05.08.2024 – Volume 2, Issue 24

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Hundreds of Marblehead educators and other town employees rallied outside the Veterans School before Town Meeting Monday night, demanding “fully funded” budgets. The Marblehead Education Association handed out flyers urging voters to “restore $700,000 and save our educators.”

However, the town’s $115 million budget, including $46.7 million for the schools, passed easily and without much debate. Educators did not make a motion to ask for another $700,000.

Still, MEA Co-President Jonathan Heller told the Current the union is committed to fully funded budgets.

“The presence that we had at Town Meeting tonight was what we wanted… to engage with the

community, answer questions and begin the process of working collaboratively together on a strategic plan for building up a budget with the resources

our teachers need to provide the exemplary education the children of Marblehead deserve.”

Last Friday, Heller defined a fully funded budget as

“providing level services and stopping cuts after two successive years of harmful reductions.”

“We must protect all existing

staff and services,” he said. “Then stakeholders — including educators and families — need

BY WILL DOWD

Beginning July 1, Marblehead will institute two new taxes — a .75% local meals tax and a 6% rooms occupancy tax — after Town Meeting voters approved them Monday night.

Both new measures passed by healthy margins. Town Meeting also rejected a motion, by Harbor Light Inn owner Carolyn Pyburn, to lower the room tax from 6% to 4%.

“Everyone around us has already adopted this,” Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer told Town Meeting. “Would this put us at a competitive disadvantage? We decided it would not — we

BY LEIGH BLANDER

In a 900-square-foot studio at the corner of State and Front streets, the Acorn Gallery School of Art is an enchanted place, says co-founder Debra FreemanHighberger. The school is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month.

“It’s a magic corner,” said Freeman-Highberger on a recent afternoon, while a dozen 5- and 6-year-olds worked at easels around the room. “There’s something about children’s energy that is just magical.”

But there’s more to it than that.

would just be on par with the rest of the region.” Kezer proposed the new taxes to bolster Marblehead’s budget without asking voters for a property tax override. He estimated the taxes will generate $400,000 a year, with potential future earnings reaching $1 million a year.

“We are trying to generate revenue that have the least impact on property taxes,” said Kezer. “Marblehead has a single tax rate across the board. This is a balanced approach. This is a reasonable approach.”

Resident Albert Jordan spoke in favor of the

Freeman-Highberger remembers when Acorn first opened, and she told her husband, Jack Highberger, that they needed four more easels to accommodate their growing classes. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the money to buy them.

“The very next day, I came into work, and there were four more easels on the stoop,” FreemanHighberger said. “To this day, I don’t know where they came from.”

She mentioned that all they needed now was four stools.

“A week later, four new stools showed up. It was like an old

German fairy tale,” she laughed.

Celebrating 30 years

Acorn students, parents and supporters are planning a celebration and fundraiser for Deb and Jack on June 2.

“All the proceeds will go to the Acorn to help support their efforts to continue for years to come,” said Norm Brzycki, whose daughter, Sharna, spent years at Acorn and now works in costume design in New York City.

“We expect attendees will be local artists, parents, their children and their children’s

More school leaders are leaving School Committee hits union with ‘unfair labor practice’ complaint

BY LEIGH BLANDER

Two more district leaders are leaving Marblehead Public Schools — Village School Assistant Principal Carla Rose and High School Athletic Director Greg Ceglarski.

Rose resigned effective June 30 after what she called “unfair contract negotiations.” She said negotiations broke down last month when there was a “large disparity” between what she was requesting and what the town offered. Rose, who has worked in Marblehead for five years, earned $90,650 this year.

“It’s heartbreaking that this is the choice I had to make,” Rose told the Current. “I don’t want to go at all. I love my school, I love my students, I love the staff. But I have to feed my family.”

Village School Principal Mandy Murphy is also leaving in June. Rose said she had applied for the principal position but pulled her name.

After resigning, Rose had a brief change of heart and asked to stay one more year, hoping that the situation might improve with a new interim superintendent starting this summer.

“The response was a formal letter accepting my resignation,” she said. “That’s what we’re up against now.”

Rose said administrators are in a tough place because they are not part of a union that can represent their best interests.

“I can’t speak for anybody else, but I do know that among many administrators there have been struggles with contracts right now,” she said. “My situation is not unique. We’re at the mercy of what they want to offer us.”

Interim Superintendent Theresa McGuinness did not respond to a request for comment.

Ceglarski confirmed to the Current that he is also leaving.

“My last day will be June 30th,

and I will be moving on from MHS,” he wrote in an email.

Ceglarski, who has been MHS athletic director since 2017, declined to say why he is leaving or where he is heading.

In the last 10 months, other departures have included: former Superintendent John Buckey, Student Services Director Paula Donnelly and Assistant Director Emily Dean, Glover School Principal Hope Doran and Assistant Superintendent for Finance Michelle Cresta.

In January, McGuinness announced she no longer wanted to stay past June 30. The district has also fired at least one Glover educator, Ann Haskell, and placed three others on leave after a student restraint crisis.

‘Unfair labor practice’ complaint

The School Committee slapped the Marblehead Education Association with an unfair labor practice complaint, which the teachers union calls “frivolous.”

The complaint, filed with the state’s Department of Labor Relations, accuses the MEA of violating state laws that require good faith bargaining.

According to MEA Co-president Jonathan Heller, the School Committee instructed the union to limit the number of “silent representatives” attending bargaining sessions to seven. In the past, the MEA has brought about 50 silent reps.

On May 1, nearly 100 educators filed into the latest bargaining session. Those meetings remain closed to the public, despite the MEA’s request to open them to the public to increase transparency.

The next day, the MEA released this statement: “We are disappointed that the committee is leveling a frivolous labor charge over our right to protect silent representatives at bargaining

to have a strategic plan for building up the school budget to meet all of the academic, social and emotional needs of students. This means having reasonable class sizes and proper staffing levels for all student-facing positions, including counselors, librarians, nurses, paraeducators and teachers.”

‘We affect your life in so many ways’ Speaking outside Town Meeting, Terri Tauro, who leads the Marblehead Municipal Employees Union, said her workers got “absolutely nothing” during recent contract talks with the town.

“It was ‘take it or leave it,’” she said. “Our members make $50,000-$65,000 a year, with no raise coming.”

Inside Town Meeting, Tauro spoke about a collective bargaining article (that was indefinitely postponed) before being cut off by Moderator Jack Attridge.

“I would like to start with a shout-out for our town employees,” Tauro said. “Marblehead’s town employees educate your children and keep them safe. We keep your

sessions from being targeted and retaliated against by the administration rather than focusing on the substantive issues we would like to discuss at the table.”

The statement continues: “We will continue to bring forward proposals that support excellent working conditions for educators and excellent learning conditions for students.”

Interim superintendent interviews

Over two nights last week, the School Committee interviewed four candidates for the interim superintendent position. The candidates include:

Barbara Cataldo, interim executive director of student services in Hingham who has more than 40 years experience in education.

David Thompson, currently on leave as superintendent of Norwood. He explained that he and the school committee there

power on, plow the snow and care for your aging parents. We make your summers on the harbor, at the parks and take away your refuse.

We affect your life in so many ways, every day.

“For many of us, the wages we make working

new taxes.

“We missed the boat on this. We should have done this a long time ago,” he said.

Local business owners, particularly those in the hospitality sector, have had mixed reactions to the new taxes. While some expressed concerns about the impact on competitiveness, others acknowledged the necessity of the measure.

Former School Committee member Jonathan Lederman spoke against the taxes.

“Why are we doing this? Because we can? Because other

stopped “seeing eye to eye,” and he decided not to renew his contract. He was placed on leave. His acting successor, Jose Munoz, also applied for the interim superintendent job in Marblehead. The School Committee was trying to arrange an interview time for him this week.

John Robidoux, the current superintendent in Swansea. Thaddeus King, Revere principal with interim superintendent experience.

The School Committee hoped to narrow the field to one or two candidates by early this week and conduct site visits.

New finance hire

The School Committee also voted to hire Michael Pfifferling as the new assistant superintendent for finance and operations, replacing Cresta. Pfifferling currently holds the same position in Haverhill.

for the town are far less than what it would take to live in the town,” she added.

Attridge interrupted, “As much as I know a lot of people would like to hear what you like to say, we’re only debating indefinite postponement. I’m sorry, you are out of order.”

(Read Terri Tauro’s letter to the editor on Page 5.)

Budget cuts

The town’s overall $115 million budget included $4 million in cuts to address a structural deficit and rising costs, including health insurance, retirement expenses, trash fees and more. Thirteen educator positions were cut (including five layoffs), one police officer position was not filled, and funding for the library and Council on Aging was trimmed.

Town Meeting also approved $401,941 for capital building improvements, including a fire panel upgrade at Village school, a new HVAC system at Glover School, support beam repair at Veterans School and improvements to entries and exits at public buildings.

For complete Town Meeting coverage and results, visit the Current’s 2024 Town Meeting Guide at MarbleheadCurrent.org. Will Dowd contributed reporting to this article.

Resident Peter Conway, former owner of Harbor Light Inn, argued the room tax is “putting the cart before the horse.”

“Those (communities) who have implemented the tax have committees that have created rules and regulations first,” he said. “Not second.”

Kezer said the town would work closely with local businesses to ensure a smooth transition and address any concerns that may arise.

For complete Town Meeting coverage and results, visit the Current’s 2024 Town Meeting Guide at MarbleheadCurrent.org. Leigh Blander contributed reporting to

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

100 members of the Marblehead Education Association attended the latest contract bargaining session with the School Committee on May 1.

BY MAX ARBO

On Saturday, Marblehead

celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander

Heritage Month for the first time with an event organized by Kim Gubelman with the Task Force Against Discrimination.

The event featured five performances, starting with a high-energy, traditional

children,” Brzycki added. The event will feature live music, a silent auction, raffles and more.

How it all started

Before Acorn, Debra worked as an early childhood teacher while Jack was a painter.

The couple settled in Marblehead, and Debra started teaching art to kids in their garage.

“Some of our first students were 12-year-old twins who had dyslexia. For them, art became a language,” Debra said.

She added, “We became known for not just teaching art but helping children develop in whatever ways they needed to. Teachers would send us kids who needed fine motor skills. We had several psychologists in town who would send kids to us who needed social skills.”

In 1995, the couple opened Acorn at its current location. Today, the 900-square-foot space is packed with easels and palettes crusted with layers of color paint. Art covers the walls. There are cozy couches and art books.

Debra and Jack are proud of their generations of students, whom they say have earned more than $10 million in scholarships. Many have gone on to become professional fine artists, graphic artists, commercial artists, designers, grant writers, gallery owners and more.

“But the most important thing our students have learned is the importance of community,” Debra emphasized. “I’ve been saying this since day one: We’ve been building a community.”

On a bright April afternoon, 6-year-old William Freyer was perched on a stool in front of his easel, painting a seascape and then a Roman

lion dance accompanied by live music.

Other performances included MHS student Loren Liu playing a guzheng (a Chinese zither),, a Khmer classical dance showcasing the origins of Cambodia, martial arts moves from the VTMA Binh Dinh Academy, and a poetry reading by award-winning

author Oliver de la Paz.

“This month we honor not just yoga and island getaways, but the rich history, the struggles and remarkable triumphs of the AAPI community,” Forbes said. “These stories are as integral in America as our red wine.”

A Bon Me food truck parked outside the field house provided

ruin.

“I like painting,” he said. “My favorite colors are pink and purple… and the rainbow.”

As Freyer’s class finished up, older students strolled in and started chatting and painting.

Seventh grader Wendell Baker has been coming to Acorn for three years. This afternoon, he was working on a painting of a red sports car.

“I like the vibes here; everybody is so cheerful,” Baker said. “I’ve learned a lot, mostly how to paint still-lifes.”

Eighth grader Ainsley Miller, who spends about three hours a week at Acorn, added, “I love painting here. It’s really fun, and I’ve made good friends. I’ve learned color theory and how to portray emotion and values.”

Abigail Orne, a seventh grader, started at Acorn just a few months ago but already feels at home.

“I like the atmosphere,” she said. “It’s really comfortable and welcoming. I’m developing my own art style.”

