Worcester Magazine December 10 - 16, 2020

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In This Issue: • Give the Gift of Giving • Christmas Sojourn boosts Hanover Theatre • Holiday favorites get jazzy spin

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D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020 • V O L U M E 46 I S S U E 15 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

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the cover Sojourning online, Brian O’Donovan and Celtic performers at your home for Christmas.

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COVER STORY

Sojourning online, Brian O’Donovan and Celtic performers at your home for Christmas RICHARD DUCKET T

highlight,” O’Donovan said.

Cathy Jordan will be opening the show with a song from Sligo Cathedral in the West of Ireland.

Singers Mairi Campbell, Siobhan Miller and Hannah Rarity will participate from Edinburgh, Scotland, while singer Eilis Kennedy connects from her her family pub in Dingle, County Kerry. O’Donovan’s daughter Aoife, who was in

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or the past 17 years radio personality Brian O’Donovan, the Irish-born host of Boston radio station WGBH’s popular “A Celtic Sojourn,” has gathered some of the best Celtic singers, musicians and dancers for a touring holiday show called “WGBH presents A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O’Donovan.”

The show has been coming to The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts since 2008 and always to enthusiastic audiences.

This year, everything was going to be different if anything was going to happen at all.

O’Donovan also has a touring “St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” show, and its March 12 date at The Hanover Theatre was canceled because of the suddenly present pandemic.

“Worcester was our first cancellation,” O’Donovan said of the March tour. Only one show would be performed, at Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport.

“We got that in. That was essentially the night the world shut down,” O’Donovan said.

Looking ahead, “We thought that that was it. We knew as the summer dragged on we knew it would not be something we could commit as a live event,” he said of “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn.”

And yet, O’Donovan and his musician and dancer friends felt a strong pull of “Let’s do something.

Let’s not not do anything,” he said.

With the connections he has made from his radio show, O’Donovan has quite an ensemble of Celtic performers for his Sojourn tours.

Scottish harpist and pianist Maeve Gilchrist, assistant music director of “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn,” said, “The month simply would not be the same without the gathering of these people and the playing of this music. Early on we were just staying in touch.

We all knew that we wanted to

Kavanagh’s magical memory poem “A Christmas Childhood”), storytelling and reminiscences, with O’Donovan, as usual, the genial host.

Each venue where the touring show would normally be presented has a dedicated date for when the performance will be broadcast online, and O’Donovan will give a livestreamed introduction

Children dance during last year’s “Celtic Sojourn.”

Scottish harpist and pianist Maeve Gilchrist, assistant music director of “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn,” will perform in this year’s online event.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

do something. There’s been so many bleak months this year.”

And so as O’Donovan put it, “We decided we are are going to try to bring some light into peoples’ homes.”

The title of this year’s tour is “WGBH Presents A Christmas Celtic Sojourn ONLINE with Brian O’Donovan.”

The “ONLINE,” of course, is new.

The show will consist of prerecorded segments that were in

the process of being put together when O’Donovan spoke during a recent telephone interview.

A “bubble band” ensemble, including Gilchrist, went into quarantine at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport to record music interweaved with performances by other musicians, singers and dancers, who joined in remotely from locations such as Ireland and Scotland.

“It’s a shorter show (than in-person) but everything’s a

the show twice in the early years and is a well recognized singer-songwriter who won a Grammy this past year with her band, I’m With Her, will sing an arrangement of “I Wonder As I Wander” recorded with her husband, cellist and conductor Eric Jacobsen.

Longtime “Celtic Sojourn” dancer Cara Butler will join in from Canada and several other dancers will also be featured. Besides Gilchrist, instrumentalists include musical director and multi-instrumentalist Seamus Egan, Jenna Moynihan ( fiddle), Owen Marshall (bouzouki, harmonium), Maura Shawn Scanlin ( fiddle, vocals), Conor Hearn (guitar, vocals) and Chico Huff (bass).

The performance also includes poetry (O’Donovan can be counted on to read Irish poet Patrick

and talk about that particular theater. For The Hanover Theatre, showtime is 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16.

“I will be talking about Worcester, our history in Worcester, our wonderful tradition in Worcester, and the challenges for The Hanover Theatre of keeping the lights on,” O’Donovan said.

Other venues and dates are The VETS, Providence, at 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 15; Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17; Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18; Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19; and GBH Studios in Boston at 4 p.m. Dec. 20.

“Like our regular shows, we created a live show that we take from theater to theater,” O’Donovan said.

“We asked what can we do to

COVER STORY

A scene from 2019’s “Celtic Sojourn.” tish musicians one might expect.

“The great thing about Brian O’Donovan, he’s got an incredible gift for tradition, innovation and new things to happen,” Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. She came to this country 17 years ago to be a student at the Berklee College of Music, where her interests were jazz and improvisation, “But when I arrived I was surrounded by people drawing on the influence of their homeland and it made me look at my traditional music from a new lens,” she said.

“I was able to move between the two worlds.”

She now lives in Cold Spring, New York, in the country but not too far (44 miles) from New York City. Although she said playing the harp and “traditional Scottish and Irish music is at the heart of what I do,” she doesn’t feel like she’s in a box and so can “draw on many different genres.”

She has been called “a phenom-

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partner with the theaters and replicate the experience as much as we can and in a way that supports the theater. We can’t travel, but art finds a way,” he said.

“I think this one for all of us is particularly special,” said Gilchrist.

“It really taps into the essence of Celtic music. It’s coming together to connect people. A music event that’s really focused on community and warmth and connection. I feel that in general about Celtic music that there’s something that’s intangibly powerful.”

Both O’Donovan and Gilchrist have felt that when they’ve performed in Worcester.

Behind the curtain at The Hanover Theatre before the first performance there, O’Donovan said he expected to be greeted with the usual polite appreciation he’s experienced at other locations.

Then, “The curtain went up, oh my God, the energy that went up was literally stunning. In Boston they will sing along. In Worcester, they sing along from the first word of the song. Worcester is already engaging itself before we have played a note. It’s just a special place for us,” he said.

“I love coming to the theater there,” said Gilchrist. “I think there’s a community with the audience that’s unparalleled.”

Speaking of community, both O’Donovan and Gilchrist are many miles away from their original hometowns.

O’’Donovan is from Clonakilty in West Cork, Ireland, a town of about 3,000 people. He came to Boston in 1980 and was a graduate student at Emerson College, hosting a music show on its radio station WERS, and also started producing live musical events in the area. Not unrelated to his staying here, he also met his future wife. After being contacted

by WGBH in 1986, O’Donovan produced and broadcast the weekly “A Celtic Sojourn.”

“A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” started out as a one-performance show at the Somerville Theatre in 2003. More recently, it toured for 15 live in-person performances in Boston, Rockport, Worcester, New Bedford and Providence.

O’Donovan has bought in Scandinavian and Canadian Martine Celtic performers, as well as the more traditional Irish and Scot-

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COVER STORY

Brian O’Donovan, the Irish-born host of Boston radio station WGBH’s popular “A Celtic Sojourn,” is the creator of “WGBH presents A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O’Donovan.”

COV E R S TO RY

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enal harp player who can make her instrument ring with unparalleled purity.” She has played with internationally renowned orchestras, traditional Irish folk groups, and used electronic augmentation in a more contemporary, improvisatory setting.

She also knows Worcester from being a member of the Silk Road Ensemble world music group, who have been artists in residence at the College of the Holy Cross.

The stunning title track of her latest album, “The Harpweaver,” includes a recording of the poet Edna St Vincent Millay reading from her poem “The Ballad of the Harpweaver.”

Gilchrist said she met O’Donovan not long after moving here, and first got involved with the

“St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” and then the “Christmas Celtic Sojourn.”

“She is just terrific,” O’Donovan said. “She’s a big part of what we do.”

Asked if he felt satisfied with the way the show was shaping up this year, O’Donovan said, “I do, I really do …

“I’m known for my activism around live music. It’s not a Broadway show. We’re GBH after all. But we regard this as almost a public trust.”

As for an in-person “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” in 2021, O’Donovan said, “We’re kind of holding out hope. We’ll be ready when we we get that indication.

We believe that live music is as essential as air and food, and it’s our responsibility to bring it back into the lives of our community.”

“I don’t think it’s just going to a concert,” said Gilchrist about

Dancers perform in 2019’s “Celtic Sojourn.” the Celtic Sojourns. “I think it’s going away feeling a real warmth.

Selfishly, it’s always a special time for me as well.”

Tickets start at $52.50, with bonus” Patron Level” and “Sponsor

Level” packages available. The event pass includes access to a virtual Celtic Sojourn. The stream will be available starting 30 minutes before show time. In addition, the purchased ticket/pass will give

access to the program again in its entirety and on-demand from noon Dec. 21 to Jan. 2. Visit www. thehanovertheatre.org/virtualcelticsojourn.

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to hit the country since 9-11.

Decorating with one of these h! There’s a whiff of everitems would be tantamount to green in the air! Wonderful hanging on my tree a tiny replica aromas of gingerbread and of the Twin Towers aflame, or a sugar cookies fill the set of glass balls with the faces kitchen; even the Glade Plug-In is of famous assassins. Just what pine-scented! And mingling with I need: Lee Harvey Oswald and the familiar seasonal bouquets is John Wilkes Booth grinning over a new scent, brought to us by the the Legos. year 2020: Cynicism! I’m hoping the just-aroundYes, Cynicism. Can’t you smell the -corner (if you’re in the right it? (Careful! Loss of olfactory demographic) COVID vaccine senses is a symptom of youincludes a mood lifter. As far as know-what!) Compared to other I can tell the makers of Prozac fragrances, it’s a tad dank. It’s are the only winners in this war. filled our heads like a reverse Dr. Experts are warning that we Seuss story, making our hearts mustn’t put all of our eggs, hopes just a little smaller and hardand dreams into a basket labeled er while we sniffle behind our 2021; it’s more likely than not masks. that the first half of next year will Maybe I’ve never been Susie continue to suck greasy lemons. Sunshine but I’ve tried. I first  It’s been said that Donald realized that my well of optiTrump’s insistence that the mism had run dry when I started system is rigged is a ploy to shake writing “Let’s get together when our confidence in voting, to make the plague subsides!� in my us forever doubt the integrity of Christmas cards. I wonder what poll workers and state officials. happened to “Best Wishes for a If so, like most of his plans, this Happy New Year!� one is backfiring like my dad The euphoria and relief many after Saturday night beans and of us experienced on Nov. 3 is franks. With every recount, it being squeezed out slowly as the becomes obvious that our most “election that was/wasn’t� drags treasured right continues to be on. As COVID infection numbers protected by honest citizens. go up and up, as the number of And so we wait. We wait for deaths from COVID numbers the electoral college to put an climbs it becomes more difficult end to Trump’s insistence that he to turn that frown upside down. won four more years to complete It ain’t easy bein’ Shirley Temple, the destruction of democracy. especially when the Good Ship We wait for the magic elixir that Lollipop has been rechristened will make mingling with other “The Titanic.� humans safe. For now, it feels like Online shopping and the we’re stuck in a scene from “It’s merchandise hawked there a Wonderful Life,� before Clarreflects our cynicism. Christmas ence intervenes. What we need is ornaments that say “2020 Stink! a Clarence.

