Worcester Magazine April 9-15, 2020 by Worcester Magazine

APRIL 9 - 15, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CULTURE • ARTS • DINING • VOICES

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Present Tense Facing the pandemic, Worcester looks to the past to see ahead

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City Voices...................................................................................4 Worcesteria.................................................................................5 Featured ......................................................................................6 Artist Spotlight .......................................................................15 Lifestyle......................................................................................16 The Next Draft..........................................................................17 Table Hoppin’ ..........................................................................16 Film .............................................................................................18 Adoption Option ....................................................................20 Games .........................................................................................21 Classifieds .................................................................................22 Last Call .....................................................................................23

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Story on page 11 Photo by Ashley Green, Design by Shiela Nealon

A suit of armor from 1600 in the Worcester Art Museum. WAM is eyeing the future after the coronavirus crisis.

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CITY VOICES

FIRST PERSON

‘The Thing with Feathers’ BY MARIAM KARIS CRONIN

his time of solitary confinement is dangerous. With time to think, I find myself remembering. The image that comes back to me most vividly is the one of my mother crying her eyes out in front of the television set. It was unusual for Mother to take a minute from her busy day of cleaning, cooking, baking and sewing to sit down anywhere — especially in front of the television set. She never even sat for a cup of coffee. Instead, she would make a cup of Sanka from the hot water tap and stand over the sink to drink the molasses-colored water while staring mindlessly out the window. I never disturbed her then. Even as a self-centered child, I could sense the sadness in that tableaux, the aura of loneliness and yearning. But I had no patience with the scene unfolding on the television every afternoon. Mother was watching “Queen for a Day,” a show where the housewife with the saddest story would have a crown placed on her head and a mink coat draped over her shoulders, while a new washing machine was wheeled out from behind the stage. The winner would keep the washing machine, but not the crown or the mink — queen for a moment, not nearly a day. The premise seemed absurd and patronizing to me. The modest and homely dreams of those mid-century contestants were an affront to my emerging definition of womanhood. I did not hesitate to let my mother know

how I felt. It was easy to make fun of my mother’s dedication to the show; it was easy for me to belittle the housewives’ simple wants and desire. I should have been used to my mother’s modest dreams, however. I knew she loved to weave stories in her head, stories which always had predictable themes — good winning out over evil, dreams coming true. Her love of storytelling was forged from the same impulse which drove her to enter contests promising $50 for the best slogan extolling the virtues of Spam or Oxydol. It was the same magical thinking which compelled her to clip floor-plans of California ranch houses from the women’s pages of the Sunday newspaper and to create line-drawings of original fashions she would never make. The clippings and the drawings would be soon forgotten, stuffed, one on top of the other, in a kitchen drawer, but the dreams never seemed to stop. I now know that it was Mother’s ability to hope which allowed her to endure. She, the oldest of nine children, was born to immigrant tenant farmers in a sod house on the prairie in the midst of the 1918 pandemic. As a child, she witnessed domestic abuse and the death of children to measles, polio and the common cold. She knew of women who did unspeakable things because the arrival of another mouth to feed would mean that much less for the ones already living. The Great Depression defined her adolescence. During World War II, her brothers were sent to fight

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while she and her younger siblings had to do the work of both women and men on the farm. And then, when she reached marriageable age, her father arranged for her to marry a stranger from a place called Worcester County, somewhere in the East. Our personal past can often inform our present. Why else would the painful memories of my mother’s belief in the power of hope pervade my thoughts at this time? Perhaps I need to finally acknowledge that life’s difficulties can be tempered by a strong dose of imagination. The memories of my mother’s empathy and optimism during times far more challenging than anything I have ever faced have forced me to reconsider my cynical view of the world. I invite hope to perch within my soul; I welcome its sweet song. Mariam Karis Cronin is a retired English teacher and a member of a writing club offered through the Worcester Institute for Senior Education at Assumption College. The title is taken from a poem by Emily Dickinson.

The vacation that wasn’t

BY JANICE HARVEY

nce upon a time, I had a vacation planned. In January, my friend Rick and I were sitting in El Basha on Park Ave., eating our favorite meals — my go-to choice of grilled seafood and veggies and Rick’s favored shrimp Saiid — when he mentioned previous visits to Washington, D.C., he made over the years as a teacher. “I’ve never been,” I said. From the look of incredulity on his face, you would think I said I once campaigned for Richard Nixon as a member of the Young Republicans. “You? A political junkie like you? You’ve never been to D.C.?” Suddenly, after two glasses of Riesling, we were planning a trip to the nation’s capital on a napkin. Rick was excited because he’d be able to experience D.C.

without chaperoning 20 kids. I was excited because secretly I knew that his propensity for scheduling and research meant that I would need only to walk behind him like a puppy. Hence, he would once again chaperone, but this time with gin and tonics. A win-win! We found and booked a twobedroom Airbnb not far from the Capitol that seemed perfect. ( I say “we” but really I mean “Rick” because he loves to find the best deals and accommodations on the internet, while I just use it to argue with Trump supporters and look up medical symptoms and side effects from Tylenol vs. Motrin.) We decided to travel by train and booked seats on Amtrak. We whipped out the credit cards and voila! April vacation was all set! We created an itinerary, based C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Some sympathy for the Leicester Lysol Lady BILL SHANER

THE LEICESTER LYSOL WOMAN: You may have seen the news

that police in Leicester are looking for a woman wanted for spraying a Walmart clerk in the face with Lysol after the clerk told her she couldn’t buy more than the purchase limit set by the store. This is the kind of story that can immediately turn us red-blooded American news consumers into hooting jackals. Ha ha, the crazy Walmart lady! People are wild! Is there video? Get her on “Tosh.0”! But I’d like to offer a counter analysis here. The extreme stress this pandemic is placing on working class people is going to be continually misdirected toward other working class people in increasingly nasty ways. It is an underlying condition of a sick society that the COVID-19 virus has inflamed. Domestic abuse calls are already on the rise in Worcester. People are going to get meaner and meaner the longer they’re kept from work and kept inside, and we lack any sort of wide-scale class consciousness to properly direct that anger. If I wasn’t sure it would send me into a spiral, I’d check the Telegram’s Facebook page right now and see what people have to say about this woman who did something unfortunate and embarrassing on what I’m sure was a stressful day. I’m sure they’re not saying anything good.

ON TO AUSTERITY: When this is all over, there’s going to be a hole in Worcester’s municipal budget, that’s for sure. The city manager has already said as much and it’s all but certain we’re going to be getting a lot of Tough Talk from city officials on what will stay and what will go. City Councilor Moe Bergman appears ready to kick the process off. On this week’s City Council agenda, he filed an order asking each department head to come up with a list of budget-saving recommendations, excluding job reductions, for the upcoming fiscal year. I think it’s incumbent upon us to really watch the budget process this year. The one-two punch of a pandemic then the loss of even more city services people rely on is not one anyone wants. I’m nervous to think about where department heads are going to start looking for cuts.

on sights I’ve always want to visit. I contacted Congressman Jim McGovern’s office to book a tour of the Capitol building. We even discussed how to save a few bucks by eating in, because the BnB had a full kitchen. “And it will be warm, and sunny and lovely there,” I said dreamily. “The cherry blossoms will be gone, but so what? I can wear dresses. No down jackets, no hats, no gloves.” I was happy, so happy. And then COVID-19 hit our shores and grounded the Good Ship Lollipop. We are going nowhere, and we still wear gloves, only they’re the disposable latex models instead of the ones designed for scraping ice off windshields. Life really is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Like everyone else, I’m missing

for signs of sunshine. I venture outside Cellblock #12 to the fish market down the road, and the small grocery store for supplies. I haven’t filled my gas tank since Valentine’s Day. Every teacher in Massachusetts makes plans for April vacation, so I know I’m not the only one depressed over having to scrap a trip. “We” saved all the information after receiving refunds. We will go to D.C., dammit. Someday. “Look on the bright side,” I said to Rick. “If we wait till next spring, a Democrat will be in the Oval Office and the past four years will be a bad dream, like Bobby Ewing on ‘Dallas.’” Note to members of my generation: Never make references like that to people who were entering puberty when you were contemplating the end of your 20s. They say things like: “‘Dallas’? I think my Mom watched that show.” Sigh.

