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2 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
A publication of Essex Media Group<br />
Publisher<br />
Edward M. Grant<br />
Chief Executive Officer<br />
Michael H. Shanahan<br />
Directors<br />
Edward L. Cahill<br />
John M. Gilberg<br />
Edward M. Grant<br />
Gordon R. Hall<br />
Monica Connell Healey<br />
J. Patrick Norton<br />
Michael H. Shanahan<br />
Controller<br />
Susan Conti<br />
Creative Director<br />
Spenser R. Hasak<br />
Art Director<br />
Samuel R. Deeb<br />
Contributing Editors<br />
Stuart Foster<br />
Nini Mtchedlishvili<br />
Writers<br />
Joey Barrett<br />
Vishakha Deshpande<br />
Anne Marie Tobin<br />
Charlie McKenna<br />
Ryan Vermette<br />
Photographers<br />
Emma Fringuelli<br />
Spenser Hasak<br />
Advertising Sales<br />
Ernie Carpenter<br />
Ralph Mitchell<br />
Patricia Whalen<br />
Magazine Design<br />
Sam Deeb<br />
INSIDE<br />
04 What’s up<br />
06 Macdonald<br />
12 House Money<br />
14 Cuts to go<br />
17 Hiding in plain sight<br />
20 Sports in focus<br />
24 The wait is over<br />
26 Hair stylist<br />
32 Icemen goeth<br />
ESSEX MEDIA GROUP<br />
85 Exchange St.,<br />
Lynn, MA 01901<br />
781-593-7700<br />
Subscriptions:<br />
781-214-8237<br />
<strong>01940</strong>themagazine.com<br />
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER<br />
TED GRANT<br />
Law & Order: Lynnfield?<br />
Hey, does anybody have Dick Wolf ’s phone number? I want to pitch the legendary TV producer on<br />
a story line for one of his “Law & Order” franchises. It’s the story of Thomas Randele – and it practically<br />
writes itself.<br />
More than five decades ago, unbeknownst to his entire family, Randele embezzled $215,000 (an<br />
approximate equivalent of $1.6 million today) from his then employer, Society National Bank of Cleveland.<br />
According to a podcast spotlighting the heist, he stuffed the money into a paper bag and began a new<br />
life in, of all places, Lynnfield, Mass.<br />
Weeks before he died, in 2021, Randele finally revealed his secret to his family – including the fact that<br />
his name wasn’t Thomas Randele.<br />
The FBI had been trying to track him down – unsuccessfully, obviously – for five decades, until an<br />
anonymous tip landed on the doorstep of an FBI agent.<br />
The story gained national buzz at the time of the robbery, and is now surfacing again as “Randele’s”<br />
daughter is being highly sought after to tell her story on TV shows and other projects that include<br />
“America's Most Wanted” with John Walsh.<br />
It's a story that has been kept under wraps for more than 50 years, and our Anne Marie Tobin dives<br />
into the heist, revealing the true identity of “Thomas Randele.” Anne Marie spoke with Lynnfield residents<br />
and friends who – like you – had no idea that a notorious bank robber who was able to escape the capture<br />
of the FBI was living in their town of 13,000 people.<br />
As I said, the TV show will write itself.<br />
What do you say, Mr. Wolf?<br />
While the Randele story was told on a true-crime podcast, a few moms in town have started their own<br />
podcast, focusing on the challenges and benefits of motherhood in the modern day. Vishakha Deshpande<br />
tells the story of three working Lynnfield moms who started the “Moms Night Out” podcast, which has<br />
quickly found itself with a global following in just four months.<br />
Then there’s Lynnfield’s Nick Grava, the co-founder of Mobile Barber, a barber shop on wheels that<br />
brings hairstyling to you. Started roughly a year ago, Grava’s business is flourishing and is changing the way<br />
people get their fresh cuts. Our reporter Ryan Vermette talks (barber) shop with Grava and his co-founder,<br />
Luke Noreen, to discuss the fully mobile business.<br />
Elsewhere in town, Sydney McKeough, at the age of 12, has also started on the road of opening<br />
her own hairstyling business. McKeough, with the help of her mom/manager, Leslie, has begun doing<br />
different hairstyles for kids at birthday parties, and even at a Hanukkah event at a local synagogue. Charlie<br />
McKenna combs through the details with McKeough and how she is pursuing her dream.<br />
Vishakha also introduces us to James Macdonald, a photographer who has found solace through nature<br />
and travel. Macdonald’s family traditions in traveling to New Hampshire and hiking when he was a kid<br />
helped shape his identity today. Vishakha paints a picture of his journey.<br />
Speaking of New Hampshire, a group of former Lynnfield High hockey players have taken the<br />
initiative of keeping their childhood memories of playing pond hockey alive in the Live Free Or Die state.<br />
Each winter, the group travels up to Meredith, N.H., to participate in the weekend-long New England<br />
Pond Hockey Classic on Lake Waukewan. Anne Marie profiles the Young Guns team members who are<br />
reliving their childhood memories.<br />
Now let’s get back to some current Lynnfield High schoolers, who are just now making those memories<br />
that they won't soon forget. Last fall, the varsity boys soccer team became the first team in school history to<br />
win the state title, in dramatic fashion, winning 1-0 in frigid temperatures. Sports Editor Joey Barrett kicks<br />
around with Coach Brent Munroe, who reflected on the historic victory.<br />
Observing the championship up close and personal was Lynnfield High graduate and Endicott College<br />
senior Bryan Mallet, who captured every moment of the team during its title-winning game vs. Monomoy<br />
High of Harwich. Mallet currently serves as the official videographer for the Endicott football team and<br />
has filmed all kinds of athletic events from his high school alma mater to the professionals. Anne Marie<br />
takes a snapshot of Mallet’s success so far and details his future goals as a videographer.<br />
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go watch “Law & Order.”<br />
Dun-dun.<br />
COVER A clipping from page 7 of the Sept. 29, 1969 Deming Headlight newspaper.
Serving your Real Estate needs<br />
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4 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
WHAT’S UP<br />
Curious About Cuisine<br />
What: Curious About Cuisine<br />
gives attendees an opportunity<br />
to learn about different cuisines,<br />
and sample some of what they<br />
have to offer. March’s event,<br />
held on March 27, will feature<br />
Renee Terry, a confectionary<br />
artist at Sweet Cheeks by Renee,<br />
who makes custom cookies<br />
that are both visually striking<br />
and delicious. Terry competed<br />
in and won the Food Network’s<br />
Christmas Cookie Challenge<br />
in Season Five. She travels the<br />
United States to teach people<br />
about new methods and ways to<br />
decorate cookies. Registration is<br />
required to attend Curious About<br />
Cuisine, and 25 spaces are<br />
available.<br />
Where: The events will be held at<br />
the mezzanine of the Lynnfield<br />
Public Library at 18 Summer St.<br />
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When: Curious About Cuisine<br />
takes place from 3 to 4 p.m. on<br />
the fourth Wednesday of each<br />
month.<br />
Blossoms at the<br />
Beebe’s Garden Party<br />
What: Each year, the Blossoms<br />
at the Beebe holds its Garden<br />
Party to benefit the Lucius<br />
Beebe Memorial Library and<br />
the Wakefield Area Chamber of<br />
Commerce. This year’s party will<br />
feature music by Kaleidoscope<br />
and Music By Motoko, wonderful<br />
flower arrangements, a silent<br />
auction, hors d'oeuvres, and a<br />
cash bar. Tickets, which cost<br />
$65, can be purchased on<br />
the Beebe Memorial Library’s<br />
website. Attendees must be 21<br />
years old to join the party.<br />
Where: This party will be held<br />
at the Lucius Beebe Memorial<br />
Library at 345 Main St. in<br />
Wakefield.<br />
When: The Garden Party will<br />
take place from 7 to 11 p.m. on<br />
Saturday, April 27, <strong>2024</strong>.
