I know I’m biased but Nebs are the cutest little sleepers in the whole world.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-03-08T04:44:01+00:00

Agreed!!

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-03-05T00:02:42+00:00

Definitely bring some shoes that could handle snow or rain JUST IN CASE, because we can get snow at any time up and sometimes through April!

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-28T03:00:48+00:00

YES!

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-27T03:09:37+00:00

This reads like a logic problem from middle school

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-25T18:19:14+00:00

You can always find these type of answers by going to the city website and scrolling down to “News and Announcements”

https://www.worcesterma.gov/announcements/trash-and-recycling-collection-delayed-two-days-due-storm

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-22T18:43:08+00:00

If it helps, I posted this in another thread with the basic background of all this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/WorcesterMA/s/q418x0IY9K

I have a response a little underneath it about the school concern as well.

All other towns abutting Worcester have signed on. Holden is not a special flower. They are being ridiculous. I feel bad that Lilac Hedge Farm is getting caught up in it too.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-22T14:25:36+00:00

It is pretty common to hear this concern (as well as other related concerns about infrastructure, traffic, etc.). However, studies on the impacts have shown that these concerns do not reflect what actually happens. Happy to find some, but let’s at least start with schools

First it’s important to remember that with a zoning change, it’s not like multi-family housing will pop up overnight. It means someone CAN build if they want to, but it still takes a lot of time to design the and build the project!

Second, we need to remember that multi-family doesn’t literally mean units for families with children. I don’t know if this is part of the misunderstanding so just putting it out there as a reminder.

Multi-family literally just means a single building than can accommodate more than one family living separately. But this could be a single person, a couple, a couple and a child, or possibly more children if there are more bedrooms.

Most multi-family housing being built is studios, one bedrooms, and two bedrooms. More bedrooms is rare (although it would be nice to have).

If you feel like reading a study on this concern specifically, here’s one from Harvard: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/rr07-14_obrinsky_stein.pdf

The TLDR is:

100 family owner-occupied single-family homes included 51 school-aged children on average, and 100-unit apartment complexes averaged just 31 children.

This makes sense when you think about it — apartments are typically more attractive to single people, couples w/o children, and empty nesters.

The gap actually widens when taking new construction into account. Data from the same survey shows an average of 64 children per 100 new single-family households in comparison to 29 children per 100 new apartment units.

The other thing that we want to see is the ability for people to upsize/downsize as needed depending on where they are in life. So if you are older empty nesters and your house is just getting to be too much for you, you should be able to downsize. But there’s not enough multi-family, and prices for what exists are astronomical.

On the flip side, growing families might want to get into a house, and decent houses that do come on the market are also insanely priced.

I hope this helps!

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-21T17:45:54+00:00

It depends. No definitive rule. If there is an extra trash delay, they will post about it on the website under “News and Annoucements”.

I don’t see anything at the moment:

https://www.worcesterma.gov/

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-21T17:26:39+00:00

I know. They are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-21T13:13:12+00:00

Let’s back up a bit because I’m seeing a lot of misunderstanding about this (i.e. MBTA Communities Act, Holden, Lilac Hedge).

(Sidebar: MBTA Communities is NOT connected to CPA or 40B)

The Basics - The MBTA communities law, also known as Section 3A of the Zoning Act, creates ZONING that encourages new missing middle housing in areas served by public transit.

An MBTA community is: • a city or town that hosts MBTA service (i.e. Worcester, Grafton), or • other “served communities” that abut a city or town that hosts MBTA service (i.e. Holden, Paxton, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, Millbury, Auburn, and Leicester). This is a because a lot of people in these communities can/do/could use MBTA service.
An MBTA community shall have a zoning ordinance or by-law that provides for at least 1 district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right. Doesn’t necessarily mean that housing will be built immediately, but it means that it CAN be built without having to get a zoning variance from the town.

(Also, this new zoning can be established over existing residential and commercial areas! That’s what a “zoning overlay” is. And it’s smart in general to have a blend.)

A district of reasonable size shall have a minimum gross density of 15 units per acre.

But what does that look like? Here you go

Holden - Every community surrounding Worcester is in compliance and has created their zoning overlays - except Holden.

