepts that can only be applied academically; they applied to the real world. Basically, he coaches you in learning how to tell a story, how to brand yourself, and how to stand out while applying for jobs. When it came time for me to pursue an internship, he kind of acted as a network. Start Line Brewing Company is where I interned as a marketing consultant.

P H OTO

he 2020 job market is, well — bleak. But, superstar Clark professor (and Adidas alumnus) Lawrence Norman continues to push his students to seek experience in the field. As a result, Naomi Augustin’s stint with Start Line Brewing Company taught her the value of nuance, storytelling and building a personal brand. We spoke with her this week about navigating graduate school in an unprecedented time and the importance of gaining authentic experience.

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