Maura Healey's latest pick for the Superior Court bench won praise from the Governor's Council on Wednesday for her career of public defense work in Central Massachusetts Sarah Hamilton, whom Healey nominated in August has spent her entire legal career with the Committee for Public Counsel Services first as a staff attorney in Worcester and Fall River then as senior trial counsel for the Western Region A double graduate of Northeastern University Hamilton told councilors she was the first college graduate in her family and recalled the impression left on her by one Northeastern professor — former Gov More: Healey picks Worcester public defender to be Superior Court judge he pushed me to pursue a career in public interest law," Hamilton told councilors "And he's the person who first told me what a public defender was and explained that I could have a legal career devoted to public service where I helped real people with real problems." and Worcester County prosecutor Paul Bolton voiced their support for Healey's pick "It's great to see a public defender elevated to the bench especially one who has support from the district attorney's office," Worcester Councilor Paul DePalo said "And we've been waiting for a woman on Superior Court in Worcester for quite some time so that's an added bonus of this nominee." Hamilton raised at least one set of eyebrows on account of her age you're 42," said Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney How are you going to keep yourself up to par and opportunities in the legal profession such as mentoring can all help her "stay engaged." "Serving the public has been a priority of my professional life being an associate justice of the Superior Court will be the ultimate act of public service to the commonwealth and to my community in Worcester in particular," she said Brendon Hamilton’s return to basketball has been as satisfying as finishing off a fast break with a two-handed slam The former Worcester Tech and Westfield State standout had been looking to continue his playing career prior to graduating with degrees in economics and finance in May and starting a job with Reading Community Bank Something will show up,’ ” Hamilton recently said during an overseas phone conversation via WhatsApp “And then they hit me up in January with an opportunity.” Former Worcester Tech star Brendon Hamilton keeps thriving for Westfield State men's basketball 220-pound forward signed a contract and headed to the Netherlands to play for Almonte Eindhoven a second division senior men’s team in the Dutch league a city of about 240,000 residents located in the southern part of the Netherlands near the border of Belgium in early February for the second half of the season “The competition over here is pretty decent I thought I was going to be playing people who had never seen a basketball they play soccer and aren’t big on basketball There are people over here who could play in the States and they’d be really good basketball players.” Hamilton had averaged 19.16 points in six games — four of them victories — for Almonte which sits in seventh place in the 11-team league and is safe from relegation Hamilton is one of two foreigners on the team the other being British/Canadian forward Kenny Ngassoue They’re suitemates in a three-story home provided by the team The move to Europe has been eased by the fact that more than 90% of the Dutch population speaks English ‘I should learn Dutch and come to you guys speaking Dutch,’ but they don’t see it that way,” Hamilton said with a laugh It has taken some getting used to the team schedule Almonte practices once or twice a day and plays just one game a week “One game in a week is a light schedule as I’m sure you know,” said Hamilton who tied a program record by playing in 108 games over four all-star seasons at Westfield during which time he became the second player to amass 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds And while Hamilton hasn’t sampled the local cuisine very often — he prefers to do his own cooking — he has been doing his fair share of people watching and sightseeing That included a trip to the capital city of Amsterdam with his girlfriend The two have been together for about four years and were introduced by Hamilton’s former Worcester Tech teammate Zaire Peart who attended Framingham State with Garcia-Batista which is about an hour from here,” Hamilton said headed out to the tulip fields that they’re very famous for Championship season 'motivates' Worcester's Hamilton at Westfield State Hamilton was a T&G Super Team selection following a senior season in which he led Worcester Tech to a 26-2 record and the 2019 Division 4 state title making the Bulldogs the first Worcester public schools team to win a state basketball championship Hamilton also excelled in football and basketball for the Eagles He checked in 42nd on the T&G’s Fantastic Fifty high school athletes of the last decade that was published in 2020 They were glory days and life-altering years thanks to longtime Eagles basketball coach Sean Lynch Worcester Tech is probably the school that made me into the person I am,” Hamilton said “I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t go to Worcester Tech He really helped build me into the person I am There aren’t even words to describe what that guy has done for me.” And he’ll continue to work out and hone his game in hopes of playing internationally next season —Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” Close Enemies is a latest supergroup with so much musical potential it’s almost criminal Boasting Tom Hamilton, bassist for arguably the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band from the U.S. best chance in bringing rock ‘n’ roll music back in the mainstream Although they have a few gigs prior, Close Enemies’ official tour opener is Jan. 10 at the City Winery, Boston. Despite his throat and tongue cancer diagnosis in 2006 and seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy Hamilton said he’s feeling “awesome” and shares the same sentiment in describing his new band “Close Enemies is in the same neighborhood you’re gonna rock out and you’re gonna be singing along and having a good time,” Hamilton said Just as long as the fans are out there demanding that we play Aerosmith played its first gig at Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon and treated the adolescent crowd not to originals but stellar covers including The Yardbirds Another significant early gig in Aerosmith's career was playing in front of 15,000 on Aug. 18, 1974, at the Westboro Speedway. Hamilton married a Worcester girl and Doherty High School grad The two will be celebrating 50 years of marriage together in 2025 When asked about the secret of the longevity and success in his happy marriage Hamilton credits him and his wife growing up in very stable families So when you grow up with a lot of siblings you learn to be together and stuff and how to get along So that may have helped us out,” Hamilton said I couldn’t believe that this beautiful girl was attracted to me I was this clueless kid from New Hampshire lived together for two or three years and got married.” More: 'Strikes, Spares and Deadwood': Candlepin bowling eyed at Worcester Historical Museum More: You'll love this Yule gift guide In recent years, Hamilton joined Pearl Jam onstage on Aug. 7, 2016, at Fenway Park for a rocking version of the Aerosmith classic “Draw the Line.” “I had just done a European (reunion) tour playing bass for Thin Lizzy It was the 30th anniversary of Phil Lynott’s death,” Hamilton said really early to fly home from somewhere up in Norway You’re gonna play "Draw the Line" with Pearl Jam.’ ‘Oh can’t I just go to bed?’’ I’m so glad we went Aerosmith kicked off its “Peace Out: Their Farewell Tour” on Sept which included a New Year’s Eve’s show slated for Dec it was clear Tyler wasn't able to continue singing every night “There’s a lot of people that don’t understand he didn’t blow his voice out singing," Hamilton said "He actually fell and smashed his throat on a railing and fractured his voice box It wasn’t until two days later when our manager called me up one night and said that Steven had an accident on stage and had a serious injury but it’s a bruise and he will take a month and get back on the road.” Tyler came back to Boston and the MRI showed he had a fracture really well but just not to a point where he can do a tour,” Hamilton said Steven looked at life and realized he didn’t want to tour anymore So he let us know that maybe we can do one-offs in the future but Steven can’t tour anymore.” Before the announcement of Close Enemies’ mini-tour 2025 was already shaping up to be a busy year for Foster who serves as one of the two guitarists in Hamilton’s new band Foster — who serves as Angus Young’s longtime and always on-call guitar tech (and is a former guitar tech to both Joe Perry and Ron Wood of Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones respectively) — will be on the road in the spring and summer with AC/DC’s North American Tour which includes a May 4 stop at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough who opened up a three-way phone interview 10 minutes before Hamilton joined into the conversation said being the technician behind AC/DC’s legendary schoolboy uniform-wearing axe man is the best day job one could imagine making sure that Angus sounds exactly like he’s supposed to It’s the easiest and hardest gig I’ve ever had It’s very minimal but it has to be perfect,” Foster said everyone in AC/DC is like the salt of the earth You would never know that those guys are the biggest rock stars in the world Foster’s deep connection and affinity with Aerosmith started long before joining forces with Hamilton When he 15, Foster wanted to grow up to be Joe Perry, guitarist for Aerosmith “When I worked with Joe (Perry on his 2010 solo tour) I remember he came down from his studio and I was playing guitar ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ '“'Tell you what?’  