May 9, 2025 • 41 mins
8:05PM: Ella Adams – State House News Reporter on the MA Wheelchair Repair Bill.
8:15PM: Alexandra Chery-Dorrelus, the co-Executive Director of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute on the 29th Annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace hosted by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.
8:30PM: Jean Duffy - local MA soccer team players & Author of the book: Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World on the team of soccer ‘grannies’ from MA who competed at the Grannies International Football Tournament in South Africa!
8:45PM: Bob Schick of Walpole – former high school classmate of Pope Leo on knowing the new Pope Leo XIV back in High School!
8:15PM: Alexandra Chery-Dorrelus, the co-Executive Director of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute on the 29th Annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace hosted by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.
8:30PM: Jean Duffy - local MA soccer team players & Author of the book: Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World on the team of soccer ‘grannies’ from MA who competed at the Grannies International Football Tournament in South Africa!
8:45PM: Bob Schick of Walpole – former high school classmate of Pope Leo on knowing the new Pope Leo XIV back in High School!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice eyes with Dan Ray.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'm telling you crazy Boston's news radio.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Thanks very much, Madison. My name's Dan Ray, host the
night Side, and I will get you through the weekend. Well.
For me, the weekend has not started because my weekend
doesn't start until eleven fifty eight tonight, which I designate
the official start of the weekend. For those of you
who are driving somewhere, you've already started your weekend, so
(00:27):
you're ahead of me by about four hours. But that's okay.
Stay with me and I will get us all the
way till Saturday morning. We have an interesting program coming
up tonight, I promise you. The Tough Student has just
been released down in Louisiana. We'll talk about that case,
Ramesa Oor's Turk. She still faces some immigration challenges, but
(00:50):
she is out of the detention center in Louisiana. And
we'll talk tonight with Bruce Mittman, general partner and see
of Community Broadcasters, and we're going to discuss the value
and the importance of radio with a specific emphasis on
AM radio, and tonight at eleven o'clock during the twentieth hour,
(01:12):
we'll do a tribute to your mom, to all moms
of our Mother's Day or annual Mother's Day edition. But
we have four interesting guests to talk to in this hour,
and we will be starting off with a State House
news reporter, Ella Adams. Hi, Ella, welcome to Nightside. Thanks
for hanging out with us for a few minutes here
on Friday night. How are you by, Anne.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I'm doing well. Thanks much for having.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Me well, yeah, thank you very much. There's an interesting
piece up there. I did not realize until I read
your story today that there's this piece of wheelchair legislation,
a wheelchair bill up at the House, and this is
one I'm wondering, why is it taking so long to
(01:57):
do something with this. I didn't realize that people who
had wheelchairs, we're really having a tough time getting them
repaired in a timely fashion.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Tell us about it, Yeah, definitely, you know, Dan, I
didn't really have a great idea about that either. Just
you know, a bit over a week ago, the Joint
Committee on Consumer Protection up on Beacon Hill, they held
a hearing addressing a couple of bills that you're talking
about that would address, you know, different ways the wheelchair
repair system in Massachusetts and wheelchair users are struggling they've
(02:30):
been talking a lot about, you know, feeling like they
can't really live their lives. They're losing independence every time
they have to wait for their wheelchairs to be repaired
for extended periods of time. There's talk about the kind
of structural issues in that wheelchair repair system. And there
are two bills, a House bill and a Senate bill
that both would kind of God would dress those.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
The problem is that they got to reconcile these pieces
of legislation. So let's break them out. What does the
first bill address? And I guess there's a question of
how quickly the wheelchairs are repaired. And there was one
woman I believe that you quoted in your article who
said that once her wheelchair was unavailable, she was confined
(03:15):
to bed for was it eleven days? That seems like
an extraordinarily long period of time. This is an essential
piece of apparatus that these folks need.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Yeah, you know, and I believe one of the wheelchair
users called it a crisis of equity. You know, nearly
all of wheelchair users crowded into the State House hearing
room and they were also testifying virtually, and they did
talk about that, you know, when their wheelchairs break, they're
unable to go to work, to doctor's appointments, they're stuck
in the middle of the sidewalk, stranded in bed because
(03:48):
they're waiting for weeks, in many cases months to get
them repaired. So the first bill that i'll you know,
i'll talk about the Senate bill. It's not new, but
it was passed by the Senate last session.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
It died in the.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
House, and we can get to that infect. But that
one focuses on the issue in terms of extending wheelchair warranties.
So it would extend warranties to two years, require that
an assessment of those broken wheelchairs is done within certain
periods of time. And the second bill is a House bill,
and that one is new, and that takes a little
bit of a different approach. It would put an exact
(04:20):
timeline on those wheelchair repairs, requires that they're made no
later le than ten business days after that date of request.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
That still doesn't solve the problem though, because if a
wheelchair goes down and someone is truly reliant on the wheelchair,
that means they are their house bound. They're going to
be housebound unless they have a replacement wheelchair. Now, if
if I have to bring my automobile into an automobile
(04:50):
repair shop, in most cases I might be able to
get for them a courtesy car to drive for a
few days. More worst case scenario, they will transport me
to a local rent a car place and I can
then rent a car. Why is there not something similar
(05:11):
for people who Why why are they not replacement wheelchairs
that all of these places that repair wheelchairs, why don't
they have some replacement wheelchairs that they can if they
have to rent them out, okay, but at least make
them available to me. The analogy between how much I
depend on my car, you know, I and someone depends
(05:35):
on a wheelchair is virtually identical.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Yeah, you know, and I think that that's an interesting
that is a good point, you know, I think that
is what these advocates and these users are of bringing up.
You know, there are systems in Massachusetts to get people
loner wheelchairs. It's an issue of you know, they were
talking about there aren't enough people to repair those wheelchairs.
(06:00):
The system doesn't move fast enough. And you know, loaner
chairs are not the exact same thing in some in
a lot of cases, as you know, someone's primary chair
that they use and so, you know, I think it's
really interesting. There were a couple of voices of opposition
in this hearing as well to these bills, and I
think that kind of shed some light on, you know,
why maybe the Senate bill has it wasn't able to
(06:22):
make it to the finish line last session, or maybe
why this is still a contract.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
What what preytale did the voices of opposition have to say?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, so one of those voices was the executive director
of the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology. That's
a national nonprofit advocates for people who rely on technology
and equipment like wheelchairs. And he didn't all out, you know,
say that these bills should not pass. He acknowledged the
(06:50):
system needs to be addressed. His concern was on the
to your warranty right now, as he explained it. You know,
these this equipment is on you know, six to thirteenth
month warranties. He's worried that the wear and tear on
this equipment will mean that manufacturers just they can't expand
their warranty limits to meet those two years because they
buy pieces like batteries and tires from other companies and
(07:13):
those parts have to constantly be redesigned and expanded over time.
So that was what he was talking about, and that
gives an idea of you know what from that perspective,
you know, the manufacturing standpoint. He was talking a lot
about how he's been in conversation with lawmakers and consumers
and Ma's health, which a lot of these wheelchair users
are on about how to kind of finagle the system
(07:34):
to make it so that it works better for people,
but also address that warranty concern.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Wow, something like this seems to me we're negotiating like
an anti nuclear agreement with Iran. I would think that
that compared to that, this should be something that they
should be able to solve, even at Beacon Hill. I mean,
(08:00):
is it's interesting. It's interesting that something like this that
we in Massachusetts, who consider ourselves to be such an
enlightened state. I'm not trying to put you on the
spot here, Ella, that's for sure. You've explained it so well.
