Now and Later Worcester

Worcester Now, Then, and Later

Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus, Jr. is optimistic about the development of Worcester. He has said the following:

“Worcester has seen close to $3 billion in investment over the past five years. This year, home prices are up 5 to 8 percent. Rental rates are up 8 percent. And how could you miss the new hotels already redefining our skyline? Those hotels are being built for a reason. Our hotels are consistently full.”

Mr. Augustus is right to be happy with the new developments such as hotels and luxury apartments. This development has been a long time coming and is part of a historical cycle for the City.

Immediately before this cycle of hotels and apartments and entertainment there was the Worcester Center Mall Galleria and then its remake called the Worcester Commons Outlets. Many in the City had same glee expressed by Mr. Augustus with his proclamation “Worcester time is now”

Unfortunately Mr. Augustus still sees Worcester Downtown in the rose colored glasses of the 1940s, a time when people did not have many cars.  The importance of downtowns to cities started its decline with the opening Shoppers World in Framingham in 1955. It was the first shopping mall.

Today many shopping malls are abandoned ghost malls. The Greendale Mall in Worcester is near that state.

Development in downtown Worcester is based to a large extent on the transfer of the operations of St. Vincent Hospital from Vernon Hill. The transfer was subsidized by City taxes. It is not certain yet if the City will recover this money.

The new apartments and condo being built in Downtown is a new phenomenon for Worcester. To some extent it will be a bedroom community for the commuters going by trains going to Boston.

More importantly it will be a neighborhood, like Main South or Vernon Hill. This is new and it seems to have gone unnoticed. Services for this new neighborhood, like a food store, will likely be established.

Since the early 1800s Worcester’s industries have been cyclical. With the water power of the Blackstone River textiles and clothing were manufactured until the factories moved south in search of cheaper labor.

In the later 1800s the metal industries developed in the City. Barbed wire was invented and manufactured in the City, as well as cables and processed steel. I worked at USS Steel as a young man and made oil well cables.  As we know the metal industries moved overseas.

For a while the computers, such as the minicomputers, were manufactured in the Worcester area. The personal computers signaled the death knell for computer manufacturing in this area.

Today it is biotech that is the major industry here.

I suppose you can see the issue. Industries come and go. The Worcester area is not an exception to this rule.  

It is worrisome that Mr. Augustus did not mention what is being done regarding the industries of the future. There question of whether his vision incudes the next cycle of industry. His proclamation of “Worcester’s time is now” is not a vision for the future.

Watered Down

Water Down

Worcester has experienced a shortfall of rain for four of five years ending in 2016. It looks like the shortfall will continue into 201. Although this could be an anomaly, it could also be a pattern. It might the start of a new normal where 38 inches of rain per year is all we get.

As the City manager has been made known to us by standing in the dry ground exposed by low water, Worcester reservoirs are less than half filled after the five year shortfall. The intakes for the reservoirs are now above the water level and cannot draw in water.

The City has taken some emergency measures such as buying water from Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) that runs the Quabbin and Wachusetts Reservoirs. It pays the MWRA 1.7 million dollars per month for the water. The money comes City’s general funds. This expenditure will be made for the foreseeable future.

This money is needed elsewhere such as the public schools.

The City has also instituted water use restrictions that have helped to mitigate the shortfall. However even with the restrictions the level of water in the reservoirs have not risen above 50 percent.

First of all let me say that water is a human right. We deserve clean drinking water for no other reason than we are people. The people in Flint MI are the victims of human rights violations. Denial of water should be used as weapon or a means of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Secondarily water is an asset for a region. Like affordable energy water is vital for a prosperous community. There have been examples of civilizations that cease to exist due to the drought conditions brought on by climate change. The Akkadian Empire, Khmer Empire, and the Puebloan Culture are historical examples.

 Of course I am not saying that New England or even Worcester is facing imminent demise. I am suggesting is some thought should go into the possibility that 38 inches of rain a year is the new average for the region.

The City council has wasted its time and resources on nice, but less vital issues such as dog parks and mounted patrols. There should a report from the City Manager on the short and long effects of the drought on the City and how the City plans to respond to it.

As we have seen the reservoirs of the City will have to be redesigned. This is because a 38 inches of rain will not keep them filled. Water use will have to be increasingly recycled. Roof water and runoff should increasingly harvested.

