01.01.2025 – Volume 3, Issue 6

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IN THIS ISSUE

MONEY MATTERS

SNAPSHOTS

MAGICIANS

Has your homeowners insurance shot up?

Current photographers share favorite 2024 images

Top 10 sports stories of 2024

Page 2

Pages 4-5

NONPROFIT ORG PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

MARBLEHEAD, MA PERMIT NO. 25

Page 9

NEWS FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR PROFIT.

TM

January 1, 2025

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VOLUME 3, ISSUE NO. 6

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MARBLEHEADCURRENT.ORG

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ON SOCIAL @MHDCURRENT

TAXES

Adjusted property tax bills arriving this week

BY LEIGH BLANDER Fiscal year 2025 thirdquarter property tax bills are set to arrive in Marbleheaders’ mailboxes this week, and many will reflect valuation corrections, according to Assistant Assessor Todd Laramie.

The Board of Assessors approved updated valuations at a meeting on Dec. 23 after a

town-wide audit this summer.

Assessments can be viewed at marblehead.patriotproperties. com.

The audit was prompted by an error last year, when hundreds of homes were assessed improperly.

More than 330 residents filed for abatements (refunds), and the town ultimately had to return $541,000 to property owners.

Many more residents missed

the Feb. 1 deadline for filing an abatement and had to pay the higher bills.

“The neighborhoods that were off have been corrected,” said Laramie. “People are still a little irritated about what happened, and we’ll have to address that.”

Laramie said he heard from about 20 people questioning their new valuations. He was able to address all their concerns

without changing any of their assessments. The valuation for one business was tweaked, he said.

In July and October, about 700 property owners in the Historic District received incorrect tax bills due to miscalculations linked to a data entry error.

The January bills will reflect corrections made.

Board of Assessors member

CODING THE FUTURE

Glover second graders learn computer programming with gift from Friends

Jonathan Lederman advised residents to look at their tax bills when they receive them in January.

“If there’s an issue, come talk to someone or, if it’s still not fair, file for an abatement,” he said. “The deadline is Feb. 1.”

To file for an abatement or learn more about the process, visit marblehead.org/ assessors-office.

TIME’S UP

Zoning defiance puts state grants at risk Town noncompliant; Select Board will try again to pass plan at May Town Meeting

BY LEIGH BLANDER

CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER

Glover School second graders use their Bee-Bots to learn to code.

BY LEIGH BLANDER It may have been the last day of school before winter break, but the second graders in Jane Sullivan’s classroom at the Glover School were laser focused and excited.

They were using new learning mats and programming Bee-Bot minirobots to take on challenges like spelling out words and visiting places on a map.

The 32 new mats, about 3 feet long by 2 feet tall, were purchased with a grant from the nonprofit Friends of Marblehead Public Schools.

Last year, FMPS funded 40 Bee-Bot robots.

“The goal is for kids to learn the basics of coding,” Sullivan said.

“They’re learning how to plan before doing, work collaboratively and troubleshoot when things go wrong.”

The challenge for Sullivan’s second graders on this day was to work in small groups to build a program that would move the Bee-Bot from letter to letter on one mat to spell out words, including “use” and “sure.”

Another challenge was to program a Bee-Bot to travel on a town map from the library to the bank and then the toy store.

First, the kids used pencils and

Glover School second-grade teacher Jane Sullivan shows off her students’ minirobots called Bee-Bots, which students program by creating code.

More photos. Page 3 paper to plan out their code. Then they programmed their Bee-Bots.

Finally, they placed their Bee-Bots on the mats and pushed “go.”

“They’re like robots,” explained one girl. “And you can program them to do what you want.”

She and her partner coded their Bee-Bot to spell out the word “talk.”

The first try didn’t quite work, so the girls went back to their desk to

work out the kinks, first on paper and then with their Bee-Bot. When they were successful the second time, one girl said, “This feels really awesome.” Her partner did a little floss dance.

A team of boys also had a little troubleshooting after their first coding attempt didn’t quite hit the mark. They weren’t put off by the setback. They went back to their desks for some debugging and soon had the Bee-Bot running the code perfectly.

The Current wishes you a happy, healthy 2025!

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

As of Wednesday, Jan. 1, Marblehead is noncompliant with the controversial MBTA Communities Act, which is aimed at easing the state’s housing crisis by requiring communities to zone for more multifamily housing. Marblehead is now at risk of losing millions of dollars in grants. The town also faces potential legal action from the state’s attorney general.

“We have a lot of concern about what money we’re losing from the state,” said Select Board member Dan Fox. “We have a couple grants we know are at risk right now, close to $400,000.”

Fox added that the Select Board will sponsor an article on the May 2025 Town Meeting warrant addressing the MBTA Communities Act. “It is our hope and expectation that with a successful vote in May, we will once again be eligible and that the awarded grants will be released to the town,” said Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer.

“With the creation of the new Community Development and Planning Department, we will continue to apply for any and all grants, in greater numbers, that would be beneficial to the town. It will be up to the voters at Town Meeting to decide if we are to benefit from this effort.”

Meanwhile, the state Supreme Judicial Court is expected to release its ruling soon on Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s suit against the town of Milton, which also rejected zoning changes and is noncompliant with the MBTA Communities Act. The ruling may determine whether dozens of resistant communities, including Marblehead, will face legal action.

“Regardless of whether we hear from the SJC, it will be on the warrant,” Fox said.

“Hopefully by then we’ll have a clear and concise ruling.”

ZONING, P. A7

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ECONOMIC IMPACT

Climate events cause big jump in home insurance premiums

BY LEIGH BLANDER Due to climate events, some Marblehead residents say they have seen significant spikes in their home insurance premiums while others are having difficulty buying new policies. Nationally, many homeowners are being dropped by their home insurance agencies, according to a recent study commissioned by the U.S. Congress.

“We were paying $4,000, and suddenly it went to $7,000,” said Eileen Mathieu, who lives in the Clifton neighborhood. “We called our agent and she told us, ‘It’s because you’re coastal.’ But we live half a mile from Forest River and a mile from Preston Beach.”

Mathieu isn’t alone. Local Realtor and Select Board member Dan Fox said home insurance premiums are jumping 40-50% in some cases. The increase is largely due to climate events like wildfires, hurricanes and flooding across the country.

“When people buy a new home, getting new insurance policies is very difficult,” Fox added. “Some of the standard companies flat out will not write policies if you’re within 2 miles of the coast.

That’s pretty much everyone in Marblehead.”

Dropped policies

The congressional investigation, which the New York Times obtained last month, revealed that more insurance companies are dropping properties in areas with climate-related risks like

COURTESY PHOTO / BRUCE DURKEE

Some Marblehead homeowners are being hit with increases in insurance premiums, even if they don’t live on the water.

flooding, wildfires and hurricanes.

Massachusetts’ non-renewal rate was fifth highest in the country in 2023. The Cape and Islands were most impacted.

In Essex County, one in 64 policies were not renewed, a 31.9% increase over 2018.

While numbers are not available specifically for Marblehead, local insurance agent Bill Garrity said there are still “plenty of carriers that are involved on the coast.

Some have pulled back, mostly in Barnstable County, but not as much here in Essex County.”

Garrity pointed out that Massachusetts has a robust state-backed insurance system, called FAIR, for homeowners who cannot get private insurance.

Premiums spike

Garrity said home insurance premiums have jumped by up to 25% in the last couple of years due largely to national reinsurance companies that spread the cost of

the risk across clients nationwide.

“There’s an upward track because of wildfires and catastrophes across the United States,” Garrity explained.

“It’s really driven by what’s happening in other parts of the country. What happens in Texas, Florida and Kansas affects us here. It sucks up capacity in the reinsurance system.”

New floodplain maps for Marblehead Currently, about 219 acres, or 1.7% of Marblehead, is in a FEMA flood risk area. In January, FEMA is expected to update its flood maps. The town will be required to modernize its bylaws within six months to stay in compliance.

“If you want to be part of the national flood insurance program, you have to have updated regulations,” explained Town Planner Alex Eitler.

Eitler plans to bring proposed

bylaw changes to Town Meeting for approval in May. “The big change is that there will be a new permit that will be required for development in the floodplain overlay district,” he said.

Eitler added, “A lot of this is geared toward development.

Flood plain districts often restrict or highly regulate development … for people’s safety and for environmental reasons.”

Fox advised people to get a home insurance quote before buying a new home.

“Look at that as part of the total cost, along with your mortgage and taxes,” he said.

“It’s important to shop around to different brokerages and find the right fit.”

He added, “It’s also really important to look at the deal.

Cheaper doesn’t always mean better. Make sure that you look at the details — deductibles, wind coverage.”

Warning bell

Mathieu, who sits on Sustainable Marblehead’s board of directors, said the home insurance crisis is yet another example of climate change’s damaging impact.

“Whatever certain political figures might say about global warming, clearly the people who insure homes around the country are feeling the brunt of climate change and passing the cost along to consumers,” she said.

She added, “It’s the bell ringing.