I just don't understand why, in twenty twenty five we
have reached this point. And I would think that there
(08:21):
would be some statisticians somewhere who would know precisely the
number of people in Massachusetts who rely on wheelchairs, either
full time or part time. How many replacement wheelchairs we
would need, you know, for the for the vast majority
of those people. This is one that think, I just look,
(08:44):
any one of us could be in a wheelchair tomorrow. Ellen,
would you be kind enough to keep us posted on this.
I'd maybe like to do a story some night on
this because I this to me is intolerable.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Yeah, I absolutely we'll keep you posting on this. Why
I will be keeping and looking for looking at those bills,
seeing how they progress through the legislature. If they progress,
can definitely keep you posted.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Appreciate it, Ella, I really do, because I used to
cover the State House a lot, and I know that
all they need to do is refer one of these
bills to the subcommittee to study and that's it. And
this one really does affect a lot of people, and
a lot of people critically, and this is one that
I'd like to fight for and I'd like to get
some of the manufacturers, get the people on my show.
(09:34):
You've given me great ideas and I'm going to bring
you back to Ella. You did a great job. You're
a good reporter. Thank you. You explained that so effectively,
you won't be at the State Hell, You're going to
be at the New York Times of the Boston Globe
before you know or trust me, Oh Dan, I mean,
I mean it. I've been around a long time. I
can spot a reporter who is talented and who can
(09:57):
explain it, and you are excellent. So thanks so much
for coming on tonight, and I'll write a resume for
you to anywhere. They're not going to want to lose you. You'll
be able to get a better deal at the State
House News. You did a great job. Thank you very much.
I'm kidding. I'm not kidding with you at all, and
I'm saying that from my heart that you did a
(10:19):
great job. Thank you for explaining this story as well
as you did. We'll talk.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
You're more than welcome on back soon. Thanks. I'll appreciate it.
All Right, we get back. We're going to talk about
the twenty ninth, sadly twenty ninth Annual Mother's Day Walk
for Peace hosted by the Lewis D. Brown Peace Institute.
We're familiar with this, We've covered this for many years,
and once again the women and I hope some men
(10:45):
will be out there with them. But it's the twenty
ninth annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace. We'll come back
with Alexander Cherry Durellis. She's the co executive director of
the Lewis D. Brown Pieces Toute. My name is Dan Ray.
This is night Side, going to take you all the
way through the end of Friday night right up to
Saturday morning. Coming back on Nightside, Stick with us.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Hid night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZY, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Heh welcome back everyone, Night'side on a Friday night. This,
of course is Mother's Day weekend, and for the twenty
ninth year, the annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace, hosted
by the Lewis D. Brown Peace Institute, will kick off
this weekend with us is the co executive director of
(11:41):
the Lewis D. Brown Peace Institute, Alexandra Sherry Durreles. Alexandra, welcome,
How are you this evening? Hi?
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Dan, I'm well, Thank you for having me, How are
you well?
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Welcome back. I'm doing great and again you folks are
are once again doing this for those who are to
the area give us the brief history of this tremendous event,
which was founded in a horrific set of circumstances.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
Yeah, so we were. The walk was founded in nineteen
ninety six by my mother, Clementina Sherry, who is also
the founder of the Lewis D. Brown Peace Institute, after
my brother Lewis was murdered in nineteen ninety three in
December on his way to a teen's against Gang Violence
Christmas party. You know, after Lewis's murder, my mother asked questions,
(12:35):
how am I supposed to celebrate Mother's Day? What My
oldest child is dead and I have two living children,
and she really wanted to continue to be there for us,
but still felt, you know, this tremendous loss and knew
that there were other mothers out there who had to
be experiencing the same thing as her, and so she,
(12:56):
you know, started a walk that wasn't inten to be
very big. It was just an opportunity to engage city
officials in honoring mothers on Mother's Day who have lost
their loved ones. And then it grew to something so
much bigger. It's an annual tradition in Boston. Now everybody
(13:16):
sort of gets ready for it, and we have people
coming in from all over the country to celebrate Mother's
Day and to know to grieve together and to continue
to heal together.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
So let's talk about it. When does the march kick
off and give us a rough idea of how long
it is? And I assume that everyone is welcome and
it's a march that virtually everyone can.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Participate it absolutely, So it's Sunday, May eleventh. We start
the speaking program at eight am in Townfield Park in Dorchester.
That's in a small community called Field's Corner and it
is a five k it's about three point two miles
and we are just doing sort of a loop around Dorchester.
(14:04):
So we start in the field and then we're gonna
walk the streets of Dorchester and end up right back
in the field. And you know, while the while the
founding and who we're honoring on Mother's Day are survivors
of homicide victims, we also welcome supporters, friends, We welcome
(14:24):
you know, families whose loved ones have been incarcerated for murder.
We really are It really is a day of unity
because you know, violence has no borders and survivorship has
no boundaries. Also, you know, we're all survivors of something
in our own right, So.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
That's that's what I knew of as the Dorchester Town
field where you're assembling, right, Yeah, perfect location. I can't
tell you how many baseball games I played on that
field when I was much younger than you.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Participated in some of the those games too.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Well, it's a lot of memories where I got I
was a picture got lit up there. So you know,
not every night is a success, but this, this this
march is always a success. And what a tribute to
the memory of your brother. It is just it's an instant,
it's an institution. Your family has stayed strong over the years,
(15:23):
and you have extended your family. How many people have
over the years participated. There must be some sort of
a wild estimate, And I'm wondering how many folks if
we get the weather that we're promised it's supposed to
be good weather on Sunday for a change, keep our
fingers crossed, say a prayer, yes you will. What do
you hope what do you hope to get in terms
(15:45):
of a turnout this Sunday?
Speaker 4 (15:46):
You think a couple of thousands yeah, yeah, exactly a
few thousand people. We've estimated between thirty five hundred to
five thousand people a good day.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
We we have a fundraising goal of six hundred thousand
and we are just under five hundred thousand, so we
have a ways to go, okay, and we're hoping, you know,
we're hoping that day of we'll really kick up those Okay.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
So what about if there are people who are listening
right now who maybe can attend the march. I hope
you have a website they could, they could click on
make a donation. Okay, let's have that ahead, so you can.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
They can find us at Mother's Day Walk for Peace
dot org. And that's the number four. So Mother's Day
Walk the number four, Peace dot org.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Yeah, I'm going to do that nice and slow because
that's important. People are grabbing for pins. It's there's no
apostrophes here. Whenever we do these. It's Mother's m O
T H E R S D A y W A
O K. So Mother's Day Walk that's probably lowercase, I assume,
or is it.
Speaker 7 (16:54):
Case sensus lowercase.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Mother's Day Walk the numeral four Peace p e a
CE dot org. Donations are tax deductible. If you're a
dot org I assume you're a five O one C three.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
Yes we are.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
So this is this is going to be a great event.
It's it is such a great way to celebrate Mother's Day.
And your's been instrumental in this. You turned a horrific
tragedy into something really positive for the city of Boston.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
So thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Please you so so kind of you to be available
and best of luck on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
And hope, thank you for having me. I hope to
see you there.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Let me tell you, I we just had a baby, granddaughter,
a less than two weeks ago, so we have some
family plans. Other than that, I'll be I would be there,
so I'm not gonna.
Speaker 7 (17:55):
Lie to yet.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
We'll fill your spirit your energy there.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Absolutely, I'm with you totally. Thanks so much, little girl
named woman, Sweet Caroline. Ben's Alexandra.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
All right, okay, take care of Dan.
Speaker 8 (18:08):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
It's Alexander. To talk to you soon when we get back.
