WCCA TV 194 "The People's Channel"

08/16/2024

On this episode of The Chandler Chat, host Harriette Chandler welcomes Worcester City Clerk, Niko Vangjeli, and Deputy City Clerk II, Clare M. Robbins, to discuss their work with the Board of Election Commissioners preparing for the upcoming September-3rd State Primary and November-5th State & National Presidential Election. They discuss how to register as a poll worker, how to sign up for early voting in person or request a mail-in ballot, and the safety and security measures being taken to ensure the election process is free of coercion, intimidation and misinformation. Stay tuned for this episode of The Chandler Chat exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986!

08/16/2024

A new urgent care for pets in downtown Worcester will add a new option for emergency veterinary services to central Massachusetts

A new urgent care hospital in downtown Worcester will add a new option for emergency veterinary services to central Massachusetts

08/16/2024

On this episode of Tech Safe, host Cece Doucette welcomes Brenda Martinez, an LA-based community organizer working with Fiber First LA, a non-profit community group focused on bringing safe, reliable and affordable hard-wired fiber-optic internet technology to Los Angeles County, while divesting from wireless broadband: https://www.wccatv.com/video/tech-safe/tech-safe-38 . 'Tech Safe' is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986.

08/16/2024

On this episode of The Chandler Chat, host Harriette Chandler welcomes back Jason Homer, Executive Director of the Worcester Public Library. The main topic of discussion is a recent incident at the library involving a member of the public assaulting a librarian. Jason emphasizes some of the security measures being taken to ensure both staff and patrons feel safe and welcome, and how the library continues to strive to grow a meaningful and indispensable community space for all people, regardless of race, gender, creed or economic background. Stay tuned for this episode of The Chandler Chat exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986!

08/16/2024

"Thousands are expected to attend the 32nd annual Latin American Festival, set for Aug. 17, from 11am to 9pm, on Worcester Common behind City Hall, and one of the region's largest celebrations of Latino culture."

Juan Gomez ready for last Latin American Festival as president of CENTRO before retiring as thousands expected for the annual event

08/15/2024

Out to Lunch -- August 15, 2024

08/15/2024

Massachusetts has been ranked the best place to live in America in 2024, according to a new study.

08/15/2024

On this episode of Perspectives, host Asima Silva welcomes Alan Shebaro, former Sergeant with the US 3rd Special Forces Group, who has just returned from a volunteer trip to the West Bank in Israeli-occupied Palestine: https://www.wccatv.com/video/perspectives/perspectives-97 . Alan gives his honest account of the injustices visited upon the Palestinian people living under apartheid rule, segregated from nearby towns by IDF military check-points and subject to a two-tier justice system that overwhelmingly privileges the rights of illegal Israeli settlers to violently harass and subjugate them. This apartheid system results in the gradual annexation of the occupied territories and the cleansing of non-Israeli ethnic groups from the West Bank, which is to say nothing of Israel's eliminationist Gaza campaign that has made that territory unlivable for the foreseeable future. 'Perspectives' is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986.

08/14/2024

WCCA TV's local, independent, eclectic music-video show, Video Jam, hosted by Tracy Foley, will feature music from Andy Grammer, Uncle Kracker, Wyn Starks, Empire of the Sun, Jonah Kagen, SOFI TUKKER, Omar Apollo, and mgk with Jelly Roll. Tune in on Friday, August 16, at 9 PM to WCCA TV, Channel 194 in Worcester MA The show streams live at the same time online at wccatv.com, where you can also download past shows (just search video-on-demand for Video Jam). Enjoy!!

08/14/2024

This is happening TOMORROW, from 11am-2pm on the Worcester Common Oval. See you there!!

08/14/2024

On this episode of Close to Home, host Maureen Schwab welcomes returning guest Kate Cote, Owner & Founder of Fur Love Comfort Cats -- a faith-based pet therapy service in the Worcester area that helps bring comfort and spiritual healing to those recovering from mental, emotional or physical trauma. They discuss how Kate first discovered her calling through faith and her love of cats. Accompanying her is therapy cat Jedediah, who manages to keep his catty remarks quiet for the duration of the program :) 'Close to Home' is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986. Stay tuned!

