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You are here: Home / Archives for More News Right

Healey- Driscoll administration declares “Growing Wild ” program for Massachusetts

June 6, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Massachusetts Expands Free Growing Wild Starter Kit Program to 27 Locations; DCR, MDAR, and MNLA Encourage Residents to ‘Pledge Your Garden’ and Help Restore Pollinator Habitats
BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Department of Agricultural Resources and the Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA announced the launch of the fifth year of the Growing Wild program, encouraging the public to preserve and protect pollinator habitats by inspiring residents to plant native species and pledge their gardens in support of pollinators. To commemorate this initiative, Governor Maura Healey proclaimed May 30 as “Growing Wild Day” in Massachusetts, marking a major milestone in the state’s expanding effort to protect native species and restore pollinator habitats.
As part of this year’s program, Growing Wild is offering free pollinator starter kits at 18 nurseries and six DCR parks across the state. Additionally, DCR, for the first time, has partnered with Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe to offer plants to Indigenous communities for their use and enjoyment. Native plants like Milkweed and Joe Pye Weed are valued in Indigenous culture and traditions. In honor of the program’s fifth year, state and local leaders will gather at Rogers Spring Hill Garden Center in Haverhill for a public launch event celebrating the program’s continued growth and impact across the state.
“Growing native plants and attracting pollinators in our gardens is a great way to show our commitment to protecting nature and wildlife,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “The Growing Wild program helps us to transform lawns into safe havens for pollinators like bees and butterflies. I am proud to be a part of the Growing Wild community and to use native plants in my own backyard.”
As part of this year’s initiative, and in celebration of the start of National Pollinators Month in June, Growing Wild is offering free starter kits that include two one-gallon native perennial plants, native seed packets, and educational resources on pollinator-friendly gardening.
“The Growing Wild program enables us to partner with our state agency and nursery partners to give residents the tools to create and nurture their own pollinator and native plant gardens, helping make our landscapes more resilient,” said DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo. “Through this program and the free Growing Wild starter kits, we are fostering a sense of shared stewardship of our public and private green spaces, protecting biodiversity, enhancing the natural beauty of our communities. Together, we are nurturing a brighter, greener future, one garden at a time.”

“We are excited to see the Growing Wild program grow year after year,” said MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle. “Residents who plant native and supporting pollinators are helping to build a more resilient food system, so this kind of public engagement initiative is important for agricultural sustainability in Massachusetts.”

Pollinators—primarily bees, butterflies, and other insects—are critical to our ecosystems. Approximately 75% of flowering plants and 35% of the crops we consume depend on them to reproduce. In Massachusetts, native pollinators are essential to sustaining biodiversity and ensuring a healthy food system. Yet, these species face mounting threats from habitat loss, invasive plants, pesticide use, and climate change. Growing Wild offers residents a powerful way to help reverse this trend—one native plant at a time.

Whether using a Growing Wild starter kit or purchasing native plants independently, Massachusetts residents can help make an environmental impact by registering their gardens on the Massachusetts Pollinator Map, a growing visual record of native plantings across the state. The statewide pollinator map not only shows this collective progress but also reinforces Massachusetts’ leadership in sustainability and climate resilience.

“As green industry professionals, we’re proud to support residents in creating beautiful, healthy, and environmentally responsible landscapes,” said MNLA Executive Director Rena Sumner. “Local nurseries across Massachusetts are here to help people identify native plants and make pollinator-friendly choices that have a real impact.”

Since its launch, Growing Wild has distributed nearly 6,000 starter kits since 2021, totaling an estimated 6.5 acres of pollinator habitat across the state. To learn more, find educational materials, native plant guides, find a nursery, pledge your garden, and for a full list of participating nurseries visit the MNLA Growing Wild website, mnla.com/growingwild.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), an agency of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, oversees 450,000 acres of parks and forests, beaches, bike trails, watersheds, dams, and parkways. The agency’s mission is to protect, promote, and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the well-being of all. To learn more about DCR, our facilities, and our programs, please visit www.mass.gov/dcr. Contact us at mass.parks@mass.gov.
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Curry College welcomes Melanie Martin-Plant into the Alexander Graham Bell Honor Society