A really fun story about a team of soccer grannies
grandma's who are just back from an international football tournament
in South Africa. No, that's not American football. That's soccer.
We're going to talk with one of the leading one
(18:30):
of the local Massachusetts soccer team players, author of a book,
Soccer Granny's The South African Women who Inspire the World.
We're going to talk with Gene Duffy. Come on right
back on Nightside.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray. Hey, Dan Boston's News Radio.
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news Radio.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
All right, now, we have a really interesting guest. Uh,
all of us know about sports and athletics and how
we like to play sports. In athletics, a lot of
people play pickleball and things like that, particularly as you
get a little older. Well, I want to introduce you
to a member of the Massachusetts The New England Breakers
(19:19):
play in Granny's international football tournaments. I'm confused here, Geene Duffy,
is that the New England Breakers? Is it the Grannies.
I know you're pretty good soccer players. Tell us this story,
which is going to be I believe this is going
to be a cover story in the Boston Globe magazine.
Speaker 9 (19:38):
Correct, last sun It was in the Globe magazine last Sunday.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Oh okay, I thought it was yet to be in there.
Now you are a player on the team, and I'm
not going to tell your age, but like many of us,
you were definitely on the wrong side of fifty. Like
I am.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
That's it all right?
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Do we leave it at That's how I phrase it.
And you've written a book called Soccer Granny's The South
African Women who Inspire the World. This kind of connects,
I believe with the tournament that these these women from
Massachusetts played in in April helped me out here and
unravel all of this.
Speaker 9 (20:18):
Okay, well, the story, I guess it goes back to
when I started playing soccer and I was standing on
the sidelines in Lexington, outside of Boston and watching my
daughters play, and I said, hey, that looks like fun.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
I'm already a runner.
Speaker 9 (20:36):
Surely I can run and chase a soccer ball. And
I fortunately, I found a group of women just starting up,
and in no time I was hooked. I found it
was such a fun way to exercise. I forgot about
my to do list for that hour. And now, twenty
years later, they're among some of my best friends. And
(20:58):
I know there were a team in South Africa that
started up just a few years after I did. But
these women were even older, in their forties to eighties,
you know, they started exercising for their health. And one
day some boys kicked the soccer ball in front of
(21:18):
them and they were They kicked the ball and it
went off in a crazy direction, and Becca, who was
organizing the group, said, showed them grandmothers how to kick
the ball. And so after you know, a half hour
of running and kicking, they were like, who like this,
We want to keep playing. So there's kind of the
(21:40):
parallel stories of women in Africa and women here in
the US playing soccer.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
And so you did not know about them, but at
some point you must have heard about them and you decided, boy,
this would be great to go play a game in Africa.
So you've have you been there two years now to
play games?
Speaker 9 (22:00):
Yeah. So actually it goes back to twenty ten when
South Africa was hosting the FIFA World Cup and the
group of the team there in South Africa had just
been playing a few years at that point, but running
around in their skirts ticking the soccer ball. They were
the perfect human interest story associated with the World Cup.
(22:23):
So reporters were flocking there to show their story. And
my team saw one of those news links, and you know,
we're like, wow, even though we could tell our lives
must be very different, we could tell also that they
loved the same thing about the game that we did.
And they were so inspiring because they were forty to
(22:44):
eighty years old, you know, even older than our players.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
So how many times have you gone over there to
play soccer?
Speaker 9 (22:54):
Yeah, So once reached out to them in twenty ten,
invited them to come to the United States States, and
they did. They came here to Boston and played in
the Massachusetts Adults. They played in an adult soccer tournament
that was held here in Massachusetts, oh, twenty eleven. Some
of my teammates were there. And that's what the book
(23:15):
is about. It covers, you know that twenty and twenty eleven,
the initial interaction with us, and I did a lot
of research about the South Africa and the historical and
political pressures that impacted the lives of the women and
what soccer meant to them.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
So why were you most recently back. It sounds to
me like you've been back in the last well, it
sounds like you were there in April.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
Yeah, I was there this April.
Speaker 10 (23:44):
And.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
You're correct me if I'm wrong, but that's last month.
Speaker 9 (23:49):
Yes, it is. It is. Yeah, So I'm more.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Excited about this than you are at this point, Jane,
tell me all about it, Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:00):
So when the team came over here in twenty ten,
the founder of this team, this woman by the name
of Becanetsunrici, who's a community activist and just a wonderful
person who's made amazing differences in her community fighting poverty
and AIDS and etc.
Speaker 9 (24:21):
She said, you know, I have a dream. I want
to host before I die, of Granny's World Cup and
have teams from around the world come together. So this
was a dream she expressed in twenty ten, and it
was in twenty twenties. The pandemic got in the way
a little bit of carrying it out. But in twenty
twenty three she had this first tournament and we took
(24:44):
three teams from Boston at that point, all women over
at fifty in our fifties, sixties, and seventies, and competed.
And then now two years later she hosted a second
tournament and we had two teams this time and players
fifty to sixty seventies and eighties.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
So what are the teams grouped in terms of age
or is there a I mean I realized that looked
there's a difference between a person who's fifty years of
age and a person who's eighty or is it a
complete team? You know, doesn't matter what age you are,
you remember the team whether you're fifty, sixty, seventy, or eighty.
How's that work?
Speaker 9 (25:22):
Yeah, So for this tournament, over fifty was the requirement.
Women over fifty. So that's you know, we just formed teams,
tried to balance our two teams. But you know, for
other tournaments in the United States, there are you know,
categories over fifty five, over sixty.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah, I figure. So how'd you do on this most
recent tournament, the one last month in April of twenty
twenty Five's the question? I'll repeat, how did you do
in the tournament last month? Not that winning or losing
is all that matters, but I'd love to know if
if you how you did?
Speaker 9 (26:05):
Yeah. So, Uh, the two US teams, which are the
Breakers and the Soccer Sisters, we played each other in
the semifinals, huh, And I was on the Soccer Sister's team,
and it was actually the Breakers who went on to
win that game. And to win the finals.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
So so a team from Massachusetts won the whole the
whole nine yards.
Speaker 6 (26:29):
They did. They did great.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
That's that's important. And this this has to be a
great experience, a great bonding experience. Well, thank you for
sharing this with us. I'm going to go back, and
somehow I missed the Sunday. I read the article today,
but I read it online. And sometimes with the goal
the articles appear online and are published subsequently, and sometimes
(26:51):
it goes the other way. So I missed the Sunday
magazine last weekend. It was kind of a busy weekend
around around the house. We've just had it. We haven't
had but our son and his wife have just had
a granddaughter, and so we were focused. I wasn't focused
much on the Sunday Legacy last weekend. Thank you so much.
I appreciated your time, Jane, and keep playing soccer.
Speaker 9 (27:14):
Okay, all right, thank you very much, Jane.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Have a great night. Good night. When we get back,
we have an interview with the gentleman whose name is
Bob Schick. He's from Walpole and he has a story
to tell us. He's a former high school classmate of
Pope Leo. The fourteenth. This is an amazing story. We'll
talk about it with Bob Schick of Walpole, Massachusetts right
(27:38):
after the break.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z, Boston's
news Radio.
