Select Board thanks Uvalde memorial organizers

Jul 26, 2022

The Select Board presented certificates of thanks to the people behind the 21-chair memorial set up to honor the victims of the Uvalde, Texas school shooting earlier this summer.

Wareham Education Association vice president Michele Lefrancois, Wareham Police Chief Walter Correia, School Resource Officer Karl Baptiste and Detective Dean Decas were presented with certificates during Tuesday night’s meeting.

The four worked together to organize and set up a memorial outside Town Hall after 19 children and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24. The memorial consisted of 21 chairs — two adult-size and 19 child-size — emblazoned with the names, ages and photos of the victims.

“One day I was coming out of Town Hall and I saw all of these orange chairs,” board chair Judith Whiteside said as she addressed the four people. “And then I saw you, and I saw what you were doing, and I was very touched.”

The chair memorial was stationed in front of Town Hall for more than a week. The memorial was up as Wareham High School seniors graduated on Spillane Field just across the parking lot.