This is coming.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

nEWS FOr PEOPLE, nOT FOr PrOFIT. CO-CHAIRPERSONS

Bob Peck Ed Bell NEWSROOM Editor - Leigh Blander

lblander@marbleheadnews.org

Community Editor - Will Dowd wdowd@marbleheadnews.org

Consulting Editor - Kris Olson kolson@marbleheadnews.org

Sports Reporter Joe McConnell

jmcconnell@marbleheadnews.org

Interns

Benji Boyd Grey Collins CONTRIBUTORS

Jo Ann Augeri Silva Stephen Bach Bob Baker Linda Bassett Nicole Goodhue-Boyd Laurie Fullerton James (Seamus) Hourihan Christine McCarriston Eyal Oren Pam Peterson Chris Stevens Lisa Sugarman BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Virginia Buckingham - President Gene Arnould Ed Bell Brian Birke Cheryl Byrne Robert Peck Donna Rice David Vigneron Richard Weed - Treasurer EDITORIAL BOARD

Ed Bell Brian Birke Virginia Buckingham Kris Olson Will Dowd Robert Peck Joseph P. Kahn DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Kathryn Whorf FOUNDERS

Jessica Barnett Ed Bell Leigh Blander Will Dowd David Moran Kris Olson DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

BY WILL DOWD

North of Boston Media Group

The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to wdowd@ marbleheadnews.org.

Marblehead News 217 Humphrey St. Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945 617-545-5445 info@marbleheadnews.org www.marbleheadCurrent.org

Tree bonfire set for Jan. 6

The town’s annual Christmas tree bonfire will return to Riverhead Beach on Monday, Jan. 6, at 6 p.m. Fire Chief Jason Gilliland and Department of Public Works Director Amy McHugh will coordinate curbside collection of trees from Dec. 26 through Jan. 3 for the community event.

Trees must be free of lights, ornaments and stands, and cannot be in plastic bags. Holiday wreaths, roping and garland won’t be collected.

While curbside pickup continues through Jan. 10, trees received after Jan. 3 won’t be part of the bonfire. After Jan. 10, residents must take trees to the town transfer station for disposal.

Apply for tax workoff program Marblehead seniors can apply for the 2025 Senior Tax WorkOff Program from Jan. 6-31. The program allows eligible residents to earn up to $2,000 in property tax credits through volunteer service.

Established under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59, Section 5K, the program offers up to 30 positions paying the state minimum wage of $15 per hour.

To qualify, applicants must be Marblehead residents aged 60 or older by Jan. 1, 2025, and homeowners using the credit for their primary residence. Income limits are $75,300 for singleperson households and $102,200 for two-person households.

Participants must complete conflict of interest training and pass a CORI check, with additional fingerprinting required for school placements.

All volunteer hours must be completed by Oct. 15, 2025.

Applications and forms are

CURRENT PHOTO / NICOLE GOODHUE-BOYD CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD

A scene from the 2024 Holocaust Remembrance Day held at Abbot Hall in January. The next remembrance will be Jan. 31.

available at the Judy & Gene Jacobi Community Center and online at marblehead.org. For more information, contact COA Director Lisa Hooper at 781-631-6225.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

NASCAP announces home energy assistance program North Shore Community Action Programs (NSCAP) is accepting applications for its Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps income-eligible households pay winter heating bills. The program covers costs from Nov. 1 through April 30.

Eligible households can receive: » Direct payments to heating vendors » 29% discount on National Grid utility bills » Protection from utility shut offs during winter » Possible no-cost energy efficiency improvements Income eligibility ranges from $49,196 for single-person households to $130,559 for eight-person households. The program serves residents of Salem, Peabody, Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Middleton and Topsfield.

First-time applicants must complete a phone interview.

Applications opened October 1, with a 6-8 week processing time.

Contact: 978-531-0767 ext. 136 or fuelassistance@nscap.org.

Snow ban emergency reminder The Marblehead Police Department is reminding residents about parking restrictions during snow

CURRENT PHOTO / NICOLE GOODHUE-BOYD

The Marblehead Select Board officially has opened the warrant for the 2025 annual Town Meeting, scheduled for May 5.

emergencies.

When a snow emergency is declared, vehicles, including boat trailers, must be removed from the streets to allow for snow removal and ensure road safety. Violators risk ticketing and towing as part of the town’s efforts to maintain clear and treated streets during icy conditions.

Residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED alerts — marblehead.org/subscribe — to stay informed about snow emergencies. The overnight parking ban for the 2024-25 winter season is now in effect.

Holocaust Remembrance Day Ceremony set for Jan. 31 Marblehead will hold its third annual Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at noon on Jan. 31 at Abbot Hall. The Select Board approved the 30-minute ceremony at the request of the Task Force Against Discrimination. Rabbi Michael Schwartz of Temple Sinai and Rabbi Jenn Mangold of Temple Emanu-El will lead the observance. Mangold will also conduct a special Shabbat service that evening to honor Holocaust victims.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

2025 Transfer Station/ beach stickers available Transfer Station and beach stickers are now available for purchase online and in person at the Health Department Office, 7 Widger Road. The stickers are $100 and $40 for each subsequent car in the household. More info is available at marblehead.org/

The annual Christmas tree bonfire at Riverhead Beach is scheduled for Jan. 6.

board-health/health-department.

Health & Wellness Fair set for Jan. 18 The Marblehead Board of Health will host the 2025 Wellness Fair on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St. Residents can explore a variety of wellness programs, information and services offered by local vendors and providers.

For more information, contact the Health Department at 781631-0212 or email Health2@ marblehead.org.

Submit citizens petitions for 2025 warrant The warrant for the May 5, 2025 Town Meeting remains open for citizens petitions until Friday, Jan. 24. Town government boards and commissions have until noon Jan. 31 to submit their own articles. Town Meeting, which serves as the legislative body for Marblehead, enables residents to vote on key matters such as budgets, bylaws, home-rule petitions and resolutions.

To place an article on the warrant, registered voters must submit a petition with signatures from at least 10 registered voters.

Articles must fit within the scope of the Town Meeting’s warrant, which outlines the place, date and agenda, as required by local bylaws.

For residents seeking guidance, reach out to Town Moderator Jack Attridge at either jack@ allmarblehead.com or 781-8833200. Citizens are encouraged to start early, consult with town officials or legal counsel if needed and review past town meeting warrants for examples.

Marblehead Current is published every Wednesday by Marblehead News Group, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is mailed to all homes and businesses in Marblehead, MA 01945.

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 1, 2025 A3

GLOVER SCHOOL

Bee-Bots help second graders learn coding

Jane Sullivan’s second-grade class may include some of the world’s future tech innovators.

CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER

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YEAR IN REVIEW

Favorite photos of 2024

BY RICK CUZNER, EYAL OREN AND GREY COLLINS The Current asked its photographers to choose their favorite images from 2024, illustrating a variety of events and scenes. Enjoy!

“The appearance of the northern lights in May was an unexpected opportunity. I captured this image at Chandler Hovey Park, where the vivid green and purple lights created a stunning natural display.” — Eyal Oren

“Receiving a call from Bette Hunt about an owl sighting was a highlight of my year.

Photographing it perched in this amazing chimney setting was a truly memorable experience.” — Rick Cuzner

“I chose the photo I took of a Fourth of July sailboat regatta because it captures a hilarious moment when a racer falls into the water. It was a really fun event to cover.” — Grey Collins

“I picked the photo of the fire department’s event at the community center because it was a fun event to cover, and because it was great to see everyone splashing around and having a good time in the water.” — Grey Collins

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 1, 2025 A5

“The photo of the seals lounging off the Marblehead coast is special because I love seeing the diverse marine life around our area. It’s a reminder of the beauty and abundance of nature close to home.” — Rick Cuzner

“Photographing a football game at Fenway Park was an incredible experience. This capture shows the energy and intensity of the game, as Marblehead battled for control of the ball.” — Eyal Oren

“Being on the floor at TD Garden to capture Marblehead’s basketball team in action was unforgettable. This photo highlights both the skill of the players and the excitement of playing in such an iconic arena.” — Eyal Oren

“I picked the photo of this rally with Marblehead, Beverly and Gloucester teachers at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester because it was a powerful moment when the communities came together around our teachers. When I took it, I felt really proud of our community for uniting to reach a common goal.” — Grey Collins

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

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A6 Wednesday, January 1, 2025 Marblehead Current

Opinion EDITORIAL

Leading by listening in 2025 Color us optimistic that the new year will usher in a better era of leadership based on purposeful, openminded listening. What has us in such a half-glass-full mindset at the cusp of the new year? It’s the promising approach the School Committee took to figuring out how to balance the need to make up the school days missed because of the teacher strike with the imposition on families of changing the calendar.

Kudos to School Committee member Alison Taylor whose impetus it was to work with interim Superintendent John Robidoux to send out a survey to parents (and teachers) to get their input on how to make up the time. Some 1,700 individuals, the vast majority parents or guardians, weighed in. The decision to reject adding school on Saturday can be attributed largely to a loud parental “no-go,” though that’s the route neighboring Beverly took.

