Radio Worcester’s Talk of the Commonwealth

The Veterans Inc. Holiday Harvest provides Thanksgiving meal supplies to over 700 Veterans families including turkeys, trimmings, stuffing, and fresh produce.
DATE: 24 November 2026
TIME: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Address: 69 Grove St. Worcester, MA
Open to all current and former members of the armed services in need of food for their household. Please bring DD-214 or VA Card as proof of Veterans Status! Product donations are also welcome and needed.
For more information contact (800) 482-2565, or holidayharvest@veteransinc.org

On this episode of The Rundown on Radio Worcester, Hank and "Big" Ben along with Mark Henderson of the016.com and Tom Marino of thisweekinworcester.com look at the surprising national election results as well as the state ballot questions.
They also look at Amazon backing off for now from their drone delivery plans out of their Marlborough Warehouse.

The day after a historic Democrat win. Fifty-four seats to retake the Senate and the possibility of adding Alaska and Mississippi. Hank and Ben break it down, talk about the future of the Republican Party, and look at the statewide ballot questions. 
Mark Henderson of the 016.com and Tom Marino of This Week in Worcester join in the conversation and Ryan Kittredge of ClearPath Financial Partners comes on to talk about the election effect on the market.

Worcester's Director of Veterans Benefits Bruce Mendelsohn came by the Radio Worcester diner to give us the details of the annual Veterans Day Parade down Grove Street on November 11th and talk about what the city is doing for veterans. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. after Veterans Inc. Pancake Breakfast at the Armory from 8:30 to 10:30.

Rachel's Table is Worcester's volunteer-driven food rescue nonprofit. Executive Director, Alissa Schimmel, came on Talk of the Commonwealth to tell us about Dine for Good.
Rachel's Table rescues more than 500,000 pounds of surplus food a year for shelters, pantries and meal programs, and 93% of their partner agencies rely on them for 90 to 100% of their weekly milk. 
From Nov. 12 to 14, six local restaurants (American Flatbread Worcester, The Fix, The Broadway, Trackside Tavern, Gardner Ale House and Rushford & Sons in Upton) plus two bakers are donating part of their sales through the first Dine for Good Weekend.

In the first hour a look at where we are on election day. Hank is more of a believer in the "blue wave" than he was 24 hours ago. The Radio Roundtable assembles and talks about election day, wonder if the ballot questions will help bring voters out and look at the local story about Amazon pulling back from their plan to deliver by drone from the Westborough warehouse.
We get details on the Veteran's Day parade, hear about the work of Rachel's Table and their upcoming fundraiser, check in with Lisa Swanson of the BBB and talk coffee with the Worcester Regional Food Hub.
 

On this edition of the Radio Roundtable Hank, Ben, George and Randy talk about election day. They get into a conversation about just why people are unenrolled instead of Democrats or Republicans. Hank feels a lot of unenrolled voters feel they are independent and that they don't care if someone has an R or a D next to their name but in reality, they probably mostly vote one party or the other. 
They also get into a rare discussion; it is a show that focuses on local politics, on what is happening across the country today and will a blue wave materialize. Ben is the most bullish on the number of seats the Democrats could end up with. Randy is the most conservative feeling he's been burned by the polls in the past. 
The panel looks at the recent decision by Amazon to halt going ahead with their drone delivery plan from Westborough and George weighs in on some of the recent development, or lack thereof, in Worcester.

Ardian Preci, director of Worcester Polytechnic Institute's i3 Lab, joins the Aux Talks podcast to discuss how the program supports student entrepreneurs through three stages: ideation, innovation, and incubation. As he says it's a three-stage funnel: ideation (crystallizing ideas, pitching, business models), innovation (validation), incubation (space and intensive mentoring). "That's why the I3 lab is called the i3 lab because the three I's are ideate, innovate and incubate" he tells us. 

Katie Benison Camell stops by the Radio Worcester Diner to tell us about, A Decade of Love, an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Mary Beth Benison Foundation. The foundation, through mini-grants, helps families who are affected by ALS. 
 The event will be held Thursday, November 12, at 6:00 p.m. at the DCU Club at Polar Park. After 9 p.m. the batting cages will be opened for an after party. Tickets and more at mbbloves.org

State Senator Robyn Kennedy discusses recent legislative developments and upcoming election issues in a wide-ranging interview. Key topics include Amazon's withdrawal of its Westboro drone delivery proposal following community opposition and legislative pressure, which Kennedy credits as an example of government working as intended. She endorses a "yes" vote on Question 7 to allow single-family homes on smaller lots in areas with adequate infrastructure as a housing affordability measure, and supports maintaining Massachusetts' marijuana regulations rather than repeal. Kennedy opposes Question 5, which would limit state tax collection growth by incorporating fair share funding into surplus calculations, arguing the state needs revenue to offset potential federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs. She also encourages "no" votes on Questions 3 and 8.