Worcester Magazine December 10 - 16, 2021 by Worcester Magazine

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IN THIS ISSUE

Worcester Magazine 100 Front St., Fifth Floor Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial (508) 767.9535 WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales (508) 767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com VP, Sales & Strategy Andrew Chernoff Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Veer Mudambi Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Robert Duguay, Liz Fay, Jason Greenough, Janice Harvey, Barbara Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Craig S. Semon, Matthew Tota Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Kate Carr, Diane Galipeau, Sammi Iacovone, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Regina Stillings Sales Support Jackie Buck, Yanet Ramirez Senior Operations Manager Gary Barth Operations Manager John Cofske Worcester Magazine is a news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. The Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement. Legals/Public Notices please call 888-254-3466, email classifieds@gatehousemedia.com, or mail to Central Mass Classifieds, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 Distribution Worcester Magazine is inserted into the Telegram & Gazette on Fridays and is also available for free at more than 400 locations in the Worcester area. Unauthorized bulk removal of Worcester Magazine from any public location, or any other tampering with Worcester Magazine’s distribution including unauthorized inserts, is a criminal offense and may be prosecuted under the law.

Featured ..............................................................................4 City Voices ........................................................................10 Cover Story.......................................................................14 Next Draft .........................................................................20 Screen Time .....................................................................24 New on DVD .....................................................................25 Things to do .....................................................................26 Adoption Option.............................................................28 Classiﬁ eds ........................................................................29 Games................................................................................30 Last Call .............................................................................31

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FEATURED

Blues great Joe Louis Walker set for Bull Run Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Blues Hall of Fame member, Grammy Award nominee, and four-time Blues Music Award winner Joe Louis Walker describes himself, for all his accolades, as “just a restless soul musically. I like to play all kinds of music.” The same goes for his record collection. “George Jones, Thelonious Monk. That’s all in a day’s listening. In my record collection I don’t have a blues section, a jazz section. I just have a record collection,” he said. “I like the variety that music and art bring you, and there’s no door closed but in your mind.” Appropriately enough, you can add his latest album, “Eclectic Electric,” to your record collection, a superb mix of Walker originals and some surprising but satisfyingly rendered covers including “Hotel California” and “Werewolves of London.” You can also see Walker inperson as he plays in his fourmember band at the Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley at 8 p.m. Dec. 10. He’s brought the house down there before, but there have been some closed doors for touring as a result of the pandemic. Walker, 71, is certainly willing to tour and play and record. As “Eclectic Electric” makes clear, he has abundant creativity and energy. His voice sounds fresh, and his guitar playing is explosive. “I’ve toured. I don’t think anyone’s been able to tour too See WALKER, Page 5

Joe Louis Walker is set to perform at Bull Run Restaurant. PHOTO COURTESY MICKEY DENEHER

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | 5

Walker Continued from Page 4

much,” he said during a recent telephone interview. “I think everybody’s trying to ﬁ nd out what the new normal is, if there is going to be such a thing. To be quite honest with you, I’m just just like anybody else you know. I try to be conscientious for my fellow citizens. I get my shots, yes. I get my mask when I’m supposed to,” Walker said. He opened for George Thorogood and The Destroyers for several shows during Thorogood’s recent “Good to be Bad Tour” and has had some solo performances in support of “Eclectic Electric,” which was released Nov. 12. Asked if he personally felt comfortable, Walker said, “If anyone says they’re comfort-

able with the pandemic, that’s short-sighted. Who’s comfortable? Are you comfortable? To be quite honest, it’s a damn inconvenience to everyone. But as my dad would say, ‘We can only play the hand we’ve been dealt.’” He’s noticed that “every place has a diﬀ erent edict from their local government … What I do, my guys, my band, when we go into a theater we have our masks on. Yeah, I’m vaccinated, yes I do believe in vaccination.” Walker asked, “Do you remember a year ago when people were begging for vaccinations? If you go back then and fast forward to now, it’s like two diﬀ erent movies.” A movie of Walker’s life would be packed with stories, beginning in San Francisco where at age 14 he took up the guitar. He soon became known on the Bay Area music scene,

playing blues with an occasional foray into psychedelic rock. Friends included Mike Bloomﬁ eld and Jimi Hendrix. In 1975, “burned out on blues, Walker turned to God,” according to his web site. He sang for the next decade with a gospel group, the Spiritual Corinthians. Then in 1985 when the Corinthians played the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Walker was inspired to embrace his blues roots again. His ﬁ rst album, “Cold is the Night,” came out in 1986. Many albums have followed. Last year, “Blues Comin’ On” combined original songs and covers as Walker was paired with fellow blues and musician icons including Keb Mo’, Jorma Kaukonen, Eric Gales, Albert Lee, Mitch Ryder, Lee Oskar, John Sebastian and Waddy Wachtel. “Blues Comin’ On” was originally planned as a double al-

bum, but when that didn’t happen he had some material he could use for “Eclectic Electric.” However, the main premise for “Eclectic Electric” came about when he asked some friends and musicians what they liked to hear him play. The response was, “We really like it when you step out of your thing,” such as when he played George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on “The Blues White Album,” a compilation and tribute to the Beatles’ famous album by blues artists. Walker said, “‘So start sending me songs.’ The ﬁ rst was ‘Werewolves of London.’” The song was co-written by Waddy Wachtel, who is “a good friend of mine,” Walker said. Wachtel plays on the track. The recording is a lot of fun, but at the same time has some guitar work by Walker that’s

out of this world. Other covers include the Don Henley hit single (written by Danny Kortchmar) “All She Wants To Do Is Dance.” Rock & Blues Muse in a review said Walker “sprinkles his blues all over this 80s radio jam and gives it a new life in another genre.” With “Hotel California,” Walker said his thoughts were, “‘OK, let’s get something totally iconic. (They’ll say) What the hell’s he doing that song for?’” The song’s story about someone looking for a hotel room for the night “makes sense to me and all musicians in California,” Walker said. “You go in, no one is on the desk.” There are “wise-guys” who say “ ‘You can check in but you can’t check out.’ That really happens.” See WALKER, Page 9

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Virginia Byrne ﬁ nds the right tenor at WCLOC Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Taking a famous theater maxim and adding to it, Virginia Byrne remarked “directing tragedy is easy; comedy is hard; but farce is impossible if you don’t have the right cast and slamming doors.” But as the director of Worcester Country Light Opera Company’s current production of Ken Ludwig’s farce “A Comedy of Tenors,” Byrne said she not only has a great cast but “a beautiful set where the doors slam.” “A Comedy of Tenors,” which opened Dec. 3 at WCLOC’s Grandview Playhouse, 21 Grandview Ave., Worcester, and continues there Dec. 9-12, is the fi rst time that Byrne has directed a show for WCLOC since its production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” 22 years ago. However, she has a rich and varied theater background in the area, including as co-founder and artistic director of the former New England Theatre Company, which was in residence at Anna Maria College for over 10 years. She was also the longtime director of theater at Notre Dame Academy in Worcester. Ludwig’s 1985 play “Lend Me a Tenor” was a big hit with its story of operatic tenor star Tito Morelli getting indisposed just before a guest appearance in 1930s Cleveland. The desperate producer, Henry Saunders, tries to pass off his hapless assistant, Max, as Tito for the performance. In “A Comedy of Tenors,” we’re still in the 1930s but the scene has shifted to a hotel in Paris just before a Three Tenors type of performance. Tito and Max (now an aspiring tenor) will be two of the performers, but Tito becomes convinced that the other tenor, Carlo, is having an aff air with his hotblooded wife, Maria. In fact,

Virginia Byrne SUBMITTED PHOTO

‘A Comedy of Tenors’ by Ken Ludwig — Worcester County Light Opera Company When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9, 10 and 11; 2 p.m. Dec. 12 Where: Grandview Playhouse, 21 Grandview Ave., Worcester How much: $25; $22 students and seniors. www.wcloc.org

Carlo and Tito’s daughter, Mimi, are lovers. Nevertheless, Tito drops out of the performance in a huﬀ , and Saunders has to ﬁ nd yet another tenor. Turns out the hotel’s bellhop, Beppo, can not only sing, but strikingly looks like Tito. But another complication ensues when Racon, one of Tito’s ex-lovers, shows up. As in “Lend Me A Tenor,” there will be plenty instances of mistaken identities, bed-

room hijinks and slamming doors. It sounds like an English farce, but Ludwig is an American playwright. “A Comedy of Tenors” was written in 2015. “He wrote it not as a sequel but rather that he had fallen in love with all the characters and he wanted to put them in a new play,” Byrne said. Farce requires good timing from the director and cast, but putting on the show itself right

now could be called good timing as well. “People need to laugh,” Byrne said. “Especially with a threat (the Omicron variant) on the horizon again. I’m dying to hear the roars of laughter again. It’s cathartic.” The cast includes Eric Butler (Max), Mike Daniel (Carlo), Nicole Lian (Maria), Stephen Murray (Saunders), Jeanine West (Racon), Susanne Westerof (Mimi), and Jeremy Woloski (Tito/Beppo). The set design is by Tom Powers . Some of the actors are very well known locally and have extensive directorial experience themselves, but no one’s been telling Byrne what to do. “Directors love to be directed — (they say) ‘It’s not my problem.

