Brightman Lumber a true family affair; Berkley mom in PMC in daughter's memory: Top stories

Kristina Fontes, The Taunton Daily Gazette
·4 min read

Before we begin the new week in earnest, we're taking a look back at the week that was, and the stories that led the news with Taunton Daily Gazette readers.

Top stories this past week included:

A look at the Gracey Estates project. Hawthorne Development Inc. President John Garanito says he expects construction of the 14-home subdivision near the south side of Hodges Street to begin in June. What will the homes look like? And, the big question: how much will it cost to live there?

In the latest Greater Taunton real estate report, this week's top-selling house was a Dutch Colonial in Taunton with a  gambrel roof that sold for $480,000. The Prospect Hill Street property was built in 1967 and has had major updates, including new bathrooms, a metal roof, and fencing around the private backyard. Check out this home, as well as other recent top-selling properties.

These were the Top 5 stories of the past week, according to Gazette readers:

One of the only sawmills in the area, Brightman Lumber in Assonet is a true family affair

What's a day in the life of a sawyer like?

You can see for yourself at Brightman Lumber in Assonet. It's a two-armed business: a sawmill and land-clearing. Whether you need one board or a hundred, they welcome everyone.

Ed Brightman Jr., left, and his dad, Ed Brightman Sr., work together in the family business. Ed Jr. runs the sawmill, which is one-half of the two-armed business that is Brigtman Lumber, 181 South Main St. The other arm is the land-clearing business, run by Ed Sr.
Ed Brightman Jr., left, and his dad, Ed Brightman Sr., work together in the family business. Ed Jr. runs the sawmill, which is one-half of the two-armed business that is Brigtman Lumber, 181 South Main St. The other arm is the land-clearing business, run by Ed Sr.

And it's all run by family.

Pay a visit to the sawmill here and see how the Brightman family makes it all work.

Two-armed business:One of the only sawmills in the area, Brightman Lumber in Assonet is a true family affair

'My heart and soul': Berkley mom rides in PMC in memory of her daughter

This weekend, Kristina McGarry, of Berkley, was pedaling in the 2023 Pan-Mass Challenge Winter Cycle in memory of her daughter, Kyla.

Kyla was just 14 years old when she was diagnosed with metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in May 2018.

She died in March 2020, at age 16, but is remembered by everyone who knew her for her sunny, kind disposition.

Kyla McGarry of Berkley loved the ocean and the beach and spent summers when she was little at her family's home in Falmouth. Kyla died at 16 in March 2020 after a two-year battle with metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
Kyla McGarry of Berkley loved the ocean and the beach and spent summers when she was little at her family's home in Falmouth. Kyla died at 16 in March 2020 after a two-year battle with metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

After McGarry experienced the unfathomable grief of a parent losing a child, she turned to the Pan-Mass Challenge, which donates 100% of funds raised to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in the hope that someday, no one else will have to endure the kind of loss that her family has.

Kyla and Kristina McGarry of Berkley. Kristina is taking part in the 2023 Pan-Mass Challenge Winter Cycle in Kyla's memory. Kyla died at 16 in March 2020 after a two-year battle with metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
Kyla and Kristina McGarry of Berkley. Kristina is taking part in the 2023 Pan-Mass Challenge Winter Cycle in Kyla's memory. Kyla died at 16 in March 2020 after a two-year battle with metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

This year, she took part in the Winter Cycle as the founding member of Team Kyla, raising money for crucial cancer research.

This is her story, and Kyla's story.

'My heart and soul':Berkley mom rides in PMC for daughter who lost battle with cancer

'Big dreams': Here's why Easton church is opening a community center in downtown Taunton

An Easton church is gearing up to open a community center in downtown Taunton that will include a coffee bar and lounge with a "living room atmosphere," a ice cream walk-up window, a roof patio deck and a youth center.

"We want to be in a place that fosters a community of all sorts," said the Rev. David Stratton, pastor at New Hope Christian Chapel in South Easton.

New Hope Christian Chapel in Easton is opening a community center in downtown Taunton, The Center On Main. The church's pastor is the Rev. David Stratton, right. His wife Michelle Stratton will be the director of the new community center.
New Hope Christian Chapel in Easton is opening a community center in downtown Taunton, The Center On Main. The church's pastor is the Rev. David Stratton, right. His wife Michelle Stratton will be the director of the new community center.

Stratton said church leaders plan to open the community center, called "The Center on Main," in the former Forman's Bridal Department store.

'Big dreams':Here's why Easton church is opening a community center in downtown Taunton

Taunton YMCA fills 'serious' teen nutrition gap with free hot, healthy meals

Thanks to the Old Colony YMCA's Teen Nutrition Program, young people can enjoy free nutritious meals and snacks after school.

Taunton Teen Nutrition Program participants, from left, Kamron Choate, Landen Santos, Tyler Gay, Alejandro Castillo, Fermin Castillo, Lisandro Lopes, Riley Sheehan, Program Director Louann Davis, YMCA employee Alex Figueroa, Home Plate Chef Shannon Woodward and Home Plate co-owner Robert Anderson are all smiles after a meal on Jan. 26, 2023.
Taunton Teen Nutrition Program participants, from left, Kamron Choate, Landen Santos, Tyler Gay, Alejandro Castillo, Fermin Castillo, Lisandro Lopes, Riley Sheehan, Program Director Louann Davis, YMCA employee Alex Figueroa, Home Plate Chef Shannon Woodward and Home Plate co-owner Robert Anderson are all smiles after a meal on Jan. 26, 2023.

From Monday through Friday, they can enjoy dishes served up thanks to a team-up with Bay Street's Home Plate restaurant.

Old Colony YMCA Teen Nutrition Program coordinator Louann Davis said it's a safe space for the kids to not only have a nutritious meal, but to do homework and socialize as well.

Teen Nutrition Program:Taunton YMCA fills 'serious' teen nutrition gap with free hot, healthy meals

Lawsuit against DESE alleges civil rights violations in voc tech admissions

A coalition of Massachusetts community groups, unions and civil rights organizations filed a federal civil rights complaint against the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Thursday, alleging the state allows vocational technical high schools to use admissions policies that discriminate against protected classes of applicants.

The coalition is also asking Governor Healey to ask the state’s Board of Education to change the admissions policy from the ranking of students to a lottery. Cronin and State Rep. Tony Cabral, a Democrat from New Bedford, have filed legislation that would require vocational schools to use a lottery for admissions.

Members of the Vocational Education Justice Coalition, from left: Lew Finfer, Rep. Antonio Cabral, D-New Bedford, Miriam Albert, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, Andrea Shepphard Lomba, MA Communities Action Network, Barbara Fields, Black Educators Alliance of Massachusetts and Sen. John Cronin, D-Lunalun, announce the filing of a federal civil rights violation complaint against the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) claiming the competitive entry into the state's vocational schools discriminates against minorities, students with disabilities, English-language learners and students from low-income background.

Take a deeper look at the issues, here.

Schools:Lawsuit against DESE alleges civil rights violations in voc tech admissions

Taunton Daily Gazette/Herald News copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at kfontes@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton Gazette Top 5 Brightman Lumber Kristina Kyla McGarry PMC