Last Thanksgiving for Framingham's Gerard Farms

Published by The Boston Globe

This Thanksgiving season has been a long, tearful goodbye for Gerard Farms Kitchen and Deli as the 80-year-old Framingham institution prepares to close for good.


Though the restaurant’s owner, Michael Gerard, said financial woes have forced him to close the kitchen, customers expressed sadness to hear they can no longer get their Thanksgiving turkeys and favorite sandwiches at Gerard’s. Here are photos of of the store's final days.

“The outpouring has just been so sad, people come in not even to buy something, just to say goodbye,” said Gerard. “I’ll maybe make it into the second week of December until they shut my power off.”


Gerard took over the business after his father died 15 years ago, and giving up the store feels like his father’s wake all over again, he said. His uncle, however, will continue to run the Marshfield store, said Gerard.

Jean Teague said Gerard’s has been a family tradition since she was young. Her family lived in Framingham and would visit once a week. She has since moved to Maine, but every time she comes back to visit friends, she always makes a stop at Gerard Farms.

"We’re losing a part of our town’s history," she said. "They’ve been a wonderful family of people."

Dale Gudejko of Framingham said she has been coming to Gerard Farm for 30 years. She said she loves to buy Gerard’s sandwiches for lunch.

"I don’t make turkey gravy all year because of this," said Gudejko after buying a big bag of gravy. "[Gerard Farms] is an icon."

Gerard Farms sells turkeys from a farm in New Oxford, Penn., though when Gerard’s grandparents first opened in 1931, the farm raised its own birds. The deli is also stocked with prepared Thanksgiving favorites like macaroni and cheese, potatoes, pies and even homemade dressing.

The turkey sandwiches are a favorite with customers, and Gerard’s usually sells about 200 a day, said Teri Amle, who has been working for Gerard for four months.

Bruce Stone of Framingham said he discovered Gerard Farms more recently. He visits family in New York for Thanksgiving, and he first brought a turkey from Gerard’s two years ago.

"Everybody loved it," he said. "I’m going to miss it terribly."

Nancy and Bill Koerner of Carlisle and Bill Brown of Chelmsford said they are regulars at the store. Gerard’s special turkey sandwiches are Nancy’s favorite, she said.

"This is a real Mom and Pop organization, and I hate to see it go," she said. "It’s a shame."

State rep candidates debate in Needham for final time

Published by The Boston Globe


Candidates for state representative in the 13th Norfolk District traded charges in heated exchanges last night during the third and final debate in the campaign to replace state Rep. Lida Harkins.

Democrat Denise Garlick fended off accusations from John O’Leary, the Republican candidate, that Garlick enjoys the support of special interests groups. He claims her ties to these groups would prevent meaningful change at the Statehouse.

Garlick, meanwhile, asked O’Leary to explain why he would not support local aid for seniors and other social services and why he denounced hard-working unions.

Both candidates are from Needham and are running to take the place of Harkins, who is leaving the Legislature after 22 years. The election is next Tuesday. The district includes Needham, Dover and parts of Medfield. Harkins was in the audience of about 100 people at the debate, which was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Needham at the Broadmeadow Elementary School in Needham.



In the debate, both candidates agreed that most voters have lost trust public officials and change is necessary to fix the state’s economy.

"The air is full of criticism.” said Garlick, a Needham selectwomen, in her opening statement. She asserted, however, that she will make independent decisions that are best for her constituents.

But O'Leary questioned whether Garlick could act independently. “My opponent Mrs. Garlick is a wonderful person who has done a lot for the town,” said O’Leary in his opening statement. But he said that Garlick, "shares the same philosophy that has governed our state'' in recent years.

O’Leary, a researcher at Harvard University, said he is very concerned about the budget shortfall for next year, and he would take legislators off the pension system, repeal a law that prevents state offices from outsourcing more efficient services and reform the civil service system.

“Unions oppose those reforms, and those organizations endorsed Denise,” said O’Leary. “Unions act in own best interests.”

Garlick, a nurse at Wellesely College, responded that she was proud to have endorsements from teachers and nurses unions, as well as endorsements from nonunion workers.

“I’m working hard to represent people who have no jobs at all,” she said. “You can’t say jobs are important but disparage workers who do that work.”

Two years after the presidential debates made “Joe the plumber” famous, the sparring over unions and government workers by O'Leary and Garliock came down to a nameless unionized janitor. O’Leary said while he was working at a government agency, a janitor had a two-day hearing for a three-day suspension. He called the process “ridiculous.”

Garlick said anyone facing suspension should have a fair hearing, but O’Leary said the union grievances available to the janitor were sufficient and a long hearing was wasteful.

Moving on to healthcare cost containment, both candidates admitted the problem was too complicated for anyone to know the right solution. Garlick, however, said direct care providers had to be part of the conversation. She said she would make sure 90 percent of funds go to direct care if a provider raised rates, and she would protect local hospitals.

O’Leary said he would remove municipal healthcare plans from collective bargaining, make prices transparent and separate insurance from employment.

The candidates were much less in agreement on topics related to education. For example, O’Leary supports charter schools in communities that need them, while Garlick thinks they are a drain on the public school system.

O’Leary expressed concern with the newly adopted national education standards, which he thinks are too low, while Garlick said the national standards were based on those proven successful in Massachusetts.

O’Leary, who is a member of the Needham School Committee, said Needham schools decided to forgo its share of federal education funds because the paperwork was too expensive.

“This is a pattern with federal government,” said O’Leary. “Massachusetts had a pretty good thing going with its [education] reform, and now it’s at risk.”

