Local Business Spotlight

Patrick Sargent / For Worcester Sun
Joe Herman, left, and Deven Senior are taking over the former Usual space on Shrewsbury Street.
Nothing usual about The Chameleon opening on Shrewsbury Street | “It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s the right decision now to get the employees working,” general manager Joe Herman told the Sun exclusively. “We didn’t want an empty shell of a building all summer long on Shrewsbury Street.” Following the travails of Kevin Perry and The Usual, a pair of former employees think they’re the men for the job — and for all seasons — to breathe new life into the once booming Restaurant Row address.
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Valentino’s Press and Pour revives former Cafe Dolce space
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Fay Bcharah / For Worcester Sun
Grace Dahrouj is pretty much always behind the counter at George’s Bakery, where she’s become the face of the business to its many loyal customers.
For George’s Bakery, bread is where the heart is | “Lucian Sbat came to Worcester from Aleppo, Syria, 18 years ago. He heard about George’s Bakery shortly after his arrival in Worcester, but could never believe his friends when they’d try to convince him the bread tasted authentic.” And now he stops by the Grafton Hill mainstay three times a week — much like generations of city folks who’ve made George’s Bakery a true survivor. The Sun is proud to introduce its newest contributor, Fay Bcharah, to tell the tale.
Last week’s most popular articles:

Patrick Sargent / For Worcester Sun
Elm Park Community School will have a new principal this fall. But will Ellen Kelley be able to change the school’s fortunes?
- Mariano: In praise of our teachers
- To the editor: Worcester Central Catholic School teachers protest lack of raises
- Cosmopolitan Club endures ever-changing landscape
- School officials hope leadership change equals progress at Elm Park Community School
- Sources: House leaders roll out aggressive taxes in proposed legal pot regs
- What if … Worcester: Dilapidated churches grow into urban farms

Antonio Caban / State House News Service
Gov. Charlie Baker
Baker poses $315M plan to help address crushing MassHealth burden | The proposal, a sweeping package of insurance reforms and temporary assessments — considered taxes by many — calls for a two-tiered assessment on companies, with the bulk of the burden falling on employers with non-disabled workers who enroll in MassHealth.
Sun Spots with Hitch [Vol. 173]: Checking in on Worcester Citizen Advisory Council | You maybe heard a little about this committee’s unorthodox interview technique last week — probably in another blockbuster Sunday edition of Worcester Sun — so we won’t bore you with all the gory details. Liberal do-gooders — well-meaning and civically engaged as they may be — can’t seem to get out of their own way when it comes to freedom of expression. Guilt by association appears to be their preferred legal theory. Unfortunately for them, Hitch holds the gavel — and is ready to rule.
From Sunday’s Sun:
- Mariano: Thought police take over advisory board
- Editorial: Leadership fails test in CAC-Turtleboy flap

Courtesy Sen. Michael O. Moore and Rep. Kate D. Campanale
From left, Rep. Kate D. Campanale, Department of Developmental Services Commissioner Elin M. Howe, David and Marjorie Cohen, Bill Stock, Seven Hills Foundation, and Sen. Michael O. Moore.
Inbox [June 21]: News and notes from UniBank, Reliant Medical Group, Worcester Windows, Moore and Campanale, and Worcester County Light Opera Company | Have news you or your group would like to share? Let us know by emailing it to info@worcester.ma. Be sure to include a link to the full release on your site or Facebook page so we can include it and send Sun members your way.