The School Committee’s policy subcommittee released its latest draft flag policy, which appears to exclude students and the community from having any input in what flags and banners are displayed in schools, a stance that the subcommittee indicated was largely due to advice from the School Committee’s
attorney. It could lead to the removal of Black Lives Matter, Juneteenth and Pride flags.
More than 120 students and residents packed two recent public forums, with the overwhelming majority asking that students have a voice in the decision-making process around flags.
The draft policy released March 7 states only U.S.,
Massachusetts and POW/MIA flags can be displayed on school district property. It also gives the School Committee sole power to approve any additional “flags, banners and similarly symbolic displays that reflect the school district’s mission, vision and values.”
Lastly, the new policy says the School Committee “will not accept any third party requests.”
The policy implicitly rejects a counter proposal by Marblehead High School students, which had been legally vetted by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders and would have given them a voice in deciding what banners and flags can be hung inside schools.
Student reaction
“I am extremely disappointed with the School Committee and
BY WILL DOWD
About 150 residents carrying flickering lights processed from Old Town House to Memorial Park Tuesday evening, joining thousands nationwide in a demonstration supporting democratic principles during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress.
The local “Light for Our Democracy” event, organized by the League of Women Voters of Marblehead, brought together people worried about what they see as threats to democratic institutions and government services.
A national call for democracy
“At this very hour during the president’s address to Congress, leagues from across the nation are holding their own programs,” said Mimi Hollister, addressing the crowd gathered at
Park. “Leagues in Hartford, Chicago, Louisiana, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Missouri and so many more.
This event joins us all to demonstrate our support of our democracy and in opposition to our country’s developing constitutional crisis.”
The candlelit crowd formed rows deep in front of the park’s obelisk as organizers led a series of readings, reflections and interactive exercises expressing democratic values.
Kathleen Leonardson, co-coordinator of the event, said the national League of Women Voters encouraged local chapters to organize demonstrations.
“Everybody’s really concerned with the direction it’s going,” Leonardson said. “I mean, I can’t really speak for the league, except that there is, you know, maybe a constitutional crisis. Nothing’s getting resolved. It just goes
on and on and on.”
In one powerful moment, participants took turns declaring “I rise to stand against” or “I rise for,” followed by causes they supported.
Rising for change
“I rise to stand against the weaponization of the justice system and its capricious application of the rule of law,” one participant called out.
Others followed: “I rise for the arts and free speech,” “I rise for the people who are suffering in Ukraine and in Gaza,” and “I rise for our constitutional right to stand here in protest.”
At one point, a man shouted, “We got rid of a king 250 years ago,” sparking a brief chant of “No king! No king!”
BY KRIS OLSON
The Marblehead Planning Board was set to convene Tuesday night, March 11, for public hearings on four Town Meeting articles, including the one revisiting the town’s MBTA Communities Act compliance plan. For the latest information on what happened at the meeting, visit MarbleheadCurrent.org.
Because Town Meeting acted unfavorably on the MBTA
Communities Act compliance plan within the last two years, state law requires the Planning Board to make a favorable recommendation on the original submission to allow it to be reconsidered.
“If the Planning Board does not rule favorably on this plan, when it goes to Town Meeting, it does not even get heard,” Town Planner Alex Eitler explained at the Planning Board’s Jan. 8 meeting.
That January meeting was held
just hours after the Supreme Judicial Court upheld the constitutionality of the law and the power of the Attorney General’s Office to enforce it.
The Planning Board has been holding community presentations about the town’s compliance plan to allow residents to ask questions about the plan, which calls for the creation of three new multifamily housing districts on Tioga Way, Pleasant Street and Broughton Road. The
the new flag policy proposal they are working on,” Marblehead High School senior Maren Potter wrote to the Current.
“Students at the forum unanimously opposed their flag censorship policies and gave a well-researched and reasonable proposal that I feel was never really considered,”
PUBLIc hE a LTh
Hazlett will not seek re-election to BoH Crowley announces a run for
board
BY LEIGH BLANDER
After 28 years on the Board of Health, five years as chair, Helaine Hazlett will not not seek re-election this June. Hazlett was the only member up for re-election this year. Kim Crowley, who owns a fitness studio in town, announced her candidacy for the seat.
In 2024, Town Meeting voters approved expanding the Board of Health from three to five members this election cycle, but an administrative snafu delayed that change until June 2026.
“I’m proud of the numerous accomplishments the Board of Health has made during the almost three decades I have served,” Hazlett said at a March 4 meeting. “The one of which I am most proud — and certainly the most challenging
establishment of districts where multifamily housing will be allowed by right is the main requirement of the MBTA Communities Act, which applies to 177 cities and towns served by the MBTA. The hearing came as opponents of the law are calling for the Select Board to seek a compliance exemption on behalf of the town after the state auditor’s recent determination that the law, G.L.c. 40A, §3A, constitutes an “unfunded
mandate.”
In addition to the MBTA Communities Act article, the Planning Board was expected to hold hearings on Town Meeting proposals to update the bylaws related to the town’s floodplain district and accessory dwelling units, or ADUs.
The Planning Board also planned to discuss local lobsterman Ray Bates’ citizens’ petition to permit residents to store fishing gear and lobster traps on their property.
Memorial
CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS
A crowd gathers at the Old Town House holding flickering lights during the “Light for Our Democracy” vigil, organized by the League of Women Voters of Marblehead. More photos, Page 16.
Local fitness leader Kim Crowley
COURTESY PHOTOS
After nearly three decades on the Board of Health, Helaine Hazlett will not seek re-election this June.
Glover students lead art lesson; committee OKs Kulevich honor
BY LEIGH BLANDER
During what Sarah Fox remarked several times was a “feel good” School Committee meeting on March 6, Glover School students led a hands-on art project and encouraged committee members to join.
Students Maya Flyer, Roan O’Reilly, Hunter Hayes and Nikko Vasiliou taught School Committee members about neurographic art and led through them a demonstration. Neurographic art
is a technique involving drawing freeform lines.
“You can get lost in the artmaking, and it’s easier to release the things that are stressing you out,” explained Maggie Doben, Glover art teacher.
Interim Superintendent John Robudoux held up his drawing saying, “Mine looks like a bunch of spaghetti; is that bad? Nah, I’m just joking. This is something that can help you when you’re frustrated or angry.”
The Glover kids were the first
in a series of “student spotlights” Robidoux is planning for upcoming School Committee meetings.
Also at the meeting, the School Committee unanimously approved a request to name the high school athletic center after retired athletic director Alex Kulevich. Kulevich served as athletic director for more than 30 years, influencing generations of students and athletes.
The committee said they had been overwhelmed with emails and calls from people supporting
Kulevich.
At the meeting, he started crying as he thanked the committee for the honor.
“I can’t believe the nice things everyone has said, what they’ve accomplished and where they are today,” he said.
“Coaches, students, parents… they made it happen,” he added.
“I was on the sidelines.”
School Committee Chair
Jenn Schaeffner said she would announce details about the official naming ceremony soon.
Local teachers, staff wear red to protest threatened federal cuts
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Marblehead educators, staff and administrators joined thousands of their colleagues across the state and country by
Potter continued. “It’s really disappointing that they do not trust school administrators and students to uphold MPS values and make decisions about what banners and symbols can be displayed in schools. Students are not giving up, and many of us will be voting for the first time in June. I plan to vote for School Committee members who put students before their own personal beliefs.”
What the lawyers say
The School Committee’s attorney John Foskett of Valerio, Dominello & Hillman wrote in a March 3 letter that, to qualify as “government speech” and thus be immune from First Amendment viewpoint discrimination challenges, the decisions on which flags to hang would have to be “determined and designed by the policy making body, the School Committee, and the Superintendent acting at the Committee’s direction. He continued, “Teachers, students and families are ‘private persons’ in this context and cannot determine government speech.”
participating in the national “Protect Our Kids” day of action on March 4.
The event’s goal was to make a “unified stand against harmful cuts to public schools” and was aimed at “raising awareness
Foskett cited a decision last June by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the case Cajune v. Independent School District, in which the issue is whether a Minnesota school district forfeited its right to veto “Blue Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” banners by allowing such “private persons” to take the lead in hanging “Black Lives Matter” banners.
Boston First Amendment attorney Jeffrey Pyle called the subcommittee’s latest draft policy “unduly restrictive for a school.”
“Both teachers and students have First Amendment rights in school, as well as speech rights protected by state law,” Pyle told the Current. “Teachers often put up messages of all kinds in their classrooms, including symbols of welcome and inclusion. And, students have put up posters and other speech around schools for ages. Schools don’t need to have blank white walls (or, alternatively, have only School Committee-approved speech about the school district’s ‘mission, vision, and values’ on the walls) in order to comply with the First Amendment.”
Community feedback
about proposed reductions to the federal Department of Education and federal education funding,” according to Marblehead Education Association Co-President Jonathan Heller.
into a virtual subcommittee meeting on March 7, with most complaining that the latest draft does not reflect the public’s sentiments.
“The community has been clear in its feedback: We don’t want the School Committee to be making these decisions based on your own personal politics. These decisions should be made within the school community, with involvement from students, teachers and administrators,” said Angus McQuilken.
McQuilken also asked the subcommittee to define “third party” in the new policy and clarify whether it refers to students, principals, parents and/ or the superintendent.
One mother named Adri Howes said she would pull her children from Marblehead schools if this flag policy takes effect. She said her child came home from the Brown School last year and asked, “Mom, is it true that white people are smarter than Black people?”
She added, “If that’s what is in our schools, that’s something teachers should be talking about. It’s wrong and hateful. We have this very right wing School Committee making these crazy policies that the majority
of Marblehead is very clearly opposed to.”
Howes reached out to the Current to add, “I want to emphasize that my concerns are with the district administration — particularly the School Committee — not with the incredible teachers, staff and principals at the Brown School.”
Two people spoke in favor of the draft policy, including Sharman Pollender.
“I’m listening to all of you on your soap boxes, telling me what people of color want. These flags have continued to divide this community and this country,” she yelled.
Next steps
Schaeffner said she would get a few clarifications from the district’s lawyer, specifically on the definition of “third party” and would meet with Taylor again. She hopes to present a draft policy to the full School Committee on Thursday, March 20. New policies must be discussed three times before being approved.
Schaeffner added this, “We take our advice from our attorney, particularly in this case. If there are folks who want us to ignore our attorney’s advice, that’s not something I’m willing to do.”
Alex Kulevich (center, back) poses with his family and School Committee members Brian Ota and Sarah Fox and interim Superintendent John Robidoux after the committee voted to name the high school athletic center after the former coach, teacher and athletic director.
CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER Glover School students lead the School Committee in a stress-reducing art lesson on March 6.
Brown School teachers, from left, Casey Frien, Maura McMahon, Emily O’Connor, Aimee Sheppard, Meg Burns and Casey Collins wear red as part of “Protect Our Kids Day” on March 4.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Glover School teachers, from left, Melissa Horemiotis, Kim Carpenter, Jenn Mangini and Shannon Fraser take part in “Protect Our Kids Day.”
Rescinding of federal grant sparks funding fears at Marblehead Museum
Nonprofit stands firm on inclusive storytelling despite funding uncertainty
BY WILL DOWD
The Marblehead Museum has lost a federal grant for archaeology work at the historic Lee Mansion and now fears additional funding may be at risk under recent Trump administration policies.
The $2,000 Essex National Heritage Area grant, intended for summer archaeological work at the 250-year-old property, was rescinded as federal agencies hold back funding following new executive orders.
“This may seem like a small amount, but for organizations our size, it’s huge and goes a long way,” said Lauren McCormack, executive director of the Marblehead Museum.
The small museum with only two fulltime staff members is particularly concerned about a pending $300,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant application submitted in August 2024. That funding would support the final design and construction of a long-term exhibit in the Jeremiah Lee Brick Kitchen & Slave
Quarters, focusing on enslaved people in colonial Marblehead.
“We’re worried that our grant would be on the chopping block because we’re trying to tell a more integrated, inclusive history,” McCormack said.
While many institutions nationwide have removed diversity, equity and inclusion language from websites and
grant applications amid funding uncertainties, the Marblehead Museum remains committed to its historical mission.
“The museum is dedicated to telling this history. It’s essential to understanding our present to understand all of our history as a community, and that’s not going to change,” McCormack said.
The museum’s $1.4 million renovation of the 1768 structure has already received funding from the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures program. The ambitious project
aims to transform the building into an exhibition space with climatecontrolled archives while documenting a fuller history of slavery in coastal New England.
Previous archaeological work by UMass Boston’s Department of Archaeology excavated pits around the property. Records confirm the Lee family owned three enslaved individuals when the mansion was built in 1768.