Garlick said federal education funds would stabilize school budgets and help close the achievement gap.

“I’m shocked we would forgo $40,000 because there was too much paperwork,” said Garlick. “Every dollar counts.”

Before the forum closed, the candidates came back to a discussion on aid and social services. In response to a question asking what the candidates would do for seniors, O’Leary said government is spending and providing more services than it can afford.

“We don’t have the resources to play Santa Claus anymore,” he said. “This isn’t something like, this mean Republican guy doesn’t want to give nice things to people. There’s no money there, people.”

Garlick requested a rebuttal, arguing that social services are funded by tax dollars and citizens decide how to spend that money.

“The money we spend on children in our system on education and human services, individuals with disabilities and seniors are not gifts from Santa Claus,” she said. “We decide where we’re going to cut.”

Celtics star Ray Allen shoots hoops with fans

Published by The Boston Globe

Boston Celtics All-Star guard Ray Allen took on five fans today in a game of knock-out at Dunkin' Donuts in Waltham.


The fans were selected for being "caught cold" with Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee as part of a new promotion the coffee franchise has started with the Celtics. For more photos, go here.

All five contestants received free tickets to tomorrow's opening game against the Miami Heat. They will also all have the chance to be in a commercial with Allen for the promotion.

Click to see photo gallery and video

"Playing shoot-out is always fun," said Allen. "It's like going back to your childhood. It's a great way to stay in shape."


Mike Gesualdi, 30, of Lowell, Donald Hill, 45, of Delaware, Kendra Bannister, 20, of Virginia, Anthony Barnardo, 25, of Dracut, and Diana Cincotta, 21, of Plymouth, all signed up for the contest at the Dunkin Donuts on Lexington Street in Waltham.

The competition started off light, said Allen. He didn't play his full game at first to give everyone a chance. He realized he had to step it up, however, when Bannister, a junior guard for Newbury College, and Cincotta, a junior guard for Brandeis University, showed off their skills.

The two college athletes were the remaining contestants, until Bannister finally knocked out Cincotta. She only lost to Allen.

"He knocked a lot of people out for me; he did most of the work," said Bannister. "I didn't get nervous until it was just me and him. Then he tapped me on the shoulder, and I just chucked it up there and lost."

Dunkin' Donuts said its new promotion, which corresponds with their renewed sponsorship for the team this season, gives away tickets to people across the state “caught cold” drinking iced coffee near Dunkin’ Donuts locations or in other public places every Thursday this season. The contest was the kick-off event.

“Both the Celtics and Dunkin’ Donuts are local icons in Boston,” said Tom Manchester, field marketing manager for Dunkin’ Donuts. “We’re trying to give our customers access to see the Celtics.”

Allen said with the current economy, the Celtics want to do everything they can to get people to their games.

"It's awesome," said Allen. "I’d be out here if I was 12 or 13 years old, trying to get tickets any way I can.”

After the game, Allen talked about the importance of winning every game this season.

“Roles start as the season takes shape,” said Allen. “We have to make sure we set a precedent.”

He also said Shaquille O'Neal, who joined the team this season, is "like a big kid."

"You've got to be on your toes with him," Allen said.

Dedham women warmly welcome newcomers

Published by The Boston Globe

Jennifer Barsamian and Monika Wilkinson stood on the steps of a stranger’s home on Saturday morning, holding a bouquet of flowers and a bag of goodies. After no one answered the doorbell, they rang again.

“Sometimes flowers are the only thing that gets the door open,” said Wilkinson.

Kevin Kline opened the door of his new Dedham home. Despite his surprise to see the Dedham Welcome Wagon, he invited them in and showed him the living room.

“This is hilarious,” said Kline, who just moved to town from the South End in Boston. “We’ve been joking for a few weeks [about] when’s the next crock pot?”


Barsamian and Wilkinson, teachers and each mothers of three, visit ten new homes in Dedham every month, greeting new neighbors and passing out information about recycling, the Farmers’ Market and a welcome party they are having next month. If the unsuspecting new neighbor stays out to chat, the pair get to know the new neighbors, praise the local schools and exclaim over what they’ve done with the place. Barsamian also blogs at Dedham Rocks.

“It took us a couple of years to feel like we were beginning to get a sense of the town,” said Wilkinson, who moved to Dedham six years ago.

Though most people still haven’t heard about the Welcome Wagon, which they began in March, Barsamian and Wilkinson are making strides with their project. They don’t use a GPS, and finding all the new homes proved a challenge for them in the beginning. Now, they deliver ten welcome packages in a couple of hours, filled with goodies from local businesses and their sponsors, Needham Bank and Donahue Real Estate.

“It’s so good you guys do this,” said Rachel McGregor, who moved to Willow Street. “It makes people feel good.”

“Well, it makes us feel good, too!” said Barsamian as she waved goodbye.

Many people buy their first home in Dedham for affordability and proximity to easy commuting but realize they want to stay, the welcomers said. Barsamian and Wilkinson hope to build a sense of community for the newcomers, sometimes even providing networking between residents.

Lisa Dickey, who recently moved to Dedham from Ashland, said finding her place in a new town is difficult because she is single and does not have access to the organizations a family would provide.

“It’s hard to feel like you can settle,” said Dickey. “But here, I’ve got a house I love, a beautiful neighborhood and neighbors who brought me homemade brownies when I moved in.”

Renovated Bowditch ready for new legends

Published by The Boston Globe

Bowditch Field in Framingham once had a concession stand by the front gates where former football players, back to watch the current crop, would eat hot dogs and reminisce about the great high school running backs of their day.

