Worcester Magazine October 1 - 7, 2021

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IN THIS ISSUE

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

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Featured ..............................................................................4 City Voices ........................................................................10 Cover Story.......................................................................13 Artist Spotlight................................................................18 Next Draft .........................................................................20 New on DVD .....................................................................24 Last Call.............................................................................25 Adoption Option.............................................................28 Classifi eds ........................................................................29 Games................................................................................30

On the cover Worcester arts venues, including the Hanover Theatre, the Palladium, Mechanics Hall and the DCU Center, are being forced to make tough choices about mask mandates and proof of vaccination.

COVER BY DANI CHERCHIO/USA TODAY NETWORK; AND GETTY IMAGES.

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FEATURED

Dorrance Dance will perform Oct. 2 at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. The show will also be the official opening of Music Worcester’s 2021-22 season. PROVIDED PHOTO

Dorrance Dance opens season for Music Worcester at Hanover Theatre Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Dorrance Dance had a date with Music Worcester last November.

“This is the story, I’m afraid, of a ton of performers,” said Michelle Dorrance — dancer, choreographer, MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellow, and founder and

artistic director of the awardwinning New York City tap dance company that bears her name — about the way the pandemic cut into shows and schedules.

“The arts and performing artists were about the last to return to doing our job in some normal sense of the word,” she said.

As matters have worked out, however, Dorrance Dance will

not only be in Worcester to perform at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m. Oct. 2, but the show will also be the offi cial opening of Music Worcester’s 2021-22 season.

“I’m so looking forward to it,” Dorrance said. “The reason we do what we do is we believe in live performance.”

The program will feature “SOUNDSpace” (2013) with

choreography by Dorrance, solo improvisation by the dancers, additional choreography

by Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie and Byron Tittle, and music by Gregory Richardson There will be seven to eight dancers on the stage, with Richardson on upright bass.

Originally a work that explored the unique acoustics of New York City’s St. Mark’s Church through the myriad sounds and

textures of the feet, “SOUNDspace” has been adapted and continues to explore what is most beautiful and exceptional about tap dancing — movement as music, Dorrance said.

“This is one of my favorite works I’ve ever made,” she sad.

St. Mark’s Church is “still a practicing church” that has a dance space and presents See DORRANCE, Page 5

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Dorrance Continued from Page 4

dance there, she said.

The work epitomizes Dorrance’s belief that tap dance is a musical form of expression.

“Absolutely. Equal parts music and dance for sure,” she said. “As a young person, live music is what inspired me the most.”

Dorrance Dance has musicians on its team as well as tap dancers. Richardson’s bass will be an important component of “SOUNDspace.” “You’ll hear him before you see him,” Dorrance said.

Oct. 2 won’t be her fi rst time stepping foot, so to speak, in Worcester. She was in the cast of “Stomp” when the show previously made one of its visits to The Hanover Theatre. “We had a great time here,” she said.

This summer she was “one of many dancers” who performed a sequence shot at Mechanics Hall for an Apple TV+ remake of “A Christmas Carol,” with Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer.

“We got to hang in Worcester. It was a blast.” Dorrance said she sat in a cigar bar after fi lming, and “felt I had a Worcester evening that night.”

Opening Music Worcester’s season will also be the start of a small tour for Dorrance Dance.

The pandemic shut down shows, and over the last 18 months “we’re having this reawakening in terms of how oppressive our culture is in terms of racial justice,” Dorrance said.

Dance, “Brings people together.”

“SOUNDSpace,” meanwhile, “needs the space and the audience to exist.”

Originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Dorrance is a daughter of M’Liss Dorrance, a former ballet dancer and the founder and director of the Ballet School of Chapel Hill, and Anson Dorrance, a successful women’s soccer coach.

“I grew up doing what both of them do,” Dorrance said, not-

The program will feature “SOUNDSpace,” with choreography by Michelle Dorrance, solo improvisation by the dancers, additional choreography by Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie and Byron Tittle, and music by Gregory Richardson. PROVIDED PHOTO

ing that both activities involved the feet. Her parents are also “both deeply musical,” she said.

At her mother’s ballet school, Dorrance took lessons with Gene Medler, “an incredible teacher and tap dance teacher.” She took to tap dance very quickly. “I can barely remember a time when it (tap dance) wasn’t my favorite thing.”

Dorrance performed (including “Stomp”) and taught, and founded Dorrance Dance in 2011. Its goal is “to engage with audiences on a musical and emotional level, and to share the complex history and powerful legacy of this American art form.”

One headline to a story on Dorrance said “Meet Michelle Dorrance, A White Woman Dancer Paying Homage To

Black Tap History.” Dorrance thought the headline was good.

“All of us in our generation, regardless of color, we are responsible for the legacy of tap dancing.” That story is “largely untold,” Dorrance said. “(Through) All the horrors and ugliness of racism and slavery and minstrelsy to what we consider to be American music, tap dance is the story of white culture appropriating black culture. The stories we don’t hear very often — a lot of the originators are Black dancers whose names we don’t know. We all know Fred Astaire, right? Few people know the people who taught Fred Astaire or Ann Miller.”

Dorrance said Mable Lee, a Black American jazz tap dancer, singer and entertainer who died in 2019 at the age of 97 (”we thought she would reach

100, she had so much energy”), was a teacher and a friend. She is very aware of her legacy.

“We have to share the history. Without it we are nothing,” Dorrance said.

Tap dance has been making a revival. Dance Magazine in a piece on trends for the 2020s said, “tap will make a major comeback.”

“I’m so proud people are preserving tap dancing now,” Dorrance said.

“People say, ‘I didn’t realize tap dance was music.’ ‘I didn’t think tap dance could make me cry.’”

Nevertheless, “What wasn’t happening at the time I brought everyone together was work being created for my peers and the generation underneath me … How do we bring this together to push into framing and setting up a lot of the unique

voices around me? New York in 2011 was overfl owing with unique voices that were tap dancers, and I had a vision for them.”

With that, Dorrance added, “I didn’t think I was starting a business.”

But she was, and being awarded a Genius Grant in 2015 had an impact on several levels.

“It was terrifying, of course,” Dorrance said.

She was also relieved.

“I had gotten into so much debt. Tap dance kind of functions from a space of scarcity. It was terrifying because I am one of many dancers. For me it’s hard to be singled out. Tap dancing is the thing that should be singled out.”

On a practical level, the grant “helped the company survive,” and looking ahead, Dorrance would like establish “a permanent home for tap dance.”

At a recent rehearsal, the realities of being a tenant in New York City were underscored by neighbors complaining.

Tap dance has to be performed on a wooden fl oor, Dorrance noted.

“We tour with a fl oor. We’re not gonna dance on plastic.”

With a permanent home for tap dance, “We’ll all get to use it. I have all the dreams. Now I’m telling you, we have to make sure it happens,” Dorrance said.

“We’re becoming more and more aware of how big a name Michelle Dorrance is in the dance world,” said Adrien C. Finlay, executive director of Music Worcester.

After postponement and rescheduling, “We’re just happy it’s fi nally happening,” he said of both the performance and the opening of the 2021-22 season.

The season will include at least two other acclaimed dance companies, as well as orchestras, chamber groups, jazz, a singer-songwriter, and Music Worcester’s own distinguished Worcester Chorus.

See DORRANCE, Page 6

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Worcester native Alicia Witt off ers up new album, tour and upcoming book which Witt might break out as an accomplished singer-songUSA TODAY NETWORK writer and a celebrated book author and she couldn’t be hapNot only did Worcester na- pier, Witt’s career has included tive Alicia Witt keep her collective wits during COVID, she recent roles in “Orange Is the made the most out of her New Black,” “Nashville,” “Twin downtime by staying very busy Peaks” and “Twin Peaks: The Return,” “The Walking Dead,” during the pandemic.

“Two Weeks NoHow busy you tice,” “88 Minutes” ask? and “Mr. Holland’s She has a new Opus”. album, “The ConAs she pursued duit,” which came acting, the former out last week. She child prodigy and kicks off a 14-city classically trained musical tour on pianist put her muOct. 1, starting with sical aspirations on The Middle East in the back burner Cambridge. And, Alicia Witt begins a until she hit her next week, her tour behind her new combination cook- album, “The Conduit,” 30s. Now her music is front and cenbook/memoir/life- in Cambridge Oct. 1. ter. style guide, “Small PROMOTIONAL PHOTO Arguably, Witt’s Changes: A Rulesnew album is her Free Guide to Add most fully realized More Plant-Based showcase as a Foods, Peace & singer/songwriter Power to Your Life,” to date. “The Concomes out on Harduit” is confi dent per Horizons. throwback to the “A few days after classic singerthe Nashville torsongwriters alnado (on March 2-3 bums of the ‘70s.

2020) I got the call Like Carole King, from my agent that Carly Simon and we had the off er Karen Carpenter from Harper Hori- “Small Changes,” before her, Witt is zon,” Witt, who Alicia Witt's fi rst intimate and ungrew up in West book. PROMOTIONAL guarded, honest Tatnuck, said on PHOTO and real. Her elethe phone from her Nashville home. “Then we had gant, understated piano playthe world under lockdown. My ing enhances her probing, pretour had been canceled so it cise words while lavish (but was the perfect time to just never overpowering) strings hunker down and instead of fo- make it sound like nothing on cusing on the terrifying world mainstream pop music today, events, just to focus on maybe which is totally intentional, she being able to help people a little said.

“The ‘70s singer-songwritbit through all of my various exers, that’s a genre I can listen to periences.”

While she is best known as all day long, every day. So my an actress, this is the year in hope was it would have a ‘70s Craig S. Semon

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Alicia Witt has a new album, “The Conduit,” which came out last week, and next week, her book “Small Changes: A Rules-Free Guide to Add More Plant-Based Foods, Peace & Power to Your Life,” comes out on Harper Horizons. TRAVIS COMMEAU

retro feeling and there’s even a line in one of the songs, ‘love songs from the ‘70s,’” Witt said.

“And, then at the same time, we have a couple of tracks, ‘Face Change’ and ‘The Ocean,’ which we could have veered into that genre but I liked the direction that we were going better so I didn’t want to uproot that and make it more ‘70s. So I love those songs, too.”

