Caprese Conyers lines up a foul shot for Pittsfield High Tuesday night during a home win over North Reading Pittsfield High packed the bleachers for a state tournament game Tuesday night It's onto the state quarterfinals for the Pittsfield girls after earning a decisive victory at home Tuesday night PITTSFIELD — “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana was a Harvard philosophy professor who wrote those words by Pittsfield girls basketball coach Kristy Conyers and the PHS players They remembered that North Reading came to the Moynihan Field House a year ago and dashed the Generals' hopes in an MIAA Division III tournament loss "It mattered a lot," that North Reading came back to Pittsfield who was on the court for last year's defeat Castillo had a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds while PHS freshman Caprese Conyers had 19 points as the fifth-seeded Generals routed No A 13-0 run in the first quarter put Pittsfield ahead for keeps where the visiting Hornets used a 20-5 third quarter to break open a close game the visitors managed only 10 points in the first half and only two free throws in the final stanza as the Generals beat the Hornets in every facet of the game "We talked about getting back and taking it serious we had to take them seriously," said Pittsfield's Madison Stetz who was one of a few Generals on the court with Castillo a year ago "They came here and beat us on our court last year." There would be no upset on this Tuesday night The visitors led 3-2 on a 3-point shot by Ariana Demetri with 6:05 left in the first quarter The Hornets had five turnovers in that run Pittsfield also out-rebounded North Reading 53-28 "Their defense is phenomenal," North Reading coach Bob Romeo said "We were talking on the bench at the beginning of the fourth quarter we have some pretty good defensive teams in Eastern Mass "They don't give you an open look the whole night." "Anyone in Berkshire County knows we play defense It was only a 10-point margin after one quarter Pittsfield made it a mountain too high with a quick start to the second quarter Kyana Summers missed a shot to open the second quarter but Castillo rebounded and fed Conyers for a 3-pointer after a shot-clock violation by North Reading It is pretty certain that Romeo did not draw up a turnover out of the timeout which ended with Castillo making a steal and being fouled on the shot attempt She made 1 of 2 from the line and it was 21-5 Castillo pulled down the rebound and eventually went around a screen and banked one off the glass "They listened very well and did what they were asked to do on defense," the PHS coach said The Hornets got the first bucket of the third quarter when Sophia Gallivan drove the baseline for two Pittsfield responded with the next 8 points Castillo started the spurt when she scored after rebounding a Caprese Conyers 3-point miss and Summers closed the spurt on a steal-and-score play giving the Generals an insurmountable 39-12 lead Up next for Pittsfield is a date with 13th-seeded Old Rochester. That's the same school whose boys team played Pittsfield in last year's MIAA Division III semifinal, a game that was more noted for a spitting incident than the play on the court which means the Bulldogs will come out to East Street and Appleton Ave. While one imagines there will be much conversation all week about the game all the PHS players and coaches were happy about is it'll be one more home game "We were very surprised" to hear of another home game The conversation will be about winning the game because Anyone can beat anybody," coach Conyers said Howard Herman can be reached at  hherman@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6253.  The Allied Association opened its season with 88 teams making the trip to Connecticut on Saturday It was a rare Sunday afternoon baseball game on Valentine Road The Julieano sisters both homered and Lenox fended off its toughest challenge of the season with a 5-3 home win over Hoosac Valley on Saturday Olivia Perry had 14 Ks in Drury's win at Wahconah while Lee's Bri Lynch fanned 12 in a win at Mount Everett to highlight Friday's slate Drury and McCann Tech pick up wins on the diamond holding on in the fourth quarter to beat Wahconah.  Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device five-year-old Patrick Cady was sitting on the edge of his seat alongside the North Reading (Mass.) Little League (NRLL) baseball diamond enchanted by the exciting action on the field while only looking away to offer a warm smile to his nearby grandfather From their elevated vantage point in the clubhouse behind the chain-link backstop with a Massachusetts District 13 Championship banner draped across the adjacent wall the grandfather and grandson watched the NRLL pitcher go into his windup then deliver a fastball to the right-handed batter from nearby Wakefield (Mass.) Little League as it makes contact with the bat the centerfielder tracks the ball all the way to the wall to make the catch and fire a perfect throw to the plate Patrick giggles at the sound of the ball slamming into the catcher’s mitt and whether he and Cady realized it in the moment the scene perfectly captures the