(Samples of Sweetser’s artwork including notecards, coloring books, and coloring kits for children.)

Sandy Sweetser has a hard time sitting still, so instead she paints. She paints all of the landmarks in Duxbury, historical buildings, homes, businesses, the beach and scenic views -- anything that piques her interest.

(CNN Hero Razia Jan speaks on camera in this shot that is on the CNN Heroes Web site. Behind her, students sing and dance. Photo by Karen Wong.)

In Part I of this story which appeared in the July 25 edition of the Clipper, Razia Jan had met with the Village Elders of Deh’ Subz where her Zabuli School for Girls is located and requested their blessing in adding another floor to open a high school. Though she had their approval, she still needed the financial resources to make her dream for the girls of Afghanistan come true. Then the phone rang.

We recently visited with the exceptional Karen and her Duxbury High School senior volunteer assistant, Rachel Wooley.

Kristen van der Veen and Samuel Minot were married Oct. 22, 2011 on Duxbury Beach with a reception following at the Sun Tavern. The bride’s brother, William van der Veen, officiated. Kristen is the daughter of Steven and Dianne van der Veen of Duxbury. She is a 2003 graduate of DHS, and a 2007 graduate of Bowdoin College. She will complete her MS as pediatric nurse practitioner at the University of Pennsylvania in August. Sam is the son of Reid Minot and Marian Schwartz Minot of Austin, Texas. He is also a Bowdoin graduate, and has recently completed his PhD in cell and molecular biology at the University of Pennsylvania. He has accepted a position at the Harvard Medical School as a research fellow. The couple will be relocating to Cambridge at the end of the summer.

The parents of Heidi Ressler and William Sager joyfully announce their engagement.  Heidi is the daughter of Linus and Dianne Ressler of Baldwinsville, N.Y.  Billy is the son of Jonathan and Karen Sager of Duxbury.

Heidi graduated summa cum laude from Nazareth College with a bachelor’s degree in history.  She was a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in Germany and is currently employed in sales and marketing at a local newspaper.

Billy graduated from Duxbury High School in 2006 and summa cum laude from Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.  He was awarded a full Army ROTC scholarship and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.  He successfully completed many Army schools including Ranger, Air Assault and Airborne training and has been recently promoted to First Lieutenant.

A spring wedding is planned.

Al and Joanne Crooker of Duxbury announce the engagement of their daughter Joanne to Scott Brine, son of Jim and Nancy Brine of Burlington. Joanne attended Northeastern University with a major in accounting and marketing and the Northeastern Graduate School of Professional Accounting. She is currently a senior accountant at Rakuten USA in Boston. Scott attended Harvard University with a major in Economics and is currently a manager at Brine’s Sporting Goods in Concord. An October 2012 wedding is planned in Duxbury.

Dr. Patricia Kolosowski of Kennebunk, Maine is pleased to announce the engagement of her daughter, Katherine, to Joseph Frascotti, son of Louis and Rachela Frascotti of Duxbury.  Katherine is a 2003 graduate of Kennebunk High School, 2007 graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and a 2012 graduate of the University of Maine School of Law. Joseph is a 2004 graduate of Duxbury High School, and a 2008 graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  A fall 2012 wedding is planned in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

Duxbury's own Razia Jan has been chosen as a CNN Hero and the Clipper's photojournalist Karen Wong was there when it happened. Pick up next week's edition of the Duxbury Clipper to read about the call that came just when Razia's Zabuli School for Girls in Afghanistan needed it most.

Read how CNN came to choose Razia here: http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/

Read Karen Wong's first installment in her series on Razia Jan and her girls' school here: http://eduxbury.com/news/duxbury-news/8127-an-afghan-girls-school.html

http://www.nbcolympics.com/photos/rowing/final-mens-eight.html

(Will Miller and his parents Bill and Sally at the World Championships in New Zealand. File photo)

Watch Duxbury's own Will Miller as he and his teammates row in the US Olympics Men's Eight-plus final today between 4:45 and 5 p.m. (EST). It will be televised on NBC or stream it live here: http://www.nbcolympics.com/liveextra/

Go, Will!

Day breaks across Duxbury Bay in all its splendor, marking another beautiful summer day. Photo by Barbara Van Dingstee

Answering a call in Plymouth waters, Duxbury Harbormaster Don Beers said he and two of his assistant harbormasters, Steve Cameron and Neil Chandler, took to the water in the department’s new SafeBoat in high winds and rough waters. He said that in such severe conditions as they experienced that day, the only reason he and his staff would be on the water was to save another. That’s what made the rescue all the more remarkable to him. As they headed out, Beers said it was sheer chance he spotted the boat in his peripheral vision while responding to the other call.

(Bees gather in one of many supers, a stacked wooden box that compromises a human-made hive. Beekeepers tend to tens of thousands of the honey-making insects in local hives. Photo by Karen Wong)

Sweet, golden honey is truly precious as it takes a worker bee a lifetime to produce just one-twelfth of teaspoon worth.

The love of honey and beekeeping is alive and well in Duxbury. Many families raise bees at their homes and in community gardens.

Duxbury resident Paula Harris wears many hats, chair of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce (SSCC) being one of them. Harris and her husband own their own business, conveniently located in town. We talked with Paula about small businesses and how she finds the time juggle it all.