KINGSTON, PLYMOUTH, MA – Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless, working to nurture and empower families and individuals seeking basic needs assistance by providing them shelter, food, and educational resources necessary to reach their potential and independence, will hold a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of their brand new Emergency Assistance Shelter Program, located at 54 Industrial Park Road in Plymouth, on Thursday, February 12, at 3 p.m. Media are invited to attend.
The new, 26-family shelter provides safe, temporary housing for families along with professional case management and support services, including school enrollment, coordinated services, child care, and children’s programming. Additionally, re-housing case management and stabilization services – in which a case manager can work with a family for up to two years after they have moved into their own housing, enhancing overall housing stability – is also provided. The new facility complements Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless’s Pilgrim’s Hope Shelter, which is located in Kingston and provides shelter and services for 13 families.
The new Plymouth Emergency Assistance Shelter Program broke ground in the fall of 2024. The $7 million, 11,230-square-foot project consisted of renovating a vacant industrial park office building originally built in the 1990s into a modern residential temporary living facility. The shelter includes multiple sleeping quarters, educational spaces, community kitchen and dining spaces, laundry facilities, and a new elevator, all equipped with modern and efficient mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems.
Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless
Emergency Assistance Shelter Program Ribbon-Cutting
54 Industrial Park Road, Plymouth
Thursday, February 12, 3 p.m. For more information, please contact Nicole Hales at 617-947-7983 or nhales@prfirst.com.
The Uncles
My dad was the oldest of eight siblings, four of them his brothers. The first uncle to be born was John, who came along when dad was a few years old. He became a mailman in Hanson and when my sister Penny and I were very little he came to see us almost every day after work. In winter he pulled us around on our sleds, helped us make snowmen and taught us how to make and throw snowballs. In every season he thought of something fun to do or to teach us. His bride became our Aunt Cam and they had two sons and two daughters who are cousins we still keep in touch with; two of them being born close to the same time as two of my siblings were. Both our families had many good times together growing up.
Uncle Charlie was born about a year and a half after Uncle John. Some people called him ‘Good Time Charlie’, which fit him very well. He was easy going, jovial, loved cars, trucks and the stock car races. He drove around for a while in an old ambulance he came by that was olive drab green with a big Red Cross on its roof. He’d drive it to the stock car races and get waived right in, always heading for the pit, in case someone needed help with their race car. He was well liked, had a good reputation and had helped many people with their vehicles. He came to our house often and we always loved hearing about his latest new adventure. One winter his adventure occurred at a new job he had started while driving a diesel-powered truck hauling a temperature controlled trailer called a Reefer. It carried frozen pies he had to deliver to a food service warehouse in New York. A very bad blizzard stranded him on the highway in New York for three days. Mom and dad asked him as many questions as us kids did. He did have a CB radio in the truck to call for help and he stayed warm enough. The big question was, “what did you do for food?” Charlie’s jolly robust laugh turned his face red as he blurted out, “What do you think I did; I ate all the pies!”
The next uncle to be born after Charlie was Richard. He was tall, good looking, and quite a character. When uncle Charlie was discharged from the Service, he brought a dog home with him he found in Tennessee that he couldn’t part with and named her Tenny. I was sixteen that summer, Donna a year younger. Uncle Rich was in his late twenties and drove an old rag top convertible. My mom sent us over to Gram’s to bring back some things she left at our house. Rich was eating breakfast and Gram wasn’t home. He asked us if we’d like to make some money. We asked him what he needed done. He said there was a rip in his rag top roof and would we mend it using Gram’s needles and thread and he’d pay us. We said we’d try and he gave us the sewing box with three different-sized needles and some thick thread. Neither Donna nor I had seen needles like these or such thick thread. Rich said he thought they were used for Grampa’s work clothes or dungarees. While Rich was getting ready for work, Donna and I climbed up on the car and started stitching the canvas top. The needles were hard to push through the canvas so we took some of the empty wooden spools in the sewing box to push them through. It wasn’t easy work but we did the best we could, taking great pains to do a good job and reinforcing it with more thread. When Rich came outside to take a look, he was pleased, adjusted the rag top and paid us. We brought the sewing box back in the house, put it in Gram’s room and went back out to say goodbye to Rich. He was sitting in the car smiling, all windows down and Tenny, who was the same color as the canvas top, was sprawled across the rag top roof. We looked at Rich, he grinned and said not to worry, that’s where she slept most of the time. Donna and I looked at each other with the same thought; that it was probably why it was torn to begin with. He was so happy, sitting in his car ready to go to work when all of a sudden, Tenny fell through the roof into his lap. He let loose with some colorful language, Tenny leaped out the window and ran towards the apple orchard. Even though we felt bad for him, we couldn’t stop laughing.
