⠀
SOUTHPORT, ME. — For those who grew up with him in Norwood, Harold “Skip” Rideout’s latest career milestone comes as no surprise—he has loved and lived with boats his entire life. Skip recently purchased a 42-foot towboat named the Hi-M and a 60-foot barge, significantly expanding his marine construction business in Southport, Maine. Long-time family friend Thelma Jaruk of Jefferson Drive praised his warm character, noting, “He is a nice, warm person and everybody likes him.”
A 1967 graduate of Norwood High School and a 1969 welding alumnus of the Blue Hills Regional Technical Institute, Skip served three years in the U.S. Navy with the SeaBees, building a drydock in Vietnam before relocating to Maine. His late father, Harold Rideout, worked as a caretaker for a Norwood estate, while his mother, former Norwood High home economics teacher Mary (Atwood) Rideout, has retired to Boothbay, Maine. Skip married the former Pamela Baldwin of Concord three years ago, and the couple lives in an impressive log cabin that Skip built entirely by himself. Operating his own machine shop, working as a welder and machinist, and diving as a professional scuba diver to inspect boat bottoms and dock pilings, Skip has realized his lifelong dream of living along the Maine coast. The newly acquired barge and towboat previously belonged to the late Mason C. Carter, who serviced mid-coastal Maine for over 40 years, allowing Skip to proudly continue a rich regional maritime tradition.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
-
Norwood Cat “Ginger” Saved After Car Accident-August 30, 1997
An elderly Norwood woman’s cat, Ginger, survives a car accident and costly leg surgery thanks to a mix-up by two neighbors, the Neponset Valley Humane Society, and community kindness.

-
Michael and Margaret Malacaria: Finding Rewards in Retirement Through Dedicated Community Service-September 24, 1996
Retired Norwood residents Michael and Margaret Malacaria dedicate their post-work years to tireless community volunteering, earning recognition as RSVP Volunteers of the Year.

-
Protected: Granite Street Couple Share Accounts of Alleged Extraterrestrial Encounters-October 23, 1993
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

-
Norwood Woman Continues to Care with Program’s Help-July 19, 1993
/In the quaint town of Norwood, Massachusetts, a remarkable story of compassion and dedication has unfolded over the past twelve years. Marie Jaras, a widow in her mid-sixties, has been providing a foster home for Ormond Kingsbury, an elderly man who had been her boss at the Plympton Press. The arrangement began informally, with Kingsbury…

-
General Hospital Stars Ian Buchanan and Finola Hughes Draw Big Crowd at Norwood Junior High-October 19, 1987
Soap Opera Stars Draw 200 Fans to Norwood Junior High-October 19, 1987 Nearly 200 devoted fans packed the auditorium at Norwood Junior High School yesterday, shelling out $12 in advance or $15 at the door for a chance to meet television stars Ian Buchanan and Finola Hughes, best known for playing the beloved characters Duke…

-
Former Norwood Resident Robert Iantosca Named Winemaker at Sonoma County’s Gloria Ferrer Winery-August 19, 1987
Robert Iantosca, formerly of Norwood, has been named winemaker at Sonoma County’s renowned Gloria Ferrer Winery, bringing hands-on expertise and innovative sparkling wine techniques.

-
Eighty-Year-Old Volunteer Gertrude “Gertie” Erickson Celebrated as a Beloved Institution at Norwood Hospital-August 22, 1985
Known as the whistling cashier, 80-year-old Gertrude Erickson is celebrated for her 13 years of dedicated volunteer service at Norwood Hospital’s coffee shop.

-
Young Norwood Mechanic Builds Custom MG-Jeep Hybrid-October 18, 1982
The Birth of a Bright Yellow Hybrid-October 18, 1982 Motorists traveling around Norwood have likely caught sight of an unusual, eye-catching vehicle cruising local streets. From a distance, the bright yellow automobile resembles a chubby old-time roadster, though it rides much higher on its wheels. A closer inspection, however, reveals a mechanical chimera: a custom…

-
Norwood Honors Retiring Senior Custodian M. Joseph Fitzgerald and Dedicates Prescott School Auditorium in Memory of His Late Son-October 14, 1982
Retiring after 32 years as a school custodian, M. Joseph Fitzgerald is celebrated by Norwood parents and teachers with a plaque and the touching dedication of the Prescott School auditorium to his late son.

Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.


