Group 4

Community Conversations
GROUP 4

Illustrating the
Next Generation

A Conversation with Andy Rash

By Alex Bedrosian

When I was in 3rd grade I loved The
Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairy
Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane
Smith. Well, a guy named Andy Rash
liked that book too. Andy is an Illustrator.
You know the person that draws things.
Ok, he doesn’t just draw, he makes books
too. To be more specific he makes
children's books. He was inspired by one
of the authors of The Stinky Cheese Man
and Other Fairy Stupid Tales, Lane Smith.
Not like I was gonna have to tell you
anyway.. I’ve been able to ask this guy
that's really good at drawing to give me
some info about his life. And I think you’ll
want to hear about it. The following has
been edited and condensed for clarity.

This is Andy’s first book

Where did you grow up? Can you tell me a little about
your childhood?

I grew up in Kingsport, which is in the corner of Tennessee. My parents worked in a
chemical plant. My Town was full of scientists. I grew up loving to draw; I drew a lot as a
kid. I kind of stood out because of it. Kingsport used to make green plastic bottles, chances
are if you have a green plastic bottle, it was made there.

Why did you become an illustrator?

I always knew that I loved to draw. I
Didn’t think about it being a job, and
because of this, I didn’t take it seriously
until high school.

I admired images from books and
magazines. Some picture book
illustrators were inspiring. Lane Smith
was doing very different kinds of picture
books. And I Wanted to do that kind of
work. I Find it satisfying to make and
write books.

This is a photo of Andy

Where did you go to art school? What did
you like about it?

I went to Savannah college of art & design in GA. Made
friends who were into illustration. The town is spooky. There

are lots of fun ghost stories about that place.
Then grad school at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Got to

know lots of people in illustration. I loved both schools.

How do you come up with ideas for your
books?

Doodling mostly. I work in Sketchbooks. I’m always doodling
in them when not working on a project. Sometimes I M
make a character and want to know more about them. I look
at other picture books too.

How would you describe your style?

Someone once called them cartoonishly gruesome. Kind of
graphic. Playful and humorous. It’s not very realistic.

The way that I made my art used to be painting and ink. Now I’m What is the biggest
working on the computer in photoshop. My last book was done influence on your art?
entirely in photoshop. That changes the process. You can undo
and adjust things. Technology has changed my work more than
anything else.

Did having your children affect how you Ed Emberley and Lane Smith are huge
write books? influences.
Ed made books that would teach you
YES!!! how to draw things. His style has thick
Once you have kids, you look more deeply into what you lines and bright colors.
want to write about. You might talk about something that you Lane Smith felt like he was breaking
know your child has dealt with. After having kids, you write rules all the time. Similarly, my work
with more empathy. A clear idea of what a kid will connect was funny and strange. He seemed
with. It’s hard to remember your childhood. Raising kids you like he wasn’t limiting himself to what
know more about their experiences and what they care a children's book should be. Very
about. groundbreaking. He does stuff like the
table of contents falls on top of one of
the characters.

Is there something you’ve always

wanted to do, but haven't done?

I have tried to get animated shows on television. I
would love to get that to happen. It would be so
different from what I've done so far.
I still want to keep making books and keep
developing them though.

With Every
Passing Year.

A Conversation with Gail Dailey
Written By Cameron Boyer

My grandma was born into a family of six

children. I know, It’s a lot, but back then it

was normal. Her eldest brother Rick, her

eldest sister Wendy, and her younger

siblings David, Bud and Sherri. She also

had a foster brother named Don. “Don had

young parents and both of them had died.

My parents found out that he was living in

one of the clothing donation bins. My
Mimi In her sunroof room sitting on the couch parents decided to take him into their home.”

She also learned from all of them. For

example “It's ok to fail but you need to try.

Gail Dailey. A name most of you will have Taught me to give back to others. My

never heard of. However she is one of the parents even fed the homeless, built a youth

most important people in the world in my center for children, and collected toiletries

eyes. The Mimi to end all mimi’s. The for nursing homes.”

greatest of all time. But you may be Her favorite growing up was always

wondering why all of these titles come so her brother Rick because he was most like

easily and that is because it’s just true. You her:a kind, cunning, compassionate person

could not find a nicer, more innocent and who always wanted to help others.They

kind person anywhere. For example were always the two oddballs as” I had red

everytime i’m sad she is always there. She hair and he had dark brownish hair while the

drives 45 minutes almost everyday to come rest of our family had blonde hair and blue

see me and my sister. She also raised my eyes.” One story that she has told me on

mom and her two siblings. But how did she multiple occasions was the story of the TV.

become the kind, clumsy and amazing “Rick worked at a farm across the street

grandma she is today? Let’s take a deeper when he was in high school. He saved up all

dive into her childhood and growing up. his money to buy a dishwasher and color tv

for my Mom.” Imagine devoting all of your

free time to working on a farm to get a gift

for your mom, pretty selfless and that is just

like Mimi. So it really does run in the family.

