01940 Winter 2020

A singer
and
his songs
Reading, writing, remote
Her helping hand
Sweet creations
WINTER 2020
VOL. 3 NO. 4

EVELYN ROCKAS
YOUR NORTH SHORE REAL ESTATE EXPERT
Now is the time to sell... inventory is low.
Call Evelyn for a free market analysis.
New Home Specialist Certified Negotiation Specialist Luxury Property Specialist Accredited Buyer’s Representative
Accredited Staging Professional
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Rental Agent Certified
International President’s
Circle Award Winner
Evelyn Rockas
Evelyn.Rockas@NEMoves.com
C. 617.256.8500
Lynnfield Office | 1085 Summer Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940
EvelynRockasRealEstate.com
*Based on closed sales volume information from MLS Property Information Network, Inc. in all price ranges as reported on April 26, 2019 for the period of 4/26/18-4/26/19. Source data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Real estate agents affiliated
with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair
Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 19FXWN_NE_5/19

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02 | 01940
A publication of Essex Media Group
Publisher
Edward M. Grant
Chief Executive Officer
Michael H. Shanahan
Directors
Edward L. Cahill
John M. Gilberg
Edward M. Grant
Gordon R. Hall
Monica Connell Healey
J. Patrick Norton
Michael H. Shanahan
Chief Financial Officer
William J. Kraft
Chief Operating Officer
James N. Wilson
Community Relations Director
Carolina Trujillo
Controller
Susan Conti
Editor
Thor Jourgensen
Contributing Editor
Steve Krause
Ann Marie Tobin
Contributing Writers
Mike Alongi
Elyse Carmosino
Gayla Cawley
Dan Kane
Steve Krause
Anne Marie Tobin
Guthrie Scrimgeour
Photographers
Olivia Falcigno
Spenser Hasak
Advertising Sales
Ernie Carpenter
Ralph Mitchell
Eric Rondeau
Patricia Whalen
Advertising Design
Trevor Andreozzi
Mark Sutherland
Design
Tori Faieta
ESSEX MEDIA GROUP
110 Munroe St.,
Lynn, MA 01901
781-593-7700 ext.1234
Subscriptions:
781-593-7700 ext. 1253
01940themagazine.com
A noteworthy edition
Do you sing in the shower? Are you one of those people who sings, hums, or taps your fingers (or even
feet) to the tunes on your car radio? When you're walking down the street, do you snap your fingers and
shuffle your feet?
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
Neither do I. And it may interest you to know that Lynnfield's Noel Smith does not sing in the shower.
But she's singing at almost every other time of the day. She teaches it while the sun's out, and then she
goes into Boston by night and sings voice-overs and bit parts at a recording studio in Roslindale.
She has trained singers for Broadway and helped them get into schools that specialize in drama. And
she has definite opinions on what makes a good singer. But first and foremost, she says, you have to love
it and you have to want it. Steve Krause has the story.
On another note, Angelo David, an 18-year-old singer/songwriter and keyboard player, began writing
songs at the age of 8 after he began taking piano lessons. He's still at it. Elyse Carmosino has the story.
COVID-19 is never far away from us. This edition of 01940 has four stories that deal with various
facets of the subject. In the first, Gayla Cawley talks to Senior Center director Linda Naccara about how
to eliminate, or at least lessen, loneliness among elderly people. Then, school nurse Denise Weaver has set
up a donation drive to help those in Chelsea affected by the pandemic. Guthrie Scrimgeour has the story.
The existence of COVID has made for a bumpy ride in the Lynnfield school district, where the town's
ascension to the state's red zone — the highest risk designation assigned to communities based on the
average daily cases per 100,000 residents — changed plans around a little. Anne Marie Tobin has the story.
Finally, meet a rarity in high school athletics: a four-sport athlete. Ava Buonfiglio fits the bill. Because
COVID pushed her volleyball season to the end of the winter, Buonfiglio decided to pursue cross
country in the fall. That made four sports for her this year, as she also plays basketball and tennis. Mike
Alongi has the story. Alongi also has the story about Teri Chisholm experiencing nearly every aspect of
the educational system during her career.
Nikki Martin joined Compass Real Estate in April in the middle of the pandemic. Since then, she
has been doing everything she can to keep up with a frenetic residential real-estate market. Anne Marie
Tobin is back with that story.
The history of Pillings Pond is long and its roots run deep — but it is still capable of surprising even longtime
residents. Kirk Mansfield's family history and the pond go hand in hand. Daniel Kane has the story.
Soderberg Insurance Services originated nearly 55 years ago in the corner of a basement with a makeshift
desk built from a door laid across two file cabinets. It has grown since then, not only as an insurance
provider but in giving back to the community too. Guthrie Scrimgeour has the story.
And when it comes to specialty cakes, cupcakes, cookies and confectionary treats, nobody does it better
than Pam Shapleigh, who is definitely Lynnfield's "Cake Boss." The prolific Anne Marie Tobin has the story.
INSIDE
04 What's Up
24 Musical Angelo
06 Reading, writing, remote 28 She cares and shares
10 Her helping hand 30 55 and counting
12 House Money
32 Rock art
14 Sweet creations 34 Ava for effort
16 Daring Nikki
36 History floats
18 High achiever
38 Autumnal antics
20 Sing out, Noel
TED GRANT
COVER
A musician since the age
of 8, Lynnfield's Angelo
David is a recording
artist who has won
awards for his songs.
PHOTO BY
OLIVIA FALCIGNO

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04 | 01940
WHAT'S UP
That's Italian!
What: Pasta-making class for kids with
author and television show host Joe Gatto.
Sign up and receive a shopping list of
needed ingredients and equipment.
Where: The class is virtual: Visit
lynnfieldma.myrec.com for sign up
information. Adult classes are also offered.
When: Dec. 17, 7-8:30 p.m.
Holiday blooms
What: Create a beautiful holiday
arrangement in the comfort of your home.
Where: Go to alicestable.com/
events/holiday-blooms-with-lynnfieldrec_1603327796
to register for this virtual
class. All required project material will be
delivered to your house. Registration closes
Dec. 4.
When: Dec. 19, 7-8:30 p.m.
Teen book Tuesdays
What: Public library youth services head
Lauren Fox shares the first chapters of
young adult books and, if you like what you
hear, books can be reserved.
Where: Chapters are posted in a
weekly video to the library Facebook
facebook.com/LynnfieldLibrary For more
information, contact Lauren Fox, 781-334-
5411, lfox@noblenet.org
When: Nov. 24 and following Tuesdays, 11 a.m.
Wicked Awesome Windows
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Art on display
What: The Lynnfield Art Guild has exclusive
exhibiting privileges for members.
Where: Frank Tomasello has several
paintings on display at North Shore Bank, 32
Main St., Peabody for the next few months.
When: For display times and arrangements,
contact Pat Kelly, Lynnfield public library,
kelly@noblenet.org. Ulkiye Karaman,
Wakefield Cooperative Bank, 617-860-8974.
Peter Cain, The Savings Bank, 978-694-1006.
For the love of books
What: Join the public library's virtual
nonfiction book conversations —
newcomers always welcome.
Where: Please register in advance
below to receive the Zoom link or
email aporter@noblenet.org with any
issues logging in.
When: Dec. 17, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