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 5<br />
E<br />
ELLEN CRAWFORD<br />
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“She helped us every step of<br />
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6 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
JAMES MACDONALD<br />
A LIFE SHAPED BY NATURE<br />
BY VISHAKHA DESHPANDE<br />
MAGAZINE STAFF<br />
In the intricate tapestry of life,<br />
our experiences shape who we are<br />
and how we perceive the world<br />
around us. For James Macdonald,<br />
a Massachusetts native, his<br />
journey through life has been<br />
a testament to the profound<br />
impact of nature, travel, and<br />
photography on his identity<br />
and outlook.<br />
Growing up in Arlington,<br />
Macdonald’s earliest memories<br />
of nature were rooted in a family<br />
tradition — annual treks up Mount<br />
Monadnock in New Hampshire<br />
with his father and siblings. These<br />
expeditions ignited a lifelong<br />
passion for the great outdoors,<br />
leading to adventures in camping and<br />
exploration across New England’s<br />
pristine landscapes.<br />
Fueled by his parents’<br />
encouragement to explore the world<br />
beyond his backyard, Macdonald<br />
embarked on a transformative<br />
journey of travel and discovery.<br />
From traversing Europe with a<br />
Eurail pass to cycling thousands<br />
of miles across the United States,<br />
he embraced every opportunity to<br />
immerse himself in new cultures<br />
and environments.<br />
“My parents were always big<br />
into encouraging us to travel and to<br />
explore the world,” he said. “‘If you<br />
go to Paris, of course, see the Eiffel<br />
Tower and the Louvre, but try to<br />
get off the beaten path and embrace<br />
another culture,’ they would say. That<br />
led me to traveling using Eurail passes<br />
and staying in youth hostels. Landing in<br />
England and traveling across Europe to<br />
MACDONALD, continued on page 8<br />
“<br />
I think that over time,<br />
a photograph becomes<br />
more valuable because<br />
you originally take<br />
pictures of people but<br />
things change, more<br />
time goes further, and<br />
the memory becomes<br />
more precious.<br />
— Photographer James Macdonald<br />
Photographer James Macdonald<br />
observes the nature around<br />
Bellevue Island as he looks for<br />
the perfect image.<br />
STAFF PHOTOS | SPENSER HASAK
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 7
8 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
MACDONALD, continued from page 6<br />
eventually reach the furthest islands in<br />
Greece. Along the way I took beautiful<br />
pictures. It wasn’t difficult with<br />
sceneries like that.”<br />
Throughout his travels, Macdonald<br />
found solace and inspiration in the<br />
beauty of nature, capturing its essence<br />
through his lens. From the majestic<br />
peaks of the Rocky Mountains to<br />
the sun-drenched shores of Laguna<br />
Beach, Calif., his photographs serve<br />
as a testament to the awe-inspiring<br />
diversity of the natural world.<br />
But amidst his wanderlust and<br />
adventures, it was in the quiet<br />
moments of connection with loved<br />
ones that Macdonald found true<br />
fulfillment. A chance encounter with<br />
his future wife led to a whirlwind<br />
romance that culminated in a<br />
breathtaking proposal in the splendor<br />
of Denali National Park.<br />
“I met my future wife back in<br />
Massachusetts when I had returned<br />
for several of my sisters’ weddings,”<br />
he said. “My wife is a South Shore<br />
MACDONALD, continued on page 10<br />
James Macdonald’s photography is inspired<br />
by the nature and wildlife that surrounds his<br />
home on Bellevue Island.<br />
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There is a lot to learn<br />
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10 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
MACDONALD, continued from page 8<br />
gal, while I am a North Shore guy. I<br />
proposed to her while flying in a small<br />
Cessna after flying over the Alaskan<br />
Range. I did the actual proposal while<br />
flying around Mt. McKinley, which is<br />
now referred to as Denali. It was their<br />
first in-flight proposal.”<br />
As a teacher and clinician,<br />
Macdonald’s love for nature and<br />
photography permeated every aspect of<br />
his life, transforming his classroom into<br />
a sanctuary of inspiration and learning.<br />
Through live plants and vibrant images<br />
of wildlife, he sought to instill in his<br />
students a deep appreciation for the<br />
natural world and the wonders it holds.<br />
Macdonald finds himself attuned to<br />
the subtle signs of nature’s rhythms.<br />
Drawing on his knowledge of animal<br />
behavior and weather patterns, he<br />
navigates the changing seasons with<br />
a keen eye and a reverence for the<br />
interconnectedness of all living things.<br />
For Macdonald, photography is<br />
more than just a hobby — it’s a way<br />
of preserving memories and honoring<br />
the legacy of those who came before<br />
James Macdonald leans up against the "tree of<br />
life," one of the biggest trees on Bellevue Island.<br />
him. Macdonald’s love for photography<br />
comes from his grandparents. His<br />
grandfather was passionate about the<br />
art, and his grandmother realized early<br />
on that her grandson was interested in<br />
it as well. She wanted him to have her<br />
husband’s camera and slides.<br />
“I looked at it and it was an<br />
old-fashioned camera and there were<br />
tons of slides,” Macdonald said. “I<br />
ended up looking at my grandparents’<br />
honeymoon in New York in the<br />
Roaring ‘20s. And I could see them<br />
standing on the streets of New<br />
York. And I think that over time, a<br />
photograph becomes more valuable<br />
because you originally take pictures of<br />
people but things change, more time<br />
goes further, and the memory becomes<br />
more precious.”<br />
As he reflects on his journey through<br />
life, Macdonald remains grateful for<br />
the lessons learned and the memories<br />
made along the way. From the towering<br />
peaks of Mount Monadnock to the<br />
bustling streets of New York City, his<br />
experiences have shaped him into the<br />
person he is today — a lover of nature,<br />
a seeker of adventure, and a storyteller<br />
at heart.<br />
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SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 11<br />
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Maureen Rossi DiMella Realtor®<br />
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617.285.2057<br />
Richard Tisei | Associate Broker Stephanie Mower | Realtor®<br />
Richard.Tisei@commonmoves.com<br />
SRS, PSA<br />
781.254.3137<br />
Stephanie.Mower@commonmoves.com<br />
781.526.3767<br />
Jane Fitzgerald Rizzo | Realtor®<br />
"List with Me for a Great <strong>2024</strong>"<br />
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Emma D'Angelo | Realtor®<br />
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www.commonmoves.com | 26 Main Street, Lynnfield, MA <strong>01940</strong> | 781.246.2100<br />
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Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity.
12 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
HOUSE MONEY<br />
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CORINNA COLE.
A peek inside<br />
10 Huntingdon Road<br />
SALE PRICE: $2,225,000<br />
SALE DATE: Jan. 2, <strong>2024</strong><br />
LISTING PRICE: $2,475,000<br />
TIME ON MARKET: 66 days<br />
to closing<br />
LISTING BROKER:<br />
Hixon + Bevilacqua Home Group with<br />
Coldwell Banker Realty - Lynnfield<br />
BUYING BROKER:<br />
Hixon + Bevilacqua Home Group with<br />
Coldwell Banker Realty - Lynnfield<br />
LATEST ASSESSED<br />
VALUE: $1,285,000 (Jan. 2023)<br />
PROPERTY TAXES: $14,585<br />
PREVIOUS SALE PRICE:<br />
$1,270,000 (June 2023)<br />
YEAR BUILT: 1967 (renovated 2023)<br />
LOT SIZE: .92 acres (40,000 sq. feet)<br />
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 13<br />
LIVING AREA: 5,472 sq. feet<br />
ROOMS: 12<br />
BEDROOMS: 4<br />
BATHROOMS: 4.5<br />
SPECIAL FEATURES:<br />
Renovation last year completely updated<br />
this King James Grant home. First-floor<br />
features open chef’s kitchen with an<br />
island, fireplaces in living and dining<br />
rooms, a study, and a first-floor bedroom<br />
and a four-season great room with floor<br />
to ceiling windows overlooking a large<br />
brick patio and in-ground swimming<br />
pool, cabana, and full-sized tennis court.<br />
Second floor has a primary with a spa-like<br />
bathroom and two other bedrooms<br />
along with a second family room.<br />
Finished basement and a four car garage.<br />
Source: MLS Property Information Network.
