Jeff Symes News Today

A Matter of Perspective: Looking forward to Our Place By Jeff Symes Phil Desmond recalls a terrifying thought a year ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic had just begun its march across the county: “I remember feeling so emotional talking to Jan, thinking – what if we were taken by COVID-19 today?” Rather than an existential fear for himself and his wife, Janette, the focus of Desmond’s alarm was what would happen to their son, Dan, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. Now 29, Dan...

A Matter of Perspective: Twas a night to remember By Jeff Symes ‘Twas a dark and stormy night’ might not be a typical Christmas story opening, but it’s exactly the kind of night Santa and his elves managed to smile through during a rain-soaked Saturday in December for the families of One Sky Community Services in Portsmouth. For many of the individuals with disabilities and their families who attended, it was the first and only community event they’d been able to take part in since the ...