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INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
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932 Lynnfield Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940 www.raveis.com

06 | 01940
Finding ways during a
SCHOOL
DAZE
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN
It's been a bumpy ride.
Lynnfield was fully confident that the
district would start the year with some
sort of in-person learning, but things
ground to a halt in early September
when, after a spike in the number of
coronavirus cases (and the discovery
of two cases in school-age children),
the School Committee had to pivot to
remote learning.
"We are all reluctant 'yesses' (on the
vote) on this and I ask the community
to do their best to get kids back in
school as early as possible," said School
Committee Chairman Jamie Hayman
during the hastily-called emergency
meeting. "I am disappointed for students,
parents and teachers and we all want to
get students back in school as quickly
as possible. This is not what any of us
want."
"We want our kids back in schools,
but we need to do right by them and
act responsibly," chimed in committee
member Stacy Dahlstedt.
But remote or no remote, the district
pushed on, only to be halted in its
tracks when, after a relatively uneventful
first day of school on Sept. 16, a major
technological glitch caused a near-total
breakdown in internet connectivity.
After solving the tech disruption, a
couple of weeks later Lynnfield finally

WINTER 2020 | 07
had some good news to crow about - the
town was out of the red, triggering a
pivot to hybrid in late September.
But the process has been far from
easy as nobody had any idea what they
would be facing.
A girls soccer team senior captain,
Julia Colucci says that teachers and
students feel that in-person learning/
teaching is much harder than being fully
remote.
"When you are in remote, everyone
is doing the same thing, so it's so much
easier," she said. "But when you are in
class, the teachers don't know who to
give their attention to."
High School Assistant Principal
Brian Bates agreed.
"We started with teachers focusing
more it seemed on the remote kids, so it
was hard for students in the classroom,"
he said. "It's about finding the right
balance, but I think our teachers are
figuring out how to divide their attention
so that both groups of students get what
they need."
After four weeks under the hybrid
model, School Superintendent Kristen
Vogel said the one word she heard most
from teachers, administrators and parents
was "exhausting."
Middle school math and science
teacher Darren Damiani echoed Vogel.
"It's just not the same and it's
exhausting for everyone. We have
absolutely no control over what kids are
”
We want our kids back in
schools, but we need to
do right by them and
act responsibly.
— STACY DAHLSTEDT
doing or not doing."
Like Damiani, Mark Vermont teaches
5th grade math and science and he also
coaches the girls soccer team. He feels
that the hybrid model is improving, but
it's still "very strange."
"For a while, we saw only the few kids
in cohort A, special needs and students
with IEPs (Individual Education
Plans) for the most part, so it's been
nice to see the kids, but it's been a
huge adjustment," Vermont said. "It's
so hard to teach and engage when you
can't see their faces and they can't see
yours. I think my students are engaged
as much as they can be. COVID or not,
I always want more engagement," he
said, crediting students for settling into
a routine considering situations seem to
change by the minute.
PHOTOS: BRIAN BATES
In late October, the district decided
to allow teachers to teach from home on
remote days.
Vermont's preference is to be in the
classroom.
"It's easier for me to get things
done with all of my things available in
the classroom that I would not have at
home. I know that doesn't apply to other
teachers," he said.
When asked where he picked up
this fall after pretty much losing half of
the third quarter and all of the fourth
quarter last spring, Vermont had an
interesting take.
In terms of curriculum, "you have to
pick up as best you can. Our math units
typically start the fall with a two-chapter
review from the 4th grade, but this year,
this is not as much of a review as it is new."

08 | 01940
Vermont said he is also facing
challenges on the pitch.
"Sports-wise, the socializing part of
high-school life is very limited," he said.
"There are no pasta parties, no movie
nights and the girls are in different
cohorts and don't see each other every
day so the opportunities for team
bonding are limited. Nobody wants to
watch Zoom movies."
Damiani and his wife, Jill, an
emergency room nurse at Massachusetts
General Hospital, are the parents of three
children in the Lynnfield public schools
— two at the high school and one at the
middle school.
He feels fortunate that his children
are old enough to work independently.
"I'm lucky my wife works at night and
we've been living that way forever so our
kids are used to functioning more or less
on their own," he said. "I feel badly for
younger kids who need supervision. And
the special education students who really
struggle with the at-home piece. It's so
hard for them to connect."
Damiani has about 12 students in
his class.
"We see kids on back-to-back days
and then not again for five," he said.
"You can't build relationships that way,
especially when we can't get the kids to
work together in small groups anymore.
They can only work together in Zoom
groups."
Like Vermont, Damiani prefers to
teach from the classroom.
"My kids work well at home so I can
be in school, so I have all my resources
and other team members at my fingertips,
but that's just me. I understand other
teachers may feel differently due to their
own personal circumstances."
At the high school, there are a few
new wrinkles.
"We are using a new code for
attendance purposes for study halls,
senior privilege, and dismissals," said
Bates, "We also have all study halls in
the cafeteria, unless it's lunch when they
go to the auditorium. Honestly, there are
challenges. The biggest one being lunch
as before we had a mix of all grades
at each lunch period which was great
because the seniors set the standard for
the freshman and now they can't do
that. The first day of school, they were all
saying, 'what? What is this, why can't we
sit together.'"
Bates said it didn't take kids long to adapt.
"Even now, they just love eating
outside, even if it's raining," Bates said.
"They love the freedom, especially the
kids up from the middle school, which is
more lockdown like."
Vogel said there is a lot of trial and
error.
"We now know from the teachers in
the trenches that it's really difficult to
engage with kids when teachers have
to split their attention between two
groups, and it's been that much harder
with the youngest students, but our
teachers have come up with some great
ideas which we will be exploring. The
important thing is not to rush, we need
to take our time."
A parent of a first-year middle
school student, who wished to remain
anonymous, said she has no complaints.
"The teachers are doing the best
they can," she said. "The spring was a
nightmare, but this fall, I feel my child
is busy, but she is absolutely not learning
what my other kids were learning when
they were in the 5th grade. In past years,
I never really needed to have teacher
conferences, but now, I need it more than
ever before because, like so many parents,
we really have no idea what's going on."
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10 | 01940
From Lynnfield
to Chelsea
BY GUTHRIE SCRIMGEOUR
As a long-time school nurse, it makes
sense that Denise Weaver would step up to
help those in need during the COVID-19
pandemic.
Weaver lives in Lynnfield but works at
the Excel School in Chelsea, so fostering a
bond between the two communities is very
important to her.
She helped build a bridge between the
two regions this year by setting up a massive
donation drive in Lynnfield to help those in
Chelsea affected by the pandemic.
It started in April, when Chelsea School
Committee Chairperson Kelly Garcia sent
out a request for donations to her network
in the Chelsea school system.
Weaver, who had worked as Kelly’s
middle school nurse at Excel Academy,
answered the call. She put out a Facebook
post requesting donations on a Lynnfield
community page.
“I never post on that,” she said. “But I
thought, 'what the heck. Why don’t I try?'”
The community response was enormous.
Weaver was able to fill an entire van with
donations of food and other supplies.
The donations are coordinated and
distributed by the Chelsea Collaborative,
a community organization that focuses
on a variety of issues facing the Chelsea
Latinx community, including tenants’ rights,
employment initiatives, and feeding and
clothing those in need.
Weaver communicates with the
Collaborative to determine what sorts of
supplies they need most. After her initial
work with the Collaborative, she began to
expand the types of donations she collected
from food to diapers, baby wipes, clothes
and personal hygiene products.
The first time Weaver dropped off her
donations, she was shocked at the need that
she saw.
“There were lines for three blocks,” she
said. “And it clicked: these people need
help.”
Since then, Weaver has delivered a
van full of donations to Chelsea every
single week.
“I just haven’t stopped,” she said.
During the summer, she coordinated
a toy drive so each family could get a
toy along with their food and supplies.
Lynnfield was able to collect two van-loads
of high quality toys for children in Chelsea.
“It was like Christmas in July,” she said.
The support from the Lynnfield
community reached all the way across the
country. One former Lynnfield resident who
has since moved to California contacted
Denise and let her know that she had
ordered a box of supplies from Amazon.
“When my van is full, I take it over,”
she said.
Garcia, who also works with the
Chelsea Collaborative, estimates that her
organization has been able to give away
7,000 boxes of supplies daily -- much of
which were collected from the Lynnfield
community.
“I can’t express how grateful we are to
Denise and the Lynnfield community,” said

