Worcester Magazine October 3 - 9, 2019 by Worcester Magazine

OCTOBER 3 - 9, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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CROSSING

THE BRIDGE Community fights to turn mill building into youth center

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IN THIS ISSUE

O C T O B E R 3 - 9, 2019 • V O L U M E 45 I S S U E 6 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

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Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Bill Shaner Contributing Writers Sam Bonacci, Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Jason Greenough, Janice Harvey, Barbara Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Craig S. Semon, Steve Siddle, Matthew Tota Creative Director Kimberly Vasseur Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Anne Blake, Kate Carr, Laura Cryan, Diane Galipeau, Ted Genkos, Sammi Iacovone, Bob Kusz, Helen Linnehan, Patrick O’Hara, David Prendiville, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Henry Rosenthal, Regina Stillings, Randy Weissman 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. Legals/Public Notices Please call (978) 728.4302, email cmaclassifieds@gatehousemedia.com, or mail to Central Mass Classifieds, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 Distribution Worcester Magazine is inserted into the Telegram & Gazette on Thursdays and is also available for free at more than 400 locations in the Worcester area. Unauthorized bulk removal of Worcester Magazine from any public location, or any other tampering with Worcester Magazine’s distribution including unauthorized inserts, is a criminal offense and may be prosecuted under the law.

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

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Building manager Dan Ford looks out a window at The Bridge. Photo by Christine Peterson, Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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Crossing The Bridge: Community fights to turn mill building into youth center. Story on page 11

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Avett Brothers to offer taste of new album Acclaimed roots band returning to DCU Center L. KENT WOLGAMOTT

ost bands make an album, then head out on tour, bringing the new songs to the fans along with their old favorites. Not the Avett Brothers — America’s finest roots music band — who won’t release “Closer Than Together” until Oct. 4 — the day of the group’s show at DCU Center and a show that’s in the middle of a tour that runs well into November.

And while the North Carolina band has released five songs since October 2018, only “High Steppin,” a galloping country number underlain with synth that came out in June, will definitely be on the record. That said, the new songs paint a near perfect picture of the Avett Brothers musical approach. There’s a harmony-drenched folk ballad, “Roses and Sacrifice,” a swinging ’60s poppish number “Trouble Letting Go” and the gentle country rocking “Neopolitan Sky” — evidence that the band led by guitarist/singer Seth Avett and his older brother, banjoist/singer Scott, are again working their distinctive amalgamation of country, bluegrass, punk, folk and rock ‘n’ roll.

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“Genre-wise, we didn’t give a lot of consideration to a push,” Seth Avett said of the new songs, including those for the new album. “I hear those first four songs and they’re all from the same place. Definitely, part of it will be like that. I can’t really speak of it with a lot of certainty. It is an accurate portrait of where we are at this particular moment, which is what I most want out of a record of ours.” That has been the case since Scott and Seth began playing acoustic shows at night while working in a band called Nemo. When Nemo broke up in 2001, bassist Bob Crawford joined the duo and the Avett Brothers was born. The Avett Brothers

had their mainstream coming out in 2009 with “I and Love and You,” their critically lauded major label debut. They first hit the top 10 with 2012’s “The Carpenter” and have now released nine studio records along with four live recordings that capture the band as it should be heard. The Avett Brothers, who are beginning a headlining tour that will have the group on the road into November, will be working some new songs into their set. An early show saw two new numbers, with more likely to be added as the tour rolls on. “We’re going to start peppering in some of the new ones,” Avett said. “It’s really necessary for me to start doing them on the road, in the live show.

It’s not right if a record comes out and we haven’t experienced them live. “The studio and the road are very different places,” he elaborated. “In the studio, you work on this with all the care and love and then you step away from it. The farther we get from that, the more the record becomes a specific event. In the process of showing it to the world, we need to step back into it and experience the songs again live.” The new album is the band’s follow-up to 2016’s Rick Rubin-produced “True Sadness,” criticized by some for being too “experimental” (they dared to use synthesizers then, too). But it became the first Avett Brothers album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and garnered a pair of

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new meaning.” The changing meaning is revelation for Avett in part because the brothers’ songs are largely autobiographical, singing about their lives and those of their bandmates, be it good, or tragic. “That was not exactly by design,” Avett said of that aspect of the songs. “Early on, we realized in terms of, I don’t know, fuel, what we need to do them, in order to sing a song over and over and over again, it had be autobiographical in some way. If you look at artists, entertainers who don’t have any skin in the game, they run out of gas early, which I understand.” So has becoming popular made it harder or easier to write and share the personal songs? “The growing popularity of the band made me self-conscious of how I live my life,” Avett said. “I’m not going to create a Twitter account. I’m not going on Facebook. I’m not going to share pictures of my son. “Actually, it’s made it easier to share the personal things because of the connections we’ve made — that we’re all one family, we’re all part of a big community has been laid out in front of us,” he said. “You can’t take that in and be more guarded. Like my divorce, that I wrote about, I’m one of many that share an experience like that and there are probably some that want to talk about it. So I write about it.”

The Avett Brothers with Lake Street Drive When: 7:30 Oct. 4 Where: DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester How much: Tickets start at $36.50. www.dcucenter.com

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Grammy Award nominations. The making of that album and the lives of the band members when it was being recorded three years ago were captured in “May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers,” an acclaimed HBO documentary by directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio that debuted at South By Southwest in 2017. So what was it like, seeing yourself on the screen like that, presented for real, not playing a character? “It is a little weird,” Avett said. “Filming it was definitely a little surreal and, watching it, we’re not used to seeing ourselves. We don’t really see what we look like, our body language, whatever, when we’re having this intimate conversation ... In the end, it was very beautiful and for the rest of our lives, it’ll be stepping into that chapter of our lives exactly how it was, which is unnatural in a way.” The Avetts are now working in yet another art form — the musical. “Swept Away” is slated to premiere in June 2020 at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California. It uses music from the band’s catalog, particularly songs from 2004’s “Mignonette,” as the framework for a story, set in 1888, of a shipwrecked crew, including two brothers, struggling to survive on the Massachusetts coast. “I never had the vaguest idea that could possibly happen,” Avett said. “The thing is going to be incredible, it really is. John Logan, the fellow who wrote the thing, used our music as the engine, the thing that powers the story. He painted a piece with our palette. We got together with him after the first draft and have been checking in and making suggestions. It’s really a beautiful thing. It’s going to be very interesting. For me, seeing the songs used this way has created

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FEATURED

Second annual Worcester Jazz Festival expands to three-day event RICHARD DUCKET T

$20 at the door. For tickets and complete information on all events, visit www.worcesterjazzfestival.com “Jazz Night” at Redemption Rock Brewery at 7 p.m. Oct. 11, 333 Shrewsbury St., is free admission with music featuring acclaimed Peruvian guitarist Carlos Odria and friends. The Worcester Jazz Festival returns to Worcester Common as a free event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 12 with a lineup that includes George Garzone & The Fringe, awardwinning vocalist Patrice Williamson, The Russo Brothers, WPI Jazz Band with special guest Toni Ballard, Clark University Jazz Band, guitarist Joe D’Angelo with the NEJazz AllStars, and Worcester Jazz Tribute to Mac

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t was rainy and 30 degrees on Worcester Common when the first Worcester Jazz Festival got underway at noon on Oct. 13 last year. “By 2, the sun started coming out,” said festival organizer Stephen A. Bourassa. “By the time (singer) Dale LePage was on stage, people were coming out.” Jazz pianist Yoko Miwa, about to perform as part of the Yoko Miwa Trio, was wearing finger-less gloves. “Once she started playing it got hot,” Bourassa said. All was well that ended well. “It gave us confidence to move forward,” said Bourassa, a musician and producer and co-founder, vice president

over the course of three days. And, to take a line from the 1927 movie “The Jazz Singer,” if Bourassa’s hopes get realized, “You ain’t heard nothing yet.” One of the foundation’s goals is to establish a week-long international jazz festival that will attract 10,000 people to Worcester by 2023, Bourassa said. The 2019 edition of the Worcester Jazz Festival/JazzWeek Worcester gets underway at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 in the Lewis J. Warner Memorial Theater at Worcester Academy with a program titled “Night & Day: Worcester Jazz Singer’s Tribute to Cole Porter” hosted by Dale LePage (recent recipient of this year’s Harvey Ball Smile Award) and Bobby Gadoury with the Worcester Academy Jazz Band. The program features

Carlos Odria PHOTO/COURTESY OF UNLEASH THE LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

and artistic director of the New England Jazz Enrichment Foundation, which put on the event. Now things are warming up for 2019. The Worcester Jazz Festival returns with the establishment of JazzWeekWorcester Oct. 10-12, meaning the festival has grown from one event in 2018 to four happenings

what Bourassa called a “who’s who” of Worcester jazz vocalists, including Renee Legendre, Toni Ballard, Lydia Fortune, Joan Cleary, John Solaperto and more. The show will also include the presentation of the Harold Layne Jazz Legend Award, named after the late drummer who was a fixture on the Boston jazz scene for more than 60 years. Tickets are $15 in advance,

Rebennack (Dr. John). “It’s an incredible lineup,” Bourassa said. There will also be craft vendors, food trucks, face painting, balloons and other activities for children. Donations will be accepted. The event is rain or shine, Bourassa said. JazzWeekWorcester concludes at 8 p.m. Oct. 12 with a performance by the Yoko Miwa Trio at the Pavilion

Yoko Miwa PHOTO/COURTESY OF UNLEASH THE LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

at the Beer Garden on the Grid, 64 Franklin St. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. “Three days and four events, so we’re really excited about that,” Bourassa said. Worcester Academy, which counts Cole Porter as an alum, has stepped up as one of the festival’s sponsor’s this year, he said. Other sponsors include CountryBank, Redemption Rock Brewing Company, Guertin Graphics, WICN Radio, WUTY UnityRadio, Discover Central Mass, and the Worcester Cultural Coalition. “We have sponsors rather than just me. I spent everything I had last year,” Bourassa said. The New England Jazz Enrichment Foundation is a nonprofit organization. Bourassa and foundation president and CEO Susan Workman have experience with organizing jazz festivals and events, including previously growing the Newton Jazz Festival, which has become a big event on the jazz landscape. They have embraced Worcester in part because the two have lived here the past two years after moving from the Boston area (they also lived in Westboro for a year). But the beginnings of their involvement with the Worcester community go back further. One time at the Newton Jazz Festival, LePage approached Bourassa and said “ ‘You need to come down to do this in Worcester,’” Bourassa recalled. “He took us on a tour of venues. We just fell in love with Worcester.”