Stank! Stunk!� pop up between Maybe Yankee Candle will offer the ads for crystal reindeer a candle that smells like hope. earrings and Ruth Bader GinsThen we can put the powerful burg paperweights. Available for scent of “Cynicism� back on the a limited time only: a red and shelf where it belongs, with the green dumpster ornament with candles labeled “Pessimism, “Cororange flames shooting from it, ruption� and “Mendacity.� embossed with the year “2020.� I think it would be a big seller I’m going to skip purchasing this holiday season. reminders of the worst calamity

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CITY VOICES

FIRST PERSON

A visit from Old St. Nick (2019) JOE FUSCO JR.

“Don’t eat the yellow snow,” and “Abstinence makes the hand grow stronger.”

“Why isn’t Santa’s belly round,” my four-year-old grandson inquired.

“Santa had a good square meal with the elves before he jumped in the sleigh,” I punned.

When the children and their incessant requests ended, many of the adults adjourned to the family room to watch the Patriots game. Mrs. Claus sauntered over and sat in Santa’s lap.

“Thanks for doing that. What’s sticking in my back?”

“The North Pole,” I smiled.

Then Old St. Nick rose from the leather chair and trudged back to the bathroom.

“Merry Xmas to all … and to all a Good Nap!” Joe Fusco Jr. is a poet and humorist living in Worcester.

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one of the younger males would dress up as Santa at the Family Xmas Party so I volunteered. A decision I immediately regretted.

My sister-in-law had put the black boots, red costume, white beard, and a square pillow in a cardboard box by the toilet. With my chronic ailments, it took almost twenty minutes to be in full regalia. Adjusting the rose-tinted glasses, I caught a blurry glimpse of my sweaty reflection in the bathroom mirror.

“Old St. Nick,” I grimaced.

There was a large Xmas bell in the box, so I grabbed the sack of toys, left the bathroom, and shook the Xmas bell to announce Santa’s arrival. The bell fell apart and crumbled to the living-room floor.

“Ho, Ho, Ho, who’s breaking Santa’s bells,” I chuckled.

There was a leather chair set up by the Xmas tree where our family’s children could sit on Santa’s lap, receive their present, and converse with St. Nick just by following a few simple guidelines: “You can’t sit on Santa’s left knee (upper-tendon repair 2011), watch out for his right hip (replaced 2012), and please don’t squeeze his right shoulder (rotator-cuff surgery 2015),” Mrs. Claus (my wife Cyndi ) explained.

Playing Santa isn’t a job for just anybody!

I needed to replace the rose-tinted spectacles with my bi-focal to read the tags on the presents.

“Why does Santa have Grandpa’s glasses on,” my six-year-old grand-daughter asked.

“Grandpa and Santa have the same optometrist,” I countered.

Things went relatively smooth though I was clueless on most of the gadgets, games, and paraphernalia that my exuberant

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patrons pleaded for. Santa also whispered sound advice in their

innocent ears like “Listen to your parents when they’re sober,”

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Worcester City Council races already stirring

We're Making Our List & Checking it Twice……

VICTOR D. INFANTE

THE DEMOCRACY GRIND: It seems these days the wheels of democracy are constantly grinding, seemingly without respite. Putting the last national election behind us has been a grueling process, with a never-ending series of pointless legal tantrums preventing us from completely moving forward, to suddenly the fate of the Senate coming down to two runoff elections in Georgia. Used to be you could at least get a few months in free of electioneering, but no more … and I hate to tell you, but we have one coming up here in Worcester next year, too, and it’s already begun.

Let us show you

HOWE’LIDAY!

RUMOR MILL: Papers aren’t available yet, so no one’s “really” running for office officially, as the great retired Telegram & Gazette City Hall reporter Nick Kotsopoulos pointed out to me when I started poking at things.

But that hasn’t stopped rumors from stirring. The first of which was that Councilor-at-Large Moe Bergman is thinking about running for mayor.

“Rumors are always out there as you know,” said Bergman, when asked about the buzz. “I’ve always supported Mayor Petty and if he is truly committed to another term as mayor I would support him again. If not – that’s another story, as I imagine many others would say/feel as well!” Indeed.

Another bit of gossip was that District 5 Councilor Matt Wally is eyeing the at-large seat being left behind by the departing Gary Rosen. “I can’t express enough how much I enjoy my role as the District 5 Councilor,” says Wally, when I posed the question to him. “Similar to prior election years, over the holidays I will have discussions with my family, friends and supporters to determine how I can best serve the city going forward.” Which is not exactly a denial. Of course, if you’re trying to trade in a District seat for an at-Large one, there’s probably another office on your mind, too. But that’s another column.

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ROOM FOR NEW FACES?: The 2019 election drew a pretty sizable crop of candidates, but there were very little changes to either the City Council or the School Committee. This time, is seems, campaigns are starting to form early. “If you’re a newcomer you start early because you want to catch people’s attention” says Etel Haxhiaj, who was a close runner-up in the 2019 election, and who has confirmed she’ll be running again for an at-Large seat. “It’s going to be challenging … it’s a very challenging world to raise funds, especially if it’s a crowded field, and I think people are making those calculations early.” Certainly, there are a few nascent campaigns. Thu Nguyen, who describes themselves as a proud Vietnamese refugee, an artist, a youth worker and the first non-binary candidate for Worcester City Council At-Large, announced their intent to run early, and Yenni Desroches confirmed her run for the District 5 seat in a message. We know of one other candidate, but that person – while confirming the intention to run privately – has not made a public announcement. Perhaps the earliest newcomer to declare her intentions was Johanna Hampton-Dance, who is gearing up to challenge District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson. “I chose to run for a District seat opposed to at-Large,” says Hampton-Dance, “because it felt like the right thing to do. So many neighborhoods within the district need attention and I felt that it would be better to not spread myself too thin and put my full efforts into my surrounding communities.”

She says, “I started my fundraising efforts early because the vast majority of my funding is coming for everyday residents of our beautiful city. We are currently in a pandemic and lots of people are in tough spots. Without the backing of unions, I’m relying on the community and grassroots to help me bring this one home. So an early start was necessary to get together as many donations as possible.” When asked how she felt about having a challenger this early in the race, Mero-Carlson replied, “At this point my focus is representing the people in District 2, as you aware this has been a very difficult year for so many. As Chair of Economic Development in the city my focus has also been working with the mayor and manager on moving the city forward in challenging times.” And so, it seems, the game is afoot.

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Gift of Giving: What Worcester charities need most this season VEER MUDAMBI

has gone digital, like many other groups, receiving toys through Amazon. Donors can check out Pernet’s wishlist on Amazon and purchase a toy - delivering it to the agency who will then deliver it to an excited child. Gift cards for Target or grocery stores will also be accepted, as the agency always adds one of these for the family of every toy delivery.

Abby’s House on High Street in Worcester.

T&G FILE PHOTO/GEORGE BARNES

variety of supplies.” She said the list includes any size bathrobe and slippers, gloves, hat and scarf sets, and solid, neutral colored twin comforters and towel sets.

Target, Amazon, Dunkin’ Donuts, Walmart, Dollar Tree, Price Chopper, prepaid Visa/Mastercard and Price Rite gift cards are also welcome. “People are so generous — I’m amazed every day at how generous people are during this pandemic.”

For the last several years,

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big part of the holiday season is not only appreciating what one has but remembering those who have less. Worcester Magazine publishes the Gift of Giving every year to help Worcester residents identify what local charity groups need in terms of donations.

This year in particular, nonprofits are struggling due to COVID-19, which curtailed traditional fundraising. Events have either been postponed, canceled or gone virtual, which means significantly less was money raised. For that reason, financial donations or gift cards are being requested more than anything else to make up for the fundraising shortfall and offer more flexibility.

Here are some local groups working to provide peace of mind, and perhaps some holiday cheer, to those in need.

Abby’s House provides shelter and affordable housing as well as advocacy and support services to homeless, battered and low-income women, with or without children. Jean Anger, volunteer coordinator at Abby’s House, says they are “right where we always are in terms of needs — an overwhelming list of a wide

Friendly House has hosted a holiday party complete with music, dancing and food. This year, “we’re collecting toys on a smaller scale,” said Susan Daly, assistant to the executive director, focusing efforts on the 30 or so children in the learning pod program who come in daily for meals and internet access to remote coursework.

“We want to make sure they’re taken care of, toy wise.” The event has been famous for the massive toy giveaway at the end, when three rooms are opened up, filled with toys organized by age group for kids to pick whatever they like. As usual, the request is for new, unwrapped toys. It’s most difficult finding toys for the 9- to 12-year-olds, said Daly, so donors should be on the lookout for anything that appeals to that age group. Teenagers can also be tough, so gift cards, phone accessories, or even prepaid phone minutes are ideal.

More personalized gift giving is what distinguishes Pernet Family Health Center as it tries to meet specific toy requests from families. “This year is very different for our gift giving season,” said executive director Sheilah Dooley.

As the pandemic has interfered with its usual toy drive, Pernet

Jael Rosario, 8, picks out some sweet as he and grandmother Alcita Medina arrived to pick up a bag of fresh vegetables at the Friendly House in September.

people escaping persecution in their home countries. The pandemic has imposed new monthly costs at a time when funding is at a premium. “We’ve had to pay to quarantine folks for a week, coming into our program,” said Al Green, which is about $600 a month. With two to three new asylum seekers each month, that comes to between $12,000 and $18,000. “That’s money we never anticipated having to pay,” he said. For donations, gift cards are strongly encouraged, which allows for more agency in buying what they need.

While Worcester Animal Rescue League has been inundated with adoption requests during the pandemic, they have also been swamped with animals who are turned in due to the hard choices people have to make during a period of job losses. In the meantime, they like sending home “adoption goodie bags” with newly adopted animals, so supplies for those are welcome.

