OCTOBER 22 - 28, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
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Movie shot in Worcester kicks off Lifetime’s holiday season
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Defund WPD seeks police transparency Worcester Pride splinter groups seek LGBTQIA+ unity Worcester restaurants grapple with winter dining
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O CT O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
IN THIS ISSUE
O C T O B E R 22 - 28, 2020 • V O L U M E 46 I S S U E 9 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag
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the cover Christmas comes early! Movie shot in Worcester kicks off Lifetime’s holiday season Story on page 12 Caroline Portu appears in Lifetime’s “Christmas on Ice.”
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At a flashpoint
Defund WPD calls for transparency from law enforcement VEER MUDAMBI
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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
O C T O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
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n Sept. 25, Defund WPD delivered a petition with more than 1,200 signatures demanding that the city create a public database of police conduct records. The petition states that “ending systemic racism in our law enforcement community starts by improving its transparency.” It is the latest in a series of calls for greater transparency and accountability of law enforcement regarding police transgressions, especially against racial minorities. Such a move would allow residents to access disciplinary information and excessive force reviews of individual officers. When asked about the petition, City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr., replied, in a statement, “I will be reporting back to the City Council sometime in the near future, regarding a number of orders related to changes in the Worcester Police Department.” The WPD itself did not respond to requests for comment as of press time, however, Police Chief Steven M. Sargent, in an August meeting with the Worcester Board of Health, stated that there was no institutional racism within the Worcester Police Department. He went on to repeat this during a September meeting with the Human Rights Commission. The statement drew reactions ranging from incredulousness to outright anger and convinced reform advocates that change was sorely needed. Al Toney, a retired WPD officer, said “for [Sargent] to make that statement is ludicrous and an outright lie.” He recalled how he and other Black officers formed a group to address discrimination both in the community and on the force, during his time on the WPD. “It really invalidates my time there because Sargent was also there, so I guess myself and the other 15 officers didn’t exist then,” he said wryly. Toney then suggested that any police chief who believes their department does not have an issue around race should wear a BLM hat for a week and see what reactions they get. City Councilor-at-Large Khrystian E. King pointed out that structural racism exists in all levels of city government and said, “I was certainly disappointed to see those headlines.” According to King, public trust is
sacred and needs to be routinely assessed through transparency and accountability – the essence of the Defund message. Although several members of the City Council were approached for comments, King was the only one who had replied by press time. While not shocked that a police chief would be reluctant to admit to systemic racism, Holmes Wilson, Defund member and local activist, said he finds the police chief ’s outright denial troubling. “There is no acknowledgement of wrongdoing” in Worcester, said community member Debbie Hall, an attitude which in turn feeds the resistance to transparency. “There’s nothing to show because there’s nothing to prove.” It is not the first time these criticisms have been leveled against the WPD, just that there is now more traction from national attention, said Defund member Marie Brouillette. Regardless of intention, “to not acknowledge [systemic racism] is at best, being horrifically tone deaf.”
Background on lawsuits
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n 2018, The Worcester Telegram & Gazette sued the city after being denied a public records request seeking documents related to 17 officers accused of misdeeds. The case is still ongoing – on June 16, 2020, the newspaper’s lawyer filed a motion to expedite the release of those records. A trial has been set for Nov. 2. The Telegram is not the only entity that has sued the city – other lawsuits have been filed regarding the conduct of at least five of the 17 officers. The precedent for Telegram’s case is a 2003 ruling on another lawsuit filed by the Telegram & Gazette that discipline records can be released under the state public records law. Wilson pointed out the incongruity of the city using taxpayer money, in a legal fight with the local newspaper, to avoid showing conduct complaints against police. “This isn’t just the city doing a bad job of transparency,” he said, “but the city actively trying to undermine the accountability that comes with a free press and trying to defeat that process.” Defund WPD has had more success in this regard. As a result of a
A protester holds a sign that reads ‘defund WPD’ during the Say Her Name Solidarity March June 13 at East Park. FILE PHOTO/ASHLEY GREEN
Freedom of Information Act request by the group, a list of settlements from lawsuits against the police was released. The total came to approximately $4 million over the past several years. In 2015 alone, there were eight settlements and one of them was a quarter million dollars – “if you’re a police department, you don’t settle for a quarter million over a simple misunderstanding,” said Wilson.
Community Perception
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n the community level, Brouilette commented, longtime Worcester residents may find it difficult to reconcile their personal good police interactions with the contrasting relationships the police have with vulnerable groups. However, she continued, criticizing the police is often taken as an attack on officers as people, when it is really about a system that is inherently racist and not conducive to a community’s best interests. “[Defund WPD] is written off as a ‘liberal agenda’ that’s going
to come and go in a matter of weeks or months and not as a serious movement,” she observed. While the system had problems “baked in,” she said, that did not mean that all cops were at fault, “but ‘not all cops’ is a very low baseline.” Wilson believes that this perception is in part because the expression ‘defund the police’ is easy to twist in meaning and be used as a blunt instrument. “By using that phrase,” he explains, “what we mean is to challenge the notion of paying for needless police details when they are not even following the rules.” With this in mind, Wilson questioned the amount of taxpayer money that goes into the institution. “‘Defund the police’ is a name that gets attention,” said Hall. “Whatever the reaction, they’re paying attention.” This doesn’t mean the police go away, she said, which many believe upon first hearing the phrase, but she believes that the reaction the name elicits is beneficial. Brouillette, on the other hand, believes that more than the name or the title of the movement, the contention around it comes from a lack
of desire to listen. She understands that it is uncomfortable to confront these culturally or personally held ideas. “It can be polarizing but I don’t think it has to be.” Members of the movement can feel the wind changing, which could be, in part, because of technology. Residents who may have ignored the issue before now find that they cannot look away, especially with cellphone videos from across the country recording hard evidence of police violence. Wilson indicated that these videos of fatal shootings are just the tip of the iceberg – “this is really similar to the Catholic Church scandal where rampant abuse was swept under the rug for decades upon decades. An open secret that no one confronted because it was taboo to talk about.” While the Police chief ’s views are out of date, Wilson said, it goes beyond that, as the “Worcester city government can be a bit behind – there are ways in which they need to make an effort to update their perspective and not be stuck in the past.” In the future, he hopes, people will look back on this moment the
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Retired Worcester Police Officer Albert M. Toney III at his home in Costa Rica.
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way they do at the Civil Rights Movement. “City councilors need to ask themselves what side of history they want to be on.� Brouillette added that some elected representatives have gone so far as to say that Defund members are not from the local community and are in fact scripted organizers.
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O C T O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
ilson, Brouillette and Toney all agree that there is the potential for a bully culture in any police force. Brouillette cited the fact that the Worcester records show “all these cases settled and you see the same names pop up – they’re not getting fired or going to jail, no penalty, professional or otherwise, so why would they worry?� Essentially, she said, the belief that the ends
justify the means is baked into the system – combined with the binary view of good and bad, it can lead to serious misconduct in the name of getting a confession. “When you have a profession that is so rooted in people and sensitive topics, combined with power, lethal weapons and high stress situations, it can become a dangerous game.� Toney agrees that more information on police misconduct should be publicly available. When other community members commit a crime, he says, that misconduct is always public information, and law enforcement should be no different. He goes so far as to advocate for the idea of a registry for misconduct so problem officers cannot simply find work in other towns. His experience as a police officer led Toney to not only support increased transparency but defunding as well. Though some of his former
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colleagues may take offense at it, he said, such a stance is not nearly as extreme as people might think. “All it means is reallocating funds in a police department to better help a community,” he explained, referring to increased support for community policing which focuses on building ties by posting the same officers in a neighborhood, “rather than a unilateral approach of militarization.” The latter is part of a trend, he said, which began around the early Civil Rights Era, where police departments were made of former soldiers,
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social workers should be working alongside first responders. The aim of fund reallocations would be determined by the needs of the community and judged by the measures of improved mental health in the community - “the public demands that and deserves that.” Communities feel safest with accountability, added Brouilette, something that does not exist with modern law enforcement, especially after years of the militarization process. “We’re taught that policing is necessary for our safety and security,
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O C T O B E R 22 - 28, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
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Protester Milhomme Jean-Charles calls on the Worcester City Council to come outside and speak to protesters during a defund the police protest June 23 outside City Hall.