“Without this grant, I honestly do not know how
we are going to produce that exhibit,” McCormack said. “It’s probably weeks of my time spent preparing these complex federal applications, and that’s incredibly frustrating when they might not even be considered.”
The museum now faces challenging decisions about how to proceed. While building construction will likely be completed in 2025 as scheduled, the exhibition program may be delayed until early 2026.
“We’re shifting our
means of finishing, not our final results,” McCormack explained. The museum plans to intensify local fundraising efforts while maintaining their commitment to presenting historically accurate exhibits despite funding uncertainties.
The museum’s annual fundraising dinner will be held at The Landing Restaurant on Tuesday, March 18, at 6 p.m., with proceeds supporting the final phase of archaeology at the Lee Mansion.
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Opinion
EDITOrI a L
How to move flag debate forward
Are you sick and tired of talking about the Marblehead Public Schools’ flag policy?
Yeah, we are, too.
But here’s the good news: In the latest iteration of its draft policy regarding flags, banners and symbolic displays, a subcommittee of the Marblehead School Committee may have hit upon a key concept that could bring this long-running saga that has divided the community to an end: “mission, vision and values.”
First off, the third prong of the new draft policy — “The committee will not accept third-party requests” — is overly rigid and not dictated by the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision referenced throughout this debate, Shurtleff v. City of Boston.
How do we know? There have been municipal flag policies adopted since Shurtleff that very much incorporate the concept of “third party requests.” Pepperell is one example.
The School Committee’s attorney may well be right that the safest policy would be one in which the “policy making body,” the School Committee and the superintendent acting at its direction, ultimately make the call over which flags and banners hang in the schools.
If it goes too far in the direction of “outsourcing” that decision, the board may well leave the district vulnerable to First Amendment “viewpoint discrimination” challenges, in which other “private persons” could argue that, for every “Black Lives Matter” flag, there would need to be a “Blue Lives Matter” or “All Lives Matter” banner, as is the subject in an ongoing legal battle in Minnesota.
But that’s where we come back to the idea of “mission, vision and values.”
It seems to us that what’s been missing in this debate so far are statements from the School Committee clearly articulating and committing to what the district’s “vision and values” are. That seems to be what is animating the parents and students who have been showing up at meeting after meeting to express outrage over what at least appears to be an abandonment of values they deem both essential and uncontroversial. That is why one parent attending the most recent virtual meeting March 7 said she was moved to think about pulling her child from the Brown School. She thought she lived in a community where no one believed one race is inherently more intelligent than another — and now she is not so sure.
By now, it seems clear that the majority of the current School Committee will never embrace the slogan “Black Lives Matter” as their “government speech.” Many who have spoken at flag policy meetings believe this is a shame, that “Black Lives Matter” is being misconstrued, in part due to bad faith attacks. Be that as it may, the solution for these folks is at the ballot box. Until they are unseated, our elected School Committee members are allowed to decide what “government speech” should look and sound like.
Our elected School Committee members are also apparently unwilling to embrace the Pride flag. That is perhaps even more out of step with the community, given that the Select Board has in the recent past approved a Pride sidewalk and hosts an annual Pride flag raising ceremony on the Abbot Hall grounds in June. But again, to the extent people find that disappointing, the solution would be to elect school board members with less of an apparent aversion to rainbows.
Where the logjam over this policy might break, though, is if the School Committee would explain its objections to Black Lives Matter and Pride specifically, and then express some openness to embracing related ideas less tainted by associations with our polarized political environment.
Each day during the school year, METCO students board buses around 6 a.m. in Boston bound for Marblehead. Waking up earlier than their more local peers is far from the only challenge these students face. If not “Black Lives Matter,” what type of representation of the idea “thank you for adding to our community; we’re glad you’re here” might this School Committee endorse?
Many of us are old enough to look back with regret on the ways in which our LGBTQ peers — even if we did not yet know the acronym — were teased, ostracized or worse. What type of signage would the School Committee support to express, “You are safe, and you are as much of a part of this community as anyone else”?
The School Committee is leaving the impression that it would like little beyond the U.S., Massachusetts and POW/MIA flags to adorn school walls. But as attorney Jeffrey Pyle told the Current, that’s not what the First Amendment requires. It seems to us that the School Committee could very much incorporate the input of student-and-faculty advisory boards without running into the “Shurtleff problem.” The board might ask its legal counsel that question directly.
While adopting a policy that allows little more than the U.S., Massachusetts and POW/MIA flags has the allure of simplicity, we know too much about the value of inclusion and how to best serve students’ social-emotional needs for that to be the right answer here.
If the School Committee does not envision wielding its exclusive power to approve signs in its latest draft policy in a stingy manner, it should say so, loudly and clearly.
In the words of the Human Rights Campaign, “Silence is not an option.”
The draft policy released March 7 states only U.S., Massachusetts and POW/MIA flags can be displayed on school district property. It also gives the School Committee sole power to approve any additional “flags, banners and similarly symbolic displays that reflect the school district’s mission, vision and values.”
EVErYThING WILL BE OK aY
California dreamin’
BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM
When you arrive at Los Angeles International Airport, like here at Logan, you are greeted over the intercom by a local elected leader. In L.A., it’s Mayor Karen Bass, welcoming you to the “entertainment capital of the world.” At Logan, Boston Mayor Wu and Governor Healey gamely try to excite visitors with odes to biotech and the birthplace of basketball. We have, or at least had, Damon and a couple of Afflecks. Oh, and Moderna. They have everyone else. Advantage: California.
On a recent almost weeklong road trip from south of L.A. to the Central Coast, I wasn’t consciously comparing Beantown with Hollywood, et al. But competitiveness comes naturally to we of the city of champions and its North Shore environs. So how do we compare on issues of utmost importance (to me, the audience of one)?
Let me get the easy seasonal wins for the Golden State out of the way. Palm trees or bare-branched maples? Green covered foothills or hills of dirty snow? Fresh picked berries that still taste of sunshine or the plasticky variety around here that taste every bit of the hundreds of miles they’ve traveled? Gardens bordered by trees dripping with lemons or by last summer’s hydrangeas dripping with dead brown flowers? Not even close. Advantage: California.
Roadside signs on the freeways boast of the ubiquitous opportunities for higher education on the West Coast. I drove through Pomona and Scripps colleges in Claremont, and I don’t know how those students concentrate, between the beauty of the Spanish-style architecture, flowering trees, swaying palms and artisan coffee offering distractions from Economics 101.
But aren’t most scholastic TV and movie dramas set on New England campuses? Even Hollywood knows serious educational endeavors require windswept quads, gray stone veneers and gray skies perfectly matched to gray moods as well as a Stahbucks or Dunks on every corner. Advantage: home. Speaking of freeways, the traffic was as I expected. Absolutely horrible. Just like home. Advantage: tie.
Housing remains major issue in Marblehead
To the editor:
The recent faff (something difficult and time consuming) over the State Auditor’s interpretation of Section 3A has given renewed life to Marblehead’s anti-housing advocates’ efforts to reject compliance with the law, with one activist claiming in a recent letter to the Current that compliance would, “be a burden on the town.” This assessment is irrelevant given Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s willingness and ability to sue noncompliant towns. Regardless of Section 3A’s legality, Marblehead must permit more housing.
A poll of Massachusetts residents conducted by UMass Amherst and WCVB last month asked respondents to identify the biggest issue facing Massachusetts, producing this word cloud:
I saw two self-driving vehicles in the time it took me to get from the airport to a friend’s house downtown. As in, no one at all in the drivers’ seats. As in, vehicles so adorned with cameras and sensors that it seemed ET had returned to earth to become a car designer. It was creepy. It felt unsafe. And unhinged. Advantage: home.
Speaking of tired actual human drivers after hours in said traffic? They need a glass of wine. Preferably from a Vineyard an hour or so away. Owned by a couple who the bartender personally knows. A bartender who also can speak confidently about the soil the grapes were grown in and, by the way, the vintner’s brother is a farmer and his fresh lamb and seasonal roasted carrots are on the menu today, too. Local extraordinary wines and farm-to-table offerings year round? Advantage: California.
I’m starting to feel guilty about the scorecard, so let me find some easy wins for our home turf. Starting with vibe. Theirs is all breezy, creative, surfy, smiley, easygoing, “I came here 10, 15, 20 years ago and never left, dude.” Ours is double parking, middle-fingering, “my mothah was born in the same house I live in, why would I evah leave, and it’s not my job to shovel your part of the sidewalk, a-hole.”
Um, maybe let’s not talk about vibe.
Sunrise over the Atlantic versus sunset over the Pacific? Tie.
Ah, I got this. Earthquakes and wildfires. Didn’t I grow up hearing, “Don’t move to California; someday it’s going to drop into the sea?” We don’t have those. Oh, shoot. We do. Never mind.
As I write this I am winging my way across the country and will land some time before midnight. I’ll hear the entreaties of Wu and Healey that I’m really, really going to like it here. And against the odds, I do. Better than California. It’s home. And by the way, on my recent road trip, I was accompanied by my daughter, a college senior, who wanted to spend her last spring break with her mother. Sunshine year round? Bah. Advantage: me, spending time with my girl and coming home to my Shubies-purchased California white. Virginia Buckingham is the president of the Current’s board of directors. Her column appears every other week.
properties.” Since Marblehead is projecting a budget shortfall in excess of $8 million over the next three years, and over 75% of its revenue comes from property taxes, more multifamily homes could help avert an override. Marblehead’s demand for housing is not being met. The average home costs roughly $1 million, whereas the average household income is $166,000. This gives Marblehead a home price-to-income ratio of 6.0; comparable to major metros like Austin, Nashville and Washington D.C. Another way of understanding the high cost of a home in Marblehead is using the guideline that one’s housing costs should not LETTErS
The most common response was ‘housing,’ with other common responses (most likely related to ‘housing’) being ‘cost,’ ‘living,’ ‘homeless,’ high,’ ‘price’ and ‘affordable.’ The cost of housing is the single greatest problem in Massachusetts. Similarly, 55% of respondents favor, “[r]equiring cities and towns served by the MBTA to create zoning that
A word cloud from a recent UMass Amherst and WCVB poll reveals “housing” as the most significant issue facing Massachusetts residents, followed closely by related concerns including cost, immigration, inflation and affordability.
allows for new multifamily housing,” compared to 19% who oppose. Anti-housing advocates represent a super minority viewpoint that only sees the light of day because that very vocal minority is overrepresented in our Town Meetings that see at most 5% of voters participate. A 30 vote margin in last year’s Meeting rejecting compliance should not be seen as an overwhelming mandate to dig in our heels and refuse to consider the positives of compliance. Not including the whole beingeligible-for-grant-money thing, multifamily housing would help the town’s budget. A 2005 Harvard study concluded that, “small rental properties pay a tax rate one-third higher than do single-family owner-occupied
COURTESY IMAGE
Snow, ice and a lesson in humility
BY COURT MERRIGAN
Before we moved to Marblehead, my partner warned me about New England winters. They’re tough, she said. Watch out. Please, I thought. How bad can a New England winter be? In Wyoming, wintertime temps regularly go subzero and the wind routinely whips snow up to sixty and seventy mph. Ever been in a ground blizzard?
That’s when such a wind rears up on a clear day, and blows the snow and ice so hard eye-level visibility deteriorates to nothing. Meanwhile, there’s a clear blue sky overhead. During January in Wyoming we call that “Tuesday.”
The first two winters here in Marblehead: not too bad at all. There was enough snow to stick two, maybe three times. The wind barely rose above a breeze. Many wintertime days were downright pleasant. My partner kept telling me, just you wait, but I confess, I got to thinking that these New England winters were going to be a piece of cake. Well. Let us just say that the winter of 2024-25 has been a beast of a different feather. As we all experienced, it got cold early and then for some reason or other, didn’t stop. The snow came. The wind came. (For
many, many days the wind came.) And I learned about this thing called ice dams.
We have gutters in Wyoming but what we don’t have are ice dams. It gets tremendously cold, sure, but within a day or two, the chinook wind generally comes breezing in. The snow and ice melts and/or blows away (Refer to the aforementioned ground blizzards.) Poof. Gone. Like it never happened. Unlike the situation in Marblehead, where the snow and ice here hangs around like Bill Murray in Groundhog’s Day, day after day the same. Creating ice dams in the gutters which in turn create leaks into the interior of your house. My high plains mind could not comprehend this concept until a wall in my home office developed a weeping
problem. My partner nodded knowingly and told me to check out the gutter.