The issue is actually a state or regional and Federal issue. The redesign and improvements to reservoirs is beyond the budgets of all cities and towns in Massachusetts. As the Federal government has become involved in the improvement of infrastructure like roads and bridges, it will likely have to become involved in the infrastructure of dams and reservoirs of water short areas.

With the Trump presidency water infrastructure improvement is unlikely to occur. This is especially true as both the State voters and its Republican governor voted against the President elect.

Ruby Legs

Ruby Legs

The talk by some Worcester politicians about getting the minor league Pawtucket Red Sox to move to Worcester from Rhode Island is probably just a pipe dream. There once was a time that Worcester had both a minor league team in the National Association and a major league team in the National League.

 In 1880 the Worcester Club joined the Majors replacing the Syracuse New York club which went bankrupt. It seems that the Worcester team was the Worcester Worcesters. Sometimes it was also known as the Brown Stockings, Brownies, or the Ruby Legs.

The team played ball in the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds which were located in the general area of Becker College and divided by Highland St.

(John) Lee Richmond was the team’s ace and stopper. Reading about him reminds me of Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1972 Carlton won 27 of the 59 games won by the Phillies.

Lee Richmond pitched three years with the Worcesters. Each year he pitched over 400 innings. His best year was when his record was 32 wins and 32 losses. It is likely the great number of innings pitched caused him arm trouble and shortened his career. He ended his playing days with the Providence Grays of the National League where played outfield.

Richmond is probably best known for pitching the first perfect no-hit game in the Major Leagues.  He did so in the second to last game of the 1880 season. It occurred in Worcester on the then Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds. There is a marker in front of the Becker College Academic Center marking the field.

Also in the same year the Worcester club was no hit by Buffalo on the same field. The first record of a team being no hit on its home field.

In 1882 the Worcester Worcesters had such poor attendance that it financially failed. At the last game of the season there were only 6 paying fans. The Worcester Club was always at a disadvantage in terms of attendance. All of the other National League teams were located in cities with at least 75, 000 people. Worcester at that time only had 58, 000 people.

The Ruby Legs  folded and the National League went looking for a club to replace Worcester. It choose the Philadelphia Quakers, a minor league team, to join the National League.  The Philadelphia Quakers later became the Philadelphia Phillies of the modern baseball era.

There is some talk today about how the Worcester Worcesters moved to Philadelphia and became the Phillies. This seems not to be true. Although the Philadelphia Quakers replaced Worcester in the National League, no players nor managers nor owner went to Philadelphia.

Worcester MA has a long baseball history and present. The minor league Bravehearts play baseball at Holy Cross’ field. The Worcester Tornadoes, a minor league team before the Bravehearts, played in the City for many years.

Going pass Lake Park field in Worcester I see the Babe Ruth League teams playing ball; many of them with players I am sure are professional hopefuls.

I have mixed feeling about the efforts to get the Pawsox to come to Worcester. It seems like a slap in face to the Bravehearts.

  

A View From Grafton Hill

On August 26, 2016 the Mayor of the City of Worcester walked through the Wall St. neighborhood.  One of the stops on his walk was the empty lot that used to be the El Morocco Restaurant. The lot sits on high ground with a terrific view of the Worcester skyline.

A housing project of 90 units of 1, 2, 3 bedroom apartments is being planned for the now empty lot.

All of the units will be market rates. There will be no affordable housing units. The developer stated that he could not build any affordable housing units under the state program. The longtime director of Friendly House, Gordon Hargrove, felt that some of the units will eventually become Affordable Units.

Mr. Hargrove is working with the Developer to ensure some additional benefit to the neighborhood. He indicated that the project would include upgrades to the Shale St. School playground.

The Mayor and the Developer showed a schematic of the building layout. However the Developer said that the final project would look different than what on the schematic. He did not have a copy of the revisions.

Like Mr. Hargrove the Mayor felt that the housing unit would help the neighborhood and the City.

Rep. Mary Keefe was also on the walk. She has been involved with the Labor Coalition  which advocates for some construction jobs like those for the project go to Worcester residents and people of color

 The streets in the neighbor are narrow as most of the streets on the Eastside of the City were built well over one hundred years ago. There might be some concerns about traffic and parking. For planners one and one-half cars per unit is considered standard.

Another concern express was how many children would live in the project and where they would go to school. An employee at Grafton St. School which only two blocks away, said that the School was at capacity.

