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Reminder Assistant Editor LONGMEADOW Every student, former and current, has a favorite teacher, that one special educator who changed his or her life forever in a positive way. The Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) honored one of those teachers, Carolyn Reid, last Tuesday by dedicating a donated painting in the Wolf Swamp School library. The painting is an archival print from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts called "Mother and Child in a Boat," painted by Edmund Charles Tarbell in 1892. It was presented during a small ceremony in the school's library. Reid was an art teacher at Wolf Swamp who passed away two years ago. During the presentation, members of the LDTC, Reid's friends and former co-workers and her children remembered her fondly. Reid was an active member and the Corresponding Secretary of the LDTC for many years. "We are thinking of our friend and mother, Carol Reid," Candy Glazer, chair of the LDTC, said at the start of the presentation. "I knew her first as 'Mrs. Reid,' and I still have many of my kids' masterpieces from her classes." Glazer's children are now in their 20s and 30s. Gail Thatcher, who taught fourth grade when Reid was the art teacher, said her students always loved going to her art classes. Eileen Morgan, a second grade teacher, described Reid as "a lovely person and a wonderful teacher." Others remembered her in their own ways. One woman served as a substitute for Reid, some were painting partners, another was an old childhood friend and another was a fellow church member. Her daughter, Donna Silverberg, said her mother loved teaching at Wolf Swamp and her son, David Reid, said, "She really appreciated the LDTC. She was an ardent Democrat. She loved the outdoors. She would really appreciate being remembered here." The painting was donated to the school through its principal, Dr. John Ciesluk, who said the print would "honor Reid's legacy and her friendship." The inscription on the plaque below the print reads, "In Memory of Carolyn S. Reid, December 14, 1926 -- September 20, 2006. An Outstanding Teacher Who Gave the Children of Wolf Swamp School an Appreciation for the Beauty and Joy of Art. A Gift From the Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee, June 2008." "Carol's love of art, children and teaching the joy of painting would all continue every time a child at Wolf Swamp looks at and admires the painting," a release from the LDTC stated. | ||||||