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BACK OF THE BUS PART II: Kudos to the Worcester Regional Transit Authority for going ahead with the back-door-only entry policy which members of the local bus drivers union had called for last week. It will keep drivers and passengers more safe by reducing a point of contact, and it has the side effect of essentially making the service fare-free. Leave it to an unprecedented global pandemic to move the goalposts on a municipal issue, I guess.

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my family. My 7-year-old grandson Jack made me cry when he said he considered having Mom drive by so he and his sister could wave to me, but thought that would be too sad if we couldn’t hug each other. I agreed. Honestly, if you gave me the choice between hugging my four grandchildren and a trip to Washington, right now I’d snuggle my kids. Ask me again after I get to hug them. I might not be so sentimental by then; isolation does strange things to the heart and mind. As it turns out I was probably crazy to book a trip so soon after having surgery in February. The way I’m feeling, I couldn’t possibly traipse around D.C. (I always think I’m younger and in better shape than I am. Nice try. I was a freshman in high school when Rick was born, so he walks a lot faster than I do.) Instead of traipsing around D.C., I’m meandering around a one-bedroom condo, peering out the window

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DCU TRIAGE CENTER: I had some car trouble over the weekend that led me to take a walk through downtown and boy oh boy was it a spooky sight, seeing the National Guard vehicles and Homeland Security trucks and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency trailers parked outside the DCU Center on an otherwise completely empty street. Later, I looked up pictures of the interior on the Telegram website, and it got even spookier. Rows and rows of cots on the concrete floor of the conference center surrounded by three temporary black walls. As we head into what officials fear may be the deadliest week so far in the COVID-19 crisis, this emergency move to convert the DCU Center into a plague den underscores both the severity of this crisis and how ill-equipped we are to deal with it. Please stay safe and stay home, and when this is all over it would be great if we could maybe talk about how to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

T H E VA CAT I O N T H AT WA S N’ T

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The mission remains

Worcester Art Museum looks to weather the coronavirus crisis RICHARD DUCKET T

t wasn’t quite the Ides of March, but the Worcester Art Museum did announce on March 13 that it would be closing because of the coronavirus crisis. “An auspicious day,” Matthias Waschek, Jean and Myles McDonough Director of the Worcester Art Museum, noted ironically. That initial announcement stated that the museum would be closed through March 27.

Now, a “worst-case scenario” has the museum, with its exceptional collection of art from 3000 BC to the present, shut down to the the public through Aug. 31. “We all hope and pray it happens before,” Waschek said of the museum re-opening prior to Sept. 1. Projected losses would be “huge” in the Aug. 31 scenario, with earned revenue down 48 percent ($870,879) and raised revenue (including gifts and grants) down 38 percent ($578,658) on an operating budget of

A suit of armor in the European Gallery at Worcester Art Museum.

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WORCESTER ART MUSEUM

$10.5 million. When the museum does open its doors again, one ongoing issue will be “we will have to live with social distancing until a vaccine is found,” Waschek said. But while the museum is physically closed (although the building it is not empty with security and maintenance people doing important work), it is in the process of putting on and expanding online programs. “What can we do at a time when people are confined to their homes

— we can provide some feeling of stability,” Waschek said. “Our mission still applies even as we’re closed,” said Juliane K. Frost, senior marketing manager at WAM. “We can let them experience the transformative experience of art through our online content.” Being online with programs is also bringing WAM to a wider audience further afield, Waschek said. In the time of crisis, “There is opportunity as well,” he said. “Looking for opportunities, it is difficult to do

that. But the principle of hope and the principle of looking for opportunities is what keeps us alive.” The early days of the crisis were a time of confusion across the entire landscape. WAM let other local nonprofit cultural institutions such as the EcoTarium and Tower Hill Botanic Gardens know in advance about the March 13 closing announcement. “It always has a ripple effect. We didn’t want them to be caught off guard,” Waschek said.

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online, and Waschek is hoping to avoid layoffs, something the legislation may help with. “We’re trying to avoid it. A lot depends on the stimulus package and we don’t know how that’s going to play. We’ll do our best not to have layoffs. That’s also part of where the stimulus package may help. Part of it may be to keep working at the museum.” Meanwhile, WAM is appealing to philanthropy and foundations for help, Wasckek said. On its website (www.worcesterart.org), people can contribute to The WAM Fund. “To continue to serve you and your community, we need help,” the museum states. The museum is also working to share to resources with local institutions such as the EcoTarium. Big changes at WAM and elsewhere will likely come on a number of levels, Waschek said. “I’ve always had very good connections with my peers in Worcester. It forces us to see how we can work closer together. I’m sure a lot of good things will come from that,” Waschek said. “People are reaching out more than in the past. It’s really wonderful to see how everyone is stepping up.” WAM online has views of its collection, and new posts and activities such as “WAM Color of the Week,” “Art Together” for children (including a reading of “The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds), and a “soothing image” in the evening on Twitter and Instagram. There has also been a Q&A with a docent, and a video related to the museum’s Higgins Armory collection about how to have sword duel while maintaining social distancing. “It’s a totally new experience for us. We are learning how to be there for our constituents in the virtual world,” said Frost. “We’re starting with a younger audience. We’re trying to have some fun moments with it.” Upcoming there is likely to be a video tour of the museum’s current Paul Revere exhibition and the museum is hoping to have its youth summer arts program (one of the museum’s biggest programs) take place online. “Once we are through all this there will be a lot of changes of interacting with people,” Waschek said. “Audience engagement will most likely change and last way beyond our reopening … (We will)

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While institutions knew that closing was likely coming, “We hadn’t received yet directions from the federal and state level. All the institutions were struggling to find their way,” he said. “What was so hard for us was to find the right moment to close.” What settled the matter for WAM was when Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. rolled out a new layer of restrictions for public employees and activities in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak on March 12. Later, the museum announced that a major new exhibition, “Kimono Couture,” scheduled to open in April, would be postponed. The cost of admission represents a small part of WAM’s earned revenue, Waschek said, which also includes items such as rentals and memberships. Budgeted revenue percentages for the current fiscal year are earned revenue — 15.4 percent; raised revenue — 34.6 percent; and endowment generated (including by investments) — 50.1 percent. “We have a real strength because we have, relatively speaking, a generous endowment,” Waschek said of the museum’s situation. However, along with the projected worse case scenario of 48 and 38 percent hits for earned and raised revenue, “our endowment is also taking a hit and is taking a beating in the stock market … How much we will have lost until Sept. 1 — it’s huge.” This is true “not just for us but for everyone,” Waschek added. For smaller institutions the situation is “an even bigger concern.” Another issue of concern for the museum is that it receives a very small percentage of support from the state, Waschek said. Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, is WAM’s only government funder which operates on an annual allocation basis once an organization is in their funding queue. As an average over the past three years, public/government support ( federal, state and local) has represented a small 3 to 5 percent of its overall budget — and that’s with a high success rate of receiving awards. WAM and similar institutions will be looking at the recently passed federal stimulus legislation, which was expected to contain funding for museums. WAM administrative and program staff are working remotely

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look at opportunities, what kind of innovations most people will be likely to watch from home.” On the other hand, “Many things will not change. Watching art — nothing will change that.” Reopening before there is a vaccine for the coronavirus will have its own challenges. “How do you connect people that have to be six paces apart from each other? A guided tour — how do you deal with that? How do you do that when children who are very happy but don’t observe social distancing?” Waschek said. Still, there are hopes that Sept. 1 could be a truly auspicious day. “I have to say I look forward to seeing my colleagues again, not through a screen, (and seeing) our visitors reconnect. I’m looking forward to that potential to be explored,” Waschek said.

