Friday, July 27, 2012
With the 2012 London Games about to begin, we look back at one of Peabody's sons who etched a legacy of Olympic proportions and sent a handful of students to the Games over the years.
Every town has its Olympians -- Peabody celebrated 12 years ago when former Peabodyite swimmer Samantha Arsensault won a gold medal in Sydney, Australia -- but one of Peabody's sons never actually got to compete himself even though he sent five of his students to the summer games. Peabody native Joseph Pechinsky, who died last September at the age of 92, founded the Tanner City Fencing Club in the 1960s and saw students Scott Bozek, Molly Sullivan, Mary Jane O'Neill, niece Sally Pechinsky and Jane Angelakis compete for the United States. With the exception of his niece, all were two-time Olympians in the 1970s, '80s and '90s. Years later, Pechinsky also worked with a sixth student Jed Dupree of New York, who likewise went on to fence at …
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Karen Gauthier, of Peabody, has been a foster parent for children with serious medical needs for more than 15 years, all because she cares. She's hosting a fundraiser this Saturday to help buy a wheelchair van for one of the children.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Tara Vocino
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Thursday, July 19, 2012
Becoming a foster parent not only takes time and inspiration, but a lifetime of dedication. Peabody resident Karen Gauthier is a foster mother who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help underprivileged children. She has legal guardianship of four severely developmentally disabled children who live in her childhood home. Her sister, Kathy Erkkila, believes she deserves recognition for her commitment to the cause for more than 15 years. Known as the 'princess' and the 'baby' of the household, Maevyn Joy, 10, sustained an injury at three-months-old (before she was placed in foster care) that caused an injury to her brain. Unfortunately, this traumatic injury has left her cortically blind (seeing mostly shadows), fed through a g-…
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Elks Peabody Lodge 1409 Lounge
38 Oak St, Peabody, MA
/articles/one-peabody-resident-worthy-of-recognition
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/locations/7447574
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Longtime Welch School teacher Carol Papi is retiring after nearly five decades.
[Editor's note: We're re-featuring this great story from last year about the life and career of late Peabody native Carol Papi.] Carol Papi, a Peabody native, started teaching the city’s youngsters when she was 21, and now 48 years and about 1,200 students later, she’s finally decided to retire. Papi and 13 other Peabody Public Schools educators who are retiring this year were recognized in a special ceremony Tuesday. “I’m here tonight on a very happy mission…to try to put into perspective Mrs. Papi’s dedication,” said teachers’ union president Bruce Nelson. He noted, smiling, that he and Papi’s niece were juniors together at Peabody High when Papi was already teaching and after a long career of his own, he’s already been retired for …
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Kiley Brothers Memorial School
21 Johnson St, Peabody, MA
/articles/papi-retires-after-48-years-with-future-playground-named-for-her
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/locations/9150763
42.519322
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William A. Welch Sr. Elementary School
50 Swampscott Ave, Peabody, MA
/articles/papi-retires-after-48-years-with-future-playground-named-for-her
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/locations/9150764
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Drover has spent many years working tirelessly with the city's youth. Find out why.
Peabody Patch recently chatted with Sandi Drover, outreach coordinator for the Healthy Peabody Collaborative, about what draws her to her work and the city's youth, and here's what she had to say: Q: You were recognized by one of our readers as an "amazing" person in the community who has poured a great deal of time and energy into the city's children and teens in particular, in the roles of mother, friend and mentor. So why do you do it? Why do you believe it's important to put so much focus on the city's youth? A: How nice?! It is true; I do pour a great deal of time and energy into the city'’s children. I believe that everyone has a role and responsibility to strengthen their community and I feel that supporting the city of Peabody’'s …
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St Paul’s Episcopal Church
12 Washington St, Peabody, MA
/articles/meet-sandi-drover-champion-for-peabody-kids
2077279
/locations/7940062
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J. Henry Higgins Middle School
1 King St, Peabody, MA
/articles/meet-sandi-drover-champion-for-peabody-kids
1733441
/locations/7940063
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Center School
18 Irving St, Peabody, MA
/articles/meet-sandi-drover-champion-for-peabody-kids
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/locations/7940064
Monday, April 23, 2012
Alex Newell says it's a dream come true to appear on-screen with the kids from McKinley High for two episodes this season.
For Bishop Fenwick senior Alex Newell, the adage "life imitates art" has been flipped on its head with a pair of boogie shoes. The 19-year-old Lynn resident and student at the private Catholic school in Peabody is appearing this season in the hit TV series "Glee" after auditioning for the show among 34,000 other aspiring singers last year. He was chosen as a finalist in the Glee Project. Newell tells Boston Magazine that he's dreamed of being on the show since the pilot episode first aired. He's performed in numerous stage productions at Fenwick and hopes to end up on Broadway. You can read more of that interview here. For two episodes this season, Newell plays the role of "Wade Adams," a member of the rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, but…
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Bishop Fenwick High School
99 Margin St, Peabody, MA
/articles/fenwick-s-newell-appears-on-glee-this-season
774915
/locations/6865269
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Stocker, after battling cancer for 13 years and inspiring many others to continue the fight for a cure, died on March 5. She was 59. She was chosen as the Huffington Post's Greatest Person of the Day on Thursday.
[Editor's Note: Myde Stocker has been chosen as The Huffington Post's Greatest Person of the Day for Thursday, March 8. You can read about past honorees here.] "Myde's Minions" lost its original hero this week, although her spirit is sure to live on. Peabody cancer survivor Myde Stocker, who has battled a blood form of cancer over the past 13 years, died on Monday. She was 59. The team of supporters that formed around her each year in the Peabody Relay for Life -- "Myde's Minions" -- has become almost synonymous with the event itself, which is a signature event for the American Cancer Society. In 2010, Stocker received a Community Spirit Award from the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce. The awards are presented to local unsung heroes who …
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Calvary Baptist Church
4 Coolidge Rd, Peabody, MA
/articles/remembering-cancer-champion-myde-stocker
774361
/locations/7940068
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Conway Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home
82 Lynn St, Peabody, MA
/articles/remembering-cancer-champion-myde-stocker
773890
/locations/7940069
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Puritan Lawn Memorial Park
185 Lake St, Peabody, MA
/articles/remembering-cancer-champion-myde-stocker
774084
/locations/7940070
Elaine Donoghue
12:45 am on Saturday, July 28, 2012
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