Witt’s previous albums are 2018’s “15,000 Days,” 2015’s “Revisionary History,” 2012’s “Live At Rockwood” and a selftitled EP in 2009. But “The Conduit” might prove to be her mainstream breakthrough.

“The fact that that all had to be put on hold, it gave the coproducers and I enough time to really muse on what we wanted each of those songs to be,” Witt said. “When we fi nally did get

into the studio, it was the smoothest recording process in the world because we had already done mockups, digitally, and we knew what we were creating.”

The album explores the personal connections individuals make in their lives, some which are immediate, some which are years, even decades, in the making.

“It’s the notion that we’re all conduits for someone and if we look back over our life at the relationships we have, the good and disappointing, everything leads to where we are right now,” Witt explained. “And once I got to that notion that you are the conduit, that made so much sense to me and then I thought, well I think maybe I have a lot of songs that have something to do with this con-

cept.”

Witt lives by the philosophy that the more personal you are in your music, the better.

“There are song songs that are very specifi cally personal.

They’re not all 100 percent autobiographic but what is true is that every song on this album started from that place,” Witt said. “I think any great music really leads you to a place of inspiration, hopefully. So a good song can spur you on and help you fi gure something out in your own life.”

Witt is especially proud of “Last Surviving Son,” a song she co-wrote with “American Idol” runner-up Crystal Bowersox.

“This was a melody that was knocking around in my head for See WITT, Page 8

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 7

Studio Theatre Worcester returns with stunning production of ‘Doubt’ Kevin T. Baldwin Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

This review takes on a slightly personal perspective.

In March 2020, mere days before the nation shut down due to COVID-19, I was fortunate enough to preview a performance of Studio Theatre Worcester’s production of John Patrick Shanley’s “DOUBT, A Parable.”

By this point, with as many cancelations as I was receiving, I was anticipating (but hoping I was wrong) that the production was going to be canceled.

Unfortunately, I was right.

However, what I witnessed was still an impressive “rehearsal,” which unfolded as if an actual live performance. At the time, I thought this was a show ready for its premiere. I could not see it getting ANY better.

Fortunately, I was wrong.

Five-hundred and sixty days later (more or less), the resurrected STW show is back and better than ever.

Featuring the same outstanding cast of four and a newer, more streamlined set, “Doubt” premiered Sept. 24 in its new performance space at the Salem Covenant Church in Worcester and should not, cannot, MUST NOT be missed.

Each actor brings a fully formed character to life and drives Shanley’s script with a grim if undeniable believability.

Set in the fall of 1964 at the fi ctitious St. Nicholas Church School, the play centers around a priest, Father Flynn (Todd Vickstrom), who becomes bitterly embroiled in defending himself against accusations of

‘Doubt, A Parable’ 4 stars Presented by Studio Theatre Worcester. Written by John Patrick Stanley. Directed by John Wayland Somers.

Performances: Oct. 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. at Salem Covenant Church, 215 Mountain Street East, Worcester.

General admission: Pay what you want.

Cast includes: Todd Vickstrom, Alexa Cadete, June Dever, Alexandra Barber.

inappropriate sexual conduct with a young African American male student. His accuser is Sister Aloysius (Alexa Cadete), the principal at the school.

Thanks to the superb approach each actor takes to their respective characters, Vickstrom and Cadete are successful at illuminating the highly toxic atmosphere created by “Doubt.”

Vickstrom balances his performance between a priest who may be innocent, a priest who may be guilty and priest who may or may not be guilty but, in any event, is still harboring a dangerous secret either for himself or someone he is trying to protect.

Sister Aloysius, a staunch conservative Catholic, has many presumptions about the guilt of the more progressive Father Flynn. She is certain, or at least convinced, about his being a predator serving in the guise of a man of the cloth. But she also has not one, single See DOUBT, Page 8

Todd Vickstrom as Father Flynn and Alexandra Barber as Sister James in a scene from “Doubt, A Parable.” AMY MAE PHOTOGRAPHY

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Doubt Continued from Page 7

ounce of concrete, credible proof. Only a theory. Still, she persists and, ultimately, is successful at creating enough “Doubt” that Flynn’s vocation becomes jeopardized.

Shanley’s story intentionally never reveals if Flynn actually molested Donald Muller, the Black youth in question. Instead, the focus on the youth takes on its own added dimension in a fi erce exchange between Sister Aloysius and the boy’s mother, Mrs. Muller (June Dever).

Here we learn that, before Flynn, Donald’s life was already at risk by his rejecting parents and neighborhood kids who saw him as having a virtual bullseye on his back.

In 1964, in any community (not just the urban inner-city African American communities) the term “Dead Man Walking” would most likely be applicable to this young man’s “future” and Mrs. Muller is fully aware of it.

It is clear, from some “in between the lines” moments provided by Shanley’s dialogue, that Mrs. Muller blames herself

Witt Continued from Page 6

quite a while and it was special to me and I was so grateful that when we had our writing session it just turned into the song that it became,” Witt said. “It’s such a complicated song and that’s the song that I personally toiled the most over, in terms of just making certain that every element of the arrangement was what I wanted, like the fi nal string part that fades out like all the lights just going out.”

Witt said there are a couple of songs on the album which the real-life inspiration does know they inspired it and then

June Dever as Mrs. Muller with Alexa Cadete as Sister Aloysius in “Doubt, A Parable.”

AMY MAE PHOTOGRAPHY

for producing a child both she and her husband see as a freak or “mistake”... but she still loves her child enough ... JUST enough ... to want to shelter him, even if it is by placing him in the care and supervision of a presumed sexual predator.

The one person struggling the most at determining the va-

lidity of the accusations made against Flynn is the young, pretty and thoroughly optimistic Sister James (Alexandra Barber). She is a perfect foil for the jaded, cynical Sister Aloysius.

But is her wanting to believe the possibility of Flynn’s innocence refl ective of her naivete

or faith? With the welfare and ultimate fate of a young person hanging in the balance, where should her (or anyone’s) cynicism or faith be placed?

These questions are left intentionally open by Shanley’s script and under the interpretive direction and guidance of the show’s director, John Som-

many others where they don’t.

While listeners will immediately gravitate to songs like “Talk to You,” “The Conduit,” “Down She Goes” and “Chasing Shadows,” other notable tunes include “Any Midnight,” which sounds like it could erupt into an Elton John-style honky tonk piano number at any moment, and the album’s stunning, bare-bones closing, “Someday,” which starts with Witt singing acapella.

“I’m happy with the way that one turned out,” Witt said of “Someday,” “And I’m grateful that it ended up being on the record because I love that it’s just piano and vocals. I wouldn’t really want anything else on it.”

Although she has had a hand in producing her last couple of Christmas songs (“I’m Not Ready for Christmas” and “Why Christmas”), “The Conduit” marks the fi rst time Witt serves as a producer on all of the tracks on one of her albums.

“I wanted to produce this album by myself with the co-producers so that every song felt like it was true to how I heard it in my head. And those strings make me so happy,” Witt said.

Another Witt milestone on the record, the single “Chasing Shadows” landed on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts and stayed there for fi ve weeks.

“If I had been there for one week, I would have been ec-

static to be able to forever say I was a Billboard charting artist, but I never imaged it was going to be there for fi ve weeks,” Witt said.

During the pandemic, Witt did a series of live-stream concerts from her Nashville home.

Starting on Friday in Cambridge, she will be playing in front of an audience in the same room for the fi rst time since the pandemic hit.

So is she ready to go back on the road?

“I am so, so ready, not nervous, just eager to do it. The only thing that I’m honestly aware of is that people are anxious about coming out and so I would like to encourage people to go ahead and come on out if

ers. The set, courtesy of David N. Farreh, is simplicity itself but placed within an actual church allows the church itself to become its own central character in the story.

The element of overwhelming speculation, of “doubt,” creates an atmosphere of such toxicity that eventually the innocent might as well BE guilty because judgment becomes rendered before the trial even begins.

Was Flynn guilty of his supposed crime? Given the long history of such predators lurking within the Catholic church, it would not be surprising.

But the fact is: we do not know. Only two people know for sure what happened during the “seclusion” of Father Flynn and young Donald Muller. Father Flynn, the boy ... and perhaps a black bird or two. But none are talking.

The show is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Admission is pay what you want: “We feel that this show deserves to be seen by all and are excited to increase access to the arts to everyone,” according to Studio Theatre Worcester.

Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)

they’re nervous. We’re defi nitely taking all the protocols and all the precautions that can be taken,” Witt said. “I can’t wait to get out. I just hope people come out to see the show because I don’t know when I will be able to hit the road again anytime soon, and my poor agent has booked it four times now. This is the fourth time she rescheduled it.”

Witt is also making the rounds promoting her book.

“Small Changes” is not your typical self-help book; Witt doesn’t pretend to be self-help expert or know-it-all fi tness guru but a friendly, reassuring voice sharing her personal exSee WITT, Page 9

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 9

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Alicia Witt will perform Oct. 1 at The Middle East in Cambridge.

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Witt Continued from Page 8

perience with fads, diets, exercise and veganism (although she’s a sucker for an occasional piece of salmon) and saying this works for me; if you make a few changes in your life, it may work for you. ”People don’t want to be lectured. They don’t want to be told how to eat or what is right for their body and their lifestyle,” Witt said.

“And I think that of the most well-meaning so-called help gurus can repulse exactly the people that need the help the most by giving them a list of rules and regulations and actually telling them that you might as well just quit if you’re

not going to be 100 percent vegan or 100 percent macrobiotic or 100 percent whatever …

You can change a few small things at a time and you do not need to drastically overhaul your own life. And you’re going to start to feel and notice the diff erence.”

Witt made her acting debut as Alia Atreides in David Lynch’s “Dune” when she was 7, and she said she’s eager to see the new “Dune” that came out in October.

“I think it looks fantastic and I think it also is paying homage to David’s original,” Witt said. “I would love to be a part of the ‘Dune’ universe again, like a diff erent role or something. I love that world.

It’s a magic world and I’m glad I got to be a part of it, the original.”