However, Kristin Mullins, executive director, is still worried “there will be a surge of returns after the pandemic.” They need cat supplies such as food, non-clumping cat litter and toys. Generally, they ask for Friskies dry food and Pate wet food, which are both good quality

T&G FILE PHOTO/ASHLEY GREEN

Ujima Food Pantry, an offshoot of Blackseed Farmers Market, was formed back in May. It will continue its work throughout the holiday season to provide food for international students stranded here due to the pandemic, caught between travel restrictions and closed campuses.

Founder Imrana Soofi said that in addition to monetary contributions, non-perishable food items are ideal donations, such as canned goods, cereals, rice or lentils.

International students aren’t the only ones from overseas who need help. LGBT Asylum Task Force provides shelter and other necessary services to LGBTQ

Amid the COVID-19 quarantine and social distancing, the Worcester Animal Rescue League is safely continuing operations.

One of eight puppies born to mom Isabella in April gets a kiss from Tara Burdett.

T&G FILE PHOTO/ASHLEY GREEN

FEATURED

and relatively inexpensive. For dogs, they appreciate food and toys as well. Most of their canine residents are on Purina One dry food, though they will accept any brand that is donated and only ask that bags be unopened. Durable dog toys are also appreciated such as Kongs and Nylabones for their tough chewers.

In terms of items that people don’t often think about when donating to animal shelters, Second Chance Animal Services

reminds us that bleach, laundry detergent, paper towels, pill pockets and slip leads are especially important with hygiene restrictions. In addition to being a shelter, the organization also provides veterinary services at subsidized rates for qualified households as part of a community healthy pet initiative. Gift cards to Walmart or pet supply stores, cat and dog toys, training treats, towels, leashes and collars are also welcome.

ABBY’S HOUSE Jean Anger | 508756-5486 | jean@abbyshouse.org Donations: Walmart, Dollar Tree, Price Chopper, Visa/Mastercard & Price Rite gift cards & any size bathrobe & slippers

minors meet their challenges and their needs. Donations: Gift Cards for food/ groceries for youth in independent living situations.

we were the only ones in the state still operating with subsidized vet services for low-income families, getting two to three times the normal amount of calls.”

COVID-19 has hit everyone hard but public support for nonprofits is vital if they are to continue doing their work when it’s most needed. There has been a decrease in hands-on volunteer assistance and funding has dried up over the past several months.

At the same time, there is greater

Donors can also make financial contributions which will go to offset vet bills and supplies as needed. “People can’t donate vaccines,” said development director Lindsey Doray, which is one of their biggest expenses. Donations are down 40% since all fundraisers were severely affected and medical supply issues that affected human hospitals have impacted animal hospitals as well. In addition, “we’ve been inundated with emergencies because at one point

need for the work that they do, leaving them all trying to do more with less.

Below are more wish lists gathered by United Way of Central Massachusetts. For more information, contact United Way by emailing patricia.leary@ unitedwaycm.org, calling (508) 757-5631, ext. 221, or visiting www.unitedwaycm.org.

United Way Holiday Wish List 2020

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 12

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ASCENTRIA COMMUNITY SERVICES Winnie Spillers | 860-835-3853 | wspillers@ascentria.org Helping unaccompanied refugee

CASA PROJECT, INC. Robb Zarges | 508-757-9877 | rzarges@thecasaproject. org Recruiting and training volunteers to be court appointed advocates for abused and neglected children in foster care in Worcester County. Donations: we have a Gift List on Amazon for holiday and COVID response needs of foster families. To see the gift list, go to

CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS HOUSING ALLIANCE INC./ CMHA SCATTERED SITES Lynn Millette | 508-791-1512 | lmillette@cmhaonline. org Within our shelters, we try to assist with everyday items as well as providing small holiday gifts for all children. Donations: We are looking for assistance with some hygiene products (shampoo, conditioner, combs/brushes, Deodorant, razors, & soap). We are also in need of diapers size 5 and 6. We are also in need of winter boots and ski pants for children of all sizes and

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ANSAAR OF WORCESTER, INC. Mona Ives | 508-556-9946 | info@ ansaarofworcester.org Distributing food, hygiene products and winter clothing to immigrants & refugee families locally in the Worcester area. Volunteer: seeking volunteer tutors for high school-level academic subjects and ESL, along with transportation assistance. Please call or email to inquire about availability for specific dates/times. Donations: donate new or lightly used winter coats, gloves, hats (all sizes/genders) and blankets for families in need this winter season; also non-perishable food items and hygiene products to help stock our emergency food pantry and food drives.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF WORCESTER Kathy Odgren | 508-7542686 x202 | kodgren@bgcworcester.org Helping youth, especially those who need us most, develop the qualities needed to become responsible citizens and community leaders. We have provided over 2000 youth and 200 Club families with holiday gifts annually.

Volunteer: due to restrictions because of the pandemic we cannot have volunteers in our building. Volunteers could video themselves reading a holiday story and send it to us to share with our kids, or a video of a do-it-yourself holiday craft and send holiday craft kits for our kids to do. Those would need to be packaged as individual kits and can be dropped off at our building. Volunteers could also host a toy drive at their office. Donations: can include the following: adopting a family (providing gifts for the children and support such as gift cards, dinner, etc... to the parents), $25.00 gift cards for our teen members, providing unwrapped gifts for kids ages 8-18, donating non-perishable items for our food pantry, unopened wrapping paper, tape, ribbon and scissors.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES WORCESTER COUNTY Madelyn Sirois | 508-798-0191 | msirois@ccworc.org or Maritza Delacruz | 508-860-2253 | mdelacruz@ccworc.org Each year, we distribute and serve over 4,000 warm holiday meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas days to homebound elders, individuals with disabilities, and those who may otherwise go without a holiday meal. During the Holiday Season we provide over 300 kids with toys, crayons and coloring books and even winter clothing. Volunteer: volunteers needed to deliver meals throughout the greater Worcester area

on Christmas morning around 9 a.m.

We will be following all COVID-19 safety guidelines. Volunteers will pick up their delivery route and packaged meals drive-through style from St. Peter’s Catholic Elementary School, no need to exit their vehicle. This year, we are encouraging all of our volunteers to register online at www. ccworc. org/volunteer-registration-bhd/. Any questions can be sent to volunteers@ ccworc.org. The volunteers would be helping to stock the food pantry and help fill thanksgiving baskets and help distribute to families. Donations: toys for kids ages 3-13 years, winter hats, gloves, coats, scarfs, gifts cards, and canned goods.

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ANIMAL SHELTER, INC. Kendel Burdeaux | 978-422-8585 | kendel@ sterlingshelter.org Providing humane sheltering and high-quality medical care for stray, unwanted, abused and neglected animals to find loving, lifelong homes for orphaned pets. Donations: Cat Litter, EXTRA LARGE heavy duty contractor trash bags, bleach/sponges, HE (high energy) liquid laundry detergent, Liquid dish detergent & cleaning supplies (no Lysol products as it’s toxic to animals).

Hand soap and liquid hand sanitizer (Purell), paper towels, paper plates and toilet paper, newspaper, old towels and blankets. Kuranda beds for both DOGS and CATS, Firewood – cut, split and seasoned, canned dog and cat food). Dog and cat treats, dog and cat toys (Kongs & treats), pens, paper clips, post-its, printer paper, sharpies, highlighters, scotch tape, staples, white out, stamps. Medium and large dog crates in good condition.

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS Katie Roy | 508-868-4941 | katie.roy@ bbbscm.org During the holidays BBBS seeks to help individual families on a case by case basis who are struggling to provide holiday “extras.” Donations: a variety of grocery store gift cards, arts & crafts supplies, board games and small toys.

https://www.thecasaproject.org/.

FEATURED

GIFT OF GIVING

our teens, and winter coats for shelter clients - children and adults.

genders. As far as gift giving, we are looking for assistance for our teens in a donation of gifts cards in increments of under $25.

GIRLS INC. Jennifer Madson | 508755-6455 | jmadson@girlsincworcester. org Our in-person, virtual, and hybrid programs provide girls with the skills and experiences they need to live healthy, educated, and independent lives. Volunteer: virtual volunteer opportunities available to support a variety of programs, call for more information. Donations: Girls Inc. of Worcester is collecting books, winter gear, and gift cards to popular food markets for our annual Stocking Up on Books holiday party. Brand new donations of books as well as winter gear (coats, mittens, gloves, hats, scarves, snow gear, and boots) for youth ages 5-18 are appreciated. Call for specifically requested sizes and wishes. Donations will be accepted until Dec. 15. Visit our Wish List online for more ideas: www. girlsincworcester.org/wish list

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DISMAS HOUSE Dave McMahon | 508-579-9249 | davemcmahon@dismasisfamily.org Providing housing and support for homeless former prisoners and their families over the holidays. Volunteer: make and deliver meals for groups of 6-10 individuals, hold a blanket drive, sweatshirt, face mask, cleaning supplies drive. Donations: gift cards for residents to pick out items for themselves & kids, twin size blankets, sheets, comforters, pillows. Cleaning & paper goods, surgical or KN95 level masks unopened.

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ELDER SERVICES OF WORCESTER AREA, INC. Jenn Knight | 508-7561545 | jknight@eswa.org Providing eligible clients with a range of services which will enhance their quality of life and allow them to live as independently as possible in dignity and respect. Volunteer: Holiday Cheer for Isolated Older Adults: A Holiday Season letter & card writing campaign to benefit isolated, homebound Worcester area older adults.

Letters/cards must be handwritten in large print. Please keep your holiday message non-denominational, message should easily resonate with anyone. Letters/cards must be received by January 31, 2021. Reach out for more details!

FAMILY HEALTH CENTER OF WORCESTER, INC. Lindsay MacPhail | 508-860-7951 | lindsay.macphail@ fhcw.org Improving the health and well-being of all residents in Greater Worcester by providing access to affordable, high quality, integrated, comprehensive, and respectful primary health care and social services, regardless of patients’ ability to pay. Family Health Center is on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Donations: new items such as gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, blankets, socks, and undergarments; disposable or cloth face masks; grocery store gift cards; newborn and pregnancy items; home first aid kits; toiletries; and cleaning supplies. Donated items are provided to patients in need including low–income families, refugees, asylum seekers, newborns and their mothers, and students who receive care at our school-based health centers.

