Friday evening, May 31, Silver Lake Regional High School graduated 230 seniors. Among those was a special presentation, a surprise, when US Marine Corporal Patrick Andrew Ganley appeared to present diplomas to his sisters Caitlin Marjorie Ganley and Eileen Shannon Ganley. Cpl. Ganley has been stationed in Okinawa, Japan since 2021 and his sisters had no idea their oldest brother was going to be able to make it home to help celebrate their accomplishment.
The touching reunion brought many to tears, including Principal Michaela Gill.
Erin Christina Flaherty, CTE Student of the Year, led the audience in the Salute to the flag. The Silver Lake Select Choir, conducted by Choral Director Kelley DePasqua, sang the National Anthem, followed by “Measure Me, Sky” by Elaine Hagenberg, Conducted by Department chairperson and Choral Director Kelley DePasqua, accompanied by Ms. Shu-Hui Chen, pianist.
The Select Choir Seniors performed “Only We Know” by Keane/Lojeski. Soloists were Ella Cox, Paige Bachyrycz, Alison O’Connor, Alana Borges, Sami Areski, Pyper Goguen, Julia Cartright, Emma Christensen, Madison Brown, Rebecca White. Modern Band performed, with Dylan Cicone on Guitar, Benjamin Webby on Bass, and Benjamin Gulinello on Drums.
Nikhil Harish, class vice-president introduced Grace Patricia Faherty, President of the Class of 2024 who gave opening remarks in a welcome address. Harish spoke of Faherty’s volunteering with Best Buddies, and her work at Silver Lake to make it an inclusive atmosphere, praising her abilities to bring people together. She was also the service project coordinator for the National Honor Society. Coordinating food drives and charity events, “giving back”.
Faherty thanked her family and friends, saying, “no matter where I end up in the future, we will always have each other.” She spoke about being at the edge of the known and the unknown, ready to step into a world that is as unpredictable as it is exciting.”
Invited faculty speaker, Anthony Weber was introduced by Ella Ruth Crotty, Class Treasurer, who praised Weber’s dedication to his students and promoting a sense of inclusion, thanked him for “believing in us even as we struggled to believe in ourselves.”
Weber took the podium and spoke of navigating the highs and lows of the post-COVID school year, the teamwork, in scholastics and athletics. He ended his remarks with a favorite quote from Calvin Coolidge, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.” Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent,” he said.
Class president Grace Faherty introduced Honor Essayist Kristen Marilyn Arieta, her longtime friend and Class Salutatorian. Arieta told of the many things her class has to be proud of. She said one of the best analogies was to think of ourselves as an iceberg. The very tip of the iceberg is all that’s visible. “… what’s shown to the rest of the world is just a small fraction of who we are. .. Now we have an opportunity to show even more of who we are.”
Alexander James Risio, Valedictorian, was introduced by Ella Elizabeth Cox, Class Secretary, telling of his accomplishments including captain of the Silver Lake Track and Field, and serving on the student council’s executive board. One of the most humble and genuine people I know… and he will be attending Harvard University in the fall, majoring in computer science and biomedical engineering. Risio spoke of the cycles of life in nature, adapting, changing, As author John Shedd said, “ A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are for.” Our next step is difficult but just like in nature, we can find our footing among the shifting tides. He recalled his first day as a freshman trying out for track and field, failing miserably. His parents said he could quit but urged him to give it one more day. It was a simple act of kindness from a senior who took time to explain how the system worked, set him on a path to success in long-distance running. “Simple acts of kindness can completely change one’s life.”
Mrs. Michaela Gill, Principal, was introduced by Class Historian Matthew Daniel Meal, who described her as someone who embodies excellence and leadership, perseverance and unwavering commitment to our education. Her ability to lead our school reflects the success we have seen in our clubs, organizations, record-setting sports teams and vocational-technical programs. Her personability is what makes her a great leader…. She fosters a sense of belonging and inspires us to strive for excellence.
Principal Michalea Gill recalled that the Class of ’24 had a unique entry into high school learning, with hybrid learning, desks 6 feet apart, challenging for all, learning names with faces hidden behind a mask for a year and a half. These challenges ultimately helped foster their resilience with each setback. “I’ve witnessed them bounce back stronger and more capable than ever before.”