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so military and police training grew increasingly similar. This leads to “strategies and behaviors that do not work in communities.” King concurred that funding should be redirected to enhance a holistic approach to public safety and health. He is of the opinion that
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that’s not true anymore.” Toney does not view his stance on police accountability as at odds with his status as a former police officer. He “loved being a police officer” and if it were not for his injuries, he says, he would still be on the force. Toney was on the police force from 1987 to
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egarding the potential for serious change, Toney is skeptical because of Worcester’s record with reform. “It will have support when it’s a crisis but two or three years down the road, it goes away – but it’s a challenge that a lot of grassroots efforts face,� he said. Many progressive causes share an obstacle in that the support they garner, while often widespread, is passive. The effect can be a more vociferous opposition better able to push their narrative, versus supporters “who aren’t so passionate about it that they’re willing to go that extra mile to speak out and take action,� said Brouillette. Going the extra mile, as Brouillette put it, reflects a degree of privilege in being able to criticize law enforcement that is usually reserved for white people, such as herself and Wilson. “I’m definitely a proponent of
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the philosophy that the more privilege you have, more is required and expected of you.� Anecdotally, she has observed that more white people were mobilized and felt called to action after the George Floyd murder. Wilson and Brouillette encourage the city to remember that people are people, even if they’re not acting in a socially acceptable way, even if their behavior is belligerent or problematic. Those people need help, said Brouillette, that current law enforcement is not equipped to provide. “For too long have we asked our public safety workers to be social workers, to be teachers, to be mentors,� said King, “a whole gamut of things that some different vocations are better suited for.� While he knows there are many who may be skeptical of a new approach, and some who may never accept it, King believes that the results will inevitably speak for themselves. “We have to focus on evidence-based research and best practices,� he said. The end goal of Defund is a society with a reimagined approach to public safety but Brouillette admitted that “Worcester is clearly not there yet.� In the meantime, the WPD and the city can take steps to increase the quality of life for people by increasing transparency and accountability. “Civilian oversight is the foundation of democracy,� King said. Specific incidents bring these issues into the public square for a time - George Floyd was not the first. Wilson believes that Defund is bringing people together between these “flashpoints� to build a local consensus that reforms are necessary. Hall agreed. “Change, while it does not always come easily, is inevitable, and Worcester itself is evolving in terms of demographics.�
O C T O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
1995. Shot in 1991, he recovered and retired due to his injuries. He comes from a law enforcement family with a father, uncle and aunt all in similar professions. However, “anyone who wields that much power must be accountable. There are no blue lives, it’s a uniform - Black lives are real. A uniform is a uniform and a life is a life.� In talking about the genesis of the racial animus between the police and minorities, he refers to how police forces go back to a history as slave catchers. “Society is systematically taught that white is better than black in everything and, unfortunately, the brotherhood of police officers does not really include Black and brown officers.�
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O C T O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
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Breaking up to come together In the wake of Worcester Pride’s dissolution, the city’s LGBTQIA+ community hopes to find new unity VEER MUDAMBI
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his past summer, Worcester Pride broke up into splinter groups made up of people who felt underrepresented and marginalized in the organization. However, despite the fracturing of the original WP group, the community as a whole is on its way to being more inclusive than ever. “It really is part of a generational confrontation,” according to David Connor of Queer the Scene LLC, formed in 2019. An example of this divide, he remarks, is the word “queer” itself, which used to be a slur, and has now been reclaimed by the community. Cognizant of the fact that the previous generation has a kind of cultural PTSD because of the need to play it safe by downplaying differences in a hostile society, he expresses his confidence that younger people do not share this mindset. Just the opposite, as he declares, “we don’t need to appease the straight narrative in the city and create an unapologetically queer space where young people can be their authentic queer selves.” Some of the former members of WP advocate a new nonprofit to replace the umbrella organization, however younger members are willing to wait and remain separate. Rush Frazier, who identifies as non-binary and is a founding member of Pride Remix, says, “the idea of one LGBT group for a city is outdated – the message from the new factions is there can be multiple groups working together.” While generational differences were at the heart of it, the precipitating event was when Shades, a subcommittee of WP, broke off to form its own group. The mission of Shades, whose logo is a pair of hands in varying shades of skin color, is to lift up the Queer Trans Persons Of Color community in the city and to make space for a less CIS-male dominated community. “We want Pride to reflect the diversity of Worcester,” said Shades member Mitchell James Cho.
Though formed to address issues of race and diversity within WP, after a few years Shades members began to feel they were not being taken seriously by the leadership, said Cho. He said that Shades experienced constant pushback on events, had to “jump through way more hoops than any other subcommittee” and many initiatives never came to fruition. In spring of this year, Shades published an open letter on Facebook citing these issues and the decision to separate from the main organization. The letter was rejected by WP, which said a vote was needed to decide if Shades would form an independent group, but Shades left anyway. Peter Bacchiocchi, former president of Worcester Pride, has a different take on it. “The closing of WP was very purposeful and had been planned for a long time,” he said. He explained that WP felt it would be beneficial for the community if it was a true standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit, however, that meant that there had to be an organizing committee of new people who were not involved as board members with the past organization. “We did have some success in getting people involved who had not previously been active,” and he acknowledges the Shades letter was “useful in guiding the development of the new organization.” Frazier sees it differently. “Worcester Pride just kind of folded after Shades officially broke off,” they said. They explain that the primary issue was a lack of diversity and little real community action or advocacy. In their opinion, WP was hesitant to make waves, unwelcoming to nonwhite and non-binary members of the LGBTQ community with the focus on older, white cis-gay men, who were derisive of other pronouns and dismissive of trans issues. Even the Pride celebrations felt hollow for them. “I just couldn’t feel good about it because of all the politics involved and it was very alienating – you don’t feel like it’s your people.” While still a member of Shades, Frazier understood that one group could not do everything so they took community organizing into their own hands. Worcester Pride Remix had its first official Zoom meeting on Aug. 6, with other young leaders in the community, including Connor. “It was a chance to start something that is truly a collaboration,” said Frazier. Remix is meant to do what the older WP
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After all, he said, ”pride was initially an act of resistance, and we’re not interested in pandering to politicians.” Despite the high hopes and big plans that these groups have, community organizing during a pandemic is a challenge, admitted Cho. Online talks, forums and other virtual events have been organized and will continue to happen, but in the meantime, the biggest priority is to “get out the vote and get information to people who need it.” Until there is a return to a semblance of normalcy, groups like Shades, Pride Remix and Queer the Scene will continue their common mission - to uplift and amplify voices of those unheard in their community in the pursuit of equity. The groups hope to move away from what Connor referred to as the “please like me” mentality. He says that while acceptance is good, it is not the same as equity, which provides a seat at the table. And there are enough seats for all of them. The “scarcity mindset,” and the resource jockeying that it encourages, which limits queer organizations to one per city, is outdated, said Frazier. “This should be about equity and people living their truth, not who gets the biggest grant or most publicity.” New tools such as crowdsourcing and social media can help an organization both fund itself and build a following outside of the traditional avenues. According to Bacchiocchi, WP did a great deal for many years. He mentions how the all-volunteer group worked hard at shaping a better community for all. “Undoubtedly mistakes were made, for which there are no excuses,” he said, “but now Pride is evolving into something new and exciting, so that’s where our focus should be.” Remix aims to not only deal with present issues, but ensure the future of the organization with proper leadership development. Education is key, said Frazier, teaching members the practical skills in bringing about societal change – how to be better lobbyists, how to protest and what to do when at risk of arrest. Without this, “these organizations die out.”
O C T O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
could not or would not do, they said, in terms of serving the community beyond organizing a yearly celebration. The original WP would raise between $20,000 to $25,000 dollars a year solely for the Pride parade and festival. While a great event, Frazier says, the money could have gone to more tangible benefits. “What would Sylvia and Marsha do?” they ask, referring to Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, famous activists for transgender rights. “They would be appalled about raising 20 grand a year and not feeding homeless trans people.” Cho cited a similar lack of community involvement, saying that since joining in the winter of 2017, he never “saw any AIDS benefits, or programs aimed toward helping aging LGBT people.” It was not always like this. Cho remembers a vibrant queer community in Worcester, centered around Water street in the early 2000s, made up of multiple queer-owned businesses, “and it suddenly petered out.” Connors has his suspicions about what happened, but rather than simply trying to retake Water street, he hopes that Queer the Scene can help build a “bigger, louder, queerer Worcester.” The group, named one of the city’s top LGBTQ-owned businesses by the Worcester Business Journal, was formed when Connor was working on the “For the Record” exhibit at Worcester Historical Museum, depicting the city’s LGBTQIA+ history. He learned that over the years, there have been multiple attempts to create permanent queer event spaces in Worcester. Water street, as Cho remembered it, was just the most recent. “One of the issues that we have [in Worcester] is that you can’t be openly queer here and thrive because the culture of the town doesn’t invite that,” Connor said. He speculates that some of this stems from “Catholic guilt,” where people don’t want to ruffle feathers and feel a pressure to conform – “gay but not too gay.” Queer the Scene’s mission is in direct opposition to that – to both the establishment and the local queer community.
