Nelson Hockert-Lotz
Domino's Pizza franchise owner
New Bedford, MA

Nelson Hockert-Lotz moved to New Bedford in 1984 to help build the first Domino's Pizza franchise within the city. Since then, his generous spirit has spilled over into the community he embraces and with whom he shares more than just sustenance of pizzas. A mover-and-shaker, Nelson has taken his enthusiasm for the written word and used it to establish such important programs as the annual "Christmas Stories" campaign and the "Domino's Reading Rewards" program.

Nelson's Christmas Stories campaign works in conjunction with the "Neediest Families Fund," assuring that each child enrolled in the program will receive the gift of a book for Christmas. The fund is co-sponsored by The New Bedford Standard-Times and the Salvation Army and exists to raise money for the donation of new toys and a Christmas meal voucher to families-in-need within the Greater New Bedford region during the holidays.

The Domino's Reading Rewards program is working to increase literacy by encouraging children to read outside of the classroom. The program is available each school year to teachers in grades K-6 in the New Bedford Public School system. Through the program, individual participating students can earn a small pizza and classrooms can earn an entire pizza party. (And also a classroom reference book, donated by Baker Books). All the students have to do is enroll in the program and read great books! See Baker Books' Suggested Reading List.

Nelson, for your creative determination and enthusiasm, we thank you.

Amy Siodlak-Rubino
Gidley School Literary Specialist
Westport, MA

A graduate of NYU, Amy Siodlak-Rubino taught at the Little Red School House, a Laboratory School for Columbia University, New York University, and Bank Street College. Amy also worked at Columbia with Lucy Caulkins, famed author of The Art of Teaching Writing, before coming to Dartmouth eleven years ago.

Hired originally as a first grade teacher, Amy's stellar credentials and work ethic soon earned her a position as the Gidley School's Literary Specialist. An avid reader, Amy now gets to share her passion for books with her students. According to Karen Babbitt, a friend and co-worker, Amy is a true role model who "embodies the spirit of literacy."

As a fellow reader and writer, Amy interacts with her students through "Reading Response Logs." Every day, Amy's students share with her their thoughts about books. She writes back, engaging them in a book discussion and sharing in their excitement over newly discovered stories. As she puts it, "The gift of my life is reading and writing. I want to share that passion with every child I work with."

Amy, for your passion and commitment to the written word, we thank you.

Gidley School Parent Group
Parents' Organization
N. Dartmouth, MA

For ten years now, the Gidley School Parent Group has sponsored the "Joy of Reading" week at the Gidley School. The program was the brainstorm of Janice Brazil (who has since moved from the area) and originated as a way to get the community involved in the schools and the children excited about books. Since Janet's departure, teachers and parents have worked together to keep this wonderful program alive.

"Joy of Reading" is a week designed to celebrate books. During the designated week, community members are invited into the eighteen Gidley classrooms to read stories and to share with students the reasons why they think reading is important. Invited readers include parents of the students and former Gidley School graduates as well as various civic leaders like State Senator Mark Montigny and District Attorney Paul Walsh. In addition to various in-class readers, a poetry contest is held and the parent's group provides a brunch for all involved. The group also purchases many books to add to the individual classroom libraries.

"Gidley is very big on literacy and reading - children there read as they do because of the Gidley family. The faculty makes reading fun," says Valerie Alves, member of the Parents Group in explaining why they zealously support the "Joy of Reading" week.

NOTE: Dr. Carol Karafotis (pictured), the principal at Gidley School, has accepted this honorary award on the group's behalf.

Gidley School Parents, for your ingenuity and your commitment to reading, we thank you.

Eric Lindell
Community Leader
Dartmouth, MA

For over forty years, Eric Lindell has been active in the New Bedford community, not just as a participant, but as a leader. John Douhan, a long-time friend notes, "Eric is a remarkable man. He lives by the quote 'Lions don't need to roar.' Eric thinks and things happen."

Since the 1960's, Eric has been specifically concerned with literacy on the elementary level. But it wasn't until ten years ago, when he was asked to read to a class of children, that he was able to form a concrete plan of action. It was at the Mount Pleasant School in New Bedford, that Eric's love affair with classroom reading began. He had so much fun reading to the children that day, he asked if he could come back every week. Soon, Eric's reading skills were in such demand that he decided to expand the program and bring in more readers from the New Bedford community. With the help of WBZN and Bill Kennedy, publisher of the Standard-Times, Eric has since recruited countless volunteer in-class readers.

Today, Eric reads to thirty different classes on a weekly or biweekly basis, at five different elementary schools. Because of limited space at home, Eric's car trunk has become his traveling library. And children and teachers alike look forward to visits from this nomadic book-lover.

Eric, for your inspired vision and hard work, we thank you.

Robert Waxler
Founder of the Changing Lives Through Literature program
Dartmouth, MA

In 1991, Professor Robert Waxler of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth founded the revolutionary "Changing Lives Through Literature" (CLTL) program. An alternative sentencing program, CLTL offers nonviolent juvenile offenders a chance for rehabilitation using the transformational powers of literature. As part of their probation requirement, offenders are asked to read selected books and attend discussion groups led by the professor. The books are carefully chosen to reflect the juveniles' lives and discussions are meticulously structured to offer the offenders the tools they will need to change their behavior.

The program has been a clear success. Already adopted throughout Massachusetts and several other states, the CLTL program is currently being considered in England. One early study demonstrated the effect the program has had on recidivism (rate of repeat crimes). The average recidivism rate for comparable offenders who serve time in prison is 42%; for those who participate in the program the rate is 18%.

