WORCESTER—Nataly Dernulc has owned her Millbury Street apartment building for 15 years. It houses 18 families, and she’s proud of the community she’s helped build there. But lately, she says, what her security cameras are capturing outside tells a different story.
“We’re concerned about the drug use and homelessness every single day, every hour of the day,” Dernulc said Thursday, leading city officials down the worn corridor during a Mayor’s Walk. “I have a camera and I get intel for the police.”
The Mayor’s Walk—rescheduled from May 22—is part of a long-running series of neighborhood walks hosted by city officials, but this one was organized in direct response to growing calls from Millbury Street residents and business owners such as Dernulc who say the area is suffering. Despite a recent community cleanup, trash again lines the sidewalks. Street signs are knocked over and left unrepaired. Business façades and aging triple-deckers could use paint, signage, and renewed attention.
Mayor Joseph Petty, City Manager Eric Batista, District 4 Councilor Luis Ojeda, and members of the city administration joined residents for the walk, which began at the cannabis store Major Bloom to the shuttered Polish Naturalization Independent (PNI) Club and back, with 30 or so residents and business owners pointing out long-standing problem spots.
“We want to identify a more targeted approach,” said Ojeda. “Not just move people along without showing any care. This is their home as well.”
Ojeda, who helped initiate the walk after hosting a community meeting in his office earlier this year, said the goal is to balance accountability with compassion. “Our approach should be intentional but from a place that shows we care,” he said. “That people feel respected. This is a tough battle. But agencies show up, like Dan Cahill [team leader of the city’s Quality of Life Team] to help. I drive through here every day. I have seen it and I know it, but we need more eyes on it. We have to really listen and come up with solutions. It goes in waves, from one side of the city to the other. We need to listen and be consistent—but we also need the city to show up and support the people who live here.”
Dernulc said she pushed hard for the walk after learning a man recently released from prison—someone she says served 15 years for murder—had returned to the area. She pointed to several locations where, she claims, drug deals happen regularly. “It appears there’s stuff going on around here,” she said, pointing to the roof of one of the buildings. “You can hear them giving signals to each other. Drug parties happen across the street by that empty lot next to the bridge.”
Police officers joined the walk, taking note of the concerns being raised and gathering information from residents such as Dernulc, who said she regularly reaches out to share video footage with law enforcement.
Other business owners say they’re facing neighborhood-specific challenges. Binnie Nguyen, general manager of Tough Love Massage 2, said her legitimate wellness business has been unfairly affected by what she claims are two nearby massage parlors allegedly offering illicit services.
“Guys will come in here and look at me like I’m a piece of meat,” she said. “We’re licensed. We deal with chronic pain. This [illicit behavior] is all around Worcester, but I’m worried about it happening here.”
Holy Cross professor Sarah Luria joined the walk as both a faculty member and representative of the Green Island Residents Group, a grassroots effort to support residents, improve public safety, and keep the area livable.
“They don’t want to be displaced,” Luria said of neighborhood tenants. “They want to stay. They want it to be better.”
Petty acknowledged the city’s broader housing challenges, but said there have been “some wins” in the neighborhood. He encouraged residents to consider working with the Green Island Neighborhood Association and suggested forming a dedicated business association for the Millbury Street corridor.
Councilor Ojeda, who emphasized that similar efforts had worked in other parts of the city, said he is committed to seeing improvements through. “I’ll clean up. I’ll do walks. I’ll do whatever it takes. But to be consistent, we need the support of the people who live here—and they need to feel supported in return.”
City Manager Batista asked questions throughout the walk but did not make formal remarks.
The next Mayor’s Walk is scheduled for June 24 in the Canal District. Anyone interested in attending should email agudeloe@worcesterma.gov.
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