Class Vice-president Mikhil Harish introduced Silver Lake Superintendent Dr. Jill Proulx. “Since Feb. 2020, Dr. Proulx has provided in-service training to support inclusive practices including social, emotional learning, and effective technology integration as well.”
Superintendent Jill Proulx accepted the Class, saying that the hard work and dedication they have put into their education is shown by this accomplishment. “They have all spent days and nights, working both in and out of the classroom to reach this point. They should be proud of themselves for being here today and for putting in all that effort. … I know that every one of you is more than adequately prepared to face what comes next. … Class of 2024, you are the next generation of innovators, thinkers, and creators for this country, the best country in the world.”
Diplomas were presented to 230 students by Principal Michaela Gill, assisted by Paula Hatch, Chair of Silver Lake Regional District School Committee, Assistant Principals Catherine Pratt and Steven Blette.
Dog walking in the cemetery?
The Plympton Board of Selectmen met for the first time since the town election that saw former Selectmen Chair Christine Joy voted out in favor of newcomer Dana Smith. Following an election the Selectmen typically reorganize nominating the new Chair, Vice Chair, and Clerk. The Board voted unanimously to appoint John Traynor as Chair, Mark Russo as Vice Chair, and Smith as Clerk.
Highway Superintendent Rob Firlotte spoke saying that a resident was found to be bringing dogs into the towns’ cemeteries. He said that the resident became frustrated when confronted. Firlotte recalled the owner saying “that rule is your opinion and it doesn’t matter to me and I will continue to walk my dogs here.” He also noted that the owner’s dog jumped up and scratched the door of his vehicle. Firlotte said that the “No Dogs” rule has been in place for the entire 19-year duration of his tenure working in Plympton. Traynor said that he looked into the rules regarding dogs in cemeteries in neighboring communities and noted that most do not allow dogs either. Traynor said that in the long-term they may need to look into having a pathway put in place at the cemetery specifically for dog walking. He noted an overall problem in town with a lack of spaces for dog walking and said that owners not picking up after their dogs is part of the problem.
Russo noted that there is a sign in the cemetery stating general policy and he said that number one on that list is that the responsibility for enforcing those rules lies with the Board of Selectmen and the Burial Agent. Russo said that rule number seven says that dogs and horses are prohibited from the cemetery. He proposed potentially changing the rule to allow dogs on the walkways in the cemetery rather than on the grass near the graves. Smith said, “I love dogs; I’ve got two of them… I would kind of second the idea of trying to develop a park that’s a little bit safer and dedicated to that; obviously in the interim you have to come up with some solutions toward this, but it does shift some burden on the Highway Department if they’re going through to clean and do their normal maintenance of that area as well.” He said that he would like to see the town explore the possibility of a dog park.
Russo stressed that a leash law as well as regulations around cleaning up after the dogs would need to be strictly enforced. Traynor said that he was uncomfortable with Russo’s suggestion. “We owe the town a solution to the issue of dogs walking, but I don’t think the cemetery is the right solution though except if we could have a walkway around it,” Traynor said. Firlotte did interject to say there wasn’t much room around it that didn’t include graves.
The resident Firlotte spoke about was in attendance. She handed out typed out notes on her proposed suggestion which she distributed. She said that while she appreciated the Board’s proposed solutions, she is 79 years old and likely wouldn’t see them come to fruition. “I choose my times carefully,” she said of when she goes into the cemetery to walk her dog. “The few people I’ve met have been fine. I’ve had a picnic with people. I just met some college students who are doing a paper on the cemetery. I’ve met a man who is actually archiving the artwork and sending it to Harvard. So there’s just a lot of stuff going on there. My feelings are I’m always up for a compromise,” she said. The resident also apologized for the scratch on Firlotte’s car. Traynor asked her her opinion on Harry Jason Park. The resident said that she does go there but noted that she has had issues with ticks there.
Town Administrator Liz Dennehy recommended pursuing pricing from a company such as Oh Deer for spraying for ticks and mosquitos. Even if only for the safety of the children using the fields at various parks.
Russo said that the authority over Harry Jason Park is the Recreation Department while the Selectmen and the Burial Agent have authority over the cemeteries. Still other areas in town including Churchill Park, Cato’s Ridge, and Two Brooks are under the authority of the Conservation Commission. Traynor questioned that and asked Dennehy to look into who has purview over what and confirm.