CITY VOICES
POETRY TOWN
Fire Season LEN GERMINARA
We saw the first sparks of this conflagration No we felt them Wrapped in predawn habits Our morning walk A dry storm of crackling Static Metallic taste that the dog felt first
A skittish reaction
We watched waited for the patter
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O CT O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
While the etch a sketch of a night sky painted a triptych of exclamation We went on with our day our routines Labyrinth and compulsion The sweep of feet We’ve walked every day since Months now No end in sight The only thing that remains Normal The pre-dawn dark There’s comfort in that Len Germinara is a native of Haverhill who currently resides in California with his wife, Sarah Oktay, two dogs, one cat, and a deep and abiding love of poetry and the poets that create it.
FIRST PERSON
The Library of Disposable Art: The Shredded DAVID MACPHERSON
into the fame and was shredded. It was a prank to protest the moneyed world of art. I guess. ere is the thing with disBut don’t think of it as a destrucposable art, sometimes it tion of art but a transformation. is disposable not because it isn’t wonderful to look at The buyer kept the remains of the frame and the painting. Banksy and hold, but because the creator thinks that it should be destroyed. renamed it as “Love is in the Bin.” I know of many people who He makes it disposable. loved what Banksy did, but I am Franz Kafka’s last will for his not too keen on the stunt, because work was that it be destroyed. All money still passed hands. He of his stories, his unfinished novels, were to be destroyed. I am sure would still get more than a million there are some out there who were dollars for the art. And the painting that the customer bid on and forced to read his work in school won was destroyed. What was who wished that it did happen. intended to be given for money But the man who was supposed was not. to destroy the work upon Kafka’s I like the idea of destroying the death, Max Brod, didn’t. We are art you make. I like the transitory. allowed to experience the work The ephemeral. It’s when money because of a bad friend breaking is involved that it gets muddy and his word. Thank God. A few years back a woman won unpleasant. The purest version of this, in my a Banksy painting at an auction at Southeby’s. She paid 1.4 million opinion, was by local poet Tony Brown. Around 20 years ago he dollars for the painting, “Girl with had a feature at the Java Hut. But Balloon.” As soon as she won it he prepared for it differently than and purchased it, Banksy’s people activated a device in the painting’s other poetry features he did. He wrote brand new poems for frame and the painting went down
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the feature. He wrote them on the computer, printed them out, and then deleted the computer file. So the only copy of the poem was the print out. He did that for all of those poems. When he began, he asked for a volunteer. The way it then worked was that Tony read the poem and when it was done, it was given to the volunteer. The volunteer then had to tear it up into pieces. The poem is read, and then all evidence of the poem is destroyed. I wasn’t there. I missed it. Actually, Tony has done this type of feature a few more times and I missed each one. That first one is pretty legendary. People still talk of it. I heard the volunteer who had to rip up the pages was upset. Someone else built a little plexiglass container of the ripped up pages. I do know other poets have performed this way as well. It is a power thing. The poetry is just for that one moment. It is read and it cannot be read again. You might remember a line that C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E
CITY VOICES
WORCESTERIA
LETTER
Doesn’t like Metal Thursdays at Ralph’s comes to an end what the Democrats stand for
precepts of your faith. This party advocates aborting babies up to the time of birth. This party embraces riots which they call peaceful protests which have destroyed sections of many American cities causing up VICTOR D. INFANTE to $2 billion in damages. This party wants to drastically restrict gun FADE TO BLACK: Very few music series last more than a year or two in ownership at the same time they Worcester, but for a while there, it looked like Metal Thursdays at Ralph’s want to defund law enforcement Rock Diner was going to go the distance. Founded in 2006 by musician THOMAS CORRIGAN that protects the citizens of our still Chris Farmerie, the series has been a linchpin of the local music scene, great Country. This party advocates both bringing national touring acts to Worcester and offering stage time Our Country was founded on changing the Legislative Branch of to fledgling local acts. In a lot of ways, it seemed like a facet of the music certain fundamental rights includ- Government by “packing the court” scene’s very character: Worcester is a metal town, and Metal Thursdays was ing freedom of speech, religion, with activist judges to do their bidwhere it was all happening. Perhaps that’s why it was such a shock when, assembly, press and the right to ding. This party preaches transparon Oct. 17, Farmerie posted to Facebook that he was officially bringing the bear arms. These fundamental ency but its Presidential candidate series — which had been on hiatus since March because of COVID-19 — to rights are under assault by a left states voters don’t have the right to an end. “It was a long time coming,” says Farmerie Monday in a video chat. leaning party supported by a biased know about his positions on this. I Quietly for the past few years, he had been asking himself, “When does this news media. This party professes come to its natural end?” He’s turning 41 shortly, he says, and is a husband am a registered Democrat but can and a father who often works 11- to 12-hour days. “It feels right to close that free speech but then shouts down no longer support the Democratic opposing views as evident on many party that is attacking our core chapter,” says Farmerie. “For myself and that institution, I want to leave a positive legacy. If I had waited longer to make that the decision, the chances college campuses and censorship American values. This November in social media. This party espouses we have a choice to either protect of me leaving the that legacy would be less of a possibility.” diversity but then attacks people our fundamental rights that have ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ALL NIGHT: Metal Thursdays does indeed leave behind a for wearing certain hats or harasses existed for over 200 years or radicalheck of a legacy, from its humble beginnings as an ad hoc one-night “metal people in restaurants for belonging ize our society by voting for the show” put together by former Ralph’s booker Dickie Cummings, a show to other political parties. This party Biden/Harris party. in which Farmerie performed. “It felt like a metal show not put together by preaches religious independence Thomas Corrigan lives in someone who knows metal shows,” recalls Farmerie. “It was bands you could but only if you follow their beliefs Worcester see at any club in Worcester.” When he shared his thoughts with Cummings, and attack you for practicing the
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INTO THE VOID: There have been 411 Metal Thursdays, not counting spin-off shows, but ironically, Farmerie wasn’t able to attend the last one, in late March: It was the night his grandmother died. By the time the next show was scheduled, the pandemic was in full swing, and concerts were canceled. He says that he had already begun weighing ending the series’ run, but the decision didn’t crystallize until Ralph’s put up a call-out to book bands upstairs in the venue in Novemeber. In most of the state, venues are allowed to be open to half capacity … and let’s face it, most local bands would kill to play half-capacity, but Worcester is in the red zone currently, which precludes indoor shows. Obviously, there was a hope that would change, but it forced Farmerie to make a decision. “It felt like it was the right time. I’d rather step away and say, ‘That was a hell of a run.’”
was amazing, but after a while, you might remember it wrong. The poem changes in memory. The art is not disposable. The way the poem makes you feel and think is not disposable. But it is created to not last. I like this so much more than what Banksy did, because this didn’t have a million dollar price tag to it. This was about one moment where an artist shared with an audience for that one specific moment in time. Who says art needs to hang around? Who needs it more than once? If it is good, powerful and true, it only needs one time to change a person.