14 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
CUTS TO GO<br />
LYNNFIELD'S NICK GRAVA<br />
CO-FOUNDS MOBILE BARBER<br />
Co-founders of Mobile Barber<br />
Luke Noreen, left, and Nick<br />
Grava started the fully mobile<br />
business in February, 2023.<br />
PHOTO | MOBILE BARBER
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 15<br />
BY RYAN VERMETTE<br />
MAGAZINE STAFF<br />
With the fast-paced world that<br />
many find themselves in nowadays,<br />
finding time to fit in a haircut<br />
appointment can be difficult. It can<br />
disrupt your workday if you schedule<br />
it during the week. And many shops<br />
aren’t open on Saturdays or Sundays.<br />
Or if they are, they are likely only<br />
open for a half day.<br />
But now Lynnfield’s Nick Grava,<br />
with his business partner, has found a<br />
way to bring the barber to you.<br />
Grava and co-founder Luke<br />
Noreen have opened Mobile Barber,<br />
a haircut shop on wheels that allows<br />
customers to experience getting a<br />
trim from the comfort of a<br />
decked-out van, with an arsenal of<br />
haircut supplies at their disposal.<br />
Celebrating its one-year<br />
anniversary this past February,<br />
Mobile Barber has already traveled to<br />
make hundreds of haircuts along the<br />
North Shore. In today’s fast-paced<br />
world, Noreen said people want<br />
and need quick services on demand,<br />
referencing their target demographic<br />
of millennials.<br />
“These young millennials, they<br />
love convenience,” Noreen said. “The<br />
waiting around vibe (at barbershops)<br />
isn’t really there anymore. People are<br />
just so busy in life, so we really found<br />
the value of the convenience.”<br />
The idea ironically came while<br />
Noreen was cutting Grava’s hair at<br />
his barbershop roughly two years ago.<br />
Grava had been a regular at Noreen’s<br />
shop and the two had been talking<br />
about going into business together.<br />
Previously, Noreen had been<br />
traveling to luxury apartment<br />
complexes to cut hair, but it quickly<br />
became a hassle moving on foot. He<br />
then pitched the idea of a barbershop<br />
on wheels, and thus, Mobile Barber<br />
was born.<br />
It began by going from apartment<br />
to apartment, largely in the Seaport<br />
District in Boston, but the van now<br />
travels almost anywhere in the state.<br />
Headquartered at Grava’s family<br />
car dealership in Malden, the van<br />
has gone as far out as <strong>Spring</strong>field in<br />
BARBER, continued on page 16<br />
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The Mobile Barber has a Ram van that is<br />
kitted out with anything a barber needs.<br />
STAFF PHOTOS | SPENSER HASAK<br />
BARBER, continued from page 15<br />
western Massachusetts, and on weekends,<br />
it will make trips down to Cape Cod.<br />
On the road, the van is not hard to<br />
miss.<br />
“Mobile Barber” is on both sides of the<br />
van in large, white lettering, along with<br />
its logo, a phone with<br />
stripes going across it,<br />
which is a play on the<br />
barber’s pole.<br />
Jonathan Lepore, who<br />
has been cutting hair for<br />
25 years, is one of the<br />
business’ barbers, and<br />
said that it was smart to<br />
keep the name simple.<br />
“I feel like Nick<br />
and Luke, they<br />
really<br />
Barber Jonathan Lepore,<br />
of Peabody, cuts Mat<br />
Abrantes' hair from the<br />
Mobile Barber van.<br />
got ahead with that name,” Lepore said.<br />
Though it was simple, Noreen says<br />
he and Grava went through nearly<br />
50 different names before his mother<br />
convinced him to keep it basic.<br />
“It made so much sense, book Mobile<br />
Barber,” Noreen said. “You want to book<br />
the haircut, you want to book a mobile<br />
barber. I can’t even tell you the amount<br />
of people that search that and call us.”<br />
While other barbers in the area take<br />
house calls, Mobile Barber is the only<br />
one with a shop physically located in the<br />
van, which Noreen says makes a huge<br />
difference.<br />
“It’s the convenience factor and the<br />
cleanliness,” Noreen said. “You save time,<br />
you save time, travel, gas, etc.”<br />
Lepore has been with Mobile Barber<br />
since the beginning, and said he enjoys<br />
seeing customers head back to work,<br />
their house, or whatever their plans were<br />
for that day with a fresh, new haircut.<br />
“It’s a proud feeling almost<br />
every time,” Lepore said.<br />
The business has already<br />
enjoyed a great deal of<br />
success in a short period<br />
of time. Lepore said that<br />
the van will go to almost<br />
any event from weddings<br />
to trips to college<br />
campuses.<br />
Noreen said they have<br />
visions of expanding their<br />
business, which are already<br />
coming to reality as<br />
another van is currently<br />
being built.<br />
“I see this truly being<br />
a very successful startup<br />
company,” Noreen said.
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 17<br />
HIDING IN<br />
PLAIN SIGHT<br />
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN<br />
MAGAZINE STAFF<br />
Tom and Kathy Randele are all smiles<br />
in New Hampshire on their wedding<br />
day in 1982.<br />
PHOTOS | ASHLEY RANDELE<br />
All small towns have their secrets. Secrets<br />
that oftentimes are the subjects of gossip and<br />
innuendo. It’s just human nature.<br />
But perhaps the biggest secret in Lynnfield<br />
that never saw the light of day for more than 50<br />
years is the story of Thomas Randele.<br />
In 2021, the Carter Road resident made a<br />
confession shortly before he died that stunned<br />
his wife, Kathy, and daughter, Ashley. Tom,<br />
beloved in the community by nearly everyone<br />
who crossed his path, wasn’t Thomas Randele<br />
at all. He was Theodore “Ted” Conrad, a young<br />
guy from Cleveland who became a fugitive<br />
from justice after robbing a bank where he was<br />
employed as a vault teller.<br />
It was July 11, 1969, the day after Conrad’s<br />
20th birthday. While at work at the Society<br />
National Bank, he entered the vault, put<br />
$215,000 — $1.6 million in 2021, according<br />
to “My Fugitive Dad” podcast co-host Alex<br />
Jonathan Hirsch — into a paper bag, and<br />
walked out to begin a new life, far, far<br />
away — in Lynnfield.<br />
While the brazen robbery made headlines<br />
all across the United States, it took federal<br />
marshals more than 50 years to finally put the<br />
pieces together after receiving an anonymous<br />
tip<br />
Ḃut it’s the way it all happened that is the<br />
real story, as told by Ashley on “My Fugitive<br />
Dad,” which was produced by Neon Hum<br />
Media for its “Smoke Screen” series and first<br />
aired in December. Ashley created the show<br />
and serves as co-host and producer.<br />
It was 2021, a day just like any other<br />
according to Ashley. In declining health, Tom<br />
was in the last stages of a battle with cancer.<br />
“It was a pretty unassuming day, we were<br />
just sitting around in the living room watching<br />
‘NCIS’ on TV, and in his very Tom-like way<br />
suddenly said, 'I should probably tell you<br />
something,’” Ashley said.<br />
He said that when he moved to Lynnfield,<br />
he had to change his name for a reason.<br />
“He then said, ‘And the authorities are still<br />
looking for me and so just in case that should<br />
come up, I wanted you to know,’” Ashley said.<br />
“I remember thinking, what now? Back to<br />
HIDING, continued on page 18
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Ashley Randele, shown here with<br />
her father, Tom, on a family vacation<br />
in Maine, said she had an idyllic<br />
childhood growing up in Lynnfield.<br />
189 S. Main St., Middleton<br />
29 Elm St., Danvers<br />
HIDING, continued from page 17<br />
‘NCIS?’”<br />
It never occurred to Ashley that it could be<br />
something really big. After all, she adored her<br />
father.<br />
“Honestly, he’s my dad, he’s boring, he’s just<br />
a suburban dad who golfed. It sort of sounded<br />
like a dad story. It’s like oh, OK, yeah,” Ashley<br />
said. “The authorities are after you? Sure Tom,<br />
sure they are.”<br />
A day or two later, she realized she needed to<br />
have a conversation with him. She told him she<br />
deserved to know his real name and demanded<br />
he tell her.<br />
“He told me if he did tell me, I had to<br />
promise I wouldn’t look into it or tell anyone,”<br />
Ashley said.<br />
She agreed. After he told her his name was<br />
Ted, she asked for the last name.<br />
“It felt like that question hung in the air for<br />
days,” Ashley said. “He looked pained, like,<br />
‘Please don’t ask me to tell you.’ He finally said<br />
‘Conrad.’”<br />
Ashley thought she could honor the promise<br />
she made to keep it private.<br />
But that’s not what happened.<br />
“It just started to eat away at me,” she said.<br />
She tossed and turned in bed that night.<br />
Finally, at 2:30 a.m., she did something that<br />
would change her mother’s and her world.<br />
She conducted an internet search, a search<br />
