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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 22, 2024 Page 11 WINNING | FROM PAGE 10 Lowe: I think what I learned with this group is my energy a lot of times dictates theirs. In games where I try to remain stoic and calm, it sometimes doesn’t translate for them. I’ve always tried to be even keel, but I think our team has played better when I start … with being more of a cheerleader in pre-game. That’s when they have performed better. Advocate: Do you have any cool individual and team stats to share? And what impressed you in terms of player stats and team? Lowe: For me I love that we average just about a charge ASKS | FROM PAGE 6 Q: What’s the secret to your longevity? Diet? Exercise? People in your family living a long time? A: Trust in the Lord and prayer. He guides you through the Bible. I pray daily and read the Bible. Growing up, my mother made sure we went to Sunday School. Q: And you led a healthy life. A: I never smoked. I never drank alcohol and I stayed out of the sun. I always stayed in the shade; I got burnt once and thought it was enough. I must have been in High School. It taught me to cover up. We ate healthy, except for dessert, and cooked from scratch. Q: So, where are your folks from? A: My father and mother were both from Nova Scotia and they met at GE and got married. Q: What was it like being a kid in Saugus? A: Saugus was very rural; it was the country. I spent most of my time with my family. As kids, we played kick-the-can – we didn’t have much time because we had to do homework and help around the house with chores. I went to the movies in the Pythian Hall in Saugus Center with my mom – it cost 10 cents, so we didn’t go very often. We got newsreels, cartoons and the movie. In the good old days, we would put on ice skates and skate around the pond; down on the Lynn Commons, they used to flood it with water to make a skating rink. Q: Please tell me about your THE THIBAULT FAMILY: dressed for a special occasion in September 1977. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) late husband, Alfred. How did you meet? What did he do? What do you remember most about him? A: We met at GE. We both worked in the same department. He was from Newburyport and was a great guy. He was tall and handsome, very funny, caring and he could fix anything. He was a machinist (tool and die maker). Q: Did you belong to any local organizations? A: No. I was never one to get into clubs. I was too busy working with kids or spending time with my family. Q: What is your favorite meal? A: Fried clams. But I haven’t had any in a while. Q: What do you do these days? How do you spend your time? Read a lot? Do puzzles or crossword puzzles? Watch “Jeopardy!”? Go on the computer? A: I read magazines, watch birds, watch TV and do word search puzzles. Q: What is your routine like? When do you get up and when do you go to bed? A: I get up around 7 or 7:30 in the morning. I go to bed at 9:30 to 10 at night. I watch TV. My favorite program is Perry Mason. I used to do a lot of stuff for CEF. I used to do a lot of knitting and sewing for the children. But once you get old, you can’t do some of those things anymore. Q: As you look back on your life, is there anything on “the a game and attempt to take multiple. It shows a willingness to sacrifice your body for the team, and there has been a handful of times this year where it has impacted games by getting the other team’s best player off the court. One game that comes to mind is Ana Silva taking three in a game. Advocate: Was there a defining moment for this team where it all came together this season -- and what was that like? Lowe: I think our Arlington Catholic game is where they realized hey, we can compete against good teams. They are a team that competes with some of the best in the state, and for us to go in there and get a win was huge. Advocate: Who among the younger players stepped up this year and how so? Lowe: I don’t really have young players. Everyone is back from last year’s teams, but before she got hurt, I think Taylor Deleidi has given us such great minutes off the bench in terms of defending and hitting shots when we need in games. Hopefully, she’s back for the tournament. Advocate: What kinds of things are you looking to polish as a team as you head into the tourney? Lowe: We need to rebound the basketball. There’s no sugarcoating it – that we just did not go and get the ball in the second half of the season. We gave up 28 against Masco. In the last three minutes of the game, we had four straight possessions where we allowed six offensive rebounds, and they made us pay. Other than that, I’m just looking to keep things right with assignments. Advocate: What NEC team brought out the best in you this year, and what did it do for your team’s growth? Lowe: I thought our most recent game vs. Masco brought out the best in us in terms of how we competed. They are traditionally one of the better teams in the area, and being able to match them in a game we dropped by three is promising for us going into the tournament. It showed the girls they can complete and battle back after going in a hole and being able to take the lead late. Advocate: Same question for a non-league opponent. Lowe: I thought our game at Arlington Catholic, which is a very good team, shows the girls they can compete and win tight games – being down in the fourth and hitting big shots while being able to make adjustments in high-pressure situations. A HAPPY HOME: the Thibault family in May 1963. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) bucket list” – things you wish you had done? Anything you would’ve liked to have done? A: Travel a little more; I would have liked to travel a little more. Q: Where would you like to travel? A: I’d like to go see family, but they are all dead. Q: As you look back on your life, please talk about the biggest changes you have witnessed over the years. What was it like back in the day when you and your husband moved into your first house in Saugus, when you didn’t have all of the modern conveniences of today? A: The ice box to refrigerators and freezers; the invention of washing machines and dryers; telephones; cars and trucks – we used to have to crank them up to start. And there were very few people with them. We walked everywhere. When we got married, we had all of the “modern conveniences” of the day …they just changed over time, like everything else. Q:What do you love about Saugus the most? A: It’s a quiet town and people are friendly. It’s a quiet town, from where I sit. We were the only ones up here [Charles Street] at first. It was a dirt road. When I got the car stuck in the mud, I’d have to wait til my husband got home to get it out. Q: You drove a car. A: I got my license when I was 18 or 19. At that point, Deborah interjected that mom “was a very good driver” who made a decision several years ago to give up driving. ASKS | SEE PAGE 19

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