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he was invited to book the next one, which he’s been doing ever since. “It’s turned into a community,” says Farmerie. “It opened up Ralph’s to hosting metal shows and metal-core that never would have come there if it hadn’t been for Metal Thursdays. This is the place for underground metal in Central Mass. That’s what it turned into. I felt responsibility to the community.” It’s that sense of care and responsibility that has made the series such a highly respected event. Farmerie says that while many shows were packed, others were empty, and he would do what he could on those nights to help support the bands that played … buy merch, buy them beers, slip a little extra into the door money if he had it. Even with the hard nights, Farmerie says he cherishes the relationships he built with the musicians who played there, and the series regulars. Farmerie says some of the biggest shows included Immolation, one of the top U.S. death metal bands, playing the series before embarking on a national tour; Canadian rockers Cryptopsy, playing the series’ ninth anniversary; and Anvil, who had last played Gillette Stadium the last time they visited Massachusetts, opening for AC/DC. But with all that rock magic and mayhem, Farmerie says his favorite show was a matinee spinoff, which was early enough that his son was able to see him play. “It was a packed room of people who were pregaming at a four-band show before seeing Morbid Angel at the Palladium,” says Farmerie. “ (His son) was wearing ear protection and got to stand on the side of the stage. To have that moment with him, to have his first metal show be his dad playing … it was amazing.”
FIRST PERSON
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 10
COVER STORY
Deck the Halls Worcester Common and the
Locally-shot ‘Christmas on Ice’ kicks off Lifetime’s new holiday movies RICHARD DUCKET T
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hristmas is coming early to Lifetime, and Worcester will be unwrapped right away on TV as “It’s A Wonderful Lifetime” features a season of 30 new holiday movies. The season begins at 8 p.m. Oct. 23 with the romance “Christmas On Ice,” which was shot at several locales in Worcester back in February including the Worcester Common Oval, Worcester City Hall, Worcester Ice Center and Birch Tree Bread Company. “It’s fantastic. I can’t believe they’re starting the Christmas season before Halloween, but we’ll take it,” said John Stimpson of H9 Films, which has its studios located at the Printers Building, 44 Portland St. Stimpson wrote and directed “Christmas On Ice,” which stars Abigail Klein as Courtney Bennett, a former Olympic skating hopeful who runs a municipal outdoor public skating oval that is threatened by Mayor Greenwood (Will Lyman) with imminent closing. Noah Tremblay (Ryan Cooper) is a former NHL player and single dad who runs a new indoor skating center. Courtney and Ryan might seem like mutual antagonists, but when they slide into love, the move is on to try to save the public rink and the Christmas Carnival Courtney hosts on the Common each holiday season. Actually, there’s quite a Worcester movie binge going on right now with the Liam Neeson action
flick “Honest Thief,” a good deal of which was filmed in and around the city in the fall of 2018, opening last Friday at the Blackstone Valley 14 Cinema de Lux in Millbury. “Christmas On Ice” will be repeated multiple times on Lifetime in the days ahead, Stimpson said. Just after 10 p.m. Oct. 23 on Lifetime you can watch Stimpson’s 2019 holiday movie, also shot in the Worcester area, “Christmas a la Mode.” “We’re on a roll,” Stimpson said about making holiday movies with credits that also include “A Christmas Kiss,” “The March Sisters at Christmas” and “The Spruces and the Pines.” In November, Stimpson will be filming a Christmas movie, “The Cape House,” on Cape Cod. Stimpson, who grew up in Wellesley, lives in Princeton and is married to Carolyn Crowley Stimpson, vice president of Wachusett Mountain. An actor as well as a director and producer, Stimpson has spent time in Los Angeles, but likes the fact he has been able to make movies within a short commute from home. “Worcester’s a fantastic place to shoot. We’ve made multiple movies here,” he said. “It’s a terrific locale in that it can be almost anything – downtown, suburban, farms (close by).” Part of “Christmas a la Mode,” about a struggling young dairy farmer, Emily, who enters an ice cream flavor contest, was shot at Whittier Farms in Sutton. “The city has welcomed us with open arms,” Stimpson said. Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty even opened up his mayor’s office for a scene for the seemingly mean Mayor Greenwood. The DCU Center sent over a Zamboni to clear the ice. Stimpson’s creative output hasn’t been confined to to films set around the holidays. A former president of Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Stimpson made his movie directorial debut in 1999 with the impressive political drama “The Gentleman from Boston,”
COVER STORY
Clockwise from far left: Director John Stimpson; the movie “Christmas on Ice” was shot in part on the Worcester Common, as well as in other locations around the city; Hey! Who let Mayor Joseph M. Petty, right, into this movie?; Abigail Klein reads a familiar newspaper in “Christmas on Ice.”
SUBMIT TED PHOTOS
WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
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Plenty can go wrong with the making of any movie, but with the holiday films Stimpson operates from a business model he feels comfortable with. “We operate independently. We finance these movies then we sell the movie after it’s completed to the highest bidder. We know the market pretty well,” Stimpson said. Besides Lifetime, it also includes the Hallmark Channel and Ion Television. Stimpson has collaborated with other writers but knows that the script, even though the story is a romance, has to be pragmatic and aware of the production needs. A given production typically runs on a short shooting schedule and “a modest budget,” Stimpson said. “Christmas On Ice” was made for under $1 million. Regarding how he got the idea for the film, Stimpson said his office overlooks the Worcester Common Oval. “I walk across to grab lunch almost every day. I thought, ‘Gosh, this is a perfect locale for a movie. Such a lovely spot.’” So I constructed a movie.” Courtney “loves working with the kids. She has to figure out a way to keep it going.” From his office Stimpson can also see the Worcester Ice Center. He thought the words “love interest.” Ryan Cooper also starred in “Christmas a la Mode.” “He’s become a good friend and supporter of what we’re doing up here,” Stimpson said. “And Abigail Klein — she’s terrific.” The rest of the cast are regional/ local actors. Caroline Portu of New Hampshire plays Courtney’s friend. “I think she’s on the brink of being a star,” Stimpson said. “Christmas On Ice” had its skates on for the shooting sched-
O C T O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
released internationally as “Beacon Hill,” starring Michael Landes, Wendy Benson, Grainger Hines and Drea De Matteo of “Sopranos” fame. Inspired by a local ghost story, Stimpson wrote and directed “The Legend of Lucy Keyes” (2004) set in Princeton and starring Julie Delpy, Justin Theroux and Brooke Adams. Other films include “Sexting in Suburbia,” “A Deadly Obsession,” “Last Hours in Suburbia,” “Betrayed” and “Sins of the Preacher.” The drama/thriller “Black Car,” later renamed “Vehicle for Revenge,” was shot extensively in Worcester in 2015. Stimpson’s films have been shown on platforms such as cable/ satellite TV, direct online screening, DVD and through international deals. Stimpson has collaborated with area production companies including Moody Independent and Artigo/Ajemian Films and Andrea Ajemian, based in Worcester before moving to Los Angeles (Ajemian returned to Worcester to be unit production manager for “Honest Thief ”). “Ghost Light,” which premiered last year, was a very amusing take on the curse of Shakespeare’s “Scottish play” that was shot in Concord and Groton and headquartered at New England Studios in Devens. The “Ghost Light” troupe arrives by bus at the imaginary Riverside Resort and Theater set in the Berkshires, and, because of some heedless saying of the name of the play, everything proceeds to go wrong. Stimpson said he hoped that the film would get a larger theatrical release than it realized, but is glad “Ghost Light” got a two-year deal with Showtime. “The pandemic slowed things down in foreign sales. We’ll see where it goes.”
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O CT O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
COVER STORY
ule, which was 13 days — two five-day weeks, and one three-day week. “It’s busy. It’s a fast and aggressive schedule,” Stimpson said. Even so, it just avoided what would be the pandemic shutdown. “We finished at the end of February, and boy it was in the nick of time. We pushed ahead post production with everyone working remotely.” Stimpson was hoping to film “The Cape House” this past April, but with the pending November schedule he said, “we’ll be able to shoot a Christmas movie closer to Christmas.” With COVID-19 “the challenges are extraordinary. As an industry there are all kinds of new protocols to keep everyone safe and we’re doing it to a ‘T.’ At Cape Cod we’ll be in a bubble 12 days and test everyone multiple times.” A desire for escapism coupled with the familiar comforts of the holidays might help explain why Lifetime is getting such a big jump start on holiday movies. The network is also showing some moving with the times in terms of inclusion and diversity. This year’s movies will include the network’s first-ever LGBTQ+ centered romance, “The Christmas Setup” (Dec. 12), which stars real-life couple Blake Lewis and Ben Lee. “Sugar & Spice” (Dec. 13) is the network’s first holiday movie about a Chinese-American family. The film stars Jacky Lai, Tony Giroux and Tzi Ma Stimpson has been making plans during the COVID down time for his own future movies. “I’ve got multiple things lined up some of which I’m not at liberty to discuss,” he said. “It’s an exciting time. Things are starting to pop. It’s exciting to think about doing more than one or two a year. It will allow us to have a much more vibrant company.” With that, there is the ongoing debate about the merits of the Massachusetts film tax credit that gives incentives to filmmakers to shoot in the Bay State. There have been moves to eliminate it. “So much depends on the tax credit. We’re talking with the Legislature to keep that in place,” Stimpson said. “It’s an important part of why Massachusetts is an attractive place (to make movies).” In Worcester, “We’ve had a lot of big projects coming in. It’s going to be fun seeing the Liam Neeson. It’s been exciting to see the giants of the film industry here in Massachusetts.” Meanwhile, Stimpson plans to keep the cameras rolling in Worcester. “Yes, there will be many more,” he said of shooting films here. “I’ve always embraced staying here and developing the talent and the crew because I’m here. This is home.”