Virginia has to handle it.’ They love it,” Byrne said. Byrne’s also been enjoying working with Westerhof, who is originally from the Netherlands and is appearing in her fi rst play in English. In fact, the whole cast is “a director’s dream,” she said. “They’re so refreshing. It’s really exciting.” “A Comedy of Tenors” is the fi rst time Byrne has directed a play with anyone for over two years. At New England Theatre Company she directed very well received musicals, Shakespeare, and her own musical, co-written with Kallin Johnson, music director at NETC, “The Royal Worcester Corset Company.” The musical, based on a real Worcester company and real characters but with a fi ctional story-line, was also staged as part of the opening of the new Worcester Technical High School, and at Notre Dame Academy. “That was an amazing, overwhelming experience to watch a show you’ve written,” Byrne said. She stepped away from New England Theatre Company in part because, “I realized that 70 hour weeks were not fun anymore.” She left Notre Dame Academy after 41 years two years ago. But that didn’t mean she intended to be done with theater. “I don’t want to play golf. I hate golf, actually. I can’t read any more than I read now. My husband and I travel a lot, but COVID put an end to that.” When she heard that Worcester County Light Opera Company was looking for directors, she applied and was brought back in the fold. “I was delighted, honored,” she said. “When I walked back in I said, ‘I’m home. I’m back. And I’ll do it as much as anyone wants me.’”

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United Way grant helps REC program Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s one thing to badger kids to eat vegetables. It’s another thing entirely to establish them as stakeholders in their own nutrition. But the Regional Environmental Council is doing just that with a $100K grant from United Way. The citywide “farm to early childhood initiative” aims to use gardens for education at daycare and preschool locations. This past summer, REC conducted a pilot program which was hugely successful in that the kids loved the See REC, Page 8

Children explore the REC mobile mini market during the summer pilot program. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

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REC will work with other organizations to identify early childhood and daycare providers who would be interested in gardens on site. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

REC Continued from Page 7

experience along with the books that they received about growing food. Grace Sliwoski, Director of Programs, explained that, “while we have been funded by the United Way for many years, it is the fi rst time this particular grant was off ered due to a donation from MacKenzie Scott.” The United Way of Central Mass chapter received a $5 million donation from Scott, who is the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos. One of Scott’s goals was to inject funding into communities with high food insecurity, racial inequity and poverty rates. REC

is one of 14 organizations in the area that were funded a total of $1 million. Eliza Lawrence, the Mobile Farmers Market Coordinator for REC, said that “United Way approached us about a project for pre-K for ways to really quickly and easily reach kids.” Lawrence feels that when kids have direct access to the garden, they’re so much more likely to try new things, having seen them grow from a seed. “I think it’s good for kids to have food-based education at school because it means just having fun activities where we can talk about growing food — there are ways to cook vegetables other than just eating a raw carrot,” she said. Sliwoski said that the grant

allows them to “scale up” their summer pilot program partnership with the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club. She deﬁ ned the timeline, which is to “have conversations this winter and start building this spring.” REC will work with Edward Street Child Services, an advocacy group for early childhood programs in Central Massachusetts that supports enrichment and education, as well as Together for Kids Coalition to identify different early childhood and daycare providers who would be interested in gardens on site. Lawrence described how one of the big challenges is growing teacher conﬁ dence since it adds one more thing to their plate — See REC, Page 9

This past summer, REC conducted a pilot program which was hugely successful in that the kids loved the experience along with the books that they received about growing food. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | 9

Walker

Joe Louis Walker

Continued from Page 5

Where: The Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley

While staying true to the spirit of the original, Walker and his fellow musicians — in this instance, guitarist Murali Coryell — give the song a strong heartbeat of their own making. Similarly, you’re glad you listened to the album’s tracks of Muddy Waters’ “Two Trains Running” and Sonny West’s “Wine” (featuring Los Lobos sax player Steve Berlin). You may be waiting for the guitar solos, and understandably so. Living Blues has said of Walker, “His fretwork is indelibly stamped with his own trademark blend of emotional heat and impeccable precision. Even at his most ﬂ amboyant, Walker sounds as if he’s playing ideas, not just notes.” Walker does give thought to

How much: $20. www.bullrunrestaurant.com

When: 8 p.m. Dec. 10 (doors open at 6 p.m. for seating and dinner)

his solos, “and never play the same notes twice, hopefully,” he said. On the other hand, Walker said, “I’m sort of old school. I’m more interested in the total song than in the solo. Blues has now moved into guitar shredding, and that’s ﬁ ne and good. But I was told a long time ago people go home humming a melody, they don’t go home humming a guitar riﬀ . But nowadays they do, I guess. But I’m old school. Unless a solo is connected to a song, it’s like people doing scales in a room. When I was coming up, you’re always looking for a song.” Walker, who lives near Hyde Park in New York state, has a

number of projects penciled in for 2022, including a book. “I’ve been asked to write about some of my experiences.” He also wants to be out there performing live. “I think this is the second time I had music snapped away from me. Several years ago I became a single father. I couldn’t do it (tour). I had to stay home. I had to be a soccer dad/mom,” he said. “Now with the pandemic — it just gives me a diﬀ erent perspective than other people have. I do this because I love to do it. It lets me express myself in a cathartic way. It gives me voice when things are good or when things are bad.”

Fresh produce is one of the beneﬁ ts of the REC program. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

REC Continued from Page 8

learning about gardening. Consequently, funding was set aside to help train faculty through other grants that will be released in 2022. In addition, Lawrence herself will be available to come in and work with teachers. Both Sliwoski and Lawrence agreed that the focus on children, parents and providers as “important stakeholders” is key. Sliwoski emphasized that “there exists tremendous beneﬁ t in experiential education for the preschool age — get outside and see things grow in the garden.” In turn, that makes them more willing to try new foods. The added bonus is for parents who may be struggling to get fresh food and can now take advantage of these resources. They hope it will also

lighten the load on daycare facilities who have been hit hard by the pandemic and are under tremendous pressure “by adding recreational infrastructure.” To do that, REC wants to offer diﬀ erent types of programming depending on the size and space of daycare. The options include an onsite garden, space permitting, or transportation provided to bring children to a garden space; classroom based programming with workshops on planting, literacy and art; mobile farmers market where REC would bring everything to the daycare to engage students and give them a chance to try new fruits and vegetables. Naturally, Sliwoski says that they seek to prioritize programs serving low-income students in keeping with the REC mission to create just food systems and Mackenzie Scott’s long-term goals for the grantee organizations.

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CITY VOICES WORCESTERIA

Central Mass. presence in governor’s race may be essential Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

When Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito blew up Massachusetts politics by declaring that they wouldn’t be running for re-election, it caught most of the state’s politico’s off guard: Certainly, Baker and Polito’s re-election wasn’t a shoo-in, but it was still the most likely scenario, albeit one that came with what promised to be a bruising primary challenge from Baker’s right. But while most of the public chatter has centered on how the move aff ects the governor’s race, particularly as to whether it will prompt Attorney General Maura Healey to throw her hat in the ring, there are actually a couple of other questions that hit more close to home: Where does this leave the lieutenant governor’s race, and more to the point, where does that leave Central Massachusetts, because increasingly, for both Democrats and Republicans, the road to the governor’s offi ce runs through Worcester. “Worcester is one of the larger voting blocks,” says Tim Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, “and growing. It’s considered kind of a swing county.” He should know: His jump from Worcester Mayor to lieutenant governor under Duval Patrick was seen by many as an instance of Worcester County fl exing its

Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito step back from the podium during their news conference Dec. 1, where they discussed their decision not to seek third terms. SAM DORAN/STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

political muscle, a feat which in a lot of ways Polito replicated. “If you want to win,” says Murray, “or minimize the margin by which you lose, you have to do well in Worcester. You’ve got to have a message that res-

onates here and a campaign that’s going to be present. Sometimes people in politics in the Greater Boston area don’t appreciate that, but the numbers tell the story when you look at it.”

Murray believes there’s a strength in geographic diversity in a political ticket, pointing toward Gov. Bill Weld’s teaming with Hudson’s Paul Cellucci, and later Celluci’s pairing with Jane Swift of North Adams.

