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Lowell Spinners’ Groundskeeper Jeff Paolino Honored

Methuen resident Jeff Paolino, the head groundskeeper for the Lowell Spinners, has been honored as the groundskeeper of the year. Jeff recently attended a Methuen City Council meeting, where he was recognized with a mayoral citation.

The Spinners press release

The Lowell Spinners, Class-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, are pleased to announce Head Groundskeeper Jeff Paolino has been named the New York-Penn League Sports Turf Manager of the Year.
Paolino, in his second season as the Spinners head groundskeeper after three seasons as an assistant, oversees all grounds work at LeLacheur Park during the not only the Spinners season, but also during the UMass-Lowell Baseball season.

In 2009, Paolino’s tireless work ensured the Spinners would be able to play despite rain on 15 of the team’s first 18 home dates without so much as a rain delay. Overall in 2009, the Spinners were rained out just once, playing through the rain in over half of their home dates.

“This award is a testament to the hard work Jeff and his staff put forth on a daily basis in taking on the onus associated with ensuring we are able to play on a playing surface that is one of the best in the game,” said Spinners Vice President and General Manager Tim Bawmann. “With the amount of rain we had in 2009 to only have one game lost to rain is remarkable and we are very happy to have Jeff honored for his hard work in making it possible.”

With LeLacheur Park in use day-in-day out, Paolino has worked over the past few seasons to make several key improvements. In addition to the daily beautification of the field, Paolino has made improvements to the bullpens, home plate area and pitching mound, as well as added several new looks to the field with new cutouts and cuts.

During the past two seasons, Paolino has worked not only to keep LeLacheur Park ready for baseball, but also to host two concerts. Following the Dropkick Murphy’s and Mighty Mighty Bosstones concert in 2008, LeLacheur Park hosted indie-rock favorites, Wilco in 2009, again opening the playing surface for stages and concertgoers alike. In each instance, Paolino has ensured LeLacheur Park is not only ready for baseball in the days that follow but in the same condition it was before the concerts arrived.

“To be able to turn-around the field over a six-day period from baseball to a concert and then back to baseball is a testament to the work ethic of Jeff and his crew,” said Bawmann. “By the time we are back to baseball you wouldn’t even know we had 6,000 people in the outfield the day before.”

A native of Methuen, Mass., Paolino was sworn into the military in a ceremony held at LeLacheur Park in June. While he is due to report to Lackland Air Force base outside of San Antonio, Texas in late October for training, Paolino will continue his work at LeLacheur Park.

The Sports Turf Manager of the Year is selected by the top umpires in each league. Paolino was selected based on a number of criteria, including condition of turf grass, mound, infield, and communication with umpire crew and effort to complete games in adverse conditions. The national winner will be announced at the Baseball Winter Meetings, to be held the first week of December in Indianapolis.

Town Cobbler featured in Boston Globe

From the Boston Globe, March 7, 2010
Chin up: The few, the proud, the holdouts
By Mark Pothier

Some fields are thinning fast, but if — like these intrepid folks — you’ve got drive, flexibility, and a competitive spirit, you can endure in the job you love.

After more than 20 years in the wholesale fruit business, Tom Belluardo’s career had stalled. With prospects for promotion dim, he decided to learn an occupation that offered more potential: cobbler.

You might not expect a lot of demand for a shoe-repair guy in a world where people toss out footwear nearly as often as they change socks. But there is some demand — enough for Belluardo to secure a slice of a niche business for the last two decades. His Methuen shop, The Town Cobbler, thrives on a base of customers that prefers to get quality shoes fixed instead of tromping around in cheap plastic heels with the life expectancy of paper coffee filters

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Town Cobbler Webpage

St Lucy’s new Pastor Haverhill’s Rev. Richard Burton

From the Eagle Tribune, February 09, 2010
Well-known Haverhill priest returning to the area
By Mike LaBella

HAVERHILL — The Rev. Richard Burton is coming home — almost. Beginning this spring, the Haverhill native will lead the flock at St. Lucy Parish in Methuen after leading two Catholic parishes in Salem and Peabody. Burton, 50, said he will replace St. Lucy’s pastor, the Rev. Thomas Keyes, who is going to do missionary work in South America with the Missionary Society of St. James.

“I love the Merrimack Valley and it’s great to come back,” Burton said. “I had in a request for the last year or so that if something opened up in the Haverhill area that I’d move closer to home, and closer to my parents Lewis and Hortense Burton, who are in their older years.”

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Methuen Adult Learning Center founder Shirley Callan dies

From the Eagle Tribune, February 03, 2010
Methuen educator Shirley Callan dies
By J.J. Huggins

METHUEN — Shirley Callan, founder and supervisor of the highly respected Methuen Adult Learning Center, died Monday at the age of 73. Callan had cancer and continued to work from her hospital bed, said Ann Marie Krusell, chairwoman of the Methuen High English department. “She’s the personification of what every educator should be,” Krusell said.