May 30, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Curry College welcomes Melanie Martin-Plant of Halifax into the Alexander Graham Bell Honor Society.
The objective of the Alexander Graham Bell (AGB) Honor Society is to promote and recognize academic excellence at Curry College. The Society is named for the famous inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, who was an early chancellor at Curry College. It was founded in 1971 to recognize and promote academic excellence through a variety of activities at Curry.
The Alexander Graham Bell Honor Society is one of Curry’s most distinguished organizations. Membership in the Society is limited to those students who have achieved Dean’s List every semester while enrolled at Curry College.
Curry College, founded in Boston in 1879, is a private, co-educational, liberal arts-based institution located on 131 acres in Milton, Massachusetts. The College extends its educational programs to a continuing education branch campus in Plymouth. The College offers 24 undergraduate majors in specialized and liberal arts programs, as well as graduate degrees in accounting, business, education, criminal justice, and nursing to a combined enrollment of nearly 2,500 students. The student body consists of 1,700 traditional students and nearly 800 continuing education and graduate students. The College offers a wide array of co-curricular activities ranging from 16 NCAA Division III athletic teams to an outstanding theatre and fine arts program. Visit us on the web at www.curry.edu

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Halifax Town Meeting action …

May 23, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Justin Evans
Express correspondent
Halifax Town Meeting Addresses Rising Costs and Citizen Petitions
Halifax officials are recommending the use of $745,000 in free cash to balance the town’s fiscal year 2026 budget, as rising education costs and minimal increases in state aid create significant financial challenges.
The proposal came during the May 12 Annual Town Meeting, where Town Administrator Cody Haddad presented an overview of the budget situation to residents.
“Due to significant increases in the cost of education, the town was facing a major budget shortfall,” Haddad explains. “In order to present a balanced budget for FY26, the Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen opted to utilize one-time funds, free cash, in the amount of $745,000 to subsidize the town’s operating budget.”
The town’s estimated revenues for FY26 are $30,635,633, representing a 3.26% increase from FY25. However, this growth is “largely stunted by a continued reduction in new growth and minimal increases in state aid,” according to Haddad.
Education costs are increasing by $1.25 million for FY26, with the Halifax Elementary School budget rising by 11.63% and the Silver Lake Assessment increasing by 5.6%. These increases may necessitate a Proposition 2.5 override to fund the FY27 budget.
“This is a buffer year, recognizing that next year, the town will likely need to go for a Proposition 2.5 override,” Haddad says.
Fixed costs that the town has little control over are also rising significantly. The assessment to Plymouth County retirement is increasing by almost 8%, and health insurance costs are up 8%.
In using free cash to balance the budget, several capital items had to be postponed, including a new ambulance, a police cruiser, and repairs to the historic Blacksmith Shop.
The budget includes reductions in staffing in the administration/selectmen’s office, building maintenance department, and library. Expense accounts in the Fire Department, Board of Health, Council on Aging, and library have also been reduced.
Halifax Elementary School has made several reductions to staffing and expense budgets to present a balanced budget this year.
Finance Committee Chair James Walters notes that the committee was unable to maintain its core values this year, including maintaining existing levels of government services and funding operating budgets exclusively from revenue funds.
The meeting also addressed several citizen petitions, and articles related to the MBTA Communities Act, which mandates certain zoning changes near transit stations.
Town Meeting approved Article 21, a proclamation stating the town’s opposition to the MBTA Zoning Law. The proclamation notes that Halifax “strongly opposes the provisions of Chapter 3A of the Acts of 2021, which mandate multi-family zoning as of right near MBTA stations in communities like Halifax.”
The proclamation urges the Massachusetts Legislature to amend or repeal the law “to restore local control over zoning decisions and to provide municipalities the ability to craft development solutions that are appropriate to their unique conditions and priorities.”
Town Counsel Richard Hucksam informed residents that the town recently filed a complaint in Superior Court asking a judge to issue an injunction to prevent the state from enforcing the MBTA zoning requirements.
“The town is technically in violation of the law,” explains Selectman John Bruno. “What we’re trying to do here is to work within the law, to work within the system, to change the law.”
A citizen petition (Article 25) requesting an impact study on the financial effects of the MBTA zoning law was defeated. The article, proposed by resident Van Donnelly, would have directed the Finance Committee to lead a study on how the MBTA zoning would affect town costs.
“Without an impact study sitting there with our town lawyers, I think we’re looking like we want to agree on something just to get rid of it,” Donnelly argues. “Without this impact study, we have no basis to go forward with lawsuits or anything else we want to do.”
Another citizen petition (Article 26) seeking to impose a moratorium on new building permits due to water supply concerns was also defeated. The article, proposed by resident Amy Troup, cited concerns about water bans, water quality issues, and capacity limitations.
Water Commission Chair Richard Clark strongly opposed the article, stating, “I’ve been with the water department for 40 years… I’ve never heard so much crap in my life.”
Clark explains that the department is currently working on a $3 million project to address water quality concerns. The treatment plant is back online, and the filtration plant is expected to be operational within days.
“When that gets back online, the superintendent is going to schedule some flushing in the areas of town that have had some dirty water during this time,” Clark says. “This fall, we’ll do a complete flushing, which will eliminate all of these problems.”
Town Meeting also approved Article 19, creating a new anti-littering bylaw with a $300 fine per violation. The bylaw was suggested by the town’s Beautification Committee.
“Litter is detrimental to the environment,” explains Beautification Committee Chair Shirley Graf. “Cigarette butts, the number one littered item, contain arsenic, lead, and nicotine, which can leach into our water and soil.”
The meeting marked the last for Town Administrator Cody Haddad and Board of Selectmen Chair John Bruno. In response to the applause at mention of his retirement, Bruno quipped, “Are they applauding because they’re glad I’m retiring, or are they congratulating me?”

