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Former Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri, who joined the force in 1985 and rose to the top job in 2008, will receive the “Excellence in Education Award” from the Plymouth Education Foundation at its annual gala on Sat., April 6, at the Pinehills Golf Club.
Botieri is being recognized for his work with local organizations – such as Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth and the Plymouth Public Schools – on school safety and drug prevention programs.
“The gala is our main fundraising event,” said the foundation’s Katherine Babini. Over the years, the organization has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships and funding for educational programs.
During his tenure as chief from 2008 to 2021, Botieri worked with then-school superintendent Gary Maestas to introduce the school safety program known as ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. He oversaw training in the town’s school buildings. ALICE is intended to identify “the safest response should an intruder enter one of the school buildings or on school grounds,” Babini said.
“During my time as police chief, collaborating and partnering with the school department to provide a safe learning environment was always one of my top priorities,” Botieri said in an email.
Police department representatives, including school resource officers, attended monthly school safety meetings along with school staff and representatives from other town departments, the former chief said.
“The safety of the students was always the focus, and through this partnership programs were developed to enhance security within the school grounds,” he said.
The police and school departments shared the cost of four school resource officers assigned to the two high schools and middle schools.
Botieri also collaborated with Beth Israel Deaconess in 2015 to address the problem of drug overdoses by creating post-overdose outreach teams. The success of that initiative led to a county-wide program a year later called Plymouth County Outreach. It involved 27 police departments and other organizations and has been replicated throughout the country.
Babini said the Plymouth Education Foundation’s mission of supporting lifelong learning was furthered by Botieri’s service to the Plymouth community. He also received national recognition “as a subject matter expert in pre-arrest law enforcement diversion and deflection initiatives related to substance use and mental health disorders,” she said. He has given presentations at the White House and the Office of National Drug Control Policy Committee and has spoken at numerous national conferences. He also continues to play an active role in Community Services Solutions, a division of Homeland Security Solutions.
The Plymouth Education Foundation honor he’s receiving, the Adele Manfredi Award, was created in memory of the former school committee chair, who was a founding board member of the Plymouth Education Foundation. Manfredi chaired the Plymouth School Committee for 13 years. She died in 2011 at the age of 68.
The Plymouth Education Foundation was created 16 years ago, said Babini, who taught in Plymouth schools and then served as the system’s social studies coordinator until her retirement in 2017. Governed by a volunteer board, the foundation raises funds for educational purposes and activities the schools could not otherwise afford.
In making its annual award, the foundation seeks people who “exemplify the extraordinary commitment to education and community that Adele Manfredi did during her time on School Committee and as part of town government,” Babini said. “People who have made lasting contributions.”
Tickets to the gala are $80 each. They’re available here.
Things to do this week and beyond
Monday, March 4
Plymouth library hosts its Teen Advisory Group for a meeting with SShAGLY, a youth-led, adult supported organization committed to create a safe haven for middle and high school LGBTQ+ and allied students, ages 12 to 18, from 7 to 8 p.m. The Teen Advisory Group, for ages 13-18, meets once a month to plan events, discuss library volunteering opportunities, test out new crafts and games, and help plan the future of teen services. No registration required to attend the meeting. For more information, email mmahony@ocln.org.
The Plymouth Rotary Auction continues through March 17. To see what items and services are available to bid on, check out the auction website here.
Uva Wine Bar, 46 Main St., hosts a workshop in making wine cork buoy garlands, from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $50. You can buy them here.
Tuesday, March 5
Plymouth library hosts its chess club from 6 to 8 p.m. in the library’s Nook Road study rooms. Chess players at all levels are welcome. Chess sets are provided, although players may bring their own. Guidance is provided by Bill Petrillo, an experienced chess instructor.
The legendary Jonathan Richman, of Modern Lovers fame and beyond, will perform at The Spire, 25 ½ Court St., from 8 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $35. You can buy them here.
Wednesday, March 6
Plymouth library hosts an online conversation with former NPR reporter Nina Totenberg about her nearly 50-year friendship with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her book “Dinners With Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships,” from 4 to 5 p.m. Find out more here.
Aspiring reporters (and anyone else) may take part in the library’s Wednesday Night Writing Group, from 6 to 8 p.m. Contact Maureen Coleman at mcoleman@ocln.org or call 508-830-4250, ext. 230.
The Church of the Pilgrimage, 8 Town Square, will host a Lenten Soup Supper from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A variety of simple homemade soups with salad and bread will be served, followed by a talk about “Islam and Peace” by Imam Luqman Gondal of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Boston. The community’s motto is “Love for All, Hatred for None.” Its Boston chapter is housed in Sharon. All are welcome. A reservation is recommended. Call 508-746-3026.
