01.10.2024 - Volume 2, Issue 7

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A01

IN THIS ISSUE

SPORTS

GIVING

WINTER

MHS alum wins Gatorade honor

Toy store $upports teachers

Season’s first snow blanketed the town

Page 9

Page 3

Page 8

NONPROFIT ORG PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

MARBLEHEAD, MA PERMIT NO. 25

NEWS FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR PROFIT.

TM

January 10, 2024

|

VOLUME 2, ISSUE NO. 7

|

MARBLEHEADCURRENT.ORG

|

ON SOCIAL @MHDCURRENT

RACISM ALLEGATIONS

Lawsuit filed against school district Former super, assistant super also defendants

BY LEIGH BLANDER Marblehead’s former METCO director has filed a lawsuit against the school district, former superintendent John Buckey and former assistant superintendent Nan Murphy for allegedly creating a “racially hostile work environment.”

Jasmine Boyd-Perry, who is identified in the lawsuit as a Black and Native/Indigenous non-binary female, served as Marblehead’s METCO director

from August 2019 to January 2021. She filed a lawsuit on Dec. 31 in Middlesex Superior Court claiming she was “disrespected, disregarded, intimidated, ignored, muted, talked over, harassed, humiliated and isolated” at work.

On the civil action cover sheet filed with her complaint, BoydPerry claimed nearly $600,000 in lost wages and emotional/ physical distress damages.

The suit says Boyd-Perry was subjected to a “multitude

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Marblehead’s former METCO director Jasmine Boyd-Perry, whose office was at MHS, alleges a “racially hostile work environment.”

and pattern of racial microaggressions” and that even in her first meeting with Buckey

and Murphy, held on Zoom, she was treated in a “condescending fashion and subjected to unwarranted, hostile, derogatory and negative comments.”

The suit also states that such actions “sought to diminish the value and humanity of not only the plaintiff but als the student population she was hired to serve.”

Buckey and Murphy did not immediately respond to requests for a comment. In an email to the Current, School Committee Chair Sarah Fox wrote, “The School Committee is unable to comment at all.”

At an Oct. 21, 2021, meeting

the School Committee gathered in executive (private) session to “discuss strategy related to litigation, specifically, BoydPerry v Marblehead Public Schools,” according to the agenda.

Buckey’s separation agreement with the School Committee stipulates the district is required to cover his costs related to litigation from his time as superintendent.

METCO President Milly Arbage-Thomas told the Current on Friday that Boyd-Perry “no longer works for METCO. You LAWSUIT, P. A2

DISTRICT CHAOS

‘Student voice, student choice’

Several school leaders are leaving Committee member resigns

BY LEIGH BLANDER

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

More than 50 students and adults protested a draft policy giving the School Committee full control over flags, banners and signs in schools. Read the story on Page A2.

ADA RULES

ADA compliance lessons prove costly

BY WILL DOWD Meeting accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act has proven challenging for some recent construction projects in Marblehead.

A comprehensive audit of public buildings commissioned by the town identified more than $3.6 million in required upgrades, including at newly constructed sites like elementary schools and the recently renovated Fort Sewall.

Laurie Blaisdell, chair of the town’s Disabilities Commission, said Marblehead needs stricter enforcement by its Building Department before projects break ground — not after they finish.

“It’s not really our role to issue a permit to see if it’s compliant,” Blaisdell said. “That’s really coming from the Building Department.”

Blaisdell and others want the town to appoint a more authoritative ADA coordinator, a role fulfilled by the Select Board’s administrative assistant, Kyle Wiley, to educate departments about accessibility rules. They also

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD

Owner Mikael Vienneau says he has made tens of thousands of dollars worth of renovations to The Riptide restaurant on Pleasant Street. A question remains over whether the front entrance needs further changes.

suggest a checklist for inspectors to verify compliance.

The law stipulates that if the cost of renovations exceeds $100,000 or 30% of the building’s value, the space must be brought up to ADA standards.

One case highlighting the challenges involves The Riptide restaurant on

Pleasant Street, which recently finished tens of thousands of dollars worth of renovations. Owner Mikael Vienneau said he met with department heads early on and went through different designs to make the building fully ADA, P. A6

After a tumultuous week, the School Committee is launching searches to replace several district leaders, including interim Superintendent Theresa McGuinness who, after just two months on the job, said she no longer wants to be considered for the permanent position.

In addition, on Jan. School Committee 8 School Committee member Meagan member Meagan Taylor resigned on Taylor resigned, after Monday, Jan. 8, after more than five years serving for nearly five years. on the board.

“I hope that this »EDITORIAL: committee is able to New year, find a superintendent same they can work with problems. effectively and productively to move Page 6. the district forward,” Taylor told the Current. “I encourage the community to be actively engaged in schoolrelated issues. To the students, thank you for continuing to advocate for your voice to not just be heard but included in the process.”

Since the June 2023 election seated two new School Committee members, Taylor has consistently been a lone dissenting vote on many issues, including the ouster of former superintendent John Buckey.

Reached for comment, School Committee Chair Sarah Fox responded, “While I have not been informed of Ms. Taylor’s reason for her resignation, I thank her for her years of service and wish her the best in future endeavors.”

The Select Board will seek “submissions of interest” to fill Taylor’s seat, which can be sent to either the Select Board of School Committee, according to acting Select Board Chair Moses Grader. The Select Board and School Committee vote together at a joint meeting on the replacement.

More resignations

Assistant Superintendent for Finance SCHOOLS, P. A2

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A02

marbleheadcurrent.org

A2 Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Marblehead Current

BANNER CONTROVERSY

School Committee’s draft flag policy prompts student protest

BY LEIGH BLANDER Displaying signs that read “Listen to Us,” “Student Voice, Student Choice” and “Stop the Censorship,” more than 50 students and adults stood on Pleasant Street outside Marblehead High School on Jan. 3 protesting a draft proposal, which would give the School Committee ultimate control over which flags, banners and signs can hang in schools.

“It feels like students are being completely ignored,” said MHS student Siena Day, one of the protest’s organizers.

Student Olivia Niles said, “Students are the ones inside the schools, and we should have a say.”

Added student Kate Twomey, “This is an issue that mostly affects students.”

Three hours after the protest,

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Sophia Weiner and Siena Day (far right) organized the student protest against a draft policy giving the School Committee full control over what signs, banners and flags hang in schools.

MHS Principal Michele Carlson sent an email to families announcing that a “listening session about flags in school” would be held the next day during school with Assistant Superintendent Julia Ferreira and School Committee member Jenn Schaeffer. School Committee

Chair Sarah Fox also attended.

“The main thing I heard was a desire on the part of these students to be able to set policy, to have the ability to either set the policy or decide what would be approved to hang in the school,” Schaeffner said during the Jan. 4 School Committee meeting.

Another listening session is scheduled for Jan. 12.

The School Committee’s subgroup on policy, led by Schaeffner, came up with the draft in response to a request from the administration after a mother removed a Black Lives Matter banner in the high school cafeteria without permission.

The draft only allows U.S., Massachusetts and Marblehead flags by right, and requires students to get the School Committee’s approval to hang anything else, and only for 30 days. The policy states that “items must relate to or be in furtherance of the district’s educational goals, programs, activities or events, and sentiments,” but it otherwise does not list the criteria the School Committee will use to PROTEST, P. A11

ACLU attorney ‘troubled’ by proposed policy Asked by the Current for an assessment, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Massachusetts said the organization is “troubled by the censorious nature” of the Marblehead School Committee’s proposed flag-and-banner policy.

“Courts have ruled that it is not for local officials to mandate any particular orthodoxy in public

schools,” said Rachel Davidson.

“And because schools are places where students prepare to participate in our pluralistic society, it may not be wise as an educational matter for the School Committee to attempt to micromanage expression and access to information in schools in this way.”

Whether or not the proposed policy violates the First Amendment as applied to teacher

or school employee speech may depend on whether a court would find that the approval process adopted — whether administered by adults or students — creates a limited public forum for private speech, Davidson said.

But she noted that Massachusetts’ law, including the state constitution and the student speech statute, G.L.c. 71, §82, provides greater protections

CO-CHAIRPERSONS

Jessica Barnett 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

Intern - Benji Boyd CONTRIBUTORS

Jo Ann Augeri Silva Stephen Bach Bob Baker Linda Bassett Nicole Goodhue-Boyd Laurie Fullerton Mark Hurwitz John Lamontagne Christine McCarriston Eyal Oren Pam Peterson Chris Stevens Lisa Sugarman Linda Werbner BOARD OF DIRECTORS

QUESTIONS RAISED

BY KRIS OLSON

nEWS FOr PEOPLE, nOT FOr PrOFIT.

for student speech than does the First Amendment.

“State law allows restrictions only where the speech causes disorder or disruption and forbids viewpoint discrimination in any kind of forum,” Davidson said. “And to the extent these restrictions are being considered to suppress particular viewpoints, questions under state law are certainly raised.”

Virginia Buckingham - President Gene Arnould Jessica Barnett Ed Bell Francie King Robert Peck Donna Rice Richard Weed - Treasurer EDITORIAL BOARD

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

Kathryn Whorf DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Marion Warner Greely FOUNDERS

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

Schools From P. A1

and Operations Michelle Cresta announced Jan. 4 that she is leaving in March for a job in the Manchester-Essex school district.

The timing coincides with the height of budget season when the School Committee is finalizing its spending plan before May’s Town Meeting.

Student Services Director Paula Donnelly and Associate Director Emily Dean also resigned amid a student restraint controversy and no-confidence vote from teachers.

There will also be a search for an interim high school assistant principal, after Dan Richards was reassigned to run the Glover School.

Glover Principal Hope Doran went out on medical leave Dec. 4 for an undefined period of time.

New super search

McGuinness had initially expressed interest in becoming Marblehead’s permanent superintendent and left her position as Watertown’s assistant superintendent to come here.

At the Jan. 4 School Committee meeting, members acknowledged the need to move quickly to start the search. Fox outlined the many steps involved, beginning with setting up stakeholder focus groups, and suggested the committee start without hiring a consultant or recruiter. Instead, Fox proposed using the district’s human resources

Lawsuit

From P. A1 should also know that we have no comment to offer in this case because all METCO directors are employees of their town and they report directly to their superintendent. We don’t provide any HR oversight for the district employees.”

Boyd-Perry accuses Buckey and Murphy of telling her to “remain silent about racist incidents” in the district. She says in September 2020, she learned that a group of

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

North of Boston Media Group Marblehead News 217 Humphrey St. Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945 781.910.8658 info@marbleheadnews.org www.marbleheadCurrent.org 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.

The School Committee has to replace several district leaders who are leaving.

manager, Kelley Ferretti.

“I would recommend in the spirit of time that I would like to start doing all of these pieces, not skip a single one of them, and that we use Kelley in the role of the consultant to help us run the focus groups as well as post the position,” Fox said.

“She will attend the interviews.

Let’s get those focus groups started right away, get that ideal candidate profile out there and start looking at a candidate pool sooner than later.”

Several School Committee members expressed concern about the plan.

Of finding the next superintendent, Alison Taylor said, “We want and need to get this right.”

While Meagan Taylor agreed that the board needed “to move on this extremely quickly,” she

white students had Zoom-bombed METCO students calling them “abhorrent racial slurs, including the N-word.” Boyd-Perry says when she informed Buckey about it, he told her “not to inform student families and remain silent on the matter.”

Also in September 2020, BoydPerry said white supremacist groups in Marblehead harassed students.

“The defendants sought not only to minimize these incidents but also failed to substantively address them and properly

continued, “I do think that having a consultant lead it and have someone completely unbiased is an important part of this process.”

Brian Ota added, “I think a third party would take away some of the errors we’ve found. There are no biases that way.”

Ultimately, the committee voted 4-1 (with Meagan Taylor dissenting) to move forward with Ferretti starting the search process while Cresta explores the cost of hiring consultant or recruiter.

There was disagreement about which School Committee members should sit on the new superintendent search committee. Ota, Schaeffner and Fox all said they wanted to. Alison Taylor also expressed interest, but said that because she sat on the interim superintendent search committee, she would step aside.

protect the METCO student victims,” he complaint alleges.

Boyd-Perry says that during COVID, she was required to work in person, despite having a “chronic medical condition.”

At times, she had “no choice but to work from her/their car because she could not go safely into the defendant’s MPS’ office,” according to the suit.

The lawsuit says that Buckey fired Boyd-Perry for “abandoning” her job, but Boyd-Perry claims she was out on medical leave and had not yet received her doctor’s OK

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Fox and Schaeffner sat on the search committees for McGuinness and John Buckey.

The School Committee ousted Buckey without giving a reason, costing taxpayers about $200,000.

During public comment at the meeting, Mary McCarriston expressed frustration and concern about the School Committee’s performance. As news of Cresta’s resignation spread, McCarriston said her phone had been “blowing up.”

“Please, for the community, students and teachers, do everyone a favor and step down, resign,” she said. “You have made this town into complete chaos.

Why don’t you do something morally right and step down?”

The School Committee meets next on Jan. 18.

to return to work.

Boyd-Perry filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and her suit notes that “at least two other discrimination complaints” had been filed against MPS and Buckey, including one by nowSchool Committee member Brian Ota, who filed his complaint after Buckey declined to extend Ota’s contract as Glover School principal after the 2021-22 school year.

DONATE

Help us deliver sustainable local journalism. Please consider supporting the Marblehead Current by making a tax-deductible donation at marbleheadcurrent.org/donate.

For stock transfer donations, please contact: Kathryn Whorf at kwhorf@marbleheadnews.org.

ADVERTISE

Advertising is available on our website and in our weekly printed newspaper. To learn more, contact our Director of Community Relations, Marion Warner Greely, at mgreely@ marbleheadnews.org, or visit www. marbleheadCurrent.org/ads.

VOLUNTEER

Join us. We invite you to help support our effort to establish and maintain a free press for a strong community.

To get involved, visit www. marbleheadCurrent.org/volunteer.

REACT

We’re standing by to listen to your ideas. Please drop us a line and let us know what you would like to see in your community newspaper. Send your thoughts to info@marbleheadnews.org.

Help us keep the lights on so we can keep shining a light.

Support the Current by using this QR code.

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A03

marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 10, 2024 A3

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Meet David Bruett

This teddy bear from Mud Puddle Toys is headed to a special education classroom.

SPIRIT OF GIVING

Toy store backs teachers with $5K in toys, supplies

BY LEIGH BLANDER The holidays may be over, but the spirit of giving is stronger than ever at Mud Puddle Toys, which just donated more than $5,000 worth of toys, books and supplies to local teachers.

“My mom was a public school teacher, so going into this I knew that teachers pay for most of their own stuff out of their pocket,” said Mud Puddle owner Cassie Watt. “I got a huge response. The items will be used by people who really need it. It’s a win-win.”

Most of the donations are going to special education classrooms. Watt said she had no idea how much those classrooms need.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous in a town this wealthy that we have teachers, and the majority are special education teachers, who don’t have any supplies,” she said.

Watt added, “This is the little I can do to solve what I see is a systemic problem.

I don’t think parents realize how little teachers have.”

This isn’t the first time Mud Puddle has donated to teachers and schools. Watt says she gave $150 wobble boards to every school in town, along with $700 worth of dolls and books to the Brown School.

“And we donated a huge chunk of stuff to the Brown PTO for their Christmas

shop, where they sell everything for $1,” she said.

Watt says she’ll give a 30% discount to anyone who purchases items for special education classrooms.