No February vacation and a shortened April break, along with concluding school a couple weeks before the Harbor Illumination (knock on wood, the superstitious among us might say give the fate of that tradition last year) is a painful but necessary result of the 11 days missed because of the strike.

We’re also supportive of the position of Sarah Fox and others who argued that the absentee policy should be nullified, at least for those added school calendar days families hadn’t planned on. We agree with Robidoux, however, that there’s no need to cancel the policy for all absences the rest of the year. That seems like overkill that could worsen concerning absenteeism.

We hope the rest of the town’s leaders take note of the School Committee’s purposeful outreach to constituents as they confront multiple complex issues in the year ahead.

Listening well is Leadership 101, and we look forward to a year full of more of it.

Happy New Year one and all.

The members of the Current’s editorial board are Ed Bell, who serves as chairman, and Virginia Buckingham, both members of the Current’s board of directors; Kris Olson and Will Dowd, members of the Current’s editorial staff; and Robert Peck and Joseph P. Kahn.

Peck is an attorney, former chairman of Marblehead’s Finance Committee and a former Select Board member. Kahn is a retired Boston Globe journalist.

LETTERS POLICY The Current welcomes letters to the editor and strives to represent a range of viewpoints on our opinion pages.

Generally, letters should not exceed 500 words.

Letters over the word limit may be returned to the writer for editing.

Writers may be given more leeway to criticize national political candidates and other public figures.

However, in all cases, letter writers should refrain from name calling and personal attacks and instead focus on the substance of matters of public concern.

Letter writers may be asked to substantiate claims that do not relate to information previously published in the Current.

While we will make every effort to let writers have their say, we reserve the right not to publish letters.

Letters must include: The author’s name. Unsigned letters and form letters will not be published.

The name of the street on which the author lives in Marblehead. Only the street name will be published next to the author’s name – not their full address.

The author’s daytime/cell phone number for verification purposes (not publication).

Letters must be received by our newsroom directly from their writers (for special circumstances, contact the newsroom). Email submissions to info@ marbleheadnews.org or use the submission form found at marbleheadcurrent.org/letters.

Some letters may be shared to social media. We will share a wide array of viewpoints.

Letters must be received by noon on Friday in order to be printed in the following week’s print edition.

MY MARBLEHEAD FIRST TIME

A farm boy’s basketball dream

BY COURT MERRIGAN

Larry Bird was my favorite basketball player as a kid. I liked him so much I read his autobiography, “Drive,” and did a book report on it for school. I suppose I felt some kinship with the kid from French Lick, Indiana, who led an iconic basketball franchise to glory.

Now, I wasn’t near the gym rat that Bird was, but I did spend a fair amount of time shooting hoops. Growing up on the farm, a trip into town to the gym wasn’t always feasible. So my dad poured a concrete pad above the corrals that measured maybe 20 feet by 20, and planted a basketball hoop at one end. Back when he had been playing ball at the seminary in the early ‘60s, there hadn’t been a three-point line, and it didn’t occur to him to make the pad big enough for one. So I used to stand in the gravel beyond the concrete to take threes like Larry Legend. An airball meant chasing the basketball into the weeds, so you had to be serious to take that shot. A really wild shot meant the ball rolled into the corral, where cattle regularly did what cattle do, and your ball might get smeared up in a cow patty.

That wasn’t the only hazard to playing ball on an outdoor court on the high plains. The puncture vines we knew as “goatheads” grew in abundance in the gravel barnyard. The only way to keep them back was hand-to-hand combat armed with a hoe. But there they grew in abundance and usually gained the upper hand as summer progressed.

So if you weren’t on point with your rebounds, the ball would end up in the goatheads and you’d be pumping up a flat ball.

Also, the court was directly across the way from the chicken coop. The chickens had the run of the barnyard, and from time to time one of the critters would answer nature’s call on my basketball court. Sure, I might have cleaned up the constant mess before shooting hoops or, as young boys are wont to do, I would skip that part and seek to dribble around the droppings.

This is the farm boy way to improve your ball handling skills.

All this was going on while Larry Bird led the Celtics to glory. The farm was a long, long way from the Garden, so I never got to see him play, but I did

COURTESY PHOTO

Columnist Court Merrigan, with his back to the camera, plays basketball circa 1989.

follow his exploits in the paper and then went out to imitate him in the barnyard.

So you’d think after all of this practice with farm-grown hazards, I’d have developed some Larry-like skills. Not so much, unfortunately. Like Larry, I was pretty slow afoot but unlike my hero, I did not have a killer jump shot. Nor did my practice on gravel-based threepointers translate to the hardwood. In high school, I made the freshman squad and then somehow squeaked onto the sophomore team. I played sparingly but mostly I was just happy to be there. A week before tryouts my junior year, the varsity coach called me in and asked if I had considered training for spring track that winter instead of basketball.

Message received, coach.

And it wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that I finally made it to the Garden.

I took my son because why should he have to wait a lifetime? My previous experience of the Garden consisted of a quick glance at the façade from Interstate 93 while trying to not get killed getting onto Storrow Drive. I

confess I thought I was going to get to see that famous old parquet floor; somehow I missed the memo that it had been torn up back in 1999. But that was the only disappointment I experienced.

The whiz bang light show, the thumping music, the superhuman exertions of the athletes, the nonstop action of the game itself ... what a show! And there in the rafters hung the banners Larry Legend helped win.

I pointed this out to my son, who nodded dutifully at the history lesson but was vastly more interested in the modern-day Celtics, busy trouncing Detroit out on the court. A ball player himself, my son likes to shoot the threes like the NBA stars. He has only the slightest inkling who Larry Legend is and he’s never enhanced his dribbling skills by dodging chicken droppings.

The game moves on, as they say. And as for me, well, I’m still just happy to be here.

Email Court Merrigan at court. merrigan@gmail.com with ideas for future Marblehead First Time columns.

‘Brushing’ scam targets online shoppers

BY STEPHEN BACH In a usual work day, The Docs see all manner of compromised computers and scams. It’s a very real threat to consumers all over the world. It has been recently brought to our attention about a new and very real threat called “brushing.” The Better Business Bureau warns about this scam, where consumers receive packages they didn’t order from online retailers like Amazon.

In this scheme, third-party sellers send items to random addresses, then post fake positive reviews under the recipient’s name to boost their product ratings.

This practice indicates that the scammers have obtained personal information, such as names and addresses, which could be misused in other fraudulent activities.

The BBB advises recipients of

unsolicited packages to: » Notify the retailer: Contact customer service to report the incident. » Monitor personal accounts: Check for unauthorized activity and change passwords if necessary. » Report the incident: Use platforms like the BBB Scam Tracker to alert authorities.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, recipients are legally allowed to keep unsolicited merchandise. However, it’s crucial to remain vigilant, as receiving such packages suggests that personal

information may have been compromised.

In many cases, these unsolicited packages may contain QR codes.

Scanning these codes can lead to phishing websites or downloads that infect devices with malware. Do not be tempted to scan the QR code, as that is how the criminals will get your information.

The BBB advises caution when encountering QR codes from unknown sources. Always verify the source before scanning to protect your personal information.

We are in a unique position to see these real-time threats “up close and personal.” The best advice The Docs can give is to always be vigilant about scams, pop-ups and emails you don’t recognize. The internet is a wonderful place, but it’s also a source of criminal activity designed to get you to part with your hard-earned money. Until next time: be safe out there.

Stephen Bach is the owner and chief of surgery at The Digital Docs.

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 1, 2025 A7

ABBOT PUBLIC LIBRARY

Most checked-out books of 2024

BY WILL DOWD Circulation at Marblehead’s Abbot Public Library surged in August 2024, marking the highest monthly numbers since before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2019, according to the library’s executive director, Kimberly Grad.

The library’s programming has also rebounded strongly, with 125 teen and adult programs drawing approximately 2,500 attendees. Children’s events brought in more than 500 participants across 22 monthly activities.

Publishing the Abbot Public Library’s most checked out books has become an annual tradition.

For 2024, Grad compiled the following titles, representing a diverse range of storytelling — from contemporary romance to historical fiction. ‘Headers’ reading habits reflect both national bestsellers and local favorites across adult, teen and children’s categories.

Adult fiction top 5

“Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett: During the spring 2020 lockdown at a northern Michigan orchard, Lara’s three daughters urge her to recount her past romance with actor Peter Duke. As she shares, the daughters gain new insights into their own lives and their relationship with their mother.

“Iron Flame” by Rebecca Yarros: At Basgiath War College,

CURRENT ILLUSTRATION / WILL DOWD

Violet Sorrengail endures brutal training under a harsh vice commandant who pressures her to betray her love. As ancient secrets emerge, Violet’s survival depends on her determination and wit.

“The Covenant of Water” by Abraham Verghese: Spanning three generations in Kerala, South India, starting in 1900, a Christian family faces a curse of drowning deaths in each generation.

Amidst societal changes, faith and love remain their constants.

“Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros: In a world where riding dragons is an elite military pursuit, a young woman

trains at a ruthless academy, confronting both combat challenges and political intrigue, determined to defy expectations.