My grandmother grew up in Randolf, Massachusetts and lived there for a long

time. She states that it was a great community and had tons of diversity. Her parents

loved the community around so much they decided to create a youth center. In her own

words “Living in Randolph has affected who I am today” It seems to be really fun.If all 6

of the siblings had a friend, they would have 12 kids over. Her Mom was the first ever

matron in randolph. A Matron is pretty much a police officer who doesn’t go on the front

lines but mainly manages the people right after they get released from jail. This meant

early wakeups to see a new random person everyday. Her dad also helped out with the

police because he spoke Spanish and could interpret for certain prisoners/suspected

criminals.

Randolph, MA town hall nowadays

Finally, rounding out the family were the pets, and let’s just say there’s a lot of them. From mice
to skunks, from monkeys to dogs here is the complete list. “We had dogs, cats, bunnies, mice, a
skunk, a spider monkey, goldfish, parakeets, and…. oh yeah hamsters”At one point they found
a baby squirrel and took it in until animal protection services arrived. “We had to feed it from a
baby bottle” She states. They had a skunk named tramp because tramp is something that you
called someone who is less wealthy back then. They removed his scent so he was “Scentless.”
There was also one of the times that they brought a new piece of furniture to replace their couch
and underneath the old couch lied the skunk. “Tramp snuck out behind the couch and the men
dropped the couch, screamed and ran out. My Mom kept assuring them that Tramp wouldn’t
bite. The men kept telling her “that’s not what we are afraid of.” The spider monkey seemed to
be the troublemaker of the pack. As a matter of fact one time according to Mimi on Easter there
Dad got their Mom roses. However when they got back from church the spider monkey had
pulled all of the petals off the roses and there was a gigantic mess on the floor.These things all
taught her how to be able to take care of someone and to be responsible about it. This was
because, as most people know, a pet is a huge responsibility not to mention about 15.

Top: Mimi and my grandpa bumpa Nowadays we have all of our fancy ipads.
Phones, and all the technology that you can
Bottom: Mimi’s family From left to right imagine, but back then what did they do for
Sheri,Bud,David, Mimi, Wendy,Nick their free time? Apparently, they didn’t have
as many organized sports as you’d expect.
However there was way less for girls, so she
and her sisters had some time to spare. As I
already stated their parents had already
created a youth center and when they
weren't there they were chilling at their house
as it was the place to be for the whole
neighborhood as they had kids of pretty
much every age. Over 100 kids would hang
out in their neighborhood and according to
Mimi, they were told “‘come home when the
street lights turn on.’ It was funny because
the street lights would turn on and all the kids
would scatter to go home. “ They however
did have a pond so they could ice skate and
play pond hockey in the winter. They also
loved to sled and did it a ton in the winter
along with the pond. Their dad used to dig a
path through the woods. It was long, like half
a mile long and it would go up to a hill to
sled. They used to call it “the runway.” There
were also spots that you could use to get out
of the way. The kids would scream “Clear the
runway.” Then everyone would run for the
inlets to get out of the way.”We would always
have my brother Bud be the guinea pig. We
would have him go first to be sure it was safe
for the rest of us. Bud was crazy and would
do anything.” She says with a laugh.

Another key thing that was a part of life was music. Music is a great way to pass the time and
is fun. Mimi began to play the guitar in 8th grade and was never very good at it. She stopped
playing in the junior year of high school. She started playing again after my Mom was born and
she still struggled. “ My thought is that you either have a talent for language or music.” But at
least she was willing to try tying into what her parents taught her. Speaking of art, let's talk
about one of her biggest talents: Art. She took one year of sewing classes in junior high, but
continued to teach herself after. She also did oil painting for 25 years.”I liked oil paint because
it did not dry fast and you had time to change things” A cool thing about this is that one of her
dad’s very old relatives was actually an illustrator for Charles Dickens. Her sister Wendy is
also a very good artist. Her mother was also very good at art. She used her art or sewing skills
if you want to get specific to make clothes for babies at a homeless shelter called brother’s
keeper

Mimi volunteering a
brother’s keeper

All the stuff we have been talking about has Moving
been about my grandma's childhood,but Forward
what did she do after high school.She
actually went to community college for 2 Mimi yet
years and got an associate science degree again, on the
from that. She always wanted to be a couch in the
teacher but instead she got married and sunroom.
had a family. She tried to go back at an
older age because she did have a So who is she today?“Now that I am older
commitment to learning, but ended up not and retired, I help and deliver food and
being able to finish her tuition due to her furniture to people in need. I sew for an
having a hard time learning a foreign organization that donates the things I sew to
language. Well now this might have created babies which is a combination of my art and
more questions than answers and I’m sure giving back. I like to volunteer at my
one of them might be “Where did she get brother's keeper. The other thing my
the money to support her family?” That parents influenced me was to help family
comes from her jobs and let’s just say that when they are sick and help with their
it’s similar to her pets in quantity. Her first healthcare. Being a babysitter and good
job was babysitting because she loves just with kids helped prepare me for being a
hanging out with kids and taking care of good grandmother. My parents loved to
them. Babysitting also contributes to the laugh. They were always doing funny things
idea of her learning responsibility just like and I think my screwing up and clumsiness
having pets. Please I know, I know I’m helps others to laugh.” I agree with her all
talking about the pets a lot just bare with the way on these examples as I have
me. She worked at a bakery for a short experienced them firsthand. People can
period of time and then switched to working really use their talents and things they’ve
at fast food being a waitress at friendly's like learned from their childhood to build who
my other grandma, Grammie. After she they are today. Although with every passing
worked as an answering service at a public year she grows older. She feels just as alive
school.“I would answer calls, call in absent and happy as ever. It really is crazy how
teachers and call in subs.” She worked as she built up our entire family from the
a florist for another 30 years. After leaving ground up.
the previous job.