The Renaissance Court at Worcester Art Museum.

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WORCESTER ART MUSEUM

The museum from Salisbury Street. WORCESTER ART MUSEUM

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Virtual community

Online stopgaps help keep open mics, poetry readings and more alive BY VICTOR D. INFANTE

he local arts scene has always had a lot of eccentric, offbeat little corners. On a given Monday night, for example, you could catch the open mic at Funky Murphy’s, or Comedy in the Cabaret at Nick’s, or the Dirty Gerund Poetry series at Ralph’s. These are regularly scheduled events that not only showcase and develop artists and audiences, they also foster community. For many regular attendees of these shows, their being shuttered because of the pandemic has been a bigger loss than a night’s entertainment. Thankfully, those shows have found new lives online. “It’s been going great surprisingly,” says singer-songwriter Matt Soper, who hosts the Songwriters’ Mind series Wednesday nights at starlite gallery in Southbridge. “We’ve built a tight-knit community of songwriters and fans that have really rallied behind the live streams. If you join one of our watch

Bridget Nault, half of the acoustic duo Screen Door, playing accordion at the Rascal’s Sunday open mic. SUBMIT TED PHOTO

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Comedians and comedy lovers show up online for the Comedy in the Cabaret online open mic.

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Bob Moon, lead guitarist from Fellowship of the King, Let It Bleed, Government Surplus and Dead Night as well as a member of the Wacky Wednesday Night Jam at Greendale’s House band, with his son Dalton, playing for the Rascal’s online open mic.

Comedian Sean Rosa performs for the online installment of “The Sort of Late Show with Shaun Connolly.” SUBMIT TED PHOTO

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parties, the comment section almost feels as if you were at starlite having at drink.” Soper’s been hosting nights of eight songwriters, each going live from their own Facebook page. A watch party of the live stream is

then shared to the show’s Facebook group. It’s one of many ways to do it, on a variety of platforms, but for the organizers of these shows, it’s about holding those communities together as much as it is about sharing art.

“Obviously, everyone is feeling terribly isolated right now during these scary times,” says poet Alex Charalambides, who hosts the Gerund. “These spaces are offering a vital connection for some. Weekly events like ours

become part of the fabric of our routines, like church, like the gym, like school. We value it. Seeing the faces all together on a screen doesn’t quite match seeing them in the audience, but it’s real.” Jeff Campbell, who has been helping coordinate the online show process for the Listen Sunday poetry series with regulars Heath Bleau and his daughter, Storey Campbell, says the shows have been going well. “We have been able to maintain connections with old friends and regulars,” he said. “I think it was (host Dave Macpherson) who observed it sucks that we can’t quite reach out to folks who were more on the periphery. But on the other hand, there

have been a few attenders who never could have made it in real life. I was really surprised when we started doing it how much I missed those people and that part of my routine.” Facebook Live has been a popular vehicle for delivering these shows, but others have opted for Instagram Live, Zoom or Discord, each to varying effects, and some are still experimenting with platforms. For the online version of Listen, Campbell says, “the first week we did a group message in a Discord server. That gets about a B, in my opinion. We then did Instagram. This Sunday we will do Zoom. We will then take a vote on favorite platform of those 3 and

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Participants in the Comedy in the Cabaret Monday night open mic, on Zoom. SUBMITTED PHOTO one live,” he says. “So, I figured I wanted to at least get videos from people and put something together. Luckily I have some die-hard people who come most weeks to Slater’s, and I like to keep up with them and keep them in the loop of what I’m doing. The response was great and with everybody’s help the online method has worked out great so far!” Danielle DeLucia, lead singer of the band Auntie Trainwreck, is doing something similar with the Sunday open mic at Rascal’s. “I am still having people sign up for slots ahead of time like they did when we were doing the open mic in person,

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A comedian performs for the Comedy in the Cabaret online open mic. The event is usually held at Nick’s Bar and Restaurant. SUBMITTED PHOTO

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stick with that.” Storey Campbell says that “Discord has plenty of admin controls, but lacks video in calls with more than 10 people. I think its reliability and chat features more than make up for it. (Charlambides and Nikk Lessard) of the Dirty Gerund did a show via Zoom, and that went well.” Michael Robert Kelly, who hosts the Thursday night open mic at Slater’s in Bolton, went about producing an online version in a completely different way. “I realized I wanted to keep my Open Mike Slater’s community together but there was no platform to really do

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but now I am having them send me a 20-minute video of them playing and sharing the videos online in our event page at the exact time that they signed up.” It’s an evolving process, but one in which it seems both audiences and artists are invested. Rick Hamel, who runs the Monday open mic at Funky Murphy’s, says, “The last two Mondays we went online and I had 10 musicians play each time for about 15 minutes each. I have teenagers that come to my open mic regularly and it gives them something to do (not just attending the open mic, but practicing to get ready). For everyone, I think it gives them a sense of normalcy because we’re all continuing to do something we used to do week after week.” Still, supporting the artists that regularly play these shows remains a paramount concern. “We recognize the difficulty for artists who perform live,” says Charalambides. “As a community we pride ourselves

From left, Julie Mateo, Johnny Wheeler and Joel Rines & Gracie Day perform online for the Songwriter’s Mind series, normally held Wednesday nights at starlite gallery. SUBMIT TED PHOTO

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on paying artists for their time and talents, so it was also important to put in some systems to try to

replicate that as well. We set up a Paypal for the show, posted our featured artists digital pay profiles,

and found some success in the first week of paying a featured performer and auctioning off our guest

visual artists live painting.” Other shows have displayed their performers’ Paypal or Venmo information in order for people to “tip” the artist directly. Other groups have used the platform as a way to help support the people who’ve supported them over the years. For example, Shaun Connolly — one of the organizers of the Wootenany comedy festival, with Bryan O’Donnell — says that at streams of the Monday night comedy show and Connolly’s “Sort of Late Show,” they’ve taken tips to help Nick’s bartender Sean Courtney recoup the money he would have made tending bar during those shows. On the whole, there seems to be a broad consensus that the online stopgap measure is doing its job and helping keep those communities together. Perhaps even more surprising, some of the organizers have conceded they’re enjoying the arrangement. “The biggest surprise has been how much fun I’ve been having doing it,” says Soper. “I’m able to book incredible lineups where you might see songwriters like Gracie Day, Nate Cozzolino and Kala Farnham all in the same night. Something that probably wouldn’t be possible on a normal Wednesday night in Southbridge.” DeLucia concurs, saying, “Having some people jump in and give it a try that have never performed at the open mic in person was a nice surprise. And having people ‘watch’ and comment and like the links and posts has been nice. It’s upped our visibility a bit and hopefully that will translate into more in-person attendance when we’re back up and running at Rascal’s.” Of course, as Jeff Campbell notes, “in some ways physical distance is irrelevant right now.” He had a friend in California participate in the Listen open reading livestream. Conversely, Worcester poet Ashley Wonder says she’s enjoyed being able to watch readings in Boston and New York. But still, it’s clear many are antsy to get back to their regular shows. “My life has always revolved around seeing live music,” says music lover and photographer Ted Theodore, “so these windows with the artist are very important to me. Being able to see them play, seeing the room fill up and chatting and ‘clapping’ along with the community is almost like being there. It will never replace the feel of the room, so I am hoping for a return to normal.”

