If You Build It, They Will Come

6 years ago, I was on the school committee. The major claim to fame (and I use the word fame loosely because there were a lot of hurdles to overcome) was that we decided to regionalize.

It was huge.

It was an undertaking.

It lost me some friends.

It gained me some new friends.

We focused on taking the best of 2 school districts and combining them into one absolutely fabulous district.

We agreed to build a new High School.

I got to walk into that High School today. I listened to speeches from a bunch of important people from our Commonwealth. I heard these speeches in the brand new auditorium. The same auditorium where I will watch my daughter in plays and hear her sing. It was very moving. I am so very proud of the efforts I and so many other people put in to see this building come to fruition.

Here are some of the outside views (and yes, the sky cooperated with brilliant clouds).

Can you guess what our mascot is? So cool that someone thought to incorporate it into the bleachers!!

The school is bright, shiny, well thought out and the attention to detail is amazing.

Congratulations Harwich and Chatham on making the best possible school and school district for our children! I may have to figure out how to become a High School teacher instead of an Elementary School teacher :)

PMC or My Brother Rocks

My brother is my hero because he overcame cancer (11 years ago!) and helps others with cancer by riding his bike every year. This year he rode in his 8th Pan Mass Challenge which is a 2 day bike ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown (192 miles). The PMC raises money for cancer research. Before he rode the PMC, he rode the Lance Armstrong ride in Austin, Texas. That was 100 miles in one day. The second year, my mom, dad, sister and I all went to cheer him on. It was a most amazing trip. Here we are at a rest stop with him. (Sally's umbrella was to protect her from that hot Texas sun).

Tommy rides for a team called Team Lick Cancer. Here is a smattering of their t-shirt designs worn by his biggest fans.

Here we are the other day cheering him on at the Nickerson State Park rest stop. Doesn't it kill you that he doesn't even look winded and this was 1/2 way through day 2?!

One of the benefits I get from him riding his bike on this great team is that he rides with a bunch of people who we both went to high school with! Celebrating at the finish in Provincetown on Sunday, I got to have a mini reunion with 3 handsome classmates. Rich, this is a shout out to you because you actually asked if I was going to write about you and this! I love when people tell me they read what I write.  :)

One of these years I hope to ride the PMC with him, but right now I am happy being his biggest cheerleader!!