508 is a show about Worcester. This week we mostly talk about the Worcester Tea Party.[display_podcast]
Audio: mp3 link, other formats, feed
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[0:30] Turns out the skull found in the woods near the city likely was a black woman who “appears to have suffered a brain aneurism.” Update: Skull identified as “Tyra Wilkerson, 36, of Norwood,” missing since 2006.
[2:15] Clark cafeteria workers and their supporters are celebrating a victory in the union drive there.
[3:30] We both went to yesterday’s Tea Party, either to observe or counter-protest. The T&G thinks there were more than 2000 attendees. Jeff Barnard notes that the T&G liveblogged it. Mike remembers Father Bafaro’s remarks at a 2009 antiwar rally. Didn’t see any racist or misspelled signs.
[17:10] Worcester Magazine asked local small businessmen about Walmart and found they are not really concerned. Mike would like to see some “Jim Collins-style pseudoscience” in the coming years on the impact of the Worcester Walmart. Mike talks about how part of the reason there was not more substantial opposition to Walmart was that the opposition began very, very late into the process.
[23:50] “The Heist of Lion Bank” premieres Monday. The VegFest is Saturday, 12-5pm, at the Worcester State College Student Center.
[25:40] Some Tatnuck residents are worried about trouble in the neighborhood.
[27:55] Brendan and Gary Rosen are maybe going to do a radio show.
Also: Mike likes the video below.
AUC is in Lancaster.
Is it to early to put in a topic request for next week?
There was an article in the Telegram today about how stabbings and shootings are up, which was kind of negative and did not compare us to any other similarly-sized New England cities. I also thought it was interesting that major violent crime is not really up, though petty crime is. But I wish there had been some more detailed analysis…
That would also be relevant in light of the testimony of both the police chief and the patrolmen’s union at last week’s City Council meeting, Nicole.
@Tracy: I know that Brendan and Mike have discussed this before on 508 (i.e., that Worcester is, for the most part, a very safe place) so perhaps they don’t want to discuss it once again.
But, we’re down 62 police positions (52 police officers and 10 ranking officers) and violent crime has not been off the charts. We’re down on arrests, but it’s unclear what exactly those arrests are/should be. I’m wondering if we’re also seeing a decrease in what’s being processed in the court system. Because if we’re not, or if most of those arrests were going to have some sort of dismissal or continuation without finding, then perhaps this isn’t a bad thing at all.
We’re not getting any sort of full picture, unfortunately.
People tend to blow things way out of proportion. The most dangerous things on Olean st. I’ve encountered were the broken 40 bottles on Cook’s shore opposite the sand end. These kids sound like there was a history between them that lead to the fights. The weapons mentioned are a little hard to conceal, so it doesn’t sound like a random “kid napping” with dad’s shotgun-we don’t live in an area where you can just have one hang’n in the truck cab window. There was a little more planning I think.
So, as a young man, who enjoys a swim to get the lungs working, please don’t start going ape sh’t if you see one walking to the pond. Technically a private pond, I’ll be damned if kids can go trash it with broken beer bottles for happy bare feet, cause a rukus-then I get some problems for taking a dip(with shorts on at least). Seriously, people get too parinoid, then tend to wus out when it comes to dealing with the real trouble makers and, consequently enough, suddenly grow a pair when I come walking by-chill.
Also, I don’t think there needs to be action taken by a neighborhood group about the skull. That will only lead to more malcontent cabbage heads messing with my life or any other person who isn’t their buddy or in their social network. Next thing you know, the “Main South Killer” is camping in the park planning his next move. I get woken up by cops with a gun in my face and a pissed off German shepard, I’m finding the nut case who called them and using a solid right jab to the jaw to restore sanity. I lost an f’n toe digit trying to clear the mountain bike trail in the northside and refuse to not enjoy a park my tax money goes to maintain-paranoid pretentious nuts or not. Trust me, I have experience with nuts that watch too much tv, when I’m out’n about and know stuff like skulls and…fist fights tend to make them even more over-imaginative. And dudes like myself become the target of these misguided columbos. Have a frgg’n fruit cup, get out for a jog a few times a week, eight glasses of water a day-something, just chill out with the paranoia.
The pond isn’t private anymore. The beach still is, but the rest of it’s now under a conservation restriction which allows public access. Swim away!