Worcester Magazine June 4 - 10, 2020

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Finding the path forward

Mechanics Hall faces challenges in wake of pandemic

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the cover Mechanics Hall is lit up in a 2018 photo.

Story on page 6 Photo by Ashley Green Design by Shiela Nealon

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CITY VOICES

HARVEY

LETTERS

Deja vu, all over again

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t’s 1968 and I am 12.

Seared in my memory is John F. Kennedy’s funeral five years earlier. It plays in my head as I stare at the television screen, a still shot of black men and women pointing in the direction of gunfire that killed the man on the floor of the balcony, the one I know to be Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Chicago, Baltimore, and Cincinnati are in flames. Parts of the nation’s capital are smoldering rubble. Arson and looting and bloodshed dominate the evening broadcasts. The country is burning.

It’s 1968 and I am 12, and two months after Bobby Kennedy breaks the news to supporters that Reverend King has been murdered, he too is gunned down by an assassin.

The world is burning around me. There’s no escaping the shift; the ground beneath me is falling away as I watch television. The words “BREAKING NEWS” have a crippling effect on me. When I see them or hear Walter Cronkite say them, I freeze, frightened. What now?

I’m the kind of kid who can’t look away, who can’t line the bird cage with the headlines until I’ve read them.

I don’t know yet that ra-

cial tensions will continue to be stoked by a presidential candidate who has always used threats and bullying tactics against people of color to appeal to white voters.

In four short years, a man named Arthur Bremer will shoot and paralyze for life George Wallace, but that won’t put an end to the division he sowed. It seems like nothing will.

I watch the nightly news; soldiers are dying in jungles far away. The ones who come home are spat upon for taking part in a war no one understands, or even remembers how it began. The Democratic con-

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vention in August is terrifying to watch as protesters against the Vietnam War are bludgeoned, beaten and maced by Chicago’s riot police. My father is a World War II vet and over supper, there are heated arguments between Dad and my draft-age older brother. Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew will squeak out a victory over Hubert Humphrey to become president and vice president, which will aggravate my father, a life-long Democrat who despises Nixon.

I cover my ears, but I can still hear the angry words I don’t want to hear.

It’s 2020 and I am no longer 12. The nightly news is served up 24/7 now, and the likes of Walter Cronkite are nowhere to be found. Another black man has been murdered by a white police officer, but in 2020 such things are captured by the cameras everyone carries. Cities

are burning as thousands take to the street in protest. Reporters are being hit with rubber bullets by law enforcement. All of this is happening in the midst of a pandemic that has killed over 100,000 people, and is still claiming lives across the nation and worldwide. In the White House the host of a canceled reality TV show, now an impeached president, is in charge.

Forty million people have filed for unemployment in 10 weeks.

The words “BREAKING NEWS” still terrify me.

I am no longer 12, and so I reach back into my memory for the times that followed 1968, that year when I was sure the world was ending. Things did improve, in many ways, though the stubborn ugliness that is racism only lulled us into thinking it had fallen away. Competent leaders were elected, by

and large, until 2016. I soothe myself with the still-firm belief that a democracy must occasionally kick off its shoes and run barefoot into the fray in order to right things. All of these things I consider from behind a cloth mask, trying to teach from my living room the kids I can’t always find and don’t feel up to learning much.

“This too shall pass,” my father often said. I’m leaning on those words now.

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA FIRST PERSON

WORCESTERIA

Remembering Mount St. Helens in the time of pandemic

CAROLYN HOWE

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Anger and resentment boiled beneath the camaraderie of the demonstration. It was nonviolent, but it wasn’t peaceful.

BOSTON: After the demonstration I picked up my friend and headed

to Nubian Square in Roxbury to join the Boston march. The scale was stunning. Thousands upon thousands of people filled the square as organizers shouted out the number to call if you get arrested. A sea of people dressed in black flooded down Washington Avenue for the roughly three-mile march to the State House. The demonstration was so large it was hard to tell if you were in the front or the back or just how many people were there. As protesters filled Boston Common from multiple angles, the size became even more apparent. At the gates of the State House, a mood of anticipation quickly gave way to a feeling of futility. Nothing was going to happen, no climactic moment. The order of things that has resulted in so many black deaths and the systematic oppression of so many communities would not be changed in any way by this grand gesture alone. That’s when the violence started. People threw water bottles at cops and pounded on windows. Cops in full riot gear body armor appeared out of the pitch black of Boston Common.

Tear gas canisters shot off like grenades as protesters and cops engaged in an attrition battle for territory. Down by the Walgreens and the liquor store which you probably saw endlessly on bad faith TV news coverage, the protesters won. I saw the cops form a perimeter and cede the territory to the demonstrators as they waited for the National Guard to come. In that brief moment, those few hours, people who have been oppressed for their entire lives by a system designed to see them fail won a battle against the oppressor. There were fireworks in the street and motorcycle burnouts and people dancing. It was triumphant. A victory in a truly Boston tradition. You will never hear it described that way in mainstream media outlets or by politicians. It’s in their class interest to describe it in literally any other way, and it seems they’ve settled on “looters” and “bad protesters.” So be it.

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the people, the wildlife, the plants, now buried under 300 feet of hot ash. The moonscape that had been Mount St. Helens gave rise to a sense of hopelessness. Was life, as we knew it, over for the mountain?

Then one day, two years later, a young ecologist spotted a single flower pushing through the ash. That small dwarf purple lupine became an ecosystem.

Its legumes produced soil nitrogen and bird wings brought nitrogen-seeking seeds. Little plants grew. And they decayed and enriched the soil. And insects came and decayed and enriched the soil, and new plants grew and rodents returned. And foxes. And elk.

A tug on the leash brings me back to the present. My dog sniffs at the purple flower then pulls me into another patch of warm evening sun.

Carolyn Howe lived in Portland from 1978 through summer 1980, and was there when Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. She is Associate Professor Emerita at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.

WORCESTER: I’m going to take a different tack for this one, folks. I’m just going to tell you about the day I had Sunday, in roughly chronological order and to the best of my ability remembering. I went to two demonstrations against the systemic brutality of the American police state and the destruction it has wrought against communities of color. First in Worcester, then in Boston. In Worcester, I caught up with the demonstration in front of the Worcester County Courthouse. Upon my arrival, the entire crowd of hundreds of people was on one knee and silent in front of an institution that has thrown so many lives to the garbage pail of the American prison system, ripping apart families and whole communities. It was a powerful sight. There was a palpable energy as speakers took turns shouting into megaphones barely audible above the chants from the crowd. As the march carried on from the courthouse to City Hall, hundreds of cars drove by and honked in support. Passengers yelled out the window. People cheered, chanted and laughed. The feeling of solidarity, camaraderie and lightness of spirit was inescapable. In front of City Hall, the momentum of positive energy continued to build.

The crescendo, to my mind, was when a woman in the middle of the crowd laid down and put her hands on her head. After a few seconds, a man joined her, laying by her side with his hands behind his back. A third joined, then a fourth. Soon, the entire center of the demonstration was face down on the ground chanting “I can’t breathe.” With my face pressed to the pavement, I tried to put myself in George Floyd’s shoes — the knee of a man callously indifferent to my life pressed against my neck as I call out for help that doesn’t come then call for my dead mother until I choke to death.

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shaped mountain we always enjoyed seeing between the trees was just – gone. It was a flattened butte. We learned that the explosion instantly erased everything for eight miles. Melting snow became flooding rapids, turning virgin old-growth trees into draglines that flattened 230 square miles of vegetation, two hundred buildings, miles of roads and bridges, agricultural land, nests, dens, killing herds of deer and elk, and 57 humans.