essence of the Massachusetts District 13 Jimmy Fund Little League program Alongside NRLL board members like Joe Wells and his grandson stepped up to the plate in July 2024 welcoming local families to the complex for 24 games as part of a two-day event in support of the Jimmy Fund that offers more than 5,000 Little League Baseball and Softball players throughout New England the chance to continue playing after their regular season ends while raising funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute the Jimmy Fund Little League program has raised more than $6 million for the institute’s life-saving cancer research and patient care Wells cannot help but think about baseball when he thinks of the Jimmy Fund given its lasting relationship with the Boston Red Sox “We all are here to advance cancer research but especially for youth with the genesis of the Jimmy Fund being Jimmy — a kid,” said Wells everyone is out here to get a few more reps and every kid and every coach also know we are out here for this great cause.”  the story of the Jimmy Fund Little League program cannot be fully told without a mention of the Berardi family John Berardi is the Jimmy Fund Little League Program Director as well as a longtime Massachusetts Little League District Administrator and current member of the Little League Board of Directors teamed up with Red Sox players Mike Andrews — future Jimmy Fund chairman from 1984 to 2009 — and Rico Petrocelli the trio created the Jimmy Fund Little League program with the idea of developing well-rounded citizens through Little League George’s vision has likely reached more people than he could have imagined the Jimmy Fund Little League program is as synonymous with summer as Cape Cod sunsets and Maine lobster rolls teams from all six states within the New England Region helped raise $275,000 to support Dana-Farber’s unrelenting commitment to striking out cancer Following in his father’s footsteps as director John serves as a liaison between local league officials across Massachusetts and the Jimmy Fund John connects baseball and softball families with breakthroughs in oncology research dedicated Dana-Farber staff members providing exceptional clinical care and courageous patients who are defying cancer every day who was presented the Jimmy Fund’s highest honor during an on-field ceremony at Fenway Park as the Boston Red Sox 2022 Jimmy Fund Award recipient often works behind the scenes to help New England children and caregivers do their part to advance cancer research For Jimmy Fund Little League parents like Wells — the proud father of his 16-year-old daughter Lucy and 14-year-old son Harry — seeing Jimmy Fund Little Leaguers® step up to the plate against cancer makes hours of dedication and volunteerism worthwhile “These games remind us all that as long as our kids walk off the field knowing how to be a teammate we as good parents have done our job,” said Wells This story was written courtesy of Matt Edwards, a 2022 Little League World Series Resident. To learn more about the Little League® program, and find a league in your community, visit PlayLittleLeague.org North Shore news powered by The Daily Item February 23, 2025 by The place: Concord-Carlisle High School’s Hayes Gymnasium That’s the last time James Fodera of the Lynnfield-North Reading wrestling team lost a match an 8-7 decision in the Black and Gold’s first dual meet of the 2024-2025 season winning seven consecutive tournament titles His latest conquest came Saturday afternoon in the MIAA Division 3 state championship meet winning the 190-pound weight division to help lead the Black and Gold to a sixth-place finish with 83 points Tewksbury High won the team title with 116.5 points just ahead of Division 3 North champion Wakefield Fodera improved his record to 47-1 and became the first North Reading High student to win a state individual championship as a member of the LNR co-op He also became the third LNR wrestler in the last 11 years to capture a state championship as Lynnfield High’s Eric Kerr and Tom Arseneault did so in 2014 Fodera’s road to the championship began with a 1:17 pin win over No 16 Mayshaun Thomas-Moore (Hampden-Charter) in the round of 16 He followed with a 21-2 technical fall win over No 8 Daniel O’Brien (Dedham) in the quarterfinals 12 Joshua Hindin (Foxborough) in the semifinals (3:47 pin) Fodera needed only 40 seconds to take a 3-0 lead against No He pinned John Wigmore (Foxborough) in 1:06 in the round of 16 then pinned Noah Rushford (East Longmeadow) in 2:39 in the quarterfinals 2 Diego Cruz (Mount Everett) in the semifinals then stayed alive with a pin win in 3:48 over Damian Sdoia (Wayland) in the consolation semifinals He clinched third place with a late third-period pin in 5:55 over Colby Grenan (Bristol-Plymouth) to end his day on a high note 11 Dylan Mathews finished fourth in the 285-pound division He pulled off two upsets in the first two rounds to punch his ticket to the semifinals 6 seed Nicholas Leblanc (Athol) 4-1 in the round of 16 3 Oakley Gully (Sandwich) by pin in 4:51 in the quarterfinals The magic ran out in the semis at the hands of eventual winner Kip King (4:32 pin) Mathews rallied to beat Roberto