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CITY VOICES LANDGREN STATE TROOPERS QUITTING OVER VACCINE MANDATE MAY HAVE CAREER PATH AHEAD OF THEM

WORCESTERIA

FIRST PERSON

The view from a Worcester backyard Joe Fusco Jr. Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

We bought a DynaTrap online because our friends swore it eliminated mosquitoes from their backyard that is fi ve times larger than our urban lot.

We plugged it in early June and so far it has detained then executed approximately 7,112 moths, but the mosquitoes just hover around the device, mock the imprisoned moths, then bite us.

There are also rabbits in our backyard. They have burrowed under the slide of the old swing set and lounge on the lawn eating clover.

When I attempt to cut the grass, they stare me down like I’m Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction.” They don’t move until the mower’s a cottontail

away from maiming them.

Our neighbors behind our backyard play Spanish music LOUDLY when they wash their cars.

I’ll be in our 5,000 gallon above-ground pool in my purple speedo chillin’ to The Indigo Girls when their bass-beat sends shock waves across the placid waters.

I usually just poke my head above the fence between our properties and motion for them to turn down the volume … always to no avail.

Yesterday, I took out the old Boombox from storage, placed it behind the garage, and blasted Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” until they abandoned their cars and retreated inside. He does write the songs!

There’s also a cast-iron fi reSee BACKYARD, Page 12

A mural by Kristian Rodriguez on Harlow Street in Worcester. VICTOR D. INFANTE/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Artist Kristian Rodriguez creates new street mural for Harlow Street neighborhood Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the best things about living in Worcester is that every now and again, you turn a corner on a street you drive almost daily, and suddenly there’s something beautifully, vibrantly new. That was me last week, turning from Paine Street onto Harlow, and encountering the beautiful un-

derwater seascape mural creRodriguez says he was enated by multidisciplinary artist couraged to apply to do the Kristian Rodriguez, who also mural by his old high school works under the name Nu Ele- teacher, Liz Liedel. “She’s awement, with the help of some some,” he says, in a brief exneighborhood kids. change. “She always believed The street mural – located in my art.” Rodriguez says he next to St. Bernard’s Church – was a longshot to be chosen to was created at a block party do the mural, but was overSaturday, and features cartoo- joyed to have been chosen, “esny fi sh and a mermaid, all done pecially to see the outcome.” in bright, rich colors. It’s ex- He says the neighborhood had tremely striking, and charmSee ARTIST, Page 12 ing.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 11

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Troopers need to face consequences Paul Gallo Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Last year, eight Mass.

State troopers admitted to each stealing $40,000 or more by falsely reporting work hours. They have not been prosecuted. They have not forfeited their pensions as required by the regulations. Instead, they were allowed to “retire” and paid large buyout sums to do so.

Their only consequence has been to pay back what they stole. These troopers who swore an oath to serve and protect, grossly abused the trust placed in them. Obviously, these troopers had no respect for their badge.

They are not the only ones who have failed us. So has the Governor, the Mass Attorney General, the US Attorney, the Judicial Sys-

tem for allowing this travesty to inexplicably escape justice. Any ordinary citizen committing similar off enses would be punished as called for by our laws. We are taught that justice is blind, and equally applied to all citizens. Nobody is above the law. Right?

There is no justifi cation, no mitigating circumstances, no reason whatsoever for excusing these crimes. It is not too late to properly and equitably bring these criminals to justice. Doing so will surely help prove that there is equal justice for all, and show respect for the badge.

It’s time for our Government Leaders who tout commitment to our democratic principles, to actually show it by their actions.

Paul Gallo lives in Barre.

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12 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

POETRY TOWN

‘Indian Hill Elementary School’ Tony Fulginiti Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Mrs. Albee, shoeless, Sleeps and snores behind the desk.

Whispers of laughter from the rows.

What are we supposed to do?

We look at paintings and photos of dead Presidents.

They gaze down at Mrs. Albee A descendant of wise instruction Who dreams of Indian Wars White men’s blood on ice ponds She shifts weight in the ribbed, wooden chair And groans under war cries Of a once, peaceful village.

Tilting back her head she Offers a pale throat for the knife and bloody surrender.

She sees through the dim gauze Of smoke and snow Children in a circle before execution.

They laugh and snicker Which angers her.

She snores louder And gasps for breath Wonders why President Ulysses Grant Silent on the wall Does not stop the slaughter to come.

Artist Continued from Page 10D

come up with a few diff erent themes for the mural, so “I had to mash them all together into one cohesive piece.” It took two months to design the mural, but a DPW issue forced him to have to redesign the piece in just two days.

The mural, “stands for unity and believing in your dreams,” says Rodriguez. “I used to be the kid who drew in class and always got told to pay attention. Just be yourself.” Rodriguez came up with the design and sketched the outline, but neighborhood kids assisted him with the actual painting.

“It was touching to see all the kids come together,” he says, “because they’re the future and I hoped to inspire them along with the community … I have a daughter, too, so ultimately it’s to inspire her and show her what I was up to

back in my day.” He says, “I purposely made the mermaid dark-skinned so little girls could relate.”

As it is, it’s an extremely endearing piece of work, one Rodriguez expects to stick around, at least as long as the Black Lives Matter mural on Major Taylor Blvd., despite exposure to weather and especially tire marks.

“It’s there strong,” he says.

Required reading Community activist Em Quiles has an extremely compelling longform essay about mental health and self-care up on the Worcester Beacon website. It’s pretty much a must-read for anyone who has dealt with mental health issues, or has loved ones who have. Which, honestly, is pretty much everybody, whether you realize it or not. Depression and anxiety – which I’ve struggled with myself – can be immensely diffi cult to navi-

gate, especially when you’re in the middle of it, so Quiles’ essay makes for important and compelling reading.

“The truth is,” writes Quiles, “I have battled depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. It is one of those things that I can’t imagine how it would feel NOT to have. Like hemorrhoids, it shrinks and enlarges whenever the hell it feels like it. Aggravated by quite literally anything – seasons changing, life challenges, planets aligning inconveniently – it is something that I have to regularly re-learn how to live with. Managing my mental health can be incredibly diffi cult in and of itself. Still, it is even more challenging when you come from a cultural background that has conditioned you to perceive mental health issues as that beggar in front of the corner store – everyone sees him, but everyone pretends he doesn’t exist, thus leaving you with little to no resources to help you manage.”

Tony Fulginiti is a resident of Charlton. He has been workshopping with other writers since 1993 at the Worcester Art Museum.

Our backyard belongs to the mosquitoes. SC DHEC

Backyard Continued from Page 10D

The former Indian Hill Elementary School, in 1981.

T&G FILE PHOTO

pit in our backyard that we inherited 30 years ago with the house.

It stayed untouched for years until one of my sons-inlaw decided to make s’mores for our 19 grandchildren at a family barbeque.

All the kids seemed to enjoy the charred marshmallows with the heavy smoke fi lling up their young lungs and smelling up their clothing.

I’m not a fan of fi repits ever since I read that my great-great grandmother Filomena Fusco was burnt at the stake in Fall River for supposedly inventing witch hazel. But … that story is for another day.

I’m just resigned to the real-

ity that our backyard is totally out of our control. It belongs to the mosquitoes, rabbits, neighbors’ music and an antiquated tinderbox.

We just park in the driveway.

Joe Fusco Jr. is a poet and humorist living in Worcester.

His most recent book of poems, stories and essays is “Pondering the Pandemic During The Rest Years.”

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 13

COVER STORY

THE SHOWS

MUST GO ON

Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts president and CEO Troy Siebels, and Lisa Condit, director of marketing and public relations, stand outside the theater.

CHRISTINE PETERSON/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Masks, proof of vaccination becoming the norm at arts venues

Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s curtain-up and mask-up for the shows to go on, and provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to see the shows, as venues start to welcome audiences again in earnest this autumn after being shut down for many months. h Most of the shows are going on, although with strict protocols, despite the very unwelcome increased prevalence of the COVID Delta variant. h The City of Worcester’s face coverings mandate for indoor gatherings eff ective Sept. 20 only underscored what most presenting organizations in the area were already requiring. See SHOWS, Page 14

14 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

A couple takes a selfi e to document their attendance at the Ricky Duran concert Sept. 18 at the Hanover Theatre. STEVE LANAVA

Shows Continued from Page 13

Theaters and concert halls such as Mechanics Hall and The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts have also announced that all patrons must present either proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test to enter the facility. As of this writing, the DCU Center is leaving the decision of whether to require proof of vaccination up to event promoters.

“We are still very hopeful about the season ahead,” said Lisa K. Condit, vice president of communications for The Hanover Theatre, when its protocols were announced in August.

The Hanover Theatre has a number of upcoming shows, and has now hosted Ricky Duran’s long-awaited Sept. 18 performance, which seemed to go off most successfully with the protocols in place.

Following over a year with no live, inperson performances, shows/events just in the next four to fi ve weeks at The Hanover Theatre will include Dorrance Dance, Oct. 2 (presented by Music Worcester); Shen Yun, Oct. 16 and 17; Gordon Lightfoot, Oct. 19; “Escape to Margaritaville,” Oct. 21-24; ABBA the Concert, Oct. 26; and Gilberto Santa Rosa, Oct. 30.

Condit said, “We’ve been keeping close tabs on what other theaters and the industry are doing.” The Hanover

Mechanics Hall Hall on Main Street in Worcester. ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Theatre has “a banner at the top of our home page that links to our safety protocols,” Condit said.

These include: “All patrons ages 12 and over MUST present either proof of full vaccination or negative COVID-19 test in order to enter the theatre.”

Also, “Face coverings MUST be worn at all times in all areas of the theatre, regardless of vaccination status.” For full details, visit www.thehanovertheatre.org.

The Hanover Theatre recommends, “Please plan ahead, please arrive 30-60 minutes prior to show time to allow time for vax/test screening as well as ticket scanning. In order to facilitate the fl ow of patrons into the theatre we recommend that you have your digital tickets printed or downloaded and ready to be See SHOWS, Page 15

The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts.

PROVIDED BY THE HANOVER THEATRE

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 15

Adrien C. Finlay, executive director of Music Worcester. RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE FILE

The Palladium RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Shows Continued from Page 14

presented upon entry.”