She also said that Grafton St. School is the oldest functioning school building in the Worcester District. There are some renovations going on at the School today, including a new boiler, windows, and an elevator for the handicap.

During the walk the City Manager, Edward Augustus, asked a DPW employee how often the storm drains were cleaned on this street as he pointed to a clogged drain. The DPW worker said his department cleans the drains.

The walk ended on an interesting note as stop in a vendor in Worcester that provides props for local movies. Included in props was the Teddy Bear from the movies “Ted” and Ted2”

Tribe, Race, Government

Tribes, Race, and Government

In Central Massachusetts there is an issue of Native Indian identification that has caught me off guard and surprised. It involves the entity known as a Tribe and what it is and who belongs to it,

 The Native Indians of Central Massachusetts are the Nipmucs. It is thought that the Nipmucs originally came from the Hudson Valley to populate areas of Central New England. Some say they came to the Worcester area by way of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

 There is evidence that name Nipmuc comes from Neepmuck, which derives from Nipamaug, 'people of the freshwater fishing place'.

It is written that the English first encountered the Nipmucs in 1630 when Native Indians brought foodstuff to the English in Boston. Although many people brought food over a period of several seasons, only one man has gone into written history, John Acquittamaug.  His last name is likely that of his band which lived in what is now Woodstock Ct.

 In Worcester County today the Nipmucs have at least three bands or groups. They are:

Chaubunagungamaug Nipmucs or Dudley Indian are descendants of the Praying town of Chaunbunagungamaug which is now located in the town of Webster MA.

Hassanamisco Nipmuc or Grafton Indians are descendants of the Praying town of Hassanamessit which is now located in the town of Grafton MA. This is still the current reservation.


      This land was never owned by White men.

Natick Massachusett or Natick Nipmuc are descendants of the Praying town in Natick. The Massachusetts do not retain any of their original lands. The Naticks today are primarily descended from the Tribe Massachusetts as well as from Nipmuc ancestry. The Natick qualify for state services as Nipmuc.

The first praying village in Massachusetts was in South Natick. The villagers were Massachusetts. The praying villages were called plantations by the English.

The Nipmuc people spoke a language in the Algonquin language group. For the most part the dialect is no longer spoken, although I understand there is some effort to revive it. All Nipmuc people now speak English as their primary language.

Some people like to group the Nipmucs, Mohegans, Naragansetts, Pequots, and Massachusetts together, the consensus seems to be that each was a separate tribe. However there is some disagreement on this.

 Today many the Native Indians of Central Massachusetts live among or attend events of other tribes or communities.

The Enfranchisement Act of 1869 effectively ended tribal interaction with Massachusetts government for about 100 years. The members of the tribes became resident of Massachusetts and citizens of the United States. The individuals could interact with the governments.

Previous to the Enfranchisement Act Native Indians were wards of the state. Their affairs were handled indirectly by a sort of receiver. Some of these receivers were dishonest and much of the Native Indians lands were lost to the English.

The Nipmucs are recognized as a tribe by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 1979 the State legislature passed a bill recognizing the Wampanoags, Nipmucs, and Massachusetts (Nipmucs). This recognition brings some benefits which and oversight by the Massachusetts Bureau of Indian Affairs.

To date only the Wampanoags have received Federal recognition. Federal recognition allows a Native Indian tribe (nation) to establish a government with courts, and laws. It is also allowed to collect revenue and set up casinos.

The standards used by the Federal government to recognize tribes have changed over the centuries. At one time the Federal government tried to recognize tribes by race (blood) a criterion. This was declared to be Unconstitutional.

Now the Federal government uses what is called “political” criteria. Some of the political criteria are:

1.  Since 1900, it must comprise a distinct community and have existed as a community from historical times;2. it must have political influence over its members;

3. it must have membership criteria;

4. it must have membership that consists of individuals who 
descend    from a historical Indian tribe and who are not enrolled in any other tribe. The existence of persistent political relationship as an aspect of tribal relations is also emphasized.

Since the time of the King Phillip (Metacom) War the Nipmucs suffered great losses in terms of their cultural and their population. Many of the people were imprisoned, enslaved, executed, or died from introduced diseases and poverty. In order to survive the Native Indians of Central Massachusetts had to adopt non blood members into the tribes.

Some of the new adoptees were Black and fewer were White. There were anti-miscegenation laws which made legal marriage between Native Indians and Whites difficult.  Until recently many of the light skin people did not reveal their heritage and many of the dark skin people pointed out their heritage. Being part Native Indians was a means to mitigate racial oppression against Blacks.