It took three years to get the festival up and running here in 2018, Bourassa said. He and Workman have “regular jobs.” “Worcester has a lot going on. It’s all about focusing,” Bourassa said. As for focusing on jazz, he noted that Worcester has a long jazz history, including being the home of the legendary Jaki Byard. These days, “jazz is more on the periphery, but it pulses through the city. There’s a lot of (jazz) musicians. A lot of restaurants host jazz.” WICN, one of the festival’s sponsors, is one of the few radio stations in the country mostly devoted to jazz. “We need to raise the jazz flag,” Bourassa said. Other live jazz events that have been going on in Worcester recently include the annual “Jazz at Sunset” series outside The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. In June, the first Central Mass. Jazz Fest debuted as a one-day event at Cristoforo Colombo Park (East Park) off Shrewsbury Street as a fundraiser for WCCA TV public access. “Our focus as a foundation — we not only want to create events but opportunity for kids, older people, any social status. Jazz is a uniting force that anyone can understand,” Bourassa said. In particular, “the whole goal was to create a festival that would draw 10,000 people into the city. We’re creating events that sponsors are actually hosting,” he said. At the Oct. 12 festival event on Worcester Common, “there’s something for everybody. People will find

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Dale LePage PHOTO/COURTESY OF UNLEASH THE LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

something if they give it a chance to listen. And live music takes everything to a bigger level.” Early weather forecasts are pointing to a warmer outlook than last year. “Hopefully it looks like it will be better — traditional fall 50 degrees. Which is why I planned for the fall and not the summer when people are running for cover,” Bourassa said. The festival forecast for 2020 is looking at “probably five days and six events,” Bourassa said. A second free

day event might be a block partystyle happening on Water Street in the Canal District. Also the festival will be looking for “national sponsorship and a national artist or two … by 2023 we want to bring artists in from all over the globe,” he said. “People are finding out we’re the real deal. We’re here to bring something good, something to Worcester’s revitalization — which is happening fast.”

O C T O B E R 3 - 9, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CITY VOICES

FIRST PERSON

Council candidate makes case for the future

OWURA SARKODIEH

ho said an ordinary boy from the second largest city in Ghana could ever run for the mayorship of the second largest city in New England? Who said a young man who earns less than the median household income can effectively compete in the big-business-dominated elections in Worcester, Massachusetts? Who said a father of five can keep his family together despite the turmoil and still remain a ray

of hope for the next generation? Who said a young man who has an African accent will ever dream of running a city as glorious as Worcester, Massachusetts? Look at it this way; who ever thought that a man with no political experience can challenge the helms of city governance and still make it to this far? With the racial turmoil that’s sweeping across the country, Worcester has had its fair share. At a moment when students do not trust the system so much so that they call for the removal of city

POETRY TOWN

Night Driver ALYX MCCOY

Kenneth tells me Worcester’s got no night life. Rather, one could say, it’s more of a slight life. Hell, doesn’t the Worcester Lyft driver, stoic, stalwart, deserve a comfortable, if a tight life? It wasn’t the dream, but it keeps the stove hot for the oxheads ready to sacrifice the right life,

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ride out those mouth-watering months, or years, or worse. But we both know, that’s not quite life. Kenneth, Lyft driver, who doesn’t much care for Worcester’s uncanny skill to kryptonite life, O Kenneth, of countless middle men, dropped & bitten bitter dust when you’d rather bite life, whose gigs were always temporary turbulence— nobody joins this grave shift for the bright life. One day, note you don’t say when, you will be whole, you will be grounded, despite life. Then, the nagging question pearls in my mouth. I never get to ask you why you tryna survive life, if you skip job to job like a stone & if you pray each morning this not be the day you dive. Life, as the fishbowl, invisible to we who bash heads with it, we captives, captains, of this 9 to 5 life. no shame, no shame, I whisper to the window. it’s just a paycheck, alyx. don’t let it drive life. Alyx McCoy was a finalist for the 2019 Write Bloody Publishing Contest and 2018 Button Poetry Chapbook contest.

officials, that signifies the thirst for change. At a moment when school authorities are cited for racial insensitivity and implicit biases in their disciplinary practices, there seem to be a wound that’s taking so long to heal. At this time, big business is taking over the city but the residents who made Worcester, Worcester, are feeling left out of the success; that calls for an awakening. Rent is at an all-time high while the median income for the middle class keeps on dwindling. Worcester’s teen birth rate surpasses the States’ average. Only 37% of WPS students hold a postsecondary credential (associate degree or higher). This calls for a change. But who dares say this? Who dares to lead this noble cause? Enter Owura Sarkodieh! Born in Ghana but made in the U.S.A! UMass Lowell alumnus! Former employee of UMass Memorial

Medical Center! A Big Brother! Substitute teacher in the Worcester Public Schools! Volunteer at the Worcester District Court! Law student! Proud father of five! I have earned my mark over the last twenty years working in this great city. A dedicated, modest, honest and devoted family man. A new kind of leader whose meekness is his strength and whose integrity is his greatness. This is the kind of leadership that’s sure to bring the city together again. My candidacy embodies resilience, dedication and accomplishment; something that’s hard to find in the youth these days. I believe that I carry the vision and fortitude to bring all sides together to accomplish goals. I proudly pitch his candidacy on education. I believe that the success of this great city will depend on a well-grounded education system that builds itself up

from the foundation. Proposing to expand the Head Start program to help struggling families, I will be a strong supporter of teachers unions and believes that a respectable pay for teachers will attract the best and qualified teachers to lead in this new decade. My candidacy will offer a ray of hope for all youths in Worcester. Our children will see themselves in me and through me. My administration will represent the new generation and will lead with grace and passion that’ll lift this city up from the mistrust. I am not your typical politician. I promise to be a consensus builder and believe in setting higher and achievable goals. City Hall needs diversity in age, gender, ethnicity and opinions for Worcester to grow. Owura Sarkodieh is a candidate in the Worcester mayor and councilor at-large races.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with thousands of readers and online viewers each week. There is no word limit, but we reserve the right to edit for length, so brevity is your friend. If handwritten, write legibly - if we cannot read it, we are not running it. A full name and town or city of residence are required. Please include an email address or phone number for verification purposes only. That information will not be published. Make sure your letter makes it into Worcester Magazine in a timely fashion — send it in by the Monday of the next issue. Please note that letters will run as space allows. Send them to Worcester Magazine, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 or by email to WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com.

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Big cat sighting just scratching the surface BILL SHANER

EEE DATE: OK, back from the mystical realm of extinct murder cats to the certifiably non-mystical realm of Worcester politics. Quick update here, the Worcester Education Justice Alliance cookout/coordinating meeting which I wrote about last month has a new date. It was postponed due to the threat of mosquito-borne EEE, and now it’s taking place indoors at the Worcester PopUp on Oct. 10 at 5:30 p.m. This group is trying to get the public more involved in the goings on of the school, and as such deserves support. take a look, as promised, at what the School Committee contenders are working with as far as campaign dollars. Incumbent John Monfredo sits on top of the pack, per pre-preliminary reports, with $4,300 in the coffer. He spent $1,500 ahead of the preliminary. After him, it’s challenger John Trobaugh, with $3,800, after spending $7,600 in the preliminary. After that, Molly McCullough sits on $3,400 after spending $1,400. Then Dianna Biancheria, with $3,200 after spending a whopping zero dollars, and Laura Clancey at $2,700 after spending $3,500. Challenger Cara Berg Powers sits on $2,500 after spending $15,000, the most by far. After her, it’s Tracy Novick, who sits on $2,222 after spending a modest $279. Jermoh Kamara spent $2,300 and now has $517, and everything else is under $1,000 and I won’t go into it, except for Brian O’Connell. He reported having spent no money and raised no money. Hm. Still came in third though.

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THE NUMBERS: The election is a little more than a month away so let’s

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COUGAR REDUX: Well, last week I regaled you all with a fantastical yet highly suspect tale of mountain lion sightings in Worcester, particularly on the West Side, up by Nelson Place. I also put out a call for mountain lion related information, and boy did I get it. One woman reported seeing a mountain lion recently near her family home, in the exact place a family member saw one in the 1980s. Another sent me a picture of what she thought was a bobcat in North Milford from July. It could be a bobcat, could be a mountain lion. The visual difference is not so big. Another sent me a picture of something that definitely looks a lot like a mountain lion from late August, in Charlton. Another Charlton resident caught a similar looking murder cat on a hunting camera in his backyard. Another claims to have seen one dead on the side of I-495 by the I-290 connector, and left me with this great quote: “It would indeed be gladdening to know that we have not succeeded in entirely wiping this majestic predator from the face of the planet that we seem so otherwise bent on destroying.” Thanks for that, Elisabeth Strout. Another sent a video of a confirmed bobcat in the Indian Hill neighborhood. Another said they spotted a cougar off Mill Street. They knew it wasn’t a bobcat — too large, not furry. All told, I got about 20 emails of varying levels of credibility, all pointing to the presence of murder cats in Worcester. Should we be reconsidering the 2018 declaration by the U.S. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife that the eastern cougar is extinct? Possibly. But there’s an element to this that is at the same time much more ridiculous and much more interesting. Two people independently posited the same take to me, so you know it’s good. So, the EcoTarium, right? They’ve got a big cat exhibit going on. And when your cat goes missing, people say to put their food and water and bedding outside because cats can smell their stuff from miles away. Therefore, the theory goes, the EcoTarium’s big cats exhibit is luring murder cats to Worcester because they can smell their own kind. I buy it. Keep these mountain lion tips coming and we can crowdsource a scientific breakthrough right here in my stupid column.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

WCPA’s Frank O’Hara Prize reading Poet Rachel McKibbens was the judge and featured reader for this year’s reading for the Worcester County Poetry Association’s Frank O’Hara Prize. The event was held Sept. 29 at the First Unitarian Church on Main Street in Worcester. The winners of this year’s contest — first place Carolyn Oliver, second place Jacqueline Morrill, third place Jennifer Freed and honorable mention bg Thurston — also read their work. Frank O’Hara relatives Pat and J. Philip O’Hara were in attendance. Other upcoming WCPA events include a reading of the epic of “Gilgamesh” Oct. 6 at the Worcester Art Museum by Sebastian Lockwood and a tribute to Elizabeth Bishop Oct. 9 at Bedlam Book Cafe. Photos/Andrew Quinn, Trigon Creative

COVER STORY

CROSSING THE BRIDGE

Community fights to turn mill building into youth center BILL SHANER

CHRISTINE PETERSON

The exterior of the textile mill built in 1866 located at the corner of Southbridge and Sargent Streets. It is now known as The Bridge.