What the future holds

Deb and Jack have no plans to retire soon.

“We hope to be carried out of here feet first,” Jack said with a smile.

But they have made plans to give the school to one of their former students, Megan Reiley. Reiley, 31, took lessons at Acorn all through school and recently moved back home during COVID. She teaches at Acorn now.

“This place is so special to me,” Reiley said.

She told Deb and Jack, “You two are like an extension of my family.”

The celebration for Jack and Debra is Sunday, June 2, 5-8 p.m. at the Gerry 5 on Beacon Street. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit https:// loom.ly/laQXvv0.

Asian-inspired cuisine. This event has been in the works for about a year, though it’s undecided if it will be held again next year. “We hope to inspire people to learn and celebrate,” Gubelman said. “Whether that’s AAPI or other heritage months. We want

Snapshots from Marblehead’s first AAPI celebration.

CURRENT PHOTOS / MAX ARBO YELLOW

EDITORI a L

Opinion

Near-perfect mothers

The myth of the “perfect mother” is batted around in psychology circles as a means to understand the extraordinary pressure our society puts on women, reducing them to archetypes such as the perfect “present mother”, the perfect “future oriented” mother, the perfect “working mother” to name a few.

Ask a Marblehead mom if she’s “perfect” and you are more than likely to get a wisecrack in return — “perfectly stressed out” and the like. Good humor is the oil that greases the wheels of keeping the family trains on track.

This Mother’s Day, the Marblehead Current wants to give a well-deserved shout-out to some moms who may not be perfect in their own eyes, but are pretty darn close in ours.

We recently featured many of the volunteers who spend umpteen hours on the fields and courts of the town to ensure a spectacular spring youth sports season. Moms are coaching, planning and doing plenty of cheering (and comforting) at the sidelines, too.

Two in particular have earned our gratitude for an effort that will serve Marblehead athletes for a decade, with planning to ensure it serves generations to come. Victoria Dosch and Muffy Paquette co-chaired the “Fund the Field” effort which raised over $800,000 from 975 families and organizations. The turf replacement at Piper Field will begin when school gets out. The safety necessity of replacing the 11-year old turf along with the benefits of a new standalone snack shed, murals and “forever fan zone” are a tremendous boon to the town’s athletes and fans. Dosch told the Current recently, “We are very lucky to live somewhere where so many people consistently roll up their sleeves to get things done.” And we are very lucky that Dosch and Paquette rolled up theirs.

Turning our attention to mothers who possess what seems like superhuman physical and emotional strength, we salute the caregivermoms among us. A child’s serious illness, a spouse stricken with cancer, elderly parents needing assistance, Marblehead is witness to true grace in action all around us.

We’re thinking of moms like Erin Noonan, Kate Aikman and Cheryl Byrne. Noonan disclosed to the community at the end of last year the battle her daughter Caroline was fighting against Ewing sarcoma and explained she needed to step away at times from her duties as chair of the Select Board. Those benefiting from her determined advocacy, whether urging people to give blood or inspiring a marathon runner to raise funds for cancer research, extend far beyond her own kin, even as she has continued to serve the town well. Kate Aikman, a busy mother-of-three teen girls is supporting her husband as he battles cancer. Aikman shuttles between her kids’ games, school tours and hospital appointments and always has a smile and kind word for everyone she sees.

Cheryl Byrne oversees a multi-generational household, planning for her parents’ increasing medical needs with grace and patience, and lots of delicious home-cooking, while juggling a job and volunteer work.

There are many other moms in town similarly carrying out multiple caregiver roles.They each leave us in awe and we’re confident their neighbors and friends will make sure they are honored this Sunday and every day.

Finally, a word about a mom whose work benefits children who have not been fully included from a communications perspective at local playgrounds. Jessica Brown runs Power of Speech, a private speech and occupational therapy practice. She recently teamed up with the Marblehead Family Fund and the Recreation and Parks Department to install communication boards at five playgrounds around town.

“These playground communication boards provide children an immediate way to express their thoughts when they aren’t able to do so with spoken words,” Brown told the Current. Brown joins a proud Marblehead tradition of families giving of themselves to help all children, not just their own.

The “perfect mom” myth has been replaced in some psychology circles with the affirming “good enough” mother. That doesn’t quite fit the moms we see in action. Near perfect might work? You decide. We, on this page, are simply grateful for each and every one.

EVERy THING WILL BE OK ay

Meet me in the field

BY VIRGINIA BUCKINGHAM

Readers of this column know I spend a lot of time thinking about how to bridge the political divide and bring people together. This past week I was presented with two sharply different approaches to that work. Or were they?

First, Daniel Lubetsky, CEO of Kind Snacks, who has put action behind the work of fostering respectful disagreement and positive connection for years, gave a TED talk last week, a summary of which landed in my inbox. It echoed many themes I had heard him speak of at a conference I attended in Dallas last year. I didn’t know of Lubetsky before that appearance but wow, what a hopeful model of leadership he presented. I was hooked.

In Dallas, Lubetsky told the origin stories spurring his work, both involving his father, Roman, whose life – and human spirit – were saved twice during the Holocaust by horrible human beings. Yes, horrible human beings.

His father’s family was living in a ghetto in Lithuania and the building’s superintendent was a Nazi sympathizer. Every morning, as Lubetsky described it, his grandfather would leave the building and greet the superintendent, treating him with kindness and respect that was not returned. When the Nazis decided to slaughter every Jew in the building, the superintendent cheered them on, even telling Roman to lick the bodies in the pile of murdered Jews as if they and he were animals. Yet, when the soldiers turned to Lubetsky’s family, the superintendent asked that they be spared. Had the grandfather’s humanity somehow connected to a buried sense of empathy in the superintendent?

Daniel Lubetsky went on to tell the audience that his grandfather and father were then sent to Dachau where beatings and starvation left Roman emaciated. Years later, after the family had emigrated to Mexico, Roman told a young Daniel about a life-changing day there when a German soldier glanced at him by a fence, barely able to stand. When he was sure no one was watching, the soldier threw a potato at Roman’s feet. This act of kindness, as Lubetsky described it, was fundamental to his father not only surviving the horrors of the Holocaust but to being able to hold on to a holistic view of humanity, one that contemplated both evil and goodness, despite the trauma of deeply bearing the former.

This survival story ended with a battalion of Japanese-American soldiers coming across the Lubetskys along with thousands of other prisoners abandoned by their captors during a death march that got waylaid by a blizzard. In his Dallas talk, Lubetsky quickly connected the dots between these liberators’ and the plight of the prisoners, because at the time the soldiers’ own families were having their

M a RBLEHE a D MUNICIPa L MUSINGS

liberty taken away in U.S. internment camps. Is it any wonder that Lubetsky internalized these stories into a passion for building human connection, in his case through entrepreneurship?

In his TED talk, Lubetsky urged the audience to adopt the mindset of a “builder,” someone who “takes action to unite, to create and to bring light to the world,” rather than a “destroyer,” someone who “takes action to divide, demolish and diminish.”

“We’re going to be more effective in advancing our causes once we frame things differently,” Lubetsky said. “Instead of us versus them, what if we understood it as all of us versus extremism?”

“Yes,” I wanted to shout from my desk. That’s exactly it. Come together against extremism in all its forms, on the left and the right, and we can heal the world. Not so fast. Another person who has spent the past two decades illuminating the connections between all of us, posed this question almost simultaneously, though unrelated to Lubetsky’s talk, on LinkedIn: “I heard a radio interview from an organization seeking to resolve the (often violent) #PoliticalDivide,” Nic Askew, a noted filmmaker, wrote. “It is noble work that makes a difference. But I do have an idea that it is missing a crucial piece, and that is our capacity to meet another beyond all ideas of them.”

Askew continued, “I am not certain that we can entirely fix any divide in the realm of ideas and understanding, as this is where the divide was caused in the first place.”

Askew referenced Rumi, the 13th-century poet and philosopher, who wrote a timeless call to human connection that in part reads, “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

There is a field. I’ll meet you there. I picture the field like the small meadow that was at the end of the street I grew up on, the tall grass the color of straw, harboring tiny, wild red strawberry plants. Would a meeting there be silent? Soul to soul? No need for argument or examples to persuade, or even expressions of empathy? I understand the point Askew is making. If we could see each other first as fellow humans, before any ideas or ideologies get in the way, we could connect on a more fundamental level.

And just maybe, it was in that field that the superintendent and the Nazi soldier recognized their common humanity in the Lubetskys.

Perhaps the two approaches aren’t so different after all. Let’s meet in the field, and build from there.

President of the Marblehead Current’s board of directors, Virginia Buckingham is the former chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Port Authority, chief of staff to two Massachusetts governors, deputy editorial page editor for the Boston Herald and author of “On My Watch: A Memoir.”

An open letter to voters

BY SEAMUS HOURIHAN

By the time you read this, Town Meeting will have come and gone, but maybe not the drama.

Below are some timely musings and some I have had on the shelf since the end of March awaiting space in the Current.

Board of Assessors have dug us a $561,000 hole

On August 18, the Board of Assessors completed their work to “get it right,” in their words, with the mailing of their real estate tax abatement decisions. Of the 334 abatement requests, about 80%, or 267, were approved. Unfortunately, “getting it right” cost the town

$561,000 — $541,000 in reduced tax revenues plus $15,000 for outside services from Patriot Properties and $5,000 for Doherty consulting services. The granted abatements imply an average

reduction of $225,970 in property assessment and $2,024 in tax at our tax rate of $8.96. (More than 100% more than my guesstimate in my last column.) These abatements clearly benefited higher-end properties. There is no plan at this time to recoup the lost revenues. One wonders if there were any discussions with the Finance Department before the Board of Assessors started their reviews. So how will this egregious error be funded? At the April 24 Select Board meeting John Kelley, BoA chair, casually mentioned that the BoA’s “overlay surplus” would be used. However, even he admitted that the money “could have gone to much better things.”

I would guess that Karen Bertolino, our on-leave town assessor whom John threw under an MBTA bus for this error won’t be coming back. That is unless a soon-to-be-completed autopsy report points a finger in a different

direction. I hope that report will be released to the public. It’s hard to believe that this amount of money is allowed to accumulate. I wonder where we have been squirreling away money in other overfunded reserve accounts that could be used elsewhere?

Delegation – a School Committee problem?

After their lengthy budget presentation on March 21, at around 10 p.m., the SC spent nearly 20 minutes discussing and voting on student field trip proposals. Why can’t the SC delegate this to the super or school principals? The SC should ask the super to develop an approval checklist.

Then leave it up to them to approve or disapprove.

In their April 24 meeting, the entire SC spent over 20 minutes in a group copy edit session on a

Local unions demand fully funded budget

To the editor:

Fiscal responsibility does not always automatically translate into “spending as little as possible.”

For Marblehead to run smoothly, deliver the services that residents have come to expect and have supported, and remain a desirable community for generations to come, the town must have an adequate budget.

As municipal employees responsible for teaching Marblehead’s children, maintaining Marblehead’s roads and infrastructure, conducting Marblehead’s town business and keeping Marblehead’s residents safe and secure, we are concerned that a proposed town budget based on deep service cuts will have a lasting, negative impact on the community.

We all understand that costs are on the rise and some budget items are difficult to predict. Yet the cuts under consideration are irresponsible and unnecessary.

We have already seen the harm that can arise when our schools are not adequately staffed, putting students and staff at risk. Without a significant course correction, our public schools are in danger of significant and substantial decline.

What other risks do we take when police, fire, and other town-side departments are also asked year after year to do more with less? Vital resident services are delayed, Marblehead becomes less safe and our municipal employees, firefighters and police officers are burned out from the one-two punch of being underpaid and overworked.

Marblehead can do better. The town has ample reserve funds and the ability to raise revenue. While reserve funds are necessary for “rainy days,” it’s certainly “raining” when town officials are proposing drastic cuts to municipal staff and services.

We also urge those bargaining contracts with town employees to remember that we are all working toward a shared goal and hold shared values. We want a community where residents and visitors feel welcome and safe, where our schools provide every child an opportunity to flourish and where the quality of life is prioritized over an obsession to spend as little as possible on the public good.