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A striking similarity For Bangladeshi independence war survivor, current hard times seem familiar

capitalist country. People are used to the plenty and used to the waste. I’m thinking, oh my god, people who grew up here, who haven’t seen anything like this, how is this affecting them?” While the movement for Bangladeshi independence had a clear enemy, the coronavirus is something of an “invisible enemy,” she said. You never know whether you’re safe, or when it might strike. That feeling of scary uncertainty is a direct through line between her experience now and in Bangladesh. So is the sense of quiet. “There’s no cars, no people, not too much commotion, and you don’t know what is going to happen next,” she said. Another analogous experience, which is perhaps scarier, is the economic effect. In wartime, food shortages were common and markets would open infrequently. Now, the stock market is in freefall and experts are pointing to a recession, if not a depression. Early shortages like toilet paper and sanitation products could be a sign of more to come. While McCarthy doesn’t expect the United States to go through any real food shortages, she does expect to see some unrest as people struggle to pay bills. “Those are my worries, but I have to sort of calm my monkey mind. You

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BY BILL SHANER he stay-at-home orders, the free fall of the economy and the feeling of constant uncertainty — like we’ve all lost the plot — these are new feelings for almost every American, but almost is the key word. For some, like 67-year-old Shrewsbury resident Laila McCarthy, this moment in history conjures memories of civil strife. Before she moved here at the age of 23, McCarthy had survived a brutal and at times genocidal war for Bangladeshi independence. A college student and a member of the guerilla opposition, McCarthy remembers the long periods of having to shelter at home, the markets closing and the uncertainty of when the next meal is coming. The experience of wartime and the experience of a pandemic are vastly different, she said, but they contain within them similarities which Americans are perhaps uniquely unsuited to deal with. And she worries about how her American friends and family are going to handle it. “America is a place of plenty and people can just run out and get whatever they want whenever they want. There’s 10 different brands of bathroom tissue in the supermarket,” she said. “That’s the product of being in a

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T&G STAFF/ ASHLEY GREEN

Laila McCarthy outside her Shrewsbury home.

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know, I can’t be worried like that. I have to take it one day at a time.” Like most people, especially older folks, McCarthy has been physically cut off from her children and grandchildren for two weeks now. Loneliness and isolation, she said, can play tricks on the mind. To keep herself on plot, she’s made two lists — a “to-do list” which she knocks out one at a time, and a “not-to-do” list to keep in mind. On the latter, items read less like tasks and more like advice to herself. “Not to get worried.” “Not to get scared.” “Not to get upset.” Through the crisis, McCarthy has been talking to friends who aren’t

handling it as well as her. They’re depressed, caught up in the moment, and can’t find a reason to hope, she said. Some fear they may die alone. She makes a point to check in with her friends and make an effort to keep their spirits up. “For us everyday people, we can’t lose hope. We have to learn how to do with less. Learn how to stretch dollars and toilet paper and paper towels. Learn how to do with less for as long as it takes for us to bounce back,” she said. “If we want to go back to where we were two months ago, we have to have a positive outlook.”

Resources available for seniors

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A P R I L 9 - 15, 2020

BY BILL SHANER As the COVID-19 crisis has forced almost all of society indoors and away from one another, the elderly stand to suffer especially from logistical problems as well those of a more social or emotional variety. On all fronts, the Worcester Senior Center is running point. As of last week, the senior center has contacted 1,928 of the city’s seniors, and provided help for 33 different kinds of services, either directly or by way or referral. Amy Waters, Senior Center director, said the issues range from direct results of the virus crisis to normal problems made harder. Here is the master list of issues the Senior Center has helped the city’s elderly with since the COVID crisis. • Buddy by phone • Census form • COVID-19 test • EADC (state financial assistance program) • Eviction • Exercise • Financial stimulus • Food pantries • Fuel assistance • Health insurance • HIP market (health incentives) • Homecare • Housing • Legal • Mass Health applications • Medicare Part B • Meals on Wheels • Parking Ban issue • Personal Care Assistance • Prescription assistance • Protective Services • Sanitizing

• Scams • School closures • Socialization • Sharps containers • SHINE • Shopping info • SNAP applications • Tax returns • Transportation • Unemployment • Wifi Seniors in need should call the center’s main line, (508) 799-1232. Staffers help callers on a case-bycase basis. Daily updates are posted to the center’s Facebook page. The center is also working to expand a list of video programs. Staffers are setting up video chats for seniors with access to a web cam. The SeniorSpeak show on WCCA TV has taped two COVID19-related episodes, which air frequently. Video programs in the works for the Worcester Education Channel will feature “beloved and familiar staff, instructors and entertainers.” On Monday, the center launched a program to deliver farm fresh food through the Regional Environmental Council to seniors who receive SNAP benefits. Seniors seeking farm fresh foods can sign up by calling the center’s main line, (508)-799-1232. Of course, some problems are a bit more intangible than access to food, government benefits or assistance. Loneliness, and the need for social interaction, has proven a constant problem for seniors contacting the center, Waters said. The need for reassurance and to connect with others, Waters said, “is infused in almost all calls.”

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

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

A P R I L 9 - 15, 2020

years of intense painting and the opening of his first studio in Pescara. In 1995 he opened a private art school catering to the young and the elderly. Various exhibitions and much recognition came to Sonsini in Italy. In 1982, he received a second place cash prize at a national art show in Manoppello Pescara Abruzzo. In 1996, at the Marzaroli Art Show in Salsomaggiore in the north of Italy, he was awarded with a silver platter from the Town Hall. In 1997 at the Concorso Primavera in Foggia in southern Italy, he won a trophy and an exhibition in the “Gallery of the Artist”. In 1999 Sonsini exhibited with the Europe Art Group at the Castello Estense of Mesola Ferrara. In the same year, he showed his artworks at the Modigliani Gallery in Milano. Sonsini has also exhibited in Florence at the historical center, as well as in Rome, and a host of other cities throughout Italy. However, nowhere else has the presence of Elio Sonsini

been more prominent than in his home of Abruzzo, where exhibitions have been held in the cities of Pescara, Chieti, Popoli, L’Aquila, Teramo, Vasto, Sulmona, Guardiagrele, Tocco Da Cassauria and others. He has also been reviewed and noted by numerous famous art critics in art journals and magazines, and his name appears in the two most important Italian art catalogues: Annuario D’arte Moderna and L’elite. His works are in both public and private collections. Sonsini continued to teach in his private school in Pescara until 2005, at which point he returned to the United States and opened a second art studio in Sturbridge. In 2006, he had his first exhibition in the United States in “The Italian American Cultural Center” in Worcester, where it was received with great success by both public and critics.

Casauria Abruzzo, Italy. He attended the Liceo Artistico Statale in the city of Pescara, where he graduated with the degree of Professor of Fine Arts. In 1967, Elio continued his studies in the United States in Pennsylvania where he graduated with a specialization in water colors (his preferred technique) under the guidance of Clifford Winner of New Jersey. He also worked professionally in the studio of Michael Rocco, a highly regarded watercolor artist in Pennsylvania. The early ’70s brought many accolades to Sonsini, including a first place at a New Jersey Art Festival in 1971. At the Jenkintown, Pennsylvania Art Festival in 1972 he earned the second place, and was also exhibited in that year by the Baltico Studio of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Sonsini returned to Italy in 1974, with the background and training he received abroad, and the emotions of his homecoming to Abruzzo led him to several

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Elio Sonsini was born on May 8, 1944 in Tocco Da

CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

I have only ever seen two real-life bidets SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

mericans are clamoring for preparedness, cleanliness and a measure of control — it’s no wonder they want their Charmin Ultra Soft on demand. According to Kate Murphy’s latest op-ed for The New York Times, “Stop Using Toilet Paper,” our TP affinity is all for naught. Murphy reports that infectious disease specialists have long agreed that toilet paper is neither hygienic nor environmentally friendly. What is a more sanitary option? Water. This comes as no surprise to bidet proponents who have used COVID-19 as an opportunity to champion self cleaning nozzle attachments that can be purchased for less than $50 on Amazon and installed on your exist-

ing toilet. The Economist reported a “sharp rise of interest” in bidets in an April 4 business roundup, but, according to Kitchen & Bath Business, the bidet craze was taking shape in America even before the crisis. Four of the top eight designs on the trade publication’s October 2019 “What’s Hot in Toilets” feature included bidets. Bidets aren’t just bougie; they’re hygienic. Plus, they allow you to #stayhome while negating a toilet paper run. I still remember my first bidet sighting when a benevolent west sider invited me over after school in the fifth grade. When I interrogated her as to why her bathroom also featured a bubbler, she laughed at me. “Oh, Sarah!” she said, “That’s not a water fountain — it’s a be’ day.” I played along, but it would be years before I saw another one in a Michelin-starred

restaurant in Los Angeles. That’s it. Thirty-three years and I’ve only seen two bidets in real life. The bidet boom hit Japan decades ago. Care to adjust the speed, force or bubble content of your stream? This level of control has been the norm in Japan since the ‘80s where high-tech toilets have always been hot. Murphy believes that Americans’ “prudishness and puritanism” are responsible for our neglect of a massive design opportunity. To put this in context, I began to consider how much my notions of a telephone or a computer have changed over the course of my life on this planet. Why, then, does my vision of a toilet remain remarkably unchanged? Toilets will never be sexy, but that hasn’t stopped philanthropic billion-

aires Bill and Melinda Gates for bringing them to the engineering forefront with his “Reinvented Toilet Expo” and more than $200 million in investments. If this strikes your fancy, spend a night watching “Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates” on Netflix, which Vanity Fair subtitled “An Inconvenient Poop” in reference to director Davis Guggenheim’s other Oscar winning documentary which showcased former Vice President Al Gore’s crusade

against climate change. By Gates’ estimate, lack of proper sanitation costs approximately $223 billion every year worldwide. As bidet sales soar, I can only hope that toilet innovations will follow. That said, I don’t mean to overstate the problem. I understand sanitation can’t be our number one priority given the current state of affairs, but it’s a solid number … — forgive me.

TABLE HOPPIN’

Pasta Mani switches gears to offer takeout

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BARBARA M. HOULE

Lasagna, Spinach, Broccoli Rabe, 3 cheeses with white sauce with pork, or with sausage. Prices vary from $30 to $55, depending on servings and whether you choose meat or go meatless. With the purchase of a bake-athome meal, you have the option to order a Family-Style C-zar Salad for $15 (4 servings), with croutons, cheese and dressing, or a Familystyle Radicchio Salad for $15 (4 servings), with red wine vinaigrette and cheese. The chef also sells half-pound bags of handmade spaghetti (made with egg), $6 each, or two for $10. His menu is posted on the Worcester Public Market website www. worcesterpublicmarket.org. Pasta Mani opened to the public in February, just a short time before COVID-19 forced it to become a takeout operation, according to Midwood, who said business had been great. “I decided to do takeout and local delivery as a way to keep

ason “Jay” Midwood of Pasta Mani at the Worcester Public Market is among area chef/ owners who have transformed their eateries into takeout and delivery spots. Midwood has put together a special take-out menu of his handcrafted pasta that includes family-style “bake at homes,” in addition to salads. He accepts orders by text (413) 687-8491, Facebook and Instagram. Midwood said he needs at least a day’s notice when ordering. When we talked to him on the phone last week he planned to take orders for Easter up until April 10. Customers cannot enter the Public Market, so they need to call ahead and Midwood will direct them to a pickup area. This pasta perfectionist’s menu includes Lasagna with Meat Sauce (pork and beef), 3 cheeses and fresh sauce, serving 2 to 4 or 6 to 8 (you can opt out on the meat); White

Chef Jay Midwood of Pasta Mani.

RICK CINCLAIR

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CITY LIFE

THE NEXT DRAFT

Re-forging the taproom connection — online Brewers sharing beers again with customers in virtual tastings MATTHEW TOTA

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early every taproom I visit has windows looking into the brewhouse, and I’ve always wanted to tap on the glass and motion for a brewer toiling behind it to join me for a pint. In craft beer, you’re never really too far from the people making the beer; it’s what makes the industry unique. But with the state’s restriction on on-premise consumption, new barriers were erected between customer and brewer. While the ban has taken a massive financial toll on breweries, it left another wound, one harder to see and impossible to quantify: Taprooms stood as a brewery’s emotional connection to their customers, one they’ve now lost. Thankfully, for the last few weeks, someone a lot smarter than I am has been recreating that connection — virtually. Normally, Christine Healy is busy planning in-person tastings at breweries throughout the state. Under the restriction, she has taken them online, with hundreds of people tuning in during her Instagram Live sessions to share a beer with their favorite brewers. “The goal is to do them as many nights as possible until the taprooms are back open,” said Healy, founder of Craft’d Company, a beer events planning company. Healy has arranged nearly a dozen of these virtual tastings to try help craft breweries reconnect with their customers. “This is a community we’ve been working with for almost three and a half years now. If I can provide something to help them all weather the storm, I’m absolutely going to

do that,” she said. “Is there a way we could monetize it at some point? Sure. But first and foremost, it’s about how we can give people an hour at home where they’re having a beer and not thinking about everything they saw on the news that day, and give people more insight into breweries that they haven’t heard about or haven’t gotten beer from in a while.” Through the online tastings, breweries can chat directly with their customers again — some have recognized names of their regulars tuning in — sans the need for social distancing. Between 200 and 400 people are watching each night, Healy said, far more than the attendance at her in-person tastings. “We try to plug how people can support the breweries, so getting gift cards and merchandise online, or if you see their beer in a grocery or liquor store, and can purchase it, fantastic,” she said. Brewers also get a platform to discuss new hours and services, including delivery, online ordering and curb-side pickup. The brewers sip through four beers over the course of the hour-long broadcast, discussing everything from ingredients to the inspiration behind the names. Healy goes live from her home, then archives the videos on Facebook (https://www. facebook.com/watch/craftdcompany/2677233545844054), so if you miss the live tasting, you can buy the beers and watch another time. Healy’s favorite part of the broadcast is when viewers ask questions, like how the state’s restriction has affected a brewer’s day-to-day operations. “We’ve gone over how people are

CITY LIFE

FILM

Now everyone’s a movie star JIM KEOGH

ay back in B.C. (Before Coronavirus) movies were something I enjoyed after work. I’d plop on the couch, turn on the television, and caress that remote like I was Tom Hanks and it was my Wilson. Then I’d hunt — basic cable, premium channels, streaming services — for something to engage me, entertain me, and hopefully enlighten me for about two hours. When ambitious, I went to the movies and sat in a real theater with other virus-free members of my species, and it was spectacular. Today, I’m less driven to watch movies after work, because I’m watching movies at work. And appearing in them. This is the reality I share with much of the world. Thanks to videoconferencing, we are all starring in our own little films. Each morning, we log on knowing we’d better be damned ready for our closeup because the little camera embedded in the computer doesn’t lie. Your coworkers can forgive you a single morning of unruly hair, but two days