“The Women” by Kristin Hannah: In 1965, nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath joins the Army Nurse Corps in Vietnam. Her wartime experiences and return to a divided America reshape her views on heroism, sacrifice and women’s societal roles.

Teen fiction top 5 “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas: Feyre, a human huntress, is taken to a magical realm after killing a faeriedisguised wolf. Navigating

the High Fae world, she develops feelings for her captor, Tamlin, while uncovering dark threats and an ancient curse.

“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak: Narrated

by Death, this story follows Liesel Meminger in Nazi Germany. Living with foster parents, she learns to read and shares stolen books during bombing raids, creating hope amid despair.

“Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas: Eighteenyear-old assassin Celaena Sardothien competes for her freedom by serving as the Crown Prince’s champion. Facing deadly opponents and mysterious deaths, she must uncover the evil source before it

destroys them all.

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” by Jenny Han: Sixteen-year-old Belly’s summer at a beach house brings new dynamics with childhood friends.

She navigates first love, heartbreak and the shift from friendship to romance.

“One of Us is Lying” by Karen M. McManus: Five students enter detention; only four leave alive. As secrets unravel, each student becomes a suspect in a gripping mystery of deception and intrigue.

Children’s top selections

Nonfiction: “Where’s Waldo? Double Trouble at

the Museum” by Martin Handford: An innovative search-and-find book where readers spot Waldo and identify differences between paired museum scenes, enhancing observational skills.

Picture book: “If I Built a School” by Chris Van Dusen: Young Jack imagines a dream school with hover desks, a zoo and a unique cafeteria, showcasing how creativity can transform everyday spaces.

Fiction: “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School”

by Jeff Kinney: Greg Heffley navigates life when his town unplugs from modern technology, leading to humorous situations that test his adaptability.

Nonfiction: “Amazing But True! Fun Facts About the LEGO World — And Our Own!” by Elizabeth Dowsett: Combining LEGO with real-world facts, this book presents surprising information about science, nature and technology, linking play with learning.

Picture book: “Busy Betty and the Circus Surprise” by Reese Witherspoon: Betty plans an elaborate circus-themed party but must adapt when realizing a scheduling mistake, learning lessons in creativity and problem-solving.

To explore these titles and discover more, Grad encourages patrons and community members to visit the Abbot Public Library, 235 Pleasant St., or browse their online catalog at abbotlibrary.org.

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

Town approves $63K digitization project to preserve town records

BY WILL DOWD The Marblehead Select Board recently approved a $63,947.75 digitization project that will transform decades of town engineering and planning documents into searchable digital files, marking a significant modernization of town records management.

The project, funded through American Rescue Plan Act money, will digitize approximately 35 file drawers of engineering files and 102 bound notebooks containing 30-100 double-sided pages each. The initiative also includes scanning regulatory board files from multiple town departments, including the Conservation Commission, Planning Board

Zoning From P. A1

Defeat last spring

Last May, Town Meeting voters narrowly rejected, by a 33-vote margin, a Planning Board proposal to create three, multifamily housing districts on Tioga Way, Pleasant Street and Broughton Road. The plan zoned for the housing but did not mandate that it be built. The new zoning would have allowed up to 600 new units of housing.

Fox emphasized that the Planning Board’s proposal will not change.

and Zoning Board of Appeals.

“We keep producing documents, and at some point, there’ll be more documents than there is floor space,” Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer explained during the Dec. 11 Select Board meeting.

“There’d be no space for people.”

The digitization project is structured in three phases.

Phase 1 focuses on scanning all engineering files and developing a method for digital access.

Phase 2 involves creating a stepby-step system for scanning and indexing regulatory files in-house. The final phase encompasses scanning historical regulatory board files from multiple departments.

The town specified in

its request for proposal that approximately 80,000 documents need to be digitized.

The project requires the scanning vendor to implement optical character recognition technology, making the documents searchable. The town opted for a cloud-based records management system that will allow both staff and resident access to important documents.

The initiative ties into larger space optimization efforts at Mary Alley Municipal Building. In a meeting with the Current, Kezer detailed ongoing renovations to create more efficient office spaces by removing document storage areas: “We’re making a significant effort to go

through every nook and cranny and remove all of the stored documents that we can out of Mary Alley.”

Two classrooms at the Eveleth School will temporarily house documents during the digitization process. The town plans to set up scanning stations there for departments to continue digitizing records beyond this initial project.

This modernization effort aims to improve both staff efficiency and public access to records. Currently, residents must physically visit town offices to view many historical documents and plans. The new system will allow remote access to these materials while protecting the originals from wear and tear.

“The Planning Board and consultants came up with a really good plan that allows for some growth but also controls it,” he said.

critic Anthony Chamay.

He added: “Many of us who have observed our political leadership’s handling of migrant housing are concerned that state leaders will fill new housing with unwelcome foreigners.”

Housing advocates say that compliance will bring benefits to Marblehead residents of all ages and income levels by creating more housing options.

Heated debate

Opposition to MBTA Communities Act compliance remains vocal. Some residents argue that last May’s Town Meeting vote should be respected as democratic decision-making, and revisiting it undermines that process.

Critics also express concern about state overreach, suggesting the law infringes on

COURTESY PHOTO / TERRI TAURO

Filing cabinets containing decades of Marblehead’s engineering, planning and regulatory board documents will soon be emptied and their contents digitized as part of a project recently approved by the Select Board.

Opponents of the MBTA Communities Act demanded at a September meeting that the Select Board not call another zoning vote.

local zoning control.

“I believe the most effective way to alleviate the problem

is coordination with local designers and builders and provide local incentives,” said

Visit MarbleheadCurrent.org and its special MBTA Communities Act landing page for a comprehensive list of articles, editorials and letters to the editor on this topic.

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A8 Wednesday, January 1, 2025 Marblehead Current

Thankful for friendships

Grateful

to serve Marblehead seniors

Together at The Mariner

To learn more about The Mariner, Call Jill: 781.731.1583

Discover Marblehead’s first and only Senior Living Community Independent Living, Assisted Living & Avita Memory Care 265 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, MA MarinerMarblehead.com

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

FINAL-17 CP_MBHC_20250101_1_A09 Sun, Dec 29, 2024 4:17:24 PM

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 1, 2025 A9

Sports 2024 IN SPORTS

State hockey champs, Thanksgiving at Fenway, softball’s Final Four appearance, new AD highlights

BY JOE MCCONNELL Throughout any year, hundreds of games, meets and matches are played in every community. They can be as important as state high school championships all the way down to that youth sports title that’s just as significant to those athletes just starting out.

Marblehead had all of that and much more in 2024, and to narrow that down to the top 10 is never an easy task, so don’t blame us if there was an omission. Email us instead at jmcconnell@marbleheadnews. org with your favorite local sports event that took place during the last 12 months. But in the meantime, here are our best 2024 Marblehead sports picks.

COURTESY PHOTO / EYAL OREN, WEDNESDAYS IN MARBLEHEAD

A bunch of Football Magicians proudly pose for a photo after beating longtime Thanksgiving rival Swampscott handily, 42-6, on Thanksgiving Eve at Fenway Park.

COURTESY PHOTO

CURRENT PHOTO / NICOLE GOODUE-BOYD

Piper Field, Marblehead’s crown jewel of playing surfaces, after the installation of its new turf back in August.

After defeating Nauset in a barnburner, 1-0, Marblehead High boys hockey captain Hogan Sedky and his teammates are all smiles while posing with the Division 3 state championship trophy at the TD Garden on St. Patrick’s Day last March.

10. Piper gets a facelift

sudden passing of longtime his assistant coach Todd Norman, just hours before the 2024 opener against non-league host Reading. They channeled their emotions quite well to win this game for Todd going away, 9-3.

The winning also continued straight through June, but more on that later on in this 2024 Top 10 sports list.

Norman was head coach Johnny Gold’s right hand man on the softball diamond for 18 years. He took care of the third base coaching duties, while also doubling as the team’s pitching coach. But he was more of a friend to Gold than anything else throughout the past two decades. When news broke of his sudden passing early that Monday morning in April at the age of 61, it naturally shook Gold, as well as the entire Marblehead High sports community.

Just in time for the start of the 2024 fall season, workers were putting the finishing touches on the new turf at the Christopher Piper Memorial Field in early August. The Marblehead High School (MHS) boys and girls soccer, field hockey and of course football were the immediate beneficiaries of the state-of-the-art playing surface.

The Marblehead Boosters raised more than $800,000 for the turf.

Besides these high school squads, adult men’s soccer, boys and girls lacrosse in the spring, and flag and youth football also have use of the facility.

9. MHS gets new AD

A familiar face around the Marblehead sports community for decades was chosen as the new MHS athletic director by COURTESY PHOTO the school New MHS athletic committee. director Kent Kent Wheeler.

Wheeler, the founder, program director and coach of the Marblehead / Swampscott American Legion Post 57 Baseball Mariners, was named the new MHS athletic director effective July 1, replacing Greg Ceglarski.