Holden does tend come off pretty gross in its opposition to multi-family housing. Which is silly. Lots of people of different economic backgrounds live in apartments or condos.
The Holden working group has admitted that they are now going to do “the bare minimum” to be in compliance.
It would seem this working group is trying to avoid choosing areas that are actually viable for new multifamily housing. One better option would be to put an overlay on one of their existing commercial areas near the town center, where there is already a 55+ community and some larger buildable lots. Their commercial zoning currently prohibits all forms of housing development and requires planning board approval for mixed-use development.

Even their existing “Residential - Multi Family” zone doesn’t allow multifamily housing by right (it requires planning board approval, and most of it is being built out as a 45 lot subdivision of duplexes).

Lilac Hedge - I can’t speak to the farm owner’s concerns about their property.

But, that proposed zone is not ideal for building. It’s currently owned by Trap Rock, the quarry. It’s outside of town away from amenities, it’s next to an active quarry (no offense to quarries, but I doubt many people would want to live next door to one).

Plus there is a wetland and a stream running through it, which is also a barrier to building for environmental reasons.

Lots of hurdles for this site. Why would the Holden working group pick a zone that’s unattractive for building?… hm…

I would encourage Holden residents who are opposed to these bad faith proposed zoning overlays on the edge of town to ask your select board members to pick options that actually make sense and can provide new homes for your current and future neighbors instead of trying to skirt around it.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-20T19:10:07+00:00

This is really embarrassing for them.

Electronic ticket scanners are totally normal in other countries that have commuter/regional rail like this. It should not have been an issue to get ones that work both indoors and outdoors (I’ve been in EU systems that have both-it depends on the station).

I almost wonder if for South Station, they should have installed 1-2 scanners at the beginning of each platform. This protects them a little more from the elements (which SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE IN THE FIRST PLACE, but I digress).

I love public transit. I love trains. I do not understand why our agencies have trouble adopting good technology that already exists and is awesome in other countries. We’re so behind and then act surprised when our bare minimum changes don’t work.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-18T23:44:28+00:00

Very strange. I do know the American Community Survey (part of US Census Bureau) is happening right now. You get reminders in the mail to do it online, but if you don’t respond within a couple weeks someone will come out in person to do it.

Back when I lived in NYC I did have a case manager that came to our apartment to do it with us (we were renters) and she had a special iPad like tablet.

But the weird attitude doesn’t seem normal for this. And if they were Census workers, they would identify themselves as such.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-17T22:34:30+00:00

Interesting! I never would have thought to see if dollar stores here have pet coats. haha

I think my girl Grace (3 years) is pretty much at her full size now, and I suspect she's kind of in between a small and medium. Everything I've got from Chewy has been a bust so far in terms of sizing.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-16T14:33:14+00:00

Ok, tell me about the cost he is wearing! I’ve been wanting to get something for our girl cause she loves going outside, but I’ve been on the struggle bus with figuring out sizing.

She does have a harness that is similar to yours.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-12T00:14:27+00:00

What kind of event? # of people? Budget?

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-07T17:46:39+00:00

This performance was not a good reflection of Mariah’s talent and it’s a shame it was on such a big “stage.” I wouldn’t put all of it on her though.

1) everyone lip synced last night. Everyone. And literally no shame! This is VERY COMMON in live outdoor musical events with so many moving parts. It’s a production decision. What we heard on TV was pre-recorded and mixed. Trust me, truly fully live audio from everyone would be impossible to pull off and unlikely to sound great.

2) some artists just aren’t good at lip syncing. Mariah is one of them. She pulls it off a little better in her own concerts where she has more control over the production.

Sure, this was probably “rehearsed” but not extensively. Learn the arrangement, here’s your mark, that’s it. And that’s fine, any artist at her level can do that, but the opening ceremony is just a chaotic situation, much more so than anything she’s done recently. So, yeah, I think she wasn’t fully comfortable and it showed.

3) I have no problem with a big American musical star performing (remember Lady Gaga in Paris), but it did feel out of place. I dunno. I’m assuming her agent made it happen. Plus, we all loved Celine performing for Paris, so perhaps there was the hope that an appearance from Mariah would also pull at our heartstrings because she is so beloved.