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my head above water,” he said. Note: Midwood said vendors were notified that the Worcester Public Market for now has targeted reopening in May. Midwood, originally from Palmer, is a graduate of the culinary arts program at Newbury College in Boston. He spent most of his culinary career in Seattle, gaining experience with chef Ethan Stowell’s restaurant group and as a chef team member of Eat Seattle, a company founded by Liz Philpot that gives chef -guided tasting tours of Pike Place Market and cooking classes. In Seattle, Midwood, said he learned “the delicacy and nuance of pasta making.” Returning to the New England, Midwood said he and his wife thought about settling in Northampton or the Springfield area. “MGM Springfield was the

of looking like Nick Nolte’s mug shot (google it) and we’ve got a problem. Our days are consumed talking to people on screens. We conduct business, make decisions, swap gossip. The picture quality is okay, the sound works okay, and those who are feel-

ing terrifically insecure about their appearance at any given time can always choose to turn off their camera. This is of some comfort … to them. They, of course, can still see everyone else, which doesn’t seem fair to those of us who remain exposed as even

catalyst for moving back here,” he said. Midwood for a short time worked for Rob Fecteau, owner of BirchTree Bread Co. in Worcester, whom he first met when they both were employed at a Boston hotel. After talking to Allen Fletcher, owner of Worcester Public Market, Midwood made the decision to launch Pasta Mani. “Originally, I wanted a small restaurant,” said Midwood, “but the public market won out.” Pasta Mani, he said, is the “culmination of 26 years of cooking, learning and loving food.” He and his wife (a sommelier) are Worcester homeowners. They recently became parents of their first child, a son. After the targeted reopening in May, Midwood said, he plans to take over more space, adding 10 more seats and a communal table. “We should be able to seat 30,” said Midwood. If you’re able, take a break from

cooking and carb-up on some of the city’s best fresh pasta. Vin Bin still taking care of customers The Vin Bin, 91 Main St., Marlboro, is among businesses that offer a variety of weekly specials for takeout and delivery. Owner Rick Lombardi shared this update: “The Vin Bin offers free delivery to our communities — Marlboro, Southboro and Hopkinton — with a minimum $50 purchase. Because deliveries are generally at the end of the day, we suggest customers who want hot sandwiches who can’t make it, order via Doordash, our third-party partner. I believe they have waived or adjusted delivery fees for the time being. “Otherwise, we have been delivering everything in our store from chocolate bars, pretzels, freshly cut wedges of cheese to cases of wine and craft beer,” said Lombardi.

more average-looking at home than in the office (where we at least try for something better). I’ve never accepted a job expecting to appear on camera. Other than a gift for feigning interest during a PowerPoint presentation, I’m talentless at acting. And not once have I volunteered to have my photo taken. You’d heard of Brad Pitt? Well I’m the guy who looks nothing like him. (I may or may not have used that line in a past column, but as we are in the midst of a global crisis I feel perfectly justified to reach into my personal stockpile. Surely in these unprecedented times you understand.) Like everyone else, I’ve reluctantly adjusted to my new on-camera life. While my coworkers and I are impatient to resume our in-person interactions, we believe seeing a friendly and familiar face in any fashion is better than a disembodied phone conversation. It’s also fun to play the ad-hoc roles of set designer and cinematographer for our own films and to consider how others have accepted the challenge — through the lens we can spy on colleagues’ choice of art and furniture and render silent judgment.

One major difference separates the mini-movies we stage every day and an actual film set. Remember the notorious audio clip of Christian Bale eviscerating a technician who’d wandered into his view as he filmed a scene from “Terminator Salvation”? We are not Christian Bale. We crave distraction and disruption. There’s nothing better than to watch a coworker’s horrified spouse suddenly realize they’re in the shot then scamper out of camera range. Intrusive cats and dogs are always good for a laugh. And kids? I was in a large group meeting last week when a participant sat her smiling 8-month-old daughter on her lap. It was a good thing. By now we know the hazards of directing ourselves. There’s the viral video of a woman who unintentionally recorded her trip to the bathroom during a meeting, and another of someone who couldn’t figure out how to remove the filter that gave her face the appearance of a talking potato. These are all very human occurrences, and besides, nobody ever told us when we make our homegrown movies that we couldn’t make a comedy.

Curbside is a breeze, he said. “Our customers pull right up to the door, call us and we bring the goodies out to them generally with a “no touch, no harm policy.” Vin Bin’s “burgers curbside” at the Main Street location is “weather permitting” on either Wednesday or Thursday, said Lombardi. Chef Mike Lombardi, son of Rick and Julie Lombardi, fires up the grill. Specialty Grilled Cheese All Day is available on the non-burger day. Note: I personally can attest the Vin Bin’s grilled cheese sandwiches are the best ever! Jazzed up versions, plus more. The Vin Bin also has created a Chicken Parm special on Tuesday nights (after 4 p.m.) in Marlboro. Customers can reserve the sandwich during the day (508) 480-9463 and pick up at night. “Because of the ever changing COVID-19 restrictions and advisories, we haven’t ruled out or made any policy permanent,”

said Lombardi. “We do what we can do to serve our public and keep everyone safe. I will say customers have been extraordinarily kind and understanding, which really goes a long way with our staff. It’s difficult working in these conditions, but to know that our guests openly appreciate the effort is rewarding.” Email info@thevinbin.com for information about the Little Red Truck Delivery Service. Orders taken before 4 p.m. are guaranteed same day delivery. Visit https:// thevinbin.com for information about specials, etc. Support local businesses! Curbside pickup at Pair, Poured & Plated Pair, Poured & Plated, 290 W. Main St., Northboro, is open for curbside pickup. Owners Jean Killeen and David Tiberii encourage customers to order by phone, (508) 466-7786, or send email to info@pairpouredplated.com. Visit www.pairedpoured-

CITY LIFE

T H E N E XT D RA F T

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 17

working with a much smaller staff, then we’ve gotten even more on the technical side, like what that means for the beer in the tanks right now,” she said. “Obviously beer is a living, breathing thing; you can’t just leave it there, shut all the lights off and come back in a month or two. We get into how their brewing processes have changed: With Jack’s Abby, they have a couple different brewing teams coming in at different times, really cutting down on the amount of interaction people are having in the production space.” The tasting with Jack’s Abby co-founder Jack Hendler also revealed how his brewery lost more than revenue when it could no longer invite people inside its beer hall to eat and drink. “If they’re doing smaller one-off batches, their taproom is really where they get feedback on those beers if they’re trying something new,” Healy said. “That’s another thing they’ve lost for now: the opportunity to release something in a controlled environment and get feedback from people.” Redemption Rock Brewing Co. co-founder Dan Carlson was behind the scenes for the brewery’s virtual tasting last month, watch-

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

A virtual beer tasting with Christine Healy, founder and CEO of Craft’d Company, in the top box, and Dani Babineau and Greg Carlson, co-founders of Redemption Rock Brewing Co., in the bottom frame.

the sauce and spice co.

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Boston Market offers Easter takeout menu Boston Market is among the restaurants offering Easter options with its Holiday Heat & Serve Meals. In Worcester, there’s a Boston Market at 14 Park Ave. The Holiday Heat & Serve Meals are chilled, fully cooked complete

distraction,” Night Shift wrote in an Instagram post. A new shipment of Heady Topper and Focal Banger will be hitting stores this week, Night Shift said. Night Shift is updating the list of stores that have the beer here: drive.google.com/ file/d/1qHOaSVxjd57px--AZunWA5pGX9oOhxSr/view Speaking of popular Green Mountain State businesses, Jasper Hill Farm, the Greensboro, Vermont, cheesemaker, has partnered with Framingham’s Jack’s Abby on a new cheese. Jasper Hill washed a Willoughby cheese with Jack’s Abby’s Blood Orange Wheat, adding a slightly fruity note and wheat character to the cheese’s rich buttery texture and slightly herbal, earthy flavor. The cheese will be available only at Hannaford supermarkets this week.

