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Know the Market. Know the Town.
only in fjje garntfaMe patriot
Independent & Locally Owned Since 1830
396 Main St., Suite 15, Hyannis, MA 02601 • 508/771-1427 • Fax 508/790-3997
E-mail: info@barnstablepatriot.com • www.barnstabIepatriot.com
Gabe&Henry...
KATHLEEN SZMIT PHOTO
HAPPY DOG - Gabriel, who belongs to Mary
Joyce, has proven to be a survivor in the face
of a serious medical problem.
Continued from A1
radiation over a three-week period.
In March, Joyce loaded Gabe and a host of
his favorite toys into the car for their stay off-
Cape.
Meanwhile, around the same time, Ramage
had sparked concern when he failed to call his
mother after waking up in the back cottage of
his Barnstable Village home.
"When my mom found me, I didn't feel right,"
Ramage said. "I went down the stairs fine, but
then fell in the shower."
Immediately, Ramage's mother, Georgann ,
brought him to their local doctor. Because he
was born with cerebral palsy, the 18-year-old
Ramage has been no stranger to doctors, but
this visit proved disconcerting.
He was redirected from his pediatrician's
office to the emergency room, and ultimately to
Boston after it was determined he'd suffered a
seizure.
"My mom knew as soon as she saw my
tongue,"Ramage said. "I had bitten it. I knew
from the cerebral palsy this was something that
could happen, but never thought anything of
it."
Like Gabriel, Ramage was told that the sei-
zure could be a one-time event, and was put
on anti-seizure medication. This latest medical
event was a setback since it meant he could no
longer drive a car and needed to be monitored
as the medication took effect, which required
him to move back into his family's main house,
tough for a young man on the cusp of indepen-
dence.
After a period of time, both young man and
dog, having no idea about each other's situa-
tions, seemed on the road to better health. In
Gabriel's case the news was very good. Joyce
learned that the radiation, mainly done to stop
the tumor from growing, had also shrunk it.
"My hope was that he would get the sum-
mer out of it,"Joyce said of Gabe's treatment.
"One last good summer to take him out on the
beach."
" When she learned that his tumor had shrunk
nearly 30 percent, she sent up a thank you to
the heavens. Thanks to his own medication ,
Gabe has also been seizure-free for months.
:"We're taking things one day at a time, but
I hope to have another year with him," said
Joyce.
To look at Gabe one wouldn't be able to tell
he's sick at all. He eagerly brings guests his
collection of toys (and Joyce's scarf when the
basket is empty), and can't get enough hugs
and scratches.
Ramage, unfortunately, dealt recently with
another setback when, short ly after being
cleared by his doctors, he experienced another
seizure in November, requiring a higher dos-
age of his medication.
When he learned of Gabriel' s situation it
immediately offered Ramage not just comfort ,
but also a source of inspiration.
"I understand what Mary has gone through
with him,"Ramage said.
Together Joyce and Ramage bonded over
shared fears and new realities.
"My life has changed with him with the
seizures,"said Joyce, of Gabe. "I almost never
leave him alone."
Ramage, who had his most recent seizure on
a public bus, understands.
"That's my fear, too,"he said."Being alone."
Together and apart, the young man and the
dog are doing what they can to enjoy life. Gabe
delights in visits to Joyce's office inYarmouth-
port and with the puppy her parents got two
years ago.
"Lucky has really kept Gabe going,"Joyce
said. "I think if Gabriel didn 't have him, he'd
just have slept through his recovery. Lucky
really pulled him through the hard part of it."
Ramage also enjoys socializing, which he
does each day either at work at Barnstable
Market, or during visits to the Nirvana Coffee
Company, both in the village.
Gabe and his story have bolstered his spirits
immensely.
"It actually opens my perspective of life
hearing his story,"Ramage said. "He, like me,
is just as lucky to have the people in his life
that he does."
Homeless...
KATHLEEN SZMIT PHOTOS
IN TRIBUTE - J Snow and Susanne Norman perform the sonq
"Old Joe" as part of a ceremony honoring homeless people who
died in 2014 on Homeless Persons' Memorial Day.
FEAR NO EVIL - Attendees of
the Homeless Persons' Memo-
rial service at the Federated
Church recite the 23rd Psalm.
IMPACTED - Jennifer Ellis, Jason Sturgis and Jean Challies,
members of the Barnstable Police Department's Community
Impact Unit, carry candles of remembrance in the Homeless
Persons' Memorial service at the Federated Church.
Continued from A1
Initiall y, like many others, I
held a strong set of preconcep-
tions about the "street people."
They were there by choice.They
were criminals , addicts , men-
tally unstable.
The more stories I wrote, the
more my preconceptions fell
slowly away. I came to under-
stand that no one is truly home-
less by choice. Addictions and
mental illness certainl y play
a part , but nothing could full y
remove the pain each individ-
ual feels regarding not having a
place to call home.
Conversations with those liv-
ing on the streets revealed sto-
ries of suffering and loss, shame
and grief. These conversations
also helped me see through the
ragged clothes, the dirt-streaked
faces and the sunken eyes to the
person beneath , for each of the
homeless is just that: a person.
