Old Grumbly Fan Road Trip: This Week in Worcester Levels Up

Earlier this year, This Week in Worcester published a Bruins season preview, followed by a recap of the first game. As a local independent news bureau, TWIW has limited staff. We are slowly building out our capacity to cover more new for you, and in this case we were able to expand into a new area.

We submitted our articles at the beginning of the year and applied for press credentials. Little did we know that the Bruins communications team would check it out and approve us for a game! The game? Bruins vs. Ottawa on November 7th.

First, in keeping with Old Grumbly fan tradition, I left too late. I was soon interred into miserable traffic in front of TD Garden, and because of that, I had to pay $65 for parking! SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS! Then, because I did not know where I was going, and I left myself no time, I had to run up the stairs of the parking garage.

Then again, not knowing where I was going, I had to ask multiple people where to go as a press person. I made it to the correct location and received my press credentials!

I got to a pretty big freight elevator, with a very nice elevator man who led me to Level 9!

Level 9 is where the press lives, and I found my way to the little box. Once I sat down, I saw my name again on a contact card where I was to sit! This was pretty exciting stuff for me. I know other press people probably see it as old hat, but I was pumped.

My assigned seat put me next to Tom Carroll of WEEI fame. He and I have been interacting on Facebook for quite some time, and he frequents my Red Sox fan page, Fenway Faithful. We had a nice chat about Worcester, where his family still lives. Nice guy, hopefully he will come and support some of our local media in the future.

The Senators struck first with a goal by Michael Amadio at 5:42 in the opening period. The Bruins played on their heels a bit in the first few minutes of the game, but gained steam as the period wore on. Although the Bruins did not score, they ended the period up 9-2 in shots against.

The second period was very different. The Bruins dominated for most of the frame, with a goal by Morgan Geekie to tie it only 1:22 in. Sean Kuraly put the Bruins ahead with a power-play goal at 16:03. The Senators created pressure on the Bruins at the end of the middle period.

The third period was more physical with the Senators tilting the ice a bit. Claude Giroux’s fourth goal of the year tied the game in the third. The clock ticked off regulation time with few high-danger chances in the last few minutes of the game. The teams went into the overtime period with the Senators having owned most of the third.

The overtime 3 on 3 was a sight to behold, my first time seeing it live. The speed at which these players play is outstanding, and both teams cycled through chances. Charlie McAvoy wore on the Senators, causing most of the dangerous chances.

With 5.6 seconds left in OT, Pavel Zacha buried a McAvoy rebound for the Bruins’ fifth win in a row, and sixth out of 7. Earlier this season, the Bruins allowed a six game losing streak.

The team is starting to build a tough to play against identity, which will serve them well as the season progresses.

Andrew Peeke, after taking a big hit, stayed in the game and recorded two assists. The players awarded him the ‘Grinder of the Game’ award, a new tradition that makes Coach Marco Sturm happy. He said, “Even a player like Pasta wants it. I told him he will have to earn it.”

The Bruins are 9-7 on the season, tied for second in the Atlantic with Detroit at 18 points. The Bruins travel to Toronto on Saturday to open a home and home with the Maple Leafs before a rematch with Ottawa in Ottawa on November 13th.

Candidate for Worcester City Councilor to Seek Recount

WORCETER – A candidate for Worcester City Councilor At-Large plans to petition for a recount of the November 4 election ballots.

Unofficial results of the election published by the City of Worcester show Jermoh Kamara, a former school committee member and first-time city council candidate, with 9,334 votes, just 23 behind Moe Bergman’s 9,357 for the sixth and final city councilor at-large seat.

According to the Massachusetts Secretary of Commonwealth website, in municipalities with over 2,500 voters and precincts, both of which Worcester has, state law requires the signatures of 10 or more registered voters from each precinct submitted by the candidate making the request by 5 PM on the 10th day after the election to initiation the recount.

Voters first elected Bergman to the city council in 2013. In this election, his campaign asked voters to return him to the council for a sixth term.

Instant Analysis: 2025 Worcester Municipal Elections

In the end it is all whirlwind. The speeches, the commercials, the yard signs, the mailers. The social media campaigns, both the good and the ugly. The voters come, and the voters go.