Speaker 11 (27:48):
Celebrate Mother's Day weekend with Shan Yun at the Prominence
Performing Arts Center, May tenth and eleventh. Don't miss your
chance to experience a breathtaking journey through five thousand years
of Chinese culture filled with beauty, wisdom, and drama. Now's
the perfect time to treat mom and yourself to the
(28:11):
show and make this Mother's Day unforgettable. Oscar winner Kate
Blanchette calls it exquisitely beautiful, an extraordinary experience. World renowned
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Speaker 2 (31:03):
It's nice side with Dan Ray on w B Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Well, for those of you who were not watching television
yesterday and maybe living in a cave somewhere the Catholic
Church has a new pope. His name is Pope Leo
the fourteenth. Joining us now is not Pope Leo the fourteenth,
but joining us is a gentleman by the name of
Bob Schick from Walpole, Massachusetts, who, believe it or not,
(31:30):
is a former high school classmate of the new pope,
Pope Leo the fourteenth, who back in the day was
Robert Francis Prevot. If I pronounced his name correctly, I
always don't. I'm not sure, Bob, if it's Prevot or Prevost.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
That's actually a really good question, because back when I
was in school with him, he was Prevost, and I've
been hearing everybody on the national news referring to him
as Prevost.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Yeah, yeah, Well maybe because is what a pope. Maybe
they're assuming he's going to be doing a lot of
praying as a pope. I don't know. Well, Bob, welcome
to Nightside. Thanks for joining us tonight. I'm sure that
you have been a sought after interviewee in the last
few days, the last couple of days, for sure. Tell
us you and he went to high school in Michigan.
(32:20):
So this is kind of a little bit of a
complicated story, but I think it's going to be fun.
Tell us how you happen to cross paths with the
future Pope.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
Well, we were both attending a school called Saint Augustine's Seminary.
It was a high school up near Holland, Michigan, and
it was where high school aged boys who thought that
they might have a location to the Catholic priesthood. Ye
went to school. It was a boarding school, and when
I was a freshman, Bob Prevost was there as a senior.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
So how much so, look, I'm very familiar. I happen
to be Catholic. So you got the big speech from
the nuns many years ago. So we all got that, okay,
But as they say, many have called, but few were chosen.
So even if we were really called Bob, I think
it wasn't necessarily neither were you were I. But that's okay.
(33:18):
So Bob Privo obviously followed this, uh, and which is great.
How much interaction did you have with them? As I
understand that he was a really good bowler, He was
an excellent bowler, and I'm told by someone who knows
(33:39):
that he has taken up and is a very accomplished
trombone player. Did you see any evidence of that back
in your days in high school?
Speaker 6 (33:48):
I do not remember him playing the trombone. Iye bowled,
and he bowled and his team actually won the school championship.
How big his accomplishment? Yea, at the time in school,
we're pretty significant. He was the student body president, he
was a valedictorian. He was out standing on the speech
(34:10):
and debate team. He was on the spirit club. He's
very involved and very good at all the things that
he tackled.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Did you get well, speaking of tackle, did you guys
have a football team? Per chance? I suspect probably not,
but did you.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Well, we did not, and we all we had that
played against other schools in the area was a basketball
team and a baseball team. This is a school, it's
a high school. So all four years freshman, sophomore, junior, senior,
we had a total of one hundred students.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Yeah. No, I'm very very fru you're in Walpole. My
son went to Roxbury Latin School, which is not a
Catholic school, but it is as it's a school that
it was an episcoal minister named a Tony Jarvis, Reverend Jarvis,
who was the head master and they, uh, that was big.
(35:01):
It broughts me flat and bigger, but not all that
much bigger. So so basically you were there for a
year with him. Now you're a freshman, a first year student.
He's a senior. Uh, and obviously he's a big man
on campus at that point if he's a valedictorian and
all of that. Pretty good guy to deal with back
(35:24):
in the day, or there was always that sort of
stratus strata in high school. The seniors don't talk to
the juniors, and the juniors ignore the sophomores, and the
sophomores don't even recognize the freshman or because obviously everybody
was responding to us a potentially similar call. Was it
a different sort of interaction.
Speaker 6 (35:47):
Well, I don't think there was really something that existed
at our school. I would call it much more of
a brotherhood collegial.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (35:56):
My contacts with prevots and a few of the other
seniors was that they were really supportive of us because
they realized that us freshmen are living away from home
for the very first time. I mean, we only went
home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, and it can be
tough to be away from home at that young age,
(36:16):
and they recognize that, and Bob in particular stood out
as somebody who was really supportive and really helped people out.
It was I think it has been his nature to
be a service.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
You know.
Speaker 6 (36:29):
He was also in the National Honor Society, which meant
as a part of being in the NHS, you do
a lot of mentoring of students that you know could
do some help. Jeff, I believe he went on to
major in math at Villanova. But now there's a picture
of helping somebody by, you know, putting some drawings on
(36:50):
the chalkboard and helping them through the lessons. And that
was the impress out of him that he was really
out to make life easier at a tough time for
a lot of a freshman.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Well, what you've just described Bob more eloquently than probably
I would have described it as a leader, someone who led.
My example, this would have been he is now sixty
nine years of age, so you're a little younger than
he is. I'm trying to do the math. He was
born in fifty five, so you guys would have been
(37:24):
going off to your first year at this school to
figure out whether or not you actually had a vocation, probably,
you said, in the ninth grade, which would probably make
you thirteen or fourteen years old. So he probably got
there around nineteen sixty eight and got out in seventy two,
I'm guessing. And you probably got there.
Speaker 6 (37:44):
In seventy one and June seventy three.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
He graduated seventy three. Okay, did you hang in for
the entire four years or did you at some point
say this isn't quite my cup of tea?
Speaker 6 (38:00):
We're in my junior at the fellows requires of priests.
Could was one of a great and uh. I remember
talking to a priest about it at the time, and
to paraphrase what you said a bit ago, what he
told me was, don't worry about the few are frozen.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I missed that. You broke up on me just a
little bit. What was your last.
Speaker 6 (38:26):
Comment, bob, Oh, you missed my punchline?
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Well, I want to say, hey, do me a favorite
set it up again. I don't want to waste a
good punchline. Alright ahead.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (38:38):
Traditionally it's many are called a few are chosen. Yes,
I had told me that many are old, but few
are frozen.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Okay, I got so. Did you then did you matriculate
there or did you go on, you know, back home?
Were you a Michigan guy or in Illinois? Obviously he
grew up outside of chicagoan uh, what was described as
close to the south side of Chicago. Are you? Were
you from Chicago? I know that Michigan and Illinois the
(39:07):
border of butts.
Speaker 6 (39:08):
There most of the students there. There was the different Detroit,
the Detroit area in Saint Louis, but it was mostly
the Chicago area. Leaves put hide sometimes in the city.
I'm from a suburb called when this was from Tinley Park.
Those are both Southwest suburbs. And after I finished my
(39:31):
junior year, I just went back home and went to
a public high school.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Okay, And so he went off to Villanova and and
the rest is history. I'm just curious, what have you
done with yourself? How'd you end up here in Walpole?
Speaker 6 (39:46):
Well? I actually spent some time working on movies and
television shows and commercials and things like that. I was
an assistant director, uh huh, and that for a couplecades.
I started to tea and I actually taught in a
Catholic high school in Maryland. And that's the job that
I just retired from and we moved to Massachusetts because
(40:10):
our daughter went to school, went to then of living
in Boston and never came back. Just now Mary working
and we decided to join her up here, and we
absolutely loved here.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Well, welcome to Massachusetts, Bob. Nice to make your acquaintance.
I hope you'll listen to Night's Side occasionally. I spent
thirty one years working on Channel four. I know you
were interviewed last night by my former colleague and great
friend Lisa Hughes. Is one of the real class people.
I enjoyed watching it, and I really appreciate that you
take some time and talk to my audience tonight. And
(40:46):
it's just funny how the world works and the people
that you meet along the road of life, you just
never know where they're going to end up. So you've
got a story to tell that a lot of people
are going to be interested in. Thank you so much
for your time tonight, Bob.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
Thanks for having me. And and Lisa.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
Said, you broke up with me again there all.