Melendez (South Hadley) 3-2 in the consolation semifinals 5 David Glynn finished fifth at 157 pounds He breezed through the first two rounds with pin wins the first in only 1:19 over Brady Standridge (Scituate) and the second in 5:48 over No losing to top-seeded and eventual champion Adrian Guzman (Andover) in a 1:34 pin After being pinned in 3:45 to Michael Powers (Foxborough) in the consolation semifinals Glynn took the fifth-place bout against Joe Allen (Gloucester) by forfeit 4 Cam Arya (165) was upset in the first round by No Arya stayed alive with a 20-5 technical fall win over No 12 Travis Eastman (Franklin County) in the consolation bracket but was eliminated after a 12-5 loss to No 14 Kevin Ozulumbo (Ashland) to finish the day 1-2 and Glynn will represent LNR Friday and Saturday in the all-states championship meet at Methuen High Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Billie Marie (Beautnagel) Downing of North Reading passed away peacefully on October 13 She was the eldest of four daughters born to Mary and William Beautnagel the late Stuart “Stu” Butler Downing in San Antonio Texas They lived briefly in California before settling in North Reading Billie earned her private pilots license at Hanscom Air Force Base where she also worked as a civil servant for the United States Department of Defense She had her first solo flight on June 3rd,1964 at the age of 32 She and her late husband Stu owned a Cessna 172 and flew extensively throughout the United States including multiple cross country trips and flights to Alaska They also traveled together around the world including memorable trips to China and Australia created a wonderful collection of aerial photos documenting her aerial adventures and documenting a stunning array of geometrics created by fields She always remembered where each photograph was taken Once Billie received her pilot's license the International Organization of Women Pilots established in 1929 with the help of Amelia Earhart With the Ninety-Nines she took part in many different flying activities (air races fundraising through publication of a cookbook Billie flew and placed first in the 1972 AWNEAR (All Women New England Air Race) with Lois Auchterlone She attended many International Conventions helping to host the 1970 convention at the Mount Washington hotel in Bretton Woods she flew to a convention in Wichita Kansas with 3 other ‘99er’s’ She acted as Treasurer and then Secretary of the New England chapter of the 99s and was on various committees over the years she was hosting 99 Christmas parties at her home in North Reading What flying and the 99’s afforded to each of its members Billie once wrote “There is a definite kinship among all of us who fly but there is something else we feel for certain people who inspire us and motivate us and it has nothing to do with what we do but what the person is.” Although Billie wrote that in 1973 for someone else Billie leaves behind numerous friends and her beloved family: her nephew Michael Moore of Portland Oregon; her sister Camilla Hardmeyer of Oakland Joshua Downing and Noelle Rudloff of North Reading This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors January 23, 2025 by Lynnfield-North Reading wrestling standouts Sean McCullough and Gavin Iby will be inducted into the Lynnfield High School Wrestling Hall of Fame on Monday The event will be held prior to the Black and Gold’s dual-meet against Essex Tech-Masconomet starting at 4:15 p.m He finished his career with a 153-44 record (second all-time) and posted the highest finish (third) in program history at the All-States meet as well as setting marks for dual-meet wins (91) he finished runner-up in both the Cape Ann League championship and Division 3 North sectional championship as well as third in the Division 3 state tournament he never lost perspective,” said Lynnfield-North Reading coach Craig Stone “He always moved on to the next challenge with the same work ethic as the first and always realized the importance of team – family and school – never getting too high or too low.” finished his three-year varsity career with an overall record of 62-12 having missed his entire freshman season due to the pandemic he captured the North sectional championship and was third in the Division 3 state championship “Those marks would have even been higher if we had had a freshman season,” Stone said he was one of the most talented wrestlers I have had the opportunity to coach and the physical skills to compliment his talent on the mat there was literally no opponent he could not match up with.” The program will also recognize the following wrestlers with 100 or more wins during the induction ceremony: Randy Greenstein (1990) friends as well as the Lynnfield and North Reading communities are invited to attend and stay to cheer on the team NORTH READING — If you thought last year’s Lynnfield-North Reading wrestling team’s season was something posting a winning 13-1-1 record after two years of winning just one match combined then you have to believe that the 2024-2025 season is well on its way to being something special The Black and Gold’s magical ride continued Saturday at North Reading High