So I crawled up on the roof and examined the solid blocks of ice to be found there. Crawled back down the ladder to retrieve a hammer and proceeded to break the ice dams up and toss them into the snow drifts below. Did I mention the snowdrifts? Because did we ever have them. I don’t mean the kind that blow up like they do out west, minimountains created by the wind that resemble sand dunes. I mean the artificial kind, created by repeatedly shoveling out a long driveway. After all, in a winter like this, the snow simply doesn’t melt. So when several storms hit in the same week, I learned that you just pile the new snow on the old snow.
Naturally, this creates drifts taller than some people are tall as you struggle to preserve enough space for cars to pull in and out of the drive.
This took a team effort — the whole family out in the driveway shoveling. Good bonding, so far as I’m concerned! Good exercise, as well. That said, as I type these words, it has somehow warmed up to 50 degrees outside and yet the snow drifts remain. I hope they melt in time for baseball to start. I have a friend out here who played baseball at a New England college. He told me that this time of year, they’d simply push the snow off towards the bleachers and then take some fielding practice. Now that’s hardy.
The other fun feature of a
real New England winter I’ve learned about has been slush. Of course, this is what the roads are composed of this time of year, a gray slurry that turns the roads, sidewalks and curbs into an Impressionist painting. And then the salt trucks come along, and your car gets caked in enough salt to preserve fish on the bumper. All of which is to say, I have received a proper, wintery comeuppance. And, I’m told, this winter can’t hold a candle to 2015, let alone some of the other legendary long winters. I suppose as my tenure in Marblehead grows, I’ll get to experience a few of those myself. I’ll keep my snow shovel at the ready. If you’ve got an idea upon which I can embark for a Marblehead First Time, drop me a line at court. merrigan@gmail.com.
exceed 28% of their income. Using this metric, one needs to make $225,000 a year, or 135% the average household income, to afford to live in Marblehead. Underscoring this disparity was the resignation of Louis Meyi, the man trying to address Marblehead’s housing affordability, because he could no longer afford to live in Marblehead.
Lastly, compliance with 3A is not a mandate to tear down beautiful Colonial-style houses and replace them with garish commieblocks or skyscrapers rivaling the Burj Khalifa. If one reads the proposal in Article 23, they will see language like, “allow,” “option,” “permitted” and will only see terms like, “must” and “shall” used to describe restrictions on developments. One has to be divorced from reality to conflate permission to build with a mandate to build. Article 23, as written, is not the mandate to build that anti-housing advocates fear. It is a mandate to permit property owners in three specified parts of town to build, within reason, structures that meet the demand and need for housing in our town.
Hunter Wanger Power Terrace
Former athlete supports naming gym after Kulevich
To the editor:
I am writing this letter to express my feelings about Alex Kulevich having the gymnasium named after him. Alex was the athletic director. when I was participating in sports at MHS. He was an incredible influence on me throughout my life. I have never met anyone who gave more than he received. My senior year in college, I was named to the NCAA All
American hockey team. The first call I got was from Alex, he supported me all through college. I actually became an educator because of people like Alex. My mother was his secretary for many years. I remember how thoughtful and considerate he was during those years. Alex was always a gentleman and I hope I can go to the high school and see his name on the wall. Thank you. Gary Conn Gardner Road, Peabody
Resident urges town to keep sustainable coordinator position
To the editor: The Marblehead position of Sustainable Coordinator Logan Casey has proved to be very valuable. Casey has reeled thousands in grant money to Marblehead. I am especially grateful for the work that he has done in implementing Town Meeting warrant article #51 concerning the State Street public restrooms. He obtained funding and took steps to have an air source heat pump installed to provide the needed warmth in keeping these important facilities open to the public 24/7. Work is scheduled to start at the beginning of March. Please, Marbleheaders, let’s not eliminate this important Sustainable Coordinator position!
Phil Blaisdell Front Street
To the youth of Marblehead
To the editor:
“I grow old … I grow old … I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled, “ - T.S. Eliot. I was once like you, but now I am a 52 year-old bachelor with no dependents. When I read your eloquent expressions of freedom and choice in the face of power and authority over flags, my mind goes back to my origins:
flashes and images of Watergate and troops coming home from Vietnam, the Bicentennial, then the yellow ribbons and hostages from Iran, climaxing with the Miracle on Ice.
“It’s like deja vu, all over again,” — Yogi Berra.
So, my guidance to you, as an overgrown rebel, is: excel like Nate Assa, Leo Burdge, Crew Monaco, Sam Thompson, the Hillel Little Explorers, the eighth graders at MCCPS and anyone else I missed by just glancing at the headlines. Lobby the Marblehead Current to add more than one page of student voices in the newspaper — show and tell the adults what you do by your actions. Make every adult in this town (especially those like me) go out to Marblehead Sport Shop and order a team jersey. Unite and organize by the tie that connects all of us, young and old, to this old town.
“Be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved. And the raging of the sea falls still around it” (Marcus Aurelius).
With the deepest respect and empathy,
Christopher Hardy Wharf Path
Students can still take stands
To the editor: The School Committee recently decided on the advice of counsel to limit student participation in determining the banners displayed in the town’s public schools. Putting aside whether I agree with the decision or not, there are many ways students can display their opinions related to social justice or political issues and do it in a way that both funds their causes or shows wide support.
Student speech is protected by state and federal courts as long as it is not likely to cause disruption or demean other students. One of the most common means of expression is through wearing T-shirts or armbands that say, for example,
“Black Lives Matter,” “End the War on Democracy,” or tees with LGBTQ+ rainbow lettering and design. There are multiple places and locally or online that print new designs or have existing ones.
In the 1992 presidential election in collaboration with a local T-shirt company, we conceived, printed and sold more than 20,000 shirts with a “Bill and Al’s Excellent Adventure” caricature on the front and “George and Dan’s Bogus Journey” on the back. The shirt was featured on all the major networks and in many newspapers. We gave our royalties to the campaign and am happy to have a photo signed by President Clinton with the T-shirt.
In the ’60s at the high school, for example, we wore pins opposing the war and supporting nuclear disarmament and participated in protests and the Civil Rights movement evenings and on weekends.
There are so many creative ways for individuals and groups of students to take stands for social justice without needing the permission of authorities. Take a stand for what you believe.
Dr. Robert Shuman, MHS ’65 Tufts Street
Resident responds to criticism of BLM flag advocacy
To the editor:
Hey, Jeremy! This is the “racist” with the “BLM and pride flag shirt on.” I appreciate the oxymoron you incorporated in your letter to the editor. Hopefully our English Language Arts teachers can use this when teaching their figurative language units. Before I get into the meat of your letter, I must apologize for misidentifying the person who ripped down the Black Lives Matter flag. I originally misidentified the person who pulled down the BLM flag, and
I believe in accountability. Your wife admitted to ripping it down and starting this whole mess. She deserves the credit. But to the woman that did not pull down the flag whom I identified, I do apologize.
You are upset with me for fighting for the BLM flag when, as you put it, “two of the very few who represent Black lives here in our town, the ones against [my] BLM flag.” My question to you is this: When did those two individuals become the representatives for all Black people living in Marblehead, thinking about living in Marblehead or working in Marblehead? They do not speak for those who see the BLM flag, and from that sight alone, feel safe and accepted. They are not their spokesperson. We are trying to create a more incluse (I know scary word for you) town, where all people are accepted.
Yes, I am woke because woke gave women voting rights. Woke gave women the ability to choose their own path with medical procedures. Woke gave some of our mothers and grandmothers the ability to open a bank account for the first time or to divorce abusive husbands. Woke gave us the Civil Rights Movement. Woke allows the disabled to access special learning services in Marblehead schools. Woke brought us adoption for all. Woke brought fair treatment for our LGBTQIA+ community members. To be anti-woke in 2025 is shameful.
I must thank you now, though, Jeremy! Your whining has provided the motivation I will need for the fight ahead. I will continue to wear my shirts, hold my signs and fly my flags. But when it gets hard, when I want to give up, I will remember one thing: your letter to the editor with your words of intolerance and your words of exclusion. And because of that, my fight will endure!
COURTESY PHOTO / COURT MERRIGAN
The winter of 24-25 delivered a true New England experience—snowdrifts taller than people, relentless wind and the dreaded ice dams that turn home offices into indoor rainforests. Unlike Wyoming’s blizzards where the snow disappears in a day or two, Marblehead’s winter refuses to budge, sticking around like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.
Mary McCarriston Pinecliff Drive
Residents weigh in on audit, hybrid access
BY WILL DOWD
Some Marblehead residents are voicing strong concerns as Massachusetts lawmakers resist implementing a voter-approved audit of the Legislature while hybrid meeting provisions approach their March 31 expiration date.
“We have the least democratic legislature in the frickin’ nation!” said Judith Black, a Marblehead resident and activist. Her frustration reflects a growing sentiment among constituents as two transparency issues converge: the Legislature’s reluctance to comply with Question 1 and uncertainty about the future of remote meeting access.
Question 1, which authorized the State Auditor to audit legislative operations, passed in November with 71.4%, an outcome fiercely resisted by lawmakers citing separation of powers. Meanwhile, the temporary law allowing remote participation in public meetings expires in less than a month. Municipal officials and residents have come to rely on hybrid access.
“Anyone who has been part of a citizen group which has proposed and supported legislation over the past 40 years has seen a deterioration of democracy in the Legislature,” Nadeau wrote. “Citizens are frustrated, exhausted and angry at the Massachusetts Legislature.”
Lynn Nadeau, another Marblehead resident, has observed a troubling pattern. In 2022, she sponsored a citizen petition, known as Article 44, which proposed mandating hybrid meetings and easily accessible recordings for all town boards and committees. This led to the formation of the so-called Article 44 Committee that analyzed the associated costs and logistics of implementing such measures.
In 2023, she sponsored two Town Meeting citizen petitions: one urging all committees and boards to post meeting recordings on the town website, and another to allow for remote meeting participation for both members and the public.
Despite these efforts, several regulatory boards in Marblehead continue to hold meetings exclusively in person, raising ongoing concerns about accessibility and inclusivity.
“It is obvious that our democracy works best when everyone can observe public meetings and participate in them,” she told the Current. “All people should feel empowered to contribute and shape their own communities within a dynamic and responsive democratic system.”
The House recently voted 12823 against an amendment that would have enforced compliance with the audit, with only firstterm Rep. Michelle Badger of Plymouth breaking Democratic ranks to support it.
Black believes the audit is essential for true accountability. “Always follow the money, which
BY WILL DOWD
The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to wdowd@marbleheadnews.org.
2025 excise tax
bills mailed
The 2025 excise tax bills were mailed on Feb. 28 and are due on or by March 29.
Residents who have not received their excise tax bill should contact the Tax Collector’s Office for assistance
is what [State Auditor Diana] DiZoglio is trying to do,” she said, referring to DiZoglio’s efforts. “The huge amounts given out to committee heads who are appointed by the Speaker ensures a lack of democracy.”
Do committee assignments enforce party discipline?
Black sees the appointment of committee chairs and vice chairs — positions that now come with stipends ranging from $7,500 to $88,000 — as a key mechanism for consolidating power in the State House. She argues that the speaker and Senate president can use these financial incentives to secure loyalty, as they are awarded in addition to lawmakers’ base salary, which recently increased to $82,044. Lawmakers also receive expense and travel stipends ranging from $22,431 to $29,908, further boosting their overall compensation.
Leadership stipends vary widely depending on rank and assignment. Committee vice chairs receive between $7,500 and $26,917, while committee chairs earn anywhere from $15,000 to $88,000. More influential positions command even higher payouts: budget chiefs receive $97,200, Democratic and Republican floor leaders make up to $89,723, and the House speaker and Senate president each collect an additional $119,632, bringing their total pay to $224,107. Black believes this structure discourages dissent by financially rewarding lawmakers who align with leadership, effectively stifling independent decision-making and reinforcing leadership’s grip on power.
Constitutional concerns or legislative obstruction?
Black and Nadeau see the
at 781-631-0587 or email revenue@marblehead.org.
Drama stars win awards for ‘Sleepwalker’ production
Anya Kane, who played Dr. Caligari, and Sam Jendrysik, who played Cesare the sleepwalker, both won acting awards for their performances in Marblehead High School’s production of “The Sleepwalker.”
The student-adapted horror play, which competed in the Massachusetts Educational
State Sen. Brendan Crighton, D-Lynn, who represents Marblehead, expresses concerns over the constitutionality of a legislative audit, emphasizing the need to respect separation of powers.
audit as a crucial step toward holding lawmakers accountable, but legislators insist the issue is more nuanced. Rep. Jenny Armini of Marblehead argues that the debate is not about transparency, but about constitutional limits.
“The House is very open to a financial audit, as it already goes through one every year,” Armini said. “In response to Question 1, the House took the step of voting to allow the Auditor to actually choose the outside firm.”