A life of
Music

A moment with Andrew
Poulopoulos
By: Griffin MacPherson

We all love music. It plays a big part in many people's lives. No matter
what genre, we all love music. That's where Andrew Poulopoulos comes
in.

Andrew Poulopoulos is a grandfather, father, and musical genius.
Having a masters in choral conducting performance, he knows a little bit
about music. Being his grandson, one thing I've always wondered is how
he got into music, who his inspirations were, and much more. And finally, I
got to find out.

The following are excerpts of my interview and have been edited and
condensed for clarity.

Q&A

Q: Was music in your family?

My parents enjoyed listening to music but were in no way musical.
Papou K, my grandfather, played the clarinet, and Yiayia K, my
grandmother, sang. Thea Lorraine played the piano and the piano
you have at your house was their piano and then it came to my house
so I could take lessons, and so on. Yiayia Lola, my mother, had three
sisters. Thea Ann, Thea Lorraine, Thea Bubsy

Q: What was your first instrument?

Piano, and then the French horn. There were 3 or 4 of us playing the
French horn. I was a decent student not straight A’s… but I got A’s
and B’s. My favorite subjects were Music and social studies. I like
history because I learned about music history and what was going on
during the revolution and other big events and how the composers
coped/reacted/dealt with that. I liked music because the music was
my passion and I loved the creativity and the ability to express
yourself and your emotions.

Q: What were high school and college like? Andrew playing piano as a child

In high school, I was in a lot of musicals. I also did a lot of band trips. (The piano he's playing is still in his family)
Our music department was pretty laid back and relaxed. I wasn't in the

marching band. I played soccer for a while. Musicals: Sound of

Music, Brigadoon, Camelot … older traditional musicals. I usually had

the lead part or secondary male part. In summer I did summer

theater. After my first teaching job, I directed the music for the

summer theater group. College was about the same, except I didn't

play soccer. I went to Barrington College in Rhode Island

Westminster and got a bachelor's in music, Went to Choir College in

Princeton NJ to do a conducting workshop with Robert Shaw, and

went to the University of Maine in Orono for my Choral Conducting

Performance degree

Andrew playing french horn in band

Andrew conducting Q&A

(Continued)

Q: Why did you choose to learn piano and valve
instruments?

I learned piano because it was a family heirloom and my
piano teacher said that that was a good skill to have if I
wanted to pursue a career in music. I played french horn
because when I joined the band at school my band director
had an extra french horn and had me play that

Q: How did you learn to conduct?

I was a piano major while studying for a master's degree in
music at college and a chorus teacher noticed that I was
good at conducting and told me I should help co conduct
the concert choir. Then I switched from piano major to
getting my master's in choral conducting performance.

Q: Is there any advice you would like to give
anyone looking to pursue the same career as you?

If you enjoy music and want to make a career out of it,
absorb as much music as you can study and go to college
because music can make big differences in people's lives.

Andrew with his wife Cheryl

Crash Crew

And Other Adventures
A conversation with Arthur Smith

Written by Henry Chapman

A picture of Mr. Smith and his

colleagues at their base.

What is family? Some people don’t know what family What was it like being drafted?
really is. For someone to be family, it just has to be
someone who cares about you. It doesn’t have to be In 1965, I flew out to California with the Airdales (a
biological; it just has to be someone close to you. slang term for Navy Aviators) for a two-week training. I
came back and realized I was colorblind. I wanted to be
Someone that I consider family is my grandpa, an Aviation Machinist Mate. I wanted to work with the
Arthur Smith.

Mr. Smith, 78, is a handyman, and loves baseball. He planes and that’s when I found out I would be put with
has fixed many cars, including an electric car he had in the public works department. I worked in the fire house
the 80s, and he works at an Auto Part shop. His favorite for 6 months as part of the Crash Crew.
baseball team is the Boston Red Sox, and his current
favorite on the team is Rafael Devers. Being drafted was normal at the time; it
happened to every man when they turned twenty.
He was born on September 28th, 1943- he grew up You got to go into the service of your choice- I
in Maldon, Massachusetts. With 3 brothers, Eddy, chose the Navy. I joined the TAR program in
Russel, and Donald. Weymouth, because I didn’t want to leave my

But you know what I find most fascinating about
Mr. Smith? He was a Seabee.
The following has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Why did you join the military? During what war girlfriend. But of course two months in, we broke
did you serve as a Seabee? up.

I didn’t want to join the Military, but I got drafted. I When we broke up, I requested to be transferred
served during the Vietnam War. and go to Vietnam- but I couldn’t leave. I didn’t
have enough rate, or skills- I was a utility man,
we did everything.

Before you were drafted did you have any plans?

Not really- I didn’t end up going to college until I was thirty. It took me 6 years to graduate as a night school
college student while I was working.

I took an entire computer class, hoping to make a lot of money- but when I tried to get a job, they said they
would only give me 80 dollars a week. So I got a job at a wastewater plant in Nut Island and I enjoyed it.