“Let’s find a solution that makes sense for the town,” Traynor said. Russo said, “On the other hand, the problem of dogs and the degree of freedom is endless and goes on everywhere; in the ten years I’ve been a Selectmen, it’s the subject I fear the most.” Smith suggested potentially having the containers that dispense dog waste bags. Firlotte did note that those containers tend to fill with water and become “nasty” bringing ticks and diseases.
Dennehy noted that several neighboring communities do have dog parks including Scituate. She said that she didn’t believe they were particularly expensive to construct. “I did sign up for a municipal account with the PETCO grant program so I want to see if we’re eligible maybe for some sort of donation. I’m trying to think outside the box and I did see that they have a feature where you could sign up as some sort of governmental agency so I can pursue that avenue a little more as well,” she said. Traynor recommended that they also see about reaching out to Kathy LaNatra as well.
Dennehy provided an update. She said they are waiting to hear back on the Green Communities Grant that was submitted. Dennehy told the Selectmen that they had to pull out the Highway Department work from the grant but noted that they were going full steam ahead with the necessary work to the heating system at the library. The work needed for the Highway Department would have to be rolled into a future grant cycle Dennehy explained.
The Selectmen turned their attention to their rants and raves of the last few weeks. Traynor said that his rant was that only 27.6 percent of residents turned out to the town election. “Which is pretty high compared to our history, but it frustrates me that the other 74 percent or whatever that percent is can’t take the 10 or 15 minutes it takes to come out here and vote,” he said. “I do think we need to work on getting more people here,” Traynor said. Russo said he agreed. “Also we tend to have boards and commissions and committees that are endlessly looking for more talent,” Russo said.
“I’m going to turn it from a rant to a rave on the fact that that many people did participate, and to go off on one of the things Mr. Russo said, I think you’re absolutely correct on it that people have to understand what those positions are and I think that one of the things that may be underutilized… most people now rely on social media… I think to a certain extent we’re expecting people to sort of search for things versus having information presented to them,” Smith said. He advocated for a social media campaign that would explain what each particular board does and what the open position entails.
Russo said his rave was for two Selectmen that he served with, the first being Joe Fratus. “Joe had plenty of flaws. Many, many flaws actually. As well, he and I could disagree about just about absolutely everything… I’m going to come to the rave; and the other rave is for Christine Joy who I served with for the last six years. I learned a lot from both of these people. Joe… when he was dying… we became sort of odd fellow friends along the way which I remember very fondly. But what I learned from both of them is that there are some fundamental things about how to be a good Selectman. But I also learned that it’s not very complicated… 1. Is to show up. 2. Is to do the work… by far, the most important thing I learned from them is regardless of ideology, the best interest of the town is always our first interest, so I’m really grateful to have spent time with those two people,” Russo said.
The Selectmen also discussed moving their meeting time. Smith recommended moving the meeting to an earlier time in the afternoon. Traynor said he would be willing to try and pilot an earlier time, but Russo said that he was hesitant due to transparency concerns. “When I first ran for Selectman, maybe 11 years ago, in large part it was a lack of civility on this Board and a lack of transparency. It wasn’t so long ago that on this Board, decisions were literally made in cigar-filled back rooms and selectmen making decisions that way. One of the many things I pride myself on and pride the Board of Selectmen on in how we have been the last decade, is how transparent we are and I’m pretty sensitive to complaints of citizenry that we aren’t available,” Russo explained. Selectmen agreed to move their meeting time to 2 p.m. on Mondays for the summer. Russo agreed as long as it was understood it was only a trial for the summer and would be reconsidered in September.
Plant sale shines on drizzly day
The Plympton Garden Club Plant Sale is an annual rite of Spring, when members dig into their own gardens and pot up extras for sale to share.
In addition to perennials, herbs, hanging plants, and patio pots, shoppers were tempted by a plethora of baked goods, including special flower cupcakes, to celebrate the occasion as well as brownies, squares, muffins, scones, and cookies.
These beautiful photos were taken by Express photographer Sandi Neumeister.
‘Rosie the Riveter’ honored
Kingston resident Margaret Spalluzzi, believed to be the last living “Rosie the Riveter” in Massachusetts, was honored at a State House ceremony on May 2 where she was presented the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Ms. Spalluzzi, who is 102 years old, worked as a welder in the Hingham Shipyard during World War II. The women who performed this work did so to fill the jobs left vacant by men who were deployed during the war. Their doing so led to the term and cultural icon “Rosie the Riveter,” which was used to help recruit women to work in the factories and shipyards during that time.