The last Uncle to be born a couple years after Richard was George. One of my first memories of Uncle George was when I was about five and he was about fourteen. Mom and Dad were bringing me and Penny, who was a year old, over to Gram’s so she could babysit us. It was winter and Richard and George were sledding on a path that went from Gram’s back door to the woodshed. Mom took Penny in the house while dad asked Richard and George if they’d give me a sled ride and to be very careful that I didn’t get hurt. As young as I was I thought they were funny. They kept yelling at each other to be careful or David (my dad) would kill them. Years later when Uncle George retired, he moved to Florida. He came back often to visit his son and grandchildren. One of those times he came to my house when my daughter Heidi was visiting with her daughter, Alisha, who was twelve at the time. When George found out Alisha had been skating since she was six years old and was in a competition at the Bridgwater Ice Skating Rink, he asked if he could come. Heidi and George had always liked each other from the time she was little. On the day of the competition, my husband Dave and I got to the rink early to save a good space on the bleachers for all who were coming from our family. George saw us as soon as he came into the rink and we all sat together enjoying the visit while waiting until it was Alisha’s turn to skate. When she came out on the ice, all conversation stopped. She looked beautiful and confident. When the music started her skating was flawless and so graceful as she glided over the ice. Her ending was so poised and the applause was joyful. To our delight, Alisha won the competition that day and was awarded a lovely plaque. Uncle George was as proud as we all were, claiming she was the most graceful skater on the ice that day and as good as Dorothy Hamill. We all agreed!
All my uncles, except Uncle George, have passed. I have many good memories of him, this being one of my favorites. I always love seeing him and hearing from him. These four awesome guys have given me some wonderful things to remember. I’m also very happy and grateful to say their sisters, my two aunts, are with us still, for which I’m also very grateful for, they have helped me with some of my stories, remembering things that happened before I was born.
This Is Us
Fear and Courage…united we stand divided we fall
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear” Mark Twain
Today I want to discuss the story of Alex and Alex; Alex Hannold and Alex Pretti. Both Alex’s made history “this week” both for two different reasons; connected and disconnected as they were. Both Alex’s symbolize what is possible when we overcome fear with courage, when we act in the face of fear, prepare and push ourselves to find out what we are capable of. Both stories also show the other side of fear, fear acted upon without courage, what could happen and in the case of Alex Pretti, what did happen. Fear is reactive, fear does not prepare, fear does not bring out the best of us, fear stops us in our tracks and kills what is possible. We don’t prepare, and don’t push ourselves to be the best we can be.
All distrust, all contempt, all discrimination, derives from fear, derives from lack of openness, lack of facing the unknown together; and fear is a powerful motivator which can be harnessed for good or bad.
When used to propel us towards what is possible fear, channeled through courage, can propel us to the greatest of heights, heights beyond imagination. We can focus, face, and overcome our fears to create unimaginable feats of human strength, determination and sheer will. Alex Hannold is just that example.
A 40-year-old free-solo climber from Sacramento California, Alex rose to fame quite literally by ascending El Capitan in 2017. What is free soloing? Free soloing is exactly as it sounds, free climbing on one’s own, without ropes, anchors or any gear. This week, Alex Hannold accomplished a historic feat in Taiwan, free soloing Taipei 101 -a 1700ft skyscraper. The world watched while Alex skillfully and carefully climbed 101 floors over 92 minutes without ropes, without anchors and without assistance to summit one of the tallest buildings in the world. All the while Alex had a smile on his face, support of his family, and the world cheering him on to heights few can comprehend. Alex’s climb was awe inspiring. Alex’s climb showed the world what we are capable of as individuals and as a community when we focus and put energy and courage, towards a common goal.
