Worcester Warriors
Mariano: Guardian angels

Ray Mariano
They stand watch like guardian angels protecting and caring for infants so small and so vulnerable that it’s hard to imagine that one day these tiny spirits will most likely grow into chubby-cheeked little babies.

Pixabay / Creative Commons
Advocates say retail marijuana facilities bring jobs, ancillary development and fiscal benefits to the cities and towns where they set up shop. And safety too. … But also a massive power drain.
Cannabiz: Potential ‘billion-dollar industry’ had pot stirred in Worcester | One expert expects as many as 50 recreational marijuana shops to be ready for business by July 1. He notes that about 700 are open in Colorado – 200 in Denver alone. Good Chemistry CEO Matthew Huron had his eye on Worcester before Question 4 even went before voters in 2016. Find out more about the effects of this particular strain of entrepreneurialism.
Canal District shop to follow a Coloradan path | Good Chemistry executive Meg Collins says Massachusetts’ marijuana skeptics should give the new industry time. In a short while, she predicts, they will be won over by its professionalism and profit margin. “I have worked with many communities to make sure they are educated and confident in what they are doing. Proprietors need to see it as their role to make their communities comfortable.”

Courtesy UMass Medical School
Dr. Adel Bozorgzadeh
UMass doctors tackle key problem in liver transplant process | While facing the additional burden of geographic disparities imposed by the national organ transplant system, surgeons such as Dr. Adel Bozorgzadeh already navigate a turbulent system.
Sun Spots with Hitch [Vol. 224]: Finding homes for the holidays … and beyond | Through diligence, determination and the generosity of local grant makers, Worcester has in recent years become a big-city leader nationwide when it comes to curbing homelessness. That trend, though, is beginning to head in the wrong direction and City Manager Ed Augustus has vowed to nip the negative momentum in the bud. All about public service, Hitch thinks he’s found a perfect spot for shelter in the Canal District.

Mark Wagner
Guest commentary
Wagner: Puritanism or Positivity? ‘Young Goodman Brown’ comes of age | “Worcester can still play a role in celebrating an open, healthy, sex-positive culture, but let’s also use the moment to see something clearly: sex and love are separated at great costs. Literature has instructed us quite clearly on this, and it would be at our peril that we abandon the great lessons of the likes of Hawthorne.”

Chris Sinacola
Sun columnist
Sina-cism: Remembering the Benchley brand of humor | “At book club last week, a friend gave me a copy of Nathaniel Benchley’s 1955 biography of his father, comedian Robert Benchley, who remains — more than 70 years after his death — one of Worcester’s most famous funnymen.”
Editorial: Deepening into the season | Christmas and Hanukkah are beautifully timed. Just as biting cold arrives and the amount of daylight shrinks to the annual low point, candlelight, feasts, laughter and tradition beckon us in.

Wikimedia Commons / Terageorge
Worcester Public Library
Worcester Weekly: ‘Winter Reimagined,’ Worcester Youth Orchestras concert + three more ideas for your week | The most fun you’ll have with a calendar of events all week. And you just might learn something, too. Here are some of the best things to do, places to go — and reasons why — over the next few days.
College notebook

Courtesy of Quinsigamond Community College
From left, Fitchburg State President Richard S. Lapidus and Quinsigamond Community College President Dr. Luis. G. Pedraja sign an articulation agreement for Deaf Studies.
The Quad [Dec. 16-23]: Four things to know from Anna Maria, Becker, QCC, Fitchburg State | Have campus news you or your college or university organization would like to share? Let us know by emailing it to info@worcester.ma. Be sure to send a link to the full release on your site or Facebook page so we can include it and point Sun members your way.

Augustine Kanjia
The incredible story of Augustine Kanjia continues …
Fighting for Fees and Respect | “When I entered the principal’s office, he laughed and asked for my receipt. He said that without the receipt, I was committing a crime by coming to school. He told me in a loud voice, ‘If education is expensive, try ignorance. Go quickly and bring your receipt.’ ”

Courtesy Sen. Moore's office
Sen. Michael O. Moore
Inbox [Dec. 16-23]: News and notes from the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, Sen. Michael Moore and Southgate of Shrewsbury | 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.
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