508: A Show About Worcester

508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Brendan talks about how Worcester is “the snowiest city this winter in the United States”, and talks about his concerns over a possible slot machine casino and hotel in the city. Mike tries to avoid ranting by reading a brief statement on panhandling, then rants about how the city should encourage competition by easing restrictions on food carts.

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You can watch 508 Fridays at 7pm on WCCA TV13.

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508 is a show about Worcester. This week, we talk about local journalism, past, present, and future, with participants in the Worcester Institute for Senior Education at Assumption College. Special thanks to Tracy Novick and Karl Hakkarainen.

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You can watch 508 Fridays at 7pm on WCCA TV13.

If you’re curious about our city meetings preview/recap emails, you can subscribe here.

508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Scott Schaeffer-Duffy and Brendan Melican discuss and debate an upcoming anti-gun protest at the local Walmart.

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Press release about the protest:

On this Saturday, March 9, from noon to 1 PM, please join a vigil to oppose the sale of assault weapons, handguns, and ammunition by Walmart, America’s largest seller of guns. The vigil will take place on the public sidewalk at the McKeon Street entrance to Worcester’s Walmart. 1,700 Walmart stores around the nation sell the Bushmaster AR-15, the assault weapon used in the Sandy Hook, Connecticut and Aurora, Colorado massacres. Thankfully, the Worcester store does not sell guns, but unfortunately does sell over a hundred types of ammunition, including ammo for assault weapons. Sales of ammunition have been so brisk that almost half the shelves are empty and customers are limited to three boxes each per day. Please come out to urgeAmerica’s number one retailer to get out of the business of making a profit off of selling guns whose sole purpose is to injure or kill human beings. Sponsored by Saints Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worker.

508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, Robert Peters, and Brendan Melican discuss Worcester’s anti-panhandling laws and opposing them with civil disobedience.

On a related note, here’s a good 2013 article on Saint Francis.

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508 is a show about Worcester. This week, we talk Worcester at the Paris Of The Eighties Cafe with Chris Besaw, Gina Migliozzi, Erika Dunn, Martha Assefa, Jen Burt, Asa Needle, Nicole Apostola, and Dante Comparetto.

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[0:00] We talk about the newly-opened Paris of the Eighties Cafe, saving the Palladium, and Juggalos.

[8:15] Worcester foreclosures update from Martha Assefa.

[11:35] Book of the week: Terry Bisson’s collection Bears Discover Fire.

[12:21] Library parking lot discussion continues. Nicole and Dante, fresh from a meeting, fill us in.

[20:15] Nat Needle is releasing a CD of his songs, “Worcester Potholes,” January 31 at Nick’s.

[20:59] How much do you have to like Worcester to get the seal tattooed on your chest?

[25:15] Stone Soup update.

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Amy Chase, Chris Robarge, and Brendan Melican.

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[0:00] This week’s show is taped at Crompton Collective, a mall of antiques and artisan goods, right off Kelley Square.

[2:16] Palladium saved! (When I told Bruce “Snow Ghost” Russell about this, he said, “Oh yeah. Metal always wins.”

[3:01] Front Street reopened after years of being blocked by a mall.

[5:00] Pulse magazine’s “Ones to Watch” list. As is our annual tradition, we go through the list.

[7:05] Worcester Magazine picked Tornadoes owner Todd Breighner as Person of the Year. Mike thinks this choice was risky and thought-provoking. Chris thinks this was a terrible choice, Mr. Breighner being “the parasitic clown who robbed a bunch of local businesses as he sunk the Tornadoes baseball franchise”.

[9:55] Worcester has a closed coal mine. Also, a door in the City Hall Christmas tree. Much more in the latest Happiness Pony.

[12:02] If you want previews and aftermath news of city government meetings, sign up for our email list.

[15:00] Panhandling. City Council slated to discuss proposed anti-panhandling ordinances next week. With luck, this’ll be the first public forum where elected officials address, rather than avoid, the controversial parts.

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Brendan Melican, Shane Capra, Bruce “Snow Ghost” Russell, Jen Burt, and Holly C.K. Jones. Not on this week’s show: the now 3 North High altercations.

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[0:20] 1970 Worcester power chart, revisited.

[0:30] Robert Stoddard, the Telegram & Gazette, the John Birch Society, and the Koch Brothers.

[1:47] 508 viewers put us over the top in the T&G Living section online poll.

[3:30] Asa.

[3:40] City pitbull crackdown crackup. Also: panhandling. Is there a connection between these and the much grander class of wicked problems?

[8:43] Footage from the opening of the City Hall ice rink.

[11:30] Eating ice.

[11:41] The Christmas Dimension.

[12:09] Lead. Get it out of your yard. Fight crime.

[17:10] Lynn Goldsmith’s New Kids on the Block. Mike’s book of the year.

[18:20] Is Worcester a city of 58,000? What is the difference between geography and cartography? Will we have a guest on the show who can clarify these issues? In the meantime, here’s a great 2010 census map.

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Brendan Melican, Jen Burt, Nicole Apostola, and Colin Novick.

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[1:30] City Hall ice rink opens.

[5:35] Weed at the City Council.

[9:40] School funding/auditing discussion at the City Council. Some or all of this discussion may be inaccurate.

[21:30] Kevin has some open meeting concerns.

[22:28] Stone Soup anniversary party this weekend. They are trying to raise $10,000 more to fund the addition that’s being built as part of the rebuilding.

[24:14] Who Rules Worcester?

[30:46] More school funding thoughts from Brendan.

[31:57] Nicole remembers Jeff Barnard.

[33:17] WAFT fundraiser coming up. Worcester will remember people who have died homeless on December 21 as part of the nationwide “Longest Night” memorial.

[34:33] Jen’s book pick: Paths Towards Utopia. (Mike kept hearing this as “Pass the Utopia.”)

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Brendan Melican and Jen Burt.

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[0:00]

[0:18] Are those real handcuffs?

[0:43] Water outage this week. Mike’s looked into storing water for use during outages.

[9:45] Book of the week: Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.

[10:04] What are you thankful for?

[11:00] You should visit the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

[13:03] Jen talks about what they do on her farm in the winter.

[13:45] Brendan talks about whole house natural gas generators.

[17:39] Mike tries to talk about the City’s third anti-panhandling plan, without getting caught up in a rant.

[17:40] Mike fails.

508 is a show about Worcester. This week, we geek out on the details of Worcester Election Day 2012 with Chris Robarge of the Voter Protection Network, poll warden Colin Novick, and Democratic poll observer Brendan Melican.

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You can watch 508 Fridays at 7pm on WCCA TV13.