The children of the interacial marraiges were accepted into the tribe as Native Niomucs, due to the matrilineal focus of Nipmuc culture. Native Indian vanish from state and federal census records but were listed as 'Black', or some in Native Indian person depending on their appearance appeared..

So in the eyes of quite a few people the Nipmucs are mostly Black people. Even among some Native Indians this perception is common.

There is local college professor who never seems to miss an opportunity to say that the Nipmucs are not a known tribe. I get upset every time I hear his words. 

One of the reason I am writing this article is to say that I think that the Nipmucs are tribe. They are a part of our history and an assets. Their tribal traditional should preserved and once again become living.

It does not matter what the Federal government rules.
The Nipmucs have a recorded history that goes back at least to 1630. The tribe has people by birth or by adoption. They faced a period of genocide and survived it. Let us all recognize this Tribe which is still among us.

There are those among us who want to preserve the Blackstone Valley manufacturing history, but have ignored the living people who ancestors were here before the water wheel.

These issues of race, cultural, self-identification, government are sometimes awkward and many times sad to witness. Other times they can be a joy bringing us self-esteem and knowledge.

Why Worcester Is Not Capital of Massachusetts

Why Worcester Is Not the Capital of Massachusetts

During the late 18^th Century and the early 19^th Century the capitals of several Atlantic states moved from port cities to inland locations. This did not happen in Massachusetts and Worcester did not become the capital of the Baystate.

There are several reasons for this non event. The first is that the farmers of Massachusetts never were able to become significantly influential in the Commonwealth’s business. The farmers were reduced to being essentially outlaws with the failure of Shay’s Rebellion.

A second reason for Worcester not becoming the Capital is that most of the movements of state capitals inland were to locations easily accessible from the port cities by water or rail. Hartford was connected to New Haven by the Connecticut River and Albany to New York by the Hudson River.

Worcester was connected by river canal and by rail to Providence. During the 19^th Century it was easier to get to Providence from Worcester than it was to get to Boston from Worcester.  Worcester and points west were outside of Boston’s concerns.  There was no need for State offices outside of Boston.

The big change came with the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Worcester bosses were happy that Boston stayed out of their affairs. The Turnpike was to some extent the quickening of Worcester becoming a part of Boston and the reduction of the Worcester bosses.

The old timers in the unions I have spoken with say that the reason the Massachusetts Turnpike was for decades never in Worcester was the bosses wanted to keep  the General Motor assembly plant from being located on Airport Hill.  The Auto Workers during 20^th Century was the most progressive or left large union in the country.

The Worcester bosses won this battle and General Motors built the assembly plant in Framingham. The backward thinking bosses in Worcester still have their negative effects. There is no turnpike connection to the Worcester Airport.

With the improvement of passenger rail service to Worcester and the opening of the Route 146 Turnpike connection, and Route I190 to the twin cities of Leominster-Fitchburg there is a new wheel and spoke of the so called hub of Boston. In many ways Worcester is more of  a hub as it has highways going east.

The material conditions are such that the Commonwealth could begin to consolidate State buildings and jobs into the Worcester area.  The infrastructure exists.  For most people in Massachusetts including Metro West, North Shore, South Shore, Connecticut Valley and Western Massachusetts, it is easier to get to Worcester that it is to get to downtown Boston.

Of course there is no way that the Capital of Massachusetts will move out of Boston nor the Capitol from the Statehouse. The political and historical impediments are just too great.

However the sale of underutilized or obsolete State owned in Boston buildings might be a windfall for the Commonwealth. The construction of more efficient building in the Worcester area might be a money saver and a way to relieve the congested traffic issues of Boston.

Looking to the future along these lines will have to be done. It makes sense to start thinking about them sooner rather than later.

The Great Generation of the 20th Century

Honoring the Great Generation

On June 4, 2016 the City added to its World War II Memorial to the veterans of that war. The main additions are two monoliths with the names of veterans killed.

Previously there was only a circle of military symbols in that area of the Worcester Commons.  This circle is schedule to be made into some sort of fountain.

At times it was not clear to me whether the City was  honoring the veterans or whether the City brought together the veterans as props for this public works project. It was clear that City Manager Augustus has taken some credit for the project and that other City bosses had a nice photo opt.