with the team posting yet another perfect 3-0 performance at a super quad and Belmont to bump its dual-meet record to 16-1-1 “Our team has been showing great balance with all wrestlers stepping forward to get needed wins at different times,” said coach Craig Stone “Today we had three quality wins over two Division 1 programs in Bedford-Acton-Boxborough and Belmont and a Division 2 team in Salem.” The Black and Gold opened with a 50-30 win over Bedford winning nine of 14 matches and leading from start to finish trailing 29-18 after the first eight matches winning each of the final six matches by pins to seal the win trailing Belmont 30-12 after eight matches but rallied to win the next six matches to close out a perfect day and Cam Arya (165) led the Black and Gold with three pin-wins each Barstow wasted no time in collecting his three wins spending less than three minutes combined on the mat before finishing off his opponents and Dylan Matthews (285) also finished 3-0 Zach Inafuku (106) and Jack Cuddy (175) finished with two wins and Zack Morse (215) also entered the win column While there are still a good two more weeks until the end of the dual-meet season Stone said the team needs to keep its eyes on the prize going into the tournament in February “We will need to keep that concept of TEAM (Together Each Achieves More) to continually drive ourselves through the rest of the season,” he said Stone has high praise for his four-year seniors – Fodera Arya and Medford – as well as four-year veteran Glynn (who wrestled as an eighth-grader) who struggled to go a combined 1-45 their first two years when the team was undermanned and could not fill most weight classes “The adversity and challenges those four have gone through says a lot about their character,” Stone said “I am sure the lessons they have learned on the mat will carry them through as well in life.” The Black and Gold are back on the mat Thursday against Cape Ann League rival Pentucket at Lynnfield High School (5:30 p.m.) February 9, 2025 by 11 Peabody-Lynnfield-North Reading girls hockey team (13-2-1) celebrated Senior Night in style with a 3-0 win over Gloucester (8-9) Saturday at McVann-O’Keefe Memorial Ice Rink it was freshman Sydney Zizza in the spotlight “It was a super emotional game with the seniors but it’s also bittersweet,” said PLNR Head Coach Michelle Roach “This is the one class I have known the longest They’ve come up in the youth program and I’ve known some of them for 10 years it was a really good effort and we just had to keep pushing and because we did we were able to cash in on those three goals.” The game was evenly-played for the most part until PLNR took control about halfway through the first period unleashing a relentless barrage of shots the rest of the way at Gloucester goalie Kaydin Cusumano who Fishermen head coach Rob Parsons estimated made more than 30 saves so it was nice to see her play well tonight,” he said PLNR finally broke through at the 7:43 mark of the second period with Zizza’s goal one Roach described as a “beautiful backhander.” Defenseman Chloe Gromko picked up the assist Gromko also came up with a huge defensive play with about two minutes left in the period when she hustled back to break up a Gloucester breakaway “Another thing I really liked tonight was seeing the D corps the backchecking of the forwards when they did have that rush on us we always had a forward coming back to pressure They were able to chip it back to the D and then we were up and gone.” PLNR’s offensive pressure paid off early in the third period Daniella White picked up a loose puck just outside the crease She spun around to get the puck on her stick and then slipped it past Cusumano to double the lead to 2-0 with 11:54 to go Senior captain Erin Dee and freshman Grace Allen were credited with assists “That was huge – just huge,” Roach said “Daniella got in on her stick and again Senior Vanessa Steinmeyer added an insurance goal with about two minutes left in the game collecting a puck skipped toward the net from junior Mikaela O’Donnell from the right point “What’s best about Vanessa is she works so hard and is a three-zone player so she doesn’t always show up in the goals section But the plays she is making are so critical to the game,” Roach said to see her get onto the scoresheet was great.” Roach said an adjustment her team made after the first period was the difference “We made sure they were keeping the shots low to be able to get some rebounds,” she said captain Ava Buckley and White; from Lynnfield who notched her seventh shutout of the season Roach said the team’s patience and poise were also keys to victory “It was really good to see that we were spreading out and passing to each other but if we didn’t have the lane that we wanted we had a lot of patience,” Roach said “That was a testament to the seniors They are just calm and poised under pressure.” are back in action Monday at Talbot Rink with a non-conference contest against Stoneham-Wilmington (5 p.m.) we are on the cusp of being a tournament team so we’ll try to maintain that,” Parsons said “One good thing about playing a very powerful team like Peabody is that even in a loss We made it