DCF voids educator’s neglect finding
BY LEIGH BLANDER
The state’s Department of Children and Family Services has reversed its previous finding of neglect against a Marblehead educator who was fired after a student restraint crisis at the Glover School last year.
Initially, DCF found that the evidence supported an allegation of neglect against Ann Haskell, the former student services chair at Glover, related to a Nov. 20, 2023, restraint involving a third grader. However, on Aug. 8, the agency reversed its decision on appeal.
“There was a lack of substantial evidence to determine that [the
Delaney speaks on love, laughter and loss
Actor returns home for Counseling Center benefit
BY KRIS OLSON
By design, it wasn’t entirely a happy homecoming for comedian and actor Rob Delaney Saturday night at the Performing Arts Center at the Veterans Middle School.
“I hear sniffling out here… good!” Delaney said, using his trademark humor to break the tension.
The story about the final days of he and his wife Leah’s third child, Henry, was supposed to be sad, he explained. Henry was diagnosed with a brain tumor around his first birthday and died before turning 3. In unsparing detail, Delaney wrote about his family’s heartbreaking experience in the memoir, “A Heart That Works.”
To be sure, there were plenty of
educator] failed to provide the child with minimally adequate care,” reads DCF’s determination. Haskell, a career educator who lives in Nahant, is suing the
district, School Committee and former interim superintendent Theresa McGuinness over her firing. The district denied her unemployment benefits as well.
Reached for comment, current interim Superintendent John Robidoux said, “I am not at liberty to comment on this situation at this juncture.”
According to Haskell’s complaint filed in Essex Superior Court, she was also “exonerated” by the expert witness hired by the independent investigation firm Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting hired to look into the restraint incident. The complaint quotes the report (which is heavily redacted) saying, “The finding in this incident is that Ms. Haskell did not violate the rules and regulations of the
laughs during the “Hearts & Humor” benefit for the Marblehead Counseling Center, which featured an hour-long conversation between Delaney and WBZ-TV news anchor Lisa Hughes.
Both Delaney and Hughes donated their time so that 100% of the proceeds could support the Counseling Center’s work.
Those laughs started early, as Delaney bemoaned his decision not to do a soundcheck before the doors
BY WILL DOWD
opened and thus got his first look in a long time from a stage on which he once performed as a Marblehead High School thespian.
He was taken aback by the murals at the back of the auditorium, new since his last visit. The seats — and the smells while waiting in the wings just off stage — were far more familiar, Delaney quipped.
Delaney has gone on to appear on the big screen in a number of major
On a sunny morning at the Lead Mills property, a former industrial site turned conservation area, volunteers Mary Krull and Patricia Hines carefully tend to a patch of wildflowers. Their work is part of a growing movement across Marblehead to create pollinatorfriendly landscapes using native plants.
“We’re slowly trying to reclaim this field,” Krull said, gesturing to the five-acre expanse around
feature films, including “Deadpool 2” and its recently released sequel, “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
When Hughes explained that their discussion would recount Delaney’s mental health journey, Delaney was quick to offer a disclaimer.
“I don’t know anything about mental health,” he said, adding, “I have it. I
her. “We’re taking it now piece by piece to try to get rid of all the invasives, meaning things that are not from around here and are taking over, and replace them with native pollinators, native to Massachusetts.”
This effort at Lead Mills is just one example to support local ecosystems and the crucial pollinators they sustain, they said. Pollinators are organisms that help transfer pollen from one flower to another, facilitating the fertilization process essential for plant
reproduction and the production of fruits and seeds, according to MassAudobon.
From public spaces to private gardens, Marblehead is experiencing a native plant revolution, according to Susan Fitzgerald, a horticulture specialist at Marblehead Garden Center.
The movement towards pollinator-friendly landscaping has been gaining momentum in Marblehead over the past few
CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER
Department
Children and Family Services now says that the evidence
finding of neglect against a Glover School teacher fired in
incident.
MARBLEHEAD CURRENT PHOTO / KRIS OLSON
Comedian, actor and author Rob Delaney, a Marblehead native, chats onstage with WBZ-TV news anchor Lisa Hughes during a benefit for the Marblehead Counseling Center at the Veterans Middle School Aug. 10.
DELANEY, P. A6
RESTRAINT, P. A6
releases emails about antisemitism charges
BY LEIGH BLANDER
At a June 26 meeting when the School Committee approved $25,000 for an investigation into charges of antisemitism in the district, members described hearing from many concerned people. To get a better understanding of those concerns, the Current filed a public records request to view emails related to the allegations.
After two delays, the district released more than 250 pages of documents on Aug. 9. Most of the approximately 70 emails were heavily redacted.
The investigation was prompted by a June webinar hosted by the Israeli-American Civic Action Network, where Veterans School teacher Brigitte
Karns accused the Marblehead school district, teachers union and some high school language teachers of antisemitism. Karns said Spanish teacher Candice Sliney tore the Israeli flag off the cafeteria wall and tossed it in a corner.
Sliney vehemently denies the accusations.
Despite the many redactions, some trends appear in the released emails. Many of the messages expressing concern were identical — a form email with the same text, each signed by a different person. Several of those signers appear to live outside of Marblehead.
The form email began, “I am emailing you to show my support for the Jewish teachers that have experienced antisemitic/antiIsrael incidents in the Marblehead
schools.”
It also requested that Jewish teachers and Jewish organizations be allowed to “vet the investigator and make sure that they are not biased against Jews or Israel.”
A second form email began, “It has come to my attention that (redacted), a teacher at Marblehead High,” and the rest is redacted.
In addition, some Marblehead parents emailed after hearing about Karns’ allegations, encouraging the School Committee to hire an investigator. A few urged the School Committee to use a specific definition of antisemitism.
“The task is to ensure that the outside investigator hired should be truly independent,
unbiased, without any agenda, is committed to speak to everyone involved, and have experience in investigating incidents of alleged antisemitism, defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance,” wrote one parent. Critics of the IHRA policy say it hinders legitimate criticisms of Israel.
Interim superintendent John Robidoux declined to comment on whether any groups were allowed to vet Kurger Paget before the firm was hired. He also declined to share the scope of the investigation or release the contract with Kurker Paget, which is a public document. The Current has filed a public records request for the contract. It is not clear when the investigation will conclude.
District trying to fill multiple teacher positions before school starts
BY LEIGH BLANDER
On Aug. 9, less than a month before classes start, the Marblehead Public Schools listed 37 unfilled positions, including teachers in all five schools and more than 12 special education staff.
At Marblehead High School, the district is looking for two math teachers and one math long-term substitute, as well as one Spanish teacher and a part-time French teacher.
At Veterans Middle School, there are openings for a math long-term sub, long-term counselor sub, a therapeutic tutor and part-time Spanish teacher.
At the Brown School, the district is looking to hire two second grade teachers, long-term first grade sub, pre-K special ed tutor and a math tutor long-term sub.
At Glover School, openings include one third-grade teacher, a first-grade long-term sub, one pre-K integrated long-term sub, two special education teachers, a pre-K special ed tutor and longterm math tutor.
At Village, the openings include assistant principal, two special ed teachers, math tutor, tutor longterm sub and special ed tutor.
‘Irresponsible’ Jonathan Heller, a Village
School teacher and co-president of the teachers union, said district leadership only has itself to blame for all the openings.
“Staff are leaving the district due to student and staff safety and salaries,” Heller said. “The staff that have left the district have secured jobs for the 20242025 school year in neighboring districts at salaries significantly greater than what they were earning in Marblehead.”
The union, Marblehead Education Association, is in heated contract talks with the School Committee. The two sides were
expected to meet on Aug. 13 and 20.
“The MEA has been making contract proposals that make the district competitive with other high-quality districts that are sustainable and fiscally responsible,” Heller said. “It is irresponsible for the town to underfund our schools and allow for staffing shortages.”
Interim Superintendent John Robidoux is optimistic about filling positions.
“We are making great strides in hiring staff!” he wrote in an email to the Current. “I’ve hired more than a dozen staff in the
past week alone, so I am happy to say that we are headed in a very positive direction.”
Robidoux declined to answer which positions have been filled recently.
But Heller worries that the district’s priorities are still not where they need to be.
“We clearly have big problems in Marblehead, and the MEA is committed to solving those problems,” he said. “Management is more concerned with sowing division between school workers and wasting money on law firms than they are with the needs of our students and schools.”
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Diann Slavit Baylis of Marblehead is heading to Chicago on Aug. 16 as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. She’s attended two other conventions — as an alternate delegate in 1992 and a volunteer in 2016 — but this is the first time as a fullfledged delegate.
“I’m going with a wholly different perspective as an adult and an immigration attorney with a real fervor for why Kamala Harris needs to be elected,” she said.
Slavit Baylis works for Catholic Charities, representing immigrants and refugees seeking asylum in the United States. She’s worried about former President Donald Trump’s campaign promises of a mass deportation of all undocumented immigrants.
“It’s frightening,” she said. “I see my clients every day, and I wonder what’s going to happen to them in November.”
Slavit Baylis continued, “I have an Afghan client who worked with the American government. He’s been through so much. He’s been targeted. It’s ridiculous to think
that he doesn’t belong here. I have so many Haitian clients who are in such danger if they go back.”
She also works with immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and have DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status. They may be deported if Trump is elected.
“One woman has been here all her life pretty
much,” Slavit Baylis said. “She has two kids. She owns a house cleaning business and works very hard. Her life is here, her family is here.
He (Trump) is just going to end it.”
Slavit Baylis is looking forward to attending convention workshops and caucuses on various issues each day before arriving on the convention floor at around 3 p.m. for the official program.
She’s also excited about Harris’ vice presidential pick, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.
“He’s going to present a stark contrast to JD Vance, who, like Trump denigrates women,” Slavit Baylis said.
She continued, “Walz is a strong, principled leader. He can step into the role of president if needed. JD Vance couldn’t do that.”
Slavit Baylis, who lost her campaign for the state Legislature in 2022, is one of 116 Massachusetts delegates and nine alternates heading to the Democratic National Convention. Last month, Amy Carnevale of Marblehead, who is the chair of the Massachusetts GOP, attended the Republican Convention.
COURTESY PHOTO
MPS custodians, working without a contract, are getting schools ready for students.
years, driven by environmental concerns and a growing awareness of the threats facing pollinator populations.
“We’re seeing bees disappear,” said Fitzgerald. “We used to see them everywhere. Now, you can really tell where they are — they’re going to where the native plants are.”
Native plants, which have evolved alongside local pollinators, are particularly effective at attracting and supporting these insects.
Common examples in Marblehead include asters, goldenrod and milkweed.
‘Adapting to the times’
The efforts at Lead Mills will create not only a sea of vibrant colors for people to enjoy but also an oasis of pollen and nectar for pollinators. The property will include milkweed for monarch butterflies, goldenrod for ladybugs and moths and golden Alexander for sweat bees. The variety’s bloom sustains pollinators — beetles, birds, bees and butterflies — throughout the growing season.
Hines emphasized the unique beauty of these native plantings.
“It’s not such a typical garden that you normally see, but it certainly is extraordinary,” Hines said. “It makes you more close to nature and getting back to the earth..”
The Lead Mills project, headed up by Marblehead Conservancy, is based on research by the Gegear Lab at UMass Dartmouth, focusing on supporting specific bumblebee species whose populations have declined dramatically in recent decades.
“There are some [bumblebees] that are doing very well, and their populations haven’t decreased in the last couple decades,” Krull explained.
“And then there’s a few whose populations have plummeted like, there’s 5% of what they were 20 years ago. And a lot of that is, their flowers that they depend on aren’t around.”
The Driftwood Garden Club, a local organization celebrating over 60 years of community service, has also embraced this trend. Kathy Bradford, co-chair of the club’s conservation working group, explained their efforts at the Abbot Public Library.
“We’re adapting to the times,” Bradford said. “We know that the climate is changing. So the plants in the front are going to be drought tolerant, too, and whatever new plants that go in are also going to be drought
tolerant.”
The club is planning to install perennials in the library’s courtyard this September, focusing on native species that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Bradford hopes to add educational signage to help visitors identify the plants and understand their importance.
At Devereux School, a pollinator garden serves as both a haven for insects and an outdoor classroom. Kasey Sampson, a fourth and fifthgrade teacher, uses the garden to teach students about local ecology and history.
“I teach the kids about the herbs and the history about everything,” Sampson said.