On the opposite end of the earth, we have a story of another Alex, Alex Pretti. Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old intensive care nurse for the Veterans Administration from Green Bay Wisconsin. Pretti graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011 where he studied nursing. He was a member of the American Federation of Government Employees and a lawful gun owner with no criminal history. From the released reports and current footage, Alex appears to have been in the vicinity of a gathering of protesters, a Constitutional protection provided under the First Amendment, and Pretti was recording ICE officials in Minnesota with his phone. Pretti then became entangled in an altercation while trying to assist a woman whom the ICE official had pushed. In the same footage we can then see an ICE official spray Alex with a deterrent (pepper spray is believed to have been used) and then Alex is tackled to the ground by multiple agents and is eventually shot multiple times. A physician who was present on the scene prior to emergency services arrived, was initially prevented from assisting by immigration agents, but once allowed in, the physician observed at least three bullet wounds in Pretti’s back, one in the upper left chest and one possible wound in the neck. Pretti died at the scene. He exhibited courage in a fearful situation. This writer wonders: What would I have done? What would any of us have done in the same situation?
Two Different Alexes on two different paths on the very same day, with two vastly different outcomes.
What do these two examples say about us as human beings? There are many things to ponder. It is very likely these events will affect all of us in a variety of different ways.
What I am struck by is how as individuals and communities we can, all at the same time, achieve historic triumphs and atrocious tragedies. The slope is slippery and the choices have lasting consequences.
Fear and courage can be looked at as 2 sides of the same coin. However, 1 without the other and unchecked, can have dire consequences. Fear can grip us, fear can overcome us, fear can blind us to who we are and who we can become. Yet fear, when turned to courage, can also inspire us to reach the greatest of heights; heights we never thought possible. It’s a good question to ponder in times like these, no matter the side; is the motive based in fear or courage?
We all have choices, families, allegiances, jobs, missions, passions to pursue and orders to follow; but it is how we choose to behave and how we choose to follow through that will dictate whether we choose the path of fear and destruction or if we channel that fear into connection by means of courage.
I want to encourage each of us on our own terms to think about both Alexes. If you haven’t watched the footage of each, I encourage you to do so. Each situation is frightening to watch for a variety of different reasons. However, for this writer, the courage and triumph of what one man can accomplish is shadowed by the fear of what one man on any level, left unchecked, can destroy.
The Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses Expands Programming
BOSTON | The Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses (HHYC) will host its inaugural Chorale Festival in February, designed to enrich choral music education in Massachusetts public high schools. The HHYC Chorale Festival program will provide in-school instruction, master classes, professional development, and two professional concert experiences for high school singers and choral music educators from Brockton High School, Framingham High School, and Silver Lake Regional High School serving the South Shore communities of Kingston, Plympton, and Halifax. The program will be offered at no cost to the participating schools or students thanks to the generosity of H+H donors.
“H+H is thrilled to continue our commitment to music education with support for choral programs and music educators at the high school level, especially at a time when resources and opportunities for the arts are increasingly limited in public schools,“ said JongHun Kim, Director of Learning Programs for the Handel and Haydn Society.
“This is not your average music class,” continued Kim. “As specialists in historically informed performance, H+H brings the music of old composers to life in a way that feels fresh, exciting, and relevant. This is exactly what we hope the students will experience.”
On Feb. 10, 2026, Chorale Festival participants will come together at the new Josiah Quincy Upper School facility for a full day of learning and collaborative music making led by Anthony Trecek-King, Resident Conductor of the H+H Chorus. Students will explore music by Baroque and Classical composers Handel, Vivaldi, and Mozart, and learn about the historically informed performance techniques used by H+H to recreate the sound heard by audiences in these composers’ day. The Chorale Festival day will culminate in an evening performance accompanied by members of the H+H Orchestra playing on period instruments. HHYC Chorale Festival participants will also perform with the H+H Orchestra to open H+H’s Handel’s Water Music concerts at Symphony Hall on April 10 + 12, 2026.
Ethan Lobenstine is music director at Framingham High School where 45 students participate in the chorus and after school a cappella group. Framingham’s choral program is small for a school of over 2,500 students, but growing. Many in the program are first year students and most are new to four-part choral singing.
“The Chorale Festival is an opportunity unlike anything my students have had before,” said Lobenstine. “It will be the first time my students perform with a professional orchestra at a major venue outside Framingham. I’m especially excited for my students to feel the power and sense of immersion that comes with singing in a large group. Experiences like the Chorale Festival are rare, and formative for young people who haven’t had the chance to be part of music-making on a higher level.”
NESB Welcomes Barbour Corporation as New Commercial Banking Partner
EASTON and BROCKTON, MA, North Easton Savings Bank is proud to announce that a cornerstone of New England’s manufacturing industry, Barbour Corporation, has chosen NESB as their new financial partner and bank.