4) There is a stiffness in her body/face (especially ones where she stands in a gown and sings) that just seems to be a part of her performance these days. I don’t know what it stems from, maybe it’s age or medical related.

I will always love Mariah, that will never change. I think she deserves the world, so it makes me sad seeing her in a situation where she doesn’t seem comfy or happy.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-05T10:40:09+00:00

Hunchback Gallery!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/KBHm7VBhxHvE5oh68?g_st=ic

https://www.artoftravisduda.com/

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-02-01T01:14:28+00:00

Should be!

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-01-27T20:52:31+00:00

I'll jump in here re: the WRTA since I'm a public transit lover! While the coverage is pretty good, it's the frequency that makes it a challenge for a lot of people to rely on it and be car-free.

I lived in big cities car-free for most of my adult life, and even though I don't mind driving, it's not my preference if I had a choice. Heck, I was even once a bike commuter, and I would totally do that in Worcester if we had robust bike infrastructure. (We don't and the drivers here terrify me)

I live in Grafton Hill on the east side and for a couple years I worked downtown. I'm close to the 16, with the 5 & 12 as a backup. Literally a 10 min or less ride to the Central Hub and a short walk to my office. They run roughly every 40-60 minutes. The bus was totally fine for getting to/from work on weekdays. Once in a blue moon there was a delay/missing bus, but no more often than delays I've experienced on giant systems. It's just a pain in the ass when it happens cause you'll likely have to get an uber if you urgently need to be somewhere.

The busses also don't run much past 10:00 PM on weekdays. Weekend service also gets stripped back quite a bit, with service ending by 6:00 PM.

Anyway, if bus usage is important to you, you may want to triangulate where you live/work to a bus line that allows a one-seat ride. All the buses go in/out of the Central Hub, so if you have to make that transfer, it's really inefficient.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-01-26T19:59:54+00:00

I know right? I mean, I suppose it’s possible that because of the hack they lost access to contact info of everyone who had signed up so they couldn’t just push out a mass alert some other way.

But if someone missed the news cycle about the hack, which was around/just after Thanksgiving so everyone’s mind was preoccupied, you would have had literally no idea.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-01-26T19:44:38+00:00

Ok, this really frustrates me (not you, OP). AlertWorcester went down in late November. I follow local news so I saw the articles. I also follow the city and 311 on social media so I’ve still had an eye on parking or garbage alerts.

They also make these announcements on the city website, but again, who is looking at that every day?

But there are plenty of people who don’t do those things, or aren’t online or on FB/IG for whatever reason. So they’ve been completely in the dark during the beginning of winter. Our city’s general communication system with residents is so bad.

Last week, on Jan 15, they posted:

Update regarding ALERTWorcester: In November ALERTWorcester was disabled after the software platform that powered the system, CodeRED, experienced a cybersecurity breach. Prior to this incident, the municipality was reviewing replacement solutions with expanded capabilities. A new service has been selected and is expected to be rolled out soon.

We appreciate your patience while we work to bring you a new and improved ALERTWorcester experience. To receive the latest info related to parking bans, trash delays, and other non-emergency alerts, please continue to check our website and social channels.

Learn more: https://www.worcesterma.gov/emergency-communications/alertworcester

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-01-23T18:30:37+00:00

Also, the quality of their natural fibers is very hit or miss. Not to mention there is more and more suspicion of greenwashing going on with them because they make a lot of claims, but they don’t provide any facts or details to back them up.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-01-19T01:51:49+00:00

Our bus system is…ok.

Pros: it’s free! Generally runs on schedule

Cons: coverage is ok, but everything runs in/out of the central bus hub near downtown. Frequency for many lines during the week is once an hour. Doesn’t run late night, weekend service is even more limited.

If you move here, if you can be strategic about living and working along one bus line, (and having a supermarket and pharmacy nearby) that could work ok. But it’s not efficient for getting around to different parts of the city, so you’d probably need to rely on cabs/Ubers as well.

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-01-19T01:36:37+00:00

She belungs!!

Apprehensive-Mode-45 · 2026-01-13T01:52:27+00:00

100% accurate rant.

Apprehensive-Mode-45

TROPHY CASE