The ash drifted eastward creating whiteouts in towns and on farms. Within a week, another explosion and a shift in wind patterns brought a heavy dusting of toxic volcanic ash to Portland. With every step a cloud of of white enveloped people, threatened lungs, clogged machines and sewers.

Cars were banned, schools were closed, everyone wore masks.

The ash had to be hauled away, and fast. Signs were posted all over town: “No Parking. Ash Removal.”

Like others, I grieved for the mountain, the old-growth trees,

BILL SHANER

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pandemic in spring comes with long rainy days. But this evening the clouds pull back so I grab my mask and rush outside with my dog for a walk in an unusually brilliant bit of sunshine.

There in my yard behind dry day lily plants are two daffodils and a purple flower I don’t remember planting. A sudden aura of joy flows through and around me and transports me to a time forty years ago, thousands of miles away.

It was a rare sunny day, a mid-May Sunday in Portland, Oregon. We had ridden our bikes west on Killingsworth for a picnic brunch near the Willamette River, oblivious of all but blue sky and water. Riding back home we came round a corner, looked up, and were stunned to see a giant billowing plume of ash towering into the sky from fifty miles away. Later we learned it had been there all morning, but we hadn’t noticed.

We watched from our tiny balcony all afternoon and by morning the ice-cream-cone-

A tale of two protests

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Weathering the storm

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Mechanics Hall faces challenges in wake of pandemic Kathleen M. Gagne, executive director Mechanics Hall.

PHOTO/ASHLEY GREEN

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RICHARD DUCKET T

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organization,” Gagne said. “I do see in the end a very bright future for Mechanics Hall. I’m confident that we’ll resume our place among the beloved concert halls.”

But in the short term at least, there will likely be some more rainy days ahead. “We’re not looking to reopen for large events any time soon,” Gagne said.

The Worcester County Mechanics Association, a not-for-profit organization established in 1842, owns and operates Mechanics Hall. The Great Hall at Mechanics Hall can seat more than 1,200 people, with Washburn Hall a few hundred and the Boynton salon usually good for smaller gatherings. Besides concerts often featuring international orchestras and soloists, Mechanics Hall also hosts events such as graduations and weddings, both of which would have been especially popular this time of year. Mechanics Hall also has excellent recording facilities, and many famous artists such as Yo-Yo Ma have gone there to take advantage of the building’s renowned acoustics for their recordings.

All of the activities have been hit hard by the pandemic.

“It’s a very challenging time.

We’ve experienced tremendous revenue loss,” Gagne said.

By the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, Mechanics Hall will have lost about $500,000 out of a $1.9 million budget, she said.

“Revenue expectations based on previous years are unrealistic and I expect cumulative lost revenue through at least January if not spring 2021. Seventy-three percent our revenue is derived from Hall rentals and the rest is donated by individuals, businesses and foundations.”

Massachusetts has announced a plan for reopening the economy in four phases. As for Mechanics Hall, reopening for public events “will be a complicated, phased-in process that has to make sense for comfort and safety of our patrons and clients and it has to make fiscal sense,” Gagne said. “As the state guidelines indicate right now, venues can begin to open in Phase 3, which at the earliest is the first week of July. We have no

J U N E 4 - 10, 2020

WORCESTER — When it rains, it pours — as the saying goes.

Mechanics Hall, the historic world-famous concert hall built in 1857, had officially closed March 14 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant income from hosting events such as concerts (including Music Worcester’s Worcester Chorus and Jeremy Denk programs) was already being lost.

Then “we had the roof incident,” said Mechanics Hall executive director Kathleen M. Gagne last week while talking about all of the impacts to the building and organization recently.

The copper roof sustained significant damage in a wind and rainstorm on April 13 which brought peak gusts of nearly 60 mph through the area. The roofing in the southeast corner of the building peeled loose from its anchors, exposing the underlayment, causing leaking and damage to the roof insulation and plaster and flooring damage in the Great Hall.

Fortunately, the damage could have been much worse if not for Alfonso Orellana, a Harvard Maintenance Co. employee, who happened to be shampooing carpet on the ninth floor of a neighboring MCPHS University building on Foster Street. There was no one in Mechanics Hall at the time and nothing in view from the street would have indicated the problem, but Orellana saw what was happening, and in 30 minutes the Mechanics Hall facilities staff and Barnard Roofing were on-site.

“It’s been replaced,” Gagne said of the roof. “The insulation will be replaced in the coming weeks.

Contractors are starting to come back to work. What could have been a disaster wasn’t, and I’m very grateful for that … He (Orellana) spotted it. I think he saw it within minutes of its occurrence.

The water was pouring in. I’m so relieved,” she said.

Hopefully, it’s a harbinger as Mechanics Hall looks for light at the end of the pandemic crisis.

“I’m a naturally optimistic person so it’s been very hard to comprehend all the effects on our

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indication of the numbers of people that will be allowed to gather, but we expect it will be fewer than 50. Large events are not going to happen before Phase 4, and Phase 4 at this time is nebulous ... So far, our clients have been very understanding of the circumstances and most have moved their events to 2021. “ Weddings are a particular loss for emotional reasons — “families plan wedding celebrations for 18-24 months and to change those plans so abruptly causes grief in a very real sense,” Gagne said.

When Mechanics Hall closed March 14, it laid off its event staff.

The organization did secure a Payroll Protection Program loan/ grant, which allows its current small staff to continue to be paid, but that money will be depleted by mid-June, Gagne said. “There may be additional furloughs on the horizon, which will dampen our ability to even host smaller events.”

However, “Indications are that people are anxious for a COVID-19 vaccine before they are completely comfortable attending events of 50 or 100 people or more,” Gagne noted. “It is difficult to predict the next three to six months because there are so many variables in event hosting: When will clients be ready to host events? Can they absorb added COVID-related costs? Can they afford to host an event with limited attendance?

Will people come? Under what physical circumstances within our Hall can events of any size take place? Our usual cleaning procedures are quite thorough, and we are prepared to follow the COVID-19 cleaning guidelines, but it will add costs and the number of staff needed to prepare for and clean after events. We have looked at dozens of seating arrangements — both theater-style and table seating. None are ideal, some are impractical, nearly all have costeffectiveness issues for clients and for the Hall.

“Cultural events that include large numbers of performers — orchestras or choral groups — for example, are terribly impacted.

Our clients who draw large numbers — Music Worcester and the Worcester Youth Orchestras come

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis performed Jan. 12 at Mechanics Hall. especially to mind — will need to change their way of presenting until the COVID precautions are behind us ... That creates a domino effect that is bleak for Mechanics Hall. We will work with clients to help deliver cultural and community events as that becomes possible.”

The roof incident wasn’t quite the end of the matter when it came to dealing with April showers. “The spring was a very heavy rainy season. We did have another separate issue. One of our roof drains clogged and caused additional damage and so we’re waiting on contractors to come and fix that,” Gagne said.

Maintenance staff have been in the building every day and some office staff were likely to begin returning this week. “But we’re encouraging people who are able to stay at home to do so,” Gagne said. “I don’t think the office will be back to normal, meaning everyone in the office, for a long

time.”

On the plus side, Mechanics Hall will be focusing on its recording business in the days ahead. Live streaming might also be a possible monetizing strategy including “some people in the hall and others watching remotely,” Gagne said.

“It is not possible for us to freely broadcast orchestral or other performances from the past; such recordings are not our property … In the future? Things may look very differently in that aspect,” Gagne said.

