2018 News Stories
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Walsh a heroine to many
By Alexandra Gomes agomes@thesunchronicle.com
May 10, 2018
For Lynda Walsh, a life-long Foxboro resident, volunteerism is about giving back to a community that helped raise her.
And she has certainly found many ways to do just that. She has been active with the Foxboro Jaycees for nearly 25 years, was a trustee at the Doolittle Home, served on the Board of Selectmen and the town’s Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Committee and is currently on the Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center’s board of directors.
That’s why when the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women approached state Sen. Paul Feeney and asked him to nominate someone from his district, Walsh was the first person to pop into his mind.
“I immediately thought of Lynda, who exemplifies everything they’re looking for,” he said. “She’s more deserving than anyone.”
Feeney and Walsh served together on the Board of Selectmen in 2007. Walsh was busy nearly “every single night and day” doing work for the Jaycees or coordinating town events, Feeney said.
“I’ve known her to be someone who volunteers with humility, passion and, most importantly, compassion,” he said. “Lynda does all of that with no fanfare. She does it because it’s the right thing to do. I think it’s important we celebrate her efforts.”
Walsh said community service is “just part of my DNA.” She watched both her grandmother Arlene Morse and mother Grace Berg volunteer around town growing up, and contributes much of her volunteer spirit to the Town of Foxboro itself, which is full of volunteers who go above and beyond.
“When we see something falling through the cracks, we pick it up and fill it in,” she said. “It’s just what we do.”
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Walsh was shocked to learn she had been nominated, so much so that when she received an email from the commission she thought it was a mistake.
“Then, I get a phone call and I was like, ‘Wow.’ I don’t call myself a heroine, I just do what others do,” she said. “But it was great to be nominated.”
Walsh emphasized the importance of community service, and encouraged others to follow suit.
“There’s a line in the Jaycees creed that we say, ‘Service to community is the best work of life,” she said. “I have lived by that. It really is the best work and it’s fulfilling.”
Walsh will be honored at a ceremony in June, alongside about 150 other women in the state.
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Alexandra Gomes can be reached at 508-236-0398.
Presenting the check are Jaycees Secretary Ryan White; Chairman of the Board Deena Cummings; Treasurer and Scholarship Committee Chairperson Lisa Jolicoeur; Meaghan Savage; Vice President of Individual Development Marc Rivard; and Keyman Award Recipient and Director Lynda Walsh.
July, 2018 – Congratulations to Foxboro High School graduate Meaghan Savage, the recipient of the 2018-19 Jaycees Scholarship!! Meaghan will be taking her skills to St. Anselm College in New Hampshire where she will be studying nursing.
An excellent scholar, enthusiastic athlete, and talented musician, Meaghan impressed the Scholarship Committee with her dedication to community service through church, Jaycees community events such as Holiday Fruit Baskets for the Discretionary Fund, holiday Common decorating and Caroling on the Common, and Vendor Fairs. Additionally, Meaghan demonstrated leadership in service through peer leader and mentor workshops such as “Game Changers” sponsored by the New England Patriots and Northeastern University and the school’s music program.
The Jaycees would like to thank all candidates who applied for the scholarship; there were many wonderful and worthy applicants who made the decision a difficult one! Continue to explore our wonderful community events!
Presenting the check are Jaycees Secretary Ryan White; Chairman of the Board Deena Cummings; Treasurer and Scholarship Committee Chairperson Lisa Jolicoeur; Meaghan Savage; Vice President of Individual Development Marc Rivard; and Keyman Award Recipient and Director Lynda Walsh.
The Foxboro Jaycees Scholarship Program awards a $500 scholarship to an individual enrolled in a two or four year college, a technical institute, school of nursing, post graduate school or other accredited secondary program who demonstrates a commitment to community service.
Foxboro area applicants must be enrolled in a 2 or 4 year college, technical institute, school of nursing, post graduate school or other education program beyond high school.
Event celebrates public safety efforts
By Alexandra Gomes agomes@thesunchronicle.com Aug 16, 2018<
Envisioned as a giant, collective group hug from grateful townspeople to publicly acknowledge the efforts of emergency responders, Tuesday night’s gathering on the Common brought a smile to the faces of local police and firefighters.
With sunshine beating back the summertime blues after a stretch of oppressive, dank weather, some 200 residents turned out to enjoy a summer evening and give thanks to public safety personnel.
The long-running event, formerly dubbed National Night Out, was given a new spin by Foxboro Jaycees this year, encouraging townspeople to express their gratitude for public safety departments, as well as learning more about them.