Similarly, Mechanics Hall has announced that it expects everyone who is eligible to be fully vaccinated before entering the building.

“If you are not fully vaccinated but have tested negative for COVID-19 and variants in the last 3 days, you are allowed entry unless event-specifi c protocols prevent it,” Mechanics Hall states on its website.

Likewise, face coverings are required for all, regardless of vaccine status, Mechanics Hall states.

Meanwhile, “Performers are exempt from the mask regulation provided you are six feet distant from the audience. Per-

formers without masks are reminded to practice respectful distancing from other performers.” Visit www.mechanicshall.org.

The Palladium, which has been holding outdoor shows, will begin requiring proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, or a recent negative test, in order to attend concerts there. The venue will also be following the city’s face covering restrictions.

As the ground continues to shift in terms of rules and regulations, so does interpretation of them.

Music Worcester, which will be presenting shows and concerts at The Hanover Theatre and Mechanics Hall for its 2021-22 season as well as the BrickBox Theater and other loSee SHOWS, Page 16

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16 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Olivia Scanlon, managing director of the BrickBox Theater, seated, conducts a tour of the theater at 20 Franklin St. for a few guests. STEVE LANAVA/T&G FILE

Shows Continued from Page 15

cations, is going with “a threeprong approach to public health and safety right now,” said executive director, Adrien C. Finlay. Namely, “masks required, vaccination proof required, and distanced seating — until further notice,” he said.

Music Worcester had just held its annual meeting last week, where most of the questions were about health and safety.

“It’s just what we have to be doing right now,” Finlay said.

Several theater companies in Greater Boston came togeth-

er in the summer to announce a collective commitment to public safety as live, indoor performances resumed in the region amid concerns around the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US. These theater companies require proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test and masks inside the theaters.

The organizations joining in this eff ort are: Actors’ Shakespeare Project, American Repertory Theater, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Central Square Theater, The Front Porch Arts Collective, The Gamm Theatre, Gloucester Stage Company, Greater Boston Stage Company, The Huntington, Martha’s Vineyard

Playhouse, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Moonbox Productions, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and Wellesley Repertory Theatre. Other companies are expected to sign on in the coming weeks.

“We at The Huntington, along with our colleagues, are eager to welcome back audiences to live performances this fall, and we are prioritizing everyone’s health and well-being in order to safely reopen,” said Huntington Managing Director Michael Maso in an announcement. “These measures will provide multiple layers of protection in our theatres — it’s what our patrons want, and it’s an essential part of our broader

responsibility as public-facing institutions.”

The Audience Outlook Monitor is a longitudinal survey sponsored locally by ArtsBoston and run nationally by independent consultant WolfBrown, that has been regularly providing Greater Boston arts organizations with data about audience perceptions, concerns and intentions during the pandemic.

In a round of survey data collected in August, 80% of respondents indicated that proof of vaccination would make them more likely to attend indoor events, and 50% said that proof of vaccination or negative COVID test is a prerequi-

site for their attendance. According to the survey, 98% of respondents reported being fully vaccinated or planning to do so.

The survey showed that news of the Delta variant has reduced audience demand to return to indoor performances right away. In the June 2021 survey, 18% of respondents said they wouldn’t attend an indoor event that week. That fi gure more than doubled to 39% in the recent August round of surveys. The increase refl ects the rising level of concern of some audience members.

“After deep consideration on See SHOWS, Page 17

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 17

Shows Continued from Page 16

this topic and following the guiding principles of our Roadmap for Recovery and Resilience for Theater, we came to this decision, recognizing that the vaccines are now widely available and free,” said Mark Lunsford, ART Artistic Producer. “Along with enhanced ventilation and universal masking, vaccination and testing are critical cornerstones of our multi-layered mitigation eff orts that prioritize the safety of our community of staff , audiences, and artists.”

In Providence, Trinity Repertory Company and eight other Rhode Island performance venues and organizations have formed a partnership to provide for the safety of their audiences, artists, staff and volunteers, “based on current scientifi c evidence and best practices around the country.”

At Trinity Rep, the requirement for vaccination or proof of a negative test applies to children attending any performance, including “A Christmas Carol.”

While these measures are setting the stage indoors, some outdoor and indoor events have been postponed or canceled out of ongoing concern about the pandemic.

In August in Worcester the annual Latin American Festival put on by CENTRO was presented as a broadcast with local acts and a performances from Puerto Rico rather than the usual all-day outdoor event behind City Hall that draws thousands of people.

Last year what would have been the 30th festival was postponed to 2021 because of the pandemic. This year, plans had been made to return the festival to behind City Hall, said Arianna Peluff o, marketing coordinator for CENTRO, a multiservice nonprofi t organization that has put on the festival since 1991.

“We had booked the acts,”

she said, although the event would have been smaller than usual. However, “We wanted to see how it was going,” Peluff o said of the situation with COVID. “It’s been a crazy year.”

And the outlook was not what festival organizers were hoping for.

“We saw the Delta variant kind of increasing,” Peluff o said.

Now the 30th festival will be celebrated in August 2022.

“We’re calling this the 29.5 festival,” Peluff o said of last month’s alternative broadcast event.

In Sterling, the Board of Health voted not to support the Sterling Fair this year, therefore canceling the outdoor fair, which had been scheduled to begin Sept. 10.

The 21st Harvey Ball celebration planned for Oct. 1 at Polar Park to honor the Worcester Red Sox has been postponed to spring 2022, due to the resurgence of COVID cases in our area.

Also, because of concerns over COVID-19, the EcoTarium has announced that its annual gala, A Night at the Museum, scheduled for Oct. 2 will be postponed to May 7, 2022.

Still, the experience of some groups is suggesting that people are keen to get out even amid the current climate.

In July, the Worcester Chamber Music Society put on “Summer Festival Concerts: From Stream to Stage,” a series of three concerts at Trinity Lutheran Church.

WCMS’ 2020-21 season was livestreamed and virtual because of the pandemic. “Summer Festival Concerts” would serve as an initial indicator as to whether people felt comfortable crossing the border from their computer or TV screens at home to a concert hall.

“To say we were pleasantly surprised is an understatement,” said WCMS executive director Tracy Kraus. “All three concerts sold out and sold out quickly. It was clear our audi-

Worcester Chamber Music Society’s 2020-21 season was livestreamed and virtual because of the pandemic. PROVIDED PHOTO

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18 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Sheryl May Sheryl May Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Sheryl May says, “I’ve always loved art since I was 8 years old. I grew up with four siblings and my way of relaxing was doing something creative.

My mother used to draw as well, and I used to watch her sketch with fascination. One day I decided to get my own drawing pad and pencils and that’s how my drawing and painting came about. I would draw whenever I had free time.

When I attended Chandler Junior High and Doherty High School I took up art and jewelry classes. My fi rst still life drawing was in my junior high

Shows Continued from Page 17

ence was eager to return to inperson performances.”

Calliope Productions in Boylston reopened its theater in June for its Summer Youth Theatre workshops, and staged a teen production of “Beauty and the Beast, Junior” plus a pre-teen production of “Wily Wonka, Junior,” said Calliope artistic director Dave Ludt.

Calliope also reduced audience capacity, and COVID-19 protocols included mandatory masking and assigned seating with automatic “buff er seats” between parties sitting in the same row.

“The end result was two very successful productions, with

Some beadwork by Sheryl May

school art class. Then I started practicing drawing portraits of various people. Drawing and painting is and will be my go to for relaxing. I then decided to

only a 20% drop in total audience attendance,” Ludt said.

“Our success with that experience encouraged us to go forward with plans for our ‘regular season’ fall show — which include more stringent COVID-19 protocols.

“For both productions, all cast members, staff , and audience members (aged 12 and above) will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations (or negative COVID-19 test results), and all audience members will be required to wear masks. We will continue to apply buff ered seating for our October show.”

With that, “We are especially excited about the two productions we will be presenting this fall,” Ludt said.

The production dates for “Love, Loss, and What I Wore”

try other areas to use my creativity. One of them is beaded jewelry.” She posts her drawings and bead work on her Instagram page, @sherrymay08.

A drawing by Sheryl May. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SHERYL MAY

Dave Ludt, center, artistic director of Calliope Productions of Boylston. CHRISTINE PETERSON/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE FILE

are Oct. 7-10 and 15-17, with performances on Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.,

and on Sundays at 2 p.m.

The play, a 2010 Drama Desk Award-winner, has never be-

fore been produced in this area.

It is performed by a cast of fi ve women and focuses on their individual life experiences as related to the various items that had taken up space in their clothing closets.

Calliope’s December production, “Spamalot,” is the musical that Calliope had intended to produce in May of 2020, but postponed because of the pandemic shutdown, Ludt said.

“We felt that such an outrageous, irreverent and hilarious show as ‘Spamalot’ would be exactly what theater-goers would be looking for towards the end of 2021, so we rescheduled it for this December,” Ludt said.

“And thankfully, almost all of the originally-cast performers are able to be in this production.”

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 19

CITY LIVING TABLE HOPPIN’

Area chefs share warm memories of Castle Restaurant Barbara M. Houle

Denise and James Nicas and Evangeline Nicas, owners of the Castle Restaurant in Leicester, are pictured in 2015. The restaurant has been sold after more than 70 years in the Nicas family.

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

RICK CINCLAIR/T&G STAFF

“A Full Service Tree Removal Company”

Since 1980 STEVE STRATTON Owner

gram at the Castle in the early 50s, working with the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and Johnson & Wales University in Providence for more than 40 years. His awards and accolades are endless.

On deadline, I couldn’t reach out to all the chefs who began their incredible culinary careers at the Castle, I was able to touch base with several who shared memories of the family and the restaurant.

Executive chef/owner Bill Brady of Brady’s in Leominster got engaged to his wife, Kim, in 1993 in the Camelot Room of the Castle. “The Nicas’ family and pastry chef were in on the surprise proposal, said Brady. “I told Kim I had ordered a special dessert. The ring was hidden under a spun sugar, bell-like covering made by the pastry chef. What a night. Linen tablecloth, roses, the works!”

The couple returned to the Castle in May for their 28th anniversary a few weeks before the Castle permanently closed.

