SHS Hall of Fame dinner on Oct. 25
Published on October 22nd, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - After years of groundwork by a number of Stoneham residents, past and present, final preparations are being made by the Stoneham High Athletic Hall of Fame Committee as they gear up for their inaugural induction ceremony on Saturday, October 25, at the Montvale Plaza.
"It's been a long time coming and a lot of work, but we're really excited about it" says Stoneham High Athletic Director and Committee Chairman, Mike Lahiff.
The idea began a few years ago when various Stoneham alumni approached Lahiff with an idea to start an athletic hall of fame. Through the School Committee, a H.O.F. committee was founded by soliciting volunteers from the community by means of the local media. Since they were starting from ground zero, Lahiff and company began to explore the halls of other Middlesex League schools for input.
"Most of the other schools had a hall, so we talked to them, looked at their bylaws and incorporated what aspects of their programs that we thought were the best and shaped it into our own" says Lahiff.
Funding and publicity proved to be the committee's first two obstacles.
"We started with very little money, mainly a donation from the family of Hubie "Brother" Hanright, to get us off the ground. With so little money in our pockets, we were operating on a shoestring budget and we were initially concerned about being able to cover costs" Lahiff added.
The committee then began dispersing nomination forms at last year's Thanksgiving Game against Reading and distributed them in the Stoneham Library, the high school and anywhere in town that they could think of.
A lack of nominations early on made the group nervous, but a late rush of nominations poured in by the Feb. 28 deadline.
"We wound up with 72 names, including athletes, administrators and supporters" notes Lahiff.
The committee researched the names and selected twelve individuals and one team for its first assemblage of inductees.
"We tried to take in a lot of things besides sheer athletic ability" Lahiff explained, adding "We looked at character, courage, leadership and well-rounded individuals who represent the best that Stoneham High has to offer."
They also tried to take into consideration the various eras in Stoneham High's history. The inductees this year are:
Cliff Thompson '37---Football, hockey, baseball.
Jack Russell '40---Football, hockey, baseball.
Frank O'Grady '49---Football, hockey, baseball.
Paul Norden '50---Hockey, baseball.
Ellis "Sonny" Lane '61---Football, basketball, baseball.
Bob Margarita '64-'87---Teacher, coach, equipment manager.
Ron Melkonian '75---Indoor track, outdoor track.
Paul White '76---Football, hockey, baseball.
Kristin Seabury Till '87---Cross-country, indoor track, outdoor track.
Joe Vitiello '88---Football, basketball, baseball.
Amy Whelan '92---Soccer, basketball, softball.
John Fawcett '53-'87---Teacher, coach, athletic director.
1969-70 Boys Ice Hockey Team---Middlesex League Champions.
Tickets are still available, but are going fast. For tickets and information contact the Stoneham High Athletic Office at (781) 279-3806.
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