Ms. Spalluzzi had been invited to a Washington D.C. ceremony on April 10 to honor other women from across the country in recognition of the importance of the “Rosie the Riveter” movement, but she was unable to attend. State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) then arranged to have the Congressional Medal of Honor delivered to Boston; Representative LaNatra then organized the presentation that took place at the State House.
Margaret made the trip from Kingston to the State House via chartered bus, along with more than 40 of her friends. The Friends of the Kingston Council on Aging, together with the Kingston Business Association, worked to raise funds to charter the bus for round-trip transportation for the event.
Margaret, who serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Kingston Council on Aging, was joined on the trip by fellow board members and numerous other friends who wanted to be on hand for the special moment.
In organizing the event, Representative LaNatra said, “We were thrilled to honor Margaret. I have known her for more than 15 years. She is a wonderful, bright, independent person who truly exemplifies the virtues of the Greatest Generation.”
She continued, “We’re all proud of her contributions to our country and our town, and I’m proud to call her my friend.”
Representative LaNatra thanked the Friends of the Council on Aging in Kingston, who worked with the Kingston Business Association to raise the necessary funds to charter the bus from Kingston into Boston for the ceremony.
Representative LaNatra presented the Medal of Honor along with Secretary of Veterans Affairs John Santiago and representatives of the U.S. Military. The group was treated to lunch at the State House following the ceremony.
Ms. Spalluzzi has been honored for her contributions several other times, which can be seen in the video links below.
Video (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Honoring Margaret Spalluzzi | Harbor Honor (youtube.com) .
Photo: Margaret Spalluzzi (center) is presented the Congressional Medal of Honor by State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston), pictured at right. Shown at left is MA Secretary of Veterans Affairs John Santiago.
Do you have an interesting job?
Tyler Equipment’s Halifax branch, opening in January, had an unusual request from Halifax Elementary School’s first grader Oliver “Oli Mack” MacKenzie. Oli needed help with a school assignment: to do a report on someone he knows who has an interesting job. With Oli’s mom Shaunnaand his first-grade teacher Emily Hogan, Dave Mascio, manager of Tyler Equipment, was able to coordinate a time to bring the job they do to the Halifax Elementary School. “I was the lucky one and I didn’t want to let him down,” Mascio said. Tyler Equipment is nearby, and the crew of workers there were able to make quite a statement bringing some dramatic vehicles for the students to see and touch. The Volvo L260 Loader “earth mover” was the star of the show, easily encompassing 15 first graders in its scoop. Mascio, and his crew Tim Kane, Dave Robbins, Phil Wild, and Tom Merry, answered questions. They never miss an opportunity to help out in the community. “Hopefully we made an impact on the students and showed them what we are all about,” Mascio said. Tyler Equipment is new to Halifax, but the company is 102 years old, based in Connecticut and East Longmeadow in western Massachusetts.
The Mother’s Day gift
By Linda Ibbitson Hurd
Special to The Express
I was in my bedroom dusting and vacuuming recently and happened to look up over the closets where there’s a shelf holding several items. Among them a wooden plaque caught my eye. It’s a decoupaged picture of a little dog wearing a puffy bonnet with a little blue bird nestled into it and a thin blue ribbon tied in a bow around the brim. It brought back a Mother’s Day memory of when my son Brian was eight and my daughter Heidi was five.
After my marriage ended, I was lonely at times and had concerns about raising two children by myself. I was taking college classes at night and was exhausted, worried about finances and many other things. I got a job cleaning houses during the week while the kids were at school so I could pay the bills and put food on the table. When the kids were small I had gotten piggy banks for them to teach them the value of saving money when they received it. Brian, being the oldest, I was also pleased he hadn’t asked to take any out. It saved us from going hungry one night before I was receiving child support and had used the last of my money for the mortgage payment. There was no food, no money and I didn’t want to ask my parents, who had already helped me with getting a car when mine was no longer drivable. When Brian asked what was for supper that night I told him we’d have to have cereal. A few minutes later he came out to the kitchen carrying his bank with Heidi in tow carrying hers. I had forgotten all about the banks and was so relieved. When we opened them there was enough money to get food with some left over until I got paid at my house cleaning job. From the time they were little, I noticed how caring and generous they were; that’s never changed.