Speaker 6 (41:08):
Right, Lisa Hughes asked me to say hello to you
quite well.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
Well, yeah, we were, we were. We were teammates for
many years. That's for sure, Bob, hope to meet you someday.
I I had relatives growing up who were in in
Walpole many years wrote a street called Lewis Avenue. We
just go out there and visit when I was probably
your your age or younger in terms of elementary school,
(41:33):
so I know Walpole well. It's a great community. Thanks Bob,
I appreciate your time. Have a great weekend, enjoy yourself. Okay,
than congratulations.
Speaker 6 (41:41):
Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
Right back at you, right back at you.
It's nice eyes with Dan Ray.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'm telling you crazy Boston's news radio.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Thanks very much, Madison. My name's Dan Ray, host the
night Side, and I will get you through the weekend. Well.
For me, the weekend has not started because my weekend
doesn't start until eleven fifty eight tonight, which I designate
the official start of the weekend. For those of you
who are driving somewhere, you've already started your weekend, so
(00:27):
you're ahead of me by about four hours. But that's okay.
Stay with me and I will get us all the
way till Saturday morning. We have an interesting program coming
up tonight, I promise you. The Tough Student has just
been released down in Louisiana. We'll talk about that case,
Ramesa Oor's Turk. She still faces some immigration challenges, but
(00:50):
she is out of the detention center in Louisiana. And
we'll talk tonight with Bruce Mittman, general partner and see
of Community Broadcasters, and we're going to discuss the value
and the importance of radio with a specific emphasis on
AM radio, and tonight at eleven o'clock during the twentieth hour,
(01:12):
we'll do a tribute to your mom, to all moms
of our Mother's Day or annual Mother's Day edition. But
we have four interesting guests to talk to in this hour,
and we will be starting off with a State House
news reporter, Ella Adams. Hi, Ella, welcome to Nightside. Thanks
for hanging out with us for a few minutes here
on Friday night. How are you by, Anne.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I'm doing well. Thanks much for having.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Me well, yeah, thank you very much. There's an interesting
piece up there. I did not realize until I read
your story today that there's this piece of wheelchair legislation,
a wheelchair bill up at the House, and this is
one I'm wondering, why is it taking so long to
(01:57):
do something with this. I didn't realize that people who
had wheelchairs, we're really having a tough time getting them
repaired in a timely fashion.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Tell us about it, Yeah, definitely, you know, Dan, I
didn't really have a great idea about that either. Just
you know, a bit over a week ago, the Joint
Committee on Consumer Protection up on Beacon Hill, they held
a hearing addressing a couple of bills that you're talking
about that would address, you know, different ways the wheelchair
repair system in Massachusetts and wheelchair users are struggling they've
(02:30):
been talking a lot about, you know, feeling like they
can't really live their lives. They're losing independence every time
they have to wait for their wheelchairs to be repaired
for extended periods of time. There's talk about the kind
of structural issues in that wheelchair repair system. And there
are two bills, a House bill and a Senate bill
that both would kind of God would dress those.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
The problem is that they got to reconcile these pieces
of legislation. So let's break them out. What does the
first bill address? And I guess there's a question of
how quickly the wheelchairs are repaired. And there was one
woman I believe that you quoted in your article who
said that once her wheelchair was unavailable, she was confined
(03:15):
to bed for was it eleven days? That seems like
an extraordinarily long period of time. This is an essential
piece of apparatus that these folks need.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Yeah, you know, and I believe one of the wheelchair
users called it a crisis of equity. You know, nearly
all of wheelchair users crowded into the State House hearing
room and they were also testifying virtually, and they did
talk about that, you know, when their wheelchairs break, they're
unable to go to work, to doctor's appointments, they're stuck
in the middle of the sidewalk, stranded in bed because
(03:48):
they're waiting for weeks, in many cases months to get
them repaired. So the first bill that i'll you know,
i'll talk about the Senate bill. It's not new, but
it was passed by the Senate last session.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
It died in the.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
House, and we can get to that infect. But that
one focuses on the issue in terms of extending wheelchair warranties.
So it would extend warranties to two years, require that
an assessment of those broken wheelchairs is done within certain
periods of time. And the second bill is a House bill,
and that one is new, and that takes a little
bit of a different approach. It would put an exact
(04:20):
timeline on those wheelchair repairs, requires that they're made no
later le than ten business days after that date of request.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
That still doesn't solve the problem though, because if a
wheelchair goes down and someone is truly reliant on the wheelchair,
that means they are their house bound. They're going to
be housebound unless they have a replacement wheelchair. Now, if
if I have to bring my automobile into an automobile
(04:50):
repair shop, in most cases I might be able to
get for them a courtesy car to drive for a
few days. More worst case scenario, they will transport me
to a local rent a car place and I can
then rent a car. Why is there not something similar
(05:11):
for people who Why why are they not replacement wheelchairs
that all of these places that repair wheelchairs, why don't
they have some replacement wheelchairs that they can if they
have to rent them out, okay, but at least make
them available to me. The analogy between how much I
depend on my car, you know, I and someone depends
(05:35):
on a wheelchair is virtually identical.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Yeah, you know, and I think that that's an interesting
that is a good point, you know, I think that
is what these advocates and these users are of bringing up.
You know, there are systems in Massachusetts to get people
loner wheelchairs. It's an issue of you know, they were
talking about there aren't enough people to repair those wheelchairs.
(06:00):
The system doesn't move fast enough. And you know, loaner
chairs are not the exact same thing in some in
a lot of cases, as you know, someone's primary chair
that they use and so, you know, I think it's
really interesting. There were a couple of voices of opposition
in this hearing as well to these bills, and I
think that kind of shed some light on, you know,
why maybe the Senate bill has it wasn't able to
(06:22):
make it to the finish line last session, or maybe
why this is still a contract.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
What what preytale did the voices of opposition have to say?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, so one of those voices was the executive director
of the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology. That's
a national nonprofit advocates for people who rely on technology
and equipment like wheelchairs. And he didn't all out, you know,
say that these bills should not pass. He acknowledged the
(06:50):
system needs to be addressed. His concern was on the
to your warranty right now, as he explained it. You know,
these this equipment is on you know, six to thirteenth
month warranties. He's worried that the wear and tear on
this equipment will mean that manufacturers just they can't expand
their warranty limits to meet those two years because they
buy pieces like batteries and tires from other companies and
(07:13):
those parts have to constantly be redesigned and expanded over time.
So that was what he was talking about, and that
gives an idea of you know what from that perspective,
you know, the manufacturing standpoint. He was talking a lot
about how he's been in conversation with lawmakers and consumers
and Ma's health, which a lot of these wheelchair users
are on about how to kind of finagle the system
(07:34):
to make it so that it works better for people,
but also address that warranty concern.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Wow, something like this seems to me we're negotiating like
an anti nuclear agreement with Iran. I would think that
that compared to that, this should be something that they
should be able to solve, even at Beacon Hill. I mean,
(08:00):
is it's interesting. It's interesting that something like this that
we in Massachusetts, who consider ourselves to be such an
enlightened state. I'm not trying to put you on the
spot here, Ella, that's for sure. You've explained it so well.
I just don't understand why, in twenty twenty five we
have reached this point. And I would think that there
(08:21):
would be some statisticians somewhere who would know precisely the
number of people in Massachusetts who rely on wheelchairs, either
full time or part time. How many replacement wheelchairs we
would need, you know, for the for the vast majority
of those people. This is one that think, I just look,
(08:44):
any one of us could be in a wheelchair tomorrow. Ellen,
would you be kind enough to keep us posted on this.