On Saturday, when Bowditch’s stadium hosts its first game since a $5 million renovation project, the old concession stand will be gone. But in its place, fans attending the Framingham High-Norwood High match will find a plaza with a display showing milestones in local football history, and leaving space for the memories to continue.

“A lot of people have had great moments here,’’ said Robert Merusi, director of the town’s Parks and Recreation Department. “There’s a strong emotional attachment . . . so we felt compelled to capture the history.’’


A full slate of activities this weekend will celebrate the nearly yearlong overhaul of the newly renamed Bowditch Field Athletic and Cultural Complex.

The upgrades include new restrooms, locker rooms, concession stands, and lighting, a press box, and bleachers with room for 5,100 fans, the same as before but with more safety and comfort. “I’m proud of what we accomplished with that amount of money,’’ Merusi said.

Renovating Bowditch is part of a wider effort to boost Framingham’s economic development and improve its image, he said. The events at the revamped complex are expected to draw business to area restaurants, increase property values, and entice visitors from out of town.

“This is one of the most prominent stadiums in the state,’’ said Merusi. “People . . . are going to know what town they’re in.’’

Bowditch Field has always been a landmark for area athletes and sports fans, said Gary Doherty, Framingham High’s head football coach and athletic director. The renovations have preserved memories while creating a first-class facility, he said.

“It’s a source of pride,’’ said Doherty. “Starting with our Norwood game, the kids are going to want to go out and play hard to represent their town and the community.’’

The Thanksgiving Day game against Natick High has been a favorite tradition at Bowditch Field, he said. On past game days, the field has had standing room only, as up to 6,000 people crammed into the stadium.

The original concrete grandstands, built in 1935 as one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal projects, had been deteriorating for some time when they were declared unsafe by engineers in 2004. The following year, efforts began to replace the stands and bring the complex up to current building, environmental, and accessibility codes.

Many people will appreciate the new stands, Doherty said, because the aluminum seats are safe while the brick parts of the stadium harken back to the feel of the old, concrete stands.

Doherty said he also appreciates that the stadium has locker rooms, replacing the old ones that were behind the Parks and Recreation office on the Union Avenue side of the complex.

“Now, we can come out and go right out onto the fields. They just did a great job,’’ he said.

Unlike renovated fields in other nearby towns, the new Bowditch Field does not have artificial turf. Merusi said that’s because of cultural events the town wants to host in the new stadium. Turf may be installed in the future, but for now, concertgoers and soccer players will enjoy a field of grass.

“There’s advantages and disadvantages to both,’’ said Doherty. “If it was turf, we’d be able to take advantage of it just by the number of games and number of teams that could use it.’’

In 1869, the Middlesex Agricultural Society purchased the land between Union Avenue and Walnut Street where Bowditch Field stands, and established exhibition halls and race tracks.

As Framingham’s economy moved away from agriculture, and athletics grew in popularity, the town bought the field in 1917 for park property. The athletic field was built in 1922, and the stands followed a decade later.

Town lore has it the Flyers nickname for the high school’s sports teams was created to honor the many young Framingham men who joined the Army Air Corps during World War II, said Fred Wallace, a researcher at the Framingham History Center. The history of the Flyers’ name, which first appears in a newspaper report in 1944, is uncertain and “buried in folklore,’’ he said, but most people have taken the story as true.

When Framingham’s high schools, North and South, were recombined in the mid-1990s, debate ensued over which mascot to keep, said Merusi. The Spartans of Framingham North had a better football record, but tradition won the day, with the new school keeping the blue and white Flyers taken by Framingham South.

The grand reopening weekend starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, and continues with the official dedication ceremony at 1 p.m., followed by a football doubleheader featuring Framingham vs. Norwood at 3 p.m. and Marian High hosting Pope John XXII Central High at 8 p.m.

Sunday will feature music and entertainment on two stages, including ensembles from area schools, the Latin Jazz Orchestra at 2:30 p.m., and folk icon Arlo Guthrie bringing his “Journey On’’ tour with the Family Band as the headliners at 5 p.m.

Tickets for Sunday’s performances are $5 for residents, $1 for children; $10 for nonresidents, and $2 for nonresident children; they are available at the parks office at 475 Union Ave.

Monday’s slate of free sports events includes youth lacrosse, a Framingham United soccer game at 2:30 p.m., and a Brazilian soccer game at 4:30 p.m.

Candidates for state rep debate in Needham

Published by The Boston Globe


Democrats pressed the need to generate more revenue and create jobs and Republicans called for a more bipartisan approach to governing on Beacon Hill and greater efforts at government efficiency as the five candidates for state representative from the 13th Norfolk District debated the issues in Needham Thursday night.

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the evening was split into two debates - one for the three Democratic candidates, Needham Selectmen Denise Garlick and Jerry Wasserman and sales executive Gary McNeill; the other for the Republicans, John O’Leary, a former Romney administration official and a research fellow at Harvard University, and Joshua Levy, a medical researcher.


Just under 200 people attended the Democratic portion, while about 70 people watched the Republican forum. Most audience members were from Needham, but the district also covers Dover and parts of Medfield.


The Democratic candidates focused many of their answers on increasing revenue for the state with Garlick saying that developing revenue and creating jobs would be her most important goal, if elected.

“Everything depends on the ability to generate state revenue,” she said. “We must work together regardless of our viewpoints.”

