LAWRENCE | She came to see the yellow ribbons bearing her son's name on the city's school buildings.
She came to thank everyone who has prayed for his return | parents who can identify with her pain, churchgoers who have made him the focus of their thoughts, schoolchildren who have dedicated projects to him.
Maria del Rosario Duran came to Lawrence over the weekend to personally thank residents for the prayers and support they have shown her family while her son Army Spc. Alex Jimenez of Lawrence has been missing.
"I was overcome with emotions when I saw the yellow ribbons," Duran said. "It's a very important symbol and one which gives me a lot of hope that he may be freed and come home soon."
Jimenez, 25, and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Mich., went missing in Iraq after their unit was ambushed south of Baghdad on May 12. A third missing soldier was found dead more than a week later.
Duran drove to Lawrence from Queens, N.Y., on Sunday afternoon with her sisters Regina, Griselda and Milady Duran, her youngest son, Bryant, 15, and two of her close friends. She made the one-day trip because she did not have to go to her job as a home health aide yesterday.
Duran drove past Lawrence schools and stopped at the Playstead on Lawrence Street, where baseball players observed a moment of silence for her son before beginning their game. She also publicly thanked the people of the city for their support.
After visiting friends and family members in Lawrence and Haverhill, Duran attended a 7 p.m. Spanish Mass at St. Patrick Church on South Broadway.
Duran is no stranger to the city. She lived on Kendrick Street when her son was small. The family moved to the Dominican Republic before moving to Queens, where she has lived since.
Her son attended Oliver School on Haverhill Street until he moved when in the fifth grade. He returned to Lawrence five or six years ago. Before enlisting in the Army, Jimenez lived on Water Street with his cousin.
Jimenez' father, Ramon "Andy" Jimenez, lives on Albion Street in Lawrence.
Duran said she is returning to New York with a renewed sense of strength.
"I'm going home satisfied by the signs of solidarity shown to my son and our family," she said.
And at home she and relatives and friends will continue their private vigil of prayer and hope that her son will return.
Army officials have changed Jimenez's status from "whereabouts unknown" to "missing/captured." The change does not mean the military has gained any new information about his whereabouts, but relatives were still notified of the development late last week.
The change reflects an official determination that Jimenez and Fouty were seized by hostile forces. The earlier designation is typically used when a soldier is missing but military officials have not confirmed the circumstances.
The Islamic State of Iraq, a terrorist group with links to al-Qaida, claimed on the Internet that all three of the missing soldiers, including Jimenez, were killed and buried, but offered no proof. Identification cards belonging to Jimenez and Fouty were found two weeks ago in an al-Qaida safehouse more than 100 miles from where they disappeared.
The change in their official status was seen as a good sign by family members.
As they wait for more definitive answers, the family of Jimenez continues to cling to their strong Catholic faith for strength.
Local News
Jimenez's mother visits Lawrence to thank city for its support
-
-
After 10 days on the run, dog is home
AMESBURY — After days of wandering, the Italian greyhound Merlin reappeared yesterday morning just like mystical figure he's named after.
Continued ...
Merlin was found in a trap set by his owner. The dog was cold, had lost some weight, had a few cuts and scrapes, and was dirty after his 10-day journey, but otherwise in good health. -
Petitions won't stop nuke plant relicensing
NEWBURYPORT — The chorus of local communities and elected leaders trying to temporarily halt the relicensing of the Seabrook nuclear station is growing, but their petitions alone will not stop it.
Continued ... -
Newbury man sentenced in marina crimes
NEWBURYPORT — A Newbury man has been convicted for his part in last year's wave of thefts that resulted in almost $100,000 in copper wiring being stolen from the docks at city marinas.
Continued ...
Timothy R. Noonan, 35, of 248 High Road, Newbury, was found guilty in Newburyport District Court on one count of larceny of merchandise worth more than $250 in a theft traced back to Jan. 26, 2011, with a worth estimated at between $50,000 to $60,000. Judge Peter Doyle sentenced Noonan to one year's probation. He was also sentenced to a year in jail, though that was suspended — meaning, he will not be jailed initially, but if he violates the terms of his probation, he could be jailed. -
NHS booting up 'From Home' technology program
NEWBURYPORT — Until now, they were almost considered contraband in Newburyport schools.
Continued ...
But a philosophy that had students leaving their smartphones and mobile devices in their locker or backpack for fear they would distract from learning is about to change. -
Memories of Horton Home have lingered vividly throughout years
Back in the late 1920s and early 1930s, there was a facility, the Horton Home, named after the Rev. William Horton, who was well-known for his kindness and benevolence. He was concerned with the poor and elderly because, as they got older and lost their families, many had no place to go.
Continued ... - Trooper at fault in cruiser crash
- Police logs
- District Court
- What it means to truly love in light of Valentine's Day
- Fewer birds at local feeders this winter
- Programs at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats
- Parker River wildlife refuge offers free programs
- Elder menus
- Church notes
- Church directory
- Bird watch
- West Newbury news in brief
- Heard Around Town
- February 10, 2012
- cat of the week
- Salisbury police officer fired
-
After 10 days on the run, dog is home
LAPD: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48
Maine GOP Chairman Says Romney Wins Caucuses
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
US Airmen's Killer Sentenced to Life in Germany
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria
Romney Slams President Obama at CPAC
Gingrich: Pres. Obama 'waging War on Religion'
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
