When I was a little girl I used to imagine my birthday was the reason we celebrated Flag Day. After all, that was what kids did – embellish and exaggerate the importance of their own special day for cake and gifts. I have grown in my patriotism as an adult and suddenly other than getting older, birthdays have little significance in my life.

This June 14^th Flag Day felt unlike anything I have witnessed in all my birth years. Celebrating the unfurling of the historic flag, recognizing the faces of townspeople who joined in the holding of the hem, and especially looking down and seeing my father at the very bottom of the ladder brought me joy that I have not felt or recognized in a long time.

At 10:30 a.m. I parked at the Town Hall and I skipped across the street as a police officer stopped traffic for pedestrians. I saw hands motioning from the crowd as if to say ‘walk a little faster’.  Realizing I was the photographer they were waiting for, it suddenly became clear to me that the giant ladder truck was in fact where I was headed for the official flag shoot. I believe my knees were audibly knocking together.

The huge lawn at Pope’s Tavern Senior Center was packed with several hundred residents and their energy could be felt around me. 

Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros and Captain Jeff Couzzo met me at the lip of the driveway and said they were ready for me.

I asked to use the ladies room as a priority (not to delay my ascent)  logically, there were no bathrooms at 78 feet up in the air.

Firefighter Rich Ferguson strapped me into a waist harness that would fasten me inside the bucket in the Tower 1 Fire Engine. He kindly reminded me that if I fell out the ground would catch me.

My nerves suddenly reminded me that I was actually not a fan of heights, but I quickly composed myself, said a prayer (caught on camera by Captain Cuozzo) and climbed the truck, stepped in the bucket and they hooked me in. As we rose up higher over the crowd the bucket shook, and I instantly felt like the little sister shouting at her older brother at the top of a Ferris wheel ride. “Stop rocking the bucket” went through my head as I zoomed in, altered manual settings and dismounted lenses. I kept focused on the crowd below and felt my natural state of joy holding my camera. I realized I was smiling ear to ear without fear of dropping to my death. OK.  Truthfully, the thought did quickly pass through my brain.

Watching the flag unfurling from the elevated point of view was mesmerizing as the colors of each star reflected the sun.  My eyes were drawn to the brightest of whites, the stars set against the background of blue with the rays dancing on the fabric. Everything appeared so vivid. The stripes of red and blue rippled as the wind blew underneath the patriotic drapery. I could hear the muffled sounds from below as children began to duck under the flag’s enormity changing sides and reappearing.

As I captured the event I muttered a lot.  I process out loud at times and this aided in guiding Firefighter Ferguson which direction he needed to steer us to and fro over the crowd. My thoughts included: how fantastically amazing the occasion was, I wondered how heavy the flag felt, and quickly blocked the thought that my camera equipment could topple to the ground.   

I imagine with the excitement and visual stimulation what I see behind the lens can be compared to how some people feel eating a homemade piece of molten chocolate cake. Utter satisfaction mixed with natural curiosity of capturing the whole story unfolding in camera before my eyes.

As a writer and photographer I see and feel things with my entire body when I shoot a scene. I also watch for expressions, patterns, shadows, and colors that pop but oftentimes it is simply my lens capturing a form of translation- the smiles and emotions I see before me.

After my feet landed on Halifax town soil and I realized what I had accomplished, a continuous stream of pure exhilaration poured through my veins for hours.  I shared photos, and even took a “selfie” from the top of the town. Celebrating my birthday this year was done at the most fantastic view as I looked down over the First Congregational Church, Town Hall and was nearly eye to eye with the blue water tower.

Through my lens this week I witnessed a historical moment where hands held, supported and honored our nation’s flag celebrating Flag Day and the true meaning of the freedoms we are allotted as Americans.

John Shea, owner of John and Sons Barber Shop at the Cumberland Farms Plaza in Halifax, can’t believe how the years have gone by as he has been cutting hair for half a century!

Celebrating his milestone as a barber in the same location for nearly all of his career and next door for the 18 years before that, Shea is thrilled to celebrate five decades and has no intention of slowing down.

As he turns his chair, trimming and chatting with clients, he shares memories with his many repeat customers.  He hears about work, town life and sports as the scissors snip and trimmers buzz.