Wasserman said he agreed jobs are important, but he said he would not focus on a single goal but work to improve healthcare, education and infrastructure, as well to attract business. He argued throughout the debate that he has a record of achievements in his years of service as a selectman and chairman of the Suburban Coalition proving he can accomplish his goals.

Garlick, a former president of the Massachusetts Nurse Association, said it is important to contain health costs She also said that the state needs to invest more money in job-creating infrastructure projects and developing and maintaining an educated workforce.

McNeill argued that he can best represent constituents because he is not a politician and has no vested interests. He was the only Democratic candidate to support casinos as a badly-needed source of revenue and jobs.

Garlick and Wasserman both said the potential revenue from casinos in the state would not be worth the costs of building them and the social consequences.

“I don’t believe the income projections will be anything close to what they’re saying,” said Wasserman. “They’re not good, long-lasting jobs, and the competition is not good for communities.”

McNeill was the only Democrat to say green technology was not one of his highest priorities.

“The financial factor burdens us from enacting changes,” he said. “People choose alternatives that are more cost-efficient.”

Garlick and Wasserman both said incentives for green technologies are crucial, and making Needham energy-efficient has been a priority for them. Wasserman said Massachusetts can give technology advice and towns can help show what works in terms of wind or solar energy.

On the Republican side, both candidates emphasized the need for more GOP representation on Beacon Hill, where Democrats overwhelmingly dominate the Legislature.

“If you like how the government is serving today, vote for the other party,” said O’Leary. “If you want to see change, consider Joshua or myself.”

Levy said that, if elected, he would endeavor to work with Democrats to forge bipartisan solutions to the state’s problems. O’Leary agreed that bipartisanship is a good course, saying: “I want to be an articulator on a different set of positions.”

Both candidates emphasized the need to correct government inefficiencies and to lower taxes to attract businesses and create jobs. O’Leary said lowering taxes, establishing “reasonable” regulation and improving education was the secret to creating jobs and improving the economy.

The Republican candidates also agreed casinos might help bring in revenue for Massachusetts.

They disagreed on establishing climate change legislation as a priority. O’Leary said the Federal government should worry about its debt before trying to tackle climate change, but Levy said wind and solar power are important parts to making the state sustainable.

“We really do need to make sure climate change, global warming and our environment are in a condition we can live in,” said Levy.

O’Leary said that he would support behavior-changing legislation such as a tax on gas and oil or adding a 5-cent deposit to non-carbonated bottled drinks to create incentives for people to drive less, as long as income taxes were reduced at the same time.

Estabrook Elementary likely to reopen Tuesday, after crews clean up PCB's this weekend

Published by The Boston Globe

About 100 concerned parents attended a meeting hosted by Lexington Public Schools Wednesday night in the Cary Hall Auditorium to discuss a project to remove chemicals found at Joseph Estabrook Elementary School.

The school closed this week after the removal of window caulking containing polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB), a toxic man-made chemical, failed to adequately lower the levels of PCBs in the school.

Administrators said they closed school today to begin a second phase of PCB removal, but they said the current levels would not deter them from reopening the school on Tuesday, after the long Labor Day weekend. The school system posted more information here.

Several parents demanded school be closed until administrators are sure they have eliminated the risk.

“My children will not go back,” said Angela Gharabegian, who has two daughters at Estabrook in first and third grades. “I don’t trust what is safe and what is not—it doesn’t mean anything to me at this point.”


The results won't come back til next Thursday. School Superintendent Paul Ash announced at the meeting that he would form a committee of experts, consultants and three parents to analyze the data and decide how to respond when they get the results.


Ash said that if he decided to keep the school open, children currently attending Estabrook would have to continue their education there, because the district is already tight for space. Estabrook has about 455 students; it is one of nine schools in the Lexington district and total enrollment in the town has increased by 250 students this year, Ash said.

Tuesday was the first day of school in Lexington. Many parents found out about the unsuccessful PCB removal that evening at a Lexington Board of Selectmen meeting and did not send their children to school Wednesday.

Gharabegian said at the Wednesday meeting she no longer trusts Superintendent Ash’s judgment in regard to the problem because he knowingly allowed students to enter the contaminated building this week.

"You never gave us a choice,” Gharabegian said to a panel of administrators, experts and consultants. “You did not give us the parental right to protect our children, and you withheld numbers from us.”

Ash said he did not close school because a representative of the Environmental Protection Agency for New England, Kim Tisa, said if the levels of PCBs are above certain “screening” numbers, the building should be examined but not necessarily closed. Ash also said he was under pressure to keep school open for a certain number of days under state law, and closing school this early in the year would cut into vacation time.

“Who cares about vacation?” Gharabegian said. “If it comes down to our childrens’ health?”

Tests last spring found that the school had unsafe levels of the chemical in the building’s caulking, and a plan was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to remove the chemical began on Aug. 24., said Gerard Cody, the town’s health director.

The plan was supposed to be completed before school started Tuesday, but as classes resumed for the year, the Lexington Health Division measured even higher unsafe levels of PCB's in some of the building’s rooms, said Pat Goddard, the schools’ director of public facilities.

Estabrook closed today, which would have been a half-day, so the school could begin to look for sources of PCB's other than the caulking that might explain higher levels of the chemical, said Goddard.

There is no school Friday and Monday because of Labor Day, but the holiday weekend also means the results will not be received until Thursday, said Goddard.

Many parents, however, expressed doubt that the results would demonstrate reduced levels of PCBs, and a few asked where else their children could go, or if they would be punished for staying home until Thursday.

Bernie Fabricant, an Estabrook parent, said administrators should be already working on a plan to reorganize the district.