He goes “That you could play like that?’” Foster recalled we’re at rehearsals for his (solo) tour and Joe said ‘You’re going to play on this song (called "Wooden Ships").’ So I got up every night and played with him That was my first ‘what the heck’ moment.” One of Foster’s most prized possessions hangs in his Nashville studio It’s a picture of Perry and Tyler but it’s not the picture but the inscription that makes him proudly display it I was looking right at him (when he signed it) and I said to him ‘Why would you put that on there?’ And he goes ‘Because you’re a monster guitar player.’” the accolades doesn’t end with the Bay State Guitar God.“Jimmy Page saw me play with Joe one night (in 2010) and I went back to tuning guitars and Jimmy Page walked over,” Foster said Foster even sat in on Aerosmith for the ailing COVID-positive Brad Whitford for several rehearsals Foster is playing guitar with Aerosmith’s bassist in a new band Foster has also worked with the Rolling Stones as Ron Wood's guitar tech on the Stones’ last studio album 2023’s “Hackney Diamonds,” as well as the European leg of the tour I always have people telling me that I’m good at what I do,” Foster said “To hand Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones a guitar is one of those moments in life where the 15-year-old me would be going berserk if I told him this is how it is going to go.” Although he’s not used to being in the spotlight Foster is proof positive that any good guitar tech is the unsung hero of any great rock ‘n’ roll band “I remember one time I told my 22-year-old daughter ‘I really don’t want to go to work today.’ And she said it must really suck to go work for the Rolling Stones.’ And I went Foster jokes that he does have bruise marks from pinching himself too hard for all his unbelievably lucky rock ‘n’ roll fortune And his cup runneth over with Close Enemies You can hear the songs that are going to be on our first ‘Close Enemies” record that were my original idea and you can tell what tour I was on when I wrote them,” Foster said So there’s some stuff on there that is pretty Ronny Wood There’s some stuff on their that is a little Angus and Aerosmith Rounding out the bandIn addition to Hamilton and Foster Sheryl Crow’s longtime bandmate Peter Stroud provides ample support in Close Enemies’ double-guitar assault ‘Who’s going to play what solo?’ when we worked on the record We just instinctively knew because our styles would lean towards that One thing this band don’t need is another guitar player.” “I can tell you what song he is playing from his drum part because it’s like he’s singing the melody with his drums Two days after its soon to be triumphant gig in Boston Close Enemies’ singer Chasen Hampton is going to hit the big 5-0 which will still make him the youngest member by far in the band An original member of “The All-New Mickey Mouse Club” (the one with Britney Spears Hampton played air guitar with Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera during their formative years He went from being a former Disney star turned recording popstar when he fronted The Party He also tried his hand in acting and appeared in episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The X-Files,” “7th Heaven” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”“Chasen is that guy that you don’t know who he is but you do know who he is “You can’t come up in the Disney system unless you’re really talented you’re a real talented performer,” Hamilton said “Chasen loves hard rock like all of us and he does a great job on all of the songs.”  While a lot of curious rock music lovers are going to check out Close Enemeies to see what the bassist of Aerosmith has in store for them next guitar-driven rock harkens back to the early days of Aerosmith while forging a completely different path for the future “Close Enemies sound is all about rocking guitars and kick-ass drums and a really intense talented singer on top of that,” Hamilton said “The songs are guitar-based hard rock but with a lot of harmony and melody over the top of it I think we’re a natural for Aerosmith fans I think people will find us very similar in a lot of ways.” “Tom is absolutely correct but he forgot to mention the slamming bass player though “Our sound isn’t something that’s going to come by you and go away It’s something that’s going to stay with you “Sound of a Train,” sounds like the best Cheap Trick/Aerosmith mashup that Steven Tyler and Robin Zander never recorded 17 and be distributed through Virgin Music Group Hamilton and Foster said that anyone who loves great classic rock ‘n’ roll is going to love Close Enemies’ yet-to-be-released debut album “Every single one of us are songwriters so we all bring that to the table,” Foster said “Within like five or six hours with every one of us having a say “It really did work that way,” Hamilton added “There is no turf protecting going on or underhanded competition or any of that just throwing down the best that of what their creativity can come up with on any given day.” “I heard a story about Led Zeppelin about when they first got in a room and started playing together They knew instantly that it was going to work And I was a teenager when I first read that “And I’m telling you the first time we all played together and I looked over and all I seen was smiles on everybody now I know exactly what Led Zeppelin was talking about When asked if Close Enemies is going to singlehandedly bring rock ‘n’ roll back to the forefront “I keep hearing people say things like we are on the early stages of head banging hard rock and rock and roll,” Hamilton said How much: $40-$65. For information visit, citywinery.com/boston Leaders in the Law Worcester lawyer confirmed to Superior Court The Governor’s Council this week confirmed a Worcester attorney who has spent her entire legal career with the Committee for Public Counsel Services for a seat on the Superior Court bench was confirmed on a 7-0 vote at the council’s Sept Hamilton began her career with CPCS as a staff attorney in Worcester and Fall River and later became senior trial counsel for the Western Region the double graduate of Northeastern University told councilors she was the first college graduate in her family and recalled the impression left on her by one Northeastern professor — former Gov “When I spoke with him about law school he pushed me to pursue a career in public interest law,” Hamilton told councilors “And he’s the person who first told me what a public defender was and explained that I could have a legal career devoted to public service where I helped real people with real problems.” Bolton voiced their support for the nominee at the hearing “It’s great to see a public defender elevated to the bench especially one who has support from the District Attorney’s Office,” Worcester-area Councilor Paul M “And we’ve been waiting for a woman on Superior Court in Worcester for quite some time so that’s an added bonus of this nominee.” Hamilton raised at least one set of eyebrows at the hearing because of her age you’re 42,” said Councilor Marilyn M almost 30 years you’ll be on the bench and opportunities in the legal profession such as mentoring can all help her “stay engaged.” “Serving the public has been a priority of my professional life being an associate justice of the Superior Court will be the ultimate act of public service to the commonwealth and to my community in Worcester in particular,” she said saying that the nominee had assuaged her initial concerns about age “I really think she has it all and she has the experience and the qualifications so I’m pleased to vote for her today,” Devaney said A former State Police sergeant was found guilty on May 2 of taking part in a scheme to take bribes Bankruptcy filings rose 13.1 percent during the 12-month period ending March 31 Healey sent four newly proposed pardons to the Governor's Council The Housing Court is hosting a guardian ad litem webinar on Wednesday The hearing on the formal disciplinary charges filed against Judge Shelley M The Supreme Judicial Court has announced the publication of the 2025 edition of the “Massachusetts Guide to [...] Sign up for your daily digest of Massachusetts News Supreme Court recently heard oral argument on whether the Catholic Church should be permitted to launch the country’s first publicly funded religious charter school Would allowing such a school violate the Constitution’s ban on government-established religion View Results A judge rules that an ex-CFO is entitled to indemnification A judge cannot use his equitable powers to disturb a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity once the[...] but a preposterous legal argument is not funny The Superior Court's Business Litigation Session is adding new technology to streamline evidence pre[...] Did defense counsel stumble out of the gate in Karen Read’s second murder trial by once again enga[...] The hearing on the formal disciplinary charges filed against Judge Shelley M The 1st Circuit ruled that marijuana odor gave police reasonable suspicion to extend a traffic stop,[...] In the nearly seven years it has been in effect Massachusetts’ updated equal pay law has gotten l[...] Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly provides 24/7 legal news coverage and events honoring top legal professionals Get our free MLW e-alerts & breaking news notifications Subscribe for access to the latest digital and special editions Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More - The Worcester Fire Department battled an early morning fire at a three-decker on Grafton Hill on Sunday The fire started just before 6 AM at 70 Hamilton St was blocked off from Ingleside ave to Plantation Street.  We spoke to a resident who explained what he woke up to Sunday morning “I was sleeping and then I heard some noises and then the alarm stopped One of my neighbors knocked on my windows to wake me up and I asked what's going on and he tells me there is a fire so I am not able to get anything inside the house because the fire was getting worse The fire is believed to have started from the third floor attic of the three decker home Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Joseph is survived by the love of his life and soul mate for the past forty-three years Cloutier and her fiancé George Brigham of Millbury; four grandchildren Jonathan Mahoney and his girl friend Ally Derosier and Nicole Cloutier; many nieces and nephews He was predeceased by three brothers and a sister He worked as an automobile assembler for General Motors at their Framingham Plant He loved to golf in his retirement and was a member at Clearview Country Club He enjoyed working around his house and gardens He also loved to solve puzzles and crossword puzzles Interment will follow in Saint John’s Cemetery In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to The American Cancer Society, by visiting, www.cancer.org/donate Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Details: cache-fra-eddf8230022-FRA 1746488626 3001328506 has been nominated as a Massachusetts Superior Court judge who has spent her 16-year legal career with the Committee for Public Counsel Services the state-funded agency that defends indigent people will see her nomination forwarded to the Governor’s Council for confirmation Healey said in a statement that Hamilton and another defense lawyer nominated as a District Court judge will “make our court systems fairer and more just Healey said both judges have “demonstrated significant depth of knowledge of the Massachusetts justice system” and that she looks forward to working with the Governor’s Council to confirm them who represents dozens of Central Massachusetts towns on the Governor’s Council told the Telegram & Gazette on Friday that he is confident Hamilton will be confirmed DePalo said he is pleased with the nomination will be appointed to sit in Worcester Superior Court if confirmed DePalo said the Superior Courts across the state are in need of quicker nominations to deal with vacancies that are causing backlogs “It’s getting to the point where it’s impacting access to justice,” he said adding that a necessary prioritization of criminal cases is delaying many civil cases “We just need to keep that pace moving,” he said Hamilton has served as senior trial counsel for the Committee for Public Counsel Services’s Western Region since 2022 “She has been certified to handle murder case assignments since 2018 and regularly teaches and mentors less experienced attorneys learning to handle complex criminal defense matters,” Healey’s office said Hamilton has represented clients charged with murder in Worcester Superior Court, including Steven M. Foley, who is serving a life sentence for murdering Cynthia Webb whose body was found inside a burning vehicle at Hope Cemetery in 2017 Hamilton is a graduate of Northeastern University where she received a bachelor's degree in political science and English and of the Northeastern University School of Law Hamilton could not be immediately reached Friday afternoon Trial court judges in Massachusetts make about $207,000 annually Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here - Construction continues on Hamilton Street in Worcester as the new My Family adult day care facility takes shape who saw a need for such services when she and her family immigrated to the United States from Albania in 1996 Tollkuci’s parents and in-laws were very active in Albania and lack of a driver’s license took their toll on them Tollkuci found a local adult day care where she registered her family and then she encouraged other elderly Albanians in the area to join “This gave me the idea of building a day care which will provide much more things to my Albanian elderly in my family,” Tollkuci said in an interview on Monday “Everyone will be welcome there and it will be treated like family but I will make sure that all elderly immigrants will have their speaking language and their own food.” My heart it’s broken because my father loved this idea He just passed away,” Tollkuci said about the inspiration behind her new business The elderly adult day care will provide supervising care administered by nurses entertainment provided by trained staff members You're staring across the table into the eyes of someone you've just met.” That’s Worcester artist Greg Hamilton’s summary of the yearly Worcester Portrait Exchange which he founded as a way to build connections between artists of all ages backgrounds and skill levels as they meet for the first time to draw each other’s portraits but also it's the opposite of speed dating “Time slows down when you really look at someone and draw them.” This year’s Worcester Portrait Exchange will take place at 2 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Jean McDonough Arts Center on Franklin Street in downtown Worcester. Participation is free, though organizers Hamilton and Matt Burgos recommend signing up online beforehand and the exchange is open to all skill levels “It's a complete surprise and mix of people from all walks of life who show up,” Hamilton said “You've got the high school kids who are really into anime and illustration You've got older professional artists who live in Worcester and keep a low profile You'll have a 14-year-old who just started drawing paired up with a professional watercolorist who does this for a living.” because you're willing to show up to something like this that's interactive and quickly be acquainted with someone you've never met before.” The portrait exchange will consist of two sessions to give every artist a chance to participate Each artist will be matched with a stranger and the pair will sit down opposite each other The Portrait Exchange will provide a variety of art supplies and artists will work on each other’s portraits while starting a conversation and learning about each other’s lives “You spend about 25 minutes drawing the person you just met you give each other your pictures and go home with a portrait of yourself by a new person you just got to know,” Hamilton said Hamilton began the Worcester Portrait Exchange in 2015 shortly after moving to the city in hopes of making friends who shared his passion for art and “inventing a social situation that feels more comfortable for someone like me who is introverted but tends to connect well with other artists.” The first Portrait Exchange brought in a bigger crowd than Hamilton had even hoped for finding that his responsibilities as a new father were taking up too much of his time Hamilton handed over most of the organizing duties to Burgos a fellow artist with whom he shared a studio near Webster Square The original idea for the Worcester Portrait Exchange began long before Hamilton came to Worcester he worked at the arts nonprofit Creative Alliance which held art events for all skill levels on the weekends and he was impressed by the wide range of artists who would come to practice and improve their craft you would have this incredibly diverse group of people show up is difficult to do because the social scene is so segregated,” Hamilton said “I wanted to bring people together who might not get together on a Friday night to do something social.” Hamilton said he saw a similar phenomenon at the Worcester Portrait Exchange where area residents who had little in common and would not ordinarily cross paths would form cross-cultural friendships “Worcester's got incredible ethnic diversity that I see the city starting to embrace as part of the creative fabric,” Hamilton said “I’ve met professional artists who came to Worcester as refugees and had no idea what the art community was like or where to start They showed up here and immediately got to know other artists in the community.” How much: Free, online registration is encouraged through the Worcester Portrait Exchange page on Facebook Former Worcester Tech star Brendon Hamilton spent most of the summer in scorching central Florida and preparing for his senior season at Westfield State “I love to go to the gym and work out,” Hamilton said during a phone interview Monday afternoon that’s not even ‘work.’ That’s just a part of my life.” who was the 2019-20 MASCAC Rookie of the Year and is a two-time All-MASCAC first-team selection is off to another terrific start for the Owls (4-1) He is averaging 14 points and 10.2 rebounds and he leads Westfield State in field goal percentage (67.4%) and blocks per game (1.8) as well there are always little things you can improve on which always has been one of Hamilton’s specialties Hamilton averaged a career-high 14.6 rebounds a game his second year at Westfield State “but I want to get back to the level I know I can be at Hamilton recently scored his 1,000th career point in a win over Mitchell and he needs 124 rebounds to become just the second player in Westfield history to reach 1,000 in both categories In Westfield’s early-season win over Ramapo Hamilton set a single-game program record for field goal efficiency with his 10-for-10 effort Hamilton led Worcester Tech to a thrilling win over Abington to capture the 2019 Division 4 state championship It was the first boys’ basketball state title for a Worcester public high school Hamilton was thrilled to see the North boys’ basketball team become the first Division 1 public school from Worcester to win a state title earlier this year The values and the spirit of the community are important to us.” who was a T&G Super Team selection in basketball and volleyball said he keeps in touch with all of his former Eagles teammates and coaches Westfield State’s 2022-23 season ended in Worcester and denied Westfield its third straight conference title The loss left the Owls “super motivated,” Hamilton said “We can’t wait to get back on the court in conference play and see what we can do,” Hamilton said but we weren’t able to put it together until the end of the season Westfield State hung tough with Division 1 Dartmouth and Hamilton scored a team-high 14 points in a 79-61 loss “We were able to keep it close,” Hamilton said —Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com Several student-athletes turned in performances last week worthy of being sent to the Head of the Class: • Westfield State junior forward Brendon Hamilton of Worcester averaged 25 points and 17.5 rebounds in two games at the Rick Martin/Hampton Inn Tournament The former Worcester Tech star shot 63% from the floor and garnered tourney MVP honors • Holy Cross freshman guard Kyrell Luc scored 18 points on 9-of-15 shooting at Boston College and averaged 13 points 4 assists and 1.5 steals in his first two collegiate games • Fitchburg State freshman guard Morgan Genness averaged 8.7 points on 8-of-16 shooting • Anna Maria sophomore forward Gabe Armstead averaged 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds Armstead poured in 28 points against Nichols • Nichols senior guard Jakigh Dottin led the Bison to a pair of wins while averaging 20.5 points • Fitchburg State senior goalie Brian McGrath of Worcester totaled 61 saves and posted a 0.50 goals against average in two wins McGrath stopped 38 shots in a shutout victory over Salem State • Holy Cross junior defenseman Nick Hale assisted on the winning goal in the Crusaders’ 5-4 overtime triumph against Mercyhurst —Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com WORCESTER – A city man who admitted to texting before he struck and killed 20-year-old Gabriella V Lowell in a Grafton Street crosswalk in 2018 was sentenced to four years of probation Wednesday in Central District Court was also ordered to perform 500 hours of community service after pleading guilty to motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation Members of Gabriella Lowell’s family were outraged after the sentence noting that prosecutors had recommended Mr “His sentence was like her getting killed all over again,” Alyson Lowell Lowell questioned how District Court Judge David P Despotopulos could listen to the victim impact statement she gave and conclude that Mr Hamilton did not deserve at least one day in prison “What kind of message is he sending to young people today?” Ken Garabedian did not offer comment on the sentence when contacted through a spokesperson Wednesday afternoon Early called her and said he was sorry about what happened in court Court documents show Assistant District Attorney Julieanne R with a one-year additional jail sentence suspended for five years Hamilton will lose his license for 15 years Gabriella “Gabby” Lowell was killed around 9 p.m while walking in a crosswalk near Roosevelt Elementary School The aspiring veterinarian, described by family as fun-loving and bright was wearing a white T-shirt police said was illuminated by the headlights of Mr Hamilton’s 2006 Nissan Pathfinder was more than 200 feet away from Ms Lowell when she stepped into the crosswalk Hamilton was going an estimated 42 mph in a 30 mph zone and half-eaten food in the vehicle suggested he may have been eating Police said Mr. Hamilton admitted immediately after the crash that he’d looked at a text message alert on his phone and heard a bang “I never saw her!” police quoted him as saying before beginning to cry Hamilton’s lawyer read a letter on his behalf and noted that after the crash there were concerns he might attempt to seriously harm himself Our prayers are with the victim and her family,” the lawyer Rafferty incorrectly referred to her daughter as “Gabrielle.” He said he would not have further comment on the case Sitting in her Onset Street home Wednesday Lowell and other family members said they could not believe Judge Despotopulos’ sentence or the way it was handed down They said the judge gave his sentence very quickly after their impact statements concluded leading them to believe he had already made up his mind Lowell said she begged the judge to issue the maximum sentence of 2 ½ years in jail She said she believes he had more compassion for Mr "She was flown 66 feet," she said of her daughter Lowell’s home is filled with photos of Gabriella – her only child - who she described as a light-hearted The two lived together along with Gabriella’s grandparents Her ashes are on a mantle in a pink-themed room surrounded by tokens of love; her smiling face adorns pillows and blankets while photos of all sizes hang on the walls “She was never not happy,” her mother said – an outgoing person who called people “honey” and told them they were beautiful Gabriella worked in 2016 and 2017 doing administrative work at the Probate and Family Court in Worcester recalled how her granddaughter was also loved by the possums that live in a shed in the backyard and adopted more cats than her family liked Lowell smiled as she recalled how her daughter turn it down!” was an oft-used phrase in the house recalling the sad silence in her home since her daughter’s death Russell has vowed to help her install a flashing light at the intersection where she was killed – to be called Gabby’s Light – and she is meeting next month with state Sen Moore to push legislation stiffening the penalty for vehicular homicide Unless a person is proved to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs motor vehicle homicide is considered a misdemeanor in Massachusetts Lowell and her family believe it should be a felony you would be fully responsible for your actions,” said Gina Harris although her daughter was not stabbed or shot Early up on a request to speak to children about the dangers of texting and driving texting while driving is illegal and punishable by a $100 ticket for a first offense Charlie Baker in January proposed banning all handheld cellphone use while driving – a long-debated proposal that has stalled in the Legislature Lowell said she will work until the day she dies to see penalties on texting while driving stiffened “He made a choice to text and drive,” she said of Mr Contact Brad Petrishen at brad.petrishen@telegram.com WORCESTER – The Worcester Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire on the third floor of a multi-family home on Hamilton Street on Thursday evening The fire was out and first responders began clearing the scene around 7:30 PM 6 and 7 and other WFD vehicles and several Worcester police cruisers and EMTs were on scene Hamilton Street was blocked in both directions heading eastbound at Anderson Avenue and westbound across from Commonwealth Avenue No injuries were initially reported at the scene Officials were not yet aware of the number of individuals displaced at the residence Follow us on The016.com 27 prospect David Hamilton launches his second homer in as many games for Triple-A Worcester Red Sox prospect David Hamilton smacks a two-run HR Details: cache-fra-eddf8230057-FRA 1746488808 3244606140 WORCESTER — The former location of Shaker’s Café and La Cucina Italiana will see a change in business with an adult day care center at 294-296 Hamilton St. set to open later this year the center will offer daylong care for the elderly with its own shuttle transportation service.  was the longtime owner of the former restaurant and purchased the entire building that also included La Cucina Italiana three years ago she had plans for the day care center The building is undergoing an ambitious overhaul in becoming an adult care facility Among the changes: the kitchen of Shaker’s Café will be repurposed to serve freshly made orders for those attending the day care “We are going to cook the food there with a menu every day,” Tollkuci said “We are going to ask around ‘What do you want for the weekly menu?’”  said that the inspiration for My Family came after her elderly parents were finding it difficult to interact with staff members and the others at their day care because of a steep language barrier.  she will look to hire a bilingual staff that will be welcoming to the nationalities that will populate the facility.  “If I see a big group of Armenian or Vietnamese then I will look to hire someone who also speaks those languages in addition to English,” Tollkuci said “I want everyone to feel welcome and look forward to being there.”  Construction hit a few bumps along the way during the pandemic for Tollkuci She said that the project started three years ago but will finally look to drive the last nails on the building in September and open in late November or December.  Tollkuci expressed regret about her father's recent passing, as she was hoping that he would attend the day care once it opened its doors She said that she would use that sentiment to provide an environment at My Family that her father and others in his situation would’ve loved to be in.  “I have called it My Family because I started this project with a big heart,” Tollkuci said WORCESTER — A three-decker house at 70 Hamilton St has sustained significant damage after a two-alarm fire early Sunday The cause of the fire is under investigation "and the entire egress is lost," Dyer said One resident retrieved two pairs of sneakers said he was alerted to the fire by a knock on his window By the time he got outside the building was in flames "I'm happy everybody's safe," he said.  Residents were making arrangements to find a place to stay through family connections WORCESTER - The owner of the former Billings Square branch library has received the go-ahead to convert the Hamilton Street building into a cigar and hookah bar after working with abutters and neighborhood residents to address concerns they had about it The Zoning Board of Appeals Monday night unanimously approved two special permits and a variance to facilitate the new use for the 3,478-square-foot that will include the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages The Billings Square branch library opened in 1928 but was closed in the 1990s because of budget cuts Yossef of 15 Hamilton LLC is the current owner Yossef brought forward his proposal to convert the building to a cigar and hookah bar last month it received strong pushback from Grafton Hill residents and parishioners of St They argued that such a business was not appropriate for that location given its proximity to the church across the street and a nearby elementary school At the urging of the zoning board last month Yossef met with neighborhood residents and representatives from St Stephen School to see if middle ground could be achieved that would allow the project to move forward said a productive meeting was held two weeks ago that resulted in conditions that all parties can live with "We've come up with some provisions that can be put into the special permit that everyone can live with," Mr He said the hours of operation for the cigar and hookah bar will be restricted to 4 p.m the building cannot be used for any form of adult entertainment in the future nor can it be used for the retail sale of medical or recreational marijuana outdoor dining/activity will not be allowed and noise/music generated inside the building cannot filter outside and encroach on abutting properties The owner has also agreed to construct a 6-foot high stockade fence on the northerly side of the property along Dupont Street and on the westerly side of the property along Orient Street Jalbert said his client has also met with the pastor of the nearby Holy Family parish and he fully supports the proposal The capacity for the cigar/hookah bar will be 70 people ZBA Chairman Lawrence Abramoff praised all the parties involved for the way in which they worked together and were able to find common ground "I'm thrilled that you actually got together as neighbors and were able to come up with an amicable deal," said Mr who is in his 10th year on the zoning board WORCESTER - Fire heavily damaged a three-decker Wednesday night at 92 Hamilton St Sullivan said nobody was injured in the two-alarm blaze and all residents were able to get out safely He said one firefighter suffered a minor injury but was not taken to a hospital The deputy chief said firefighters quickly extinguished the flames He said crews encountered heavy smoke and fire coming from the side of the house and said initially firefighters feared the flames could threaten the three-decker next door Hamilton Street was closed at Plantation Street and neighbors poured into the street as smoke billowed from the house It appeared the second and third floors sustained the heaviest damage First-floor resident Joshua Richardson said he was settling in to watch a basketball game on television when the fire alarm in his apartment went off He said he initially thought it was a false alarm but said he then heard a neighbor screaming for people to get out Richardson said he briefly went up to the second floor to pound on doors to help evacuate the building but then he saw all the smoke and got out Deputy Chief Sullivan said the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Fire Investigation Unit He said the building was divided into six apartments but he did not have the exact number of displaced residents Wednesday night He said a firefighter recovered cremated remains from one of the building's residents He said he is unsure of the relationship between the resident and the person's ashes that were recovered When Worcester Tech beat Abington in the Division 4 state final last March to become the first Worcester public high school to capture a boys’ basketball state championship Brendon Hamilton didn’t realize at that moment and amid all the euphoria on the court at WPI’s Harrington Auditorium how significant the Eagles’ accomplishment was he thinks about Worcester Tech’s historic achievement every day a freshman at Westfield State and two-time MASCAC Rookie of the Week “It’s motivation to keep doing that in college.” and blocked 8 shots to lead a 55-52 win over Abington a great triumph for Worcester Tech and the city “That night it didn’t hit me,” Hamilton said but most of the kids didn’t get it at that point we slowly started to realize it was a big deal.” football) captain at Worcester Tech and two-sport (basketball spent much of the summer figuring out which sport he would play in college and what school he would attend “I played football all my life,” Hamilton said “Basketball has been newer to me and it’s just more fun at this point I think.” Hamilton has been a solid addition to the Owls' (12-6 He is averaging 5.9 points on 59 percent field goal shooting and 6.6 rebounds He started the last three games — all wins — and averaged 11 points and 11.6 rebounds while earning back-to-back MASCAC Rookie of the Week honors “This season I can see because I’m playing against a lot older people and a lot stronger people I can’t rely just on my strength like I did in high school,” Hamilton said “So I can see my skills developing a lot more I’m getting better touch and things like that from my freshman year in high school I wasn’t that good; I was just a lot bigger than everybody So you can see I’ve been improving skill-wise a lot.” He has scored in double figures four times including a career-high 19-point performance in last week’s win over Bridgewater State Hamilton has five double-digit rebounding games (Worcester Tech) coach (Sean) Lynch put me in a position where I felt like I was comfortable coming in.” 14 rebounds and 2 blocks while leading the Eagles to a 26-2 record the Colonial Athletic League title and the State Vocational championship Hamilton became teammates and friends with former foe Gerry McManus The Eagles beat the Aztecs in last year’s Central Mass “but back in high school he was probably my biggest rival but it’s just competitiveness in practice that helps us sometimes It’s cool to see somebody from my area that I know.” Hamilton is also enjoying his studies and life on Westfield’s campus “Outside of basketball it’s cool,” he said WORCESTER — Business was brisk for the April 6 soft opening of Taste Great Cakes The business is located at the former home of Lee’s Bakery which closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic Owners Erica and Jason Diaz of Worcester barely had time to fill pastry cases as customers walked through the doors congratulating the couple on opening their first business and asking about cupcakes The shop will feature breakfast sandwiches (all day) candied fruits and chocolate-covered treats whose specialty is custom decorated cakes for special occasions Her husband previously worked 10 years at a bakery in Worcester and Fitchburg For more information, call 508-579-1955, or go to facebook.com/Tastegreatcakes/ Vic Florentino was in the stands at WPI’s Harrington Auditorium that marvelous March night in 2019 when his former Worcester Tech teammates beat Abington in dramatic fashion to capture the Division 4 state championship the first state boys’ basketball title for a Worcester public high school he helped the Eagles to a 22-4 record and appearance in the Central Mass “Vic laid the foundation and showed us how to win,” said Brendon Hamilton and it is Hamilton’s hope and objective this year to share a championship with his best friend “His senior year (at Worcester Tech) and my junior year we felt like we could have won (a state title) that year,” Hamilton said “That’s kind of motivation for this year maybe we can run it back and get him a ring.” 6 rebounds and 4 assists his senior season at Worcester Tech played for two years at Quinsigamond Community College before transferring to Fitchburg State He never played for the Falcons as COVID canceled the 2020-21 season for all MASCAC teams While working out together in Worcester over the spring and summer Hamilton talked to Florentino about possibly joining him at Westfield for his senior season “He had all the influence on me coming here,” Florentino said The team is going to be pretty good.’ We talked about winning a championship together We’re being back to being high school buddies and just having fun out there.” During the first half of Westfield’s season the 6-foot-2 Florentino played limited minutes off the bench in seven games but Hamilton expects he will make bigger contributions in conference games “He’s going to do big things for this team,” Hamilton said who was the 2019-20 MASCAC Rookie of the Year is so far putting up player-of-the-year numbers as a junior Hamilton is averaging 15.4 points and 15.7 rebounds “I’ve always been a good rebounder,” said Hamilton who averaged 14 rpg his senior year of high school and 7.2 as a Westfield freshman During Westfield’s five-game winning streak Hamilton is averaging 20.6 points on almost 60 percent shooting and 18 rebounds He has posted a double-double in eight games this season “He’s very energetic (on the glass),” Florentino said “Our practices are harder than games and our big guys compete and get after each other it’s his hard work in the weight room and his God-given athleticism He lets the game come to him; he doesn’t force it That’s why he’s having great success.” and led the MASCAC in field goal percentage (61%) while helping the Owls to a share of the conference regular-season crown Hard work in the offseason with Florentino and their other friends in Worcester-area gyms contributed to Hamilton’s continued development Westfield State and Salem State were the MASCAC preseason co-favorites The Owls opened the year with five straight wins “It’s all practice,” Hamilton said “Coach (Rich Sutter) puts us in the right position to win Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com made an arrest on Tuesday afternoon in connection with a shooting in the city officers stopped the suspect  — a Hispanic male in a grey hooded sweatshirt and black pants — at the corner of Hamilton and Dallas streets it isn’t confirmed what shooting the suspect is involved in but sources have told ThisWeekinWorcester.com that the suspect is likely connected to Saturday night’s drive-by fatal shooting on Country Club Blvd Police are also searching for a second suspect the second suspect is also a Hispanic male $MMT = window.$MMT || {}; $MMT.cmd = $MMT.cmd || [];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){ $MMT.display.slots.push(["a1cd6ec6-740d-49ec-bd36-0032eef2b5f0"]); }) As ThisWeekinWorcester.com reported on Sunday a 37-year-old man was shot in the area of 64 Country Club Blvd.and later died at a local hospital According to multiple reports, the man was shot while riding his bicycle $MMT = window.$MMT || {}; $MMT.cmd = $MMT.cmd || [];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){ $MMT.display.slots.push(["b87e5807-c753-4d86-974d-7aa8f17f9030"]); }) officers created a perimeter around the park and wooded areas near Lake Ave. Both suspects have yet to be identified by the Worcester Police ThisWeekinWorcester.com will update this story as more information becomes available Lead photo: Suspect Arrested on Hamilton St/Patrick Sargent for ThisWeekinWorcester.com Follow us on The016.com $MMT = window.$MMT || {}; $MMT.cmd = $MMT.cmd || [];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){ $MMT.display.slots.push(["032942e8-05a9-496b-9304-a0f70d6ab296"]); }) $MMT = window.$MMT || {}; $MMT.cmd = $MMT.cmd || [];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){ $MMT.display.slots.push(["e8784850-8cc0-403e-ad08-582fede53c10"]); }) WORCESTER — A Hamilton Street man was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in state prison Friday after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the 2016 shooting death of his neighbor but pleaded guilty in Worcester Superior Court to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter who was not related to the shooting victim also pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (firearm) assault and battery and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building He was sentenced by Judge Shannon Frison to 10 to 12 years' imprisonment on the manslaughter charge and to lesser concurrent sentences on the remaining charges Maldonado was given credit for 619 days spent in custody awaiting the resolution of his case The sentences imposed by Judge Frison were jointly recommended by Assistant District Attorney Terry J The prosecutor said Worcester detectives responded to 92 Hamilton St. shortly before 6 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2016, for a reported shooting. Carlos Maldonado was found on the front lawn at 88 Hamilton St. with one of his brothers applying pressure to a gunshot wound Jacinto Maldonado was found lying face-down in a driveway at the rear of 92 Hamilton St. pointing toward a firearm and then pointing to himself The shooting victim was treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel and then taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus where he was pronounced dead around 6:20 p.m. He said a bullet had entered and exited Carlos Maldonado's left bicep and then lodged in his chest cavity Investigators learned that there had been an "ongoing neighbor dispute" between Jacinto Maldonado and Carlos Maldonado and that the two men had been involved in an altercation earlier in the day identified in court records as Giovanni and Jean-Carlos Maldonado He said the three brothers went outside and were calling Jacinto Maldonado out to fight became agitated and went outside to confront the three men He said investigators learned that the defendant pointed a firearm at the three men and punched Giovanni Maldonado in the face A struggle then ensued between the defendant and Carlos Maldonado He said the defendant pulled away from Carlos Maldonado stepped back and shot the victim at close range a .45-caliber shell casing was recovered by investigators The defendant had a valid license to carry and his firearm was properly registered The medical examiner's office determined that the victim died as a result of gunshot wounds of the left arm and chest and the death was ruled a homicide In an impact statement that was read in court by Mr Giovanni Maldonado said he and his seven siblings were very close and that his brother's death caused the family great anguish "This is a pain that only those who have gone through it can explain," he wrote because we were the ones who witnessed everything," the victim's brother said in his statement McLaughlin said his office was willing to reduce the murder charge to voluntary manslaughter which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in state prison under either of two theories of the crime — that the defendant acted with heat of passion caused by sudden combat or that he used excessive force in self-defense He also noted that the defendant had no prior criminal record in Massachusetts In urging Judge Frison to adopt the recommended sentence Murphy described the killing as "an unmitigated tragedy" and said his client regretted what amounted to "a terrible decision that day." grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked eight shots to lift Worcester Tech past Abington at WPI’s Harrington Auditorium to capture the Division 4 state championship It was the state boys’ basketball state title by a Worcester public high school 14 rebounds and 2 blocks to lead the Eagles to a 26-2 record a share of the Colonial Athletic League title and the State Vocational Large Schools championship He scored a team-high 19 points against Assabet in the vocational title game He was a Colonial Athletic League all-star basketball and volleyball teams at Worcester Tech he received T&G honorable mention after helping the Eagle reach the Central Mass the deepest postseason run in school history He is the son of Christine Benoit and Michael Hamilton of Worcester WORCESTER - A 20-year-old man was arraigned Wednesday in Central District Court on charges of shooting his 15-year-old friend in the head late Tuesday night was ordered held without bail in the shooting which occurred at the victim's apartment at 214 Hamilton St Police have not identified the victim but described him as friend of Mr The victim was found suffering from a gunshot wound when police and emergency crews were called to the apartment just before 10 p.m He was treated before being taken by ambulance to a local hospital then transferred by medical helicopter to a Boston medical facility but police said he was expected to survive the 15-year-old boy was shot in the head with a .380-caliber handgun and police found a projectile and shell casing at the scene Although the court report listed the address of the shooting as 217 Hamilton St. city assessor records list the building's address as 214 Hamilton St prosecutors requested a dangerousness hearing be held for Mr who is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon use of a firearm in the commission of a felony discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling carrying a loaded firearm without a license to carry and carrying a firearm without a license to carry The dangerousness hearing is to be held July 9 The victim's family told police they were inside their apartment when they heard a knock on the door Goyette was at the door and asked for the victim Within a minute or two of the victim approaching Mr Goyette fled and the victim was found lying on the hallway floor "It is unclear at this time what the circumstances were leading up to the shooting," police said Officers converged on the Hamilton Street three-decker and an intense manhunt for the shooter began Police established the shooter's identity and later arrested Mr Neighbors said they saw the victim being taken away in an ambulance He appeared to be moving around as he was being taken away Police said the investigation is continuing Brian Hamilton is the director of healthcare and life sciences at Consigli Construction Hamilton was selected for this new position in April as a product of Consigli’s intense focus on the innovation economy Consigli was founded in 1905 as a masonry contractor and is presently in its fourth generation of family ownership Consigli prides itself on maintaining accessible leadership for clients and