“If you are a teacher and need supplies for your classroom, please contact me, and I will arrange to cover half of the cost of your supply needs,” she added.

To learn more about donation opportunities, email Watt at splash@ mudpuddletoys.com with the subject line: Teacher Donations.

BY MELISSA STACEY The following is an interview with Dave Bruett, owner of David Bruett Insurance Services, conducted

by Discover Marblehead. To learn more, call 978- 594-5308 or go to davebruettinsurance.com Tell us about David Bruett Insurance Services and why you started your business. I’m an independent insurance agent that helps individuals, families and businesses find the best option for their personal and business insurance policies. I work with many different companies to find clients the best fit for their specific insurance needs. I started my own insurance agency five years ago because, after being in the business for 14 years, I noticed too often agencies weren’t putting the customer first. Agencies weren’t calling people back in a timely manner, they weren’t helping clients when there was an issue with a company and oftentimes were downright rude to customers.

I felt I could make the insurance experience better for people with my own agency.

What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever

Dave Bruett

received? The best piece of advice I have ever received was, “Treat clients the way you would want to be treated.” It seems so simple but too often companies don’t do it.

What is your favorite spot in Marblehead and why? My favorite spot in Marblehead is my boat in the harbor. Whether alone or with friends, good or bad weather, just being on the boat with the salt air smell, music and a beverage can’t be beat.

What is something people

would be surprised to learn about you? Although I’ve lived in Marblehead since I was four years old, I was actually born in Hartford, Connecticut, which is considered the insurance capital of America. I never had any plans, when I was younger or right after college, to be an insurance agent but I guess being born in Hartford somehow sent me in this direction.

The business spotlight is a weekly feature published in partnership with Discover Marblehead. To learn more, visit discovermhd.com.

Top 10 of 2023

218 Beacon Street Marblehead, MA 01945 781-631-2218 Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

A New Year, a new beginning, a fresh start.

Our team of Professional Organizers are ready to help with all your home, business and moving organizing needs.

Watch the New Year’s Day Slideshow Every image captured in 2023 wednesdaysinmhd.com

Engaged?

Getting married?

Announce in the Current!

Makepeacewithorganizing.com 857-205-4072 Instagram.com/makepeacewithorganizing/

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

marbleheadcurrent.org/ announce

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A04

marbleheadcurrent.org

A4 Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Marblehead Current

Opinion EDITORIAL

New year, same problems New years typically bring opportunities for fresh starts. But the new year was barely a day old before hopes were dashed that 2024 might bring stability to the Marblehead schools.

In a letter dated Jan. 2, interim Superintendent Theresa McGuinness informed her bosses on the School Committee that she intended to “pursue alternative opportunities” rather than seek to have “interim” removed from her title.

That represented a reversal of her position from her public interview three months earlier, when McGuinness said she would like to eventually become the permanent superintendent.

This space has been highly critical of the lack of transparency around the process that led to the ouster of former superintendent John Buckey and the hiring of McGuinness, who had been the other finalist when Buckey was offered the job three years earlier.

As flawed as that process might have been, the School Committee seemed to have a plan: Absorb the cost involved in parting with Buckey — including a $175,000 buyout of the final two years of his contract, associated legal fees and a furthering of the perception that Marblehead “can’t keep a superintendent” — to get to a better place.

McGuinness — a widely respected leader and known commodity in town from her time as Village School principal — seemed to be an essential component of that plan.

Given McGuinness’ decision, it’s now apparent the plan was not foolproof.

Buckey was rushed out the door at a significant cost to the town’s coffers and reputation, with little to no benefit on the other end.

We say that not only because McGuinness has soured on staying in Marblehead but because the board is just now beginning to get its ducks in a row to commence a proper search for the town’s next superintendent. That is true even though one of its members, Meagan Taylor, has been urging the board to get the wheels in motion for months.

As we know from last year’s departures of Marblehead High School Principal Dan Bauer, who was hired as Danvers’ superintendent on Jan. 9, and assistant superintendent Nan Murphy, who was tapped for the same role in Dedham on Jan. 18, Marblehead is way behind the typical timeline for hiring a superintendent. That may well impact the caliber of the candidate pool that materializes.

Among the cities and towns that are further along in filling July 1 superintendent vacancies are Melrose, where Buckey was named a finalist in November, Norwood, Groton-Dunstable, Natick and Marshfield.

Given its reputation as a place of constant leadership churn, the district could ill afford another self-inflicted wound by getting a late start on the process. Yet here we are.

McGuinness, of course, is not the only professional connected to the schools to announce in recent days that she is not long for Marblehead. On Jan. 4, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Michelle Cresta announced that she would be resigning effective March 22 to return to her “roots in regional school finance” as director of finance and operations for the Manchester Essex Regional School District.

The schools also have a sudden need for new Student Services leadership after the resignations of Paula Donnelly and Emily Dean, which were announced Jan. 1. The Marblehead teachers union demanded Donnelly and Dean be removed after McGuinness placed four Glover school educators on leave amid a student restraint crisis.

More curiously, School Committee Chair Sarah Fox announced at the board’s Dec. 21 meeting that the law firm Stoneman, Chandler & Miller — one of

the state’s leading law firms representing public schools — would be dropping the committee as a client.

Especially since the summer, the Marblehead School Committee has kept the Boston firm quite busy. Firms typically try to resist the decision to part ways with clients, especially ones that are such reliable sources of billable hours. While attorney-client privilege may preclude us from ever learning the full story, the evidence suggests that the Marblehead School Committee came to be viewed as something beyond a garden-variety difficult client.

Faced with the firm’s imminent departure, the committee voted unanimously to reunite with its former attorney, Elizabeth B. Valerio, at a cost of $25 more an hour than Stoneman, Chandler & Miller had been charging.

The added cost is not ideal, but it is the deviation from normal procurement procedures that troubles us more. Fox may be correct that this is one of the circumstances in which such deviations are permissible. But the town would be better served by a competitive bidding process and thorough vetting, as occurred before Stoneman, Chandler & Miller was retained.

The School Committee has also made itself the center of an ongoing controversy related to the district’s draft flag-andbanner policy. Back in November, we praised the committee for paying what now seems like lip service to the idea that development of the policy should be a collaborative process, inclusive of the views of students.

Unfortunately, in the weeks since, the Marblehead School Committee has gravitated towards a model from the town of Hadley, which establishes a restrictive rule that the only flags that would be allowed as of right would be the U.S., Massachusetts and Marblehead flags.

Beyond that, the school board would be the judge, jury and executioner of proposed banners. As of now, the criteria the board would use to give the thumbs up or thumbs down remain nebulous, and there is no obvious seat at the table for the students themselves, which prompted a student protest Jan. 3.

Fox and fellow School Committee member Jenn Schaeffner attended a subsequent “listening session,” where we hope “listening” did, in fact, take place.

But whether the students were truly heard remains to be seen.

While McGuinness, Cresta and the Stoneman law firm are headed out the door, this School Committee may be going nowhere, given the absence of a recall provision in the town’s bylaws. It is almost certainly too late to improve the district’s trajectory in time to meaningfully restore the district’s appeal to potential superintendent candidates.

But that is no reason not to take earnest steps in a better direction.

To us — as it has since the beginning of the Buckey saga — that starts with a recommitment to transparency. It also involves the board relenting on its apparent desire to exert a stultifying degree of control over everything from who sits on screening committees for forthcoming hires to what kind of signage hangs in the high school cafeteria.

Yes, it is the School Committee’s job to set goals and policy for the district. But for the board itself, a worthy goal would be to strive to earn the buy-in of the community at large, not just a segment of it. On that front, the board thus far has earned a failing grade.

We harbor no unrealistic hopes that these words will be taken to heart. This School Committee is fond of construing constructive criticism or demands for answers the public deserves as hostile acts.

But when it comes to enemies, this School Committee’s worst ones may be in the mirror. The sooner they realize that, the better off we will all be.

EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY

First light

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM My first bird of the year was a darkeyed junco — I think. I got as close as I could to it, perched there in the brown branches of the bare lilac bush. It had a white underbelly, and dark body and head.

Google searches and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology identified it as a member of the sparrow family, and confirmed it’s one of the most common birds in North America. My backyard visitor is but one of 630 million.

So, does the commonness of my first bird indicate I’m in for a boring year?

No! Inspired, as I wrote in an earlier column, by Margaret Renkl’s “Comfort of Crows” and her belief in the meaning of first sightings, I learned that, spiritually speaking, the junco means 2024 for me is going to be filled with what sounds like adventure. Different cultures imbue the junco with several wonderful meanings — freedom of the spirit, and truth, and heartfelt meetings of the mind among them.

I’m up for all of that.

Besides my first bird sighting, by the time you read this column, we may have had our first significant snowfall.

It could be a bust on the coast, with a wintry mix bringing us more rain than snow, but I still get as excited at the prospect as if I’m 10 years old. By February I’ll be grumpy as I grab the shovel, but the first snow is special.

Sunlight on fresh snow produces a quality of light I wish I could bottle and give away all year long. Blindingly bright, it seems to be laughing at our winter brooding. “Silly you,” it’s saying, “There’s always light this season if you look.”

A recent pre-dinner run to Crosby’s confirmed this. Christmas is mere weeks behind us and most homes and businesses I drove by were still beautifully lit. Candles in the windows, lights strung on bushes, snowflakeshaped lights hanging off front porch rafters. Why don’t we keep them up as long as possible? What’s the rush to take

them down?

Katherine May, author of “Wintering” and empress of all things winter light, notes in a substack post that she puts her Christmas lights out in November and keeps them up through midFebruary. She has other tips in a wonder of wisdom she dubs “A manifesto for winter light.”

My favorites are her inspiration to “make candlelight ordinary.” She says that in Scandinavia candles aren’t treated as “special or romantic, but as an everyday accessory, part of the ordinary workings of the home. In particular, candles are lit early, burning through gray mornings and dull afternoons. They do not seem to be there to illuminate anything, but instead to offer warmth and contrast to the blue winter light.”

I’ve gotten lazier, or is it smarter, and started supplementing my indoor candles with battery-operated ones.

A shunda (Yiddish for shame) my candle-loving friends have exclaimed!

I’m not claiming they are the same.

To my own — not my college-aged daughter’s — delight, I recently did an at-home experiment and placed a real tea light next to a battery-operated one, to compare. The flame of a lit wick is obviously superior. It’s alive, like an artist’s rendering next to an AI-generated work. Yet, I’ve chosen carefully, and to my light-seeking eye, the “flames” of these faux candles shimmer, and I can go to bed without fear I’ve forgotten to snuff them all out.

My other favorite tip of May’s is to “revel in Apricity.” First of all, what a wonderful word!

Apricity. It means the warmth of the winter sun. And truly, when else do you stop in the middle of the sidewalk and tilt your face upward to feel the sun’s direct rays? In summer, we slather on sunscreen and sit under umbrellas, peer out from beneath the brim of a hat. In winter, we relish the light, because it is fleeting, because it is wonderful, and if we look, it is all around.

Virginia Buckingham is the president of the Marblehead Current’s board of directors. Her column appears weekly.

The Hannah is known to be the American Navy’s first ship.

COURTESY PHOTO

MARBLEHEAD CHRONICLES

The Hannah and the American Navy

BY PAM M. PETERSON When the Revolutionary War began, it was evident that the so-called “people’s war” was underfunded and had few of the supplies necessary to carry out a war. Guns and ammunition had been restricted as imports from England in the years leading up to the war. Now the shortage was critical, and their lack was a serious detriment to the revolutionary cause. Elbridge Gerry of Marblehead realized the vital importance and need for these supplies. He urged George Washington to stockpile them and suggested that armed privateers be used to capture British vessels and steal their

ammunition.

John Glover was authorized to find vessels, arm them, and send them out as legal privateering ships. The first vessel was one of Glover’s own ships, the Hannah, a seaworthy fishing schooner.

Marbleheader Nicholson Broughton became her captain, and the crew was mostly from Marblehead as well. The ship was outfitted as a vessel of war at Beverly, being provided with cannons for attack and defense. She went to sea as the first ship of the Navy, also known CHRONICLES, P. A7

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A05

marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 10, 2024 A5

WE ARE WHO WE ARE

Let’s resolve to get vulnerable together

BY LISA SUGARMAN Alrighty, friends, here we are.

Another brand-new year with lots of runway ahead and 365 whole days of limitless possibilities. So much excitement. So much potential.

Good energy for sure. But, also, a lot of pressure to pick juuuust the right resolution that’s both impactful and sustainable to last us until December 31st. Always a challenge, isn’t it?

Now, I don’t know about you, but every year right around now, I typically spend a good chunk of time deep inside my own head trying to flesh out the New Year’s resolution(s) that I think will be the most meaningful as I dive headfirst into the new year.

And I’m guessing you probably do, too. You know, commitments like fitnessing more or eating healthier or taking two-minute cold plunges every day. The standard stuff.

The problem is, this year, I’m afraid that after the tumultuousness of the last three years (looking at you, COVID, among other things), and 2023 in particular, the standard-type resolutions just aren’t going to cut it anymore. I think we need to level up, for ourselves and for each other. We need to resolve to commit to better, more globally meaningful resolutions that will help change the collective consciousness, not just our own. Because, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re a world that’s recovering from some major league collective trauma. And we can’t navigate

that kind of distress alone in our own private headspace. We need to help each other. And, more importantly, we need to be able to rely on each other.

Let me explain why…

According to the American Psychological Association (ASA), the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with global conflicts, racism and racial injustice, inflation, politics and climaterelated disasters, to name just a few, are all weighing heavily on all of us. And it doesn’t matter what country you’re in or what color you are or whether you rent or own, people everywhere are hurting and the ongoing stress of all this shared trauma is taking a massive toll on the world’s mental health. People are struggling and we need to normalize that it’s ok to not be okay.

Not to be a complete buzz kill, but Mental Health America reports that over 50 million adults just here in the U.S. experienced a mental illness in 2023, with over 12.1 million of those people reporting serious thoughts of suicide. Oh, and that doesn’t even include the 2.7 million youth in this country who are experiencing severe major depression. No bueno, friends. No bueno.

We’ve got problems that need fixing and the first step in trying to deal with those problems is talking about them, which is something not enough of us are willing to do. And that’s precisely what I think needs to

change.

But how do we resolve to change the narrative on talking about mental health enough to make a difference? Well, I truly believe the answer is two-fold and that it requires an equal combination of togetherness mixed with vulnerability.

Because radical times demand radical resolutions. So, I think we commit to bringing the deep, dark, overwhelming stuff that we keep hidden inside our heads out into the direct sunlight. We get vulnerable. We start talking [to each other] and we don’t stop. We attach words to our fears and say them out loud so everyone can hear them. Because the more we do that, the weaker the stigma around mental illness becomes, and the more people will feel comfortable joining the conversation.

I’m convinced that this simple act of unapologetically expressing the good and the bad is how we normalize conversations around our mental health and our sadness and our grief and our loss and our substance abuse and everything else we try so desperately to hide so that those narratives lose their negativity and they simply become things we all just talk about. We give a voice to our pain and we quit judging ourselves, and others, as weak just because we aren’t always joyful. And we make ‘It’s okay to not be okay’ our new global mantra and we say it over and over and over again until

A familiar voice

BY LISA SUGARMAN Hi, friends. It’s been awhile. And it’s exciting to be back behind the byline. For those of you who may remember me as the author of a decade’s worth of the It Is What It Is column, I’m rebooting my old column with a brand new name and a very different mission.