She pointed out a patch of goldenrod, explaining, “Goldenrod has medicinal properties. It helps with seasonal allergies and sinus congestion. Goldenrod was one of the herbs that the colonists used after the Boston Tea Party.”
The school’s garden, which includes milkweed, bee balm, asters and goldenrod, was initially planted by parent volunteer and Swampscott resident Suzanne Hale. It has since received certification as a monarch butterfly garden.
“The kids really love to try to find the butterfly eggs on the milkweed,” Sampson said. “That supports the monarchs’ total life cycle.”
‘We are nature’
Monarch butterflies have a special relationship with milkweed, relying on it exclusively for laying eggs and as a food source for their caterpillars. This symbiotic relationship highlights the importance of preserving native plant species. The trend towards native plantings isn’t limited to public spaces. Many homeowners are rethinking their landscaping choices, opting for pollinatorfriendly gardens over traditional lawns and ornamental plants.
“People are willing to forego
an evergreen or have a summer flowering shrub to put in pollinators and let it grow,” Fitzgerald noted. She’s observed an increasing demand for native plants at the garden center, with customers specifically asking for pollinator-friendly options.
This shift in gardening practices is not just about aesthetics. Pollinators play a crucial role in food production, as Fitzgerald explained: “Anybody who likes to eat needs pollinators. That’s how they pollinate for the growth of the fruit and or the flower on a plant.”
Indeed, pollinators are essential for the reproduction of many crops. According to Mass Audubon, animals — primarily bees — pollinate a majority of fruits and vegetables used in agriculture.
However, pollinator populations face numerous threats, including habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change.
Mass Audubon reports that populations of three bumblebee species in the eastern United States have declined by over 90% in the past 30 years.
In response to these challenges, local environmental groups are taking action.
Sustainable Marblehead, a grassroots organization promoting environmental sustainability, has been advocating for native plantings and pollinator-friendly practices.
Evans Slepian, co-chair of Sustainable Marblehead’s conservation working group, emphasized the interconnectedness of ecosystems and human well-being.
“We are nature,” Slepian said. “It’s a very closed point of view to imagine us as separate from nature or as people who are above nature in any kind of way. We are animals, and we are impacted by these things just as much as they are.”
CURRENT PHOTOS / WILL DOWD
Marblehead Garden Center employee Susan Fitzgerald talks about the growing interest in pollinator-friendly landscaping.
Marblehead resident Patricia Hines tends to wildflowers at Lead Mills Conservation Area, part of a local effort to support pollinators by planting native species.
EDItORIAL
How we might write schools’ flag policy
The Marblehead School Committee has conducted the first of three required hearings on its new draft policy on flags and banners. As far as we can see, the revised policy is an improvement on its predecessor in only one way: It would be easier to administer.
However, in more important ways, the policy under consideration is a step backward. The School Committee should abandon it and go back to the drawing board, even if that means missing Chair Jenn Schaeffner’s goal of having a policy in place for the start of the school year.
To review, the School Committee was initially considering a policy that would have allowed a limited set of flags and banners — the American, Massachusetts and Marblehead flags — to be hung as of right. It also provided a process where members of a school community could petition the School Committee to hang other flags or banners for periods of 30 days.
The revised policy eliminates the petitioning process altogether, leaving intact only the United States flag, the Massachusetts state flag, the POW/MIA flag and the town of Marblehead flag as flags that could be hung as of right. In theory, the revised policy leaves the door cracked for the hanging of Pride and Black Lives Matter flags as “government speech,” if the School Committee wanted to embrace those messages as reflecting “the mission, vision and values of the school district.” But there has been no indication that the board intends to use the new policy to make such a statement.
In addition to criticizing the summertime discussion of the policy, the Marblehead High School Democrats called the new policy “oppressive.” We agree that it is misguided in this context for the School Committee to think “less is more.” “More problematic” is more like it. We think a policy could be crafted that preserves free speech to the extent the U.S. Supreme Court has said it must be, while also avoiding the type of disruption to the school environment that the court has said can justify speech restrictions.
Whether it realizes it or not, the School Committee may be part-way there already. The new policy states that the district “shall also comply with the relevant provisions of G.L.c. 264, §8.”
That provision of state law generally prohibits displaying the flag or emblem of a foreign country outside public buildings, including schools, except when foreign dignitaries visit.
While the state law only applies outdoors, it may offer a useful concept to bring indoors as well. School districts have a fundamental duty to provide safe learning environments for their students, and banning other nations’ flags might be a constitutionally permissible way to meet that mandate.
By contrast, Pride and Black Lives Matter flags are designed to have precisely the opposite effect. They assure LGBTQ+ and Black students not just “you are safe” but “you are valued.” A policy that outlaws the communication of such messages misses the mark.
That seemed to be the prevailing sentiment earlier this year when the Pembroke School Committee voted unanimously to reject a proposed policy that would have prohibited district staff from displaying or discussing their political and social views on school properties.
Even if the Marblehead School Committee is convinced that the BLM banner specifically has become indelibly tainted by associations with antisemitism, that is no reason to categorically ban all expressions of affirmation for students of color, as the proposed policy would do. Perhaps an alternate banner could be chosen, though student voices should be given significant weight when deciding whether that is an acceptable solution.
A policy in Marblehead that would bar Pride or Black Lives Matter flags might very well also draw the district into yet another legal battle, one it might ultimately lose. There was a time when students who were “different” — whether due to their sexual orientation, gender identity or color of their skin — were made to feel more isolated at school. We would like to think most people are happy that schools today are more inclusive than they used to be. A flag and banner policy that would eliminate the option of expressing messages designed to foster inclusion would be an unfortunate backward step.
The U.S. Supreme Court has also recognized that students’ freedom of speech incorporates a right to receive information and ideas, stating, “Just as access to ideas makes it possible for citizens generally to exercise their rights of free speech and press in a meaningful manner, such access prepares students for active and effective participation in the pluralistic, often contentious society in which they will soon be adult members.”
While we can’t predict the future, a flag and banner policy as restrictive as the one the School Committee is contemplating appears likely to engender further protests, which might spawn litigation. But it does not have to be that way.
Just two years ago, in the context of a case related to a football coach who had led post-game prayers at midfield, the Supreme Court noted that tolerating speech of all kinds “is ‘part of learning how to live in a pluralistic society,’ a trait of character essential to ‘a tolerant citizenry.’”
As it reviews the best way forward with its policy on flags and banners, the School Committee might well remain mindful of schools’ responsibility in this regard and consider whether adopting such restrictive rules is the best way to prepare students to enter our “pluralistic, often contentious” world.
Where’s my $86,000?
To the editor:
Ahead of Marblehead’s May 2024 town meeting, many residents expressed reasonable concerns about the impact of constructing new housing on the value of existing homes, a potential impact of the town’s 3A zoning plan.
This is a perfectly reasonable concern. For many American families, their home is their largest repository of wealth. A policy change which puts at risk the value of one’s primary asset is worthy of close scrutiny indeed.
This week, the Marblehead Housing Coalition is pleased to release its research into the relationship between new housing construction and single-family home prices. It shows that instead of new housing causing property values to decline, the associated economic growth of well-managed development has caused faster price increases in nearby North Shore towns.
We compared Marblehead’s percentage housing increase between 2010 and 2022 with five other North Shore communities: Swampscott, Newburyport, Gloucester, Beverly and Salem. Not only did all of these towns build more housing than Marblehead, but they also saw single-family home prices rise faster on an inflationadjusted basis.
Approximately 2,670 of Marblehead’s single-family homes were purchased in 2010 or earlier. If you are one of those homeowners, the town’s lack of economic progress since that time has cost you money. If the median singlefamily home in Marblehead had increased in price at the same rate as Newburyport between 2010 and 2022, the median homeowner would be $86,000 better off. Newburyport’s relative increase in housing stock was two and a half times greater than Marblehead’s over this period.
If you are reading this, you are probably the owner of a singlefamily home in Marblehead, like me. And you are probably also concerned about the value of your home. So if someone is threatening you with plummeting property values by adopting 3A zoning, you should interrupt them to ask if they can guarantee they’re not going to cost you $86,000 over the next decade.
To learn more about 3A zoning and property prices, visit the Marblehead Housing Coalition website at marbleheadhousingcoalition.com.
Nick Ward Rolleston Road
Select Board is ‘hostile to democracy’
To the editor:
I read with dismay William Dowd’s recent characteristically partisan article featuring the new Marblehead Housing Coalition and comments from new Select Board member — and realtor - Dan Fox that the Select Board is enthusiastic about potentially convening a special town meeting to reeducate the “misinformed” majority block of voters who defeated Article 36 at the annual town meeting last May. Setting aside the potential financial motivation elephant in the room regarding town representatives who make their living selling real estate in an increasingly crowded field and a market with low inventory, the lack of respect for the democratic process that exists in this iteration of the Select Board is appalling.
We run our town by open town meeting and majority vote.
Pure democracy in action. And a majority of 33 is as valid as a majority of 333 or, for that matter of 1.
With Select Board Chair Erin Noonan espousing “the law is the law” despite the fact that 3A specifically allows towns to opt in or opt out of compliance, and with Dan Fox now picking up the “misinformation” mantle as though the majority voter block were cognitively impaired we clearly have a board that is hostile to democracy. There is no other conclusion to be drawn.
To recap, at the annual town meeting in May, I filed a motion to postpone the vote on Article 36 to a date certain (December 23). Then-School Committee Chair Sarah Fox made a display of filing a countermotion to amend that motion (which though procedurally inappropriate was allowed to be heard) to advance the vote to the date of the town meeting. That wasn’t necessary because if my motion failed, we were there to vote on Article 36. I also filed a motion to postpone indefinitely. Both motions to postpone were defeated and the vote was called on Article 36.
The vote was taken. The votes were tallied. Article 36 was defeated. The MBTA Communities Act was not adopted by Marblehead. After the main vote, a motion for reconsideration was filed and heard –—and that, too, was defeated. That event lives in infamy.
At the annual town meeting, we all heard the arguments in favor of Article 36. We all heard of the potential of loss of grant funds. We all heard of the potential of a lawsuit from the Attorney General. And the majority of Marblehead voters voted no on Article 36 in light of all that information. We were well informed when Article 36 was democratically defeated.
And, yet our Select Board wants to convene a special town meeting in an effort to disenfranchise the majority voter block.
This Board’s concept of democracy is perverse. Apparently, it will only accept the will of the voters as to the votes it deems acceptable. That is not democracy. It is something else altogether. And it is not something good. It is a breathtaking departure from democracy. It is purely undemocratic.
Far too many people who opposed Article 36 did not attend our town meeting. If the Select Board makes good on its intent to thwart democracy I hope that this outrage is enough motivation to get those people out to the special town meeting to disenfranchise the voters of Marblehead and that they will make their voices heard loud and clear.
Democracy is at stake.
John G. DiPiano Trager Road
Your vote is your voice
To the editor:
There was an era in this nation’s history when it was legal for one human to enslave another.
There was an era in this nation’s history when women had no independent existence from their fathers or husbands, who claimed dominion over all their possessions, the fruits of their labor and even their children.
There was an era in this nation’s history when industrial interests could thoughtlessly imperialize on virgin land, and pollute with impunity.
There was era in this nation’s history when the government sanctioned the genocide of native peoples….. I could go on and on, but the
point is that democracy is not a fait accompli. We fight for and reshape it constantly through our votes. Please fight for our democracy and vote up and down the ballot this November.
Judith Black Prospect St.
Government overreach drives my support for MBTA zoning
To the editor:
I am concerned about government overreach, and that is why I support the new MBTA zoning law.
For decades, governments across Massachusetts have enacted regulations to restrict what private property owners can do with their land. Supported by both the NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard) and their cousins the BANANAs (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone), these regulations have slowly strangled virtually all development.
To illustrate, imagine that you wanted to buy an aging building on Pleasant Street, fix it up, and put in retail on the first floor and a couple of apartments on the second floor. The list of approvals you might need is staggering: the Building Inspector, of course, but also the Design Review Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Conservation Commission (if the project was near any type of water), the Old & Historic Districts Commission (if the project was in old town), and the Municipal Light Commission and Water & Sewer Commission (if the project needed new utility connections.). If you needed to cut down a tree, you’d probably need approval from the Tree Warden. Of course, this is not just happening in Marblehead. Every town in the state has a similar thicket of regulations and bureaucracy. The result has been entirely predictable: a dramatic reduction in new housing supply and skyrocketing housing costs. If you were fortunate enough to buy a house decades ago, your home values have gone up (did you see the assessments last year?), but if you are a first-time home buyer, you are out of luck. You will need to look much further away from Boston and endure hours in the car commuting each day.