Top: Abigail Klein in “Christmas on Ice; John Stimpson and crew shoot a scene from “Christmas on Ice” on the Worcester Common. PHOTOS SUBMIT TED
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
O CT O B E R 22 - 28, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
Mark Lewandowski is a lifelong Worcester resident and has been a professional painter and paperhanger for more than 30 years. Most of his paintings are from things he has observed as he’s hiked, hunted and fished all over New England.
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CITY LIFE
CONNELL SANDERS
Restaurants hoping to weather the Worcester winter have three options SARAH CONNELL SANDERS
T
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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
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hree operating models have taken hold at restaurants cross the country in preparation for the coldest months of the year. Plenty will invest vast quantities of capital in order to weather proof their patios. Others will rely on bubbles, tents and domes. Some savvy entrepreneurs will vie for a piece of the prepared foods retail market. And, many will close for good. Regardless of restaurateurs best efforts — local, state and federal support is especially pivotal for sit-down dining to prevail in Worcester come wintertime. Domes, bubbles and igloos. Lock 50 introduced dining igloos on their Water Street patio back in 2018. Then, last winter, we watched them materialize at the Beer Garden on Franklin Street and on rooftops across Boston. When it comes to COVID-19, the domes are an excellent option for small “quarantine pods.” The enclosed bubbles obviously reduce airflow, but they can be easily disinfected and aired out between reservations. Each structure calls for an investment of roughly $1,500. Winterize your patio. The Boynton has purchased large propane heaters controlled by thermostats in preparation for plummeting temps. Effectively winterizing outdoor areas in New England is expensive. Alternatives to patio heaters include external fireplaces and vinyl curtains. Blankets and throw pillows are also a nice touch, but they need to be washed after every guest. Large restaurants looking to upgrade their open-air seating can easily wrack up a bill of anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 with little certainty as to whether a return on investment will exist in a post-pandemic world. Market your market. Sit-down dining isn’t a realistic option for many establishments at the moment. Not to mention, the majority of Worcester’s restaurants lack any semblance of outdoor space. Some forward thinkers are shifting into preservation mode by transforming their eateries into shops and
Many restaurants have begun pivoting to a market model in preparation for the winter months, including deadhorse hill on Main Street where customers can purchase grab-and-go meals along with natural wines and bottled cocktails. SARAH CONNELL SANDERS
marketplaces. Case in point: deadhorse hill on Main Street is done with dinner service. (At least, for now.) After two decades of dedicating every moment of his free time to tracking prime products and mastering cutting-edge techniques, chef Jared Forman is slowing down to think deliberately about what’s best for the long haul. For Forman and his leadership team, this shift will open up opportunities to cultivate new branches
within the deadhorse brand. Bar manager Sean Woods is perfecting his to-go bottled cocktails. Natural wine expert Julia Auger is orchestrating a wine club in addition to operating her own shop out of the restaurant’s cafe. And Forman, well, he’s doing what he always does — chasing culinary inspiration. The coming weeks will bring a variety of visiting chefs to deadhorse, including a sandwich battle with MamaRoux’s Jon Demoga and
Halloween treats by Boston’s top pastry chef, Kate Holowchik. Even so, there are days when Forman wonders what each passing service could have been like under normal circumstances. “The awards and reviews we worked so hard for will fade away,” said Forman. “People and relationships are all that really matter anymore.” Nevertheless, the transition meant saying goodbye to his valued frontof-house employees in order to stay
afloat. Forman acknowledges that letting staff go was the most difficult part of the team’s decision. Many of his peers from the industry have come to him visibly upset about making similar payroll cuts. “I tell them, ‘Sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to keep your business alive, even when it’s uncomfortable,’” he said. I find, it’s often hardest to take your own advice.
CITY LIFE
TABLE HOPPIN’
Peppers returns to roots with gourmet takeout BARBARA M. HOULE
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Catering chef Bobby Ryan preps a meal at Pepper’s Artful Events, located at 43 Hudson St. in Northboro. ASHLEY GREEN
Prepared meals at deadhorse hill
Lock 50, Gin Lane 1751 join in fight against breast cancer
Cocktails for a cause: Lock 50 in Worcester and Gin Lane 1751 team up for breast cancer research. This month, Lock 50 offers “The Pink Victoria,” featuring the Gin Lane 1751 Victoria Pink Gin, to help raise awareness and money for the
Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Since its inception, Gin Lane 1751 has participated in numerous events, walks and fundraisers. “With many 2020 events and walks canceled due to the pandemic, the brand is stepping up its efforts with retailers and bar/restaurant partners to really make an impact,” according to a company spokesman. In its efforts, the brand offers unique cocktail recipes, virtual tastings, signage and more to help maximize the amount of money raised, he said. The company this month will donate 50% of the brand’s profits of all gin sold to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, according to the spokesman. The cause reportedly is “very near and dear” to Geoff Curley, founder of Gin Lane 1751 and a native of Massachusetts. Curley has felt the impact of the disease, having lost his mother, aunt and cousin. Enjoy the Pink Victoria cocktail on Lock 50’s outside patio, 50 Water St., Worcester. If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.
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Last week, owners of deadhorse hill on Main Street in Worcester announced that indoor dining would be put on hold and the eatery would shift focus to more high-quality takeout food and prepared meals to enjoy at home. The restaurant will continue with its wine shop, includ-
ing expansion. Co-owner/executive chef Jared Forman last week told Kim Ring of the Telegram & Gazette that deadhorse is “definitely not closing.” The dining area will be open (social distancing) to guests who walk in and order from the menu, he said. People also can opt for food to go. The restaurant’s signature specialty drinks made by co-owner Sean Woods will be available, in addition to food and wine. Co-owner and GM Julie Auger will be on premise to help guests select and learn about wine to enjoy at the restaurant or take home. Follow deadhorse on social media for hours and updates.
WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
located at 54 East Main St., Westboro. The double doors to the right of the building are reserved for curbside pickup and gift card sales. Arturo’s is currently open for dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sundays. Visit http://www.arturosristorante. com or social media for updates on online ordering and curbside pickup. Call the restaurant for information about private events limited to 25 guests or less. Fabiano said he and staff are “so grateful” to guests for their continued support as the business continues to navigate through COVID-19. Curbside pickup and the outdoor seating this summer was a huge help to the business, he said.