Mechanics Hall has about $2.8 million in reserve. “That may seem like a lot of money, but it has taken us 40-plus years to accumulate,” Gagne said. “We do take a modest draw on the earnings each year and we dare not increase the draw now — doing so would pirate from future investment gain opportunities. We cannot jeopardize the long-term future of the Hall for a short-term fix. Our

normal operating costs are about $100,000 monthly. The purpose of creating reserves at this point in our history is to have a sufficient pool of funds that can support operating our historic property in the typical slow times, which are summer and winter — now and 10 years from now and 10 years after that. Taking too much too soon will cause deeper issues in the future. My job, with the help of trustees, is to build that reserve as much as possible so that we can safely, annually, navigate the slower times and also at times when the overall economy is slow.

Our reserve is simply insufficient to sustain Mechanics Hall right now.”

Meanwhile, Mechanics Hall has a “Bridge the Gap” fundraising campaign up on its website, mechanicshall.org. The loss of great events, income, potential loss of staff, and the roof incident are all mentioned. “The solution: You!” the campaign states.

T&G STAFF/CHRISTINE PETERSON

“It’s been going fine. It’s a struggle for any organization right now not in health and human services, and we fully understand that. But I think as time goes by donations will become stronger.

We need support,” Gagne said.

Prior to the pandemic, Mechanics Hall had announced several initiatives, including a “Many Voices” project aimed at bringing in more youth involvement, and more diverse cultural programming for all. “These remain priorities and are being worked on in spite of our closed doors,” Gagne said.

“I see a very bright future for Mechanics Hall. Not today and not in the coming few months, but I am confident that, with community support, Mechanics Hall will resume its place among the world’s great concert halls and as a beloved community gathering place,” she said.

“The prospect of engaging our youth in opportunities that bring

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Kathleen M. Gagne says, “I do see in the end a very bright future for Mechanics Hall.”

“Mechanics Hall is an irreplaceable treasure and it has weathered some very rough times in the past. Our clients, our patrons, our donors, have indicated to us how important Mechanics Hall is to them and to our city. When times are better, they will come back and we will welcome them and celebrate. But we have to be ready with strength,” Gagne said.

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them into worlds they may not otherwise learn about is thrilling.

Arts and culture are the answer. If we think we don’t understand each other, arts and culture are the great equalizers that unveil universal truths about humanity. They open our eyes and minds and spirits. Mechanics Hall has an important role to play in allowing our community to understand and enjoy cultural and community differences that ultimately bring us together.

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Jess Logfren-Curtin and Travis Duda are the creators of the Worcester Quaranzine.

PHOTO/SARAH K. DUDA

Worcester Quaranzine

gives voice to pandemic feelings

BY BILL SHANER

“T

ry to remember this,” Gabe Rollins wrote in the first edition of the Worcester Quaranzine, a new project seeking to give a platform to people to articulate thoughts about being cooped up in Worcester through a historic pandemic.

“Whatever you might be feeling about all of this right now is valid.

Do not let anyone make you feel like it isn’t. For most of us it is absolutely unprecedented what we are going through. You have every right to feel the myriad of emotions you are feeling about our situation.”

What follows Rollins’ words is a collection of weirdo outsider art, observations, doodles and diary entries that comprise the first edition of the Worcester Quaranzine.

In the true tradition of zines, a medium with do-it-yourself punk rock

roots going back to at least the ‘80s, the Quaranzine is a scattershot of ideas and art all focused on the way Worcester folks have handled the pandemic.

The second edition will be out in early June, though the organizers do not have a firm release date.

“Most of us have never faced anything like this before,” said Jess Logfren-Curtin, one of the co-creators. “So I mentioned it to Travis and the idea of putting it

into a tangible form, people could catalog it and grab it and hold onto it and read about what was going on, it was just so attractive.”

Logfren-Curtin and Travis Duda have a history of working together.

Several years ago they put out the Punk Cake Alterno Art Scene and the pair teach a class called the Worcester Youth Press Project, through Art Reach Studios. This spring, the class was on zine making, and the students in the class

contributed to the first issue of the Worcester Quaranzine.

“For the people that I talked to, this felt like an outlet they could kind of pour some of their anxiety or some of the feelings they’re going through, to get it out of their heads and into a piece of paper,” said Duda.

The first issue features pieces from people of all ages. The youngest contributor is 8 years old, there are some middle school students,

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some high school students and adults.

The second issue pulls from a larger pool of people and features more poetry and writing. But, importantly for creators, it still retains the feel of a collaborative document, a cross-section of different experiences.

“It really is running the gambit of everyone’s emotions, activities and experiences,” said Logfren-Curtin.

“We’re looking to make that sample grow in size and diversity.”

The pair intend to keep putting out the zine so long as there is interest and a need for it. They also hope the zine will serve as an interesting source document for people who in the future may write about how the quarantine affected regular people.

They’re donating physical copies of the zine to the Worcester Public Library, the Worcester Historical

Society and the Worcester Public Schools library system.

Both Logfren-Curtin and Duda came to an interest in zines through punk music. In college, Duda helped his friend produce a hardcore punk zine. Logfren-Curtin inherited an entire library from her husband, a longtime musician.

“Zines represent an ability to put your thoughts down and to self publish in a way that is unhindered,” said Duda. “You basically just need a printer and some thoughts and you can put your ideas out there and it shows the power of getting those ideas out there and the power of getting stuff that isn’t necessarily seen by major news coverage.”

The zine is available online and in print. For more information, head to the group’s Facebook page ( facebook.com/worcesterquaranzine).

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The second issue of the Worcester Quaranzine will be released in early June.

PHOTO/SARAH K. DUDA

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A golden OpporTUNEity Even during pandemic, program lets Anna Maria students teach music to Worcester kids

STEPHANIE JARVIS CAMPBELL

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incoln Street School doesn’t have a gymnasium or a performance area. Its cafeteria is the size of a classroom. But what it does have is a unique music program that, even during a pandemic, continued its tune to help the students stay connected and engaged.

Known as the OpporTUNEity program at Anna Maria College, it is a community-based initiative that pairs undergraduate students with fourth-, fifth and sixth-graders from Lincoln Street, as well as seventh-graders from Burncoat Middle School. Usually taking place at the college campus, the program shifted to online learning shortly after public schools statewide were closed due to COVID-19.

“In a time of uncertainty, we can find a sense of calmness in music,” said Dr. Melissa Martiros, director of music at Anna Maria College and founder of OpporTUNEity. “It has been truly inspiring to watch the students come together and create this virtual classroom for the children during a time when they themselves are feeling the uncertainty of the world around them.”

Recently concluding its second year at Anna Maria, OpporTUNEity had 33 students enrolled from Lincoln Street School — with a large percentage from the fourth grade alone, as well as a waiting list for next year’s program. The students

A parent-taken photo of Melissa Martiros during her first Zoom lesson with her son. “He has special needs,” says Martiros, “and we were all unsure of how the online lesson would go for him. He did great (big step for him) and this photo was snapped just before I extended a virtual [ SUBMIT TED PHOTO] high five to him between screens.” cycle through four different classes: piano; choir; music technology and Creative Expressions, where children are invited to bring their thoughts and feelings into class using a variety of methods such as coloring, drawing and writing, which eventually leads them to creating their own songs. Music education and music therapy majors from Anna Maria serve as instructors.

“OpporTUNEity is the highlight of my week,” said Juliet Maglitta,

a music education major who teaches the music technology class.

“The program is really unique. I have yet to see a program that is doing what OpporTUNEity is doing.

As for the students themselves, it really is an honor to get to work with them every week. I think the most rewarding thing is having the students have an aha moment.”

The program is essential at Lincoln Street because the school had a “really scarce music program

– and they still do,” Martiros said.

“It’s within the arts district, but they lack the resources. When they funnel into the Burncoat Middle, there’s an even bigger disadvantage because it’s an arts magnet school.”

Said Lincoln Street Principal Michelle Gabrielian, “Our kids have music once a week for 40 minutes, but nothing like this.”

