One of the primary reasons we moved to Concord was because of the quality of the public schools, a driving factor shared by many who decide to live here. We currently have children across three schools — Alcott, CMS, and CCHS. I am active on many school parent groups, and my husband coaches town youth sports. I know not everyone should or will agree on town politics and policies. But I confidently believe that the majority of families in this community lead through kindness, not hate, and teach respecting each other’s differences over violence and aggression.
Which is why the recent events of hate speech against Dr. Laurie Hunter and the harassment of select members of the School Committee are shocking in their hypocrisy and toxic in their spread of misinformation. Posting a sign that reads “Fire Liar Hunter” on a scarecrow in Concord Center, and another sign that reads “The Hatchet for Hunter” at the end of a School Committee member’s street is disgraceful, ugly, aggressive, and against all that this town claims to stand for. It is in fact bullying. And it needs to stop. As adults, we set an example for our children. Just because you disagree with someone does not make it right to act in this spiteful and aggressive manner.
For those who are leading this charge, please stop to ask yourself: Would I applaud my child for erecting a sign to “hatchet” their school superintendent? This type of behavior is most certainly not a lesson taught in our Concord schools. I am speaking out in support of Dr. Hunter, our educators, and the members of the School Committee who are deeply committed to a community that fosters kindness and inclusion, not disrespect and aggression.
Judith Lee (Goodwin) O’Leary passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family on Dec. 24, 2025. Judy leaves behind her daughter, Tara O’Leary MacCarthy and her husband, Kenny; her grandchildren, Dr. Keira (O’Donovan) Martinez and her wife, Dr. Jennifer Martinez, Connor O’Leary and his wife Katherine. Judy is also survived by her two beloved great-granddaughters, Eve Martinez and Saoirse O’Leary, and her loving extended family and dear, life-long friends. Judy was predeceased by many loved ones, including her husband, Capt. Douglas M. O’Leary, son, Captain Brendan M. O’Leary, grandson, Seamus M. O’Leary, parents, Webster and Betty Goodwin, and her brother, Capt. Steven W. Goodwin.
Devoted to the town she loved, Judy worked in the town offices for over 25 years in both the Light Department and the Tax Collector office and took great pride in being a multi-generational Marbleheader. A clever and skilled artist with impeccable taste, Judy poured her love and creative talents into decorating her home, designing and crafting handmade quilts to welcome new babies, and knitting beautiful items that will be cherished by those she has left behind for many years to come. Judy’s quick wit and kindness were among her many qualities that drew others to her and her loving nature, curious spirit and resilience will be remembered always.
Services for Judy will be held on Friday, Jan. 9, at Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St., Salem, including visiting hours 9-11 a.m., a memorial service at 11 a.m., followed immediately by a memorial luncheon. For more information and online guestbook, please call the Murphy Funeral Home at 978-744-0497 or visit murphyfuneralhome.com.
It’s been more than six and a half years since Madrid signed a player over 25 years old as an established star for a significant transfer fee. Players like AntonioRüdiger (2022), DavidAlaba (2021), KylianMbappé (2024), and Trent Alexander-Arnold (2025) arrived either on free transfers or, in Trent’s case, for a fee paid to Liverpool to secure his early participation in the Club World Cup. Joselu also joined in 2023 for €2 million in a low-cost deal, but it wasn’t considered a major market move.
Season after season since 2019, Real Madrid has focused on youth. The idea is simple: invest in young talent and give the club a decade to mold the squad, while amortizing transfer costs over time. Signing fully developed stars has become rare. In the 2019-2020 season, Hazard, Mendy, and Jovic arrived. Jovic, though young, failed to live up to the early promise.
The player profile Real Madrid are chasing
Players like Camavinga, Tchouaméni, Bellingham, Güler, Endrick, Huijsen, and Carreras all fit the club’s ideal profile, and Dutch midfielder Kees Smit is no exception. He turns 20 on January 20, with his entire career ahead of him. Madrid’s potential move for the AZ Alkmaar starlet would fall far short of the triple-digit fees seen for players like Vitinha or Alexis McAllister, yet he offers the creativity the club believes is crucial for the future.
The strategy at Valdebebas hasn’t changed: stability on and off the field comes from signing young players who can wear the Real Madrid jersey for a decade. Three La Liga titles since 2019, two Champions League trophies, a Copa del Rey, multiple Spanish and European Super Cups, and Club World Cups all reinforce the wisdom of this approach.
LaLiga giants favor youth over experience
Still, Real Madrid faces a challenge heading into next season: reclaiming the midfield spark that has been fading over time. The plan remains to bring in young talent, though there is ongoing debate about whether experience and proven quality should play a role. For now, youth wins, and Kees Smit is at the top of the list.
Former Real Madrid academy player Chema Andrés has excelled with Stuttgart in Germany and has been tipped to return.DeFodi Images
Madrid look to the academy
The same philosophy applies to the center-back position. Recent signings have either come from the academy or arrived on free transfers. Homegrown players like Jacobo Ramón at Como, Joan Martínez in Castilla training with the first team, and others such as Victor Valdepeñas – who has already debuted as a left-back – Diego Aguado, and Mario Rivas are being closely monitored.
Chema Andrésis another example, excelling in an accelerated development program in Stuttgart. Gonzalo García’s progress also suggests a path for non-defender academy players to join the first team exists. The door is open for the next generation.