This state of affairs is why, in 2021, with broad bipartisan majorities, our elected representatives passed the MBTA Communities Act. It requires every local government in the MBTA area to cut a little red tape, giving power back to private property owners and giving the free market a chance to meet local housing needs. Will it solve all of our housing problems? Of course not. Note that of all the commissions in our example, this law affects only one. For some projects it might cut a month or two off the years currently required for permitting. Will it be the end of Marblehead as we know it? Of course not. Marblehead is lucky in that it is already densely built. Look at the proposed redevelopment of Broughton Road, one of the three districts in Marblehead’s MBTA zoning plan. After five years of planning, permitting, demolition and new construction, the proposal calls for an increase from 62 to 97 homes. So no, MBTA zoning is neither panacea nor armageddon, but I support it anyway, and I hope other Marbleheaders will, too. It’s one small step towards restoring the rights of private property owners — and restoring a bit of balance to our housing market.
Rick
All I really needed to know (as
a grade school parent) I learned in Fran Sheridan’s kindergarten class
BY THERESA FINN DEVER
Three of my five children were blessed to have Fran Sheridan as their kindergarten teacher at the Glover School. For me, a relatively new mother in 2002, Mrs. Sheridan was my introduction to the Marblehead Public Schools and, in many ways, taught me all I really needed to know to be a successful grade school parent.
Like most parents, my oldest child’s first day of kindergarten was a significant milestone. Of course, after Margaret, my husband Joe and I would have several more first days of kindergarten with Margaret’s younger siblings Joseph, Eleanor and future siblings Patrick and John all to follow. However, Margaret was our first. On that day nearly 23 years ago, Fran invited all the new kindergarten parents into her classroom to look around with their children. The excitement and apprehension of the students and their parents was palpable, but we were all grateful for the opportunity to be there. Then, after a few minutes, Fran unexpectedly and abruptly told all the parents to “go away.”
She told us, “We will be fine,” but what she really meant was, “YOU parents will be fine.”
After that memorable start, Fran continued to show us parents what was truly important to our children’s education. Not all of us understood her methods right away. Early on, Fran explained to us, “The children and I are going to walk around the neighborhood so that we can see that we live in a community. We are all connected. Don’t forget to wave to us if you see us walking around town.” In true Marblehead fashion, some of us fretted about whether our houses would pale in comparison to those of our children’s classmates, but Fran knew what she was doing. The houses did not matter, the fact that we all lived near to each other and that our children were part of a neighborhood was what was important. Fran taught us parents that love and appreciation of our community is important.
Fran taught us that learning should be fun for our children. Fran loved sharing the geography and history of Marblehead with her students. Whether exploring tide pools or taking a boat ride in Marblehead Harbor, or visiting historic sites, Fran valued experiential learning. She loved poetry and the performing arts where students could take the stage and recite poems or sing songs about whatever it was they were learning at the moment. Most importantly, she taught us to be patient with our children. At school open houses, we as nervous parents were often overly-concerned about our children’s reading levels. We desperately hoped our children were “on track.” Fran always quickly reassured us, “These children learned to crawl at their own pace. They will all learn to read at their own pace. Give them time.” Fran, per usual, was right.
Fran was also schooled in the variety of mishaps that happen in kindergarten. After I rushed to the school in a panic one day when the school nurse called me to tell me my daughter had stuck a toy plastic ring in her ear, Fran nonchalantly calmed me by stating, “It happens; she’ll be fine.” She comforted my daughter and made her feel
like sticking a piece of jewelry inside your ear was as normal as sticking it on your earlobe. And she was right; it was fine.
Fran’s compassion was not reserved for individual students. She kept a kindness jar in the classroom to reward the children when they were kind to each other. Fran started an initiative called “Operation Kindness” when the father of one of my daughter’s classmates deployed to the Persian Gulf. Fran made t-shirts for the whole class and engaged the parents in efforts to support the family during a difficult time. Mrs. Sheridan also taught us the importance of parties, whether
it was celebrating the return of a soldier or a tailgate party for the Red Sox first World Series victory since 1912 or the beginning of the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, Fran was always eager to share her excitement with her students. She let the kids and parents dress up, sing songs and she urged us all to “believe.”
She was determined to get the parents involved in the school knowing that this would bring us as parents (and thus our kids) closer together. Most of these parents and kids would be together for the next 13 years as our children advanced all the way through high school. Fran
also coached us parents to be advocates for the schools. She pulled us aside at drop off or pickup and told us, “You need to go to the School Committee meeting. You should push for the resources we need.” And later, it was beyond obvious that we needed a new school, and Fran helped us fight for and win the new Glover School.
As great as all this was, what I most enjoyed about Fran was observing her daily witty repartee with her classroom aide Nancy Breed. The kids loved the faux formality between Fran and Nancy. Through humor, Fran and Nancy helped the parents see and appreciate our children
for who they were at that most
Fran taught us that learning should be fun for our children. Fran loved sharing the geography and history of Marblehead with her students. She loved poetry and the performing arts where students could take the stage and recite poems or sing songs about whatever it was they were learning at the moment. Most importantly, she taught us to be patient with our children.
special and fleeting moment as a kindergartner.
One day, Fran turned and said in front of me and my daughter, “Mrs. Breed, what do we call that one over there,” pointing to my daughter. Mrs. Breed replied, “Mrs. Sheridan, we call her Peaches cause, she’s a peach.” Both my daughter and I beamed. Mrs. Sheridan, you were a peach. All Marblehead school parents should heed the lessons we parents learned from you in our children’s class: we should instill in our children the importance of community; we should understand that education should be engaging and interesting so that our children become life-long learners; we should remember that all children are different and learn at their own pace and in their own way; we need to be good stewards for our schools and advocate for necessary resources; we should always be kind; and we should always appreciate our children and see them for what they are. Peaches all. (After a life well-lived, Fran Sheridan passed away on July 20.)
Beloved Marblehead teacher Frances Sheridan passed away in July.
A Halloween photo from Fran Sheridan’s kindergarten class in 2006 at the Glover School. Sheridan is to the left of Dracula and assistant teacher Nancy Breed is to the right.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Fran Sheridan’s kindergarten class in 2006 sitting in front of the Dever family house at 6 Tufts St., during a neighborhood walk.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Fran Sheridan’s kindergarten class supported a student whose dad was deployed to the Persian Gulf.
Town celebrates Purple Heart veterans
BY WILL DOWD
Marblehead celebrated its designation as a Purple Heart Community on Aug. 7, honoring local veterans who have received the prestigious military decoration. The Council on Aging hosted a Purple Heart Day luncheon at the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center, bringing together veterans, their families and community leaders to commemorate the occasion.
The celebration came on the heels of a June 26 unanimous vote by the Select Board to designate the town as a Purple Heart Community. This decision made Marblehead part of the National Purple Heart Trail, a symbolic system of roads, highways, bridges and monuments that pay tribute to Purple Heart recipients.
State Rep. Jenny Armini also attended the event, expressing her pride in Marblehead’s new designation.
“Marblehead should absolutely be a stop on the Purple Heart Trail. For starters, we are home to General Washington’s favorite regiment, and this honor was created by him,” Armini said.
Among the honored veterans was Harry Christensen, a U.S. Marine Corps tank commander who received the Purple Heart during his service in Vietnam. Christensen shared his story, recounting the ambushes and battles that led to his injuries.
enemy action while serving in the U.S. military.
Collins explained the significance of the designation, stating, “The Purple Heart designation puts Marblehead on the map of cities and towns throughout America that demonstrate to all who use our road system that others have paid a high price for their freedom to travel and live in a free society.”
As part of the recognition, signs have been placed at four roadway entries into Marblehead, alerting travelers of the town’s new status.
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer spoke briefly, congratulating Collins on her work. He emphasized the importance of such recognitions in inspiring others to strive for excellence and sacrifice.
“The military has a tradition of identifying artifacts, such as medals, plaques and other forms of recognition not only to reward high achievers or those who performed great sacrifices, but also to inspire others to strive to reach those highest standards of excellence and sacrifice,” Kezer said.
Armini highlighted the egalitarian nature of the Purple Heart, noting its importance in recognizing ordinary soldiers rather than just commanders or aristocrats.
“Today, this egalitarian legacy lives on in Marblehead. We are home to Purple Heart recipients whose examples of valor and military merit remind us of the true price of freedom,” Armini added.
“It must have been 12 different wounds, bullet wounds and shrapnel wounds,” Christensen said of his injuries, referring to the day his tank was shot out from under him during the first battle of the Tet Offensive. On that day, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched a coordinated attack on South Vietnam, inflicting heavy losses on U.S. and South Vietnamese forces before being repelled.
Restraint
Marblehead Public Schools knowingly or with reason to know.”
According to the complaint, the report continues, “No disciplinary action should be taken against Ms. Haskell.”
“I’m going to use this (DCF ruling) to bolster the allegations of bad faith by MPS,” Haskell’s attorney Neil Rossman of
Delaney
use it.” But he was no expert, Delaney insisted.
Hughes first delved into Delaney’s battle with alcoholism, which he described as “pretty garden variety.” “Which is to say, when I drank it, I was like, ‘Oh, this feels much better than when I’m not drinking alcohol.’”
Delaney had his first drink at age 12. By age 25, he had crashed his car into a building in Los Angeles.
When a police officer showed up at his bedside at the hospital, the first question he asked was whether anyone else had been hurt in the accident. When he was told “no,” Delaney said he let out a big sigh.
“I was like, ‘Alright, I can work with that,’” Delaney said. “And [the police] were like, ‘Alright, let’s go to jail.’”
Delaney has been sober for 22 years, and he again characterized his journey to sobriety as unremarkable, involving a standard 12-step program and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Delaney healed from the injuries he had suffered and sufficiently repaired his life to once again be employable. But
He noted the importance of the town’s new Purple Heart designation. “It’s nice to have the town recognize us, not just me, but the others that were wounded in combat,” he said.
Teresa Collins, who spearheaded the initiative to
Peabody told the Current. “It’s evidence of their incompetence and bias.”
In addition to Haskell, three other Glover educators were placed on paid leave and eventually let go, according to Rossman. Two were allowed to stay through the end of the school year in return for resigning, and a third was fired.
Rossman points out that Haskell’s four superiors — then student services leaders Paula
he soon found himself dealing with depression, which is not uncommon among people in recovery, he would learn.
There were “real physical components” to his depression, Delaney explained. There were waves of pain.
“I’d wake up and go brush my teeth, and as soon as the toothbrush touched my tongue, I would puke,” he said.
At first, Delaney said he resisted medication because he felt like he was doing the “right stuff”: abstaining from drinking, exercising, working and volunteering in the community.
But he eventually relented and is glad he did.
“It wasn’t magic, but gradually I began to feel better, and I began to feel the emotions rather than just the throbbing pain and depression,” he said.
Delaney recounted how he and his family came to settle in London, thanks initially to his manager, who was the head of the tiny American satellite office of a large British talent agency.
After performing stand-up comedy for a while, Delaney was asked to write a pilot episode of the TV show that became the critically acclaimed “Catastrophe,” which Delaney co-created with co-star Sharon
recognize Marblehead as a Purple Heart Community, was acknowledged for her efforts.
The Purple Heart, established by Gen. George Washington in 1782, is one of the oldest and most recognized American military medals. It is awarded to service members who have been wounded or killed as a result of
Donnelly and Emily Dean, then-Principal Hope Doran and McGuinness — all stepped down or announced their decision to do so in the months after the incident.
“None of those four wanted to stand the public scrutiny of their indifference and their incompetence,” Rossman said. “They shut the door, turned the lights off and left these four well-meaning faculty members holding the bag for this.” McGuinness instituted
Horgan.
At the time, Delaney’s wife was teaching middle school English at Culver City Middle School in Los Angeles and took a leave of absence.
Delaney said he told Leah, “We’ll go there for six months, they will immediately cancel the show, and then we’ll come back.”
That was 10 years ago.
But Delaney laughs that many assume that the family “fell in love” with London and could not bring themselves to return to the United States. As he made clear, Delaney does not think much of what passes for “nature” in London, including a lack of animals that can kill you.