“It’s not the only formula,” he says, but it’s a proven formula to be successful.” A quick browse at the declared candidates for governor See GOVERNOR, Page 11

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | 11

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Governor Continued from Page 10

and lieutenant governor, however, show no one with any strong Worcester ties, and a round of off -the-record phone calls with local politicians and activists found no strong contenders to step in, from either political party. “There hasn’t been a lot of cultivation of younger talent to slide out of the local political realm into the state realm,” said one activist, noting that he felt the Republicans might have done a slightly better job of developing potential candidates for future offi ce than the Democrats, but only by a hair. Indeed, many wondered if the recent Worcester City Council and School Committee elections might be a bellwether for the state, with hard-right candidates taking a thumping at the ballot box. Politcos polled off ered up some names as potential candidates for lieutenant governor, including Worcester City Councilors Khrystian King and Sean Rose, former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, state Senators Michael Moore and Ryan Fattman, and

Worcester Registrar of Probate Stephanie Fattman. No one seemed very convinced that any of these contenders would run, though. If there was a consensus, it was that it seemed likely a successful Central Mass. candidate might appear out of the woodwork, much as City Councilors Elect Thu Nguyen and Etel Haxhiaj seemed to do, this being only Nguyen’s ﬁ rst race and Haxhiaj’s second. There was also a sense among the politicos polled that there were possibly other contenders waiting in the wings from local minority populations, which have been showing increasing strength at the ballot box. “This news about (Baker and Polito) not running is fairly new,” says Murray, “and anyone who may not have been thinking about running may now be running down their personal, family and political checklists” while deciding whether to throw their hats in the ring. “The next few we’ll see things shake out pretty quickly,” says Murray, who also points out that from mid-February to midMarch, you have the state caucuses, which means the clock is ticking. “There’s no time for anybody to delay.”

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12 | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

HARVEY

An old-fashioned Christmas on the Common Janice Harvey Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

When I was a kid (preWorcester Center Galleria, that is) there were few thrills more special than taking a nighttime ride through downtown Worcester during Christmas season. Granted, life was much less stimulating back when we had three channels and a TV with tinfoil-wrapped antennae, but a thrill is a thrill. Denholm’s rooftop-to-sidewalk lights formed an enormous Christmas tree that guaranteed oohs and ahhs, and the tree on the Common was another sight not to be missed. Tree-lighting has always been a simple pleasure, and from what I’m hearing, that feeling hasn’t changed so much. I didn’t make it to the city’s 2021 tree-lighting celebration held last week, and for that I’m sorry. I could use a dose of oldfashioned oohs and ahhs, considering the general atmosphere currently enveloping our country. My source regarding the event is a trusted childhood friend I call Ol’ Pal, who did attend the ceremony and I’m happy to relay her take on the evening’s festivities. Her opinion of the event was pretty much a thumbs up, but with suggestions for next year. “Food trucks,” she said. “There were not enough choices. And someone could have cleaned up with a coﬀ ee and hot chocolate truck. It was cold out there!” She wondered “why on earth” Fuel America would be closed when cold hands needed hot coﬀ ee. There’s a Dunkin’ nearby that could set up a stand, complete with doughnut holes for sale. Note to those considering next year’s festivities: Bring a Thermos unless someone sees the money to be made and acts on it. Hot cider, chowder, soup, chili — some-

The South High School Chorus sings during the Festival of Lights at Worcester Common Friday night. ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

one could make a killing on what I call “belly-warmers.” Acknowledging that COVID-19 is still with us and limiting such gatherings, Ol’ Pal thinks next year’s tree-lighting — God willing the pandemic doesn’t rule a third Christmas — could be a real old-fashioned winter carnival. Sounds like she’s onto something. “There could be activities for the kids. Maybe a cookie and ornament-decorating tent. Or make your own s’mores! They had heaters going. There was a beer tent. Why not put some heaters under a tent for fun ac-

tivities?” It might be a popular idea to recruit high school volunteers to assist. I’m betting that a cheerleading squad would dress as elves and pass out candy canes and help with activities. In the past, many have volunteered for stART on the Street. Ol’ Pal added that a few street performers entertained this year, but more would mean more fun for kids. Ol’ Pal stressed the positive, but did have a suggestion for the stream of local pols who manned the microphone. “No one listens to politi-

cians. If you want to thank sponsors, put it on a banner.” Of all the goings-on she attended, Ol’ Pal said she was most delighted to see families lining up to ice skate. As kids, we spent much of our winter months wobbling (me) and gliding (her) on the cleared surface of Coes Pond. Skating pushes all of our nostalgia buttons. “It was so sweet to see families skating together. Dads teaching little ones, toddlers sliding around on boots. Beautiful.” I’m all for anything that breaks the video game and Net-

ﬂ ix spell we’ve all been under since March of 2020, and gets us outside breathing fresh air instead of what’s in the air fryer. Ol’ Pal’s description of the tree-lighting made me want to bring my grandkids next year, especially if the event expands to celebrate the new and improved super-terriﬁ c downtown Worcester being gushed over by its leaders. First Night is no longer, but anything that brings families out to make memories makes my to-do list. I’ll just have to remind my little ones that cotton candy and mittens are mortal enemies.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | 13

FIRST PERSON

"Now, I’m not the most empathetic person, but I’m a huge Beatles fan." PAUL DALEY

That’s Not the Beatles singing in the restroom .... Joe Fusco Jr. Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

I had an hour to kill after my urology appointment, before the mercy-meal of a friend’s mother, so I decided to visit the Worcester Senior Center. I had joined the center a few months back in the hope that I could do some readings there, but the program director knew my stuﬀ and thought it was a tad “edgy?” for their clientele.

I swiped in and started a new Robert Parker novel ghostwritten by Mike Lupica. I had to pee … again … hence the urology appointment, so I sauntered oﬀ to the restroom. As I washed my hands at the sink, I heard a faint voice: “Help.” “I need somebody,” I sang to myself, thinking the voice came from within. “Help.” “Not just anybody,” but I was having my doubts about the

inner-voice karaoke. Suddenly, the door of the bathroom stall opened and a very large man, my age, on the ground with his pants around his ankles, called out to me: “Can you help me get up?” Now, I’m not the most empathetic person, but I’m a huge Beatles fan and no one else was in the vicinity, so I made a quick judgment call: “I can’t possibly pick you up but I’ll get help.” I exited the restroom and

hollered. The program director sized things up, called for more staﬀ , and phoned 911. The EMT’s came within minutes and administered to our fallen comrade before taking him away in the ambulance. “Thanks for getting involved in there,” one of the staﬀ members told me. “I couldn’t just let it be,” I replied. I went back to reading my book until it was time to go to the mercy-meal at Leo’s Risto-

rante on Shrewsbury Street. It was a nice spread — antipasto, chicken alfredo, eggplant parm, and ziti. I sat with my good friend and toasted his Mom who lived to be 92. I had to pee … again … and sauntered oﬀ to the men’s room. A very large man from the repast followed me in. “Hello,” he said. “Goodbye,” I replied, then left the building. Joe Fusco Jr. is a poet and humorist living in Worcester.

14 | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

DO NOT PASS GO

What should have been on the Worcester Monopoly Board Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

For all the Sturm und Drang regarding the unveiling of Top Trumps’ “offi cial” Worcester Monopoly Board, you would think no one would want to buy it … a supposition proved patently false on the fi rst Saturday after Thanksgiving at That’s Entertainment, as customer after customer carted away copies of the board game, both as a collector’s item and as Christmas presents. Still, no one looks at the board and thinks it wellrefl ects the city, even the folks buying it. “Where’s Maria’s Jewelry?” asked one college-age man, who says he’s lived here his entire life and has no idea where it is. No one in earshot had an answer. Someone looked it up on his phone and discovered it was on Plantation Street. Much of the city’s most iconic institutions were missing: No bars, diners or restaurants. No Palladium or Hanover Theatre. No DCU Center. No Polar Park. No Worcester Art Museum, which many found to be the most bewildering omission of all, followed closely by the absence of That’s Entertainment itself. All of which prompts the question, “What should have been on the board?” To fi nd answers, I sat down with activist Em Quiles, comedian Shaun Connolly, poet Jenith Charpentier, poet-artist Gary Hoare and photographer Dylan Azari in That’s Entertainment’s

game room to explore the game, and its absences, in the best way possible: By playing it. Afterward, we used the input from the players and passers-by to have artist Don Landgren illustrate a new board. Was it hard? Well, let’s put it this way: We ended up having to come up with two, and still left stuﬀ oﬀ . See BOARD, Page 15

GRAPHICS BY DON LANDGREN

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Board Continued from Page 14