She drew a distinction between financial and political oversight: “Here’s the rub: The Auditor is not seeking to conduct just a financial audit. She is looking to do a political audit. This encompasses how legislators vote, debate, assign committees, decide on policy priorities and more — all core legislative functions that are outside of the Auditor’s jurisdiction.”
State Sen. Brendan Crighton, D-Lynn, who represents Marblehead, echoed these concerns.
“While I appreciate the voters’ desire for transparency, I have to consider whether this audit would violate the separation of powers that’s fundamental to our government,” Crighton said. “The Constitution restricts executive branch officials from interfering with core legislative functions, regardless of voter sentiment.”
Crighton noted that the Senate is taking a more deliberative approach by establishing a special committee to review the constitutional implications before taking action.
“We need to be thoughtful about how we respond to this mandate while respecting constitutional boundaries,” he added.
DiZoglio, undeterred by legislative resistance, is drafting
Theater Guild Drama Festival, also earned recognition for Benji Boyd, who won an award for adapting and directing the production. Lettie Park received an award for makeup design.
“The Sleepwalker” was adapted by Boyd from the 1920 silent film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” which critic Roger Ebert called “the first true horror film.” The play tells the story of mysterious murders that plague the town of Holstenwall after the arrival of Dr. Caligari and his omniscient sleepwalker,
important that meetings remain hybrid because it gives access to all to include someone that lives with a disability,” Blaisdell said. “We have quite a few members and residents that have not returned to public meetings for fear of getting sick or falling on ice, but they have consistently been able to attend our meetings.”
Blaisdell supports hybrid access but notes financial challenges. “I am conflicted with this unless it was a funded mandate,” she said. “Even for Marblehead, holding hybrid meetings has been a financial stretch. State funding would be essential to make this work for all public meetings.”
For example, a committee that studied remote participation found Marblehead’s Jacobi Community Center faced an estimated $6,000 in technology upgrade costs to facilitate hybrid meetings.
State Rep. Jenny Armini, D-Marblehead, argues that the debate over auditing the Legislature is not about transparency but about constitutional boundaries, noting that financial audits are already in place.
a writ of mandamus, seeking a court order directing a government official to fulfill their legal duties or correct an abuse of discretion — in an effort to force compliance or compel Attorney General Andrea Campbell to take a position in the dispute.
Campbell reinforced lawmakers’ constitutional concerns in a 2023 letter, stating that the State Auditor lacks the legal authority to audit the Legislature’s core functions without its consent.
Access for all
While the audit fight plays out on Beacon Hill, Marblehead residents are also facing another transparency challenge: the potential loss of remote access to public meetings
According to a 2023 survey by Massachusetts organizations advocating for open government, 45% of Massachusetts city council and select board meetings are fully hybrid, with an additional 17% live-streamed, totaling 62% offering some form of virtual access.
The Select Board, Board of Health, Historical Commission and School Committee have embraced remote participation. However, several regulatory boards in Marblehead still conduct business exclusively in person, including the Board of Assessors, Cemetery Commission, Recreation and Parks Commission, Harbors and Waters and Water and Sewer Commission.
For Laurie Blaisdell, chair of the Marblehead Disabilities Commission, this issue directly impacts vulnerable residents.
“I believe that it is very
Cesare.
The production featured dramatic lighting, expressionist staging with multiple platform levels, and specially designed costumes to capture the film’s unique visual style, described by Boyd as “more of a Tim Burton film than a Stephen King adaptation.”
Cuzner to speak on wildlife photography at Conservancy meeting
The Marblehead Conservancy will feature wildlife
Marblehead resident Mark Thomson emphasized practical benefits for working residents: “I commute to Cambridge for work plus travel periodically, so an option to attend town meetings by Zoom makes it much easier to participate.”
The temporary law allowing remote participation in public meetings expires in less than a month, creating urgent uncertainty for local boards and residents who have embraced hybrid access since the pandemic.
The future of public access
In January, Gov. Maura Healey filed the Municipal Empowerment Act, proposing to make hybrid and remote meeting options a permanent choice for municipalities. This legislation would give cities and towns the flexibility to determine the meeting formats that best serve their communities.
Meanwhile, a separate bill filed by Rep. Antonio Cabral of New Bedford (HD.368) takes a firmer approach. It mandates hybrid meetings for elected municipal bodies by 2030, includes economic hardship waivers, and establishes a Municipal Hybrid Meeting Trust Fund to help with technology upgrades.
These two proposals take different paths — one emphasizing local control, the other setting a statewide requirement — yet Marblehead officials aren’t waiting for Beacon Hill to decide. The Select Board recently joined municipal leaders across the state in petitioning lawmakers to make hybrid access permanent.
The petition requests that legislators “consider including funding for technology updates, staffing needs and broadband expansion” in the state’s upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget. It also emphasizes that “the flexibility to hold public meetings via in-person, hybrid, or remote means is critical to ensuring that we can continue to provide maximum support and flexibility for our residents.”
photographer Rick Cuzner at its annual meeting on Wednesday, March 26, from 7- 8:15 p.m. at the Abbot Public Library.
Cuzner will share insights on capturing local wildlife in photos, discussing technical aspects of photography, patience and timing, and ethical considerations when photographing animals. The meeting, co-hosted by the Conservancy and Abbot Public Library, will begin with a brief
COURTESY PHOTOS
Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio stands outside her office as she continues her fight to audit the state Legislature, despite resistance from lawmakers citing separation of powers.
Town achieves sharp rise in carbon-free power
BY WILL DOWD
Marblehead Municipal Light Department has dramatically increased its carbon-free electricity portfolio from 42% to 65% in just one year, marking significant progress toward the town’s clean energy goals while simultaneously reducing costs for ratepayers.
The progress extends beyond environmental benefits. The average wholesale power cost decreased 3.4% year-over-year, dropping from 11.28 cents per kilowatt hour in 2023 to 10.9 cents in 2024. This creates what officials describe as a rare scenario where cleaner energy actually costs less.
To achieve this, Marblehead sources its electricity from a mix of nuclear, hydroelectric, wind and solar power. The town purchases nuclear energy from Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Connecticut and Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant in New Hampshire, which provide steady, around-theclock electricity. Hydropower plays a major role, with sources like New York Power Authority Hydro (8,626 MWh), Hydro Quebec (6,588 MWh), FirstLight Hydro (6,707 MWh) and Brookfield Hydro (7,123 MWh) delivering renewable energy from rivers across the Northeast. Wind power comes from Berkshire Wind 1 (953 MWh) and 2 (1,739 MWh) and Hancock Wind (2,186 MWh), though its output fluctuates with the seasons. Marblehead is also expanding its solar capacity with power from the MSGT Cotton Solar Project (1,217 MWh).
Marblehead is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, a decade ahead of the Massachusetts state
COURTESY PHOTO / MMWEC
The MSGT Cotton Solar Project in Ludlow, spanning 35 acres, is a key contributor to Marblehead’s growing carbon-free electricity portfolio. Featuring advanced bifacial panels that maximize energy generation, the facility provides 1,217 megawatt hours of clean power annually. Marblehead owns an 11% stake in the project, supporting the town’s push toward net zero emissions by 2040.
to 15,616 MWh).
CURRENT ILLUSTRATION / WILL DOWD
Marblehead’s 2024 carbon-free power portfolio comprises diverse energy sources, including nuclear, hydroelectric, wind and solar.
representing a major shift in procurement practices.
Marblehead officials also completed a certificate trade with NextEra Energy, which operates the Seabrook Nuclear Plant. By exchanging different types of clean energy certificates, the town increased its officially recognized carbonfree electricity by nearly 6,800 megawatt hours without additional cost.
“It’s a classic win-win,” Kowalik said.
The town’s relationship with Hydro Quebec currently supplies 6,588 megawatt hours annually, accounting for about 5% of Marblehead’s total electricity load. Officials are considering doubling that allocation in future contracts.
— was working with my Board of Health colleagues and director Petty guiding the town through the COVID-19 pandemic. During that difficult time, the board met weekly on Zoom as we navigated our way through protocols and decisions following the Commonwealth’s guidelines regarding masking, distancing, outdoor dining, vaccinations, testing and record keeping.” Before the Board of Health, Hazlet served nine years on the School Committee. She will continue as chair of the Task Force Against Discrimination.
Crowley Crowley owns Lighthouse Fitness on Front Street and teaches classes at the Council on Aging. She sent the following statement to the Current:
“I love this town of
business portion followed by Cuzner’s presentation. It will be available both in-person with limited seating and online via Zoom. Registration is required at tinyurl.com/wildlife-photos.
For more information, visit abbotlibrary.org, email mar@ noblenet.org or call 781-631-1481.
Charity night planned for Marblehead Animal Shelter
The Landing restaurant will host a charity night to benefit the Friends of Marblehead’s Abandoned Animals shelter on Tuesday, March 25, from 6-9 p.m. The fundraising event, taking place at 81 Front St., will feature food, drinks and a silent
mandate for municipal light plants, which requires net zero by 2050.
“It wasn’t one thing that happened. It was a series of things that happened, all in the right way for us this year,” said Joseph Kowalik, general manager of MMLD.
The town secured several key additions to its power supply, including new hydroelectric contracts with FirstLight Energy and Brookfield Hydro that contributed over 13,800 megawatt hours of carbon-free electricity. Nuclear generation from existing contracts also increased significantly, with Millstone Nuclear providing 22.9% more power than the previous year (from 12,704 MWh
Marblehead, that I first made my home almost 30 years ago. I find real joy in being a part of the chain that makes Marbleheaders healthy and happy. I want to offer my expertise and passions and become a member of our Board of Health.
“My business, my goals are focused on making people feel good. As a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, I’ve dedicated myself to learning as much as I can about the body and how to translate that to others so they can prevent and manage disease, strengthen their bodies, and enjoy a fuller life. I have significant experience with all ages and abilities, including those with chronic illness and special needs.
Mental Health Task Force change
At a March 4 BoH meeting, member Dr. Tom Massaro announced that the Mental
auction to support the local animal shelter’s ongoing work with abandoned pets.
No tickets are required to attend the event, though reservations are recommended as space may be limited. Fifteen percent of all food, drink and gift certificate purchases made during the three-hour event will go directly to the animal shelter to help fund its operations and animal care services.
For reservations or more information about the charity night, call The Landing restaurant at 781-639-1266.
March COA events
This March, the Council on Aging offers diverse activities for seniors ranging from art collaborations to fitness classes and day trips. For registration information, call 781-631-6225
“This just doesn’t happen overnight,” said Tom Barry, director of Energy Markets at the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company.
“This takes effort to be looking for opportunities that come across, not overnight. They come piecemeal.”
Lisa Wolf, chair of the Marblehead Light Commission, noted the strategic approach behind the town’s portfolio management.
The town’s strategy involves methodically replacing unspecified “commodity” power purchases with named, carbonfree generation sources. These targeted contracts now account for 30% of the town’s portfolio,
Health Task Force hopes to “evolve” into a closer partnership with the Marblehead Counseling Center.
“The request of the Task Force is that the leadership of the board and leadership of the counseling center can come together and try to develop a future where the Mental Health Task Force will be much more closely aligned with the MCC on a day-to-day, patient-to-patient basis,” Massaro explained.
Since its founding during COVID, the Mental Health Task Force has hosted events and connected residents to mental health resources.
Massaro said would be delivering updates on the H5N1 virus, which is impacting birds across the country. He said the New England Journal of Medicine is now reporting on “the emerging threat of H5N1 to humans.”
“We’re going to keep the
or email councilonaging@ marblehead.org.
Opening Minds Through Art is an evidence-based, intergenerational art program pairing individuals with dementia and Marblehead High School art students for six weeks of creative collaboration. The program begins in the coming weeks and culminates in a gallery exhibition celebrating participants’ work.
Coffee with a Cop (Fridays, 9 a.m.): Offers informal discussions with Police Chief Dennis King or department representatives about community concerns.
Citizens Police Academy (March 14 – May 9) is an eight-week program offering insights into police operations. Applications currently accepted.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. The light department continues exploring potential sites for a 5-megawatt battery storage facility to reduce peak demand costs and provide resilience during outages.
“We’ve been providing electricity for 120 years. Batteries for storing electricity are a brand new component in the evolution of delivering electricity,” Kowalik said. “In Marblehead, there’s not a lot of free space around.”
Officials estimate that a battery system could save approximately $382,000 annually in capacity costs if properly managed to reduce demand during peak periods.
community up to speed,” Massaro said. “We’re not trying to raise alarm bells. We just want people to be educated.”
Transfer Station news
Public Health Director Andrew Petty delivered an update on the work at the Transfer Station.
SL Chasse Steel is expected to replace the eroded tipping floor at the compactor this week or early next week. The new compactor will be installed later this month.