For these reasons and in honor

of our dedication to the town of Marblehead, we will stand out and stand together ahead of Town Meeting on May 6 to support fully funded budgets and fair contracts for all our town departments.

Jonathan Heller & Sally Shevory, Marblehead Education Association; Terri Tauro, Marblehead Municipal Employees Union, Local 1776; Kerry Homan, Marblehead Municipal Light Department, Local 81214; Doug Knowles, Marblehead Firefighters IAFF, Local 2043; Dan Gagnon, Marblehead Police Union MASSCOP, Local 437; Catherine Gazzola, Retired State, County, and Municipal Employees Association

Firing Glover educators reminds former colleague of witch trials

To the editor:

The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people wrongfully accused of witchcraft in 1692. Of the 200 people accused; 30 were found guilty and 19 of those were executed and six others reportedly died in jail. This historical event is a reminder about accusations and lapses in due process.

As I read the limited information and hear about the situation in Marblehead that occurred at the Glover School in December 2023 I see parallels to the Salem Witch Trials. Four teachers were put on leave due to a situation with a student attending that school. Many of the details are not available to the public, most likely due to the need to protect the student. The need for privacy to protect the student is understandable but unfortunately makes way for false information to be spread through the town.

So, I don’t know all the facts but feel compelled to write about the only one of the teachers on leave that I know. I had the honor of working with this educator during my many years on the special education staff in Marblehead. She was one of the most talented and dedicated teachers I encountered during my long career as an educator and speech and language pathologist. She helped countless young children and families deal with some of the most challenging behaviors and cognitive issues that children have, such as learning

to communicate, eat, drink, toilet train and learn. She taught students using the best practice available and constantly looked for strategies to improve her ability to teach these children with significant challenges. She provided a safe and nurturing educational environment in her classroom for years.

And now she has been let go after all she has given to the students and families in Marblehead. Why? Because the school system, like the leaders of the Salem Witch Trials, is reacting to lapses in the system and these educators are being scapegoated because of broader systemic issues. The school system should value the contributions that this educator has made to the students and their families that have benefited from her excellent teaching skills over the years. Where is the justice in this situation?

Should I make assumptions that the school administration was legally obligated to come to this conclusion? Who knows, because there is no transparency in the information available to the public. My colleague will not disclose the details as she has integrity and an obligation to protect the students that she spent her career teaching. So I feel compelled to write in support of her in light of the ongoing results of the incident in December 2023.

What could be done?

Inform: Explain the need to dismiss fine educators. Retrain: Yes, as updated training is always a refresher. Reprimand: We don’t know the details so only if needed. Improve oversight: Why did this incident at Glover escalate when I’m told the staff had been repeatedly asking for support with the student involved?

But mandating that dedicated and talented staff resign or be fired over an unfortunate incident seems like a witch hunt. 0nly it’s 2024 and we should be better.

Gayle Stoll Puritan Road, Swampscott

A rave for ‘The Prom’

To the editor:

Say what you may about the Marblehead Public Schools’ recent and various controversies, but, after having seen this weekend’s production of “The Prom” my wife and I were simply astounded by both the professionalism and the innocence of teen actors who were willing to be a part of

what could have been termed a controversial play by any others’ standards. The courage of nearly 1,000-plus townspeople to attend and the bravery of a group of actors, actresses and crew to appear on stage were, simply put, praiseworthy. The story lines speak for themselves and so did the entire cast who was a part of this creation. From the perfectly synced choreography to the harmonious sounds of a band on a riser above the stage (which in and of itself was a production marvel) to the spectacular singing, dancing and acting of the major and minor roles to the spot-on (no pun intended) lighting embellishments ... this was a work of art not to be missed. Bravo to all who made this little oasis surface in the desert. Everyone (audience included) should be proud of the achievements that were on display over the course of five performances. No doubt they were by the expressions of fulfillment and exuberance that we witnessed upon exiting the theater! Thank you, “The Prom” for a job well done and, to be sure, well remembered for years to come.

Sincerely,

Steve and Suzanne Quigley Leicester Road

‘I’ll support Ann Haskell, the fired Glover eductor’

To the editor:

There is a reason why people come into our lives, stay, leave and come back again. Thirty-five years ago, a young girl overheard a conversation I was having with Eddie Gingles who owned Wind & Waves at the time. Then this sweet voice said, “I will do it!”

Ann Haskell, the young lady being wrongfully terminated from her position in Marblehead, was that sweet young lady who said she would come wash, cut and blow-dry my mom, Eileen Winston’s, hair. My mom was confined to home the last 10 years of her life except to go to doctors appointments. Ann cut her hair until the day she died. For this reason if this goes to court I will be supporting Ann in court each and every day. Ann Haskell just wants her job back, her back pay, her insurance, legal fees paid and her reputation.

As a member of the growing list of stakeholders in Marblehead that have no confidence in this School Committee, here is another

Teaching your kids patience

BY LIZZIE ASSA

Dear Lizzie,

My 2.5-year-old is struggling with playing with others. Any suggestions on this? If someone else is playing with something she all of a sudden will want to play with that and get mad if they don’t share. Or if she is playing with another kid and they are not playing how she wants them to she will get very frustrated and mad. I’m just looking for tips to help manage the tantrums that usually follow the frustration.

Hi reader, I want to start by normalizing your daughter’s behavior, especially considering her age.

reason. Theresa McGuinness what were you thinking? You had one foot out the door with your reputation intact . Haven’t any of you learned I am like a dog with a bone. Relentless!

Ann Haskell was and is still that sweet, caring and kind woman.

If you would like to help Ann Haskell, there is a GoFundMe. Mary McCarriston Pinecliff Drive

About that union statement

To the editor:

Some of you may have seen my statement on behalf of town employees get cut short at Monday night’s town meeting. In order to understand what can be confusing to the average resident like myself, I reached out to Town Moderator Jack Attridge for clarification. Mr. Attridge was very responsive and spent time explaining the town’s position that I was not within the scope of the motion for indefinite postponement of Articles 20 and 21. However, had I been allowed one more minute, I feel the points in my statement were in the scope of educating the residents on what an indefinite postponement of unsettled union contracts actually means to the employees and proposed departmental budgets prior to the vote. (Read Tauro’s full statement at bit. ly/44zdwk1.)

Mr. Attridge gave me advice and offered to work with me in the future as he understood the importance of my statement but disagreed that it was in the scope of the motion. A better time to speak might have been when people were putting holds on budget articles by department. Union contracts presented at Town Meeting have been historically bargained in a timely manner (with the exception of 2021), so that budgets presented to residents are transparent and accurate.

Ninety-seven percent of the police department and 80% of the municipal workforce make up the collective bargaining units in question. Please take two minutes to read what needed to be said at Town Meeting and ask yourself: How can the town bargain in good faith when they have not appropriated funds for additional costs of union contracts?

Thank you,

Terri Tauro Jersey Street

One effective strategy is introducing wait times into your daily routine. When she calls for your help, intentionally pause before assisting her.

Acknowledge her effort to wait by offering praise and recognition for her patience. For instance, you might say, “It took me a few minutes to find your cup. It can be so hard to wait, and you are learning how!”

When you feel a tantrum coming, remember this: tantrums often stem from feeling misunderstood, and an inability to effectively communicate needs. Providing a

At 2.5 years old, cooperative play skills are just beginning to emerge, and it’s typical for children to exhibit behaviors like grabbing, hitting and experiencing big emotions. That said, there are numerous ways to support her as her play skills develop.

narrative for what is happening before a tantrum starts can be beneficial. By verbalizing her feelings and desires, such as, “You really wish you could have that toy right now, and he is using it. It is hard to wait for it,” you can help her manage her emotions.

When she is regulated, rested and fed, engage in turn-taking games with your daughter. Weave turn-taking into your daily routine. Try simple things like, “It’s my turn to press the elevator button now, and it’s

your turn when we get inside the elevator” and “It’s your turn to use the hairbrush now and then it will be my turn!” Role-play this with her toys as well. When she is playing with another child and things start to go awry, jump in with, “You wanted him to play your idea, and he’s choosing to use his ideas.” You aren’t changing the other child’s mind, but you are giving your child a story about what’s happening. Stories help kids make sense of

things. Explore picture books about waiting together, such as “Waiting Is Not Easy!” by Mo Willems, “Waiting” by Kevin Henkes and “Llama Llama Red Pajama” by Anna Dewdney. These stories can reinforce the concept of patience and waiting in a fun and relatable way. Finally, maintain a positive mindset when dealing with tantrums. Remind yourself that tantrums are a natural part of healthy development and not a reflection of your parenting. Do your best to approach tantrums with as much patience as you can muster. Hang in there, soon she will be navigating playdates with ease.

Lizzie Assa is founder of The Workspace for Children, a parenting strategist, play expert and mother of three who lives in Marblehead.

a SK LIZZIE

Town seeks $2M in federal funding to kick-start coastal resiliency project

BY WILL DOWD

Marblehead is embarking on a $13.5 million project to protect its historic harbor and shipyards from the impacts of climate change, with the first phase focused on rebuilding the deteriorating Parker’s Boatyard, a public landing near Redstone Lane.

The Municipal Shipyard Resiliency Improvements Project will reconstruct aging seawalls, raise boatyards and roads, install wave-attenuating docks and improve public access along the waterfront from Parker’s Boatyard to the Cliff Street Boat Yard, about 200 feet. The town is seeking $2 million in federal funding to start work at Parker’s Boatyard, and another $2 million from Massachusetts’ Dam and Seawall Repair or Removal Program.

Harbormaster Mark Souza identified the seawall at Parker’s Boatyard as the top priority, noting that at low tide, there’s “not much left to it” due to age, erosion and frequent storms.

“That’s the major damage in that area,” Souza said. “Before you can really make any plans on a property like that, you have to shore things up and stabilize it.”

Souza explained that the damage is not just in front of

Homes

the seawalls but behind them as well.

“The storms are really starting to undermine the ground and displacing the seawall from underneath,” he said. “It’s pulling all the fine material underground from washing away.”

Joseph Kowalik, general manager of the Marblehead Municipal Light Department, emphasized the importance of protecting the department’s assets in the area, particularly the critical infrastructure in the flood-prone area. The Light Department’s Hammond Park

substation, located adjacent to Parker’s Boatyard, is a key concern.

“We have to defend this site,” Kowalik said. “Moving that substation would be tens of millions of dollars, which we don’t have. We have to rebuild thes seawalls from scratch.”

A 2020 study by the Woods Hole Group found that most of the harbor’s seawalls are in “poor” to “fair” condition and modeled future flood risks, indicating that Marblehead Harbor is increasingly vulnerable to flooding as sea levels rise. The study’s projections suggest

sea level increases of 1.1 to 2.7 feet by 2050, with a worst-case scenario of 9.7 feet by 2100, along with more intense storms and wave action.

The plan includes installing wave-attenuating docks, which Souza likened to “wearing headphones” in that “you can still hear it, but it doesn’t have as much impact.” While he hasn’t seen them used in Marblehead’s more exposed northeast-facing harbor, he said engineers claim they will work to protect seawalls and mitigate waves overtopping coastal infrastructure.

Marblehead Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey noted that the project aims to mitigate long-term risks, support waterdependent uses like boating and improve limited public access to the waterfront. Souza agreed, saying that while there are many ideas for the future use of Parker’s Boatyard, the immediate focus is on safety and making it a viable property.

“Public space is a rarity in seacoast regions,” Souza said. “Ideally, I think you’ll see that place as a multiple-faceted use — public access, commercial use. We want to make sure it’s in the best interest of the public.”

The project cost is divided into $4.8 million for Parker’s Boatyard improvements, $4.1 million for upgrades to Hammond Park and the Light Department facilities, and $4.6 million for enhancements at Cliff Street. Construction is set to start in summer 2025 and take 12-16 months.

Since 2018, Marblehead has engaged residents in planning, educating them about the harbor’s climate vulnerabilities and building consensus on adaptation strategies. The town secured over $768,470 in statematch grants with $188,401 coming from appropriations approved at Town Meeting.

on tour showcase energy efficiency

Sustainable Marblehead’s Green Homes Tour highlights efforts to reduce carbon footprint

BY WILL DOWD

Sustainable Marblehead hosted its second annual Green Homes Tour on Saturday, showcasing the community’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy-efficient home renovations. The event featured 11 houses equipped with technologies such as heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and electric appliances.