When Mother’s Day came that year I was especially distracted about money I needed for a bill and also had to study for finals as the semester was ending. I often got very little sleep but that Sunday morning I slept late and was so surprised when I got up that the kids hadn’t woke me. I went out to the kitchen and they were nowhere to be found. There was a note on the table in my son’s handwriting that read, “Mom we will be back.” I was relieved after reading the note and thought they must be next door but why didn’t the note say that. I got dressed and was about to walk around the neighborhood to find them when they burst through the door with expectant smiles lighting up their little faces. They were carrying a paper bag and Brian asked me to sit down because they had a Mother’s Day present for me. I was so surprised and doubly so as I had forgotten it was Mother’s Day. They handed me the bag and Brian asked me to be careful opening it. My mind was going a mile a minute wondering how they got these things and where, as I took the bag. Brian had to ask me again to open the bag. I reached in and pulled out the wooden plaque thinking the dog was so cute with her big eyes and hat. “Keep going”, Brian said. I pulled out little cheetah cats made out of china, some small plastic deer, a pretty candle and some candy. I looked up at them and was both speechless and torn because I was a little upset they spent money we might need again and torn because I was touched beyond words they did such a loving and unselfish thing. I wrapped my arms around them, squeezing them tight with lots of kisses. When the hugging was over I asked, “Where did you get these things and how did you get them without money?” Without hesitation and in a very confident way, Brian said, “The Runkles were having a yard sale so we took some money out of our banks to get you a present.”I started to say, “but we need to save.” That’s as far as I got. Brian came back with, “Mom, you deserve a Mother’s Day present, some things are more important than money.” This, from an eight- year-old. I looked at Heidi, her hearing aid was on and she was also reading our lips. She looked back nodding yes with a smile.
In that moment everything changed. I realized how consumed I’d been by worry about my own problems to the point I’d forgotten all about Mother’s Day. I also realized in spite of my worries my kids and I were okay and would remain so.
I felt bad forgetting about my own mother and how awful it would have been for her and what regret I would’ve been left with. I looked at my kids realizing the real gift they had just given me. I said to them, “Why don’t we go pick out a card and a gift for Gramma and go see her today?” They got all excited as we left to spend a wonderful day together.
Opening Day at the Ballfield!!
PAYS, Plympton Athletic Youth Sports, celebrated Opening Day at the Holt Ballfield, behind the Plympton Town House, on Sunday, April 21, with Plympton Police Officer Laicey Ieronimo throwing out the first pitch.
Plympton’s Baseball, Softball, and T-Ball teams were all in uniform ready to open the season! PAYS is an all-volunteer organization for the benefit of Plympton’s children ages 5 to 12, encouraging the ideals of sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, and courage, with emphasis on teamwork, cooperation, development of skills, and appreciation of the sport, regardless of the child’s athletic ability. Go to the PAYS website
WHK U8 team wins BIG!
Congratulations to the WHK Mites U8 hockey team for taking home the championship in a 6-3 win against the Abington Eagles. The game was played at the Canton Sportsplex on Sunday, April 7. Players were Brendan Treall, Bennett Devine, Cameron Devine, Austin Merrill, Benjamin Lyons, Danny DeLue, Dax Smith, Evan Candler, Grayson Ilteris, Jack Carter, Tommy Pelton, and Traigh Williams.
Courtesy photo
Eclipse Party at Holmes Library
The eclipse-viewing event hosted by Halifax’s Holmes Public Library on Monday, April 8, brought all ages together at the library’s parking lot where the best view of the eclipse could be found.
The Holmes Library provided special eclipse glasses to all and a slice of eclipse-decorated cake.
The party began at 3 p.m. Kids were provided supplies to create their own special eclipse viewer and related crafts.
Laker student wins DAR award
The Duxbury Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held its annual award ceremony on Monday, March 26, at 1 p.m. at the Plymouth Yacht Club, presenting the winners of the Good Citizens award for the academic year 2024.
The Good Citizens Award is an annual award given to high school seniors for academic, community service, and citizenship excellence. Seven students were presented awards for their excellent essays.
The Daughters of the American Revolution is an organization with a rich history while also being relevant in today’s world. More than 1,000,000 women have joined the organization since it was founded over 125 years ago. They became members to honor their heritage as well as make a difference in their communities across the country and the world. Learn more about the amazing history of the DAR and what members are doing today to continue that legacy.
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