I used to be into photography.

What is the actual name for the Seabees? What did you do as a utility man?

The real name for the Seabees is the Naval
Construction Battalion- I served during the
Vietnam War. I ran a wastewater plant and I was
part of the Naval Aviation, also known as the Crash
Crew.

A picture of Mr. Smith when he was
younger

What is the Crash Crew and what do they do?

They have a fire truck, and it has a big foam nozzle on it; if there was a plane on
fire, the crash truck would approach the plane and the guy (one of three)
controlling the foam shooter would shoot a foam path with the foam nozzle to the
plane and the other two guys would go and rescue the pilot.

So we would practice–they would dump gasoline on the plane itself and set it on
fire so we could drive up, lay the path of foam and have two guys walk in to rescue
a big milk carton.

How long did you serve for?

I served for a total of 4 years, but I technically served for only 3 and
a half years. I was in Naval Aviation, also known as the Crash Crew,
for 6 months.

What did you do after you left the Navy?

I went right to work at a wastewater plant in Nut Island, Quincy. I
left Nut Island in 1995, and went to Deer Island. I then worked at
another wastewater plant.

You have been talking about wastewater plants a lot. Was it a hard job?

Do you ever think that war is a justified decision It wasn’t too hard of a job. But you had to know how to use the
for a country to make? equipment and understand it. Such as pumps, generators,
cryogenic plants, etc.

No, I don’t think that there should ever be wars.
Even though two or more countries might have a
disagreement, I don’t think innocent people should
die.

At the time, did you support the war?

I just wanted to go and help other kids my age that were
fighting in Vietnam. They didn’t let me go. Seabees could go
over there and help but I didn’t have a rating.

I didn’t really think about whether or not we should be
there. I was never really political. But I knew I wanted to be
helpful and wished I could have been there.

Your Honor By:Jane Hopkins

A conversation with Ann Donnelly.

Ann Donnelly
at work

Imagine being one of the prosecutors on a case about murder and fraud. Imagine
having no body to help prove it.
Ann Donnelly was one of those prosecutors, and she did solve this case with her
team. The accused were put in jail for a life sentence.
NOw you might be wondering how this all started. Well, she started out one day by
just talking with her friends at college at the University of MIchigan. They said they
were all going to a course about being a paralegal; she told her dad. He said “Why don’t
you go to law school.” It stuck with her because her fathers belief was you should aim
high. Then she went to law school at Ohio State. She took a test called the LSAT and
became a lawyer.
Eventually she became a prosecutor and helped many people. Then she became a
federal judge. In 2016 after being a federal judge for just 2 years she blocked an
executive order from the president who was deporting individuals with valid visas or
refugee status.
Overall she has had some amazing cases and helped so many people who need it.
She is not only an amazing judge, but she is an amazing mother, grandmother, aunt,
sister, daughter and wife. Because of this, I decided to get to know her better. The
following has been edited and condensed for clarity.

What do you do in your free time when not working as a judge?

I like to play the piano. Since I now have a grandchild, I like to visit her too.
I like to exercise when I can, and run. Sometimes I read, and when I do I
read biographies and fiction. I also watch English murder mysteries. I used
to travel a lot, but covid made that hard. My husband and I went to Paris,
and saw an art exhibit of Leonardo da Vinci's’ works.

What do you do on a day to day basis?

I have trials. Covid made that harder, because of the backlog. I always
want a case to be settled without trial as much as possible, like any other
judge or lawyer, because there are around 400 active cases I deal with.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I love that you get to learn things all the time. There’s all the different
types of cases too. It’s a lot of work but it's really interesting. Sometimes
you’ll have a criminal case, and then you’ll have a case where someone
says someone else stole their ideas, or someone violated their rights. I get
to deal with all of it.

This image shows
Ann and her
husband Mike on
one of their trips.

This is a picture of Iceland. This is an image of Ann and her family. (Becky/daughter left, ann,
Mary/mimi/mother, mike/husband and Maggie/daughter)

If you weren’t a judge what would you be?

When I was in college I wanted to be the voice for cartoons because I liked the idea,
but now I would want to own a bookstore,: I have always loved to read ever since I
was younger.

Is there anyone you have aspired to be?

It’s been different over the years. I wanted to be like my parents. They were
thoughtful, hardworking and kind, but when I started as a lawyer there were a lot of
lawyers I wanted to be like and a lot of judges I appeared before. They were all
smart but really nice. So I looked up to them as well.

What traits do you think This is an image of Sonia Sotomayor from the
are necessary to be a Supreme Court with Ann Donnelly.
good judge?

You have to have a pretty
open mind, and be a good
listener. You have to like the
human aspect, be interested
in the people. You have to
remember no matter the
case, it’s important to
someone. I hope I’m like this.
The hardest thing I do is
sentence people for crimes.
You really have to think about
it before you make it final.

What advice would you give
to someone interested in
law?

I find that the people out of
law school are so smart. If
you’re interested in this
stuff, you have to work hard.
I also recommend talking to
lawyers to see the different
ways to be a lawyer. My
advice would just be to work
hard and start early.