FRIENDLY HOUSE, INC. Susan Daly | 508-755-4362 | sdaly@friendlyhousema.org Donations: new toys for all ages, but primarily for ages 5-12. Gift cards for

GREENDALE FAMILY YMCA Kate Chilton | 508-852-6694 x 2248 | kchilton@ymcaofcm.org Strengthening our communities to develop the spirit, mind and body of all persons, regardless of means, through activities guided by and based upon our core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Donations: we are currently serving 120 children daily for remote learning. We would love prepare care packages for all families in need with essential items: toiletries, food, gift cards for essentials.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY NORTH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS Diana Sinkus | 978-348-2749 | diana@ncmhabitat.org Bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Volunteer: we especially need volunteers able to support us with a regular commitment of their time and skills, weekly or bi-weekly, on our construction sites, in the ReStore or in the office. All Covid-19 protocols are in place, masks required and social distancing. All skill levels needed. Donations: Monetary donations of any size are always put to use in the current homes we are building or used for Critical Home Repairs.

HEART OF NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA Nick Thornton | 978-534-3532 | nick. thornton@scoutig.org Helping young people make moral and ethical choices over the course of their lives by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Donations: every year during the Holiday Season the BSA implements a giving tree. We encourage our families that need help to fill out a wish card and we

try to fulfill as many as we possible can.

We would gladly except any gift card and certificates to help us buy presents, and meals for our at need families.

HMEA Douglas MacPherson | 508298-1105 | dmacpherson@hmea.org HMEA provides services and supports to 5,000 children and adults from 1 to 101 with autism & developmental disabilities in 110 Massachusetts communities. Volunteer: virtual volunteering classes through Zoom platforms such as music therapy, Thai chi, pet therapy. Donations: donations of department store gift cards, grocery gift cards, gas cards and gift certificates to local business.

JEREMIAH’S INN Alyssa Dancause at | 508-755-6403 | info@jeremiahsinn. com At Jeremiah’s Inn’s Nutrition Center and Food Pantry provide emergency food assistance year-round demand has doubled since COVID hit. Residential Recovery Program houses 29 men in early recovery. Many come here with the clothes on their backs and are not yet in a position to buy gifts for their children.

Volunteer: Facebook Fundraisers and other Peer to Peer campaigns are welcome! Donations: Walmart “Turkey Gift Cards”, Price Chopper, Shaw’s, Hannaford Gift Cards. Winter Coats, Winter Hats, Gloves. Non-perishable food: Canned meats, beans, rice, pasta, canned fruit, cereal. Vegan, gluten/soy/ nut- free items, cooking oils, spices, baby items, feminine products, detergents, and paper goods.

LGBT ASYLUM TASK FORCE Al Green | 508-371-0463 | algreen@ lgbtasylum.org Donations: gift cards LIVING IN FREEDOM TOGETHER (LIFT) Courtney Escobar | 774-2436025 | courtney@liftworcester.org Providing resources, advocacy and support to empower individuals to exit and recover from the impacts of being prostituted, and to end the sex trade. LIFT provides warm, weather protecting clothing along with toiletries to women experiencing homelessness so that they can remain warm and dry in our coldest times of the year. LIFT also provides gift cards so that the women we serve can shop for basic needs items and groceries, and can patron fast food restaurants where they are able to spend time indoors, have access to clean bathrooms, and can access free wireless Internet connections. Donations: women’s winter coats, gloves, scarves, hats, sweatshirts, women’s leggings, women’s winter boots, warm pajama sets. Personal Items: backpacks, purses, chapstick, hair ties, hair brushes, travel-sized moisturizer,

travel-sized lotion, travel- sized body sprays, travel-sized dry shampoo. Gift Cards: WalMart, Target, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald’s, Burger King, Grocery Store gift cards.

MAIN IDEA YOUTH & ARTS Joy Murrieta | 508-202-1292 | joy@mainidea.org Empowering youth by providing quality, accessible arts programs to under-resourced communities. Donations: Art Kits, Art Supplies, and/or Gift Cards from C.C. Lowell Art Store; donate in-person at C.C. Lowell or online at https://cclowell. com/collections/ donate-to-main-idea MASS AUDUBON’S BROAD MEADOW BROOK Martha Gach | 508753-6087 x5022 | mgach@massaudubon.org Protecting the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife. Donations: Bird seed and suet cakes, gift cards especially for hardware stores; art supplies such as markers, glue sticks, easels and easel-size paper; narrow weeding rakes, hand-held pruners, grabbing tools for picking up litter, wheelbarrows, garden cart.

NATIVITY SCHOOL OF WORCESTER Cindy Schofield | 508-799-0100 | cschofield@nativityworcester.org Nativity Worcester’s commitment to students goes beyond helping them achieve academic success, but we have also enhanced wrap around services in order to best support our Nativity Men and their families. Donations: food pantry items– rice, pasta, canned vegetables, oil, oatmeal, canned fruit, pasta sauce, granola bars. Gift cards to grocery stores, winter coats sizes youth large through adult large. Youth size hats and gloves, socks and undershirts.

NEADS WORLD CLASS SERVICE DOGS Audrey Trieschman | 978-4229064 | atrieschman@neads.org NEADS service dogs provide independence when matched with people who are deaf or have physical disabilities, and also veterans who have PTSD. Donations: high quality dog treats (Blue Buffalo, Best Bully Sticks, Zuke’s, Pet Botanics, True Chews, Natural Balance), creamy peanut butter (cannot contain xylitol) and treats in which salmon is the only protein source. Interactive food games, mind games for dogs. Nylabone DuraChew bones, sizes wolf, giant, or souper, and Kongs, size XL or XXL. Other items from our Wish List https:// neads.org/get-involved/wishlist NORTH STAR FAMILY SERVICES, INC. Jon Hogue | 978-466-1704 ext 13 | jhogue@northstarfs.org Providing stable housing, comprehensive services and advocacy for

families in need of support. Donations: gift cards for client holiday gifts and client needs through the Holiday Season- Walmart gift cards in $50 denominations, Target gift cards in $50 denominations.

OPEN SKY COMMUNITY SERVICES Amanda Gibbons | 508-479-3395 | amanda.gibbons@openskycs.org Volunteer: we are looking for local businesses, community partners, friends and neighbors to consider organizing a gift card drive or adopting one of our programs for the holidays. Donations: this year for the Open Sky Holiday Gift Card Drive we are collecting $20 gift cards to Walmart and Target.

OUR FATHER’S HOUSE Judith Nest-Pasierb | 978-345-2256 | jpasierb@ ofhshelter.com Providing shelter, sober houses and rental assistance to the homeless in Worcester County. Donations: supermarket gift cards, adult winter hats & gloves/mittens are greatly appreciated for homeless individuals.

PERNET FAMILY HEALTH SERVICE Yildiz Laza | 508-755-1228 | ylaza@pernetfamilyhealth.org Donations: holiday gifts for teenagers such as sweatshirts, wireless headphones or speakers, and gift cards; coats, hats, scarves, and gloves for children ages 0-18; grocery store gift cards; children and young adult books.

RAINBOW CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER Nancy Thibault | 508791-6849 | nthibault@rainbowcdc.com Transforming the lives of at-risk children and their families by providing quality educational and therapeutic programs and services. Donations: children’s clothing, especially hats, mittens, socks, jackets and water repellent boots for children ages 6 weeks up to 13 years as well as new children’s backpacks; gift cards to discount stores and grocery stores.

SECOND CHANCE ANIMAL SERVICES Lindsay Doray | 508-867-5525 development@secondchanceanimals. org Donations: food for the pet food pantry, gift cards to Walmart or pet supply stores, cat and dog toys, training treats, towels, leashes, and collars.

STAND UP FOR KIDS Donna Katsoudas | 508-963-5576 | donnakat@ standupforkids.org At our Outreach Center, volunteers provide a holiday meal. We distribute donated holiday gifts, gift cards, food bags and new socks, gloves and hats, jackets. Volunteer: volunteers C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 14

FEATURED

Clark embarks on a ‘TechQuest’ to create apprenticeships in growing industries VEER MUDAMBI

A

provide 90 IT-related apprentices per year for a total of 360 over four years.

In Ante’s case, he began an apprenticeship at Eversource in January 2020. The classroom training helped him expand his technical skills.

Despite initially struggling, Ante said his teachers were “exceptional” in making sure he got the material, providing extra training exercises and being accessible for questions.

“They understood where I was coming from and were very patient.”

“We picked fields where (Bureau of Labor Statistics) data indicates that there is going to be growth or potential to earn more than a living wage,” said Mendelsohn, such as advanced man-

ufacturing, telecommunications, or electronic record management.

Many of these come under the category of IT positions as computer numeric control, or CNC operators. This is particularly prevalent within the healthcare industry, where medical records are stored digitally, hence trained administrators and coders — though not necessarily with a college degree — are needed to operate these systems.

Apprenticeships also contribute to the long-term health of any business, by reducing turnover and cultivating long-term employees.

In Massachusetts and especially Worcester County at this time during the pandemic, retention of employees is vital for employers, as 89% of apprentices stay for at least C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 14

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which places apprentices with companies in growing lfred Ante was stuck. In the industries. The program three years since immigrat- is a valuable way for uning from Nigeria, he had der-served populations to enyet to find a job that would ter IT fields in a paid capacity allow him to support his family. He and without college debt, wasn’t lacking for qualifications — accomplishing a couple of he had a bachelor’s in environmen- objectives — closing the skills tal management and customer gap and helping to overcome relations experience from starting the workforce shortage. his own company back in Nigeria.

Dug Jones, program man“But I had little to no computer ager of TechQuest admits skills,” said Ante, “which kept me that, “historically, apprenfrom the jobs I needed.” ticeships have been more in While Worcester’s unemploytrades,” such as plumbing and ment rate has steadily improved construction, but TechQuest in recent months, with the most was formed due to the clear recent figures for September and present need for IT train- Alfred Ante began his apprenticefalling to 8.8%, it still remains ing in the form of apprentice- ship with Eversource in January almost triple that of the same ships. and will be working there as a time last year. Economic recovery Ante was initially skeptical data analyst when he completes will have to keep trending sharply when he heard about the his training at the end of the year. upward to even approach pre-pan- program from a friend. He demic levels. had tried taking courses to Conventional wisdom says that get certifications before and had unemployment comes from lack little to show for it. “I didn’t need of available jobs, but it’s actually one more thing to get frustrated more complicated than that. about,” he explained, but he said Sometimes job openings are not his friend insisted he “give it a the problem, but rather there shot.” aren’t enough skilled workers to While it is true internships and fill them. “Many industries are apprenticeships are both workfacing shortages of local, qualified based, an apprenticeship is workcandidates for the openings they based training and there is usually have,” said Jeffrey Turgeon, execua job at the end of it, while an tive director of MassHire Central internship is work-based learning in Worcester. Nationally, IT and and is usually time limited. The related fields, for instance, expect DoL grant ensures that the apa 21% growth rate in the next 10 prentice is hired and paid from day years, with 1.3 million tech jobs one, albeit at a lower rate, which projected to be unfilled through increases as they improve. Along 2023 at least. with wage progression, it includes Education could be the solution classroom instruction along with to creating these qualified workers mentors, and typically runs for but not only does the rising cost of about one year. Industry credencollege and subsequent debt act as tials are received upon completion a barrier to many such as Ante, the in the form of a certificate from process of higher education is sim- the DoL. ply too slow to generate workers at “We’re trying to broaden the the rate they’re needed. So how do definition of apprenticeships to you create a fast moving, effecnon-traditional industries such as tive talent pipeline if not through IT and biotech, where demand for college? highly skilled workers far outIronically, colleges may also paces the number of candidates,” have the answer. Last year, Clark said Bruce Mendelsohn, also of University received a $12 million MassHire Central. The regional K2AutoSpecialties.com • grant from the Department of goal, for the 37 towns and commuWM-0000434059-01 Labor for the TechQuest program, nities in the Worcester area, is to

FEATURED

GIFT OF GIVING

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 12

can donate food for the holiday meal potluck. Donations: gently used coats and winter boots; new socks, underwear, hats and gloves, long underwear, sweat pants, and hoodies; $10 - $25 gift cards to Walmart, Target, and Price Rite; Toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, and shower gel, and small bottles of lotion; XL men’s clothing (dark colors); small - med women’s clothing.