“Parents here feel a lot of pain," Fabricant said. “I’ve been listening patiently, and the science is great, but the bottom line is that within everything, there’s still a risk. We don’t want to expose our kids to it, whether you like it or not.

“Get together with the school board, which should have been here tonight, and put pencil to paper, and get it done.”

PCB has been shown to cause cancer and other adverse health effects in animals, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. The manufacture of PCB was banned in the United States in 1979, and the EPA recommended last year that buildings built between 1950 and 1978 should be examined for harmful levels of the chemical.

The town hired consultants to test various school buildings and 12 other public buildings for PCB last spring after The Boston Globe reported the EPA’s recommendation in Sept. 2009. The Town Administration Building, Clarke Middle School and Estabrook Elementary School did not pass the initial screening process and required further examination with a method developed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The second screening showed that Estabrook Elementary had unacceptable levels of PCB in the building’s caulk and soil. A plan of action was approved by the EPA Region 1 office on Aug. 17.

Fighting for Food at a Playhouse in Florence

Published by Blending Magazine and Trazzler


First-time diners at Teatro del Sale be warned: pace yourself. I received the same piece of advice on my first night at the restaurant but promptly ignored it when I saw the platters of antipasti spread across a big table, surrounded by locals clamoring for a taste. Beans, hummus, salads, polenta with a hint of cinnamon and warm focaccia are only the beginning of the delicious home-cooked buffet. Every few minutes, a chef leans out the kitchen window, ringing a bell and shouting in Italian the names of the next courses- meatballs, pasta bolognese, chicken and roasted potatoes.


After the guests consume as much of the half dozen courses as they can, drink a few glasses of wine and top off their meals with espresso and chocolate tart, the wood-paneled dining room transforms into a theater. The night I attended, we enjoyed an hour and a half of Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan, courtesy of an Italian cover band. For 30 Euro (plus a 5 Euro membership fee), Teatro del Sale guests get the whole package: unlimited food, great entertainment and a fun, cultural experience.

Regent Theater hosts ukulele summit

Published by The Boston Globe

Two ukuleles, a squeeze box and a mouth trumpet were all the instruments necessary for last night's "Ukulele Summit" featuring a touring duo at the Regent Theater in Arlington.

Victoria Vox, who graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, and Brittni Paiva from Hawaii played original songs and covers before an audience of about 50 people. They performed separately and then together, amusing the audience with the unique sounds of their instruments and anecdotes that inspired their songwriting.

“I wrote this song for my husband to tell him that I loved him. That didn’t last long,” said Paiva, prefacing “Made for Me,” an original. She plucked the strings of her ukulele, which stretched over sparkly letters reading “Brittni” on the frets. “Just kidding.”





Paiva, 22, said she started playing at 11 years old when her grandfather passed down his mother’s ukulele to her. From then on, she couldn’t stop. In Hawaii, the instrument is known as a place to experiment with songwriting, she said.

“When you strum it, it makes everyone happy,” she said. “Everyone smiles.”

Vox, who also sings, said she was given her first ukulele by a musician in her hometown of Green Bay, Wis. seven years ago. She likes the instrument for its portability and versatility.

“I’m challenged by its limitations,” she said. “The simplicity aided my songwriting; less is more.”

And her songs are versatile—she played two numbers in French, a poignant breakup song, one with a squeeze box (a type of accordion) and “Tug Boat,” a song about “a sexually frustrated tug boat.” '

She recently raised $21,000 from her fans to make her latest record, “Exact Change.”

Vox, now 30, said she started playing guitar when she was 16 and got a songwriting degree from Berklee. Now, she records and tours around the country, jamming at ukulele festivals and playing the mouth trumpet—she likes to fool her audience by accompanying her strumming with her mouth as they search for the source of the trumpet sounds.

“Like most college kids, I’m not doing what I went to college for,” she said.
Vox said she thinks the ukulele is growing in popularity for its economy—a good ukulele can cost about $100, she said. When she asked the crowd how many players were present, about 15 raised their hands. Some even brought their instruments with them.

“People’s compliments drive me to continue,” she said. “The music keeps me feeling young.”

Newton West falls to Peabody Western in first Little League state championship game

Published by The Boston Globe




View the PEABODY photo gallery here.




View the NEWTON photo gallery here.

Video highlights:

Needham Fourth of July

Published by The Boston Globe



View the photo gallery here.

Area restaurants join Eastern Poker Tour

Published by The Boston Globe


As the only female in a group of 26 men playing poker, Priscilla Amaral of Framingham can hold her own. She has recently won two local poker tournaments and will play for a championship prize of $30,000 next month.

If she wins the championship, she also will go on to play in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Hundreds of locals from across Massachusetts and Rhode Island compete every six months in the Eastern Poker Tour for the chance to play in a championship where they could win thousands of dollars. The next championship round is in August, and the winner of that round gets a free spot in the poker World Series.



This year, for the first time, restaurants in the Framingham area are taking part in the tour.

Café Belo , a small Brazilian restaurant on Waverly Street in Framingham, hosts local poker games every Wednesday night as part of tour. Amaral is one of about 13 winners from Café Belo who will compete in the championship next month. The final round will be televised on Comcast SportsNet .

“There will be a lot of people, and it will be hard, but I’ll try my best,” said Amaral. “I’m confident, and hopefully I’ll make it to the Top 20.”

Five small businesses in the Framingham region host once a week poker tournaments for prizes. Players do not win money in the local games. The buy-in is the cost of a $15 buffet, making local poker an affordable, more low-key alternative to Foxwoods Resort Casino or Mohegan Sun, say tour supporters.