The tour aimed to educate Marblehead residents about the benefits of energy-efficient technologies and inspire them to make changes in their own homes. Many participants expressed concerns about the changing climate and rising energy bills, and a desire to contribute to the town’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

“Homes and buildings contribute more than a third of the carbon output from Marblehead,” said Sustainable Marblehead Executive Director Elaine Leahy. “Fortunately, there are programs, financial incentives and improving technologies that will help us slash our emissions and reach our goal.”

One of the homes on the tour, owned by Lisa and Steve Wolf on Pitman Road in the Naugus Head neighborhood, was built in 2016 with the goal of achieving net-zero energy consumption.

“With the 44 panel solar array, the house is actually net positive, generating 15% more electricity than is used on an annual basis which translates to enough energy to power an electric vehicle for the year,” Lisa Wolf explained.

Another homeowner, Dylan Vizy of Longview Drive, shared his experience with installing mini-splits and solar panels.

“From just the mini splits, we’ve cut our oil usage by over 50%. And then with the solar, I mean, we literally have like four to five months of negative bills,” Vizy said. “We estimate it’s

gonna pay itself off somewhere between 10 to 15 years.”

Simon Frechette of Rockaway Avenue in the Clifton neighborhood, who installed solar panels, a heat pump system and upgraded insulation and windows, noted the comfort and efficiency improvements in his home.

“We first started this when we had an outdoor central air system that broke. And so instead of replacing that, which would have cost about the same as a three-to-one system (a heat pump system with three indoor units connected to one outdoor unit), which is about $15,000, we

went with the heat pump. And what that did was cover 100% of our AC units in the house,” Frechette said. “So you get the benefit, you know, of the heat as well as the AC, so it’s kind of a no brainer.”

Palma Bickford’s 1950 Cape on Longview Drive presented unique challenges when considering energy-efficient upgrades.

“The whole idea of having mini splits in these rooms just architecturally wasn’t going to work well,” Bickford explained. “I spent like five years researching other options and finally realized that you really could do

air-to-water heat pumps.”

The couple installed an air-towater heat pump with a highvelocity air handler, providing four-zone hot water heat to the original radiators. Air-to-water heat pumps use refrigerant to transfer heat from the outside air to water, which is then circulated through a home’s heating system, such as radiators or underfloor heating.

“The new systems work well in all weather conditions,” Bickford said.

While some of the technologies showcased during the tour can be cost-prohibitive, many homeowners emphasized

the long-term savings and environmental benefits. Mark Adams, chair of the Sustainable Marblehead Green Homes and Buildings Group, addressed the costs associated with heat pump installations.

“For a three-to-four bedroom home between 1,800 and 2,500 square feet, the costs of heat pumps can range from about $25,000 to $40,000,” Adams said. “The costs are comparable to the installation of a new heating system plus a new central air conditioner. Costs can be offset by rebates of up to $10,000 from Mass Save, $1,500 from Marblehead Light and a $2,000 federal tax credit. The remaining amount can be financed with a zero interest loan for low monthly payments.” Leahy encouraged residents to start by getting an energy audit through their utility company, which can identify areas for improvement and potential solutions. Both Marblehead Municipal Light Department and National Grid offer energy audit services and rebates for upgrading insulation.

Solar panels are another popular choice among Marblehead residents looking to reduce their carbon footprint and electricity bills. Federal tax credits and the ability to sell excess generated electricity back to the grid can significantly shorten the payback period for a new solar system.

The tour also highlighted the importance of making homes more airtight to improve energy efficiency.

“Extra insulation was added in 2022 with spray foam around rim joists and crawl spaces,” said Dr. Eileen Mathieu of Longview Drive, who installed air source heat pumps and mini splits in her 1938 Colonial.

Frechette, who owns more than one electric vehicle, expressed his satisfaction with powering his cars.

“It definitely feels good to be

on

driving

sunshine,” he said.

EDUC aTON

COURTESY IMAGE

Town officials have identified damage to Marblehead seawalls and structures as a top priority in Marblehead’s $13.5 million Municipal Shipyard Resiliency Improvements Project. The town is seeking $2 million in federal funding to begin work on Parker’s Boatyard.

Jason Elmore presents a heat pump system at Palma Bickford and Douglas Steely’s home on Longview Drive, highlighting the latest in home heating technology during the Green Homes Tour.

CURRENT PHOTOS / WILL DOWD

Dr. Eileen Mathieu, Sustainable Marblehead Executive Director Elaine Leahy and Marblehead Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey at Saturday’s Green Homes Tour, demonstrating sustainable living practices.

Time and tide … getting caught on Crowninshield Island

BY COURT MERRIGAN

If there is one observation I have about the East, it is this: There sure are a lot of trees here. In Wyoming, go for a drive and you’ll see vastly more prairie goats than trees. Prairie goats are more commonly known as antelope, and there are more of them in Wyoming (512,000) than people (480,000). They sprint at high velocity across the plains, unimpeded by trees or much else. You can routinely spot them at a distance of a mile or more, and the reason for this is, unlike the countryside of New England, there are no trees to block the view.

I’m not anti-tree, you understand. I hear they’re good for the environment, and in places where the sun shines more than occasionally, they make good shade. Growing up, I primarily knew trees as existing in neat windbreak rows. One such windbreak of pine trees stood next to the farmhouse where I grew up. The wind soughing through those pine branches was the lullaby of my childhood. We had an old swing set out there. In between chores, there’s often not a lot to do out on the farm, so I spent a lot of time out there, swinging by the pine trees. Wondering where that vast horizon went.

Here in Marblehead, I walk to the ocean to get a horizon.

NEWS IN BRIEF

BY WILL DOWD

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

Board of Assessors meets behind closed doors

After initially posting a public meeting, the Board of Assessors met behind closed doors instead on May 2 to discuss the recent audit of the town’s property valuation process. Last month, Chair John Kelley announced $541,000 in abatements to residents who complained about their assessments. Chief Assessor Karen Bertolino has been placed on administrative leave.

The Board of Assessors was expected to release the audit results two weeks ago, but has not.

Marbleheader to give valedictory address atSt. John’s Prep Marblehead’s David Kane will be the valedictorian at St. John’s Preparatory School’s 114th commencement on Saturday, May 18. Fellow Marblehead resident and senior Graham Kramer will also deliver remarks.

Now, there are a lot of ways to get to the ocean in Marblehead. A reader recently alerted me to the Marblehead Conservancy’s “Secret Passageways” page. I decided to walk to Gingerbread Lane on the way to the goal of my ramble, Crowninshield Island. I appreciate the quotes around “secret,” all the more appropriate because when you get to Gingerbread Lane, someone has posted a helpful map on a street sign. I’d say the secret is out!

Gingerbread Lane is a lovely short walk off Norman Street down to Beacon Street. For a moment it feels like you are walking into someone’s

The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on Ryken Field.

Museum seeks donations for treasure sale

The Marblehead Museum is accepting donations for its upcoming Great Treasure Sale, scheduled for Aug. 17. This year’s sale will adopt a new format, focusing on items that are vintage, antique or collectible and at least 50 years old. Desired items include books, small furniture, lighting, jewelry, artwork, maps, ceramics, household items and clothes with accessories. Prospective donors are asked to email photos and descriptions of their items to info@marbleheadmuseum. org for review. Please note, the museum may refuse items that do not meet the required criteria. All donations are tax deductible, and proceeds will support the museum’s educational mission.

Pride celebration set for June 1

The Select Board unanimously approved the use of Abbot Hall for a Pride event on Saturday, June 1, at 3 p.m., with a rain date of June 2. The event is organized

communication survey. They discussed changing “we’ve” to “we have”, “a” to “one or two” or “an”, capitalization rules, word choices, etc.

I wonder what other opportunities exist for SC delegation. The SC should be spending their time on more important things like defining what is a “model school district.”

Delegate the flag policy to the students

And speaking of delegation, why can’t the students develop a flag policy proposal? Students should be tasked with creating a policy framework itemizing

the elements that the policy should address. This would include eligible/ineligible groups, flag location(s), flag size, display time limits, approval procedures, approver, etc. With this framework, they would research what other towns are doing. From there they would propose a policy for approval. The students would “own” it. The project would be an invaluable educational opportunity that would serve the students well.

Transfer Station project — yet another ding letter?

Seeing the Current’s April 11 headline “Transfer Station receives zero general contractor

closely tracking the Marblehead tides for at least 400 years. Low tide means low tide. Undeterred, I plunged on, albeit at a hustle.

The larger, northern side of the island has a trail that took me on a nice walk through the woods.

backyard. I kept walking, hoping I wouldn’t get yelled at. I didn’t, and soon I found myself on Beacon Street. From there, it was on to Crowninshield Island, a place I’d been informed can be reached on foot during low tide.

My tides app told me I was pretty close to that time. I figured I had a little give in the timing.

How punctual can tides really be?

Plenty, as it turns out. I got there maybe half an hour after the peak (nadir?) of low tide, and found the water already running back in and terra firm quickly vanishing. It occurred to me, too late, that people have been

by the Marblehead Pride Committee.

Candidates’ Night on May 21

The Marblehead League of Women Voters will hold its annual Candidates’ Night on Tuesday, May 21, at 7 p.m. in the Marblehead High library. This forum allows voters to meet and learn about the candidates running for office. The town election is June 11.

Pleon Yacht Club welcomes new program director

The Pleon Yacht Club announced the appointment of Stan Schreyer as its new program director. With a sailing career beginning at age four, Schreyer’s experience includes stints as an All-American and National Champion at Boston University, and successes in various high-performance sailing classes.

The Pleon’s sailing program is open to all local youth ages 8 and older who have completed third grade. There are recreational and competitive sailing classes that run June 17 through August 14 in four-week or full[summer

bids” I couldn’t help but think. Here is another case of someone not wanting to do business with Marblehead. Consider some recent history: Dec. 21, 2023 — School Committee Chair Sarah Fox said the law firm Stoneman, Chandler & Miller was dropping the committee as a client.

Jan. 2, 2024 — Interim Superintendent Theresa McGuinness announces she no longer wants to stay in Marblehead and become the district’s permanent leader.

Jan. 5-March 22 — Michelle Cresta, assistant superintendent of finance and operations; Hope Doran, Glover school principal; and Amanda Murphy, Village

How punctual can tides really be? Plenty, as it turns out.

Under those pines, the sea breeze created that same soft lullaby I knew from my childhood. More unexpected still: a swing hung from a pine branch. I had no choice, really. I had to try it out. I swung on that swing and listened to the trees sing and looked out on the horizon. It reminded me of home, true, but these days I’m a lot less curious where that horizon goes. I’ve got plenty to see and do just across the water in Marblehead.

(You just never can get away from the trees!) The trail makes a loop under the canopy with a few spurs out to water views. I’d have liked to stop and contemplate them, but time and tide wait for no man, and I had to keep moving.

I crossed a narrow spit of land to the smaller southern portion of the island with a nervous glance back to my rapidly disappearing crossing spot. There I found some wider views of the sea and of Gerry Island to the south. And then, suddenly, I came across the last thing in the world I expected: a glade of pine trees. Tide or no tide, I had to investigate.

sessions. There’s also a twoweek Intro to Pleon class. For more information, reach out to Schreyer at pd@pleon.org.

Library closed until June, as it moves home

» Abbot Public Library will be closed until June as it moves back to 235 Pleasant St.

During the closure:

» Digital services remain available.

» Staff can be reached by email at marcirc@noblenet.org.

Patrons should hold onto Marblehead library items until reopening.

» Items from other libraries can be returned to another NOBLE library.

Holds can be placed for pickup at other NOBLE libraries.

Some virtual programs will continue; story time will be held at Temple Emanu-El.

» Digital newspapers and magazines are accessible online; physical copies are unavailable.

Meeting rooms cannot yet be reserved for after reopening.