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Ford, while taking us on a recent tour of the building. “We need to teach our kids trades so we don’t feed into the, ‘Come work at our McDonald’s, come work at our Walmarts, stay broke forever and not be able to feed your family, how about that.’” Teaching kids trades and getting them in the door of jobs that can support a family, is the best chance the neighborhood has of organically improving, Ford said. The Worcester Public Schools no longer offer a traditional trade school, he said. Worcester Tech now has an entrance exam, and serves more for college-readiness than the traditional pipeline to jobs out of high school. “The kids who need it aren’t getting what they need to get,” he said. “Subsequently, they’re hitting the streets and you know the results of that, right?” Outside of some recent help from local artists, Ford has been slowly restoring the building with his own money. He’s filled eight large dumpsters with trash from the building over the past five years, and has transformed the basement of the building into a small auto shop, as well as a stage for performances and an art gallery with the help of local artist Vanessa Calixto and others. The Bridge was constructed in 1867, first as the Sargent Card Clothing Company and then in the early 20th century as the Queensbury Mills. For the past several decades it has sat empty, for the most part. Now, the real estate company Kelleher & Sadowsky is listing the building for $1,175,000. The company advertises the building as a “tremendous development opportunity in Worcester’s next up and coming neighborhood,” in its marketing

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doing it. Once restored, he wants to auction the car off, starting at e were early into a tour of $100,000, and use the money to expand the program. 300 Southbridge St. — an It’s a wild, ambitious vision, and old mill building lovingly it’s not half as ambitious as Ford’s nicknamed The Bridge by members of the surrounding vision for The Bridge. He wants to turn the dilapidated, three-story community — when we came across a 1966 Chrysler Imperial former factory building into a in the basement with six other youth center where kids from the neighborhood can come to learn old, classic cars. trades like auto work, explore the The Imperial, like the rest, arts and escape bad situations at was beat up to a point of disrepair. But the bones were home. But while the shell of that ’66 Imperial isn’t going anywhere beautiful — a big, sleek boat without Ford’s blessing, The of a car, like the one John F. Bridge is out of his hands. The Kennedy was assassinated property owner, a trust managed in, or the one Hunter S. by a friend of Ford’s, recently listed Thompson took on a drugthe building for $1.2 million amid fueled tour of the Nevada a wave of Polar Park-related real desert, bats fluttering estate speculation. around his mind. If the building is sold, it could Dan Ford, property mean the end of The Bridge as the manager of The Bridge, community knows it, but they’re has a big vision for that ’66 Imperial. He’s going to not giving up without a fight. Recently, local artists and activists fix it up with the help of local youth. He’s going to have staged a #SaveTheBridge return that rusted hunk campaign, which includes gallery of old-school American showings, shows and other efforts to fund-raise. Meanwhile, Ford is manufacturing to its pursuing the idea of a community former glory, and he’s land trust to keep the building going to teach kids from the community a under local control. When the city and the Pawlucrative trade while tucket Red Sox announced the construction of Polar Park, attention turned to the surrounding area. An area once ignored by venture capital is now cast as “up-and-coming.” The rhetoric is reflected in the speeches of city officials, in news articles and in the marketing material of real estate agents. But for the people who have always been there, like Ford, the hype feels more like a threat. “That’s one of our main points is the gentrification that’s going to happen here is exponential,” said

COVER STORY

brochure. “Just steps from the anticipated Polar Park, 300 Southbridge Street provides great access to Routes 290, 190, 395, 146,” the brochure reads, including that it is part of a city “opportunity zone.” The designation grants developers certain incentives for federal tax liability. The Bridge is owned by trustees of the Thelma Talbert estate, and its assessed value is $468,300, less than half of the building’s list price. Though Ford hopes the building is not sold to a private developer,

he is sympathetic to the property owner, Benjamin Mantyla. “Me and the property owner are old buddies,” said Ford. “He’s well aware of what I’m building and what I’m trying to do. He’s in charge of the trust, which is the family’s business. And any move he makes has to make sense for the trust because he has siblings that have to be taken care of.” That’s why Ford is pursuing the idea of a community land trust, which would allow the estate to maintain ownership without

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Above, building manager Dan Ford, in an area with several antique cars, including a ’66 Imperial. The building, located at the corner of Southbridge and Sargent streets, was originally built as a textile mill in 1866. CHRISTINE PETERSON

Below, Vanessa Calixto, community organizer, founder of El Salon, and co-founder of The Creative Minds Collective, stands at the entrance to The Bridge art gallery. BILL SHANER

COVER STORY

A front staircase at The Bridge. CHRISTINE PETERSON

the burden of commercial taxes. Doubly, it would allow for Ford to more easily pursue partnerships with nonprofits, the city and other partners who could help him realize his vision of a large youth and community center. Mantyla declined a request to be

interviewed for this story. As we toured the building on a recent afternoon, we were joined briefly by Chief George Spring Buffalo, a representative of the Indigenous Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Network of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He underscored Fordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point about

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COVER STORY

Now, he said, Ford is trying to use the former factory building to fill the gap, and his plans could be cut short by the real estate speculation spurred by Polar Park. That’s why he feels it’s the responsibility of the PawSox organization, the Crowley family and the city to give money back to the community. It’s

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O CT O B E R 3 - 9, 2019

the lack of opportunity for at-risk Worcester youth to learn trades. “You’ve got a trade school up there, and most of them kids are not going into trades, they’re going into college,” he said. “You’re leaving a whole sector of disadvantaged children who could be in this kind of program.”

From top: Old cars in the basement of The Bridge. The second floor. The exterior of the textile mill. PHOTOS/CHRISTINE PETERSON

COVER STORY

The ’66 Imperial CHRISTINE PETERSON

one of the provisions he and other organizers are pursuing with a yetto-be-signed Community Benefit Agreement attached to the Polar Park construction. “This building has been here. He’s been here. His family’s been here. … The people that he’s trying to serve are people that live here. The people that are coming in here

making money don’t live here,” said Spring Buffalo. “So, if you’re coming, making money, and you don’t live here, you should be adding something back to the community when you’re making millions of dollars.” Without it, the money generated goes outside the city, where the atrisk kids in the neighborhood will

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COVER STORY

never see or benefit from it. Though they lack the financial power of an investment firm, a group of local artists and activists have stepped in recently to try to raise money and help Ford realize his vision under the banner Save The Bridge. Calixto, a Worcester-based

beginning to see it be slowly ripped away from the people who are here.” As Ford took us through the space, from the basement up to the third floor, he detailed his vision — a music room here, a dance studio there — one could see the potential for such a large mill space, despite

A Save The Bridge flyer made by Naomi Weintraub.

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COURTESY PHOTO

artist, recently held a three-week long gallery exhibition in the space under the banner El Salon. The gallery features work only from artists of color, the majority of them from Worcester. Earlier this month, she put on a gallery opening and dance party event. A roughly 150-person turnout raised about $1,200 for the restoration effort. El Salon is not the only project planned for the space. Local artists Cop Juju have a gallery coming up in mid-October, and some local filmmakers are planning a screening and conversation on gentrification. Calixto said in a recent interview that The Bridge has huge potential to be an important community space, helping the youth but also serving as a hub for the community. “I think it’s important, just the idea of taking back our space, claiming our space,” said Calixto. “Dan has been here in this neighborhood for years, and we’re

its deteriorated condition. There were holes in some of the walls, window spaces without windows and a tower which serves, Ford said, as an entrenched pigeon coop. But Ford’s vision and his enthusiasm for what it could bring to the community was palpable. On the third floor, Ford outlined a space where he could provide bunks for kids who needed to get away from home, or else didn’t have one. “Most (homeless) kids are couch surfing. In high school, they’re couch surfing. Sort of like I was,” he said. “That’s why this thing is so, so … ” with a tinge if sadness in his voice, he trailed off and paused for a moment, but he quickly snapped out of it. Before I could get a question in, he was back on the tour, pointing to an old iron structure that used to be a crane, and workplace safety notices left on the wall from the factory days.

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

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

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painters, family members, hopes, memories and passions. When she thinks deeply about the artists she admires, Nordman can see the thumbprint of their influence in her work. Nordman experiments with a variety of media. She loves working on pieces with many layers, and several stages — digital photographic collages, mixed-media watercolors and magazine collages are her current favorites — but it’s always evolving. See more of her work at robeafineart.com.

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Robéa Nordman is an artist and a teacher. Her art is inspired by many things — poets,

CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

Introducing Worcester’s VSCO Girls SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

he teens don’t laugh anymore. It’s all: “sksksksk.” If this means nothing to you, let me take you back to June of 2019 when the internet was a simpler place. The VSCO girl (pronounced “vis-co”) has since spawned a photo-editing app that evades the pressure of likes, allowing users to share burden-free authentic content. The result has been described by multiple news outlets as the swift ascent of a suburban-teen-aspirationalist persona; ie: the emergence of Gen-Z-hipsters. But, there’s nothing suburban about the teens I work with in Worcester. The youths who introduced me to the VSCO lexicon represent a large urban school district that is 79% high needs. I came by the term last week when I casually asked a group of 13-year-olds what they wanted to be when they grew up, and the majority said: “VSCO girl.” My Googling of the term only confused me further. According to

dozens of “VSCO girl transformation” videos on YouTube, a VSCO girl aligns herself with many of the branded purchases I had to work (multiple jobs) for a decade to afford: Hydro Flasks, Birkenstock sandals, Fjällräven backpacks, AirPods, Polaroid cameras, and Jeep Wranglers — to name a few. Other elements of the VSCO girl lifestyle are more reasonable: dewy face spray, scrunchies, Carmex lip balm, stickers, Vans, puka shells, friendship bracelets, metal straws and oversized T-shirts. There is nothing unlikable about the VSCO girls so much as puzzling. Does being on-trend in 2019 mean realizing the imagined future of my 6th-grade self ? VSCO girls are not shameful. Their lives revolve around positive mantras like, “Save the turtles” — or “turtals,” to be more accurate. Still, some aspects are puzzling. Take, for instance, the use of “sksksksk” to express excitement, gratitude and laughter. A widely circulated BuzzFeed article makes clear that the term originated from Black, Portuguese and LGBTQ

twitter communities. Has it been coopted? Appropriated? Adopted? Most confusing is the fact that parodies of VSCO girls seem to be making a much larger imprint on social media than legitimate VSCO content. And forget the actual VSCO sharing app; that’s barely a part of the equation anymore. The VSCO identity feels familiar. I remember a time when hipster caricatures were at a premium in 2009. We teased each other about wearing flannels, riding fixed gear bikes, listening to vinyl and buying thick-rimmed non-prescription glasses. Then, in one respect or another, we all became that person. Now, hipsters are the “olds.” Their words, not mine. It could be worse. What if the rise of the Dropbox girl had taken hold? Or the SmugMug thug? Or the Lightroom Lady? The kids have rediscovered laughter and the turtles are in good hands. The VSCO girls are alright.

