Latest news with #Mounties'
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Mount Greylock girls kick it into gear to win Division 6 track championship on last event
'Just knowing the situation, I was really, really scared at first,' Apotsos said. 'But once I got the baton, I was like, 'OK, I run 400 a lot, it's just one lap.' So I just gave it my all and tried to hold on.' Advertisement Senior Katherine Goss led the way for Mount Greylock, placing second in the triple jump (36 feet, 3¾ inches) and 100-meter hurdles (15.66 seconds), and third in the 400 hurdles (1:06.58). While the Mounties' lone victory came in the 4x800 relay (10:10.38), the team scored in 11 of 19 events. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We had to scratch and claw for every last one of those points,' said coach Brian Gill. 'We know Kathrine Goss is going to kill it. She had a great meet. But you got to have that rest of that quality depth come through also.' Ayer-Shirley nosed out Cohassset to win the Division 6 boys' title, the first for the program since 2018. Matty Wasserman On the boys' side, Ayer-Shirley racked up 71 points to secure their first team title since 2018, with Cohasset (68 points) second. The Panthers were led by senior Cole New, who set a meet record in his 800-meter triumph (1:55.38) and placed second in the 400 (49.63). Senior Thomas Bergin added a javelin victory (155-8), and Ayer-Shirley picked up top-three finishes from both the 4x400 (3:29.82) and 4x800 relays (8:25.82). Advertisement Those final relay points proved crucial after Cohasset seniors Will McLoughlin (23-2) and Nathan Askjaer (22-7) went 1-2 in the long jump — the meet's final field event — nearly stealing victory. 'Going back months now, to our team breakfast before the season even started, we knew this year was our shot,' said Ayer-Shirley coach Chris Donovan. 'We knew it was going to be us and Cohasset, and they're a heck of a team, so we were tracking them for weeks. And it then came down to very, very final events. It took everything.' ▪ Randolph junior Mekhi White struggled in Friday's 200-meter dash, placing 28th with a season-worst time of 24.65. But White, also the Globe's Division 8 Athlete of the Year in football, was eager to redeem himself on Sunday — and he made the most of his opportunity. In a duel with Dearborn STEM Academy senior Rick Barros in the 100 final, White got an excellent jump and blazed to victory in 11.23 seconds. 'Not even placing into the finals on Friday gave me motivation and something to think about going into today,' White said. 'The expectations are always high, and I set them high for myself. So I never want to do bad like that, and it makes [his Sunday performance] feel especially good.' ▪ Despite Hamilton-Wenham falling just short, Generals senior Georgia Wilson had a standout weekend, setting meet records in the triple jump (37-0) and 100 hurdles (15.49), and taking second in the long jump (17-8). Advertisement Matty Wasserman can be reached at
CBC
28-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Nova Scotia RCMP said it will do better after apology for street checks. Will it be enough?
The Nova Scotia RCMP is implementing its plan to better serve Black people in the province with a major focus on educating police officers. More than a dozen officers and staff from different police services in Nova Scotia, as well as individuals who work within the justice system, took part in an African Canadian Experience workshop last month — the first since the RCMP's historic apology in September for its use of street checks. "Hopefully they leave here with a better and a stronger understanding and a willingness to want to assist or be an ally to the African Nova Scotian community," said Shelly Braithwaite, acting manager of the African Canadian Experience Unit in Nova Scotia. The workshop is a key objective of the Mounties' community-led action plan, according to Assistant Commissioner Dennis Daley, commanding officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP. At the apology in North Preston, N.S., Daley said his words were meaningless without action by the RCMP, and expressed "a genuine commitment to change." Workshop 'really opened my eyes' The workshop was created by a Nova Scotia officer in 2008 and is now being used across the country. The three-day course covers subjects such as the history of Black people in Nova Scotia, the Canadian education system and the Nova Scotia School for Colored Children, Braithwaite said. Participants learn the definition of terms like white privilege and unconscious bias and review case studies based on events police in Nova Scotia have experienced, she said. "We wanted people to come in and be in a safe environment and be able to ask any question that they wanted," Braithwaite said. The RCMP's plan states there will be three workshops a year with a total of about 60 participants. The workshops are open to members of police departments in Nova Scotia. "It kind of really opened my eyes," said Insp. Bill Turner, with Cape Breton Regional Police. Staff Sgt. Lynden Morrison, acting inspector of the RCMP's Halifax detachment, agreed with Turner. He said the course made him contemplate things he's never had to think about before. "I thought I was reasonably educated on the matter," he said. But now, he said, he's asking himself if he's done enough to make sure his workplace is inclusive and everyone has the same opportunities. Morrison said he doesn't believe there are overtly racist police officers in Nova Scotia, but he's now aware of more nuanced microaggressions that can still be very harmful. "We have to call each other out on that and say it's not acceptable," he said. 'If police want to be an ally,' they should play proactive role The RCMP's community action plan also aims to increase recruitment and retention of Black officers and become more involved in the communities they serve. Building relationships with residents and getting out into communities and creating more opportunities for residents to engage with officers and staff are priorities, Daley said. The action plan states detachment commanders must meet with leaders in African Nova Scotian communities at least twice a year. "I have the support of my detachment commanders getting out there, meeting their community members, attending their events, listening to their issues," Daley said in an interview. Robert Wright, an African Nova Scotian sociologist, suggests the RCMP can establish trust with Black communities by helping address those issues. Wright, a former executive director of the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute, said police in North America have historically been responsible for oppressing Black and racialized communities, resulting in an inherent distrust of authorities. Police can change that by using their vantage point and resources to identify solutions to issues like poverty, housing and systemic racism, he said. "I think that if police want to be an ally to the Black community, then we would see policing agencies advocating on behalf of the Black community to address those problems." Wright said. Leadership is ultimately responsible for change, Wright said, but he doesn't have a lot of confidence in the RCMP after former commissioner Brenda Lucki denied there was systemic racism within the organization. But Daley said he's dedicated to making change and will continue to welcome input from people like Wright. "I'm very open to those discussions because I do think public safety can be delivered in a different manner," Daley said.