» Updates are available at abbotlibrary.org, on social media and via email newsletter. The Eveleth

School principal; announce they are leaving Marblehead for other school districts. As of this writing we are still waiting for Public Health Director Andrew Petty to find out why general contractors did not bid on the Transfer Station project. Hopefully, he can get this over-due project finally completed.

“Schools” vs. “town” — “them” vs. “us”

Our budget documents are labeled as either “schools” or “town.” What is in the school budget is fairly obvious. In the town budget is almost everything else — the Select Board, police, fire, highway, heath, engineering, building

Speaking of, by the time my reverie was complete, low tide was very definitely over. The channel I had crossed over had vanished entirely. With no dry way back to dry land, I waded into the ankle-deep water. I had on improper footwear for wading, true, and the seawater was icy, but at least I didn’t have to swim! As I walked back up Gingerbread Lane, the water squishing out of my sneakers reminded me with every step that I ought to respect the timing of the tides. I’ll bear that in mind when I next head out to Crowninshield Island for a pine glade reverie.

As always, 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.

School building will return to the school department. A library grand reopening date will be announced later in May.

Festival: Send us your art

The Festival of Arts is calling for art entries now through June 14 at 10 p.m. Eligible artists residing, working or belonging to an art association in Essex County can submit their original artwork for juried exhibits.

Separate categories are available for youth and student art open to Marblehead residents or nonresidents attending school or classes in Marblehead. Awards will be distributed in each category on July 3 at 6 p.m. at Abbot Hall. Artists are invited to enter across multiple categories. Visit tinyurl. com/5e5p4bt8 to learn more.

Abbot Hall seeks volunteers

The town is seeking volunteers for its Cable Television Advisory Committee, Cultural Council and Disabilities Commission. Interested residents should submit letters of interest and resumes to the Select Board’s office at 188 Washington St., Abbot Hall, or email wileyk@ marblehead.org.

inspection, etc. The problem is that people are starting to use terms like “us” and “them” when referring to one of these two groups. We are all residents of the TOWN of Marblehead — even the schools. We need to change the term “town” in our budget documents and organization charts. I will muse about this some more. Maybe we should run a contest!

Stay tuned for possibly more musings after Town Meeting. James (Seamus) Hourihan was born in Marblehead and is a MHS graduate. For 35 years, he worked in finance, marketing and executive management roles at high-tech companies. He has lived here fulltime since 2009.

CURRENT PHOTOS / COURT MERRIGAN

A pine glade, complete with swing, on Crowninshield Island

Inadequate footwear for wading

Marblehead’s best bets, Spring Celebration edition

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

Spring Celebration

Saturday, May 11, all day

Presented by the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce and Discover Marblehead, this year’s Spring Celebration features a full day of art, music, shopping, food, vintage cars, launch rides and more. Events take place all over town. Check out the full schedule at https://loom.ly/ PBqRlkw.

Spring Arts Fair

Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, May 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

During the Marblehead Arts Association Spring Artisan & Craft Fair, the King Hooper Mansion will be full of creative and oneof-a-kind gifts made by local artists, vendors and MAA artist members. 8 Hooper St. More info at marbleheadarts.org.

New LunchHours

Driftwood Garden Club plant sale

Saturday, May 11, 8:30-11:30 a.m.

At the Masonic Lodge, 62 Pleasant St., the Driftwood Garden Club’s plant sale will feature perennials, annuals, ground covers and herbs, many from local gardens. Driftwood members will be on hand to answer questions and help select plants for your garden. The Driftwood Garden Club is an all-volunteer organization. Proceeds from the sale are used to maintain and improve several gardens and other civic projects in Marblehead.

Cottage Gardeners plant sale

Saturday, May 11, 8 a.m.-noon

The Cottage Gardeners of Marblehead and Swampscott will hold their annual plant sale outside St. Stephen’s Church, 67 Cornell Rd.

Tips for DIY food photography

Thursday, May 9, 7-9 p.m.

Want to take food photos like a pro for your social media pages and more? Learn the ins and outs on how to take better photos of your food with professional food photographer Katie Ring.

This workshop will cover tips and tricks for photographing your food when out in restaurants and on the go, as well as a simple setup you can use to photograph your creations at home.

MAA members $15, non-members $20. More info at marbleheadarts.org.

Open at 11:30 Tuesday-Sunday New LunchMenu!

Open at 11:30 Wed.-Sunday Wed. 4-6pm Half-Of fA ppetizer s (dine in only)

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

Help Wanted

Full Time Infant/Toddler &Preschool Teachers

MCC’sphilosophyisthatchildrenlearn best through play.Seeking enthusiastic,dedicated professionalswho will engage in andupholdour mission Acollaborative &suppor tive environmentwith theoppor tunitytodevelop teaching skillsthrough education&training

Please contact gail@marbleheadchildrenscenter.com 781-631-1954

Forinfoabout salary +benefits (includingfreechildcare forfull time employees).

218Beacon Street Marblehead, MA 01945

Check out hydrangeas in hats, plants in teacups, a wide selection of perennials from members’ gardens along with native plants, annuals and garden supplies/ décor. Don’t miss the silent auction for a pottery shed. Expert gardeners wearing blue aprons will be happy to assist you and answer any gardening questions you might have.

Blander

Sports

ON THE RUN

Track teams square off in tri-meet

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High boys and girls spring track teams took on Gloucester and Danvers in a trimeet on April 24. The boys (1-2) defeated Gloucester, 84-52, but lost to Danvers in a close meet, 71-65, while the girls (2-1) took care of both opponents. They wiped out Gloucester, 100-36, and also Danvers, 104-27.

Girls discus

Hannah O’Brien won this event outright with a throw of 92-9, albeit in the rain. This was a huge 6-foot personal best for Hannah, and also a major milestone marking the first time she threw farther than her standing throw, while using the full spin,” said coach Danny Plunkett.

Rachael Albert struggled on the day, ending up with only one marked throw at 76-8, though she narrowly fouled a throw in the 110 range, according to Plunkett. Lillian Reddy (63-4) continues to get her footing in the discus. Campbell Crane tossed the discus 53-11.

Boys discus

Graham Firestone (100-11) turned in a massive eight-foot personal best. Freshman Logan McRae-Hughes (95-6) decided to go with a full spin in his final attempt, and it produced a 17-foot personal best throw.

Angelo Knight and Tucker Crane returned for the tri-meet after Knight was away for the Peabody opener, and Crane was still on the sidelines with broken toes. But both suited up against Gloucester and Danvers, with Angelo throwing 91-11, a 6.5-foot improvement over his best last year, while Tucker was right on his heels at 91-3, a 3.5-foot improvement from last year.

Boys javelin

Phineas Jakious (122-8, personal best) won the event in his first meet of the season. Firestone (117-10) continues to throw well. Knight and Alex Humphreys are consistently breaking the 100 mark, and in this meet they threw 104-9 and 103-1, respectively.

Girls javelin

Sierra Leinberry (73-11) made her triumphant return after being out with an ankle sprain.

Julia Betz (48-5), Song Waitekus (47-7) and Mia Mabry (46-4) also

competed.

Boys shot put

Colin Hart (36-5.75) made his shot put debut with a stunning throw, according to Plunkett.

Phineas Jakious (31-10.5), also making his debut, just edged out Crane (31-8.25). McRae-Hughes (28-3.5) continues to chase the 30-foot mark.

Girls shot put

Lillian Reddy (30-5) took home first place, just barely edging

Rachael Albert (29-6) for the

second straight week. O’Brien stepped up to throw 22-8.5.

Naomi Goodwin, making her outdoor debut, threw 21-4, just inches shy of her best indoor performance.

Boys two-mile

Nate Assa (9:49.14) took second overall, easily hitting the Division 3 state championship qualifying time.

Henrik Adams, making his two-mile debut, ran a speedy 10:30.4 to finish fourth overall.

Magicians sweep week against NEC foes

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The calendar flipped to a new month on Wednesday, May 1, and the Marblehead High baseball team (5-3 in the NEC, and 7-4 overall) defeated Saugus at Seaside Park, 7-4. The game was originally scheduled to be played at World Series Park in Saugus, but the teams had to switch venues. The Sachems, however, were still the home team, getting their last at-bats.

The Magicians jumped out to an early lead, but Saugus rallied to tie in the home half of the fourth. They were able to regain the lead in the fifth. Colt Wales led off that frame with a pinch-hit single. Riley Schmitt followed with a double, and both runners eventually came home. Coach Mike Giardi’s team then added an

insurance run in the seventh.

“Senior Matt Mahan (3.2 innings, three hits, 3 unearned runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts) and junior Carter Sahagian (3.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk) did a great job on the mound in keeping Saugus off balance throughout the entire game,” said Giardi.

Shortstop Bodie Bartram paced the offensive attack with two hits, including a triple. He knocked in two runs, and also scored one himself.

The Magicians were credited with four other hits in this game, and Schmitt also had two of them with a single and a double. Brooks Keefe and Colt Wales accounted for one single apiece.

The Marblehead boys then went on to defeat host Gloucester, 5.3.

Will Cronin (10:53.19, personal best by 30-plus seconds) ended up sixth.

Girls two-mile

Marri O’Connell (11:30) cruised to another victory. Cat Piper (13:06.6) was fourth, and Jesslyn Roemer (13:17.3). came in sixth.

Boys mile

Jonah Potach (5:00.87, a 20-second personal best) finished second overall. Zach Pike (5:05.17, a five-second

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High softball team (9-2) kept up that winning momentum with a couple of more triumphs over non-league Malden Catholic (6-1, April 29) and Saugus (1-0, May 3). Sandwiched in between those victories was a 6-0 loss to Division 1 Peabody. The Magicians are seventh in the Division 2 power rankings, as of May 3, while the Tanners are No. 3 in Division 1. Against Malden Catholic, Marblehead pitcher Tessa Francis gave up three hits on one run, while striking out 12 to help secure another win.

The Marblehead girls scored all six runs in the sixth inning. The big hits in the frame were supplied by Isabel Mortensen and shortstop Hailey Schmitt, who started the rally off with singles. Luka Bornhorst moved them up into scoring position for

personal best) ended up third overall. Xavier Grazado (5:17.13, a seven-second personal best) accounted for fifth place.

Girls mile

Kate Twomey (5:50.1, a threesecond personal best) was the lone Marblehead runner competing, but she showed up in a big way, finishing a close second.

Boys 800 Will Cerrutti (2:05.11) turned on the jets in the final 100 meters to come out on top. Will Cruikshank (2:11.79), still finding his groove at the 800, came in third. Ryan Blestowe (2:19.74) finished fifth.

Girls 800 O’Connell (2:34.65) picked up another victory in this meet. Maren Potter (2:51.69) was right behind her in second place. Shannon Hitscherich (3:00.55) was fifth.

Girls 100

Ava Machado (13.39) opened up her season with a victory. Sadie Halpern (13.44) was a close second. Charlie Roszell (13.91) ran a great race to finish fourth. Boys 100 Thomas Carlson remains undefeated in the 100. Freshman

Tessa Andriano, who reached on an error that knocked in one.

Ruby Calienes followed with a walk. Tessa Francis then doubled home a couple of more.

The Magicians then began a brandnew month against the Tanners and its MVP pitcher for the last three years in the Northeastern Conference Abby Bettencourt, who ended up no-hitting them, while fanning 11.

But they bounced back two days later in a classic pitcher’s duel versus host Saugus. The Magicians defeated the Sachems by the slimmest of margins, 1-0. Francis gave up just two hits, and struck out 12 to persevere in this hard-fought game. The locals scored the lone run of the game in the fourth. Calienes started it off with a double. Anna Sokolov pinch ran for her, eventually scoring the game-winning run on a double by Francis.

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COURTESY PHOTOS / ANGIE FISCHER

Marblehead High senior girls spring track captain Cat Piper takes the lead in the mile with freshman teammate Jesslyn Roemer close behind during a recent tri-meet against Gloucester and Danvers.

Marblehead High freshman Noah Jackson leaps over a hurdle while participating in the 110-meter hurdles.

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TRACK, P. A13

Girls tennis picks up steam to win four

BY JOE MCCONNELL

With weather postponements behind them, the Marblehead High girls tennis team (5-3) are in high gear and taking no prisoners to run off four straight wins on four consecutive days from April 29 to May 1.