Trading Spaces The ﬁ rst leg of the game started like most others, and any objections players had to the board were mostly quibbles. No one objected to the presence of The Burnside Fountain, better known as the Turtle Boy statue, or the Major Taylor statue, which is the only real presence the Worcester Public Library has on the board. Indeed, one passer-by declared that “Turtle Boy is our Statue of Liberty!” Likewise, no one objected to the EcoTarium, the Worcester Historical Society or ArtsWorcester, although their presence seemed to make WAM’s absence more glaring. The second side was the source of more consternation, with three spots being occupied by Pow! Wow! Worcester murals, two of which were done by out-of-town artists Slick and Mark 27, and one by Worcester native Morgan Blair, who currently lives in New York City. There was also some concern about Pow! Wow! being an international movement, and not strictly local. Still, it seemed important to let it have at least one space, instead of three. We gave the others to the Black Lives Matter street mural, as it was one of the most celebrated in the country, and moved ArtsWorcester over with it, so we had space for WAM with its museum counterparts. And then there was Free Parking, which Connolly deemed “Worcester’s Holy Grail.” See BOARD, Page 16

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Em Quiles takes a photo of her property cards while playing the Worcester Edition Monopoly Nov. 27 at That’s Entertainment. DYLAN AZARI/WORCHESTER MAGAZINE

Board Continued from Page 15

After that is where things got dicey: Worcester Wares and Table Talk Pies garnered no objections, but HotPower Yoga Center didn’t seem to be as iconic as the other businesses, although it garnered much love from Charpentier, who got her yoga training certiﬁ cate there, and from the That’s Entertainment staﬀ , who say the owner is extremely nice. Be that as it

may, it felt like either Crompton Collective or That’s Entertainment would probably be more representative. By that same token, no one objected to the presence of the College of the Holy Cross, but as Charpentier noted, it was “weird to have one college in a city with so many.” It was also weird that private schools such as Worcester Academy and Bancroft School were represented, but public schools such as North and South High were not. Having Salisbury Street, Shrewsbury Street and Kelley

Square have their own spaces seemed ﬁ ne, if not exciting, but Bancroft Tower being the game’s “Boardwalk” seemed completely incongruous.

Getting real There is a level, of course, where playing Worcester Monopoly is just like playing regular Monopoly, but sometimes, the local edition can hit a bit too close to home. For me, that came when I was the ﬁ rst person to build houses … on the Burnside Fountain and Major Taylor stat-

ues. “Wait,” said Charpentier, “Are you building houses on the library?” It was with dawning horror that I realized I was creating City Square, and driving up the rents downtown. Indeed, Quiles said that playing the game “put some of the locations into perspective,” but that, “It saddened me to think that although we were just playing a game, the reality is that our city is viewed as just that by developers and others in positions of proﬁ t. At the end See BOARD, Page 17

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Board Continued from Page 16

of the day, everyday folks that truly love this city are the ones on the chopping block.” These are not unreasonable thoughts to have, as what many consider to be the original version of the game – as detailed in many books and articles, most recently John Green’s, “The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet” – was actually meant to teach about the dangers of capitalism, not to celebrate it. Azari said “there was nothing about the game that made it diﬃ cult or uncomfortable. The only thing I'll note was that seeing DCU on the board in so many forms made it a bit annoying.” Seriously, DCU has two spaces on the board, and is all over the Chance and Community Chest cards. One has to question if it’s really that good of an advertisement: As someone who has had a DCU account for years, the fees in the game are way worse than they are in real life. Also, Azari noted the absence of any sort of “Polar,” including Polar Park, Polar Beverages or even Orson. He says, “they should have been present, but I think they weren't due to Hasbro being in Pawtucket.” With the rumors a couple years back about Worcester trying to lure Hasboro here from Pawtucket like they did the PawSox, one can see why the company might not have wanted to further provoke the city where it resides. Pawtucket’s Worcester resentment is real.

Fixing the game Connolly joked that, “It was a very Worcester experience to play a thing that was about the city and complain about it the whole time.” He has a point, and as much as the “oﬃ cial” board pretty much didn’t please anyone, there’s really absolutely no way to make everybody … even most every-

A mix of landmarks, businesses, and features such as Table Talk Pies, the Burnside Fountain, and Pow! Wow! murals were included in Worcester’s own edition of Monopoly. DYLAN AZARI/WORCHESTER MAGAZINE

Worcester’s Finest Jewelers

body … happy. We went into this demo game with the intent of “reimagining the board.” That proved pretty unwieldy right away, so in the end, opinions were distilled into two versions: A “Worcester Life and Culture” version, centering on public art, retail and parks, and a “Worcester Nightlife” version, centered on bars and restaurants. Even this proved insuﬃ cient to include everything we wanted At Quiles’ suggestion, we each chose one thing to lose See BOARD, Page 18

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Left: Comedian, Shaun Connoly, right, is seen counting through his questionable fortune as the Worcester Edition Monopoly battle continues with opponents Em Quiles, center, Gary Hoare, top left, Victor Infante, bottom left, Dylan Azari and Jenith Charpentier. PHOTOS BY DYLAN AZARI

Below: Small details such as the smiley face representing its Worcester origin, in addition to the DCU Bank logo, are featured on all currency in the Worcester Edition Monopoly.

Board Continued from Page 17

and one thing to include. She replaced Maria’s Jewelry with Maria’s Kitchen. Hoare traded Marka 27 for Vincent’s. Charpentier traded Salisbury Street for the Canal District. Azari traded Bancroft Tower for Polar Park, and I traded Kelley Square for Polar Park, which in retrospect seems a bit on the nose. Still, my logic was that Kelley Square would be folded into the Canal District, but in practice, all the individual streets and squares got eliminated for actual businesses and institutions. Still, the Canal District was

pretty well-represented on the ﬁ nal two game boards, with Insomnia Cookies, the Hotel Vernon, Bay State Schwarma and Coney Island Hot Dogs, among others. Shrewsbury Street, admittedly, got the short end of the stick: Wormtown Brewery made the ﬁ nal edit, but Via ended up being cut to make room for O’Connor’s. Indeed, several of my personal favorite bars and restaurants – such as Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, Bocado, Cupbop and Chashu Ramen + Izakaya – ended up not making the cut. You really, REALLY can’t win playing this game … much like playing Monopoly itself. Eventually, everyone either surrenders or See BOARD, Page 19

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Board Continued from Page 18

Endgame Still, while it’s clear that if Top Trumps’ alleged “pay-forplay” model stood in the way of making the game feel like it represented the more iconic aspects of the city, spending a few hours in the company’s shoes stirred a modicum of sympathy. Worcester is too big, too diverse and too dynamic to be whittled down in that way, and once you make the jump from streets and neighborhoods to individual businesses and or-

ganizations, no amount of boards will ever be enough. But as the next hotel goes up across the street from Polar Park, and the rents go up in Main South, it’s hard not to think we should be thinking less about what’s on the board, and more about what happens when the board gets built up and the players get stretched too thin. Our game ended as most do: Two people had to leave three hours in, and then one player ended up bankrupt and having to fold. I ended up folding, too, because I could see the writing on the wall. Azari stood as our champion, which seemed unlikely not long before, as I was holding the most money and property titles, but then I hit a curious streak of bad luck: I had the highest-priced properties at the end, and the entire side of the cheapest properties, but somehow, no one was landing on anything I owned … mostly because players kept getting sent to jail with alarming regularity, skipping my properties entirely as they did. In real life, developers do not go to jail this frequently, and when they do, they usually still collect $200. There’s a metaphor in this for the development game: Nothing is a sure bet, even if Polar Park is your Boardwalk. In the end, I burned through money at an alarming rate, which was my downfall. Maybe we can learn something from this game after all.

Despite the many Worcester-accurate aspects of the game, a Community Chest card stating “DINNER OUT AT SALISBURY STREET” scratched many heads due to the fact of there being no restaurants on the actual Salisbury Street in Worcester. DYLAN AZARI/WORCHESTER MAGAZINE

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someone fl ips the table. One place where there WAS room to expand the regional feel was in the Chance or Community Chest cards. There was defi nitely some attempt at that, but it really felt like a cursory eff ort. For example, one card read, “You get I.T. work done with Rabidou Consulting,” which somehow means you GAIN $50. No one playing had any knowledge of what Rabidou Consulting was, although Connolly says he went to high school with a Rabidou. Another card read, “Dinner out on Salisbury Street.” As there are no restaurants on Salisbury Street, one presumes they meant Shrewsbury Street, unless they meant a late lunch at the Worcester Art Museum Café. A lot of the Chance and Community Chest cards were just the classic ones, which feels like a missed opportunity. Quiles suggested that “You win the home run derby” might be replaced with, “You win the George Street Challenge.” Everyone agreed that, “You get towed by Pat’s Towing” should have been a card, because we’ve all been there. The famous “Get Out of Jail Free” card should be, as Connolly notes, “I know a guy.” There is also a joke about the city manager’s offi ce in here somewhere, but danged if I can fi nd it.