I’m proud to announce the launch of my new column, We Are Who We Are, dedicated to normalizing conversations about mental illness and grief and loss and suicide and our overall mental health and wellbeing. As a three-time survivor of suicide loss, a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, a storyteller with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and a grief group facilitator with Samaritans, I’ve spent the last couple of years advocating for change in the mental health community and working to end the stigma around mental illness. And We Are Who We Are is my way of helping us get more vulnerable with each other. So here we go. I hope you’ll join the conversation.

we standardize that every single one of us is struggling with something.

So, while I think it’s never a bad thing to resolve to make any kind of positive changes in our lives, I think we should all be challenging ourselves to find and choose resolutions that benefit more than just ourselves. And to make the universal changes that need to be made around mental health, we need to adopt more of a we-not-me attitude and focus our energy on de- stigmatizing

things like mental illness and talking about how we’re really feeling. Because it’s only when we normalize sharing the good alongside the bad that we’ll finally dilute the shame around what it means to be truly human.

So that’s my plan for the New Year and I really hope you’ll join the movement.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline and a trained lifeline counselor will be there to help.

FOOD 101

Flipping for food: Pineapple upside down cake

BY LINDA BASSETT

Mark Twain defined a classic as a book that everyone knows, but nobody reads.

Over the holidays, my smaller relatives schooled me in their classics.

Movies like “Home Alone” and “Back to the Future.” (Kids rarely see movies in crowded theaters; they stream.) Games, like Frisbee (modern versions light up), and the board game Clue (electronic). Also “elderly” rockers like Bono and Nirvana.

(They’d never heard of Mick Jagger.)

In the food world, steakhouses keep classics going — New York strips, prime rib and porterhouse cuts. Baked stuffed haddock.

Caesar or Wedge salads (always capitalized). Business booms in these establishments despite high price tags.

At home, grandmother’s countertop index card box provides nostalgic eating.

Dusty attic trunks might yield a midcentury Betty Crocker cookbook or a food-splattered notebook from the days when “home economics” was part of the school curriculum. Leaf through the handwritten pages for ants-on-a-log, Swiss steak, or “meatloaf for a crowd.”

Explore throwback desserts like thumbprint cookies with Hershey’s kisses in the indent, shortcake biscuits and coconut bar cookies.

Frosted homemade layer cakes, for advanced cooks, made a more frequent appearance with the advent of boxed cake mixes. (No more sifting and measuring.) A host of single

layer cakes also found a place in that pantheon.

One was the dreamy pineapple upside-down cake from sometime in the 1920s when canning companies shipped perfectly preserved fruit to the country’s colder corners. “Home ec” teachers challenged students to master “the flip” exposing the maraschino-studded pineapple rings. Today’s cooks might opt for fresh fruit available in most supermarket produce sections, although canned is still acceptable. This old timey cake whips up easier and better tasting than ever.

That crucial step, the heartstopping “flip” from baking pan to serving platter, still requires timing and a steady hand. To do this, place a serving platter, top side down over the cake pan, and, in a quick, smooth motion, turn the whole thing over, locating the pineapple on top. If it gets a little sloppy, just put it back together. If I lose my nerve, I cut wedges right from the pan with a pie server, then turn over each individual serving and dollop with whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.

I save the maraschino cherries for last instead of baking them into the cake. The color and flavor is brighter.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE MAKES 1 ROUND CAKE, 6 TO 8 SLICES.

Topping: ` 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ` 1/3 cup light brown sugar ` 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice ` ¼ teaspoon salt ` 1 can pineapple, cut into ½-inch slices, or fresh pineapple slices ` ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

First melt the butter in a large

For a more forward-looking recipe, try fresh pineapple in a main course salad. This one combines the fruity sweetness with salty peanuts. Jalapenos, fresh mint, avocado and Asian fish sauce, which our grandmothers never saw, are easily accessible in most large supermarkets.

Fat, jumbo shrimp make it a feast.

PINEAPPLE, PEANUT & SHRIMP SALAD MAKES 4 SERVINGS.

Pineapple upside down cake is a classic.

skillet, on medium heat. One ingredient at a time, add brown sugar, lemon juice and salt, stirring with a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar melts. In an additional minute, the mixture will darken slightly and form a lumpy mixture.

Add the pineapple slices to the skillet, gently turning each one to coat. Take the skillet off the heat and cool slightly. Arrange this in a single layer in the bottom of a heavy round cake pan.

Now go on to the batter.

Cake: ` ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled ` 1 cup granulated sugar ` 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract ` 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest ` 2 large eggs, rm temp ` ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt ` 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder ` 1/3 teaspoon baking soda ` ¾ teaspoon salt ` 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

First, heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl whisk together

the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then the yogurt, until the mixture is smooth.

In a small bowl, whisk together baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold this and the flour into the egg mixture to form (another!) lumpy batter.

Pour this batter, evenly, smoothing it over the pineapple mixture in the bottom of the cake pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. At the 20-minute point, open the oven and turn the pan around so the cake cooks evenly. When the top is lightly browned and the fruit bubbles at the edges, run a knife between the cake and the pan to set it free. Let the cake sit on a rack to cool until the topping sets, about 20 minutes.

Now, carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter. (This might be the most difficult part of the recipe.) Get out the maraschino cherries and decorate it so the cracks don’t show.

` 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice ` 2 tablespoons fish sauce ` 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ` 1/2 teaspoon sugar ` 5 scallions, sliced crosswise, white and green parts ` 1 small jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced (optional) ` ½ red bell pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, and diced ` A handful (about 12) fresh mint leaves, torn ` 1-1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks ` 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped ` 12 jumbo cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined ` 3 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, oil and sugar in a bowl.

Stir in scallions, jalapeno, red pepper and mint.

Toss pineapple and avocado with the dressing. Divide evenly onto four plates. Top each with 3 shrimp and a sprinkling of peanuts.

Linda Bassett, a Marblehead resident, has worked as a cook, trained upcoming chefs, studied food history and led food tours.

Her book,”From Apple Pie to Pad Thai,” is about local cooks and cooking.

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A06

marbleheadcurrent.org

A6 Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Marblehead Current

RESIGNATION

Town searching for new treasurer-tax collector

BY WILL DOWD Marblehead needs a new town treasurer-tax collector after Rachel Blaisdell decided not to return from maternity leave.

Blaisdell started on the job in November 2022.

Blaisdell’s resignation comes amid high turnover in the finance department. The Select Board appointed Cami Iannarelli as acting treasurer, Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin Nunley told the Marblehead Current.

“She has maintained operations with no interruptions in treasurer and collector services,” Nunley said. “She was key in getting us through the annual audit for the TreasurerCollector’s office.

CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD

Marblehead native and resident Rachel Blaisdell resigned from the town’s treasurer–tax-collector post.

Nunley noted Iannarelli has six years’ experience in the Treasurer-Collector’s Office with multiple administrations and staff changes.

“She has maintained

continuity throughout and is dedicated to the town.”

For about three years, Marblehead has not had consistent leadership in either the finance director or the treasurer-collector roles.

The reason? Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer has pointed, in part, to a competitive marketplace for finance professionals. Case in his point: Michael Carrietta briefly served as acting finance director before the private sector scooped him up.

John McGinn, the former town administrator and finance director, came out of retirement last year to work as a part-time consultant when the town had trouble finding an interim finance director.

Marblehead now searches for a permanent replacement as officials prepare the fiscal year 2025 municipal government for Town Meeting’s consideration in May. Marblehead posted the vacancy on Dec. 20 with a $80,740 to $104,963 salary range. Nunley noted the job’s authority spans everything from reinforcing the town’s financial policies and issuing bonds to overseeing payroll to managing the entire TreasurerCollector’s Office.

“The office currently only has three positions, and municipalities of this size typically have four to five positions,” Nunley said, adding that the entire “finance team is very supportive ... to help

maintain daily operations.”

“In addition, I am looking to increase the staffing for the Treasurer Collector’s Office,” she said.

Nunley is focused on cultivating and nurturing a supportive team environment.

“This not only helps maintain operations but also identifies efficiencies. Always showing appreciation and acknowledging the hard work being done every day,” said Nunley on what that environment looks like.

“Implemented new financial policies to give a framework that guides employees through financial operations. Support the finance team by being available and empowering them to make good financial decisions.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

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

Bonfire this Friday

Marblehead’s annual Christmas tree bonfire, postponed due to last weekend’s storm, will be held Friday, Jan. 12, 6 p.m., at Riverside Beach.

Historical Commission given replica Revolutionary warship The Historical Commission has received a donation for its Maritime Museum — a detailed model of the Continental Navy ship Hannah, crafted by model ship builder Tom Conant. The 18th-century schooner belonged to American Revolutionary War General George Washington’s first naval fleet and was commanded by Capt. Nicholson Broughton of Marblehead in 1775.

Conant spent years researching the Hannah to create an accurate replica of the fishing vessel refitted by Washington for battle at the start of the Revolutionary War. His model includes specifics like the pine tree flag used by Washington’s fleet and guns retrofitted onto the ship. The

ADA From P. A1

accessible, including new handicap-accessible bathrooms and an exterior ramp — all of which cost upwards of $40,000.

But a question remains whether the bar needs to make the front entrance accessible. Vienneau wants to work with the town’s Building Department to resolve that issue and

COURTESY PHOTO

This replica of the Revolutionary War naval vessel Hannah was meticulously crafted by model ship builder Tom Conant.

Historical Commission will display Conant’s model to showcase Marblehead’s naval history.

Citizen petition deadline approaches Residents have until Jan. 19 at noon to submit citizen petitions for this year’s Town Meeting agenda. The deadline for town boards and commissions to sponsor warrant articles is Jan. 26.

“If you want an article to be considered at Town Meeting, it

possibly seek a variance from the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board.

“It’s not something that we want to ignore. We need to be very open with our communications,” Vienneau said, adding that he aims to be proactive and wants to maintain good long-term relations in town.

While understanding accessibility is complex, Vienneau said relying on

CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION FOR Docket No. ES23P3713GD APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN FOR INCAPACITATED PERSON PURSUANT TO G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of:

Eileen R. Decastro

RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person

Of: Marblehead, MA To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by David R. Decastro

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court

of Boylston, MA

in the above captioned matter alleging that Eileen R. Decastro is in need of a Guardian and requesting that of Boylston, MA David DeCastro

Essex Probate and Family Court 36 Federal Street Salem MA, 01970

(or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve on the bond.

The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, and that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority.

You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 01/29/2024. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person's right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense.

WITNESS, Hon. Frances M. Giordano, First Justice of this Court.

January 02, 2024

Date:

Register of Probate

ORDER OF NOTICE It is ORDERED that a copy of this citation be: Served, with a copy of the petition, in hand to Eileen R. Decastro by a disinterested person at least Fourteen (14) days prior to the return date; and Served on the Department of Developmental Services and/or the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs, if interested, and served on all other interested persons as defined in G.L. c. 190B, §5-304, at least Fourteen (14) days prior to the return date by delivering in hand or by mailing by certified, registered, or first-class mail as described in G.L. c. 190B, §1-401; or by publishing a copy of the citation once in

Marblehead Current

, publication to be at least

Seven (7) days prior to the return date.

See Standing Order 03-09: Notice in Guardianship of Incapacitated Persons and Conservatorship Matters

WITNESS, Hon. Frances M. Giordano, First Justice of this Court.

Date:

MPC 520 (9/12/23)

January 02, 2024

Register of Probate

must be submitted during the time that the warrant is open for article submission,” the town writes. “With the signatures of 10 registered voters of the town, a registered voter may place an article on the warrant.”

To learn more about the submission process, visit: bit. ly/3H8u3k5.

Town Meeting is Marblehead’s legislative body, with registered voters gathering to vote on measures including the municipal budget, zoning changes, bylaws and resolutions

technical experts alone may not always suffice.

“We haven’t seen this type of commission, the disability (committee),” he said. “Usually as a developer, we rely on our architect and engineers and attorneys.”

Building Commissioner Stephen Cummings said he is more than willing to work with The Riptide — which Vienneau hopes will open in two weeks’ time — on a temporary

proposed in the warrant.

Moderator Jack Attridge will preside over his second Town Meeting on May 6 at 7 p.m. at Veterans Middle School.

Suspended officer decision postponed again The disciplinary case against Marblehead Police Officer Christopher Gallo, who has been on paid leave for 2.5 years for allegedly spending over 100 hours at home during shifts, has extended into the new year.

Town Administrator Thatcher

fix, like designating part of the sidewalk just for wheelchairs. That would allow time to address a state-issued variance.

Another case involved a new tutoring center on Atlantic Avenue. The owner initially wanted to use a neighboring building’s bathroom to avoid a full upgrade, so she applied and was granted a state variance. Cummings and Blaisdell said it highlights the MAAB’s

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THE TRIAL COURT PROBATE AND FAMILY COURT CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF CONSERVATOR OR OTHER PROTECTIVE ORDER PURSUANT TO G. L c. 190B, § 5-304 & § 5-405 Docket No. ES23P3714PM In the matter of: Eileen R. Decastro of: Marblehead, MA RESPONDENT (Person to be Protected/Minor) Essex Probate and Family Court 36 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970 To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by David R. Decastro of Boylston, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Eileen R. Decastro is in need of a Conservator or other protective order and requesting that David DeCastro of Boylston, MA Debora Grillot of Tulsa, OK (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Conservator to serve Without Surety on the bond.

The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is disabled, that a protective order or appointment of a Conservator is necessary, and that the proposed conservator is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court.

You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 01/29/2024 . This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date.

IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the abovenamed person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense.

WITNESS, Hon. Frances M. Giordano, First Justice of this Court.

Date: January 02, 2024 Register of Probate ORDER OF NOTICE It is ORDERED that a copy of this citation be: Served, with a copy of the petition, in hand to Eileen R. Decastro by a disinterested person at least Fourteen (14) days prior to the return date; or if applicable, pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-405, by leaving a copy of the petition and citation at the Respondent’s last and usual place of abode; and Served on the Department of Developmental Services and/or the United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs, if interested, and served on all other interested persons as defined in G.L. c. 190B, §5-304(a) and §5-206(b), at least Fourteen (14) days prior to the return date by delivering in hand or by mailing by certified, registered, or first-class mail as described in G.L. c. 190B, §1-401; or by publishing a copy of the citation once in Marblehead Current, publication to be at WITNESS, Hon. Frances M. Giordano, First Justice of this Court.

Date: January 02, 2024 Register of Probate MPC 530 (9/12/23)

Kezer, the hearing officer in the case, told the Current he was still working on his recommendation, but “fires keep popping up” during his work days. Kezer plans to present his recommendation to the Select Board in a closed or public meeting.

The board can either agree with Kezer’s decision or take a different path regarding Gallo’s fate. Gallo, who has accumulated the most complaints of any Marblehead officer over his 22-year career, has continued collecting his approximately $5,400 monthly salary while on leave.

Residents will be notified of emergency bans through means like the town website, automated phone calls, social media, the local cable TV station and other communication channels available to the town.

Mattress disposal fees

The Department of Public Health has announced new disposal fees for mattresses and box springs effective January 1.

Residents with a 2024 Transfer Station sticker will be charged $35 per item. For commercial or non-stickered vehicles, the fee is $75 per item. The initiative,

willingness to work with business owners.

After the Tedesco Club completed renovations a couple years back, including new handicap parking spaces, they had issues with the cross slope on the parking area.

Blaisdell said the slope was too steep. She estimated it cost $45,000-65,000 to redo the parking area to fix the non-compliant cross slope after the project was already completed.