WINTER 2020 | 11
Garcia. “I wish that I could send a virtual
hug to anyone that has helped this cause.”
Garcia’s cousin died in May leaving
his partner unemployed and struggling to
support her children during the pandemic.
The Lynnfield community stepped up again
in a big way.
“Denise rallied the troops again and did
another donation drive,” said Garcia. “And
we were able to clothe our three little boys.”
Weaver plans to continue the donation
drive for as long as necessary.
“It made people feel really good,” she
said, “We can’t do much. But if we gave a
of food, we
”bag did something.”
Opposite page: Denise Weaver of Lynnfield unloads a car full of diapers as she makes a donation to help
people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Above: Denise Weaver, right, stands with members of the
Chelsea Collaborative, from left, Gladys Vega, Joe Reese II, Jesus Murillo, Tanairi Garcia, and Kelly Garcia
after making a donation of diapers and other products.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
We can’t do much.
But if we gave
a bag of food,
we did something.
— DENISE WEAVER
MORTGAGES TO FIT YOUR EVERY NEED
MEMBER FDIC / MEMBER DIF EQUAL HOUSING LENDER NMLS #406738

12 | 01940
HOUSE MONEY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATHY JONES

WINTER 2020 | 13
A peek inside
4 Ostis Way
SALE PRICE: $1,400,000
SALE DATE: October 6, 2020
LIST PRICE: $1,499,900
TIME ON MARKET: 60 days
LISTING BROKER:
Marjorie Youngren,
William Raveis Real Estate
SELLING BROKER:
Fritz Pluviose, JF Realty, LLC
LATEST ASSESSED
VALUE: $1,180,100
PROPERTY TAXES: $16,427
YEAR BUILT: 1992
LOT SIZE: .93 acres (40,505
square feet)
LIVING AREA: 5,379 square feet
ROOMS: 13
BEDROOMS: 6
BATHROOMS: 5.5
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Brick front colonial with 2-story
foyer, sunken living room, cathedral
ceiling family room, light filled four
season room, designer kitchen,
butler’s pantry, first-floor master
bedroom, possible inlaw or au pair
suite over 3-car garage, finished
basement.
Source: MLS Property Information Network.

14 | 01940
Call her
cake boss
the
Pam Shapleigh creates specialty cakes,
cupcakes, cookies, and confectionary treats
from the kitchen of her Lynnfield home.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN
When it comes to
specialty cakes,
cupcakes, cookies and
yummy confectionary
treats, nobody does it better than Pam
Shapleigh.
Any attempt to describe her
PamShapleighKitchen creations is sure to
come up short. Perhaps the best way to
drum up a visual is, think "Cake Boss."
You name the theme or event, and
Shapleigh comes up with some of the
most unique, whimsical and clever
designs you have ever seen — or eaten,
for that matter. They are sure to put a
smile on the recipient's face.
What started as a hobby for Shapleigh
is now a full-fledged labor of love.
"I was doing some programs in the
schools, which I always loved, but then
COVID hit and I was inundated with
requests for cakes," said Shapleigh. "It
was crazy, people just were demanding to
have these cakes," she said. "I've even had
people say to me after I tell them that I
am booked on the day of the event that
they'll change the date of the birthday
party, just 'tell me when you are free and
I'll move the date.'"
From matching bride-and-groom
top-hats to tea cups to unicorns to green
army men and a "Two Infinity and
Beyond" birthday cake complete with
Buzz LightYear, there is no occasion that
Shapleigh can't pull off to perfection with
an extravagantly-decorated themed-cake.
Her pinata cake is sheer genius.
While the top is a colorful mishmash
of foods - spaghetti, a hamburger, and
upside-down ice cream cone, it's what's
inside that will have your head spinning
with delight and wonder. Slice the
first piece and an avalanche of colorful
trinkets and jewels spills out.
It all started about five years ago when
Lynnfield Community Schools (LCS)
Director Michaelann Herook approached
Shapleigh and asked if she would share
her techniques in classes for adults and
an after-school class for children.
"The classes were booked about
15 minutes after they were posted,"
Shapleigh said. "I couldn't keep up with
the demand and since then the classes
have always had wait lists. I really owe all
of my notoriety to Michaelann. Without
her, I wouldn't be going into Town Hall
to vote early and hear someone say after
hearing my name, 'hey, that's the cake
girl.' I really owe so much to Michaelann
and am so grateful to her."
Shapleigh began posting photos of
her cakes online, including ones showing
customers' expressions when they
received their special treats. Through
her Instagram account and word of
mouth from neighbors and friends,
business took off and soon Shapleigh
was swamped with cake orders. She posts
pictures of every delivery on social media.
"I look at these pictures even today
and am still amazed at how much in awe
these people are who have to have them,"
Shapleigh said.
Shapleigh and her husband, Paul,
moved to Lynnfield 17 years ago. They
have four children together - Samantha,
26, Amanda, 25, Chloe, 18, and Ellie, 14.
Unlike many professional bakeries that
use fondant, Shapleigh prefers her ownhomemade
American buttercream frosting.
"I use it because working with
fondant is so time-consuming and labor
intensive," she said. "When I'm teaching
classes, I'm usually flying in with no
time to spare, so I've perfected my own