Brady fi rst met Stanley Nicas in the late 80s when he returned to the area from New York and inquired about membership in the Massachusetts Culinary Association. “Stanley was the connection for almost anything culinary,” said Brady, who in the 90s was president of the MCA. “Stanley was a chefs’ mentor for decades,” said Brady. “He had a strong work ethic and shared his knowledge. He was both a friend and teacher. I will always remember working with him in planning a reception for Barbara Bush after she spoke at a fundraiser at Mechanics Hall in 1992. And, of course, culinary icon Julia Child’s dinner visit to the Castle.”

In November, Brady and Keith Boston, Vice President of

Food Service and Culinary Operations for Cumberland Farms Inc, will host the annual dinner of the Joseph Donon Chapter of Les Amis d’Escoffi er Society, founded by Stanley Nicas. Jim Nicas will induct new members. Executive chef Justin Smith of Brady’s will oversee the meal.

Robert (Rob) Fecteau of Worcester’s BirchTree Bread Co. worked at the Castle as a dishwasher and busboy while in high school and later did an apprenticeship under Stanley Nicas. As the Castle’s sous chef, Fecteau won the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice Awards in a Worcester’s Best Chef Competition.

“Stanley was tough, but fair,” said Fecteau about working for Nicas. “He had a standard and expected the rest of us to follow. I guess some chefs might See HOPPIN’, Page 21

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When James (Jim) Nicas called me last week to say the deal to sell the Castle Restaurant was sealed the news was bittersweet.

In his 70s, Jim said it was time to move on, explaining that he and wife Denise planned to spend more time in retirement with their grandchildren and to travel. While he didn’t reveal the name(s) of the people who bought the Leicester property, he emphasized they were “truly, truly a wonderful family.”

The Castle restaurant had been in the Nicas family for more than 70 years. Nicas and his sister, Evangeline, took over ownership and the operation of the restaurant after their parents, Stanley J. Nicas and Helen Nicas, passed. The Nicas’ other son, John S. Nicas, was the Castle’s executive chef prior to his death.

I interacted with the family members through the years, enjoying Sunday Jazz at Sunset on the patio and sharing Escoffi er dinners, wine tastings, food judging competitions and other culinary events. Occasionally, maybe a little gossip on a call with Stanley or after a food competition. A renowned chef and restaurateur, the man knew almost everyone in the business, hosting celebrated chefs from the United States and Europe throughout his lifetime. He was a founding member of the Distinguished Visiting Chef Program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, and chaired the program until his death. He introduced an apprenticeship pro-

20 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

THE NEXT DRAFT

Beer news includes Wormtown’s ‘Worcester’s Finest’ release and Tree House’s new spot Matthew Tota Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Once again, cleaning up a beer fridge full of news The most stressful time of year for managing my beer fridge arrives as summer winds down and the NFL season begins.

Sometime around the start of August, like a squirrel madly stashing nuts ahead of winter, I go into a beer buying frenzy to stock the fridge for football.

By week 1, my fridge looks fat and happy – loaded with fresh beer – but only after the hard work of reaching to the very back of the shelves to reveal the forgotten brews: several will be poured out and forgotten; among them, though, there are gems to be found.

This year, I procrastinated.

It’s already autumn, and still I have not addressed the unruly mess of a beer fridge in my basement. So once again – and before Brady returns to Foxborough – I must clean it out and bring you the news that I missed.

A beer for Worcester’s fi nest In November, Wormtown Brewery will release, “Worcester’s Finest,” a Mexican-style lager brewed in honor of fallen Worcester Police Offi cer Enmanuel “Manny” Familia.

The beer, according to Familia’s cousin and fellow offi cer, Alex Maracallo, will be one that Manny would have loved to drink, amber-hued, balanced and, above all else, smooth.

“It’s going to be smooth, just the way he was – just smooth,” Maracallo told Telegram & Gazette photojournalist Rick Cin-

Worcester Police Officer Alex Maracallo adds hops to a special beer that will be dedicated to his cousin, fallen Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel Familia, at Wormtown Brewery Friday.

RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Tree House Brewing Co. can look forward to welcoming guests to its Cape Cod taproom after settling a dispute with a group of neighbors. MERRILY CASSIDY/CAPE COD TIMES FILE

clair on the brew day earlier this month.

Marcallo and several other offi cers helped brew Worcester’s Finest, which Wormtown will release in its Shrewsbury Street taproom at noon Nov. 4.

The brewery will donate 100% of the proceeds from the beer and merchandise sold that day – expected to total some $20,000 – toward supporting Familia’s family and the Manny 267 Foundation, which provides swimming lessons for children and teens, and water safety equipment for fi rst responders.

In the past, Wormtown has brewed beers in tribute of local fi refi ghters who died in the line of duty, including last year’s “Worcester’s Bravest,” for Lt. Jason Menard.

Tree House’s Cape Cod home close to offering pours Tree House Brewing Co. can look forward to welcoming guests to its Cape Cod taproom after settling a dispute with a group of neighbors who tried to stymie the brewer’s plans.

The four families who live in Sandwich near Tree House’s 98 Town Neck Road taproom had mainly raised concerns about the level of traffi c that would descend on their sleepy beachside street. Through their attorney, they initially sought to have the town revoke Tree House’s building permit.

But according to The Enterprise, a Sandwich newspaper, the two sides reached an agreement earlier this month, one that includes limits to Tree

House’s hours and parking restrictions, as well as banning outdoor music and limiting the number of beers people can buy at the taproom to three during the summer.

Over the summer, Tree House operated the Cape site strictly for to-go sales.

Rapscallion’s Spencer brewery now open Rapscallion Brewery has opened its new brewery and taproom in Spencer.

The 8 Meadow Road taproom will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to 9 p.m., Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.

Rapscallion moved out of its longtime brewery-taproom at Hyland Orchard in Sturbridge last year. In addition to the

brewery in Spencer, Rapscallion operates a pub in Sturbridge on 3 Arnold Road and restaurants in Acton and Concord.

Power Beer Festival rescheduled Sadly, we will have to wait until next year for the muchanticipated return of the Mass Brewers Guild’s epic Power Beer Fest.

Originally scheduled to take place this weekend, the guild’s largest beer festival and fundraiser has been postponed until May 2022 due to Boston’s mask mandate.

The festival will be held at the Cyclorama Boston on Saturday, May 14. A $55 ticket buys you unlimited beer samples from 40 breweries. Ticket sales support the guild’s eff orts to promote the interests of craft brewers across the state.

For more information about the festival and to buy a ticket, head to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/power-beerfest-2022tickets-157689773357.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 21

Hoppin’ Continued from Page 19

say he could put you through the ringer a little, but the experience you got was invaluable.

He worked beside you. As an owner, he wasn’t in the business just to make money.”

Fecteau said a memorable time for him was when he worked alongside Nicas on a Mother’s Day. “Heads down, fi ve hours, we killed it and never skipped a beat. The guy’s like in his 80s, covered in sweat and cooking for 150 people. At the end, Stanley turns to me, looks me in the eyes and says, ‘Yeah, we just kicked some ass.’”

Fecteau said he always felt like part of the Nicas family when he worked at the restaurant. “At the end of a shift on some nights we would all sit at the bar and Jim would open a bottle of wine and educate us about the wine we were drinking. It wasn’t about slugging back a drink. We learned about wine, expensive wine. “it was a lot of fun. Time spent at the Castle defi nitely played an important role in my career path.”

Fecteau later worked the restaurant and hotel scene in Boston and Central Massachusetts. In 2014, he and his wife, Avra Hoff man, opened BirchTree Bread on Green Street, considered one of the best bakeries and cafes in the city.

Josh Suprenant, Hospitality Director at Indian Ranch and Samuel Slater’s Restaurant in Webster, said he was kind of a wild child in his 20s when he got hired at the Castle in 2001.

“I was at the right place at the right time,” he said. “On a whim, I walked through the door to inquire about a job. Helen was at the front desk and Stanley came around the corner, looked me up and down, asked me about my earring, told me to get rid of it, go home, clean up and come back to meet his son. The fi rst question Jim asked when I met him was if I had black pants, a white shirt and a jacket. No to the jacket.

Julia Child and a guest share a toast at the dinner of Les Amis d'Escoffier Society of New England at the Castle Restaurant in 2001.

PAUL KAPTEYN/T&G STAFF

Jim then disappears and returns with one of his black tux jackets. I’ve kept it all these years.”

Suprenant, who was a waiter at the Castle “on and off ” for about 20 years, said his best moment at the restaurant was the night in 2003 when Jim Nicas told him he had a phone call. “The message was that my son Aiden had been born,” said Suprenant. “I’ll never forget it.

The baby came earlier than expected, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had to sit down, but I fi nished table service before I left.

“When I think about it, the Castle wasn’t just a workplace, rather it became part of our lives,” said Suprenant. “We were family, and the Nicases taught you the right way to do things, working right along with you in the trenches. Without a doubt, I will never forget their strong work ethic.”

Suprenant said Joyce Pijus, who worked at the Castle for more than 35 years, taught him and other servers fi ne dining etiquette. “We were a highly trained staff ,” he said.

“I’m sure a lot of people tear up when they think about the Castle and the memories they’ve shared there,” added Suprenant. “Weddings, anniversaries, special occasions and weekend dinners. There were so many regular guests.

Stanley Nicas of the Castle Restaurant talks with Peter Cooper, proprietor of the Harvest Restaurant in Pomfret, Conn., in 2005. JIM COLLINS/T&G STAFF

JIMMY BUFFETT’S

©

ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE BOOK BY &

GREG GARCIA

MIKE O’MALLEY

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY

JIMMY BUFFETT

OCT. 21-24 • THEHANOVERTHEATRE.ORG Worcester Center for Performing Arts is a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, which owns and operates The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts.

See HOPPIN’, Page 22

22 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Hoppin’

LISTEN UP

Harding’s ‘Can You Hear’ takes listener on emotional journey

Continued from Page 21

“I’m happy for Jim and Evangeline as they move on.

I’m also reminded of how many chefs started out there.

Rob Fecteau and executive chef Ryan Marcoux at Grill 23 & Bar in Boston among them.”

