508: A Show About Worcester

508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Mike and Brendan do the show on a frozen pond. (Today’s weather.)

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If you want to get involved with the effort to bring Google Fiber to Worcester, you can get started with this map.

Mike recommends the Central Mass Striders weekly 5k. Meet 8:30am Saturdays inside the Worcester State College gym.

The School Committee raised the CFO’s salary to some controversy. School Committee Member Tracy Novick went direct about her “yes” vote.

Worcester Magazine has a cover story about bloggers this week. We have mixed feelings about it.

Finally, Brendan talks about ice hockey and ice bocce.

508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Mike, Brendan, and Jim Dempsey talk with a class of Clark University students about campus and city issues.

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Today’s topics are union activity at Clark, and trends in campus crime.

508 is a show about Worcester.

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This week, Mike and Brendan begin with a recap of city government’s efforts to bring Google Fiber to Worcester. The Whiskerite charity beard competition raised almost $1000. Check out the video.

We have learned of the origins of the “Right Place, Right Time” song. (Video here, too.) Anyone have a copy of Worcester’s 1972 theme?

CSX wants to expand their Worcester rail yard. We are planning to learn about Worcester’s position on the Opioid Overdose Prevention program.

Worcester’s metalheads are awesome. We may as well link to Juggalo News.

Mike is enthusiastic about the Free Store at the Holden Recycling Center, and Coinstar.

We don’t like Worcester’s proposed pit bull ordinance. Mike recommends a Malcolm Gladwell article on the subject.

Finally, Holmes Wilson had a beautiful wedding in the Midtown Mall.

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Brendan Melican, Scott Zoback, Jen Burt, and Jeremy Shulkin.[display_podcast]

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Inspired by Jeremy’s Worcester Magazine cover story “Selling Worcester: Who will take the lead to market our city?”, we discuss the rich oral tradition around Worcester’s many slogans, including the long-lost “Right Place, Right Time” and Bruce Russell’s “This City Should Be Destroyed”. Worcester even had a No Slogan Day. In the ad industry, slogans have fallen from favor.

Mike mentions that you can buy Ethiopian/Eritrean foods at Fresh Farm in Worcester, across the street from Lincoln Plaza. This Saturday is the Whiskerite fundraiser, Distant Castle anniversary party, Q arts fundraiser, and Pecha Kucha IV Haiti fundraiser.

Jen tells us about Clark students and alumni uniting to help Clark food service workers unionize.

The ongoing Venerini Academy story is starting to make sense as we learn their fundraiser has left a “trail of lies”.

Mike didn’t like the AP article in the T&G about Wal-Mart’s financial situation; he thought the NYT article was better.

Worcester: Right Place, Right Time

Matt Feinstein performs “Right Place, Right Time” on 508 #100

Worcester: Paris of the 80s, Port Au Prince of the 90s (via WCCA)

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panelists are Tracy Novick, Brendan Melican, Mike Benedetti, Jeff Barnard, Drew Wilson, Nicole, Bruce Russell, Matt Feinstein, Paul Levitsky, Kevin Ksen, Jesse Pack, and Jacob Berendes.[display_podcast]

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This week, we ride the #2 and #16 buses and record the 100th show.

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508 is a show about Worcester. This weeks panelists are Greg Opperman, Tracy Novick, Brendan Melican, and Mike Benedetti.

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Tracy, a School Committee Member, talks about fundraising efforts for the vandalized Belmont Street Community School. You can help. We spend most of the show talking about the upcoming city school budget, and why there always seems to be a funding crisis.

Greg is the cook behind the uncontested world-champion vegan macaroni and cheese recipe.

Mike has entered a charity beard competition. February 20, Dive Bar.

Scott Zoback et al have a Haiti fundraiser today. February 5, 5pm-1am, Lucky Dog.

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

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There was a big rally for (now-Senator) Brown at Mechanics Hall; the City’s considering banning plastic bags, though Mike has long advocated non-governmental action on this issue.

Vegetarian Renaissance: vegan mac’n’cheese cookoff coming up; veg fest coming up; creative Dunkin Donuts event. (Non-veg: Dr. Gonzo may have a roadkill barbeque.)

There are fancifully-dressed tax services advertisers on the sidewalks. Chain bar McFadden’s has closed.

Belmont Street Community School was massively vandalized. There was a Haiti fundraiser.

Mike talks about cargo cults. “Do different dumb things, Worcester. Do different dumb things.”

We’re planning something special for episode #100. Please share your ideas.

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Brendan Melican and Drew Wilson.

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We talk about a Brazilian policeman charged with the killing of a Worcester man, Salvation Army people denigrating the Worcester schools, and Planned Parenthood ads being kept off city buses.

In veg news, there will be a Buddha Hut buffet Saturday, a vegan mac’n’cheese cookoff later in the month, and a Worcester Veg Fest in the spring.

We do an in-depth analysis of the Pulse magazine’s “Ones to Watch” lists from 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Mike has obtained a physical copy of Inside Worcester magazine, which he found disappointing.

This week: the 508 Christmas Spectacular! The panel is Julius Jones and Mr. Brendan Melican. Theme song: “If I Had One Christmas Wish.” Words by Bruce “Snow Ghost” Russell, music by Mike Benedetti.

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Buddha Hut buffet Saturday; Stone Soup party Friday; Winter Mystery Band signups happening now.

The NYT is not selling the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Top suggestions for the T&G: stop running the internet poll on the front page, because you’re deceiving people who don’t realize it’s a phony poll, and you look bad to people who know what’s going on; create an RSS feed for Worcester news; make use of the element so it will be easier to Google T&G articles; add features to the comment system to filter out noise.</p>

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Scott Guzman, Heather Mackenzie, Drew Wilson, and Brendan Melican.

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This week is the 10th anniversary of the Cold Storage Fire (photos). Brendan explains the city maintaining its current tax structure.

There’s an “energy barnraising” weatherization event at the Woo Church, 911 Main St, Worcester, Saturday, December 5th, 11-5pm.

Drew points out that Al Gore is finally speaking out against factory farming. Mike and Drew will be doing some vegan outreach at the local colleges.

Spectrum Health has a peer recovery center at 25 Pleasant St; also a Twitter feed. Mike asks Nicole to post a virtual assignment list.

She has been looking into, among other things, relations between Holy Cross students and their neighbors. This discussion has recently escalated. We need Holy Cross students to invite us to some parties so we can report on them.

Mark Lund has revived theater at Becker; they have some free plays this weekend. There’s an art fest at Union Station Sunday; Seah will be debuting a three-decker tee shirt that sounds like this season’s smash holiday gift.