The Magicians asserted themselves with shutout wins over Northeastern Conference (NEC) rivals Winthrop (5-0), Saugus (5-0) and Gloucester (5-0) to end April and start May on a roll. They then edged nonleague Boston Latin on the road, 3-2.

“It was a great week of winning, and I was able to play the whole roster (to accomplish it),” said coach Tracy Ackerman. “We have some tough opponents coming up in Beverly, Danvers and Newburyport, so I’ll be calling on my starters to win some key matches.”

Against Winthrop at home, co-captain Maddie Conlon, co-captain Aviva Bornstein and Sarah Munroe won their singles matches, while Reese Friedman

FROM THE COURT

and Lani Gilmore teamed up to continue the domination in first doubles. Abbie Goodwin and Nina Johnson completed the victorious sweep in second doubles. All five individual matches were decided in straight sets.

Munroe, a freshman, made her varsity debut in third singles, as did Goodwin and Friedman in second doubles, and they will always remember the triumphant moment.

Against host Saugus, the

Marblehead girls had the brooms out again.

Conlon (6-1, 6-1) got it started with another straight sets victory. Sami Dosch, playing second singles in this match, took care of her Saugus counterpart, 6-1, 6-1. Junior Emma Zurn, making her varsity debut, enjoyed immediate success in third singles, 6-2, 6-1. The first doubles team of Aoife Bresnahan and Lucia Levin continued its undefeated NEC streak in first doubles to

win, 6-4, 6-0. Amelia Singer and Hannah Atkinson won in second doubles, 6-1, 6-1.

The Magicians then returned home to maintain their dominance, this time against Gloucester.

Bornstein won her first singles match by default, before Dosch blanked her Gloucester foe, 6-0, 6-0.

Johnson did likewise in third singles, 6-0, 6-0. Friedman and Gilmore

continued the winning in first doubles, 6-1, 6-1. Caroline Bruett and Munroe completed another sweep in second doubles, 6-1, 6-0.

Marblehead then made it four in a row with a narrow win over non-league Boston Latin Academy.

Conlon started it off with a loss against Jhianna Barnes in first singles, 6-0, 6-4. Bornstein fell to Erica Galloway in second singles, 6-1, 6-4. But Dosch got the winning going, while remaining undefeated in third singles. She defeated Vivian Dang rather easily, 6-0, 6-0. Bresnahan and Levin took care of Isra English and Sophie von Horn in first doubles, 6-2, 6-2. Gilmore and Freedman secured the victory in second doubles over Michelle Nin and Kaya Temelini, 6-1, 6-0.

“The long bus ride was worth the quality tennis we faced today (May 2) against Boston Latin Academy,” said Ackerman. “They are a young team with tons of potential, so it was good to walk away with the win.”

Boys tennis continues to dominate

BY JOE MCCONNELL

The Marblehead High boys tennis team (6-0 in the Northeastern Conference, 7-2 overall) began a brand new week enjoying more success against two more conference rivals to remain perfect on the season.

The Marblehead boys first took care of host Winthrop, 5-0 on April 29. Junior captain Etan Farfel wiped out Luke Owen in first singles, 6-0, 6-0. Junior captain Jayden Janock experienced similar results in second singles, versus Orind Bytyqi 6-0, 6-0. Their classmate Quinn Fletcher maintained the winning trend over his Winthrop counterpart Allen Gal in third singles. 6-2, 6-1.

Junior Anthony Vizy and freshman Ty Cooper teamed up in first doubles to defeat

GIRLS L a X

Joe Disney and Nick Corelli, 6-0, 6-0. Juniors Leo Winocour and Ben Zaltsman completed the sweep in second doubles against Jackson Faber and Dario Ceresani, 8-1 in a pro set of eight to complete the already decided overall match.

In sub-varsity play, Austin Bacon and Alex Boehning were leading, 4-0, when it was time to go home.

The Magicians then hosted perennial power Latin Academy the very next day, but the home team had very little trouble dispatching its worthy opponents to the tune of 5-0.

Senior captain Mika Garber got it started by defeating Hewitt Ngo in first singles, 6-3, 6-0. “(Garber) showed excellent mental toughness against a very strong player,” said coach Elisabeth Foukal.

Junior captain Etan Farfel topped Matteas Washington in second singles, 6-1, 6-1 “Etan had to work for his points against this Latin Academy aggressive hitter,” said Foukal after the match. Sophomore T.J. Kelly beat Cuban Salazar in third singles, 6-4, 6-4. “It was a well-played match,” said the veteran Marblehead coach, “but T.J. didn’t hold back on the big points to secure the win.”

Janock and Winocour came back in the second set from a 3-0 deficit to beat Ezequiel Pichardo Diaz and Kapil Parvateneni in first doubles, 6-0, 6-4. Vizy and Cooper then secured the shutout in second doubles, when they defeated Nate Hendrickson and Jackson Scotts, 6-1, 6-3.

In sub-varsity play, Quinn Fletcher and Bacon won, 6-3. Alex Boehning and Filip Wabno

did the same, 6-2. Quinn Sullivan and Graydon Waller doubled up their opponents, 4-2. Cordt Menzler and Nico Altonian breezed to victory, 6-0. John Bender and Andrew Halvorson ended up on the short end of the scoreboard, 4-2.

Following the win over Latin Academy, the Magicians trekked to Gloucester to begin a brand-new month against the Fishermen, where the visitors won a close match, 3-2.

Garber began this match with success against Andry Paean Sosa, 6-0, 6-2. “This was firstrate tennis with both players in top form, but Mika played the better match after winning the big points,” said Foukal.

In second singles, Farfel got past Anders Pittman, 7-6 (7-0), 6-0.

“Etan was down, 5-3 in the first set, but then dug in to force

a tiebreaker,” said Foukal. “He was dialed in for the win at that point, not losing a game,” said Foukal.

Kelly lost to Shane Widtfeldt in third singles, 6-1, 6-2 in a match that was much closer than the final score.

Janock and Winocour beat Cole Cubino and Dom Paune in first doubles, 6-1, 6-1. “They displayed excellent cool-headed play against two aggressive players,” said Foukal.

Vizy and Cooper lost two close sets to seniors Luke McElherny and Cam Widtfeldt in second doubles, 7-5, 6-4.

In sub-varsity play, Graydon Waller and Bacon won, 6-2. Boehning and Wabno also came out on top, 6-0. Nico Altonian and Caleb Sidman made it three in a row after a close 5-4 triumph.

Magicians drop high-scoring thriller

BY JOE MCCONNELL

After evening its record at four, the Marblehead High girls lacrosse team (4-6) lost two games to Beverly (15-6, April 29) and Danvers (13-12, May 2).

The game was close against the Panthers throughout the first half, with the Magicians trailing by just two at halftime, 5-3. Maddie Forbes (1 goal, 2 ground balls, 1 caused turnover), Ramona Gillett (1 goal, 2 assists, 5 ground balls), Kathryn Commoss (2 goals, 1 assist, 2 ground balls), Rachel Delisle (1 goal, 1 ground ball), Gretchen Smith (1 goal), Whitney Jellison (2 interceptions), Courtney Hoguet (2 ground balls, 1 interception), Kate Burns (1 interception) and Avery Wysor (2 ground balls) were the statistical leaders in the Beverly game. Goalie Molly Bullard came up with 14 saves.

BOy S L a X

The Marblehead girls then traveled to Danvers to face

the Falcons three days later. It was definitely a back-and-forth game. The Magicians held a 7-5 lead at halftime, but the home team came back to win this high scoring encounter by one goal. Forbes (3 goals, 2 assists, 6 ground balls, 1 caused turnover, 1 interception), Gillett (1 goal, 1 assist, 1 ground ball), Smith (2 goals), Commoss (4 goals) and Wysor (1 goal, 1 assist, 1 ground ball) kept their teammates close on the scoreboard throughout the contest. Bullard made two saves in net. Over the first 10 games, Forbes (23 goals, 12 assists) and Gillett (17 goals, 12 assists) are the team’s offensive leaders. They are both junior forwards.

takes down Beverly and Danvers

BY JOE MCCONNELL

Despite being banged up with injuries, the Marblehead High boys lacrosse team (7-1 in the NEC, 7-3 overall) can’t complain too much about this season. The Magicians won two more conference games against Beverly (8-7) and Danvers (16-3), before dropping an 18-4 decision to non-league host Bedford, N.H. on May 3. “Bedford is probably one of the top two teams in New Hampshire,” said coach John Wilkens. “They were a young team last year, when we beat them. Their coach, Drew Bourdeau, is one of my former assistants here in Marblehead.

He has developed a solid program up there, and this spring he has a big, strong athletic team.”

“Playing them this year will definitely get us ready for the state tournament in a few weeks,” added Wilkens. Cam Waldman was the team’s leading scorer against Bedford with one goal and one assist.

Gio

Garibotto, Greg Motorny and Reece Moore chipped in with one goal apiece. Charlie Grenier setup one score. Finn Gallup was in goal once again, making 13 saves.

Against Beverly, the Marblehead boys got off to a slow start. They trailed at

halftime, 4-1.

“It was a long day for the players. They were held-in-place after the high school responded to a false alarm call. It took us about a half to get our legs back.”

The Magicians led at one point in the second half, 8-5, before the Panthers came back to score two late goals. Freshman Will Sullivan collected one goal and three assists to help lead his teammates to victory. Garibotto notched two tallies. Waldman accounted for one goal and one assist. Freshman Chris Tardie, Jack Whipple, Motorny and Moore netted one goal each.

Junior Bodie Smith chipped in with one assist.

Gallup was credited with 14 saves in net. Everybody played against Danvers at home on May 1. The Magicians defeated the Falcons the first time around by a closer score, 18-10. Wilkens wanted to see a better effort in the rematch, and that’s what he got. “We (the coaching staff) challenged them to play better before this game against Danvers, and they really stepped up for us,” said Wilkens. Sullivan was the team’s leader in goals with three. Charlie Grenier produced two goals and two assists. Waldman and Motorny had two goals each. Junior James Achteroff contributed two goals

and one assist to the winning cause. Moore came through with a goal and two assists. Drew Nelson, sophomore Grady Becker, Garibotto and Whipple each netted one goal. Junior Thomas Tadesse assisted on one marker.

Finn played the first three quarters in net, making four saves. Colin Maniaci stopped four shots in the final period.

“We haven’t had our full complement of players since Day 1, but everybody on this roster has stepped up to fill-in nicely for those who are injured,” said Wilkens. “Our goal is to get everybody back by the end of the regular season, just in time for the postseason.”

COURTESY PHOTOS / LUANN GABEL Co-captain Maddie Conlon prepares to serve.

Marblehead High girls tennis co-captain Aviva Bornstein watches her shot go over the net during a recent match.

Local author transports readers to Falkland Islands

BY MAX ARBO

Local author Eric Jay Dolin’s new book released this week, tells the true story of five castaways stranded on the Falkland Islands during the War of 1812.

“Left for Dead:

Shipwreck, Treachery and Survival at the Edge of the World” is Dolin’s 16th book and 15th about maritime history.

“When you become a writer … what will happen especially if you write nonfiction books, is you tend to get pigeonholed into a certain genre,” Dolin told the Current.

“Fortunately for me, I like maritime themes, so I’ve sort of kept to them. Not a sailor but I love the ocean.” Dolin has lived in Marblehead for over 18 years, taking inspiration for his stories in town.

“Living in a place that values its history, living in a place that has so much history, living in a place that’s next to the ocean … It has inspired me,” Dolin said. “Beyond inspiring me, it’s just created a context where the ocean and maritime tales are always ones that I’m thinking about because of the environment that I’m in.”

Dolin’s new book stands out from his other stories with its style, length and focus.

“Whether or not you’re familiar with my writing, this book is very different from my other books,” the

author said. “Most of my books have about nine to 13 chapters and span decades, if not centuries. This book has 40 chapters, and the main part of the book spans around three or so years. So it’s very different in scope.”

The story is fastpaced, Dolin explained. Each chapter leaves you wondering what happens next.