that revealed that, as her father had said, Ted<br />
Conrad was the fugitive that authorities had<br />
been searching for all these years.<br />
“No exaggeration, I nearly fell off the bed,”<br />
Ashley said. “I still didn’t believe it at first. This<br />
is not my dad. What do you do with that info?”<br />
Ashley knew she had to tell her mother. She<br />
told her to enter Conrad’s name on her iPad.<br />
Kathy’s reaction was similar to Ashley’s.<br />
“All she could say was, ‘Oh my God, oh my<br />
God, oh my God,’” Ashley said.<br />
Ashley started doing research. She read<br />
every article she could find about Ted Conrad.<br />
She read that he had siblings and parents.<br />
She compiled a list of questions. Why did he<br />
change his birthday? Do you know where your<br />
family is? She felt like she didn’t know who she<br />
was anymore.<br />
Although Tom only had weeks to live at<br />
that point, Ashley told her father she didn’t<br />
listen to him and that she knew the truth about<br />
his other life. Ashley said he looked shocked,<br />
“almost afraid.” When she told him that they<br />
had to tell Kathy, he said he couldn’t bring<br />
himself to tell her, but Ashley persisted, saying,<br />
“We cannot keep this secret from her.”<br />
When they did, “he seemed so relieved once<br />
he knew he didn’t have to carry the burden of<br />
his secret anymore,” Ashley said.<br />
Weeks later, Tom died. The date was May<br />
18, 2021.<br />
We know who Ted Conrad was, but who<br />
really was Tom Randele, and why did he do<br />
it? His obituary as published in The Daily Item<br />
(remember that obit — it plays a key role in<br />
this story) said he was the son of Edward and<br />
Ruthabeth (Krueger) Randele and that he was<br />
born in Colorado, later moving to the East
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 19<br />
Coast. He was a golf professional at Pembroke<br />
Country Club and lived the life of a typical<br />
pro, wintering in Florida where he played<br />
professionally and returning north when the<br />
golf season opened. Second only to golf, Tom<br />
loved cars and he crafted that passion into a<br />
40-year career as a luxury salesperson at several<br />
local dealerships.<br />
By all accounts, Tom was a devoted family<br />
man, especially when it came to Ashley’s school<br />
and sports activities. Kathy was well-know<br />
about town. She worked in the Planning Board<br />
office for many years.<br />
Select Board member Dick Dalton said<br />
that he knew Tom only casually, but he worked<br />
closely with Kathy during his 15 years on the<br />
board.<br />
“She was a sweetheart who was always<br />
happy, a typical working mother who talked<br />
about her daughter who she adores, and her<br />
family, just a really solid, salt-of-the-earth-type<br />
family,” Dalton said.<br />
Lynnfield realtor Ellen Crawford bought a<br />
car from Tom.<br />
“Tom was professional, courteous, and<br />
knowledgeable,” she said. “I trusted his advice<br />
which proved to be a great decision, that car<br />
was a perfect fit and he was so honest.”<br />
Nan Hockenbury was extremely close with<br />
the family. She was a classmate of Kathy’s at<br />
Lynnfield High. Years later, the families became<br />
neighbors on Carter Road.<br />
“He was just a great guy, the best, kind,<br />
generous, anything you think of a perfect<br />
person,” Hockenbury said. “When Kathy told<br />
my husband (Joe Miglio) and me about it, we<br />
were surprised, but it didn’t matter to<br />
us — Tommy was just always Tom to us. The<br />
robbery was a way out for him. If you could<br />
get the money, you just do it and disappear. I<br />
believe that’s what happened.”<br />
Ashley agrees. She made it clear that, while<br />
many theorized the bank robbery was Conrad’s<br />
attempt to emulate the main character in “The<br />
Thomas Crown Affair,” a 1968 film about<br />
a wealthy Boston businessman pulling off a<br />
bank heist, her father’s motive had nothing to<br />
do with the movie. Instead, it stemmed from a<br />
desperate desire to escape an abusive stepfather<br />
and start a new life.<br />
“My dad’s motivation really was because<br />
he was in such a bad spot… He was always<br />
looking for a loving, stable family and that’s<br />
what he built,” she said.<br />
Unfortunately for Kathy and Ashley, that<br />
stability went up in smoke after Tom died.<br />
“Mom and I decided to wait about a year<br />
(before going to the authorities) because maybe<br />
the grief would be a little bit less,” she said.<br />
She said she knew Pete Elliot, the U.S.<br />
marshall for the Northern District of Ohio, was<br />
still on the case. He had inherited the case from<br />
his father, U.S. Marshal John Elliot, who spent<br />
decades chasing tips only to run into dead ends.<br />
While Ashley felt “bad”and “guilty,” she and<br />
her mom thought it was best to keep Tom’s<br />
secret to themselves before revealing it to the<br />
authorities.<br />
“I knew we had to eventually because the<br />
HIDING, continued on page 23<br />
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KEEPING<br />
SPORTS<br />
IN FOCUS<br />
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN<br />
MAGAZINE STAFF<br />
There aren’t enough hours in the day for 2020 Lynnfield<br />
High graduate Bryan Mallett, a senior at Endicott College.<br />
Simply put, the young man is everywhere when it comes<br />
to the local sports scene.<br />
From high school to the pros, you name it and this<br />
talented videographer has shot it.<br />
The last couple of years, Mallett’s primary focal point has<br />
been as the official videographer for the Endicott College<br />
football team. Mallett said he landed at Endicott because<br />
he was looking to stay local and lay the groundwork for a<br />
career in sports media and filmmaking.<br />
“Endicott really checked all the boxes,” Mallett said.<br />
Mallett was already well versed in all things Endicott,<br />
having been encouraged by his good friend Clay Marengi,<br />
the Gulls’ quarterback and 2023 Commonwealth Coast<br />
Conference co-offensive player of the year, to spend<br />
some time on campus and shoot football games. Mallett<br />
reached out to the school’s communications and marketing<br />
photographer, David Le.<br />
“He said that they would love to have me on board, and<br />
everything took off from there,” Mallett said.<br />
While Mallett had his eye on Endicott for quite some<br />
time prior to enrolling, Endicott had its eye on Mallett as<br />
well.<br />
“We had actually seen a bunch of Bryan’s work on<br />
Instagram before he even decided to come here, and David<br />
and I were very impressed with his work,” Endicott Sports<br />
Information Director Shawn Medeiros said. “Everything<br />
kind of naturally came together from there and Bryan really<br />
Videographer<br />
Bryan Mallett<br />
works the sidelines<br />
at an Endicott College<br />
women's lacrosse<br />
game.<br />
PHOTO |<br />
JONNIE RATNER<br />
I get to develop real relationships with<br />
people, which is awesome, and through<br />
that I get to chase down great stories<br />
and capture them on video.<br />
— Videographer Bryan Mallett
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 21<br />
was off and running once he got here.”<br />
While not in the classroom where, by<br />
the way, he also excels (he’s a member of<br />
the Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society, which<br />
recognizes excellence in communications),<br />
Mallett does paid freelance work for several<br />
area high schools, including Lynnfield,<br />
Newburyport, and Pingree. He also covers<br />
several sports at Boston College, where he was<br />
also responsible for editing teams’ social media<br />
and producing game and year-in-review<br />
recaps. He was recently retained to shoot the<br />
<strong>2024</strong> NCAA Frozen Four hockey regional<br />
tournament that’s being hosted by UNH.<br />
He’s been a regular fixture at Pioneers’<br />
athletic contests for years. Mallett said<br />
one of the highlights of his young career<br />
was shooting the Pioneers’ boys soccer<br />
championship game against Monomoy<br />
last fall in Scituate. The Pioneers won<br />
that game, securing their first-ever state<br />
title.<br />
Mallett admitted that he just couldn’t<br />
help throwing objectivity to the wind.<br />
“I’ll always be a Pioneer and that’s<br />
why I prioritize Lynnfield when it<br />
comes to taking assignments,” he said.<br />
“That game was surreal. I found myself<br />
getting distracted as a fan, to be honest.<br />
I know you’re expected to be objective,<br />
but it was impossible that game.”<br />
Mallett estimates he shoots, on average,<br />
more than a game a day. While he’s been<br />
pressed into service in almost every sport, his<br />
favorite sport to shoot is — you guessed<br />
it — football.<br />
He is currently interning as a video editor<br />
at TorchPro, a sports-media network churning<br />
out MLB, NBA, and NHL player videos,<br />
“Pass the Torch” podcasts, and newsletters.<br />
