Latest news with #Norwood-based
Boston Globe
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Skating helps Maxim Naumov cope after death of his parents in January plane crash
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Time moving slowly, I'm bouncing my head off the wall Advertisement I know nobody that knows where we're going at all. 'My choreographer Adam Blake and I are always discussing plans and thoughts and songs to skate to,' said the Norwood-based Naumov. 'I relate to [the song], and I feel really deeply and emotionally what he's talking about. It's been really helpful for me to almost get my emotions out in that way.' Maxim Naumov took a moment to remember his late parents after his performance at the World Figure Skating Championships gala Sunday at TD Garden. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff It's been two months since the crash, and Naumov is learning where he is going. Skating is still his life's center: he has returned to the ice, performed twice, and started coaching some of his parents' students. But, as anyone who has experienced grief knows, no two days are the same. The days crawl by, you question your own thoughts and wonder if anyone truly understands what you are going through. Naumov is going through that now, and that's why 'That's on Me' spoke to him. 'I have a lot of emotions right now, and it's hard to even put a name to what I'm feeling,' said Naumov. Naumov has taken over his parents' introductory skating program at Advertisement 'That program is my parents' legacy,' said Naumov. 'We have the class three times a week, and I leave laughing and smiling every time I work with them. They're the sweetest little bunch and progressing so rapidly I can't even wrap my mind around it. They also help me get through each day.' Besides coaching, Naumov plans on performing and possibly competing again. In the immediate future, he is scheduled to be a guest skater at the Boston stop of the Stars on Ice tour on May 24. As part of a segment of the show honoring the victims of Flight 5342, Naumov will be introduced by Canadian Elvis Stojko, a contemporary of Shishkova and Naumov. 'His parents and I won our first World Championships the same year and we toured together for years,' said Stojko via phone. 'It was pretty heart-wrenching when we lost them in the plane crash, and we want to support Maxim however we can.' Returning to competition is another path Naumov is considering. Naumov finished fourth at January's US Championships, and had been named the second alternate for the World Championships before the crash. The US has three men's spots for the 2026 Winter Olympics, and besides But what does competing look like without his parents, who have coached him for entire senior career? He's not sure, but he will keep getting on the ice. Advertisement 'Skating doesn't feel like a list of things to do,' said Naumov. 'It feels almost more freeing. I'm able to tune out the craziness and busy-ness of my day. I'm getting more and more comfortable with it, and I just want to keep moving in that direction and see where it goes.' Related : The biggest reason for Naumov to keep skating? Because the ice will always be where his parents are. 'I have this internal dialog,' said Naumov. 'I'm able to be calm and just be in my heart. They're always there, too. It really helps me get through.' After his performance at the World Championships gala, Naumov first looked up, but instead of at the sold-out crowd that was giving him a standing ovation his gaze pierced the TD Garden's roof while he spoke to his parents in their native Russian. 'This is for you guys,' said Naumov. 'You guys are with me. I love you both.'
Boston Globe
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
At World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, joy mixes with grief
Ma's critique came Thursday afternoon at the The championships, which run through Sunday at the Boston arena, is an elite, international showcase for Ma's sport. It also comes at a challenging time of mourning and loss for the place where Ma has trained for five years — the Norwood-based The Skating Club of Boston — as well as the wider skating community. Advertisement In late January, the club lost six people from its community when an The six with connections to the Norwood club would have likely been in Boston for the championships this week. It's a reality not lost on those who knew them, such as Ma, a New York City native who moved to Norwood to train at the club. Advertisement 'The best thing that we could do is to keep moving forward,' he said. 'Moving on sounds bad, but the departed wouldn't want us to sit around and not do anything.' The throughline for the six who died in the crash, said Ma, was a passion for the sport. 'They would want the skating world to continue to flourish,' he said. Doug Zeghibe, the executive director for the club, which was the local organizing committee for the world championships, concurred. 'This event helps in the cycle of healing because it's something we can celebrate, it's something we can come together and share in a more positive way,' said Zeghibe on Thursday. 'It's one more stepping stone along the way.' Doug Zeghibe, executive director of The Skating Club of Boston, spoke to Danny McDonald of The Boston Globe during the men's short program in the World Figure Skating Championships at TD Garden. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff On Thursday, he was not at TD Garden, as he was watching a federal hearing regarding the crash that took the lives of his wife and son. Over the phone, he said he could forgive past mistakes that led to the crash, but would not abide by any lack of transparency regarding the federal investigation into the accident. He found some answers from federal officials regarding the crash to be shocking or unsatisfactory and some information that lawmakers had requested was not produced, he said. Being at the world championships this week evoked mixed emotions in Lane. Spencer had been chosen as an awards presenter at the competitions and even been fitted for a costume. Lane and his wife, Christine, had planned on being in the crowd to watch him hand out medals to skaters. Advertisement 'Thinking about that was hard,' he said. Still, participating in the tribute offered something akin to a salve, he said. 'It felt good to put a spotlight on some of the other people who were affected,' he said. 'It's definitely more helpful than not.' Inside TD Garden, Ma also reflected on those who were killed from his club. He knew them all. The Hans, he said were a 'Hallmark photo of what a family should be.' They were always together and Jinna worked hard at skating. When he first met her, she was still shaky with her double jumps, but within two years, she was landing triple-triple combinations. 'She loved it,' he said. 'Nothing was going to stop her from doing her from doing her best.' Spencer Lane, he said, 'had talent in spades,' and developed quickly as a skater. 'This dude was insane,' he said of Lane's ability. Han was in Wichita, Kan., just like those who died in the plane crash, but he had left on a different flight. Multiple people texted him in the aftermath of the crash asking if he was OK. He shakes his head. Left unspoken is the dark what-if: anyone could have been on that flight. 'It's hard,' he said. 'It puts a different perspective on things.' Amidst the talk of death and anguish, the crowd is buoyant. They cheer when the skaters land jumps and gasp when they spill. The flags among the spectators drive home the international flavor of the event. There are banners from Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Mexico, and Canada, and plenty of stars and stripes. Advertisement Like many of those who were killed in the plane crash, Ma's life revolves around this sport. During his season, he trains six days a week. He's well-known enough that a fan recognizes him in the bowels of the arena. He's been skating since he was a child, and he says his mind is calm only when he skates and when he cooks. He suspects that feeling of blankness is what appeals to him about what he does professionally. He knows many of the competitors here, having competed against them for years. Some he faced in recent months in far-flung locales, including What does it take to consistently land quadruples, he's asked. He laughs. 'A lot of (expletive) training,' he said. Making the difficult look easy is a central challenge to a figure skater, he said. He talks about having a 'good flow' out there on the ice. 'It's incredibly athletic, some of the things you have to do no human is designed to do that,' he said. 'There's a huge artistic aspect of it as well.' Ma said before the plane crash, he was laser-focused on qualifying for the Olympics. But the tragedy changed his outlook. He now concentrates on making the audience feel something and to make himself feel something out on the ice. 'I'm not doing it for the goal,' he said. 'I'm going to do it for the journey.' Danny McDonald can be reached at
Boston Globe
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov embrace fourth-place showing in World Figure Skating pairs
Efimova saw a roaring standing ovation and gifts being rained down on the ice. The Norwood-based pair performed the best free skate of their career at their first World Championships in front of a hometown crowd. It was a moment most athletes never have, and in just the second year of their partnership, they had done it. Scoring a 135.59, Efimova and Mitrofanov ended up fourth in the free skate, elevating them to sixth place overall, the top ranked US pair. Advertisement The US pair of Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov were fourth in the free skate program, elevating them to sixth overall and ranking them as the top US pair. Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images The event was won by Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who won their second-consecutive title by just .71 of a point over Germans Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin, 219.79-219.08. Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii of Italy earned bronze. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'This means everything,' said Mitrofanov. 'All the hard work that we've been putting in paid off. We were very happy to make everyone proud at the Garden today.' Skating 12th of 20 pairs, Efimova and Mitrofanov's free skate score led the night until the final three skaters of the event. Their finish, combined with the seventh-place result of fellow American pair Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea, gives the US the opportunity to qualify a third pairs team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina. It would be the first time since 1994 the US would send three pairs to the Olympics. Qualifying a third Olympic team had been a goal of Efimova and Mitrofanov once they won the national title in January, even though they are currently not eligible to represent the US in Olympic competition due to Efimova's Finnish citizenship. (The pair is currently working on citizenship options.) 'It was something that we really wanted to strive for, whether or not it could be us,' said Mitrofanov. Moments later, while still talking to the media, Efimova and Mitrofanov learned that they had achieved that goal. Efimova gasped. Advertisement 'We did it,' Mitrofanov sighed while wrapping Efimova in a hug.