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O’Leary to present Small Museums in Massachusetts program at Kingston’s Adams Center

May 16, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Local author Alison O’Leary visits the Adams Center (33 Summer St., Kingston), on Wednesday, June 4 at 6 p.m. to discuss “The Best Small Museums in Massachusetts.”
With the summer season approaching, enjoy an opportunity to explore and learn about a wide variety of collections, artifacts, and experiences offered by the Commonwealth’s many small institutions. Some of the museums include dramatic displays, iconic sculptures, military history, immersive exhibits, intricate handiwork, fascinating backstories, and forgotten history.
O’Leary is a longtime journalist who has worked for newspapers from Austin, Texas, to Reno, Nevada, to Bath, Maine, and suburban Boston. She was previously a correspondent for the Boston Globe, and editor for The Boston Parents’ Paper, and skirt! magazines.
As an author, O’Leary published “Abandon Ship,” a middle-reader book with NYT bestselling author Michael Tougias. She has also collaborated with Tougias on writing “Attacked at Sea,” a middle-reader adaptation of “So Close to Home,” published in 2016. An avid outdoorswoman, O’Leary penned “Inns and Adventures,” with Tougias in the same year. Additionally, she was part of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s tradition of publishing guidebooks, as O’Leary helped write, “Best Day Hikes Near Boston.”
O’Leary has won awards for writing and editing over the years: a 2017 Charlie Award (Silver) for history writing from the Florida Magazine Association, and numerous awards from the Parenting Publications of America organization for her work at The Boston Parents’ Paper, including travel writing. She travels around Massachusetts delivering talks about her books, and speaking about travel and hiking areas around the Commonwealth.
O’Leary most recently appeared at the Kingston Public Library on May 2, 2023, delivering the program, “Microadventures in Massachusetts.” You can learn more about her on her website, https://alisonoleary.com.
To register for this event, please visit – https://kingstonpubliclibrary.org.
For more information, you can contact Steven Miller, Reference Librarian at (781) 585-0517 x6272 or at smiller@kingstonma.gov.

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Rep. LaNatra and House pass budget for FY26