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instructions. Also, check out the company’s online ordering portal: https://www.toasttab.com/pepperseppers Artful Events in Northboro offers a great new artful-events-43-hudson-st/v3. Follow Peppers Artful Events on social takeout option that provides media: Telephone: (508) 393-6844. food lovers with seasonally Marketing Manager Sarah Barinspired dinners created by Peppers’ rett said information about the comaward-winning culinary team. pany’s Thanksgiving and Christmas The “Prepared by Peppers” menu catering for pickup would be posted is a go-to start to any weekend. The on the website. takeout dinners available on Friday On another note, John and Susan and Saturday definitely are someLawrence have operated Farmer thing to look forward to. and the Fork Café at Tower Hill Susan Lawrence, co-owner of Botanic Garden in Boylston since Peppers with her husband, John Lawrence, said the takeout program 2018. The café, which has been was developed to meet the increased closed during the pandemic, will needs in the community for takeout reopen for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for “eat in” dining, beginning options. The company took the opportunity to offer its delicious meals Oct. 23, according to Barrett, who said there would be limited seating made from fresh in-season ingreand social distancing in the café dients, opting to do it on a smaller dining area. scale, she said, adding the new Tower Hill’s guests previously preservice has brought the owners back ordered box lunches from the café, to the roots of their business. said Barrett, but now can order food In 1987, Peppers started out as and beverages to enjoy indoors or to a gourmet café offering a weekly go. The café promotes fresh, healthy, menu to people in the community. sustainable, innovative food. Visit Providing this service again is a bit www.towerhillbg.org for informanostalgic for the husband-and-wife tion about the café and events and team, she said. programs at Tower Hill. The takeout dinners are a perfect Great news all around. fit for busy families or for anyone celebrating a special occasion such as an anniversary or birthday. Home Arturo’s moves to cooks who want a night off surely indoor-only dining will appreciate the decadent dishes Arturo’s Ristorante in Weston the menu. Apple Cider Chicken boro no longer has dining in its with Wild Mushrooms and Kale, outdoor tent. Slow Braised Red Wine Short Ribs The restaurant, however, continand Vegetarian Impossible Meatloaf ues with curbside pickup and indoor were previously available. There are dining. small bites and desserts, too. Owner Domenico Fabiano also Peppers’ culinary team has long been recognized for its food creativ- announced that the restaurant has installed plexiglass in some areas ity. With a decline in catered events of the restaurant in order to keep as a result of COVID-19, Lawrence guests and staff safe. Also, bar seats said the new takeout meals allow will no longer be “first come, first chefs to continue with what they served.” Guests are encouraged to love to do, including testing new call the restaurant, (508) 366-1881, to recipes weekly. reserve a barstool. Seating options About meal ordering: Dinners are for parties of one or two. The must be pre-ordered by 1 p.m. restaurant will not seat three or Thursday, with pickup from noon more guests at the bar, according to to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at Peppers Artful Events, 43 Hudson St., Fabiano. Walk-ins may be accommoNorthboro. Visit www.peppersartfu- dated earlier or later in the evening depending on volume, he said. levents.com for menus and to place Also, dine-in guests now enter an order. A new menu is posted the restaurant through a new door every Sunday. Note: All the meals located in the middle of the building are provided with simple reheating
CITY LIFE
SCREEN TIME
Will ‘Dexter’ reboot be a bloody mess? JIM KEOGH
I
t was with mixed feelings that I greeted the news of Dexter Morgan’s return. Last week, Showtime announced it had commissioned 10 new episodes of the series about
the Miami PD blood-spatter analyst who moonlights as the murderer of other murderers. “Dexter” was a phenomenon in its first handful of seasons, wobbled in the middle of its run, declined markedly (Charlotte Rampling’s therapist — oof !), and in
Michael C. Hall will be reprising his serial killer character when “Dexter” returns to Showtime. SHOWTIME/PETER IOVINO/AP
2013 capped its ninth and final season with an ending that drew howls of protest. To the show’s fans, like me, every time the words “Dexter” and “lumberjack” are used together in a sentence an angel loses its wings. Showtime has assured us Michael C. Hall’s anti-hero will abandon treechopping to get back to the business of carving up the bodies of the evil and wretched, as God intended. “This is an opportunity to make that right,” showrunner Clyde Phillips said recently of fans’ displeasure with the finale. I’ll take Phillips at his word, and I’ll hope for a storyline that approaches the Trinity Killer arc, in which John Lithgow’s monstrous villain generated the show’s most shocking moment. (I realize “Dexter” has been streaming for years, but I can’t bring myself to reveal this particular spoiler.) Still, I remain wary. In most cases, a reboot is a pale copy of the original — and people notice. Just in the last few years, “Murphy Brown,” “Roseanne,” “Will and Grace” and “The X-Files” were revived to a collective “meh” from the viewing public.
“Beverly Hills 90210” returned for six inglorious episodes as “BH90210” and all it succeeded in doing was to provide a depressing reminder that time ravages all … and that Ian Ziering still walks among us. Then there’s “Arrested Development,” one of my favorite shows during its original run. AD’s twoseason reboot on Netflix was a madscientist version of itself that flew too close to the sun on wings made of irony. It took an intentional turn toward the bizarre and baroque and never recovered. The one thing “Dexter” has going for it is Hall. His unflappable, resourceful killer retained his charm even while suffering through some ridiculous story lines, and I don’t expect he will have lost his charisma. Other significant characters were knocked off throughout the series’ run, including Dexter’s sandpaperabrasive sister, Deb, but a reboot can certainly thrive without them. Besides, now that Dexter is supposed to be dead, he can’t return to Miami. Though I suspect someone from his past will reenter his new world and force him into the uncomfort-
able position of deciding whether to vivisect an old pal who could blow the whistle on him. Speaking of Sequels What are you watching? It’s the innocent question we ask each other, most intensely during the early days of the pandemic when we were all looking for something to engage us that was not “The Tiger King.” I recently asked a buddy of mine for a recommendation and he quickly replied “Cobra Kai.” I’ve been a skeptic of this Netflix continuation of “The Karate Kid” saga, but I’m thick into Season One and enjoying it far more than I expected. Middle-aged Ralph Macchio still exhibits vestiges of his 16-year-old awkwardness, with some sly self-deprecating humor mixed in. The real star is William Zabka, who’s excellent as the down-andout Johnny trying to reclaim his crumbled life. Rumor has it Elisabeth Shue will reprise her “Karate Kid” role of Ali in Season Three. As a charter member of Team Shue, I’m all in. Gotta catch up before then.
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NEW ON DVD
Elle Fanning reigns in ‘The Great’ KATIE FORAN - MCHALE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
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“
he Great: Season One”: For those who loved 2018’s critically acclaimed raunchy satirical period piece “The Favourite,” co-writer Tony McNamara is back as creator of Hulu’s “The Great,” also a critically acclaimed raunchy satirical period piece, this time centering on a barely true retelling of Empress Catherine the Great’s introduction into Russian royal life. New to Russia, Catherine (Elle Fanning) is an idealist, set on spearheading the country’s education policy and eager to please her husband, Emperor Peter III (Nicholas Hoult). She quickly discovers he’s not only a dolt but a sadistic one, and the two begin to plot against each other. The jokes are acerbic and profanities abundant, but as the season
progresses, so grows the series’ heart. Fanning’s performance in particular carries “The Great,” wrote Los Angeles Times critic Robert Lloyd in his review. “The dialogue is crisp and a little eccentric, the performances impeccable, the production first-rate, Nathan Barr’s score subtly arresting,” wrote Lloyd. “Above all there is Fanning, a porcelain figurine come to complicated life, who grounds the series even as she seems to float through it.” ALSO NEW ON DVD OCT. 20 “Alone”: A killer (Marc Menchaca) hunts a woman (Jules Willcox) who escaped from his clutches in the Pacific Northwest wilderness. “Amulet”: A woman (Carla Juri) and her elderly mother invite an ex-soldier (Alec Secareanu) into their home of terrifying secrets. “Cut Throat City”: A group of
Elle Fanning stars in “The Great.” HULU
friends plan a heist in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. Stars Shameik Moore, T.I., Wesley Snipes, Terrence Howard and Ethan Hawke.
“Going Attractions”: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace”: Documentary explores the history of moviegoing.
“The Haunting”: The 1999 horror film starring Liam Neeson and the horrors of Hill House has been remastered on Blu-ray. “House of Shadows”: A woman (Harriet Madeley) inherits a cursed house following her family’s deaths. “No Escape”: An influencer and his friends wind up in danger after heading to Moscow to film new content. Stars Holland Roden, Ronen Rubinstein and Keegan Allen. “N0S4A2, Season 2”: Vic (Ashleigh Cummings) returns to Christmasland in the final season of the supernatural horror AMC series. “The Owners”: An elderly couple seek revenge on a group of young people who attempt to ransack their home. Stars Maisie Williams, Sylvester McCoy and Rita Tushingham. “Quiz, Season 1”: Miniseries follows married couple who infamously cheated on “Who Wants to Be a C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E
CITY LIFE
LISTEN UP
Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band visits ‘Another World’ VICTOR D. INFANTE
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hese are impossible times. Thankfully, Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band is equally impossible, a Discordian dive into musical madness that plays sonic mad science with big brass, blending disparate elements from numerous genres into something that’s ridiculously fun. That’s reason enough to check out their two recent EPs, “Another World is Possible” Volumes 1 and 2, but the Boston-based musical mob gives you another good one: All the proceeds from the sales of both EPs will benefit the nonprofit organization Violence in Boston. Violence in Boston’s mission, according to ENSMB’s Bandcamp page, is to “improve the quality of life & life outcomes of individuals from disenfranchised communities by reducing the prevalence of violence and the impact of associated trauma.” The first EP, which was released in June, has a suitably summery feel to it. The opening track, “Burn it Down,” is composed by band member Chuck Lechien, kicking off with a startling synth-pop vibe which the full force of
OUT ON DIGITAL HD OCT. 23 “Friendsgiving”: A group of friends get together for a tumultuous makeshift Thanksgiving dinner. Stars Malin Akerman, Kat Dennings, Aisha Tyler and Christine Taylor. Look for it on DVD and Blu-ray Oct. 27
does use lyrics from the Muppet band’s eponymous theme song: “We take what we want/We do anything that we wish/We got no respect/For animal birdy or fish.” Which is pretty hard-core for anything Muppet related, but then, they’ve always been a
little subversive. The EP ends on “Ballet Diavolante,” a cinematic car chase of a song written and arranged by Mr. Squirrel. It’s a satisfying and madcap end to an equally satisfying and madcap pair of EPs.