Petty outlined steps after that.
“We want to focus on the site work of the original project, including the installation of concrete walls in the compactor building, moving the scale into the scale pit, doing the site work up front …. and building the foundation for the scale house,” he said.
Petty continued, “After July 1, we can look at doing phase two — work on the compactor
Explorers Lifelong Learning presents free classical concerts at Salem State on Sundays at 3 p.m., plus lectures on The Rat Pack on March 20 and Frank Lloyd Wright on April 10. St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon (March 17, 11:30 a.m.) features a traditional Irish meal at The Masons for $10 per person.
» Veterans Coffee Hour (March 14, 10 a.m.) provides updates and discussion with Veterans Agent Roseann Trionfi-Mazzuchelli.
» High School Film Club (March 24, 3 p.m.) hosts screenings at Marblehead High with transportation provided.
iPhone workshop (March 28, 10 a.m. – noon) offers hands-on personalization class for $20.
» Book club (March 10 & 28,
The light department must also navigate the increasingly complex task of predicting and reducing consumption during peak demand periods, which directly affects costs. In 2024, the department called 84 potential peak events compared to an average of 40-50 in previous years, reflecting the growing challenges of load management.
“It’s only going to get harder as we go forward because of the intermittent nature of our power supply,” Kowalik said.
As Marblehead continues its carbon-free transition, officials emphasize that communication and community engagement remain essential components alongside infrastructure improvements.
“A communication strategy to underscore to residents to reduce their usage is as viable as putting energy storage in town,” Wolf said.
building itself — the roof itself, re-siding … and looking to build the scale house itself. That’s the direction we’re heading.”
Petty said the architect is looking at those next steps and putting them out to bid. The work will lead to closures at different times, according to Petty.
“Because of the tipping floor, because of the compactor install, it is going to stretch the construction period out for a longer duration so people are going to have to deal with that — employees and residents — but in the end it will be a much better flow of traffic,” he said.
Finally, the board gave initial approval to updated tobacco regulations, including raising the legal age to buy tobacco products to 21 from 18. It also approved fees for tattoo artists. There will be a public hearing scheduled this spring before those regulations are finalized.
2 p.m.) discusses “Lady of the Eternal City” by Kate Quinn.
» Caregiver Support (March 20, 1 p.m.) features Family Caregiver Support Program speaker Crystal Polizzotti.
Planning Board sets MBTA zoning sessions
The Marblehead Planning Board will host additional public meetings on proposed MBTA zoning changes. The remaining schedule includes: March 31, 7 p.m.: Overview presentation.
» April 7, 2-4 p.m.: Public workshop Last May, voters rejected a proposal creating three multifamily housing districts to comply with state law requiring MBTA-served communities to allow multifamily housing.
The gathering included a moment of silent reflection before participants shared readings, including excerpts from Emma Lazarus’ poem on the Statue of Liberty. Attendees expressed varied motivations for
participating, with many citing concerns about threats to democratic institutions and a desire for community during an uncertain time.
“It’s important to not feel alone,” said Zoe Culbertson, who attended with her 10-year-old son. “It’s such a time of helplessness, so it’s nice to be able to do something.
Even if that’s not making a huge change, it’s almost like mental health, emotional support.”
Her friend, Pedro Poitevin, emphasized the importance of grassroots organizing: “It’s very important to get in touch with like-minded people so that you can organize. Because organizing from the grassroots level is what can actually bring up some pressure and some change.”
When asked what democracy means to them, Culbertson replied, “Having your voice be heard,” while Poitevin mentioned “free and fair elections.”
He expanded, saying democracy happens
“when people are heard as a people, when you have some voice in the community, and that voice is not construed as antagonistic just from the outside. We can have disagreements in a peaceful and fruitful way.”
The event attracted participants of various ages, including teenagers who expressed their commitment to preserving democratic values.
“I think that there’s a lot of politics going on right now, and a lot of times it can be hard to tell what is important,” said 15-yearold August Belf. “But in the end, we are living in a democracy, and we want to keep that democracy.”
His 14-year-old sister, Maya Belfbecker added, “We’re going to eventually be in charge, so we should try to help make it a better place.”
Defining democracy
Nancy Powell, a league member, defined democracy as encompassing “free speech, rule of law, voting rights, equal rights” and the principle that “all people are created equal.”
Despite concerns, Powell expressed optimism: “I also feel as though the people are starting to rise up, and I do feel the tide is turning.”
Leonardson connected the event to Marblehead’s historical significance: “This is the home of the ‘Spirit of ‘76.’ We know what democracy is. The people that founded it fought for it, and we’re trying to carry that.”
She referenced her personal connection to democratic values through family history: “My mother and my father both fought in Italy in World War II. And I have an aunt that just passed away. She was in the Navy. These people
fought against fascism and totalitarianism.”
As the evening concluded, participants expressed hope that their small-town action would contribute to a larger movement
“The town really cares. The town runs on volunteers,” Leonardson said. “It just seems to many of us that there are a lot of people that are very, very upset. They want to do something.”
Though some questioned whether such demonstrations could truly make a difference, Poitevin suggested their value: “I think that these small events may help people at least get together and form those scripts of influence.”
As lights flickered in the darkness around Memorial Park, Hollister summarized the evening’s symbolism: “These candles, these lights, represent our hope, our prayer for democracy to continue to light the world — a beacon for freedom, justice and liberty for all, a place to celebrate and defend freedom for all people.”
Sports
rEPE aT hOPES Da ShED
Nauset evens score, eliminates defending state hockey champs
Headers hope to play rubber match against Warriors next year
BY JOE MCCONNELL
When going well, there’s no denying that the Marblehead High boys hockey team (17-6-1, eighth seed) plays a disciplined game that frustrates opponents, and top-seeded Nauset (22-0-1) knows that better than anybody else.
The Warriors lost to the Headers last year in the state championship game at the TD Garden, 1-0, and through two-and-a-half periods during their March 6 Elite 8 matchup at Bourne’s Gallo Arena, they scored just once, a tying goal in the middle frame.
The Warriors had blown out their first two opponents — Middleboro (5-0) and Danvers (9-0) — in the Division 3 state tournament by a combined score of 14-0. But the Headers were ready to give them their first test of the tournament. In the end, however, the Warriors wore Marblehead down with four late third period goals, including one that went into the empty net, to win the game, 5-1.
Nauset is a regional school that has a distinct advantage over its Division 3 counterparts,
SPOrTS LE a DEr
according to Marblehead coach Mark Marfione.
“There’s no doubt that Nauset is a good team with a lot of
Alison Carey expands work at MHS; takes over as field hockey coach
BY JOE MCCONNELL
Alison Carey has been named the new Marblehead High field hockey coach, succeeding Mia Maccario.
MHS athletic director Kent Wheeler made the Carey announcement, and was pleased to do so, while taking into account her vast coaching experience.
Wheeler said of Carey: “With a wealth of experience both on and off the field, coach Carey brings a unique combination of athletic excellence, a deep understanding of studentathlete needs and a passion for building a successful team culture.”
A native of Eastchester, New York, Carey has lived in Marblehead for the last 20 years. She attended Sacred Heart Greenwich, a private secondary school in Connecticut, where she was a three-sport athlete and captain of its varsity swim team. From there, she went on to Boston College, and played club field hockey on the Chestnut Hill campus.
In addition to Carey’s athletic background, she has a master’s degree in social work from Simmons University, and is currently a clinical social worker at the high school, with a special focus on trauma practice and sport social work.
Carey has worked closely with the MHS athletic department over the years, supporting the Captains Leadership Council, while leading an effort to develop a coaching mentor program.
“Alison lives in town and is a teacher at the high school,” said Wheeler. “She is already a part of our athletic community who upholds and lives by the athletic department core values of respect, integrity, teamwork, commitment, responsibility and sportsmanship that are so important. I’m really excited to have her lead our field hockey program, where her enthusiasm and dedication will inspire our student-athletes.”
depth,” he said. “They (also) do a good job in recruiting. But give them credit for finding a loophole in the MIAA
Marfione continued, “Their school size is that of a Division
3 team, but they are still able to recruit players from any (school) district on the Cape. This gives them the benefit of building a team similar to a private school. But with that said, there are still some teams left that can give them a challenge. Scituate has played them close this year. I think Bedford can also challenge them with the defense that they play, not to mention Medfield that’s also very good.”
The Warriors were scheduled to play Scituate (19-4-2, fourth seed) in a state semifinal game on March 9. In the other state semifinal, Bedford (19-3-1, sixth seed) faced off against Medfield (21-1-1, second seed) on March 8.
Despite those disadvantages, the Marblehead boys once again were Nauset’s equals on the ice for most of the game. The Headers scored the first goal with just 2:09 gone in the opening frame, and it was senior captain Kyle Hart who did the honors, with an assist from classmate and co-captain Crew Monaco. That goal held up throughout the rest of the period and 2:13 into the second, before
IcE Russo, Johnson chosen Northeastern Hockey League all-stars
A season filled with change on the coaching staff, the Header co-op regroups to produce young talent for the future
BY JOE MCCONNELL
The Northeastern Hockey League, consisting of girls high school hockey teams in the Northeastern Conference and Cape Ann League communities, recently announced its all-star team, and the young Marblehead High co-op (4-15-1), which had to adjust to two different coaches this season after Hadley Woodfin stepped down in December, had two — Madi Russo and Emma Johnson – make the elite squad. They are both only eighth graders, who reside in Marblehead.
“Madilyn Reno and Emma Johnson are two fantastic athletes and individuals, and are both deserving of the honor of being named an all-star,” said interim coach Jonathan Strzempek.
“Emma’s hockey IQ and skating ability make her a constant threat to other teams, and a key piece of our own gameplan. Her presence on the ice was a benefit to the entire team, not just on the scoreboard, but in the locker room and at practices, as well,” added Strzempek. “Emma’s desire to compete and get better was felt on the roster throughout the entire season. She was a cornerstone of our starting lineup, and was a force to be reckoned with on the power play and penalty kill.”
Strzempek also had fine comments to say about Reno. He said of her: “Madi’s skating ability and creativity with the puck on her stick make her a difficult player to handle. She was a constant threat to take over any game with her talent and seemingly endless supply of energy on the ice. Her natural ability and need to compete made
an immense impact on the team both in games and in practices. Madi was a cornerstone of our starting lineup and a dominant part of our power play and penalty kill.” Johnson was credited with 14 goals and 7 assists for a total of 21 points this year. Reno accounted for 12 goals and 15 assists during the last three months.
COURTESY PHOTO Alison Carey is the new MHS field hockey coach.
COURTESY PHOTO
Marblehead High co-op eighth graders Madi Russo, left, and Emma Johnson were recently chosen as Northeastern Conference Hockey League all-stars.
CURRENT PHOTO / JOE MCCONNELL
Marblehead High boys hockey junior E.J. Wyman (9) tries to check a Blackstone Valley player away from the puck during a Round of 32 game at Salem State’s Rockett Arena on Feb. 26. The Headers went on to win the game, 3-2, on a last-second goal by senior captain Crew Monaco.
HOCKEY, P. A10
Black & Blue wrestlers Hinshaw, O’Brien complete season at the All-State meet
BY JOE MCCONNELL
The Marblehead/Swampscott Black & Blue co-op wrestling team completed its season during the All-State meet at Methuen High School on Feb. 28. The next time the team is scheduled to get together will be for the awards banquet on Thursday night, March 13, at the Gerry 5, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Senior captain Mason Hinshaw and junior captain Liam O’Brien were the last two Black & Blue wrestlers standing at the AllStates. Senior captain Justin Gonzalez also qualified for the statewide event as an alternate after completing a solid senior campaign with a 28-11 record.
At 132 pounds, O’Brien
wrestled well, but got a tough first draw, when he had to go up against the State Division 3 champion out of Wakefield, who shut him out, 7-0. In his final match of the season, he faced off against a Worcester Tech wrestler, who had soundly defeated him the previous week in the state divisional round, 17-1. But Liam closed the gap somewhat in the All-States, dropping a 6-2 decision to him.
“Liam finished up with a strong 41-7 record,” said coach Mike Stamison, “and was only pinned once this season.”
Liam’s season-long highlights included him winning the CAL/NEC, Gionet, Pentucket Holiday and state sectional championships. “(O’Brien) had a
Current sports profile: Finn Bergquist
BY JOE MCCONNELL
NAME: Finn Bergquist
AGE: 18
FAMILY: Parents: Wendy and Scott
SCHOOL YEAR: Senior
SPORTS YOU PLAY: Swimming
FAVORITE SPORT: My favorite sport is swimming, because it teaches you to be disciplined, focused and hardworking. The lessons that I have learned by being a swimmer since I was 6-yearsold have helped me in school and in many other aspects of my life. I have also made the most amazing, lifelong friends throughout my swimming career.
