On Sunday, March 8, artwork submitted by Old Hammondtown School students was up for display in the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. The presentation/gallery was for the statewide Annual Arbor Day Poster Contest.

            The contest is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the US Forest Service, and the Massachusetts Tree Wardens’ and Foresters’ Association. The Mattapoisett Tree Committee serves as the local sponsor for the contest. It has been held for over 10 years, with this year’s theme being “If Trees Could Talk.”

            At the library on Sunday, thirty-four 5th graders from Ms. Greta Anderson’s art class at Old Hammondtown had their works laid out in the library’s Meeting Room for all to see – and vote on.

            Visitors received a ballot where they could rank their favorites as they circled the room and perused the art laid out in a horseshoe pattern.

            Last year, there were 28 local entries with Bea Apperson clinching first place.

            On Sunday, judges tallied the votes and postmarked them to the DCR by the March 15 due date. The winners of Mattapoisett’s 2026 contest have not yet been announced but will be soon! Winners of the local contest will get a ribbon and a cash prize.

            From there, the DCR decides on final, statewide winners. The overall first place winner will have a tree planted on the grounds of their school, as well as art/science supplies provided. The overall second and third place winners from 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade applicants will receive a recognition award as well as school supplies.

            This year, Arbor Day itself falls on Friday, April 24. So, a timeless question, why “Arbor Day” and not “Tree Day” you ask? Fun fact: there is a bit of debate on the etymology of the word “arbor.” It’s generally agreed that the word derives from the Latin “herba,” being a place to cultivate crops, shaded by trees. Eventually, the word “arbor” was separated off in Old English to just refer to trees while “herb” remains just referring to the small plants grown.

            “Forests are the lungs of the land.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

By Sam Bishop

            International Women’s Day was this past Sunday, and it doesn’t take much to look around at the half of the population whose strength and determination better the world. One such notably woman is Hannah Strom, who after her life took an unexpected turn in 2020 showed those in her home in Marion that though life can be unfair at times, you don’t need to give up.

            Though Hannah now resides just outside Boston, those in Marion and the region all know her story. To recap, On January 15, 2020, Hannah, at the time a Sophomore and member of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester’s rowing team, was in Vero Beach training with her team when their team van got in an accident with a pickup truck. Strom’s teammate and friend 20-year-old Grace Rett tragically died in the crash. Eleven members of the team suffered injuries, including Hannah who, along with a broken femur and pelvis, suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and was placed in a medically induced coma.

            About a week after the accident, she was flown north back to Massachusetts where she had rebab at Spaulding Rehab Hospital. Finally, Hannah had a homecoming a few months later, on June 3. Hundreds lined the streets of Marion to welcome her back to her home on Pitcher Street. Through this time, the Stroms, owners of Kool-Kone ice cream shop, held various fundraisers and events through their business.

            Over six years have passed since the accident, and Hannah faced the challenges head-on and has pushed hard to rebuild both her body and her life. In recent years, Strom attended Quincy College’s PTA program, working to become a physical therapist.

            She became a TBI Ambassador with Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) that works to advocate for and assist in the rehabilitation of those with spinal cord injuries (SCI), TBI, and burn injuries. They offer online courses, videos, and other help, as well as running a database of information pertaining to the injuries and their recoveries.

            In her drive to become an ambassador and activist, Hanna said in her bio that she was “motivated to reduce stigma, uplift survivor voices, and connect individuals and families with resources that encourage independence, resilience, and a higher quality of life.”

            Though her recent work as a rehabilitation aide, Hannah has assisted others in the recovery process she herself fought through at the same center she herself was a patient. She mentioned the full days of therapy and the hard work of those she now works alongside allowing her to give back. “From where I was, I can’t believe I’ve come so far,” she said in a video made by MSKTC. Using what she gained from others as well as what she has learned on her path, she has dedicated herself to helping others with TBI.

            Though the work was hard and the journey to recovery may not be a short one, Hannah Strom’s resilience and determination to give back and help others are a light of positivity to others she assists and inspires.

            She works hard and regularly posts updates on her ongoing journey. “Grief is a synonym for love. Where there is love, there will be grief. They say that grief is just love, with no place to go. To this, I agree,” she said. To learn more about her recent work, you can visit msktc.org/tbi/ambassador-program/directory/hannah-strom.

By Sam Bishop