Mallett said the highlight of his experience<br />
with TorchPro was a video he produced<br />
for company co-founder Joe Pavelski, who<br />
reached a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars<br />
in 2020.<br />
“He posted that on his Instagram and the<br />
Dallas Stars Instagram, so that was really cool<br />
to have my video on the Dallas Stars’ social<br />
media,” Mallett said. “It was a moment when<br />
I thought this was just really cool.”<br />
Mallett’s resume is truly a who’s who of<br />
the sports-media world. He worked as a<br />
video editor intern for DraftKings’ “Name<br />
Redacted” and “Baseball is Dead” podcasts.<br />
He’s produced videos and social-media<br />
content for NFL players A.J. Dillon and<br />
Nyheim Hines. He served as a video editor<br />
for the “Join me in Miami” blog and has done<br />
other work as a freelance blogger under the<br />
name BmalMedia.<br />
He spent four months working as a video<br />
editor for the 33rd Team, a company founded<br />
by former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum,<br />
producing 45-60-second football hype,<br />
highlight, and analysis videos.<br />
His favorite thing about doing what he<br />
does is seeing the feedback he gets after<br />
posting his videos and all the interesting<br />
people he meets along the way.<br />
“It’s seeing the joy on their faces and<br />
hearing the feedback that is the best part of<br />
it for me,” Mallett said. “I get to develop real<br />
relationships with people, which is awesome,<br />
and through that I get to chase down great<br />
stories and capture them on video. I’ve always<br />
been a people person, so being able to have so<br />
much fun doing that while making a living is<br />
the best of everything.”<br />
The worst part of being a videographer?<br />
Two things — challenging weather<br />
conditions and sleep deprivation.<br />
Last fall, he shot an Endicott football game<br />
in what he described as a “monsoon.”<br />
“I was drenched even before the start of the<br />
game,” he said. “And definitely not getting<br />
enough sleep is hard, as I’m just trying to<br />
get in as much as possible, especially on the<br />
weekends because of the short turnarounds<br />
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LENS, continued from page 21<br />
from Friday going into Saturday. It’s tough, but I’ve been able to<br />
make it work.”<br />
Mallett attributes much of his success to networking. As an<br />
example, he cites the fact his opportunity at TorchPro developed<br />
when he reached out to co-founder Dan Healey during his early<br />
years at Endicott. The connection paid off immediately.<br />
“I had done videos for the Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy through<br />
Dan, so I reached out to Dan and asked him if I could do my<br />
internship with them,” Mallett said. “He offered me a job<br />
post-graduation as well.”<br />
The digital media major recently reached out to DraftKings<br />
content creator and former Barstool Sports contributor and<br />
podcaster Jared Carrabis after Mallett learned that Carrabis had<br />
moved to Lynnfield. Mallett offered to help him get to know the<br />
community. Carrabis’ response blew Mallett away.<br />
“He said, ‘Dude, I’ve been following you and love your work<br />
and I love what you do and would like you to get involved with us,’<br />
and by the end of January he connected me with his producer who<br />
said we need somebody to do podcasts. I told him, ‘absolutely,’ said,<br />
‘You guys are the best,’” Mallet said.<br />
Mallett said people are really starting to notice him in part due<br />
to all the attention BC hockey is getting as the No. 1 team in the<br />
nation.<br />
“It’s a tough balance, timewise, between school, freelancing, and<br />
my internship, but I never lose my motivation because I just love<br />
what I do,” Mallett said.<br />
While his post-graduation plans are still up in the air, Mallett<br />
said he’s had several offers and is in “a good spot.” He says he is<br />
lucky that with all the freelance work he is doing, he’s not under<br />
any pressure to land a full-time job, mainly because he’s already<br />
putting full-time hours in already.<br />
While it’s still only March, he feels a big opportunity with a<br />
college or pro team in the next couple of years is a real possibility.<br />
Bet on it.<br />
From left, reciever Shane Aylward, football team videographer Bryan Mallett and quarterback Clay Marengi display the CCC championship trophy.<br />
PHOTO | TAMMY MCMANAWAY
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 23<br />
HIDING, continued from page 19<br />
investigation had to stop. It was the right thing<br />
to do,” Ashley said.<br />
But they never got that chance.<br />
“Somebody tipped off the marshals,” she<br />
said.<br />
Out of the blue that fall, Pete received an<br />
email from a woman named Jane Ann Turzillo,<br />
a writer well-known in the Cleveland area for<br />
her pieces on unsolved mysteries and crimes.<br />
Turzillo revealed on the podcast it was from an<br />
anonymous sender and included the obituary<br />
of Thomas Randele. She recognized that the<br />
names of his parents resembled the names of<br />
Ted Conrad’s parents, so she forwarded the<br />
email to Pete. He compared signatures from<br />
a recent bankruptcy proceeding the Randeles<br />
had filed with Conrad’s college-admission<br />
applications. They matched.<br />
The feds arrived at the Randele home on a<br />
chilly morning in November 2021.<br />
“It was a Tuesday and Pete came to the<br />
house on Carter Street, knocked on the door,<br />
and identified himself,” Ashley said. “He said he<br />
wanted to talk with mom 'about her husband,’”<br />
Ashley said.<br />
He assured Kathy and Ashley that they<br />
weren’t in any trouble. Pete said he was shocked<br />
when he saw stacks and stacks of bills cluttering<br />
the home. He — and his father — had always<br />
imagined Conrad was living it up on an island,<br />
driving fast cars and living a life of luxury. Not<br />
this.<br />
A press release announcing the news to the<br />
world was issued on Friday. From that day<br />
forward, everything changed for Kathy and<br />
Ashley.<br />
But one thing is clear: neither holds any<br />
animosity for the Elliots. They still talk<br />
regularly with Pete. Ashley believes that had<br />
Pete and Tom met on the golf course or in<br />
the showroom, they would have become great<br />
friends. Ashley holds Pete is such high esteem<br />
that, prior to moving forward with the podcast,<br />
she even sought out his advice.<br />
“He’s such a stand-up, good guy. He’s<br />
the epitome of what you hope all good law<br />
enforcement are,” Ashley said.<br />
On the podcast, Pete said he believes that at<br />
some point, Tom regretted what he had done<br />
and “became a great family man and friend.”<br />
What happened to the money isn’t certain.<br />
When asked Hirsch if it was safe to presume<br />
the money was gone by the time Tom got<br />
involved with Kathy, Ashley said yes. She said<br />
he didn’t spend money on himself, so she has no<br />
idea where it all went.<br />
Ashley’s reason for creating the podcast was<br />
simple: She wanted to set the record straight on<br />
“who my dad was.”<br />
“Once the story went public, Google<br />
searches simply erased the name Tom Randele,”<br />
Ashley said. “I felt like I was losing my dad all<br />
over again. I refused to let my dad be erased.<br />
The name didn’t even show up as ‘Tom Randele<br />
aka Ted Conrad.’ I felt my dad’s story needed<br />
to be told. He was more than just July 11, 1969.”<br />
She said she is privileged to have had great<br />
parents and a great childhood, but, even now,<br />
when she thinks about her father, she has mixed<br />
feelings.<br />
She’s angry that he let his life-insurance<br />
policy lapse and didn’t tell Kathy until days<br />
before he died. She’s angry that he led “a messy<br />
life” and left it in their laps to sort out. And,<br />
while she loves her father and always will, she’s<br />
angry he left her mother with financial worries.<br />
For now, Ashley, who moved to Wakefield a<br />
couple of years ago and lives next to her mother,<br />
is keeping busy with fielding requests from<br />
people all over the country who are pitching<br />
various projects about her father. She recently<br />
was in Los Angeles filming a segment for<br />
“America’s Most Wanted” with program host<br />
John Walsh. The segment was scheduled to air<br />
in late February.<br />
Looking back, Ashley said living with his<br />
secret for months was “unnerving.” After he<br />
died, instead of focusing exclusively on grieving,<br />
they were consumed with the question of<br />
whether they should go to the authorities.<br />
In the end, all of that didn’t matter once that<br />
obituary landed in Pete’s hands and the secret<br />
was out.<br />
“I was terrified the day Pete Elliot knocked<br />
on our door, but at least it was over,” Ashley<br />
said.<br />
Well, not quite. There is one piece of<br />