08/14/2024

After 20 years, the stART on the Street festival will hold its final event in 2024. Organizers cite the festival's growing complexity and rising costs as the reasons behind the tough decision to make September and December's events their final ones.

Organizers cite the festival's growing complexity and rising costs as the reasons behind the tough decision to make September and December's events their final ones

08/13/2024

On this episode of The Chandler Chat, host Harriette Chandler welcomes back Grace Elton, CEO of the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill -- https://www.wccatv.com/video/beacon-hill-chat/chandler-chat-430 . They discuss some of the things happening this summer at Tower Hill, from extended summer evening's offering live music and a beer garden, 3D art installations, education programs for young children thru to adults, and important conservation efforts being undertaken to ensure local flora is preserved. The Chandler Chat is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986.

08/13/2024

Worcester focusses on traffic violence after multiple serious crashes involving bicycles and pedestrians, but enforcement staff remains low.

08/12/2024

"Our Stories" is a series of interviews produced by WCCA TV intern Kevin Figueroa, featuring individuals following their dreams and ambitions. In this episode Kevin interviews Gail Steele, Director of Theatre at the Mount. They discuss her love of theater and how the positive impact of 'Theatre at the Mount' has created something valuable. They also talk about people auditioning at 'Theatre at the Mount' from far outside the Central Mass area: https://www.wccatv.com/video/intern-interviews/interview-59 . "Our Stories" is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986.

08/12/2024

On this episode of the Talk of Main Street, host Konnie Lukes (former Worcester Mayor and City Councilor) and panelists Mark Henderson (Founder & CEO of Worcester-based regional news aggregator website The016.com) and Stephen Gordon (Civil Trial Attorney at Stephen J. Gordon & Associates) discuss immigration policy and how it intersects with and shapes the wider economy: https://www.wccatv.com/video/talk-of-main-street/talk-of-main-street-29 . Talk of Main Street is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986.

08/12/2024

Local News: Worcester Launches "Create the Vote" Campaign, Residents Invited to Design Election Day Stickers



WORCESTER, Mass. – The City of Worcester's Cultural Development Division and Election Commission announced Monday the "Create the Vote" campaign, inviting residents to design election day stickers.

Worcester residents are invited to submit designs reimagining the sticker voters receive after casting their ballot on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. Submissions must be received by Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. Finalist designs will be selected and shared on social media for public voting to determine winners. Voting will close on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, to meet printing and mailing deadlines. Winning designs will be available in multiple languages for in-person and mail-in Worcester voters. Creators of winning designs will each receive a $300 prize.

"After the tremendous success of our 2020 Create the Vote public campaign, which distributed over 55,000 stickers featuring designs by eight local artists, we are thrilled to partner with the Election Commission again to reactivate this creative voter engagement initiative," said Assistant Cultural Development Officer Yaffa Fain.

Using the phrase "My vote counts," Worcester designers are encouraged to submit their designs in English and additional languages. Translations of the selected phrase into Worcester's most widely spoken languages are listed below. Designs will be printed on the circular stickers distributed to voters throughout election season this fall.

More than 16,000 Worcester residents have requested to vote by mail. All Vote-By-Mail materials for the November election must be mailed by early October.

Worcester residents and youth may submit up to three designs through an online application, which includes full project details and criteria: https://forms.worcesterma.gov/f/CreateVoteCampaign

08/09/2024

2 releases From The City of Worcester:

It’s been brought to my attention that media is congregating at the home of the employee involved in Thursday’s incident and attempting to get comment. We ask that you please give the employee and their family privacy and not approach. If there’s to be any further comment, it will come from the City Manager’s Office.

Thank you,

Tom Matthews

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Media and Public Relations Administrator

Office of City Manager Eric D. Batista

City of Worcester | 455 Main St., Worcester MA 01608

P: 508-799-1175 x31310 | C: 774-525-1329

E: [email protected]

www.worcesterma.gov

From: Matthews, Thomas
Sent: Thursday, August 8, 2024 9:07 PM
To: Matthews, Thomas
Subject: Press Release: Worcester Public Library Closed to Public Friday Following Incident

[Logo]

Description automatically generated

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/8/24
MEDIA CONTACT: Tom Matthews, [email protected]

Worcester Public Library Closed to Public Friday Following Incident

WORCESTER, Mass. – An incident involving a patron occurred at the main branch of the Worcester Public Library (3 Salem Sq.) this afternoon resulting in an early closure so that leadership could meet with and address library personnel. All Worcester Public Library branches will remain closed to the public Friday as staff debriefs.