OpporTUNEity aims to do just what its name says — provide these students with a chance to experi-

ence music in a way they wouldn’t otherwise. The program not only teaches the students about music, but also builds their confidence and gives them a feeling of accomplishment, Gabrielian said.

“You can definitely see everyone’s improvement,” she said. “If they’re building new skills through music, they’re going to try it in their academics. They learn practice causes improvement, and that definitely carries into academics.”

Normally, students are bused to the Anna Maria campus in Paxton on Wednesdays for the program.

“That’s a really important part,” Martiros said, “where they can see beyond school. It gives them a college experience.”

In return, this provides a “mutual exchange” of benefits for the college students who work with OpporTUNEity, said Martiros. “Most of them talk about how it’s the most meaningful aspect of their college experience,” she said.

Emily Kropo, a music therapy major and one of the piano teachers for the program, said she loves bonding with the students. “They’re finding different elements not only of music, but also of life, and finding creativity within themselves and with music,” she said.

Katelyn Sable, also a major in music therapy, said, “The most rewarding part of OpporTUNEity is seeing how the kids grow over time.

FEATURED

Emily Kroppo delivering a piano lesson to Destiny, an OpporTUNEity 7th grader, in a practice room on the Anna [ SUBMITTED PHOTO] Maria College.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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for Lincoln Street School that could be used in a similar afterschool program with lessons and additional practice time (https:// www.donorschoose.org/project/ opportuneity-awaits/4833653/).

Currently, the school doesn’t have any after-school programs.

OpporTUNEity also has a partnership with the Worcester County Jail & House of Correction that is crafted around a songwriting program. Staff there had been looking to form a music therapy program for the inmates and contacted OpporTUNEity after hearing about it. They crafted a safe way to introduce guitars and other musical instruments into the facility and created a therapeutic program that combines songwriting, team-building and individual expression, according to Sheriff Lewis G. Evangelidis.

“The guys we work with in songwriting class are all in recovery,” Martiros said. “They build connections. It’s really amazing.”

J U N E 4 - 10, 2020

When we first met them, they were super shy and they didn’t want to really be involved in music at all.

But their personalities have really come out.”

This year, OpporTUNEity partnered with Burncoat Middle School to encourage last year’s sixth-graders to stay with the program once they switched schools. There were seven students from Burncoat who continued with OpporTUNEity.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays when school was in session, Anna Maria students would travel to Burncoat for after-school supervised music practice, general mentorship and homework help.

The goal, according to Martiros, is to keep the kids engaged in the program so that they continue with it throughout high school. “We’re trying to build a pipeline of kids who can relate to the next generation,” she said.

According to Martiros and Gabrielian, funds are currently being raised to purchase keyboards

FEATURED

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J U N E 4 - 10, 2020

The first session, which ran for 13 weeks, had a great response, with 15 inmates enrolled, according to Evangelidis. It concluded with what he called a “very unusual ceremony” for the jail, because inmates were allowed to invite one guest to the performance.

“We filled the entire first concert,” Evangelidis said. “It was a very special day. It was a watershed moment for the Worcester County House of Correction.”

The program there was about a month into its second session when COVID-19 forced its suspension, according to Evangelidis. With the jail currently prohibiting visitors, inperson teaching is on hold, but the inmates in the program are able to still access the instruments and can write and reflect. Evangelidis said it will return as soon as possible, adding, “We have high hopes, high expectations, that this program will

flourish as it had.”

As for OpporTUNEity at the schools, the program as students and instructors all knew it changed after COVID-19 forced the governor to close Massachusetts public schools, first only until April, and then through the end of spring vacation and, finally, for the rest of the academic year. But even before schools were closed long-term, those involved with OpporTUNEity quickly moved forward in establishing an online presence for the Lincoln Street and Burncoat Middle students.

“We took the lead in building out the virtual classroom to be able to continue offering music classes to our students,” Sable said.

“It has been rewarding to come together to find a way to make sure music continues to reach the Melissa Martiros interacts with students on Zoom. children.”

Using a combination of the concluded. uploaded videos of themselves Flipgrid app and Class Tag and “Continuing programs like Opperforming. Students could then Google Classroom platforms, 15 porTUNEity is important in reducpost their own videos to show what lead teachers from OpporTUNEity ing the distance barrier in educathey had been learning through the created an online learning experition our students are experiencing online platform. The program conence for the students by posting a during this pandemic,” Gabrielian tinued in that format until May 15, welcome video and music tutorials said. “We are extremely grateful for when Anna Maria’s spring semester and assignments. Teachers also the Anna Maria College students who have made sure this program can continue.”

Although there were some obstacles at first to the online program — some of the kids were accessing the platforms using a cellphone and some not at all due to lack of equipment or internet service — shifting the program to an internet-based platform served as a way for those involved to stay connected.the program has been a way for those involved to stay connected.

“For so many of the kids, it’s a lifeline for them. It’s a light for them,” Martiros said regarding the importance of continuing the program despite school being closed.

“Learning (music) is not the most important thing right now. Giving them something to hang onto is the most important thing.”

Sable, who is one of the lead teachers for the Creative Expressions class, agreed. “Not only are we teaching them music, we are a support system. Everyone needs everyone right now,” she said. “… We’re still connected. Not in the same way, but we can still feel that strong sense of community.”

Teacher Juliet Maglitta introduces a cohort of OpporTUKropo added, “It makes me feel NEity 4th graders to the concepts of Music Technology in like there’s a lot more that we can [ SUBMITTED PHOTO] Miriam Hall at Anna Maria College.

[ SUBMIT TED PHOTO]

give them. This may be the only essential thing in their lives. Maybe, maybe not, but just knowing there’s an impact that music can bring to their lives.”

Usually, the program has two concerts — one in December and another in the springtime — to showcase what the students have learned. “It’s a big deal. We make them dress up. We invite their parents,” Martiros said. “They learn achievement, how to be celebrated.

It’s a really special day.”

And for the college students, she added, the performances are a “live product of their work. They see their work coming together on stage.”

Though there wasn’t a traditional performance this year, the instructors will continue to post videos and assignments, interact with the students and spread the joy of music through the program online.

“If anything positive comes out of this, it will be we can run OpporTUNEity in an online format,” Martiros said. But, for now, “we just want to know you’re okay and you’re safe and you’re healthy,” she said of the students.

“I hope that when we go back, the kids are still as enthusiastic about music,” Sable said. “My biggest hope is that they don’t lose that sense of music in the time we’re not together.

I think overall, I’d be so happy if they even just participated 100 percent.

I care so much what they’re getting out of it, rather than a final product.”

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

J U N E 4 - 10, 2020

house portraits. In 2001 she began experimenting with acrylics, inspired by the comical antics and effortless elegance of her two cats, PK and Nellie. From there, she developed a recognizable, whimsical style usually featuring bold color and cheerful subjects from everyday life. In recent years, she has started teaching both adults and children, including her popular “Paint Your Pet” classes. Niles is frequently inspired by the pets posted by friends on social media, as well as the surroundings in beautiful New England — so there’s always something new to sketch or paint!

Find more of her work at: etsy.com/shop/JenNilesArt; the Beacon Hill Art Walk - www.beaconhillartwalk.org; stART on the Street - startonthestreet.org; and in local stores such as: Framed in Tatnuck in Worcester (cards, prints, magnets); Dandelions LLC in Barre (cards, prints); The Painted Stone Emporium in Sturbridge (cards); Petersham Art Center (paintings, cards, prints, magnets); Booklovers’ Gourmet in Webster (cards, wooden ornaments and pins).

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Jen Niles is a self-taught artist living and working in Paxton. She has been drawing all her life, and for many years concentrated on pen & ink illustrations including commissioned

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CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

Have you been outside today?