On Sunday night, the evening
of the winter solstice (and the
longest night of the year), peo-
ple from all facets of the home-
less community - everyone
from service providers , police
and concerned citizens to those
who spend their days struggling
to survive on the streets -gath-
ered in Hyannis to remember
the 34 people who died this year
as a result of homelessness.
Homeless Persons'Memorial
Day is held annually here and
at other locations across the
country to honor and remem-
ber those whose lives were lost
because of homelessness.
The Hyannis ceremony began
on the village green with profes-
sor, author and longtime home-
less advocate Dan McCullough
sharing his thought s with the
crowd. He spoke of holding on
to hope.
"We hope that one more per-
son might get sober or clean,"
he said, "might take our out-
stretched hand."
He said that those who work
with the homeless live life in
increments, sometimes measur-
ing time in seconds rather than
minutes or days.
"We work with our people
one person at a time,"he said.
From the green , a proces-
sional led by piper Colin Walsh
of the Colum Cille Pipes and
Drums made its way along Main
Street to the Federated Church,
where a standing-room-onl y
crowd listened , sobbed and at
times held one another as the 34
names were read aloud, along
with poignant descriptions of
each.
William: loyal friend and lov-
ing husband. Sears: gentle and
intelligent . Sarah: a bright light.
Susan: strong and generous
with a great sense of humor.
The list seemed to go on and
on. Meanwhile, members of the
Youth Street Outreach brought
forth electronic candles to rep-
resent each of those remem-
bered, with a special Peace Can-
dle, originally lit in Jerusalem ,
serving as the centerpiece.
Each name read meant
another life lost; a holiday
missed , a birthday not cele-
brated , a family member gone.
In the church there were
many tears , especially among
those who live each day scram-
bling for space in the NOAH
Shelter , hoping the second-
hand tent they're sleep ing in
keeps the rain out , or huddled
anywhere they can against the
biting cold.
They are the people to whom
the 34 names meant the most.
Regardless of their illnesses ,
addictions or histories , they
were comrades in a never-end-
ing battle, brothers , sisters and
dear friends , and they were
gone.
In many cases, homeless peo-
ple die as a result of overexpo-
sure to the elements, acts of vio-
lence against them, the effects
of addiction or health problems
made worse by the harsh life of
homelessness.
As I listened to the names
being read , I remembered a
story I'd read years ago of a
homeless man who ended his
life in the woods somewhere in
Hyannis. By the time his body
was found , he'd been dead for
six weeks.
I remember wondering back
then how anyone could become
so anonymous they wouldn 't
be missed. Sadly, knowing now
what I do about the complex
and complicated world of home-
lessness, I know how.
Whether isolated from fam-
ily and friends by challenging
behaviors , or unseen by a soci-
ety who'd rather they "just go
away," far too many homeless
people are invisible until their
bodies are discovered in the
woods, behind a vacant building
or wherever their last breaths
are taken.
I found it interesting that
among the faces in the Fed-
erated Church there were no
Cape legislators or policymak-
ers."The homeless don't vote,"a
friend told me.
No, they probabl y don 't. But
they still live among us, still
breathe the air we breathe, still
do their utmost to cope with
all manner of troubles. They're
human, after all. Not having a
home doesn't make them less
so.
I don 't have the answer,
though I suspect it begins with
acknowledging the humanity
of the people we'd normally shy
away from.
Last spring on a walk down
Main Street I ambled past a
woman I see frequentl y, aware
of her mental illness and her
homelessness. As I approached
her, rather than cast my eyes
aside, I looked into hers and
said, "Hello."Her response was
marvelous. She smiled broadly,
if a little timidly,with a look that
seemed to say,"You see me?"
Yes.Yes, I do. I see you. I only
hope more people begin to, as
well.
OBITUARIES
Salvatore Vincent
Uccello
WEST YARMOUTH - Sal-
vatore Vincent Uccello passed
awaypeacefully surrounded by
his loving family on December
22, 2014, due to complications
from Parkinson's disease. He
was 80 years old.
Sal leaves behind his
beloved wife of 52 years, Gail
(Schumann) Uccello, and his
devoted children, Cori Uccello
of Arlington, VA, and Steve
Uccello and his wife Sue Kho-
darahmi of Denver, CO.He was
a loving husband and father,
and his family was the most
important thing in the world
to him.
He was born and raised in
Hartford , CT, to Vlncenzoand
Concetta (Strano) Uccello. He
moved to Southington, CT, to
raise his family and enjoyed
his retirement years splitting
time between WestYarmouth,
MA, and Fort Myers, FL.
Sal was proud to serve hon-
orably in the U.S. Army from
1954 to 1956, stationed in Kai-
serslautern, Germany.He then
worked for 33 years at United
Technologies, the Pratt and
Whitney Division.
He was active in the South-
ington community, serving as
president, manager, and coach
in the Northern Little League,
on the building committee of
St. Dominic's parish, on the
board of directors of Spring
Lake Village, and as a volun-
teer at Hatton School.