employees alike The company is recognized by the Boston Business Journal as the second-largest construction company in Massachusetts and by Engineering News-Record as one of the 100-largest in the country In a press release issued at the time of Hamilton’s appointment Hamilton will lead a specialized team dedicated to maintaining the company’s standard of excellence and reputation as a partner with leaders in the life sciences and health care industries throughout the entire New England region including Maine Massachusetts and Connecticut.” Nearly six months later He is currently immersed in revolutionizing patient rooms at UMass Medical Center Consigli contends that attracting the best and brightest talent requires facilities that are technologically advanced and flexible enough to support their evolving needs and future growth.” Hamilton continues to make that vision a reality What is your personal history with the city of Worcester I graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with my undergraduate degree in 1988 and went back and got my master’s in Manufacturing Engineering in 1997 I’m a board member of the American Red Cross of Central Massachusetts and have worked at Consigli Construction What does your personal career path look like at Consigli I’ve been here for 20 years and been treated very well by Consigli working on Worcester-based projects that included clients Reliant I took on a new challenge when I was named director of healthcare and life sciences I oversee the day-to-day development of all projects in these two industries Can you explain your unique goals at Consigli as a construction management firm Consigli is the perfect blend of generations of experience paired with innovation Consigli has remained true to our core values rooted in a passion for building and accountability I’m proud to be part of this team and the incredible work we do on a daily basis How has the company grown since you started 20 years ago The growth over the last 20 years hasbeen remarkable We have opened seven regional offices stretching from Maine to Washington as well as expanding our headquarters in Milford with a brand new building that we opened earlier this year We now have more than 800 employees and upwards of $1 billion in annual volume while maintaining our core competencies as a true builder with more than 350 skilled carpenters What specific challenges have you faced in trying to rejuvenate the city of Worcester It is where we started and where our roots remain We are currently the largest commercial contractor in Central Massachusetts We believe in the vitality of Worcester and have worked with some amazing clients like WPI the Mercantile Center and UMass Medical Center to enhance the vibrancy of the city We are also very active in the Worcester community supporting many Central Massachusetts-based charities and nonprofits including Working For Worcester Can you share a brief anecdote about one of your recent projects to illustrate your continued commitment to Worcester We recently completed work at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences which had acquired the New England School of Acupuncture which is located adjacent to the CitySquare complex in Worcester turn-of-the-century telephone company building The project was a complete renovation of the five-story building What can you tell us about your work at UMass Medical Center We are in the midst of a multiyear project with UMass Memorial Health Center We are proud to be working with a client who is making such an investment in their patients Our work includes patient rooms with modern finishes and décor patient lifts and designated family and staff zones Do you still frequent any of your favorite spots from your days as a WPI student I was actually at The Boynton on Saturday night La Cucina Italiana is a new BYOB restaurant that opened last month at 294 Hamilton St. which from all appearances has received a warm welcome from diners The restaurant is located in the spot formerly occupied by the short-lived Mimo’s Deli & Italian Specialties The Panarellis and family members renovated and redecorated the place which has a deli and take-out area separate from the dining room Check out the old photos of Worcester landmarks that cover one of the dining room walls People who have lived in the city for a while will recognize popular spots which include the ballroom at the former Hotel Bancroft during its heyday Anthony Panarelli with his cousin at one time owned the Italian Kitchen on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester which his father and uncle opened in the 1960s Panarelli also was an owner and partner in a Worcester deli many years ago Panarelli has a good sense of humor when it comes to talking about taking time off from the business and then returning but working in a restaurant is in my blood,” said Panarelli “I got my first taste of the business when as a young kid I had to clean my father’s place on Sundays and he would literally lock me in the restaurant while he was at the game and we would leave when the baseball game was over The guys would come over to the restaurant and the losing team would buy the winners a few beers.” who said a few relatives help out in the kitchen and as wait staff Lindsi and Chelsi help out whenever they can despite studying anthropology in college,” said Panarelli is in here with me to prep food early in the morning He’s a guy who has been around for a while.” Panarelli sticks to a reasonably priced Italian menu at the restaurant traditional pizza (whole and by the slice) Panarelli said he uses recipes from the “old” Italian Kitchen Escarole and bean soup flies out of the restaurant A popular dinner special served recently was stuffed squid Telephone: (508) 797-3354; visit www.lacucinaworcester.com Note: Outdoor seating for about 12 is coming soon said she’s happy her husband decided to go back into business I used to bring the team homemade pizza,” said Panarelli you should open a restaurant.’ I laugh every time I think of it.” Anthony and Carolyn Panarelli will be married 28 years next month Tomasso Trattoria in Southboro will have a “Roman Wine Dinner with Trappolini” at 7 p.m will pair his menu with wines of Trappolin The dinner menu: Baby artichokes stewed in Est mint and extra virgin olive oil; thick spaghetti with Pecorino Romano fresh cracked black pepper; braised oxtail with celery semolina gnocchi alla Romana; grilled baby lamb chops peperonata sauce; Roman-style brioche “bun” filled with orange Chantilly cream LongHorn Steakhouse offers a new menu item are served with a hand-chopped salad and choice of a side Guests can choose from three 6-ounce sirloin steaks: New Smoky Bacon Sirloin is topped with a rich and smoky bacon butter sauce with Applewood smoked chopped bacon on top; New Spicy Grilled Jalapeno Sirloin is served smoldering with a cheese jalapeno sauce and finished with a grilled jalapeno; Savory Parmesan Crusted Sirloin is seasoned with garlic cheese will have its third “Annual Birthday Bash” July 27-29 Free passed hors d’oeuvres will be available from 3 to 5 p.m $5.99; fresh baked haddock or fish ‘n chips $16.99; fresh deep fried whole belly clam roll A Super Grand Prize will be a $600 Bentley Pub gift card; grand prize a pair of New England Patriot tickets; first prize golf and cart for four at Green Hill Golf Course in Worcester; second prize a pair of Red Sox tickets; and third prize Jim Taylor is general manager of Bentley Pub He said the birthday bash is “a thank you to all our guests.” Atlas Distributing and Quality Food have given tremendous party support Bentley Pub’s menu changes every other month with four or five items being pulled and new ones added Fish ‘n chips and Buffalo wings are pub favorites dating back to the days of the Piccadilly Pub The Piccadilly Pub was a chain of restaurants established by William (Billy) Martin and a partner Martin opened the first Piccadilly Pub in Westboro in 1973 Customers referred to the pubs as the “Pic.” There were 13 restaurants when a Canadian chain leased the properties in 2008 Martin reopened the Auburn and Sturbridge locations under the Bentley Pub name He remains owner of the property on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester that once was a Piccadilly Pub There have been rumors about the building being leased It’s interesting to note that Taylor was formerly on the Piccadilly management team and 24 employees from the former pub have worked at Bentley Pub in Auburn since it opened who started with the Piccadilly Pub in 1986 Many of the regular diners from the old Pic days have returned to the Auburn restaurant The Auburn birthday bash is one you don’t want to miss you could run into someone you know from the old Pic and The Cheesecake Factory restaurants will celebrate with a special offer The Cheesecake Factory locations will unveil a new flavor Dine-in guests will be able to try a slice of the new flavor or any other of the other 30 cheesecake flavors “One slice of cheesecake per dine-in customer.” Salted Caramel Cheesecake features caramel cheesecake and caramel mousse in a blonde brownie For every slice of the new cheesecake sold over the next year The Cheesecake Factory will donate 25 cents to Feeding America the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization The Cheesecake Factory encourages fans to say “cheese” and snap a selfie with their cheesecake for a chance to win prizes in the “Say Cheesecake” Contest Here’s what you have to do: July 29 through July 31 guests who take a photo of themselves with a slice of any of The Cheesecake Factory’s cheesecakes and post it