MOST MEMORABLE
solid month and a half from Dec. 22 to Feb. 4 after losing a 3-2 decision in the Lombardo finals. He also ended the season as the program’s all-time leader in wins with 142, and still has a year to go to add to that total, a feat that will likely be going unmatched for a very, very long time,” added Stamison.
It was the end of an era at
157-pounds, when Hinshaw completed his high school career in Methuen on Feb. 28.
“(Hinshaw) was certainly not at 100% due to various injuries, but he still wrestled tough,” said Stamison. “He ended up losing a tight 11-9 match to a St. John’s Prep wrestler, and that was after his upper body injury flared up again in his match against a Methuen wrestler.
“Mason moved to Swampscott from out of state before his sophomore year, and in the three years here, he’s been a threetime All-State qualifier, a New England alternate and placed seventh, third and sixth in the state, respectively. He ends his high school career with 139 wins, which is good for second on
the program’s all-time list just behind Liam,” added Stamison. He continued: “This season, he was 40-8 that included championships at the Lombardo, Gionet, Pentucket Holiday, CAL/ NEC tournaments. Mason was only pinned twice this season, and his two regular season losses were just by one point. Superb balance, excellent hips, tenacity and technical skills were Mason’s trademarks. He leaves us now to continue his academic and wrestling career at the University of Southern Maine, where he will undoubtedly be successful. Moreover, Mason was an excellent two-year captain, leading the team vocally and by example, and was also well-liked by many in the region.”
MEET FOR YOU, AND WHY: My most memorable meet was in 2023, my sophomore year, when the girls team won the state championship. There were other teams there with twice as many girls
MAJOR: Undecided DO YOU WANT TO
SPORTS IN COLLEGE: Yes, I’m committed to swim at Babson in October. DESIRED CAREER: Entrepreneur aThLETE SPOTLIGhT
VarSITY SchEDULE
Monday, March 24
4:30 p.m., boys lacrosse, Winchester (scrimmage), MHS Piper Field
4 p.m., baseball, Beverly (scrimmage), Beverly High
Friday, March 28
4 p.m., girls lacrosse, Woburn, MHS Piper Field
Saturday, March 29
10 a.m., boys lacrosse, Austin Prep (scrimmage), MHS Piper Field
Monday, March 31
4 p.m., girls lacrosse, Manchester-Essex, MHS Piper Field
Tuesday, April 1
4 p.m., baseball, Newburyport, Newburyport High
Wednesday, April 2
4 p.m., boys and girls outdoor track, Peabody, Village School track
4 p.m., softball, Masconomet, Marblehead Veterans Middle School
Thursday, April 3
4 p.m., baseball, ManchesterEssex, Memorial Park, Essex
5 p.m., girls lacrosse, Melrose, Melrose High
Friday, April 4
4 p.m., softball, Ipswich, Bialek Park, Ipswich
7 p.m., boys lacrosse, Newburyport, Newburyport High
Monday, April 7
4 p.m., girls tennis, Masconomet, Marblehead High
4 p.m., boys tennis, Masconomet, Masconomet High
4:30 p.m., softball, Latin Academy, Puopolo/Langone Park, Boston
Tuesday, April 8
4:30 p.m., girls lacrosse, Beverly, MHS Piper Field
4:30 p.m., boys lacrosse, Beverly, Beverly High
4:30 p.m., boys and girls outdoor track, multiple schools, Danvers High
Hockey
From P. A9
Nauset’s Zach Weiner tied it up.
“We came out of the gates firing,” said Monaco. “It was one of the best starts that I’ve ever seen a hockey team have, and I think we caught Nauset by surprise. They knew at that point they were in for a game.”
Monaco added, “We gave them hell throughout the first two periods and into the third period, but ultimately they wore us down, and we failed to complete the mission.”
Monaco said that Nauset is a different team from last year, and are better in some respects, because the returning players have put the work in to get another shot at winning that elusive state title.
With that said, Monaco was not discrediting his own team.
“We are also a bunch of hardworking players, who made the most of our talents every time we stepped on the ice,” he explained. “We are all about this town, and I hope the (younger) kids who are reading this stay here in order to play for these wonderful coaches and their hometown. Some of my best memories were playing with my hometown buddies with the whole town in attendance. It’s truly something that I’ll never forget, and it brings a tear to my eyes that I won’t be able to lace up the skates again for this town. But I know the culture of this team will live on for many years to come.”
The game remained tied until
there was 6:49 left on the thirdperiod clock. At that point, Nauset’s Cam Ward shot one past goalie Leo Burdge in the slot to secure the first lead for his teammates in the game. Less than two minutes later, with 5:06 left, Luke Miller gave the home team a two-goal advantage.
With 3:16 remaining, Ward added more insurance with his second goal of the period. The Warriors then sealed the deal with an empty net goal to account for the final 5-1 score. But this game was certainly much closer than that final score would indicate, and it didn’t surprise Marfione.
“Our guys played hard and left everything they could out on the ice. I’m very proud of them,” he said. “But the one second guess that I have of myself is that we should have put our third line out there more often, and as a result of not doing that, we were gassed by the middle of the third period. But overall, I think we gave it a good shot and would welcome the challenge of playing them again next year in the rubber match.”
During one particular sequence in the second period after Nauset tied the score at one, sophomore Noah Feingold had a chance to get the lead right back, but Nauset goalie Zach Coelho denied him with a quick glove save. Moments later, Marblehead had a power play opportunity after junior London McDonald got tripped up but unfortunately failed to get any shots on goal. It was the first and only penalty called in the game.
The goals came fast and furious for Nauset from the midway point of the third period on, and the
shots on goal reflected that surge. By game’s end, the Warriors nearly doubled up the scoring opportunities, 29-15.
Marfione obviously acknowledges that his team has had a pretty good run but added a caveat to that with the words “so far.”
“My sense is that we will always have what it takes to win a title every year because we have a good pipeline of talent coming through every year, and it all starts with the coaching they get in the (Marblehead Youth Hockey Association),” he said. “They develop high-character kids who have a team-first mentality by the time they get to high school.”
Marfione added, “I expect next year’s returning varsity players to take a step forward, just like they did this year. We will certainly miss our seniors. They are an awesome group who were sophomores when I got here. They grew with us from the beginning and had some great achievements along the way after buying in to what we were telling them. They are a talented, tough bunch.”
Marfione mentioned that Tim Kalinowski, one of his assistant coaches, offered his take on the season, when he said, “these seniors — captains Kyle Hart, Leo Burdge, Crew Monaco and Sean Dolan, along with Jimmy MacKenzie, Colin White and Brayden Greenway — left the program in a better place than the way they found it (four years ago).”
The head coach agreed, adding, “I think that’s what truly matters.”
The Current athlete profile is brought to you by National Grand bank
CURRENT PHOTO / JOE MCCONNELL
Marblehead High boys hockey senior captains Kyle Hart, left, and Crew Monaco flank junior Hayden Gallo, their linemate, after they all figured prominently in the Division 3 Round of 32 victory over Blackstone Valley at Salem State on Feb. 26. The Headers won the game, 3-2, and all three each scored a goal to help secure the win. The Headers then went on to beat Dracut, 4-2 in the Sweet 16, before losing in the Elite 8 to top seed Nauset.
Town Historian Don Doliber connects past and present
BY GREY COLLINS
A descendant of the first settlers of Marblehead, Town Historian Don Doliber has deep roots in this coastal community dating back to 1629. From his living room filled with antique paintings and old photographs, he shares memories of growing up in a town that has nearly doubled in population since his childhood.
“If you love Marblehead, I don’t care if you’ve been here for 10 minutes or 10 years, you’re a real Marbleheader,” says Doliber, who was born in 1944.
Doliber’s family was likely the first to settle in Marblehead near Grace Oliver’s Beach and Gingerbread Hill. His first interaction with Marblehead’s past came through employment at a local landmark.
“I worked for the Marblehead Historical Society at the Lee Mansion just polishing brass furniture,” said Doliber. “I started on the first floor, went to the second floor, the third floor and down again, just polishing brass. I got paid $25 per week. It was a good job, you could buy a bicycle for $25 a week.”
Doliber and his twin brother grew up as the youngest of four boys near the landing in Marblehead’s historic district. He recalled that he and his brothers had a lot of freedom, and they could always find something fun to do around town.
“In the summertime I could go swimming, nn the wintertime I could go sliding (sledding)
whenever I wanted to because they actually shut off certain streets so you could take your sled and go down one hill and up the next,” remembered Doliber.
“Being able to get on a bicycle and ride around town was the fun part, I could go anywhere I wanted.”
Life was different. Kids often found resourceful ways to make a few bucks and have a good time, he said.
“I would go with my buddies and dig up horseradish and grind it up and sell it,” said Doliber. “Our meals were Marblehead meals, with fish three or four times a week. If I was going to
make a go-cart, I’d go to the dump and look for baby carriage wheels to make it. You can’t do that today.”
Doliber has watched Marblehead grow over the years, nearly doubling in size.
“There were probably 10,000 people at most when I was growing up, now we’ve got almost 20,000,” he recalled.
“I could walk from the Green Street playground to Grace Oliver’s beach without seeing a house.”
Doliber also remembers a time when Marblehead was a closer knit community where everyone had each other’s back, and he
thinks that we need to work to make it that way again.
“We always looked out for each other,” said Doliber. “Our neighbors looked out for each other. If they needed something we made sure they got it. I don’t see that much today.” But he thinks there are some glimmers of hope.
“As we become older there are neighbors that will come over and do shoveling or take care of the walk though,” he added.
Doliber also recalled being one of the first Polio Pioneers as a child in 1954, meaning that he was a part of the first polio vaccine trials. He showed off his
pin and certificate that he got as a part of the study.
“I’m a twin, so I got the real vaccine and my brother didn’t,” said Doliber. “There were three different shots, and we were basically guinea pigs.”
Although now it seems like a danger from far in the past, polio was on everybody’s mind back when Doliber was growing up.
“Growing up, if there was a polio case, all the beaches and movie theaters were shut down, much like what we went through in the pandemic,” recounted Doliber.
After graduating from Marblehead High School, Doliber went to college and started working as a history teacher at Masconomet Regional High School in Boxford.. He was recognized as the Outstanding History Teacher in the Nation in 1982 at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. He later became an assistant principal at Masco and trained several people that went on to become principals, including Daniel Bauer, who later served as Marblehead High School’s principal.
“I taught him a number of things, but I couldn’t ever do a handstand like he could,” said Doliber.
Now, as town historian, Doliber leads walking tours, gives lectures and teaches about Marblehead history. He believes that people should try to learn more about the rich history of the town, and that anyone can be a true Marbleheader if they care enough.
CURRENT PHOTO / GREY COLLINS
Don Doliber, Marblehead’s town historian, stands outside his home. Doliber’s family was among the first settlers in Marblehead in 1629. “If you love Marblehead, I don’t care if you’ve been here for 10 minutes or 10 years, you’re a real Marbleheader,” he says.
MHS students partner with young Congolese writers in special project
BY GEORGIA MARSHALL
Georgia Marshall is a sophomore at Marblehead High School who writes for the student newspaper, Headlight.
As humans, we are connected by experiences. Storytelling is our bridge — it allows us to care, to empathize and to relate. Recently, a group of students at Marblehead High School participated in a unique writing program, collaborating with young Congolese writers living in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, home to approximately 170,000 displaced people in the Southwest of Uganda. Our task? To help the Congolese writers shape personal essays for publication in two international magazines, “Otherwise” and “Stone Soup.” The finished pieces are raw and profound, reflecting real loss, resilience, hope and connection. Shaped by harrowing journeys and the uncertain nature of displacement, these aren’t just stories — they are lived realities, and variations of the complicated planes of the human experience. They also serve as reminders that despite vastly different life circumstances, we can find moments of connection and points of commonality.
At the heart of the initiative is Laura Moran, a cultural anthropologist, director of the Refugee Project for “Stone Soup,” editor for “Otherwise” and my mom. Moran works with displaced young people living in refugee camps throughout the world to lift their voices and share their stories in their own words. She launched this program after receiving a grant from the Wenner-Gren Foundation and partnering with
the Uganda-based nonprofit Humanitarian Service Team, an organization founded and led by refugees. Thirteen young writers, ages 16 to 20, were selected to participate.
Since June of 2024, the writers have gathered weekly around a table in a small, tin-roofed hut — the office of the Humanitarian Service Team — where they have met with Moran and several writing mentors from across the U.S. and the U.K. on Zoom. As they tackled foundational topics from narrative voice, point of view and story shape and structure, they also considered storytelling as a multifaceted artform, exploring the role of memory and trying their hand at drawing scenes and interviewing one another.