SARAH CONNELL SANDERS ’ve always felt like the world gets bigger when the warm weather hits. This year, that feels especially true. Experts agree that spending time outside carries a low risk of virus transmission, although it is not by any means foolproof.

Wear a mask. Stay six feet apart.

Keep your hands clean.

My insatiable appetite for nature during this pandemic got me thinking a lot about a project I worked on with Dr. Elisabeth Stoddard in 2018.

Dr. Stoddard teaches environmental studies at WPI where she analyzes the intersection of nature, society and social justice. During our collaboration, she helped my fifth-grade class examine the shifting culture that has led us to spend upwards of 10 hours a day on screens as opposed to the two or three commonly recommended by physicians. She noted that this change has led kids

I

to spend less time outside, leading to increased rates of ADHD and childhood depression.

There have been plenty of recent stretches when I never saw the light of day. Sometimes it was nerves about the unknown. Sometimes it was laziness. Sometimes it was the addictive essence of social media.

Whatever it was — the days I spent time in nature made me feel stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally than the days when I did not.

Here are three easy ways I hope to get outside in Worcester this summer: Slow the Streets Cities across the country are narrowing or closing their roadways to make way for pedestrian traffic, bikers and alfresco dining. These “slow streets” have garnered predominantly positive feedback at a time when public spaces are at a premium and they’re likely headed our way.

Become a Victory Gardener Faced with catastrophe, it is common for Americans to garden. Take for example, the Victory Gardens that fed families and boosted morale during World War I and World War II. I was not surprised to learn they’re back on the rise. Follow my landscape design idol, Lily Kwon, on Instagram for novice-gardner inspiration at @freedom_gardens. Kwon’s platform urges people to “rewild” their cities, explaining, “‘Freedom Gardens’ aims to help our community grow thriving edible gardens to support their physical and mental health, and safeguard them from a volatile centralized food system and a collapsing job market.” That was all I needed to hear for me to pitch my own tomato teepee.

Otter Spotter Another way I got myself out the door was by visiting the EcoTarium, Worcester’s museum of science and

Daisy and Slydell want you to break on through to the otter side at the EcoTarium.

PHOTO COURTESY ECOTARIUM

nature. The scenic trails and outdoor wildlife exhibits are now open and accessible to the public with a flexible pricing model. You can register for admission online and then settle in with Slydell and Daisy, the museum’s resident river otters, as they swim and snuggle. It’s also fun to replace the words in a variety of Alanis Morissette lyrics with “otter.” (Slydell and Daisy seem to enjoy music at

a reasonable decibel.) For example, “You, you, you OTTER know.” Or, “I got one hand in my pocket, and the OTTER one is hailing a taxi cab.”

If there’s anyone who recognizes the poetry of nature and solitude, it’s Ralph Waldo Emerson. He wrote, “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea,/ Drink the wild air.” I hope you’ll find it in you to take him literally. Your wellness depends on it.

LISTEN UP

Sarah Levecque dives into the blues with ‘Moments of Silver’

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J U N E 4 - 10, 2020

VICTOR D. INFANTE In a somewhat unusual move for a blues album, singer-songwriter Sarah Levecque tells the listener right up front that it’s all going to be OK. “Please believe it’s all temporary/a lapse in time,” she sings on “Circle Back Around,” the opening track of her album, “Moments of Silver,” “Oh don’t backtrack now/If you missed something this time/Cause it’s all, gonna circle back around.” It’s a quietly reflective song, dressed up in contemporary country stylings, and Levecque’s vocals

are measured and smoky, imbuing each line with a sense of urgency, and Peter Zarkadas’ electric guitar gives the song a sort of necessary groundedness.

It’s an easy song to lose one’s self in, but it’s one worth keeping in mind as the album unfolds and Levecque’s persona digs deeper into the blues, beginning immediately with the rootsflavored “Dead Center, Head On.” Here, Johnny Sciascia’s honky-tonk upright bass and Scott Sherman’s percussion evoke a sort of old-time country blues feeling, one that gives Leveque’s persona’s sense of listlessness a solid coun-

terpoint. It’s a song about wrestling with a sense of emptiness, one that’s conveyed vocally in the curl in the singer’s voice as she delivers lines such as, “Gimme somethin’ solid and heavy now/to lay my convictions down.”

But Levecque and band take a great care to build a musical foundation for that emotion, one which gives the listener something solid to hold onto, even as the album’s persona seems to be searching for much the same.

As the album rolls into the spare and melancholy title track, that sense of wanting and searching burbles to the surface, and it’s simultaneously hopeful and indelibly sad.

The song “Go With It” shakes up the album’s vibe with a thick, honky-tonk meets boogie-woogie blues sound that’s peppered with great instrumental moments, from layered electric guitar lines from both Levecque and Zarkadas to a striking piano roll from Jim Sullivan. It’s a great song for shaking out the jams, but it also sets the stage for the subsequent, “Dissatisfaction Got You Down,” which conjures about as classic of a blues feel as one can imagine.

“Like a stonemason/You build your wall from your misery,” sings Levecque, “When your mortar turns to dust/

Better let it crumble/to your feet.”

The songwriter’s excavation into the emotional abyss continues in the next song, “Good For Nothing, Good For Now,” where she sings, “I wanna feel the wind coming outta nowhere cold/ Cause nowhere, is where I’m headed,” but it’s here that the album pivots a bit, because even amid the song’s sense of destitution, the persona finds a moment of self-respect: “I might be good for nothin’/But I’m good for now.”

The bad times pass. The good times come back around again. Levecque told us this right at the top of the album, but it’s something the persona is learning the hard way, in real time.

The shift in tone is palpable, though, and informs the outstretched hand of “Keep a Line Open” and the sense of hope amid the darkness that burns in “Rolling Over the Cracks.” The first song rings with a bit of resignation, but still refutes hopelessness. “Your path has narrowed/And is now overgrown,” sings Levecque, “Even though you stumble/You still know where to go.”

The latter has a heavier feel – a moodiness created in large part by Zarkadas’ electric guitar and bass – but the sense of forward movement in Levecque’s vocals cuts through the despair. “Is it tragedy or disorder,” she sings, “Is it

what’s waiting behind/Black windows/ Or down the dark corridors/It’s all been off the tracks./Somehow we gotta keep rollin’/over the cracks.”

The album simmers to an end with the wistful “Blues Keep Me Company,” which feels like a counterpoint to the opening track. “I’ve got a new way, of relatin’/Not holding out, for big news,” sings Levecque, “Cause around every corner, the same thing is waiting/Just another way to lose.”

There’s a sense of resignation in her voice that’s almost palpable, but even as the persona sinks deeper into the blues, it’s hard to reach this point in the album and not think back to the beginning: “Oh don’t backtrack now/If you missed something this time/Cause it’s all, gonna circle back around.”

Levecque told us at the beginning we’d be here, that we’ve been here before, and that this too shall pass.

It doesn’t really make it easier in the moment though, does it? When you’re alone with the blues, sometimes they’re all you can see, even when you know there’s more than that ahead.

Clearly, that’s something Levecque knows, too: that no amount of foreknowledge makes the blues any more bearable.

CITY LIFE

TABLE HOPPIN’

Sir Loin Catering teams with PlanIt Eats to offer prepared meals

C

Steve Towne is co-owner of PlanIt Eats.

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for ordering will be from 4 to 10 p.m.

Pickup only. Call (508) 754-1057.

The popular eatery will have a limited takeout menu, with several signature dishes that include chicken parmigiana, eggplant parmigiana and Bolognese. Wine and beer can be ordered with takeout meals. Visit https://piccolos157.com for menu updates.