Barbour Corporation is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer with over 130 years of market defining production and operations. With headquarters and manufacturing operations in Brockton, Barbour is a reminder that advanced, specialized manufacturing continues to thrive in Southeastern Massachusetts: supporting skilled jobs, vendor networks, and the kind of durable know-how that keeps regional industry competitive.
Founded in 1892 (originally known as the Brockton Rand Co.), Barbour’s story is deeply woven into the region’s manufacturing heritage; growing from leather shoe components into an industry innovator known for its welting, including patented advancements that helped power the growth of the U.S. shoe industry in the last century.
Over the years, Barbour evolved with the industry, incorporating plastics as an alternative to leather welting. Continued expansion and innovation over the following decades led to Barbour Plastics now offering the most extensive line of extruded moldings, trims, and components for the boat-building industry. In addition to their success with marine OEMs, Barbour is also a leader in servicing the refrigeration, environmental, furniture, and international footwear industries.
“Innovation has always been central to the company’s success, from our earliest advancements in footwear components to the diverse custom fabrication solutions we deliver today,” stated Matt Pearson, CEO of Barbour Corporation. “Partnering with North Easton Savings Bank allows us to work with a financial institution that shares our long-term perspective, understands manufacturing, and values the stability of enduring partnerships.”
To put over a century of know-how into action, the company operates a 127,000 square foot facility in Brockton and an additional 60,000 square foot site in Atlanta, Georgia. With the backing of strong leadership, a seasoned workforce, and specialized in-house tooling, Barbour enjoys a significant competitive advantage in their marketplace.
“Barbour Corporation represents the very best of what we want to champion as a community bank: a company with deep roots, world-class expertise, and a commitment to building and making things right here in our region of New England,” said Cate Adams, Chief Commercial Banking Officer of NESB. “On our end, Brett Meader (SVP, Commercial Banking) led the way in earning this new relationship and we’re incredibly proud to now be Barbour’s financial partner. The Bank is looking forward to supporting their next chapter of excellence.”
The Quincy Memorials Group Introduces Expanded Services
The Quincy Memorials Group, a leading provider of enduring monuments with six locations in the greater Boston area, including a showroom in Kingston, announces the expansion of its mausoleum and estate memorial services, increasing its capacity to offer larger, more artistically designed featured pieces and custom mausoleums.
Noted memorialist Cindy Spittel, who specializes in mausoleums and estate memorials, has entered into an agreement to work exclusively with Quincy Memorials. Known for her proprietary artwork, Spittel is the owner of Monumental Designs in Newton, Massachusetts. She has been the recipient of the Pinnacle Award from Rock of Ages in Barre, Vermont, multiple times.
“Expanding our mausoleum and estate memorial services allows us to meet a growing demand for larger, more distinctive memorials,” said Jeffrey M. Poirier, president and CEO of Quincy Memorials. “Partnering with Cindy Spittel brings an extraordinary level of artistry to our offerings and reflects our commitment to provide personalized memorial options.”
OCES Staff Supports Families in Need
BROCKTON AND PLYMOUTH- Staff at Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the largest provider of in-home and community-based services for older adults and people living with disabilities in Southeastern Massachusetts, are supporting those in need of assistance by providing food, gifts and other essential items during the holiday season.
OCES staff participated in the “Adopt-a-Family” program at My Brother’s Keeper in Easton. The team purchased gifts of clothing, toys and games for five families and then volunteered onsite to wrap gifts.
To fight food insecurity in the community, OCES’ Protective Services team spearheaded a staff food drive and collected non-perishable food items, which were delivered to two food pantries – Damien’s Food Pantry in Wareham and the Charity Guild Food Pantry in Brockton.
During the holiday season and beyond, OCES takes pride in giving back to the communities it serves. OCES encourages employee involvement through volunteering, donating or community service.
Halifax Taps Steven Solbo as New Town Administrator
The Halifax Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to offer the position of Town Administrator to Steven Solbo Jr., currently the Energy Projects Manager for the towns of Sharon and Norwood. The decision capped a night of interviews with three finalists, bringing a former resident back to town to lead Halifax through a challenging fiscal landscape.
In a meeting described by Chair Jonathan Selig as featuring “one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make since being a Selectman,” the Board interviewed three candidates: David Coderre, the Vice President of Procurement for the Worcester Housing Authority and Chairman of the Board of Finance in Putnam, CT.; Justin Paré, a Channel Strategy Executive at VMware and the Town Council President in North Attleboro; and Solbo.