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CITY LIVING TABLE HOPPIN’

THE NEXT DRAFT

Signature Brew Series — Altruist’s crowd-pleasing sour Barbara M. Houle Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

STURBRIDGE — Whenever people describe Altruist Brewing Co.’s beloved Berliner Weisse to me, it sounds as if they all hit play on the same prerecorded message: “I don’t typically enjoy beer, except for this one.” For instance, I ﬁ rst heard about “Pucker Face” from a

baker who prefers ciders and wine to beer. And Gianna Manzi, executive pastry chef at Francesco’s Italian Bakery in Charlton, loved it so much she baked it into a cupcake. I’m always a little astonished that a sour ale can turn beer cynics into enthusiasts over epitomes like lagers or IPAs, but it makes sense. For wine drinkers, especially See DRAFT, Page 21

Michael Tomaiolo at his Atlantic Poke Marlborough location. RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE FILE

Atlantic Poke founder oﬀ ering franchising opportunities Barbara M. Houle Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Michael Tomaiolo of Shrewsbury is a successful restaurant owner who recently announced that he’s looking to expand through franchising his fast-casual Atlantic Poke, a brand he ﬁ rst introduced in 2018. Tomaiolo’s ﬂ agship store opened in Lakeway Commons, 193 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, and this spring, Atlantic Poke secured a spot in a shopping plaza at 237 Boston Post Road W, Marlborough, across the highway from the Apex

Center. “The plan is to expand the brand ﬁ rst in Massachusetts, then later possibly open franchise branches out-of-state,” said Tomaiolo, who ﬁ rst posted franchising details on the Atlantic Poke website, www.atlanticpoke.com. The online marketing attracted interest and follow-up conversations, according to Tomaiolo, who looks to having franchisees who are aligned not only with the restaurant’s mission, but also who are eager to invest in their own success. He said he is committed to working with future franchisees any

way he can. Initial fees and investments for a single unit vary depending on location and other factors, he said. The COVID-19 crisis changed the landscape of the food and beverage industry, but for Atlantic Poke eﬃ ciency of carry-out and delivery paid oﬀ . The healthy fast-casual category is here to stay, said Tomaiolo, and the pandemic showed that customer relationships and building loyalty are critical. Atlantic Poke is a company with organizational structure and professional See HOPPIN’, Page 21

Non-beer drinkers love Altruist Brewing Co.'s sour ale "Pucker Face." Altruist has brewed about seven different versions, including this riff with mango and dragonfruit. COURTESY OF ALTRUIST BREWING CO.

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Draft Continued from Page 20

those who gravitate toward a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, an ale that drinks light, tart and sweet would undoubtedly sound appealing. Next in my Signature Brew Series, a beer that, again and again, I’m urged to try, Pucker Face. Co-founders Bob and Nancy Bixby brewed this versatile Berliner Weisse (pronounced “vice-eh”) for their taproom guests who sought something other than beer. More on the style soon. “We would hear ‘do you have any ciders’? We started serving Kombucha. It’s a tart kind of beverage, but not really beer,” Bob Bixby said. But beer they got. Bixby released his fi rst iteration of Pucker Face in 2019 under a diff erent name, “Dracula Juice.” The blackberry, hibiscus and vanilla ale blew minds in the taproom; online, it inspired endless drooling emojis. In response, they scrapped the name for Pucker Face and made the ale into a rotating series. So far there have been about seven diff erent versions, all combining fresh fruits into tart, refreshing concoctions that make you dubious over whether you actually ordered a beer. “We stay true to the style, using all pure ingredients. As a small brewery we can,” Nancy Bixby said. “The style does lend itself to a wide variety of fruits. We’re constantly trying to think of great fruit blends that we could try next. We always try to think about what’s in season and is there something there we can incorporate into the next batch.” This tantalizing list has included raspberry and key lime, mango and dragonfruit, and strawberry and kiwi. This week, Bob expects to brew the next riff on Pucker Face with cranberry and lime, appropriate for the season.

The Berliner Weisse took oﬀ in Germany during the second half of the 18th century after the arrival of the Huguenots, Protestants who emigrated from France to avoid religious prosecution, according to the Berliner Weisse Kulture Association, a group of enthusiasts based there who host an annual summit around the style. Not fond of lagers or German wine, some started brewing the ale themselves, even founding their own breweries. Berliner Weisse is a kettle sour, which tastes more tart than sour. The style gives breweries the opportunity to dip their toes into souring beer without having to launch dedicated programs that involve barrel-aging ales for months or years with bacteria lingering around their brewhouse, imperiling other beer. With kettle sours, the brew is faster, allowing for quicker turnaround and less exposure to the lactic acid bacterium brewers use in the wort to lower the PH level of the beer. “You can’t really do true sours and ales in the same place,” Bob said. “Berliners, or kettle sours, are easier. You’re not mixing those funky bacteria into the environment which would hurt your beer program.” While sales numbers don’t exactly show it yet, sours have grown in popularity. According to Untappd, sours as a style accounted for the third most check-ins last year behind stouts and IPAs. Altruist sees that trend in the reactions to Pucker Face in its taproom and in how fast cans of the ale sell out. It’s a beer Bob and the other brewers relish making, too, evidenced by the enthusiasm they have for dreaming up future renditions. Some ideas have pushed the limits of the head brewer’s sensibilities, though. “I got a request from one of our brewers, saying let’s go to the store and buy a million pounds of Sour Patch Kids and throw them in there,” he said. Oddly, I like that one.

Hoppin’ Continued from Page 20

workplace attitude, he said. Tomaiolo is someone who loves the restaurant business and as owner he splits time between his locations. In past interviews about the restaurants, Tomaiolo has credited his wife, Julia, “the backbone of the business end of the company for helping out in running both operations.” Family time with their two young children is most important to these busy parents. The name Tomaiolo is recognized on the local restaurant scene as Michael Tomaiolo’s uncles and grandfather ran the former historic Northborough landmark, White Cliﬀ s Restaurant. Other family members operate restaurants in Northborough and Worcester. If you’re new to Atlantic Poke, you should know that the owner prioritizes quality of

product and customer experience. Both locations have inside seating, identical menu and décor. Guests build their own poke bowl based on a variety of fresh ingredients that include seafood, veggies, addins, protein, sauce and toppings. It’s gluten-free friendly and reasonably priced. After opening the fi rst Atlantic Poke, Tomaiolo said, he defi nitely knew he wanted to develop it and have multiple locations. “Looking forward, franchising was never off the table,” he said. As resolutions are set for the new year, Tomaiolo is hopeful that a few people will consider making one about owning a restaurant. “It may be the year to do something diff erent,” he said.

Lunch at Hartman’s Herb Farm Hartman’s Herb Farm in Barre will host a lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 11. Buﬀ et-style, the meal in-

cludes soup or salad, entrée and dessert. Cost is $25 per person, by reservation only. Call (978) 355-2015. Connect on Facebook for more information. Hartman’s herb farm, located at 1026 Old Dana Road, Barre, is run by Lynn Hartman and her daughter, Carissa. The business hosts private events, weddings, etc. Lynn Hartman is a local agriculturist who for years has sold herbs and ﬂ owers at local farmers markets and special events held throughout Central Massachusetts. At the farm, check out holiday wreaths, swags and other gift items. Special “surprise visitors” will be there from noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 12. Guests are invited to take a “stroll” to see all the Christmas trees. Connect on Facebook, or call for more information. Send email to hartmansherb@ gmail.com. See HOPPIN’, Page 22

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Hoppin’ Continued from Page 21

Skyline Bistro hours at Worcester Tech Skyline Bistro at Worcester Technical High School will be open Dec. 14-17, closing the week leading into Christmas and the school holiday break. The bistro will reopen on Jan. 4. For lunch reservations, call (508) 799-1964. Bistro and café gift cards are currently available. Great stocking stuﬀ ers.

Vin Bin holiday packages It’s the countdown to Christmas! The Vin Bin, 91 Main St., Marlborough off ers the Vin Bin Cheese Box, $34.99, as a gift idea. An assortment of fresh cut cheese, Q’s Nuts, Brix Bites Chocolate, mixed Mediterranean olives, crackers and Blake Hill Fig Spread with Pear and Honey are packed in a balsa wood box with lavender sprig. Serves two to four. Ready to grab and go. For more info, visit www.thevinbin.com/shop, or call (508) 480-9463. The Vin Bin Café has also created a Holiday Feast, $200 (limited availability), for four. On the menu: 2 pounds (raw) Tenderloin of Beef with Spiced Rub and Sauce Bordelaise; Pear & Gorgonzola Salad, candied pecans, Little Leaf Baby Lettuces, Balsamic Vinaigrette; Truffl e Potato Au Gratin; Lemon Garlic Broccolini, red pepper fl ake. Cooking instructions are included. Pickup dates are Dec. 23 and Dec. 24. Call the Vin Bin in Marlborough for more information.