In an instant the city posts the final results, and one group of people react with exultation. Others act with depression. Still another acts with indifference, and another group acts with action.

It has yet to be 24 hours since the election closed. I drove to city hall with my poll pad. As the ward 10 warden, precinct 6 at the Main Street YMCA, I had a good day. I was tired, and I had multiple things ahead of me, but I had a good day.

We have a good group at the YMCA branch. They are my team. We greet the voters together, and sometimes we have to work through issues of making sure everyone gets to vote. We only had to call into city hall twice, and in both cases the person was allowed to vote.

The only folks we turned away were in the wrong spot, and in every case we were able to get them the correct address rapidly, and give directions. The vast majority of those folks went to either the Murray Ave Towers or to the Inspectional Services building on Meade Street. The system worked well.

When you are in this role, you can’t discuss your politics or your preferences. In one case, I had to ask an older gentleman to remove his hat while he voted. It had the name of a city council candidate on it, and that is against the rules. He was amiable, so we made a joke of it. In the end he put his hat back on with gusto.

He was proud of his vote, and he told me so. I was happy to be there with him.

I won’t see most of my team in that way until at least next September. Being a warden is something I always wanted to do, and this year I got the opportunity.

Once I finished work, I pivoted back to my role in the media. Tom and I broadcast live as the results posted, and shared them with our very consistent and loyal audience. For many, in particular when the results of the District 5 race came in, there was great sadness.

Online, especially on Facebook, people took a victory lap. The rhetoric was and is insane. Tom and I were on for about 45 minutes, and it was close to 10pm. I was wiped, but then there were two stories we needed.

One of those stories is the ongoing John Monfredo case. I had to ask Mayor Petty a question about it, and I did. I went to his party at El Basha, which is about a 3 minutes in walking distance from my office. When I was there I saw Khrystian King, fresh off his best performance ever, come and congratulate Joe in person. I feel privileged that I was there at that moment. If you are a resident of Worcester, you should be proud of Khrystian too. He worked his tail off and delivered a sterling at-large and mayoral result. There is no one, especially his supporters, who should view this election in any other way. Councilor King was running against a machine, and he outperformed all metrics. This is not the end; it is a stop on the road.

At the party were some of the other candidates. I stayed for about 15 minutes, and I left. I walked back to my office. In that time I received two phone calls. One was from the source in the Monfredo story.

The second was from another source, for another story, that I cannot tell you about yet. This story may very well lead to the final composition of the City Council changing. The results are in, but the story is not.

I got up in the morning, and I got more tips, and more stories. I had more phone calls and emails, and then I went over to Spectrum 1 to appear on Central Mass Chronicles, where I gave my three immediate, or instant takeaways.

Instant analysis. I am beng tasked, and many of my fellow members of the media, to analyze, in real time, what took two years. To boil it all down. To that end, here are my top ten takeaways:

1. Joe Petty showed his strength as a campaigner and in his persona. There have been negative items throughout the last two years, many of which were attached to or caused by Joe. None of those things stuck. He increased his base.
2. Khrystian King has won over the majority of the city. Again, many negative things are thrown at Vice-Chair King, but he has delivered a result that wipes away the common rhetoric. Most votes ever.
3. Rob Billotta ran a four-year campaign, and it paid off. He stayed positive and worked hard. His chair on the doors is a symbol for many of his voters.
4. Post-election rhetoric is divisive and doesn’t help anyone. Fr. Jonathan Slavinkas, a current member of the Human Rights Commission, has posted multiple times that he is ‘praying’ for District 2, because his candidate lost. At the same time, many people are celebrating the loss of multiple-term District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj. I cannot repeat what I have read or seen. My only hope is that people call out abusive language for what it is. Whether you won or lost, it is clear the attacks have got to stop.
5. The District 5 race showed there are more voters to be had. Both Etel and Jose Rivera increased their share of voters, Etel by more than 300 and Jose by more than 900. 1200 new voters in D5 from 2023. That is not a small thing, and neither candidate should feel down about the results. More participation is a good thing.
6. That said, Etel was running against: Jose, Tim Murray, the police unions (who I saw on the doors throughout D5 all weekend), the anti-bike lane crowd (who will soon learn there is literally nothing Jose can do about it, both projects are state projects, and the city manager has already said this to you multiple times), the anti-Muslim crowd (and they are not afraid to say it), the anti-Thu Ngyuen crowd (another loud group), infighting among liberals in messaging (everyone’s ideas are unfairly attached to Etel, even if she doesn’t support them), the anti-Communist crowd (apparently she is a secret agent, according to them) and the regular anti-woman crowd (unable to go after their own, Etel has been their punching bag). The fact that she grew her base should be celebrated. With all that was against her, you would think she should have lost by 3,000.
7. Long-term campaigns work: Rob Billotta never stopped running from his loss in 2023; Jose Rivera, very simarly, never left the public eye and continued his campaign; Jermoh Kamara ran from her 2023 school committee loss, and lost by less than 30 votes, pulling in more than 9000 in her first at-large campaign. While there are examples where they didn’t work (Nelly Medina lost a second close race to Kathi Roy for school committee and Ted Kostas lost handily to Luis Ojeda in D4), the voter share increased. I would encourage those who lost to look at the name recognition they gained as they consider their options.
8. Slate campaigns do not work in Worcester. While endorsements abound, running tandem campaigns without separating yourself with ideas and tone has not seen success here in the city. Being an individual candidate, with strong positions and a clear campaign strategy seems to be a go-to move. It is not universal, because the police union endorsement card pushed a slate that almost won out.
9. Worcester is the biggest small town in the world. Many voters told me about small slights and disagreements online that influenced their vote. A few local activists, on both sides, have become lightning rods in the city, and frankly may have hurt their candidates of choice. A strong look inward to see what those issues are is an important takeaway. Sometimes the loudest person in the room is shouting alone.
10. Finally, voter turnout is possible in the local elections. Voting increased by about 2%, and at the precinct level, you can see where more voters can be found. In many ways, the real electorate of Worcester has yet to be found.

The day is getting long, and I am still not completely recovered. I am hearing rumors about Senate, House, and state level races. Announcements and campaigns for the mid-terms are already upon us. I think there is a real shot that the next council may look significantly different if the work starts now. Pick a cause, pick a spot and go. The 16 years of voter participation dropping has turned around. Let’s go get it!

2025 Worcester Municipal Election Results

WORCESTER – The unofficial results show 10 percent of registered voters (26,092 of 116,455) cast a ballot in Worcester’s 2025 preliminary municipal election.

The results do not become official until certified by the election commission.

All Worcester voters had the option to express their preference for mayor (chairperson of the city council), select up to six candidates for city councilor at large, and select a district councilor. All voters also had the option to select up to two at-large school committee members, and a district school committee member, although only two of the six school committee districts had challengers to the incumbent.

Mayor

• Joseph M. Petty 13,747 54.68%
• Khrystian E. King 8,465 33.67%
• Owura-Kwaku Sarkdieh 1,743 6.93%
• Edson Montero 1,188 4.72%
• Blank Votes 949

City Councilor At-Large

Top Six Elected

• Joseph Petty* 12,420 11.65%
• Khrystian King* 11,808 11.08%
• Kate Toomey* 10,353 9.71%
• Gary Rosen 10,033 9.41%
• Satya Mitra 9,457 8.87%
• Morris Bergman* 9,353 8.77%
• Jermoh Kamara 9,309 8.73%
• Donna M. Colorio 9,247 8.67%
• Cayden Davis 8,352 7.83%
• Jessica R. Pepple 6,378 5.98%
• Owura-Kwaku Sarkdieh 6,188 5.80%
• Edson Montero 3,707 3.48%
• Blank Votes 49,947

District 1 City Councilor

• Tony Economou 4,064 57.01%
• Keith Linhares 3,065 42.99%
• Blank Votes 505

District 2 City Councilor

• Robert Bilotta 2,016 55.31%
• Candy Mero-Carlson* 1,629 46.26%
• Blank Votes 224

District 3 City Councilor

• John Fresolo 2,200 53.74%
• Robert Pezzella 1,894 46.26%
• Blank Votes 419

District 4 City Councilor

• Luis Ojeda* 1,566 73.62%
• Ted Kostas 561 26.38%
• Blank Votes 153

District 5 City Councilor

• Jose Rivera 3,954 52.52%
• Etel Haxhiaj* 3,575 47.48%
• Blank Votes 267

At-Large School Committee

• Maureen Binienda* 13,663 38.76%
• Susan Mailman* 12,996 36.87%
• Adwoa Sakyi-Lamptey 8,588 24.37%
• Blank Votes 16,937