last year for the first time in team history so that’s what we’re going for.” PLNR (13-2-1) is back on the ice Wednesday against top-ranked Malden Catholic at the Malden Valley Forum at 6 p.m “They are a really good team,” Roach said “We have to be able to play our top game physical game and it’s on the road.” “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary,” he was declaring his art as a record of his creative journey each piece a snapshot of a specific moment and state of mind The metaphor was front of mind for Allyson Paladino, owner of Inner Space Fine Arts, which is featuring the work of Newburyport artist Jan Roy in an upcoming exhibit titled “Keeping a Diary” at the North Reading gallery The show is about “remembering a place in time,” says Paladino who personally sourced pieces from Roy’s Haverhill studio Each one is painted from a trip or a memory or a situation with a person Paladino describes Roy’s work as “impressionist abstract with a story to tell.” “You definitely get a sense that it is something—mountains a cityscape—but it is up to interpretation Housed in an intriguingly octagonal building on the bustling commercial strip of Route 28 just as the Covid-19 pandemic was shuttering local commerce Paladino offers a mix of fine arts and one-of-a-kind ensuring a true “something-for-everyone” shopping experience Guided by a mission to boost the profile of regional artists and artisans Paladino brings in works inspired by the natural world leaves on the trees,” in a variety of media including wood A recent show of works by Marsha Zavez and Amy Vander Els featured florals and landscapes worked in “very distinct styles but they play well in the sandbox together,” she says a converted shoe factory that she has worked in since the 1980s Then there’s the work: oils and acrylic paintings and structures that tell the tale of a life lived in many places over many years I was just in love with every one I looked at,” she says Roy says it was through speaking with Paladino that she became aware of the diary aspect of her work which features a life spent in New York City “It dawned on me that this is what I’m about That’s why the quote from Picasso jumped at me I’d written in my journal years ago that painting is like keeping a diary Among the pieces selected for the show are three large works inspired by Roy’s time living in Brooklyn where she frequently walked and biked under elevated train tracks there’s so much bustle and activity in one area and nothing in the other areas,” she says “What I wanted to convey was the whole feeling of welcoming—warm colors a small figure waits quietly on a bench while the screech and noise of the city echoes above A long flight of steps separates the figure from the platform In a painting titled “Wafting,” a female figure is seen cooking in her tiny kitchen while the scent of the dish she is preparing wafts upward toward another apartment “I feel that I’ve experienced that plenty of times The urban works draw from a childhood living in the country to leave nature and see people and manmade things,” she says I love being up here and the hustle and bustle down there.” The bottom panel features a cityscape flowing upward into the second panel which shows mountainous terrain with a ski lodge and gondola There are works inspired by travels to Morocco where Roy was inspired by “the abstractness of the country and little details big expanses of color with nothing going on but something up in the corner.” In “Havana,” Roy details the experience of staying in Cuba for several weeks but based on the natural world.” That show “Garden (un) Variety,” is based on plants in the artist’s garden but it is totally abstract and equally as beautiful,” Palladino says Paladino sees the role of the gallery as boosting the profile of lesser-known regional artists and says she is planning at least six more shows in the next year and they are creating so much beautiful work They are so happy to have a place to show their art I’m glad I started the gallery—they needed it Inner Space Fine Arts is located at 189 Main St., North Reading. To learn more about the gallery and “Keeping a Diary,” visit innerspace-fineart.com. To see more of Jan Roy’s work, visit janroy.com Subscribe Purchase Back Issues Digital Edition February 26, 2025 by The Peabody-Lynnfield-North Reading girls hockey co-op skated to success Wednesday evening – and to the Division 1 Sweet 16 inside of the James McVann-Louis O’Keefe Memorial Skating Rink Shirley Whitmore and Chloe Gromko registered goals while Alyse Mutti picked up a shutout between the pipes Winthrop’s Joe Pumphret tucked a triple-overtime goal in an early test for the No 28 Apponequet behind Phil Boncore’s pair of goals Next up for Winthrop is a home game at 2 p.m 8 Marblehead faced a scare – and then some – in its showdown against No Crew Monaco scored with six seconds remaining to catapult the Magicians to the next round Hayden Gallo and Kyle Hart also found the back of the net for Marblehead Despite allowing the first goal of the game 3 Essex Tech stormed back to jump all over Foxborough at the Essex Sports Center 18 North Middlesex in double overtime after Anthony Calla (2 