You’re Never Too Young to Make a Difference

Dear Bay Weekly:

Here’s a glimmer of some homespun good news in the midst of so many suffocating, negative stories. This story is regarding my daughter, Olivia Hooe, 7, of North Beach.

First, some background: last November Livvy read on the town marquee that the monthly Monday with the Mayor was scheduled for a certain evening. This is an open forum where citizens of the town can chat with Mayor Bojokles regarding issues of concern, ideas, etc. She asked if we could go because “someone needs to do something about our alley. You can’t keep taking care of so much of it, Mom. You need help. And that junky house on the corner shouldn’t be allowed to throw their trash back there.”

I said that we could go, but, as luck would have it, Livvy was sick that Monday night. So I suggested that she write him a letter instead. She did write it, and I got it to him.

Just before Christmas, she got a letter from the mayor thanking her, asking her to notice that the alley had been completely rid of trash and debris and inviting her to the January Town Council meeting on Jan. 10. The mayor had previously decided to begin a citizen of the month program in 2008. The letter said that he had chosen her to be the very first recipient of the North Beach Citizen of the Month award. She was so thrilled. And then she was even more excited when she figured out that it was “for grown-ups too, not just the best citizen of all the kids … grown-up, too!”

The best part of this is that she will always carry with her the confidence that one person can make a difference.

–Jennifer Boyles (Hooe), North Beach

Voyager Encountered at Anchor in Cambridge

Dear Bay Weekly:

We enjoyed Guy Guthridge and Lynn Simarksi’s columns written while they were anchored 400 feet down the street at the Cambridge Marina. We run The Mill Street Inn B&B and have enjoyed talking with them here at the inn and at the marina.

We appreciate this opportunity to open up a new avenue of information about the Bay, and we will miss them when they depart just after the New Year. Their holiday lights, strung out over their boat, are a spark of brightness along our waterfront.

–Jennie and Skip Rideout, Cambridge

Extraterrestrial Forays

Dear Bay Weekly:

I always read Alex Knoll’s weekly column, Sky Watch. Over the years his articles have helped orient me to the night skies and not miss celestial highlights. For Christmas this year I was surprised by a gift of SkyScout, my own personal planetarium that identifies planets, stars, constellations with the “click of a button.” I love my new toy, but I’ll still jump-start my extraterrestrial forays with Alex.

–M.L. Faunce, Churchton

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