Everett Public Schools – Page 9 – Everett Leader Herald

Writing is her life and she loves it

By Josh Resnek

Karen Ligocki’s Fremont Avenue home, where she has lived all her life with her brother and sister and their dogs and cats, has been in the Ligocki Family for 75 years.

During an interview in the front living room with Ligocki, her sister Barbara and brother Eddie present last Thursday, she revealed that during the summer of 2023 just passed something came over her.

“I always thought I had a book in me. It started last summer. It all came out. It is still coming out,” said the author of two books she self published and which are available online to be purchased.

A third work is being completed by the author right now, and she said she has plans for a fourth book.

Her third title will be called, “Summer Blast.”

The first two books are “Spring Fling” and “Canceling Christmas,” fun works to read about love and family complications, with a sprinkling of politics, books that are easy to read and fun, as she describes them.

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Around the city…

Second Annual Polar Plunge

As part of the Everett Police and Law Enforcement Torch Run, the Everett community raised over $16,000 for the Massachusetts Special Olympics it was announced on December 10.

Raising this kind of money for such a good cause is big medicine and gratitude should be expressed to everyone involved.

Polar Plunges take a great deal of self-composure and one must have a real strong constitution for very cold water!

Well done!

Mark Your Calendar

The Everett High School Holiday Gala Concert and Silent Art Auction will be held on December 19 at 6:00 pm inside the Everett High School Center for the Performing Arts.

The award winning EHS Band will be in full regalia and will perform magnificently for all of you who come to the event.

Don’t miss this signature Christmas and holiday musical event and auction!

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Everett Sports Roundup

Willcox named finalist for Walter Payton Award

Everett native and Brown University football star quarterback Jake Willcox is among 30 finalist for the Walter Payton Award, an annual honor given to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national offensive player of the year.

Willcox is the only player from the Ivy League selected as a finalist for the honor.

Averaging 292.4 passing yards per game, Willcox led all of the FCS in passing and placed second in total offense with 301.7 yards per matchup.

The senior QB passed for 350-plus yards in four of Brown’s first five games and threw for 18 touchdowns on the year, helping guide the Bears (5-5) to its first .500 overall record since the 2015 season. Willcox’s 62.5 completion percentage in 2023 ranks sixth all-time in program history.

The Walter Payton Award, presented by FedEx Ground, will be announced at the FCS National Awards Banquet on January 6th in Frisco, Texas.

Past FCS recipients include Tony Romo, Steve McNair, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance.

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Public speakers at School Committee concerned about transparency

By Josh Resnek

Let the people be heard. Let the new school committee decide who the next superintendent will be, good bye to those whose votes are promised and not made independently. Welcome to those who defeated “the slate,” seemed to be the theme among many of the public speakers at the school committee meeting Monday night.

In all, nine men and women spoke out Mary Fortin said people she speaks with are afraid of retaliation. “Citizens should never feel that way, ever,” she said.

Vincent Dixon of the Mystic Valley NAACP read a statement from the NAACP which the Herald Leader has printed in today’s edition, which asks for an open and fair process regarding the public process of appointing a new superintendent. He asked that it be done by the new School Committee to be seated after the first of the year Sein McNally, a teacher in the Everett school system and parent of three, whose impassioned rhetoric has become a staple at School Committee meetings, again emphasized what he referred to as an “unethical and racist process” of removing Priya Tahiliani is what is playing out.

“Wait til January. Wait til January. Winning is not the point in the superintendent controversy. Tahiliani the best possible choice,” he admonished the school committee.

Tony Raymond, among the most outspoken of the public speaking advocates, expressed joy at those re-elected.

“We don’t want puppets in here. We want transparency. We are very distrustful of city government here in Everett. You think we’re happy?” he asked the School Committee.

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DiDomenico Secures Funding for New Everett High School Music Program Truck

Senator Sal DiDomenico secured funding in the state budget so that the Everett High School Music Program could purchase a brand-new truck for their competitions. The school’s marching band, percussion ensemble, and color guard will use this truck to transport their equipment as they compete and perform throughout Massachusetts and the United States.

“This amazing and talented group of students has dedicated countless hours perfecting their performances and they deserve a new truck like this one that reflects their passion and care for the marching band, percussion ensemble and color guard,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate.

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