goals) tucked the game-winning strike Lynnfield’s Owen Considine tied the game with 30 seconds remaining in the third period Brendan Driscoll and Lucas Deraps also scored goals New England Hockey Journal By March 16 It’s finally time for the state tournaments here in Massachusetts The MIAA Division 4 boys hockey bracket has been released 1 seed is Stoneham after going 14-6-0 in the regular season Dover-Sherborn is the defending champion after knocking off Hanover last season This page will be updated consistently throughout the tournament as results come in and future games are scheduled. Click or tap here to access the full bracket *Dates and times will be added when they are released BOYS MIAA BRACKETS: Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 GIRLS BRACKETS: Division 1 | Division 2 fetch("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alpha-group/iframe-resizer/master/js/iframeResizer.min.js").then(function(r){return r.text();}).then(function(t){return new Function(t)();}).then(function(){iFrameResize({heightCalculationMethod:"lowestElement"},"#subtext_embed");}); © Copyright 2025 Seamans Media, Inc. • All Rights Reserved February 18, 2025 by You know what I’ve been thinking? There’s a freshman defender from Peabody making lots of noise – and not just from the defensive end of the ice. Sydney Zizza, a do-it-all skater on the Peabody-Lynnfield-North Reading girls hockey team, has been enjoying quite a dominant stretch. Just ask PLNR Coach Michelle Roach. “Sydney has shown incredible effort and confidence in her first year, stepping up in key moments and making game-winning plays when we needed them most,” said Roach, whose program captured the Northeastern Hockey League co-championship (with Winthrop) over the weekend, PLNR’s second in as many seasons. “She’s definitely one to watch as she continues to rise to the occasion.” Zizza’s goal-scoring run began in a narrow 1-0 win against Algonquin Regional. She scored the game-winning goal with just 42 seconds remaining in the third period. Better yet, three nights later, the clutch right-hander sent Gloucester home after another game-winning goal. “Scoring two big goals last week at critical moments speaks to her hard work and talent,” Roach said. It didn’t stop there. The defender found the back of the net against third-ranked Malden Catholic and was all over the ice in PLNR’s 7-0 win against Masconomet this past weekend. As of Tuesday morning’s MIAA Division 1 power rankings, Zizza’s team checked in at No. 12 with a 15-3-1 record. Still catching her breath after breaking a seven-year-old meet record in the 55-meter hurdles, North Reading senior Giuliana Ligor was not aiming for another meet record in her next event, the 600. “I thought about it being probably my last race here, doing the 600,” Ligor said. “I just wanted to do something good out there.” With a time of 1:33.82, Ligor shattered the eight-year-old meet record, highlighting a banner day for North Reading (53.25 points), which won its second consecutive Division 5 girls’ track & field title by topping Lunenburg (44) and Weston (42) at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center. With wins in the 55 hurdles (8.29) and the 600, plus a second-place finish in the 300 (40.43), Ligor earned 28 points for the Hornets. Senior Callie MacClellan added 16 points by winning the high jump (5-2) and placing third in the long jump (17-6). And in her return from injury, senior Hayden MacLellan picked up four points with a fifth-place finish in the 55 hurdles (8.95). “It’s no secret that we have three of the better athletes in the division,” said North Reading coach Sotirios Pintzopoulos. “We knew we had three stellar athletes.” Weston hung with the Hornets atop the team standings for most of the meet, but North Reading pulled away after the high jump and long jump. “I love my team and our team is so close,” said Hayden MacLellan. “I’m really grateful to them because, although we have had a small team, it’s just made it more fun, more competitive.” In the boys’ meet, Weston (75 points) dominated, besting second-place Dennis-Yarmouth (27 points) for its first state title since 2020, when the program was in Division 4. “Going into a meet, you’re hoping and praying that everything you put together actually works out,” said Weston coach Jason Montrose. “But it actually did work out.” The Wildcats received first-place finishes from senior Noah Lago in the 55-dash (6.55) and senior Ben Tavares in the 600, in a meet record 1:20.59. Junior Oscar Torres also delivered a win in the long jump (21-0), and Weston’s 4x200 relay triumphed in a meet record 1:32.65. Three other meet records were set: Maynard’s Alexander Gwozdz in the boys’ 55 hurdles (7.93), Dennis-Yarmouth’s Breanna Braham in the girls’ 55-dash (7.18), and the Norwell boys’ 4 x 400 relay (3:30.89). 55-meter dash — 1. Noah Lago, Weston, 0:06.55; 2. Mekhi White, Randolph, 0:06.58; 3. Sean Blaze, Clinton, 0:06.59. 55m hurdles — 1. Alexander Gwozdz, Maynard, 0:07.93; 2. Jordan Baumann, Narragansett, 0:08.02; 3. Ben Cachiguango, Frontier, 0:08.4. 300m — 1. Noah Mulligan, Norwell, 0:35.19; 2. Nicolas Barbieri, Weston, 0:35.63; 3. Yevegueny Glemaud, TechBoston, 0:36.03. 