CARTAGENA, Colombia – The admonitions were forbidding. “Never go out of your hotel alone,” a friend with a serious expression said. “Be sure to have someone with you at all times.  And never, ever walk around the city at night.”

With his warnings ringing in our ears, we headed to Cartagena -- a city with a reputation, like many others in Colombia, for drug trafficking, kidnapping and violence.

In a town with such a rich history, Duxbury residents are fortunate to be surrounded by people and institutions dedicated to honoring and teaching this heritage. The Alden Kindred of America, Inc. states as their purpose “…the preservation and the spirit of those early pilgrims from beyond the sea…” Matthew Vigneau, Museum Manager at the Alden House, devotes his day-to-day efforts to championing this preservation.

Sightseeing in Havana, sampling its cuisine and crawling its mambo and jazz clubs hardly qualifies one to assess today’s Cuban political and social realities. Yet visual impressions and snippets of overheard conversations provide clues - a furtive gathering of a small group near a market; a non-verbal reference to Fidel by the stroking of one’s chin.

INLAND REPORT:  Trout and fresh water bass fishing remains good with lots of pan fishing too. The shad run in the Indian Head River is still going on. Best fishing is early morning or just after dark. Hot baits are hot pink shad darts on shad flies. Trout and pan fishing in the Indian Head River and above the dam remains good. Best baits are trout worms or salmon eggs on a bobber. Little Pond in Morton’s Park in Plymouth remains okay for stocked trout. Long Pond, also in Plymouth, has been giving up some real nice size trout. On days when there is no wind both Little and Long Ponds have had trout rising to flies.

(Knights of Columbus Grand Knight Jeff bishop speaks to the crowd at one of the three Lt. Timothy Steele Memorial events.)

If the measure of a life well lived is the everlasting honor and respect of a community, then 1st Lt. Timothy Steele’s too brief life was admirable indeed.

On Monday, May 28, Duxbury Post 223 of the American Legion will hold Memorial Day ceremonies at the following cemeteries:

Thursday, May 3

5:05 a.m.  Suspicious activity reported on Chandler Street.

9:11 a.m.  Animal complaint reported on Tremont Street.

4:30 p.m.  Accident with injury reported on Keene Street.  Party taken to hospital.

(One of several magnificent homes that will be on the Newcomers Club House Tour. All proceeds go to a charity of each participating homeowner's choice.)

Corey Wisneski and Trish Ruttgers are Duxbury residents and active members of the Duxbury Newcomers Club. As House Tour chair and president of Newcomers, Wisneski and Ruttgers recently chatted with us about this weekend’s upcoming Spring House Tour and what Newcomers Club brings to our community.

Duxbury knew the boy who built forts and rode his bike around town, who was a standout high school track star. His fellow soldiers knew the lieutenant who led them to the battlefields of Kandahar, who would have followed him to the ends of the earth, who followed him to the end of his life. Meaghan Steele knew another man. She remembers a husband who was “goofy” and would grab her round her tiny waist and dance her around their kitchen.

Nearing the finish line, Meaghan Steele is surrounded by family members Julie, Anne and Jessica Steele after running the Knights of Columbus 5K as part of the Lt. Timothy Steele Memorial Events. DHS grad and UMass Army ROTC cadet Nick Cline is behind in full uniform. Photo by Karen Wong

FANCY CLANCYS: Ryan, Caitlin and Deirdre Clancy are the first ones in line waiting for Farfars’ doors to open for the season. Photo by Karen Wong

Leaving football was the most difficult decision of Shane DiBona’s young life.

A member of the Duxbury High School (DHS) class of 2009, he was a standout on the football field, leading his team to a 13 – 0 season and Division 2A Super Bowl title. Picked up by the University of Iowa’s Division I Hawkeyes, he was a star lineman with the potential to go pro until a few weeks ago when he took a hit during a non-contact practice that changed everything.

(Emily Keller, Molly Murphy, Sean Magee, Dylan King (back row) and Isabella Moessa and Macy Gilbert (front row) will be honored by their families who will ride, run and walk in support of the Best Buddies Challenge. Photo by Lisa Gilbert)

Little Macy Gilbert, 6, loves the slide at Ellison Playground. She climbs the ladder, positions herself just so, and then – swoosh – down she slips without fear or hesitation. If someone is waiting below, she will leap into open arms and give a giant hug.

The Duxbury Police Department (DPD) has been awarded recertification by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. In order to receive certification from the MPAC, a department must meet the over 250 mandatory criteria of professional law enforcement standards.

INLAND REPORT:  Trout and fresh water bass fishing remains good. Even with the nasty wind and weather we have been getting, fishing in our local lakes and ponds remains on the good side. Lots of stocked trout have made anglers happy at Little and Long Ponds in Plymouth along with some ponds fed by the Jones River on Route 80. All our local bass ponds are producing some largemouth bass along with some nice smallies. The Indian Head River at the Hanover-Pembroke line has the beginning of a shad run. Hot pink shad darts are the hot lure to catch some of the hard fighting shad. Above the dam there are reports of good trout fishing along with some perch and hornpout.

BRICK TRIBUTE: Duxbury War Memorial Committee member Josh Cutler shows off one of the new bricks installed at the War Memorial in front of Duxbury Town Hall last week. The monument, first built in 1920 and later damaged, was restored in 2009 after pieces of it were discovered by the late Joseph Shea in the town cemetery.  The monument lists the 82 Duxbury residents who served in World War I. After a first round of brick engravings three years ago the War Memorial Committee reopened the process to allow residents a second opportunity to dedicate a brick to a loved one. Those new bricks are now installed thanks to the Duxbury DPW.

This is a reminder that the deadline for entering your essay in Duxbury’s 375th essay contest is Friday, May 11. The contest is open to all Duxbury students, grades 2 through 12, (regardless of where they attend school). The theme, What Makes Duxbury Unique to Me, will be judged on 1.) originality 2.) standard English conventions 3.) topic development 4.) organization and 5.) rich language/word choice, and should not exceed 750 words. The decision of the judges is final.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward O’Sullivan of Chestnut Hill, formerly of Duxbury, announce the engagement of their daughter, Caralyne, to Dale Reinhardt, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Reinhardt, of Livingston, N.J.