May 9, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

On Wednesday, April 30, State Rep. Kathy LaNatra joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget. Funded at $61.47 billion, nearly $500 million below Governor Maura Healey’s budget proposal, the House’s FY26 budget responds to the needs of residents, provides strong support for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns, and among many critical investments, includes significant funding for education, transportation, health care, housing, and workforce development.
“The House FY26 budget is a strong reflection of the Commonwealth’s commitment to delivering a best-in-the-nation education system, high-quality affordable health care for all, a transportation system that people can count on and a Commonwealth that delivers for hard-working middle class families,” said State Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D – Kingston). “I am proud of the record investments the House was able to make into childcare and early education, our public schools, the MBTA, higher education, mental health and so much more, all without raising taxes on families. At a time of so much uncertainty coming out of Washington, this fiscally responsible budget stands as a testament to our commitment to responsible governance. I’m deeply grateful to Speaker Mariano and Chairman Michlewitz for their leadership and their partnership in securing half a million dollars in critical investments in the communities of 12th Plymouth District.”
Representative LaNatra was proud to secure $500,000 in funding for the 12th Plymouth District to make investments into our local education, public safety, health care, tourism, libraries, and local planning needs. Rep. LaNatra worked closely with local municipal leaders and partners in the legislature to identify critical needs and support the following amendments to the budget:
$50,000 for the Fire Chiefs’ Association of Plymouth County, Inc. to maintain and upgrade emergency communication systems, to provide for mass casualty and major operations incident planning and training
$150,000 for Harbor Health Services Inc. for the planned expansion of their Plymouth Community Health Center
$25,000 for the Town of Plympton to purchase and install a new HVAC unit on Dennett Elementary School
$125,000 to address urgent technology upgrades to security, programs and support services for children and adult residents with complex disabilities at Latham Centers
$25,000 for improvements to the Pembroke Public Library’s new children’s library wing
$25,000 for ADA upgrades and other improvements to the historic Training Green in downtown Plymouth
$50,000 to Kingston 300, Inc. to print and design a book to support the town of Kingston’s 300th Anniversary Celebration
$50,000 to the Town of Halifax to update their Master Plan
The FY26 House budget funds Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) at $1.308 billion, and Chapter 70 education funding at $7.121 billion, representing a $257.2 million increase over the FY25 budget. The budget also funds the fifth year of a six-year implementation plan for the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), which was enacted in 2019 to ensure that public schools have the necessary resources to provide high-quality education to students, regardless of zip code or income level.
Utilizing Fair Share amendment funding, the budget provides an additional $120 per pupil in minimum aid supplements, increasing the minimum aid total to $150 per pupil. The budget also includes record investments into the special education circuit breaker, as well as fully funding universal schools meals for all public students in the Commonwealth. It includes a $1.67 billion investment into early education and childcare, $126.3 million over last fiscal year, demonstrating the Commonwealth’s belief that an affordable and reliable childcare system drives economic growth, affordability, and workforce development.
The House budget includes $22.43 billion for MassHealth, including $13.8 million in primary care rates and $5.3 million in behavioral health investments in outpatient and substance use disorder services. The House budget extends the Health Connector’s ConnectorCare Pilot program from two years to three years and expands its eligibility from 300% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 500% FPL.
There were 51,237 people enrolled in ConnectorCare Pilot as of June 2024.

The House’s FY26 budget also invests in the human services workforce, which provides services to our most vulnerable residents, by including $207 million for Chapter 257 rates for health and human service workers, and $132 million for rate increases for nursing facilities.
Speaker Mariano and the House Committee on Ways & Means introduced their FY26 budget proposal on April 16, 2025, following a review of the Governor’s proposal and a series of public hearings. The budget passed the House of Representatives 151-6 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

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Bicycle maintenance program at Kingston Library’s Faunce School Tuesday, May 6

May 2, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Jason Murray of the South Shore Bikers will conduct a workshop on bicycle maintenance on Tuesday, May 6 at 5 p.m. outside at the Faunce School, 17 Green St., Kingston.
Murray will explain how to change a tire and perform basic maintenance on your bicycle. The workshop is geared for bicycle enthusiasts of all skill levels as the spring cycling season in New England begins.
The South Shore Bikers was founded in 2016, as a bicycle club dedicated to road biking. Most of the rides are along the coastline of Massachusetts Bay and the South Coast. The objective of the club is to develop new riders into solid, safe riders while building camaraderie in the cycling community.
You can learn more about this organization at
https://southshorebikers.com.
To register for this event, please visit – https://kingstonpubliclibrary.org. For more information, contact Steven Miller, Reference Librarian at (781) 585-0517 x6272 or at smiller@kingstonma.gov.

 

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Hazardous Waste Collection May 3

April 25, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

The Town of Halifax will hold a hazardous waste collection event on Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Halifax Highway Barn, 60 Hemlock Lane. All hazardous waste being discarded must be in their originally labeled and sealed containers. Containers that are not in their originally labeled and sealed containers and containers that are leaking or rusted will not be accepted. No commercial or industrial hazardous waste will be accepted. All Halifax residents are permitted to participate in this year’s hazardous waste collection event at no cost. Proof of Halifax residency must be presented upon arrival.