Along with several informational booths on available services in town, there were numerous activities for kids, including a bouncy house, face painting, a balloonist, bubbles and hoola hoops and two fire trucks available for exploration.
Lynda Walsh, a Jaycee member and primary organizer, said she was happy with the turnout. “It just shows how much support they (police and fire) have in town,” she said.
Lori Cavanaugh, accompanied by her three-year-old daughter and some of her neighbors’ children, said it was a great event for kids.
“We love community events. I think it’s great that Foxboro does events like this,” Cavanaugh said.
“And my daughter absolutely loves the firefighters and police.”
Deputy fire chief Michael Kelleher said he and his crew had some great conversations with residents whom they’ve helped over the years.
“We’ve seen a lot of familiar faces,” he said. “It’s great to be able to celebrate with our partners, the police department, because we work so well together.”
Police chief William Baker said events like this provide a nice break for law enforcement officers, who are sometimes affected by the daily trauma they witness on the job.
“Coming up here and watching the little children on their scooters, nice smiles and handshakes — its a nice atmosphere,” he said.
He added while policing is supposed to be a thankless job, officers are still grateful to hear it.
“I would hope most of us do this work without expecting to be thanked, it’s just part of who we are,” he said. “But when people do things like this its meaningful, that’s for sure.”
Ian Cox, who attended with his wife and three children, said they appreciate how involved police and fire are in the community.
“They cherish the relationship between citizens, police and fire,” he said. “It’s nice.”
His wife, Bri, agreed, emphasizing the positive relationships between local children and public safety officials.
“It really helps the young folk, whether kindergartners or teenagers, to feel comfortable with them,” she said. “I think that’s really important, especially in this day and age
State Rep. Jay Barrows and Sen. Paul Feeney also stopped by the late-summer gathering, which Feeney called his “favorite event of the year.”
“The common is the perfect place for it. It’s where we come together during good times and bad times, so it’s great to be here celebrating on a summer night,” he said. “Especially with the people who keep us safe. It’s great they’re being recognized for their good work.”
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2018 Foxboro Jaycees Repair and Refurbish Foxborough Town Sign
The Foxboro Jaycees will once again refurbish the iconic Foxborough Town Sign on Foxboro Common. This is the third time the Jaycees have restored the sign.
Saturday, October 6, 2018, the Jaycees removed the sign and transported it to the garage where Jaycee Kathy Brady will sand, repaint, repair, and then apply new letters. We hope to have the sign back on the Common in a few weeks.
Pictured: Jaycees Devlyn House, Chairman Kathy Brady, Robert Gillis, David Fisler, Lynda Walsh and Marc Rivard pose with the sign in the “repair ship” garage
Jaycees deck out Foxboro Common
By JUDEE COSENTINO FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE Nov 25, 2018
FOXBORO 11/28/2018 — It took the strength of four men to move one statue as the Foxboro Jaycees, the Knights of Columbus of Sharon-Foxboro and the Foxboro Lions Club set up the Nativity scene in the Common’s bandstand Saturday.
The group effort required steady hands and careful footwork as the large statues were hoisted off one of three pickup truck flatbeds and up to the bandstand.
Bob Gillis, who is the Jaycees’ vice president of Individual Development, along with Jaycees chairman Carl Bertolino, reached out to the Lions and Knights of Columbus for help in moving the 10 “old-school” plaster figures, as Gillis calls them.
The figure of Mary weighs between 200 and 300 lbs., Gillis said, while the statue of the ox was heavier.
“I was very nervous; it was so heavy,” said Knights of Columbus member Greg MacDonnell.
Fortunately, the statues are mounted on small wooden platforms, making the job a bit easier.
“It’s not bad,” said Mike Savage of Foxboro, who is a member of the Jaycees. “We go slow and take our time. A lot of hands make quick work.”
During the moving process, however, dexterity and great care are needed to preserve the physical integrity of the statues which were constructed in the 1950s and are showing their age.
In over half-a-century of display, storage and moving from one to the other, the craftsmanship has taken its knocks. The hand of one of the shepherds has broken off before but has been reattached; another shepherd has a network of cracks from the top of the head to nearly halfway down the body, and there is a large hole in the base of the donkey.
The wire mesh and spackle has kept the statues standing, but Gillis said: “They’re just so old, they crumble.”
The Jaycees’ Community Development vice president, Sophia Manos, said the lath and plaster construction of the statues is a lost art form.
“I appreciate the effort and artistry that went into these figures,” she said.
The Jaycees’ chairman of the board, Mary Sorensen, has started a project to restore the statues.