Add executive chef Jason Rollman of Anya restaurant in Thompson, Conn., to the list.

He started his career at the Castle in 2016, working for two years as sous chef. “After inquiring several times for a potential chef opening, Chef (Jim) Nicas took me under his wings and gave me the opportunity to work there,” said Rollman.

He said his fondest moments include working side by side with Nicas, learning French techniques, fi ne dining, wine pairing and tastings, as well has having been inducted by him into the Escoffi er Society. “Nicas is a great chef and sommelier,” he said.

Rollman also is another chef “honored to have worked for the Nicas family.” His experience at the Castle has benefi ted and helped his professional career as a chef of fi ne dining and French techniques, he said. Rollman became executive chef at Anya in 2020.

The Nicas family participated and donated to many local fundraisers. As members of the Greek St. Spyridon’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral, they helped prepare and serve food at the annual festival.

Gus Giannakis, owner of the Pickle Barrel Restaurant in Worcester, said he worked beside the Nicas family at many cathedral events. “They are a great family,” he said, adding that he serves one of Stanley Nicas’ recipes at his restaurant. “Our homemade corned beef hash is a Stanley original,” said Giannakis.

So many memories, so many stories. As a member of the Escoffi er Society, I look forward to the chapter dinner in

Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Sous chef Kevin Cape, left, and head chef John Nicas in the doorway of the Castle Restaurant in 1982. T&G FILE PHOTO

November and sharing more.

In a Meet the Chef column published in the Sunday Telegram in 2017, Jim Nicas said, “The Castle has been the benchmark for fi ne dining and global-classical cuisines of the world for some 68 years. The classics are where we all started, it is our base of operation.”

He conceded, however, “that one must always look at the future and embrace the present.”

With Greek Festival postponed, St. Spyridon set for Gyro Fair On October 2 and 3, St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 102 Russell St., Worcester will hold its fi rst Gyro Fair, a cultural and food event replacing the cathedral’s annual Greek Festival, rescheduled for 2022 as a result of the pandemic.

The Gyro Fair is a bit smaller than the annual festival we’re all used to but when it comes to traditional Greek food and live music, fair-goers won’t be disappointed.

The event with free admission is scheduled from noon to 11 p.m. Oct. 2; noon to 8 p.m.

Oct. 3. Gus Giannakis, George Gourousis, Father Christopher Stamas, presiding priest at St. Spyridon, and dedicated volunteers helped organize the fundraiser. Giannakis credits

“George (Gourousis) as the “guy in charge.”

Food will be prepared and served in a large outdoor tent, according to Giannakis, who said the gyros will be made to order. The Greek gyro recipe will combine lamb and beef with tzatziki sauce and slices of tomato and onion wrapped in traditional pita. Other ingredients can be added, upon request. The ultimate side dish is Greek fries sprinkled with sea salt and seasoned with dried oregano. Greek pastries also will be sold, in addition to fried dough, hamburgers and hot dogs, etc.

Two bars will be set up in the food tent, where beer and wine will be available. Giannakis said there will be seating inside the cathedral and live music in an outdoor tent both days of the fair. Father Stamas is scheduled to lead daily cathedral tours. Check for time postings.

Despite the pandemic, St. Spyridon continues to provide philanthropic programs in support of the cathedral and the Worcester community. The Gyro Fair not only is a terrifi c fundraising idea, it’s also a family-friendly event.

Enjoy!

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

Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.

With “Can You Hear These Walls Did Speak,” singer-songwriter Torbin Harding of the Worcester-based LoZRecords has set forth a lovely examination of alienation and the frustration of being unable to help someone. It’s a dreamy bit of power pop, melodic and wellcrafted, and if it sometimes rolls too gingerly by its subjects, Harding still manages to take thinly sketched portraits and bare-bones lyrics and transform them into something genuinely aff ecting.

The album begins with “Will You,” a delicate song built on Harding’s haunting, clear falsetto, which shifts to a lower range for the chorus: “Living in a dirty room/you don’t have to give up too soon./Will you get better someday?” That’s the question that permeates the album, a phantom whispering from behind each song. When the tempo picks up on the second song, “What Is Going On” — driven by a jangle of guitar that’s arresting against the song’s cloudy soundscape — the question still lingers. “Everybody wants you gone,” sings Harding, in a refrain, but it’s unclear whether his persona is among the “everybody.” Maybe it’s more complicated than that. It usually is with addicts, and by the third song, “West Coast,” there’s a defi nite sense that’s what’s happening.

“I heard from the West Coast today,” sings Harding.

“It’s good to know that you’re

The cover to “Can You Hear These Walls Did Speak,” by Torbin Harding PROMOTIONAL IMAGE

OK/Living in a house by the bay/Even though you’re lost you know you’re way.” Here, it’s clear the persona wants the subject of the song to come home, but there’s something unsettling underneath the song. Something in the tone, conveying a sense that a return isn’t in the cards. The last time the chorus repeats, “Living in a house by the bay” becomes “living in a shelter by the bay,” which has a diff erent connotation, and is somewhat more concerning. As the album moves on to “Dream,” a sweetness pervades the music — “I ride the bus to New York City/I sat next to someone cool” — but as much as it feels like the persona is trying to move on with their life, he confesses that he still dreams of the person who has “disappeared,” even though he “still feels that you’re alright.”

Most are ephemeral wisps of smoke, going by quickly and See HARDING, Page 24

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 23

CONNELL SANDERS

Halloween Outlet heir has found new ways to stoke holiday terror Sarah Connell Sanders Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Mark Arvanigian’s family business, Halloween Outlet, has closed for good, but he continues to design original masks available for purchase on the popular ecommerce Halloween site, Deja Boo.

Original masks by Mark Arvanigian. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MITCHELL GAMACHE

tears at the sight of a hyperrealistic electric chair victim and that was that. The only way my mother ever convinced me to go back was to meet Butch Patrick who played Eddie on my favorite Nick at Night show, “The Munsters.” I was relieved to fi nd Patrick was not in fact a werewolf, but rather a friendly forty-something gentleman with nary a widow’s peak. The Arvanigians had even rigged up their own Munster Koach for the occasion.

Halloween Outlet’s legacy was built on family and joy. “My dad has always been a fun guy and he loves to do things that make people laugh and smile,” said Arvanigian. “People would visit from all over the country to see celebrity guests like paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren.”

Unlike many bygone retailers, online shopping was always a part of the Halloween Outlet’s early business models.

“We were shipping over a thousand ecommerce orders per day from our warehouse so far

yridon Sp

Free Admission

St

The heir to Halloween Outlet is not done striking fear into the heart of the Commonwealth.

“You were a kids’ entrance person?” Mark Arvanigian asked me.

“Yup,” I admitted.

“Me too,” he said, although I couldn’t tell if he was just trying to make me feel better about my aversion to horror.

Arvanigian’s masks certainly don’t look like the creations of a ‘fraidy cat. Just the opposite. The Worcester designer has a licensing agreement with Grammy Award-winning metal band Slipknot, who famously perform in jumpsuits and attention grabbing facemasks.

On top of that, a few of Arvanigian’s original designs, like the UFO Alien Encounter mask, have grown in popularity to become top products of the Halloween industry. He even produces a line of novelty wine labels with spooky faux titles like, “Embalming Fluid.” Arvanigian seems like the kind of guy who doesn’t shy away from a fright.

The kids entrance Arvanigian referred to during our chat was that of his old family business, Halloween Outlet. According to Arvanigian, what began as a basic party store in 1986 became a national touchpoint for Halloween fanatics during the ‘90s. “My parents realized they could make a year’s salary by focusing on Halloween for three months versus operating a party goods store full time,” he recalled.

“We rode the Halloween wave.”

I vividly remember my one and only attempt at braving the adult entrance. I burst into

O R Y G FA I R

October 2 & 3 Free Admission

Our inaugural Gyro Fair Join us for 2-days of Hellenic fun, food, drinks and music which helps raise funds for our Cathedral and programs Delicious Gyros with all the fixings * Souvlaki * Greek Fries * Greek Pastries * Loukoumades (honey puffs) * Live Music * Two Bars * Seating inside and out *Tours of our beautiful Cathedral

St Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral See HEIR, Page 24

102 Russell St. Worc. * across from historic Elm Park *

508.791.7326 * SpyridonCathedral.org

24 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

NEW ON DVD

Batten down the hatches for ‘The Forever Purge’ The fi fth fi lm about America’s preeminent fi ctional dystopian holiday tops the DVD releases for the week of Sept. 28.

“The Forever Purge”: The lawlessness doesn’t end at sunup this time around, as racist hate groups seek to use the “blood holiday” to bring about class warfare and ethnic cleansing.

For this most recent outing, “the fi lmmakers take on the timely topic of immigration at the southern border,” writes Tribune News Service critic Katie Walsh in her review. “Ana de la Reguera and Tenoch Huerta star as Adela and Juan, a Mexican couple who fl ee across the border to Texas. Juan fi nds work for a wealthy white ranching family, the Tuckers, though tensions have erupted with son Dylan (Josh Lucas), who feels emasculated by Juan’s remarkable horse-handling skills.”

The families hunker down for the annual bloodletting, only to fi nd the attacks still going in the morning, part of a loosely coordinated eff ort by hate groups to bring about “Purge Purifi cation.”

“With America on fi re and the heavily armed populace turning on each other, millions of U.S. citizens including the Tuckers, with Adela and Juan in tow, make a break for the Mexican border,” Walsh writes. “Viewed with the lens of real life political

Heir Continued from Page 23

back that Amazon used to fax us the orders,” Arvanigian remembered. The store may be closed, but Halloween is not. Arvanigian has taken his vast experience in

Tenoch Huerta as Juan in “The Forever Purge.” UNIVERSAL PICTURES

and humanitarian issues at the Mexican border, the irony is palpable.”

Also new on DVD Sept. 28 “Blithe Spirit”: Based on the 1941 comedy by playwright Noel Coward, Dan Stevens stars as an author suff ering from writer’s block ever since the death of his fi rst wife fi ve years prior. In desperation he turns to a medium, played by Judi Dench, asking her to conduct a séance at his home.

But there’s an unexpected hitch when the spirit of his deceased former spouse is summoned.