School Committee District A

• Molly Mccullough* 4,518
• Blank Votes 1,911

School Committee District B

• Vanessa Alvarez 1,832
• Blank Votes 718

School Committee District C

• Dianna Biancheria* 2,753
• Feanna S. Jattan-Singh 1,236
• Blank Votes 531

School Committee District D

• Alejandro Guardiola, Jr.* 1,193
• Blank Votes 496

School Committee District E

• Kathleen L. Roy* 1,921
• Nelly Medina 1,827
• Blank Votes 308

School Committee District F

• Jermaine Johnson* 4,616
• Blank Votes 2,232

Missing Worcester Woman Found Dead Near Green Hill Park

UPDATE, Nov. 4: The Worcester Police Department says officers located the body of Joanna Brown inside the Mitsubishi Outlander on Mount Vernon Street in Worcester.

Brown’s death is being investigated by the Worcester County District Attorney’s office and the Worcester Police Detective Bureau. Anyone with information is asked to call (508) 799-8651 or text keyword TIPWPD to CRIMES (274637) to leave an anonymous tip.

WORCESTER – The Worcester Police Department seeks help in locating a local woman who left work during the morning of Friday, Oct. 31, and hasn’t been seen since.

Joanna Brown, 30, of Worcester, left work at the Bean Counter on Grove Street at around 9 AM on Friday. Friends and family say she hasn’t been in touch since, which is unlike her normal behavior.

Brown stands 5’6″ tall and has hazel eyes. Police say she may be in a grey 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander with a Massachusetts plate number of 5GPN93. She may be in the are of Springfield or Holyoke.

Anyone with information on the location of Joanna Brown is asked to call 911 or (508) 799-8606.

See the Neighborhood Meetings This Week in Worcester

WORCESTER – The Worcester Police Department is encouraging residents to attend their neighborhood watch meetings to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in their neighborhoods and to share any concerns or questions they may have. Representatives from the city also regularly attend these neighborhood meetings.

There are over 50 Neighborhood Watch Groups in Worcester. Meetings are held regularly — often once a month in various locations in the city.

Contact the Worcester Police Department’s Neighborhood Response Team at (508) 799-8664 for more information.

Here are the neighborhood meetings this week in Worcester.

Monday, Nov. 3

• Green Island Neighborhood Meeting, WRTA Maintenance & Operations Facility, 42 Quinsigamond Ave. – 6 PM

Wednesday, Nov. 5

• Seabury Heights Apartments Neighborhood Meeting, Seabury Heights Apartments, 240 Belmont St. – 4 PM

Thursday. Nov. 6

• Lincoln Village Neighborhood Meeting, Victoria Building, 116 Country Club Blvd. – 4 PM
• Webster Square Neighborhood Meeting, Our Lady of Angels Church, 1222 Main St. – 7 PM

Monday, Nov. 10

• Tatnuck Square Neighborhood Meeting, First Congregational Church, 1070 Pleasant St. – 6 PM

Wednesday, Nov. 12

• Saxon Road Neighborhood Meeting, Congregation Beth Israel, 15 Jamesbury Dr. – 6:30 PM
• Newton Square Neighborhood Meeting, First Congregational Church, 1070 Pleasant St. – 7:30 PM

Thursday, Nov. 13

• Main South Beacon Brightly Neighborhood Meeting, Y.M.C.A., 766 Main St. – 5:30 PM
• Burncoat/Greendale Neighborhood Meeting, St. Michaels On-The-Heights, 340 Burncoat St. – 6 PM
• South Lenox Street Neighborhood Meeting, First Congregational Church, 1070 Pleasant St. – 6 PM

Wednesday, Nov. 19

• Indian Lake Neighborhood Meeting, Worcester Business Center, 67 Millbrook St. – 6 PM
• Brown Square Neighborhood Meeting, 639 Franklin St. – 7 PM

Thursday. Nov. 20

• Mill St Area Neighborhood Meeting, Stearns Tavern, 72 Coes St. – 6 PM

Records Show New Details of Monfredo Sex Crimes Investigation

WARNING: This report includes references to the sexual abuse of a child. While graphic details of that abuse are not included, reader discretion is advised. 