Callan, who leaves behind three sons, started the Methuen Adult Learning Center with grant money in February 1991. The school at 36 Boylston St., which is part of the Methuen public school system, has about 130 students who are learning English as a second language and receiving GEDs, according to her colleagues.

The state considers the learning center to be the best adult education program in Massachusetts, said Superintendent Jeanne Whitten.

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MHS Michael Norcia wins STEM Scholarship

The Methuen School Committee recognized the outstanding achievement of Methuen High School senior Michael Norcia, who earned the top prize in the STEM Scholarship competition held at Merrimack College. Michael earned a four year scholarship to Merrimack College. Congratulations to Michael for this outstanding achievement.

Images: 2009 MV Striders Jingle Run

The Merrimack Striders annual Jingle Run.

The holiday themed run begins every year from Charlie Farrington’s house at 30 High St and wraps around Methuen via the Loop and the Holy Family and ends back at 30 High St. Costumes are optional but the challenge is to out do whatever Charlie is wearing. If you are a MV Strider write to me at info@methuencommon.com and I will certainly fill in the captions!!

In this photo: Tom Licciardello, Al Pappalardo, George Tournas, Bob Stamm, Robyn Sellards-Pringle, Dave Leonard, Deb Vaccaro, Charlie Farrington, Ric Beaudoin, Denise Cenci Illsley, Roger Pringle, Marcie Butler, John Henry Kleschinsky, Al Stgermain, Amy Dalton Bill Hames, Kerri DeMille Martone, Christine Decubellis and Kevin Yetman.

Methuen’s Joe Bella makes an exciting civil war discovery

From the Eagle Tribune December 13, 2009
Old photo rekindles memory of Lawrence Civil War soldier
By Mark E. Vogler

METHUEN — A recent trip to Gettysburg, Pa. led to an incredible discovery for Joe Bella. During that trip, he obtained an old photo of a Civil War soldier from Lawrence that he had tried to buy on eBay five years ago.

“I just happened to ask the guy behind the counter whether he had any Lawrence photos,” said Bella, 63, of Methuen, secretary of the Lawrence Civil War Memorial Guard. “When I saw the photo, I almost fell on the floor. I didn’t know who the soldier was, but recognized the face right away.”

A copy of a Dec. 5, 1910 obituary for Col. William Sharrock was already among the exhibits Bella had collected on 2,200 Lawrence soldiers. But until he saw the photo in Gettysburg, he didn’t know that it was a photo of Sharrock that he was outbid for on eBay back in April of 2004
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Community Dev Dir Sawyer leaving for Peabody

From the Eagle Tribune, December 12, 2009
Methuen economic official leaving for Peabody
By J.J. Huggins

METHUEN — Karen Sawyer, the city’s director of economic and community development, will be Peabody’s next community development director. “We’re sorry to lose her. Our loss is Peabody’s gain,” Mayor William Manzi said yesterday. “She’s a top-flight economic development director and a top-flight person.”

Peabody city councilors voted 10-1 Thursday night to approve the Andover resident’s appointment to the job. Sawyer said Manzi helped her get hired in Peabody. “He has been really gracious throughout this process, so I really want to thank him for his support,” Sawyer said. “He served as my primary reference too. I know he spoke with (Peabody) Mayor (Michael) Bonfanti.

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Related: Peabody picks new planning boss

Pop Warner Cheerleaders to compete in Nationals

From Methuen Life December 13, 2009
Cheerleaders headed to D-I-S-N-E-Y!
Pop Warner’s 2009 season is one for record books
By Melissa Fili

For the first time in Methuen history, local cheerleaders have qualified to compete in the Pop Warner National Cheer & Dance Championships, set for Dec. 7 to 11 at Disney World’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

The A Team (Midgets) is comprised of 18 girls, ages 12 to 15, who tossed, tumbled and twisted their way to a second-place finish in the New England Regional Championships last month, thus earning a spot in the national showdown. The A Team is led by coach Patty Hoey and assistant coach Becky Enos. “(The girls) are more excited than nervous, but the coaches are more nervous than excited,” laughed Hoey. “That’s our job — to be nervous for them.”

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MHS Counselor Gary Dionne dies suddenly

From the Eagle Tribune, November 24, 2009
Methuen High guidance counselor dies suddenly
By J.J. Huggins

METHUEN — Popular Methuen High School guidance counselor Gary Dionne died suddenly last night, school officials said today. “Nobody knows for sure at this point what the cause of death was,” said Superintendent Jeanne Whitten. “There are a lot of assumptions, but I haven’t been told definitively.” Whitten said the entire school district is devastated.

Dionne, a Derry, N.H. resident, was in his early 60s and worked at Methuen High for his entire career. He was a special education guidance counselor, working with at-risk students, Whitten said. “He has done great work with so many kids,” Whitten said.

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related links
from the Eagle Tribune, November 25, 2009
Methuen Mourns Death of Guidance Counselor

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