The incident involved a patron who, unprovoked, struck a library staff member with a skateboard. Worcester Police responded and the patron was brought into custody. The staff member is receiving medical treatment, and their injuries are not believed to be critical. The library closed one hour early so that City Manager Eric D. Batista and WPL Executive Director Jason Homer could meet with staff to discuss the incident and staff concerns.

“The safety and security of all library employees and patrons is of the utmost importance. The administration has worked closely with library leadership to meet the changing needs of patrons and users of the Worcester Public Library, including the creation of a community resources department, which has been staffed with a community liaison, two security officers, and a social worker,” said City Manager Eric D. Batista. “In addition, staff has received training on trauma informed de-escalation techniques. That said, violence is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. The Worcester Public Library will remain an open and welcoming place for all members of the community, but this sacred space and those who operate it must be treated with respect, honor, and dignity. The incident remains under investigation.”





Tom Matthews

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Media and Public Relations Administrator

Office of City Manager Eric D. Batista

City of Worcester | 455 Main St., Worcester MA 01608

P: 508-799-1175 x31310 | C: 774-525-1329

Welcome to the country's most vibrant and livable mid-sized city! With a population of more than 182,000 and more than 35,000 college students, Worcester is the second largest city in New England. Centrally located, the City is under an hour from Boston, Providence and Hartford.

08/09/2024

"All four days of this year’s Italian Festival, which runs from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, will feature traditional Italian songs and more recent Italian American classics on the speakers, and festival chair Elaine Beaudry said the tunes are always one of the festival’s biggest draws."

All four days of this year’s festival will feature traditional Italian songs and more recent Italian American classics on the speakers.

08/09/2024

On this two-part series of Tech Safe, host Cece Doucette welcomes Allan Brennan from the Republic of Ireland to speak on his work promoting safe technology and raising awareness around the dangers of wireless radiation exposure as a fellow of the Irish Computer Society (ICS). They discuss safe-tech practices that have failed to be adequately adopted and enforced in Irish and EU schools, and look to what more can be done to raise awareness and safety standards. 'Tech Safe' is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986. Stay tuned!

08/09/2024

"The college planning and research website College Raptor released its 10th annual list of the best colleges in the United States. Two Worcester colleges appear in the rankings. The College of the Holy Cross is ranked among the best colleges in New England best colleges for liberal arts. Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranks among the best colleges for artificial intelligence."

New rankings for the best colleges in the U.S., and for multiple specialties, includes several New England schools, and two in Worcester.

08/09/2024

Here are the Massachusetts beaches closed for swimming due to unsafe bacteria levels as of Friday afternoon.

08/09/2024

On this episode of Human Touch, host Augustine Kanjia welcomes Patrick Babatunde Johnson, a retired teacher from Sierra Leone, who is in the United States for the first time visiting his sister. They discuss how immigration can affect a family, with some of the Johnson siblings staying in Sierra Leone while others began new lives in the UK and US, and highlight what Patrick has learned during his brief time visiting Manchester, England and now America: https://www.wccatv.com/video/human-touch/human-touch-89 . Human Touch is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986.

08/09/2024

Local News: Worcester Public Library Closed to Public Friday Following Incident


WORCESTER, Mass. – An incident involving a patron occurred at the main branch of the Worcester Public Library (3 Salem Sq.) Thursday afternoon resulting in an early closure so that leadership could meet with and address library personnel. All Worcester Public Library branches will remain closed to the public Friday as staff debriefs.

The incident involved a patron who, unprovoked, struck a library staff member with a skateboard. Worcester Police responded and the patron was brought into custody. The staff member is receiving medical treatment, and their injuries are not believed to be critical. The library closed one hour early so that City Manager Eric D. Batista and WPL Executive Director Jason Homer could meet with staff to discuss the incident and staff concerns.

