retirement

Photos and Video: Shaker Lane School Bids Farewell to Two Beloved Retirees

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Littleton Public Schools
Dr. Kelly R. Clenchy, Superintendent
33 Shattuck Street,
Littleton, MA 01460

For Immediate Release

Monday, June 10, 2019

Media Contact: Jordan Mayblum
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Shaker Lane Bids Farewell to Two Beloved Retirees

36-year Veteran Teacher Leaving Behind Same Classroom Where She Once Sat as a Student

LITTLETON — Sandy Hill first stepped into Room 106 at Shaker Lane School as a 6-year-old girl in the late 1960’s. Later this month, she’ll say goodbye to that classroom for the final time.

On Thursday, June 6, Hill — retiring after 36 years as a first grade teacher working in room 106 — and longtime Shaker Lane nurse Janice Hartford were honored for their deep impact on the Shaker Lane community during their combined 45 years at the school.

“Sandy is the kind of teacher that you hope will never retire,” Shaker Lane Principal Michelle Kane said. “She’s got just as much enthusiasm for teaching as she did on day one.” 

Her dedication to her students was plainly visible as she held back tears while addressing a room of students, parents and colleagues in the Shaker Lane library. She interrupted her remarks to point out first grader Wyatt Banister, who was skipping birthday dinner to attend his teacher’s party, and led the attendees in singing “Happy Birthday.” 

For Kane, who is finishing her second year as Shaker Lane principal, Hill and Hartford’s shared expertise has been an invaluable resource. 

“They have such a wealth of knowledge, so I tap into them all of the time,” Kane said. “Janice is the perfect elementary school nurse because she approaches her job with such compassion and patience, and it will be hard walking into the nurse’s office and not seeing her there.”

Hartford, who after spending the last nine years at Shaker Lane is nearing the end of a decades-long career, earned praise for her approach to treating students’ injuries and ailments — both real and imagined — with equal care and a bit of “magic ice.”

“While many of her patients truly come to her with an injury or illness, many appear at Janice’s door for the kind and nurturing relationship she creates with the students at Shaker Lane,” School Committee Chairman Mike Fontanella said.

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Following the formal portion of the party, which included a presentation of commendations from both chambers of the State House, Hill found herself being interrupted by a line of students wanting to give her a hug and wish her well. At the same time, Hartford was surrounded by colleagues, parents and students who will miss her gregarious presence in the nurse’s office.

“I’m not going to miss the lice and the ticks, and I’m not going to miss the EpiPens,” Hartford joked, “But I will miss the people.”

Fontanella estimated that Hill, who returned to Shaker Lane after graduating college, has had 700 students come and go from her classes over her 36-year career. For Hill, the idea that she’s finally leaving Shaker Lane behind is surreal.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 6 years old, and I just cant believe I’m leaving, but I know it’s the right thing,” Hill said. “It’s been a great ride and I look forward to coming back and finding out what everybody’s doing.”

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Bryan LaCivita Appointed to be New Raynham Fire Chief After Retirement of Chief James Januse

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Raynham Fire Department
Chief James T. Januse
37 Orchard St.,
Raynham, MA 02767

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Bryan LaCivita Appointed to be New Raynham Fire Chief After Retirement of Chief James Januse

RAYNHAM — The Raynham Fire Department is pleased to announce that Bryan LaCivita has been appointed as its new chief.

The Raynham Board of Selectmen announced the appointment at their meeting Tuesday night. LaCivita, who currently serves as the department’s deputy chief, will take over the duties as chief once Chief James Januse retires on June 30.

“I am honored to lead this fire department and to continue serving the community I grew up in,” LaCivita said. “I look forward to further fostering relationships with our residents, business owners and town officials, and I know I have big shoes to fill with the retirement of Chief Januse. I would like to personally thank Chief Januse for all that he has done for me and for the Raynham Fire Department throughout his decades of service to the town.”

Chief Januse announced his retirement on Jan. 7 after 49 years with the department. He has served as the department’s chief since 2008, following in the footsteps of his father, former Raynham Fire Chief Theodore Januse.

LaCivita, age 45, is a Raynham native and has two sons, Shaun, age 12, and Kyle, age 10, with his wife Kim.

LaCivita began his career as a call firefighter/EMT in 1993. He was hired full-time in 1995 and graduated from fire recruit training in 1996. LaCivita became certified as a paramedic in 1998. From there he rose through the ranks as a lieutenant in 2008, a captain/fire inspector in 2012 and was named deputy chief in 2017.

In October last year, LaCivita was granted accreditation for the level of fire chief by the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission. In January, LaCivita  graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program and received his accreditation as a Fire Prevention Officer 2.

“I am extremely fortunate to be surrounded by such a talented group of firefighters and most importantly, my supportive and loving family,” LaCivita said.

LaCivita, who grew up in Raynham, is a graduate of Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School. He earned his associate’s degree in criminal justice from Bristol Community College and a bachelor’s degree in fire science from American Public University.

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Bedford School Resource Officer William “Spike” Donahue Announces Retirement

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Bedford Police Department
John J. Bryfonski, Chief of Police
55 Constitution Drive
Bedford, NH 03110

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Bedford School Resource Officer William “Spike” Donahue Announces Retirement

School Resource Officer William “Spike” Donahue will retire on Monday, April 1. (Courtesy Photo Bedford Police Department)

BEDFORD, N.H. — Chief John J. Bryfonski announces that a 32-year veteran of the Bedford Police Department is retiring.

School Resource Officer William “Spike” Donahue will retire on Monday, April 1.