7. Williams earns NEC girls indoor track MVP award At the conclusion of the Northeastern Conference girls indoor track season in March, LeDaisha Williams received its Athlete of the Year girls MVP award after helping lead the Magicians to the top spot in the annual NEC Meet.

Williams went undefeated in the 300 during the regular season, before going on to finish first once again in this event at the NEC Championship Meet with a time of 42.0.

6. Former MHS quarterback chosen as Gatorade’s Football Player of the Year COURTESY PHOTO

Marblehead High softball coach Johnny Gold, left, poses with his longtime assistant Todd Norman, who passed away suddenly last April.

8. Longtime MHS softball assistant coach passes away On the morning of April 8, the Marblehead High softball team was saddened to learn of the

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

Former MHS football and basketball star Miles O’Neill was selected as Gatorade’s New Jersey Football Player of the Year after leading The Hun Prep School Miles O’Neil Raiders to an 8-1 record and the Mid-Atlantic

COURTESY PHOTO / CAT PIPER

Marblehead senior captain LeDaisha Williams runs down the final stretch to complete the victory in the 4x400 during the Division 3 state relays on Jan. 21 at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center in Roxbury.

Williams earned the NEC girls indoor track Athlete of the Year award two months later.

COURTESY PHOTO

Greta Sachs poses with her coach Killeen Miller after receiving the All-State plaque.

Prep League (MAPL) championship.

The 6-foot-5 senior quarterback was a standout on the gridiron at The Hun School to earn this nationwide honor.

O’Neill threw for 2,100 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was also named the MAPL Offensive Player of the Year.

(Grades 5-6). The Pelicans were undefeated heading into the finals, but the Spurs won the opener to force the deciding game. The Magic also needed two games to beat the Raptors to secure the top prize in the Varsity League (Grades 7-8).

4. Sachs makes Division 2 All-State volleyball team MHS junior volleyball player Greta Sachs made the Division 2 All-State team, before going to the showcase tournament to play with and against her elite counterparts from around the state on Nov. 18 at Westborough High, followed by the awards show.

3. Thanksgiving at Fenway

COURTESY PHOTO

The Hoosiers’ August DiCicco drives to the basket for one of his many points in the College League championship game (Grades 3-4) against the Bruins last March. But the Bruins ended up winning the title, 28-17.

5. MYBA crowns championship teams after historic season On March 7, the Marblehead Youth Basketball Association’s historic town season came to a thrilling close after playing over 400 games, featuring 300 total players in three divisions. It was by far the largest turnout ever, according to league president Bob Lemmond.

For the record, the Bruins, the regular season champs, won the College League title (Grades 3-4) over the Hoosiers, 28-17.

The Pelicans defeated the Spurs in two games to win the Junior Varsity league championship

In many respects, longtime Thanksgiving football rivals Swampscott and Marblehead already had memorable campaigns. The Big Blue (8-2) went all the way to the Division 6 state semifinal game, before losing to Fairhaven, while the football Magicians (7-3) were knocked off by host Grafton in a Division 4 Elite 8 game. But they quickly got over those postseason defeats, because they knew they were about to make history.

Both teams have been facing each other for over 100 years on Thanksgiving, but this year was definitely going to be different. Instead of playing at Piper Field, they were at Fenway Park, America’s Most Beloved Ballpark, on Thanksgiving Eve. The Magicians ended up toppling the Big Blue, 42-6, but the final score was not as important as the venue itself. It was just a thrilling experience for both coaches and players alike on both sides, not to mention thousands of their loyal fans who showed up to take it all in.

COURTESY PHOTO

Marblehead shortstop Hailey Schmitt camps under a popup during an Elite 8 Division 2 state tournament game in June.

2. Softball team advances to the Final Four The MHS softball team began the season on a somber note, when its longtime assistant coach Todd Norman passed away suddenly, just hours before the season opener at Reading. They, however, used the passing as motivation to play the season for Todd.

Coach Johnny Gold’s team (21-5) ended up making history for the program by compiling the most single-season wins with 21. Each win carried them to the Division 2 state semifinals, where they lost to Westfield in extra innings (eight) at Worcester State University in June, 3-2.

1. Hockey Headers celebrate state title at TD Garden It was perhaps the biggest turnaround by one team in the same season.

After starting the 2023-24 campaign off with six straight losses and 2-8 in the first 10 games, the Hockey Headers (17-9-1) went on to defeat Nauset in the Division 3 state title game on St. Patrick’s Day at TD Garden, 1-0. It was the program’s second statewide conquest in 13 years.

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A10 Wednesday, January 1, 2025 Marblehead Current

ROUNDUP

Shorthanded grapplers rise to occasion to finish fifth in Ocean State tournament

BY JOE MCCONNELL A trip to Mt. Hope High School in Bristol, Rhode Island. to participate in the Sharon Lombardo Tournament proved to be worthwhile for the Marblehead/Swampscott Black & Blue wrestlers on Dec. 21.

Coach Mike Stamison brought 13 wrestlers to the Ocean State.

They were missing some starters and primary backups, but still placed fifth out of 14 teams.

At 132 pounds, junior captain Liam O’Brien went 3-0 heading into the final round against a familiar foe Aiden DeCoste of Gloucester to win. He ended up losing a close match to his NEC/CAL counterpart to come in second. After this match, O’Brien was 9-2 on the season, and was ranked 13th in the AllState rankings.

At 138 pounds, junior Devin DiBarri (4-2) wrestled some of the best matches of his career to earn a fourth-place finish.

“If he stays committed on his (opportunities), he’s going to be a problem for opponents, because of his length,” said Stamison.

At 150 pounds, senior captain Clive Connolly came in sixth.

Senior captain Mason Hinshaw had a great day, pinning his way into the finals in the 157-pound weight class, before engaging in an absolute battle against Nick Ferro of Natick to win that showdown, 18-11. Hinshaw extended his record to 10-1, and was seeded fourth the in AllState rankings.

At 165 pounds, sophomore Graham Ferretti made his varsity debut, and he recorded the win with a pin.

At 175 pounds, junior Phineas Jakious accounted for a fifthplace finish with wins over Natick, Holyoke and Davies Academy.

At 190 pounds, junior captain Colin Hart placed fourth wins over Durfee, Holyoke, Davies Academy and Mt. Pleasant.

At 285, senior captain Justin Gonzalez took second with pins against Gloucester and Waltham.

Kenny Drolette at 106 pounds, Jaymes Carey at 113, Nolan Glass at 144, Andrew Delisle at 150 and

COURTESY PHOTO

Here are some members of the Marblehead/Swampscott Black & Blue wrestling team, from left, second row, Colin Hart, Phineas Jakious, Lorenzo Gaudioso, Jaymes Carey, head coach Mike Stamison, Kenny Drolette, Clive Connolly, assistant coach Jeff Hinshaw, Maya Alix, assistant coach Rob Hopkins, Eva Goodman and Ilan Hod. First row, Liam O’Brien, Justin Gonzalez and Mason Hinshaw.

Xavier Tejeda at 215 also made their varsity debuts, and turned in solid performances.

Magicians take center stage in Peabody track meet The Marblehead High girls indoor track team (2-0-1) tied Peabody, 43-43, while the boys team dropped a 49-37 decision to the Tanners.

Girls high jump Paige Tredwell remains undefeated in the high jump after clearing 4-10. Elise Burchfield (4-6) came in third.

Boys high jump In their first high jump competition, freshmen Clark Roszell (5-4) and Noah Smerka (5-4) finished second and third, respectively against a talented Peabody squad.

Junior Alexander Humphreys (5-2) ended up fourth, and freshman Noah Vanden Heuvel cleared 5-0 to come in fifth.

Girls shot put Hannah O’Brien (25-5.5, personal best) missed third place by only two inches. Lillian Reddy (24-10.5) and Campbell Crane (20-2) also competed in this event for the Magicians.

Boys shot put Nardo Bannis (37-0.5, personal best) and Graham Firestone (36-3.5) and Dylan Gilmore (3511.75, personal best) were the Marblehead shot putters, along with Alex Humphreys (35-11.5).

Girls 55-meter hurdles Tredwell (9.26) came out on top, and Burchfield f(10.10).

Crane (12.20) was sixth.

Boys 55-meter hurdles It was a battle of the best in the conference between Peyton Smith (8.16) of Peabody and sophomore Noah Jackson (8.55).

They took the top spots, with Elian Colon (9.10) coming in third.

Girls 50-meter dash Sophomore Lucy Flynn (6.52) ran away with the win. Cora Gerson (7.13, second), and Zoe Dwyer (7.15, third) completed the sweep.

Boys 55-meter dash Ryan Corrigan broke the tape first. Jacob Bobowski came in third. Slater Johnson finished was right him in fourth place.

Girls mile Marri O’Connell (5:39.7, first), Sarah Munroe (5:59.2, third) and Thea Shaw were the Marblehead finishers.