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National Drug Take Back Day – Saturday, April 26th,

April 18, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

The Halifax Police Department, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is hosting a drug take back event at the Halifax Police Station, 540 Plymouth St., Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event allows residents or any member of the public to discard medications or prescription drugs in a safe and secure environment.
Acceptable forms of medications that may be discarded include tablets, capsules, patches, and any other solid forms of medication. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container and be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. Syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted during the collection event.
For more than a decade, this event has helped Americans easily purge their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—that too often become a gateway to addiction.
Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at close to 5,000 local drop-off locations nationwide and has removed 9,285 tons of medication from circulation since its inception.
For questions, please contact the Halifax Police Department by calling (781) 294-8713 or e-mailing Chief Chaves at Chief@police.halifax.ma.us or Deputy Chief Benner at TBenner@police.halifax.ma.us.

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Mayflower Chamber Orchestra presents:

April 11, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

On April 13, the Mayflower Chamber Orchestra under the direction of J. Fred Thornton will present a concert of music titled “Baroque Pops: Greatest Hits of 1725”. The performance is free to the public, although a donation of $10 to $20 to help pay for the orchestral musicians is suggested.
The Sunday afternoon concert will be held at the Meetinghouse Church (formerly the Central Baptist Church), 3 Nickerson Avenue (across from the Town Hall parking lot), in Middleboro, starting at 3:00. Both buildings are wheelchair accessible.
The orchestra consists of freelance musicians who play with other orchestras on the South Shore. In the past they accompanied the Mayflower Chorale from 1984 through its last “Messiah” in 2004, and the Chorale’s successor, the Mayflower Camerata, since 2016. Their performances included major works by Bach (the “Mass in B Minor”), Handel, (18 performances of “Messiah”), Haydn (“The Creation”, “The Seasons”, and the “Lord Nelson Mass”), Mozart (“Coronation Mass”, “Mass in C Minor” and the “Requiem”), Beethoven (the Ninth Symphony and “Choral Fantasy”), Mendelssohn (“Elijah”), and Requiems by Brahms, Faure, and Rutter. At these concerts they occasionally performed works for orchestra alone, including Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”; Mozart’s Symphonies Nos. 29, 38, & 39, and Piano Concertos Nos. 9 and 23 (with Henry Santos as soloist); and Haydn’s Symphonies Nos. 49 and 70. In 2022 the Mayflower Chamber Orchestra performed a pair of all-Beethoven concerts including the “Coriolan” Overture and the 5th and 7th Symphonies, as well as a program with choral participation of Baroque Christmas music. At their last appearance, in the fall of 2023, they performed a pair of symphonies by Haydn (Nos. 44 and 90), Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 with Elaine D’Angelo as soloist, and his Symphony No. 40 in G Minor.
This year’s program includes a variety of orchestral music from the first half of the 18th century: concerti, suites, individual pieces, and a couple of Handel choruses, all of which achieved considerable popularity in either their day or ours. Elaine D’Angelo will return as flute soloist in J. S. Bach’s “Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor”. Former concertmaster Kenneth Mok returns in that position and will be the violin soloist in Antonio Vivaldi’s “Spring” Concerto from “The Four Seasons” (a collection first published in 1725). Principal oboist Chris Robins will be the soloist in Alessandro Marcello’s “Oboe Concerto in D Minor”.
The concert will also include the “Don Quixote Suite” by George Philipp Telemann. This highly entertaining work includes descriptive pieces such as “His Attack on the Windmills”, “His Amorous Sighing for the Princess”, “The Bounding Sancho Panza”, and a pair of pieces contrasting the gallop of Quixote’s horse Rosinante with the ambling gait of Sancho Panza’s donkey!
The program also includes concerti grossi by two of the leading composers of the form, Archangelo Corelli (Op. 6, No. 1) and Pietro Locatelli (Op. 1, No. 11). And of course, there will be heard two of the most popular individual pieces from the Baroque: Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon and Gigue in D Major” and the “Entry of the Queen of Sheba” by George Frideric Handel from his oratorio “Solomon”.
The Mayflower Camerata will join the chamber orchestra for the concert finale: three selections from Handel’s oratorio “Judas Maccabaeus”: “See, the Conquering Hero Comes” (his most popular choral number during his lifetime), and the aria “Rejoice, O Judah” (with Larry J. Carlson, bass soloist) which leads directly to the final chorus, “Hallelujah, Amen”.
Those wishing to join in the singing of the Handel choral pieces should contact the director at j.fred.thornton@comcast.net regarding a 45-minute rehearsal for the singers only on Monday evening April 7th (7:30 p.m., at Central Congregational Church, 2 Webster Street, corner with Route 105 in Middleboro). You may use your own copy of the music if you have one or borrow one of ours. If you can’t make that rehearsal, come to the orchestral rehearsal for about 15 minutes at the Meetinghouse Church on Thursday evening April 10th at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a brief run-through with the singers and the orchestra one-half hour prior to the start of the concert.
The Mayflower Chamber Orchestra receives support primarily by grants from the Local Cultural Councils of Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Freetown, Halifax, Lakeville, Middleboro, Plymouth, Plympton, Raynham, Rochester, and Wareham; local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

