Maggio, Youth Recognized by Elks

Longtime resident and head of the Winthrop Medical Reserve Corp. Jeanne Maggio and four students from the Winthrop Public Schools were recently recognized by the local and state Elks Association during Flag Day ceremonies.

Maggio also received citations from Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, State Sen. Joe Boncore and from the Winthrop Town Council for being named “Citizen of the Year” for the Elks Association.

Maggio, a graduate of Bridgewater State College, who also taught health and physical education at Winthrop Middle and High Schools, for more than 30 years.

As a teen, she joined the civil air patrol, an auxiliary of the Air Force and specialized in search and rescue. She was promoted to the rank of captain and recognized as the most outstanding female cadet in Massachusetts. She then found herself in basic training at Lackland Air Force Base where she crawled through mud, ran for miles and jumped from planes all in 110-degree heat.

“Other than having my two sons Jason and Joseph, this award is one of the most privileged events in my life,” Maggio said from the Town’s command center.

Maggio has also spent 12 years on the Board of Health, nine of those as chair. She has been a Town Meeting member and was a Precinct 4 Councilor. She was instrumental in starting the Winthrop Medical Reserve Corp after Sept. 11, 2001. The Corp. participates in flu clinics, rabies clinic, creating storm/disaster shelters and promoting emergency preparedness, the Women’s Health Forum and numerous presentations to area clubs, organizations and government agencies.

Also recognized by the Elks, Maggie Conley, a fifth-grade student at the Cummings School came in second in the Massachusetts State Elks Association “Americanism” contest. In the Emblem Club Essay Contest “What the Flag of the United States of America Means to Me” local students Giada Gergerian placed first; Jordan Mercado, second; and Chelsea Long placed third.