Monadnock Perspectives: Cooperation was key to Mason Elementary School getting through COVID

By Bill Fonda

In the summer of 2020, Mason Elementary School Superintendent/Principal Kristen Kivela was trying to come up with a plan to bring students back to school that fall, with some help from fifth-grade teacher Alexcina Leel.

“We just spent the whole summer brainstorming, ‘How do we make this work?’” Kivela said.

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Doreen Michalak of Peterborough and her dog Neeko find missing man in Vermont

By Bill Fonda

About three days into a search for a missing person is what Doreen Michalak of Peterborough calls a “run for the finish line” that includes wondering if the person is still alive.

“You just don’t know what you’re going to find,” she said.

After being called with fellow New England K9 Search and Rescue volunteers to Cavendish, Vt., early in the morning of June 14, Michalak was in that third day of searching Thursday afternoon. She had covered most of her area, and was coming down to the last few passes when her dog Neeko started acting differently.

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Sharon author P.J. O’Rourke dies at 74

By Bill Fonda

P.J. O’Rourke was an author of more than 20 books, including best-sellers such as the best-sellers “Parliament of Whores” and “Give War a Chance.”

He was a conservative satirist, contributing editor at The Weekly Standard, a writer for publications such as The Atlantic, The American Spectator and Rolling Stone and a frequent panelist on the NPR show “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me.”

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MARSHFIELD FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: Searching for a sense of wonder

By Bill Fonda

It does not take much to make Chihiro Suzuki’s face light up, as I quickly learned the other day at Furnace Brook Middle School when I met her and her American host, Furnace Brook Principal Al Makein.

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Acton sisters, mother talk about Paris attacks

By Bill Fonda

Sisters Carly and Sophie Antonioli of Acton saw the police and emergency vehicles near the La Casa Nostra restaurant in Paris as they were walking back to their hotel after dinner the night of Nov. 13.

“At that point, we thought there was a fire, because otherwise, why would there be such a commotion?” Sophie said.

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Willow Books in Acton hosts Rob Gronkowski book-signing

By Bill Fonda

Sarah Trussell of Lancaster had reached the front of the line at Willow Books, with her copy of Rob Gronkowski’s book “It’s Good to be Gronk” ready to be signed by the New England Patriots tight end …

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Discovery Woods opens at the Discovery Museums in Acton

By Bill Fonda

As her 2-year-old son Noah played in the cargo net climb at Discovery Woods at the Discovery Museums in Acton July 16, Qi Wang of Lexington said the little boy’s behavior was out of the ordinary.

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