Amaral, 25, said she has been playing poker for seven years, first for fun with friends and then competitively at Foxwoods and Mohegan, often in ladies’ tournaments. She prefers the local games, however, because they are so close to home, and the atmosphere is friendlier.

“Especially being a girl playing with a bunch of guys and their big egos, trying to push you around,” Amaral, who works at Whole Foods in Framingham, said. “It’s so laid back here. Everybody knows each other.”

Other than Café Belo, participating businesses in the Framingham region are Sully's First Edition Pub in Marlborough on Mondays, Shoppers Café in Waltham on Tuesdays, The Wave Sports Pub in Waltham on Thursdays and Trackside Grille in Ashland on Sundays. Registration begins at 7 p.m. for each restaurant.

Some 300 players have come to the table in the Framingham region. Four other regions—Rhode Island, Central Massachusetts, Greater Lowell and Southern Massachusetts—will also send their local winners to the championship in August.

“A lot of these people come in and get dinner … never having played poker in their life,” said John Evangelous , the Framingham regional manager for the tour. “Even if they’re a new player or if they’ve played for 40 years, they’re welcomed and meet new friends.”

Dick Heaton of Natick said he has played poker Sunday through Thursday for two years in various areas, but the Framingham region is the best organized of any local tournament he’s attended. He recently won a game at Café Belo, qualifying him for the championship for the first time.

“It’s a night out and dinner every night, like tonight, I get to try Brazilian food,” said Heaton. “It’s girls and guys, and there’s no swears, whether it’s respect for the place we’re in or because we’re in mixed company, you don’t get that.”

Shoppers Cafe in Waltham now gets about 30 to 40 people every Thursday, said owner Paul LaCava. The tournament has helped bring in new customers by offering a great entertainment value, he said. Like Heaton, LaCava also complimented Evangelous’ management of the games.

“They took a relatively quiet night and made it a fairly decent evening,” LaCava said. “And there’s a tremendous young man who facilitates; he’s a real great young person who really works hard, a go-getter.”

Though all interviewed agreed the local poker nights are entertaining, a few players said they thought the big tournament in August would be nothing more than another night to play cards. Bruce Schraft of Marlborough said he thinks the championship will be crowded, and though he’s like to win, odds against it are high.

“I think a lot of these people don’t understand how big of a tournament this is,” said Evangelous. “A few are overwhelmed, but some have played before … people are fighting to get their win.”

Jeremy Snyder of Auburn has played in the eastern tour before and made the Top 20 final round twice, he said. He hasn’t played as often this year and hasn’t qualified with a local win yet, but he is confident that in the next 30 games, he can secure a spot. Last year, he played for twenty hours in the first two days of the championship but didn’t make it to the Top 20.

“You have to be in the mind frame that you’re going to win,” said Snyder, a software engineer for EMC Data . “It’s kind of heartbreaking, but you’ve got to keep playing.”

The two-day tournament will begin August 28 . The location has yet to be determined. For more information, visit www.easternpokertour.com.

Town criers herald 300th anniversary

Published by The Boston Globe

Ed Gagnon hosted his annual Fourth of July pancake breakfast this year in a wig and knickers and carrying a large bell. As one of Needham’s two new town criers, Gagnon was dressed to march in the Independence Day parade alongside a large birthday cake float with the number “299’’ on top.

The town criers — Gagnon and Chris Gerstel — were recently selected to act as mascots for the town’s upcoming tercentennial events. They hope to take residents back to Colonial times and show them how much has changed since those days.


Gagnon, who has lived in Needham for 60 years, is considering buying prescription Colonial-style glasses so as not to break character with his modern specs. He said he got this tip from battle re-enactors, whom he will “fight’’ alongside during springtime celebrations.

Gerstel, who graduated from Needham High School in 1994, plans to start conversations with people by asking them about technological contraptions like cars and cellphones. With the 96-degree weather last Monday, however, Gerstel joked about forsaking his wig for the parade.

He said that since his selection, the question people ask him most often is what he’ll be wearing for the part.

“I’m a little bit nervous about the first impression — getting out what, exactly, you are,’’ Gerstel said. “When I heard about it, I really did want to do this, and I wanted to make sure I did it right.’’

Gagnon said townspeople have already played along with his new role. On his way home from the first photo shoot two weeks ago, Gagnon stopped to buy some milk, still wearing his costume. The cashier told him she couldn’t accept his debit card as payment because such things weren’t invented in his time.

“It’s a blast,’’ he said. “The more I look into this little gig, the more I find this out, the more interesting it becomes.’’

Gerstel and Gagnon, both nominated for the role of town crier by their friends, have been prominent figures in Needham. They first met when Gerstel was in high school, performing in a school play that Gagnon helped organize.

Gerstel, now a territory account manager for Coca-Cola, appointed himself “Rocket Man’’ in his senior year at Needham High. He ran around the pep rally for the Needham-Wellesley Thanksgiving football game clad in blue with a cone on his head, cheering on the team.

This year, he’ll attend Needham football games as a town crier and interact with fans.

“Needham has been good to me and my family,’’ said Gerstel. “I wanted to give back and be part of its history and its tradition.’’

Gagnon said he helped his father with preparations for Needham’s 250th birthday celebration when he was 11 years old. He has been a Town Meeting member, a Santa Claus, and a Scout Master. He is perhaps best known, however, for the annual pre-parade breakfast he and his wife, Susan, host for Needham residents on the Fourth of July at their home on Warren Street. This year was number 34.