WORCESTER – A recent release of 23 pages of documents by the Worcester Police Department sheds new light on the allegations made by Heather Prunier, of Worcester, that she endured sexual abuse by former Worcester School Committee member and former Belmont Street Community School Principal John Monfredo from 1991 to 1994, when she was between nine and 12 years old.

The 23 pages include four elements not made public in the nearly 30 years since the investigation occurred:

• Police interviewed witnesses related to Prunier’s allegations as early as January 1996. Previously published information indicated that the investigation occurred between January and April 1997.
• Weeks after Worcester Public Schools placed Monfredo on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, a detective investigating the allegations documented in official records their assessment that the crime being investigated was indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old. Had the determined determined that no crime occurred, the record would likely show that.
• A Worcester Police officer indicates in a police report that the Department of Social Services (DSS) (now the Department of Children and Families [DCF]) supported a 51-A report report of child abuse related to the allegations against Monfredo. The term “supported” used by DSS is synonymous with substantiated, meaning the agency found reasonable cause to believe the abuse occurred.
  • Such a finding typically designates the subject “unsuitable to work with children” and prohibits that individual from working in a school. It is unclear whether the agency later overturned this finding.
• A Worcester Police detective interviewed Prunier about her allegations on Sept. 1, 1998, at the Worcester County District Attorney’s office while a Massachusetts assistant attorney general observed. This occurred nearly 18 months after Monfredo returned from administrative leave to work at Belmont Street Community School in April 1997. According to the report, the assistant attorney general advocated for the interview to be videotaped, but a “previous agreement” made between a Worcester County assistant district attorney and the WPD prevented recording the interview. 

As This Week in Worcester previously reported, John Conte, then the Worcester County District Attorney, and a long-time friend of Monfredo, declined to prosecute.

In 2023, in an article by Bill Shaner at Worcester Sucks and I Love It, Heather Prunier publicly acknowledged for the first time that she is the woman who reported sexual abuse by Monfredo to police on the last day of 1996, when she was 15 years old.

Monfredo coached the softball team Prunier played with when she says the abuse took place. Monfredo has publicly said that “he was never alone” with Prunier during the time she alleges the abuse took place.

Prunier submitted a request for records related to the case to the Worcester Police Department (WPD), which released the 23 pages of documents on Oct. 24. Prunier made the full release of documents available to This Week in Worcester.

Reports Began in 1995

Prunier sat for an interview with police on Dec. 31, 1996, when she was 15 years old. Later that night, she attempted suicide.

A formal investigation began in January 1997. Worcester Public Schools (WPS) placed Monfredo on leave pending the results of the investigation. He returned to his position as principal of Belmont Street Community School in April 1997.

The newly released documents show that staff at Forest-Grove Junior High School became concerned in 1995, based on Heather’s behavior and conversations with her.

One police report released shows that in a statement to police in January 1996, one teacher said that Heather “had been a very bubbly student,” but that in May 1995, he noticed Heather appeared unhappy over multiple days. He twice inquired about her demeanor, but both times Heather said everything was fine. The second time, she asked if she could talk to the teacher after school.

During that after-school session, Heather started crying. She asked the teacher if he would keep what she told him a secret.

The teacher told police he explained that some things he’s not allowed to keep secret when related to actions like theft, drugs, assault, and sexual harassment. When asked if one of those subjects related to what she wanted to talk about, Heather replied yes. She provided no additional information.

The teacher encouraged her to tell her parents, regardless of what bothered her.

The following day, Heather approached the same teacher during class and told him she’s ready to talk now. When he stepped outside the classroom with her, Heather asked, “What is sexual harassment?” The teacher says he gave some examples, then asked if what bothered her ranged “from the lowest level, verbal, to the highest of forced physical, what is somewhere in between there?

After Heather told the teacher that it did, he walked with her to the office of the vice principal.

The documents also show police questioned the vice principal in January 1997 about her interaction with Heather.

