Myra Oria of Arlington has been named executive director of the Crispus Attucks Children’s Center (CACC),  the oldest minority-owned and -operated childcare center in Massachusetts.

Oria brings more than 20 years of experience to the early-education childcare facility in Dorchester, which educates more than 200 children ranging from 2 months to 6 years old.

"I am honored and excited to be joining the CACC team," Oria said in a news release. "CACC has such a significant history in early childhood education in Boston, and I look forward to growing the center and welcoming new children and families to this beautiful, state of the art facility. I am grateful to Ms. Christian for her years of leadership and am proud to take the Center into the future."

She joins Crispus Attucks after she was director of children’s services for the Dimock Center in Roxbury. Before that, she served as director of the Artisan Childcare Center in Woburn, director of the Kingsley Montessori School, vice president of programs for the Jumpstart for Young Children and vice president of New Region Development for ChildrenFirst Inc., all in Boston.

"We are very excited to have someone with Myra's early childcare depth and experience to lead CACC," said Dan Rivers, chairman of CACC’s Board of Directors.  "Myra represents a new and fresh beacon of hope and prosperity to both CACC and the community. While she undoubtedly has big shoes to fill, the board of directors is ecstatic with her future vision for CACC success."

Oria replaces Brookline resident Leslie Christian, who recently retired after 35 years as the President and Chief Executive Officer. Christian provided exceptional leadership to the center, resulting in its immense growth. Throughout her tenure, Christian emphasized that each child be prepared for academic success, and she received many accolades for developing the first natural playground at a preschool in the city of Boston.

She also served as a senior children’s counselor at Bellevue Hospital Center and as a child development specialist at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, both in New York City.

She received her master's in infant and parent development and master’s in education in special education from Bank Street College of Education in New York.

Established in 1971, CACC was named after patriot and former slave Crispus Attucks, the first American killed in the Boston Massacre, in 1770.

Situated on a 90,000-square-foot campus, CACC is one of the largest providers of infant and toddler care in Boston. Its mission is to provide a comprehensive early childhood education program that promotes physical, social-emotional and intellectual growth with special emphasis on preparing children for academic and life success.

This story was published Thursday, May 9, 2013.

Louise Popkin with poet Mario Benedetti

A translation by Louise B. Popkin of Arlington is among six books to make the short list for the Oxford-Weidenfeld prize in the UK.

Witness: The Selected Poems of Mario Benedetti (White Pine Press) is the only book of poetry and the only one published in the United States to be a finalist for the honor.

"The other five finalists are all novels," she wrote in an email, "written and translated by very heavy hitters, so I feel a bit like the Little Engine that Could ... don't think I have much of a chance of winning, but feel great about having gotten this far."

Do you know Sulinha Boucher? An Arlington resident for 21 years, she is a musician. Her second album for children, called "Imagination," has received the Parents' Choice award.

She tells YourArlington that she plays regularly at the libraries -- Robbins and Fox -- for at least the past 10 years.

She leads the singalongs for infant and toddlers in the mornings and says she "always fill up the room with more than 100 people."

Why "It is a lot of fun," she says. "I mix my native music and rhythms from Brazil."

On Friday, April 5, she will be doing a show at the Fox library with Chris Brenne, a guitar player from Sweden who lives in Arlington. For more, click here >>

They will be playing to celebrate the Fox volunteers responsible for keeping the library open for many days a week.
Her new CD received a positive review in the School Library Journal. It says she "employs a wide range of musical styles on her latest recording of 14 songs.

"Opening with the Caribbean beat, soul-filled 'Imagination,' the versatile singer uses light, floating quality in the ballad 'Outer Space,' a country beat to the arrangement of 'I've been Working on My Homework' (piggy-backing on a traditional tune), a soft shoe in 'Crackers and Crumbs,' a samba beat in the pet tribute 'My dog Joni' and blues in 'Summer Blues.'
"She sprinkles several familiar activity songs throughout, including 'Down by the Bay,' 'Open Shut' and 'Fish.'
"With a jazzy, mature sound to her vocals, Sulinha is cool, composed and never forced when singing. Arrangements are spare, with just the right mix of acoustic guitar, percussion and occasional electric guitar or bass."

- Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio

Find out more about the musician at her website, www.sulinha.com.

This story was published Thursday, March 28, 2013. 

Nancy T. (Kane) Galkowski, a longtime former deputy town manager in Arlington, died Friday, Feb. 15, of pancreatic cancer. She was 58.

She was the town manager of Holden, where she was born and reared. She was appointed to the position in 2010, the year she left Arlington.

A funeral notice from Miles in Holden said she died peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family.

Alan McClennen Jr., the town's planning director from 1974 to 2003, worked with Galkowski for many years.

"Nancy was the number cruncher behind Don Marquis," the town manager from 1966 to 2000. "Nancy worked tirelessly to analyze town finances, find the options and give Don the material he needed to take the public stands he was so famous for.

"Nancy was also full of fun and friendship. For several years she organized the Department Heads ski team. Each Thursday we would drive out to Mt Wachussett and do night skiing. What a great way to unwind! She will be missed."

Galkowski began her professional career in the Town of Holden as a planning and research assistant in 1977 and as assistant to the town manager in 1982. After graduating from the Fels Center of Government, she became the assistant to Marquis in the 1980s, then acting town manager after Marquis retired in 2000 and deputy town manager.

The funeral notice describes Galkowski as "a consummate leader with a strong passion for her profession. She was widely admired and respected by her peers and those who came in contact with her. Their ongoing support was a great comfort to her over the last several months."

She was a member and vice president of the International City/County Management Association, member and former president of the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association, member of the Local Government Advisory Council, Mass. Minority Internship Advisory Board, Mass. Water Resources Authority Board, and the Hazardous Waste Facility Site Safety Council.

"Nancy brought love and laughter to every occasion," the notice said. "The most cherished to her was when she was spending time with her family and friends -- whether hiking a trail, skiing, traveling, sitting around the table on holidays or enjoying the beach in Maine."

She was a graduate of Wachusett Regional High School, received her bachelor of arts from the University of Vermont at Burlington and her master of government administration from the Fels Center of Government, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

She is survived by her husband of 30 years, Lawrence H. Galkowski; two sons, Christopher T. and Alexander J. Galkowski, both of Holden; her brother Richard B. Kane of Peterborough, N.H.; her sister, Tracy V. Wells, and her husband, James, of Holden; her stepmother Alison (Sonny) Johnston of Hampton, N.H.; nephews and nieces, Adam G. Kane of Peterborough, N.H., Korin G. Kane of Paris, France, Ashley E. Wells of Worcester and Tyler J. Wells of Charlotte, N.C.; and many close friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Nancy's family from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, in the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at St. Mary’s Church, 114 Princeton St., Jefferson.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to MMMA, Nancy Galkowski Legacy Leadership Fund, One Winthrop Square, Boston, MA 02110. To share a memory or leave an online condolence visit here >>

This story was published Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, and updated two days later.