“He’s also 6 foot 7 with a beard, has a great voice and a great stature,’’ said Susan Gagnon. “This is right up his alley.’’

Gagnon, an assistant facilities manager at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, and his wife also have a home in New Bern, N.C., a town that is coincidentally also celebrating its 300th anniversary this year. Gagnon plans to take his town crier costume when he goes down there for vacation.

The Needham 300 Club selected two town criers to ensure that at least one of them would be at each of the four dozen events planned for the year leading up to Needham’s 300th birthday on Nov. 6, 2011, said Bill Tillburg, a club cochairman.

The criers will be responsible for communicating certain messages at each event, emulating the role they played in the 1700s of getting out the news, Tillburg said. They will study with the Needham Historical Society and help educate the community about the town’s history.

Gerstel and Gagnon made their official debut as town criers in the Fourth of July parade on Monday. They said they will use the summer to continue researching their roles before the start of the anniversary celebrations on Nov. 5.

The Dish: Shabu Square and Shabuya

PUBLISHED by The Cambridge Chronicle





Cambridge —Harvard Square is full of food from all over the globe, but until recently, shabu shabu restaurants were missing. Now, the square has two spots for hot pot cuisine: Shabu Square and Shabuya. The restaurants opened within a month of each other last winter, offering the interactive Asian dining experience that is gaining popularity in Asia and the US.


Panja Lymswan, a Quincy resident and owner of Shabu Square at 97 Winthrop St., also owns two Thai restaurants in Harvard Square, Spice Thai and 9 Taste, but he wanted to bring shabu shabu to the area.

Kwanghyun Yoon, who owns Shabuya at 57 JFK St. with his wife, also owns Shilla, a Korean restaurant in the basement of the same building. Yoon said shabu shabu is “the future of cuisine.”




What is the weirdest thing customers have done when they don’t know how to eat shabu shabu?

Panja Lymswan, owner of Shabu Square: Not turn on the water, so it’s not hot, and try to eat it fresh and raw. People like food already cooked. [Shabu shabu] is convenient, but when people see it they say what is this? What do I do with this?

Can large groups order different kinds of shabu shabu?

PL: Four to five people order different meat and vegetables and mix it together. When you share, what is best to do it pick the food out and put it on your plate so it isn’t involved with the other food. The American custom is that they don’t like to eat from the same bowl.

What can customers learn from shabu shabu?

PL: Most food Americans consume has oil. If you get the French fries, if you go with the stir fry with noodles, it all has oil. [Shabu shabu] is all healthy; it boils the fat out of the beef. It has less calories.



What do you do when customers don’t know what shabu shabu is?

Kwanghyun Yoon, co-owner of Shabuya: They ask, and the wait staff is very good at explaining, and sometimes they show them how to eat it. There’s no definite way to have shabu shabu. I usually show them the best way to enjoy it.

It’s so colorful in here.

My slogan here is “be happy.” When you come in, it’s happy. When you have shabu shabu and sushi, you feel happy because it makes you full, but it’s light. When we designed this place, we asked our designers to make it happy. The theme is vegetables and meat: the green is the vegetables, the pink is the meat and the hanging beads are the noodles. The lights are different shapes and heights because when you cook it, bubbles come out.



Is it especially important to be happy these days?

KY: When you go out, you want a different feeling other than at home. I kept the price down so everyone can enjoy it. Dinner starts at $11.95, lunch is way down at $7.95. You get vegetables, meat, broth and happiness, which is the most important, for $7.95.

Watch the video!

Sunny, warm today... now for the cold

PUBLISHED by The Cambridge Chronicle

Cambridge —Even though spring isn't here yet, it felt like it Friday as temperatures rose into the 50s in Cambridge. But don't get in the mood for spring for too long. Snow's expected Saturday night into Sunday. So winter's still here.

Harvard student Julie Kim, 22, about to jog around the sunlit square




Brattle Square Florist opens its doors to sunlight


Harvard students Peter Ganong, 22, and Johan Hong, 20, jog down Massachusetts Avenue


Rick Wayshville of Watertown, 29, enjoys an iced coffee while walking his dogs around Harvard Square



Members of the Marist College swimming and diving team, Meredith Michl, 18, and Connor Cyrus, 22, went shopping at the Harvard COOP.



Sofie Allen, 8, dances to street performers in front of the Harvard T station

Cambridge residents deal with bone-chilling cold

PUBLISHED by The Cambridge Chronicle

Cambridge —Zero- to 15-degree temperatures did not deter many shoppers and workers in Harvard and Porter squares Friday afternoon, some of whom likened the sunshine to a day on the beach.


“I’ve been wearing my swim trunks all day,” Maurico Orantes, a Mexican native shopping for a party, said. “It’s sunny!”


But Orantes was wearing a pair of jeans, thanks to his friend, Cambridge resident Julia Throckmorton, who said she had to convince Orantes to do some convincing before they headed to the stores. Throckmorton said she likes the cold weather, though, and she worries more about “being stylish” than keeping warm.

“I feel a chill, and it keeps me alive,” she said.



Unlike Throckmorton, others said they were from even colder areas. Beverly Morrill, a visitor from New Hampshire shopping in Harvard Square, said, “this is nothing.”

“But I feel bad for the homeless people. Usually, we see a lot when we come down,” Morrill said. “I haven’t seen many today; only one has asked me for money.”

Joshua Kampa from Minneapolis said his Under Armour, legwarmers and a waterproof Loki jacket with attached mittens kept him “balmy” as he rode his bike to Harvard Square.