She described to the police that she had a long conversation with Heather that day. Heather eventually revealed her softball coach had abused her upon her arrival at practice. The abuse began with hugging and kissing on the face and over time proceeded to touching and beyond.

The police report says that the vice principal told police she didn’t remember that Heather provided any additional identifying information about the abuser, except that he was her softball coach.

“Found As” Ind A+B >14

One document released to Prunier shows the detective investigating the allegations against Monfredo documented that the allegations were “found as” indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old. The report indicates the allegations were “reported as” the same crime.

“Found as” is not a judicial finding, but expresses the investigator’s assessment of the crime being investigated at the time of creating the report. This field can list another crime, if the investigator determined the original report was in error, or list that a finding of “none.”

This language appears at the top of a report on the questioning of the lead custodian at Belmont Street Schoo, where Prunier said the abuse took place. An image of this portion of the document can be found at the bottom of this page.

Establishing Opportunity

Monfredo’s only public comments about the allegations against him were his claim he was “never alone with that girl.”

Police reports indicate that Monfredo held softball practices inside the gymnasium at Belmont Street School on Saturdays over the winter, during school vacations, or at other times when weather prohibited practicing outdoors.

Prunier told the police that she often arrived at practice late, after all her other teammates. When Monfredo held practice at Belmont Street School, girls knocked on a door for access to the building. Prunier told police that Monfredo often responded to allow her into the building.

The most serious abuse occurred below a small stairwell near the entrance in an area that prevented others then in the building from seeing what occurred, according to Prunier. She told police that these encounters, which sometimes included violence, lasted only a few minutes each.

A police report shows that on Jan. 28, 1997, an officer interviewed the senior custodian at Belmont Street School. The custodian told investigators that protocol required a custodian on duty if more than 30 people were present. Monfredo’s softball practices numbered under 20.

Caffone also told police that although only the gymnasium and adjacent bathrooms were open to the team, Monfredo had keys to the entire building.

Both Robert and Gretched Prunier, Heather’s parents, told police they recalled times when Monfredo gave Heather a ride home from softball practice and arrived alone in his car with her.

Both parents also said that Monfredo had called their home at least twice, saying he’d be happy to come pick up Heather to go swimming with his daughter. Heather declined.

They both also said that Monfredo had told them separately on multiple occasions how he wished his daughter were more like Heather.

After the WPD investigation, the department forwarded the case to Worcester County District Attorney John Conte’s office. Conte declined to pursue charges against his longtime friend.

Mass. Law Enables Survivor Access to Rape, Sexual Assault Records

Mass. Gen. Laws Chapter 41 § 97D, which governs access to the documents Prunier seeks, says that “reports of rape and sexual assault or attempts to commit such offenses, all reports of abuse perpetrated by family or household members” and “all communications between police officers and victims of such offenses or abuse shall not be public reports and shall be maintained by the police departments in a manner that shall assure their confidentiality.”

The same section provides an exemption for survivors of those reported crimes, saying that, “all such reports shall be accessible at all reasonable times, upon written request, to: (i) the victim, the victim’s attorney, others specifically authorized by the victim to obtain such information, prosecutors,” and select few others.

The WPD provided no rationale for the documents it released or those it withheld.

Old Grumbly Fan’s Week 9 Patriots Preview vs. the Falcons

In Week Eight, my prediction was half right! The Pats showed a new level versus the defensive power of the Browns. The game was close for a quarter, but the Patriots were never in any real danger of losing the game outside of the play of the Browns’ Myles Garrett.

Vrabel has the team operating on all cylinders. With Garrett holding the Pats to back to back second quarter field goals through timely sacks, his coaching staff made several key adjustments, and the Pats ran away in the 3rd quarter with three unanswered touchdowns. The team identity is forming. This team learns, takes punches and then hits back. Tough, hard to play against and explosive. You couldn’t ask for a better first 8 games. Now the season gets good.

Drake Maye continues his rise into the upper echelon of NFL QBs after he overcame a terrific game from Garrett (5 sacks, and 7 pressures). If Cleveland had any semblance of a balanced team, this would have wrecked the Patriots’ day. Maye took the hits and kept on going. He overcame an ugly pick, where he clearly misread the play (he admitted this at the podium), and bounced back with his continued elite downfield play.