artists wanted Let us feature your artwork in Worcester Magazine’s Artist spotlight! Email wmeditor@gatehousemedia.com for more information!
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Millionaire?” to win 1 million euros. Stars Matthew Macfadyen, Sian Clifford and Mark Bonnar. “Scare Package”: Anthology comedy horror ties together deadly events at Rad Chad’s Horror Emporium. “The Secrets We Keep”: A woman (Noomi Rapace) kidnaps her neighbor (Joel Kinnaman) after she’s convinced he committed crimes against her during World War II. “Spree”: A rideshare driver hatches a sinister plot for online popularity. Stars Joe Keery, Sasheer Zamata and David Arquette. “The Vanished”: A devastated couple (Anne Heche and Thomas Jane) on vacation search for their missing daughter. “Tremors: Shrieker Island”: A wealthy man sics a giant, deadly worm on unsuspecting island visitors. Stars Jackie Cruz, Richard Brake and Jon Heder.
OUT ON DIGITAL HD OCT. 20 “After So Many Days”: Documentary follows married singersongwriters on a yearlong quest to perform every single day. “The Amityville Harvest”: A documentary film crew faces a subject who uses dark magic against them. “Monster Force Zero”: A group of cosplayers obtain actual superpowers to fight aliens. “Tar”: An evil life form emerges from Los Angeles’ La Brea Tar Pits and terrorizes the city.
Elfman’s “This is Halloween,” from the animated classic, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” That seems appropriate to the times, and from its opening heavy drudge to its surprising choral vocals, the song is a jolt of holiday fun. Indeed, the songs on this EP would make a great soundtrack to a holiday party, if that were a thing anyone were doing this year. McPherson returns with the smooth “Movile Madness Waltz (and More!),” a brisk blast of Eastern European cool that plays its Old World sounds with an underlying groove. It’s bright and fun, and leaves the listener wide open for the wallop that is a rendition of the Riverbottom Nightmare Band’s “Dunwich,” from Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s “JugBand Christmas.” I’m going to cop right now that I have never seen this movie, although I’ve heard of it, and while I’m having trouble finding a reference to the Riverbottom Nightmare Band playing a song inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s “Dunwich Horror,” I really can’t see any proof that they DIDN’T. So we’ll just go with it, because this is flat out awesome, a full-blast descent into heavy metal that’s deliciously surprising and energizing. The song
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NEW ON DVD
C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 18
the brass band slides into, creating a deep, danceable groove with horns. How fun is that? Things swiftly take a more discordant turn with the industrial-influenced opening to “Brobdingnagian Chutzpah.” This song, written and arranged by band member Dylan Foley, stampedes over numerous musical landscapes in giant bounds, spinning out into an Eastern European-flavored melody, punctuated by beat drops that feel pulled from a ska album. It’s wild and unpredictable, and utterly delightful. The first two songs on the EP, and all the songs on the second, are listed as “socially distant recordings,” which must have been an impressive feet, considering how cohesive everything sounds. The only exception is the first EP’s “Kazu,” which was recorded live at Boston’s HonkFest. The song was originally performed by the Bosnian avant garde band Dubioza Kolektiv, and arranged here for the Stationary Marching Band by member Andrew McPherson, and it’s every bit as high-energy and catchy as one would hope it would be. The second EP, released this month, takes a more seasonal approach, starting with the opening track: An arrangement of Danny
CITY LIFE
ANJIE COATES FURRY TAILS GROOMING SALON & SPA
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.
Minnetta (left) and her sister Talulah
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(right) were brought to the shelter after their owner became very ill and could no longer care for them. These two senior girls are very shy and eager to get into a quiet and peaceful place to unwind together. These two ladies are used to living in a secluded home with just their owner. They would do best in a home with little to no commotion with adults only. Their new family will need to be one who can let them slowly acclimate and come out of their shells when they are ready. Talulah is a little bit more outgoing than her sister Minnetta and if Minnetta feels threatened she resorts to snapping. They would likely do well with small, low- energy dogs like themselves and possibly cats. If you would like to meet these ladies, please contact the shelter to make an appointment.
WARL COVID-19 Procedures As of March 25, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our team protected. • ADOPTIONS: At this time, adoptions are being held BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you are interested in adoption, please visit our website worcesterarl.org/adopt/ to learn more about our available animals then call us at (508) 853-0030 ext.0 or email us at info@worcesterarl.org to schedule an appointment. • Casual visits to the shelter are prohibited. We will strictly enforce this in order to keep our animal care team protected while still maintaining the most essential function of our operation... finding homes for animals in need.
• ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030. • SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off/pick up procedures. • DONATIONS: We will not be accepting linens of any kind or used, stuffed dog toys. While we are grateful for your thoughtfulness, we will not accept these donations if brought to the shelter. • Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can be purchased online from our Amazon Wishlist - https://www.amazon.com/gp/ registry/wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0
• Weekly training classes are suspended until further notice. • The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we can. We have many animals in our care who depend on us to stay healthy and well. The above measures help to protect our staff and community from the spread of COVID - 19 by minimizing face-to-face interactions while continuing to operate only core essential services. Please continue to follow our Facebook page for additional updates. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the shelter at (508) 853-0030 or info@worcesterarl.org.
Thank you for your continued FURiendship and support.