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plated.com. Follow social media for product posts. Store hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Customers who enter the store are asked to sanitize hands at the front, wear a mask and refrain from touching anything in the store, according to the owners. “We’ll gladly pick your items and answer any questions,” said Killeen, who with her husband, thank customers for their continued support and cooperation. “Stay safe. Stay healthy,” is their message.

meals that include entrées, sides and pies to feed four to 12. Pickup is from April 10-12. Choose from Spiral-Sliced Ham, Boneless Honey-Glazed Ham, Boneless Roasted Turkey Breast or a combination of Boneless Roasted Turkey Breast and Boneless Half Honey-Glazed Ham. On Easter Sunday, Boston Market will offer Special Easter Family and Individual Meals for takeout, curbside pickup or delivery. The individual meals feature a choice of Boneless Honey-Glazed Ham, Boneless Roasted Turkey Breast or Signature Rotisserie Chicken served with a choice of two sides, fresh-baked cornbread and a slice of apple pie for $13.99 while supplies last. Orders can be placed on Boston Market’s website, www.bostonmarket.com.

buy Heady Topper, often dubbed the “original gangster” of New England IPAs, was to follow the Alchemist’s delivery trucks around the Champlain Valley. It’s easier now, but you still have to drive to Vermont. Not this week. With everyone hunkered down because of the coronavirus outbreak, the Alchemist is shipping beer to local stores in Massachusetts with help from Night Shift’s distribution company. “We understand that we are all living in strange and stressful times and collectively, we hope that some happiness from Vermont will be a temporary

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ing as fellow founders Dani Babineau and Greg Carlson chatted about the obligations of a B-corp and their excitement over the release of two new beers: “The Birds,” a double IPA, and “The Beers,” weissbier with honey and citrus peel. Healy’s tastings present an opportunity for craft beer to recapture what it’s lost in these uncertain times, Carlson said. “The barriers between the people making the beer and running the brewery are pretty narrow, and that’s what makes craft beer pretty unique,” he said. “It’s a good way for her to take that cool craft beer experience and translate it to the virtual world.” Tasting Notes Night Shift Brewing Co. in Everett is working with fabled Vermont brewer The Alchemist to bring Massachusetts fresh cans of Heady Topper and Focal Banger. At one time, the only way to

CITY LIFE

ADOPTION OPTION

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A P R I L 9 - 15, 2020

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.

Meet Choco! This handsome guy is Choco. Choco is a big boy

with a lot of love to give. Choco enjoys going for walks and playing with stuffed toys. He is very strong, even while wearing a harness. A bit of basic training would really help with his walking manners. Choco is very interested when he sees other dogs, however he comes on very strong and intensely, which may make the other dog uncomfortable. He does play very rough. Choco would be best suited in a home with older children and possibly being your only pet. Doggy play dates may be more suitable, rather than Choco living in a home with another dog. If you would like to meet Choco please contact the shelter at 508-853-0030 or email us at info@worcesterarl.org.

WARL COVID-19 Update As of March 25, 2020 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to quickly evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our team protected. • ADOPTIONS: At this time, adoptions are being held BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you are interested in adoption, please visit our website worcesterarl.org/adopt/ to learn more about our available animals then call us at (508) 853-0030 ext.0 or email us at info@worcesterarl. org to schedule an appointment. • Casual visits to the shelter are prohibited. We will strictly enforce this in order to keep our animal care team protected while still maintaining the most essential function of our operation...finding homes for animals in need. • ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030. • SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off/pick up procedures.

• DONATIONS: We will not be accepting linens of any kind or used, stuffed dog toys. While we are grateful for your thoughtfulness, we will not accept these donations if brought to the shelter. • Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can be purchased online from our Amazon Wishlist - https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0 • Weekly training classes are suspended until further notice. • The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we can. • The WARL Annual Kitten Shower, scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 2020, will be held “virtually”. More information will be available soon. 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.

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f*$#" 48 Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy, e.g. 49 Second squad in a game, perhaps 50 "Au revoir!" 51 Classroom sphere 56 Onetime capital on the Rhine 57 Work on Wikipedia, e.g. 58 Does some hair coloring 60 Bro's sib 62 Accessory on "RuPaul's Drag Race" 63 Hematite, for one

Last week's solution

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Down 1 ___ it seems 2 Sum work? 3 Birds with green eggs 4 Diploma alternative 5 "Whenever you want"

6 Like some plane tickets 7 Hall formerly of "The Tonight Show" 8 Vending machine contents, maybe 9 Attempt to contact again 10 "Law & Order" spinoff, initially 11 TV kid in the lower left corner 12 Food with a pimiento 13 Rides around Manhattan 18 One-named Irish rocker 23 Pet parakeet, say, to meme makers 25 Join together 27 Home improvement letters 28 Can in a bar 29 Basic verb in Versailles 30 Hand-cranked instrument 31 Excavator 35 Sings outside a window (hey, that's distancing!) 36 Modigliani work, often 37 "By jove!" 39 Workplace with non-union members 42 Bulldog's cousin 43 Controversial director Kazan 44 More pleased 45 Extra A's take it from "That feels good" to "What the

A P R I L 9 - 15, 2020

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Across 1 Last letter 6 Part of R&R 10 "Nae" sayer? 14 Japanese dish meaning "pulled noodles" 15 You can smell it from a dumpster fire 16 '80s "This Old House" host Bob 17 Friend who helps with homework 19 Computer operating system developed by Bell Labs 20 Aptly named Quaker cereal 21 Measure for weighing boats 22 Tirane's land, for short 24 506, in Roman numerals 25 Word before chimes or chill 26 Gave the go-ahead 28 Powerful giant 32 Chicago daily, briefly 33 Chopin technical piece 34 Australian actress in "Damages" and "Bridesmaids" 38 Lapse 39 Edmonton hockey player 40 Leo/Virgo mo. 41 Flakes in a pizzeria packet 44 "In-A-___-Da-Vida" 46 Christmas season 47 Shown again 49 Identifying, on Facebook 52 Nautical zookeeper 53 Relative of .org 54 Language seen at some gubernatorial press conferences 55 "So what else?" 56 Retirement spot? 59 Goes on the radio 61 Buffalo Bob Smith's puppet 64 Health plan prefix 65 Dramatic honor 66 Jim Henson character 67 Accepts as true 68 Battleship markers 69 Leases an apartment