It’s 7:30 in Chelmsford, the couch soft and comfy. James
Taylor has just turned on the TV and is waiting for his
daughter, putting his 7up on a coffee table he made with its
smooth edges, proud of his work and ready to watch the
Celtics beat the Lakers. The Motorcycle is ready for a nice
cruise tomorrow.
I think there's at least one person who is not in your family
but you feel like they are. This person for me is Mr.James
Taylor. He is one of my best friends and he is the father of
my mom's best friend.

The person I love so much,Mr.James Taylor, was born in 1934,
in Somerville, MA., and raised his beloved daughters in
Chelmsford, MA.
The following information comes from an interview with
Mr.James Taylor. The following has been edited and
condensed for clarity.

Mr.Tayl Mr.Taylor
or receiving his
riding basketball
his championsh
Harley ip award.

Mr.Taylor mowing
his lawn

Q&A

What made you go into carpentry/building? What
sparked your interest?

I decided to become a carpenter
because I always like building
things and doing woodwork
with my dad. I would always
help my dad with projects
around the house liked building
or repairing furniture. I had
two brothers, so we were
always breaking things. I
remember building a bookcase,
which my mother had until she
passed away in her 90s. My
dad used to take me on side jobs
where he would build things
like steps or fix things for
people. I always enjoyed
working with my hands and
building things.

Mr.Taylor Fixing
a house

Tell me about some of the things you’ve built.
What thing are you most proud of building?

I built my own home, and that is what I am most proud of. I
raised my family in that home and have lived in the house
since 1963. I built a 500 ft stonewall by hand around my
house and sourced all the rocks from around the property. I
worked on several roadways in Massachusetts building
bridges etc. I helped build the Lahey Clinic in Burlington,
MA, and I worked on several school projects throughout
Massachusetts. I also helped restore the Stoneham Public
Library. I built my home in 1963 in Chelmsford, MA. It sits
on two acres and I had to clear the land first to start
building the house. I built a 500 foot stone wall around the
perimeter of the house site first. I was able to use all rocks
from the site. That was tough moving some really big
rocks!! I then started framing the house. I would work on it
in the evenings after work and on weekends. My wife
helped too! She used to cut the insulation for me. We rented
an apartment in a farmhouse right up the street from
where we were building so we could be close. It took about a
year.

The Wall Mr.Taylor Built next
to his house

What are some of the most challenging
aspects of being a builder?

The most challenging part of building is the complexity of
structures and understanding the blueprints. I was a Union
Carpenter and foreman for over 50 years. I worked on several
job sites and was responsible for crews and making sure
deadlines were met and within cost.As a foreman I was
responsible for my crew and planning work and making sure
we had the needed materials on hand to complete the work. I
would read blueprints and make sure we were building things
according to spec. I also had to make sure all the safety rules
were being followed on the site.
Being part of the union meant higher pay and better benefits
for my family. As a union member if i was ever out of work the
union would help me find work. On union jobs you could feel
comfortable that the people you worked with were skilled and
had good experience which is important.

One of the Buildings
Mr.Taylor built.

Was work always available? How did you
handle the tough times?

Sometimes work would be slow, but I was able to use my
carpentry skills to pick up extra work on the side. When
commercial construction was slow I would pick up residential
work remodeling homes. These jobs would be things like
building screened porches, finishing basements or remodeling
kitchens. It often depended on the economy. Lots of the
commercial work was building schools and roadways so if the
state wasn't spending money work could be slow.

Mr.Taylor building
plans for a job.

If you went back in time what would you choose to build
and what would you choose not to?

If I could go back in time and build anything I would build a
nice summer home on a lake.
I don't really have any regrets about anything I have built or
worked on over the years.I would have loved to build a home
overlooking a lake. It would have lots of windows to take in the
view. A dock would have been nice for a small boat so I could
go fishing and I would have liked a nice putting green too so I
could practice!

Mr.Taylor working
on a job

Tell me why a young person should consider a
career in construction/building?

It would be a good career for a young person because building
something with your hands gives you a sense of pride. It is not
easy and can be really hard work, but it is rewarding.
There is also a great sense of comradery working with a
building crew.I worked with a lot of great guys over the years
and many I am still in touch with. One lived right here in
Hopkinton for years. We used to play practical jokes on each
other all the time. One time he put a snake in my tool box!! We
had a lot of laughs!!

Mr.Taylor working
on a job with his
Co-workers. Same
building in slide 6!

About Sophia Vernovsky

TITLE

Living the American Dream Young Sophia
A conversation with Sophia Vernovsky made her
significant trip to
Vernovsky America. “I was 8 years
old when I left Russia. I
lived in St. Petersburg
Russia my family
brought 5 people: me,
my brother, my mom
and dad and my
brother's wife. My
brother was 13 years
older than me.”

Questions

Why did you leave Russia?

Most people leave for the same reason, to
be free and have a better life. Well that
sounds like a common response from
most people leaving comunist countries,
but I did not want to leave. I did not have
a choice. I had friends and family back in
Russia and most of all my role model, my
grandmother.

