Speculation among the authorities is that an old dilemma to the region is resurfacing. In the earlier part of the century a demonic cult held residence and there were many mutilations done to herds in the area. Although there are definite differences in the mutilations many feel that there may be a connection.
Until further notice the local authorities have advised farmers as well as anyone with pets that usually remain outdoors to keep a closer eye on their property and to PLEASE report anything strange or unusual to the Police immediately.
The police have no cause for the general upheaval that appears to be taking place. One Spokesman has said that over the past few months violence has been on the decline and the approval rating of the Police has increased. He can not speculate as to the sudden change in circumstances.
The Agent went on to compensate the farmer for these cows and declared the rest of the herd to be fit. The farmer had expected to hear back from the Agent about the fitness of his cows and when no one contacted him with results he attempted to find out on his own. The farmer contacted the Federal Government to try and track down the Agent and the results. The farmer was informed that the agency that he was enquiring about did not in fact exist and that he was the unwitting victim of a foul hoax.
The Authorities are puzzled by these events in that the supposed agent paid the farmer generously for the cows labeled disease. No one is sure of the fate of the cows. The Police are not commenting as to whether or not this is related to the mutilations in Webster.
The contractors that re-fitted the pool last spring say that they stand by their work and that there is no way the pool is leaking. The contractors hinted that crooked politicians were using this as a cover to bilk the tax-payers out of thousands of dollars and it was just not going to work this time.
The mayor's office of course denies such charges and has said an on-going investigation will discover the cause of the leak.
For my Baltimore readers, Worcester is a city smack dab in the middle of Massachusetts. Three years ago it was a remnant of an industrial city. Underdeveloped and losing jobs right left and center. A joke amongst the Worcester businesses was "Will the last business to leave Worcester please turn out the lights."
Cruel but true. Much like Baltimore was before the revival that started with Harborplace and continues with the revival of Penn Station.
Today, Worcester is starting its transformation. The delay is understandable. Worcester has limited train access only two daily Amtrak trains, unlike the passenger traffic that floods Baltimore daily. Worcester is on only one main road I-290 and has inconvenient access to the Mass Pike, a major east-west road that connects Massachusetts to upstate New York.
The Metropol is part of that transformation. Three years ago the building that now holds the Metropol was the ruin of Union Station in Worcester. An eyesore, a wrecked hulk of a building wearing traces of its former grandeur like a crying woman's face holds the streaks of a once elegant make-up job. The arched roof was mostly gone. The fine marble floor was covered with four inches of true soil. It was starting to grow ferns and other plants. The benches had been used by the homeless for firewood on cold winter nights. Only splinters remained. Significant swaths of marble had been removed. To form mantel pieces and occult altars.
An almost fresh coat of spray paint covered the lower six feet of the once massive complex. Declaring the turf of various short lived gangs. Defaming the reputation of various women. Spouting random profanities.
Today it is a marvel. Almost reborn to its former glory, it reveals itself to be a good host to the gothic and straining music of Moo.
As the club opened this evening, the interested parties took their places and did their things. An eclectic mix of the Worcester well-heeled, average club goers and street toughs all here to see Ezekial, Moo's lead singer.
The well-heeled moved mostly in their own circles, conducting business and using the occasion to be seen and further their own plans. The others mingled and watched in envy as more plans and deals and future profits were made. They come to learn the ways of the wealthy. Gwen Laffe, day-manager of the club said she anticipated the crowd to grow as the night went on. I fear that she will be disappointed with the final turnout.
All that was missing was the band. Everyone here was here to hear the music and witness the phenomenon that was Ezekial, the lead singer.
Then the band arrived. Ezekial and two companions mingled briefly. Ezekial thanked everyone greeted all and announced he was continuing his world tour to Malaysia and left in a flurry. The companions remained. One a ragged street tough the other better dressed in jeans, button down shirt and vest. These two were obviously not important associates of Ezekial for their presence did not save the ambiance that had held sway while waiting for Ezekial.
It was anticlimactic. Apolonia Giovanni, one of the obvious movers in the Worcester scene, was kind enough to give me her comments. She feels that Worcester is rising and the combination of gothic, exotic, mystery, and local tough color make it an appropriate and exciting place to host gala events like this.
On Moo, Ms. Giovanni stated that they were the best thing to hit the Worcester Music scene. I also fell into conversation with a member of the local clergy who did not wish to be identified. He came to see what the kids were listening to and up to in these days. He felt it was an eclectic and odd grouping but that he felt it important to attend to keep in touch and develop new ways of ministering his flock.
A suggestion that should apply to Baltimore politicians, clergy, social workers, police and teachers. The battles that need to be fought are many and the enemies of youth are many and varied: from drugs to illiteracy, from the culture of guns and gangs, to the pressures of newly awakened hormones. One has to see the troubles as a whole and fight them as a whole to make any difference at all.
Let us wish Worcester well and hope that they will join Baltimore on the map of cities that have raised themselves from the pains of poverty and underemployment.
My next report will be on Medical City. Worcester's answer to the modern major medical craze. How does it stack up to Baltimore's renowned teaching hospitals.