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Basketball contest at Halifax Elementary School

April 4, 2025 By Deborah Anderson, Express Staff

Eva Chapman
Photos and text
Special to The Express
The energy inside the Halifax Elementary School gym flowed through the air during multiple nail-biting championship basketball games on Friday, March 21.
During a series of exciting games, six Halifax boys basketball teams went head to head to secure the championship trophy for their age bracket. The third and fourth grade teams played first, followed by the seventh, eighth and ninth, with the fifth and sixth grade teams facing off for the final game.
The opening match featured the third and fourth grade Knicks and Trailblazers going up against each other, and the game resulted in the Knicks coming out victorious. The end score was 18-8.
The seventh, eighth and ninth grade teams, the Jazz and Spurs, were more than ready for their game. This game was particularly special for the freshmen in high school, as this was their last season playing for the Boys Recreational Basketball. Every player, and even their supporters in the crowd, made sure this final night counted. The lead shifted back and forth throughout the game, leaving the crowd on the edge of their seats waiting to see who would take home the win.
With one second left, and a score of 45-43, the Spurs in the lead, Ryan Green from the Jazz was fouled, taking three free throws. He made one of them, bringing the score up to 45-44, and on his last shot Ronan Mackinaw jumped in for the rebound and threw the shot up with less than a second left, winning the game by a margin of just one point with a buzzer beater.
Green, with 20 points, and Mackinaw, with 12 points were the lead scorers for the Jazz. For the Thunder, freshman Neyson Dos Santos led the team with 16 points in total.
The night wrapped up with an electrifying game between the fifth and sixth grade Lakers and Thunder. The players brought all their gameday energy, making for a heated match, and in the end the Lakers pulled through with the win by eight points, the final score being 40-38.
Mark McGary from the Lakers and Dylan Grossman from the Thunder were the lead scorers for their teams, putting up 15 points and 11 points respectively.
The excitement of the night was not just confined to the basketball court, however. To end the season, president of Halifax Boys Recreational Basketball Pete Barone presented the “Pulliam Sportsmanship” award and “Wilmarth Leadership” award to one player in each grade to recognize them for their dedication and the impact they had on their teams.
Nominated for the third and fourth grade “Pulliam Sportsmanship”: Tyler Gangon (Warriors), Lucas Fernandes (Pistons), Gabriel McIver (Knicks) and Javonte Paris (Trailblazers).
For the third and fourth grade “Wilmarth Leadership”: Tommy Tedesco (Knicks), Michael Vella (Pistons), Brayden Wyman (Warriors) and Alex Sciulli (Trailblazers).
For the fifth and sixth grade “Pulliam Sportsmanship”: Kaden Laing (76’ers), Jaxson DiSesa (Thunder), Bobby McCarthy (Nuggets), Alec Jeronimo (Lakers), Anthony Pollara (Celtics) and Evan Littlefield (Bucks).
For the fifth and sixth grade “Wilmarth Leadership”: Dylan Grossman (Thunder), Danny Tedesco (Nuggets), Seth Johnson (Celtics), Tyler Greene (76’ers), Zach McAuliffe (Lakers) and Nicky Cina (Bucks).
For the seventh, eighth and ninth grade “Pulliam Sportsmanship”: Koen Morris (Bulls), Jacob Willis (Spurs), Aiden Crawford (Mavericks) and Ethan Castle (Jazz).
And finally, for the seventh, eighth and ninth grade “Wilmarth Leadership”: Ryan Carroll (Mavericks), Colin Izzo (Spurs), Mike McNeeley (Jazz) and Charlie Eldridge (Bulls).
Fernandes, Sciulli, Jeronimo, McAuliffe, Morris and Izzo were each presented with the award in their respective category. These awards reflected their hard work, and their victories were celebrated by their teammates, coaches and their supporters in the bleachers.
This series of events marked the end of the 2025 Boys Recreational Basketball season, and the basketball community will come back together in January of 2026, where the program’s town legacy and success will continue to thrive.

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IN THE NEWS

Exploring the Great Beyond

August 22, 2025 By Stephani Teran

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