“You should be afraid of nature when you walk out of your house,” he joked.
He and his family would much rather be frolicking in the waves of Devereux or one of the North Shore’s other beaches, he explained.
The packed auditorium fell silent as Delaney recounted his son Henry’s diagnosis at the age of 1, which resulted from a wise older doctor realizing that Henry’s effortless vomiting could be the result of pressure from a brain tumor.
Surgery left Henry unable to speak, but he was a quick study
The event also served as an opportunity to honor local Purple Heart recipients and share their stories. Collins recounted several examples, including that of late James Edward Coppola, who received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
“I hope that those of you who wear the Purple Heart with pride know with absolute certainty that you have contributed to the future safety of our Nation and to the peace of our world,” Collins said, addressing the veterans in attendance.
retraining and other changes based on recommendations in CIC’s 54-page report.
The CIC report described the Nov. 20 restraint when staff used a blue mat to contain the student and prevent him from hurting himself or anyone else or smashing into a glass case.
Staff also used what’s called a “reverse transport,” where two people place their hands under the student’s arms and walk him backwards. The student’s family is suing the district claiming that
with sign language, so quick that the rest of the family struggled to keep pace.
Henry would spend 14 months in the hospital, but his brothers were never far.
“One thing that we did do well was we really kept the family together,” Delaney said.
There are hundreds of photos of all three boys in the hospital learning sign language on the television or playing.
Henry had to be fed through a tube, and even his younger brother learned how to administer a feeding — with supervision, Delaney assured.
Delaney described “A Heart That Works” as “merely an addition to the canon” of people writing about people that they love and had lost.
“I’m not the first person to write a book about a child that died, but it’s one little tile in the mosaic,” he said.
One of the best parts of writing the book is that he was creating a testament that he will be able to point to when Henry’s brothers are old enough to appreciate it and say, “Look what you did.”
Henry died on his father’s birthday, which Delaney explained was actually something of a blessing. A few
Collins noted that the research for the Marblehead Wreaths Across America mission led to this proclamation. “In identifying veterans laid to rest here in town, we came across numerous memorable stories of heroism where Purple Hearts had been awarded to veterans laid to rest here,” she explained. The event not only celebrated Marblehead’s new status but also served as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by local veterans. As Collins put it, “You serve as a reminder that every American can do something remarkable and make a difference. You remind us all that even if you take a hit and endure great loss, you can still be a strong and resilient person with confidence and purpose.”
employees at Glover “brutally and impermissibly restrained (the student) on numerous occasions,” including one that led to him being rushed to the hospital, according to the complaint.
Rossman said the fault lies with MPS leadership.
“I’m not saying he’s a bad child,” he said of the student. “I’m saying he’s a child who should never have been placed in a traditional classroom without support, without an IEP.”
days later, and it would have been his older brother’s birthday instead.
Delaney shared a bit about the poignant ritual the family uses to mark the anniversary of Henry’s death and also described the invaluable support he has gotten from a weekly swimming group with mothers who had also lost children.
He also said he gained a newfound appreciation for his own work.
“I used to think what I do for a living is kind of embarrassing, and now I’m like, no, it’s actually really important, or rather, it’s not any less important,” Delaney said.
Just as he might need the bus driver to get around the city, that bus driver also needs a silly show to unwind once he gets home.
“The bus driver and the clown are friends,” he said.
To the extent that Delaney felt comfortable with offering words of advice for dealing with tragedy and sadness, he said, “You don’t want to do this alone.”
Delaney said he has found that talking to other people “can be quite magical.”
“People are generally good, and they want to help,” he said.
COURTESY PHOTOS / TERESA COLLINS
Harry Christensen sits with his family at a table in the Jacobi Community Center during the Purple Heart ceremony on Aug. 7. The event honored local veterans and celebrated Marblehead’s designation as a Purple Heart Community.
State Rep. Jenny Armini addresses the crowd during the Purple Heart ceremony at the Jacobi Community Center on Aug. 7, as Marblehead celebrates its designation as a Purple Heart Community.
From P. A1
From P. A1
Killam Foundation awards record-setting number of scholarships to MHS graduates
BY WILL DOWD
In a landmark year, the Oliver P. Killam Foundation has awarded its largest-ever scholarship sum to Marblehead High School graduates, distributing $524,000 among 21 seniors. This significant milestone brings the foundation’s total commitment to nearly $6 million since 2007, fulfilling the vision of its namesake, Oliver P. Killam, who couldn’t afford college as a young man.
Killam settled in Marblehead after he grew up in Boxford. He was a restaurateur, built furniture for schools and businesses, and bought a property with three houses known as “the hill” in Marblehead, where the present-day Mariner is located. His investments in the stock market did well, and when he died at the age of 93, he left a fortune through his private foundation to fund scholarships for Marblehead High students.
The foundation celebrated the new scholarship winners with a luncheon at the recently renovated Abbot Public
Library. The venue choice was particularly fitting, as the foundation allocates 20% of its funds to support the library.
“Many people look at Marblehead as a place of great affluence. But there are absolutely families striving to make ends meet, working hard so their kids can follow their dreams,” said Marblehead High School graduate Amy Saltzman, a foundation trustee. “We aim to help those families.”
The impact of these scholarships on the recipients is profound. For many, it makes the difference between attending their preferred schools rather than less expensive options.
Jack Pelliciotti, who plans to attend UMass Amherst, expressed his gratitude: “It will really help me in getting my education, getting a leg up financially because in the modern economy, with the modern state of it at the moment, having enough money to make college viable is a more increasing problem.”
Pelliciotti, who played in the MHS band and founded a Star Trek club there, sees the scholarship as an opportunity to explore diverse viewpoints at
college.
“What I’m most excited for is sort of meeting so many people with more varied viewpoints, and sort of being able to engage in a very dynamic setting, socially and politically and culturally,” he said.
METCO student Trinity Hobson, a former MHS cheerleader who interned at Mass General Brigham, plans to study nursing at Norfolk State University in Virginia. She said without the Killam scholarship, she would have gone into debt paying for college.
“It raised the bar for me,” she added.
Shakayla Baxter, a METCO student who graduated in May and will attend UMass Lowell, is also an aspiring nurse.
“With this money, I could stay on campus. Without it, I’m not really good with time management, although I would have to commute to school, which I’m tired of doing.”
Baxter, who took advantage of after-school anatomy and infectious disease classes, was inspired to pursue nursing after observing healthcare disparities in her community.
The scholarship selection
process is rigorous and comprehensive. Trustees and committee members review hundreds of pages of applications, considering financial need as the primary factor. They also evaluate students’ academic performance, extracurricular involvement and personal character.
The foundation continuously refine their processes, seeking ways to reach more students and have a bigger impact.
“We’re also constantly tweaking how we function as a trust. What can we do better? How can we reach more students and have a bigger impact? What would Oliver want?” Saltzman added.
For Amy Saltzman’s mother, Cheri Saltzman, another trustee and Marblehead High alumna, the work is deeply personal.
“I am also a graduate of MHS who depended on scholarships to fund my undergraduate education,” she said.
As the students prepare for their college journeys, the foundation hopes they’ll make the most of this new chapter.
“Just to enjoy this exciting next chapter and to take the time to discover themselves
Isaias Aguasvivas
AbdulWahhab Aljanabi » Max Arbo » Shakayla Baxter » Anais Disla Soto
» Clara Donovan
» Wyatt Foley
» Christiaan Francoeur
» Laura Garcia Tiburcio
» Alyssa Gentile
» Trinity Hobson
» Braiden Kilroy
» Jasmina Kurtovic
» Meg Maguire
» Angelina Nguyen
» Christian Pacheco
» Jack Pelliciotti
» Madeline Reddy
» Emiyah Setalsingh
» Annabelle Smith
» Katherine Twomey
-- who they want to be, who they want to be around, what inspires them, and what they stand for,” Amy Saltzman said. “And we hope they keep us posted on their journeys. We love hearing from them.”
BY LEIGH BLANDER
Local mental health advocate Lisa Sugarman wants to take a walk with you.
Sugarman has launched the Walk-Talk Collective, inviting people to come together to walk and talk about what’s weighing on their mental health.
The group will meet Mondays at 6:30 a.m., starting Sept. 2, at the Village School track. They will walk for one hour.
Sugarman, an avid runner, knows the benefits of movement for physical health.
“Even 10 minutes of walking a day can help us maintain a healthy weight, help us de-stress, strengthen our muscles and bones and lower our risk of heart disease and stroke,” she said. “Movement also boosts our mental alertness, raises our energy levels and enhances our mood.”
And movement is proven to improve mental health.
“There’s also no disputing the value of being vulnerable and talking about what’s going on in your headspace,” Sugarman said. “Because sharing what’s really on our minds — like fears or challenges or grief or stress — can help validate those feelings, make us feel seen and heard and help make overwhelming emotions easier to process.”
Sugarman is a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project, storyteller with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and host of The Suicide Survivor Series on YouTube. She is also a Survivor of Suicide Loss Grief Group facilitator for the Samaritans.
The Walk-Talk Collective is free and open to all. For more information, contact lisasugarman@hotmail.com.
su PPORtINg
Oliver P. Killam Foundation scholarship recipients celebrate at an Abbot Public Library luncheon.
PHOTOS AND TEXT BY
KATHY LEONARDSON
The woody hydrangea shrub has had a glorious showing since the end of June this year. Weather this year has yielded a bumper crop of beauty.
Hydrangeas are a longtime garden favorite for their large, colorful flowers. Some varieties remain four feet or shorter, while others become small trees.
Changing colors as they age is another one of their characteristics that brings garden interest. Some varieties will flower through August and the flower stems can be cut, hung upside down and dried for winter arrangements.
The colors range from Delft blue to pale pink to fuchsia, thundercloud purple and all shades in between. Whites can be snow white to creamy to touched with pale pink.
The shape of clusters may be ovoid to sharp pyramidal and even flattened platters of flowers. Hydrangeas set their buds for the next year’s flowers in the fall, requiring sufficient rainfall and a mild winter for maximum display. The colors are affected by the acidity of the soil. New England is a favored environment for hydrangeas and an annual hydrangea festival is held on Cape Cod in July.
These are photos of hydrangeas seen on
Sports
Corinthian brings vintage, modern together
BY LAURIE FULLERTON
Forty-one classic and vintage yachts were a graceful sight off Marblehead this past weekend, as yachts of various size and age competed over two days in five divisions in a 25th-anniversary event. Many divisions had a photo finish with close racing throughout, while participants were able to sail hard but also use a pursuit race format that causes less congestion at the start.
“The racing is fun when we start about two minutes apart, and then at the end it can be very close,” said Marblehead sailor Quin Vaillancourt.
A photo finish wasn’t quite what Vaillancourt was expecting when he found himself looking up at the massive bowsprit of the 47-foot Alden Schooner “Spirit” owned by Lars Forsberg as they crossed the finish line together in different divisions.
“It was great to be winning my division and then look up and see the bowsprit of this massive schooner bearing down on me leading another division,” he said.
Vaillancourt ultimately won in his Classic division on board his custom-built L. Francis Herreshoff design “Rozi,” which finished 11 points ahead of over “Abigail,” a 39-foot Alden schooner.
“This is the only event I race in each year, and I love it,” Vaillancourt said. “I can’t wait to come back next year.”
Marblehead’s 12-metre
“Valiant,” owned by Gary Gregory and helmed Sunday by famed sailmaker Robbie Doyle, had a special weekend of racing. Not only did it finish first in its division, but Gregory is retiring from 12-metre racing and has donated his vessel to a maritime academy for training.
“It was our last day, and we
sailed as good a race as we could. In a pursuit race format, there is much less chance of any damage to the boats,” said Doyle. “There is no reason to put these boats so close together at the start.”
In fact, even without worry of contact at the start and damage to the boats, the races are still extremely close. Valiant finished first with four points, just ahead of Jud Smith on board his Farr 44 “AFRICA” and the 12-metre “Intrepid.”
“It is lower stress at the starting line, but you still must sail fast and take advantage of every wind shift,” said Jud Smith. “In a standard pursuit race, you get a sense you can hold off your opponent and with a handicap built with elapsed time, different sizes in the same division still come out very evenly matched.”
“It is a super fun event,” added Jud Smith. “It is not one-design sailing, but it is the boat you
have.”