Officer Donahue was the first SRO assigned to the Bedford Schools, where he has spent the last 15 of his 32 years of service with the Bedford Police Department. He also taught the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program for many years at Bedford Schools, and was the first officer assigned to the Mountain Bicycle Patrol Unit.

As an SRO, Officer Donahue is known by and affectionately refereed to as “Spike” by students, staff and colleagues at Bedford schools.

“Spike, as he’s known to kids and school officials, has been a tremendous asset to everyone he’s served,” Chief Bryfonski said. “He really is what a school resource officer is supposed to be: he knows the families, knows the kids and knows the community.”

Throughout his career, Officer Donahue has appreciated the support he’s felt from the community, school district and police department.

“I was always developing relationships with these kids from the time they were in elementary school all the way through 12th grade, so I’ve watched a lot of them grow up, go on to various careers and become the young adults they are,” Officer Donahue said. “It has been a great, fascinating and rewarding process. The relationship building has been the most important thing, besides school safety, that I did as an SRO.”

Field Training Officer Eli J. Krause, an experienced 10-year veteran of the Bedford Police Department, will serve as the new SRO at Bedford Public Schools after Officer Donahue retires.

Officer Krause was previously assigned to the Patrol Operations Division, where his duties included both sector patrol as well as training new police officers.

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Ashland Police Chief Craig Davis to Retire

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Town of Ashland Michael Herbert, Town Manager 101 Main Street 1st Floor Ashland, MA 01721
Town of Ashland
Michael Herbert, Town Manager
101 Main Street
1st Floor
Ashland, MA 01721

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, Feb. 1, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Ashland Police Chief Craig Davis to Retire

ASHLAND — Town Manager Michael Herbert reports with bittersweet emotions that Ashland Police Chief Craig Davis will retire this spring after six years as the town’s police chief and 34 years in municipal law enforcement.

Chief Davis came to Ashland in 2013 after decades spent with the Framingham Police Department. Almost immediately, he brought forth sweeping change and instituted a litany of new programs and services that transformed what was then very much a department in transition in Ashland.

“Chief Davis’ leadership and professional demeanor inspired a new wave of confidence in the Ashland Police Department from our community members,” Town Manager Herbert said. “Personally, I consider it a privilege and honor to have worked with Chief Davis. His contributions to the community and to policing in general will be long-lasting. We are sad to see him go, but on behalf of the entire Town of Ashland, I wish to sincerely thank Chief Davis for his service to our community.”

Town Manager Herbert noted that the community’s confidence in Chief Davis allowed him to successfully advocate for the first increase in Ashland Police Department staffing in many years and also increased investment in facilities, fleet and training for the officers.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the people Ashland for allowing me to serve as their Police Chief for the last five and a half years. I am thankful for the tremendous support I have received from the town’s leadership, town employees, business community, and the residents,” Chief Davis said. “I also want to thank and commend the men and women of the Ashland Police Department for their devotion and dedication to providing public safety to the community. It has been the highest privileged to have worked alongside such a fine group of professional officers and support staff who are devoted to keeping Ashland safe.”

Perhaps most of all, however, Chief Davis is known for his impact on law enforcement’s approach to mental illness and addiction, two problems that are faced by every community.

During his career in Framingham, Chief Davis created the Jail Diversion Program, a collaborative effort between the police department and the local mental health crisis team. The program embeds a mental health clinician within the police department to co-respond along officers for calls for service involving people who are mentally ill or who are in crisis. The program was first implemented in 2003 and has since been replicated across the state to many police departments and communities. When he arrived in Ashland, Chief Davis expanded the effort to create the state’s first Regional Jail Diversion Program in partnership with the communities of Holliston, Hopkinton and Sherborn (The ASHH program).

Chief Davis also trained all department personnel in Mental Health First Aid, a specialized course to help police officers quickly assess and properly communicate with those who are suffering from a mental health crisis.

Chief Davis’ approach to mental health has caused a regional paradigm shift in the way law enforcement agencies serve those with mental illness, and his approach and programs have been modeled by countless other agencies in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Staffing and deployment of resources were key areas of focus during Chief Davis’ tenure. He opened a police sub-station in Market Basket Plaza on Pond Street to increase police visibility in that area of town and to provide additional meeting and training space. He also added a second school resource officer to ensure that a specially-trained officer was in the high school but also available to the other schools in town at the same time.

Chief Davis has also ushered the Ashland Police Department through the sweeping opioid epidemic and the legalization of marijuana in the following ways:

  • APD trained several officers as Drug Recognition Experts to enhance the department’s ability to detect people who are operating vehicles impaired by drugs. (Created in response to the legalization of marijuana).
  • Chief Davis sought to create a safer community by partnering with the Decisions At Every Turn coalition to provide annual alcohol responsibility awareness seminars for all liquor license holders in town.
  • Enforced liquor law violations resulting in the closing of two establishments that were habitual liquor law violators.
  • Ashland became the first Metrowest police department to deploy Narcan in cruisers.
  • Installed a “drug take-back” kiosk in lobby of the police station, available 24/7 to the public to dispose of unwanted narcotics and has been instrumental in collecting several hundred pounds of drugs that would have otherwise remained in people’s homes.
  • Created an Opiate Recovery Outreach team that partners with social workers to “reach out” to people who have overdosed on narcotics to assist them into recovery and treatment.

Last but certainly not least, Chief Davis was instrumental in the Ashland Public Safety Building Committee’s successful efforts to bring a much-needed new public safety complex to Ashland, which voters approved late last year.

Chief Davis is expected to leave the department at the end of March. He has accepted a private sector job. The entire Ashland community joins in thanking him and wishing him good luck in his new adventure.

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