The VSCO Girl of Generation Z is the hipster equivalent of the Millennial Generation. She aligns herself with eco-friendly water bottles, shell necklaces, Polaroid cameras, Jeeps, Vans sneakers, Burt’s Bees lip balm, scrunchies and Fjällräven backpacks. SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

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THE NEXT DRAFT

Mobile canning a seamless business MATTHEW TOTA

s the owner of a mobile canning company, Mike Morin prides himself on seamlessness and tight seals. It takes precision to quickly assemble a canning line and run it without any jamups or spills, and as for the seams, nobody likes a leaky can of beer. One morning last week, Morin and his crew of three arrived at Stone Cow Brewery here towing a $200,000 Wild Goose canning line, smaller than what a production brewery uses, but the perfect size for his company, Black Diamond Canning. They didn’t dally as they unloaded the line — separated into five sections and propped up on wheels — and rolled it into the center of Stone Cow’s brewhouse. The crew needed only an hour to set up the line and calibrate it. They switched it on, and empty cans began gliding along the conveyor at a pace of about 35 a minute, as

Mike Morin has seen breweries outgrow his mobile canning company, Black Diamond Canning, but there’s always a new brewery around the corner that needs his services. MATTHEW TOTA

machines filled them with fresh beer and a blast of carbon dioxide. Morin expected it would take no more than an hour and a half to package the day’s quota: a paltry 100 cases. “We feel like we’re part of the brewery when we cruise in,” he said. “But we’re in and out.” One of only a few mobile beer canning businesses based in the state, Black Diamond has a crucial part to play in the local craft beer industry. Small, but successful breweries such as Stone Cow that don’t yet brew the volume to justify having their own line or lack the capital to buy one lean heavily on mobile canners to package their beer. And the demand for cans has grown, with fewer customers interested in buying bottles or lugging in growlers to fill. “We’re three years old now, and in the first year, I was ordering two full nine-foot-tall pallets of growlers a month,” said Sean DuBois, co-founder of Stone Cow. “Now I’ve ordered two pallets all summer. People don’t

want growlers. That’s how much the industry changed. When we first opened, we didn’t do any can sales; it was all growler sales. Now it’s all about the cans.” Morin started Black Diamond in 2016. Before that he owned a food distribution company on the North Shore. At the time, he leased space in his warehouse to Down the Road Beer Co. and saw firsthand as Down the Road dealt with what he called “nightmare scenarios” trying to can its beer. He noticed how much the brewery relied on mobile canners and decided to start his own company. Morin didn’t immediately go out and buy a canning line, though. First, he needed to learn to can beer, so he volunteered at Lord Hobo Brewing Co. in Woburn and jumped on their line. “They were canning about 60 barrels a day,” he said, using the same canning line he now owns. After six months of canning Lord C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 19

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MOBILE CANNING

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Hobo’s flagship IPA Boom Sauce, Morin secured investors to buy his canning line and established Black Diamond. He has canned for breweries throughout New England, and not just the smaller brands. Both Wachusett Brewing Company and Smuttynose Brewing have hired him. In Wachusett’s case, it needed Black

Diamond to package 16-ounce cans of its New England IPA because its canning line could only fill 12-ounce cans. Those were big jobs for Morin, who is paid per can, consisting of several 900-case runs. Morin’s business has slowed a little this year, but that’s the nature of the craft beer industry, as breweries eventually outgrow his services and invest in their own canning lines. “When I started, most breweries weren’t prepared to do cans, then

Below, a conveyor takes the empty cans down the line. The line cans between 35 and 45 cans a minute. PHOTOS/MATTHEW TOTA

longer than they would have if things were booming,” he said. Morin’s major competition is Iron Heart Canning, one of the largest mobile canning companies in the country. Iron Heart has 50 canning lines and operates in more than 20 states. By comparison, Black Diamond only has one active canning line. Morin does have a second line, but he doesn’t use it. Going into every job, Morin worries about three things: his line, dissolved oxygen and carbonation. The line needs regular maintenance and to run often to work properly. When canning the beer, he and

his crew must mitigate the amount of dissolved oxygen that gets into the cans, as too much of it affects flavor. Controlling the carbonation falls to the brewers, but too much or too little can ruin a canning run. He treats every run as if he has a stake in the breweries. He knows full well how important that liquid he’s packaging is to their livelihood. “We bend over backwards to make sure this beer is canned well, because we understand that they put their blood and soul and a lot money into each batch of beer,” Morin said. “It’s their blood in those cans.”

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Above, running a canning line is a team effort. From right to left, Stone Cow Brewery packager Mike Pauplis, Black Diamond Canning owner Mike Morin and his crew members, brother Duncan and Jason Carroll, work the line.

cans became popular, and it was easier for them to go with a mobile canning company,” he said. “Now if someone is building out a new brewery, they’re going to put space in for a canning line.” Still, mobile canning companies are largely immune from the fluctuations in the craft beer market, Morin added. New breweries opening up every day means more potential clients. But a dip in the economy can benefit Black Diamond, too. “If brewers slow down, it helps us on the other end, because they will hesitate to buy that canning line and then go with somebody like us for

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CITY LIFE

DINING

Pomir continues to please Pomir Grill • 119 Shrewsbury St., Worcester • (508) 755-7333 • pomirgrill.com SANDRA RAIN

n a recent Friday night at Pomir Grill, the dining room reached two-thirds capacity. A dozen suburban women occupied one long table for a meeting of their monthly supper club, and three smaller parties, ourselves included, acknowledged one another as former acquaintances from the Worcester JCC. A single server worked the room with the help of a food runner who doled out pillowy squares of bubbly naan and trios of dipping sauce that ranged from bright and herbaceous coriander chutney to spiced tomato tundak and creamy tzatziki. The decor had built character since my last review of Pomir for Worcester Magazine, more than three years ago. The banquet chairs remained, as did the creased white linen table cloths and tippy flower vases. Now, embellishments climbed the walls and armchairs sat atop an ornate rug. Shelves of delicate

teapots framed the far corner and twinkling lights illuminated patches of greenery along the L-shaped countertop. According to Pomir’s website, owners Omar and Fowzia Sherzai met in Afghanistan almost 50 years ago and were reunited in Worcester in 1991. A stint at the Garlic and Arts

Festival in Orange brought a great deal of positive feedback and led to the opening of Pomir on Shrewsbury Street in 2012. Their two children, Sarina Sherzai and Anisa Sherzai, have proved instrumental to the success of the family-run restaurant. Pomir serves authentic Afghan cuisine prepared from family recipes. The

dishes are traditionally low in fat and sodium and free of both cheese and preservatives. We started with two grilled bolani. At first, I couldn’t place my nostalgic affection for the pan-fried pastry filled with leeks and potatoes until I realized our bolannis had replenished a serious toaster strudel void in my adult life, albeit with superior care and ingredients. The rectangles were cooked to golden brown free of any residual oil or heft. For dinner, we enjoyed the qourma-e-murgh, as recommended by our server. The traditional chicken dish is prepared in a savory sour cherry sauce and served with whole cherries that pop in your mouth like marvelous little gushers. Our chicken was cooked on the cusp of dryness, hinging on the sauce. Vegetarians will love the kadu borani, a steamed butternut squash dish as sweet as candy, doused in chunky tomato sauce. All entrees include a side of steamed long grain rice — quabili palaw, served with rai-

sins and carrots, or zamarut palaw, served with spinach. Dessert is mandatory at Pomir. I recommend the firni, an egg-free pudding topped with stewed pears. Like many of the dishes on the menu, I can’t think of another eatery in the city with an offering quite like this. Pomir, which translates roughly to, “roof of the world,” is at the top of its game as far as Afghani food in Worcester goes. I hope that when Worcester Magazine revisits this review three years from now, there will be others helping to raise the tide. On our last visit, dinner for two came to $48.15. Explanation of Stars: Ratings are from zero to five. Zero is not recommended. One is poor. Two is fair. Three is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is excellent.

Food: HHH1/2 Ambience: HHH Service: HHHH Value: HHH1/2

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TABLE HOPPIN’

You’ve been ‘Chopped!’

Chefs go head to head in ‘Chopped’ benefit for Jeremiah’s Inn BARBARA M. HOULE

hopped!/Worcester 2019, the fundraiser for Jeremiah’s Inn less than a week away, pits four professional chefs against one another, with this year’s chefs very familiar with head-to-head competition. The fast-paced cooking challenge similar to the Food Network series “Chopped” will have chefs use mystery ingredients commonly found in food pantries to make two food courses in 30 minutes. “Celebrity foodies” will judge the entries and the winner will go home with the coveted “Golden Clever” award. The event is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 7 at Maironis Park Banquet Hall, 52 Quinsigamond Ave., Shrewsbury. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased at https://choppedworcester2019. eventbrite, Facebook or instagram.

Tickets also will be sold at the door. Meet the competitors: Bill Bourbeau, executive chef/ GM of The Boynton Restaurant & Spirits in Worcester, won the 2019 Iron Chef award in Worcester’s Best Chef competition, the highest title awarded by the judges. He beat out 19 other chefs to get to center stage competition. Chris Bairos is executive chef representing Broth, the ramen bar in Worcester owned by executive chef Michael Arrastia, an emcee the night of the fundraiser. Bairos, who won the 2016 first place Judges’ Choice Award in WBC competition, has worked the line at Broth between other gigs. Lauren Flores is the chef who will make her competition debut. Her most recent stint as a chef was at Worcester Country Club, having previously worked in local restaurants.

Rick Araujo, an award-winning executive chef, helped open Civic Kitchen & Drink in Westboro in 2016 and worked there until this past weekend. Araujo as chef joined the team working to open a new restaurant concept in downtown Worcester in early spring. Araujo took 2019 second place Judges’ Choice Award in WBC competition. Note: No word from Civic’s owner Tom Oliveri Jr. on staff changes at the Westboro restaurant. I will be on the panel of judges, with Chris O’Harra, executive chef who won Chopped/Worcester 2017 and the WBC 2017 First Place Judges’ Choice Award; Tony Bristol of 96.1 SRS; Ken O’Keefe, executive chef of the Publick House Historic Inn in Sturbridge, and WBC 2018 Iron Chef winner. Commentators during the competition will be Michael Arrastia of Broth and Hangover Pub in

Chopped competitors include chefs Rick Araujo, Bill Bourbeau and Lauren Flores. Chef Chris Bairos will also compete in the fundraiser for Jeremiah’s Inn. CHRISTINE PETERSON

Worcester and executive chef/owner Jay Powell. FYI: Arrastia won WBC People’s Choice Award two years in a row; Powell also has won WBC People’s Choice Awards, competed in the World Chef Challenge and Food Network’s “Cooks vs. Cons” series. The fundraiser includes live music, silent auction and appetizers and signature cocktails provided by area

restaurants. The mission of Jeremiah’s Inn: “To better the community by helping people better their lives. One of only 29 food pantries in Worcester, we serve over 10,000 people who are struggling with hunger each year. At every visit, we provide each client with over 100 pounds

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TA B L E H O P P I N’

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of food, including fresh produce, milk, eggs and cheese. The inn also run a holistic and comprehensive residential treatment program for men recovering from substance use disorder. We guide over 100 men each year in their efforts to begin and sustain lasting recover and change their lives.” Ante up!