Maye has 7 consecutive games with 200 yards and a 100 QB rating, tying Patrick Mahomes for the youngest player ever to do it. In all the previously recorded seasons where a QB has had a streak of 7 games in a row like this, the player won the NFL MVP. It is very early, but Maye clearly has made a leap from his rookie season.

Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels had his best game in this comeback. In the third quarter, his balanced play calling, both run/pass and left/right/middle, took the Patriots on three straight touchdown drives. Everyone was involved, and the team thrived with 7 players catching passes, and 5 running the ball, including Maye with another 50 on the ground.

The defense had a strong game after the first drive. In 8 consecutive possessions, the Browns had 4 punts, 2 interceptions, a missed field goal, and a turnover on downs. The only thing it looks like they need is another pass rusher. The d now has the 2nd best rush yards per game average in the league with 76.0 and the fourth- best scoring defense with 18.3. Looking good, and with some real anemic offenses coming up this squad could finish high in the rankings.

Stefon Diggs only had 3 catches for 14 yards, but one was his first Pats touchdown, and he clearly is the leader of the wide receiver group. Kayshon Boutte continues his growth as a downfield threat.

Old Grumbly Fan Predictions

6-2 on the year, and the team is rolling. This week the Patriots welcome in the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have had an uneven 3-4 season, with second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. missing the last game because of injury. He has two great weapons in Bijon Robinson, one of the leading running backs in football, and Drake London at wideout, although he has missed some time because of injury.

Atlanta plays hot and cold with wins against the Bills and the Vikings, but then two complete losses in a row to Miami and San Francisco the last two weeks.

The Patriots are rolling, and the Falcons defense has struggled recently. I think the Patriots keep upright at home.

Patriots 37 – Atlanta 17

American Flatbread Launches Free Offer for SNAP Recipients on Nov. 1

WORCESTER – American Flatbread, located at 85 Green Street, responded to the federal government shutdown and the suspension of SNAP funding by creating a free offer for anyone with an EBT card.

Starting on Nov. 1, any SNAP recipient can present their EBT card at American Flatbread and receive one free small medicine wheel pizza. The company says the offer will extend throughout the duration of the government shutdown.

The offer applies to in-person and phone orders, but not to orders placed through delivery apps. The restaurant limits the offer to one pizza per party per day and is subject to availability.

The offer also extends to its Brighton and Rockport, Maine, locations.

The Medicine Wheel pizza is American Flatbread’s take on a classic cheese pizza. It includes homemade organic tomato sauce, premium whole milk mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and organic herbs.

Founded in 1985 in Waitsfield, Vermont, American Flatbread now has 11 locations, including four in Massachusetts. Each location cooks its pizzas in what it calls a “primitive wood-fired earthen oven.”

City of Worcester Announces Fund to Supplement Federal SNAP Cuts

WORCESTER – The City of Worcester announced the United Response Fund at a press conference at City Hall on Thursday, Oct. 30. The fund seeks to supplement federal funding suspensions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and federal funding and cuts to home heating assistance passed by Congress this year.

City Manager Eric Batista announced that the United Way of Central Massachusetts will manage a food and nutrition program of $1 million, which includes contributions of $250,000 from the city, $250,000 from the United Way of Central Massachusetts, and contributions from private donors. The program will supplement the suspension of SNAP fund distribution by the federal government.

Batista also announced that the Worcester Community Action Council will manage a $1.1 million fund to supplement the loss of federal funds for home heating assistance.

Batista said 80,000 central Massachusetts residents receive SNAP benefits, including 55,000 in Worcester. Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Superintendent Brian Allen said that 73 percent of WPS families are low income.

Congressman Jim McGovern, Mayor Joe Petty, President and CEO of the United Way of Central Massachusetts Tim Garvin, and CEO of the Worcester County Food Bank Jean McMurray also spoke at City Hall on Thursday. See all remarks, below.

The Massachusetts Healthy Inventive Plan (HIP) will still go into effect in January, which provides funds for healthy food choices at certain vendors if a SNAP recipient has even one cent remaining on their EBT card. Learn more here.

Local food access resources are available at foodhelpworcester.org.

The United Way of Central Massachusetts accepts donations to the United Response Fund.

Updates on SNAP funding can be found at the state’s website.