Bruce Dyson of Marblehead raced on board his IOD “Gypsy” and noted that for him, too, this is one of his favorite events.
“I especially love all the wooden boats here,” he said.
Dyson congratulated Gregory on so many years of bringing opportunities to sailors with his beautiful “Valiant” in the harbor all these years.
Peter Forsberg of Connecticut raced his family’s 1934 “Spirit”
in the Vintage Division, coming in fifth with 11 points. He and his team are taking part in the Classic yacht racing circuit, which is growing each year. He had raced the boat down from Boothbay Harbor Maine after completing four classic yacht regattas on the Maine coast.
“Today was a wonderful day, as our boat likes to sail slightly ‘off the wind,’ and while yesterday we had a deep finish with the upwind legs, today was much better,” Forsberg said. “We love sailing here, and I love the pursuit race style. It is fun and different, and with the boats being so different we have to really focus on racing our own boat well.”
Race committee and Corinthian Yacht Club member Tony Charmay felt the format of the regatta was great for the sailors because, as the boats are so different in speed, a good start is not quite as critical as it is in one-design racing.
“I am a vintage sailor and appreciate the classic wooden boats and can say that this is one of my favorite events that I look forward to each year,” said Charmay. “The race organizers deserve a lot of credit for the work they do behind the scenes.”
Race organizer Tim Dittrich of the Corinthian Yacht Club was able to helm the beautiful New York 32 “Siren” owned by Peter Cassidy, which placed sixth in the Vintage Class.
“It is a very special feeling to feel yourself gliding along with the wind in a vintage boat,” Dittrich said. “We had great breeze and a great event.”
Junior Mariners bring home the 2024 state title
BY JOE MCCONNELL
The Marblehead/Swampscott American Legion Post 57 junior division Mariners (20-2) won all five games in the state tournament at Middleboro to propel them to the regional tournament that began last weekend in Bangor, Maine after press deadline. It was the team’s fourth straight year in the state tournament. Last year, they won two games in the states, only to lose to Lowell, the eventual state and regional champions. They have obviously gotten much better in just one year.
The Mariners defeated Sandwich Post 188 in this year’s state tournament opener, 15-7 on Aug. 3. This game was over pretty much right away, when the Mariners exploded for eight runs in the very first inning, which also erased Sandwich’s brief 2-0 lead in the top half of the opening stanza.
Caden Ross and Cooper Correnti drew walks with the bases loaded to account for two of the runs. Chase Groothuis then singled in two more, followed by a two-run double by Nate Lee. Adam Sparacio knocked in the final two runs of
the frame with a single. Post 57 added to the lead in the second with four more runs. Groothuis came up with a run-producing single to begin another uprising. Eighth-grader Beau Olivieri then knocked in two more with a double.
Nick Berube drove in the fourth run of the frame on a
fielder’s choice to extend the lead to 12-2. They added another
one in the third on a sacrifice fly.
Pitcher David Palmer gave up six hits and two runs (none earned) over three innings, while striking out three and walking none. Connor Chiarello threw the next 1.1-innings that resulted in no runs. He allowed just one hit and one walk to go along with one strikeout.
The offense strung together 13 hits. Ross, Chiarello, Lee and
Groothuis each collected two hits to lead the way.
“Lee and Groothuis were tough to handle going back-toback in our lineup,” said coach Steve Correnti.
“They each drove in three runs, and also had a strong eye at the plate to register a combined seven walks.”
Correnti and Berube added to the free passes with two apiece.
» Mariners’ run ends with loss in Regionals, Page 10
Berube also stole three bases. The team as a whole swiped six bases. The Marblehead defense pulled off one double play.
After defeating Middleboro, the next night in a pitchers’ duel, 3-2, the Mariners topped West Springfield Post 207, 6-5 on Aug. 5 to complete pool play undefeated at 3-0.
Zach Alex started the game on the hill versus Middleboro, recording 15 outs. He scattered just two hits to help secure the triumph, while whiffing four and walking none. Chiarello and Collins followed him to the mound, with Collins picking up the save.
Added Dittrich, “It is a lot of work behind the scenes and planning starts in December. Our hope is that everyone who came had a fantastic time and will spread the word and come back again next year.” YELLOW
The Mariners scored the first runs of the game on a Lee tworun double. Ross, Collins and Groothuis each contributed two hits to the winning cause. In the West Springfield game, the western Massachusetts city got on the scoreboard first in the third inning with three runs, but the Mariners flipped the
COURTESY PHOTO
The Marblehead/Swampscott American Legion Post 57 junior baseball team poses with the 2024 state championship banner after going 5-0 in the tournament. The Mariners are now in Maine hoping to bring home the regional title. They are, from left, back row, manager Steve Correnti, Owen Coyne, Timmy Hamilton, Chase Groothuis, Nate Lee, Adam Sparacio, Zach Alex and assistant coach Bill Bufalino. Front row, Nick Berube, Caden Ross, Michael Collins, Jesse Swarts, Connor Chiarello, Cooper Correnti, Beau Olivieri and David Palmer.
25 tH ANNIVERs ARY
COURTESY PHOTOS/BRUCE DURKEE
The custom yawl “Black Watch,” owned by Kyle Dufur, competes in the Corinthian Classic. The vessel finished second in its class.
The Corinthian Classic brought 41 classic and vintage yachts to Marblehead Harbor this weekend.
Meet Marblehead’s young Olympians
Local WindWard Track & Field athletes medal at USATF Junior Olympics
You
don’t have to leave Marblehead to get into the Olympic spirit this month. The Current reported on a local neighborhood that holds its own version of Olympic games and a former Pleon sailor who won a bronze medal in France.
Now, we want to tell you about WindWard Track & Field athletes who qualified for the regional and national USA Track & Field Junior Olympic Championships in New York City and at Texas A&M University.
WindWard is a track-and-field club based in Marblehead.
Maeve Korgie, 12, medaled
eighth in the 800-meter race against the top 50 runners from across the United States
at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championship at Texas A&M University. That’s
after placing second in the 800meter race in the regionals in New York.
Other WindWard athletes competing in New York include: Claire McClure, 8, women’s mini javelin; Wren Firestone, 8, men’s long jump; Nathan Megenedy, 11, men’s 400-meter and aero javelin; Madeline Risoldi, 12, women’s shot put; and Dylan Boland, 12, men’s 3,000 meter.
Megenedy finished 11th in the 400m event with a personal record of 1:13 and 14th in aero javelin, throwing 9.01 meters. Risoldi competed in shot put, posting a personal record throw
of 5.63 meters for a 10th place finish.
“It’s inspiring to see these young athletes on the track through the spring — rain or shine — enjoying the sport and connecting with new and old friends,” said WindWard Track & Field Coach Jason Matulewicz. “They train hard while having fun, and it’s rewarding to see them compete at the regional and national USATF Junior Olympic level.”
WindWard will be back in the fall with its 2024 cross country season. For more information, visit windwardtf.com.
Youth team experiences its ‘field of dreams’
BY JOE MCCONNELL
The Marblehead Youth Baseball 12-year-old allstar team took off for Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, to participate in the annual Field of Dreams Tournament against their peers nationwide recently.
The team was made up of Hudson Allen, Hugh Whitten, Liam Callahan, Nico Aponte-Rios, Charlie Reardon, Dylan Soule, Jamison Gallo, Cormac Sullivan, Steele Irons, Ryan Rhodes, Raffi Ventura and Luke McCain. John Reardon, who coached the 14-year-old all-stars, also guided this group in Cooperstown, along with Tim Sullivan and Tyson Whitten.
The Marblehead boys began its Cooperstown experience against a very good Merrimack Valley Prospects team, and they took their worthy opponents down, 11-5. Sullivan, who pitched 4.1 innings, secured the win on the mound.
McCain powered the offensive attack with a grand slam.
Callahan, Nico Aponte-Rios, Charlie Reardon, Dylan Soule and Jamison Gallo; second row, Cormac Sullivan, Steele Irons, Ryan Rhodes, Raffi Ventura and Luke McCain.
take the lead for good.”
local nine, 12-3. “The Sting was a good team that ended up finishing in the top 16 at the conclusion of this tournament,” said Reardon.
This was the final game of pool play. Marblehead finished 2-3 and was ranked 66th out of 104 teams. It was then onto the playoffs.
The team’s first playoff game was against New York’s Smash it Sports. Marblehead was able to win a close game, 7-6.
“We got great pitching efforts from Callahan, Sullivan and Rhodes, which helped us get the victory,” said Reardon. “Our offense was led by Ventury and Allen. They each had multiple hits.”
New York’s East Fishkill Patriots then took down Marblehead, 6-2, to end its playoff run.
Sullivan finishes among home run derby leaders
Marblehead also enjoyed some individual Cooperstown honors, when Cormac Sullivan finished second out of 104 youngsters in the home run derby contest. 14-year-olds fall just short of Babe Ruth finals
The team’s second game was against a national team called ZT CV and was summarily shut down, 12-0. They then lost the third game of the tournament against the Peninsula Rays out of California, 19-9.
Irons, Soule and Rhodes all had multiple hits and RBI to help keep the game close for a while.
“It was a good game,” said Reardon. “We went back and forth with them until they put up five runs in the fifth inning on us to
After 19 straight wins, Post 57 Junior Mariners drop regional final
BY JOE MCCONNELL
It didn’t matter if the Marblehead / Swampscott American Legion Post 57 Junior Mariners (22-3) were playing on North Shore diamonds, in Middleboro for the state title or in Bangor, Maine with a regional championship on the line, they just kept on winning games until the very end. The Mariners won the first two games of the regionals this past weekend, but their summer came to an end in the finals Sunday night against Berlin, New Hampshire Post 36, 4-0, at Mansfield Stadium. It was the team’s second game that day.
Marblehead bounced back against Long Island’s Baseball U, 14-8, to even its record at 2-2. Reardon
Prior to that loss, the team had defeated the Winfield Post 1058 Utica, New York Blue Sox, 6-1, in a semifinal game.
They opened the Bangor experience with a deceptively high-scoring triumph over Maine’s Trenton Acadians on Saturday, 17-7.
“It was a challenging back-andforth game against the Trenton Acadians,” said coach Steve Correnti.
The game was tied at 7-7 going into the bottom of the fifth, when Michael Collins singled in what turned out to be the gamewinning run.
“The rest of the offense just took it from there to turn a close game into a rout,” Correnti said.
Collins had two other singles in the game to help pace the offensive attack. Nick Berube also had three hits. As a team, the Mariners were credited with 15 hits, and they also had 10 walks, led by Connor Chiarello and Nate Lee with two each. The
started the game on the hill and gave up three runs over four innings.
“We had multiple homeruns in this game, led by McCain, Sullivan and Rhodes,” said Reardon.
Pennsylvania’s Sting Elite then defeated the
Mariners also stole six bases.
Trenton scored two in the opening stanza to take the early lead, but the Mariners quickly tied up the game in the home half. Collins singled in one run, and they scored the second run as a result of a wild pitch.
Eighth-grader Beau Olivieri walked with the bases loaded in the second to break the tie. Trenton, however, regained the lead in the third with two more runs. But Post 57 tied it again when they came to the plate.
The Acadians netted two in the fourth to break another stalemate. The seesaw script continued in the bottom half of that inning, when Caden Ross doubled in a run, followed by a run-producing single from Cooper Correnti. The game was now tied 6-6 after four. The Acadians wasted little time to go ahead again on a passed ball in the next frame.
But the game flipped in the home half of the fifth. The
“It was a hard-fought game,” said Reardon. “We jumped out to an early lead when Dylan Soule hit a solo homerun on the very first pitch of the game. But the Patriots clawed their way back and also ended up scoring a couple of runs as a result of some aggressive baserunning, which turned out to be the difference in the game.”
Mariners scored five times on three hits to take a 11-7 lead. Chase Groothuis provided some of those fireworks with a tworun triple. They added six more for good measure in the sixth to seal the deal. Berube tripled in a run. Collins singled in his third run of the game. Nate Lee and Zach Alex followed suit with RBI singles.
Alex started the game on the hill, yielding seven hits and six runs (three earned) over four innings. He fanned two and walked none. Lee took over the pitching chores to come up with the win.