“Twist”: A modern crime thriller update of “Oliver Twist” about hustlers planning an art heist in present-day London,

the industry and launched a project of his own, Deja Boo, under the tagline “Shopping made scary simple.”

There’s no kids entrance on the website, so proceed at your own risk. Split faces, killer clowns, and sickly zombies prevail, just like old times. “It would be impossible to recapture the

featuring Michael Caine and Lena Headey.

“First Date”: A teen planning his fi rst date with the girl next door realizes he needs a vehicle and buys an old ‘65 Chrysler after seeing an online ad. The date devolves into a surreal misadventure however, as the young couple are targeted by cops, criminals and even a crazy cat lady.

Out on Digital HD Sept. 28 “Free Guy”: Ryan Reynolds stars as a bank teller who realizes he is in fact a nonplayable character, or NPC, in the background of an open-world video game and decides to rewrite his story.

magic of Halloween Outlet’s special moment in time, but we are going to put Worcester back on the map when it comes to Halloween,” he promised. Prepare yourselves.

Check out Deja Boo’s selection and support a Worcester artisan this Halloween at https://dejaboo.store.

Harding Continued from Page 22

gently, but the album’s coherence is remarkable.

When we move on to songs such as “Come So Far” and “Hold You At Night,” it might be easy to miss that Harding has tightened his lens, focusing in more on a romantic relationship, one in disarray: “Turn around face me now/Don’t run out the door/No matter how bad things are now/I won’t ask you for more.” This changes the album’s picture: Something is genuinely wrong, and while earlier the persona could be anyone — a friend, a sibling, a lover — now it’s clear how personal this absence is, and how disturbing the demons. The question still echoes: “Will you get better someday?” Now, though, the listener is forced to wonder if the persona is part of that solution, culpable in the problem, or neither. Harding fi lls that liminal space with nostalgia, particularly, in “Window,” he recalls a beautiful, tender moment underneath a sky full of stars, but inevitably, the persona always returns to bargaining, begging the subject to return in “Life’s Too Short.” The persona spends most of the album pleading to what seems to be empty air.

“Blanket” is a tender spot of comfort for the persona, but the absence lingers. It’s baked into the album’s structure, always tugging at the listener’s ear, even when the subject is absent from the song. Still, it’s not until “Say I Again” that the persona expresses any sense of culpability: “I will never bother you again,” sings Harding, in the chorus, “because I hurt you bad.” We don’t learn what he did to warrant that. Just that, “I remember the night

you told me/You told me how it’s going to be/We were at Ralph’s to hear a band/You will only hangout with your other friends.”

Many of us have seen that breakup happen at Ralph’s Rock Diner, actually. It’s one of those things that, from the outside, is always painfully apparent what’s happening.

Harding’s guitar work is understated. He plays with a light hand, and it pays off repeatedly, particularly on “Little Child,” where he returns to the theme of someone running away. It’s a testament to the album that Harding’s able to maintain an emotional thread throughout, and a lot of that job rests with his guitar.

Still, as the album moves into its closing triptych, he picks up the tempo, even as he begins to tie together the song’s emotional strands.

“No Place” seems to have a sense of acceptance, even as the persona acknowledges a debt to the subject which he could never repay.

“Don’t Go With Him” seems, on the face of it, as a song about the subject leaving with someone else, but lines such as, “Please don’t go with him/You’ve got a feeling that’s under your skin” evoke something entirely diff erent than losing someone to a person. Finally, things wrap up with “Grass,” with the persona again indulging in nostalgia, but now seemingly more aware that he’s doing it. “Our happiness on that day,” sings Harding, “Will never be taken away.” The absence which has haunted the album is never really resolved, because it can’t be.

Whatever the couple had has vanished entirely. “Will you get better some day?” turns out to be the wrong question, she will or she won’t. We can’t see that from this vantage. But will she return? The answer, in the end, seems to be “no.”

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 25

LAST CALL

Jennifer Lee, local baking phenomenon Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

When Jennifer Lee started off ering delivery services from her bakery’s Worcester location at the start of the pandemic, she thought it would be only for a couple of weeks, maybe months, on the outside. Instead, what started as a way to stay afl oat and keep staff employed morphed into an entirely new business model. Now, Jennifer Lee’s Gourmet Bakery is not only surviving but thriving, having gathered something of a cult following in the heart of the Commonwealth.

Lee sat down with Last Call to talk about the past year as well

as growing pains and the upcoming move to their new Cambridge Street location.

What steps did you take when lockdown fi rst started?

The Boston store which we’ve had for 10 years shut down so I realized we needed to pivot. So a week after everything started to shut down and people were staying home, I decided to start doing deliveries.

At fi rst, I hired my friends who got laid off to do deliveries all over Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and Connecticut. But when they went back to their jobs, I didn’t have any delivery drivers and started doing them myself. Within the fi rst year I put 40,0000 miles on my car.

So are you delivering from the Boston location or just Worcester?

We bake everything at our Worcester store for both Boston and Worcester. Everything is sourced from this location.

At what point did you decide that deliveries were going to be permanent?

I originally thought it was just going to be during the pandemic. Just a couple weeks, maybe just a couple months, but it’s still going strong. So I decided that in spring and summer we’d do farmers’ markets, so from May through October and then November through March we’ll be doing deliveries. People really like them — it just makes more

sense for them. It’s just easier to have their favorite treats delivered to their house especially since we’re the only allergen friendly bakery anywhere near here. It’s just more convenient.

The Worcester location only opened last year — so did you move the baking set-up there since then?

We used to bake out of our Boston stall, but that’s literally 100 to 250 square feet and we were using that for everything — it wasn’t an ideal set-up. So when we heard about the Worcester Public Market, we thought "this makes more sense — we have a lot of customers in Worcester, let’s expand to a second location and bake out of it so we have our

own storefront." Here, the kitchen is about 300 square feet and the storefront is about 250 — we outgrew it in the fi rst month. I thought it was going to be enough and it really wasn’t.

The other problem is that it’s very diffi cult for anyone to fi nd us - our front door is on Harding Street and there’s no backdoor so you can’t fi nd me in the market even though we’re attached to it. They assume we’re in the market itself even though we’re not.

When will the Public Market location close?

We are planning on closing there either mid-October or December 1, we haven’t decided See CALL, Page 31

26 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

5 THINGS TO DO

GAZEBO-PALOOZA, CANNA ARTS FEST AND MORE ...

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

Re-interpreting the past ArtsWorcester has four exhibitions opening Oct. 7.

Among them, Jennifer Davis Carey: Redemption (Oct. 7 to Nov. 7) at ArtWorcester’s East Gallery, 44 Portland St., sees Carey re-interpret 19th-century American daguerreotypes depicting unclad, enslaved people. Carey uses a combination of photographic transfer and vitreous enamel to give the figures clothes in vibrant colors, drawn from different fashions and eras. This intervention removes the figures from the distortion of “race science,” shifting the images toward portraiture and transforming them into figures of agency, presence and grace.

Also opening Oct. 7: Urban Green and Blue (Oct. 7 to Nov. 21), a collaboration with Preservation Worcester shown in the Park View Room, 230 Park Ave; Virtually Identical: Works by Worcester Public Schools Visual Arts Faculty (Oct. 7 to Nov. 7), ArtsWorcester West Gallery, 44 Portland St., Worcester; and Material Needs 2021 (Oct. 7 to Nov. 7), Davis Art Gallery, 44 Portland St., Worcester. (RD) What: Jennifer Davis Carey: Redemption When: Oct. 7 to Nov. 7 Where: ArtsWorcester, 44 Portland St., Worcester.

Opening reception, 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 8, for Jennifer Davis Carey: Redemption, Virtually Identical, and Material Needs. Opening reception 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 7 for Urban Green and Blue in the Park View Room.

How much: Free. For more information including gallery hours, visit www.artsworcester.org

Jessie Garcia & Belit will perform Oct. 2 at Gazebo-Palooza in Grafton. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Small Stones Benefit Gazebo-Palooza promises music, food and fun from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 2. behind the Old Town House, One Grafton Common, Grafton. Local musical acts include Josh Briggs, Old Tom & the Lookouts, Dave Rivers, Jessie Garcia & Belit, Pallet House, and The Half Wits. You can sample food donated by area restaurants, and there will be games, prizes, a silent auction and beer and wine. The event will benefit the Small Stones Festival of the Arts running Oct. 15 to 24. (RD) What: Gazebo-Palooza When: Noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 2 Where: Behind the Old Town House, One Grafton Common, Grafton How much: $15; children 10 and under admitted free with adult. For more information about the Small Stones Festival, visit www.smallstonesfestival.org

“Drana and Jack in Case” JENNIFER DAVIS CAREY/ARTSWORCESTER

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 27

Minuteman reenactors will be on hand for the Fall Open House Oct. 2 at Reed Homestead in Townsend. PROVIDED PHOTO

Buddhi de Mal will perform Oct. 2 as part of the Canna Arts Fest in Shrewsbury. PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

You Say You Want a Revolutionary War Reenactment?

Cannabis Culture

Into the ‘Green Valley’ Booklovers’ Gourmet in Webster will present a reading with Barbara Thomas from her newest poetry collection, “The Last Green Valley,” at 2:30 p.m. Oc. 2. Thomas will be joined by fellow poet Joan Bernard, who will also read a selection of her work. Thomas grew up in the Last Green Valley, a 35-town National Heritage Corridor in eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts. Her poem “Hickory Nuts” will be published in “Treelines,” an anthology of 21st-century American Poems by Grayson Books in 2022. (RD) What: Barbara Thomas’ “The Last Green Valley” When: 2:30 p.m. Oct. 2 Where: Booklovers’ Gourmet, 72 East Main St., Webster. Please RSVP your attendance to deb@bookloversgourmet.com or (508) 949-6232. Masks are required for anyone not fully vaccinated.

Signed copies will be available for purchase.