along with the hashtag #SayCheesecakeContest to Instagram or Twitter or to the contest post on The Cheesecake Factory’s official page on Facebook The top 20 photos will be featured in a photo gallery for fan voting from Aug and the photo that receives the most fan votes will win the grand prize There will be nine runners-up who will each win $100 in complimentary eCards to The Cheesecake Factory This story has been amended to correct the days of operation for La Cucina Italiana WORCESTER – A federal judge has awarded $5.4 million to Kailee M the former Centerfolds dancer badly injured in an auto collision with an off-duty Worcester police officer in 2010 In a March 25 ruling that followed a 2017 trial Hillman found that the insurance company for the club broke the law by insufficiently investigating the crash and improperly denying Ms Capitol’s conduct in handling this claim was exactly the type of conduct (the law) proscribes,” Judge Hillman wrote tripling his initial $1.8 million award after finding the company’s actions were “willful The judge further found that Centerfolds served Ms as many as 15 shots of tequila before a bouncer escorted her to her car and let her drive away “(Bouncer) Wayne Prince had to take her keys from her in order to open the car door and physically sit her into the driver’s seat,” Judge Hillman wrote “He then gave the keys back to her and watched as she started her car.” Higgins’ vehicle collided with one driven by off-duty Worcester Police Officer Thomas B She suffered serious injuries that required more than 10 facial surgeries and left her with a diminished mental capacity came to the scene that night – was not tested for impairment by police Neither driver was charged or cited Prosecutors from the Essex District Attorney’s Office ruled that Ms Higgins was at fault because she failed to see Officer Duffy prior to pulling out into the intersection of Puritan Avenue and Hamilton Street in Worcester Higgins had marijuana and cocaine in her system at the time of the crash A state police accident expert concluded that had Officer Duffy been driving about 10 mph slower Officer Duffy wrote in a signed accident report that Ms Higgins “proceeded through intersection at Hamilton Street without deceleration” before the crash Black box data from the crash indicated her car had been stopped for two seconds before pulling onto Hamilton Street The civil case did not center on which driver was to blame for the crash – Officer Duffy was not called to testify in the trial – but rather whether Capitol insurance properly investigated Centerfolds’ liability for it Judge Hillman did note in his decision that a lawyer for Capitol who conducted a probe of the crash opined in a 2013 memo to the company that Officer Duffy got a “total pass” from Worcester police Worcester police declined to comment Friday While Ms. Higgins told the T&G in 2011 she was upset that Officer Duffy was not tested for intoxication the underpinning of her lawsuit was that the crash occurred as a consequence of her own intoxication Judge Hillman found that before she was “allowed to drive away in a heavily intoxicated condition,” Ms Higgins texted a friend “hehe maaad drunk lol.” as well as a Worcester Police Department detail officer Higgins drink or appear intoxicated the night of the crash But Judge Hillman ruled that she was served there He said the denials from club employees were “not surprising” since the case generated intense publicity along with a criminal investigation and a probe by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission The Essex DA never charged anyone for serving Ms The ABCC “took no action” against the club lawyers for Capitol wrote in court documents a spokesperson for the office of Essex DA Jonathan W "there was insufficient evidence to support a charge of furnishing alcohol to a person under 21 the statute of limitations has run out (6 years)." A state spokesperson Friday said she could not say whether the ABCC might reopen its case into Centerfolds the agency can open investigations as it receives new information Court filings in the federal case contain numerous allegations of illegal conduct inside the club Higgins’ lawyers alleging a culture there that included use of marijuana and hard drugs the lawyers sought to raise questions about how closely the longtime detail officer at Centerfolds looked for illegal activity “(My job is) to maintain order,” Worcester Police Officer David Rutherford testified in 2017 adding that bartenders there would have been responsible to observe whether underage dancers were being served who has worked the “profitable” detail since 2001 testified that he never witnessed illegal drug use at the club other than the occasional smell of marijuana Higgins did not appear drunk when she left the club that night He said that although patrons often bought alcohol for dancers as the women didn’t want intoxication to distract their focus from earning tips Judge Hillman did not require Officer Rutherford to answer a question about whether he’d ever tipped his department off to people about to leave the club drunk in their cars; he said staff had taken keys from people on some occasions Officer Rutherford testified he never witnessed dancers encouraging patrons to drink Judge Hillman found that it was club policy to have dancers encourage patrons to buy alcohol Each dancer was given a free “shift drink” at the start of their night Higgins “regularly drank to excess” at the club The finding contradicts the position of the club and Capitol Higgins was improperly denied money to which she was entitled resulting in unpaid medical expenses and causing her “physical and mental anguish.” Higgins said the lack of settlement money forced her to live in subsidized housing in Fitchburg as a result of her diminished mental capacity Higgins’ filings paint a portrait of a young woman who “hated” taking her clothes off for money but did so to support herself and her younger sister “Each night she drove home from Centerfolds … she always played the same exact song on her radio prayed for forgiveness and for a way out of this horrible lifestyle,” her lawyers wrote in court papers Those sentiments contrast with statements Ms Higgins made the T&G after her mental impairment in 2011 when she indicated she would like to go back to nightclub dancing Higgins shouldered some of the blame for the crash for driving drunk Judge Hillman found the argument meritless since the club served her when she was underage Judge Hillman largely adopted arguments made by Ms Higgins’ attorneys that criticized the manner in which Capitol and its senior claims specialist spent less than $600 on a preliminary probe Wedwick ordered the file closed after several employees said they did not see Ms but before his investigator had followed through on plans to secure a roster of club employees and keep digging “What is even more troublesome is that the employees who were interviewed had vested interests in not revealing their conduct a fact that was obvious to anyone who understood their potential liability for serving an underage person who got into a serious car accident after leaving the club,” Judge Hillman wrote “Had Capitol used minimal effort and expense and allowed (its investigator) to track down and interview witnesses and collect the relevant facts immediately following the accident this case would have followed a far different path.” The limit of the club’s liquor liability policy which will increase as a result of prejudgment interest does not include attorney’s fees to which Ms An accounting of those fees has been delayed with lawyers acknowledging that an appeal is possible “We are still studying the court’s decision in order to ensure that the proper amount of damages has been assessed in judgment against an insurer which the federal court has found intentionally and in bad faith victimized a profoundly injured young woman,” Ms Lawyers for Minnesota-based Capitol did not respond to a request for comment requires insurers to adopt standards for the “reasonable” investigation of claims and to offer settlements when liability becomes “reasonably” clear Capitol presented an expert at the trial who testified the company handled the claim consistent with industry standards after receiving a letter of representation from Ms Wedwick hired relayed to him that there was “zero chance” the company could win against her at trial Before offering her the $300,000 policy limit Capitol sued her in federal court seeking a declaration that a separate $1 million general liability policy she also sought was not applicable “I think if we file the (lawsuit) pltf’s counsel may back off and take the 300k to wrap this up,” Mr Wedwick wrote in a January 2014 email to his manager Judge Hillman agreed with Capitol that the $1 million policy did not apply His March 25 ruling came in response to counterclaims Ms and did not return a request for comment left on his voicemail or with his attorney He also owns clubs in Florida and Las Vegas McCabe maintained that Centerfolds was not liable for the crash McCabe assigned his rights against Capitol to Ms after her attorneys notified him they would go after his personal assets in their lawsuit Capitol argued the agreement was collusive and noted that employees of Centerfolds had consistently denied serving her McCabe had provided Capitol with an affidavit from a bartender to that effect shortly after the crash telling police she was “perfectly sober” when she left and stated he never would have let her leave the club drunk McCabe’s lawyer did not respond to a request to contact him on a reporter’s behalf