Friday, December 12, 2003 - CAMBRIDGE In the days they spent waiting for a verdict in the trial of the woman accused of striking and killing their 13-year-old son with her car, Nancy and Mark Holofcener sat in a grimy space in Lowell Superior Court that was not much more than a storage room, staring at boxes filled with old paperwork. Today, the victim/witness waiting room has been transformed. At the grieving couple's instigation, a warm Oriental rug, freshly painted walls, comfortable couches, games, books and toys have been added to create "Evan's Place" in memory of their son. It is a more comforting place for people who are experiencing great sadness, Nancy Holofcener said. "We had to endure a depressing time in our lives in a depressing room, and we just wanted to make it a little bit better," said Mark Holofcener. To honor the Groton couple's work, Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley whose office successfully prosecuted the motor vehicle homicide case has presented the Holofceners with her office's award for selflessness and bravery. The couple was among nine people honored with the district attorney's Sept. 11 awards at ceremonies last night. The awards were established last December to recognize individuals from within or outside the DA's office who demonstrate "extraordinary bravery and/or selflessness in the wake of the attack on America, or who have contributed significantly to violence prevention and public safety." "We deal with families and victims all the time, every day, but this family was so extraordinary in their response to our office doing our job," Coakley said of the Holofceners. "It was their contributions, their ideas, their thoughts, their time, their energy, that got us energized" to improve the quarters, she said. Also honored last night was Shirley Police Sgt. Dale Prentiss, a 15-year veteran of the force, who was shot in the line of duty responding to a report of an assault on two women on Squannacook Road last year. The Sept. 11 Award was the latest honor Prentiss has collected. In October, he was honored with the state's highest law enforcement award, the George L. Hanna Medal of Honor. Prentiss, who was forced to retire from the force because of his injuries, said yesterday he is humbled by all the attention. "We all hope that these things don't happen, but they do, and we're very lucky that we have people like Dale who do the job that they do," said Coakley. James Connolly Jr. of Westford, a specialist in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, wasn't there to collect his award. Instead, Connolly who enlisted two days after the Sept. 11 attacks was on duty in Mosul, Iraq, where his father said he has no idea any award is coming his way. "If you asked him, he'd say there are 130,000 other guys out there and they're not getting an award," said Lt. James Connolly, Sr., a detective lieutenant assigned to the Middlesex D.A.'s office. "That's the kind of kid he is." Also honored last night were Carl Baron of the Central Square Business Association, who has worked to improve public safety in his Cambridge neighborhood; U.S. Army Capt. Chad Corrigan of Rehoboth, an Apache helicopter pilot deployed to Iraq; and Bob Lang, Edgar McLean, and John Serra, who revived a man who went into cardiac arrest while awaiting court proceedings in the Middlesex courthouse. McLean is a Burlington firefighter. As he clutched the plaque honoring him and his wife for their efforts, Mark Holofcener said he was touched by the award, but never expected it. "What we've learned from this ordeal is the best you can do out of any situation is give back. It's very healing," he said. "You just don't expect an award for it." Julie Mehegan's e-mail address is jmehegan@lowellsun.com .
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