The Friends of the Dover Greenway (FDG) are pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 Dover-Sherborn essay competition.
The essay question asked, “Describe what ‘community’ means to you and how might the Dover Greenway help build community?“.
Kids aged 11 – 17 from across the Dover and Sherborn areas participated and the judges were very impressed not just with the high quality of writing but also with the heartfelt reflections of the kids. Heavy traffic and lack of sidewalks making bike and foot travel on local Dover roads dangerous was a commonly recurring theme and seeing the kids express these concerns in their own words impressed the essay judges. The writers also noted the importance of safe travel to their friends’ houses, town center and playing fields as an important component to community building.
Dr. Kevin Ban, a Dover resident and President of the Friends of the Dover Greenway, was delighted with the number of essay submissions and local support for the initiative, “Now that the Dover Selectmen have accepted the moneys raised by the Dover community through private donations to complete the engineering study, we look forward to the study being commissioned soon. We are encouraged by the support we have received from the people of Dover and look forward to a time when all residents, not just the children, can access this wonderful corridor that connects the heart of our community.”
The winner of the Grades 9-12 Prize ($300) was Ms. Chelsea Zhang (click here to read her essay). Two close runners up, Rachel DaSilva & Margaret Green, were given Special Commendations.
The winner of the Grades 6-8 Prize ($200) was Ms. Lila Hovey (click here to read her essay). Joshua Shen and Julia DeLuca received Special Commendations.
Ms. Zhang commented, “After moving to Sherborn a few years ago, I quickly realized how connected the Dover-Sherborn community was. The addition of the Dover Greenway will be a huge benefit to the community and help it continue to grow and connect. It is an honor to have won this prize, as the Dover Greenway will bring great memories to everyone for many years to come!”
Ms Hovey commented, “I am so excited that I was chosen as a winner of this contest! I love writing as well as the idea of the Greenway, so it was a fun essay to write. As an athlete, I am looking forward to using the Greenway as a fun way to train and travel.”
The Awards were presented at the railroad crossing in the center of town on 13th May.
Both essays will be featured in the Dover-Sherborn Press in the near future.