I'd maybe like to do a story some night on
this because I this to me is intolerable.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Yeah, I absolutely we'll keep you posting on this. Why
I will be keeping and looking for looking at those bills,
seeing how they progress through the legislature. If they progress,
can definitely keep you posted.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Appreciate it, Ella, I really do, because I used to
cover the State House a lot, and I know that
all they need to do is refer one of these
bills to the subcommittee to study and that's it. And
this one really does affect a lot of people, and
a lot of people critically, and this is one that
I'd like to fight for and I'd like to get
some of the manufacturers, get the people on my show.
(09:34):
You've given me great ideas and I'm going to bring
you back to Ella. You did a great job. You're
a good reporter. Thank you. You explained that so effectively,
you won't be at the State Hell, You're going to
be at the New York Times of the Boston Globe
before you know or trust me, Oh Dan, I mean,
I mean it. I've been around a long time. I
can spot a reporter who is talented and who can
(09:57):
explain it, and you are excellent. So thanks so much
for coming on tonight, and I'll write a resume for
you to anywhere. They're not going to want to lose you. You'll
be able to get a better deal at the State
House News. You did a great job. Thank you very much.
I'm kidding. I'm not kidding with you at all, and
I'm saying that from my heart that you did a
(10:19):
great job. Thank you for explaining this story as well
as you did. We'll talk.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
You're more than welcome on back soon. Thanks. I'll appreciate it.
All Right, we get back. We're going to talk about
the twenty ninth, sadly twenty ninth Annual Mother's Day Walk
for Peace hosted by the Lewis D. Brown Peace Institute.
We're familiar with this, We've covered this for many years,
and once again the women and I hope some men
(10:45):
will be out there with them. But it's the twenty
ninth annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace. We'll come back
with Alexander Cherry Durellis. She's the co executive director of
the Lewis D. Brown Pieces Toute. My name is Dan Ray.
This is night Side, going to take you all the
way through the end of Friday night right up to
Saturday morning. Coming back on Nightside, Stick with us.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Hid night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZY, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Heh welcome back everyone, Night'side on a Friday night. This,
of course is Mother's Day weekend, and for the twenty
ninth year, the annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace, hosted
by the Lewis D. Brown Peace Institute, will kick off
this weekend with us is the co executive director of
(11:41):
the Lewis D. Brown Peace Institute, Alexandra Sherry Durreles. Alexandra, welcome,
How are you this evening? Hi?
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Dan, I'm well, Thank you for having me, How are
you well?
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Welcome back. I'm doing great and again you folks are
are once again doing this for those who are to
the area give us the brief history of this tremendous event,
which was founded in a horrific set of circumstances.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
Yeah, so we were. The walk was founded in nineteen
ninety six by my mother, Clementina Sherry, who is also
the founder of the Lewis D. Brown Peace Institute, after
my brother Lewis was murdered in nineteen ninety three in
December on his way to a teen's against Gang Violence
Christmas party. You know, after Lewis's murder, my mother asked questions,
(12:35):
how am I supposed to celebrate Mother's Day? What My
oldest child is dead and I have two living children,
and she really wanted to continue to be there for us,
but still felt, you know, this tremendous loss and knew
that there were other mothers out there who had to
be experiencing the same thing as her, and so she,
(12:56):
you know, started a walk that wasn't inten to be
very big. It was just an opportunity to engage city
officials in honoring mothers on Mother's Day who have lost
their loved ones. And then it grew to something so
much bigger. It's an annual tradition in Boston. Now everybody
(13:16):
sort of gets ready for it, and we have people
coming in from all over the country to celebrate Mother's
Day and to know to grieve together and to continue
to heal together.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
So let's talk about it. When does the march kick
off and give us a rough idea of how long
it is? And I assume that everyone is welcome and
it's a march that virtually everyone can.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Participate it absolutely, So it's Sunday, May eleventh. We start
the speaking program at eight am in Townfield Park in Dorchester.
That's in a small community called Field's Corner and it
is a five k it's about three point two miles
and we are just doing sort of a loop around Dorchester.
(14:04):
So we start in the field and then we're gonna
walk the streets of Dorchester and end up right back
in the field. And you know, while the while the
founding and who we're honoring on Mother's Day are survivors
of homicide victims, we also welcome supporters, friends, We welcome
(14:24):
you know, families whose loved ones have been incarcerated for murder.
We really are It really is a day of unity
because you know, violence has no borders and survivorship has
no boundaries. Also, you know, we're all survivors of something
in our own right, So.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
That's that's what I knew of as the Dorchester Town
field where you're assembling, right, Yeah, perfect location. I can't
tell you how many baseball games I played on that
field when I was much younger than you.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Participated in some of the those games too.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Well, it's a lot of memories where I got I
was a picture got lit up there. So you know,
not every night is a success, but this, this this
march is always a success. And what a tribute to
the memory of your brother. It is just it's an instant,
it's an institution. Your family has stayed strong over the years,
(15:23):
and you have extended your family. How many people have
over the years participated. There must be some sort of
a wild estimate, And I'm wondering how many folks if
we get the weather that we're promised it's supposed to
be good weather on Sunday for a change, keep our
fingers crossed, say a prayer, yes you will. What do
you hope what do you hope to get in terms
(15:45):
of a turnout this Sunday?
Speaker 4 (15:46):
You think a couple of thousands yeah, yeah, exactly a
few thousand people. We've estimated between thirty five hundred to
five thousand people a good day.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
We we have a fundraising goal of six hundred thousand
and we are just under five hundred thousand, so we
have a ways to go, okay, and we're hoping, you know,
we're hoping that day of we'll really kick up those Okay.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
So what about if there are people who are listening
right now who maybe can attend the march. I hope
you have a website they could, they could click on
make a donation. Okay, let's have that ahead, so you can.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
They can find us at Mother's Day Walk for Peace
dot org. And that's the number four. So Mother's Day
Walk the number four, Peace dot org.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Yeah, I'm going to do that nice and slow because
that's important. People are grabbing for pins. It's there's no
apostrophes here. Whenever we do these. It's Mother's m O
T H E R S D A y W A
O K. So Mother's Day Walk that's probably lowercase, I assume,
or is it.
Speaker 7 (16:54):
Case sensus lowercase.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Mother's Day Walk the numeral four Peace p e a
CE dot org. Donations are tax deductible. If you're a
dot org I assume you're a five O one C three.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
Yes we are.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
So this is this is going to be a great event.
It's it is such a great way to celebrate Mother's Day.
And your's been instrumental in this. You turned a horrific
tragedy into something really positive for the city of Boston.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
So thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Please you so so kind of you to be available
and best of luck on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
And hope, thank you for having me. I hope to
see you there.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Let me tell you, I we just had a baby, granddaughter,
a less than two weeks ago, so we have some
family plans. Other than that, I'll be I would be there,
so I'm not gonna.
Speaker 7 (17:55):
Lie to yet.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
We'll fill your spirit your energy there.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Absolutely, I'm with you totally. Thanks so much, little girl
named woman, Sweet Caroline. Ben's Alexandra.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
All right, okay, take care of Dan.
Speaker 8 (18:08):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
It's Alexander. To talk to you soon when we get back.
A really fun story about a team of soccer grannies
grandma's who are just back from an international football tournament
in South Africa. No, that's not American football. That's soccer.
We're going to talk with one of the leading one
(18:30):
of the local Massachusetts soccer team players, author of a book,
Soccer Granny's The South African Women who Inspire the World.