MHS VARSITY SPORTS SCHEDULE Wednesday, Jan. 1 2 p.m., boys hockey, Hopkinton, New England Sports Center, Marlborough Thursday, Jan. 2 6:30 p.m., swimming/diving, Peabody, Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA Friday, Jan. 3 7 p.m., girls basketball, Masconomet, Marblehead High gym 7 p.m., boys basketball, Masconomet, Masconomet Regional High, Boxford Saturday, Jan. 4 9 a.m., wrestling, boys quad, North Attleboro High 6 p.m., boys hockey, Peabody, Salem State University Sunday, Jan. 5 3 p.m., gymnastics, Danvers, Yellow Jackets Gymnastics Club, Peabody Monday, Jan. 6 7 p.m., girls basketball, Peabody, Peabody Veterans Memorial High 7 p.m., boys basketball, Peabody, Marblehead High 7:30 p.m., girls hockey, Peabody, Salem State University Tuesday, Jan. 7 7 p.m., alpine skiing, TBA, Ski Ward Ski Area, Shrewsbury Wednesday, Jan. 8 6:30 p.m., wrestling, multiple schools, Marblehead High

7:30 p.m., boys hockey, Medford, Salem State University Thursday, Jan. 9 4:30 p.m., boys and girls indoor track, Masconomet, Gloucester High 6:30 p.m., girls basketball, Swampscott, Swampscott High 6:30 p.m., gymnastics, Bishop Fenwick, Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA 7 p.m., boys basketball, Swampscott, Marblehead High Friday, Jan. 10 7 p.m., swimming/diving, Masconomet, Gordon College, Beverly Saturday, Jan. 11 7:30 a.m., wrestling, TBA, Pelham High 11:30 a.m., girls basketball, Saugus, TD Garden, Boston Noon, swimming/diving, NEC League, Peabody-Lynnfield YMCA 2:30 p.m., boys hockey, Gloucester, Salem State University 6:40 p.m., girls hockey, Concord Carlisle, Edge Ice Arena, Bedford Monday, Jan. 13 7:15 p.m., gymnastics, Beverly, YMCA Sterling Center, Beverly 7:30 p.m., girls hockey, Gloucester, Salem State University Tuesday, Jan. 14

Boys mile Will Cerrutti (4:52.7, first) and Victor Pechhold (5:26.7, sixth) recorded points for Marblehead.

Girls 300 Ava Machado (46.1) bested the entire field. Gabby Hendy (48.6) came in third, and Lucy Church (49.3) was fourth.

Boys 300 Ethan Horgan (41.5) ended up third. Eben Weed (41.9) was fourth, and Graydon Waller (42.1) sixth.

Girls 600 Maggie Miller (1:53.1, first), Norah Walsh (1:58.9, fourth) and Juliet Birchfield (1:59.3, fifth) were the Marblehead runners.

Boys 600 Jacob Szalewicz (1:35.7) and Henrik Adams (1:36.8) topped the ticket. Sean Heenan (1:48.1) finished sixth.

Girls 1,000 Evie Becker (3:40.4) finished third. Avery Wysor (3:51.3, fourth) and Evelina Beletsky (3:51.6, fifth) ended up right behind her. Sophomores Ivana Nguyen (3:57) and Maddie Gelb (4:51) had personal bests in the JV race.

Boys 1,000 Will Cruikshank (2:58.1,

second) and David Alpert (3:14.6, fourth) ran for Marblehead in the boys race.

Girls two-mile Ruby Assa (13:24.9, 44-second personal best, second) ran an awesome race, according to coach Nolan Raimo. Jesslyn Roemer (13:27.4) finished right behind her in third place. Emma St. George (17:27.2) crossed the finish line in sixth place.

Boys two-mile Nate Assa (10:40) and Jonah Potach (10:58) topped the ticket.

Girls 4x400 With the meet on the line, Ava Machado, Gabby Hendy, Sarah Munroe and Marri O’Connell (4:30.6) finished second. “It was a gutty performance by all the girls,” said Raimo. “They all ran long sprints or distance races before, and even with tired legs, they still ran quality splits to barely lose.”

Boys 4x400 Marc Grazado, Will Cerrutti, Noah Jackson and Eben Weed (4:03) ran well to end up second.

Ethan Horgan, Will Cruikshank, Nate Jendrysik and Slater Johnson (4:07) finished just behind their teammates in third place.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT 6 p.m., girls basketball, Cristo Rey Boston, Dot House Gym, Dorchester 7 p.m., alpine skiing, TBA, Ski Ward Ski Area, Shrewsbury 7:15 p.m., swimming/diving, Gloucester, Cape Ann YMCA, Gloucester Wednesday, Jan. 15 4:30 p.m., girls and boys indoor track, multiple schools, Swampscott High 6:30 p.m., wrestling, Salem, Marblehead High gym 7 p.m., boys hockey, Methuen, Methuen High 7:30 p.m., girls hockey, Masconomet, Salem State University Thursday, Jan. 16 6:30 p.m., alpine skiing, TBA, Blue Hills Ski Area, Canton 6:30 p.m., gymnastics, Peabody, Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA Friday, Jan. 17 6:30 p.m., girls basketball, Danvers, Danvers High 7 p.m., boys basketball, Danvers, Marblehead High gym Saturday, Jan. 18 8 a.m., wrestling, varsity quad, Greater Lawrence Tech High 3 p.m., girls hockey, Medford, LaConte Rink, Medford 3 p.m., girls and boys indoor track, MSTCA Relay, Reggie Lewis Track, Roxbury

Current sports profile: Madison Smith-Miller

BY JOE MCCONNELL

NAME: Madison Smith-Miller AGE: 18 FAMILY: Parents Megan Griffin-Smith, Daniel Miller SCHOOL YEAR: Senior SPORTS: Cheerleading, gymnastics instructor FAVORITE SPORT, AND WHY: Three years ago, I decided to try out for cheerleading, (even though) I only had prior dance experience. Every girl on the team and my amazing coaches made me feel welcome from the beginning. It has been an honor to be a part of this incredible team with such talented girls.

MOST MEMORABLE GAME FOR YOU, AND WHY: This past Thanksgiving, when (the football team) beat Swampscott at Fenway Park. It was such an unforgettable last game for me.

PLANS FOR AFTER MHS: I’m still awaiting the decisions from various schools in New

England.

MAJOR: Health care management or psychology DO YOU WANT TO PLAY SPORTS IN COLLEGE: I plan to try out for the cheer team in college.

DESIRED CAREER: Healthcare management or school counselor

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CELEBRATING LEGACIES

For Kahn, chronicling death means celebrating life

BY WILL DOWD For 26 years, Marblehead resident Joe Kahn has approached each November and December like assembling an intricate puzzle — gathering hundreds of pieces throughout the year to craft the Boston Globe’s annual Notable Deaths roundup.

“I think of it around the end of November, around Thanksgiving, I’m sitting at a table with a 500piece jigsaw puzzle,” said Kahn from his Marblehead home. “All the pieces are out there, and I’ve kept all the pieces, and now I gotta fit them together.”

After more than a quarter century chronicling the passing of luminaries both local and global, Kahn is filing his final year-end retrospective for the Globe. Since taking over the franchise in 1998 from legendary Globe reporter Marty Nolan, Kahn has chronicled the deaths of thousands — from world leaders and cultural icons to beloved local figures who shaped Boston’s civic life.

Among Kahn’s most memorable obituaries was his coverage of F. Lee Bailey, the larger-than-life defense attorney who faced his own legal troubles.

“I had a lot of fun writing Bailey’s obit,” Kahn said, noting the challenge of balancing the lawyer’s brilliant career with later controversies, including the loss of his Florida law license.

He also fondly recalled writing about Chet Curtis, a local TV news anchor from the 1980s era when “local anchor teams were serious celebrities, serious

CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD

Joe Kahn, seated in his Marblehead home, reflects on decades of crafting the Boston Globe’s annual Notable Deaths feature, with past editions spread before him, a testament to the lives and legacies he’s chronicled.

rock stars” comparable to “Red Sox stars.” More recently, Kahn wrote the page-one obituary for Sarah Ann Shaw, the pioneering first Black on-air TV news reporter at WBZ in the late 1960s. While he’s penned advance obituaries for several music figures he can’t yet name, Kahn particularly relished assignments covering sports and music personalities.

“When I’m tossing in sports or music,” he said, “I’m really happy.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The year-end tradition began under former Globe editor Tom Winship, with Nolan penning expansive packages that often spanned two full pages when

the paper’s circulation topped 750,000 on Sundays. Nolan’s version had a distinctly Boston flavor, written as if reminiscing about departed friends at an Irish pub on New Year’s Eve, said Kahn.

When Nolan left to teach at Stanford, he recommended Kahn as his successor. Though they barely knew each other, Nolan appreciated Kahn’s writing style.

“I wasn’t gonna say ‘no,’” Kahn recalled. “It was never my MO as a Globe staffer to say no to anybody.”

His meticulous process began each January, tracking obituaries in the Globe, New York Times, Washington Post and online

sources. He maintains running lists, instinctively noting those likely to appear in the main narrative versus the appended categories listing hundreds of additional names.

“I don’t let more than a week go by when I don’t write down names and brief descriptions of people who I think are going to be in it,” Kahn said.

The feature has evolved from its origins, now typically including 40-50 subjects in the main narrative and hundreds more in categorized lists below.