Blaisdell used this as an example that if the Tedesco Club had consulted the Disabilities Commission earlier and used an ADA checklist, they could have avoided those extra costs. She said the commission never costs businesses more money, but saves them money by identifying issues early before construction finishes.

Overall, Blaisdell called the ADA situation an “education” issue rather than anything intentional, saying building departments, contractors, architects, etc. often simply don’t fully know all the ADA rules. She advocated for a standardized ADA checklist that could be referenced during inspections to catch

BRIEFS, P. A14

problems proactively, rather than after projects are done.

Cummings said complying with ADA rules means more than ramps and elevators.

“Accessibility often involves more nuance than people realize. For example, construction projects may appear on the surface to meet accessibility standards by having ramps and elevators,” said Cummings. “However, other details get overlooked until the end, compromising accessibility.”

He added, “If a tile installer puts the bathroom tiles too high, it can result in the toilets not being at the proper accessible height.”

Cummings said these kinds of issues are easy to inadvertently overlook and are only caught at the final inspection.

Ultimately, Cummings said ADA rules aim to treat those with disabilities equally.

“It’s just about not excluding people with disabilities,” he said.

“If you’re not making something accessible ... you’re not treating them equally. It’s as simple as that.”

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A07

marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 10, 2024 A7

DOC IN BOX

Thinking about ‘cutting the cord’?

BY STEPHEN BACH The Docs recently did a deep dive on the average cable/TV/ internet service at home. In a 10-year span, most average households will spend around $24,000.

I’ve spent many frustrating hours on long chat sessions with cable reps, trying to get better rates. Alas, they almost always fail (if you don’t count a couple of dollars here and there). So I thought: if you only watch a few channels on cable TV (because you have a number of other streaming services with great content) why not cut the cable on the TV part, saving about $90 by returning both the cable box and eliminating DVR service? But how do you watch live TV? And

record live TV? The answer is surprisingly simple. Since many of us are in an area about 15 miles from all the local broadcasting towers, an OTA (Over The Air) antenna and a tiny internet-connected box that will record to a cloud service, we can replace that costly, monthly TV portion with an initial investment of around $200, plus a $35 a year subscription service (to record).

Wow. That’s about $1,000 a year savings. (Yes, it can be simple, but it will require a number of carefully planned steps and equipment selection. If you’d like a free white paper on what to do, step by step, email doc@ thedigitaldocs.com and we’ll send it to you.)

Here’s a little primer on how to cut the cable TV cord and save hundreds on your services bill.

1. Assess your current cable TV bill. What channels do you actually watch? How much are

you paying for your service? This will help you determine how much you can save by switching to streaming services and other alternatives.

2. Choose the streaming services that offer the channels you want. There are many different streaming services available, so you can choose the ones that offer the best value for your money.

3. Consider using a live TV streaming service. Live TV streaming services allow you to watch live TV channels, including sports and news

channels. Some popular live TV streaming services include Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV. 4. Get an antenna for local channels. You can get an antenna for around $30-$70, or hire an installer to put up a rooftop antenna. This will allow you to watch local broadcast channels for free, including ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. And if you buy one of the many devices to record, you’re all set.

5. Cancel your cable TV service. Once you have all of your streaming services and antenna set up, you can cancel your cable TV service. Be sure to return your cable box and other equipment to avoid being charged additional fees.

Here are some additional tips for saving money on your streaming services bill: Bundle streaming services.

Many streaming services offer discounted bundles. For

example, you can bundle Hulu and Disney+ for $13.99 per month, which is less than the cost of subscribing to each service individually. » Take advantage of free trials.

Many streaming services offer free trials. This is a great way to try out a service before you commit to subscribing. » You might be able to share streaming services with friends and family. Some streaming services allow you to share your account with up to six people. This can be a great way to save money if you have a large family or group of friends.

By following these tips, you can cut the cable TV cord and save hundreds on your services bill.

Until next time, happy streaming!

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

OBSERVER CORPS REPORT

Discrimination task force hears of hoax threat at Emanu-El Task Force Against Discrimination

DATE: Dec. 13 (Zoom, recorded) LWVM OBSERVER: Shari Pressman MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE: Helaine Hazlett (co-chair), Diane Gora (co-chair), Chief Dennis King (ex-officio member), Chris Buell, Scott Marcus, Reece Dahlberg, Niko King (student representative) Police Department update Chief King reported a threat earlier in the day at Temple Emanu-El that was determined to be a hoax. The incident was still traumatic, but everyone did what they were supposed to do, the chief reported.

Organizations and the MPD are in constant communication, and systems are in place at both the state and federal levels, he added. Congregants can feel safe going to temple, King said.

Temple Emanu-El went ahead with scheduled evening activities with a cruiser parked out front.

Chris Buell, a member of the congregation, commented, “We know we’re in good hands.”

King said that people in Marblehead appreciate the MPD’s preparedness. He used

the police term “elevated,” which means to proactively figure out what’s going on to prevent things from happening.

King then focused on a Combined Jewish Philanthropies conference a week ago where representatives from synagogues, law enforcement, schools, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office spoke about how hate crimes are prosecuted at the state and federal levels.

Working with law enforcement, everyone has a better idea of what’s going on to prevent incidents from happening, King said.

Significant recent public events such as the Christmas tree lighting, the Christmas Walk and the menorah lighting involved community planning with the Police, Highway and Fire departments. The community showed up with “positive energy and a message of peace,” he said.

Chief King then spoke about an incident in Swampscott. A yard sign was defaced with hateful messaging. He has offered to help with the case, met with ADL and a detective and former colleague from the Salem Police Department, who described the Swampscott incident as coming from inside the community. He has offered to share intelligence to “root out and hold somebody responsible for a hate crime.”

Discussion with METCO director Caja Johnson was ill and unable to attend.

Update on Marblehead Public Schools Student representative Niko King reported that there has been an uptick in afternoon school clubs with fall sports ending. Students have gone to the Senior Center to play volleyball on chairs, held a food drive for Lifebridge and are raising money for their own classes. Team Harmony will continue with a new faculty advisor.

The major concern among students is the School Committee subcommittee on flags. The committee has

meetings during the school day. Students are forced to choose between cutting classes to attend or be excluded from the meetings. The School Committee is not listening despite “constant pleas,” according to King.

Chris Buell attended as a parent and echoed that the meetings are scheduled during the day, which also makes them difficult to attend for working parents.

Suggested responses were to write a letter to the subcommittee or attend a School Committee meeting to speak in person. However, Dahlberg reported that there had been no follow-up to parents’ questions. It was suggested that students could write individual letters to the subcommittee to be read by someone attending in person.

Discussion will continue at the next TFAD meeting when more information will be reported.

Update on Holocaust Remembrance Day Helaine Hazeltt reported that the event will be held on Friday, Jan. 19 at noon on the upper Abbot Hall lawn. At 6 p.m. that evening at Temple Emanu-El,

a proclamation will be read by Moses Grader, acting chair of the Select Board. There will also be a speaker.

Update on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Kim Gubelman was not present at the meeting. The date is May 4.

Update on Marblehead Public Schools student reps Rebecca Herve-Lorenzo has applied for the position and was scheduled to be interviewed on the Select Board’s agenda later that day.

Discussion: February Book Read Dahlberg can order books from Copper Dog Books in Beverly with a quick turnaround. She will also ask Saltwater Book Store in Marblehead. Gora had suggestions for books for K-6 readers.

Update from Marblehead Racial Justice Team No one was present from MRJT. Pastor James Bixby will be invited to TFAD’s next meeting.

Future agenda items TFAD response to School Committee and subcommittee Next meeting Wednesday, Jan. 17

FROM THE VAULT

Before Instagram, the Kodak camera captured local life in the 1900s

BY JARRETT ZEMAN In this 1900 photo, a group of friends visit Fort Sewall on a snowy day. Two women hold Kodak snapshot cameras under their arms. To take photos, they loaded rolls of nitrate film, held the cameras against their chests and looked through a small viewfinder before clicking the shutter. They could create 100 exposures with each roll of film, which developed into 3 1/4-inch square photographs.

Twelve years earlier, George Eastman introduced the Kodak camera in Rochester, New York.

Marketed with the slogan, “You press the button ... we do the rest,” the camera and its film

Chronicles From P. A4

as “Washington’s Fleet,” in September of 1775.

The Hannah’s naval career was short, and not very successful, but that hasn’t deterred an ongoing fascination with her. On her first voyage the Hannah was chased by the Royal Naval vessel

revolutionized photography by allowing amateurs to take photographs without any formal training in composition or developing. Shutterbugs simply mailed their camera to Eastman’s Rochester factory, which developed the photos and sent them back along with the camera and a fresh roll of film.

Local photographer Fred Litchman, third from left in this photo, probably developed these ladies’ snapshots in his studio on 15 State St., one of the many services his business provided.

Litchman used snapshot cameras in addition to his own professional, tripod-mounted models.

This is one of 140 photos

featured in the Marblehead Museum’s new book,

“Marblehead Snapshots: The World of Fred Litchman.”

Litchman captured Marblehead at a pivotal time in its history, as locals created a seaside vacation mecca from the ashes of two devastating fires on Pleasant Street. The photos form a crucial historical record of a town unfiltered. The book is available to order at MarbleheadMuseum.org and in the museum gift shop, which reopens on March 1.

Jarrett Zeman is the assistant director of the Marblehead Museum. From the Vault is a regular segment highlighting an item from Marblehead Museum’s collection of more than 60,000 artifacts. Learn more and explore at marbleheadmuseum. org.

the Lively, which harassed the Marblehead coast for years. On her second voyage, the Hannah was attacked by the Nautilus, a British ship that had orders to burn her. Most accounts state that the Hannah was destroyed or at least damaged beyond repair. There is, however, another version, in which the Hannah was secretly rebuilt

and renamed the Lynch. In this undocumented version she went back to fight in 1776 and redeemed her reputation.

There are no actual contemporary paintings or drawings of the Hannah, though many representations exist. The right to claim the first ship in the American Navy is an ongoing feud.

Both Marblehead and Beverly call

themselves the “Birthplace of the American Navy.” And they are not the only ones. Several other locations also claim the title, including Philadelphia, Machias, Maine; Providence, Rhode Island; and Whitehall, New York. Each claimant has its own reason and story.

The Hannah of Marblehead, though once a real ship, has taken

on mythical proportions as the first ship of the American Navy.

For Marbleheaders, there will always be only one right answer to the question of where the first ship in the Navy came from.

Pam M. Peterson is the Marblehead Historical Commission’s chair and the former executive director of Marblehead Museum.

COURTESY PHOTO / MARBLEHEAD MUSEUM

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A08

marbleheadcurrent.org

A8 Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Marblehead Current

First snow!

After a slow start, Sunday’s nor’easter picked up steam in the afternoon, eventually dropping several inches in town and prompting a two-hour school delay on Monday.

CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER

Advertise in the Current There’s a reason why Marblehead businesses are overwhelmingly choosing the Current.

As a nonprofit, we are uniquely positioned to offer competitive rates with unmatched reach... online and in print.

New Lunch Hours Open at 11:30 Tuesday-Sunday New Lunch Menu!

Delicious Homemade Authentic Greek Cuisine 261 Washington St, Marblehead 781-499-5006 Online ordering eliamarblehead@gmail.com or through DoorDash and UberEats

Early ’24 Framing!

And since we don’t have a parent company, every advertising dollar goes directly to supporting our Marblehead based newsroom.

Learn more: MarbleheadCurrent.org/Ads Or contact Donna at d_rice@mac.com

Construction Management Services Residential & Commercial Inspections

MANAGEMENT DESIGN ASSOCIATES

Robert A. Erbetta

P.O. Box 44, Marblehead, MA 01945 (617) 293-8512 raerbetta@comcast.net BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

Snow emergency reminder The Marblehead Police Department is reminding residents about the protocols around snow emergencies this winter.

Under the policy, which was approved by the Select Board in October, on-street parking is prohibited from midnight to 7 a.m. on any day which the town has declared a snow emergency. Vehicles left on streets during the parking ban are subject to being ticketed and towed by police.

Marblehead used to have an outright overnight winter parking ban but decided to instead implement emergency bans on an as-needed basis during storms.

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A09

marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 10, 2024 A9

Sports HOMETOWN HERO

Texas A&M-bound quarterback Miles O’Neill earns national honor

Magician two-sport star is Gatorade New Jersey Football Player of the Year

BY JOE MCCONNELL In 2022, Miles O’Neill was the starting quarterback for the Marblehead High football team that lost to host Milton in a Division 3 Elite 8 game, 24-20.

Last winter, he then personally engineered arguably the biggest basketball play of the high school season, when he positioned himself for a rebound with seconds left in a Division 2 Sweet 16 game at Pope Francis. As fate would have it, the ball landed in his hands and without hesitation he put it back up to seal the 59-57 win. The Magicians went on to lose to host Mansfield in an Elite 8 game, 77-50.

O’Neill always has had a flair for the dramatic, and that’s why a number of Division 1 colleges started contacting him, long before his junior campaign. Texas A&M was one of those schools, and he couldn’t say no to them. But first, he transferred to The Hun School of Princeton, New Jersey, a private, coeducational,secondary boarding prep school in order to hone his skills on the next level.

The Marblehead native went from being a Magician to a Raider. The Raiders play in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League, a sports league that consists of participating institutions from university preparatory schools in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania areas. The calculated move to attend a prep school proved to be a wise decision after he was chosen the 2023-24 Gatorade New Jersey Football Player of the Year last week. The four-star, 6-foot-5 senior was a standout on the gridiron at The Hun School

Miles O’Neill

to earn the nationwide honor, where he threw for 2,100 yards and 20 touchdowns to lead his Raider teammates to an 8-1 record, which secured the MidAtlantic Prep League (MAPL)

SPORTS NOTEBOOK

Saugus snaps the girls basketball streak at five

BY JOE MCCONNELL The Marblehead High girls basketball team (5-1) still possesses one of the best records in the Northeastern Conference (NEC), but ironically after two weeks off because of the holiday break they saw their unbeaten streak disappear against host Saugus and its coach Joe Lowe on Jan. 3, 47-31.

Lowe just happens to be coach Paul Moran’s first captain, when Moran started coaching the Sachems boys team back in 2010. The pupil got the teacher in this matchup in a venue that still conjures up plenty of fond memories for the Marblehead coach.

“I didn’t do a good job coaching, but give the girls credited, they grinded it out and played good basketball to keep it close for a while,” Moran said. “But I know the best is still to come for this bunch this season.”

The game was tied at 27 after three quarters, when the host Sachems clamped down on defense and Moran admittedly had no answers to combat it.

The Magicians were still missing their star sophomore guard Tess Andriano, who is still recovering from a broken wrist that occurred last month during the second game of the season.

Moran hopes to have her back ready to play in two weeks.

NOTEBOOK, P. A11

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

championship.

For his efforts, he was named the MAPL Offensive Player of the Year.

Those who knew Miles best back home here in Marblehead

are quite happy for his continued success. Among them are Jim Rudloff and Mike Giardi, his varsity football and basketball head coaches. Giardi, of course, is also the longtime Marblehead

offensive coordinator, who naturally knows much about his extraordinary athletic ability. “(O’Neill) has the strongest arm that I’ve ever worked with on the high school level,” said Giardi. “He did great things for us in both basketball and football. I was sad to see him leave, but recognized he needed to push himself. The challenge for any athlete who has the physical tools is the mental aspect. He’s going to a big-time program (Texas A&M), and things will be different. If he’s able to handle the challenges mentally — learning new plays, identifying the speed of the game and handling the adversity — he will be great.”