In the semifinal game against Utica the next day, the Mariners cruised to a relatively easy win compared to Saturday’s donnybrook. Correnti walked to leadoff the first and scored on a fielder’s choice off that bat of Groothuis. Lee singled home the team’s second run of the game. They tacked on three more in the third on singles by Lee, Chiarello
The MYB’s 14-year-old all-star team had a busy successful summer. Coach Reardon’s other team this summer came ever so close to reaching the state Babe Ruth tournament finals last month, only to lose to host Lynn heartbreakingly in the EMass state semifinals, 6-5, at the Breed Junior High School Field on July 11. They also played a complete schedule in the Lou Tompkins Summer League. Reardon has mentioned many times that he enjoyed coaching these boys because they truly love playing the game. The team was made up of Collin Allen, Cole Benedetto, Will DePhillips, Holden Ferreria, Yanzel Fuentes, Madden Lyons, James Machado, Jack Murphy, Jack O’Leary, Liam Pyne, John Reardon and Marcus Waitekus.
and David Palmer.
Palmer also pitched a complete game to earn the win. He gave up five hits and one run over seven innings, while striking out seven and walking two.
Lee, the No. 7 hitter in the lineup, knocked in two runs on two hits. The defense turned two double plays to snuff out potential rallies instantly.
But then, it was New Hampshire’s Post 36 that ended the local nine’s dreams.
Berube was the hard-luck losing pitcher. He went six innings, surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits. He fanned five and walked one. Berube and Groothuis each singled once to account for the Mariners offense.
The Junior Mariners won 19 games in a row before the regional final heartbreaker. They lost just three times all summer long, earning every accolade that came their way. It was indeed a memorable experience for Coach Correnti’s crew.
COURTESY PHOTO
The Marblehead Youth Baseball 12-year-old all-star team stands in front of the Cooperstown’s Field of Dreams logo after participating in the annual tournament against their peers nationwide recently. They are, from left, front row, Hudson Allen, Hugh Whitten, Liam
BY WILL DOWD
The Current welcomes submissions (150-200 words) to the news in brief. Send yours to wdowd@marbleheadnews.org.
Town is closer to hiring new assistant assessor after valuation mistakes
The Board of Assessors met Aug. 8 to discuss several key issues, including hiring a new assistant assessor and accelerating the town’s property revaluation process.
Board members reviewed a job description for the assistant assessor position, which was based on postings from comparable towns. The board agreed to post the job opening immediately, with a goal of maintaining candidate confidentiality during the application process. The current salary for the position is $101,340.
On July 31, the Board of Assessors unanimously voted to remove Assistant Assessor Karen D. Bertolino from her position, citing the assessment errors. Bertolino allegedly admitted to making a “major error” in land valuations for a specific neighborhood during a March 19 meeting. Prior to her termination, Bertolino had been on paid administrative leave since late March, costing taxpayers $35,493.98.
The board also discussed a proposal from Catalis Tax & CAMA to move up Marblehead’s state-mandated property revaluation from fiscal year 2026 to fiscal year 2025 in response to assessment issues that occurred last year. The proposal, which the board is asking the town to accept, would cost $62,000 — the same amount that was budgeted for the fiscal year 2026 revaluation. This would allow for a complete overhaul and review to be done in fiscal year 2025, with the price for the fiscal year 2026 revaluation being reduced accordingly.
Under the proposal, Catalis Tax & CAMA would assist with the fiscal year 2025 interim year adjustment for all real property, provide valuation consulting, and begin cleaning up the AssessPro CAMA system and data in preparation for the fiscal year 2026 certification. The municipality would be responsible for mailings and postage.
To facilitate this accelerated timeline, the board authorized
Chair John Kelley to request a $62,000 budget transfer from the Finance Committee.
Preliminary property valuations will be shared with residents this fall for review and comment before values are finalized.
The board emphasized this would not change the total tax levy and is meant to increase transparency and avoid surprises in assessed values.
The board plans to attend an upcoming meeting of the Select Board to discuss the revaluation proposal and budget transfer request.
Town offers police position
At an Aug. 1 meeting, the Select Board approved a conditional offer of employment for Gregory Arustamyan as a permanent, full-time police officer. Chief Dennis King recommended Arustamyan, a Marblehead resident and graduate of both Marblehead High School and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, citing his exemplary background and qualifications.
while fanning four and walking four.
game on its head in the home half of the fourth, when they scored six times on four hits to take a 6-3 lead. Correnti was credited with a two-run double to pace the attack during the rally.
Jesse Swartz earned the win on the mound after surrendering three hits and two runs over 2.2-innings. Swartz also whiffed two, and walked four. He relieved Groothuis, who went the first 2.1-innings, issuing just one hit and three runs (two earned),
Michael Collins eventually collected the save for Swartz after Berube pitched one inning of scoreless baseball. Berube gave up one hit to go along with two strikeouts and one walk.
Ross went 2-for-3 at the plate, and Sparacio and Correnti each drove in two runs to power the offense.
The defense completed two double plays.
The Mariners then moved on to the state semifinals against Pittsfield Post 68 on Aug. 7. They jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second on three hits, but then had to hold on for a 6-5 victory
The offer is contingent upon Arustamyan’s successful completion of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Physical Abilities Test, a comprehensive physical examination and a psychological evaluation. If all conditions are met, Arustamyan will begin his role on Sept. 9, when he starts the new police academy.
School supplies needed
Marblehead Housing Authority is hosting a school supplies donation drive for local families in need. People are encouraged to drop off donations at 26 Rowland St. through Aug.. 14.
Marblehead Museum wins book award
The Marblehead Museum has won an honorable mention at the New England Museum Association’s Publication Awards, for its book, “Marblehead Snapshots: The World of Fred Litchman.” The book was written by Jarrett Zeman, the museum’s associate director, and designed by Marbleheader Amy Drinker of Aster Designs. The book is on
after Pittsfield tied up the proceedings. Berube provided the biggest hit in the second with a three-run single. Connor Chiarello scored the eventual game-winner in the sixth on a sacrifice fly.
Palmer allowed two hits and zero runs over the last four innings of the game to secure the win. He also fanned four and walked one. Berube started on the mound, and yielded one hit and five runs (four earned) over three innings, while fanning two and walking five. He also went 1-for-2 at the plate with two RBI. Groothuis, the No. 7 hitter, showed the team’s depth by coming up with two hits
sale in the museum’s gift shop at 170 Washington St., and is also available on the museum’s website, marbleheadmuseum. org.
Volunteer opportunities
The Select Board is seeking volunteers for various town committees. Interested residents should submit a letter of interest and resume to the Select Board at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., or email wileyk@ marblehead.org. For more information, call 781-631-0000.
Available positions include the following:
Cable Television Advisory Committee — Three, oneyear terms
» Conservation Commission — One, three-year term
» Council on Aging — Two, three-year terms
Design Review Board — One, three-year term
Historical Commission — One, three-year term
» Fair Housing Committee — One, three-year alternate member term
Marblehead Cultural Council — Four, three-year terms
» Marblehead Community Access and Media Inc. — One, three-year term
Marblehead Disabilities Commission — Two, threeyear terms
» MBTA Advisory Board — One, one-year term
» Task Force Against Discrimination — Two, oneyear terms
Applicants are encouraged to attend a meeting of their chosen committee and contact the chair for more information. Committee details can be found
against Pittsfield. The team also accumulated six walks to keep the offense moving in the right direction.
The comeback effort sent the Mariners to the state championship game against Middleboro Post 64, where they won in dramatic walk-off fashion, 4-3. It was tied at three in the bottom of the seventh when Collins singled in the clinching run to secure the title.
Middleboro scored the first run of the game in the opening stanza, but the Mariners tied it in the third on a wild pitch. But Middleboro got the run right back in the fourth. Both teams
at marblehead.org.
‘Headers in the Revolutionary War
The Marblehead Museum will host Headers in the Revolutionary War on Saturday, Sept. 21, and Sunday, Sept. 22, from 11 a.m. both days. The event offers a glimpse into Revolutionary War-era Marblehead. Participants can meet historical figures, explore Fort Sewall with Glover’s Regiment, experience a loyalist service at St. Michael’s Church and participate in a recreated town meeting at the Old Town House. Other highlights include visits to the Powder House, viewing the Spirit of ‘76 painting, tours of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion and learning about the town’s Tory population.. Program books will be available at the Marblehead Museum, 170 Washington St. For more information, visit marbleheadmuseum.org.
Boat storage
Winter boat storage at Parker’s and Cliff Street Boatyards begins Sept. 16. Previous customers have priority, with new applications accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Marblehead residents receive preference.
Marblehead Trading Company will collect storage fees for the town, charging $5 per square foot based on the boat’s overall length multiplied by its beam width. This fee covers storage only.
For questions, contact Rachael at 781-631-4650 or email trucking@marbleheadtrading. com.
Free postpartum visits
The North Shore Mother Visiting Partnership is providing free, one-time home visits from public health nurses to new mothers across 13 North Shore communities, including Marblehead. The service is available to all parents within the first year after birth or adoption, regardless of age, insurance or income. Funded by local grants, the program aims to support maternal health, newborn care and provide valuable resources. Visits last approximately 90 minutes and include guidance on various aspects of postpartum care. For more information or to request a visit, interested parents can contact NS MVP at 978-7411800 ext. 42404 or visit their website at nsmnp.org.
continued to trade runs, before Collins’ heroics.
Alex pitched two innings to earn the win. He allowed three hits and one run (none earned), but also fanned two and walked just one. Chiarello picked up the save after relieving Collins to successfully close out the game. Olivieri, the team’s leadoff hitter, paced the offensive attack with two hits in four at-bats. Chiarello and Collins each drove in one run, while Swartz stole two bases.
The Junior Mariners are now in Maine, looking for another championship banner this summer after already procuring the district and state flags.
CURRENT PHOTOS / WILL DOWD
Jarrett Zeman, associate director of the Marblehead Museum, stands next to the “Marblehead Snapshots:
The World of Fred Litchman” exhibit. The museum’s new book, authored by Zeman and designed by Marbleheader Amy Drinker, recently won an honorable mention at the New England Museum Association’s Publication Awards.
From the Council on Aging to the Conservation Commission, the Select Board is seeking volunteers for various town committees.
Baseball
From P. A9
Be careful sharing personal data
BY STEPHEN BACH
In today’s digital age, safeguarding our personal information feels like an uphill battle, especially with incidents like the recent AT&T breach affecting 110 million accounts.
While the compromised data didn’t include sensitive details like Social Security numbers, the sheer volume of information collected and exposed is alarming.
BOOK s & BEAut Y
This case isn’t isolated; data breaches are rising, with over 3,200 incidents last year impacting 353 million individuals in the U.S. alone.
This reality calls for heightened vigilance.
One way to protect yourself is by questioning why companies request certain personal details.
For instance, if a retailer insists on scanning a driver’s license for a simple pickup, you can refuse, highlighting the unnecessary risk of exposing personal data.
Additionally, when dealing
with any online service, be very cautious about the information you provide. Let’s say you are signing up for some benefit or loyalty program. If you are asked
to upload sensitive documents to prove who you are, I would not do it, and would find another way to enroll. It’s clear that despite companies’ assurances, our data isn’t always secure. However, by staying vigilant and challenging unnecessary data requests, we can take small yet meaningful steps toward protecting our privacy.
And, on a final note: The Digital Docs see customers giving up personal information to online hackers and scammers at least four-to-five times each
week. Here’s our warning: If you get a telephone call, email or a pop-up on your computer or other device telling you to call “THIS” number immediately, just DON’T DO IT. Our experience is that almost 100% of the time that this happens, it’s a scam. Don’t give up information or control of your device if this happens. You’ll thank us later!. Until next time, safe computing.
Stephen Bach is the owner and chief of surgery at The Digital Docs in Marblehead.
Guild creates quilts based on popular children’s books
BY LIA GORBACH
The Seacoast Quilt Guild’s “Picture Book Quilts” exhibit is being shown at Abbott Public Library through September.
The exhibit has been on display in the Virgina A. Carten Gallery since the library’s reopening in July, featuring quilted renditions of picture books like “Where’s Waldo,” “The Hungry Hippo,” “Harold and the Purple Crayon” and other classics. A physical copy of each corresponding book is on display beside the quilts.
Most of the quilters used a machine applique and WonderUnder to apply the book cover to the surrounding fabric, and each quilter selected their book for a reason, Guild member Lyn Holian said.
“Hearing the story behind each quilt was one of the best parts,” she said.
The Guild, founded in 2010, is made up of around 25 members. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center.
