Worcester County Wonders: Worcester's Lois Lane patiently awaits the return of Clark Kent

WORCESTER — Over the last few weeks, Worcester residents have been beaming with pride, all eyes focused on Stephen Nedoroscik at the Olympics in Paris. The Worcester native on the men's gymnastics team has earned multiple medals for Team USA, but it's his energy and glasses that seem to have stolen the spotlight.

Nedoroscik, now nicknamed "Clark Kent," for his thick-framed glasses and superhuman abilities on the pommel horse, has been embracing his new-found fame and super(hero) stardom.

While the Superman memes keep coming, it has many fans wondering, Who is his Lois Lane? Nedoroscik is dating Tess McCracken, who has also embraced the Superman/Clark Kent memes and newly found viral fame. In a recent interview with NBC's "Today" show, McCracken said people have been calling her Lois Lane, a nickname she said she doesn't mind.

But did you know there is another Lois Lane "waiting" for "her" Clark Kent back in Worcester?

The short private road runs along That's Entertainment at 244 Park Ave. and was renamed in 2012, after the owner of the "pop culture emporium" petitioned to change the name of then-Marmon Place.

"It was just like, 'Wouldn't it be cool if we changed the name?' So we started asking customers and they supported the whole idea, which led to a petition and then finally, we had a big ceremony to unveil the sign," said Pete Beaudoin, manager at That's Entertainment. "We really weren't sure how the city was going to respond, but they were all super into it."

Worcester Mayor Joe Petty, who has been mayor since 2012, remembers the decision fondly and said while comic books were never his personal passion, Superman holds a special place in his heart as he grew up watching the Kryptonian on television.

"Worcester has a lot of quirky spots," he said. "This is one of so many. It was great to have been a part of the process to get Lois Lane renamed. I am always amazed by the influence that comic books have on the youth today."

The street sign itself is nearly identical to that of every street sign in Worcester, even showcasing the iconic heart. There is one difference — the sign is the only in the city to have "Lane" spelled out, rather than marked by the traditional abbreviation of "Ln."

"When creating the sign, they spelled out the word 'Lane' and it truly gives spectators the full effect," Beaudoin said. "It's just this little bit of whimsy in Worcester, it's wonderful."

Lane first appeared in "Action Comics" No. 1, in June 1938. She works alongside Clark Kent as a reporter for the Metropolis Daily Planet and has been Superman's primary love interest for more than 80 years.

According to DC Comics, she is one of the world's most famous and celebrated reporters and is "every bit a hero in her own right." Throughout her career in between the pages of comic books, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist has also been a wife, mother, a costumed vigilante herself and a political activist.

On the corner of Park Avenue and Lois Lane, the street sign has gone missing several times but has always been "rescued" and returned to its rightful place.

"We were having some construction and one of the workers placed the sign down for a moment and someone scooped it up," Beaudoin said. "It was actually a customer who made it their mission to find the sign, which they did, and it was put back in place."

The shop sells everything from comic books to records, tabletop games and sports memorabilia, and even has a small bumper sticker displaying the now-iconic street sign that reads "Follow me to Lois Lane." Apart from the bumper sticker, Beaudoin said the shop's best seller is a T-shirt that reads "Worcester: Paris of the Eighties," a phrase coined sometime in the 1980s to draw people to Worcester.

Now Nedoroscik is back from Paris, landing in Sarasota, Florida, earlier this week. He is expected to make his way to Worcester at some point, where everyone, including Lois Lane, will welcome him with open arms.

T&G engagement editor Sarah Barnacle is getting to know Central Mass. by exploring some of the best places to go and things to do in Worcester County. If you have an idea or suggestion, please email [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester's Lois Lane patiently awaits the return of Clark Kent