While all three candidates were praised for their qualifications, the Board ultimately gravitated toward Solbo, citing his “hunger,” local roots, and familiarity with the town. Solbo previously lived in Halifax from 2005 to 2013 and described the opportunity as a “coming home” moment.
Solbo brings a diverse background in municipal government, having served as an environmental planner and conservation agent in Bridgewater, an assistant HR director in Middleboro, and currently managing energy projects and grants for Sharon and Norwood. He highlighted his success in securing grants, a critical skill as Halifax faces a difficult budget cycle, noting he has secured approximately $1 million in grant funding this fiscal year alone.
The Board deliberated publicly, weighing Coderre’s strong financial acumen and Paré’s leadership experience against Solbo’s energy and local connection. Selectman Thomas Pratt noted that Solbo “might be the hungriest of the three,” suggesting he would hit the ground running with the most gusto.
Solbo indicated he could be ready to start as early as February 1st.
Governor Healey Announces That Federal Heating Assistance Funding is Now Available
BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today announced that the Trump Administration has released federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). After more than a month’s delay, the federal funding was released yesterday, and all applications can now be processed.
“For more than a month, President Trump has forced American families to wait in the cold,” said Governor Healey. “As we hit cold winter weather, we are relieved that funds are finally flowing now, and families can apply for help heating their homes. Our team has worked to make this funding available immediately, because our families cannot afford to wait. I’m grateful to Secretary Augustus and the team at the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for taking the necessary steps to ensure we were prepared to get the program started again as soon as the federal funding was made available.”
“Home energy assistance is one of the most important tools we have to keep people safe in the winter. For many of the households we serve each year, HEAP is the difference between a warm home and an impossible choice between heat, food and medicine,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “Now that this funding has been released, our team and our local partners are moving quickly so that seniors, families with children and people with disabilities can get the help they need as the cold weather sets in.”
LIHEAP is a federal program, referred to as the Massachusetts Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) in Massachusetts, that typically helps more than 150,000 Massachusetts households, representing over 300,000 people, afford to heat their homes during the winter each year. This federal funding usually becomes available in early November, but it was delayed due to the federal government shutdown. Even after the government reopened on November 13, it took the Trump Administration nearly three weeks to release funding – a delay that Governor Healey criticized.
During the pause, the Healey-Driscoll Administration utilized leftover federal funding from last year to support households with a heating emergency. The Department of Public Utilities also extended its shut-off moratorium to October 27, 2025 – April 1, 2026.
All eligible HEAP clients are now able to apply online for heating assistance.
NEHSJC High School Journalism Summer Workshop Now Accepting Applications
The New England High School Journalism Collaborative is excited to announce that we will hold our all-expense-paid summer workshop for students interested in journalism for the 39th year.
The workshop dates are June 20-27, 2026.
The program is intended to reach out to inner-city students and others in underserved communities. Some preference is given to current juniors and seniors in high school.
Students will be housed and work out of a newsroom at Simmons University in Boston, and learn to report, write, edit for a newspaper, and produce multimedia projects for a website. They will be assigned stories, conduct interviews, and will be exposed to working on a deadline to create their own newspaper.
The New England Newspaper and Press Association will be assisting with the application process. Application guidelines are as follows:
Only students who attend high school in the New England states (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) are eligible.
Only students currently in high school may apply, including graduating seniors. The program is not accepting students who have already taken part in the program.
Students must be recommended by a teacher.
A letter of recommendation from the sponsoring teacher must accompany the application.
A transcript from the school with the student’s most recent grades must accompany the application.
An essay of no more than 500 words must accompany the application. The applicant can write about why they should be selected to participate in this program OR how writing has helped the applicant explore and understand a problem in their life.
Students will need to upload a headshot.
PLEASE NOTE: You will receive an email confirming the receipt of your application with a link to a Dropbox folder to upload the required documents (letter of recommendation, transcript, personal essay, and headshot).
If you have problems using the form or uploading documents, you should email students@nenpa.com.
The deadline for applications is Friday, April 3, 2026.
Students will be notified of their status by the end of April.
Don’t miss the chance to take part in this unique program, established by the late Carole C. Remick more than 39 years ago. We are looking forward to training the next generation of journalists.
If there are additional questions or if the applicant needs special accommodations to submit information, please email Leah Lamson, NEHSJC managing director, at leah@nehsjc.org.
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