Giardi certainly doesn’t diminish what the Gatorade Player of the Year Award means to players like O’Neill.

“It’s a great award that he received, and hopefully it catapults him to even bigger ones at the next level,” he said.

Rudloff added, “Miles’ story is a good one for any kid who wants to play college football.

He put the work in over the past year, and it has paid off.

“Miles certainly has a ton of God-given gifts,” added Marblehead’s Super Bowlwinning coach. “We see kids like that from time to time, the difference is what you do with those gifts. He has certainly put in the work this past year.”

O’Neill had this simple statement regarding his Gatorade honor that he posted on X on Jan. 3: “Honored to be named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year! @Gatorade @ AggieFootball.”

RUNNING

Track understudies compete well in annual freshman/ sophomore conference meet

BY JOE MCCONNELL The holiday break is always a great opportunity for high school athletes to relax and refocus for the unofficial start of the second half of the season when the calendar flips to a new year. For the Marblehead High boys and girls indoor track teams, they started the break with identical 2-1 winning records. But while they rested from competitive meets, their understudies took center stage for the annual Northeastern Conference (NEC) Freshman/ Sophomore Meet on Saturday, Dec. 29. And suffice to say, coach Nolan Raimo’s program appears to be set up for more future success.

Boys shotput

“Sophomore Graham Firestone can only be described as a wildcard,” said assistant coach Danny Plunkett. “He threw roughly 31 feet on all three of his initial attempts, while using a different technique on each throw. But if I’m not mistaken, he scraped into finals in sixth place. He then botched his first throw of the finals, but it only made him to become more excited and enthusiastic, and as a result he came roaring back on his second attempt with a throw of 34-2.5, a solid two-foot personal best, which was good enough for an impressive fourth place finish.”

Freshman Ari Elkayam then delivered perhaps the biggest shock of the day with a personal best astronomical throw of throw of 26-7.75 for a five-foot

COURTESY PHOTO

Marblehead indoor track sophomore Sadie Halpern picked up one-third of her team’s points (20.5) during the annual NEC Freshman/Sophomore Meet on Dec. 29.

improvement, according to Plunkett.

Girls shotput

After taking second at last year’s TRACK, P. A11

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A10

marbleheadcurrent.org

A10 Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Marblehead Current

ON THE MAT

MHS wrestlers ready to turn things around in the new year

BY JOE MCCONNELL The Marblehead/Swampscott High co-op Black & Blue wrestling team (2-6) has turned the corner into a new year, and veteran coach Mike Stamison sees his young team getting back into the Northeastern Conference (NEC) race. They traveled to Beverly on Jan. 6 for a quad meet, before facing the Panthers again at home three days later Jan. 9, both after press deadline.

Senior Angelo Knight (215-pounds, Marblehead), junior Mason Hinshaw (138/144, Swampscott), junior Clive Connolly (150, Marblehead) and sophomore Liam O’Brien (120, Swampscott) are this year’s captains.

Here are the team point leaders through Jan. 4: Liam O’Brien (13-3), eighth grader Brady Haskell of Swampscott (15-0, 14 wins via pinfall at 106), Hinshaw (13-3), Knight (9-6), Connolly (7-5) and senior Ben O’Brien (7-5).

“We are a young team with only three seniors,” said Stamison. “Altogether, we (Stamison and his assistant coach Rob Hopkins) have 30-plus eager grapplers, who are a hungry, coachable and athletic group.”

On Dec. 16 in the annual Anthony Lisitano Memorial Tournament at Wakefield, the Black & Blue finished sixth as a team with 125 points, narrowly missing out on a three-way tie for fourth with Arlington and Lexington.

“The boys all wrestled hard, and gained valuable experience,” said Stamison. “Notching his first varsity wins was eighth grader Atticus Jakious, who went 2-2. Eighth grader Chuck Conlon also grabbed his first varsity win, along with fellow eighth grader Jaymes Carey, who also earned his first two varsity wins to end up at 2-2.”

Junior Justin Gonzalez went 2-2 in the Wakefield Tournament, as did Ben O’Brien.

Sophomore Phineas Jakious, junior Alejandro Haven, senior Will Woodward and freshman Andrew Delisle all chipped in with a win. Devin DiBarri, Ilan Hod, Jayvery Monegro and

Marblehead / Swampscott High co-op wrestling coaches Mike Stamison, left, and assistant coach Rob Hopkins flank eighth grader Brady Haskell after the young grappler won the Pentucket Holiday Tournament championship in the 106-pound weight division.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Marblehead/Swampscott High co-op wrestling captains Mason Hinshaw (junior), left, and Liam O’Brien (sophomore) before the start of the season last month. Senior Angelo Knight and junior Clive Connolly are also captains of this year’s team.

Henry Wolcott all gained vital experience, and are getting close, according to Stamison.

Liam O’Brien went 4-1 with three pins at Wakefield to take fifth place. Hinshaw ended up third with a 3-1 record, along with Knight. Connolly finished up with a 3-2 record to place sixth overall.

“The big news of the day was eighth grader Brady Haskell, who simply dominated the competition at 106-pounds,” said Stamison. “Brady ripped off two wins via pin to get to the finals, and was leading 14-1, before pinning his Hanover opponent to take home his first high school championship.”

At the Pentucket Holiday Tournament on Dec. 27, Knight finished fifth at 215-pounds.

Hinshaw was third in a loaded 144-pound bracket. Liam O’Brien was credited with a second-place finish at 120-pounds, and then there’s the team’s Pentucket Holiday champion at 106 Brady Haskell.

Stamison also singled out Andrew Delisle, Jaymes Carey, Devin DiBarri, Luis Bender and

a gritty performance from Ben O’Brien for their all-out efforts, who fell just short of placing at Pentucket.

This year’s team first has had to get over the losses of last year’s graduating seniors Nicolai Tarason, A.J. Kluge and Mark Babineau.

“It’s hard to fill their shoes, particularly those of Nicolai, who was our emotional and vocal leader. He also had an excellent season at 152/160,” said Stamison. “But with that said, the current seniors consisting of captain Angelo Knight and starters BenO’Brien and Will Woodward have been terrific leaders so far on and off the mat, and with such a young team they also act like extra coaches and mentors. We also have great leaders among the underclassmen. Liam O’Brien and Mason Hinshaw impressed us last year as a freshman and sophomore, respectively, and they continue to have very high upsides. Our goal for both this year is for them to qualify for allstates, if not the New England regionals. They have put in the

Celebrating eighth grader Brady Haskell’s, second, left, Pentucket Holiday Tournament championship in the 106-pound weight division are senior captain Angelo Knight, left, sophomore captain Liam O’Brien, second right, and junior captain Mason Hinshaw.

work during the offseason, along with several of their teammates, and now is the time to harvest the fruits of their labors.”

Stamison added: “The above five wrestlers are our core, but newcomers Ilan Hod, Luis Bender, Chuck Conlon, Brady Haskell, Xavier Tejeda, Jayvery Monegro and Brody Sullivan are also figuring into the mix, along with returning lettermen Clive Connolly, Devin DiBarri, Justin Gonzalez, Colin Hart, Henry Wolcott and Andrew Delisle.”

Stamison says he has a full lineup to fill out all 14 weight classes, giving him considerable

depth as the season heats up.

“We have also added a transfer from Salem in freshman Eva Goodman (Swampscott), who has over five years of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu experience, which should translate nicely to folk-style wrestling,” the coach continued. “She should also contribute at the lower weights. But we are definitely going to miss sophomore Dylan Kesselman, who suffered a season-ending injury during the football season. But he has still been around the team a lot, and is my scorekeeper this season, learning the ins and outs of the sport.”

MHS VARSITY SPORTS SCHEDULE

BOYS BASKETBALL

MHS is heading to the TD Garden The Marblehead Boys Varsity Basketball team will play Salem High on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 2:30 p.m. at TD Garden. Both teams are undefeated.

After the game, the Friends of Marblehead Basketball will hold a party to honor Heather Walker and her family at the Garden. Heather was Celtics vice president of public relations before losing a battle against brain cancer last year. The Friends will make a contribution to the Dana Farber/Heather Walker Fund to Stephen Walker, Heather’s husband.

For more information, go to FriendsofMHDbasketball@gmail.com

Wednesday, Jan. 10 4:30 p.m. boys and girls indoor track 8:30 p.m. boys hockey 8:40 p.m. girls hockey Thursday, Jan. 11 5:30 p.m. alpine ski racing 6:45 p.m. gymnastics 7 p.m. girls basketball 7 p.m. boys basketball Saturday, Jan. 13 7:30 a.m. wrestling Noon girls hockey 12:30 p.m. boys and girls dive meet 4 p.m. boys hockey Sunday, Jan. 14 10:30 a.m. girls hockey 1 p.m. gymnastics 2:30 p.m. boys basketball Tuesday, Jan. 16 7 p.m. girls basketball 7 p.m. boys basketball 7 p.m. boys and girls swimming/diving Wednesday, Jan. 17 6 p.m. wrestling 7:30 p.m. girls hockey Thursday, Jan. 18 5 p.m. wrestling 6:30 p.m. boys and girls swimming/diving Friday, Jan. 19 7 p.m. girls basketball 7 p.m. boys basketball 7 p.m. gymnastics

vs. multiple schools vs. Danvers vs. Bishop Fenwick

at Marblehead High at Ray Bourque Arena, Beverly at Essex Sports Center, Middleton

vs. TBA vs. Bishop Fenwick vs. Swampscott vs. Swampscott

at Blue Hills Ski Area, Canton at Bakers Gym, Salem at Marblehead High at Swampscott High

vs. TBA at Pelham High vs. Newburyport at Graf Skating Rink, Newburyport vs. NEC League at Peabody-Lynnfield YMCA vs. Peabody at McVann/O’Keefe Memorial Rink, Peabody vs. Bishop Fenwick vs. Masconomet vs. Salem

at Salem State O’Keefe Center at Yellow Jackets Gym, Middleton at TD Garden, Boston

vs. Masconomet vs. Masconomet vs. Salem

at Marblehead High at Masconomet Regional High at Salem YMCA

vs. Gloucester vs. Pope Francis Prep

at Gloucester High at Salem State O’Keefe Center

vs. Josiah Quincy

at Swampscott High

vs. Gloucester

Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA

vs. Beverly vs. Beverly vs. Winthrop

at Marblehead High at Beverly High at Winthrop Gymnastics Academy SCHEDULE, P. A11

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A11

marbleheadCurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 10, 2024 A11

Notebook

MHS schedule

Captain Katie Pyne led all Marblehead scorers with 18 points, all from beyond the arch. Marri O’Connell accounted for three points, and Ramona Gillett tallied once for two points.

Before the Christmas break, the Magicians took care of nonleague Essex Tech, 46-32 on Dec. 23.

Freshman Ainsley McDonald was the top scorer in this game with 18 points. O’Connell was next in line with nine. Pyne had four, along with junior Maddie Forbes. Captain Kate Burns chipped in with two.

This game was tied at 11 after one quarter, but the Marblehead girls started to take control of the game at the break, leading by three, 23-20.

The Magicians went up against host Peabody on Monday (Jan. 8) after press deadline, before returning home to host rival Swampscott Thursday, Jan. 11, starting at 7 p.m.

MORE MHS SPORTS SCHEDULE

From P. A9

From P. A10

Boys hoops undefeated after three The Marblehead boys basketball team took care of visiting Saugus before the winter break, 68-44 to remain undefeated after three games. They finally resume the schedule on Monday, Jan. 8, against visiting Peabody. They will be at Swampscott Jan. 11 to go up against the rival Big Blue at 7 p.m.

The Magicians led at halftime in the Saugus game, 36-26.

Ryan Commoss and Nick Lemmond paced the offensive attack with 20 points apiece. Scott Campbell was the only other double-digit scorer for coach Mike Giardi’s team with 12 points.

Boys hockey gets untracked with two straight wins After beginning the season with six straight losses, the hockey Headers broke into the win column just before the start of the New Year against non-league Melrose, 6-0 at Salem State’s Rockett Arena on Dec. 30. They then took care of host Medford in another non-league encounter, 3-1 on Jan. 3.

Coach Mark Marfione’s team has since taken on Winthrop on Jan. 6, before facing Danvers at the Essex Sports Center in Middleton Jan. 10, starting at 8:30 p.m.

Track From P. A9

freshman-sophomore meet, Lillian Reddy (30-9) returned this year all fired up to win the event with a seven-inch personal best.

“Despite not being able to practice the week before the meet due to a combination of illness, injury and driver’s ed, she easily made the finals with a few 28-foot throws. However, she was still sitting back in fourth place. But sometimes all it takes is one great throw, because she was then able to put it altogether on her second attempt in the finals to edge her Gloucester counterpart by just three inches to secure first place,” said Plunkett.

Freshman Naomi Goodwin (209.5) tied for 12th. She showed real poise to throw consistently for a great result in her first big meet, according to Plunkett.

Boys long jump

Elian Colon (18-2.5) led the way with a fifth-place finish.

“Elian had a remarkable day scoring points in the hurdles, long jump and 4x200 relay,” said Raimo.

Colin Burke barely missed the finals, placing eighth with a leap of 15-3.5. Casey Gransbury finished

Saturday, Jan. 20 8 a.m. wrestling (varsity quad) vs. multiple schools at Triton Regional High Sunday, Jan. 21 9 a.m. girls and boys indoor track MSTCA Relays 10:30 a.m. boys hockey vs. Hopedale Jr./Sr. Monday, Jan. 22 6 p.m. girls basketball vs. Winthrop 7 p.m. boys basketball vs. Winthrop 7:30 p.m. gymnastics vs. Salem Tuesday, Jan. 23 5:30 p.m. alpine ski racing vs. TBA at Ski Ward Ski Area, Shrewsbury Wednesday, Jan. 24 4:30 p.m. girls and boys indoor track vs. Gloucester 4:30 p.m. wrestling vs. Saugus 5 p.m. girls hockey vs. Medford 5:30 p.m. alpine ski racing vs. TBA 6 p.m. boys hockey vs. Gloucester Thursday, Jan. 25 5:30 p.m. alpine ski racing vs. TBA 6 p.m. girls basketball vs. Salem 6:30 p.m. girls and boys swimming/diving vs. Swampscott 7 p.m. gymnastics vs. Hamilton-Wenham Friday, Jan. 26 7 p.m. boys basketball vs. Salem at Salem High Saturday, Jan. 27 9 a.m. wrestling NEC League 3 p.m. girls hockey vs. Masconomet Regional

10th with a jump of 14-10.5.

Girls long jump

Sadie Halpern was second with a spectacular leap of 16-4. Cora Gerson ended up fourth with a jump of 14-10.

Boys 55-meters

Ethan Harwood came in 14th in a competitive dash field with a time of 7.66. Burke (7.83) was close behind in 18th place. Jared Halpern (7.84) was right on his heals in 19th place.

Girls 55-meters

Sadie Halpern was the victor in a blazing fast time of 7.62.

Lidia Jasmine Tiedra (8:08) finished sixth, which was an improvement of over 0.3 seconds since the New Balance NEC Invite. Camryn O’Brien (8.75) came in 13th. Sydney Berman (9.23) was 20th overall.

Boys 55-meter hurdles Colon (9.82) cracked the 10-second barrier, an impressive feat for an underclassman, to finish third. Firestone (10.8) impressed with a fifth-place finish. Nate Jendrysik (11.10) missed the finals by 0.3 seconds to come in eighth.

