SAD 45 to establish sports hall of fame
WASHBURN, Maine — On the heels of the Lady Beavers bringing home their fifth consecutive gold ball in basketball, the SAD 45 board of directors voted March 10 to establish a sports hall of fame.
In reading the motion, director Lynn Dube noted that Mackenzie Worcester and Joan Overman would be named charter members of the hall.
“These two, in recognition of their personal achievements, and as a monument to the Lady Beavers’ basketball team’s fifth gold ball in a row — a historic accomplishment in the state of Maine — will be the only charter members and the only members not required to pass a rigorous review before admission to the hall,” said Dube.
Rules and standards will be established by the board during the 2015-16 school year, with the assistance of the superintendent and the athletic director.
Board chair Mike McIntosh said there had been talk of starting an athletic hall of fame since he was in high school.
“When the girls won the very historic fifth championship in a row, it seemed like a good opportunity and a good time to do something to recognize that achievement,” he said, “and also to start recognizing former athletes and — quite frankly — getting more people interested in the history of our schools. The hall would even recognize athletes prior to the creation of SAD 45; it would cover athletes from the 1940s and ’50s before SAD 45 was actually founded if they went to Washburn, Wade or Perham.”
With budgetary issues of the utmost concern in SAD 45, McIntosh said there likely won’t be a physical hall anytime soon.
“With technology, it’s not too expensive to start this … we can do it as a website-based activity, and it looked like an appropriate time and place to do it,” said McIntosh. “I expect we can get volunteers to help us set it up, so the cost would be minimal. Eventually it might be something physical, but I don’t think that will happen this year.”
Director Noreen McIntosh thought the hall was a great idea.
“The positive publicity that we got for our little town and our little school because of these girls needs some sort of outstanding recognition,” she said. “I think their accomplishment is phenomenal.”
Board member Cherri Fitzpatrick, who happens to be Worcester’s aunt, said that despite her family ties, the hall was a good idea because it brings something positive to the town.
“This town needs something to hang onto,” she said. “We have a positive in the win, but this is something that is lasting, and something for us to fall back on year after year. It’s something that will be sustained going into the future, and allows us to look back and gives us some sort of historical perspective. This was an amazing feat and it’s something to celebrate.”