If you could go back in What was
time and see one more your
person in Russia again
who would you choose? Worst memories of
Russia?
I miss my grandma
back in Russia. If I My worst ever
could choice to go memory is one I can
back in time one thing never forget, it
I would do is visit my really hit me when
gramma. Sophia and we were leaving the
her grandmother katia airport in moscow
(that's my middle name) and there was a
were the perfect family two kids mom
grandma and dad grandma
granddaughter duo. grandpa. Back then
She got to see her after you could not bring
she moved two times animals unless you
then she unfortunately had a aprovel. The
died. We would spend family was trying to
every summer together hide a puppy, The
because my parents security guard
would work. She found the puppy.
showed me how to
make the most
delicious jam. She was

Questions

What were your first thoughts of America?

First thoughts of America: I had to take the tain
to moscow the capital and then Itook a airplane
to NYC and a car to Boston. My first though was
how long the trip was. But my first memorize
were on july 4th. The day I came to America
there was fire works and I thought that there
were fire works every day. And thought they were
so cool. But my favorite was the first time in the
grocery store because there was so much
choices that I looked for a hour in the bakery. I
also had I have NEVER HAD CHIPS OR
POPCORN. To say I was Was blown away was a
understatement but my mother and I would go to
the store just to look. I also only thought rich
people could get junk food. Before I left Russia, I
could never get junk food so when I tried junk
food for the first time I loved the cheese burgers
and fries. My face lit up with excitement.

Whats a time were something did not go
as planned?

I was Really exited about life in America.
But for the first summer my parents put
me in summer school and it was hard
because I could not communicate and
would get very sad. It was SUPER hot, we
had no car A/C, a senior apartment
community my aunt gave my family for
free because she went on vacation. It had

Ending Question

Are you really living the American dream?
and why do you think you are?

Absolutely! I am a perfect example. When I came to this country we had no car, $200
bucks,and one suitcase for all of us. Now I have a beautiful lake house, a car,kids, can go
on vacations,travel ,go out to eat, have my own business, and have to work hard. When I
came, I had five people come and the government in Russia only let you take $200
dollars for five people.

Keeping up with
Kim
Meet Kim, a writer, an

author, and

equestrian. I first met

Kim when I was at

Eventful Riding in

Bellingham, MA, and

she was there working

in the barn. I had

been riding for about

two years and I was

nine years old.

I recently had a

chance to talk to Kim

about horses and I got

Kim posing with her horse, some helpful
Flash above
This text has been edited and

incofnodernmsedaftoiroclnar.ityF. or

starters, I got a better

Kim is kind, generous, and loves
dressage. Dressage is a form of
horseback riding that is
strengthening and suppling the
horse while maintaining a calm
and attentive focus. Dressage is
a French term meaning
“training”. There are a bunch of
different levels, ranging from
“Intro” to “Grand Prix''.

How long have you

been doing If you could go

dressage? back in time to

So I did it for a couple relive any moments

years with my horse with your horse,
Chutney, and just a
year with Flash. Flash, would you
Chutney and I did
jumping mostly. and what would it

be?

That's tough, I think orKim and Flash trotting around the
when I first got him

What made you maybe when I went dressage ring at a competition

interested in to look at him

Kim with her two horses What are you working on with Flash right
Chutney on the left and Grace
on right pictured above now?

So right now we are working to keep him going
more forward (more impulsion, listening to do
everything asked), and an overall better
connection with the bit.

When have you felt like you have ‘clicked’
with Flash?

When I first got him, I felt like we had a really good
bond and we bonded really well. When i started riding
him he knew to take care of me

When was your most honorable moment
in dressage?

I think when we won the year end awards
when we got awarded for everything we did
over the past year, and it was our first time
doing it so I was really proud of Flash.

What do you feel like when showing?

I get nervous, but I want to work on being
happier. I wish I could have started dressage
earlier. My horse Chutney was very good at
dressage but we were more focused on
jumping when we were both young.

Who is your idol/inspiration?

Steffan Peters, he is an olympic dressage rider
who competes for the USA. He won 3 olympic
medals and he is very kind and down to earth.
He is a good role model for anyone and he
rides very well.

Has dressage changed you?

I would say it made me more focused on a
goal, when I have to memorize multiple tests

A Q&A By Mira Upalekar.

Strange sightings: A UX designer, a mom, and

an active community member, spotted in 01748.

A conversation with Charusmitha Ram.

A picture of Charusmitha It’s an average day for
standing next to a mural she Charusmita, working at
painted.. home.
She has lots of things to
juggle in her schedule
today, but for now, she
just focuses on her work.

With three mouths to
feed(Including herself)
and a busy schedule, this
UX Designer is a pro at
her life, after lots of trial
and error.

Charusmitha Ram is a
mother, an artist, and an
active community
member.

Page 1

Introduction-continued.

She’s been creating art for a very very A picture of Cardamom waffles,
long time, even creating the logo for
“South Asian Circle of Hopkinton(SACH)”, one of Charusmitha’s vegetarian
a nonprofit, which she co-founded with specialties
Aditya Nadkarni and Ruta Upalekar!

She may be ordinary to those who don’t
know her, but once you do, she’s on a
whole other level from “ordinary”. From
intricate vegetarian dishes to finding out
what people want in their designs, this
woman has a lot of creativity flowing
through her brain a majority of the time.

She’s an amazing community member of
Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and is more
than willing to share her journey through
early life to right now.

The following has been edited and
condensed for clarity.

A picture of Ruta Upalekar,
courtesy of Linkedln.