“It’s awesome,” Kampa said about biking in the cold. “You’re the only person who shows up to anywhere warm. You’re stripping off layers, and everyone else is freezing.”

In Porter Square, some shoppers weren’t as enthusiastic. Two Tufts University students from Texas waited for a cab with several Shaw’s grocery bags each.

“It’s pretty brutal,” said sophomore Zach Alberts. “I don’t think we’ll ever get used to it.”



Across the parking lot in front of CVS, one woman had to call AAA to jumpstart her car battery. Ulisses Ferreira, who responded to the call, said such problems are common.

“The cold weather isn’t good for the battery, with the hot and cold water,” Ferreira said.

Nick DiDuca, manager of the Eliot Street Café Dunkin’ Donuts in Harvard Square, said many customers waited for the bus in the shop today rather than taking their coffee outdoors.

“Everyone I’ve seen looks like the kid from ‘A Christmas Story,’” DiDuca said.

Several Cambridge Department of Public Works workers were spreading salt and cleaning up the area in front of the Harvard Square T stop, next to Out of Town News, for a Martin Luther King, Jr. event scheduled for Monday.



Dave Rae, “tree climber” for the department, said he was “freakin’ cold,” but he often works in inclement weather putting up and taking down Christmas trees.

Norman Siegel of East Arlington said people he talked to about Friday’s forecast had been “terrified,” but he was worried that Saturday’s temperatures would be worse.

“It was cold, but it was livable,” Siegel said. “If it would have been windy today, it would have been a horror show.”

I love you ... P.S. I'm broke

PUBLISHED by The Cambridge Chronicle

Cambridge —With a recession and layoffs happening left and right, you probably don’t want to go all out this Valentine’s Day. But plenty of romantic, wallet-friendly date opportunities are happening around Cambridge this February, from stargazing to concerts to special dinner menus. Everything listed below costs $15 per person or less, so you could still spring for flowers or chocolate, too.



If you don’t have a date or a special someone, quite a few events are happening for those with broken hearts or disgust for half-naked cherubs. Laugh your loneliness away or rock out to playful ballads with the rest of the Cupid-haters—without feeling guilty about the cost.


Love is an Italian dinner


In honor of St. Valentine, enjoy a romantic Italian dinner beginning with Caprese salad and mussels, complimented by Italian brew and ending with tiramisu at Cambridge Common at 1667 Mass. Ave., Harvard Square. Reservations. $8-9 appetizers, $12-15 entrees.

‘Supershag’

Take your date to “Four on the Floor with Supershag” and learn to do more on the dance floor than bump and grind at Ryles Jazz Club at 212 Hampshire St. Lessons at 9:15 p.m. and dancing from 10-2 a.m. Ages 18+ Tickets are $15 and dress to impress.

‘Bugs Bunny Film Fest’

A special night of romance with the Looney Tunes cast, featuring Pepe Le Pew, animation’s most romantic skunk at “The Bugs Bunny Film Fest Presents Looney Love” at the Brattle at 40 Brattle St. If you’re looking for a more traditional lovefest, check out The Brattle’s traditional screening of “Casablanca” or their series of Great Romances. Tickets are $6.50-9.50. Showtimes available at www.brattlefilm.org.

Nothing says love like a burger

The burger at Mr. Bartley’s (1226 Mass. Ave.) is served “naked,” laying on a bed of spinach and topped with bacon, red onions, tomato, walnuts, chopped hard-boiled eggs and lemon vinegarette. Don’t forget the mints if you’re with that special someone! The entrée is $10.

A walk and hot chocolate around Harvard Square

The weather forecast is not as brutally cold as last week’s, but even if the temperature drops, you can warm things up with a stroll and a sweet drink from one of Harvard Square’s many cafés and coffee shops. Add a croissant and sit by the fireplace and voila! A cheap and cozy evening.

A Thorn-y kind of love

For those less than enthusiastic about Cupid and red roses, ImprovBoston’s comedians will make you forget about the heart-wrenching torture of Valentine’s Day in “Thorns” at 40 Prospect St. Tickets are $16 and $10 for students. Show starts at 10 p.m.

Gazing at the stars

What’s more romantic than at gazing up at the stars? Stargazing in the cozy indoor Charles Hayden Planetarium at Museum of Science. Check out the night’s stars without freezing to death for only $6.50 at 7 p.m. on Friday Feb. 13. Or, if you wait until 8:30 p.m., couples can view the stars for free at the Museum’s Gilliland Observatory.

An ‘alternative’ VDay

The Boston Secession Professional Choral Ensemble performs an “alternative” Valentine’s concert at the First Church at 11 Garden St. in Cambridge on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. Tickets are $25 and $15 for students and seniors. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Single and ready to mingle

Full couples’ dinner and “Singles’ Mingle” in the Lounge with performances from local favorites The Underberry’s and Paranoid Social Club at The Loft at Tommy Doyle’s at 96 Winthrop St. Tickets are $12 at the door, show is 21+ and starts at 10 p.m., and everyone is encouraged to wear red, white and black.

Skating fun

With two beautiful skating rinks right off the Red Line, there’s no excuse not to take your date, hand-in-hand around the ice. Two places for perfect ice skating: Charles Hotel at 1 Bennett Street, Harvard Square, open from 4-8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays on holidays. For adults, it’s $5 to skate and $5 to rent. Skating and renting is $3 each for children and $10 each for the whole family. Kendall Square Community Rink at 350 Kendall St. Rent skates here for $5 and skate for $4 ($3 for students and adults, $1 for children). For hours, check out www.kendallsquare.org.