Piccolo said he is readying a “backyard” patio for when restaurants are given the OK to open outdoor dining.

In the meantime, chef Piccolo will be on the cooking line for takeout orders.

Zoup! veggie broth and other vegan options From a vegan veggie broth “good enough to drink” to plant-based snacks, here are several food products to taste

and natural food stores nationwide.

Visit www.harvestsnaps.com and follow @harvestsnaps on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Skillet Brownies With Dandies Marshmalllows is a dessert recipe cooked on the grill.

Dandies Marshallows are plantbased and vegan treats made with ingredients such as real vanilla and vegan cane sugar. They contain no artificial flavors or colors, corn syrup, gelatin, or gluten. They’re kosher, Non-GMO Project Vertified, and free of common allergens, such as wheat, dairy, etc.

This recipe by Chelsie Jangord is courtesy of Dandies Marshmallows: Ingredients: 1 10-ounce bag of Dandies Marshmallows; 1 box brownie mix (an option is to use an allergy friendly brownie mix); 2/3 cup nondairy milk; 1/3 cup coconut oil; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Spray a cast iron skillet with a nonstick spray. Beat together brownie mix with nondairy milk, coconut oil and vanilla until batter is formed. Spread batter evenly in the cast iron pan.

Cover with marshmallows. Make a dome out of foil and cover the skillet. Make sure the dome leaves enough space for the marshmallows to expand without getting stuck to the foil. Set the skillet on heated grill and cover with the lid. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the grill and cool. Note: Gooey brownies can be scooped up with graham crackers.

Café Noir in Shrewsbury In an item in last week’s Table Hoppin’ column about the opening of the Bean Counter Bakery Café flagship location, 270 Grove St., Worcester, we listed owner Alice Lombardi’s three other stores.

Her second brand, Café Noir, is located at 307 Grafton St., Shrewsbury, not in Worcester as reported in the story.

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

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

more information about the PlanIt Eats service and menus. Telephone or text: (508) 450-2280. The company is located at 369 W. Main St., Northboro.

PlanIt Eats CEO Michael Glassman started offering meal ordering online in 2015, switching from Healthy Grille in Dartmouth, a business he founded in 2002. The PlanIt Eats chain today reportedly has seven locations that stock their meals.

Sir Loin Catering, established in 2000, caters everything from weddings to business meetings and corporate events and pig roasts. The company also does food truck catering. Check the website for updates on catering services or call (508) 450-5619.

Piccolo’s offering takeout June 5-6 Owner/Executive Chef John Piccolo will open Piccolo’s restaurant, 157 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, for takeout on June 5 and June 6. Hours

T&G STAFF/RICK CINCLAIR

test at home.

Remember the downtown destination Zoup!, a soup restaurant chain that closed abruptly in 2018 after just more than a year on Main Street in Worcester?

Well, there’s a bit of good news for the eatery’s fans. It’s the Zoup! brand of a veggie broth that’s a rich, savory alternative to some of the mundane products on supermarket shelves. Zoup! is 100 percent vegan with a homemade taste. Use it in vegetable-based recipes ranging from pastas and grains to casseroles and soups. I’ve even used it as a poaching liquid. The restaurantquality broth is low in calories, paleo-friendly and completely free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, gluten, GMO’s, etc. “Good, really good” is new labeling on the jar.

The broth is available at natural and mainstream markets nationwide at a suggested retail of $6.99 per 32-ounce jar. Visit www.zoupbroth.com to learn more.

Harvest Snaps, plant-based snack crisps from Calbee North America, come in a variety of flavor offerings that feature 30 to 60 percent less fat than regular potato chips and 130 to 140 calories per 22 crisps.

The veggie-based snacks have green peas, black beans or red lentils as the number one ingredient, depending on the flavor variety. The crisps provide plant-based protein, calcium and potassium and are certified gluten-free and free of artificial ingredients and allergens such as soy, nuts, wheat and eggs.

Harvest Snaps are sold alongside other crunchy snacks, or in their original home, the produce aisle of supermarkets.

Harvest Snaps Snack Crisps are available in 3-ounce and 3.3-ounce bags and sold in supermarkets

J U N E 4 - 10, 2020

BARBARA M. HOULE onsumers may recognize the name Sir Loin Catering in Northboro as a company that helped people in need during the pandemic, providing free meals twice a week since March. More than 15,000 meals had been handed out before the Corona Culinary Meals Program ended on May 14.

As state restrictions start to ease and companies move forward, Sir Loin Catering owners Geoff Kelly and Steve Towne decided to implement plans to partner with PlanIt Eats, a company that offers options for consumers looking to incorporate better eating habits into their daily routine.

“We had thought about becoming a PlanIt Eats franchise way before COVID-19 and the shutdowns occurred,” said Towne. “The meals program instead became our top priority, and we are very thankful for the chef volunteers, community and business support and private donations that made the program possible.

“We now have successfully launched the PlanIt Eats grab-and-go breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack menu options on our website,” said Towne. “All entrees are fresh and never frozen and contain no dairy, sugar or gluten. Vegan meals also are available.

“The grab-and-go is convenient as you pre-order online, pick up the food at the Sir Loin Catering kitchen and reheat the meal when you’re ready to eat,” said Towne, who said most meals can be popped into the freezer for later use. Orders can be delivered to home or business, he said.

Grab-and-go takes on the burden of “shopping, cooking and cleaning,” according to Towne, who said the stress of dealing with the coronavirus crisis sometimes can lead to making quick food choices that are convenient but not always healthy.

The PlanIt Eats concept has proven to work and is delicious, said Towne.

Visit https://sirloincatering.com for

CITY LIFE

FILM

The joy of hating on bad movies, and other observations JIM KEOGH

S

ome thoughts gathered at the tail end of a Phase 1 weekend: One tangible outcome of too much TV viewing is exposure to some dreadful movies. Recently, I landed on “The Family Stone,” a 2005 dramedy about a Christmas gathering highlighted by the oldest son’s (Dermot Mulroney) introduction of his fiancée (Sarah Jessica Parker) to his family. She’s tight-laced and brittle, they’re quietly judgmental. Every character is insufferable, which begs the question why I’d spend 1 hour and 43 minutes with this whiny, entitled, petty, petulant, self-righteous, bitter, angry bunch.

I have no answer, other than my work week had been long, I was too numb to turn away, and, strangely, watching this film crash and burn filled me with joy. If hating on “The Family Stone” is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

• Scrolling through celebrity birthdays on IMDB, I discovered that Looney Tunes voice king Mel Blanc, who died in 1989 at the age of 91, was a May 30 baby. According to a Clark University alum I know, Blanc performed one memorable evening

Dermot Mulroney and Sarah Jessica Parker star in “The Family Stone.”

TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX at Clark’s Atwood Hall in the early ’80s, then continued his Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny shtick at the late,

great El Morocco Restaurant.

I also found it interesting that SpaceX’s launch of two astronauts

to the International Space Station on May 30 fell on the 84th birthday of Keir Dullea, the star of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Dullea played the astronaut Dave Bowman, tasked with uncovering the origins of man’s existence (no pressure there) while parrying with his ship’s self-aware supercomputer H.A.L. 9000. The iconic film was released in 1968, when the calm manner with which the computer enunciated the name “Dave” was its own chilling special effect.