unfinished business, at least for Ashley.<br />
The identity of the person who sent the<br />
obituary to Turzillo has never been disclosed.<br />
“It’s the one secret I may never know,”<br />
Ashley said.<br />
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24 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
THE WAIT IS OVER<br />
Boys soccer team captures first state championship<br />
Goalkeeper Kelan Cardinal lifts his<br />
friends into the air as they storm<br />
the field to celebrate Lynnfield's<br />
1-0 win over Monomoy.<br />
STAFF PHOTO | EMMA FRINGUELLI<br />
BY JOEY BARRETT AND<br />
ANNE MARIE TOBIN<br />
MAGAZINE STAFF<br />
The 2004 Red Sox, the 2016<br />
Cleveland Cavaliers – some<br />
championships are just a long time<br />
coming.<br />
Add the Lynnfield boys soccer team<br />
to that list.<br />
The Pioneers’ state title from<br />
November was years in the making, but<br />
boy oh boy, when it finally came, was<br />
it sweet.<br />
At Scituate High School, No. 2<br />
Lynnfield (Division 4) battled frigid<br />
temperatures and wind gusts up to 20<br />
mph, defeating No. 9 Monomoy 1-0<br />
to claim the team’s first state title in<br />
program history.<br />
Junior sensation Dillon Reilly (27<br />
goals on the season) scored the<br />
game-winning goal in the 64th minute.<br />
A minute earlier, junior goalkeeper<br />
Kelan Cardinal made the save of<br />
the game, one-handing a header by<br />
Monomoy freshman Tate Laramee off<br />
a corner, which coach Brent Munroe<br />
said was a “game-saver.”<br />
“We were just surviving in the<br />
second half,” Munroe said. “Our<br />
Dillon Reilly scored seven of Lynnfield's eight<br />
state tournament goals.<br />
STAFF PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK
defense played well, but I feel<br />
like, overall, we didn’t play our<br />
best.”<br />
Then, Reilly – somehow,<br />
someway – managed to fight<br />
off three defenders before<br />
firing a bullet at the speed of<br />
sound from about 30 yards out<br />
past Monomoy keeper Paul<br />
Carlson inside the far post.<br />
By the way, Reilly scored<br />
seven of Lynnfield’s eight<br />
state tournament goals – and<br />
every one through the final<br />
four games.<br />
The time ran out on<br />
Monomoy, and it was time for<br />
the Lynnfield community to<br />
celebrate.<br />
“It’s great that they all<br />
came down to Scituate to<br />
watch our game and I was so<br />
appreciative that all those kids<br />
came a long way to root for<br />
us,” Munroe said.<br />
Speaking of Munroe, it was<br />
one he had waited 31 years to<br />
savor (23 as varsity coach).<br />
“For me, personally, it’s just<br />
finally, finally,” he said. “It’s<br />
so hard to get it and while we<br />
had those two opportunities<br />
in ’06 and ’07, I didn’t know<br />
if we would ever have another<br />
chance. I’m thankful that<br />
we got an opportunity, and<br />
shocked and happy that we<br />
were able to finish it off. To<br />
win today was going to be<br />
hard. I’ve coached a lot of<br />
teams that didn’t win it…<br />
but to win one makes me feel<br />
pretty good.”<br />
And the celebration poured<br />
on for Munroe and company.<br />
They were honored by the<br />
community on Thanksgiving<br />
Day with a rolling parade and<br />
special ceremonies at Town<br />
Hall and Lynnfield High<br />
prior to the football team’s<br />
game against North Reading.<br />
“This is so great for the<br />
kids,” Munroe said. “I’m<br />
excited and happy and still<br />
smiling, and I’m happy to<br />
see the guys again. The<br />
celebration continues and I<br />
am happy to be a part of it.”<br />
Keep smiling, Pioneers.<br />
At last. Dhmitri Dono<br />
lifts the Division 4<br />
boys soccer state<br />
championship trophy<br />
into the air.<br />
STAFF PHOTO |<br />
EMMA FRINGUELLI<br />
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 25
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FRIDAY, SATURDAY 11:30A.M.-11P.M.<br />
Sydney McKeough isn’t your average<br />
12-year-old. The middle schooler<br />
already thinks beyond her day-to-day<br />
responsibilities as a student and envisions<br />
bigger and better things for herself. Chief<br />
among them: a hairstyling business.<br />
Instead of waiting until she gets older<br />
to turn her passion into a career, Sydney<br />
is getting started early — and if her<br />
classmates are any indication, business is<br />
booming.<br />
Sydney’s mom, Leslie McKeough, is<br />
a therapist running her own practice<br />
based in town. Lately, she’s also become<br />
something of a manager for Sydney and<br />
her burgeoning business.<br />
Leslie explains that Sydney has always<br />
enjoyed doing different hairstyles. She<br />
became interested in figuring out how<br />
to do braids and other styles herself,<br />
teaching herself with YouTube videos<br />
and sheer practice. She began to channel<br />
that interest into doing her friends’ hair,<br />
and what had begun as a hobby quickly<br />
became something more. With a babysitter<br />
certification in hand, Sydney’s hair<br />
business has achieved liftoff.<br />
So far, Sydney has done birthday parties<br />
and other events, like a Hanukkah event at<br />
a local synagogue. She also volunteered to<br />
do the hair for the “Beauty and the Beat”<br />
school production earlier this month.<br />
“It’s really been incredible to watch her<br />
as a mom, right, to just see the progress,”<br />
Leslie said. “It started as a hobby and just<br />
something fun, and she would braid my<br />
hair all the time. Watching her, you know,<br />
start this business with her passion. It’s
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 27<br />
Sydney McKeough parts Evy<br />
Fanikos' hair before the Lynnfield<br />
Middle School musical rehearsal.<br />
STAFF PHOTOS | EMMA FRINGUELLI<br />
just been really incredible to watch<br />
her.”<br />
While Sydney may not be raking in<br />
hundreds of thousands of dollars quite<br />
yet, the business is off to a strong start,<br />
Leslie said.<br />
Sydney is a “big saver,” she explained,<br />
putting any money she earns from<br />
doing hair into the bank.<br />
“She’s excited and feels really proud<br />
of herself and empowered for being<br />
able to start this at such a young age,”<br />
Leslie said.<br />
While she spoke to <strong>01940</strong> The<br />
Magazine, Sydney was busy juggling<br />
many requests from friends and<br />
classmates as they prepared to go on<br />
stage for the dress rehearsal of “Beauty<br />
and the Beast.”<br />
But, unfazed by the chaos around<br />
her, Sydney pressed on, embodying<br />
the phrase emblazoned on her T-shirt,<br />
“Keep calm and let Sydney handle it.”<br />
That phrase, she explained, has<br />
become a bit of a mantra, and she<br />
wears the shirt for almost every single<br />
one of her jobs.<br />
On this particular afternoon, Sydney<br />
SYDNEY, continued on page 28
28 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
SYDNEY, continued from page 27<br />
is working on what she said<br />
is her favorite style: a Dutch<br />
braid.<br />
The first braid she learned,<br />
Sydney explains she takes pride<br />
in mastering the ostensibly<br />
more difficult technique.<br />
“Everyone said French braids<br />
are easier because that’s how<br />
most people start out. Dutch<br />
braids… are the base for many<br />
braids… that’s kind of why I<br />
love (them,)” she said.<br />
Sydney explains that it’s the<br />
process of doing someone’s hair<br />
— her own or that of a friend<br />
— that appeals to her.<br />
“The reason I like doing this<br />
is because I like the way I do it,<br />
being gentle,” she said. “I just<br />
like the way it works.”<br />
“I hate when people hurt you<br />
when they’re doing your hair<br />
because it shouldn’t be that<br />
way, that getting your hair done<br />
should be painful or anything<br />
like that,” she added.<br />
Sydney said she is self-taught,<br />
relying on YouTube videos to<br />
get a basic sense of what a<br />
particular braid or hairstyle<br />
should look like and then<br />
figuring it out on her own from<br />
there. She admits the process<br />
can get aggravating sometimes,<br />
especially when working on her<br />
own hair.<br />
But seeing the final result<br />
come together makes it all<br />
worth it.<br />
“The best part about it is just<br />
like seeing it come together,”<br />
she said. “I just like seeing how<br />
it comes out. I like the feeling<br />
of accomplishing something.<br />
There are not many activities<br />
I really love, but this is one of<br />
them. And this is definitely my<br />
favorite thing to do.”<br />
Up next for Sydney: getting<br />
into Essex Tech for high<br />
school and enrolling in the<br />
cosmetology program. While<br />
she waits for high school to roll<br />
around, Sydney has no plans of<br />
slowing down.<br />
Sydney McKeough<br />
wears a shirt that<br />
reads "Keep calm and<br />
let Sydney handle it."<br />
Inside Sydney McKeough's bag is everything she<br />
could need to do hair for her clients.
