Roger Dawley

Scituate, to me, is fascinating. Having spent 16 years growing up here, I know it was a great place to grow up, and it was a very safe environment to make mistakes and experience growing pains. The thing I most value about the community is its willingness to rally around causes and efforts: when someone is in need, the community is always quick to help. Time and time again, I’ve seen everyone chip in a little (or a lot), and together, the community has the ability to make a huge difference. Not only is it great to see the community pull through for various efforts, but it’s also nice to know that if you or I were in the same situation, we could always count on the Scituate community to lend a hand.

In whatever the hell I’ve been able to “accomplish”, it all stemmed from Scituate, and Scituate Public Schools. Fairly frequently, I get asked about the SPS school system (from parents debating where to send their kids), and I always say that they should stick to Scituate Public Schools. Here is one reason why. In high school, choir conductor Bill Richter always had us sing in yearly choral consortiums (a combination of local public school choirs), and we would sing a challenging piece of classical music. We would work on that for months, so the melodies are still rotting in the back of my brain, and probably always will be. Less than a year after graduating from Scituate High, a voice teacher of mine in New York posted about a choir that needed additional singers to perform a lengthy classical piece at Carnegie Hall, and…it happened to be one of our pieces from high school. So, while all of the other singers were glued to their music, I essentially knew every word and every note, solely thanks to being in the Scituate High School Select Choir. Never underestimate the public school system!

My favorite day in Scituate consists of waking up without an alarm set, and being greeted by my family’s two crazy dogs. I’d walk the dogs, have some coffee, and spend some time in the yard – we live in the West End, so we’re pretty deep in the woods (which I love). I’d pick up some friends, grab lunch at Circe’s (best tuna melt ever), and do a “Scituate 500”, driving around to see all of the sights. My first indoor dining experience post-COVID-19 vaccine was sushi at Salt Society, so I’d definitely go there for dinner. A must-try for sushi enthusiasts! All of this wraps up with a drink at TKO Malley’s, where, after 4 years, the bartenders are still unsure if I’m over 21. Terrified, I order a goldfinger pizza to shake off the fear of said bartenders, and regret the amount of food I’ve ingested over the course of the day.

Favorite Places in Scituate:

• Peggotty Beach
• Maria’s Pizza and Subs
• Circe’s Grotto
• The lighthouse
• “Ant Hill” (AJ McEachern Trail)