WINTER 2020 | 15
method, and honestly, it looks just like
fondant."
Her favorite cake? The naked cake.
"It has minimal frosting that is
swiped along the sides and is decorated
with real flowers, so that ends up looking
very rustic," Shapleigh said. "It's my
number-one cake right now."
When it comes to flavor, Shapleigh
keeps it simple.
"Pretty much, it comes down to just
vanilla and chocolate, with vanilla being
the most asked for," she said.
Shapleigh offers summer cupcake
camps through Lynn Community
School's Summer of Fun Activities
program, which was especially
challenging this year with COVID-19
restrictions limiting the program to
outdoor classes.
"We usually have the high school
kitchen so we can teach the kids about
baking, so we lost that part of the
enrichment experience the kids normally
get," she said. "But we still were able to
focus on the decorating part, which is
really the most fun."
When the coronavirus pandemic hit,
Shapleigh demand soared and she has
been busy ever since. She estimates she has
made more than 100 cakes since March.
"One of the things people still do is
celebrate birthdays and anniversaries,"
she said. "That hasn't changed, things
like bridal showers, graduations and first
communions, people still want to have
that cake centerpiece and I think the fact
that they don't have to go to the store
and I come to them is an added bonus. I
was never afraid of going out."
"I love taking the pictures of people
as they are seeing the cakes for the first
time," said Shapleigh. "They want these
cakes so much that when they get them,
it's kind of like a little girl's version of
the Lynnfield craze about getting that
white Jeep when you get your driver's
license. It's just that crazy, everyone
wants one."
When asked who treats her to a
special on her own birthday, Shapleigh
laughed.
"My mother (Margaret Reska) makes
my cake but I'm not off the hook because
my daughter, Ellie, and I have the same
birthday, so I make hers and my mother
makes mine. Before I started doing this
as a hobby, really, just making cakes for
my family and relatives, my mother was
the cake-maker, so I guess you could say
I stole the business from her."
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16 | 01940
Realtor Nikki Martin opened a
new office in Lynnfield.
PHOTO: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
There's no stopping Nikki
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN
There's no slowing down Nikki
Martin.
The Lynnfield realtor joined Compass
Real Estate in April in the middle of
the pandemic. Since then, she has been
doing everything she can to keep up with
a frenetic residential real market, which
has buyers, sellers and brokers clamoring
to navigate their way through a market
defined by high demand, low inventories
and sales prices well above asking.
Toss in a new Lynnfield office off
Main Street (between Faith Spa and the
Center Street Market) and it's a wonder
that Martin has any time to catch a
breath.
"I made the move to Compass during
COVID because I needed to change
just about everything about the way I
conduct business," Martin said. "People
are just afraid, and I needed to go with
a tech-based company to expand my
growth. Compass has enabled me to do
this through the web with live-streaming
of open houses through restaurant-like
scanners on their devices that allows
them to literally be walking through
actual homes through their phones."
High-tech or personal touch: It is
mission-accomplished for Martin.
Since joining Compass, she has
grossed $38 million in five months,
which she says projects to be about $84
million over a 12-month span."
"I'm up about 30 percent, which is
just incredible and it's all due to the
technology," Martin said. "I had to
learn to think like a buyer. They want to
feel like they are in the house, and this
technology I now have allows them to do
that and I'm saving so much time as now
we are seeing real buyers and are able to
focus on pre-approved buyers we know

WINTER 2020 | 17
are serious."
Born and raised in Lynnfield, Martin
is a graduate of Lynnfield High School.
She attended Northeastern University,
where she graduated at the top of
her class with a Bachelor of Science
in business administration with a
concentration in marketing.
Martin has been a realtor for 37
years, focused on Lynnfield but she is
also active in Peabody, Middleton, North
Reading, Melrose and Wakefield. She
said the move to Compass has allowed
her to expand to other new communities,
including Somerville.
She made the move to Compass as
a senior vice-president after spending a
almost a year at William Raveis, 19 years
at Coldwell Banker and nearly 18 years
at Robert Stone.
Martin has won prestigious industry
awards, including Boston Magazine's
Top Producing Agent in Lynnfield in
2020. She has also been named to the
Presidents Club, reserved for the top 1
percent of all realtors for 20 consecutive
years.
In 2019, Martin's team closed more
than $64 million in sales, selling 84 units
across the North Shore.
At Compass, Martin leads a team of
six people, four of whom are Lynnfield
mothers. She says she always strives to
provide a fun, flexible atmosphere for her
team at all times.
"I am the oldest on the team, but they
all have that technology swag, so thanks
to them, technology has changed my life
in such a positive way," Martin said.
As far as her work location goes, it's
all about having that small-town feel.
"I wanted to be in a place that gives
the warm feeling of Lynnfield, right
in the center of town. I guess I'm just
old school," she said. "It was important
to be in the community as opposed to
some ordinary office on Route 1. I really
wanted to show all of my team members
that I care especially because the world
has changed since the virus. I think it's
going to be part of our lives and impact
how we do business. I don't think we will
ever do our business the pre-pandemic
way ever again, especially now with the
technology that is just over the top."
Look for Martin's formal office
opening sometime around Christmas.
I wanted to be in a place
that gives the warm feeling
of Lynnfield, right in the
center of town. I guess
I'm just old school.
— NIKKI MARTIN
Wishing everyone a happy and safe
holiday season!
NMLS # 457291
Member FDIC | Member DIF
24 Broadway, RT 1 South • Lynnfield
978.977.8510 EBSB.com

18 | 01940
Pursuer of excellence
BY MIKE ALONGI
Teri Chisholm has worn many hats in
her life. From educator to administrator
to Trustee of Salem State University, she
has seen and experienced nearly every
aspect of the educational system during
her career.
Chisholm's ties to the area are
numerous. Born and raised in Salem,
Chisholm was the valedictorian of
her graduating class at Salem High
School. From there, she attended Boston
College as an undergraduate and earned
a master's degree at
Boston University.
Once she launched
her career, Chisholm
moved to Lynnfield to
raise her two daughters,
Kesley and Kaitlyn.
During their 26 years in
Lynnfield, the Chisholm
family have been
frequent participants in
community affairs of all
kinds.
From Chisholm's
participation as the
president of the Lynnfield Educational
Trust to her husband, Jim's, presidency
of the Lynnfield Athletic Association,
the family became well-known in
Lynnfield community circles.
“We did a lot of things, running
fundraisers and events and things like
that,” said Chisholm, who now lives in
Boston. “We were always really involved
in the community, and we really enjoyed
spending that time doing those things.”
In terms of her career path, Chisholm
has spent the past 20 years as a lecturer,
a consultant and as a project director at
Harvard University. Through all of these
various roles, Chisholm has developed
an appreciation and a knowledge of
many different aspects of the educational
system.
"The funny thing is that I wanted
to go there for school, but I didn’t get
accepted,” said Chisholm. “But to be able
to go there and work in so many different
roles was truly a dream, and taking the
path that I chose allowed me to see so
many different aspects of the education
system. I’ve had so many fantastic
opportunities there, but what’s really
been amazing has been shifting from
such a big private institution to a public
institution.”
Once she started helping out in
political campaigns, Chisholm saw that
a position as a trustee in the state college
system had opened up. Luckily enough
for her, the position was at Salem State
University in her hometown.
"Education is the great equalizer,”
said Chisholm, quoting the great Horace
Mann. “We’re so blessed to live in
Teri Chisholm with husband, Jim, and
daughters Kelsey and Kaitlyn
COURTESY PHOTO: TERI CHISHOLM
Massachusetts where our school system
is so strong at every level, and for me to
be a part of that is truly special for me.”
During her first five-year term as a
trustee at Salem State, Chisholm has
worked as chair of the Presidential
Search Committee that eventually found
current Salem State President John
Keenan and is currently serving as chair
of Institutional Advancement/Marketing
and Communications Committee.
After completing her first term as a
trustee, Chisholm renewed for a second
five-year term at the beginning of this year.
The timing also coincided with the
onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As
a trustee of a state university, Chisholm
saw first-hand the challenges facing the
educational system, many of which were
present before the pandemic even began.
"Public higher education was facing