THE COMMUNITY BUILDERS, INC. Robin Hooper | 508-770-0508 | rhooper@tcbinc.org Building and sustaining strong communities where all people can thrive.

Donations: Backpacks, school supplies, art supplies, indoor games, grocery gift cards, Walmart gift cards.

THE GUILD OF ST. AGNES Sharon Woodbury | 508-326-1159 | swoodbury@guildofstagnes.org Enrolls 1,800 children for our early education and care program. Of those

TECHQUEST

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three years after completing their

enrolled, 45% of them have open cases with the Department of Children and Families. Donations: We have children ages 2 years to 12 years; the guild is suggesting gift certificates to places where families can purchase holiday gifts and food.

TOWER HILL BOTANIC GARDEN Ali Kane | 508-869-6111 | akane@ towerhillbc.org Creating experiences with plants that inspire people and improve the world.

Donations: art supplies such as small paint brushes, watercolor paper, wool roving, artwork matts, tapestry needles, canvas board, card stock (white or color), glue sticks, erasers, and handheld pencil sharpeners, yarn, lidded glass jars of all sizes, plastic tubs for organizing supplies, gift cards to Michael’s or Joanne Fabric, hardware store gift cards, Best Buy gift cards, pruning ladder, garden cart, loppers, hand pruners and hand saws, and mobile microphones.

sen@whyme.org Helping families whose children have been diagnosed with cancer, supporting financially and any other support they need. Donations: gift cards to grocery stores; Shaws, Big Y, Price Chopper, Stop and Shop also Gas and to help our families go to Boston for treatment.

WORCESTER HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS AT FAMILY HEALTH CENTER OF WORCESTER, INC. Lindsay Macphail | 508-860-7951 | lindsay.macphail@fhcw.org Providing a comprehensive array of services to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Worcester Health Care for the Homeless is on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donations: new items such as gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, socks, winter coats, and undergarments; disposable or cloth face masks; grocery & discount store gift cards; toiletries; and hand and foot warmers.

WHY, ME, INC./SHERRY’S HOUSE Ginette Trolsen | 508-757-7734 | gtrol-

WORCESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY Erin Wilson | 508-635-3306 |

apprenticeships, said Mendelsohn.

According to Jones, the program can measurably and meaningfully bolster bottom lines

for businesses. However, Mendelsohn indicates businesses have to be willing to adapt — employers can be very set in their ways about

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wilson@worcesterha.org Providing referrals to community resources resident support services and self-sufficiency programming.

During the holidays we provide meals and gift giving necessities for residents.

Volunteer: WHA Family and Resident Services serves holiday meals to residents at 15 sites throughout Worcester and Holden. Volunteers are needed between 2-3 hours to assist with serving individually packages meals in a socially distant manner to residents. Meals are served daily. Interested volunteers should contact Resident Services to determine dates and times. Donations: Coats, boots, gloves and hats of all sizes are most helpful for those on a limited income. Gift cards of $25 amounts, Visa and MasterCard gift cards are particularly helpful when donations do not fit specific needs of residents.

WORCESTER REFUGEE ASSISTANCE PROJECT (WRAP) Lesa McWalters | 774-276-1602 | lesa@ worcesterrefugees.org Assisting refugees from Burma who

how they hire apprentices, and joining the program requires a little bit of a leap of faith for employers, because it is a new approach to their old hiring practices. “It’s a chance for them to grow their own workforce,” he said. “Create their own superstars.”

Mendelsohn is clear that technology skills are going to be an increasingly important part of a worker’s job requirements but also a factor in their retention.

This is partly because automation of various jobs creates worker redundancies but the flipside is that technology is also creating new jobs — which need workers. So one of the goals of TechQuest is to work with Pile A — “unemployed people due to technology” — and move them to Pile B — “jobs that need qualified workers.”

TechQuest is focusing on vulnerable populations such as persons of color, veterans and people coming out of the justice systems. Mendelsohn, himself a veteran, sees the plight of his fellow veterans. “I look at it as a personal mission to try and promote and publicize opportunities among veterans, who didn’t have the opportunities I had. Retraining can only help.”

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be unemployed or, as in Ante’s case, underem-

have resettled in Worcester.

Donations: gift cards to grocery stores and discount department stores; diapers (all sizes including pull-ups) and baby wipes; cleaning supplies and sanitizer, toilet paper and paper towels; new bath towels, hand towels, and facecloths; hand soap, bar soap.

YOU, INC. Kate Pesa | 508-461-9503 | pesak@youinc.org Providing youth and families with opportunities to fulfill their potential, and build a brighter future. Volunteer: the “Adopt a Child” Program provides gifts/food to children, youth & families for the holiday season. We reach out to local sponsors between October & November and then distribute in December. Donations: gift cards/ certificates for families to purchase groceries; hygiene products: body wash, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, body spray (pump spray, no aerosols). New itemssock, gloves, scarves/hats – for kids and teens, new blankets – children and teen appropriate, Hooded Sweatshirts – all adult sizes.

ployed (not having enough paid work or not engaged in work that makes full use of skills), legal to work in the U.S., 17 years or older and not in secondary education.

TechQuest has placed apprentices with employers such as Wayfair, Cengage, VMWare, ETC, Liberty Mutual, Harvard, Eversource and MIT. Ante’s apprenticeship technically goes until January, but he has already been offered a job upon completion. He credits the program with placing him at the right place — an energy company that can make use of his education in environmental management. “(TechQuest) knew the perfect fit for me based on my skills,” said Ante. “Eversource is the best place I could have ended up.”

Massachusetts has had a rich history in apprenticeship but traditionally in construction or skilled trades, and Mendelsohn feels that TechQuest offers an opportunity to add a chapter to that history.

“Worcester was quite successful during the third industrial revolution (semiconductors, mainframe computing) — we’re entering the fourth (AI, VR, cloud computing) and we ought not to dismiss this opportunity.”

CITY LIFE

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

has been an artist and lover of art since she was young, but when she came across paint pouring she was instantly hooked. It’s been almost a year now and she’s still loving it. She finds this technique interesting because there are so many possibilities.

D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020

Serina Connor loves to paint pour. She

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CITY LIFE

CONNELL SANDERS

I caught my hair on fire trying to be hygge

I

f you think, “Hygge is so 2016,” you can shove it.

For one thing, hygge is not a trend. Placing value on that which is cozy has served as the primary objective of Danish households for centuries. The embrace of hygge as a happiness indicator catapulted in 2016 because we needed it. That year, multiple American publishing houses released hygge guides and manuals to correlate with the dawn of a particularly trying presidential term. Here, we find ourselves on the tail end of that chapter, and we’re hurting for hygge more than ever.

What does hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) look like? Candles, chunky knits, mugs of tea, fuzzy slippers, Scrabble, beanbags, tomato soup, throw blankets, plush robes, twinkly lights, ceramics, sheepskin rugs, flannels, oversized pillows, Nina Simone, corduroys, lanterns, warm pies,

“Hygge” is a Danish term for contentment or coziness, which gained popularity in the American lexicon in 2016. cashmere sweaters, pom pom hats and cuddly puppies.

COVID-19 restrictions have relegated us mask-wearing folk to the great outdoors, regardless

of the frigid temperatures. We do everything al fresco. My husband claims he’s even getting used to my Eau-de-campfire.

For the first time in my life, I

wear sensible clothing. I bought up half the Carhartt inventory at Klem’s. I wear a parka and Bean boots to take my lunch outside every day. Winter is no match for me. I’m a hygee machine.

But, the Scandinavians are categorically not machines. With free higher education, universal healthcare and ample vacation time, they are prone to appreciate the little wonders around them.

The crackling fireplaces. The cardigans. The crafting.

I’ve been trying my best to slow down and acknowledge the pleasurable moments in every day. I’m not an expert. This afternoon, by the firepit with my family, wearing a long fur trimmed coat, while sipping from a glass of red wine, I could feel it all around me. “This is hygge,” I thought, “I AM DOING HYGGE.” That’s when I smelled it. A whiff of sulfur stuck in my nostrils like a wad of gum in my ponytail.

Only, it was worse.

I looked down to see the bottom three inches of my healthy blonde locks frizzled up to my chin, and the left lapel of my fur jacket singed down to the nubbins. It was clear, I had hygged too hard.

The ordeal reminded me of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women,” in which Meg’s curls fall victim to a pair of hot tongs.

“Where’s Amy with my hair ribbon?” I wondered. I tried to manifest the aura of a quiet book nook. My blistered tresses stunk.

I think the key to hygge is being able to appreciate what’s right there in front of you — watching the peaceful snow fall without shuddering at the shoveling.

Painting a canvas without fear of the critic. Reading a novel without studying for the exam.

Admiring a fire without setting yourself aflame.

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020

THE NEXT DRAFT

Rapscallion keeping its community in Sturbridge alive MATTHEW TOTA

Spencer, many of its most loyal customers began to mourn the TURBRIDGE – With Raploss of their local brewery. scallion Brewery leaving its Meanwhile, Rapscallion owners brewery-taproom at Hyland Cedric and Peter Daniel were feelOrchard this year to start ing equal parts excitement and fresh in Spencer, the hundreds of dread for the move. The brothers, people who make up its long-run- on the one hand, looked forward ning Mug Club have started to building a permanent home for saying their goodbyes.