Pilgrim Hall Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday for its 200th anniversary season. Museum displays include William Bradford’s Bible, a portrait of Pilgrim Edward Winslow, a cradle and the “great chair” of Pilgrim spiritual leader William Brewster. Hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., last admission at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $15, seniors $12, and $9 for children ages 6 to 18.
Thursday, March 7
Slip into your day through the side door of the library before its official opening and join in a Yoga session led by The Yoga Connection, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. every Thursday morning. The cost is $10 per person. For more information, call Barbara Ward at the Yoga Connection or Anne Phelan at the library, 508-830-4250 x216.
The Plymouth library’s Preschool Storytime is a half-hour story program that gives parents, caregivers, and children ages 3-5 the opportunity to enjoy books, songs, rhymes, and movement activities together. The storytime takes place in the Fehlow meeting room from 11 to 11:30 a.m. No registration necessary.
Friday, March 8
Guitar virtuoso Trace Bundy will perform at The Spire, 25 1/2 Court St., from 8 to 10 p.m. His use of harmonics, “looping, multiple capos, and unique banter and stage presence” promises to deliver “an unforgettable live concert experience.” Tickets are $15 and $22.50, and available here.
Saturday, March 9
The Manomet Knit and Crochet Group meets at the Manomet branch library from 2 to 4 p.m. It’s an adult group.
Three V Restaurant, 10 Cordage Park Circle, offers live music by Brent Burwell from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, call Derek Nickerson at 508-927-4046.
Sunday, March 10
Poets Rich Berg and Susan Hunter will read from their work during an event titled Poetry: the Art of Words at 11:30 a.m. at the Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North St. Other readers may sign up for the open mic segment. The series is free and the center is handicap accessible.
Plimoth General Store, 44 Main St., hosts a food and beverage tasting, including charcuterie, sandwiches, specialty chocolates, beer and wine from Craft Beer Cellar. The day also includes cooking demos with the store’s vendors. The event takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $16 and can be purchased here.
The Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra performs a concert “for all ages,” beginning at 3 p.m., at Memorial Hall. The program includes music from John Williams’ film scores, Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” and Paul Dukas’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” An hour before the concert begins, audience members will be invited to meet musicians for instrument demonstrations. Tickets are $20, $10 for children under 12, and are available here.
Monday, March 11
Uva Wine Bar, 46 Main St., hosts a St. Paddy’s “cookie decorating night” from 7 to 9 p.m. The class is for the “beginner cookier” or for the person that is just loves sugar cookies and is interested in learning basic techniques to make pretty cookies. The Pineapple Cookie Co. will supply what you need to decorate delicious cookies, including icing, decorating tools, and a box to take home your treats. Tickets are $65 and available here.
Tuesday, March 12
Plymouth G Pub, located in Carver Square, hosts “Tuesdays in the Taproom,” free comedy with Mike Murray and Friends, from 7 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, March 13
Uva Wine Bar, 46 Main St. explores two distinct wine regions in South America – Chile and Argentina. Participants will taste four different wines and each will be paired with food. Included are a salad course, a cheese course, a small plate entree and a dessert. Tickets are $65 and are available here.
The Blake Planetarium at Plymouth Community Intermediate School offers a public program called “The Hot and Energetic Universe,” from 7 to 8 p.m. Tickets start at $7 and are available here.
Thursday, March 14
Plimoth Patuxet Museums hosts a noontime “lunch and learn” program: “Women of Plymouth Colony,” from 12 to 1 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available here.
Friday, March 15
Plymouth North High School presents “Mean Girls” at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $12 for the public. You can buy them here.
Saturday, March 16
Individuals, groups, and families are welcome to join the staff of Plimoth Patuxet Museums to experience what goes into preparing an open-air living history museum after the winter. (Sounds like a thorough clean-up.) From the Patuxet Homesite to the Plimoth Grist Mill, the preparations last from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register here.
Plymouth North High School presents the final performance of “Mean Girls” starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $12 for the general public. They’re available here.
Sunday, March 17
A little birdie (a green one) tells me it’s St. Patrick’s Day. The New World Tavern, 56 Main St., hosts “St Patrick’s Day Shenanigans!” The restaurant opens at 8 a.m. for breakfast with with Irish Specials, full bar where the Guinness will be flowing early, Irish lunch specials, and live music. Flydown will be playing in The Cavern from 2 to 7 p.m., and there’s no cover charge. Come dressed in your favorite St Patrick’s Day gear.