For the past 30 years, Weymouth resident George M. Loring III has participated in and coordinated cleanups of the herring run in Weymouth. For those efforts and clean-ups still to come, George Loring has been named the recipient of The Smiling Neighbor award given by South Weymouth Dentist Dr. Richard Wolfert, DMD.
His first cleanup in 1988 was as a volunteer and evolved into Loring being invited to be an assistant warden of the Weymouth Herring Run. After a couple of years, the warden at the time, John Smith, retired and Loring was appointed warden. He continued the annual effort, gaining more volunteers each year, along with assistant Phil Lofgren who has been with him for more than 25 years. Loring was also appointed to the Weymouth Conservation Commission, is now a Commissioner and did serve as Chairman at one time.
“George is a great example of how one citizen just looking to lend a helping hand and pitch in can evolve into something really special. You can witness that firsthand as up to 100 people volunteer for the cleanup each April,” said Dr. Richard Wolfert, AKA The Toothboss. “In fact, you could set your calendar to his clean-ups, much like daylight savings time. He is a most worthy candidate for our Smiling Neighbor award.”
The cleanup takes place on the first Saturday in April when volunteers meet at Herring Run Park for egg sandwiches along with coffee and donuts at 8:00 am. and work along the river until noon. The effort includes removing trash and other debris from the herring run. It also includes repairs on the fencing, replacing boards at Iron Hull, and removing any obstructions from the river that might impede the fish from swimming up the ladder.
Participants in the clean can and have included local residents from children under age five to senior citizens, as well as cub scouts and girl scouts. Representatives from state agencies like the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife and the Division of Marine Fisheries have also participated, as have a number of local politicians.
“I think caring about the environment is a big part of growing up on the South Shore. My concern for this deepened when I served in the Marines where I learned to adapt, improvise and overcome, great qualities for dealing with all the problems we face,” said Loring. “I’m gratified that Dr. Wolfert has recognized the effort and hope it brings even more people out this coming April.”
Loring is the owner of George M. Loring Photography in Hingham, Massachusetts, a family-owned and operated business for the past 60 years. A Weymouth resident since 1983 Loring and his wife Susan have three adult children and three grandchildren.
For being selected as the Smiling Neighbor, Raymond had the choice of receiving a $50 gift card to Stockholders or a Sonicare Easy Clean model (he chose the toothbrush).
The Smiling Neighbor award is given out on a quarterly basis to citizens of Weymouth going above and beyond the call of duty for their fellow citizens. People can nominate a Smiling Neighbor by sending an e-mail of 200 words or less to toothboss1@aol.com. Please remember to include your name and telephone number as well as the name and telephone number or e-mail of the person they are nominating. Nominations can also be sent to The Toothboss, 1121 Main Street, South Weymouth, MA 02190.
For more information on The Toothboss, visit Dr. Wolfert’s website at www.toothboss.com or call 781-335-0604 to schedule a consultation.