We're going to talk with Gene Duffy. Come on right
back on Nightside.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray. Hey, Dan Boston's News Radio.
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news Radio.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
All right, now, we have a really interesting guest. Uh,
all of us know about sports and athletics and how
we like to play sports. In athletics, a lot of
people play pickleball and things like that, particularly as you
get a little older. Well, I want to introduce you
to a member of the Massachusetts The New England Breakers
(19:19):
play in Granny's international football tournaments. I'm confused here, Geene Duffy,
is that the New England Breakers? Is it the Grannies.
I know you're pretty good soccer players. Tell us this story,
which is going to be I believe this is going
to be a cover story in the Boston Globe magazine.
Speaker 9 (19:38):
Correct, last sun It was in the Globe magazine last Sunday.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Oh okay, I thought it was yet to be in there.
Now you are a player on the team, and I'm
not going to tell your age, but like many of us,
you were definitely on the wrong side of fifty. Like
I am.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
That's it all right?
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Do we leave it at That's how I phrase it.
And you've written a book called Soccer Granny's The South
African Women who Inspire the World. This kind of connects,
I believe with the tournament that these these women from
Massachusetts played in in April helped me out here and
unravel all of this.
Speaker 9 (20:18):
Okay, well, the story, I guess it goes back to
when I started playing soccer and I was standing on
the sidelines in Lexington, outside of Boston and watching my
daughters play, and I said, hey, that looks like fun.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
I'm already a runner.
Speaker 9 (20:36):
Surely I can run and chase a soccer ball. And
I fortunately, I found a group of women just starting up,
and in no time I was hooked. I found it
was such a fun way to exercise. I forgot about
my to do list for that hour. And now, twenty
years later, they're among some of my best friends. And
(20:58):
I know there were a team in South Africa that
started up just a few years after I did. But
these women were even older, in their forties to eighties,
you know, they started exercising for their health. And one
day some boys kicked the soccer ball in front of
(21:18):
them and they were They kicked the ball and it
went off in a crazy direction, and Becca, who was
organizing the group, said, showed them grandmothers how to kick
the ball. And so after you know, a half hour
of running and kicking, they were like, who like this,
We want to keep playing. So there's kind of the
(21:40):
parallel stories of women in Africa and women here in
the US playing soccer.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
And so you did not know about them, but at
some point you must have heard about them and you decided, boy,
this would be great to go play a game in Africa.
So you've have you been there two years now to
play games?
Speaker 9 (22:00):
Yeah. So actually it goes back to twenty ten when
South Africa was hosting the FIFA World Cup and the
group of the team there in South Africa had just
been playing a few years at that point, but running
around in their skirts ticking the soccer ball. They were
the perfect human interest story associated with the World Cup.
(22:23):
So reporters were flocking there to show their story. And
my team saw one of those news links, and you know,
we're like, wow, even though we could tell our lives
must be very different, we could tell also that they
loved the same thing about the game that we did.
And they were so inspiring because they were forty to
(22:44):
eighty years old, you know, even older than our players.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
So how many times have you gone over there to
play soccer?
Speaker 9 (22:54):
Yeah, So once reached out to them in twenty ten,
invited them to come to the United States States, and
they did. They came here to Boston and played in
the Massachusetts Adults. They played in an adult soccer tournament
that was held here in Massachusetts, oh, twenty eleven. Some
of my teammates were there. And that's what the book
(23:15):
is about. It covers, you know that twenty and twenty eleven,
the initial interaction with us, and I did a lot
of research about the South Africa and the historical and
political pressures that impacted the lives of the women and
what soccer meant to them.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
So why were you most recently back. It sounds to
me like you've been back in the last well, it
sounds like you were there in April.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
Yeah, I was there this April.
Speaker 10 (23:44):
And.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
You're correct me if I'm wrong, but that's last month.
Speaker 9 (23:49):
Yes, it is. It is. Yeah, So I'm more.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Excited about this than you are at this point, Jane,
tell me all about it, Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:00):
So when the team came over here in twenty ten,
the founder of this team, this woman by the name
of Becanetsunrici, who's a community activist and just a wonderful
person who's made amazing differences in her community fighting poverty
and AIDS and etc.
Speaker 9 (24:21):
She said, you know, I have a dream. I want
to host before I die, of Granny's World Cup and
have teams from around the world come together. So this
was a dream she expressed in twenty ten, and it
was in twenty twenties. The pandemic got in the way
a little bit of carrying it out. But in twenty
twenty three she had this first tournament and we took
(24:44):
three teams from Boston at that point, all women over
at fifty in our fifties, sixties, and seventies, and competed.
And then now two years later she hosted a second
tournament and we had two teams this time and players
fifty to sixty seventies and eighties.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
So what are the teams grouped in terms of age
or is there a I mean I realized that looked
there's a difference between a person who's fifty years of
age and a person who's eighty or is it a
complete team? You know, doesn't matter what age you are,
you remember the team whether you're fifty, sixty, seventy, or eighty.
How's that work?
Speaker 9 (25:22):
Yeah, So for this tournament, over fifty was the requirement.
Women over fifty. So that's you know, we just formed teams,
tried to balance our two teams. But you know, for
other tournaments in the United States, there are you know,
categories over fifty five, over sixty.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah, I figure. So how'd you do on this most
recent tournament, the one last month in April of twenty
twenty Five's the question? I'll repeat, how did you do
in the tournament last month? Not that winning or losing
is all that matters, but I'd love to know if
if you how you did?
Speaker 9 (26:05):
Yeah. So, Uh, the two US teams, which are the
Breakers and the Soccer Sisters, we played each other in
the semifinals, huh, And I was on the Soccer Sister's team,
and it was actually the Breakers who went on to
win that game. And to win the finals.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
So so a team from Massachusetts won the whole the
whole nine yards.
Speaker 6 (26:29):
They did. They did great.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
That's that's important. And this this has to be a
great experience, a great bonding experience. Well, thank you for
sharing this with us. I'm going to go back, and
somehow I missed the Sunday. I read the article today,
but I read it online. And sometimes with the goal
the articles appear online and are published subsequently, and sometimes
(26:51):
it goes the other way. So I missed the Sunday
magazine last weekend. It was kind of a busy weekend
around around the house. We've just had it. We haven't
had but our son and his wife have just had
a granddaughter, and so we were focused. I wasn't focused
much on the Sunday Legacy last weekend. Thank you so much.
I appreciated your time, Jane, and keep playing soccer.
Speaker 9 (27:14):
Okay, all right, thank you very much, Jane.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Have a great night. Good night. When we get back,
we have an interview with the gentleman whose name is
Bob Schick. He's from Walpole and he has a story
to tell us. He's a former high school classmate of
Pope Leo. The fourteenth. This is an amazing story. We'll
talk about it with Bob Schick of Walpole, Massachusetts right
(27:38):
after the break.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z, Boston's
news Radio.
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Speaker 2 (31:03):
It's nice side with Dan Ray on w B Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Well, for those of you who were not watching television
yesterday and maybe living in a cave somewhere the Catholic
Church has a new pope. His name is Pope Leo
the fourteenth. Joining us now is not Pope Leo the fourteenth,
but joining us is a gentleman by the name of
Bob Schick from Walpole, Massachusetts, who, believe it or not,
(31:30):
is a former high school classmate of the new pope,
Pope Leo the fourteenth, who back in the day was
Robert Francis Prevot. If I pronounced his name correctly, I
always don't. I'm not sure, Bob, if it's Prevot or Prevost.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
That's actually a really good question, because back when I
was in school with him, he was Prevost, and I've
been hearing everybody on the national news referring to him
as Prevost.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Yeah, yeah, Well maybe because is what a pope. Maybe
they're assuming he's going to be doing a lot of
praying as a pope. I don't know. Well, Bob, welcome
to Nightside. Thanks for joining us tonight. I'm sure that
you have been a sought after interviewee in the last
few days, the last couple of days, for sure. Tell
us you and he went to high school in Michigan.