Franklin Mulumeoderhwa, one of the writers, crafted the narrative “The Proposition: For Love or Money,” which considers a conflict between love and material desire. Reflecting on the process, he shares, “I learned the importance of honesty and vulnerability. Sharing my personal experience allowed me to connect with others who may have faced similar challenges. I also learned about
the importance of structure and pacing … to keep the reader engaged.” His story, one of the many featured in the latest issue of “Otherwise” is a striking mediation on integrity versus greed, set against the context of institutionalized homophobia in Uganda.
Once the writers had completed their drafts, the MHS peer reviewers, including myself, Max Kane, Niko King, Stella Charney, Sydney Da Silva and Sofia Kannengiesser, along with a larger cohort of students from across the U.S., worked one-onone with the writers, offering feedback through WhatsApp, Google Docs and Zoom. After an orientation meeting on Sept. 28, we were paired with our partners, reviewing and helping to enrich their narratives. The final, and most powerful, peer review session occurred on Oct. 19. The Nakivale students, gathered around a table on a dirt floor, took turns stepping forward to discuss their work with us, bridging worlds one conversation at a time.
Kane reflected on his experience working with Robert Ndasunikwa, whose essay “The young man in a refugee camp”
tells the story of Robert’s best friend and mentor, John. “It was challenging but exciting communicating and working with someone with a completely different life than mine,” Kane shares. “John had lost both his parents and was taking care of his siblings whilst making bricks to earn some money. Robert’s immediate decision to help his friend demonstrated to me the kind of person he is.”
Kane’s experience is one that I think all of us, as peer reviewers, can relate to. Working with aspiring young writers, who, through nothing more than the fate of circumstance, live with inconceivable hardships and obstacles, was an eye opening experience. Both because of the obvious and evident strength they possess, and also because, despite the challenges these young people face in virtually every aspect of their daily existence, they also spend days ruminating on a mean comment made by a friend, feel excluded by a clique they long to be part of, and struggle with the weight of parental expectations. They are, like us, people; teenagers experiencing normal teenager things, albeit in a context we can scarcely imagine.
For Moran, the experience has been just as transformative.
“The Nakivale students are very eager to learn and to connect with others, especially young people. They’re deeply motivated to have their stories heard and to have a voice beyond the confines of camp,” she says. “Their partners here in the U.S. have been palpably moved by their stories and have demonstrated an admirable commitment to lending their support and feedback. Facilitating connections between these young writers from such vastly different worlds has been an exceptionally rewarding experience.”
The voices of the young writers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, bridged and searing, now echo beyond Uganda, through the pages of “Stone Soup” and “Otherwise,” to a vast and diverse global audience. The stories will subsequently be published in the “Weganda Review,” a Ugandan literary journal. But in the end, storytelling goes beyond words on a page. In an increasingly divided world, it’s about connection, listening to one another and uniting in our most human moments.
BY WILL DOWD
A delegation from Marblehead and Swampscott traveled to Bermuda in February to strengthen historical ties between two locations linked by an 18th-century loyalist with deep connections to both places.
The visit also centered on efforts to preserve the General John Glover Farmhouse in Swampscott, Salem and Marblehead — a property once owned by William Browne, a Salem loyalist who later served as Bermuda’s governor from 1782 to 1788.
Nancy Schultz, chair of the Swampscott Historical Commission, and Ed Nilsson of the Marblehead Historical Commission and Planning Board, presented to Bermudian
historians and officials about preservation efforts for the historic farmhouse.
The visit came shortly after the Bermuda Historical Society received a $30,000 portrait of Browne painted by Joseph Blackburn, whom Schultz described as a renowned portrait artist, while Browne was a Harvard student in 1755.
The William Browne property was seized by Massachusetts during the American Revolution after he fled to England in 1776. Revolutionary War hero Gen. John Glover purchased the 180-acre property and farmhouse from the state in 1781 for 1,362 pounds.
“Brown was a loyalist, and he was banished, and some loyalists were able to return, but Browne never did,” Schultz said. “He
lost thousands of acres. He was a big landowner in Connecticut, as well as here.”
The preservation effort has gained momentum after the original developer, Leggat McCall Properties, withdrew from plans to demolish the historic structure to build a 140-unit condominium complex. The property is owned by Anthony Athanas, who has been working with preservationists to protect the deteriorating structure.
“We were able to stop some of the water from getting inside,” Schultz said. “The town was successful. They had to grant us access for which we are very grateful to get in, to do the tarp and we have structural engineers doing some work, doing
a manual on what it would take to restore the buildings.”
The property’s future remains uncertain as development permits, which preservationists had hoped would expire, were extended by the governor until 2025.
The project has gained national attention, appearing in American Heritage magazine, as preservation advocates work to raise awareness about the property’s historical significance before the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026.
“It just fills out the story so beautifully,” Nilsson said. “I think people will learn more about and move as time goes by, especially with ... 250.”
Nilsson and Schultz
said their delegation was warmly received by the Bermuda Historical Society and its president, Andrew Bermingham, who arranged tours of historic properties and museums across the island.
The visit highlighted previously unexplored connections between Salem and Bermuda during the Revolutionary War period. Despite being under British rule, Bermuda maintained crucial trade relations with the American colonies.
“Even though monarchy at that time, people of Bermuda were doing business with George
Washington, selling gunpowder to George Washington and his army,” Nilsson said. “There was a split loyalty to the people of the states, because the United States provided their commodities.” Preservation advocates hope the continued attention will help save the farmhouse for future generations.
“I hope it stands for another 250 years,” Schultz said. “We’d love to ensure that their legacy is included in the history of this property. There were so many fascinating owners. We’ve done a ton of research.”
COURTESY PHOTO
COURTESY PHOTOS
The Congolese writers in front of the Humanitarian Service Team office in tee Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Congo.
Laura Moran is projected on the wall of the Humanitarian Service Team office before the writers.
Current Events spotlights exciting happenings in the
Blander at lblander@marbleheadnews.org.
Need a laugh?
Friday-Saturday, March 13-14
Take a break from doom scrolling and enjoy Comedy Weekend, a collaboration by Marblehead Little Theatre and Silly Theater Productions.
First on Friday, Amy Tee headlines an evening of stand-up along with other comedians Matt McArthur, Dan Donahue and Mona Forgione. On Saturday, comedy improv troupe Accidentally On Purpose presents an evening of improvisational comedy in the style of the long-running hit TV show “Whose Line is it, Anyway?”
Both shows start at 7 p.m. and are open to the public. The material for both shows is suitable for 18-plus. Tickets are $25 in advance at mltlive.org.
Organ concert
Sunday, March 16, 5 p.m.
St. Michael’s, 26 Pleasant St., presents the Composer’s Muse, an organ concert featuring Cathy Meyer, minister of music and organist at South Church in Andover. Meyer will perform works by contemporary and living composers as St. Michael’s celebrates its organ. There is a suggested price of $20 at the door. A reception will follow the concert.
Spirit Night
Thursday, March 13, 6-8 p.m.
Guests will enjoy a guided tasting of some of the world’s best scotch and whiskey, paired with heavy appetizers. Tickets are $85 for museum members and $95 for the public, and are available at marbleheadmuseum. org. All guests must be over the age of 21.
Live tribute to Old Blue Eyes
Saturday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.
Coming off the success of last year’s acclaimed concert, “Rhapsody at 100: The Experiment Continues,” crooner Matthew Arnold and his New England Yankees big band will present a retrospective of one of America’s most beloved singers. Arnold will pay tribute to the legendary Frank Sinatra and the iconic Great American Songbook. Arnold will sing with his 17-member big band, along with special guests Johnny Ray, Holly Cameron and more. Star of the Sea Church, 85 Atlantic Ave. Tickets at https://loom.ly/ YfdDzkY.
Jazz at the Arts
Thursday, March 20, 7-10:30 p.m.
The Marblehead Arts Association and Gene Arnould present a special performance by Laszlo Gardony & Don Braden as a part of their Jazz at the Arts concert series at 8 Hooper St. Gardony plays piano, while Braden plays saxophone. Tickets are $35. Marbleheadarts.org.
Hayley Reardon back at Me&Thee
Saturday, March 21. 8 p.m.
Two of the Me&Thee’s favorite performers, Don White and Hayley Reardon, join forces for a special night commemorating the coffeehouse’s 55th anniversary.
Reardon, a Marblehead native, is a critically acclaimed folk-pop singer and songwriter. She first graced the Me&Thee stage when she was still in high school. White is an award-winning singer/songwriter, comedian, author and storyteller. For more information and tickets, visit meandthee.org.
28 Mugford St.
Booster Bash
Saturday, March 25, 7 p.m. The Marblehead All-Sports Boosters is hosting its fifth Booster Bash at the Masonic Temple, 62 Pleasant St. The Guy Percy Band will perform, and there will be hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, raffle prizes and more. Tickets are $75 and available at marbleheadboosters.org.
Shoplifting, scams and snowy standoffs
BY WILL DOWD
Excerpts from the Marblehead police log for Feb. 13-25.
Consistent with state law, police have adopted a policy of not providing media outlets reports related to incidents involving domestic violence, juveniles and matters that remain under investigation.
Feb. 13
1:55 p.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo responded to Tedesco Country Club regarding a scam. The club representative reported receiving several calls from people asking if a magazine called A Rated Digest would be displayed at the club. The last caller explained they had been contacted by someone offering to place their business in the magazine for $300, claiming it would be displayed at multiple country clubs in the area. The representative reported the incident to IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center). Mastrangelo forwarded the information to the Criminal Investigation Division for further review.
Feb. 14
9:18 a.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo met with a resident in the station lobby regarding a fraud incident. The resident explained that her mother had clicked on a malicious link the previous day and subsequently shared personal information (including name, address, and Social Security number) with the scammer. The perpetrator had requested a $20,000 wire transfer, but the victim contacted her daughter, who helped identify it as a scam before any money was transferred. The victim had already taken protective measures including credit monitoring, changing bank account numbers, and wiping her computer. Mastrangelo advised them to report any further suspicious activity.
11:10 a.m. — Officer Jason McDonald spoke with a resident at the police station who reported that someone had obtained her deceased son’s personal information and was using it fraudulently. The information appeared to be linked to a property listing in Centerville, Indiana. McDonald advised the resident to report the issue to the Centerville Police Department and the Social Security Administration.
Feb. 15
11:27 a.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar responded to Jersey Street for a report of a dog hit by a car. Upon arrival, Hennigar spoke with the driver, who explained that the dog had unleashed itself and ran into the street. Animal Control arrived to assist the injured dog, which was unable to walk but had no other visible injuries. No visible damage was observed on the vehicle. Animal Control made contact with the dog’s owner and waited for their arrival.
11:53 a.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo met with a resident at the station regarding identity fraud. The resident explained that he began experiencing identity theft issues around 2017, with approximately seven credit cards opened in his name. Although these incidents had decreased in recent years, they had started again in recent months. In November and December, someone had attempted to take out vehicle
loans in his name for $22,000 and $33,000, respectively. All fraudulent purchases were stopped before completion.
Mastrangelo advised the resident to file for credit monitoring with credit agencies.
1:45 p.m. — Officer Douglas Mills spoke with a resident at the station regarding fraud. The resident explained she had received a call from a company claiming to be a debt collection agency responsible for collecting on a debt from a former Household Bank credit card. The callers had the resident’s name, address, and Social Security number but used fake email addresses allegedly associated with the account. The resident stated she never had a credit card from the mentioned bank, and when she checked her credit reports, no such debt appeared. Mills advised her to cease contact with these individuals, document any further attempts at communication, and report the fraud on the Federal Trade Commission website. The resident had already frozen her credit due to past fraudulent activity.
1:58 p.m. — Officer Douglas Mills took a report from a resident who received what appeared to be a bill from an insurance company with which she had never conducted business. While checking her bank account, the resident confirmed she had not lost any money. Mills explained this appeared to be a phishing scam and instructed her not to provide any personal or banking information to the sender.
Feb. 16
10:09 a.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar responded to Lattimer Road regarding a neighbor complaint. The reporting party stated that his neighbor continues to shovel snow onto his property and mentioned they’ve had past disagreements over the property line. Hennigar advised this was a civil matter and would document the statements for the resident’s records if needed.
12:19 p.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo responded to Humphrey Street on a report of property damage. The resident explained that overnight, someone had damaged her fence, tree, and rose bushes. Based on the damage, Mastrangelo suspected it may have been caused by a plow truck coming from Winthrop Avenue. The resident was checking with a neighbor about reviewing camera footage to identify the culprit.