WINTER 2020 | 19
so many challenges already, from the
lowest enrollment numbers in years
to reduced government funding to
diversity and affordability issues,” said
Chisholm. “These challenges were then
just exacerbated by the pandemic. It
really has forced all of us to reimagine
everything. Our goal continues to be
creating a safe environment for students
and faculty and also providing support
for the community in any way we can.”
As with everyone else, the pandemic
also touched Chisholm on a personal
level. Her daughter, Kaitlyn, is married
to former Boston Bruins forward and
current Florida Panthers forward Noel
Acciari, and the couple recently had their
first child — Chisholm's first grandchild.
When Acciari had to leave to go
to the NHL quarantine bubble up in
Toronto back in June, Kaitlyn was
left home back in Florida with the
child. Chisholm elected to spend the
quarantine down in Florida with her
daughter.
"To be honest, it really has been a
special time,” said Chisholm. “With me
”
But to be able to go there
and work in so many
different roles was truly
a dream, and taking
the path that I chose
allowed me to see
so many different
aspects of the
education system.
— TERI CHISHOLM
being able to work remotely, I was able
to go down there and spend a lot of
quality time with my daughter and my
first grandchild, and that was amazing.
So when I look back on the pandemic
in the future, as bad as it was in so
many ways, at least I’ll have some happy
memories from it.”
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20 | 01940
Giving
voice to
giving
back
BY STEVE KRAUSE
Whoopi Goldberg, in one of her
"Sister Act" movies, told a student that
"if you wake up in the morning, and you
can't think of anything but singing, then
you should be a singer."
Noel Smith is a singer. Not only that,
she's a teacher of singing. Her life is
singing. From morning, to evening —
and then well into the night she's either
teaching other people to sing or singing
herself.
She loves it, and it's something she
knew she wanted to do from the time
she was in high school. Nobody ever
had to shout for her to "sing out, Noel,"
like Mama Rose had to tell young
Louise in "Gypsy."
So if you're lucky enough to get the
Charing Cross resident as a voice coach,
count your blessings. She will give it all
she's got to put you in the best place you
can be. However, she cautions, at some
point it's up to the person taking the
lessons to complete the deal.
Smith started singing at an early age
— in the usual ways, she says. There were
church choirs, school plays, and by the
time she got to high school, "I knew I
wanted to go into music."
And she does sing. After work, almost
every night, she gets into her car and
drives to Roslindale so she can sing voiceovers
in a recording studio. But it's "work"
that provides Smith with her biggest
rewards. She teaches and coaches people
who have stars in their eyes. They're the
Noel Smith is a Lynnfieldbased
voice coach.
PHOTO: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
ones who go to Ellen's Stardust Diner on
one end of the Theater District in New
York, but aim to end up at Sardis waiting
for the opening-night reviews.
There's one thing, though, that Smith
absolutely requires when she takes a
student on: No divas allowed.
"I keep it real," Smith said, on
meeting students for the first time. "I
always have them come in and talk to
me, and I have them sing a couple of
pieces, talk to them, get to know them.
"I'll tell them what I like in their
voices, things that are working well. And
then tell them what they need to do. I
talk in terms of being competitive."
Why?
"This is a competitive world," she
said. "If I sugar-coat, or tell them they're
'all that,' they're going to get beaten up
when they leave my studio. When I tell
them what they have to work on, they get
a much more realistic view of the world.
I'll say, 'to be competitive, you need to
work on our pitch, work on your range.'
I'm very up front.
"I'll always tell them something good,"
she said. "But I'll also tell them what
needs improvement. And I tell them to be
a team player. No diva attitude."
More than teaching the mechanics
of voice, Smith wants her students to
emerge from her class as good people.
"I want to be a mentor who creates
nice people," she said. "I have a student
who worked with me, starting in the
seventh grade, and she went on to star as
Elphaba in 'Wicked.' She's home now,
and she comes to my studio and works
with my students on acting. That's what I

WINTER 2020 | 21
”
The students
who end up being
successful are the
ones coming in
and saying, 'Noel, have
you heard the new show?
Have you heard the new
singer? I really want to sing
this song.'
— NOEL SMITH
mean. She's giving back."
That former student, by the way, is
Christine Dwyer, who also went on to
star as Maureen in "Rent."
"She is a huge success and a great
person," Smith said. "She's a true, kind soul."
She has seen many of her students
make a name for themselves in theater,
including Jenna Rujbaii, Sarah Cammarata,
Matt Steriti, Paige McNamara, all of
whom have performed all over the world,
got their starts with Smith.
But her most poignant protege has
to be Jake Ryan Flynn, 13, who played
in "Mrs. Doubtfire." He was all set to
open the week before the COVID-19
shutdown as Charlie in "Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory." He's still waiting, as
Broadway is still dark.
Though Smith might specialize in
musical theater, she does take on all comers.
"It's OK to sing grunge too. Or, as I
call it, 'screamo' It's really, really hard.
It's not without injury.
"But there are different ways to
prepare and maintain the sound that are
easier on your voice. You want to come in
and sing rock? Sing screamo or grunge?
Great. Here's how you can do that."
And speaking of injuries, they do
happen — and a lot of the time they're
for the same reason anyone gets injured.
"But it doesn't mean you can never
sing again," she said. "You need a
strategy, just like in sports, where people
stretch. You have to warm up."
How does Smith know that she
might have another Christine Dwyer on
her hands?
"I can tell in 30 seconds," she said. "I
can tell the second they start singing —
by their body language, spirit … I don't
need much time.
"I tell my students all the time that
if they haven't captured someone's
attention in about eight seconds in
an audition, they're thinking about
checking their phones. It has to happen
immediately."
That doesn't mean, however, that the
students who don't impress immediately
are instantly doomed to being in the
chorus of "Sweet Charity" in the local
community theater.
"If they're coming in for lessons, then
we talk about that. That's something to
work on. It's all fixable. I do work for
a lot of high school students. I have
Broadway singers, and adults too. Young
people are so pliable, they can turn it
around.
"The students who end up being
successful are the ones coming in and
saying, 'Noel, have you heard the new
show? Have you heard the new singer? I
really want to sing this song.'
"Kids who say, 'I don't know' if you
ask them what they are doing when they
leave your office, or they just wait next
week for their lesson … they're probably
not going to make a career out of it."
Which takes us back to the beginning
of this story. You've got to love it.
"I teach seven-to-eight hours a day,"
she said. "Then I go into a recording
studio all night and sing. I just signed
a deal to sing. I drive 45 minutes to
Roslindale.
"I do sleep," she said. "I'm excited.
I'm happy. If you're bored, or you're tired,
you shouldn't do it. There are so many
people who love it."