Rapscallion at 8 Meadow Road in They’re flowing in, in fewer Spencer, having leased their brewnumbers these days, to reminisce ery taproom at Hyland Orchard at the bar, trying to burn the desince 2013. They would have tails of the place in their memoenough space to expand their ries, so as not to forget what over brewing operation, meaning more the last seven years has become cans for distribution, and build a their local oasis. new taproom and beer garden.

Thankfully, they will not have to At the same time, they worried wait long to return to a Rapscalabout whether they could ever lion taproom in Sturbridge. Early replicate the community they next year, the brewery hopes to grew here. Every time Rapscalopen a new one in another old lion’s Mug Club faithful entered barn, just a few miles down the the barn, they were made to feel hill at 3 Arnold Road. utterly at ease; they found countWhen Rapscallion announced less friends, shared innumerable in the fall it was moving to stories, and stayed connected

S

Cedric Daniel, co-owner of Rapscallion Brewery, is pictured in what will be Rapscallion’s new taproom.

ASHLEY GREEN

through the tall, slender mugs always at their side.

“We wanted to keep our community, keep our customer base: We’ve always been about our

people,” Cedric Daniel said. “We’re looking forward to Spencer, but I don’t think we ever could have replicated what we have in Sturbridge in Spencer.”

The brothers always knew that, whatever happened with their lease at Hyland Orchard, they wanted to remain in Sturbridge.

And the last four years have seen them combing the town for available properties.

They only began considering 3 Arnold Road this year, and when they did, it felt like destiny. The space has been home to Homefield Kitchen and Brewery since 2016, which has long seen Rapscallion as its helpful older sibling. Homefield co-founder Jonathan Cook brewed his first commercial batch of beer at Rapscallion and has sought advice from the Daniel brothers ever since.

“For us it’s a beautiful thing,” Cook said of Rapscallion moving upstairs. “Cedric helped us get started; businesswise, he is like our big brother.”

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

CITY LIFE

TABLE HOPPIN’

Foodbeat offers Mediterranean fare on West Boylston Street BARBARA M. HOULE

G

Mario Azraka, chef/manager of Foodbeat Mediterranean Grill, which was recently opened by his friend George Makhlouf.

SABRINA GODIN

with a breakfast purchase; Take 10% off first online order.

“George (Makhlouf ) took the chance in opening during the pandemic and he’s confident in Foodbeat’s concept,” said Azrak.

“Yes, it’s fast food, but everything we make on premise is fresh and healthier. So far, everyone is loving the food. People in the neighborhood and surrounding businesses have been very supportive.”

Check out the chef ’s specialties!

Chuck’s offers takeout options for holidays Chuck’s Steak House in Auburn offers two take-out dinner options for the holiday season.

The restaurant is selling Roasted Turkey Dinner for five, packaged and precooked, for $75.

The meal includes roasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing and gravy.

Also, Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin for four, $125. A center cut bacon wrapped roast (2 plus pounds), fingerling potatoes, demi glaze and Bearnaise sauce are in the package. Cooking instructions, too.

The restaurant has a gift box deal: Chuck’s Butcher Box to Go consists of four ½-pound Angus burgers; two 8-ounce top sirloins and two 10-ounce New York strips. Also, a bottle of the restaurant’s teriyaki sauce. Cost is $70.

Chuck’s Gift Certificates: Purchase $100 and receive a $20 gift certificate.

Call Chuck’s Steak House, (508) 832- 2553, for ordering information and deadlines.

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

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Christmas by Struck Struck Catering, 130 Hamilton St., Worcester, has a Christmas

by Struck menu featuring main course items, “sides to fill the plate” and hors d’oeuvres.

More Webster House cookThere’s a little something for books available everyone, so take the day off this An update on the Webster holiday and let the chefs do the House Restaurant cookbook: prep and cooking. So many deliThe book’s first printing sold cious dishes! Servings range from out last month at a one-day sales three to four to eight or 10. event held in the parking lot at The Stuffed & Roasted Flank Barrows Hardware in Worcester.

Steak Roulade, Roasted Ham, Proceeds benefited the Worcester Traditional or Vegetarian County Food Bank in Shrewsbury. Lasagna may be the star of the More cookbooks have been holiday table, but you’re going to printed and will be sold from want some side dishes or a salad noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 13 in Barrows to accompany it. Or, maybe it’s Hardware parking lot, 15 Webster just hors d’oeuvres and drinks St., Worcester. Enter on the this year. Struck’s Famous Bread Webster Street side of the build(Carrot Pineapple, Pumpkin, ing. It will be a drive-thru event, Cranberry Orange, Poppy Seed) first-come, first-served. Cookalso is available. Wrap a couple books cost $20 each and sales are

Holiday catering from Arturo’s Arturo’s Ristorante in Westboro has its holiday catering menu posted at http://www.arturosristorante.com.

Orders have to be placed before Dec. 15 by calling (508) 366-1881. Recommended time to call is from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

en and citrus-cilantro shrimp are a mere sampling of the add-ons.

The menu also includes salads; keto bowls; signature breakfast; fresh juices and smoothies.

Vegetables pack a punch of color and flavor. There are a variety of condiments (13), spreads and dips and vegan and vegetarian options, too. Grab-and-go items from the refrigerated case includes vegetarian stuffed grape leaves that come with a separate container of yogurt mint.

Foodbeat’s wide-open space has been refreshed and renovated. For now, window counter seating near the entrance is for 4 people. The business will add more seating when COVID-19 regulations allow. Customers now order from inside menu or online. Drive-thru, delivery and window-service for pickup orders are available. Friendly and helpful employees are eager to help or answer questions.

Breakfast hours are from 7 to 10:30 a.m. daily; lunch and dinner, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Visit http://www.foodbeatmedgrill. com or telephone (774) 530-6941.

Connect on social media.

FYI: Get a free cup of coffee

and gift them.

Struck Catering is taking orders through Dec. 18, with pick up from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 24.

Connect on Facebook for menu, or visit www.struckcatering.com.

Call (508) 755-5953 for more information.

D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020

eorge Makhlouf opened Foodbeat Mediterranean Grill on West Boylston Street in Worcester on Dec. 1 with the help of his longtime friend Mario Azrak, Foodbeat’s chef/manager. Both men see takeout and delivery success as recipe for the future, especially amid COVID-19.

Foodbeat’s location across the street from Quinsigamond Community College was formerly occupied by Wraps N’ Bowl, a business that Azrak and a business partner operated for more than a year. Azrak said his return to Lebanon to take care of the family business after his father’s sudden passing was one of the reasons Wraps N’ Bowl closed.

The space at 667 West Boylston Street remained empty until Foodbeat’s opening, he said.

Makhlouf, who bought Spoodles Deli on Main Street in Worcester a year ago, and Azrak have years of restaurant experience and worked together before.

Makhlouf at one time owned a fine dining Lebanese restaurant (Nara) in Providence’s historic Federal Hill neighborhood, with Azrak as executive chef. Azrak also was executive chef and a partner in Terrazza in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Being “half Lebanese and Greek,” the chef has a rich background in Mediterranean cuisine and has pursued his passion at hotels and resorts outside the United States.

Makhlouf is an owner who takes an active part in Spoodles and Foodbeat, going between both businesses, according to Azrak, who said he was excited to work for Makhlouf again.

Foodbeat is all about homemade Mediterranean specialties using fresh ingredients to build-your-own wraps and bowls.

Green lentils and rice, lamb, spiced rubbed beef, falafel, chick-

cash only Dec. 13, no checks. The Worcester County Food Bank will receive proceeds.

Beginning Dec. 14, Barrows Hardware also will have cookbooks for sale in the store, cash only.

Christos T. Liazos planned for the cookbook before his death from pancreatic cancer in 2019.

He and his late wife, Helena, for more than 30 years owned and operated the Webster House Restaurant, now the location of Barrows Hardware. Former restaurant employees and friends worked with Liazos on the book, finalizing it after he passed.

More books were printed as a result of all the calls and emails from people who weren’t able to get a copy before the books sold out, according to Deborah Alcorn, a member of the volunteer cookbook committee. Many former customers wanted a copy to keep or to gift for the holidays, she said.

It’s a cookbook with terrific recipes, vintage photos and many memories.

CITY LIFE

SCREEN TIME

Netflix’s ‘Mank’ brings screenwriter’s struggles to life JIM KEOGH

I

have tried writing a screenplay. The fact I am writing this column rather than, you know, writing screenplays tells you how good I was at it.

But I am fascinated by the narrow subgenre of movies about screenwriters, especially stories illuminating the little tortures inflicted on them by moronic actors who change their words on the fly or imperious directors who consider them a nuisance. I doubt writers are any more neurotic than anyone else in the movie industry, but they have every reason to be.

The newest object of my affection is the Netflix film “Mank,” about the legendary screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz’s agonizing odyssey to transfer “Citizen Kane” from his sloshy imagination onto the page. Mank, played by Gary Oldman, is a hardcore alcoholic who, according to the film, insists that liquor is the jet fuel needed

to propel his creative endeavors.

As he’s recovering from a broken leg suffered in a car accident, he recites the story of Charles Foster Kane to his prim British secretary (Lily Collins), who must transcribe Mank’s brilliance while also keeping him away from the bottle.

“Mank” captures a fascinating period in Hollywood, the 1930s, when New York newspapermen (it was almost all men) migrated to Hollywood for the easy money of writing for the motion pictures.

Mankiewicz, who moved west in the 1920s during the silent era, famously sent a telegram to his journalist pal Ben Hecht that read: “Millions are to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots.”

The early scenes brought me back to the Coen brothers’ “Barton Fink.” In the 1991 film a renowned New York playwright follows the money to 1940s Hollywood and discovers a place so artistically and morally bankrupt

Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried star in “Mank.” he’s immediately crippled with writer’s block and can’t bring himself to produce the words for a cheesy Wallace Beery wrestling movie That sort of compromise didn’t seem to bother Mank, who was

prodigious at the typewriter.

The late film critic Pauline Kael credits him with writing about 40 movies, both solo and with partners. A legendary wit, he often was recruited to punch up weak dialogue and craft scenes,

including devising the Kansas sequence in “The Wizard of Oz” (he suggested the Kansas scenes be shot in black and white to contrast Dorothy’s home with Oz’s vivid fantasy world).

Mankiewicz won an Oscar for best original screenplay for “Citizen Kane,” sharing the writing credit with Orson Welles.

Who wrote what has long been a point of contention — Kael, in a famous 1971 New Yorker essay titled “Raising Kane,” argued Mankiewicz was the author.