At the meetings, members get to know each other, play quilting games, talk about future exhibits and event ideas and share their recent projects. Getting involved is a no-brainer for quilt enthusiasts.
Member Martha Paige shared that she is relatively new to quilting, but showed up to a meeting earlier in the year to check out the Guild. “Everybody was friendly and sharing ideas and I was like ‘I’ve found my people,’” Paige said. She is currently working on a strip and flip quilt.
Julie Corso has been working on a Parisian quilt for over three years. The quilt features different pictures of Paris, and Corso is nearing the finish line.
“I never thought I’d get to the borders, but here I am,” Corso shared with the group.
Many of the quilters are working on projects for family members and friends. Christine Fernandez has been in the Guild for five years, and the last quilt she made was for her granddaughter.
Darla Kilroy has been a member for about a year. She is working on what she calls “challenge quilts.” One is a 365-day challenge, which requires Kilroy to stitch a new pattern each day for a year.
Kimberly Grad, the library’s director, was at the Aug. 7 meeting. The Guild discussed possibly hosting quilting lessons at the library in the future.
For now, curious crafters can visit the library’s Thompson Makerspace to find two sewing machines, according to Grad.
There is also a 3-D printer, laser cutter and a podcasting studio.
“Quilters are friendly people,” Guild member Sarah Bates said. “If anyone needs it, we’re happy to give you a ride to a meeting.”
The quilts are being shown in the Carten Gallery through September.
CURRENT PHOTO / WILL DOWD
The “Picture Book Quilts” exhibit is currently on display at Abbott Public Library.
The Seacoast Quilt Guild meets at the Community Center once a month.
Marblehead’s best bets
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. Leigh Blander
Adventures in aviation with Ed the wizard
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2:30 p.m.
Kids ages 7 and up are invited to build their own glider while learning about basic aerodynamics and the forces that affect flight and flight control with Ed the Wizard. They will then test their piloting skills with loops, banks and level flight paths. Online registration is required at abbotlibrary.org/events.
Classic
car show
Thursday, Aug. 15, 5 p.m. to dusk
Back by popular demand! The VFW, 321 West Shore Drive, is hosting its second classic car show this summer. It is free and open to all.
Jazz at the Arts: Yoko Miwa
Trio
Thursday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m.
The Marblehead Arts Association and Gene Arnould present Jazz at the Arts, a concert series featuring the Yoko Miwa Trio. The trio’s 2021 release “Songs of Joy” topped national jazz radio charts. Learn more and get tickets at marbleheadarts.org.
Marblehead Museum’s Great Treasure Sale
Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 a.m.- 2p.m.
The Marblehead Museum hosts its annual Treasure Sale in the Jeremiah Lee Mansion Gardens, 161 Washington St. Check out the selection of books, small furniture, lighting, jewelry, artwork, maps, ceramics, vintage household items, clothes and accessories. To learn more about donating items to the sale, visit marbleheadmuseum.org.
Accidentally on Purpose
Saturday, Aug. 17, 7:30 p.m.
Silly Theatre Productions, Marblehead Little Theatre and Bentwater Brewery team up to bring Accidentally on Purpose Improv Comedy Troupe to MLT, 12 School St. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
“It’s been a year since we’ve had the keg-n-komedy format with complimentary beer provided by our sponsor Bentwater Brewery,” said producer/comedian Bruce Whear. “The audience will be able to participate in a joke contest with prizes to open the show.” For more info and tickets, go to mltlive.com.
Meet Delilah, the life-size inflatable whale
Wednesday, Aug. 21, 10 a.m.
Have you ever seen the inside of a whale? Sign up to visit Delilah, the life-sized inflatable North Atlantic right whale! Go inside Delilah with an educator from the Whale & Dolphin Conservancy, learn about whale anatomy and conservation, and ask questions about whale and marine health and ecology. Be sure to swim by. Register at abbotlibrary.org.
Poet’s group meetup
Sunday, Aug. 18, 3:30-5 p.m.
Marblehead Poets is a collective open to writers in any genre that meets once per month at the Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper St., to discuss writing practices, share work and provide critical feedback. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to bring copies of works in progress to share with the group. marbleheadarts.org
Feuding neighbors, road rage and pot smoking in school parking lot
BY WILL DOWD
Excerpts from the Marblehead police log July 27- Aug. 6. Consistent with state law, police have adopted a policy of not providing media outlets reports related to incidents involving domestic violence, juveniles and matters that remain under investigation.
July 27
9:46 a.m. — Officer Sean Sweeney responded to a report of fraudulent activity on Orne Street. A resident reported receiving several credit card application denials despite not applying for any new cards or lines of credit. The victim had already contacted financial institutions and credit reporting agencies to flag their account. No monetary loss was reported. Sweeney advised the resident to contact the police if any further suspicious activity occurred.
July 28
3:50 p.m. — Officer Tyler Bates took a report of alleged unemployment fraud at the police station. A resident received a letter from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance stating a claim had been filed under their name. The resident confirmed they had not filed for unemployment and had already contacted the state agency to report the fraudulent activity.
7:11 p.m. — Officers responded to a report of a road rage incident near Front Street and Fort Sewall. Officer Tyler Bates interviewed witnesses who described a vehicle swerving close to pedestrians and the driver yelling at them to use the sidewalk. Bates also spoke with the vehicle operator, who denied intentionally trying to hit anyone but admitted to telling pedestrians to use the sidewalk. No injuries were reported, and
the incident was documented.
8:18 a.m. — Officer Douglas Mills responded to a report of a dog struck by a vehicle on Atlantic Avenue near Rockaway Avenue. Witnesses stated the dog darted into traffic and was hit by a vehicle that could not avoid the collision.
The driver remained on scene and cooperated with the investigation. Animal Control transported the deceased dog to a local veterinary hospital for identification. Mills noted the road was wet due to rain at the time of the incident.
July 29
8:45 p.m. — Officer Tyler Bates took a report of a stolen wallet at the Jewish Community Center on Community Road. The victim reported placing her wallet in her backpack before work at the JCC summer camp. The wallet, containing $2 cash, a house key and a car key, was discovered missing at the end of the day. Bates completed a property loss form and advised the owner to contact police with any additional information.
10:51 p.m. — Officer Andrew DiMare conducted a property check at Marblehead High School following recent reports of vandalism. DiMare observed a suspicious vehicle parked near construction equipment. Upon approaching, the vehicle quickly attempted to leave. DiMare initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver as a 21-yearold male. The officer detected an odor of marijuana and the driver admitted to smoking on school property. The driver’s parents were called to pick him up, and he was warned about trespassing and operating under the influence.
July 30
8:11 a.m. — Officer Andrew Clark responded to Tower School on West Shore Drive for a report of illegal dumping. The school’s
buildings and grounds supervisor reported that someone had dumped a mattress, wooden chair, two carpets and a floor lamp on school property between 6 p.m. the previous evening and 8 a.m. that morning. Clark documented the incident and advised the school to contact police if similar occurrences happen in the future.
July 31
10:20 a.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo was dispatched to Devereux Beach to investigate alleged vandalism to the men’s bathroom. A Recreation and Parks employee reported damage to the bathroom stalls, which occurred sometime the previous day. Mastrangelo photographed the damage and attached the images to his report for further investigation.
11:09 a.m. — Officer Adam Mastrangelo took a phone report regarding an alleged Medicare scam. The daughter of an 86-yearold man reported that her father had received a call from someone claiming to be from the “Medicare Office.” The scammer obtained personal information. Mastrangelo advised the family that they had already taken appropriate steps by contacting Medicare and credit agencies.
Aug. 2
11:29 a.m. — Officer Nicholas Fratini responded to Village School for a report of vandalism. Four broken cafeteria windows were discovered. The reporting party stated they would review security camera footage and forward any relevant information to the police. Fratini documented the incident and forwarded the report to the Criminal Investigation Division for follow-up.
5:17 p.m. — Officer Jason McDonald took a report at the police station regarding
a hit-and-run incident. The victim reported that her parked vehicle was struck sometime after 2 p.m. near Commercial Street. McDonald observed minor damage to the front driver’s side bumper area. No witnesses had come forward, and no information was left at the scene. McDonald advised the victim to contact her insurance company.
Aug. 3
9:37 p.m. — Officer Nicholas Michaud responded to a report of a minivan driving erratically with passengers hanging out and shouting obscenities near Atlantic Ocean avenues. Michaud located and stopped the vehicle, identifying the driver as a 17-year-old male. The officer issued a verbal warning for erratic operation and operating with open rear doors. Michaud later contacted the driver’s mother to inform her of the incident and previous traffic stops involving her son.
Aug. 4
8:52 a.m. — Officer Andrew DiMare took a report of a stolen boat trailer license plate on Russell Street. The owner last saw the plate the week of July 15 and noticed it missing recently. The trailer had been parked on Pond Street near a boat repair shop. DiMare observed the trailer, noting it was in disrepair with damaged areas where a plate would typically be attached. The missing plate was entered into the National Crime Information Center database.
Aug. 5
4:27 p.m. — Officer Andrew DiMare responded to Devereux Beach parking lot for a reported alleged hit-and-run. The victim discovered significant damage to her parked vehicle upon
returning from the beach. An anonymous witness left a note identifying a black truck with signage as the vehicle responsible. DiMare located the suspect vehicle and its owner, who admitted to the incident. The suspect was cited for leaving the scene of an accident and driving with an expired registration, which was renewed on-site.
Aug. 5
10:10 a.m. — Officers Sean Sweeney and Andrew Clark were dispatched to Pleasant Street for an ongoing neighbor dispute. The conflict involved property line disagreements and allegations of harassment. Sweeney advised one party to consider obtaining a harassment prevention order if problematic behavior persists and recommended minimizing communication between the feuding neighbors. The officers documented the incident as part of the ongoing series of disputes between the parties.
Aug 6
4:03 p.m. — Officer Nicholas Michaud met with a victim of an alleged Bitcoin scam at the police station. The victim reported receiving a fraudulent text message claiming to be from Apple about suspicious account activity. After calling the provided number, the victim was persuaded to withdraw large sums of money from multiple bank locations and convert it to Bitcoin. The scammer convinced the victim this was necessary to reverse unauthorized transactions. Upon contacting the legitimate Bitcoin company, the victim learned the funds had already been transferred out of the digital wallet. Michaud documented the elaborate fraud scheme for further investigation.
Kenneth MacLean Eldridge, 79
It was a cold, blustery rainy day back in the fall of 1962 at the annual Thanksgiving Day football game against Marblehead’s arch rival Swampscott. Captain Kenneth Eldridge caught the kickoff and headed down through the blinding rain and muddy field side stepping with a stiff arm for 82 yards to score the winning touchdown as well as kick the extra point. The crowd went wild, and Marblehead won the game 7-0!
Kenneth MacLean Eldridge passed away on Monday, Aug. 5, with the skill of an athlete and the grace of a gentleman, surrounded by his adoring family.
He was captain of both the football and the hockey teams at Marblehead High School, where he also served as president of
Henry Peper III, 67
his class. Kenny went on to play football at Columbia University, marry his high school sweetheart
Carol Ann Howie and have three amazing daughters, Susan (Mark) Forker, Amy (Sean) Robertson and Sarah (Ron) Francis.
Ken was blessed with nine grandkids who always loved having fun with their “G-Dog!” Luke, Will, Olivia, Kyle, Tessa, Joshua, Ashley, Adam and Molly make up the “Magnificent Nine!”
His stellar 52-year career at Raytheon Company took him to
Henry Peper III, of Marblehead, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, on Aug. 5, at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers. Son of the late Henry Peper Jr. and Jean (Buckley) Peper, he was born on Nov. 28, 1957, in Englewood, New Jersey. Following his graduation in California, where he enjoyed surfing and began his career as a fine carpenter, he relocated with his family to Marblehead, a place he grew to love for its small-town atmosphere and its simple lifestyle. It became his permanent home and the place in which he established his business as an independent contractor. Many on the North Shore are the beneficiaries of his exquisite work with wood; he loved what he did and cherished the long-term friendships he developed with those with whom he worked. Always willing to help where he was needed, he traveled to St. Croix to help the
Birthe I. Winer, 82
Birthe Irene (Petersen) Winer, 82, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Aug. 8, 2024, after a brief illness.
She was the beloved wife of the late Robert M. Winer (Bob), with whom she shared over 33 years of marriage.