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Cypress players and coaches after winning the tournament championship Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Cypress basketball).
Cypress High School’s boys basketball team won the Governor’s Division at the Torrey Pines Tournament defeating Poway 83-73 Tuesday night.
The Centurions’ Ryan Gov earned MVP honors scoring 32 points and hitting three 3-pointers in the final. Gavin Kroll had 17 points and three 3-pointers. Ethan Mai played tough defense and finished with 10 points, according to Coach Derek Mitchell.
“I’m proud of the way our team competed on the defensive end all tournament,” Mitchell said. “We had a lot of guys step up and make positive contributions throughout.”
The Centurions begin league play on Friday at Crean Lutheran.
An underdog team that won 10 games for the first time. A quarterback who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Unforgettable victories over a top-10 team and a bitter rival. A lifetime of memories from a season for the ages.
To celebrate Vanderbilt football’s epic season, The Tennessean will craft a hardcover collector’s book about the 2025 Commodores. It’s titled “ANCHOR DOWN: How Heisman Finalist Diego Pavia Led Vanderbilt to its Historic 2025 Season.”
Buy our commemorative Vanderbilt book now!
“ANCHOR DOWN” will chronicle how Vanderbilt, led by Clark Lea on the sidelines and Diego Pavia in the huddle, helped transform a program that hadn’t reached double digits in victories in its history. But the book isn’t just their story. It’s the story of a team that bought in, a staff that never stopped believing and a fan base that finally got to see what Vanderbilt football could become.
From the offensive line that gave Pavia time to work his magic to the defense that held Tennessee to its worst performance of the season, the Commodores proved that when everyone rows in the same direction, historic things happen.
It’s all there: The Heisman pose after stunning 10th-ranked LSU. The 484-yard passing explosion against Kentucky that shattered a record from 1981. The 45-24 demolition of Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, where Vanderbilt rushed for 314 yards and left orange-clad fans heading for the exits by the fourth quarter.
“ANCHOR DOWN” will be packed with exclusive photography, behind-the-scenes access and game-by-game coverage from the award-winning journalists at The Tennessean.
“ANCHOR DOWN” retails for $39.95 but order now for a 10% discount. (That’s $35.95, plus tax and shipping.)
Whether you’ve been a Vanderbilt fan for decades or just arrived for the greatest season in program history, this book belongs on your coffee table, your memories preserved in hardcover. Or give “ANCHOR DOWN” as the perfect gift — for a birthday, graduation, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and a belated holiday gift. Order at Vanderbilt.PictorialBook.com.
Buy our Vanderbilt book as a gift!
Exclusive page print: Hang 10 Vandy-style
After Vanderbilt routed Tennessee in the final game of the regular season, The Tennessean turned the front page of its Sports section into a commemorative page print. It features VANDY AT 10 as its big headline and a stunning photo of the celebration after the 45-24 victory.
Copies of this page are available for $27 (plus tax and shipping) and come in a variety of sizes and formats through the USA TODAY Store. Go to usatodaystore.com and search “Vanderbilt.”
Don’t miss your chance to own this piece of Vandy history!
Buy our Vanderbilt commemorative page print!
Contact Gene Myers at gmyers@usatodayco.com. Check out books and page prints from theUSA TODAY Network— including books on 100 years of the Grand Ole Opry, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, a kid’s guide to the Winter Olympics, Dale Earnhardt’s legacy and Coach Steve’s guide to surviving youth sports.
In response to the article “Youth tennis players ask for first call for courts” (CVN, Vol. 32 No. 14).
I strongly support court time for our youth. The importance of “sports” (and the arts) for our youth in our community is very important for a healthy community.
Ron Mousouris is an asset to our community. We are fortunate he has been instructing tennis to our kids in our community for years. Several kids I know have gotten college scholarships through high school tennis. It keeps our kids engaged in a healthy sport… the more positive opportunities our youth has the better!
We obviously need more pickleball courts. I would be happy to be on a committee working with the city of Carpinteria to locate an open space to locate more courts and possibly more tennis courts?
A new year, the same routine for our Youth teams, who will be back in action in around ten days’ time, once the festive period is fully behind them, to resume their competitive activity. January brings a number of interesting and demanding fixtures, providing further opportunities to continue their consistent development.
The Women’s Primavera, who closed out 2025 with a run of excellent results, will begin the new year with the second derby of the season, following the Coppa Italia meeting, on Sunday 11 January at the PUMA House of Football. It will be the only home fixture of the month for Zago’s team, who will then face away trips to Parma, on the same weekend as the First Team, and Roma.
The new year also begins on the road for the Under-18s, who will be in action away to Sassuolo around the Epiphany. Their first home fixture will be against Frosinone, in a month that also includes two all-Lombardy fixtures: an away match against Monza and a home game with Cremonese, which will also mark the opening round of the second half of the season.
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Cremonese, away, will also be the first opponents of 2026 for our Under-17s, whose first home fixture will come on the weekend of 17–18 January against Atalanta. One date to circle towards the end of the month is the derby away to Inter, on the same weekend that, with venues reversed, will see AC Milan v Inter for the Primavera. Shared paths, with the same fixture calendar, await the men’s Under-16s and Under-15s: they begin at home against Padova, in a month that will also feature a double away trip to face Cremonese.
Match Kits, clothing, accessories, gift ideas and much more: visit the AC Milan online Store!