600m — 1. Ben Tavares, Weston, 1:20.59; 2. Cole New, Ayer Shirley, 1:22.15; 3. Jack Weintraub, Medway, 1:24.51. 1000m — 1. Delmace Mayo, Brighton, 2:33.92; 2. Jackson Beauparlant, Pentucket, 2:38.92; 3. Myles Hoffman, Medway, 2:41.51. Mile — 1. Jayden Brostrom, Oakmont, 4:33.06; 2. William Cahill, Weston, 4:33.08; 3. Oliver Mello, Hudson, 4:35.24. 2-mile — 1. Henry Jacobsen, Parker Charter, 9:34.17; 2. Ben McWaters, Bromfield, 9:50.09; 3. Andrew Klinedinst, Hudson, 9:59.91. High jump — 1. Walter Mayo, Dennis-Yarmouth, 6 feet 4 inches; 2. Eli Mendese, Lynnfield, 6-2; 3. Nolan Kenneally, Carver, 6-0. Long jump — 1. Oscar Torres, Weston, 21 feet 0 inches; 2. Kieran Miller, North Reading, 20-6.5; 3. Terrence Jorvelus, Dennis-Yarmouth, 20-6.5. Shot put — 1. Ari Levine, Hopedale, 56 feet 3.75 inches; 2. Ray Beardmore, Lunenburg, 51-7; 3. Otto Indelicato, North Reading, 51-4.75. 4 x 200 — 1. Weston, 1:32.65; 2. TechBoston, 1:34.61; 3. Dennis-Yarmouth, 1:34.77. 4 x 400 — 1. Norwell, 3:30.89; 2. Lunenburg, 3:33.22; 3. Triton, 3:34.64. 4 x 800 — 1. Ayer Shirley, 8:28.26; 2. Weston, 8:29.85; 3. Medway, 8:35.13. Team results — 1. Weston, 75; 2. Dennis-Yarmouth, 27; 3. Ayer Shirley, 25; 3. Oakmont, 25; 3. Norwell, 25; 3. North Reading, 25; 7. Medway, 23; 8. Lunenburg, 22; 9. TechBoston, 18; 10. Bromfield, 17. 55-dash — 1. Breanna Braham, Dennis-Yarmouth, 0:07.18; 2. Sydney Trout, Pentucket, 0:07.35; 3. Olivia Carney, Bellingham, 0:07.4. 55m hurdles — 1. Giuliana Ligor, North Reading, 0:08.29; 2. Savannah Liles, Littleton, 0:08.74; 3. Georgia Wilson, Hamilton-Wenham, 0:08.82. 300m — 1. Breanna Braham, Dennis-Yarmouth, 0:39.54; 2. Giuliana Ligor, North Reading, 0:40.43; 3. Solana Varela, Weston, 0:41.72. 600m — 1. Giuliana Ligor, North Reading, 1:33.82; 2. Hayden Robinson, Seekonk, 1:36.95; 3. Olivia Coronella, Lunenburg, 1:40.53. 1000m — 1. Ava Burl, Triton, 3:02.85; 2. Avery Murphy, Murdock, 3:03.22; 3. Grace Rich, Hamilton-Wenham, 3:12. Mile — 1. Izzy Wheler, Weston, 5:19.65; 2. Jessica Bourne, Weston, 5:19.96; 3. Jillian Dionne, Lunenburg, 5:23.28. 2-mile — 1. Katelyn Massey, Advanced Math and Science, 11:31.58; 2. Collette Heil, Swampscott, 11:45.4; 3. Grace Rich, Hamilton-Wenham, 12:06.88. High jump — 1. Callie MacLellan, North Reading, 5 feet 2 inches; 2. Delaney Meagher, Pentucket, 5-0; 3. Olivia Santos, Joseph Case, 5-0. Long jump — 1. Georgia Wilson, Hamilton-Wenham, 17 feet 8.25 inches; 2. Jayda Adora Bleus, Randolph, 17-7.5; 3. Hayden MacLellan, North Reading, 17-6. Shot put — 1. Kearston Nelson, Seekonk, 34 feet 10 inches; 2. Abigail Falconi, Quabbin, 34-5.75; 3. Aysha Silva, Advanced Math and Science, 34-3.25. 4 x 200 — 1. South Hadley, 1:50.42; 2. Ayer Shirley, 1:50.97; 3. Pentucket, 1:51.62. 4 x 400 — 1. Lunenburg, 4:09; 2. Weston, 4:18.89; 3. Ayer Shirley, 4:21.16. 4 x 800 — 1. Norwell, 10:12.73; 2. Lunenburg, 10:21.14; 3. South Hadley, 10:50.65. Team results — 1. North Reading, 53.25; 2. Lunenburg, 44; 3. Weston, 42; 4. Hamilton-Wenham, 35; 5. Triton, 26; 6. Pentucket, 25; 7. Littleton, 24; 7. South Hadley, 24; 9. Seekonk, 23; 9. Norwell, 23; 9. Dennis-Yarmouth, 23. Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Log In Manage My Account Customer Service Delivery Issues Feedback News Tips Help & FAQs Staff List Advertise Newsletters View the ePaper Order Back Issues News in Education Search the Archives Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Purchase Work at Boston Globe Media Internship Program Co-op Program Do Not Sell My Personal Information approximately 20 people gathered in Still North Books & Bar for a reading from new author Duncan Watson Watson read from “Everyone’s Trash: One Man Against 1.6 Billion Pounds,” his debut memoir about the “human connection with trash,” he said.  that human-trash connection is a positive one — a sentiment he hoped to communicate in the book comes at a good time — we are in the midst of a “trash crisis,” according to Watson he notes an American problem of over-consumption and pollution resulting in a build-up of trash in landfills that is not properly recycled “The book could have easily been an axe grind and telling nasty stories about my co-workers and stuff like that,” he said “… But that’s not how I wanted the book to go Still North bookstore manager H Rooker began the event by introducing Watson before ceding the floor to event moderator Lisa Gardner offered a more personal introduction of the author and his book “It is an honor to be able to moderate this because over the years I have heard some of these tales from the dump,” she said to the audience “… His book is this wonderful combination of information and stories.” Watson delivered a presentation on the “trash crisis that we are facing,” citing a plethora of issues — from overfilled landfills to ineffective disposal systems he discussed concerns over waste disposal and the need for improved infrastructure to implement a more sustainable and effective waste system “We need a quantum leap in investment [in infrastructure],” Watson said “And the reason that we need investment infrastructure is because without that investment infrastructure We are never going to move the needle from where we are right now.” Watson read two stories from “Everyone’s Trash.” In the first excerpt Watson recounted his first foray into the world of trash as a 12-year-old recycling attendant in Tiburon he was paid to break glass and ensure that the clear glass dumpster only contained clear glass Watson described his fear-inducing discovery of a rubber doll amid the recyclables.  