Gloucester Alumni

By Steve Maniaci
Sports editor, Gloucester Daily Times

It was an offer Joe Stuart couldn't refuse.
After being named the new Athletic Director at Gloucester High School last summer, Kim Patience spent her first few days cleaning her office and getting prepared for her new job.

While cleaning, Patience came across a treasure trove of championship plaques and photos that were piled up in an office closet. Patience felt that these awards would serve a better purpose if they were displayed someplace other than a dingy closet, but with many other tasks on her agenda, she needed someone to tackle this project.

Enter Stuart.

Stuart, who works in the athletic department, undertook the arduous task of cleaning and preserving these old mementos. With the help of local company Seaside Glass, Stuart created a 'Hallway of Champions'. The hallway located outside the Benjamin A. Smith Fieldhouse doors, is decorated with these prestigious awards dating back to 1987.

The goal of the project, Stuart said, is to show visiting schools just how successful the school's athletic program has been. He also said it is a way for the school to show its athletic pride. Stuart played football and basketball at the school. He was the varsity quarterback on the 2003 team and now serves as the school's girls junior varsity lacrosse coach.

"We want other schools to see what this school has accomplished when they come here," Stuart said. "We've already seen a lot of visiting teams look at all the plaques when they played here over the winter. Sports is a major part of this school. We want to show other schools the amount of pride we have."

With many of the trophies and pictures in rough shape, Stuart was unsure if the school could afford this project. But Seaside Glass owner Andy Orlando made it happen, donating all the materials needed to get the project started. Stuart and Patience got all of the awards on the screwed on wall over the fall. Some of the pictures are missing and will be replaced. Once that happens, Seaside Glass will place a plastic shield over each award to ensure they don't get damaged.

"Seaside Glass was a major help to this project," Stuart said. "We would not have gotten this project going if were not for Andy's help. It means a lot to our athletes, and everyone at the school, that these awards are on display now. There is a lot of history behind this school and we want those teams to be recognized for what they accomplished."

Patience said that Stuart's devotion toward this project is nothing new. Patience said that Stuart has always been willing to tackle a project ever since she taught him at West Parish Elementary school.

"Joe and I collaborated on this project, but he was really the one who put in the time and energy to make it happen," Patience said. "Joe has always been that way. He has always completed everything asked of him. As a student he was always up to each task, and now as an employee he is still that way. Joe understands how important tradition is to this school and he went out and did something nice for us. We are not done with the project, but it would not have even gotten started if it were not for Joe. He has done a great job."