• Years ago, I read Wally Lamb’s novel “I Know This Much Is True” but recall few details other than it was a deep dive into the turbulent relationship between twin brothers, one a paranoid schizophrenic. I do remember Lamb’s writing being so addictive that I lost a weekend to it — my kids were young and eager to do fun stuff, and I spent two days hiding from them with my nose in his book. Now I’m watching HBO’s miniseries based on the novel, and I’m struck by how grim I’m finding the experience. Despite fine performances by Mark Ruffalo as the brothers, “I Know This Much is True” is a petri dish of bleakness — Ruffalo’s Dominick, the mentally healthy and protective brother, is a cosmi-

cally troubled figure who for a bunch of reasons is sad and enraged round the clock. Maybe it’s a good thing I’ve forgotten the plot points. A ray of hope, a molecule of happiness, must be lurking down the line. Yes? • IndieWire recently ran a story about filmmaker Derek Wayne Johnson’s documentary chronicling the making of “Rocky,” which premieres on-demand on June 9. As a fanboy, I’m pumped for “40 Years of ‘Rocky’: The Birth of a Classic.” But something else in the article caught my eye: Johnson has completed work on another 2020 release, “Stallone: Frank, That Is,” which IMDB describes as “An inside look into the fascinating life, career and survival of the most unknown famous entertainer in Hollywood.” Come again? Are we talking about Frank Stallone? The guy who in 1976’s “Rocky” stood over a streetcorner barrel fire singing “Take it back … doo, doo, doo, doo … take it back!” while big brother Sly ambled by on his way to superstardom?

Among those appearing in the doc to unravel the wondrous mystery that is Frank Stallone are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Dee Williams and Billy Zane. I’m dying to see how they’re all connected.

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W WO O RR CC EE SS TT EE RR M M AA GG AA ZZ II N N EE .. CC O OM M

JAUPNREI L4 2- -1 8 0, 2020

NEW ON DVD

HBO’s ‘Watchmen’ shakes up classic comic show also included the supernatural creations from the comic for an interesting mix.

“It’s a gumbo of genres,” series star Regina King told the Los Angeles Times. “And everyone loves gumbo.”

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

“W

atchmen: An HBO Limited Series”: HBO’s “Watchmen” was one of the best-reviewed TV series of 2019. And because show creator and runner Damon Lindelof decided to walk away after the first season, the show begins and ends here.

The HBO series used the 1980s comic book of the same name as a base, but then charted its own course. With a strong focus on racial animosity in America, the series opened with a graphic depiction of the real-life 1921 Tulsa, Okla., race massacre, where a white mob attacked black residents and businesses. The

Regina King stars in “Watchmen.”

HBO

ALSO NEW ON DVD JUNE 2 “1BR”: Horror movie where a woman finds her “perfect” apartment is maybe not so perfect.

“Debt Collectors”: Martial arts expert finds work as a debt collector for the mob.

“Harley Quinn: The Complete First Season”: DC antihero in her own animated series.

“Robert The Bruce”: Angus Macfadyen stars as the Scottish king in this sequel to Oscar-winner “Braveheart.”

“Rogue Warfare: The Hunt”: Commandos seek to rescue their leader from terrorists.

“Witches in the Woods”: Students’ snowboarding trip goes wrong — very, very wrong.

NEW ON DIGITAL HD JUNE 2: “And Then We Danced”: Two men in love in the conservative society of the former Soviet republic of Georgia “The Blackout: Invasion Earth”: Russian sci-fi movie about Earth’s last hope.

“A Clear Shot”: Based on real hostage situation at an electronics store.

“Feral”: A homeless woman living below New York City survives on her own terms.

CITY LIFE

THE NEXT DRAFT

Rutland’s Milk Room Brewing releases IPA to honor Rutland police detective who died after battle with coronavirus MATTHEW TOTA RUTLAND — Carl Christianson and Ryan Wilder have only been brewing beer professionally for a month, but last weekend they released what will stand as the greatest beer they ever make.

Milk Room Brewing Co.’s new double IPA sold out in five hours, and the positive reviews that followed were effusive. But Christianson and Wilder were proud of the beer before it ever left the brewhouse.

They named the IPA “Rutland 205,” in memory of Rutland Police Detective John D. Songy, who lost his battle with COVID-19 Friday.

Songy’s badge number was 205. He was 48.

Milk Room has pledged all the proceeds from Rutland 205 to the Songy family, including his wife, Joanne. The brewery already has another batch — double the size of the first — in its fermenting tanks.

“He fought so hard,” Milk Room co-owner Kevin Jarvi said of Songy, who tested positive for the virus

April 23. “Everybody was praying so hard for him.”

Milk Room opened its taproom in February at Alta Vista Farm in Rutland, only to have to close it the next month because of the coronavirus outbreak. It is one of the most local breweries I’ve ever visited. Jarvi is a lifelong Rutland resident who built a taproom to save the farm. Brewers Christianson and Wilder are local guys with other day jobs.

Christianson, the town mechanic at the Rutland Depart-

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know,’” she said. “I couldn’t believe how quickly it sold out.”

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Songy grew up in Spencer and graduated from Worcester Tech.

After high school, he worked for several years as a machinist, both at Service Network Inc. and Heald Machine Co. in Worcester. His eight-year career in law enforcement is studded with the many commendations he has received.

Songy will be laid to rest this week. Calling hours were held Wednesday at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m.

Thursday at St. Patrick’s Church, 258 Main St., Rutland; church seating will be reserved for members of the family and Rutland Police Department personnel.

The next batch of Rutland 205 will be ready in a few weeks, Jarvi said. To support the Songy family, you can preorder 32-ounce growlers of the hazy IPA (brewed with Chinook, Chaos and TnT hops) at milkroombrewing.com. The brewery is asking for a donation of $25 for each growler sold.

“Hopefully soon, we can have people come here and enjoy it in person,” Jarvi said.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO/JOYCE ROBERTS

ment of Public Works by day, had worked closely with Songy over the years, as the detective maintained the department’s fleet of cruisers. It was Christianson who had the idea to name Rutland 205 in Songy’s honor.

Songy’s fight against coronavirus affected every corner of Rutland. And the outpouring of support from the town has been robust and relentless: Last month, residents — many wearing “Songy Strong” T-shirts — drove past St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, where he was being treated, to rally around him. The line of cars numbered 1,000.

“The greatest thing about Rutland is the community itself is so tight,” said Rutland Police Officer Mai Grover, who has been close friends with Songy since 2012, when they were sworn in together.

Grover always found herself amazed by Songy’s constant smile.

“He was just always smiling,” she said. “He never raised his voice, even on the worse calls. He was a gentle giant. We already miss him a lot.”

She said Jarvi had consulted with her before releasing Rutland 205. “I told him right away, ‘Just do it, and I’ll let the department

SUBMITTED PHOTO

J U N E 4 - 10, 2020

Alta Vista Farm and Milk Room Brewing Company co-owner Kevin Jarvi.

Rutland Police Detective John Songy.

CITY LIFE

ADOPTION OPTION Welcome to Adoption Option, a partnership with the Worcester Animal Rescue League highlighting their adoptable pets. Check this space often to meet all of the great pets at WARL in need of homes.

WARL is open seven days a week, noon-4 p.m., 139 Holden St. Check them out online at Worcesterarl.org, or call at (508) 853-0030.

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Meet Tigga! Last autumn, a woman surrendered Tigga because she was homeless.

She described him as cuddly and friendly. He likes laser lights (chasing the light is a good way for him to lose weight). Tigga liked the family’s kids who were under 10 years old. He does not like other animals. He was adopted for a few months but was returned for not getting along with the roommate’s pet. It’s fortunate he came back because we discovered he’s diabetic. It can cost a couple hundred dollars a month to give him insulin injections twice a day. His adopter has to be experienced with feline diabetes or be a diabetic. Tigga uses human Lantus. Tigga is a staff favorite. He loves people. His favorite thing is to take a walk with someone through the shelter. He walks beside you like a dog. Even though he’s a big cat, he enjoys hugs and sitting on you. Tigga qualifies for our Senior for Senior Program.

