Unsung heroines get their day: Noyes, Fox lauded for hard work
Cara Spilsbury
Ann Noyes of Middleton and Heidi Fox of Topsfield are two dynamic women; in the time they have lived in the Tri-Town area, they have dedicated their lives to their families and their communities.
And, until recently, their selfless deeds flew under the radar | just the way the two soft-spoken mothers wanted it.
But on May 16, Fox and Noyes were honored along with 268 other women from across the state as the 2007 Unsung Heroines of the Year. The fourth annual event at the Statehouse was put on by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.
They were surprised in March with a letter announcing their award and inviting them to the Statehouse. And their first thoughts upon recieving the honor were truly characterisitc to the definition of their "unsung" title.
"I was pretty shocked," Noyes said. "I thought, 'What did I do to deserve this?' I could think of about 100 other women in this town that deserve an award like this."
But the community involvement of Noyes and Fox certainly warrant some recognition.
Getting to know her neighbors
Fox, who has lived in Topsfield since June 1999, has a passion for town government. The 48-year-old is the chairman of the Town Hall Building Committee and a member of the Master Planning Committee. She ran for selectman a few years back, and now runs an e-mail newsletter.
"I like living in a small community because you get to know people," she said. "People here really support each other. It's a great place to live."
She also recently got involved with A Better Chance Masconomet through her sister-in-law, Cheryl Martha, who sits on the board of directors. The New York-based network of independent nonprofits takes bright students from struggling, inner-city schools and places them in successful, rural districts. The students, usually boys just starting high school, move hundreds of miles away to live in group homes. Without parents, siblings and old friends to guide them, they rely on resident directors who act as chaperones and volunteer host families.
Fox is now a host-mother to one of the ABC students from Queens, N.Y. | where Fox herself grew up. She opens up her home for a weekly family dinner, and her ABC student, Adam, spends one weekend a month staying at her home.
"I'm opening my home to somebody and that's a natural thing, being a mom," she said. "We hope we're doing a good job. I guess we'll know in four years."
Fox is married and has two children | Zach, 15, and Jessie, 13. She is also a part-time tutor at Endicott College.
Longtime library and PTO supporter
Noyes, a Middleton resident for 11 years, also has two children | Zach, 14, and Benjamin, 10. Her passion for the Middleton community has centered around the Friends of the Flint Library, where she is the secretary, and the PTO, where she is a volunteer and webmaster. Last year, she was honored as the PTO Volunteer of the Year.
Noyes played an instrumental role in recent years in drumming up support for the renovation and expansion of the Flint Library. Now, the Friends are trying to raise $600,000 to pay for furnishings for the revamped space in the next year or so.
"We keep saying it, but it's so true. (The library) really is the heart of the community," she said. "The library couldn't serve the town in the space that it was in. It hasn't been without its conflict, but in the end it will definitely be an asset to the community."
Noyes has worked in the publishing business for 21 years and now focuses on the sales and marketing aspects. Originally from Danvers, the 43-year-old and her husband Kevin decided to move to Middleton to start a family.
"It reminded us of the Danvers we grew up in," she said. "You get to know a lot of people easily, and I've met a lot of good friends through the PTO and the Friends. That's an added benefit of volunteering | meeting a lot of great people."
Statehouse ceremony
The two women were in some high-powered company at the Unsung Heroines award ceremony, and deservedly so, although they would both be quick to tell you otherwise.
"I felt very honored to be there with these other women," Fox said. "It was all, to me, very humbling."
Recipients were asked to stand in front of the entire crowd as their accomplishments were read aloud, and for women that prefer to stay out of the spotlight, the acknowledgment was uncomfortable to say the least.
"I think it was the most embarrassing moment of my life," Noyes said with a laugh.
State officials serving as masters of ceremonies for the event did their best to make the winners feel at home.
"They told us, 'We know you didn't do it for the recognition, but we want to recognize you anyway,'" Fox remembered. "They really made you feel like you deserved to be there."
Nearly 650 people were estimated to be in attendence, as the unsung heroines were given certificates and recognition from Gov. Deval Patrick as well as their respective congressmen, senators and representatives. Fox and Noyes both received citations from Congressman John Tierney from the 6th District, while Noyes got awards from state Sen. Bruce Tarr and Rep. Brad Hill, and Fox got honors from state Sen. Fred Berry and Rep. Ted Speliotis. The women also received a handcrafted pin to commemorate their achievements, made by Designs by Lucinda of Maine. It simply says "Love, Give, Nurture" in soft pinks and purples.
Under the banners of every municipality in the commonwealth, the 268 Unsung Heroines were gathered on the marble stairs of the Great Hall of the Statehouse to pose for a photograph. Then the women were all treated to a reception with decadent desserts and live music.
"It was almost like a surreal day, I have to say," Noyes said. "It was a day I'll never forget."
The event has been growing every year since its inception. Last year, 240 women were named unsung heroines in their communities. Last year's winner from Middleton, Shirley Raynard, nominated Noyes for the 2007 award.
Fox, however, doesn't know who nominated her, and when she asked for more information from the MCSW, they decided to keep it a secret because some nominators choose to remain anonymous.
"I have no clue who nominated me, but I would like to thank her," Fox said.
Before recieving the notice that she had been named Topsfield's Unsung Heroine for 2007, Fox never even knew such an award existed. But she already has her thoughts set on next year.
"Now that I'm aware of it," she said, "I'll have to think about who I'd like to nominate."
For a full list of this year's recipients, visit www.mass.gov/women.