2:51 p.m. — Officer Neil Comeau responded to Knight Avenue for a report of past property damage. The resident stated that during the recent snowstorm, a Town of Marblehead plow truck caused damage to his fence by pushing snow against it. The resident had previously spoken with the Marblehead Department of Public Works about where they push snow onto his property
line. Comeau documented the damage and advised the resident to contact his homeowner’s insurance and reach out to Marblehead DPW regarding the incident.
4:15 p.m. — Officer Samuel Rizos took a report regarding neighbor harassment. The resident reported that while driving home, she observed her neighbor following closely behind with high beams on. The resident explained there was a long history of issues between the neighbors. Rizos advised her to call 911 if this happens again and she fears for her safety and informed her of her rights regarding harassment prevention orders. Following department protocol, Rizos later contacted the other party involved, who provided a similar account of the incident but denied any harassment. Both parties were advised to avoid engagement with each other.
Feb. 18
12:30 p.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar spoke with a resident in the station lobby regarding a neighbor dispute. The resident reported that his neighbor continues to throw snow onto his property and stated he has previously reported this issue multiple times. The resident had attempted to obtain a harassment prevention order but was denied. Hennigar advised this was a civil matter and suggested the resident consult with a lawyer.
Feb. 19
Noon — Officer Adam Mastrangelo met with a resident in the lobby regarding past incidents. The resident explained that over the past year, someone had been throwing bags of dog feces and general trash in the back of her husband’s truck. She has installed a security camera in the truck hoping to identify the individual responsible and will inform police if she obtains further information.
1:11 p.m. — Officer Andrew Clark spoke with a resident via telephone regarding identity fraud. The resident received a phone call from his private wealth management office inquiring about him opening a Bank of America account, which he had not done. The resident had contacted appropriate agencies regarding the fraudulent activity but was having trouble connecting with the IRS and Social Security Administration. Clark documented the incident for the resident’s records.
4:02 p.m. — Officer Dennis DeFelice reported that a resident had found a personal-use pepper spray can while out walking and turned it into the police department for destruction. The can had an expiration date of December 2020. DeFelice placed the item in Captain Freeman’s mailbox for proper disposal.
Feb. 20
10:31 a.m. — Officer Andrew
tenant to contact his lawyer about the incident.
In a follow-up on Feb. 25, Officer Dean Peralta spoke with the landlord’s daughter, who provided additional context. She stated the tenant had not paid rent in two years and would not allow workers in to make repairs while complaining about maintenance issues. She explained that the landlord had been trying to seal the air conditioner slats to prevent cold air from entering after the heat had been shut off.
Clark spoke with a resident via telephone regarding an ongoing issue with a neighbor. The resident explained that her neighbor has been harassing her for a long time regarding trees on her property. Whenever a branch falls onto the neighbor’s property, the neighbor throws it back onto the resident’s driveway. Despite having a tree company prune her trees annually to appease the neighbor, the issues continue. The neighbor also throws misdelivered packages into the resident’s driveway rather than placing them at her door. Clark advised the resident of options regarding harassment prevention orders and suggested she respectfully ask the neighbor to stop texting her if she felt harassed.
Feb. 21
10:52 a.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo responded to Bristol Road regarding a scam. The residents had fallen victim to a scam, providing bank account numbers from multiple banks and credit card information to scammers. Only one fraudulent charge had occurred but was stopped. Mastrangelo instructed the victims to contact all their banks, cancel credit cards, change bank accounts, and notify credit agencies for credit monitoring.
11:08 a.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney was dispatched to Crosby’s Marketplace on Washington Street for a report of past shoplifting. Managers showed Sweeney surveillance footage of a middle-aged male stealing alcohol. The video showed the suspect placing a four-pack of Sip of Sunshine beer and a bottle of Moët & Chandon into an Adidas duffle bag before exiting the store without paying. The suspect was described as wearing a black knit hat, glasses, a black coat, blue pants, and carrying an Adidas duffle bag. Sweeney checked the surrounding area but did not locate anyone matching the description.
2 p.m. — Officer Douglas Mills took a report from a resident who received what appeared to be a phishing scam from an insurance company. The resident confirmed she had not lost any money and Mills advised her not to provide any personal information to the sender.
Feb. 22
1:11 p.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar responded to Mechanic Street for a report that a landlord attempted to break into a first-floor unit. The tenant reported an ongoing feud with the landlord and stated the landlord had attempted to enter by removing an air conditioning unit to climb through the window. Footprints in the snow showed a line directed toward that window. The tenant acknowledged that this was a civil matter and that both parties had already been in contact with lawyers. Hennigar advised the
On Feb. 27, Hennigar spoke with the landlord, who stated the tenant had threatened him with bodily harm if he attempted to enter the apartment to replace windows or remove air conditioning units. The landlord requested documentation of these threats.
Feb. 24
1:04 p.m. — Officer Christian Hennigar responded to Shepard Street for a report of an unknown individual making past entry into a residence. The resident reported noticing strange occurrences over the previous weeks, including finding doors open upon returning home and a lawn ornament moved from the garage to the kitchen. There were no signs of forced entry. Hennigar advised the resident to change her locks quickly and invest in a security system.
1:45 p.m. — Officer Andrew Clark spoke with a resident regarding a suspicious letter received via the U.S. Postal Service. The resident had recently submitted a letter to the editor of the Marblehead Current questioning the whereabouts of the Israeli flag from Marblehead High School. Subsequently, she received an envelope without a return address containing an article titled Why Criticizing Israel Is Not Antisemitic. Clark advised the resident that a report would be filed and to notify police if she receives any more similar letters.
2:50 p.m. — Officer Douglas Mills spoke with a resident at the station who reported that her computer had been hacked. As part of the scam, she was instructed to call “Microsoft Support” at a provided number. When she called, the person began asking suspicious questions about her bank and account balances. Realizing it was a scam, she disconnected without providing account numbers or personal information. Mills advised her to monitor her accounts and credit report closely and report any fraudulent activity.
Feb. 25
11:16 a.m. — Officer Charles Sweeney met with a resident in the lobby regarding relationship issues. The resident explained that her ex-boyfriend had sent her $10,000 as a gift months earlier, but since she ended the relationship, he was demanding the money back and threatening legal action. Sweeney advised the resident she had no obligation to return money given as a gift and informed her of her rights regarding harassment prevention orders.
6:17 p.m. — Officer Dennis DeFelice responded to Hathaway Road regarding a dispute. A nonresident wanted to document an incident with his daughter’s grandmother. The man, who has full custody of his daughter, reported that the grandmother was upset after learning he planned to take his daughter on a trip to Florida, arguing that he shouldn’t pull her out of school for another trip. DeFelice spoke with both parties and documented the incident.
COURTESY PHOTO
State Street sits serenely under a fresh blanket of snow—a contrast to reports of scams, neighbor disputes and plow-related property damage in this week’s police log.
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MHS Drama Club’s The Sleepwalker performed at MVMS and METG’s DramaFest
Max Kane, Sophomore
On Friday, February 28th, The MHS Drama Club’s The Sleepwalker was performed at the MVMS Performing Arts Center. The Sleepwalker is an adaptation of the 1920s German silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It tells the story of the mysterious Dr. Caligari, who arrives in small-town Holstenwall, Germany, for the town fair. Dr. Caligari arrives with a mysterious cabinet where a somnambulist resides. Sleeping for 20 years, it is said Cesare the Somnambulist can tell you anything you want to know. However, a series of mysterious events occur, with Dr. Caligari and Cesare appearing to be at the center.
Written and directed by Benji Boyd, the project has been over two years in the making. When asked about the difficulties of adapting the silent film to the stage, Boyd had this to say, “The hardest part was trying to maintain the integrity of the silent style while still using dialogue to tell the story. I encouraged the actors to use physical acting to reveal their emotions rather than just relying on the script. I wanted the show to be very centered around striking visuals, from the sets to the lighting to the actors’ movements.”
When asked about why he chose The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Boyd explained, “I decided to adapt The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari because I thought the plot and the expressionist style had a lot of potential for a stage production. The script started as a writing exercise to see if I could integrate words into a silent movie, but when I had the finished product, I thought I would send it to Ms.
Skeffington to see if she would consider it for DramaFest.”
DramaFest is a competition held by the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild, where high schools from all over the state perform their productions and are judged. While The Sleepwalker did not move on from the preliminary round of the competition, four participants who worked on the performance were awarded. Anya Kane and Sam Jendrysik for Excellence in Acting, Benji Boyd for Excellence in Directing, and Lettie Park for Excellence in Makeup. Sam Jendrysik’s portrayal of Cesare the Somnambulist was fantastic. Although the character had no speaking lines, Jendrysik’s uncanny use of facial expressions and body language was spine-chilling. Lettie Park, a student at Essex Tech, expertly used makeup to aid the actors in portraying their characters’ personalities.
Anya Kane’s portrayal of Dr. Caligari awed the judges, who described it as a “distinct and captivating performance that had highly specific facial expressions, body language, and vocal nuance.” “The most challenging part of portraying Dr. Caligari was attempting to keep the craziness and intensity of the character at appropriate levels,” said Kane. “Sometimes it would be a little too crazy, sometimes it would be a little too evil and intense. It was pretty difficult to try to find the balance between them.”
The entire cast and crew of The Sleepwalker demonstrated huge talent and dedication to their craft. A fantastic play, The Sleepwalker will go down in MHS Drama Club history as an amazing and fascinating experience for everyone involved.
David Lynch: a retrospective
Nathaniel Carper-Young, Junior
Given Lynch’s untimely and seismically affecting death earlier this year, I thought it appropriate to write not only a eulogy—which I have already elucidated in an earlier article—but also a celebration of his work.
What I think is important to understand about Lynch, in each and every work of his, is that he is not interested in participating in the economy of the “real.” Or, the economy
of the cinematic meta-truth — he operates in his own manneristimpressionist language, as can be uniquely identified in each of his projects. Eraserhead was the divorce picture (as made so popular by Lynch’s contemporaries) filtered through psychodramatic rorschach ink and grim storybook fantasia; The Elephant Man, the banal populist biopic reborn in TV static and silent sensibilities; Dune, the sci-fi epic as dissonant camp object; etcetera. He does
not so much eschew filmic convention, as much as reframe it in the world of his own dreams — movies are dreams, after all. And then, Blue Velvet emerges, formed in venom and song, a shadow womb from which it sprung: Lynch’s true eighties picture, his first conscious perversity, and by no coincidence his first masterpiece. It is perhaps the closest he has ever come to making something that earnestly engages with the popular film culture—its sociocultural implications meager, its modernist structure easy—but there is also something deeply caustic in its heart. Forgetting Hopper, and forgetting Rossellini, and forgetting the Rear Window homaging, good as they all are, the framing of MacLachlan is most fascinating to me: the college boy returns to his hometown so as to manage a familial—or shall we say domestic—ordeal, only to practically forget about it and go on to pursue a rather concerningly young heart and then a blossoming mystery. In Blue Velvet’s storied geography, domestic affairs “matter” but only as a necessarily peripheral social function... What actually matters is the underneath—as seen in Hopper and Rossellini and of course the Rear Window homaging, which all eventually take the center stage, and, well, how could they not? What lies at the heart of Blue Velvet is an actual nightmare; a present-moment
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cultural assessment of one of America’s most catastrophic experiments in isolation: the great suburban vacuum.
So, following suit, the advent of Twin Peaks arises from Blue Velvet’s artificial celluloid ashes in new-age post-soap glory. Its dramatic weight is contingent on Lynch’s abilities to evoke tragedy and to proficiently characterize, so of course it feels like the heaviest thing in the entire world. Laura Palmer—whose historically meta-narrativized (and definitively false) fiction-archetype is one of the pure-hearted victim—underpins the project, dying prior to its first episode but living on forever as a small-town myth of beauty and grace torn asunder. The Laura ur-text is in large part kept a mystery over the course of the show, not given real life until Fire Walk with Me, Lynch’s greatest achievement to date.
Lynch’s aesthetic and methodological predilection for dreams feels most potent in Twin Peaks, the work of purposeful synthesis and unconscionable density it seems the man was born to make. The dream-form allows for a real cosmic spirituality the likes of which the modern serial has not seen since, and through such a form, Twin Peaks and its folk carry their own cultural mythology: one of orgiastic overcloseness and dying industry; of a fading safety and a fracturing security; of the ghost of the American Dream passing through. It's all very romantic, really.
REPORTERS: Nathaniel Carper-Young, Anna Baughman, Anya Kane, Evan Eisen, Niko King, William Pelliciotti, Peter Sullivan, Nasira Warab, Grace Wolverton, Madalyn Gelb, Teagan Freedman, Samuel Jendrysik, Nicholas Jones, Arabella Pelekoudas
