Today is Bob Sweeney’s kind of day. Today is the 114th running of the Boston Marathon. Sweeney knows this race because he has run it. He is a marathoner.
“The happiest people are those that make others happy.“
He is also a career educator who has spent time with kids both in the classroom and out. He taught the 6th grade at the Timilty School in Boston for 17 years, and as he is proud to note, “with perfect attendance.” And they were not easy kids. But proud as he is of his work in the classroom, it is his history with “Learn to Skate” a local Milton recreation program that is where his heart is. It is a legacy he is carrying on from his father, and it has grown significantly, particularly with girls. He points out that in 1965 there were no girls, and in the most current enrollment, girls outnumbered boys 122 to 109.
For some, the “Learn to Skate” program may be the first stepping stone in a league or varsity team, but for Sweeney it is ensuring that all kids get access to the joy of skating. “Everybody is a winner,” and it is fun. According to Sweeney, “The happiest people are those that make others happy.”
The home of the local “Learn to Skate” program is the Ulin rink. When asked about the best outcome for the rink’s future in light of the DCR’s recent decision to relinquish control of the rinks, Sweeney says it is to ensure that ice times and costs stay as they are for youth hockey and sports teams and that there continue to be public skating hours at no charge.
“It can’t be over rides all the time.”
So why run for Selectman and why now? Sweeney offers a couple of reasons. First, he is hopeful for “my turn at trying to increase confidence citizens have in how tax dollars are spent” and having an opportunity to address issues of immediate concern to citizens such as the parking issues in East Milton. He is concerned about costs and how the budget is managed. He wants “citizens to feel tax dollars are used wisely and efficiently. I look at it as my own money. It can’t be over rides all the time.”
Second, he feels there is an urgency to deal with the Stoughton Land Trust and cites a statement made by a previous Selectman, Charlie McCarthy, that if the Board of Selectmen doesn’t do something soon, they will be negligent in their duties. (The Board of Selectmen are the Trustees for the land which Governor Stoughton left for the benefit of the poor of the town.) Sweeney served as a member of the committee appointed by the Selectmen to review options for the property. In serving on the committee, Sweeney “developed an appreciation for a 34-acre property of national historic significance.”
“It can be hard to say no even when it is right.”
As a Selectman, Sweeney would also be a strong advocate for the schools. He served on the Milton School Committee, and cites that experience as being beneficial. In public life, he has also learned that the hardest thing to do is to say no. “It’s hard to say no even when it is right.”
He also believes that his experience as a town meeting member first from East Milton and now from the west side of town gives him a “unique perspective in dealing with issues.” He feels he can look at an issue in a way that will benefit all of Milton.
“All my runs start at Collicot.”
But back to today. For Sweeney, “the greatest feeling I have ever had was crossing the finish line in my first Boston Marathon. I never had it again.” He has run thirteen marathons. Running a marathon takes a lot of training, and all hard-core runners are particular about their routes and conscientious about distances. Sweeney had routes of 5, 6.2, 7.1 and 9.3 miles, and “all my runs start at Collicot,” where he went to elementary school. His longest route would take him to Holbrook. When he reached Norma Road, he would “give a high five to the street sign. I know I am 10 miles from Collicott and can head home.”