For the past several years, Worcester has held local Longest Night observances, the national homeless persons memorial day, on December 21st. This year observances will be held each evening December 17th to 19th to mark the tragic deaths of three homeless women this past year, and a memorial service for all 7 Worcester Deaths will be held on December 21st at the P.I.P. Shelter.
All are invited to participate as we remember Ruby, Nancy, Joyce, Robert, Ziggy, Lenny and Michael.
Earlier Stories
Midnight on the Steps Reflection | 2005 article & photos
[Full article]
Yesterday, community members, legislators and Worcester leaders attended a state – wide gathering for the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition at AIDS Project Worcester. MTPC chapters in Worcester, Boston and the Northshore, as well as activists in New Bedford/Fall River, Cape Cod and the western part of the state, are gearing up to pass legislation protecting residents from discrimination based on gender identity and expression in 2009.
[Full article]
During the course of the months long fight to get Police Chief Gary Gemme to comply with the state’s public records law and Supreme Court decision, City Manager Michael O’Brien has repeatedly stood-up proclaiming his commitment to full transparency and public disclosure.
Unfortunately as many of us already knew, that was just window dressing to hide behind. There was never any intention to make the Rojas file truly public.
Over the past week I have made public records requests of the City Clerk, City Manager and Police Department to “view” and “possibly copy” the document released to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. My public records request effort has gone nowhere.
[Full article]
Celebrating 2 years of having a home at 4 King St, Stone Soup threw an Anniversary Fiesta at Centro Las Americas on December 6, 2008. The party featured the Murga group, La Klandestina, from Leominster and Toxic Soil Busters. Awards were given to the Worcester Immigrant Coalition and Stone Soup members, Cosme Sierra and Becky Rothberg.
Download the 7 min. video of the event here (mp4) Other formats
[Full article]
Marijuana, It’s NOT Legal, But Decriminalized
Although Massachusetts voters have passed ballot question 2, decriminalizing marijuana, most public places will not change their rules or regulations on the illegal substance.
College campuses deal with a large number of drug and alcohol violations during the school year. Many students enter with a sense of “Animal House” in their minds, using the time to experiment (outside of the classroom). Many kids test the waters and never get caught; others continue their habits and eventually are sanctioned for their violations
These sanctions aren’t changing anytime soon for schools. Local campuses such as Worcester State College or WPI, acknowledge alcohol and marijuana use by the students, many whom voted in favor of question 2, but also remind residents and commuters alike that presences, possession, and/or use on campus will still NOT be tolerated.
[Full article]
After receiving complaints from photographers who claimed they had been prevented from taking photographs at city ponds, pools, lakes, and beaches, ACLUM has asked the Worcester city manager to clarify the city's policy on public photography.
Following several attempts to obtain information about the city's position, ACLUM today made a formal request under the state's Public Records Law seeking copies of any policy, memorandum or rule concerning photography in public places, including pools, ponds, lakes and beaches under the control of the Worcester Parks Department.
[Full article]
Do you like to cook? Do you like human beings? Do you prefer food to bombs? Come to Food Not Bombs! (Noon on Sundays at Stone Soup!)
Our numbers are dwindling, plus we have a hankering for some new FNB faces. (More FNB-ers means more interesting, funny, quirky folks for us to know and hug!) We know it's cold outside but we can easily bundle up and huddle together and share the warmth while we share our hot meals with the community.
[Full article]
A conversation with Thomas L. Doughton and B. Eugene McCarthy, co-editors of From Bondage to Belonging: The Worcester Slave Narratives. 52 Mason St, Worcester, Massachusetts. October 22, 2008.
Audio: Download the mp3 or see other formats.
More about this program.
The on-again, off-again harassment of Worcester’s livery taxis appears to have subsided, lessening frustration and anger within Worcester’s Latino community.
Community members and taxi drivers have reported harassment of patrons and drivers and multiple civil rights violations. On multiple occasions the Worcester Police Department has shut-down business completely, sending drivers home and leaving waiting patrons needing rides to doctors’ appointments and markets stranded.
The targeting of the taxis is another attack against Latino small business owners in Worcester where these businesses are primarily comprised of Ecuadoran and Dominican owners and drivers.
[Full article]
Just last October, pretty much every City Council candidate at Worcester Homeless Action Committee’s candidates night, jumped up to declare their support for local CORI reform. And while City leaders “evaluate” the proposed “Fair CORI Practices Ordinance”, the Worcester Police Department has again recommended increasing CORI use in Worcester.
Chief Gemme recently encouraged the License Commission to create a policy requiring local event promoters to be CORI’d by the police prior to being allowed to hold an event at one of Worcester’s clubs.
[Full article]
|
For the past several years, Worcester has held local Longest Night observances, the national homeless persons memorial day, on December 21st. This year observances will be held each evening December 17th to 19th to mark the tragic deaths of three homeless women this past year, and a memorial service for all 7 Worcester Deaths will be held on December 21st at the P.I.P. Shelter. 
