Category: Worcester

Notes on “My week of living locally”

Worcester Magazine: “My week of living locally”

Pictured: the author in YouthGrow’s Oread Street community garden, Main South.

I tried a similar experiment in 2008.

Notes on “Home-grown economics”
The much-talked-about Andersonville Study. The same consultants did a larger 2008 study with similar results. (I focused on Andersonville because those numbers were most frequently used in framing the economic argument, at least my readings and interviews.)

Notes on “Not made in Worcester”
My list is here.

See also A ready reference hand book of Worcester made products (1914)

Thanks to Steve Jones-D’Agostino, Oley Carpp, Tim McGourthy, Brendan Melican, Tracey Novick, Professor John Brown, Brittany Durgin, Greg Opperman, Julius Jones, Dr. Gonzo, 4rilla, Drew Wilson, Adam Villani, and Destination Worcester.

Special thanks to Scott Zoback, Jim Keogh, and SA for their support.

You can leave comments below.

John Brown on buying local in Worcester

John Brown is Professor of Economics at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.

He was good enough to answer some of my questions for a recent article on “living locally.” I only quoted his answers briefly, and since I’ve been fretting about misrepresenting his views, I’m publishing his e-mailed answers here verbatim. I also conducted two phone interviews with him for the piece, which clarified some of what is written here.
Continue reading “John Brown on buying local in Worcester”

A Worcester janitors’ union, and other items

River Sims
Thanks to River Sims and Mike the intern for a wonderful, unexpected tour of San Francisco last week.

If you’re interested in the Catholic Worker movement in 2009, you might want to read about River’s ministry, read his blog, or follow him on Twitter.

Michael Spencer on the death of Michael Jackson
From the Internet Monk podcast:

We should remember how many people came to Christ because they had concluded that the gods of the old world were empty and meaningless. Our task is to keep Jesus from being one of the gods of the old world.

Amen.

Bonus mp3 link: Stale Urine covers “Billie Jean”

Organizing a Janitor’s Union in Worcester: July 8, 7pm, 52 Mason St
A presentation at the SS. Francis & Therese Catholic Worker:

Chris Patterson, a community organizer with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615, will speak about the campaign to expand membership in Worcester’s union of janitors. Discussions and refreshments to follow. The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome. For more information, please call 508 753-3588.

“Pope Calls for New Economic Order”
Dave Griffith:

So, I know that the any headline that begins with “Pope” is going to be divisive–either you’re on the bus or off right away. But I think the new encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” ( “Charity in Truth”) should be of great interest to many, Catholic or not, because it calls for an end to capitalism as we know it.

Haven’t read this encyclical yet. Will revisit the topic when I do.

What’s made in Worcester?

I’ve heard it said that, time was, part of every product in the US was made in Worcester.

Now, of course, this is hardly the case. But Worcester still has its share of factories and the like.

I’m trying to compile a list of things, especially consumer products, made in Worcester. Feel free to e-mail me or add a comment with your suggestions.

Sports equipment

Weapons

  • Kahr handguns (a href=”http://www.portfolio.com/careers/features/2007/09/17/Unification-Church”>background)

Garment/Fashion

Hardware

  • Saint-Gobain sandpaper

Furniture/strong>

Prepared food

  • Polar beverages
  • Table Talk pies
  • Dr. Gonzo’s condiments
  • Pickle factory on Mason St
  • Bay State Bakery

Agriculture

  • You can buy produce from YouthGrow’s garden in Main South

From 1914: A ready reference hand book of Worcester made products

Thanks to Brendan, Tracy, Dr. Gonzo, 4rilla, Greg, WBJ, and Destination Worcester for suggestions.

T&G circulation down 3.6%; nationwide papers down 7%

According to numbers in today’s Telegram & Gazette (available in April but not published anywhere till now), daily circulation at the paper is down 3.6% from the same period last year, from 81,437 to 78,479.

Newspaper circulation nationwide was down 7%. The T&G has been loosing circulation faster than average for the past few years; this much-better-than-average showing is a welcome surprise.

508 #73: Pikachu

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panelists are Tracy Novick and Brendan Melican.

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508 is now arguably the first local program to be an equal citizen of both the internet and TV. You can watch it on Worcester cable channel 13 Tuesdays at 12:30am and 11:30am. Plenty of local programs from traditional media have some internet component, in most cases, unfortunately, on the periphery of what they do, rather than near the core.

We touch on shopping locally, then delve into this year’s school budget. Mike promotes the upcoming Blogger Beer. The restaurant Quan Yin is closing. (You should watch at least a few minutes of Supreme Master TV.)

The Worcester City Council’s CORI vote was apparently delayed by an unreported screw-up by people in the Clerk’s office.

The InCity Times has an angry, personal rant inspired by an unlikely issue.

Brendan had a great time at Worcester’s Pecha Kucha.

Our conversation about urban “open space” takes a turn when Mike brings up the article “US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive.”

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508 #72: The Woodchuck of Main South

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel includes Brendan Melican and Scott Zoback.

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Colin Novick’s ordination is tomorrow (we got this wrong last week); the Save Our Poolz movement looks back at the past year and considers new strategy; Worcester may be getting CORI reform.

This week’s Worcester Magazine covers our nation’s hard times by noting the stories of Foothills Theater, Lujon, and Papamoka.

The Telegram and Gazette is up for sale–Mike had predicted this would happen by May 1. Scott Zoback predicts the sale price will surpass $1,000,000.

T&G does a sorry job covering the latest Rep. Spellane gossip compared to the Herald.

Rushton to buy NWA album for son?

Scott Zoback enjoyed the Dive Bar’s 100th Thursday Music Night and the haberdasher trailer.

Mike suggests Worcester Magazine imagine how they could cover a large, local story 100%, then post the “assignment list” and try to engage the community in reporting it. (Inspired by Jay Rosen’s idea for Brooklyn.

Mike also notes the Uighurs are finally getting out of Guantanamo.

Worcester’s “vegetarian renaissance” has lasted a month now, continuing with Drew Wilson‘s WoMag article “Top places to get mock-meats.” We note Drew’s idea for mock dodo, mock tyrannosaurus rex, etc.

HBML has been replaced by the “Fuck Yeah Center.”

City Council Candidate Joe Casello should appear on 508.

We finish with a report from the year’s first Main South Farmer’s Market, and the story of the Woodchuck of Main South.

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508 #71: Dime bags

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panelist is Brendan Melican.

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Worcester Magazine has a great article and slideshow about our screwed-up taxi system. Cab driver Jeff Barnard has a brief comment; Brendan has proposed solutions in the past.

The “vegetarian renaissance” in Worcester continues. VegWorcester has installed 5 newsracks and distributed 1000 veg dining guides in the past couple weeks.

Our friend Colin Novick is being ordained a Catholic deacon tomorrow June 13–but the local priest shortage continues. A former street vendor is running for City Council. Craigslist is too nice for newspapers to compete with.

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