Girls mile

Jesslyn Roemer (6:13.02, 13-second personal best) ended up fifth.

“Jesslyn keeps getting better and better as she gets more experience, while learning to push herself more and more in every race,” said assistant coach Will Herlihy.

“Thea Shaw (7:13.84, 10-second personal best) was seventh, while continuing to improve in every race,” said Herlihy.

Boys mile

Will Cruikshank (5:05.96) won the mile in what was a very physical race, according to Herlihy.

“There were more lead changes in this race than you normally see, which made it very entertaining,” added Herlihy.

“Despite not knowing how many laps were remaining since the officials didn’t ring the bell, Will still turned on the jets in the last lap to secure the win.”

Filip Grubor (5:38.94. 15-second personal best) ended up seventh.

Zach Pike (5:46.3) ran a solid race, despite just coming off an illness, to come in 11th.

Boys 300

Slater Johnson (42.5) motored to a fifth-place finish. Josh Franklin (45.3) was 11th. Casey Gransbury (52.19) crossed the finish line 21st overall.

Girls 300

Manuela Puente (48.11) led the

Protest From P. A2

make its decisions. (See the full draft below.)

Student organizers have a plan to create a student board to determine a flag policy. They hope to present it to the policy subgroup.

Lindsay Smith brought her daughters, ages 11 and 8, to the protest.

“I am here supporting our student leaders,” Smith said.

“I’m angry that our School Committee is not listening to them.”

Many students expressed concern that the new draft policy would lead to the removal of the BLM and trans flags that hang in the high school cafeteria.

“It’s important for those flags to stay up so under-represented communities don’t feel hurt,” Twomey said.

Several members of the Marblehead Racial Justice Team stood with students, carrying

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Lindsay Popperson’s dog, Pope Joan, carries a message for the School Committee.

signs.

“We are dismayed by the School Committee’s decision in this matter and the negative impact it will make,” said member Pastor Jim Bixby, who

leads Clifton Lutheran Church.

“Our message to students, faculty and administrators is that we are here for you, and MRJT supports the right of peaceful self-expression and

at Reggie Lewis Center, Roxbury at Salem State O’Keefe Center at Winthrop High at Marblehead High at Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA

at Gloucester High at Saugus High at LaConte Rink, Medford at Bradford Ski Hill at Talbot Rink, Gloucester at Blue Hills Ski Area, Canton at Salem High at Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA at Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA

at Gloucester High at Salem State O’Keefe Center

way for Marblehead with a sixthplace finish. Cora Gerson (50.21) was ninth, Grace Rowe (53.30) 14th, Naomi Goodwin (57.03) 22nd and Julia Betz (60.68) 26th.

Boys 1,000

Girls 600

Boys 4x200

Boys 600

Girls 4x200

Isabel Mortensen (1:55.84), the lone Marblehead runner in this event, matched her best time from last season. She finished fourth in a competitive field.

Henrik Adams (1:35.7) ran hard to take second place.

“He had a plan for the first lap of the race to set the tone, but a previously unknown Salem runner tried to take over the race at the start of the second lap. Henrik had to respond to stay in the race, and he did by closing in on the lead runner in the final 100 meters, but just ran out of room in the end to finish second,” said Herlihy.

Girls 1,000

Ivana Nguyen (4:04.8, eightsecond personal best) was focused to run a significant personal best out of the second heat, where she was half a lap ahead the whole race, and as a result she was rewarded with an awesome third place finish. Liv Niles (4:21.56) fought through some back pain in the final lap to finish sixth to get to the podium.

celebration of our diverse identities. We will work to reverse this decision.”

Weiner said students are also nervous that removing flags will lead to more restrictions.

“We really just don’t want to open the door for there to be more bannings,” she said. “Even if the School Committee says it won’t ban books or speech, we don’t want to set a precedent where this is OK.” Here is the current draft policy. It must be heard at three School Committee meetings before being voted on.

It shall be the policy of the Marblehead Public Schools (MPS) to only permit the flying of the American flag or banners, the Massachusetts state flag or banners, and the town of Marblehead flag or banners on school grounds, and/or in school buildings.

Any group/organization or individual wishing to place any sign, banner, or flag on MPS buildings, grounds, transportation vehicles or

Zach Plum (3:43.78) missed his heat, but fortunately was able to step up and run well in the second heat, a much quicker race.

Ethan Harwood, Jared Halpern, Elian Colon and Slater Johnson sprinted to a third-place finish first in their heat with a time of 1:51.34.

Sadie Halpern, Lidia Jasmine Tiedra, Cora Gerson and Manuela Puente (1:57.96) won the relay, which, despite not practicing handoffs at all, is astounding.

“As the race grew shorter 200-meters instead of 300 meters the higher speeds are tough to maintain into tight turns,” said Raimo. “This group has a bright future, and we will hopefully see more from them in the years to come.

“Including this relay, Halpern was able to set a meet high across all events with 20.5 points, scoring nearly one-third of our points.

This performance of hers was superstar status,” added Raimo.

Boys 4x400

Will Cruikshank, Graham Firestone, Nate Jendrysik and Henrik Adams finished fourth in a time of 4:12.17.

other property must submit a written request to the School Committee, along with a picture, photo or drawing of the proposed item showing all measurements and colors.

Requests will be reviewed and approved or denied on a case-bycase basis based on the following conditions: 1. Items must relate to or be in furtherance of the district’s educational goals, programs, activities or events, and sentiments; and 2. Items are subject to review under 603 CMR 26.00: Access To Equal Educational Opportunity 3. Approved items may be approved for display for a minimum of one day and a maximum of one month.

Such items must be approved in advance as appropriate under the circumstances and in accordance with this policy.

No decision by the School Committee will be considered precedent setting for future requests, including the same group/organization or item(s).

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A12

marbleheadcurrent.org

A12 Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Marblehead Current

LIBRARY HAPPENINGS

January schedule at Abbot Public Library Need to use a copier?

The Abbot Public Library is temporarily located at the Eveleth School, 3 Brook Rd., while its Pleasant Street building undergoes a multi-million-dollar renovation. Library hours are the following: » Monday: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. » Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. » Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. » Thursday: Noon to 6 p.m. » Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. » Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. » Sunday: Closed.

Note: The Children’s Room closes at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Abbot Public Library does not charge a fee per page, but it asks that patrons contribute what they wish when copying. Funds will be donated to The Friends of Abbot Public Library.

‘Wildlife in Your Neighborhood’ Learn about local wildlife with Dan Proulx, Marblehead Assistant Animal Control Officer, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. at Abbot Public Library. The event, covering species from mice to coyotes, will be both in-person and online via Zoom. Register at tinyurl. com/wildlife-Jan-2024.

Adult book club

The Abbot Public Library invites book enthusiasts to its monthly Adult Book Club, held online via Zoom on Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 10 to 11 a.m. January’s discussion will feature “Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett, with copies available in the library’s Reference Room. Participation requires prior registration, which can be completed at tinyurl.com/ Jan-2024-Book-Club.

Open Lab

The Abbot Public Library offers Open Lab for individuals seeking assistance with computers, smartphones and other tech gadgets. The sessions are scheduled every Tuesday in January. 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Library staff will be available to provide one-on-one help. Windows laptops will be provided for those who cannot bring their own devices.

Woven coaster workshop

Abbot Public Library is hosting an “Adult Crafternoon” focused on creating woven coasters, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 12, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

This free event is limited to 10 participants. Register in advance at abbotlibrary.org/events.

Poetry Salon

Poetry lovers are invited to a special session of the Poetry Salon with Claire Keyes, focusing on the works of Carol Seitchik, on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. The event will be held in the Program Room and online via Zoom. Seitchik, a visual artist from Beverly, turned to

Get your museum on Learn about local wildlife with Marblehead’s Assistant Animal Control Officer Dan Proulx at the library this month.

poetry due to health issues and published “The Distance from Odessa” in 2021. Her poems span generations and continents, touching upon themes of family, rebellion and migration. The salon promises a deep dive into contemporary issues through poetry. Online attendees must register in advance at abbotlibrary.org/events, while no registration is required for in-person attendance.

Neffinger, the lecture will explore the impact of non-native marine species in Salem Sound, including green crabs, blue crabs, shore crabs and others.

The discussion will also address the role of climate change in the spread of these species.

Registration is required for both in-person and online attendance at tinyurl.com/SSCW-Jan-2024.

program with AARP opens on Monday, Jan. 22 from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. at Abbot Public Library.

The free tax preparation service, focusing on low to moderate income and elderly taxpayers, starts Feb. 5. Visit abbotlibrary. org/events for details.

Craft and Chat

Optimizing Health with Sam Lebicz Join the Abbot Public Library on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 10:30 a.m. for a health-focused presentation

by Sam Lebicz, a functional nutrition therapy practitioner.

The session, both in-person and online via Zoom, will cover eating habits for better energy and gut health. Register at abbotlibrary.org/events.

Join Becky Curran Cutting, Marblehead’s Town Planner, for an introduction to town government on Monday, Jan. 29, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. The event, part of a series in partnership with the League of Women Voters, will be held at the Abbot Public Library and online via Zoom. Register at tinyurl.com/ Government-Jan-2024.

Abbot Public Library is hosting a Community Craft and Chat event on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Bring your own craft projects to work on and share ideas with fellow craft enthusiasts. The program is open to the public, and no registration is required.

‘Marine Invaders on the Move’ Lecture

Midday Movie Matinee

Abbot Public Library, in collaboration with Salem Sound Coastwatch, will host a lecture titled “Marine Invaders on the Move” on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. The event, part of the “Underwater in Salem Sound” Lecture Series for 2024, will be held in the Program Room and online via Zoom. Presented by Barbara Warren, Alison Frye and Lexie

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS Buyer(s)

The Abbot Public Library’s Midday Movie Matinee on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 1 p.m. will feature Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of an Agatha Christie mystery. For movie details and registration, visit abbotlibrary. org/events or call the library.

Tax Counseling for the Elderly Registration for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly

Intro to Marblehead town government with Becky Curran Cutting

Fines no more

Abbot Public Library is now fine-free. Visit abbotlibrary.org/ about/general-info to learn more about borrowing materials and to get a library card.

Tech and misc. things

The library offers Book Club Kits, Chromebooks, hotspots and more in its Library of Things. Visit abbotlibrary.org/ what-we-offer/library-of-things to learn more.

Visit abbotlibrary.org/whatwe-offer/get-a-museum-pass to reserve passes and promo codes for some of the best museums in the greater Boston area.Thanks to the generous support of the Friends of Abbot Public Library, the library offers passes and promo codes to: » Boston Children’s Museum » Harvard Art Museums » The House of the Seven Gables » The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston » Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum » Museum of Fine Arts » Museum of Science » New England Aquarium (now a digital promo code) » Peabody Essex Museum » Trustees Go Pass » Zoo New England Patrons without access to the internet may reserve a pass/ promo code right at the main desk or by calling 781-631-1481, though some passes may require an email address to be used.

Returns

Returns are accepted inside the library in the blue bin near the main desk or, if the library is closed, outside its main entrance in the black Library Return bin.

Book donations are only accepted on Book Donation Days.

For updates on the renovations, visit abbotlibrary. org/news/renovation-news.Sign up for the library’s newsletter at tinyurl.com/Abbot-News.

Seller(s)

Address

Date

Price

Maria S. Miller and Matthew Miller

49 Sewall St.

Dec. 18

$758,200

Joseph G. Barbuzzi

12-14 Rock Ave.

Dec. 18

$765,000 $445,900

Marblehead Rachel C. Keegan Swampscott Michael J. Scotti Carol A. and Eric P. Watson Arthur Simms Brendan and Heidi Buckley

Linda Curcio and Christopher C. Lahue

41 Bates Road

Dec. 18

Warren C. Sawyer 2001 T and Debra S. Nutter

49 Bay View Drive Dec. 21

$949,000

James A. Odorczuk

110 Bellevue Road Dec. 18

$2,795,000

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD BOARD OF APPEALS The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday January 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM on the request of Kevin R. Walker to vary the application of the present Zoning By-law by allowing a Special Permit to construct a new accessory building to replace an existing as accessory an existing single-family dwelling on a preexisting non-conforming property with less than the required lot area, lot width, frontage, front, open area, rear and side and rear yard setbacks and exceeds height located at 5 Kimball St in the Shoreline Expanded Single Residence District. The new construction will be located within the front and side yard setback. This hearing is held in accordance with the provi sions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, § 18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platform through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06wcb.zoom.us/j/87878347282?pwd=enlwRXd3V2xmdHE3cy92SklTU1 BTUT09 Dial in + 1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568 Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the meeting, but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www.marblehead. org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so, during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons may also submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyonsl@marblehead.org and the comments, will be included in the record.

Alan Lipkind Secretary

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD BOARD OF APPEALS The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday January 23, 2023 at 8:00 PM on the request of Michael and Kelly Janos to vary the application of the present Zoning By-law by allowing a Special Permit to construct an addition to an existing single-family dwelling on a preexisting non-conforming property with less than the required lot width and side yard setback located at 47 Londonderry Road in the Single Residence District. This hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, § 18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via rel’note participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platform through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87878347282?pwd=en1wRXd3V2xnmHE3cy92Sk1TU1BTUT09 Dial in+ 1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568 Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the 1neeting, but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www.marblehead. org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so, during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons 1nay also submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyonsl@ marblehead.org and the comments, will be included in the record.

Alan Lipkind Secretary

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD BOARD OF APPEALS

HELP WANTED!

The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday January 23, 2023 at 8:15 PM on the request of Christopher Franklin and Michelle Pliskin to vary the application of the present Zoning By-law by allowing a Special Permit to construct an addition to an existing single family dwelling on a preexisting non-conforming property with less than the required lot area, lot width, frontage, front and side yard set backs and exceeds the height maximum located at 16 Pilgrim Road in the Single Residence District. The new construction will be within the front and side yard set back and exceed the maximum height. This hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker ‘s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, § 18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platform through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06wcb.zoom.us/j/87878347282?pwd=enlwRXd3V2xtndHE3cy92SklTUl BTUT09 Dial in + 1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568 Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the meeting , but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www.marblehead. org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so, during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons may also submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyonsl@marblehead.org and the comments, will be included in the record.

Alan Lipkind Secretary

Marblehead Children’s Center is looking to hire Infant/ Toddler and Preschool teachers for part and full time positions.

MCC’s philosophy is that children learn best through play.

We are seeking enthusiastic, dedicated professionals who will engage in and uphold our mission.

We provide a collaborative and supportive environment where teachers have opportunities to develop their skills through education and training. We’re proud of the positive impact MCC continues to have on children, families and our community.

Please contact us at 781-631-1954 for more info about salary + benefits (including free childcare).

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD BOARD OF APPEALS The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday January 23, 2023 at 8:15 PM on the request of MPM Companies LLC to vary the application of the present Zoning By-law by allowing a Special Permit to construct a new single family dwelling which will replace an existing single-family dwelling on a preexisting non-conforming property with less than the required lot area and side yard setbacks located at 60 Prospect Street in the Unrestricted and Central Residence District. The new construction will exceed the 10% expansion limits for nonconforming buildings. This hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker’s Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platform through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87878347282?pwd=enlwRXd3V2xmdHE3cy92SklTUIBTUT09 Dial in+ 1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568 Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the meeting, but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www.marblehead.org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so, during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons may also submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyonsl@ marblehead.org and the comments, will be included in the record.