“Left for Dead” picks up after a British brig crashes, stranding its 54 passengers until American seal hunters find and agree to rescue them. In the passengers’ rush to be rescued, they leave behind five men they could have saved.

“The book deals with how those five men survived in the Falkland Islands, which is a very desolate area which is very cold and very windy,” Dolin said.

As a historical nonfiction writer, Dolin can

spend years researching the topics in his stories.

“This one was pretty quick because it was focused,” he told the Current. “Since this book was more focused, it had fewer sources; it focused on a couple of years instead of three centuries. I researched and wrote the book in 15, 16 months, maybe.”

When asked what part of his story or process stood out to him, Dolin highlighted learning about the Falkland Islands.

“I knew nothing about the Falkland Islands,” he commented. “One of the things that was really surprising was how much of a character the islands became and how fascinated I became about the Falkland Islands.”

As a writer, Dolin’s goal is to write books that are informative, accurate and enjoyable.

“In the end, if somebody reads it and they don’t turn the page to the next chapter, then you’ve lost. You’ve lost your reader.

“I write books that I would like to read.” Dolin continued. “My basic readers are people that just like a really good story — about American history or just history in general — but an awful lot of my readers are people who are attracted to maritime history.”

Dolin will speak about his new book at the Eastern Yacht Club on May 30. For more information, visit ericjaydolin.com

COURTESY PHOTO / ERIC DOLIN ‘Left for Dead’ hit bookshelves May 7.

Students learn about democracy, history at mock Town Meeting

BY WILL DOWD

In a mock Town Meeting on May 2, over 200 seventh graders at Veterans Middle School debated and ultimately voted to reject expanding Marblehead’s seasonal leaf blower ban. (Go to MarbleheadCurrent.org to see how the real Town Meeting decided the issue.)

The mock Town Meeting, moderated by Town Moderator Jack Attridge, aimed to give students a taste of the direct democracy the town’s citizens engage in each year.

After researching the leaf blower issue and writing persuasive essays, students presented arguments.

Proponents cited the environmental and health impacts of gas-powered leaf blowers, with one student arguing, “Gas leaf blowers emit enormous amounts of carbon and gas, the same as an 11-hour car drive from Marblehead to Florida, and cause respiratory problems such as asthma.”

Opponents, however, raised concerns about the economic burden a ban would place on landscaping businesses and homeowners.

“Battery powered leaf blowers are not a solution,” one student contended. “Switching to battery powered would be a time consuming and expensive transition for landscapers.”

Some students proposed compromises, such as slightly extending the existing ban period or incentivizing a shift to

electric equipment usage. One argued, “A summertime ban on gas powered leaf blowers is all that we need. Landscapers can do lawn maintenance during the summer without gas power, and when the big cleanup arrives in fall, they will have the power needed to blow away the problem.”

Assistant Superintendent Julia Ferreira emphasized that the true value lay not in the specific result, but in connecting students with the town’s democratic tradition and modeling engaged citizenship.

“This is a direct connection, not only to the core values that we hold here at Veterans Middle School, citizenship being one of them, but that this is our goal as educators — to prepare students as citizens for the world and for the town,” Ferreira said.

Social studies teacher Connor Frechette-McCall explained that the mock meeting, beyond teaching civics, supports curriculum being taught in the classroom.

“It connects to our content standards. In ancient Greece and in our modern democracies, there are two main foundations — the role of citizens to be informed and to be active,” he said. “That’s what we’re hoping to inspire and actually show with the seventh grade students today.”

Attridge provided a brief history lesson on the centuries-old tradition of Town Meeting.

“Citizens of Marblehead have gathered to form the legislative body of the town since 1649,” Attridge told the students.

“It is a humbling thought to consider that the original inhabitants of Marblehead organized 375 years ago, to collectively and democratically manage the affairs of the town. A tradition which began some 124 years before the American Revolution remains our governance structure to this day.”

Attridge noted that many, including Thomas Jefferson, have referred to Town Meeting as “the purest form of democracy.” He quoted Jefferson’s 1813 letter praising the institution as “the wisest invention ever devised by the wit of man for the perfect exercise of self-government, and for its preservation.”

Attridge emphasized the extraordinary power the citizens of Marblehead wield through the annual gathering.

“It’s pretty amazing that the citizens who live in the town have control over pretty much everything that happens within the town,” Attridge said. “One of the most important things that we do at Town Meeting is vote upon the operating budget of the town. The bills can’t get paid unless the town gathers and approves the funds, which is $115 million this year.”

Attridge expressed hope that the immersive experience would inspire the students to carry forward the 375-year tradition of direct democracy. While the

middle schoolers’ vote on leaf blowers won’t change town policy, it aimed to provide a glimpse into their future roles as engaged citizens, shaping the community that Attridge said they will inherit.

“We want students to picture themselves moving forward as active citizens,” said Ferreira. “Getting this direct experience with the democratic process hopefully brings that aspiration to life in a powerful, tangible way.”

Something, or someone, new

is coming to Fort Sewall this summer

BY MAX ARBO

There will be a special addition to Fort Sewall this summer — a park ranger who will lead tours inside the historic fort, which recently underwent a $1.8 million renovation.

“We estimate that more than 50,000 people a year visit the fort,” said Larry Sands, chair of the Fort Sewall Oversight Committee. “I think that’s a pretty conservative number. But I think publicizing this will help encourage people to come in. Giving them something additional to do and adding to knowledge of the history of the fort is certainly a goal as well.”

Established in 1643, Fort Sewall is a rare, so-called earthwork fort.

“Which means the way it protected itself was dirt was mounted up around the perimeter of the fort,” said Sands, “and that dirt provided protection from enemy ordnance (mounted guns) that was shot at the fort.”

Fort Sewall protected the town and Marblehead Harbor during the War of 1812, the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. Its most notable moment in history was its protection of the USS Constitution — which sailed into Marblehead Harbor in 1814 to escape British frigates.

The fort ranger position has been part of the oversight committee’s plan since it started fundraising for Fort Sewall’s renovation five years ago.

During tours, visitors will walk through the officers’ quarters, bunk room and storeroom with 18th-century-style furnishings built by Glover’s Marblehead Regiment. There will also be a six-pound cannon

that is fired on ceremonial occasions.

This will be the first time Fort Sewall has had a ranger giving tours.

“I think the first year will be a learning experience for all of us,” Sands said, “We’re still trying to figure out what

will work best.”

The seasonal fort ranger position will pay between $659 and $742.

The Recreation and Parks Department will hire the fort ranger. The job description is at https:// tinyurl.com/4n6vd83d.

According to the job description, the ideal candidate for the Fort Ranger position should enjoy working with the public and have an interest in history. They will be provided with a script detailing the history of Fort Sewall and will receive training on how to conduct tours.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Greet all guests promptly when they visit Fort Sewall.

» Outline the tour and timeline before beginning. Determine if any guests have physical restrictions that should be considered.

» Clearly and articulately provide information to guests in an engaging manner. Answer any questions that the guests have.

» Demonstrate extensive knowledge of Fort Sewall and related topics. Remain calm, friendly and enthusiastic at all times.

» Escort guests through the tour, taking breaks as needed.

Max Arbo is a Marblehead High Senior on his senior project with the Marblehead Current.

Thanks to everyone who messaged us on social media with guesses on Where in Marblehead this

Secretary

CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER

Larry Sands, dressed in his Glover’s Regiment gear, speaks outside Fort Sewall during its rededication in June 2022.

COURTESY PHOTO / VETERANS

Sidney Rose, 103

Sidney Rose passed away peacefully on April 28 at the age of 103. Rose was the beloved husband of his late wife, Ellaine Rose. He was the devoted father and father-in-law of Judith and Alan Fishman, Michael, Charlotte, Larry and Gail Rose, and stepfather and father-in-law of Jeffrey, Beth, Michael, Kim, Todd and Cherie Hoffman. He was the

Robert Phillips Boehm, 80

Robert Phillips Boehm departed this life March 28 after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke. Bob was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on Valentines Day 1944, the son of Arthur Rudolph Boehm and Charlotte Phillips Hepp. He grew up in Plainville, Connecticut, graduating from Plainville High School. As a teenager, Bob was a member of DeMolay, which teaches leadership skills he’d use throughout his life. He attended the University of Hartford and Bentley College in Boston,

cherished grandfather of Eddie and Jessie Fishman-Janowitz, Ben and Lizzie Fishman, Jennifer

graduating at the top of his class. Trained as a certified public accountant, Bob held senior management positions with Forum Corporation in Boston (1981-1993) and DeltapointCorporation in Bellevue, Washington (19931999). After his first retirement,

Rose, Geoffrey and Kristen Rose, Eliza Rose and Ethan Rose, and step-grandfather of Sam Hoffman and Nicole Byrnes, Gregor and Ally Hoffman, Kate Hoffman, Trevor Hoffman and Lexie Hoffman, as well as great-grandfather to nine greatgrandchildren. Rose was the loving brother of Arthur Rose and the late Meyer and David Rose, and the dear son of the late Esco and Esther Rose.

Rose grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1944. He raised his family in Marblehead.

Bob skippered his own sailboat, a 42-foot Passport he named Pretty Penny, for a year of cruising around the north Pacific — Canada, the U.S. West coast, Hawaii and Mexico. Then, not wanting an office job, he started his own home remodeling business, naming it As You Like It. Bob believed in community involvement. He will be remembered with admiration for his work on the boards of many nonprofit organizations. In Marblehead, it was the Marblehead Arts Association and the annual Marblehead Festival for the Arts, as well as the vestry of the Church of St. Andrew. It was on the board of MusicWorks Northwest in Bellevue he met his wife, Penny. Since moving to Whidbey Island,

He served on the USS Lapon, a submarine in the Pacific, during World War II. Rose was the founder and owner of Rose Displays Ltd., a Salem-based producer of display systems for retail stores. He was a dedicated member of Temple Emanu-El in Marblehead and the North Shore Jewish Community Center, and a trustee for many years at the American Institute for Economic Research in Great Barrington, as well as the Progress Foundation, a free market-based think tank based in Washington, D.C.

Washington, in 2004 he has been a board member and officer of Meerkerk Gardens, Lagoon Point Water District, South Whidbey Yacht Club and Youth Sailing Association, and Slow Food Whidbey Island, as well as serving on the Island County Water Advisory Board.

Bob was a very talented craftsman, remodeling many of the homes he lived in, as well as contracting for friends. He found tremendous joy in both making and gifting beautiful wooden boxes and toys, especially for children of family and friends. Along with his love of sailing, Bob annually caught enough salmon, halibut and crab to enjoy throughout the year. Bob is survived by his wife, Penny Harger; his half-siblings

Rose loved all sports, but especially volleyball, tennis and diving, and he cherished his time spent with family, friends and respected colleagues and clients.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to the Rabbi Emeritus Discretionary Fund, c/o Temple Emanu-El, 393 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead, MA 01945, emanu-el.org/payment.php For more information or to register in the online guestbook, visit stanetskyhymansonsalem. com.

Bruce Boehm, Beverly Boehm, Charlene Reckard, Donna Frac and Patty Curtis; his daughter, Tonja Boehm Morse, and her son, Joseph Doyle Somerby; his son, Todd Allen Boehm, and his son, Colby Boehm; his stepdaughter, Alyssa Royse, and her daughter, Celia Huddart; and stepdaughter, Bronwyn Holman, and her children – Zoe, James and Sarah Holman. And by a circle of great friends with whom he shared years of love and laughter. He will be sorely missed.

Donations in his memory can be made to Bentley University in Waltham, or Meerkerk Gardens in Greenbank, Washington. A celebration of Bob’s life will be held in Marblehead on Saturday, June 22. (For directions, email pennywinks2012@gmail.com.)

Ryan Corrigan (12.2) sprinted to a third-place finish. Jake Bobowski (12.1) was fourth.

Girls 200 Machado (28.4) was a double winner in this meet with a victory in the 200. Halpern (28.51) battled through blisters to finish a close second. Roszell (29.37) completed the podium sweep with a third place finish.

Boys 200 Carlson (24.21) ran away from the field to win the 200. Bobowski (24.86) sprinted to a quality second place finish. Corrigan (26.28) was sixth after an exhaustive day participating in four events.