“The safety and security of all library employees and patrons is of the utmost importance. The administration has worked closely with library leadership to meet the changing needs of patrons and users of the Worcester Public Library, including the creation of a community resources department, which has been staffed with a community liaison, two security officers, and a social worker,” said City Manager Eric D. Batista. “In addition, staff has received training on trauma informed de-escalation techniques. That said, violence is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. The Worcester Public Library will remain an open and welcoming place for all members of the community, but this sacred space and those who operate it must be treated with respect, honor, and dignity. The incident remains under investigation.”

08/08/2024

In this special episode of Rosen's Roundtable, host Gary Rosen and his panelists discuss whether a return to Happy Hours is advisable and safe, considering it might encourage residents and visitors to drink more and then drive. They also debate whether lowering the general local speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph will actually slow motorists down without increased police enforcement: https://www.wccatv.com/video/rosens-roundtable/rosensroundtable-543 . Finally, they consider if the new affordable and market-rate apartments being planned and built are making a significant impact on the city's housing crisis. You don't want to miss this! Rosen's Roundtable is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986.

08/08/2024

"India Day 2024 taking place on Aug. 10 at the DCU Center will feature a variety of cultural performances, music, dance and art exhibitions and activities for children and youth. About 40 vendors will offer traditional Indian cuisine as well as items such as clothing and jewelry, and the society's Health Stop program will provide free health screenings. New to the event this year will be a business expo and job fair with several employers represented. The delicious Indian food is usually the most popular attraction, drawing people of all ethnic backgrounds."

"One World One Family" - India Society of Worcester presents India Day at DCU Center.

08/08/2024

"Our Stories" is a series of interviews produced by WCCA TV's intern Kevin Figueroa. The series features individuals following their dreams and ambitions. In this episode, Kevin interviews Nick Noble, host of "The Folk Revival" on the Worcester Public Radio Station, 90.5 WICN. Nick is also a former history teacher. He combines his love of history and folk music by telling the stories behind folk songs on his radio show: https://www.wccatv.com/video/intern-interviews/interview-57 . Nick believes that it's important to play both classic folk songs and the music of contemporary acoustic guitar musicians. "Our Stories" is exclusively on WCCA TV 194, Worcester's Public Access Community Media Center since 1986.

08/07/2024

WCCA TV's local, independent, eclectic music-video show, Video Jam, hosted by Tracy Foley, will feature music from Alesso x Nate Smith, DASHA, Stray Kids, Joe L. Murgo, RarriQueso x Popkanon, Dylan Taylor, and Belton Mouras Jr.. Tune in on Friday, August 9, at 9 PM to WCCA TV, Channel 194 in Worcester. MA The show streams live at the same time at wccatv.com, where you can also download past shows (just search video-on-demand for Video Jam). Enjoy!

08/07/2024

Join us TOMORROW on the Worcester Common Oval, from 11am-2pm, for another awesome Out-to-Lunch Festival & Farmers’ Market.
This week we’ll also be celebrating National Farmers’ Market Week! There will be live music from The Rhythm of the Saints, a dance performance and lesson from Ritmos Dance Company, plus local food vendors, artists, a farmers’ market, community organizations, and more! Hope to see you there!

Your next chance to go “Out to Lunch” is this Thursday, August 8! ☀️ Join us again on the Worcester Common Oval from 11am-2pm for the Out to Lunch Festival & Farmers’ Market.

This week we’ll also be celebrating National Farmers’ Market Week! 🥬

There will be live music from The Rhythm of the Saints, a dance performance and lesson from Ritmos Dance Company, plus local food vendors, artists, a farmers’ market, community organizations, and more!

Learn more: outtolunchworcester.com 🧡

The 2024 Out to Lunch Festival & Farmers’ Market is brought to you by the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District, the City of Worcester, Massachusetts, UniBank MA, Cornerstone Bank, and media sponsors Don’t Touch My Podcast, Manny Jae Media, Unity 97.9 FM, WCCA TV 194 "The People's Channel", 90.5 WICN, and 104.5 XLO.