Boston Globe
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Feds finds Mass. education department fails to protect students with disabilities
Advertisement Department spokesperson Jacqueline Reis said in a statement the agency has taken steps over the last year to improve its special education supervision, including hiring additional staff and revising policies. 'The Department remains committed to continuous improvement efforts to enhance and refine special education services across Massachusetts and will work to implement the ordered corrective action,' Reis said. The findings come as the Trump administration scrutinizes federal spending, potentially giving the President and the new Department of Government Efficiency fodder for their critiques of public education — especially in a liberal stronghold like Massachusetts. Related : More immediately, though, the findings serve as validation for a coalition of parents and advocates long-exasperated by the state's special education system. For years, their experiences have run counter to a rosy narrative about Massachusetts' services — one supported by the federal government's own ranking system, which last year 'It was parent input — lots of parent input — that convinced (the US Education Department) to do the investigation,' said Ellen Chambers, leader of SPEDWatch, a Norwood-based advocacy group that organized family outreach to federal officials. The federal Education Department Advertisement The report divides its findings into three key areas: how the state handles disputes between local districts and parents over student services; how the state monitors whether local districts are identifying all children with disabilities; and how the state oversees the rights of special education students placed at private schools at public expense. The federal government found the state's dispute resolution procedures lacking, with Massachusetts' Problem Resolution System, which handles complaints alleging schools are districts are not meeting legal requirements for education, failing to investigate claims and issue findings within a 60-day federal time limit. The Problem Resolution System also lacks procedures for ensuring follow-through when corrective actions are required. In other words, even when the state deems a parent's claim substantive, there is no oversight to ensure a district changes its ways. Related : When it comes to identifying children in need of special education services, the federal government found Massachusetts does not have a way to monitor whether local districts are illegally delaying or denying initial evaluations. In particular, investigators warned of schools placing students for prolonged periods of time in less-intensive intervention programs — a remedial strategy that, while supported by research, cannot under federal law be used to put off an evaluation of a child suspected of having a disability. (Often, this strategy is referred to as multi-tiered systems of support, or 'MTSS,' or response to intervention, also known as 'RTI.') The federal government additionally took issue with a Massachusetts regulation related to Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE). Under federal law, parents who disagree with the findings of school district's special education evaluation have the right to request an independent evaluation at public expense. In Massachusetts, a cost-sharing regulation has resulted in parents shouldering part of the expense regardless of the facts of the case. The federal law, however, requires a local district to prove through a due process hearing that its evaluation is sound in order to win a judgment stipulating a parent must chip in for an independent assessment, investigators said. Related : Advertisement Finally, the federal government found Massachusetts unable to demonstrate it is effectively monitoring districts' oversight of students with disabilities placed at private schools. In particular, the state has no procedure in place to ensure private schools aren't violating students' rights when it comes to discipline — such as suspending a child for more than 10 school days even when his behavior is a manifestation of his disability. The state also lacks a procedure for a parent to appeal a private school's decision to terminate a student's enrollment, investigators found. The report calls for several corrective action measures with timelines ranging from 90 days to one year. Massachusetts is not an outlier when it comes needing to take corrective action. More than a dozen other states in recent years have in some way failed to properly oversee special education services, Ben Tobin, a special education advocate based in Western Massachusetts and member of SPEDWatch, called the report 'very significant.' 'Families have been shouting from the mountain tops for years,' he said. 'This really shows there's a systemic problem and that the path forward has been laid out.' Advertisement Still, Tobin worries that a swiftly changing environment in Washington could derail progress. Would would happen, he questioned, if Trump makes good on a promise to dismantle the federal Education Department — if 'no one is watching the watchmen?' 'No institution is perfect,' he said, 'but the level of detail and time (the Department) took with the probe shows why we need safeguards in place for the kids.' This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Mandy McLaren can be reached at
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Devastating': Healey offers condolences to Boston skating club victims killed in D.C. plane crash
Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday called news of an airplane crash in Washington, D.C. that killed six people with ties to a Massachusetts figure skating club 'devastating.' 'Devastating to hear how this tragic event has touched folks from all over the country, including here in Massachusetts,' Healey said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Thursday morning. 'My heart goes out to the Skating Club of Boston, and the loved ones of the skaters, parents, and coaches lost in last night's crash,' the governor said. 'My thoughts are with survivors, victims and their families,' Healey said in another social media post late Wednesday night, before news broke of the victims' ties to the Bay State. 'Grateful for the quick action of first responders in the wake of this terrible tragedy.' Two figure skating coaches for the Skating Club of Boston, two teenage figure skaters, and the mothers of the skaters were on the American Airlines plane that was involved in a deadly midair collision with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. The coaches, identified by the Kremlin as Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, won the pairs title at the 1994 World Championships and competed twice in the Olympics. The Skating Club of Boston confirmed they were also coaches at the Norwood-based group. Army helicopter, plane crash: See impact caught on video, hear air traffic control (graphic warning) Surveillance video captured the crash, and shows the airplane colliding with an Army helicopter and plummeted into the icy Potomac River. 'We are a nation in mourning,' President Donald Trump said in a press conference late Thursday afternoon, before holding a moment of silence for the crash victims. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