American Vinegar Works earns a Sustainable Business award Congrats to founder and CEO Rodrigo Vargas of American Vinegar Works in Worcester on receiving the 2021 Mas-

American Vinegar Works LLC owner Rodrigo Vargas. ALLAN JUNG/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE FILE

sachusetts Sustainable Business of the Year-Budding Entrepreneur Award. Vargas started his company in 2019 in Lowell, recently bringing it to its new home in the Whittall Mills complex in Worcester. The SBN’s award announcement: “American Vinegar Works makes small-batch, great American vinegars that have a sense of place and enhance cooking and cocktails for chefs and home cooks. They use methods dating back to the

1800s because they believe that taste and quality should not be sacriﬁ ced for the convenience of modern techniques. “As the only full-line vinegar maker in New England, this unique business launched by Rodrigo Vargas helps sustain the growth of a local economy through the support of other New England businesses. All of their vinegar bottling and labeling is done by hand in partnership with the Mercy Centre, a nonproﬁ t organization in Worcester that supports learn-

ing, work and healthy living programming for special needs adults. American Vinegar Works is an impressive display of green practice as they utilize 100% of renewable energy. They also have done away with plastic in their e-commerce packaging in order to better the environment.” The Sustainable Business Awards Virtual Celebration will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 27. Robin Young of NPR’s “Here & Now (Boston)” will

host the event held via Zoom. Visit www.eventbrite.com for tickets and more information. Note: SBN and Local First members will receive a discount on tickets. Read more about American Vinegar Works on telegram .com, where T&G reporter Craig S. Semon writes about the owner’s journey. If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to houlefood @gmail.com.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | 23

Public streets fall under two ban categories: PERMANENT: December 1 - April 30 A permanent ban will remain in effect on emergency arteries, WRTA bus routes, and streets that are designated as critical to the ﬂow of trafﬁc. The permanent ban means that from December 1 to April 30 (April 1 on residential streets), there is no parking on one or both sides of the street between 2 am and 6 am and also when a snow emergency is declared, anytime, day or night.

DECLARED: When it snows When a ban is declared, it affects all remaining City streets. The declared ban means that parking is allowed on both sides of the street until a winter parking ban is put into effect. You can expect a winter parking ban to go into effect whenever inclement weather is forecasted. To quickly ﬁnd out whether your street has a Permanent or Declared parking ban, go to http://www.worcesterma.gov/streets/winter-weather/winter-parking. The ofﬁcial source of up-to-date information on the ban is through the DPW&P Customer Service Center. Call: 508-929-1300 Connect: dpw@worcesterma.gov Click: http:/ /www.worcesterma.gov/streets/winter-weather/winter-parking

24 | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

SCREEN TIME

‘Don’t Look Up’ may be best ﬁ lm partially shot in HollyWoo Craig S. Semon Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Not only is “Don’t Look Up” arguably the best movie of the year, it is defi nitely the best movie to have scenes fi lmed in Worcester. Not only did the fi lm’s director and screenwriter grow up in Worcester, Adam McKay is the only person I can think of who has strong ties to Worcester that has won an Academy Award. And, mark my words, he will be nominated for three more this spring. McKay, who won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for “The Big Short” (and was nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture for the Dick Cheney biopic “Vice”), is a shoo-in for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture noms for “Don’t Look Up.” And, I wouldn’t be surprised if three-time Academy Awardwinner Meryl Streep, two-time Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett, Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Mark Rylance, and Academy Awardnominated Jonah Hill are all nominated for Oscars for their stellar performances in “Don’t Look Up.” With an amazing roster of Alist Hollywood elite at his disposal, McKay was way on his way to make a disaster movie on global warning that even Al Gore and Greta Thunberg could love. Then, COVID hit. And with the pandemic, McKay’s Nostradamus-like apocalyptical predictions were coming true at an alarming rate. People were arguing hard science and denying concrete data as the pandemic became political. Bringing together some of the best elements of Stanley

From left, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet star in "Don't Look Up." NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX

Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” Sidney Lumet’s “Network,” Barry Levinson’s “Wag the Dog” and Mike Judge’s underrated “Idiocracy,” as well as tongue-in-cheek references to Michael Bay’s “Armageddon,” the unmemorable ’70s disaster fl ick “Meteor,” George Pal’s ’50s sci-fi classic “When Worlds Collide,” Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone” and even, for a brief instant, Irwin Allen’s soggy killer bees saga “The Swarm,” McKay delivers a scathing, social commentary and black comedy for our times. If you have a chance, run, don’t walk and see “Don’t Look Up” on the big screen when it opens this weekend. Coincidentally, Lawrence starred and was nominated for Oscar gold for “American Hustle,” which, prior to “Don’t Look Up,” was previously the best movie to have scenes fi lmed in Worcester. “American Hustle” was loosely inspired by the AB-

SCAM scandal in the late ’70s and early ’80s. But if you’re not familiar with ABSCAM or even the ’70s, you won’t have any problem enjoying this fl ick. Sometimes gritty, sometimes zany, always entertaining, “American Hustle” has it all: quirky characters, cool music, killer lines, over-the-top ’70s clothes, as well as crosses, double-crosses, combustible love triangles and a chilling Robert De Niro cameo that, alone, is worth the price of admission. And, in “American Hustle,” Lawrence (whose character in the fi lm is aptly described as “the Picasso of passive aggressive karate”) steals the show. But she has a lot of competition in “Don’t Look Up” to achieve that honor again. While none of Lawrence’s scenes in “Don’t Look Up” was fi lmed in Worcester, she does have a back-alley make-out scene with Paul Atreides (aka Timothée Chalamet from Denis Villeneuve’s new “Dune,” NOT Kyle MacLachlan from the Da-

vid Lynch’s original “Dune”) on top of a graffi ti-covered restaurant booth sofa, courtesy of Westerman Prop Warehouse of Worcester. In another memorable, totally stressed out role that continues her winning streak with her Academy Award-winning role in “Silver Linings Playbook” (based on one-time Holden resident Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel) and Oscarnominated role in “American Hustle,” Lawrence plays Michigan State Ph.D. astronomy candidate Kate Dibiasky, whose daily routine consists of sipping hot tea, spreading jelly on toast, singing explicit lyrics to Wu Tang Clan songs she listens to on her earbuds, confi ding with her Carl Sagan action fi ction and analyzing data from a high-powered telescope. When she discovers a comet orbiting within the solar system, Lawrence shares her discovery with her bespectacled, bearded, Xanax-popping, panic attack-prone, worn-out corduroy-wearing professor/men-

tor, Dr. Randall Mindy (DiCaprio, playing against type). After repeated mathematical calculations with hard, concrete scientifi c data, Mindy and Dibiasky conclude with 100 percent certainty that a “planet-killer” the size of Mount Everest is going to make a direct hit of Earth in six months and 14 days and wipe out every living creature on the planet. And, the laughs keep on coming. DiCaprio and Lawrence reach out to Dr. “Teddy” Oglethorpe (played by Rob Morgan), the head of Planetary Defense Coordination Offi ce at NASA, who sets up a meeting with the president of the United States, played with cold, calculating and cunning conviction by no other than Meryl Streep (instead of “The Devil Wears Prada,” you have the POTUS wears Armani) and her kiss-up and condescending, mama’s boy Chief of Staff played by a scene-stealing (and possibly Supporting Acting Oscar stealing) Jonah Hill. DiCaprio’s scientifi c predictions of mile-high tsunamis and the impact having the power of a billion Hiroshima bombs are mocked and shrugged off by both Streep and Hill and they dismiss their scientifi c fi ndings with the presidential order, “We sit tight and access.” To get the word out, the three scientists embark on a whirlwind media tour, which includes leaking the story to a “Gray Lady” doppelganger (called the New York Herald) and appearing on “The Daily Rip,” a popular but totally vapid morning show hosted by overly cheery Brie and Jack (both wonderfully played by Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry). After the hosts make light of humanity’s dire predicament, Lawrence snaps, “Are we not See SCREEN, Page 28

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | 25

NEW ON DVD

Clint Eastwood saddles up for ‘Cry Macho’ Tribune News Service

The latest outing from Clint Eastwood tops the DVD releases for the week of Dec. 7. “Cry Macho”: Eastwood, going strong at 91, directs and stars in this 1970s-set fi lm about a former rodeo star and horse breeder who accepts a job to bring a man’s son back from Mexico and away from his alcoholic mother. “It’s far too much to claim that ‘Cry Macho’ belongs anywhere near work from Eastwood’s greatest streaks,” writes Chicago Tribune fi lm critic Michael Phillips in his review. However, the fi lm “has a few grace notes to remember, in addition to a fi ne gallery of images of Eastwood in silhouette, at dusk, against a big sky, alone with his thoughts.” Also new on DVD Dec. 7 “Dear Evan Hansen”: Movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical about a high school student with anxiety who becomes caught up in a lie about a classmate’s suicide, with Ben Platt reprising the lead role. “Ron’s Gone Wrong”: Animated family feature about an awkward middle school student who new walking, talking digital device. “Copshop”: A con man on the run, played by Frank Grillo, punches a small-town cop in order to be put in jail, only to have Gerard Butler’s hitman track him down anyway. “The Girl Who Believes in Miracles”: Moved by a pastor’s words about faith, a young girl begins to pray and people in her town are soon mysteriously healed, but with her miraculous gift comes unwanted fame. “Werewolves Within”: Live-action fi lm adaptation of the video game about a small town attacked by werewolves. “13 Minutes”: Four families