WARL COVID-19 Update As of March 25, 2020

• 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 maintain-

ing the most essential function of our operation...finding homes for animals in need.

• ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030.

• SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off/pick up

procedures.

• DONATIONS: We will not be accepting linens of any kind or used, stuffed dog toys. While we are grateful for your thoughtfulness, we will not accept these donations if brought to the shelter.

• Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can

be purchased online from our Amazon Wishlist - https:// www.amazon.com/gp/registry/ wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0 • Weekly training classes are suspended until further notice.

• The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we can.

We have many animals in our

care who depend on us to stay healthy and well. The above measures help to protect our staff and community from the spread of COVID - 19 by minimizing face-to-face interactions while continuing to operate only core essential services.

Please continue to follow our Facebook page for additional updates. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the shelter at (508) 8530030 or info@worcesterarl.org.

Thank you for your continued FURiendship and support.

GAMES

J O N E S I N’

Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

48 "Mr. Mojo ___" (repeated words in The Doors' "L.A. Woman") 49 Nick of "Cape Fear" 50 Dasani rival 51 Handle with skill 52 Fancy way of saying "feet"?

53 Covered with green creepers 57 "Lost ___ Mancha" (2002 documentary) 58 It's seen near the hyphen 60 Traffic sign warning 61 Pull along 63 It may come after long 64 Blanc behind Bugs

Last week's solution

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©2020 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #991

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Down 1 "Get a move on, Mittens!"

2 "The Wizard of Oz" dog 3 Down-to-earth 4 ___ polloi 5 Sash for a kimono

6 "Amazing" magician famous for debunking 7 PC character system used for some "art" 8 Laugh from Beavis 9 "When Your Child Drives You Crazy" author LeShan 10 Partner of paste 11 Lake between two states 12 Richie Rich's metallic, robotic maid 13 Format for Myst, back then 15 Emulate Pavlov's dogs 21 ___ Brothers Records (longtime label for "Weird Al" Yankovic) 24 Invention of new words 25 "House Hunters" cable channel 26 Did a Cuban ballroom dance 27 Cassowary's cousin 28 Kennel noises 29 Chef Matsuhisa who co-owns a restaurant with Robert De Niro 33 Be really mad 34 Comm. from some translators 36 Characteristic of Schonberg's music 37 "Boys for Pele" singer Amos 38 "It's either hunt ___ hunted" 40 "Just joking around" 41 Publisher's multi-digit ID 46 Macaroni shapes

J U N E 4 - 10, 2020

Call 888-254-3466 or email classifieds@gatehousemedia.com today to place your ad here!

Across 1 "Interstate Love Song" band, briefly 4 "Fiddler on the Roof" dance 8 Frenzied 14 Some old Chryslers 16 Former Georgian president Shevardnadze 17 *Pioneering video game company founded in 1972 18 Egyptian goddess of love 19 Like almost all restaurant orders these days 20 Plate 22 Lennon's second wife 23 *Japanese variation on a frozen dessert 28 Like old wristwatches 30 "I know! Pick me!"

31 Turn bad 32 "Where ___" (song by Beck) 35 "Wow, cool!"

39 *Redundant-sounding title for an "X-Files" agent 42 "I'm Gonna Git You ___" (Keenen Ivory Wayans film) 43 "Clueless" actress Donovan 44 Powerful sphere 45 "___ a Kick Out of You" (Cole Porter song) 47 First name in the 2020 campaign 49 *Home of Indira Gandhi International Airport 54 Prefix meaning "egg" 55 Nickname of a '50s-'60s sitcom kid 56 Freudian error 59 Is untruthful with 62 *Former TLC reality show about tattooists 65 Candle material 66 "Go easy on me" 67 Bequeaths 68 Show that moved from Fox to ABC, familiarly 69 "I just finished the puzzle!" exclamation

"Take Two"--one of each to connect.

by Matt Jones

CLASSIFIEDS

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Sudoku Answers

Are you looking for the best place to buy or sell...

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LOOK NO FURTHER!

CentralMass Classifieds The place to go to buy and sell!

classifieds@gatehousemedia.com • 888-254-3466

LAST CALL

Comedian Jimmy Cash I f you haven’t seen Jimmy Cash’s “Janitor Parade” video yet, stop what you’re doing and give it a watch.

Over the course of the threeminute clip, it becomes abundantly clear how much Cash cares about his students, even while playing for laughs. Cash’s standup gigs look a bit different these days on account of social distancing restrictions, but he has managed to stay active through virtual gatherings like the recent “Hollywoo Squares” event organized by Niki Luparelli.

too.” And then, I was getting calls with requests to drive by a bunch of different houses. I told them, “We’re going to have to take the truck and make this a bigger ordeal.” We had a drone following us. It became quite the event. I wish I could have gone to everyone’s house throughout the whole city, but I was trying to be respectful of the lockdown precautions.

Have you ever gotten any pushback from administration? I sometimes worry about that because I’m a school teacher and once in a while I write about controversial topics.

I was always worried that someone was going to see me do stand-up and say, “Oh man, maybe he shouldn’t be saying these things on stage because families will recognize him.”

But, plenty of parents and teachers have come out to see me and they’ve all been nothing but supportive. It’s not a secret anymore. If someone is upset about my comedy, it’s probably because they’re uptight.

Has COVID-19 impacted your comedy a great deal?

Before the quarantine, I had so much going on. I was preparing for my Just for Laughs audition — a festival held every year in Montreal. It’s actually the largest international comedy festival in the world. I was chosen to audition for a showcase called “New Faces,” but the festival got canceled. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that when things open back up, I’ll still have an opportunity to audition for Just for Laughs. Besides that, I always want to promote Shaun Connolly’s “Sort of Late Show” and Bryan O’Donnell’s Monday night open mic, which both continue to happen on Zoom.

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Where can people find you on the internet?

Jimmy Cash on Facebook and @ jimmycashrules on Instagram – Sarah Connell Sanders Comedian Jimmy Cash

DYLAN AZARI

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That drone footage is pretty serious. Who is your production team?

My buddy Dave Corrigan flew the drone, just randomly. I don’t Are you originally from have a production team. My Worcester? production team is my cracked Oh yeah. I’ve been in here for my iPhone 11. Dave’s son was doing whole life. Thirty-six years. I’m some filming that day, too. Then from the Burncoat area.

I just threw it all together, kind of chopped it up. You know?

When did you officially become the “Janitor with I thought it was excellent. I Stamina”? enjoyed your “Master Class” Oh man. Well first of all, my as well in which you promised father was a custodian for the to show participants how to public schools back in the day become the “top mop.” and I followed in his footsteps. I That’s my favorite too. I rebecame one at 20 years old. I’m ally take pride in the craft, you in my 16th year. know. What better time than with everyone at home to take I can tell that the kids love a class on something you’ve you. Can you talk about how always wanted to learn about? you conceived of the idea for a “janitor parade”?

Absolutely. How did you get I kept seeing the teacher into comedy? parades on the news and I I started stand-up four years thought, “Man, it’d be great to ago. I was pretty late to the do a janitor parade.” My first game. idea was to just walk down my street, pushing my mop bucket When something funny hapin the middle of the road. That’s pens to you during the school what I wanted to do. And then, day, do you know right away it kind of snowballed. My neigh- that it’s going to be a joke or bors found out that I was going do you have to take a step to do it. One of the kids from back? my school lives on my street, Sometimes the joke is just right so they were planning to come in my face and it writes itself. outside and we were just going The kids at school are funnier to make a joke of it, but then than I am. They say the craziest they were like, “Well, we talked stuff to me. I do have to take to this other family and they some time to think about how want you to drive by their house to convey a funny situation and

punch it up to deliver on stage.

That’s a whole other ballgame.

You know?

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