Page 18 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 21, 2024 Raising hope and raising the bar: inside Phunk Phenomenon’s winning year F By Dom Nicastro or Saugus ’ R eia Briggs-Connor, it’s been a stellar 2024 for her Phunk Phenomenon Dance Complex studio. A national championship and preparations for an international competition later this year are just part of the excitement. Oh, and don’t forget about their performances on the Boston Celtics dance floor during the NBA Finals this month. Good times for the studio? You bet. Briggs-Connor, a lifelong dancer from her early days in Chelsea to being a New England Patriots cheerleader and now a 25-plus-year dance studio owner in Everett, is nonstop and loving every minute of it. This is all in between her constant, unconditional care for her 19-year-old son, Jared, who has Sanfilippo syndrome. This condition halts normal brain development and causes hyperactivity, sleep disorders, loss of speech, dementia and typically results in death before adult- LEGAL NOTICE - COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THE TRIAL COURT PROBATE AND FAMILY COURT Essex Probate and Family Court 36 Federal Street Salem, MA 01970 (978) 744-1020 Docket No. ES24P1760EA Estate of: DAVID ALLEN MONAHAN Also known as: DAVID A. MONAHAN, Sr., DAVID MONAHAN CITATION ON PETITION FOR FORMAL ADJUDICATION To all interested persons: A Petition for Formal Adjudication of Intestacy and Appointment of Personal Representative has been filed by Melissa A. Simon of Malden, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. The Petitioner requests that: Melissa A. Simon of Malden, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond in unsupervised administration. IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before: 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 07/17/2024. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an affidavit of objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you. UNSUPERVISED ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE MASSACHUSETTS UNIFORM PROBATE CODE (MUPC) A Personal Representative appointed under the MUPC in an unsupervised administration is not required to file an inventory or annual accounts with the Court. Persons interested in the estate are entitled to notice regarding the administration directly from the Personal Representative and may petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including the distribution of assets and expenses of administration. WITNESS, Hon. Frances M. Giordano, First Justice of this Court. Date: June 12, 2024 PAMELA A. CASEY O’BRIEN REGISTER OF PROBATE June 21, 2024 The Phunk Phenomenon Dance Team are shown performing on the TD Garden parquet floor at halftime during Game 1 of the NBA Finals Celtics game against the Dallas Mavericks. (Courtesy Phunk Phenomenon) hood. Her dance studio leads a fundraising and awareness effort called “Hip Hop for Hope” to contribute to research and development in the healthcare community for Sanfilippo syndrome. The fight for Jared and others like him is deeply embedded into the fabric of all that Briggs-Connor does within her studio and for her dancers. Some proceeds go to the fight to find a cure for Sanfilippo syndrome. “I don’t sleep,” Briggs-Connor tells people when they ask how she does it. “It’s crazy. Everyone asks how we do it. Jared’s 19 now, which is really great because they told us he wouldn’t live that long. We’re constantly trying to raise awareness for his disease and our mission.” They’ve had a gig with the Celtics for most of the 21st century, performing routines a couple of times per night during timeouts for two to three games per month. They performed in Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals, where her hometown Celtics beat the Mavericks, 4-1, clinching Banner No. 18, under which Phunk Phenomenon will perform next season. They also performed in early games of the Celtics’ dominating playoff performance, where they finished 16-3. Performing during a Celtics championship run was simply priceless for Briggs-Connor DANCE TEAM | SEE PAGE 19 Local student named to Bucknell University Dean’s List B ucknell University, of Lewisburg, Pa., has released the Dean’s List for outstanding academic achievement during the spring semester of the 2023-24 academic year. Saugonian Melisa Omerovic, class of 2026, Civil Engineering, was among the students recognized. A student must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a scale of 4.0 to receive Dean’s List recognition.
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