 It was immediately clear that the veterans were thankful for the event. They were so happy that many went out of their way to shake people’s hands and to chat.

 All World War II veterans are at least in their 80’s. Most like my Dad have passed on. Some are disabled.

 Albert B. Southwick, a writer for a local newspaper, gave the key note speech, He is a World War II. He touched on  the dangers of Fascism and how the brave fighters defeated it. However he used the word “ evil” instead of “fascist”/Mr. 

Southwick being a historian, it was a disappointment that he did not mention the struggle by his generation to overcome the Great Depression created by an irrational capitalist system. The struggle against the impoverishment of the Great Generation by the Great Depression was as dire as the fight against Fascism.  Two of my aunts died then in infancy.

I suppose that it is not Politically Correct to say those things.

There were some war machines on display. I think these things are out of place when honoring the dead or the living for that matter.

 I spoke to one World War II veteran about the “Sherman” tank being used as a prop for photos. He responded that he had seen it.

I could tell from his response that he did not want to talk about it. It might have been because the Sherman tank was a death trap. It could not stop the German Panther tank.

There is a thin line between honoring veterans and glorifying war.

I did not notice one Black or dark skin veteran in the March of Veterans from Front St. to the seating area.  I did notice two Black men  in the audience I know as veterans, although not from World War II.

Of course the obvious questions arose, Was there any efforts made to include so called veterans of color. The struggle for the restoration of the Honor Roll for Veterans of Color has included at least one VFW post with Black Veterans.

When the song “Proud to be an American” played before the National Anthem I cringed. Although well intentioned. The line “at least I know I am free” is a form of slavery denial. I suppose none Black Vets and the controversial song are a reflection of a lack of diversity in the organization of the event, a sort of color blind disparate impact occurrence.

People of that era, veterans, genocide survivors, survivors of the Great Depression, partisans, and displaced people all should be honored. 

Who is Honored at City Hall

The Monuments Near the Worcester Commons

Yesterday  morning a friend called me to get historical information about the Worcester Commons.  She has lived in Worcester the majority of her life. She has seen the commons go through several iterations.

She is too young to have remember the Old South (Congregational) that doubled as a religious meeting house and the Town Hall.  The cemetery in the Commons are of parishioners. The Church still exist on Salisbury St.

She is not too young to remember the so called reflecting pool that only seemed to collect trash and restrict the foot traffic flow through the park. The architect seemed not to have read Jane Jacobs.

The jury is still out on the Oval which doubles as a skating rink in the winter and a sitting/eating area in the summer. I have never used the skating rink, but I like the tables and sun umbrellas in the summer.

Monuments sprinkle the Worcester Commons and nearby area.  Some of them are relatively new.

There is a monument concerning the genocide of Armenian people by the Turks during World War I.  This monument is located on the right hand of the front of City Hall as you face City Hall.

There is also an Irish Cross which symbolizes the 1916 Easter Rebellion by the Irish Republican Army against British rule.

The number of war memorials is surprising. The most surprising is that of the anti-imperialist and anti-racist founder of Worcester Polytechnical Institute, George Hoar. His image sits majestically wondering why the City has not changed much of its war mentality or its racist policies. Mr. Hoar opposed the Spanish American War.

The City has honored Colonel Biglow of Worcester who fought against he British in the War of American Independence.

The Civil War memorial has the names of the 398 soldiers from Worcester who died fighting the racist Confederacy and its system of chattel slavery.

There is a relatively new monument to the brave trooper who gave their lives in the Iraq Wars I and II. I suppose we will have to modify the monument to include Iraq War III.

On the side of City Hall there is a statue of an American GI. This generation fought the Nazis and the Axis of Fascism, Germany, Italy, and Japan government.  The Honor Roll of Black Veterans should be erected next to it, instead of on the isolated traffic island in Lincoln Square.

Across the street from the Worcester Commons is the first Vietnam War memorial. It predates the extravagance in Green Hill Park.  I thought for a while no one knew that it existed, but every once and a while I see flowers there.

A few blocks away is the Korean War memorial. Although the statue is moving, it is pretext. Nonetheless the soldiers who died and fought there performed their duty as they understood it. 

Unfortunately it has the feel of the Western savior. Many more Koreans dies in that Cnflict than Westerners.

The Commons’ character changed when the Worcester Regional Transportation moved it busses to the Hub.

What will the Commons be like with the demolition of Notre Dame and finished construction of City Square?