Kahn’s criteria for inclusion centers on what he calls “consequential lives” rather than “mere notability.”

Blaisdell of Venice, Florida. His brother, Pastor Roger Blaisdell, predeceased him.

Born in Marblehead, Blaisdell spent his early years “messing around in boats,” developing a

deep attachment to life by the sea. As a youngster, he worked as a handyperson on antique buildings in old town, learning boat and home maintenance from his father.

In 1960, his family relocated to southern California where he attended high school in La Jolla and earned a bachelor’s in history at University of California, Santa Barbara.

During college, he supported himself through various jobs including foreign car repair, botany and driving a cab.

After graduation, Blaisdell was drafted and joined the U.S. Coast Guard. What began as a four-year commitment became a 21-year career, retiring as a lt. commander. His duties in the

first coast district included port safety, security, law enforcement and environmental response.

He served four years as captain of the port at Governors Island, New York, and as public affairs officer and admiral’s aide. After active service, he worked as operations manager for the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industries and later consulted for the FAA on safety issues.

Blaisdell and his family spent summers cruising Maine’s coast on their Hinckley sailboats: first Woodwind, then a Sou’wester 42, Pemaquid. A 50-year member of the Corinthian Yacht Club and The Down East Yacht Club, he enjoyed lobstering and Doliber Cove. He and Penny traveled

“That’s what makes the Globe’s a little distinctive from others, because they do incorporate local people,” he said. “It’s not just international and global, but it’s also local and regional.”

Working with longtime editor Mike Bailey, Kahn carefully calibrates the tone and space devoted to each figure. Some warrant full paragraphs in the opening section, others just a sentence mentioning their key achievements.

“I feel privileged to be able to do that,” Kahn said. “I’m doing it the way the Globe wants to present it at the end.”

Before joining the Globe in 1988, Kahn worked at Inc. magazine and Boston Magazine, developing his narrative style through feature writing. At the Globe, he wrote for the Living Arts section and Sunday Magazine while occasionally penning advance obituaries of notable figures.

With Bailey transitioning to new duties at the Globe, Kahn decided this year’s piece would be his last. His replacement is to be determined.

Though readers occasionally quibble about inclusions and omissions, he takes pride in meticulously documenting notable lives lost each year.

“Writing an obituary, you’re not really writing about the death. The death piece is maybe a sentence or two,” Kahn said.

“It’s the life piece that is what you’re writing.”

Kahn’s Notable Deaths roundup usually runs Jan. 1 in the Boston Globe.

OBITUARIES

Peter C. Blaisdell, 77 Peter Cranston Blaisdell died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease with Lewy Bodies on Dec. 19, at the Mariner in Marblehead.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Penny (Beverley) Robinson Blaisdell; his children, Benjamin Blaisdell of Marblehead and Betsy Blaisdell Sheppard of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; their spouses, Lacey Payne Blaisdell and Stewart Sheppard; and five grandchildren. He also leaves two brothers: Philip Blaisdell of Marblehead and Barry

Barbara R. (Flanzbaum) Meyer, 97 Barbara R. (Flanzbaum) Meyer, of Swampscott, formerly of Lake Worth, Florida, entered into rest Monday morning, Dec. 23, at the age of 97. She was the beloved wife of the late Marvin Meyer and devoted mother of Mark and Karen

Richard L. Salemi, 77 Richard L. Salemi, 77, passed away peacefully on Dec. 12 at his home in Marblehead.

Rich was born on January 14, 1947, in Boston, to the late Elias and Rose (Mazmanian) Salemi.

Rich grew up in Jamaica Plain and graduated from Boston Technical High School in 1964.

He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Northeastern University and worked for 33 years as an engineer for General Electric

Aircraft Engines.

In 1971, Rich married Janice (Boyajian) Salemi, whom he adored throughout 53 wonderful years of marriage. In 1976, they

Meyer of Marblehead and Debra and Marc Feinson of Wayne, New Jersey. She was the beloved grandmother of Mara and Jonathan Epstein and Ricki Meyer and Ariel Hech; and cherished great-grandmother of Hannah, Lily, Eli and Jonah. She was the loving sister of the late Ronna Miles and dear daughter of the late Edward and Shirley (Abrams) Flanzbaum.

Barbara grew up in Revere, graduated in 1945 from Revere High School and raised her family in Marblehead. She was a dedicated

moved to Marblehead where they raised their two children, Stephen and David. Rich loved the ocean and cherished spending moments on the water with his family, whether it be a day at Misery Island or fishing with his sons and, later, his grandson. Rich was a devoted father, who taught his sons the values of hard work, discipline, loyalty and decency.

Rich most enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.

He and Jan loved hosting holidays and entertaining, delighting guests with multicourse, home-cooked meals and lively conversation. Rich was

extensively, visiting all 50 states and destinations from Bali to Alaska.

Marblehead remained his favorite place, where he met Penny at the Landing Pub in 1972. Of her he said, “She was a perfect choice. Well... almost perfect. She loved Marblehead at first sight; she loved boating; she loved the Corinthian Yacht Club; and I am pretty sure she loved me.”

A celebration of life and military burial will be held in his backyard/Brown’s Island this summer. Donations may be made to Care Dimensions in honor of Peter Blaisdell: 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923.

member of Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott, past president of the Garden Club and a devoted member of Hadassah and B’nai Brith. She enjoyed playing bridge, mahjong and traveling the world with her husband Marvin. Barbara cherished her time spent with family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in her memory to the charity of your choice. For more information or to register in the online guestbook, please visit stanetskyhymansonsalem.com.

always willing to help others, and there was seemingly nothing that Rich did not know how to fix and, if he did not know, he would research it until he did.

Rich was an adoring and proud grandfather to Michael and Amelia and a constant and important presence in their lives.

He beamed watching Michael play football, baseball, basketball and lacrosse. His “Girl,” Amelia, turned the father of boys into a “girl” grandfather, their backand-forth banter always bringing a wide smile to his face. Michael and Amelia will always remember him teaching them to ride a bike, tinkering in his workshop with

him and swimming with him on Cape Cod. Rich is survived by his wife, Janice; his two children, Stephen Salemi and his wife, Nicole, of Marblehead, and David Salemi of New York, New York; his grandchildren, Michael and Amelia Salemi; his sister, Donna Podolsky; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

A celebration of Rich’s life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rich’s memory to the DanaFarber Cancer Institute (danafarber.org/donate). Memories and condolences may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com.

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A12 Wednesday, January 1, 2025 Marblehead Current

ARTS

MLT rings in the new year with ‘A View from the Bridge’

BY BENJI BOYD Actors, stage crew and directors down at Marblehead Little Theatre are putting the finishing touches on their upcoming production of “A View from the Bridge.”

The play will go live on January 17 and run for two weekends. Tickets are available at mltlive.com.

Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge” tells the story of an Italian American family and their Brooklyn community in the 1950s. When cousins from Italy arrive to stay with the Carbone family in their cramped apartment, tensions rise.

“How do we find commonality between different people? What is the experience of immigrating to the United States? How do you cope with being a part of a larger society while still holding on to your roots?”

According to director Kolton Bradley, these are questions put forth and grappled with throughout the course of the play.

Bradley believes that the themes of loyalty to a community and a

COURTESY PHOTO

An exhibit of Bobbie Wayne’s paintings will be on display at the Unitarian Universalist Church through January.

ARTS

Painter, songwriter to open gallery exhibit at UU Church

BY LEIGH BLANDER Bobbie Wayne will have an exhibit of her paintings at the Stetson Gallery in the Unitarian Universalist Church, 28 Mugford St., during the month of January.

Wayne was an abstract artist in New York City during the late 1970s and early ‘80s. She became a singer-songwriter in

Nashville and learned to play the harp.

She then took up portrait painting and spent a decade working as an award-winning realist painter in Gloucester.

Currently her work is available at Arnould Gallery, 111 Washington St., Marblehead. There will be a reception on Sunday, Jan. 5 , at the UU Church at noon. All are welcome.

MLT opens ‘A View from the Bridge’ on January 17.

collective will resonate with Marbleheaders.

“I think that when people see this story, they will be surprised by how topical it still is,” Bradley stated in an interview with the Current. “The themes really draw me in, and I hope they will draw the audience in.”

Bradley is a Boston University graduate with a master’s in directing. He has worked in numerous theaters around the Boston area, including the Lyric Stage Company and Gloucester Stage Company. This is his first

show with MLT. The cast of 14 is four weeks into its six-week rehearsal schedule.

Bradley’s approach to directing involves spending a few days to simply analyze the characters to understand their backstories. Bradley gives each of his actors three questions to explore about their characters to try to establish their “given circumstances:” who are they, where in space are they and why is their story important?

MLT is searching for two more actors to fill

the roles of ‘submarine one’ and ‘submarine two’, a pair of stowaways who have illegally immigrated to the United States.

The parts are for male presenting actors of any age and ethnicity. Anyone interested should send a headshot and resume to bradleykltn@gmail.com.