Monday Lunch extended at Hartman’s Herb Farm

‘Oktoberfest’ in Whitinsville

Narragansett Beer celebration in Providence

Wayland farmers market runs through Oct. 9

The Wayland Summer Farmers’ Market at Russell’s Garden Center, 397 Boston Post Road, Wayland, will continue through Oct. 9. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Local farms and orchards are among participants.

Apple & Agriculture Days at OSV Apple & Agriculture Days are scheduled Oct. 5-6, Oct. 12-14 and Oct. 19 at Old Sturbridge Village. Activities galore! Enjoy harvest/garden talks, orchard tours and see the oxpowered cider mill in action. Visit osv.org for complete schedule of events.

Pasta deal at Olive Garden

“Never Ending Pasta Bowl” promotion has returned to Olive Garden restaurants, with a new Creamy Roasted Garlic Sauce added to the lineup. The deal: Guests have access to unlimited servings of pasta combinations, homemade soup or salad and freshly baked breadsticks, starting at $10.99. It’s possible to create more than 100 combinations that include seven types of pasta, six homemade sauces and six toppings, such as meatballs, crispy chicken fritta or garden vegetables. Visit olivegarden.com for the Never Ending Pasta Bowl menu and restaurant locations. If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.

Attention Narragansett Beer fans: The company is throwing a party from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Hot Club in Providence to celebrate its “Rhody” roots and people who have supported Narragansett. ’Gansett is thrilled to continue bringing its “Hi Neighbor, Have a ’Gansett” slogan to life, according to a company press release. The event at the Hot Club will “toast” the

Skyline Bistro at Worcester Technical High School is “open for business,” with service from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management students, with instructors, operate the bistro. Call (508) 799-1964 after 9:15 a.m. for reservations, which are recommended but not required. Pre-orders and to-go orders are not accepted. The bistro menu includes soups, salad, sandwiches, entrées and desserts. You can’t beat the price, food or service!

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“Oktoberfest” is set for 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 12 at Friendly Discount Liquors in Whitinsville. Free to the public, with special sale prices. Call (508) 234-7951 for more info.

Skyline Bistro now serving lunch

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Hartman’s Herb Farm, 1026 Old Dana Road, Barre, has extended “Monday Lunch” through December, according to owners Lynne Hartman and daughter Carissa Hartman-Wozniak. “We have had such good response that we decided to stay open,” said Hartman-Wozniak. “After Thanksgiving, we will have our Christmas Open House and the Christmas Shop also will be opened. Guests will be able to view all our Christmas trees and enjoy Monday Lunch.” Seatings for Monday Lunch are 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The menu options include soup or salad, Mediterranean, Baked Haddock Grilled Vegetable Ravioli with Burnt Sage Butter, Vegetable Ratatouille and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes. Desserts include peach cobbler, apple crisp or strawberry shortcake. Lunch costs $20 per person, not including tax and gratuity. By reservation only; call (978) 3552015 for more information. Visit hartmansherbfarm.com.

community, and, of course, a ’Gansett will be on the beer company.

CITY LIFE

FILM

‘Joker’ not first film to inspire protests JIM KEOGH

he sign-holders were already pacing the sidewalk when I arrived at the Showcase Cinema on Southbridge Street for the opening of “The Last Temptation of Christ.” Several Christian groups had condemned Martin Scorsese’s 1989 adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’ controversial novel for its vivid departure from the gospel narrative, including a scene in which Jesus (played by Willem Dafoe) imagines himself married to Mary Magdalene. Protests were staged nationally, including in Worcester. A couple of the marchers outside the front entrance offered me impassioned and respectful arguments for their position, then I went inside to form my own opinion. (The protests, which eventually grew global, were largely peaceful, with one notable exception: a theater in Paris was set afire during a showing of the film, injuring 13 people.) It’s not unusual for a film to evoke an intense response before it’s released. Over the last couple of weeks, concerns have been raised that

the graphic violence in the Joaquin Phoenix film “Joker” might inspire copycats who view themselves as victims of a casually cruel society. In the film, Phoenix plays a failed comedian — bullied for much of his life — who exacts vicious vengeance on his tormentors. Families and friends of the 12 people fatally shot by a gunman at a 2012 screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colorado, are insisting “Joker” places the antihero in too-sympathetic a light. “This tragic event, perpetrated by a socially isolated individual who felt ‘wronged’ by society has changed the course of our lives,” the group wrote in an open letter. They aren’t asking the movie be pulled, only that the distributor, Warner Bros., uses some of its vast resources to advocate for gun safety. These are always tough debates, but I err on the side of letting art have its day. A year after “The Last Temptation of Christ,” some predicted Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” would incite the kind of rioting that roils the film’s Brooklyn neighborhood following the police killing of a young black man. Let the

record show no actual neighborhoods burned as a result of Lee’s masterwork. Many movies have been denounced pre-release. “The Exorcist” opened while I was attending St. Matthew’s Elementary School, and even as a kid I was aware of the Catholic Church taking up arms against it (the Church wasn’t crazy about “Jesus Christ Superstar” either). The surviving print of the notorious Jerry Lewis film “The Day the Clown Cried” (a man dressed as a clown is forced to accompany children to the Auschwitz gas chamber) is locked away in a vault, having only been viewed by a scant, and appalled, percentage of the human Joaquin Phoenix stars in “Joker,” in theaters on Oct. 4. race. Lewis yanked the movie from circulation, playing his own censor WARNER BROS. PICTURES on this one — the artist’s prerogative. Anything Woody Allen attempts now mention the gleeful depiction of “The Ghost in the Shell,” “Gods his assassination.) “The Interview” is preemptively deemed toxic. of Egypt” and “Aloha” took a predebuted, and the world did not blow North Korea once promised release beating for whitewashing up. The North Koreans, however, do “stern” and “merciless” retaliation if their characters; “Henry & June” exact a measure of stern and mercithe Seth Rogen-James Franco satire for inspiring the first NC-17 rating; “The Interview” ever saw the light of less retaliation. Every time Dennis and “I Love You Daddy” for being Rodman visits their country, they written, directed, and starring Louis day. (Kim Jong Un apparently took allow him to return to ours. exception to his vain and feckless C.K., whose #MeToo scandal left portrayal by Randall Park, not to the movie virtually unreleasable.

musical based on the timeless fantasy tale about a charming thief, a beautiful princess and a big blue genie. (2:08) PG.

“Angel Has Fallen” — Gerard Butler’s Secret Service agent returns, this time framed for the attempted assassination of the president. With Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick. (2:00) R.

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O CT O B E R 3 - 9, 2019

FILM CAPSULES “Abominable” — Three friends try to reunite a young Yeti with his family in the Himalayas in this animated adventure. With the voices of Chloe Bennet, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Albert Tsai, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson. Written and directed by Jill Culton. (1:32) PG-13. “Ad Astra” — Brad Pitt stars as an astronaut searching for his father in the outer realms of the solar system. With Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland. (2:02) PG13. “Aladdin” — Live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1992 animated

“The Angry Birds Movie 2” — The irritable avians of the popular game app return in this animated sequel. Voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Danny McBride, Peter Dinklage, Dove Cameron, Lil Rel Howery, Nicki Minaj. (1:36) PG. “Brittany Runs A Marathon” — A hard-partying woman (Jillian Bell) gets a wakeup call from her doctor and begins running, with the ultimate goal of entering the New York City Marathon. Sometimes, it’s more about going the distance than winning. (1:44) R.

“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” — The teen explorer from the animated series leads her friends on a jungle adventure in this live-action tale. With Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Pena, Eva Longoria, Temuera Morrison. (1:42) PG. “Downton Abbey” — The Crawleys and their staff prepare for a royal visit in this big-screen adaptation of the beloved British TV series. With Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Matthew Goode. (2:02) PG. “The Goldfinch” — Adaptation of Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning best-seller about a young man dealing with the tragic death of his mother in a bombing at a New York museum when he was just 13. With Ansel Elgort, Oakes Fegley, Aneurin Barnard, Finn Wolfhard, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Nicole Kidman. Written by Peter Straughan. Directed by John Crowley. (2:29) R.

“Good Boys” — Bad decisions lead a trio of sixth-graders down a comical path of age-inappropriate misadventures. (1:32) R. “Hustlers” — Former strip club workers plan to take down a group of Wall Street players. With Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Mercedes Ruehl, Lizzo, Cardi B. Written and directed by Lorene Scafaria; based on a magazine article by Jessica Pressler. (1:50) R. “It Chapter Two” — It’s 27 years later and the evil returns to Derry, Maine. James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Martell, Wyatt Oleff, Jack Dylan Grazer, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor. Written by Gary Dauberman, based on the novel by Stephen King. Directed by Andy Muschietti. R. C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 23

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FILM CAPSULES

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“John Wick — Chapter 3 — Parabellum” — The super-assassin played by Keanu Reeves is back, pursued by other hired killers looking to collect a $14 million bounty. (2:10) R. “The Lion King” — The young Simba has a series of adventures on the way to claiming his birthright in this computer-animated remake of the 1994 animated Disney musical. (1:58) PG. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” — A young man with Down syndrome chases his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. With Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottsagen, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern,

“Rocketman” — Mild-mannered English piano player Reginald Dwight transforms into rock superstar Elton John in this musical fantasy biopic starring Taron Egerton. (2:01) R. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” — Teens in a small town in the 1960s discover a book of terror tales that start to come true. With Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint. PG-13. “The Secret Life of Pets 2” — A sequel to the computer-animated comedy reveals more of the antics our animal companions get up to when we’re not around. (1:26) “Spider-Man: Far from Home” — The young web slinger’s trip to

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HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT IS PLAYING AT THE ELM? A.) Call the Elm’s Movie Line 508-865-2850 B.) Look in the T&G (Fri-Sun) C.) Check out the Elm’s Facebook Page D.) All of the Above

“ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW”

Friday & Saturday Night, Oct. 4 & 5, 2019 10pm – Doors Open at 9:30pm Starring “THE TESERACTE PLAYERS OF BOSTON” In A Live Shadow Cast!

WE PLAY ALL PATRIOTS GAMES ON THE BIG SCREEN • FREE ADMISSION 15 x 28 ft HD Picture • Doors Open Approx 1 Hour Before the Start Time

NEW FEATURE EVERY FRIDAY T-SHIRTS & GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE, BEER, WINE & PUB MENU * MOVIE ADMISSION $6.00

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Europe with his school friends is interrupted by Nick Fury and some elemental creatures. (2:08) PG-13.

“Rambo: Last Blood” — Sylvester Stallone’s venerable action hero embarks on a vengeful final mission. With Paz Vega. Written by Matthew Cirulnick, Stallone; story by Stallone; based on the character created by David Morrell. Directed by Adrian Grunberg. (1:40) R.