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24 | 01940
Eighteen-year-old Angelo David is a Lynnfieldbased
recording artist who has been making
music since he was 8. David sits in his studio at
his Lynnfield home.
PHOTO: SPENSER HASAK
A singer and
his songs
BY ELYSE CARMOSINO
An 18-year-old singer/songwriter and keyboard player from Lynnfield, Angelo David began writing
songs at the early age of 8 after he began taking piano lessons from local teacher Kook Lawry.
Lawry’s unusual, play-by-ear teaching style aligned with what the young musician had already begun
to pick up on while teaching himself, and David said the two immediately clicked. From there, David
tried his hand at writing his own songs, initially drawing from experiences in his own life for inspiration.
“It was really just playing around on this battery-powered toy keyboard, but I kind of found this weird
place of belonging with songwriting that I couldn’t really achieve in my own life,” he said. “Being an artsy
kid with an artsy mind and having a creative and different outlook on things, it really separated me from
so many of the other kids growing up. I really found this passion with music."

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26 | 01940
David had written several songs by the
time his parents finally granted him the
opportunity to spend several sessions in a
recording studio one summer.
While other kids spent their school
vacations at camp, summer school, or
summer sports leagues, David was hard at
work recording songs.
His first CD was released in 2013,
along with his first music videos, “House
is Burning Down,” a song about being
bullied, and “Mirror,” an introspection. On
June 8, 2013, “House is Burning Down”
trended at #4 worldwide on YouTube as
one of the most popular music videos
online.
It wasn’t long before David’s talents
were noticed by musical director and
programmer Marc Delcore, whose
professional credits include working
alongside big name artists like Brittany
Spears and Rihanna.
Delcore offered to produce David’s
next single, “Heard it at Sunset,” a
song inspired by the Boston Marathon
bombing.
David said his songwriting eventually
became a platform to raise awareness
about current issues that relate to his
own personal experiences growing up,
including social inclusion, empowering
teens to find their own voice, and
embracing originality.
“I’m super thankful (Delcore) saw
something in me,” he said. “I still work
with him. He really got me into producing.
He gives producing tips and has shown
me a lot about digital production. When
we recorded songs in his studio, he let me
be very hands-on, so I really got a lot of
experience and skill out of that.”
Now, the 2020 Lynnfield High School
graduate is in the midst of a gap year,
which he says he took with the intention
of using the time to release new songs,
work on his online presence, and reach
new people with his music.
One way he’s been able to do that
during the COVID-19 pandemic is
through social media — specifically
through the video-sharing social
networking service, Tik Tok.
As a developing musician, the app’s
design has allowed David to connect with
new people and artists in ways that other
platforms haven’t previously allowed.
“Something that’s really special
about this time is that there’s this online
community of fans and artists, and there’s
this new connection that’s happening on
new platforms that I’ve been able to jump
on,” he said. “You can reach new audiences
without performing in person. Just by
releasing music and posting videos, I’ve
been talking and interacting with so many
people.”
He added: “I do see this new form and
new use of technology. Artists are still
releasing music, and fans are hungrier
than ever, but obviously there are no
live performances, so artists are kind of
delivering that in a really cool way.
“Besides the lack of being able to do
performances in person, it’s been really
cool to see how the industry is taking this
new form for the time being. But yeah,
let’s be real. There’s nothing like going to a
concert and performing for people.”
Although he’s proud of his Boston
roots, David, who is set to join the
University of Southern California campus
next fall as a music industry major, has his
sights set on new cities.
“Especially over the last few months,
I’ve really gotten involved with so many
Berklee (College of Music) kids and kids
from other schools in (Boston) who are
super-into writing, producing, photography,
videography, and there’s definitely this
underground group of artists that are so
cool, so unique, and so special,” he said.
“Everybody wants to help each other and
it’s great, but it’s definitely that underground
scene. A place like New York or California
would have so many more opportunities
where the industry is thriving."
Film festivals have also recognized
David internationally, with “Heard it at
Sunset” winning Best Music Video at
the Long Beach Indie International Film
Festival, and “Mirror” winning Best Music
Video at the Indian Cine Film Festival
in Mumbai. His music video, “Lonely,”
also won Best Music Video at the Fort
Lauderdale International Film Festival.
His upcoming single, “Inside,” which
he wrote about growing up in the smalltown
Lynnfield party scene, will be
released November 20.
These days, David considers his current
sound to be something of “experimental,
alternative pop,” inspired by some of
his favorite artists: Troye Sivan, Halsey,
Khalid, Lorde.
Through his mother, a former musician
herself, David said he was exposed to
a heavy dose of classic rock in his early
years, frequently listening to artists like
Fleetwood Mac, U2, and Pearl Jam.
“It has a little edge, a little bit of
something different,” he said of his own
music. “It gets people fired up.”
As for his new single, local listeners
may recognize some of the more subtle
references in “Inside.”
“There are a lot of little tributes (to
Lynnfield) where I think if my friends
listen to it, they’re going to know a lot
of what I’m talking about,” David said.
“I think it’s super relatable for any late
middle schooler or high schooler. It’s
about a town and its social life.
“I’m super-excited for people to hear it.
I’ve had the song for a while and I’ve held
off releasing it because it’s really special.”
He laughed.
“I know artists say that a lot, but I
really do like this one. I wanted to release
it at the right time.”
Angelo David’s website:
angelodavidmusic.com
Instagram: @itsangelodavid

WINTER 2020 | 27
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28 | 01940
She steps
up for
seniors
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
Loneliness brought on by prolonged
isolation is a major risk for seniors and
the senior center on Salem Street is
working to combat those risks as the
COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Center Director Linda Naccara said
the staff and instructors were able to
quickly pivot to offering classes and
activities online when the Center shut
down in March.
Seniors can access more than 100
programs online, including pilates,
zumba, yoga, and a photo club.
Some instructors are posting videos of
their classes, while other staff members
are live streaming activities such as
"lunch bunch," coffee time, bingo and
book club through Zoom.
"We're getting a good response and
we're really trying hard to keep the
seniors engaged," said Naccara. "The
longer this goes on, loneliness is a huge
issue, especially for so many of the seniors
who are living alone. They might have
families stop in but it's not the same."
She said seniors have told her that
they didn't know how much they would
miss the senior center until it wasn't an
option for them to go to anymore.
"The elderly, it's special. (Some
of them) don't have a lot of other
alternatives in their lives so the senior
center is really a lifeline for many," said
Naccara.
Seniors are one of the groups most
at-risk of severe COVID-19 illness, but
the need to physically distance from
others to prevent becoming infected
Linda Naccara, the director of the
Lynnfield Senior Center, speaks about
how the senior center is trying to keep
older adults connected and combat
loneliness during the pandemic.
PHOTO: OLIVIA FALCIGNO
has made it difficult for seniors to
stay connected during the pandemic,
according to a Johns Hopkins Medicine
report.
Dr. Alicia Arbaje, who specializes in
internal medicine and geriatrics at John
Hopkins, wrote in her report that there
are ways for seniors to practice physical
distancing that doesn't result in isolation.
She recommends the use of
technology, such as calling friends
and family, video chatting, and getting
involved with projects and activities.
While Naccara said virtual
programming has been a success in
Lynnfield, she acknowledges that some
seniors don't have access to the Internet
at home, and are therefore isolated from
the online interaction.
For those older adults, the center staff
has been physically trying to get to their
homes to combat the potential loneliness
brought on by the pandemic-induced
closures.
”
The longer this goes
on, loneliness is a
huge issue, especially
for so many of the
seniors who are
living alone. They
might have families stop in
but it's not the same.
— LINDA NACCARA

