Noteworthy

By Lisa Capone, Globe Staff, 12/2/2001

Local artist paints for Pine Street Inn

Newburyport painter Kevin Shea is an accomplished artist who exhibits his work at six galleries around New England. The high point of his 20-year career painting cityscapes, landscapes, and seascapes had nothing to do with commercial success or critical acclaim, however. Instead, Shea said, it was a phone call in 1999 from a Newburyport printer informing him that demand was outstripping supply for an image he donated for the Pine Street Inn's annual holiday cards - sales of which raise more than $200,000 annually for the Boston homeless shelter.

''It was the biggest thrill of my career really - to know that it could help people in need ... that my artwork could help that much,'' Shea said.

Now on sale is this year's edition of the Pine Street Inn's holiday greeting card, which features ''Winter Morning,'' Shea's sixth donated image since 1989. This year, for the first time, Pine Street also is selling cards featuring artwork of two other painters: Camilla Armstrong of Georgia and Lisa Houck of Cambridge, said spokeswoman Laura Alpert.

''Before this, it was all Kevin,'' Alpert said. ''He started out as a volunteer and decided, as an artist, this was a unique donation he could make to Pine Street. We're very appreciative.''

Shea's relationship with Pine Street - which provides services including shelter, job training, health care, and street outreach to 8,000 homeless people daily - began in 1987 when he volunteered to serve Christmas dinner. Afterward, Shea painted a winter scene of the center and allowed reprints of the image for Pine Street's holiday cards.

About 10,000 cards sold the first year. In 1999, when the first 50,000 cards had sold by October, the Pine Street Inn sold 170,000 of Shea's cards. The same number sold last year, he said.

The full-color cards, in packages of 10, sell for $15 at

pinestreetinn.org and at Barnes & Noble locations, including Saugus and Peabody stores, Alpert said. Cards also can be purchased by mail by sending a check to: Pine Street Inn, Attn.: Cards, 444 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118. Note the artist's name on the check.

Lynn school wins award for advances

When Claire Crane started as principal of Ford Elementary School in 1989, it ranked last in academic achievement among Lynn's 18 elementary schools. Crane decided to make some dramatic changes. Over the years, she added GED, English-as-a-second language, life skills, and citizenship courses for parents, an on-site health clinic, and after-school programs for students. About six years ago, the school formed a partnership with Salem State College that brings college students and faculty to work with Ford students and parents, and enables 60 Ford students each semester to take computer, physical education, and art classes at Salem State.

The extra effort paid off this fall when the Ford school won the 2001 MetLife Teacher-Parent Engagement Through Partnerships Award, sponsored by the National Association of Partners in Education. Crane said she'll use the $750 prize to purchase supplies for the school's 15 after-school clubs. More important than the award, though, are the accomplishments of the 815 Ford students and their families.

Crane said, on average, 95 percent of students attend school daily - up from 88 percent in 1988. Last year's Ford fourth-graders ranked eighth among their peers at other Lynn elementary schools, and 74 percent of third-graders scored in the ''proficient'' category for reading - a notable feat in a school where students speak a total of 18 different native languages.

In keeping with Crane's theme of ''a family of learners,'' Salem State College offers three on-site college credit courses for parents, and 16 parents have gone on to work on degrees at Salem State or North Shore Community College, she said. Earlier this year, Harvard University's Graduate School of Education invited Crane to speak at its annual conference.

Salem State education department chair Mary-Lou Breitborde said the college's six-year relationship with the Ford school spawned the Institute for Family and Community Education Partnerships, of which she is executive director. Breitborde said Ford's success owes much to the involvement of parents, making them feel welcome and often counteracting their own previous negative school experiences.

''This particular district is one of the poorest neighborhoods in Lynn,'' Breitborde said. ''If you can educate the parents, expanding their vision for themselves, it's going to have a dramatic effect on the kids.''

`Habitat' project under way in Lynn

Habitat for Humanity-North Shore plans to begin work this month on a Lynn house that will eventually belong to two needy families who volunteer to help renovate it.

Habitat is a national nonprofit group that uses volunteer labor to build or renovate homes for low-income families. The organization gives needy families a chance to be homeowners if they meet eligibility standards and spend at least 300 hours building or rehabbing a house, said Habitat-North Shore president Bob Kohn. Their ''sweat equity'' serves as a down payment, he said.

Since it was founded 15 years ago, the North Shore affiliate has provided five homes for low-income families - all in Lynn. Lynn Economic Opportunity, another nonprofit group, sold the 11 Cherry St. house to Habitat two months ago, Kohn said. It had been vacant for five years. Habitat plans to convert the house into two condominiums. The homeowner selection process is under way, and two families will be chosen within two months, Kohn said.

To get the project off the ground, Habitat is seeking an experienced builder to oversee the renovations. While laborers don't get paid, Habitat pays general contractors a small stipend.

Interested individuals with experience supervising a construction site can contact Habitat at 781-598-0310.

Everett fire chief wins sauce contest

All this month, Everett Fire Chief David Butler 's spicy pepperoni and sausage pasta sauce will be featured on the menu at Maggiano's Little Italy, and the Boston restaurant will donate all the money it earns selling Butler's sauce to a relief fund for families of New York City firefighters.

''We hope to raise maybe $1,000 or more,'' said Maggiano's spokewoman Nancy Delpidio.

Butler won top honors Nov. 10 in Maggiano's first ''Cook & Ladder'' pasta sauce recipe contest for Greater Boston firefighters. The contest's seven semifinalists also included Everett firefighter Thomas Kulakowski.

Butler said he's been preparing the prize-winning sauce for nearly 25 years, and it has always been a favorite with his four children, now 22, 20, 18, and 14. But, he said, ''I never thought it was going to win a contest.'' Butler said he and his wife split the cooking duties at home, and he makes what Maggiano's has dubbed ''Chief Butler's Pasta Sauce'' about once a week. He arrived at the recipe through ''trial and error'' and a little borrowing.

''I always steal a little something from this one and a little something from that one,'' admitted Butler, adding that his sister, Patricia St. Germain of Everett, submitted his recipe to Maggiano's without his knowledge.

Proceeds of sauce sales go to the Uniformed Firefighters Association Widows' and Children's Fund, a New York charity.

This story ran on page 2 of the Boston Globe's North Weekly section on 12/2/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.