“Toy Story 4” — The gang goes on a road trip and reunites with Bo Peep in the fourth entry in DisneyPixar’s beloved computer-animated franchise. (1:40) G.

“Ready or Not” — A new bride is forced by her eccentric in-laws to play a twisted and deadly game. With Samara Weaving, Mark O’Brien, Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell. (1:35) R.

“Where’d You Go, Bernadette” — A Seattle woman with a seemingly perfect life suddenly disappears in this comedy-drama based on Maria Semple’s best-selling novel. With Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, James Urbaniak, Judy Greer, Troian Bellisario, Laurence Fishburne. (1:44) PG-13.

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Jon Bernthal, Thomas Haden Church, Jake Roberts, Mick Foley. (1:33) PG13.

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Sylvester Stalone in “Rambo: Last Blood.”

CITY LIFE

THINGS TO DO

Totally epic

COMPILED BY RICHARD DUCKETT AND VICTOR D. INFANTE Cushing St., Fitchburg. Thursday, Oct. 3 Fox and the Dragon: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 3, Greater Good Imperial Story Time — Terrific 2s & 3s: Brewing Company, 55 Millbrook 10:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 3, Boylston St., Worcester. Public Library, 695 Main St., Alter Bridge and Skillet: 7 p.m. Boylston. For information: (508) Oct. 3, the Palladium, 261 Main St., 869-2371. Worcester. $35-$400. Harry Potter — Living Literature WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: at Roosevelt Branch: 4-5 p.m. Shaun Connolly album Recording: Oct. 3, Worcester Public Library 7 p.m. Oct. 3, George’s Coney Island Roosevelt Branch, 1006 Grafton Hot Dogs, 158 Southbridge St, St., Worcester. For information: Worcester. $5. lsheldon@mywpl.org. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/ — Comedy Showcase: 7 p.m. Oct. Greater Worcester’s Annual Gala 3, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 and Auction: 5-9 p.m. Oct. 3, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston Millbury St., Worcester. $10. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: - Westborough, 5400 Computer — Comedy Showcase: 7 p.m. Oct. Drive, Westborough. Cost: $1504, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 $1500. For information: (508)

The Kennedys at Circle of Friends The Kennedys have been called Circle of Friends Coffeehouse “favorites.” You can understand why by listening to any of the husband-and-wife folk/rock duo’s albums over the past 20 years, but Pete and Maura Kennedy may be even better live. Their harmonies and instrumental prowess blend elements of country music, bluegrass, Western swing and janglepop to bring their songs to glowing life. The Crowes Pasture duo Monique Byrne and Andy Rogovin will open the show.

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What: The Kennedys with special guests Crowes Pasture When: 8 p.m. Oct. 5 (doors open at 7:30 p.m.) Where: Circle of Friends Coffeehouse, 262 Chestnut St., Franklin How much: $20. circlefolk.org

799-9259, deborah.huegel@ habitatmwgw.org. Andrew Haswell Green: Worcester’s Native Son: 6-7 p.m. Oct. 3, Park View Room, 230 Park Avenue, Worcester. Cost: Free-$5. For information: (508)754-8760, events@ preservationworcesterworcester.org. Andrew Green of Worcester’s Green Hill Park was also the driving force behind New York’s Central Park and the New York Public Library. An interactive and illustrated talk with readings from Green’s personal diary, letters, speeches, and archived news articles will illuminate his social contributions and unfortunate murder. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedy Showcase: 7 p.m. Oct. 3, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. $10. The Yo Daddy Doe Variety Show: hosted by CoffeeHouse Craig, 7 p.m. Oct. 3, Strong Style Coffee, 13

Millbury St., Worcester. $10. OSV “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” Returns: 7:309 p.m. Oct. 3, Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. Cost: $40. For information: (800) 733-1830, osvinfo@osv.org. REO Speedwagon: 8 p.m. Oct. 3, Hanover Theatre, 554 Main St., Worcester. $45-$95. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedian Josh Johnson: 9 p.m. Oct. 3, WooHaHa! 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $20. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: Shaun Connolly album Recording: 9 p.m. Oct. 3, George’s Coney ISland Hot Dogs, 158 Southbridge St, Worcester. $5.

Friday, Oct. 4 Sturbridge Log & Timber Home Show: 1-4 p.m. Oct. 4, Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center,

366 Main St., Sturbridge. Cost: $15-$188. Sew a Tote Bag with Kimberly Mowers: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 4, The WorcShop, 233 Stafford St., Worcester. Cost: $99-$124. For information: theworcshop@ gmail.com. 2019 Greater New England UFO Conference: 6-6 p.m. Oct. 4, Leominster City Hall, 25 West St., Leominster. Cost: $20-$55. Deep Thoughts Poetry Open Mic: 7-8 p.m. Oct. 4, Bedlam Book Cafe, 138 Green St., Worcester. For information: (508) 459-1400, bedlambookcafe@gmail.com. “Grace”: 7-9 p.m. Oct. 4, Harrington Theater at Bancroft School, 110 Shore Drive, Worcester. Cost: $8.50-$10. Electrifying, previously unreleased performance of the great Aretha Franklin in 1972 Colt Ford with Carter Winter: 7 p.m. Oct. 4, the Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $25-$300. The Avett Brothers: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4, DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester. Cost: $36.50-$66.50. Scream: Live on Stage!: featuring Billy EyeDoll, Brenda Cox, Blake Sherman, Caitlin Arcand, Cameron Sughrue, E’Nygma, Harley Queen, Lucifer Christmas, Niki Luparelli, Poise’N Envy, Randi Rae Stock, Robin from Human Resources and Salomé Strange, 8 p.m. Oct. 4, Bull Mansion, 55 Pearl St., Worcester. $20-$30. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedian Josh Johnson: 8 p.m. Oct. 4, WooHaHA! 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $20. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: 8 p.m. Oct. 4, Comedian Nick Chambers, The Comedy Attic at Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park Av., Worcester. $15. Danny Fantom: Album release party, 9 p.m. Oct. 4, Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester. $25.

Storyteller and teacher Sebastian Lockwood tells the great epics, including “Odysseus,” “Caesar,” “Beowulf” and “Monkey.” With this performance, he’ll be turning his attention to the epic of “Gilgamesh,” one of the oldest stories in existence and a cornerstone of Western literature. Lockwood’s performances are designed to take complex texts and make them accessible to all audiences. What: ‘Gilgamesh’ When: 2-3 p.m. Oct. 6 Where: Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester How much: Part of “Free First Sunday” admission to the museum

Wormtown Ska Presents — Is this Ska? with Cheap City, Sgt Scag and Smelltones: 8 p.m. Oct. 4, The Raven, 258 Pleasant St., Worcester. Cost: $10. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedy Showcase: 9 p.m. Oct. 4, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. $10.

Saturday, Oct. 5 Opening reception for ‘Wanderings’ photo exhibit by Mara DeWitte: 5-7 p.m. Oct. 5. Runs through Nov. 10. Ruth Wells Center for the Arts, 111 Main St., Southbridge. for more information: (508) 764-3341, ruthwellscenter.com. Walk The Streets of Revolutionary Worcester: 11 a.m.-noon Oct. 5, Salisbury Mansion, 40 Highland St., Worcester. Cost: $10. Learn to Draw Your Own Comic Book at Hitchcock Academy: 12-4 p.m. Oct. 5, Hitchcock Free Academy, 2 Brookfield Road, Brimfield. Cost: $50. For information: (413) 245-9977, sue@hitchcockacademy.org. Artist Reception: Sue Fleishman: 1-2:30 p.m. Oct. 5, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St.,

Gospel, according to Aretha Franklin “Amazing Grace” is a live gospel album by American soul singer Aretha Franklin recorded in January 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, with the Southern California Community Choir accompanying Franklin. To put it another way, the album is a classic. Director Sydney Pollack was there, too, but for various reasons a planned documentary languished and both Pollack and Franklin eventually passed. Miraculously, the unfinished film has been unearthed, reassembled and made into what Newsday has called “a priceless gift to music fans.” What: “Amazing Grace — Aretha Franklin” presented by cinema-worcester When: 7 p.m. Oct. 4 Where: Harringron Theater, Bancroft School, 110 Shore Drive, Worcester How much: $10; $8.50 students and seniors. www.cinema-worcester.com

Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, efurse@cwmars.org. Meet & Greet with local author Jean M. Grant: 2-4 p.m. Oct. 5, Booklovers’ Gourmet, 55 East Main St., Webster. For information: (508) 949-6232. Concert Crave’s Artist Showcase — Massachusetts Edition: hip-hop showcase and competition, 4 p.m. Oct. 5, The Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $15 at the door. Second Chance Animal Services 20th Anniversary Celebration: 4-10 p.m. Oct. 5, Southbridge Hotel & Conference Center, 14 Mechanic St., Southbridge. Cost: $60. For information: (508) 867-5525, lindsay.doray@ secondchanceanimals.org. Mechanics Hall Celebration of Excellence: 6-10 p.m. Oct. 5, Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester. Cost: $45. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedian Josh Johnson: 7 p.m. Oct. 5, WooHaHA! 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $10. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — One Liner Madness: 7 p.m. Oct. 5, Nick’s Bar and

CITY LIFE

It’s a ‘Scream’! Unboxing party Rapper Danny Fantom has long been one of the strongest and most interesting voices in Worcester’s burgeoning hip-hop scene, but he’s been a bit quiet lately. That silence is ending now with his new release, “Pandora’s Box.” It’s moody, raw and intensely personal, and some of the rapper’s best work. The event is presented by Stanton Capitol Recordings & PACKMANGhost, and hosted by DJ KidKash. What: Danny Fantom album release party When: 9 p.m. Oct. 4 Where: Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester How much: $5, $25 with “gift box”

Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. Free. Tysk Tysk Task, Viper’s Jive and Fire in the Field: 8 p.m. Oct. 5, Hotel Vernon, 1 Millbury St., Worcester. $5. DeadBeat’s String Guys: playing acoustic Grateful Dead covers, 7 p.m. Oct. 5, Greater Good Imperial Brew Co., 55 Millbrook St., Worcester.

Silent film classic Will it be the death knell for the tragic Quasimodo, the bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, after he falls for the gypsy girl Esmeralda? Not before he rescues her from certain death in the 1923 silent film classic “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” based on Victor Hugo’s epic

Worcester. $15. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedy Showcase: 9 p.m. Oct. 5, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. $10. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedian Josh Johnson: 9:30 p.m. Oct. 5, WooHaHA! 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $20.

Sunday, Oct. 6

Monday, Oct. 7 CHOPPED!Worcester 2019: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 7, Maironis Banquet Facilities, 52 South Quinsigamond Avenue, Shrewsbury. Cost: $35. For information: (508) 755 6403 , alyssa@jeremiahsinn.com. “Zombieland” Themed Trivia at the Red Heat Tavern: 7-9 p.m. Oct. 7, Red Heat Tavern, 227 Turnpike Road, Westborough. Cost: Free. Dirty Gerund Poetry Series: featuring poet G. Murray Thomas, hosted by Alex Charalambides, 9 p.m. Oct. 7, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester.