GAMES
J O N E S I N’
“Rhymes at the Zoo”--a group effort for Take Your Kids to Work Day. [#831, May 2017] By Matt Jones
Across 1 Sound of a punch [E] {I created
5 9 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 23 24 26 27 28 30 35 37 40 41 42 47 48 49 52 54 55 56
64 66 67 68 69
70
71 Air France fliers, once 38 39 43 44 45 46 49 50 51 53 56 57 58 59 60 62 65
Last week's solution
©2017, 2020 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1011
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Down 1 Type of wild “kitty-kitty” :) [E] 2 Type of lizard in “Sing” [E] 3 Horse’s mesh protection against pests, maybe 4 Sinn ___ (Irish political movement) 5 Spike thrown in the road to stop robbers [S] 6 “___ was saying ...” [E] 7 Like show horses’ feet 8 “___ Danger” (Nickelodeon show) [E] 9 Quaint stores (you’d think, based on how they’re spelled) 10 Piece that goes on the floor [S] 11 Queen in Arendelle [E] 12 Water drop sound [E] 13 “Auld Lang ___” 18 Something said in an “argument party” [S] 22 Teacher’s helper [E] 25 Region with Legoland, informally [S] 29 Dislikes [S] 31 Poker money 32 “Call Me Maybe” singer Carly ___ Jepsen [E] 33 “I Like ___” (‘50s political slogan) 34 “Hallow” ending 35 Someone who might cook meatballs for you [S] 36 Animal that’s cute, fuzzy, lazy and gray [E] 37 ___ for “Ricky Bubwick”
(apparently a name that Sid just made up) Everyone [S] Toilet paper layer Turns evil or moldy [E] Remote control car part [S] Tag situations? [S] Looks rudely Enjoys, as food [S] “Understood” [S] Marks that are lines [S] Popular [E] Parents “who do puzzled goodness” [S] Brickell whose band is the New Bohemians “There ought to be ___” It may be parallel [E] Olympic hurdler/bobsledder Jones Drinks that are alcoholic [S] “Waterfalls” trio
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Green paper that you pay with [E] They make up stairs [E] Make goo-goo eyes at Tennis’s Arthur ___ Stadium Like some dirt bike tracks [S] Fearsome cat that spends moolah on Lamborghinis and mansions? [S] Former “Come on down!” announcer Johnny “I ___ open this jar. Can you help, Daddy?” [E] Monkey that eats curtains? [E] “Gimme ___! ... What’s that spell? Ella!” [E] There are 100 in a century (abbr.) [S] Something a toy poodle says [E] Rat-a-___ [E] Something that people say in awe [E] Pookums [E] Scaly creature that likes to eat frosted sweets? [S] Ninja Turtle that wears red, to his friends [S] Getting from ___ B Kid that can have a cellphone [S] Bird that smokes and does vandalism? [E] Sneaky little animal [E] ___ gin fizz Kid who is “epic!” [S] The ___ on the Shelf [S] Sid: “I’m not ___ years old anymore.” Me: “No, I mean ___ as in ‘I ___ some food.’” Palindromic Turkish title Water animal with flippers that makes barters 24/7? [S] Wants really badly [S] Go off-script (sorry, Ella, it doesn’t mean “get more pounds”) Slow animal that grows wings and gets in your clothes? [E] She was a princess “long ago” [E] “The coolest kid in the universe” [E] Lake that sounds scary [E] Me: “How about the clue ‘Used needles,’ Ella?” Ella: “No, new needles. You have to use them because it affects the fabric more than you expect.” Martens and McStuffins, for instance [S]
O C T O B E R 22 - 28, 2020
Enjoy Fun By The Numbers puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
this puzzle for Take Your Kids To Work Day in collaboration with my then-nine-year-old twins. Clues followed by an [S] were written by Sid, and clues followed by an [E] were written by Ella.}
CLASSIFIEDS
LEGALS WORCESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS SEALED BIDS shall be received at the Purchasing Office, 69 Tacoma Street., Worcester, MA 01605 Solicitation package may be picked up at the location above or may be downloaded from our website: www.worcesterha.org/purchasing, or call (508) 635-3202/3203, TTY/TDD (508) 798-4530. Bidders are responsible for ensuring they have received any/all addenda prior to submitting a bid. Separate awards will be made for each solicitation. WHA or its affiliate reserves the right to reject any or all responses, in whole or in part, deemed to be in their best interest. Award of all contracts is subject to the approval of the WHA Executive Director or Board of Commissioners. The Operating Agency shall indemnify and hold harmless the WHA and its officers or agents from any and all third party claims arising from activities under these Agreements as set forth in MGL c.258, section 2 as amended. Bid No. Release Date 20-42 10/22/2020
Project Title On-Site Summer Programming - Lakeside Apartments Pre-Bid Conference at 32 Great Brook Valley, Worcester, MA 20-43 10/22/2020 On-Site Summer Programming - GBV & Curtis Apartments Pre-Bid Conference at 32 Great Brook Valley, Worcester, MA 20-44 10/22/2020 Off-Site Summer Programming - GBV, Curtis & Lakeside Apartments Pre-Bid Conference at 32 Great Brook Valley, Worcester, MA 20-45 10/23/2020 Supply and Delivery of Locks and Related Products Jackson Restrepo - Vice-President of Procurement
Bid Opening 02:00 PM December 11, 2020 10:00 AM October 29, 2020 02:00 PM December 11, 2020 10:00 AM October 29, 2020 02:00 PM December 11, 2020 10:00 AM October 29, 2020 02:00 PM November 9, 2020
SERVICE DIRECTORY PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF M.L.C. 225 sec.39A THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD ON 10/24/2020 TO SATISFY OUR GARAGE LIEN THEREON FOR TOWING AND STORAGE CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF SALE AND NOTICE: 2008 JEEP PATRIOT VIN# 1J8FF28W58D581134 2012 VOLVO S-60 VIN# YV1622FS6C2142560 2013 TOYOTA SCION VIN# JTKJF5C7XD3058977 2013 BMW x5 VIN# 5UXZV4C51DOE04875 2013 TOYOTA SEQUOIA VIN# 5TDBT48A03S172728 THE SALE WILL BE HELD AT EARLY’S ON PARK AVE. INC., 536 PARK AVENUE, WORCESTER, MA 01603
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Dick Durland author of ‘Halloween: Life of the Party’ D
ick Durland of Paxton wants to take your Halloween party to the next level. His new book, “Halloween: Life of the Party,” outlines the top tips for throwing a spooky bash your guests will never forget.
DYLAN AZARI
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What did your first Halloween party look like in comparison with the most recent one? We always wallpaper the entire first floor. At our very first Hallow-
carved. The best thing we serve, quite honestly, is something that my father-in-law makes called a graveyard cake. Another concocYou discussed four of the senses. You clearly create a dis- tion that he created is “kitty litter.” tinct smell, look, feel and sound. That’s exactly what it looks like, with little squirts of Tootsie Roll What about taste? What’s on twisted on top. The eyeball punch the menu? Oh my gosh, we have is also beautiful. a whole section on food. Presentation is everything. One of the recipes is just chips and salsa, but I’m creeped out just hearing you talk about it. Oh yeah, almost the salsa is inside a baby’s torso. anything is possible. I have a It’s just plain sick. When I first saw it, I was like, “Who invited the repelling spider that is hooked to a individual responsible for this ma- switch on the other end of a room niacal dish?” We also serve crack- so it comes down and drops into the party whenever somebody ers that are pouring out of a dead triggers it. skeleton’s chest cavity. We have different variations of finger food like little mummy dogs. One year, Where can people find your book? Amazon, Barnes & Noble, somebody brought hot dogs and Walmart … pretty much everycarved them. You’d be amazed at where. how much they look like realis– Sarah Connell Sanders tic bloody fingers when they’re bunch of little 15-second snippets of old-time horror movies.
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What were you celebrating? It was a family party. An excuse to get everyone together. I’ve always gone over the top. When my son was 12, he achieved his black belt in karate. I bought a ream of black tablecloth fabric. It was about four feet wide and 200 feet long. I wrapped the entire house in it and tied it like a karate belt over the front door. I have a habit of supersizing any events that we have.
When I think about a Halloween party, I imagine wearing a blindfold and feeling my way through a bowl of grapes that are supposed to be eyeballs. What takes your Halloween party to the next level? Anybody can throw a Halloween party. It’s easy to do. There are lots of stores to go buy stuff and decorate. But, we painstakingly go through the effort of wallpapering the entire first floor to create a backdrop and set the scene for a castle dungeon. We found that by putting simple $15 flame pots in the corners of the rooms, we can elevate the look. There are a lot
of spiderwebs; some you will see and some you won’t see. We hang pieces of thread from the ceiling at about shoulder length to give you that cobwebby brush. At a store in Salem, we bought vampire blood incense, which we burn for its distinct aroma. All of the internal lighting is orange. There’s a fog machine that lets out intermittent bursts. A thunder and lightning storm ensues throughout the party. The backroom is mocked up like an actual dungeon torture chamber. When the sound system isn’t booming out thunder, my wife and I enjoy playing eighties hard rock. Anybody can set up a party, but ours is a production. The music actually ramps up as the party goes on. Between every couple of songs, you hear a witch cackle or Vincent Price’s laugh from “Thriller.” And then, there’s a
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What did the path to becoming a published author look like for you? I always wanted to write someday. It was on my bucket list. I’m pretty passionate about a lot of things. Our Halloween celebration evolved out of what my wife would call perfectionism on my behalf. Every year we throw a party. With each new iteration, I pick up where I left off and add to it. Over the years, we’ve amassed quite an accumulation of storebought and homemade Halloween decorations. I’m not talking about just props and backdrops. It’s the nuances and the minutiae — the special effects and illusions. All kinds of little things contribute to the ambiance that we create in order to throw the kind of party that our guests have grown accustomed to. Over the years, people began asking me, “Did you invite the newspaper to take pictures of this thing?” And, then, I had other people saying, “You should write a book.” So, here I am. Theme parties have always been one of the things I’ve enjoyed most. It started with a luau in my backyard that involved a six-foot functioning volcano and 200-pound carved totem poles.
een party, I remember we didn’t cover the top foot because the reams of wallpaper came up short. We just left it. The elements of trickery grew as the years went by.
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