Page 2

Question 1: What was your

cC:hWhieldre hI livoedo, Itdwalsirkeaelly?, A picture of a house in
Jamshedpur, India
very busy.
I had some neighbors, and my
friends and I used to play with
each other almost every day!

I was born in Jamshedpur. But
I grew up in Chennai. My
house, to me at least, was
humongous! There were so
many people from my family in
that house, and I could see
them almost every day. I loved
that.

Fun Fact!

According to Ruta Upalekar,
one delicious vegetarian dish
Charusmitha makes is
cardamom waffles
(See previous page, first
picture for visual).

A skyline shot of Chennai,
India.

Page 3

Q2: Why are you so involved in the
community?

C: It's helpful to be contributing to
the community, expressing myself,
and just you know, being able to
contribute to many things that
contribute to the community.

SACH’’s logo The ones that are very close to
my heart are SACH, eHop, and
eHop’s logo any kind of activity that helps me
express myself.

I'm Interested in incorporating
design into my life.
I like giving help to an
organization; a good design
draws people in. An organization I
run is called eHop.
In the logo eHop. E stands for
educate, engage, and

empower. Hop stands for
Hopkinton.

eHop is a nonprofit that covers a
bridge between the citizens and
the town government. eHop takes
info from the town government
committees and board and
makes it accessible to the public.
We take news from news agencies,

Page 4we publish it in a newsletter.

I wanted to join SACH because

Question 3: Why did you pursue

art, and what were your first

Cj:oI bwassn’ut ass ginoogd initth?e other subjects,

but art made me happy.

The first job I got included art. When I was A picture of a cozy
starting my final year, I was in a bookshop, bookshop, similar to
and there in the shop, they used to the bookshop
decorate with different characters and Charusmitha worked
different decorations. in.
I started doing different characters on
foam board, and then I cut them out, big
cutouts in the shape of the character, it was
all over the shop.

My first freelance job. I got paid well.

I was looking for a real job, in multimedia,
and found one, in a small firm.

A struggle was that the work the others A picture of a desk
got was much more than what I got; I got with multiple
some small scraps like photoshop stuff to computers and
prove my skills. other devices, like
the firm that
I took freelance orders on my own, which Charusmitha
didn't pay much, and I had to do worked at .
long-distance trips. I didn't make any “Legit”
money; I spent the money on stuff for the Page 5

Question four: What was it
first like coming to America?

I was working in Singapore before coming
here. Moving here wasn't on my list. I was in
fact, planning to immigrate to Australia.

It wasn't tough to leave because I wasn't
planning to stay, I always knew that my stay
in Singapore was limited. I was mentally
prepared.

The first few days in the U.S were okay. I An office in Singapore.
visited here a few times, I knew what to
expect. But then, when I came here it was
hard, because I couldn't work. I missed it. I
took a course in photography. I went to
learn ceramics and pottery.

The free time made me take a few more
creative classes.

It was hard to make friends here.
I was trying very hard to find good friends; it
was tough to find events I could socialize
with .
I found a Hopkinton mom’s group where I
found someone who introduced me to Ruta.
It was a little lonely, with no friends here, at
first.

A picture of multiple clay
pots, similar to the ones
Charusmitha made.

Page 6

Q5: Were there obstacles you had to face
throughout your life?

C: There aren’t really any obstacles. A picture of the
skyline in Boston.
The main struggle I had was trying to
balance different things in my schedule. A picture of a Mac that
can be used for at
I had to work through all that to find a home work.
good balance.
Page 7
Before covid, I really struggled a lot with my
commute to go to Boston. It was really
hard.

But now working from home and finding
time for myself, I feel a lot better.Now there
aren’t any obstacles.

The main aspect of walking in my shoes is
that it's a lot of work.

When the town elections happen, we on the
board need to study a lot and prepare a
ton. It gets stressful.
Adapting to this new schedule because of
the pandemic was tough, but I know I can
do it, now that I have a schedule that I can
easily follow.

Being a UX designer is amazing, and I can
do all of it from home. The future doesn’t
seem so bad, for now.

Running to finish a goal

A conversation with RamBy Naman Samaga

Seeing the crowd waiting for you to

cross the finish line is something

that Ram frequently does. With his

heart pounding, Ram finishes with a

blast yet another marathon! Meet

Ram, a person who developed

MANGOinterest in running and goes on to
completing 32 marathons. Even
though he is 84 he has not lost

LEMONADEinterest in running. The following

interview was edited and Ram Running in the
condensed. Boston Marathon

Ram migrated to America in 1964 from Bangalore. By 1973, he
had 2 kids, and with job schedules, it became difficult to play
tennis. In 1985 Ram was introduced to Mr. Carl (NE65+). He
warned Ram that he should lose weight as both of his parents
had high B.P. After walking and running for the 1986 walk for
hunger. It became more apparent that ram wanted to run
marathons. He started to practice by running at least 5 miles a
day. Ram just has so many fascinating stories to share that
made me very interested in knowing more about him. Just think
of he is 78 and he runs marathons. That just proves age is just a

number.

What first got you interested in running

When I was a kid me and Ram running for the walk
my friends always wanted for hunger
to stay healthy so we could
play sports for our whole Ram after running in a
lives? We enjoyed tennis so marathon and
to make sure we could stay
healthy and be able to run
we joined a group. They
trained us how to run for a
long time and build up
stamina.