"No Time, 2 DY"--aka DY, another DY. by Matt Jones

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A P R I L 9 - 15, 2020

LEGALS Section 00.11.13 ADVERTISEMENT TO BID The Building Futures, Inc./Worcester Housing Authority, the Awarding Authority, invites sealed bids from General Contractors for the Office Building Renovations in Worcester Massachusetts, in accordance with the documents prepared by HELENE KARL Architects, Inc.. The Project consists of: renovation of an existing 41,500 SF office building. The scope includes demolition; limited site work; reconfiguration & new layout of the building; construction of a new 7000 SF addition; and new finishes, fire protection, plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems. Note: The construction will be administered using BidDocs ONLINE’s construction module. The work is estimated to cost $5,450,000. Bids are subject to M.G.L. c.149 §44A-J & to minimum wage rates as required by M.G.L. c.l49 §§26 to 27H inclusive. THIS PROJECT IS BEING ELECTRONICALLY BID AND HARD COPY BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please review the instructions in the bid documents on how to register as an electronic bidder. The bids are to be prepared and submitted at www.biddocsonline.com . Tutorials and instructions on how to complete the electronic bid documents are available online (click on the "Tutorial" tab at the bottom footer). General bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the following category of work, General Building Construction, and must submit a current DCAMM Certificate of Eligibility and signed DCAMM Prime/General Contractor Update Statement. General Bids will be received until 2:00 PM on Thursday, 23 April 2020 and publicly opened online, forthwith. Filed Sub-bids for the trades listed below will be received until 2:00 PM on Thursday, 16 April 2020 and publicly opened online, 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 10 00 - Waterproofing, Dampproofing and Caulking Section 07 50 00 - Roofing and Flashing Section 08 80 00 - Glass and Glazing Section 09 30 00 - Tile Section 09 50 00 - Acoustical Tile Section 09 90 00 - Painting Section 21 00 00 - Fire Protection Sprinkler Systems Section 22 00 00 - Plumbing Section 23 00 00 - HVAC Section 26 00 00 - Electrical Work All Bids should be submitted online at www.biddocsonline.com and received no later than the date and time specified above. 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 for pick-up at www.biddocsonline.com (may be viewed electronically and hardcopy requested) or at Nashoba Blue, Inc. at 433 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 (978-568-1167). There is a plan deposit of $150.00 per set (maximum of 2 sets) payable to BidDocs ONLINE Inc. Plan deposits may be electronically paid or by check. This deposit will be refunded for up to two sets for general bidders and for one set for subbidders upon return of the sets in good condition within thirty (30) days of receipt of general bids. Otherwise the deposit shall be the property of the Awarding Authority. Additional sets may be purchased for $150.00. Bidders requesting Contract Documents to be mailed to them shall include a separate check for $ 40.00 per set for UPS Ground (or $65.00 per set for UPS overnight), nonrefundable, payable to the BidDocs ONLINE Inc., to cover mail handling costs. PRE-BID CONFERENCE / SITE VISIT: Date and Time: Wednesday, 8 April 2020 at 9:00 AM Address: 630 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA Instructions: Meet outside in the parking lot at the main entrance of the building. The Contract Documents may be seen, but not removed at: Worcester Housing Authority Nashoba Blue Inc. 40 Belmont Street 433 Main Street Worcester, MA 01605 Hudson, MA 01749 978-568-1167

NOVENA PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF M.L.C. 225 SEC. 39A THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD APRIL 18, 2020 TO SATISFY OUR GARAGE LIEN THEREON FOR TOWING AND STORAGE CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF SALE AND NOTICE: 1986 FORD RANGER VIN 1FTCR14TXGPB52138 2007 MERCEDES BENZ C-280 VIN WDBRF92H97F895877 2012 HONDA ACCORD VIN 1HGCP2F63CA084010 2007 AUDI Q7 VIN WA1BV741X7D061425 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VIN 5NMSG73D27H050288 2014 JEEP WRANGLER VIN 1C4BJWDG7EL133263 THE SALE WILL BE HELD AT EARLY’S ON PARK AVENUE, INC AT 536 PARK AVENUE WORCESTER, MA 01603

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin (Never known to fail) O most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity, O Star of the Sea, help me and show me where you are my mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity, (make request). There are none that can withstand your power, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (three times). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (three times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and you must publish it and your request will be granted to you. JAA

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LAST CALL

Kim Salmon Fallon Health director of community relations K im Salmon has been an instrumental voice in mobilizing the Worcester Together Program in response to COVID-19.

It sounds like you are connecting a lot of different resource providers. We knew this network of caring and loving people existed, but now we are seeing its impact more clearly. In one case, we had an older blind adult living in East Mountain Village who said that she couldn’t get out to buy groceries or cleaning supplies. The Legendary Legacies is a group of young men, led by Ron Waddell, overcoming challenging upbringings to become role models and productive citizens. This group of young men is delivering food and supporting our seniors. They were the first ones to take on the challenge of getting supplies to that woman in East Mountain Village. We have so many unsung heroes who are coming together to truly make a difference right now.

Who are some of the other superstars right now? Gina Plata-Nino of Community Legal Aid is helping to get our most vulnerable families on SNAP. Another group of people who I want to mention is the interfaith community. They have a separate task force helping to identify volunteers and food supplies. Everyone is really coming together to maintain the shelters under the leadership of Dr. Mattie Castiel. I mean, there’s so many amazing people who are part of this effort and I am humbled to work with them. Just to have a place at the table and for my voice to be considered important enough to be a part of this whole effort has meant a tremendous amount to me. – Sarah Connell Sanders

It’s pretty unique that one of your specialties is senior isolation, given that seniors are the most vulnerable population in this crisis. How is that expertise informing your work? Thank you for asking. At Fallon, we are fortunate to have incredible senior programs. Everyone is doing wellness-checks. Individual phone calls are going out to all of the seniors in the community to check on them and find out if they need anything. The Worcester Senior Center is calling, on average, over 1,500 seniors a week and they’re partnering with other community resources like a group of UMass Medical School students who have

a buddy system. They have buddied up with seniors to be a resource of support, help them through any of their challenges, and just to be someone to connect with on a daily basis. We also have Elder Services of Worcester who facilitates Meals on Wheels. They’ve had double-digit increases of utilization. No one could have foreseen the fact that seniors would not have access to food. Now, we need to bridge this gap on weekends as well. So, they’re also preparing meals, freezing them and getting them to seniors — all no-contact. They’re working in collaboration with the Worcester Housing Authority and other organizations that are already doing outreach and have consistently been strong resources for seniors.

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I know your work has shifted over the last few weeks. Can you explain the importance of Worcester Together and tell us about your role? Tim Garvin of United Way and City Councilor Sarai Rivera wanted to organize a core group of

I know you are leading several of the breakout committees. Which ones are you involved in? I co-chair the subcommittee on food insecurity and I’m also involved in senior isolation, health and mental health access, and immigrants and undocumented people. I’m creating agendas and working to keep us all organized

and coordinated. Each of those subcommittees meets twice a week and then we report out twice a week at the main task force. We want to start the week understanding what we need to take on and what has changed. We want to end the week making sure that nobody goes into the weekend without the resources they need. It’s heartwarming to see everything that has transpired and come together. It’s what we’ve always said, “Worcester is a community like no other.”

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What are your typical responsibilities at Fallon Health? I’m responsible for Fallon’s annual giving — everything from their corporate contributions to their grants that really help to support the most underserved members of our community. We try to find programs that help to address their social determinants to positive health outcomes. I also oversee a tri-annual community health assessment in partnership with UMass Memorial Healthcare and with Worcester’s Division of Public Health. We just completed our third comprehensive community health assessment and we will be doing another one in 2021. It is a collaboration to truly understand the barriers that our area faces. We address everything from housing and food insecurity to senior isolation. It’s amazing when you think about how the work that we have done through the years is proving to be a tool for the work that we’re doing today. All of the challenges that we were aware of have been heightened through COVID-19. I also lead all of Fallon’s community facing events — conferences and symposiums. I am responsible for their annual reporting to the Attorney General, which is a requirement for nonprofit health plans. I serve as co-chair of our cultural council for employees and run a lot of our internal employee engagement activities, volunteer outreach and board leadership. I help to identify our leaders and connect our employees with opportunities that are community facing.

leaders in the community to come together after the hurricane in Puerto Rico that displaced many people and led them to relocate to Worcester. They wanted to expand the bandwidth of that core group and build it out to be an all encompassing task force that could come together and evaluate what’s happening on a daily basis to determine how we can pivot as a community. I say “pivot” because I think that’s the best way to describe how we must respond to what comes up and be a resource to all. From that original group, we broke off into several different task forces. This includes groups focused on food insecurity, housing, senior isolation, mental health access, children and youth, and family supports and resources. It has broken off into deeper layers. One need that I could not have foreseen is called “Operation Toilet Paper.” We’re working with large corporations and colleges to help supply toilet paper for the community. They are working remotely, so they have a significant supply that they are able to donate. Who would’ve thought during a pandemic, we would be challenged by having a lack of toilet paper? Worcester Housing Authority is distributing it directly to seniors who are in isolation. This has been a godsend. The level of collaboration has been phenomenal. In another case, we need personal protective equipment (PPE). The schools have nursing programs and dental programs that make use of PPE on a daily basis. We were able to tap into those unused supplies. Everyone has come together to fill the demand and bridge the gaps, which has been amazing.

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