Clint Eastwood, left, and Eduardo Minett in “Cry Macho.” HBO MAX, TNS

living in the heartland must work together to survive when a tornado hits their town. Starring Amy Smart, Thora Birch and Peter Facinelli. “Broadcast Signal Intrusion”: A video archivist discovers a pirate broadcast that sends him down a dark rabbit hole of conspiracy. “Call the Midwife: Season Ten”: Airing on PBS, the British drama follows a group of midwives in East London in the 1960s. “Creepshow: The Complete Second Season”: The Shudder anthology series returns in this continuation of the Creepshow movies. “God’s Not Dead: We the People”: A reverend takes up the cause of families homeschooling their children after an inspection by a local government offi cial. “Last Shoot Out”: Western about a woman who fl ees after realizing her new husband was actually the one responsible for her father’s death. “One Night in Miami...”: Regina King makes her directorial debut in this Amazon Prime fi lm that imagines the meeting of Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali), Malcolm X, Sam

Cooke and Jim Brown the night of a title ﬁ ght in Miami. “One Shot”: A team of Navy

SEALs on a secret mission to transport a prisoner from a CIA black site become trapped on an island prison when insurgents attack trying to free the prisoner. “Rick and Morty: The Complete Fifth Season”: The Adult Swim animated comedy continues the adventures of mad scientist Rick and his grandson, Morty. “Surge”: A London airline security worker having a bad day reaches a breaking point and goes on a bender. “American Insurrection”: A group of friends attempt to escape the growing violence and oppression after a powerful militia seizes control of the country. “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America”: Celebrating its 25th

anniversary, the feature fi lm starring the crass MTV duo is available on Blu-ray for the fi rst time. “Harold and Maude”: The 1971 cult classic about a teenager who falls for an older woman has been restored and remastered on Blu-ray to mark its 50th anniversary. Out on digital HD Dec. 7 “The Jesus Music”: Documentary exploring the birth and growth of the Jesus Music movement into the multimillion-dollar industry of Christian contemporary music. “The Reenactment”: Horror thriller about a fi lm crew working on a true crime show at an abandoned house that may not be so abandoned after See DVD, Page 28

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6 THINGS TO DO

‘Nutcracker,’ ‘Good Grief!’ and more Richard Duckett and Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

Dance Prism's production of "The Nutcracker" will return to Mechanics Hall. WORCHESTER TELEGRAM & GAZETTE FILE

Giving some ‘Grief’ Worcester native Mary Darling’s play, “Good Grief,” will be opening at the JMAC this weekend. Having done a number of sold-out shows in Lowell, the performance will only be running for two nights so don’t miss your chance. After Maggie’s brother passes away suddenly, she struggles to make sense of her life without him. “Good Grief!” explores loss, addiction, broken relationships, and forgiveness in the age of social media. Saturday’s show will include a live on-demand ticket option for those who are more comfortable viewing from home. Through https://www. jmacworcester.org. (VM)

Mary Darling SUBMITTED PHOTO

What: “Good Grief!” — A play by Mary Darling Where: Jean McDonough Arts Center, 20 Franklin Street, Worcester When: Dec. 10 and 11, 7:30 p.m., doors open at 6:45 How much: General admission is $25

Free concert! Enjoy a free noontime holiday concert at Mechanics Hall on Dec. 15 by U.S. Navy Band Northeast. The 35-musician ensemble is based on board NAVSTA Newport and has a repertoire that ranges from patriotic favorites to Broadway showstoppers. (RD)

A Holiday Classic Dance Prism’s “The Nutcracker” is Worcester’s longest running production of the holiday classic, with fully staged annual performances in Mechanics Hall since 1982. The Boston area company’s production returns for 2021 with a ﬁ ve-city New England tour that includes performances at 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 12 in Mechanics Hall. (RD) What: Dance Prism — “The Nutcracker” When: 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 12 Where: Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester How much: $38; children, students and seniors $25. Attendance requires proof of vaccination. www.mechnaicshall.org

What: U.S. Navy Band Northeast When: Noon Dec. 15 Where: Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester How much: Free. Face coverings required. No concessions will be available, and Mechanics Hall requests that patrons do not bring food into the hall. The U.S. Navy Band Northeast will perform at Mechanics Hall. T&G FILE PHOTO/PAUL KAPTEYN

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | 27

A Local Favorite The popular annual Cup Show “runneth over” at the Krikorian Gallery of the Worcester Center for Crafts through Dec. 24. This year the show is juried by nationally recognized ceramic artist Kelly Justice. Handmade cups by over 40 artists are on view and available for sale. The cups can also be viewed online at www.wccgallerystore.com. (RD) What: Cup Show Where/When/How much: Krikorian Gallery, Worcester Center for Crafts, 21 Sagamore Road, Worcester. Holiday store and gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Masks required. www. worcestercraftcenter.org

The annual Cup Show is set for the Krikorian Gallery at the Worcester Center for Crafts. SUBMITTED PHOTO

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Kevin Scott Hall will headline “A Homecoming Christmas” at New Dawn Arts Center.

A Holiday Homecoming "Born on the First of Two," by Anya Geist STONE SOUP

Writing Prodigy Worcester writing prodigy Anya Geist — a sophomore at South High Community School whose poetry has appeared in Worcester Magazine — is the winner of the 2020 Stone Soup Magazine Book Contest for her manuscript, “Born on the First of Two.” Geist will be reading from her newly released novel at a book release party at Tidepool Bookshop. (VDI) What: Author Anya Geist When: 5 p.m. Dec. 12 Where: Tidepool Bookshop, 372 Chandler St., Unit 101, Worcester How much: Free, book retails for $14.99

Recording artist and author Kevin Scott Hall will headline “A Homecoming Christmas,” a fundraiser for New Dawn Arts Center in Ashburnham. The event will feature a few of Hall’s original songs, along with holiday favorites. Hall released the single “Time Stands Still” in September followed by the countrytinged “Christmastime in Maine,” which he co-wrote and sings with Grammy nominee Judy Pancoast. (VDI) What: “A Homecoming Christmas,” featuring Kevin Scott Hall When: 4 p.m. Dec. 12 Where: New Dawn Arts Center, 84 Main St., Ashburnham How much: $20

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28 | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ADOPTION OPTION

The shelter is currently doing adoption meets by appointment only. If you would like more information or you would like to schedule a time to meet with Larry, email us at dogs@ worcesterarl.org. WARL COVID-19 Proce-

dures As of Nov. 9, 2020 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our commu-

nity 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 ... ﬁ nding 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.

stant celebrity. While ignorance is bliss at the White House, on television and on social media, the movie’s real villain pops its ugly, perfectly sculpted head in the guise of billionaire Peter Isherwell (played by Mark Rylance), the founder and CEO of BASH LiiF cellphones. Playing the role like a cross between Charles Montgomery Burns from “The Simpsons” and John Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox (and one-time owner of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette), Rylance has created one of the scariest bad guys in recent years. Sporting perfect hair, perfect teeth and perfect eyes that strangely make him look like a synthetic organism, Isherwell has his handlers advise his

cult-like followers to avoid direct eye contact, sudden movements, coughing or negative facial expression in his presence, while he promises them in return “Life without the stress of living” with his latest BASH 14.3 cellphone. One of the main features of the new phone is it instantly fl icks on a cute video of a puppy riding on the back of a rooster and schedules a therapy session for you whenever it detects that you feel sad, afraid or alone. Creepy stuff . At a presidential rally fi lmed at the DCU Center, Streep urges her supporters to simply “Don’t Look Up” to the sky and continue on with their daily business like nothing is happening. To counter the “Don’t Look Up” movement that debunks

the ﬁ ndings of science and denies the oncoming comet and, subsequently, its devastating impact, a “Just Look Up” rally take places at another arena with headliner Riley Bina (played by Adriana Grande) singing her heart out while being dressed in a Valentino feathered gown that almost makes her look like a shooting comet. During the confectionary power ballad, “Just Look Up,” Grande delivers the movie’s best line that doesn’t spoil any of the plot when she sings after her on-again, oﬀ -again rapper boyfriend (played by Kid Cudi) delivers a nonsensical rap, “What he’s really trying to say is get your head out of your ass.” The message is coming in loud and clear.