When moms come together,<br />
incredible things happen<br />
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 29<br />
BY VISHAKHA DESHPANDE<br />
MAGAZINE STAFF<br />
A trio of dynamic working moms<br />
and Lynnfield residents — Jenny<br />
Clifford, Mandy Foote, and Katie<br />
Santarelli — have carved out a space in<br />
the digital realm with their innovative<br />
podcast, “Moms Night Out.” Launched<br />
in October 2023, this groundbreaking<br />
show has quickly risen to prominence,<br />
ranking in the top 3% globally within<br />
just four months of its inception.<br />
With an unwavering commitment to<br />
authenticity and relatability, Clifford,<br />
Foote, and Santarelli invite listeners<br />
into their world each week as they<br />
delve into the multifaceted challenges<br />
and triumphs of modern motherhood.<br />
From candid discussions about family<br />
MOMS, continued on page 30<br />
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STAFF PHOTOS | EMMA FRINGUELLI<br />
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30 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
Jenny Clifford, Katie Santarelli, and Mandy Foote<br />
chat with their podcast gear set up around them.<br />
Jenny Clifford<br />
MOMS, continued from page 29<br />
dynamics and career aspirations to lighthearted<br />
banter about pop culture phenomena, “Moms<br />
Night Out” offers a refreshing blend of humor,<br />
insight, and camaraderie.<br />
“A goal that remains at the focus of our podcast<br />
is to create a community of women who aren’t<br />
afraid to get real about important topics,” Clifford<br />
said. “Motherhood and being a woman can be so<br />
isolating — and we want to be there for those<br />
women who might not have a community or those<br />
who may not have found their voice yet. If we can<br />
make a woman feel seen or make them laugh...<br />
then we have accomplished what we set out to do.”<br />
One of the podcast’s standout features is<br />
its recently launched “Power Player Series,” a<br />
captivating collection of interviews spotlighting<br />
entrepreneurs and changemakers who are<br />
challenging the status quo. From CEOs of<br />
renowned skincare lines to fashion designers<br />
featured in Vogue, each guest brings a unique<br />
perspective, inspiring listeners to embrace their<br />
potential for greatness.<br />
As the podcast continues to gain momentum,<br />
the hosts are excited to explore new opportunities<br />
for growth and engagement. With a lineup of<br />
inspiring guests and exciting projects in the<br />
pipeline, they are poised to make an even greater<br />
impact in the world of podcasting and beyond.<br />
Katie Santarelli<br />
Mandy Foote
For the hosts of “Moms Night<br />
Out,” success is not measured in<br />
rankings or downloads but in the<br />
connections forged and lives touched<br />
along the way. Whether it’s sparking<br />
laughter, providing solace, or simply<br />
making someone feel seen, their<br />
ultimate goal remains unchanged: to<br />
create a supportive community where<br />
women can come together to share<br />
their stories, uplift one another, and<br />
celebrate the journey of motherhood.<br />
“There’s a whole group of women<br />
who are going through the same things<br />
that nobody talks about,” Santarelli<br />
said. “If we could make these women<br />
laugh, I think to us that would be<br />
successful. So we are trying to just<br />
build this little community of moms<br />
for people who maybe don’t have a core<br />
group of friends.”<br />
As they look to the future, the hosts<br />
are optimistic and enthusiastic about<br />
what lies ahead. With a steadfast<br />
dedication to their mission and a deep<br />
appreciation for the support of their<br />
listeners and families, they are ready<br />
to continue blazing trails and making<br />
waves in the ever-evolving landscape of<br />
podcasting.<br />
“Something that we have loved is<br />
all of the stories that women in this<br />
community have shared with us,” Foote<br />
said. “It is truly incredible how many of<br />
you come up to us when we are out and<br />
about and share feelings, thoughts, and<br />
tidbits of your life with us. We don’t<br />
take that honor lightly, and we are so<br />
very grateful for that — so thank you!”<br />
With each new episode, “Moms<br />
Night Out” offers a beacon of hope and<br />
empowerment to women everywhere,<br />
reminding them that they are not<br />
alone in their struggles and triumphs.<br />
Through laughter, tears, and everything<br />
in between, Clifford, Foote, and<br />
Santarelli are here to uplift, inspire,<br />
and empower—all from the comfort of<br />
your favorite podcast platform.<br />
So grab your headphones, pour<br />
yourself a glass of wine, and join the<br />
conversation. Because when moms<br />
come together, incredible things<br />
happen. Welcome to “Moms Night<br />
Out,” — where every Wednesday at<br />
8 a.m., the conversation is real, the<br />
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is unconditional.<br />
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32 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
Young Guns' Mike Mondello does<br />
some last minute preparation for<br />
the team's first game in the New<br />
England Pond Hockey Classic.<br />
STAFF PHOTOS | SPENSER HASAK
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 33<br />
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN<br />
MAGAZINE STAFF<br />
The Young Guns, back row from left, Ryan Smith, Phil Anderson, Brendan Costin,<br />
Craig Morton, Kevin Maresco, and front row from left, Matt O'Neill, Ryan Heavey,<br />
and Mike Mondello are ready for the New England Pond Hockey Classic.<br />
Every generation cherishes childhood memories that will likely<br />
never fade. But over time, many of the things we remembered<br />
doing as kids, like just hanging out and playing on our terms<br />
without adult supervision, have been pushed aside.<br />
Welcome to the world of organized youth sports. Gone are the<br />
days when you couldn't wait to go to the park, buck up, and choose<br />
sides with the kids in your neighborhood.<br />
In the winter, there was only one choice — you raced home<br />
after school, strapped on your ice skates, and skated till dark on the<br />
neighborhood pond.<br />
Truth be told, the only time we'd see any adults was when our<br />
mothers drove to the park and dragged us off the ice, kicking and<br />
screaming.<br />
Fast forward to the current century and some former Lynnfield<br />
High hockey players are clinging to an age-old North American<br />
tradition they swear by — pond hockey.<br />
As kids, they grew up playing hockey on Pillings Pond. 2006<br />
LHS grad Phil Anderson grew up just across the street on Thomas<br />
Road. He recalled that the neighborhood kids met up every day<br />
after school at the pond to match wits with “the crazy Pillings<br />
Pond lady with the dogs.”<br />
“She always tried to kick us off like she owned the pond,"<br />
Anderson said. “We were only 10 or 11 or so, but it was nothing to<br />
walk down by ourselves. The minute the pond was frozen, we were<br />
there. Even to this day, depending on the weather, if it's frozen, we<br />
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34 | <strong>01940</strong><br />
Young Guns' Brendan Costin<br />
doesn't let the Rippers' defense<br />
stop him from scoring.<br />
Young Guns' Phil Anderson gets ready to<br />
swipe the puck away.<br />
have a group of about 30 guys and usually<br />