Regardless, the negotiation between the two men over whose name would be associated with the screenplay would have made Barton Fink’s head explode: Welles’ self-importance was unbounded; Mankiewicz held his ground. The writer later claimed Welles offered him $10,000 for the sole writing credit (a proposition depicted in the film). Welles denied it.

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

LISTEN UP

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020

Milgate, Connor and Courchaine deliver the jazzy Christmas album we all needed VICTOR D. INVANTE

W

ith the prosaically named “A Christmas Album,” local musicians Brooks Milgate, Bill Connor and Paul Courchaine have done pretty much the impossible: They’ve taken a collection of extremely familiar holiday tunes and turned them into the sound of the holiday season we all desperately need right now. This album resonates with joy, love, goodwill toward man and a sense of celebration that is delivered with two qualities rarely found in the same package: earnestness and jazz cool.

“Earnestness” is often used as a knock at an album, a polite term to indicate that something is trite or unsophisticated. Here, though, earnestness comes in the form of unadulterated joy, taking songs that are commonplace such as “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”

and “Oh Christmas Tree” and attacking them with such straight-up joy and affection that they feel new. At the end of what has been an objectively terrible year, the sense of vibrancy the trip brings to these old standards is enough to make a Grinch’s heart grow three sizes.

“All three of us studied jazz to some extent,” says Milgate, in a brief email exchange. “My favorite jazz is the 1950s-1960s stuff that frequently involves blues jams. It’s got a swagger and an attitude that I love. Oscar Peterson, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Jimmy Smith … so we wanted to channel that vibe as best we could. Christmas music is already upbeat and happy, we made these arrangements pretty quickly and

just went with it.”

It works well. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” is familiar, but the jazz rifts carry the melody off into new directions, then into the bluesy rendition of “Oh Christmas Tree,” which finds Milgate’s keys and Connor’s drums evoking a lit candle in the corner of a smoky

club as much as they do a family holiday celebration, and when the trio break the song down at the bridge, with Milgate letting loose, the effect is electric.

Courchaine’s guitar is controlled and soulful on “Please Come Home For Christmas,” hitting an evocative tone that’s sure to resonate with many whom the pandemic is currently making coming home for the holidays impossible. There’s a sense of loneliness in this song that was probably always there, but which the timing and Courchaine’s deft touch have really brought to the surface.

The album escalates with a revival-tent jam of “Little Drummer Boy,” which – as one would expect – makes good use of

Connor’s percussion, yes, but also the whole trio’s skill set. The song rides the line between gospel and jazz, making full use of the best qualities of each genre. By the same token, the drums and keys particularly swing on an uproarious “Here Comes Santa Claus,” a rendition that makes the listener want to get up and dance.

Things come to a conclusion with the soul-infused take on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” a rendition that sizzles so much you can almost forget that you hated singing the song in your junior high choir. It’s the weird paradox the trio have pulled off here, making the listener both forget they’re listening to a holiday album, and also somehow capturing the spirit of what the holidays are supposed to be with so much aplomb that they can make you forget, for a moment, that the days are brief and dark, and spring is still months away.

CITY LIFE

THE NEXT DRAFT

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

Homefield’s kitchen will provide much of the food at Rapscallion’s taproom, Cook said, which will be a much-needed boost to his business: Homefield has struggled recently, having to close its taproom and pivot to more takeout food.

Spencer will be 20-barrel, so we don’t have much flexibility to experiment,” Daniel said.

Rapscallion’s last day at Hyland Orchard is Dec. 19, with the brewery remaining open for Mug Club members until Dec. 20. Hyland’s disc golf course will stay open for the rest of the year.

Rapscallion is targeting February to open at 3 Arnold Road, around

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ASHLEY GREEN

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SCREEN TIME

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drunk and a stand-up guy. Their friendship borders on flirtation, a welcome interlude in the ongoing “Mank” provides surprising ruination of Herman Mankiewicz, tender moments between Herwho, besides drinking to excess, man and Marion Davies (Amanda gambles recklessly and seems Seyfried), the mistress of newspa- ever on the brink of losing his per magnate William Randolph wife, job and friends. Thank goodHearst, who inspired the characness the man could write. There ter of Charles Foster Kane. Turns on those pages, that’s where the out Mank is both a fall-down world made sense.

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 18

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

the same time it starts brewing beer in Spencer.

The brewery-taproom at 195 Arnold Road holds so much history, and it’s hard to imagine the barn as anything other than a brewery. It was the first taproom in Massachusetts, opening in 1996 long before breweries could legally sell their beer that way. Don Damon, then owner of Hyland, was just looking for a way to keep his 51-year-old orchard alive.

But the worst part about Rapscallion leaving the orchard is, because of the pandemic, it can’t hold one last festival to celebrate.

Daniel doesn’t see it that way, though.

“The last hurrah is that we gave our mug members a place to go to, and we just didn’t leave town,” he said. “That maybe in essence is our quiet celebration, saying ‘Hey we found something new, and we’re continuing this great relationship.’”

D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020

While it won’t have the disc golf course, Rapscallion’s new taproom at 3 Arnold Road will look and feel like its old spot, Daniel said. The barn is just as historic, dating to the 1800s, and though it needs some renovating, it will retain much of its rustic charm. The layout of the taproom will also be reminiscent of Hyland Orchard, with Daniel hoping to have a seatless bar.

“There are not many bars you can pull up to, stand up and put your boots on the rails; that was always the case here, but that was sort of grandfathered in,” Daniel said.

The taproom will have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Much of the food will come from Homefield, with Rapscallion also stationing its food truck outside.

And Rapscallion plans to have a one-barrel brewing system on site for small, exploratory batches, including collaborations with Homefield. “Our system in

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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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020

This gorgeous gray girl is Remmy. Remmy was surrendered to the shelter along with another dog after the owners were no longer able to keep them in their home. Remmy may be 9 years old, but watch out, this girl has some spunk. Remmy loves to go on walks, play with toys and is very vocal when she wants something. An ideal home for this senior girl would be one where her people are home more often than not and one with no small children. Remmy can be enthusiastic when taking treats and toys and this may be too rough for little ones. She is active and likes to bark for attention. She would not be ideal for apartments. This lady loves to snuggle in a warm cozy bed and cannot get enough blankets, the more the better. When Remmy first came to us she was missing a lot of fur, she was very red and itchy and has ear infections. You could tell this was something she struggled with for a while. Our vets started her on medications and immediately we began to see results. Remmy’s new family will need to keep an eye on her skin sensitivities to ensure her comfort and take her to the vet when needed. Remmy has a lot of lumps and bumps that come with old age and we think this makes her more beautiful than ever. If you think Remmy is the one for you and your family, contact the shelter to schedule your appointment.

WARL COVID-19 Procedures As of Novemeber 9, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our team protected.

• 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 ACCEPTED except for open bags of food.

• 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 going on for adopters.

• 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’

51 Monica Geller’s brother 52 Jack-o’-lantern look 53 College team from Salt Lake City 54 “Auld Lang ___” 55 “Don’t text and drive” ad, for short 56 Acuity measures that don’t really matter 57 Questionable, in “Among Us,” slangily 58 Hustle, quaintly 59 High-jump hurdle 60 Peyton’s sibling

Last week's solution

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©2020 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1018

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Down 1 Movie score with a famous two-note motif 2 Bounce back 3 Aimless attempt 4 Imbiber 5 Grind to a halt 6 Milne’s mopey donkey 7 Flaky precipitation

8 Comedians Gilliam and Goldsmith, for two 9 Rainbow shape 10 “While that might be true ...”

11 “___ be here soon” 12 Took the bait 13 “I really don’t care” 14 157.5 degrees from N 17 It’s a likely story 19 “You ___ one” 23 Sleep aid brand 24 Like a shopping mall on Black Friday, ordinarily 25 Online selling site 26 Wall, for one 27 Playful aquatic animals 28 Dated term for college students 29 Site for reflection?

30 Prompt 31 Corvair investigator Ralph 32 “They went ___-way” 33 Actress Lauren of 2020’s “The Wrong Missy” 34 Louis Armstrong’s nickname 38 Unidentifiable cafeteria food 39 Did some karaoke 41 Repercussions 42 “Ghost Town” actress Tea 44 Irritate 45 Fastening bars shaped like letters 49 Louisiana, to Louis 50 In ___ of (replacing)

D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020

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

Across 1 “Breaking Bad” sidekick 6 Written test format 11 Some mainframe computers 15 Follow, as an impulse 16 Pleas 18 QUESTION, PART 1 20 Cry bitterly 21 Blows away 22 ___ St. Soul (U.K. R&B/ soul group) 23 Controversial ride-sharing app 25 Fall back, as a tide 26 ASPCA part 29 QUESTION, PART 2 34 “Forrest Gump” actor Gary 35 “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for ___” (1985 best-seller) 36 “Laugh-In” comedian Johnson 37 Like many indie films 38 “Buon giorno,” in Brisbane 39 Go over the limit 40 Green Day, e.g.

41 “Sorry if ___ you down” 42 NBA team formerly from Minneapolis 43 QUESTION, PART 3 46 Charlemagne’s realm, for short 47 Device program 48 Cranberry sources 49 Greek letter after zeta 50 “Battlefield Earth” author Hubbard 52 Director Van Sant 55 ANSWER TO THE QUESTION 61 Closest to the ground, stature-wise 62 Otherworldly 63 Mgr.’s helper 64 Creator of Yertle the Turtle 65 Laundry cycle

“Shell Game”--maybe that’s why it’s green.

By Matt Jones

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020

Worcester Housing Authority Public Notice Designers registered in Massachusetts are advised that applications are available for preparation of plans and specifications and construction administration for constructing a new Economic Opportunity Center in the Great Brook Valley neighborhood at the Worcester Housing Authority in Worcester, MA. The firm must provide full basic services including investigation and initial design through preparation of contract documents, bidding and construction contract administration. The project manager or person charged with handling this project must be an Architect registered in Massachusetts.

The construction cost is $9,300,000.00 The Fee for Basic Services is $750,000.00.

Applications and requirements brochure can be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Worcester Housing Authority, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 beginning December 9, 2020.

Please visit our website @ (http://www.worcesterha.org/curre ntbids.html) to obtain a copy. Fifteen copies of the application must be submitted to the above address by 12/23/2020 at 2:00 p.m.

Worcester Housing Authority Public Notice Designers registered in Massachusetts are advised that applications are available for preparation of plans and specifications and construction administration for the unit conversions, elevator addition, rear staircase rehab, and fencing and roadway upgrade, as well as Creative Place Making at the large outdoor courtyard in the Curtis Apartment development at the Worcester Housing Authority in Worcester, MA. The firm must provide full basic services including investigation and initial design through preparation of contract documents, bidding and construction contract administration. The project manager or person charged with handling this project must be an Architect registered in Massachusetts.

