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Convoys deliver signs and smiles to Mt. Hope seniors

In Warren, volunteers expected to visit nearly 100 homes Thursday

Posted

Mt. Hope High School senior Alex Beskid was just finishing up an online class Thursday morning when the convoy arrived.

She opened the front door of her Reservoir Avenue home, ran out onto the front lawn and was greeted by a 10-car and fire engine parade that had just pulled in from Child Street. Horns were honking, lights flashing, and people were cheering. Stepping from one of the cars, Mt. Hope teacher Brian MacDougall ran over and handed Alex her lawn sign: “Celebrating Class of 2020 seniors,” it read.

“Congratulations!” someone yelled.

Thursday morning’s delivery was part of a two-town effort to try to make graduation special for Mt. Hope High School seniors, who will not have a traditional commencement ceremony and have missed out on many of the special moments seniors before them were able to enjoy.

“It’s been hard but we’re getting through it,” said Alex, a cheerleader. “There’s nothing we can do at this point so we’re just trying to get through it together and make the best of it.”

Alex’s cheerleading season ended in the fall, so missing out on sports hasn’t been an issue for her. But many of her friends play, she said, and she said it’s been tough on them.

Alex plans on studying speech pathology at the University of Rhode Island and hopes to become an elementary school-level speech therapist. She said she’d been told a few days ago that a group would be stopping by Thursday, but she didn’t know for what. The parade and sign was a nice gesture, she said, and it will be placed proudly on her front lawn.

Thursday’s delivery hit approximately 94 homes in Warren and about double that in Bristol. In Warren, the delivery effort was broken into three convoys, each made up of teachers, parent volunteers and a Warren Fire Department truck.

Warren Fire Chief James Sousa said he and his crews were more than happy to help when they were asked by school administration officials to participate:

“The kids really seemed to appreciate it, and the parents,” he said. “Just trying to do something nice for them.”

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.