"When I look back as to why I got involved, it was because of my belief in the power of surprise," says Robert J. Kane, an associate of Prof. Waxler. "I believe that reading great books can surprise people into believing in themselves, into discovering and building a faith that life is not an end but a series of opportunites."

Prof. Waxler, for your civic-mindedness and your belief in the power of literature, we thank you.

Dodi Powel
Pioneer In-Class Reader
Dartmouth, MA

Dody Powel was one of the first and most frequent volunteer in-class readers to share her love of books with children. At an age when most of her peers were slowing down and enjoying their retirement, Dody was just getting started. An average week for her involved several reading engagements at Friends Academy, and the Cushman and DeMello schools.

Over the years, hundreds of children have been mesmerized by Dody's storytelling and enchanted by her one-eyed dog Posie, who used to sit under her chair during the reading sessions. As Mary Leeson, a teacher at the Cushman school put it, "Dody respects the power of the written word as a shaper of minds and an opener of hearts for both young and old."

Dody, for your enduring dedication and enthusiasm, we thank you.

Robert French
Associate Director of United Front Child Development program
New Bedford, MA

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the "United Front Child Development Program" in New Bedford. Bob French, former Executive Director and current Associate Director, has been with the program for twenty of those twenty-five years.

An outgrowth of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, United Front provides high quality daycare and education to those children of the community who are under-served. United Front believes in giving children the best possible start in life, helping them develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed in the classroom. For Bob, these goals have been accomplished by sharing his vast love of reading with children.

It's easy to see that Bob believes in what he does. As he says, "I have a feeling that has sustained me through thick and thin over the years - a belief that I can help make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families to reach their potential. It has been my idealism that keeps me going - that and the special group of people who work at United Front."

Bob, for your unfailing encouragement and dedication, we thank you.

Meg Murphy
Director of Literacy Volunteers
Fall River, MA

Meg Murphy is a woman who wears many hats. She is director of the "Literacy Volunteers" in Fall River (working out of Bristol Community College) as well as Director of the Taunton Public Schools/BCC Adult Education Partnership. She also conducts a six-week program, twice a year, to train volunteers on tutoring adults in reading.

As Literacy Volunteers' Director, Meg trains volunteers and then screens and tests applicants to create the perfect match of tutor and student. At present, she oversees thirty-five volunteers who each work with several students. On the average, the program services approximately one hundred students a year. Meg, a tutor herself, says, "I love watching the progress made by both the volunteers, who gain the confidence to work with and help people, as well as the growth in the students."

"Meg is very creative and caring about the poorest of people in the community," notes Merle Coughlin, Director of the Adult Learning Center. She has created programs to accommodate the needs of those being tutored, including a family literacy program to provide health and living skills for three generations of one family. "She works extremely hard and does a wonderful job," Merle added. All those touched by this memorable woman, tutors and students alike, agree.

Meg, for your exemplary instructional skills as well as your energetic presence, we thank you.

Lincoln Tripp
Educator extraordinaire
Fairhaven, MA

As a fifth grade reading teacher (now retired) at the Fairhaven Oxford Elementary school, Lincoln Tripp inspired more than literacy in his students - he fostered the love of literature. Mr. Tripp used many ingenious and unconventional teaching tools to get children excited about books and the English language.

Through the "Root Project," students learned about the Greek and Latin roots of words and how to decipher a word's definition using this information. At the end of the year, students and teacher celebrated all their hard work with a "root party." While drinking rootbeer and eating carrots, students could reflect on their increased vocabulary skills.

Mr. Tripp also made words come alive for students through theatre projects. Every year his classes wrote original or adapted scripts and performed their original plays for the entire school. Once written, these scripts also became the basis for illustrated book projects.

Also, through end-of-the year contests and parting presents (of books, of course!), Mr. Tripp encouraged his soon-to-be-former students to read during summer vacation. By encouraging a love of reading and learning, Mr. Tripp paved the way for students to continue reading through the critical period of their teen years.

Mr. Tripp, for your ingenuity and enthusiasm, we thank you.

NOTE: Photo not available.

John and Laurie Bullard
Civic-minded Community Members
New Bedford, MA

When he was the Mayor of New Bedford, John Bullard created a program of book donations for newborns. During his administration, each child born at St. Luke's Hospital received their first birthday present, a book donated by the City of New Bedford.

Through the years, the mayor and his wife have continued this thoughtful and generous spirit by becoming frequent in-class readers and by generously donating to local classrooms and school libraries. Last year, using the Baker Books' "Holiday Giving Tree Promotion" the Bullards donated a book to every single first grade classroom in the New Bedford School System.

John and Laurie, for your thoughtful and generous spirits, we thank you.

Jennifer Markey Golden and Dennis Golden
Generous Spirits
Mattapoisett, MA

Jennifer Markey Golden is an attorney and new mother. Her husband, Dennis Golden teaches and coaches at Catholic Memorial school in West Roxbury. Last year, it came to their attention that a friend, who is a teacher in an inner-city Boston elementary school had no library in her classroom and could not afford to purchase one on her own.

Knowing how hard it is to foster a love of literature when you are lacking basic resources, the Goldens decided that in lieu of giving each other Christmas presents that year, instead, they would purchase and donate a library for their friends classroom. For their touching tribute to the holiday spirit and their good example to us all, the Goldens have taken their place in Baker Books' Literati Hall of Fame.

Jennifer and Dennis, for your quiet and self-less contribution to literacy, we thank you.