South High Bulldog Pride Hall of Fame to welcome five new inductees
The South High Bulldog Pride Hall of Fame will welcome five new members at its 15th induction ceremonies at Common Roots in South Glens Falls on Friday, Oct. 25th. The reception starts at 6 p.m. The ceremony starts at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $40 each and will be available in September. Updates are also available on the Bulldog Pride Hall of Fame Facebook page and on the school district’s web page, www.sgfcsd.org.
(Full disclosure: I am chair of the Hall of Fame Committee.)
The 2024 inductees are:
Jack Celeste, Class of 1979, a beloved community icon whose years of coaching girls’ softball helped the Bulldogs set the stage for state championships in 2002 and 2007. Jack joins two of his daughters in the South High Bulldog Pride Hall of Fame. His daughter, Lindsey Fredette, was on the 2007 team that was inducted in 2023. Eldest daughter, Brittany Smith, was a member of the 2002 team that was inducted in 2010.
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Ellen (Donohue) Marcantonio, Class of 1972, a terrific all-around athlete just before Title IX who went on to a legendary coaching career in field hockey at Hadley-Luzerne. Ellen joins her sister Mary Donohue Matusiewicz in the South High Bulldog Pride Hall of Fame. Mary was inducted in 2012.
John Vishneowski, Class of 1977, was a standout wrestler for the Bulldogs who went on to a Hall of Fame coaching career at Ravena Coeymans Selkirk, where he started the wrestling program. John is the longtime Section II wrestling chairman. He joins his father, the late Alex Vishneowski, in the Bulldog Pride Hall of Fame. Alex Vishneowski was in the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2007 with Murry O’Neil.
Richard White, Class of 1980, an elite multi-sport athlete who became a defensive captain and standout for the Colgate football team before a distinguished career with the New York State Department of Labor. Richard was one of the top football players in Section II, a dominant force on both defense and offense, and also was a top shot putter.
The late Cliff Winslow, a beloved math teacher at the Oliver W. Winch Junior High School who was a standout basketball player under legendary coach Tony Luciano at Hudson Falls. Winslow’s kindness and singular focus on helping each student learn at their own pace is legendary. Many former students to this day say Cliff was the best teacher they ever had.
The South High Bulldog Pride Hall of Fame, established in 2007, recognizes worthy individuals who have made a difference in the South Glens Falls community. The Hall of Fame includes former athletes, coaches, teachers, administrators and community members. Most inductees were not athletes and many didn’t attend South High: They all made a difference in the community.
With the induction of the five members of the Class of 2024, the South High Bulldog Pride Hall of Fame will include 68 individual honorees and the two state championship softball teams.
This will be the second time the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be held at the Common Roots Bierhall and Barrel House private event space. In 2023, the event was sold out with 200 people in attendance.
Note: Beloved coach and teacher Dave Casey, who passed away last week, was a 2018 inductee into the South High Bulldog Pride Hall of Fame. What a difference he made. What a legacy he leaves. Miss you very much, Case.
Wonderful donation in honor or Mechelle Barden’s retirement
The South Glens Falls Kindness Closet at Tanglewood Elementary School, which helps folks in need with essential household items, recently received a $10,000 donation in honor of beloved retiring teacher Mechelle Barden.
In a Facebook post, Kindness Closet founder Jamie Baker Metivier wrote that “the Kindness Closet exemplifies the very core of Shellie’s character and speaks to the impact she’s had on countless students and co-workers… a career bold-faced and underscored by kindness.”
Metivier said the donation was made in Mechelle’s honor by the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation, which is based in Washington, D.C. The foundation “supports the work of organizations with strong leadership and values that reflect those of our founder, A. James Clark,” who was a prominent builder in our nation’s capital.
“Our mission is to expand opportunities for those who demonstrate the drive and determination to better themselves and their communities.”
I’m honored to know Mechelle, her husband Chris, and her children Nick and Natalie. Good people.
My Steven Stamkos story as his career in Tampa Bay ends
Steven Stamkos has left the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Nashville Predators. It’s the end of an era. Stammer scored 555 goals in 1,082 games for the Lightning, winning the Stanley Cup in 2004.
When Stamkos was a young player with Tampa Bay, he was paired on a line with Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis. It turned out to be a very good decision. Marty was a star at the University of Vermont when I was there and remains a good friend of mine. He’s now the coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
I went to the funeral of Marty’s mom France in Laval, Quebec, in 2014. It was during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Marty’s New York Rangers teammates, in the midst of the NHL playoffs, arrived on two luxury buses to pay their respects.
As I waited in the lobby with Marty’s UVM coach Mike Gilligan and others, a well-dressed young man came in alone. He seemed out of place; uncertain he was where he should be. It was Steven Stamkos.
He had flown, on his own, to Laval to be there for his friend and former linemate, He came over to say hi, and was as nice as could be. Respect. I’ll always be a Steven Stamkos fan.