Girls 400

Sydney Ball (66.88) ran the fastest 400 out of the JV heat, which is quite the feat, according to head coach Nolan Raimo. Gabby Hendy (68.42) finished fourth overall. Manuela

Puente (68.85) was fifth. Olivia Vanden Heuvel (69.41) came in seventh. Maren Rowe (74.38) bounced back from an injury during the winter track season to end up eighth.

Boys 400 Owen Newburg (58.1) led the way for Marblehead in his first career track meet to finish fifth. Ethan Horgan (59.87) was sixth, and freshman Eben Weed (60.11) eighth.

Girls 400-meter hurdles Grace Mortenson (75.70, personal best) finished second overall. Juliet Burchfield (81.48) was fifth.

Boys 400-meter hurdles

Sophomore Colin Hart (67.1) ran a great race in tough conditions to finish second overall. His classmates Nate Jendrysik (68.38, third) and Quinn Scheib (72.7, seventh) were also credited with Top 10 finishes.

Girls 100-meter hurdles Elise Burchfield (19.10) won the event. Paige Tredwell (19.27) led most

of the way before catching the last hurdle and falling, but she still managed to get up and finish second overall. Newcomer Arianna Leahy (21.36) won the JV race. Addison Rotigliano (22.89) was second, and Crane (23.82) third.

Boys 100-meter hurdles

Alex Hersey (16.1) stumbled out of the blocks, but regained his balance to still win the event.

Sophomore Elian Colon (19.14) finished second. Jendrysik (20.66) finished fifth in the JV race. Quinn Scheib (23.17) was 10 th . Noah Jackson, stepping up to make his hurdles debut, came in 11 th .

Girls long jump

In tough jumping conditions, Philine Heuermann (14-5), making her debut, performed well to finish third. Cora Gerson (12-6) finished eighth. Crane led the JV long jumpers with a leap of 12-6.

Boys long jump

Hersey (20-6.5) won the

long jump in an uphill pit, which is less than ideal for him, according to Raimo. Carlson (19-0) was a close second. Ryan Corrigan (17-10) ended up fifth. Owen Newburg (17-6) bested the JV long jumpers.

Girls high jump

Tredwell (4-10) finished first. Greta Sachs, participating in only her second career high jump, cleared 4-8 to tie for second. Elise Burchfield cleared 4-6 to account for a four-way tie for fifth.

Boys high jump

Hersey led the way for Marblehead with a clearance of 5-4 to finish tied for third. Ralph Pierre and Corrigan cleared 4-10 to tie for fifth.

Girls triple jump

Philine Heuerman jumped 30-6.5 to finish third overall. Elise Burchfield (29-3.75) ended up fifth.

Boys triple jump Claudio Gusmao Gonzalez (33-1), the team’s jump specialist, was seventh overall.

Alexander Murray (23-8),

making his debut, came in 10th . Girls 4x100 relays

Lidia Jasmine Tiedra, Lucy Flynn, Cora Gerson and Elise Burchfield (53.79) sprinted to a second-place finish. Boys 4x100 relays

Hersey, Slater Johnson, Jack Burke and Pierre (48.20) finished third overall.

Boys 4x400 James Pulido, Adams, Jendrysik and Cole Barbeau ran an estimated time of 4:08.26; the electronic timing system struggled at times during this tri-meet. “All of our runners were on their second or third events on a freezing cold day, but the enthusiasm around their willingness to compete will inevitably help the team grow and succeed,” said Raimo.

TO WN OF MARBLEHEAD INVITAT ION TO BID LEGAL NOTICE The Town of Marblehead, in accordance with M. G. L. Chapter 30, § 39M procedure and acting through its Select Board will receive bids for the following project: 2024-030 Roadway and Sidewalk Improvements. The project generally includes, but is not limited to, providing cleaning, general preparation, resetting/adjusting of utility castings, pavement milling,

bids will not be accepted by the Awarding Authority Tutorials and Instructions are available online at www.Projectdog.com. For assistance, contact Projectdog, Inc. at 978-499-9014 Bidding requirements and Contract Documents are available on Projectdog at www.projectdog.com,

From P. A9

Rite of spring

The annual Devereux Beach Carnival did not disappoint, attracting kids and adults for rides, fried dough, games and more. Marblehead High School sophomore Grey Collins snapped these photos for the Current.

YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN BLACK

Headlight

Written by the students of Marblehead High School for our school and community 2023 - 2024 Issue www.mhsheadlight.com May 8, 2024

Socks

Rachael Albert, Senior, Assistant Editor

The stereotype in the media is that no child wants socks for Christmas, Hanukkah, their birthday, or any other gift-giving celebration. However, stereotypes are meant to be challenged; rules are meant to be broken. So, when I say the only gift I want from anyone at any given time is socks, I mean it. Everyone has those trivial things in life that bring them joy, and mine is socks. I have quite the collection of this uninspiring garment, from low-cut to kneehigh, and I openly share this love with others in my life.

I cannot say when my affinity grew, but at some point in my childhood I started getting gifted socks. I would occasionally wear the knee-high ones to my youth soccer practices or around the house, but they were by no means an everyday occurrence. Soon, however, I started getting drawn to the sock shelf at Shubie’s, and my parents would let me pick out a pair every so often. Once I started wearing them more consistently, more family members started gifting them to me, but I still had limited confidence about wearing them to school. I would wear them when I had long pants on, but I felt awkward having them show when I wore shorts. The turning point came during my sophomore year when my friends and I organized a Secret Santa together. We all made a wish list, and I truly did not realize how many socks I had added until we had the gift exchange and my friend said, “You were really easy to shop for. All you asked for was socks.” And then I knew there was no way back. I, at the ripe age of 15, had become a sock fanatic. This was my reality now. I was the kid with the socks.

By now it is worth mentioning that the socks I have are

Max Kane, Guest Writer

Chalk City. A place of endless possibilities, where you could be anyone, live anywhere, and do anything. You can build places from your wildest dreams. That’s at least what it felt like. Growing up, I lived in a small neighborhood in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Basically, the middle of nowhere. It took 20 minutes to get anywhere, so my life consisted of the woods, the neighborhood kids, and my mountain bike. However, there was always the occasion of Chalk City. It started as a typical summer day in the neighborhood. Me, my friends, and our

no ordinary socks. Then again, maybe they are ordinary and I just have a particular enthusiasm for the uninteresting. The socks I wear have pictures, patterns, and sometimes puns on them. I make a point to share my funky socks with at least one person each day. My favorite pairs that I would love to highlight are: “It’s a lovely day for a Guinness,” The Beatles, Shwartz’s corn beef sandwiches, and narwhal vs. unicorn. While you, dear reader, may be confused, I can assure that those who know me personally (or even just in passing) know, all too well, what I am talking about. If you can remember any dream you’ve had where you don’t know quite what is going on but realize there is a story, that’s what my socks look like. My friends and family know me well, because they give me the most random, stupidest socks on the market.

Though it may sound ridiculous, socks bring people together and cause worlds to overlap. My cousin gifted me a pair of socks with images of various lacrosse gear because she played in high school. I don’t see her often now since she is at college, but every time I wear those socks, I think of her and I smile. I love that people think of giving socks to me because they are more than just an accessory, they hold memories. Last year for Hanukkah my best friend got me a gift that includes both of our favorite things. She got me socks that have dresses on them and have the words “these are my dressy socks” on each side. I wear those socks to every formal occasion that I can get away with. Cheesy, I know, but I have found something so simple that brings me so much joy, so why would I not exploit it? My days are just that much brighter when I wear my socks, and I believe that nobody should give something like that up.

Chalk City

bikes in the woods, nonstop riding around and doing tricks. Then, my sister runs down with a box of street chalk. “You guys! Wanna play Chalk City?” It was on. We race around the neighborhood, knocking on every door, asking anyone and everyone to join our cause. Once the gang was complete, it consisted of about 20 kids, varying from 7 to 12 years old, all heading up the road to the cul-desac. It was around 50 feet in diameter. This was the place where we would create our masterpiece. With nothing but a little box of street chalk and our imaginations, the work would begin. Everyone would scatter, claiming

Headlight Staff 2023-2024

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Ila Bumagin and Mona Gelfgatt

different sectors as their own. There would be a school here, a fire station there, a restaurant over there, we had everything. Anything you could think of, find it in Chalk City. We even had little roads for the bikes. It would take days to cover the circle. When the project was finally finished, Chalk City was open for business. We’d go and hang out in our dusty paradise, selling imaginary items, riding bikes, and eating ice cream. It was the time of our lives. But, one thing always ruined the fun.

Rain. Our mortal enemy. It took our masterpiece and washed it away like footsteps in the sand. The storm would hit, and we’d go the next day to see what remained of Chalk City. When we arrived, it was like it was never there at all. However, the best thing about Chalk City is that we would start it all again the next week, different every time.

I moved away from home around five years ago. I used to miss it more than anything, but after my years living where I do now, I’ve learned something. Chalk City is a lot like childhood. It’s the most fun time of your life, a time to dream, where anything is possible, the only limit being your imagination. The thing is, it doesn’t last forever. One day, it all washes away. The only remnants being what exists in your memory. That’s what makes it special.

There will always be another Chalk City. New things will be imagined, new dreams born and realized. New memories will come, each one different from the last. I used to think that I’d do anything to get back to the days of Chalk City. But I’ve realized I’m in a new Chalk City right now. All I have to do is live in the moment. I think the most important thing to remember is, enjoy your Chalk City while it lasts.

College Board: a “non-profit”

Kathleen Hanson

Each year, high school students across the country prepare for and take the Advanced Placement (AP) exams. These exams are administered by the College Board, a non-profit organization, and carry a weight in college admissions. However, recent observation shows that while the College Board is a non-profit, it ends the years with substantial profits.

According to data found and organized by Total Registration, the College Board has consistently generated excess revenue over the past 15 years, gathering billions of dollars in cash and investments. In 2021, their cash and investment holdings were $1.66 billion. And even though they are labeled as a non-profit, the College Board has maintained profit margins ranging from 4% to 13% annually. Many critics say that the College Board's financial practices hurt the commitment to the College Board’s stated mission. While they claim to promote educational equity, the reality shows something different. High exam fees, which reached $96 per exam in 2022, burden lowincome students. Although fee waivers are available, many still struggle to afford these costs, forcing states to provide millions of dollars to cover the fees.

Additionally, the College Board's revenue streams go further than just exam fees. They also include additional fees for late registration and data sales from student information. In 2022,

their total revenue surpassed a billion dollars, yet only a small amount of this money goes towards fee discounts for students in need. By looking at the College Board's financial reports, you can see a large amount of their profit is spent on executive salaries and gaining assets. With the CEO David Coleman's annual salary at $1.8 million and giant investments in tax havens, many wonder what their priorities actually are. Additionally, the College Board's impact on student success is questionable. While AP participation has increased, it hasn't led to greater college enrollment. Low-income students also often lack preparation resources. This leads to disproportionately high fail rates. Many think the College Board's extra money should be put to other uses. As they could benefit students by giving them financial aid and providing resources to underprivileged communities.

As the College Board continues to build wealth, the need for transparency and accountability becomes even more important. If the organization is to fulfill its stated mission of promoting educational equity, it must prioritize the needs of students over financial gains. Only then can it be a source of opportunity for learners.

ASSISTANT EDITORS: Benji Boyd, Rachael Albert TECHNOLOGY EDITOR: Kate Twomey

REPORTERS: Nathaniel Carper-Young, Grey Collins, Tucker Crane, Aislin Freedman, Kathleen Hanson, Samuel Jendrysik, Anya Kane, Nina Lees, Georgia Marshall, Charlie Seliger, Livia Weiss

FACULTY ADVISOR: Thomas Higgins Shining a light on the

Thank you for keeping the Current coming! Our non-profit newspaper provides factual, objective news coverage every week for free and helps keepthe community informed Our spring fundraisingcampaign starts next week. Please consider a tax-deductible gift as ashow of support for our non-profit model. There are many ways to give, and this year we are encouraging monthly donations to sustain us for the long term.

Look for thedonation envelopeinan upcoming edition of the Current.