In addition to realizing how many trinkets have accumulated inside the shop, Shea has also absorbed the innumerable emotional milestones he sees in his line of work  making him love his job and career wholeheartedly.

John has given clients their very first haircuts, cut their hair for their wedding, and in some cases, even trimmed their hair for their funeral.   In June, some of his kids who got their first haircuts in John’s chair will come in for a trim before they graduate from high school.

He has given many first haircuts in a 1920s antique child’s chair, a replica of a carousel horse, that sits in the front window.

He found it at an auction in Pittsfield in the 1990s and had to bring it back to his shop where it has been a favorite for many of his youngest customers.

Listening is an important aspect of Shea’s work as he lathers necks and shaves with a straight razor.   He shares light banter with his customers and the atmosphere becomes even livelier he says when his son Darren is cutting in the chair next to him.

Shea is also known for decorative haircuts and designs when sports teams win, and kids want the winning logo etched into their hairline, said Shea.

His nephew Corey Socha is also a full time barber at the shop as Shea passes along his decades of experience to help train the next generations.

A buzz cut, fade, or crew cut, Shea has seen countless trends come and go, recalling his early start in the 1960s and 1970s the trend was growing long hair.

It was a tough beginning for his brand-new business when no one needed a haircut! Welcomed were the mullets and shags and Mohawks in the early 1980s when the grooming business boomed.

The décor inside his shop has evolved as rows of collectible Harley Davidson limited edition cans and knick-knacks of all sorts came in with customers. Suddenly the shelves were full of state-of-the-art conversation pieces, he said.

Although he has many clients who have followed him through the years one family came to mind who he has seen grow through four generations, named – would you believe it – the Barber family of Duxbury, he said.

Married to wife Judy for 53 years, he looks forward to spending time with her.  He foresees his body will let him know when it is time to hang up his shears.

Shea said having a career as a barber has been rewarding and fulfilling.  When asked where he sees himself in the next decade, Shea chuckled.

“I will keep going until I can’t go anymore. I may slow down physically, but I love it,” he said.

Former Hanson Police Chief Edward F. Savage III and his wife Christine of Plympton will be arraigned in Hingham District Court on Monday, April 2, on shoplifting charges stemming from an incident in April 2017 when they were allegedly seen concealing more than $400 worth of clothing in a shopping cart and leaving a store without paying.

In a televised investigative report by WCVB-TV, Investigative Reporter Mike Beaudet on “5 Investigates” last week, showed a video of the Savages shoplifting inside Kohl’s Department Store at 100 Derby St., Hingham, as well as audio from the show cause hearing at Hingham District Court.  Beaudet reported that his investigation yielded a court order to obtain the shoplifting video and audio from the closed-door show cause hearing.

In the video, the Savages were visible shopping throughout the Kohl’s Department Store when Christine entered the dressing room with the cart full of clothing.  Former Chief Savage took a seat outside the dressing room.

After Christine came out of the dressing room, the clothing was not visible in the cart but was apparently in a plastic Kohl’s bag.  The couple can be seen after a short pause with Christine pushing the cart as Edward appeared to be looking briefly toward the register.

The pair was then stopped outside the store by Kohl’s security officers with merchandise which had not been paid for.

Sgt. Steven Dearth of Hingham Police, who said he could not confirm the names of the Savages, issued a redacted police report after the incident had already aired online and appeared in the Boston Globe.

Then Hingham Clerk Magistrate Joseph Ligotti who retired in January said in the audio broadcast that he did not believe the Savages’ story of forgetting their wallet and going to retrieve it from the car.  He questioned why the couple had not been arrested on scene by the Hingham police with the overwhelming evidence on the Kohl’s security tape.

Ligotti agreed to drop the charges in February if the ex-chief and his wife issued a letter of apology to Kohl’s and to the Hingham police.

The case was continued for final disposition on Feb. 28, 2018.  When Beaudet reviewed the case, he reported that Clerk Magistrate Andrew P. Quigley, who saw the conditions in place by Ligotti, stated those conditions had not been met.

When contacted by Express Newspapers, Attorney Daniel Webster, lawyer for the Savages, declined comment at this time.

Former Chief Savage resigned from the Hanson police in 2012 after approximately 10 years in service.  He was under review for allegedly inflating his criminal statistics to augment his stature as chief.