one guy will text everyone and we’re out on<br />
the ice.”<br />
The group’s most ardent passion every<br />
year is heading north to Meredith, N.H.<br />
for the annual New England Pond<br />
Hockey Classic on Lake Winnipesaukee,<br />
a weekend-long event full of fun, music,<br />
family activities, and, yes, plenty of beer.<br />
The Young Guns is the name of the<br />
team. Members include former LHS<br />
teammates Anderson, Brendan Costin,<br />
Kevin Maresco, Craig Morton, and Ryan<br />
Smith along with Mike Mondello, Ryan<br />
Heavey, and Matt O'Neill.<br />
While last year’s classic was pure<br />
survival, with wind chills reaching -40<br />
degrees, this year it was so warm the<br />
tournament had to be moved to the<br />
shallower Lake Waukewan to find safe ice.<br />
More than 275 teams participated in<br />
500 games on 26 rinks over three days. The<br />
tournament features a four-on-four format<br />
with no goalies. The rink is about a third<br />
of the size of a regular rink. The goals are<br />
tiny — two 6-inch-tall nets connected by a<br />
foot-long bar.<br />
All ages are welcome. They play in<br />
brackets arranged by age and gender,<br />
and all contestants are playing to win the<br />
champion's prize — a wooden replica<br />
of the Stanley Cup. The ultimate goal is<br />
to make it out of pool play and play on<br />
championship Sunday — and, ultimately,<br />
have their names etched on the trophy.<br />
The Young Guns play in the Open<br />
Division, arguably the most competitive<br />
in the tournament. They’ve won it once<br />
(2020) and were hoping to add a second<br />
title this year, but came up short, losing in<br />
the final 4-3 in overtime to Grassy Pond.<br />
Conditions were brutal in a different sort<br />
of way compared to last year's Arctic freeze,<br />
forcing a last-minute equipment change.<br />
“There was so much slush but we opted<br />
to try to play in skates. We quickly realized<br />
they were chewing up the ice so we played<br />
in boots Friday. It wasn’t as bad as 2022,<br />
when it rained and they plowed the surface<br />
and the ice sank. But by Sunday it was cold<br />
enough to get back in skates,” Anderson<br />
said. “It was tough to lose, but still it was a<br />
great weekend.”<br />
Maresco was the consensus MVP.<br />
“He’s a different breed. He's pushing 40<br />
but still plays like he’s 19,” Anderson said.<br />
The Young Guns have also competed<br />
several times in the the Lake Champlain<br />
Pond Hockey Classic in Vermont. In 2015,<br />
they headed northwest to Minnesota<br />
to play in the U.S. Pond Hockey<br />
Championship. Unfortunately, both of<br />
those tournaments were canceled this year<br />
due to mild weather.<br />
Maresco, a 2004 grad, played a<br />
postgraduate year at Phillips Andover, two<br />
years at the University of Massachusetts<br />
Amherst, and two more at Manhattanville.<br />
He joined the Young Guns in 2015 and has<br />
been playing ever since.<br />
“Last year was brutal, but we’ve had<br />
some good runs and it’s always a good<br />
time,” Maresco said. “But it’s just great<br />
being out there with the people you played<br />
with growing up. There’s a bit of nostalgia<br />
with such a cool backdrop and a different<br />
twist on the game playing with the little<br />
nets. We've had some good years with good<br />
ice and years when it’s a complete disaster.<br />
It’s a real crapshoot, but kind of fun<br />
because everyone is dealing with the same<br />
conditions.”<br />
While tournament rules forbid checking,<br />
Maresco said there is often a little “boys<br />
will be boys” vibe.<br />
“Some of the games get a little heated,<br />
especially on Sunday as rivalries develop
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 35<br />
Members of the Young Guns look on from the<br />
bench as they take on the Rover Kings in the<br />
New England Pond Hockey Classic.<br />
over the years and people know us up there.<br />
You just don’t ever lose the competitiveness<br />
and games definitely can get intense as<br />
the goal always is to win the whole thing,”<br />
Maresco said.<br />
“A lot of us still play men’s leagues out<br />
of Hockey Town, but being outside is so<br />
much more fun. I'm not sure how many<br />
there are, but I am definitely in it for as<br />
long as I can swing it,” he added.<br />
Smith is one of the Youngest of the<br />
Guns, having joined the team in 2019. The<br />
2008 LHS graduate played four years at<br />
Babson College. A highlight of his college<br />
career was playing against Norwich in one<br />
of the first Frozen Fenways. He plans to<br />
play pond hockey indefinitely.<br />
“It’s hard to say what the best thing<br />
about pond hockey is, but I would<br />
say, number one, it’s fun to be outside<br />
competing with others who are also<br />
looking to have a good time playing hockey<br />
together again,” he said. “And it’s a great<br />
way to reconnect with old friends. It makes<br />
you feel like you’re still in your teens.”<br />
So what else makes this pond hockey<br />
thing so addictive?<br />
If anyone knows, it’s Nicholas Wynia<br />
and Tommy Haines.<br />
Haines is one of the founders of<br />
Northand Films, an independent<br />
documentary film production company<br />
that has won awards for its hockey-themed<br />
productions, including its debut documentary<br />
“Pond Hockey,” a 2008 film with<br />
appearances by Wayne Gretzky and Sidney<br />
Crosby that decried the fact that kids’<br />
sports had lost the value of unstructured<br />
play.<br />
A native of Iowa, Wynia is the founder<br />
of Story City Films.<br />
A few years back, Northland<br />
commissioned Wynia to spend three<br />
weeks traveling around North America<br />
shooting photos for “Pond Hockey: Frozen<br />
Moments,” a picture book about pond<br />
hockey.<br />
“I took a lot of pucks off the shins, but<br />
I learned it was as much about people<br />
getting together and fighting the winter<br />
blues, not so much about the game itself,”<br />
Wynia said.<br />
Haines grew up in Minnesota and<br />
started playing hockey at the age of 5.<br />
“The general lure for me has always<br />
been that these lakes, ponds, and rivers<br />
are frozen playgrounds for a few months,<br />
but the game is becoming more and more<br />
special as the winter season is shorter and<br />
shorter,” Haines said. “Each space we play<br />
on is so unique. It’s the camaraderie; it<br />
reminds me of my childhood when it was<br />
unstructured with no rules or systems.”<br />
Haines said that when Northland Films<br />
produced “Pond Hockey,” he thought<br />
unstructured youth play in America had<br />
reached rock bottom.<br />
“But now it's gotten worse,” he said.<br />
“Even so, I continue to hope that parents<br />
learn the value of social importance of<br />
unstructured play, the kind kids get when<br />
they play pond hockey like we did.”<br />
Maresco, Smith, and Anderson will<br />
continue playing and competing, hoping to<br />
bring back the elusive Stanley Cup. They<br />
agree that the best thing about playing<br />
pond hockey is the camaraderie, just being<br />
outside with the guys — and, of course, the<br />
beer.<br />
The worst part of pond hockey?<br />
“It’s playing pond hockey,” Anderson<br />
joked. “But we will absolutely be back in<br />
2025. We're just gluttons for punishment.”
36 | <strong>01940</strong>
SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 37<br />
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