The construction cost is $4,850,000.00 The Fee for Basic Services is $600,000.00.

Applications and requirements brochure can be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Worcester Housing Authority, 81 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605 beginning December 9, 2020.

Please visit our website @ (http://www.worcesterha.org/curre ntbids.html) to obtain a copy. Fifteen copies of the application must be submitted to the above address by 12/23/2020 at 2:00 p.m..

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN PURSUANT TO PROVISIONS OF M.L.C. 225 sec 39A. THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD ON 12/26/20 TO SATISFY OUR GARAGE LIEN THEREON FOR TOWING AND STORAGE CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF SALE AND NOTICE: VIN# 2T3BFREV7FW231823 2015 TOYOTA RAV 4 THE SALE WILL BE HELD AT CARRETELA AUTO RENTAL ON 350 HARDING ST, WORCESTER, MA 1610 ON DECEMBER 26, 2020.

12/10, 17, 24, 2020 WM

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ADVERTISEMENT The Worcester Housing Authority, the Awarding Authority, invites sealed bids from Contractors for the Envelope Repairs at the LincolnPerkins Development 348-705-02 for the Worcester Housing Authority in Worcester Massachusetts, in accordance with the documents prepared

by Nault Architects, Inc. The Project consists of: Replacement of windows, roofing, siding, painting of interior window trim and exterior siding and trim, and all related work.

The work is estimated to cost $570,880.

Bids are subject to M.G.L. c.149 §44A-J & to minimum wage rates as required by M.G.L. c.149 §§26 to 27H inclusive.

General bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the category of General Building Construction.

General Bids will be received until 10:00 AM, on Wednesday, January 6th, 2021 and opened online, forthwith.

Filed sub-bids for the trades listed below will be received until Time, 10:00 AM, on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020 and opened forthwith.

Filed sub-bidders must be DCAMM certified for the trades listed below and bidders must include a current DCAMM Sub-Bidder Certificate of Eligibility and a signed DCAMM Sub-Bidder’s Update Statement.

SUBTRADES: Section 07.31.00 - Shingle Roofing This project is being Electronically Bid (E-Bid). All bids shall be prepared and submitted online at www.Projectdog.com and received no later than the date & time specified above. Hard copy bids will not be accepted by the Awarding Authority. For assistance, contact Projectdog, Inc. at 978.499.9014.

General bids and sub-bids shall be accompanied by a bid deposit that is not less than five (5%) of the greatest possible bid amount (considering all alternates) and made payable to the Worcester Housing Authority.

Bid Forms and Contract Documents will be available electronically or for purchase at www.Projectdog.com on Wednesday, December 9th, 2020; Project Code 840624.

There is a plan deposit of $50.00 per set (maximum of 2 sets) payable to Projectdog, Inc. Deposits must be a certified or cashier’s check. This deposit will be refunded for up to two sets for general bidders upon return of the sets in good condition within ten (10) days of receipt of general bids.

Otherwise the deposit shall be the property of the Awarding Authority.

Additional sets may be purchased online at www.Projectdog.com. CDROMs are available upon request. Bidders requesting Contract Documents to be mailed to them shall include a separate check for $35.00 per set, payable to Projectdog, Inc., to cover mail handling costs.

General bidders must agree to contract with minority and women business enterprises as certified by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO), formerly known as SOMWBA. The combined participation benchmark reserved for such enterprises shall not be less than 10.4% of the final contract price including accepted alternates. Request for waivers must be sent to DHCD (david.mcclave@mass.gov) 5 calendar days prior to the General Bid date if the work is estimated to cost less than $500,000 OR 10 calendar days prior to the General Bid date if the work is estimated to cost $500,000 or more - NO WAIVERS WILL BE GRANTED AFTER THE BID DATE. See Contract Documents - Article 3 of the Instructions to Bidders.

The job site and/or existing building(s) will be available for inspection between 10:00 A.M. and 10:30 A.M. on 12/16/2020 at the project site. For an appointment contact Tina Paez at Worcester Housing Authority: paez@worcesterha.org or (508) 635-3302. Masks are required and all state COVID-19 protocols are to be adhered to. Apartment interiors will not be open for viewing at this time.

Get Honest, Experienced Help Buying or Selling Your Home

Call Jo-Ann at 774-230-5044 or Diane at 774-239-2937

LEGAL Request for Quotation (RFQ) The Worcester Housing Authority (WHA), the Awarding Authority, invites written quotes from Contractors for the furnishing and installation of Vinyl Flooring at: ° WHA’s property 12-1, located at 35-45 Freedom Way; Quotes must be received no later than December 30, 2020 by 2:00 P.M. An optional site visit will take place on Monday December 21, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.at 35-45 Freedom Way with the COVID-19 guidelines in place Project completion date by: Friday January 15th, 2021. All quotes should be delivered to: Worcester Housing Authority, via e-mail to Mod-Bids@worcesterha.org and received no later than the date & time specified above. Worcester Housing Authority Please visit our website @ (http://www.worcesterha.org/curre ntbids.html) to obtain a complete copy of the RFQ.

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Sudoku Answers

LAST CALL

Nathan Manna, collage artist N athan Manna is a senior at the College of the Holy Cross. His recent show, “lift-off,” was featured at the Worcester PopUp gallery on Franklin Street. Manna was also the winner of the 2020 Juror’s Prize at ArtsWorcester’s College Show.

What is your major at Holy Cross?

I’m a performance studies major.

Basically, it’s a self-designed major where I combine theory and practical theater work. I was supposed to be directing three productions this year, and with COVID, I’ve only managed to get approval for one of them. It’s a bummer, but health and safety is of the utmost importance right now.

Yes. Maybe you’ll discover that there’s a new artistic format that you love.

I mean, it’s definitely given me more time to work on collage, so that’s a bonus.

Some of the language you use is so evocative, like the word “neutering.” Can you explain what you mean by that term?

Sure. In my experience, evaluating and seeing different media portray gay men, we’re fine having a gay character, but not fine showing the romantic or sexual side of that character. One of the most obvious ones would be Kurt Hummel from “Glee.” The show doesn’t fully develop that romantic relationship with Blaine beyond the fact that they’re dating. Whereas, other characters in the same series have full-blown sexual relationships.

The imbalance was what I wanted to reclaim — the sexuality that a lot of different media denies gay men.

It’s interesting you bring up “Glee” because there’s a lesbian arc in that show that was widely applauded with the recently passed Nya Rivera.

There are actually a few problematic elements with that. I felt that lesbian relationship is portrayed in a baiting way between Brittany and Santana. There’s a lot of back and forth like, “Oh, I’m not sure if I’m a lesbian.”

Do you feel a big environmental shift from growing up in Sutton?

I came out a decade ago, when I was 12. It wasn’t exactly the most well-received response. I faced a lot of bullying and I was pulled from the school system and homeschooled. It just got to a really bad point. Growing up in an isolated bubble, I had to deal with conversion therapy. I need the world to understand these issues. That is the root of where all my art comes from, this need to give representation to the 12-year-old boy who might be unsure of himself and needs affirmation.

– Sarah Connell Sanders

23

In your artist statement, you also mention the influence of an FBI psychic. Can you tell me a little more about that?

Sure. Ingo Swann was this FBI psychic who led several different experiments for the FBI on the use of different psychic mediums.

There was plenty about him that even the FBI didn’t discover under constant surveillance. For one thing, he was gay. He made all this fantastic artwork that became very Why did you call your show publicly known. Then, when he “lift-off”? passed away, an entire collection I was inspired by a piece by John O’Reilly. It’s a self-portrait from the of gay focused work was discovered. Through that, we can piece 1960s. He takes his body and then together his experience of isolation mashes it together with differas a government employee who ent space pieces. There’s a moon landing vehicle and all these other was working with the FBI and also living as a gay man. In that time science fiction elements. I was looking into the world he was able period, the pink scare had just to create out of those and I realized ended. He was afraid of losing his job and being ostracized. two major historical moments happened in very near proximity: What draws you to collage? the Stonewall uprisings and the I took a collage class last fall at launch of the Apollo 11 moon mission. I just found that fascinat- Holy Cross. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to use it for. I was ing and it started generating my exploration between space and gay interested as a theater artist in the overlay of bodies. It came full circle culture. It became an exploration as I was creating really abstract of what the future might hold.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Your artist’s statement talks a lot about the history of sexuality as it pertains to gay culture. Can you give me some background regarding the gaps that you’re trying to fill, especially in the city of Worcester, through collage?

The biggest theme I’m dealing with right now is the dichotomy of intimacy and loneliness, exacerbated by COVID-19. If you’re dating someone or you’re in a committed

relationship, COVID restrictions may not have impacted you as much because you live with your partner. But, if you’re not dating anyone and all support systems, like the gay bars, are shut down — where do you find a sense of community or someone to spend time with?

How has your experience as a gay man shifted from living in a small town to an urban college campus?

It’s really interesting being a student at Holy cross where yes, it’s a Catholic institution, but I found the Jesuits really accepting, open and affirming. We have concentrations like the gender, sexuality and women’s studies program, which has a lot of courses dealing with LGBTQ content.

One of the courses I’m taking this semester is focused on music and gay rights. We look at how those two areas intersect and influence each other. Like, how disco was used in the gay rights movement.

There’s also the social element of my fellow students who are coming from conservative Catholic backgrounds. The elephant in the room is Bishop McManus who I believe is probably one of the most homophobic bishops in the country, if not the world. He’s attacked the rights of Holy Cross professors and also trans students. It’s an interesting environment to work in, but I’ve found ways to push myself with the help of the faculty.

D E C E M B E R 10 - 16, 2020

Can you tell me about the overarching themes in your collages?

Sure. To preface it, my show was actually part of a class that I’m taking at Holy Cross about community performance. It’s a pre-professional seminar for those who are interested in careers in the arts.

As a person from the Worcester area, I thought it’d be really cool to bring my queer art to Worcester. I actually grew up in Sutton, Massachusetts, just 15 minutes south of Worcester. I mean, there’s not much representation here.

And so, I thought my art could be a really cool way to connect with the community in a means that a lot of people aren’t thinking about right now.

DYLAN AZARI

pieces and then returning to my roots with gay culture. Through collage, I found I could do a lot of things I couldn’t do in theater with the overlay of bodies. And I also just really enjoyed being able to take pieces of a photograph from 2020 and then another one from 1950 to form a continuum of gay culture.

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