Swampscott High School student Laura Gilberti bonds with a young child from Nicaragua during the school’s service trip in April.
By MEAGHAN CASEY
While some teens dream of sun, sand and relaxation for spring break, a dozen Swampscott High School students had other plans in mind.
In April, the students traveled to the village of Cañada Grande in Nicaragua with a goal of building a “lavadero,” or washing site, with a roof for shade, for its residents.
Tom Stephens (#45) played five seasons with the Boston Patriot franchise, New England’s first professional football team.
By RICH FAHEY
They were a band of brothers, the men who first brought professional football to New England in 1960.
The Boston Patriot franchise in the American Football League was worth $250,000 that year and is now the NFL’s New England Patriots and worth $3.4 billion, according to Forbes Magazine.
Tom Stephens, 81, was a member of that team. He and his wife, Lonnie, have lived in Swampscott for more than 40 years, now splitting time between Swampscott and Naples, Fla.
Local author Julie Johnson has published six contemporary romance novels.
By STACEY MARCUS
For those of you who think fairy tales don’t come true, take a moment to meet Swampscott High School graduate Julie Johnson. The 2010 graduate has published six contemporary romance novels and is working on her seventh.
Rich Malagrifa stands atop Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in the state of Miane, as part of his journey across the Appalachian Trail. | Photo: Courtesy of Rich Malagrifa
By STACEY MARCUS
What would inspire Swampscott’s former chairman of the Board of Selectman and commercial airline pilot to trek more than 2,000 miles across the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine? “Midlife crisis,” smiles Rich Malagrifa who chronicled his adventure and life milestones in his book “From 35,000 Feet to the Appalachian Trail, The Executive Hike of the Appalachian Trail.”
Dr. Jeffrey Gold founded Gold Direct Care two years ago.
By SANDI GOLDFARB
Dr. Jeffrey Gold and his wife, Laura, settled in Swampscott in 2005 to be closer to their families and reconnect with the place that means so much to them both.
“I missed being by the ocean and being close to Boston. I missed the small town feel,” said Gold. Today, his medical practice, Gold Direct Care, is based in nearby Marblehead.
By SANDI GOLDFARB
Each year, scores of savvy shoppers are doing well by doing good at Big Blue Bargains, the thrift shop created to support enrichment activities at Swampscott’s five public schools. Founded in 2012 after two years of planning, Big Blue Bargains has already generated more than $100,000 for age-appropriate performances, panels and programs.
On Oct. 16, the 10th Annual North Shore Walk for Parkinson’s Disease was held, benefiting The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research. The three-mile walk began at the First Church on Monument Ave. The event was started by the Wistran family of Swampscott in honor of Dr. Daniel Wistran.
The 11th Annual Miles for Kyle was held on Oct. 16. Starting at Preston Beach Park, the 5K run and one-mile walk raises awareness for pediatric epilepsy and funds for the Chelsea Hutchison Foundation. The event was organized to rally support for Kyle Butt, an 11-year-old with pediatric epilepsy.
Hundreds gathered at Swampscott High School on Oct. 30 for the Harvest Festival, organized by For the Love of Swampscott. The event included crafts, games, face painting, entertainment, food samples and a haunted house.