Tuesday, Oct. 8 Story Time — Fantastic 4s & 5s: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 8, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org.. PAW Patrol Live!: 6 p.m. Oct. 8, Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 554 Main St., Worcester. $22-$102. Make a Cork Pumpkin: 6:307:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, efurse@cwmars.org. “Monsterland” Author Ronny LeBlanc: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Fitchburg Public Library, MA, 610

Main St., Fitchburg. New England Shutterbugs Camera Club: members competition, 7-9 p.m. Oct. 8, 100 West St, 100 West St., Leominster. For information: (978) 534-6638, tapestry61@ gmail.com. The Cobra Kings: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W. Boylston St, Worcester.

Wednesday, Oct. 9 Story Time — Bouncing Babies: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 9, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org. Rainbow Lunch Club: noon-2 p.m. Oct. 9, Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester, 90 Holden St., Worcester. For information: (508) 7561545, jknight@eswa.org. For LGBTIQA 60 years old and older; younger partners, friends and allies. $2.50 suggested donation for those age 60 and older; $5.50 for younger individuals. Weekly Playgroup: Week 2: 3:154:30 p.m. Oct. 9, Worcester Public Library Tatnuck Magnet Branch, 1083 Pleasant St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org. Learn to Draw Manga: For Tweens & Teens: 4-5:30 p.m. Oct. 9, Worcester Public Library Goddard Branch, 14 Richards St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@ mywpl.org.

Out of this world Now in its seventh year, the Greater New England UFO Conference has become a fun-filled gathering for those who believe the truth is out there, and are willing to look. This year’s conference will include guest speakers Roxie Zwicker of “Wicked Curious Radio,” paranormal investigator Mike Stevens, Dave McCullough from “Squatchachusetts” and many more. What: 2019 Greater New England UFO Conference When: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 4 and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 5 Where: Leominster City Hall, 25 West Street, Leominster How much: $20-$55

Spear-It of Blacksmithing with Jonathan Maynard: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 6, The WorcShop, 243 Stafford St., Worcester. Cost: $275$330. For information: email theworcshop@gmail.com. Photojournalism for Kids: 1011:30 a.m. Oct. 6, 44 Portland St, 44 Portland St., Second Floor, Worcester. Cost: $100. Gilgamesh at Worcester Art Museum: 2-3 p.m. Oct. 6, Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. For information: (508) 797-4770, wcpaboard@yahoo.com. Storyteller and teacher, Sebastian Lockwood tells the great epics: Gilgamesh, Odysseus, Caesar, Beowulf, and Monkey. His studies in Classics and Anthropology at Boston University and Cambridge University in the UK laid the foundation for bringing these great tales into performance. Lockwood’s performances are designed to take complex texts and make them accessible and exciting for audiences from 5 to 95. Lockwood has tutored and taught classes in higher education for 25 years The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Silent film accompanied by the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, 2 p.m. Oct. 6, the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 SDouthbridge St., Worcester. $15-$20. Capstan with Rarity: 7 p.m. Oct. 6, the Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. Listen! A Poetry Reading: hosted by David Macpherson, 7 p.m. Sept. 29, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124

Millbury St., Worcester.

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What: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” When: 2 p.m. Oct. 6 Where: The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester How much: $20 general admission. (877) 571-7469; www.thehanovertheatre.org

Where: “Scream: Live on Stage!” When: 8 p.m. Oct. 4 and 5 Where: Bull Mansion, 55 Pearl St., Worcester How much: $25

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novel set in 15th-century Paris. Lon Chaney is mesmerizing as Quasimodo, while Patsy Ruth Miller’s Esmeralda steals everyone’s heart. Sunday’s screening of the film at The Hanover Theatre will be accompanied by Clark Wilson on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: 8 p.m. Oct. 5, Comedian Nick Chambers, The Comedy Attic at Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park Av., Worcester. $15. LGBTQing A CITY: 7-8:30 p.m. Oct. 5, Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm St., Worcester. Cost: $5. For information: (508) 753-8278, davidconner@worcesterhistory. net. Each year since 2014, the Human Rights Campaign has awarded Worcester a perfect score for being an LGBTQ+ inclusive city. This assessment is based largely on legal and employment protections, and Worcester should be proud of this ranking. A community conversation moderated by Professor Stephanie Yuhl will explore what additional concrete initiatives Worcester civic leaders and community members might pursue to enhance the lives of LGBTQ+ residents. Panelists include LGBTQ+ leaders from neighboring cities Providence and Boston, as well as Worcester City leadership. We expect lively audience engagement. Scream: Live on Stage!: featuring Billy EyeDoll, Brenda Cox, Blake Sherman, Caitlin Arcand, Cameron Sughrue, E’Nygma, Harley Queen, Lucifer Christmas, Niki Luparelli, Poise’N Envy, Randi Rae Stock, Robin from Human Resources and Salomé Strange, 8 p.m. Oct. 5, Bull Mansion, 55 Pearl St., Worcester. $20-$30. Doctor Gasp All Ages Halloween Musical Spookshow: 8-9 p.m. Oct. 5, Blackstone Valley Music, 6 Mendon St., Uxbridge. For information: danblakesleebooking@gmail.com. WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: 8 p.m. Oct. 5, Comedian Nick Chambers, The Comedy Attic at Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park Av.,

What could be a better way to start the Halloween season than watching the cult favorite horror flick, “Scream”? How about watching it (or at least, a show inspired by it) live, performed by drag queens and comedians? “Scream: Live on Stage!” will feature performances by Billy EyeDoll, Brenda Cox, Blake Sherman, Caitlin Arcand, Cameron Sughrue, E’Nygma, Harley Queen, Lucifer Christmas, Niki Luparelli, Poise’N Envy, Randi Rae Stock, Robin from Human Resources and Salomé Strange. There will also be mocktails and snacks available.

CITY LIFE

THINGS TO DO Basic Artisan Metalworking with Randal Meraki: 6-9:30 p.m. Oct. 9, The WorcShop, 243 Stafford St., Worcester. Cost: $255-$285. For information: theworcshop@gmail. com. PAW Patrol Live!: 6 p.m. Oct. 9, Hanover Theatre for the Performing arts, 554 Main St., Worcester. $22-$102. Doctor Gasp All Ages Halloween Musical Spookshow: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 9, Gladys E. Kelly Public Library, 2 Lake St., Webster. Learn How To Research Your Family History: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 9, Hitchcock Free Academy, 2 Brookfield Road, Brimfield. Cost: $45. For information: (413) 2459977, sue@hitchcockacademy.org. With Dave Robinson of Old Bones Genealogy of New England. Wacky Wednesday Jam: 8:30 p.m. Oct. 9, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W. Boylston St, Worcester. Duncan Arsenault and friends: 9 p.m. Oct. 9, Vincent’s 49 Suffolk St., Worcester

Wachusett Community College, 444 Green St., Gardner. mwcc.edu/tam. “Spitfire Grill, The Musical”: 8 p.m. Oct. 11, 12, 18, 19; 2 p.m. Oct. 13, 20. $20; seniors and students, $18; youth 11 and younger, $10. Stageloft Repertory Theater, 450A Main St., Sturbridge. stageloft.org/. “A Walk in the Woods”: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17, 18, 19, 25, 26; 2 p.m. Oct. 20, 27. $20; $17 for seniors and students. Calliope Productions,

Shawna Shea Film Festival returns The annual Shawna Shea Film Festival is underway with screenings of locally, nationally and internationally made shorts and feature-length movies, many with an emphasis on horror, at several locations in Southbridge. Venues include Starlight Gallery (Oct. 3-5), Ruth Wells Art Center (Oct. 3 -4) and Southbridge Hotel &

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Thursday, Oct. 10 Story Time — Terrific 2’s & 3’s: 10:3011:30 a.m. Oct. 10, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. PAWS to Read in October: Session 1: 3:30-4:30 p.m. Oct. 10, Worcester Public Library Burncoat Branch, 526 Burncoat St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org. Harry Potter: Living Literature at Tatnuck Magnet Branch: 4-5 p.m. Oct. 10, Worcester Public Library Tatnuck Magnet Branch, 1083 Pleasant St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org. Genealogy Group: 6-7:45 p.m. Oct. 10, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, efurse@cwmars.org. Despised Icon: 7 p.m. Oct. 10, the Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester.

Stage “There’s a Monster in My Closet”: Oct. 4, 5, 6. Gateway Players Theatre. gatewayplayers.org. “Deathtrap”: Oct. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 30. The Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. thebradleyplayhouse.org. “Don’t Dress for Dinner”: 8 p.m. Oct. 4, 5, 11, 12; 2 p.m. Oct. 13. $22; $15 for ages 16 and younger. Theatre at the Mount, Mount

Conference Center (Oct. 5). The film festival honors the memory of Uxbridge High School student Shawna Shea, a creative and artistic young woman who died at 16 in a 1999 automobile accident, and benefits the Shawna Shea Memorial Foundation Inc. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports young people, especially women, in filmmaking, performance arts and other artistic and cultural endeavors through financial assistance, collaborative fellowships, mentoring and educational opportunities. Skip Shea, Shawna’s father, is a filmmaker, writer, director and producer. What: Shawna Shea Film Festival When: Now through Oct. 5. For complete information, go to shawnasheaff.org

CITY LIFE

‘My Name is Ōpūkaha‘ia’ at ‘OSV Henry Ōpūkaha‘ia was one of the first native Hawaiians to become a Christian, inspiring American Protestant missionaries to come to the islands beginning in 1819. To mark the bicentennial, Old Sturbridge Village will host the history/theater program “My Name is Ōpūkaha‘ia,” written and performed by Moses Goods with singer/musician Po’ai Lincoln, at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 5. The program is on its first tour within the continental United States having previously been performed throughout the Hawaiian Islands. For Saturday’s performance, OSV singers will sing hymns the missionaries brought with them. “My Name is Ōpūkaha‘ia” has been called “a riveting historical performance by one of Hawaii’s greatest actors.” What: “My Name is Ōpūkaha‘ia” When: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 5 Where: Stephen M. Brewer Theater, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge. How much: $12 for non-members and $10 for OSV members. osv.org/event/my-name-is-opukahaia/.

Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. $39$79. thehanovertheatre.org “Golda’s Balcony”: 8 p.m. Nov. 2, 7, 9; 4 p.m. Nov. 3, 10. Presented by 4th Wall Stage Company. Congregation Beth Israel, 15 Jamesbury Drive, Worcester. $25; $22 for seniors; $10 for students. 4thwallstagecompany.org. “American Buffalo”: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8, 9, 15, 16; 2 p.m. Nov. 17. Pilgrim Soul Productions, GB & Lexi Singh Performance Center at Alternatives’Whitin Mill, 60 Douglas Road, Whitinsville. $20; $18 for seniors and under 18. (508) 296-0797, pilgrimsoulproductions.com “Little Women, the Musical”: 8 p.m. Nov. 15, 16, 22, 23; 2 p.m. Nov. 17 and 24. Vanilla Box Productions, Joseph P. Burke Center for Performing Arts, Holy Name CCHS, 144 Granite St., Worcester. $22, $20 fir seniors and children 12 and younger. vanillaboxproductions.com

Organ rededication at Blessed Sacrament

What: 1928 Skinner Opus 736 Organ Rededication Recital When: 2 p.m. lecture and demonstration; 3 p.m. recital; Oct. 6 Where: Blessed Sacrament Church, 551 Pleasant St., Worcester How much: Free and open to the public

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Renowned organist Thomas Murray will give a demonstration at 2 p.m. and recital at 3 p.m. Sunday to celebrate the return of Blessed Sacrament Church’s 1928 Skinner Opus 736 Organ following a major restoration. Murray served on the faculties of Yale School of Music and the Institute of Sacred Music for 38 years before retiring, and has recorded and performed extensively. The American Guild of Organists named him International Artist of the Year for 1986. In 1975 he performed a benefit fundraising concert in the Worcester Memorial Auditorium for restoring the E. & G.G. Hook Organ in Mechanics Hall. Blessed Sacrament’s church organ was dismantled piece by piece in 2016 and transported to the A. Thompson-Allen Company LLC of New Haven, Conn., where it underwent a complete and historically accurate restoration. Murray will give a lecture demonstration of the instrument. The recital will be followed by a reception.

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150 Main St., Boylston. calliopeproductions.org. “Once Upon a Mattress”: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18, 19, 25, 26; 2 p.m. Oct. 20 and 27. New Players Theatre Guild. 15 Rollstone St., Fitchburg. (978) 345-6570, nptg.org “Wait Until Dark”: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18, 19, 25 and 26; 2 p.m. Oct. 27. $20; senior (65+) and children 12 and younger, $15. Barre Players Theater, 64 Common St., Barre. barreplayerstheater.com. “The Haunting of Hill House”: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25, 26, Nov. 1, 2; 2 p.m. Oct. 27 and Nov. 3. Pasture Prime Players, The Charlton Arts & Activities Center, 4 Dresser Hill Road, Charlton. pastureprime.org “Urinetown The Musical”: Presented by Bradley Playhouse. 7:30 P.m. Oct. 25, 26; 2 p.m. Oct. 27. The Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. thebradleyplayhouse.org “The Play That Goes Wrong”: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31; 8 p.m. Nov. 1, 2; 2 p.m. Nov. 2; 1 p.m. Nov. 3 and 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3. The Hanover

CITY LIFE

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

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O CT O B E R 3 - 9, 2019

EAST DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Meet Tommy! Tommy’s owners abandoned him outside when they moved. A neighbor scooped him up and brought him to WARL. Tommy is a big guy who’s a bit of a scaredy cat. He hides when faced with new situations. Maybe that’s because he was abandoned in the scary outside world. Start him in one room of your home. If you give him your entire house, he will find hiding places you might not find, and he’ll only come out when you’re not around. Starting him in one room allows you to build a relationship with him and ease his fears. Once Tommy settles into your home and feels secure with you, he’ll become more confident. Tommy is 3 years old, neutered and ready to go!

GAMES

J O N E S I N’

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

37 Restaurant review app 39 Board game insert 40 Place for an X 42 Places for cones 45 Jai alai ball 47 Inbox buildup 48 Phobia prefix 49 Brief and pithy 51 “Get that scary thing away from me” 54 Altercation 56 “It’s all ___ you!” 57 O’Rourke in the 2019 Democratic Debates 58 Golf course obstacle 60 “You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)” author Felicia 61 Toilet paper layer

Last week's solution

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67 “And I ___” (recent meme phrase, and this puzzle’s theme) Down 1 Bean favored by Hannibal Lecter 2 CBS psychological drama that debuted Sept. 2019 3 Baked pasta dish 4 506, in Roman numerals 5 Accelerator particles 6 Close companion? 7 Devotee 8 Bird perch 9 Absorb, with “up” 10 Designer Vuitton on the front porch? 11 Pound piece 12 Mink’s cousin 14 Numbers to be crunched 18 Nut in Hawaiian gift shops 22 Backyard party, briefly 24 Makes a scarf 26 Like some clearance sales 27 Dad jokes may depend on them 28 Sci. course 29 Slimy stuff in a rabbit’s home? 31 Melancholy 35 Like some military forces 36 Kosher eatery

O C T O B E R 3 - 9, 2019

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Across 1 Tasseled hat 4 Iranian money 10 Distress message 13 Hardcore 15 Type of doll for revenge seekers 16 Mummy king discovered in 1922 17 The place at the mall to buy supplements and chickens? 19 Tokyo-born Grammy winner 20 “___: Battle Angel” (2019 film) 21 Overly formal letter opener 22 Florida resort city, for short 23 “Cathy” exclamation 25 Adopts, perhaps 27 Possum foot 30 1978 Nobel Peace Prize co-winner Sadat 32 Carson Daly’s former MTV show 33 One, in Rome 34 “New Look” couturier 35 Z-lister 38 Talk over? 40 Place to display titles 41 Plays a ukulele 42 Apply blacktop 43 Down for a few days 44 Wallach of “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” 45 Green-skinned melonlike fruit 46 Take in some tea 47 Hall & Oates hit with the refrain “Oh, here she comes” 50 “Hamilton” creator ___-Manuel Miranda 52 Diner staple 53 Corner shapes 55 Be skeptical 59 Pasture noise 60 Spicy plant that hangs low on the stem? 62 Goya’s gold 63 Like some projections 64 “At Last” singer ___ James 65 Spruce juice? 66 Like some bread or beer

“And I ...” – my mistake, that caught me off guard. by Matt Jones

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O C T O B E R 3 - 9, 2019

Sudoku Answers

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LAST CALL

Darcy Schwartz president of ArtReach D

arcy Schwartz is the president of ArtReach, a community art studio at 22 West Boylston St. in Worcester. ArtReach offers a Visiting Artist Program to connect artists, teachers and organizations through an education model to promote affordable and accessible art programming for youth throughout the community. ArtReach serves more than 300 students per week in its After School Creative Arts Immersion Program, 162 students in its The ART of FASHION Classes, and over 400 students each year in its free Teen Art Night Programs. Are you from Worcester originally? I’m originally from Missouri, but my husband and I had our children in Massachusetts. When my children were young and went to preschool, I was surprised that they did a lot of art in school. I was able to talk the director of the pre-school into letting me speak to the children about Picasso and other artists. It dawned on me that the kids understand all that. If you talk to them about art, they do get it.

What is your summer programming like? I teach a “women in science” class at WPI in the summer. We did a series on the moon. We made a space suit and tried to redesign the David Clark pressure suits. We took a bunch of blood pressure cuffs, cut them up and we made clothes that you could put your arms in and then pump it up like a space suit and then decompress it. So that was actually a pretty cool thing. We learned a lot.

What is your own artwork like? I am a member of the Blackstone Valley Print Studio and the Sprinkler Factory. I do a lot of printmaking with the kids as well. The visiting artists, be it Jon Vo, Eamon Gillan, or Hank Von Hellion, connect students to local artists and show them that you can be an artist, whether you become a professional artist, or whether you just like one thing and you want to pursue it as a hobby. Do you teach 7 days a week? To reach as many students as we want to, it is a seven-day-a-week job. But it’s really fun and it’s very rewarding to see students want to come back year after year. I have two children and I know that kids will change their mind quickly on what they want to do after school, but I’m very grateful

the zine from start to finish. They will be doing the design, illustration, journalistic photography. They’ll do the writing. They’re going to interview people. They can do poetry. They’ll be able to have their own voice. It won’t This space is filled with student be like a school newspaper. The goal is to provide some skills work. We wanted to do something with in entrepreneurship, starting a the windows. We’ve done a mural small business and working on with Post-it Notes. We’ve painted their own. I want students to be able to market themselves, to the outside. These pens from C. C. Lowell not only look very artsy write and to photograph their own ideas. The curriculum for and somewhat impressionistic this project is written and every inside, but they look like glass piece of the curriculum ties into on the outside. We’re hooked on the new creative frameworks for those. You find new supplies by Massachusetts. I really think letting the artists buy what they want. Then, the way that kids use that teaching students how to supplies can be different than the communicate and pulling all that context together and being actual use on the package. able to express yourself visually Do you have any projects on the through photographs, through what you’re writing, and what horizon? you’re blogging, is really a way to The Worcester Youth Press Projyour future. ect will have 20-25 students and they’re going to create a zine that – Sarah Connell Sanders will be printed and a blog from that we have all these artists and teachers to help make the program something that students want to come back to and that parents want to come to and to see it keep growing.

That sounds like a difficult challenge. We don’t have erasers on our pencils here because I don’t want anyone to feel like if you’re just sketching something or drawing something that you need to erase it to make it perfect. It is perfect. So if you come here after school for a workshop, I’ll tell you you

don’t need an eraser; just sketch over that and it’s going to be perfect.

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What programs excite you the most? We have a big fashion program both here and at The Hanover Theatre and we’re moving into other spaces as well. We had 142 students in our fashion show last year at the Worcester Historical Museum. They invited the students back for the Harvey Ball, which was fantastic. Students can come here from 5 years old to 16 years old. We’ll use a large form or small forms for our younger ones. We base the curriculum on what they teach at the fashion Institute of Technology. And of course, we have one

How has your fashion program grown? The fashion program is just fantastic and this year we’ll celebrate art around the world. I’m reaching out to different agencies in the community including the Boys and Girls Club. We’ll do fashion there and other local agencies and have a big show where you can come in and design something based on your own culture and your own heritage. We’ll have some surprise teachers for that event as well.

O C T O B E R 3 - 9, 2019

How did ArtReach begin? When this space came open I rented it and thought, “If I could just get 10 students to keep the doors open, that would be awesome.” And now we have over 300 a week in our after school program.

DYLAN AZARI

of those Roku TVs so we watch “Project Runway” sometimes. Michelle Sarkeesian and I co-teach a course at The Hanover and we also have a fashion costume design student from Holy Cross helping us. We have a science series where we’ve looked at the science of ice cream and had a fashion exhibit with Brendan Melican and Iris Lyons from WooBerry. We talked about Wayne Thiebaud and his paintings of ice cream. The fashion girls made an ice cream cone dress. I’m worried someone is going to think it looks delicious, though. We once made a Peep dress and a young woman tried to eat it.

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O CT O B E R 3 - 9, 2019