Meet Larry 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. Introducing LARRY! Larry is an outgoing and very energetic boy who is motivated by food and is really eager to please. This pup enjoys hiking and has been started on crate training here at the shelter. Larry would do best in an adult home that is able to provide him with plenty of exercise, training and guidance at this stage in his growth. When he gets excited, Larry can get very jumpy. Larry is excited to meet other dogs, but does play and jump on other dogs which can be overwhelming. Not all dogs will enjoy this so he will need to ﬁ nd the right types of dogs to play with.

Screen Continued from Page 24

being clear? We’re trying to tell you that the entire planet is about to be destroyed … We’re all 100 percent for sure gonna (expletive) die!” Lawrence storms oﬀ set and Blanchett interjects, “The handsome astronomer (DiCaprio) can come back any time but the yelling lady (Lawrence), not so much.” As a result, there’s a violent backlash on social media against Lawrence’s character, while DiCaprio’s Dr. Mindy character becomes an overnight social media sensation and he slowly gets seduced by the trappings of being an in-

Larry MICHELLE BOURGET

• 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@worcester arl.org.

DVD Continued from Page 25

all. “The Scrapper”: An excon turned “scrapper” leads a quiet life until he’s pursued by violent criminals following a botched robbery. “Shirobako the Movie”: Japanese animated ﬁ lm about an animator overseeing a new theatrical anime production. “You Can’t Kill Meme”: Feature documentary exploring the powerful world of political meme culture and how it can be used and exploited for political gain by groups such as the alt-right.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | 29

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30 | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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Across 1 When they’re low, insurance companies are more profitable 11 Trans Am that talks 15 Central, with “of” 16 “I Am Not My Hair” singer India.___ 17 Sap 18 Haynes with the documentary “The Velvet Underground” 19 Musical work featuring historical figures, often 20 Indigo dye 21 Second-hand, alternately 22 Costar of Thora and Wes in “American Beauty” 23 Canadian actress Cooper of Apple TV+’s “See” 24 Circumvents 26 He played Tobias Funke 30 Puff ___ (venomous critter) 35 Race a motor 36 Unilever laundry soap brand that’s over 100 years old 37 Basis of the name of a short lived, short-form streaming platform 40 Detach from the dock 41 “In ___ called malice, yeah” (The Jam lyric that’s almost the proper title) 46 “L&O: SVU” costar 47 Like two structures that map out the same way 52 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared 53 Like the pronouns he, she, and they, grammatically 54 Rosy assertion 55 St. Vincent’s backup group? 56 Kitten’s scruff 57 The act of not paying attention, old-style 58 “House” actor Omar 59 Ferrari model Down 1 Cruise liner decks with pools 2 Head of a bowling team? 3 Monk known as “the Venerable” 4 Counties overseas 5 Do some boot repair 6 Title ship in a 1997 Spielberg movie 7 Solution strength, in chemistry 8 “Do ___ to eat a peach?” (Eliot) 9 Rome’s port in the Punic Wars

10 11

Like some hams, at this time of year? ___ Damacy (Playstation game with a ball that picks up everything in its path) 12 Like some T-shirt art 13 Spruce quality? 14 Show with the Season 1 episode “Biscuits” 25 “Be Kind, Rewind” device 27 Billy Zane’s character in the Netflix miniseries “True Story” 28 Heeler healer? 29 Japanese light novel series “___ Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level” 30 Like an eagle’s beak 31 Outdated headgear for a poor student 32 Children’s cold medicine brand 33 Boundaries between biomes 34 “Citizen Kane” studio 38 “C’mon, let’s do this!” 39 Municipality in the province of Padua (and not a Japanese send-off) 42 Supposed occupation of Joe Coulombe, founder of a grocery chain 43 Cigar brand whose name means “best” in Spanish

44 Gets petulant 45 Sue Ann ___, Betty White’s role on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” 48 “An Impeccable Spy: Richard ___, Stalin’s Master Agent” (2019 Owen Matthews book) 49 Future indicators 50 North Dakota State Fair city 51 Wicker basket used in jai alai

Last week's solution

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | 31

LAST CALL

Dan Dudley, dog handler consultant Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Dan Dudley of Holden has owned Refl ex Dog Training in Worcester County for the last 10 years. However, the word “training” is something of an oversimplifi cation. Dudley helps his clients and their companions connect, as the name of his business suggests, on a refl exive level. His style may seem somewhat unconventional but that stems from his atypical start in the business. Starting with an online degree to becoming the apprentice of an ex-KGB dog handler before striking out on his own, Dudley sat down with Last Call to talk about his experience, the difference between handling and training, and “learning to speak dog.” Tell me about how you got started in this business? I did what a lot of people for the past decade or so have been doing — I found an online course. It’s probably not the most eff ective way to become a dog trainer but hindsight is 20/ 20! I wanted a piece of paper that said I’m a certifi ed dog trainer and I got it [chuckles]. That was the starting point in 2008 — I worked solo for a bit teaching classes at PetSmart for a couple years, and then I got chosen by an ex-KGB border patrol handler to be his apprentice. He found me at a PetSmart class when I had just gotten off work. He was wandering around the store with his Belgian Malinois asking the dog to walk backwards, sit on the cart, etc. He came up to me and without a word of English asked me through a translator “hey, you want to come over and see some military stuff ?” He was like the Russian Cesar Millan. I went to his house, he

Dan Dudley with a client’s dog, Gretta. PHOTO COURTESY ANGELA ALTOBELLI

put me in a suit, I took a few hits from his and he asked if I wanted to keep learning. I worked with him for about three years at his facility in Woodland Hills, California, where he trained dogs for pet owners, for bomb and narcotic detection and trained people to be dog handlers. I started out as his apprentice and then I ran his California facility, when he would go back to Russia for like a month at a time. I trained other people to be handlers but then I left to come back to Worcester. Now,

Reﬂ ex Dog Training has been here since around 2011. What’s the diﬀ erence between handling and training? Handling is more like the mechanics and training is what builds on that. How do you handle that dog and work with it? It’s how you get from point A to point B. Handling is that gut feeling — predicting what the dog will do, knowing the dog is about to do something, be it chase, play or anything. Dogs read body language way better than we do, but we have still been interacting with canines

for thousands of years so it’s ingrained in us. So once you know handling, you can move on to training? Yes, before you do your commands like come, sit, stay, etc, you have to learn to speak your dog’s language and learn to predict their behavior by reading their body language. For example, how do you know your dog is full? Everybody says that dogs are never full and there’s no such thing as a full dog. Well, yes there is. Canines are migratory at a genetic level, they don’t think “oh I’ll save that carcass for later.” In fact, they think along the lines of “let me eat because I don’t know when I’m going to eat again” but they do get full! Like, I know your dog is hungry because I feel teeth fi rst when I feed her, if she leads with the tongue, that means she’s full or tired and we can’t get any training done right now. That is handling. What is your personal philosophy on dog training and handling? So I come from the idea that humans have been doing this stuff forever so most everyone has an instinct for it and I can help take it further. The most rewarding part for me now is working directly with pet owners to ensure they understand what I’m doing and why, so they can keep it up. I can train them to be a trainer of their own dog. At my mentor’s facility we would work with a dog for 10, 20, 30 days and only then bring it back to the owner but they would always come back for what I call tune-ups. What is the most common misconception that you fi nd yourself having to correct? I wouldn’t say it’s a misconception but the biggest pitfall is when people think the dog

doesn’t need you. If you’re not the gateway to everything a dog needs, you might as well be banging your head against a wall. That’s the foundation from which you start handling and training — if one controls access to food and water and play, then one can train a dog. Coming out of the pandemic, what kind of behavioral cases have you seen? It’s a cranked up canine version of the “kids are going back to school, please help” phenomenon that we used to see after the summer holidays. Normalcy is coming back but the dogs have been around us nonstop as we work from home. Now people are getting back on diff erent routines and the dogs are supposedly acting out — they’re not acting out, they’re going “routine’s off , I’m letting you know.” But business-wise, it’s been great for me. It’s actually similar to 2008 when the markets started to tank. The one industry that stayed strong and got better was the pet industry. It was like, I can’t aff ord to go buy a new TV, so why don’t I spend time with my pet? So the separation anxiety from the pandemic puppies has been a big part of what you’ve been addressing? Yes. A number of people did go out and get companion animals during the pandemic — shelters at some points had no animals to give. And those people did need help. But surprisingly, I think I got more clientele and business from people who already had a dog but wanted to address existing issues, because it was in their face. They weren’t going out to work from nine to fi ve so the little issues that they would only see when they came home from work, they found themselves dealing with all day.

32 | DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Worcester Magazine December 10 - 16, 2021

Articles inside

Next Draft

Games

Things to do

Screen Time

Adoption Option

Last Call