What Motivates you to run

Just having the
achievement of scamper
26 miles feels great,
because not everyone
can do that. So whenever
something is not going as
planned. I remember that
I am lucky to even have
this opportunity.

How many marathons have you run in

I have run in 32 marathons, my favorite marathon to
run in was the Boston marathon because it is the
hardest one. Ask anybody what the best marathon is,
they will all say Boston. To run in Boston you have to
keep your stamina even when you get past
heartbreak hill. Heartbreak hill is a big hill that you
have to run up. It is normally the place where runners
slow down. Just Finishing the Boston Marathon
makes you feel like you can do anything. The
satisfaction you get from finishing can not be
matched.

Ram being on a newspaper after running in a race for elderely
people

What is a time when a marathon did not go as planned

There were only two times when

the marathon did not go as

planned. The first one was the year

the bombing happened. While I did

not get directly affected by the

bombing the disappointment that

followed after being told midway

through the marathon that it was

canceled was so heartbreaking.

Especially since I had just passed

Heartbreak hill, the hardest part of Ram running in the boston
the Boston marathon. marathon

Some people wanted to continue as they weren't aware of
what happened at the finish line. When they were told what
happened everybody stopped and the marathon was
canceled. The other year the marathon did not go as
planned. Was the year that the marathon was 85 degrees.
To make matters even worse, I got cramps at mile 16. I had
to severely slow down which made me disappointed but
something to remember is not everything goes as planned.

How has aging impacted your running.

When you are 60 years or older
you will become slower and
less fit. Although you have to
keep working you can still run in
marathons even if it will be
harder. Age impacts everything
you do positively and
negatively.

How supportive are your Image of Ram
parents of you running
marathons.

My family is very supportive of

my running marathons.

Whenever I run my family

always goes to the finish line to

cheer me on. The most

important thing about the

marathon is having volunteers

because without them there is

no marathon they help out so

much. They make sure you're

ok, they set up the whole race Ram running a marathon with
his friends
and they are so nice to you.

Do you pan on running a ultra if not why

An Ultra is something that I never really
wished to do until I got older. At this age, I
do not think I can run in an Ultra with all
the stuff I have going on in my life. While
you may think an Ultra is just a longer
marathon 31 miles to be exact. The
amount of stress and competition does
build up. If you want to run in an Ultra you
should do it at a young age. As I explained
when you get older you will have other
problems to deal with. You should work Ram talking to his friend
hard if you want to run in an Ultra but do about marathons
not push yourself too hard. I have learned
that you should have someone advise you
to make sure you get enough running but
not too much.

What is the best way into
getting into running marathons

If you want to get into running marathons

join a program and make sure to focus on

whatever your peers or instructors say.

Practice running to build up stamina so you

do not collapse when you run in the Ram being interviewed
after running in a
marathon. If you work hard and follow your

dreams you can do anything. marathon

The Days Your walking into Joclence Stephen house.
you see a door with a lock. she unlocks the
When I door for anyone. you see 10 people all
talking you walk down stairs and you see
Traveled her husband working hard and he never
has a break and is always fixing things.
A conversation with Jocelen Stephen
Wrighten By Sam Stephen Joclence Stephen is a French Canadian
who Loves to travel. She has 8
grandchildren and had a dog named Milo.
He lived to 13 years old and she loved him,
she still has pictures of him on the wall of
her house

She also loves to go to church and also is
a great cook. She has 2 children, my dad
,Jason and his brother ,Jacob. She lived in
Sorel Quabec canada for 19 years. Her
first time that she traveled was when she
was 11 or 12.

I recently had a chance to sit with my
grandmother to talk to her about her love of
travel. The following has been edited and
condensed for clarity

Tell me about your travel life Tell me about a time when travel
and how often you travel didn’t go as planned.

Always had an interest even as a All of them didn’t go as planned! There are
young child, around 11/12 years old. all kinds of things happen when you travel
When my grandmother and aunt was and anything in life that don’t go
looking for someone to come here, I according to plan.
jumped at the opportunity. Always
curious about the US and used to One time I went to Europe to meet Uncle
watch American movies, always Jacob there after he graduated from high
wanted to be an American based on school. Remember meeting him and he was
how they live life. You would see the traveling without any reservation without any
kids had Proms and opportunities place to stay. Old lady in Germany and she
had more opportunities and different saw Her and Jacob and she said, “I have
lifestyle. room at my house”. Got there and she had a
Always interest in knowing how other tiny car and tried to fit in there with the
people live in different places. luggage. Nice breakfast with eggs and that
was one experience that you can still find nice
people no matter where you go. Help them
and see how they live.

What would you say to If you could do it all
younger people who again what would you
want to live in a change?
different culture or
travel? I was very young and naive when
I came. I was 19. I would have
Advice: Be willing to live been a better mother. Maturity.
like the locals. That is Had dad when I was 21. And then
when you spend less 3 years later, had Uncle Jacob.
money. Don’t go to the There was a lot of challenge with
hotel or the restaurant.. income, we had started a
Buy your food from the business, and a lot of stress along
local places. But you the way.
learn a lot. Its a different
thing. Your learn how
people live and how they
survive. Its not easy
challenging. Not as
comfortable.