Alan Lipkind Secretary

TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD BOARD OF APPEALS

The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday January 23, 2023 at 8:00 PM on the request of Jerome and Holly O'Neil to vary the application of the present Zoning By-law by allowing a Special Permit to construct a new single family dwelling which will replace an existing single-family dwelling on a preexisting non-conforming property with less than the required lot area, lot width, frontage, rear and side yard setbacks and exceeds the height maximum located at 84 Harbor Ave in the Shoreline Expanded Single Residence District. This hearing is held in accordance with the provisions of the Marblehead Zoning Bylaw, and Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended and Pursuant to Governor Baker's Order allowing suspension of Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, § 18, this public hearing of the Board is being conducted via remote participation. The public can attend this meeting via the remote participation platform through the following ways: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87878347282?pwd=enlwRXd3V2xmdHE3cy92SklTUlBTUT09 Dial in+ 1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 878 7834 7282 Passcode: 404568 Those only dialing in will not have access to the visual presentation at the meeting, but can follow along with the project materials available for download at https://www.marblehead.org under the zoning board of appeals page and the date of meeting. Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so, during the portion of the hearing designated for public comment. Interested persons may also submit comment in writing electronically and send to lyons1@marblehead.org and the comments, will be included in the record.

Alan Lipkind, Secretary

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A13

marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 10, 2024 A13

IN MEMORIAM

Ann Maguire, LGBTQ activist and political strategist, dies at 80 Maguire was a pioneer for equal rights and helped launch countless political careers

BY WILL DOWD Marblehead resident Ann Maguire, an LGBTQ activist, breast cancer research advocate, political strategist and mentor who made a difference in countless lives, died Dec. 29. She was 80.

“I often talk about the debt we owe to the trailblazers who paved the way for all of us in the LGBTQ+ community today,” wrote Gov. Maura Healey on X. “When I think about those trailblazers, Ann Maguire is one of the first who comes to mind.”

Maguire, who lived in Marblehead for nearly 40 years, began her activism in Boston’s LGBTQ community in the early 1970s with a popular weekly radio show “GayWay” that provided support and encouragement when most gay people remained closeted. She hosted the show from 1973 to 1980. Maguire also created safe spaces for lesbians, including the bars Sisters in Provincetown and Somewhere in Boston.

“She was always referred to as a fighter. I don’t think my words are capable of describing how hard it was to grow up as an LGBTQ-plus individual in the 1940s, 1980s,” said Ben Pratt, her grandson. “The best way I can describe it is she saw a society that was unfair and in many ways unjust and sought to make positive change.”

He added, “It’s almost a cliche to say, but whenever Ann saw a problem, she sought out to fix it at its core.”

Maguire managed the winning

COURTESY PHOTO / FENWAY HEALTH

COURTESY PHOTO / GOV. MAURA HEALEY

Ann Maguire with Gov. Maura Healey, whom the Marblehead resident and LGBTQ+ activist mentored through the years. Maguire died on Dec. 29 at 80.

1974 campaign for State Rep. Elaine Noble, the first openly LGBTQ candidate elected to a state legislature in the U.S. She helped run campaigns for other candidates over the years, including Massachusetts State Rep. Sarah Peake and Provincetown Selectman David McChesney. In 1993, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino chose Maguire to manage his first mayoral campaign.

“She had a great capacity to see both the forest and the trees. Yes, run for office!” said friend Kim Cromwell. “But first, make sure your campaign strategy is to knock on every door, introduce yourself and listen to your voters.”

After surviving breast cancer herself, Maguire noted the lack of awareness and funding to combat the disease. She co-founded the National Breast Cancer Coalition in 1991, which helped triple federal funding

for research. The coalition also lobbied for legislation like the National Mammography Standards Act and Cancer Registries Act which helped set quality standards for mammograms and collect data on cancer cases nationwide.

Maguire served as Boston’s Health and Human Services director under Mayor Raymond Flynn from 1987-89 when she pioneered the city’s annual homeless census. This census became the model for similar counts in cities across the country to measure the scale of homelessness and allocate resources.

“When she saw a problem, she fixed it. And that’s what she did ... she would see a problem and she was going to fix it,” Maguire’s wife, Harriet Gordon, told the Current. “You would not get in her way because you knew she … never saw a problem that

Ann Maguire and her longtime partner and spouse, Harriet Gordon, at a Fenway Health event in 2017.

she didn’t fix.”

Maguire possessed the rare talent for working with diverse groups of people from Boston’s affluent Back Bay neighborhood to the homeless at Pine Street Inn and connecting people from different backgrounds, friends said. She played a pivotal role as one of the original founders of Helping Our Women (HOW), an organization dedicated to assisting women on the Outer Cape who are grappling with chronic or severe health conditions by providing support and resources to navigate their challenges.

“Ann knew how to think globally but act locally. She would strategize with people who thought about running for political office on one hand, and then later the same day ask friends to help her roll coins that had been tossed into the jar to fund the local dog park,” said Cromwell. “Or she would sit under an umbrella on the street to sell T-shirts for the kids’ sailing club. She was a force for good.”

Ann was born to Esther and Joseph Maguire in Worcester, on July 20, 1943. She grew up with her brother Joseph in Worcester and graduated from Bridgewater State University and Boston University. Preceding her in death were her beloved brother and her parents.

In 2019, a bench was dedicated to Ann Maguire in front of Town Hall in Provincetown by her friends. The plaque on the bench honors her multifaceted roles, stating, “Ann Maguire, Teacher, Mentor, Activist, Coach, Friend, She touched so many lives for the better, Somewhere, Everywhere.”

Maguire’s 39-year partnership and marriage with Gordon was a significant part of her life. McGuire often fondly described Harriet, along with her two daughters, Jennifer Pratt (married to Steven) and Alyson Aneshansley (married to Edward), as a “package deal.” Alongside her wife and children, she is survived by her grandchildren Benjamin Gordon Pratt, Elizabeth Ann Pratt, Jack Henry Aneshansley and Julia Rose Aneshansley.

To her friends and family, she was always quick to offer encouragement. In her memory, donations may be made to Helping Our Women, in Provincetown, an organization dear to her heart. A celebration of Maguire’s life will take place this spring at the Arlington Street Church, 351 Boylston St., Boston, with Gov. Maura Healey as speaker on June 1, at 1 p.m.

OBITUARIES

Philip F. Norcross Jr. Philip Fisk Norcross Jr., 91, of Marblehead passed away at the Kaplan Family Hospice House, Danvers, on Friday, Dec. 22, after many years of a brutal battle with Parkinson’s disease.

He was born on April 27, 1932, in Salem, to the late Philip F. Norcross Sr. and Helen (Young) Norcross.

Philip was a lifelong resident of Marblehead, which he loved. He was active in the community, which included elected positions to the Recreation & Parks Commission, where he served for many years, and to the Water & Sewer Commission.

He was one of the founders of the Marblehead Youth Football program and officiated games for more than 30 years. Philip was a third-degree Mason in the Marblehead Philanthropic

Lodge F. & A.M. from February 1957 to the present.

Philip graduated from Marblehead High School in 1950, followed by a year at Kimball Union Academy before entering Middlebury College, Vermont, where he earned his bachelor of arts degree in history in 1955.

Philip entered active duty with the U.S. Navy and served for two years on the USS Yellowstone AD 27, primarily in the Mediterranean. He

continued his Navy career for the next 30 years in the Naval Reserve, retiring as a commander.

Upon completing his Navy active duty, Philip pursued his career in the insurance industry and received a CLU degree during this time. Throughout his work career, he enjoyed sports and officiated college and high school football in the Eastern College and Athletic Conference for many years.

After leaving the insurance area, Philip worked for the U.S. Treasury Department as an enrolled agent for 18 years. Upon retiring from the U.S. government, he enjoyed traveling, being involved with the YMCA and attending town activities.

Philip is survived by his longtime companion, Mary R. Ferris of Marblehead; daughter Nancy Norcross of Park City, Utah; son Derek and daughterin-law Joanne (Flaherty)

Norcross; and grandchildren Mitchell, Jennifer and Richard “Gil” Norcross. He was preceded in death by his parents, Philip F. Norcross Sr. and Helen (Young) Norcross; a brother, James Norcross; his sister, Carol (Norcross) Williams, and her husband, Laurence Williams.

Visiting hours will be held at Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead, 142 Elm St. on Thursday, Jan. 11 from 3 to 7 p.m. with a Masonic service at 6:30 p.m. His funeral service will be held on Friday, Jan. 12, at 11 a.m. in the funeral home. Burial will follow at Harmony Grove Cemetery, Salem.

Donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE First St., Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for Philip’s loved ones may be shared at eustisandcornellfuneral.com.

for several Marblehead families where she formed many strong and lasting relationships.

Phyllis enjoyed reading, gardening and caring for her many dogs and cats over the years. As a lifelong ‘Header she loved walking around town, especially in the Shipyard

District, catching up on local happenings with her friends and neighbors.

A graveside funeral service will be held at Waterside Cemetery on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Phyllis’ memory to the Friends of the Marblehead Council on Aging, 10 Humphrey Street, Marblehead, MA 01945 or contact via mhdfriendsofcoa.org/contact/; or to the Northeast Animal Shelter, 347 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA 01970 or via northeastanimalshelter.org/.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be made at eustisandcornellfuneralhome. com for Phyllis’ family.

Phyllis W. Fader, 83 Phyllis W. Fader, age 83, of Marblehead, passed away on Monday, Jan. 1. Born in Marblehead, she was the daughter of the late Elmer and Mabel (Fisher) Younger. She was the loving mother of Lisa W. Leboeuf and her husband, Tom, and Alison W. Broughton and her husband, Rick of Marblehead; the cherished grandmother of Nicholas Glover Broughton, Emma C.W. Broughton and Sampson T.A. Broughton; the greatgrandmother of Andrew Adams and Miles Broughton; and the dear sister of the late Paul Younger. She is also survived by

several nieces and nephews.

Phyllis was raised and educated in Marblehead and graduated from Marblehead High School with the class of 1958. She raised her family in Marblehead and worked for many years in the Town Assessor’s Office. After her retirement, she nannied

Marilyn (Freedland) Bial Winer Former Marblehead children’s shop owner

Marilyn (Freedland) Bial Winer 93, of Salem, formerly of Marblehead, entered eternal rest on January 6, surrounded by her loving family.

Marilyn owned and operated the Dandelion Children’s Shoppe in Marblehead for over 20 years.

She was the devoted wife of the late Jules Bial and Henry Winer; beloved mother of Nanci Breeze and her late husband Leigh; Bruce and Lisa Bial; and adored grandmother of Bing and his fiancé Emily, Peri, Bret, and Tyler; and the dear sister of the late Dorothy Shapero. She also leaves behind Amy Krypel and her family as well as many loved nieces and nephews.

Private services were held at the Beth El section of Shirat Hayam Cemetery, 506 Lowell Street, Peabody. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in her memory may be made to Yad Chessed, 440 Totten Pond Road, Waltham, MA 02451 or to a charity of your choice. For online condolences go to: goldmanfc. com. Arrangements by Goldman Funeral Chapel, Malden.

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A14

marbleheadcurrent.org

A14 Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Marblehead Current

LETTERS

Time to support, not attack, our educators

on individuals serving the public school system. I’ve interacted with some of these people, and they work very hard to do the best for our students. No one is perfect, but there is much good to find in these people.

I pay taxes for a school system that I have no children in as I firmly believe it will create better citizens for our town.

In my humble view, it’s time for those who want to lead to focus on turning challenges into triumphs and cease the endless attacks on individuals. This will reflect positively on both their professionalism and also help public schools achieve their charter of creating educated, responsible individuals to lead

To the editor: As a lifelong resident of Marblehead, I’ve attended local schools, had family members teach here and had children attend the schools. The schools were not the fanciest. I had some great teachers, and while I may have gotten in trouble from time to time with the staff, I respected and learned from each of them. The focus was always on character, and I thank them for what they taught me.

I’m disappointed to pick up local papers to read continual attacks

our democracy forward.

Christopher Hunter Davis Road

Residents deserve the ‘plain and unvarnished truth’ To the editor: Thank you for the excellent reporting by Leigh Blander in two front page articles about the schools and the actions of the school committee and superintendent in the Current of January 3. I was astonished and shocked to read that not only students but also teachers

LETTERS POLICY

We want to hear from you The Marblehead Current loves to get letters to the editor. There are just a few rules you need to know.

Generally, letters should not exceed 500 words. The Marblehead Current reserves the

right not to publish submissions over the word limit and may instead return the letter to the writer for editing.

Letters must include: 1. The author’s name.

Unsigned letters and form

letters will not be published.

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

had been subjected to violent treatment by one or more outof-control students.

The “Behavioral Health Crisis Protocol” seems not to address the problem of what to do in a crisis at all. The superintendent apparently spent “up to $9,000” to do what any competent administrator should be able to do in consultation with faculty. Consultation with the teachers is vital. Without it, you have top-down management at its worst. However, today I read in the Marblehead Weekly News that a new committee is being formed that will include faculty. It’s about time.

One of the two Current articles points out that the School Committee spent $9,500 on a

public relations company. Those who voted for this waste of money should learn that they are supposed to represent the people of Marblehead. The people deserve the plain and unvarnished truth; leave out the fancy varnish. I may be biased against public relations companies; I once worked with someone who had previously worked in the public relations office of a state agency. He was transferred out of there to a lower-level job because he refused to lie.

I commend the Current for bringing the truth to the people of Marblehead.

Tim Parker, Arthur Avenue

3. For every letter, we will need an author’s daytime/cell phone number (not for publication) for verification purposes.

4. If letters seek to introduce into a discussion purported facts that are not commonly known, writers may be asked to provide the source for those purported facts.

5. Letters must be received by 5 p.m. Wednesday to be

published in the following Wednesday’s print edition of the Marblehead Current. Letters will be published to our website at the earliest opportunity, after verification.

Email submissions to info@ marbleheadnews.org.

While the Marblehead Current will make every effort to let writers have their say, it reserves the right not to publish letters.

COUNCIL ON AGING HAPPENINGS

Upcoming programs, classes and events for seniors All programs are held at the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., unless otherwise stated. For more information or to RSVP for programs, call 781-631-6225 or email councilonaging@marblehead.org

play Jan. 15.

Lunch programs

Parkinson’s Fitness

The Council on Aging offers two popular lunch programs for seniors in the community.

Lunch by Doug is a home-cooked meal prepared in the COA’s commercial kitchen and served every Tuesday at noon for just $5, with the subsidy generously provided by the Friends of the COA. This month’s menu features favorites like pizza, orange chicken and more.

The Traveling Chef program on Jan. 23 offers hearty bread bowls with beef chili or broccoli cheddar soup. A fresh garden salad and brownie round out the meal. Suggested donation is $2.

RSVPs required by Jan. 12.

Book Club

The COA Book Club is discussing “Old God’s Time”

by Sebastian Barry on Jan. 19, 3 p.m.-4 p.m.

Art studio visit

Visit the working art studio of gallery owner Ian Sherwin on State Street, Jan. 19, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Sherwin, who grew up in Marblehead, recently returned to town to open his gallery, where he also runs classes.

Briefs From P. A6

overseen by Health Director Andrew Petty, aims to streamline waste management in the town. For further information, residents can contact the board at 781-631-0212 or visit marblehead.org/health.

New COVID-19 rapid tests

The Health Department, located in the Mary Alley Building at 7 Widger Rd., has announced the arrival of a new batch of COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test Kits. Residents are encouraged to visit and collect their kits promptly. Note: The tests are valid until March 25.