WINTER 2020 | 29
The outreach has included traveling
to seniors' homes with "goodie bags,"
and visiting. Staff also makes wellness
calls to elders in town every day, which
are aimed at checking in on them and
seeing if they need help with anything,
Naccara said.
For seniors who need to get out of
their homes, the center has started its
van rides back up again, which consist
of taking people on leisure rides around
the area.
Socialization and providing meals
to elders has been crucial, said Naccara,
explaining that the senior center operates
a "grab-and-go" lunch program three
days a week.
Seniors are able to drive up to the
center on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays to pick up a fully-cooked meal.
Families have also stepped up to
provide groceries for their parents and
grandparents, but some would rather not
cook on their own, Naccara said.
"(One) woman said recently she
doesn't take the time to cook like that
so it's been helpful to have nutritional
meals available," said Naccara. "We're
just really putting all of our efforts
into staying connected with our most
vulnerable."
Naccara sits behind a divider as she works at her desk.
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30 | 01940
Soderberg
is here
to stay
BY GUTHRIE SCRIMGEOUR
Soderberg Insurance Services started
nearly 55 years ago in the corner of a
basement with a makeshift desk built out
of a door laid across two file cabinets.
Douglas Soderberg had worked as a
general agent for Aetna but had a falling
out with his boss, and together with his
wife, Frances, decided to build his own
insurance service from the ground up.
So the young couple opened their
office in their Lynnfield starter home, with
the goal of providing honest, high-quality
insurance service to the North Shore.
“They really started with nothing,”
said Kathryn Soderberg, Douglas and
Frances’s daughter, who now serves as
company president. “But it turned out to
be the smartest thing they ever did.”
Since then, Soderberg Insurance
Services has expanded into a highly
successful business, with a staff of nine
serving nearly 3,000 customers.
While Soderberg Insurance Services
has since moved to a larger office (with
more conventional desks) they still
maintain a connection to their humble
roots through their charitable work.
Frances, whose other daughter was
born with Down Syndrome, put together
programs each year to help Lynnfield's
special needs community. For 26 years,
she championed the North Shore Special
Needs fundraiser.
Following Frances Soderberg's death
in 2017, the agency started a scholarship
in her name to provide funds to a student
pursuing a career in special education.
While this scholarship was not offered
this year due to the pandemic, it will be
continued in 2021.
Additionally, the firm supports
the homeless community through a
chocolate bar fundraiser: All proceeds are
donated to Boston Rescue Mission.
Soderberg Insurance also aims to
serve communities that don’t always have
Kathryn Soderberg
is the president of
Soderberg Insurance
Services in Lynnfield.
PHOTO:
SPENSER HASAK
the same access to insurance services
through their multi-lingual services.
“We have an international staff here,”
said Kathryn, who studied linguistics in
college and is a fluent Spanish speaker.
Their office includes several more Spanish
speakers and a Creole-fluent employee.
A friend of Kathryn’s began referring
Hispanic customers to the firm and
Soderberg immediately saw how
important it was to provide language
services to this community.
“They were so grateful that we could
explain something technical to them
in their own language,” said Kathryn.
“Because of that language skill, we could
establish that sense of trust right away.”
When she became president in 2001,
Kathryn leaned into the multi-lingual
element of the business. Now, she says
that about 40 percent of their customer
base are Spanish speakers.
“We’re not a typical Lynnfield
insurance agency,” she said. “Our
clientele is so diverse.”
This year, Soderberg Insurance
Services was selected from a group of
more than 600 companies to receive the
2020 Travelers Superior Travelers Agent
Recognition (STAR) award.
“Soderberg Insurance Services,
Inc. is a leader in dedication to your
customer,” said Dave Rose, regional sales
director for Travelers upon presenting
the award. “You show consummate
professionalism in your partnership with
Travelers. I couldn’t be more pleased in
congratulating you for achieving such a
well-deserved recognition.”
Kathryn believes that the pandemic
has only made the team’s work more
necessary.
“The virus has had an impact on our
customers and their ability to pay their
premiums and keep their businesses
intact,” Kathryn said. “Our guidance
during these challenging times is more
important than ever.”

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32 | 01940
Where the
writing's on
the wall
Graffiti marks the Kallenberg Quarry along Bow
Ridge in Lynnfield. A view of the Boston skyline
from Bow Ridge.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK

WINTER 2020 | 33
BY DANIEL KANE
Thousands of cars drive by
the Kelly Jeep dealership
on Route 1 in Lynnfield
everyday, but the lot isn't
just filled with new cars.
Almost hidden in the back is a parking
spot only big enough for several cars at
a time, spaces for those heading into the
long-abandoned Kallenberg Quarry.
Lynnfield nature enthusiasts may
think of other spots when they want
to get away for a hike or a walk, but
Kallenberg, also known as Bow Ridge
Reservation, is a backyard spot good
enough to scratch the itch.
The reservation is certainly no secret
to local mountain bikers. The rocky trails
lining the woods have been known as
some of the best around, including some
interesting names like "Awesome Sauce,"
"Chicken Soup" and "Wicked Hard
Trail."
Filled with blocks of granite, once
harvested to construct buildings in the
surrounding area, the vast woods is also
home to the town's highest point in a
30-foot tall mound of rock.
That point is remarkable for a
different reason as well and you'll know
it when you see it. The rock is tiered with
worn-down graffiti depicting blue, green
and red skulls. Fittingly named Skull
Rock, the graffiti has been there for more
almost two decades and while it's been
the victim of some unwelcome additions
in the form of spray-paint over the years,
it's become an unofficial monument for
hikers.
On the other side of the rock, the
artist responsible for the macabre mural
calls his or herself Ichabod — although
the signature has been covered with
spray paint over the years. A quote on
the rock reads, "Take the knowledge that
you will someday be these bones and
enjoy now all that is precious."
The wall of bones is even featured in
the book "Weird Massachusetts."
Taking a path to the top of the rock
provides a view unlike any other in
town where on a clear day you can see
the Boston skyline and the tops of the
apartments at Lynnfield Commons.
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34 | 01940
An
athlete
for all
seasons
BY MIKE ALONGI
In Massachusetts high school sports,
some of the best student-athletes in the
Commonwealth play multiple sports
throughout the year. Some play two
sports, while others play three. But this
year, student-athletes have been afforded
a special opportunity thanks to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the creation of a new season
sandwiched between winter and spring,
called the “Fall Sports II” season, and the
creation of a new rule that allows for it,
student-athletes are now allowed to play
four sports in the same academic year.
Enter Lynnfield’s Ava Buonfiglio.
Already a three-sport athlete in
volleyball, basketball and tennis at
Lynnfield High for the past three years,
Buonfiglio took advantage of the new
arrangement after the volleyball season
was pushed back to “Fall Sports II.”
Once the season was pushed back to late
February, Buonfiglio decided to go out
for the cross country team and take up a
new sport.
“It’s been so great,” Buonfiglio said
of running cross country. “I’ve met a
lot of new people and made friends I
probably wouldn’t have before. I’ve got
great teammates and great coaches and
that’s really made it a lot of fun. It’s been
a great stress reliever too.
“I will say, I never gave cross
country runners enough credit,” added
Buonfiglio, noting that it’s the toughest
sport she’s ever competed in. “It’s
mentally and physically challenging, but
the reward at the end is so great. It’s
really helped me stay in shape for the
rest of the year.”
The rest of the year will consist of
After her senior volleyball season was pushed
from the fall season to a new "Fall Sports II"
season that starts in February, Ava Buonfiglio
decided to pick up cross country.
PHOTO: PAULA MULLER
In between cross country meets this fall, Ava
Buonfiglio has remained busy by preparing for her
upcoming senior basketball season this winter.
PHOTO: OWEN O'ROURKE