(32:20):
So this is kind of a little bit of a
complicated story, but I think it's going to be fun.
Tell us how you happen to cross paths with the
future Pope.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
Well, we were both attending a school called Saint Augustine's Seminary.
It was a high school up near Holland, Michigan, and
it was where high school aged boys who thought that
they might have a location to the Catholic priesthood. Ye
went to school. It was a boarding school, and when
I was a freshman, Bob Prevost was there as a senior.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
So how much so, look, I'm very familiar. I happen
to be Catholic. So you got the big speech from
the nuns many years ago. So we all got that, okay,
But as they say, many have called, but few were chosen.
So even if we were really called Bob, I think
it wasn't necessarily neither were you were I. But that's okay.
(33:18):
So Bob Privo obviously followed this, uh, and which is great.
How much interaction did you have with them? As I
understand that he was a really good bowler, He was
an excellent bowler, and I'm told by someone who knows
(33:39):
that he has taken up and is a very accomplished
trombone player. Did you see any evidence of that back
in your days in high school?
Speaker 6 (33:48):
I do not remember him playing the trombone. Iye bowled,
and he bowled and his team actually won the school championship.
How big his accomplishment? Yea, at the time in school,
we're pretty significant. He was the student body president, he
was a valedictorian. He was out standing on the speech
(34:10):
and debate team. He was on the spirit club. He's
very involved and very good at all the things that
he tackled.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Did you get well, speaking of tackle, did you guys
have a football team? Per chance? I suspect probably not,
but did you.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
Well, we did not, and we all we had that
played against other schools in the area was a basketball
team and a baseball team. This is a school, it's
a high school. So all four years freshman, sophomore, junior, senior,
we had a total of one hundred students.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Yeah. No, I'm very very fru you're in Walpole. My
son went to Roxbury Latin School, which is not a
Catholic school, but it is as it's a school that
it was an episcoal minister named a Tony Jarvis, Reverend Jarvis,
who was the head master and they, uh, that was big.
(35:01):
It broughts me flat and bigger, but not all that
much bigger. So so basically you were there for a
year with him. Now you're a freshman, a first year student.
He's a senior. Uh, and obviously he's a big man
on campus at that point if he's a valedictorian and
all of that. Pretty good guy to deal with back
(35:24):
in the day, or there was always that sort of
stratus strata in high school. The seniors don't talk to
the juniors, and the juniors ignore the sophomores, and the
sophomores don't even recognize the freshman or because obviously everybody
was responding to us a potentially similar call. Was it
a different sort of interaction.
Speaker 6 (35:47):
Well, I don't think there was really something that existed
at our school. I would call it much more of
a brotherhood collegial.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (35:56):
My contacts with prevots and a few of the other
seniors was that they were really supportive of us because
they realized that us freshmen are living away from home
for the very first time. I mean, we only went
home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, and it can be
tough to be away from home at that young age,
(36:16):
and they recognize that, and Bob in particular stood out
as somebody who was really supportive and really helped people out.
It was I think it has been his nature to
be a service.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
You know.
Speaker 6 (36:29):
He was also in the National Honor Society, which meant
as a part of being in the NHS, you do
a lot of mentoring of students that you know could
do some help. Jeff, I believe he went on to
major in math at Villanova. But now there's a picture
of helping somebody by, you know, putting some drawings on
(36:50):
the chalkboard and helping them through the lessons. And that
was the impress out of him that he was really
out to make life easier at a tough time for
a lot of a freshman.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Well, what you've just described Bob more eloquently than probably
I would have described it as a leader, someone who led.
My example, this would have been he is now sixty
nine years of age, so you're a little younger than
he is. I'm trying to do the math. He was
born in fifty five, so you guys would have been
(37:24):
going off to your first year at this school to
figure out whether or not you actually had a vocation, probably,
you said, in the ninth grade, which would probably make
you thirteen or fourteen years old. So he probably got
there around nineteen sixty eight and got out in seventy two,
I'm guessing. And you probably got there.
Speaker 6 (37:44):
In seventy one and June seventy three.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
He graduated seventy three. Okay, did you hang in for
the entire four years or did you at some point
say this isn't quite my cup of tea?
Speaker 6 (38:00):
We're in my junior at the fellows requires of priests.
Could was one of a great and uh. I remember
talking to a priest about it at the time, and
to paraphrase what you said a bit ago, what he
told me was, don't worry about the few are frozen.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I missed that. You broke up on me just a
little bit. What was your last.
Speaker 6 (38:26):
Comment, bob, Oh, you missed my punchline?
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Well, I want to say, hey, do me a favorite
set it up again. I don't want to waste a
good punchline. Alright ahead.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (38:38):
Traditionally it's many are called a few are chosen. Yes,
I had told me that many are old, but few
are frozen.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Okay, I got so. Did you then did you matriculate
there or did you go on, you know, back home?
Were you a Michigan guy or in Illinois? Obviously he
grew up outside of chicagoan uh, what was described as
close to the south side of Chicago. Are you? Were
you from Chicago? I know that Michigan and Illinois the
(39:07):
border of butts.
Speaker 6 (39:08):
There most of the students there. There was the different Detroit,
the Detroit area in Saint Louis, but it was mostly
the Chicago area. Leaves put hide sometimes in the city.
I'm from a suburb called when this was from Tinley Park.
Those are both Southwest suburbs. And after I finished my
(39:31):
junior year, I just went back home and went to
a public high school.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Okay, And so he went off to Villanova and and
the rest is history. I'm just curious, what have you
done with yourself? How'd you end up here in Walpole?
Speaker 6 (39:46):
Well? I actually spent some time working on movies and
television shows and commercials and things like that. I was
an assistant director, uh huh, and that for a couplecades.
I started to tea and I actually taught in a
Catholic high school in Maryland. And that's the job that
I just retired from and we moved to Massachusetts because
(40:10):
our daughter went to school, went to then of living
in Boston and never came back. Just now Mary working
and we decided to join her up here, and we
absolutely loved here.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
Well, welcome to Massachusetts, Bob. Nice to make your acquaintance.
I hope you'll listen to Night's Side occasionally. I spent
thirty one years working on Channel four. I know you
were interviewed last night by my former colleague and great
friend Lisa Hughes. Is one of the real class people.
I enjoyed watching it, and I really appreciate that you
take some time and talk to my audience tonight. And
(40:46):
it's just funny how the world works and the people
that you meet along the road of life, you just
never know where they're going to end up. So you've
got a story to tell that a lot of people
are going to be interested in. Thank you so much
for your time tonight, Bob.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
Thanks for having me. And and Lisa.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
Said, you broke up with me again there all.
Speaker 6 (41:08):
Right, Lisa Hughes asked me to say hello to you
quite well.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
Well, yeah, we were, we were. We were teammates for
many years. That's for sure, Bob, hope to meet you someday.
I I had relatives growing up who were in in
Walpole many years wrote a street called Lewis Avenue. We
just go out there and visit when I was probably
your your age or younger in terms of elementary school,
(41:33):
so I know Walpole well. It's a great community. Thanks Bob,
I appreciate your time. Have a great weekend, enjoy yourself. Okay,
than congratulations.
Speaker 6 (41:41):
Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
Right back at you, right back at you.
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