Tax work-off program

The town is accepting applications through Jan. 19 for the 2024 Senior

Senior Muscle Conditioning Tone muscles Mondays and Fridays at 9 a.m. or Wednesdays at 10 a.m. $4 per class. No class Jan. 15.

Fitness center

The COA Fitness Center is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Passes are $15 for 5 visits or $35 per month. Closed Jan. 15.

Step It Up

This low-impact, energizing class builds endurance and strength. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 a.m. $4 per class. No class 15.

Chair yoga

Stretch and strengthen in this seated yoga class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. $4 per class.

Zumba Gold

This low-intensity Latin dance fitness class meets Mondays at 9 a.m., Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:30 a.m., and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. $4 per class. No class Jan. 15.

Canasta

This class improves strength, mobility and balance on Mondays at 10 a.m. and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. No class Jan. 15.

Strength and Stretch

Build strength and flexibility on Mondays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. $4 per class. No class Jan. 15.

Osteo Exercise

Improve strength and balance on Mondays and Thursdays at 10:15 a.m. $4 per class. No class Jan. 15.

Balance and Mobility

Focus on stability and movement on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. $4 per class. No class Jan. 15.

Weight Training

Strength training class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:45 a.m. $4 per class.

Gather to play cards on Thursdays from noon-2 p.m.

Strong Bones, Strong Bodies

MahJong

Improve bone health, balance and strength on Tuesdays at 9:45 a.m. $4 per class.

Matches are Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. No

Tax Work-Off Program, which allows residents age 60 and older to volunteer for the town in exchange for a property tax reduction up to $750. There are 30 openings for seniors whose income is under $51,528 (single) or $69,824 (twoperson household). Participants will complete up to 50 volunteer hours with town departments by Oct. 15 to receive an abatement credited at the 2024 minimum wage rate of $15 per hour. Applicants must pass a CORI background check and conflict of interest training. Placements consider skills, availability, location and physical limitations. Applications are at the Council on Aging at 10 Humphrey St.

‘Lark Ascending: Clara Schumann’ The Arpeggione Ensemble

Bridge lessons offered Mondays at 12:30 p.m. $10 per lesson. No class Jan. 15. Drop-in play Tuesdays and Fridays 10 a.m.-noon.

and homebound individuals for comfort and connection.

Free service provided MondayFriday with interpreter services available. Call 978-219-1654 to enroll or contact the COA with questions.

Cribbage

Flying Solo support group

Bridge instruction

Card games held Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m.

Drop-in songs and music Join jam sessions on Jan. 17 from 11 a.m.-noon.

Drop-in knitting

Knitters welcome Thursdays at 9 a.m.

Quilting

Lessons offered Thursdays at 10 a.m. $6 per class.

Movie matinees

Screening of “Ticket to Paradise” on Jan. 26, at 10 a.m.

RSVP required.

Energy assistance program This federally funded program helps income-eligible households pay winter heating bills. Benefits up to $1,100 are paid directly to the vendor.

Renters and homeowners who heat with oil, propane, natural gas or electricity may qualify.

Call 978-531-0767, ext. 136 for information.

Friendly telephone calls

The WeCARE program offers daily phone calls to area seniors

continues its second season next month with “Lark Ascending: Clara Schumann,” highlighting the 19th-century composer and pianist. Performing works by Clara Schumann and composers she influenced, the program explores her artistry and impact.

Guest pianist David Kim joins the ensemble of clarinet, flute, violin and cello playing period instruments. The North Shorebased Arpeggione aims to make chamber music accessible through community performances.

The Saturday, Feb. 17, concert is 4 p.m. at St. Michael’s Church in Marblehead.

The Sunday, Feb. 18, show is at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal in Beverly. Suggested donations are $15-$50.

A support group meeting led

by Sharon Doliber on coping with loss of a spouse or partner.

Tuesday, Jan. 23, 1:30-3 p.m.

RSVP required.

Caregiver support session Crystal Palizotti from the Family Caregiver Program at Agespan will speak on resources for caregivers. Friday, Jan. 12, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. RSVP required.

Bereavement support

Trish Crean from AllCare Hospice will lead a bereavement support session Friday, Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. RSVP required.

Senior meetups

The group will gather at The Muffin Shop on Jan. 10 and Aprils II, 400 Highland Ave., Salem, on Jan. 18, both at noon. Mai Tai Lounge dinner meetup Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. (RSVP required).

Warwick Cinema discounts Discounted $7 movie tickets for seniors available on weekdays before 1:30 p.m. and Sundays before 1:30 p.m.

Sliney makes dean’s list Marblehead High School grad Celia Sliney made the dean’s list last semester at the University of WisconsinMadison. Sliney graduated from MHS in 2023. She is considering a double major in nursing and Spanish.

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A15

marbleheadcurrent.org

Marblehead Current Wednesday, January 10, 2024 A15

Headlight

Shining a light on the news you care about!

Written by the students of Marblehead High School for our school and community 2023 - 2024 Issue

www.mhsheadlight.com

An ode to stars Mona Gelfgatt, Senior, Editor-in-Chief

Each light in the sky has its own story.

Your back hits the grass. You feel every prickle of the ground, every motion of the world. The wind blows past your face, you close your eyes, and take in a deep breath. Your eyes open to a deep black abyss full of sparkles. Each sparkle reminds you of a moment. The Big Dipper and prancing in the light of the moon. The Orion and running around the lighthouse. You close your eyes again and reminisce in the memories.

Eyes open, but this time it’s silent. The wind seems to come to a halt, the waves stop crashing. You wonder why everything is changing. You take another glance at the sky and notice the stars are still there.

Stars that shine brighter than the moon, that move so melodically through the heavens. A streaming light flashes by. You close

your eyes and make a wish.

You wonder what’s beyond the sky, beyond the spots of shimmer. The wondrous black and shadowed clouds that hear your thoughts and whispers. Your eyes awake so full of tears all washed up by the stars. For only they will listen to the feelings stirred around.

What if the world had no more stars? No lights to guide you home. No constellations to dance under, no journeys left unknown.

Your eyes flutter under darkness, the memories fade away. You yearn for one last chance to force your way out of the gray.

So listen to the wind swing by, the waves upon the rocks. Take in that breath of warming air and look up at the stars. They’re staying there from dawn till dusk, bewildering yet quiet. Just waiting for those eyes to open and embrace each passing hour.

All hands on deck for “Pirates and Nothing Else” Grey Collins, Sophomore

As the new year kicks off, so is the preparation for a play called “Pirates and Nothing Else.” The play closely follows the adventures of the crew of a pirate ship as they try to save one of their crewmates from an angry sea witch.

The play is the brainchild of MHS students Brady Weed and Luke Menslage, who have spent the last 10 months writing it (more than enough time to find buried treasure). Brady and Luke, who will be directing the play, recently cast Gwyn Anderson and Izzy Scogland as the main characters.

“The play should hopefully be performed in the beginning of March, and it will go up at Dramafest at the same time,” said Brady about the production. Dramafest is a competition between different high school drama programs. Brady also talked about their first steps in creating the play.

“Luke and I started writing the show around last March because we got covid at the same

time. We would just call each other every night. I brought up the idea of a show about pirates, and we started writing almost on a whim.

We finished a draft of the script in the summer and recently finished a final draft.”

Brady, a junior who has been involved with both public school and North Shore Children’s Theater productions for years, spoke about what the audience will take away from the play.

“I think that people will really like it. The read through went really well, and Luke and I think that the full staging will get people really feeling the emotion.” He also thought that the comedy was an important aspect of the production.

“At the very end, I hope the audience will laugh. We weaved comedy into the wider message of the play, and the wider meaning is important to understand,” said Brady, who added that it was a very personal project to him. “I like to think that every character has a little bit of me in them… It all comes from Luke and me, so to

January 10, 2024

an extent we are all the characters.”

Luke, who has thirteen years of experience acting in public school and North Shore Children’s Theater productions, has high expectations about the upcoming show, and he hopes that the audience leaves with more than just another pirate story.

“I’m pretty optimistic. I’m really looking forward to it, and I think it will turn out great and be a lot of fun,” said Luke. “Hopefully, the audience comes out of the show knowing that bad things in life happen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that life is bad. To quote the show, ‘We all die, but we live before

we die.’”

I also talked with Luke about what inspired him to create this play: “We were inspired a lot by the show "Into the Woods"… but, more importantly, inspired by our friends; a lot of characters are directly inspired by people we are close with,” said Luke. “When I was a kid I was obsessed with pirates so that definitely inspired the whole pirate theme of the show.”

As March draws nearer, the MHS community waits with anticipation to see if the play really is about just pirates and nothing else.

However, with the time, talent, and effort of the creators, it seems the audience won’t have to dig too deep to find the buried treasure.

New Year's resolutions Aislin Freedman, Senior

With the new year starting, many people encounter the question of a new year's resolution.

It is a popular tradition to, at the start of a new year, set a goal for yourself. The goal of this is often to motivate yourself to accomplish something that you have wanted to accomplish for a while, putting past failures out of mind.

The idea behind it is often articulated as such: “new year, new me,” a sentiment echoed across cultures. The idea that we can put our past behind us and start again is an appealing concept, though the reason many people reject new year's resolutions is because of the disappointment they bring at the end of a year, when they ultimately haven't been completely satisfied. Of course, some people follow through on their resolutions, but it can be hard to remember to constantly live by them as a goal for the entire year.

This is why I have a personal tradition, in which I tell myself I will read one book. Last year I completed my new year's resolution 20 times.

I think that people put a lot of pressure on themselves to complete something big. I could have told myself that my resolution was to read 20 books. People tell themselves to eat better, to lose massive amounts of weight, to go to the gym every day, to achieve perfect grades, and many, many

more goals with arbitrary finish lines, or goals that are much too hard to consistently follow through on. I find that when a goal is split up into smaller, easier reached finish lines, the goal is achieved easier and with more consistency.

I have heard people say not to set a new year's goal because, more likely than not, it only leads to disappointment and disappointment when the year is up. This is another reason I split up my goal, so that if I don’t accomplish everything I would have liked, I can still appreciate that I accomplished something no matter the size. I wish that I read 30 books last year, but at the end of the year I can still be happy that I read even one, and that reminds me to be grateful that I love reading so much, and that I can receive so much joy from patterns of ink, printed on papers.

So in this new year, instead of forcing yourself into a new year's resolution you know you won’t accomplish, make your goal something that you know you will do, something that you know you will love doing. Make the new year about more than what you wish you were but aren’t yet, but also about celebrating who you already are, and improving yourself through something that you already love, accentuating who you are, instead of trying to become someone you are not.

Headlight Staff 2023-2024 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Ila Bumagin and Mona Gelfgatt

ASSISTANT EDITORS: Benji Boyd, Rachael Albert

TECHNOLOGY EDITOR: Kate Twomey

REPORTERS: Cole Barbeau, John Bender, Grey Collins, Tucker Crane, Aislin Freedman, Samuel Jendrysik, Anya Kane, Nina Lees, Georgia Marshall, Charlie Seliger, Livia Weiss FACULTY ADVISOR: Thomas Higgins

CP_MBHC_20240110_1_A16

marbleheadcurrent.org

A16 Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Marblehead Current

CURRENT EVENTS

Marblehead’s best bets Current Events spotlights exciting happenings in the coming days. If you’d like to contribute a listing, please email Current editor Leigh Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org.

—Leigh Blander

Former NBA star to share powerful message

Living large: Famous photographer’s exhibit at UU Throughout January

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Former Celtics player Chris Herren, of Fall River, had a successful NBA career but lost it all to addiction. He has been sober for 15 years and launched the nonprofit Herren Project to help others through recovery. Herren will speak at Marblehead High School and the public is welcome.

For more information, contact Gina Hart at hart.gina@ marbleheadschools.org.

Fran Gardino, whose 30’X10’ cloud photo was displayed at Logan Airport, is exhibiting his photographs at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 28 Mugford St., throughout the month.

Gardino has had other large-format photos on view at the State House and Harvard’s Peabody Museum annex.

Exhibit hours are Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Organ concert

Sunday, Jan. 21, 5 p.m.-6 p.m.

St. Michael’s Church is hosting its third organ recital this season, featuring MaryKatherine Fletcher. Fletcher is the director of music at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet. She is pursuing a master’s of sacred music at Boston University.

She will play St. Michael’s 1975 Charles Fisk mechanical action organ. There is a suggested donation of $10. The recital is followed by a reception in the church’s parish hall.

‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder’ Friday, Jan. 26-Feb. 4

MAA opening reception

Get your tickets now for Marblehead Little Theatre’s latest musical production, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” The show tells the story of Monty Navarro, who discovers he’s eighth in line for an earldom and figures his chances of outliving his predecessors are slight. Can he knock off his unsuspecting relatives without being caught and become the ninth Earl of Highhurst? More info at tickets at MLTLive.com.

Sunday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.

The Marblehead Arts Association is hosting an opening reception to celebrate five new exhibits at the King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper St. The shows include: a new members’ exhibit, “Sea State” by Fletcher Boland, “A Visual Journey” by Patricia McCarthy, “Plein Air Landscapes” by Mike Storell and “My Dreams, My Creations” by Georgia Katsika. The exhibits run Jan. 13 - Feb. 25. More info at MarbleheadArts.org.

Poetry Salon

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.

The Abbot Library Poetry Salon will open its 2024 season with the poetry of Carol Seitchik of Beverly. A visual artist, Seitchik turned to poetry when she developed health issues.

She published “The Distance from Odessa,” her first book of poetry, in 2021. The poems touch four generations, three centuries and cross the ocean twice as they weave the story of the poet’s life.

The salon is led by Claire Keyes. It will be held in person at the library, 3 Brook Rd., and online. More info at AbbotLibrary.org.

March to Old Burial Hill Saturday, Jan. 27 4:45 p.m.

Honor Revolutionary War hero General John Glover in this annual march to his grave site. Meet at Old Town Hall with a lantern and join Glover’s Regiment for the procession to Old Burial Hill.

BURNS NIGHT

Pass the haggis

A treasured Scottish tradition moves to The Landing

BY LEIGH BLANDER Scotland’s favorite January celebration returns to Marblehead with a Burns Night at The Landing restaurant.

Robert Burns lived in the late 1700s and is considered the national poet of Scotland. He wrote more than 700 poems and songs, including “Auld Lang Syne.” The first Burns Supper was celebrated in 1801 by Burns’ friends, five years after his death.

They’ve been held ever since.

BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

Rhod Sharp, who with his wife Vicki started a 10-year tradition of Burns Suppers at Old North Church and then devised and produced “Love Scotland” at Marblehead Little Theatre is now teaming up with his original Burns Supper collaborator, Jeremy Bell, to bring the firstever Burns Night to the Landing on Thursday, Jan. 18.

“Central to any Burns Night is the ‘Address to the Haggis,’ which is then eaten, chased down by strong drink,” Sharp

told the Current.

Haggis, for the uninitiated, is Scotland’s national dish and is made of oatmeal, sage and onions mixed with the “lights”, or selected innards, of a sheep.

Although this may not seem an appealing combination, Sharp says it is “quite delicious.”

The Landing’s executive chef Noé Ortega is planning a haggis appetizer which will be both “exotic and unknown in Scotland,” according to Sharp.

There will be entrees offering

COURTESY PHOTO / NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND

Robert Burns is Scotland’s national poet and the focus of a literary and culinary celebration in Marblehead on Jan. 18.

a choice of venison, salmon or vegetarian. Dessert will be rum cake.

To make reservations, call the

Landing at 781-639-1266. For more information, contact Vicki Staveacre at 202-679-3356 or vicki.staveacre@gmail.com.