WINTER 2020 | 35
preparing for the upcoming basketball
season, which is slated to begin at the
end of November. Buonfiglio also plays
volleyball year-round, and she’s never
too busy to keep her skills sharp on the
tennis court.
Surely at some point she’d have to get
burned out, right?
"It's honestly harder for me to go
day to day and have nothing to do than
it is for me to juggle all these sports at
the same time, so it's really like second
nature to me at this point,” Buofiglio
said. “Sports have always been an outlet
and a stress reliever for me, so this is just
part of my day-today life. I don’t know
any other way.
“When I came into high school and
had to choose just three sports, it was
kind of a bummer,” said Buonfiglio. “I’ve
always been able to play any sport I
wanted over the summer, so I never felt
like I was missing out on anything. But
it’s been great to compete in something
new this fall.”
Running cross country this fall has
”
Sports have always been
an outlet and a stress
reliever for me.
— AVA BUONFIGLIO
also helped Buonfiglio deal with the
strange new phenomenon that has been
remote learning as a high school student.
With Lynnfield High in a remote
learning model, the only time Buonfiglio
can get outside and interact with her
fellow classmates is during cross country
practices and meets.
“Being home for school has
definitely allowed me to focus a little
bit more in terms of getting all my
work done as soon as I can so I’m able
to just go to practice and relax,” said
Buonfiglio. “Between getting used to
remote learning and filling out college
applications, it can get a little stressful
sometimes. That’s where sports have
always helped me, so I’m glad that I can
continue to use sports as my outlet.”
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36 | 01940
Uncovering the history of
Pillings Pond
BY DANIEL KANE
The history of Pillings Pond is long in
Lynnfield and its roots run deep — but
it is still capable of surprising even longtime
residents.
Kirk Mansfield's family history
and the pond go hand in hand but
uncovering that shared legacy didn't
occur to him until recently.
"Helen Breen (town amateur
historian) does a lot of great pieces about
the town and its history," Mansfield said.
"She came to talk to me about my family.
I thought I knew everything about the
pond but I realized I couldn't answer a
lot of the in-depth questions she asked."
Mansfield knew that his great
grandfather moved to Lynnfield about
100 years ago looking for a rural lifestyle
on the water. That's where Pillings Pond
was the perfect fit. He bought several
cottages around the water and renamed
the street he lived on, which Kirk still
lives on today, to Ryan Road. But still
several of the stories about the area
Mansfield thought were fact weren't
included in the history of the pond's
Bellevue Island.
"I was always told when I was little
Homes line the water of Pillings Pond in Lynnfield.
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK

WINTER 2020 | 37
the island was once a Boy Scout camp,"
Mansfield said. It turns out to be a myth,
I can’t find any proof. But older people
will say this. It was just an island that
was purchased multiple times that has
cottages built on it just like the rest of
the pond. I'm still trying to find anything
interesting about its history and trying to
get to the bottom."
Mansfield is gathering all this
information for a book he's writing about
the pond. So far, he's been able to find
some impressive connections to the past.
"I've started digging deeper into
history, ancestors, and the story of the
pond," Manfield said. "And it kept
getting bigger and bigger. I'm learning
how roads have been developed, how
farmland turned to cottages and now to
homes.
"I found that the cottages really aren't
that interesting but the people I’ve met
along the way are," Mansfield said. "I
met a descendant of the man who sold
Ryan Road to my great-grandfather.
She's 94 years old and it's all just from
doing research."
It's those connections along the way
that have made the research for the book
more rewarding than Mansfield could
have thought.
"Every single time I think I can’t go
further I get someone else," Mansfield
said. "I found the fourth- or fifthgeneration-removed
granddaughter of
the pond's founder Jonathan Pillings.
She lives in Atlanta and probably thinks
I’m some crazy person.
"But most of my conversations start
like that, just reaching out to people and
them wondering who I am," Mansfield
said. "I'm excited to see if she gets back
to me and see if she has any pictures
of him because there are no pictures
anywhere of Jonathan Pillings. Nobody
really stops to think how things started
here."
There have been plenty of changes
since things started, but Mansfield is
hoping to paint a clearer picture by the
time he's finished.
"I remember there was a time where if
you lived on the pond people used to call
residents swamp people or pond scum.
Nobody wanted to live there. Now you
can’t get down there for $800,000 to $2
million. A lot has changed."
A swan makes its way across Pillings Pond.
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30 38 | 01940 01907
This scarecrow is all
about school pride at
Summer Street School.
Fall leaves line the long driveway of a Chestnut
Street home.
Fall in all of its finery
PHOTOS BY SPENSER HASAK AND OLIVIA FALCIGNO
There's nothing like fall in New England and that goes double in
Lynnfield where residents embrace the season with whimsy.
Dozens of decorated scarecrows line the
parking lot of the Summer Street School.

Tombstones line the front yard of a
Stillman Road home.
A terrifying clown lights up and lets out a laugh.
WINTER FALL 2020 | 39 31
Turkeys make their way through the front
yard of a home on Tophet Road.
Trick-or-treaters make their way through
the haunted house created by Carl Rugato on
Stillman Road on Halloween.
Autumn leaves collect on a vintage BMW
parked at a home along Chestnut Street.
An essential worker
scarecrow at Summer
Street School.
Pennywise the Clown stares balefully out at passersby.
A haunted house-crafter handed out chills
and thrills.

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23, 2019 for the period of Jan. 1-Oct. 23, 2019. Sales volume calculated by multiplying the number of buyer and/or seller sides by sales price. One unit equals one
side of a transaction (buyer or seller). Source data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 2. Based on closed sales volume and total number of units closed
information from Massachusetts MLS for Lynnfield, MA for $1 million+ properties as reported on Oct. 23, 2019 for the period of Jan. 1, 2000-Oct. 23, 2019.
Sales volume calculated by multiplying the number of buyer and/or seller sides by sales price. One unit equals one side of a transaction (buyer or seller). Source
data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor sales
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