Category Archives: Williston Community

“World’s Strongest Gay” Speaks about Living Authentically

Williston’s Head Athletic Trainer Rob Kearney stands out in a crowd. He sports a lizard-like Mohawk haircut and a bright pink tie. He exudes confidence and strength. And that’s because he’s strong. He’s one of the world’s strongest men, having appeared on televised “World’s Strongest Man” competitions and having pulled busses and airplanes and having deadlifted 925 pounds. Here’s his WSM profile.

During an all-school assembly on Oct. 18, Kearney told the Williston community his story with insight and good humor. In high school, he was an athlete and a weight-lifter. He was in a band. He was a really good cheerleader (he was even recruited by Division I schools for his cheerleading abilities). He dated girls. It seemed the perfect high school existence. But something was not right. Continue reading

Williston Prepares for Day of Silence

On April 21, 2017, Williston will take part in a nationally recognized event called Day of Silence. According to GLSEN, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ rights in K-12 schools, Day of Silence is a student-led national event organized in thousands of schools, bringing awareness to the silencing effects of anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBTQ behavior by illustrating the silencing effect of bullying and harassment on LGBTQ students and those perceived to be LGBTQ.

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School-Wide Food Drive Exceeds Goal

The Community Service Club issued a school-wide challenge: donate 1,000 food and personal care items to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. As an incentive, the class with the most donations would get a dress-down day (a most-coveted prize!).

Sophomores Glede Wang, Simon Kim, and Robby Hill, shopped for food to donate before winter break.
Sophomores Glede Wang, Simon Kim, and Robby Hill shopped for food to donate before winter break.

At a recent assembly, Kate Garrity, Director of Student Life Curriculum and the faculty advisor to the Community Service Club announced the winners of the competition—and the fact that as a school, we exceeded our goal, bringing in 1,315 items, weighing in at 1,142 pounds, for needy families.

The Class of 2019 was first in the Upper School, and second overall  with 340 donations. And the Middle School collected 465 donations, which put them in first place for the entire school.

“Be proud of this and feel good about how many hungry families you were able to help,” said Ms. Garrity in announcing the winners. “Let’s do it again next year!”

Williston Donates Rescue Boat to City of Easthampton

Fire Chief Mottor, Williston CFO Charles McCullagh, Easthampton Mayor Karen Cadieux, Williston Head of School Robert W. Hill III, and Police Chief Robert Alberti
Fire Chief David Mottor, Williston CFO Charles McCullagh, Easthampton Mayor Karen Cadieux, Williston Head of School Robert W. Hill III, and Police Chief Robert Alberti

The City of Easthampton is scheduled to accept a gift of a rescue boat from the Williston Northampton School at a Dec. 21 City Council meeting. The equipment replaces an aluminum boat that dated to before 1953, according to Fire Chief David Mottor.

Mayor Karen Cadieux said she and representatives from Williston had been in discussions about a capital gift to the city that the school could make. “This is the perfect item. It serves the police department, the fire department, Williston, and the entire city of Easthampton,” she said. “We’re thrilled to see our community working together.”

The new craft is a 14-foot Defender 430 Zodiac-style inflatable with a 25-horsepower outboard motor and a hard hull. The design makes rescuing much easier, Mottor said. The older boat, which was not designed as a rescue vehicle, has high sides, making it difficult to pull people out of the water, and increasing the risk of injury to the rescuer, Mottor said.

The old aluminum boat and its newer replacement
The pre-1953 aluminum boat and its replacement

“The new boat has a lower profile, it’s lighter, and it can be brought to the water’s edge anywhere. We don’t have to use the boat launch, which will reduce our response time,” he said. The police and fire departments undertake rescue, enforcement, and spill-response activities in Nashawannuck Pond, in the Oxbow of the Connecticut River, and on the Manhan River. Mottor said the new boat with a bigger motor will allow a crew to pull oil spill response equipment, such as booms, through a stronger current.

Police Chief Robert Alberti said the boat fills a need when the department engages in enforcement and rescue activities. “We’ve had to ask to borrow a boat to render services,” he said, adding. “We look forward to using the boat for the betterment of the community.”

Williston Chief Financial Officer Charles McCullagh, who, along with Head of School Robert W. Hill III, worked with the city to identify a donation that would best serve the community, delivered the craft to the fire department on the morning of Dec. 20. McCullagh, Hill, Mayor Cadieux, Chief Mottor, and Chief Alberti posed for photos next to the old and new boats.

“Our public safety professionals need quality equipment to do their jobs well, and we are proud to support their efforts,” Hill said.

McCullagh added, “Williston works to be a good partner for the town of Easthampton, and we are happy to support its rescue operations by providing this equipment.”