He was also a loyal New
YorkYankees fan and reveled
in making calls to the bullpen
from his living room sofa.
Aside from his parents, he is
predeceased by his stepmother
Pietra Uccello, sister Lucy
Bianco, brother Emmanuel, and
godson Brent Schumann. In
addition to his immediate fam-
ily he leaves behind brother-in-
law Doug Schumann, brother-
in-law Bill Schumann and his
wife Jeanne, many nieces and
nephews, and several dear life-
long friends, golfing buddies,
and thoughtful neighbors.
A memorial service will
be announced at a later date.
Burial is planned for Arling-
ton National Cemetery. Those
wishing to pay tribute may
make a donation in Sal's honor
to the charity of their choice.
For online tributes please visit,
www.dellavecchiafh.com
Clark ...
Continued from A1
Clark said that adding the
bust of someone her father
would have admired and been
proud of , perhaps Jacques
Cousteau, would serve as a fit-
ting tribute to her father and his
many passions.
"My dad' s big push in life
was education ,"Clark said. "He
always wanted to give his kids
a college education and worked
really hard to give us that .We
want to honor that spirit and all
the hard work he put in."
The first time Clark saw the
Astro Park she was astounded
and impressed.
"I can't even describe it,"she
said."I didn 't even believe it was
in Barnstable High School. Mr.
Gyra transformed that entire
quad. I feel it should be nation-
ally recognized."
On a more personal level, the
park seemed the perfect loca-
tion for a tangible means of
honoring her father. Not only
would placing a bust pf some-
one who had a profound impact
on the world be of value to the
school, it would also allow the
Clark family to have a physical
memorial to Richard.
One of the most difficult
aspects of his death, said his
daughter, was not being able
to recover his body from the
sea. Because of that, there was
no burial and there is no head-
stone.
The bust , Clark said, would
ease that hurt.
"I think dad would appreci
ate so much about it,"she said.
"He'd appreciate a lot of the
details, the layout of the park ,
but also appreciate the space
dedicated to knowledge. 1think
he would enjoy it on many,
many levels."
Because the bust will cost
around $2,700, donations are
welcome.
Returning to the Cape for the
holidays, Clark said, has been
bittersweet since memories of
her father are everywhere.
"There are so many remind-
ers," Clark said. "Barnstable
Harbor was his favorite place
on earth. But you need that
almost. It 's good to be sur-
rounded by that."
Clark is grateful for the.softer
side of her father she got to see
shortl y after his retirement
from public work.
"I went by their house in
Stuart , Florida ," she said. "I
remember sitting around the
table hearing all these stories
of my dad growing up. He did
some crazy stupid things but he
never told us about them when
he was younger.That conversa-
tion has just meant so much to
me. It was the human side of
him."
While it's been challeng-
ing not knowing exactly what
happened to her father dur-
ing his final dive , knowing he
died doing what he loved , and
in a way was laid to rest in his
favorite place, brings a measure
of comfort.
Having a physical memorial
in the Astro Park will add to
that comfort.
"He had this incredible spirit
of adventure,"Clark said. "This
is a small way to have some-
thing meaningful."
To make a donation toward
the purchase of the bust to
honor Richard Clark , send
checks payable to Barnstable
High School to Mike Gyra, 744
West Main Street, Hyannis, MA
02601.
Czajkowski...
Continued from A1
Once the talks are complete,
she will be expected to start
July 1. •
Others who were vying
for the position were George
Entwistle, a superintendent in
Scarborough, Maine, and Kaine
Osburn, a deputy superinten-
dent in Naperville, Illinois.
"Thinking about what's best
for our schools and students,
and for us as a School Commit-
tee who will have to work with
this person, we're looking for
an educational leader, which
is an important trait for super-
intendents and leaders ," said
Lexington School Committee
Chairman Margaret Coppe
before casting her vote.
"She's also my top choice,"
said School Committee Student
Representative Abby Schwartz,
a nonvotingpart of the commit-
tee."The way I saw her engage
with students in conversation,
she spoke to them on an equal
level, and her focus on the
emotional health issues was
inspiring. She has the potential
to be truly inspiring and make
actual change."
School Committee member
Judy Crocker said she liked
Czajkowski's"focus on teach-
ing and learning no matter the
situation" and was impressed
by the amount of research she
did on the district in compari-
son to others candidates.
School Committee members
Bill Hurley and Jessie Steiger-
wald said they liked all three
candidates , but Czajkowski
stood out to them.
School Committee mem-
ber Alessandro Alessandrini
said he liked how Czajkowski
interacted with everyone from
central office administrators
to students. "At the end, we
needed somebody who could
actually fit and guide us to the
next step."
Czajkowski was recruited
for the position by the consult-
ing firm Hazard,Young, Attea
and Associates, which lead the
search process , and she was
chosen as a semi-finalist by a
superintendent search commit-
tee.
"Dr. Czajkowski will do an
outstanding job in Lexington,"
he said.