The cover to “The Last Green Valley,” by Barbara Thomas PROMOTIONAL IMAGE

Sure, we can all think of incidents of famous marijuanacentric artists — Cheech & Chong, Snoop Dogg and Seth Rogen, to name a cliched few — but the breadth of artists working in the cannabis culture is far wider than that, and the Botanist in Shrewsbury is putting a few on display with the Canna Arts Fest. The musical lineup includes Buddhi de Mal, Vicki Beaulieu and Greg & Cindy Flatt, along with visual artist Luca and a glass-blowing demo by Matt Benoit, all of whom are employees of the store. The event will also feature vendors including Funky Stuff, Taproot Treasures and Spoiled Lungs Clothing, as well as the Mama Roux food truck. It’s an offbeat little event, but de Mal, particularly, is of interest, as his 2017 EP, “And God,” is a richly textured and deeply heartfelt piece of work, which definitely warrants hearing more. (VDI)

What: Canna Arts Fest When: noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 2 Where: The Botanist, 235 Hartford Turnpike, Shrewsbury How much: Free

Grafton Flea Market, Inc. OPEN EVERY SUNDAY OUTDOOR/INDOOR

6am - 4pm • Acres of Bargains • Hundreds of Vendors • Thousands of Buyers • 52nd Season

Rte. 140, Grafton/Upton Town Line

Grafton Flea Is The Place To Be! Selling Space 508-839-2217

www.graftonflea.com

WM-0000465409-02

The Reed Homestead, 72 Main St., Townsend, will take a trip to the past on Oct. 2 during a Fall Open House and Minuteman Encampment put on the Townsend Historical Society. Tours will be provided on the hour as reenactors will be demonstrating crafts, cooking and the military arts at the time of the Revolution. (RD)

What: Fall Open House When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 2 Where: Reed Homestead, 72 Main St., Townsend How much: Free. Tickets via Eventbrite to reserve your time, www.eventbrite.com/e/168882081853

28 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ADOPTION OPTION

Meet Stewie 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) 8530030.

Stewie is always up for an adventure and is looking for a committed and loving family to call his own. Being a young rambunctious dog, he still exhibits the same mouthy jumpy behaviors that a younger puppy would, but at his age and size, for some it may be too much to handle. He loves toys and can run and play for hours. He is a strong dog who will require a strong leader to set a routine and provide daily exercise. Just walks around the neighborhoods won’t cut it for this fella, he is looking for hikes and runs.

Stewie will need a home with adults who can demonstrate they have the knowledge and experience for a dog like him.

He can be stubborn and persistent at times, nipping and barking when he wants to get you to play. He is still learning about boundaries and rules. You will need to keep a close eye on this smarty pants because he can dig, jump and climb fences.

Stewie knows his basic commands like sit, lay down and give paw, but he still has a lot to learn. He is food driven and is eager to learn new takes so training will be fun for everyone involved. He has been in homes with and without dogs and at this time he needs to focus on training and how to appropriately act around other dogs long term, for that reason, a home with no other animals is needed. Stewie is a part of our foster to adopt program and his new family will need to complete training with our selected program. His adoption will be contingent upon completion of the program. Stewie has been returned due to his behaviors in

the past and we want to ensure that this boy has everything he needs to have a fulfi lling and wonderful life. If you would like more information about Stewie or you would like to schedule an appointment to meet him, please contact the shelter.

WARL COVID-19 Procedures As of Nov. 9, 2020 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our team protected. h ADOPTIONS: At this time, adoptions are being held

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you are interested in adoption, please visit our website worcesterarl.org/ adopt/ to learn more about our available animals then call us at (508) 853-0030 ext.0 or email us at info@worcesterarl. org to schedule an appointment. h CASUAL VISITS TO THE SHELTER are prohibited. We will strictly enforce this in order to keep our animal care team protected while still maintaining the most essential function of our operation ... fi nding homes for animals in need. h ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030. h SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we

Stewie is available for adoption through WARL. ANJIE COATES/FURRY TAILS

will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off / pick up procedures. h DONATIONS ACCEPTED except for open bags of food. h Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can be purchased online from our

Amazon Wishlist — https:// www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0 h Weekly training classes are going on for adopters. h The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look 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-toface interactions while continuing to operate only core essential services. Please continue to follow our Facebook page for additional updates.

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

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 29

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“Open Letters”--a themeless 58-worder.

by Matt Jones

J O N E S I N’

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

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

66

-34 4 5 2 8 8 8 cla

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

Across 1 Trees lining the new Malahat Skywalk on Vancouver Island, B.C. (a spiral ramp tower with optional slide to the bottom) 10 Surname in a nursery rhyme with platter licking 15 To the point 16 “It’s ___ of passage” 17 2010 statute nickname whose real initials are hidden in the name 18 Sounds in certain specialty cafes 19 One with interior motives?

20 Realm of influence 21 Employs a hive mentality?

22 “La fee ___” (fanciful term for absinthe, based on the color) 23 Sticks it out 24 Run, as a forklift 26 Maneuvers famously pulled off by rapper Lil Uzi Vert 29 You might use one to play Breakout 33 Second, for instance 34 Word that ends many yoga classes 35 Puzzle magazine with a “Pencilwise” section 40 Grey Goose rival, familiarly 41 ___ tetrameter (poetic verse used in works like “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”, using an unstressed unstressed/stressed pattern) 45 Film critic Kenneth who stepped down from the L.A. Times in 2020 46 Notable feature of “Careless Whisper” 47 “Fame” singer/actress Cara 48 Brit who imparts vitality (though the battery brand’s spelled with a Z) 49 Observes Ramadan, in a way 50 State where the soft drink Mountain Dew was first formulated 51 What some collars ward off 52 Participants in the Singing Revolution (1987-1991) Down 1 Like eels and flukes, biologically 2 Brazilian gymnast Andrade, gold medalist in the vault in Tokyo

3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 25 26 27 28 29

30

31 32 33 35

Modified leaves on flower stems Maximal “Toddlers & ___” Cooper title character Former Pacific defense gp.

“The Smartest Guys in the Room” subject Site that bills itself as “The world’s best music blog” Hindu scripture that contains melodies and chants Demonstrate deservingness in advance 1959 western with Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson Nervously excited SAT takers, e.g. (and not... body parts) Legendary footballer Go (through), as evidence Nice private discussion?

Actress Dolenz Note that sounds like B double flat Residents of one of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia Loser of a mythological footrace Optimistic quality Fluid, as a dancer’s motion CNN senior political analyst David who advised four administrations

36 Saint Francis’s home 37 Peak near Olympus 38 Title name on the 1982 album “Too-Rye-Ay” 39 Sports recap feature 42 Geese on the Big Island 43 In regard to, old-style 44 Movie aired when there’s often nothing on?

Last week's solution

©2021 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1060

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | 31

Call Continued from Page 25

yet.

Will there be any kind of sale or event marking this big change?

Yes, we’re going to have a grand opening at our new location at 127 Cambridge St. So you’re not stopping the brick and mortar store even though you’re shifting more to delivery?

Oh, yes. We are expanding so we can keep up with demand. We sell out non-stop because I’m the only baker for both stores and all custom orders, all the farmers’ markets, everything, and I only have one oven and very little kitchen space. So we’re expanding 1,100 square feet at Cambridge Street, we have three ovens, tons of counter space, it’s way bigger so we can keep up with all the demand.

Are you planning to hire any more bakers?

We are — but it’s been a little diffi cult since everybody’s short-staff ed right now, but even if we can’t fi nd more right away, three ovens will triple our production right away.

What about full-time drivers for the increased delivery?

Eventually down the road when we have delivery trucks.

Right now, I use my personal SUV to do all of the deliveries to Boston and the farmers’ markets. I work 16- to 18-hour days, six days a week. So eventually I would like to get more staff , but for right now, expanding is our number one priority because that’s what’s keeping us from not selling out every day.

So this expansion will make things less stressful, I hope?

Oh, defi nitely, especially since Cambridge Street has free parking — we’d have our own parking lot, so wicked excited for that.

You mentioned earlier that you tried to hire your friends who had been laid off . You

Jennifer Lee is hoping to open her new space on Cambridge Street by Nov. 1.

CHRISTINE PETERSON/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

didn’t have to do any lay-off s yourself during the shutdown?

Oh we kept everybody on. I made sure to keep everyone — I worked very long days during the pandemic because I didn’t want to lay off a single person.

Everyone has bills to pay, they have families to feed, I didn’t want to take that route everyone else was taking, so we stayed open the whole time.

The employees are like family to me, they’re my friends, I could never just lay them off and be like "okay, good luck!"

Let’s take a step back — how did you get started with the bakery?

So I started it when I was 17. I won a business plan competition at Chelsea High School and it just snowballed from there. It was just a regular bakery at fi rst — no special allergy items or

anything. But in 2014, I got into a freak accident, I fell while coming out of a walk-in freezer.

I fell, I blacked out, and I fractured my neck. But while I was recovering, I broke out in hives every day and they kept telling me it was a gluten and dairy allergy. Turned out I was allergic to opioids so the painkillers they were giving me was what I was allergic to, but it opened my eyes to food allergies. No-

body caters to them, nobody understands them — it’s hard to eat out and you don’t feel like you’re part of the group when you can’t eat with everyone else. So 2015 we went allergenfriendly, opened up in Boston in 2016 and haven’t looked back since.

What would you attribute to your major following?

What sets you apart other than being allergen friendly?

I would defi nitely say it’s really caring about food allergies but also just my motivation. I feel like others weren’t the best at change, and with me, I’ve always been able to pivot about what works best for my customers. What do they need from me — where do they want to do farmers’ markets, more delivery, ship nationwide? I’ve always been about open communication with my customers using social media. I want feedback, I love customers coming to me saying I love this or didn’t really like this.

You just need to ask your customers what they want. I think a lot of businesses either don’t like feedback or don’t do a lot of social media and actually talk to their customers. If you don’t know what they want, how do you serve them?

What would you say to other young entrepreneurs — any advice?

I defi nitely think you shouldn't be afraid to change and innovate with your business. Reach out to your customers but also just do what you love and don’t lose it. People start their businesses because they’re passionate about something. Stay passionate about it. You started this for a reason so always go back to that, regardless of how big you get.

Anything to add?

The new location will also do cookie decorating classes for kids, paint nights for adults, and we’re super excited to generally have more community events. We’re excited to just meet more people.

32 | OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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