Opinion
In the name of charity, real love
Paul was 31 years old when he and his family went skiing at Attitash Mountain for Christmas in December 1998. After a tragic ski accident, Paul passed away on Christmas Day of that year.
One way his family decided to keep his memory alive was for many friends, schoolmates and family to organize the memorial tournament. The first fundraiser was held in June 1999.
Eighteen holes of golf are played by 36 teams with four or five golfers on each team. At least 168 golfers pay a fee each year to participate. Each hole has a posted sign that relates who is sponsoring that particular hole. I have never seen such comradeship among both female and male golfers. It absolutely poured "buckets" and everyone played the entire 18 holes! They were totally drenched, but arrived in from the soaked course laughing, joking and hungry.
Drivers in golf carts good-naturedly transported guests and players to and from the greens and parking lot.
A huge white canopy was set up in a lovely shaded area of the club. Friends, family members, Youth Hockey League volunteers, "hockey moms" and Paul's brother Troy (the announcer) ran raffles, served food (mostly donated), visited and greeted guests, and set up tables to allow everyone to sit, eat and enjoy each other's company. This was only the second time it had rained in eight years.
The wonderful heroes of Paul's "circle of family" are his mom Jean, dad Matt, brother Troy and his wife Sherrie, his sister, Erin, and her husband, Brett Burdick, plus lifelong friends.
Over an eight-year period, over $100,000 has been raised and donated to local youth hockey leagues, and a scholarship in the memory of Jeff Sanborn at the Amesbury High School plus local charities.
Six months before each yearly tournament, preparations for the next year's events are already started. Letters are sent to prospective players, sponsors and other participants. T-shirts are ordered, trophies made up and raffle prizes are bought. Jean, at one time, did a lot of cooking and still oversees the preparations, which start the Wednesday before each tournament at the Holy Apostle Peter and Paul Church in Haverhill.
Raffle prizes are donated from many sources including HBO, Red Sox, The Golf Pro Shop at the club, neighbors, businesses, hotels, restaurants, spas, etc. There is a Web site, www.paulmcgrathmemorial.org.
Jean's grandchildren now play hockey. It is a sport close to the family's hearts. Troy's family is pictured on this year's Attitash pamphlet enjoying the skiing and other activities. This family manages to have it all and share their time to put on this yearly undertaking because of their love for Paul. How refreshing and wonderful! I look forward to next year!
Sara Anne Eames lives in Newburyport.
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Highway sound barriers deserve closer look
With Interstates 495 and 95 converging together in our region, there's plenty of unwanted highway noise to go around.
The noise serves as the background hum across a wide corridor of Greater Newburyport. Try walking through Newburyport's Maudslay State Park on a quiet fall day, or an Amesbury neighborhood near scenic Point Shore, or through Newburyport's West End, and listen. It is noise pollution that perhaps we've all gotten a little too used to. And it will only get worse as traffic numbers grow. -
Mass. education standards dropped for federal control
As we enter the back-to-school season, it is time to realize the public school in your town could dramatically change in four years due to a federal takeover. The case for national education standards might be rationalized by the need to remedy the inferior quality of some state standards and to equalize academic standards for all students. There is no doubt that the U.S. needs higher levels of achievement than its students currently demonstrate for it to remain competitive in a global economy. The common core curriculum academic standard is the federal math and English curriculum that many states are contemplating. Massachusetts recently adopted these along with 26 other states. Massachusetts will allow the federal government to dictate our education standards in order to receive the "carrot" held out: a $250 million grant Massachusetts had applied for through Obama's race to the top competition funded partially through the stimulus program.
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Is it too loud or is it just me?
To the editor:
It's probably that I'm just getting old, of which there is little doubt. A recent hearing test indicated a small bit of hearing loss, especially at high frequencies. And my wife suspects deafness. -
What is Sarah Palin's agenda?
To the editor:
Sarah Palin walked off her job as governor of Alaska halfway through her term to go on a tour to promote her book and make a lot of money. Since then she has spent most of her time on expensive speaking engagements raking in more money. She loves to speak to Tea Party crowds, appear on Fox News and slam President Obama almost on a daily basis. Her slander, lies and put-downs are getting so aggressive that she actually said that he is missing an important part of his anatomy and is incompetent. -
Leasing the way to go with solar panels
To the editor:
I just read that West Newbury is installing solar panels on Pipestave Hill for a "low bid" of $19,400. I hope the contract hasn't been signed yet. I recently installed the same 3-kilowatt system on my house in Newburyport. Instead of buying it for $19,400, I leased it for a total of $8,000 for 18 years from a company named Alteris Renewables here in Massachusetts. At the end of 18 years I can have it removed by them or buy it then for $2,000. Aside from the reduction in cost, there is another big incentive to lease. During the next 18 years, if anything goes wrong with the system (such as the PV inverter that converts DC to AC electricity), the owners have to repair it, not me. - September 1, 2010
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Highway sound barriers deserve closer look