Watson joked with his audience throughout the readings that his experience with the glass-breaking job once “took an unexpectedly serendipitous turn.” He explained that he spotted a Playboy magazine and felt that he had discovered the “holy grail.” The 12-year subsequently went dumpster diving to retrieve it “I’m certain that the official term ‘dumpster diving’ was coined much later than 1976 arc of my descent from the platform into that dumpster was Olympic-worthy,” Watson said The 30-minute reading was followed by a brief Q&A.  Watson elaborated on the logistics of creating greater efficiency in the waste disposal system including the role of new technology including Advanced Materials Recovery Facilities (AMRFs) to help better process the influx of waste and reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills.  When asked about the effect of these technological changes on the processing of waste Watson expressed his desire to preserve the community environment of the dump He explained that the dump serves as a site where colorful characters from the community gather “We would want to preserve the … way of people bringing their materials to our facility so they can … socialize with their friends and neighbors because that’s really an important thing,” he said.  Attendees were then invited to meet Watson get their copies of “Everyone’s Trash” signed and converse with other audience members.  Rooker said they found Watson’s ideas particularly important to the local community — in which Watson is deeply embedded Watson’s father and brother are Dartmouth alumni and he graduated from Hanover High School himself His family also previously owned Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery “[Watson] is such a well-known entity within the community and this is a very environmentally conscious area,” they said “So I think having more information for the community but also further exciting and activating the folks is always important … especially on environmental issues that they can individually interact with every day.” Rooker added that they hoped the event would inspire a greater awareness of environmental concerns such as proper recycling and landfill management — both topics covered by Watson’s book.  According to Upper Valley local Erica Hiller a member of the local environmental group Vital Communities Watson’s reading accomplished just that.  “I'm actually very interested to do some research about [AMRFs],” she said “I think there are incentives for things to change and unless there’s more public awareness around different strategies that we’re just ignoring the big disaster.”  Attendees not only appreciated Watson’s discussion of environmentalism but also the lightheartedness of his writing.  Hiller said she enjoyed Watson’s “mix of information sharing and humor,” a sentiment that was echoed by Gardner — who said the “funny and personal” nature of the stories “made [“Everyone’s Trash”] a pleasure to read.” Gardener expanded on her compliments of Watson noting his persistence and commitment to making positive change.  even if you have a lot of evidence and research behind you,” she said “That’s daunting [and] …somewhat discouraging … I always appreciate Duncan’s willingness to go back and keep trying …He really is determined to make a difference in the world.” Watson himself said maintaining that positivity is especially important given the “gravity of our current [environmental] situation.”  “I consider myself an optimistic existentialist,” he said in an interview “And I recognize that I have to be careful about that because I don’t want the stories to come across as being heavy and dark and hopeless.” Watson said he hopes to find a “flicker of hope for our environmental future … through storytelling.” Watson also discussed a possible sequel to “Everyone’s Trash” — though a second iteration depends on the success of the book he is already getting started on the project by writing stories that were not included in his first book.  But Watson isn’t just revved up about trash — he is exploring other topics as well such as his family’s time as the second owners of Lou’s Restaurant With around four chapters already written and a tentative title (“Meet Me at Lou’s”) in his mind Watson said the book would focus on characters — “the people that were customers our own selves” — and the “rich fountain of storytelling.” Perhaps his interest in pursuing another book is rooted in the positive feedback he received about “Everyone’s Trash.” Watson said he made an interesting story out of a topic readers most likely would not be interested in.  “It’s the idea of taking something and using storytelling techniques to get your point across Whether it’s just meant to be a memoir or if you’re trying to get a point across all of those are our possibilities with writing.”