In addition to his cast, Bradley has been working closely with a crew of technical designers including Andrew Barnett, John Holmes, Sean Doyle, Elvira Schoenthal and stage manager Abbey Stefanov.

SUPPORT

COA launches Coffee with a Veteran program

BY LEIGH BLANDER The Marblehead Council on Aging is launching a new program, Coffee with

Now Open - Decorative Arts

a Veteran,” starting Friday, Jan. 10.

All veterans are invited to this monthly, informal gathering with new Veterans Services Agent Ro Trionfi-Mazzuchelli.

“This is our time — to speak freely without judgement and in confidence,” said TrionfiMazzuchelli. Vets can hare stories and ask questions about benefits.

COA Program Director Janice Salisbury-Beal, left, and new Veterans Agent Ro Trionfi-Mazzuchelli will lead a new Coffee with a Veteran program beginning this month.

COURTESY PHOTO / COA DIRECTOR LISA HOOPER

Materials will be handedout, with updates on veterans’ issues in the

Legislature.

The COA will publicize the monthly meeting in its bulletin.

Refreshments will be provided.

Specializing in 20th Century Fine Art from Picasso to Pizarro Visit our new gallery located at 100 Pleasant Street, Marblehead (Door across from the Blue Canoe)

Open Tuesday through Sunday 11am to 8pm 857.292.1984 www.DecorativeartsofBoston.com

Advertise your business in the Current

Thank you to all our wonderful patrons, friends & staff for making 2024 such a great year!

Looking forward to more great things in 2025!

We are on winter break from Jan 1-Jan 16

See you on Friday Jan 17th!

Contact Donna at mhdcurrentads@gmail.com or call 781-775-8333

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The Beacon Restaurant & Bar

123 Pleasant St. Marblehead MA 781-631-0180 thebeaconmarblehead.com

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Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 1, 2025 A13

SACRED SPACES

New committee working to restore crumbling Harris Street burial grounds

BY WILL DOWD Behind the Unitarian Universalist Church on Mugford Street, a trio of Harris Street cemeteries require extensive restoration. A stone wall at the Hooper Tomb has crumbled completely after its structure collapsed and subsequently was demolished due to safety concerns. Elsewhere, weathered gravestones lean at precarious angles, some cracked and sinking into uneven ground, while invasive vegetation threatens to consume the historic markers.

The cemeteries along Harris Street, dating from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, show years of neglect. Across the street from the Hooper Tomb (1805), the Martin Tomb (1827) and Harris Street Cemetery (formerly Pedrick Cemetery, 1762) fare a little better, with crumbling walls and tilting markers.

The Select Board recently established the Harris Street Cemeteries Committee to oversee restoration of these historic burial grounds.

The cemeteries represent a significant portion of Marblehead’s historic cemetery portfolio, which includes two active cemeteries — Waterside Cemetery and Harbor View Cemetery – and several other historic sites including Green Street Cemetery, Old Burial Hill and the Hathaway Tomb on Highland Terrace.

“Around 2019, the Hooper Tomb started showing signs of stress down by one of the corners,” said Harris Street resident David Bittermann, the new committee’s chair and retired National Park Service preservation architect. “By about 2022, there was actually a hole in the wall.”

After the town ultimately demolished the remaining wall, Bittermann noted the Historical

CURRENT PHOTOS / WILL DOWD

Sunlight streams over the gravestones at Harris Street Cemetery. The site sits behind the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead.

The damaged wall of Hooper Tomb, across from Harris Street Cemetery, shows the need for restoration addressed by the Harris Street Cemeteries Oversight Committee.

Commission “requested that all the stones be left there, because I think the possibility of its reconstruction restoration will be far greater with the stones left there on the site.”

Each of the Harris Street cemeteries has its own distinct history. The Pedrick Cemetery, now known as Harris Street Cemetery, dates to 1762 when Joseph Pedrick purchased the land. The Hooper Tomb was established in 1805 when Robert Hooper purchased land from Pedrick’s heirs for a family cemetery. The Martin Tomb was created in 1827 by the estate of

Capt. Thomas Martin Jr. on their land holdings fronting Harris Street.

The committee plans to follow the successful model of the Old Burial Hill Oversight Committee, which has overseen numerous restoration projects through a combination of public grants and private fundraising. That committee’s work is ongoing.

“The initial Old Burial Hill project got started through Becky Cutting as a grant through the Massachusetts Historical Commission,” said Pam Peterson, chair of the Marblehead Historical

Commission. “That was probably 12-14 years ago. They fixed it, basically. That was the first part of it was a survey.”

The cemeteries contain approximately 200 graves total, according to Peterson (who is publishing a book on Marblehead’s cemeteries) though she notes exact numbers remain unclear. The Hooper Tomb alone holds multiple generations of the family, with connections to St. Michael’s Church.

“Even though there were several people in that tomb, family relations, he was a major

benefactor of St. Michael’s Church,” said committee member Edward O. Nilsson, who also serves on the town’s Historic Commission alongside Peterson and Bittermann. “He really helped save the church in 1833 by donating money to completely renovate it.”

The five-member committee includes preservation experts and community members.

Beyond the wall reconstruction, priorities include gravestone restoration, vegetation management and addressing drainage issues that threaten the sites’ stability.

“We’re concerned about vegetation,” Bittermann said. “I actually take care of one of them, the big sycamore tree. But as far as trees in the Patrick cemetery, there are some that need some help, some management, some trimming.”

The Harris Street cemeteries sit among a larger network of burial grounds in Marblehead, including three additional cemeteries not under town jurisdiction: Mugford Street Cemetery, associated with the Unitarian Universalist Church; Star of the Sea Cemetery on Lafayette Street, operated by the Catholic Cemetery Association and St. Michael’s Episcopal Cemetery on Pleasant Street.

Peterson noted potential funding sources include the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the Shattuck fund, the Historical Commission itself (though not for the entire project) among other sources.

The Harris Street projects will likely unfold in phases, Bittermann said.

“After the wall gets done, the rest of the projects will be smaller and in phases,” Bittermann said. “We can continue to help keep things in good shape and mobilize to get things back into good

FROM THE VAULT

Marblehead’s special relationship with ‘Old Ironsides’

BY LAUREN MCCORMACK USS Constitution, nicknamed Old Ironsides, has a long history with Marblehead. Launched in 1797, it made a name for itself during the War of 1812. During the War, Constitution was manned by approximately 80 Marblehead sailors, arguably the largest contingent from any given town. In 1814, it escaped two British vessels by coming into the harbor under the protective guns of Fort Sewall.

During the Civil War, Marbleheaders helped save its from capture by the Confederates.

But by 1924, Constitution, stationed in the Boston Navy Yard, was leaking badly and in rough shape overall. Thanks to donations of pennies, sales of souvenirs and more, the public raised enough money for a complete refit.

By 1931, it was ship shape again. To thank Americans for their help saving it, Constitution embarked on a three-year national cruise, visiting over 70 ports on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts.

It was no wonder the powers that be included Marblehead on its itinerary.

As the ship’s commander,

COURTESY PHOTOS / MARBLEHEAD MUSEUM

USS Constitution arrives in Marblehead Harbor in July 1931, when over 8,000 visitors toured the historic vessel during its two-day visit.

Louis J. Gulliver, proclaimed upon arriving, “We are tickled to death to be here. I cannot conceive anything more inspiring than to be on the old Constitution when it came into this beautiful harbor.”

In an overwhelming display of affection, Marbleheaders welcomed the old ship on Wednesday, July 29, 1931, for a two-day visit. As it arrived, church bells rang, car horns blared, soldiers of Battery C, 101st Field Artillery at Fort Sewall fired a salute, flares rose into the sky from the Hotel Rockmere, yacht club guns boomed, watercraft blew their horns and the crowds cheered. On the

“Official program for USS Constitution’s visit to Marblehead, July 29-30, 1931.

first day of its two-day visit, over 1,000 cars jammed the streets near the harbor. Over 8,000

people visited the ship, including “hundreds of school children and descendants of the 1812 crew.” Overwhelmed, special state traffic officers were called in to help. The local police “willingly gave their services,” working straight through from 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day without extra pay.

On the first evening, the ship’s officers, along with the town’s leading citizens, banqueted at the Hotel Rockmere’s Fo’Cas’Le Restaurant (menu pictured) enjoying Marblehead clam chowder; stuffed royal squab among other delicacies. At 9:30 p.m., the harbor was illuminated by “aerial bombs” burning over

Hannah Tutt’s ticket to visit USS Constitution, along with an invitation from the Board of Selectmen to the celebratory banquet at the Fo’Cas’Le Restaurant that evening.

Skinners Head, along with fireworks.

The next day, all too soon, USS Constitution departed Marblehead Harbor for its next stop.

It would not return to Marblehead again until July 21, 1997, when it sailed under its own power for the first time in 116 years.

Lauren McCormack is the executive director of the Marblehead Museum.

From the Vault is a regular column highlighting an item from Marblehead Museum’s collection of more than 60,000 artifacts.

Learn more and explore at marbleheadmuseum.org.

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A14 Wednesday, January 1, 2025 Marblehead Current

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