She was the loving mother of twin daughters, Britt and Elisabeth Winer of Marblehead; the dear sister of the late Per J. Petersen, Vivi Nielsen, Lis Randrup, Hanne Nielsen, the late Helle Cilleborg and Flemming Nielsen, all of Aalborg, Denmark. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Birthe was born on Dec. 31, 1941, in Aalborg, Denmark, and was the daughter of Poul M. Werner Petersen and Danine Nielsen. Birthe graduated from Falkonergårdens Gymnasium in
the corporate headquarters as the controller of administrative services and landed him two pensions, of which he was very proud.
He refereed hockey for many years and was a gifted skater. Ken was truly honored when he was inducted into the Marblehead Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
As a lifelong Marbleheader, Ken loved the ocean and boating and was captain of the Special K, the Carol Ann and the Carol Ann Too. He was also a long-time member of the Boston Yacht Club and worked many years throughout high school and college at Cloutman’s boatyard in Marblehead.
Among his many talents, he was a whiz at doing crossword puzzles, had an impressive knowledge of trivia and collected decorative knives. He was a skilled woodworker and could fix anything that broke. He was the “Captain” to those who knew him well.
When he retired from Raytheon, he started the
devastated island rebuild after Hurricane Hugo. Following a long career, Henry semi-retired in 2022.
On Sept. 24, 2011, Henry married Marguerite Frank after a four-year courtship. Together, they enjoyed a life filled with music and travel. Most recently, they enjoyed the delights of Ireland, and visited Memphis, Tennessee.
Henry was a man who loved adventure and new things; later in life he even developed a passion for cooking. Like his father and older brother, the sea was in his blood, and he could often be found on the water cruising with his family on a Gulfstar-Magic and racing on the Rhodes 19-Chili here in Marblehead.
Henry had a passion for a good game of pool and was always
Copenhagen, Denmark. Studied at the Art Academy of Copenhagen and the Accademia dell’Arte, Rome, Italy. She also studied art, English and history at Boston University and commercial art at the Butera School of Art.
Birthe came to America in 1961 with dreams of becoming a cartoon artist for Walt Disney Studios. After completing her studies in Boston and moving to Los Angeles, she became a personal assistant for Mr. Elliot and Ruth Handler of Mattel, where she was behind the creative launch of the Barbie Doll fan mail club.
After some time on the West Coast, she returned to
Captain’s Quarters Marblehead business with his wife Carol.
Together they set up a workshop/art studio creating painted folk-art designs and handcrafted wooden items.
Kenny and Carol traveled extensively as a couple, enjoying trips to England, Italy, Scotland, Norway, India, Africa, Greenland, Vienna, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Prague, Budapest, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Denmark and Dubai, and back and forth to Iceland five times.
They were proud to share their love of travel with their grandchildren, bringing their grandsons to Iceland and their granddaughters to London.
Maine was also a family favorite and they loved taking the grandkids there for summer fun.
Kenny lived by the motto “Play the hand you’re dealt with clear heart and mind.” He followed that motto faithfully making each day count.
His biggest love was his family. They were his everything and they adored him right back. His
game to take on a challenger. He loved music, favoring the Steve Miller Band, Santana, Van Morrison, James Brown, Bob Marley and AC/DC. He was truly in his element every July 4 when the Marblehead Festival of Arts showcased a variety of musical talent at Crocker Park. Never content to sit, he always managed to find — and enjoy — the dance floor with Marguerite.
Those who knew Henry have described him as kind, gentle, honest and fun-loving, and that he certainly was. He adored talking with people and was genuinely interested in their stories.
Henry Peper III is survived by his wife, Marguerite (Frank) Peper; his siblings, Sam Peper and Sarah (Sally) Peper Tompkins; and his nieces and nephews, Nick, Samantha and
the East Coast and moved to Marblehead, where she worked as a medical secretary, did some modeling with the Ford Model Agency in Boston, from photo shoots for magazine print ads to runways for the latest fashions to automobile shows.
While working at the Scandinavian gift shop the Upper Story in Vinnin Square, she met Robert (Bob), and after months of a whirlwind courtship, they were married in August 1964. Together, they enjoyed sailing, skiing in North Conway, gardening, cooking and participating in Marblehead Little Theatre, where Birthe designed many of the productions’ posters and costumes.
In addition to Danish and English, Birthe was fluent in Italian, French, German, Swedish and Norwegian languages. She taught Danish at the Academia School of Languages in Cambridge. She was also membership secretary for the International Center
high school sweetheart of 60 years and those three divine daughters were his pride and joy. Kenny and Carol celebrated their Diamond Jubilee anniversary just recently.
Kenny was as “Easy as Sunday Morning.” Easy to work with, easy to get along with, easy going and just so easy to love. We will all miss him very much. In lieu of flowers, the family is setting up the Captain Ken Eldridge 33 Memorial Scholarship to be awarded annually to a MHS student/ athlete who demonstrates leadership and good sportsmanship. Donations can be made to the Marblehead Magicians Gridiron Club/ Kenneth Eldridge Scholarship and sent to the Marblehead Magicians Club, P.O. Box 505, Marblehead, or online at .mhdgridiron.com/donations. A celebration of life to honor Kenny is planned for the fall. For more information or online guestbook, please visit murphyfuneralhome.com or call 978-744-0497.
Hanna Peper and Cricket and Buck Tompkins. He shared many memorable moments and adventures with each of them. Henry leaves an impression on his friends, family, and the larger community of which he was an important part. He will be deeply missed by all.
Those wishing to memorialize and honor Henry may do so at a celebration of life at the Mason’s Philanthropic Lodge, 62 Pleasant St., Marblehead, on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 4-7 p.m. Parking is available in the adjacent parking lot.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Henry Peper III to the Marblehead Animal Shelter, 44 Village St., in Marblehead (marblehead-animal-shelter. org), or the American Cancer Society, would be gratefully received.
of New England in Boston for the Department of Chamber of Commerce.
In Marblehead, she worked at the Abbot Public Library for more than 10 years as the librarian assistant and continuously produced many attractive artworks for the library, Friends of Abbot Library and the children’s and young adult reading room. She also designed the pen-and-ink hand-drawn image on the Abbot Public Library card, which was used for over four decades, and the original drawing was submitted to the Marblehead Festival of Arts.
When she semi-retired and became a freelance artist in the 1980s, she helped start with her husband, Bob, the firstof-its-kind North Shore Shuttle Service, where passengers were driven by private van and limousine service to and from Boston Logan Airport.
Birthe was passionate about her art, using watercolors and acrylic to paint portraits and
landscapes. She earned and won many awards for her artistic talent with the Marblehead Arts Association, during the Marblehead Festival of Arts and Swampscott Arts Association, from People’s Choice awards, Lee R. Smith Awards, Excellence Awards and Judge’s Choice Awards, to name a few. Over the years, she was a member of the Marblehead Arts Association, Swampscott Arts Association, International Women’s Club, Danish Society of Massachusetts, American-Danish Chamber of Commerce, American Women’s Club in Denmark, Peabody Essex Museum, Marblehead Historical Society, Dolphin Yacht Club, Marblehead Yacht Club and Marblehead Little Theatre.
Please join us in remembering and celebrating Birthe’s beautiful, amazing life. Visiting hours will be held at Eustis & Cornell of Marblehead, 142 Elm St., on Sunday, Aug. 18, from 4-6 p.m. Her funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 19 at the funeral home, followed by interment at Waterside Cemetery and a reception. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Birthe’s memory to the Marblehead Arts Association or the charity of your choice. Fond memories and condolences for Birthe’s family
funeralhome.com.
Marblehead’s proud privateers
BY JO ANN AUGERI SILVA
This is the first in a series of articles looking at Marblehead’s history of privateering.
Marblehead’s history as a fishing community is well documented, its dangers acknowledged, its waning importance lamented. Since 1629, the sea has offered bounty and heartache to Marbleheaders who head offshore in ships. Imagine yourself one of Marblehead’s commercial fishermen in 1776. Since you were 14, you’ve been employed, if not richly rewarded, for your skills as a seaman aboard Marblehead fishing schooners. Sailing home with a hold full of salted cod, there was a ready market for your hard earned product among the merchant seamen ashore.
Marblehead’s seas in 1776 are far from calm, however. Col. Jeremiah Lee, Marblehead’s richest man, who owned about 20 ships, once procured a sizable majority of the catch. Lee owned the fish flakes where the salted fish was dried, then shipped the best quality to Europe.
Lesser quality fish went to the Caribbean to feed enslaved workers kidnapped from Africa. But Lee was no more. The year before, in April, 1775, Lee, then the wealthiest man in Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry and Azor Orne met with fellow revolutionaries Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Menotomy (now Arlington.) That night, Lee, already ill, literally caught his death of cold hiding from British soldiers in a corn field. Three weeks later, Lee died intestate, and a year later his business affairs were a muddle.
Privateering vs. pirating Lee’s revolutionary compatriots, using guns and ammunition Lee obtained for them from Spain, have turned rumblings of discontent into a hot war. A fishing trip to George’s Bank now holds more threat than sudden storms — British naval ships capture fishing schooners and impress Marblehead seamen into British deckhands.
Some are signing on with Capt. Nicholson Broughton, who’s fitting out the schooner Hannah, built in Marblehead, with Marblehead seamen, to make it the first warship of the new American Navy. Fighting on the open sea where you will either kill or be killed? When the new Navy may not pay enough to support a family?
Other Marblehead seamen are considering a different endeavor — capturing “enemy” ships and selling their cargo. Is that a legal way to make a living?
Yes. Privateering is not piracy. Specially outfitted and licensed privateer ships stalk and capture enemy ships and seize their cargo, but not as a criminal enterprise. Privateering is encouraged by the new American government as a way to make money. Even after deducting costs and payment to the government, the potential rewards of privateering to even the lowliest seaman add up to serious money — more than five times his annual income of $200. Privateering was a dangerous business, with significant payout if all went well.
Hundreds of Marbleheaders were privateers Few are aware how involved Marbleheaders were in privateering, a lucrative business during both the American War of Independence and the War of 1812. Hundreds of Marblehead shipowners, captains and seamen were among the thousands of
Americans who risked their lives seeking to augment their income as privateers.
Fortunately for historians, some Marblehead families saved documents, ledgers and letters that date back to the Revolution and beyond. From those sources and others, we can develop a fair understanding of how privateering worked at that time.
Marblehead resident Eric Jay Dolin has explored the nascence and history of 18thand 19th-century privateering throughout the coastal colonies in his book “Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution and the War of 1812.” As Dolin explains in detail, privateering laws were both complicated and clear — to avoid being branded as pirates, privateers had to follow regulations to the letter. We are indebted to Dolin for his work, which provided rich background for our research into Marblehead’s privateers.
Starting in the Middle Ages and continuing to the mid 19th century when it was banned by the Treaty of Paris, international law allowed countries at war to license private vessels to seize and plunder enemy vessels.
The brand-new United States had no navy other than ships like the Hannah that were just being built to battle Britain’s vast naval might. So it made sense, and was legal, to give shipowners authorization to arm themselves and to capture cargoes — as long as they had an official “letter of marque and reprisal.” Privateering was enthusiastically supported by men like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Marblehead’s own Elbridge Gerry wrote the Massachusetts bill that authorized the Commonwealth to issue letters of marque to shipowners seeking to equip ships as privateers at their own expense, requiring each to post a
bond of $5,000, to be forfeited if the shipowner violated the regulations set forth in the bill.
Once empowered by the Continental Congress, privateers attacked and captured enemy ships — both the vessels and their cargo. The cash-poor new government saw privateering as a way to fill its meager coffers and required that a sizeable portion of the value of each captured “prize” be given to the government to build its treasury.
The Lindsey family
The Lindsey family of Marblehead was deeply involved in privateering, first during the Revolution and then in the War of 1812. Thanks to the conservation habits and generosity of the heirs of Nathaniel Lindsey Sr, (1746-1798) and Jr. (17711842), the Marblehead Museum has a treasure trove of 18thand 19th-century papers documenting the complexities of Marbleheaders’ privateering.
Nathaniel Lindsey Sr. was a mariner (referred to in papers as “Captain”) and merchant who served in the Continental Army. Following the Revolution, he served the town of Marblehead as a constable, tax collector, selectman and coroner. Lindsey Sr. was deeply involved in the business end of privateering, acting as an agent and as an attorney for shipowners, captains and seamen (and their survivors when they died in the act of duty.) Clearly understanding the profits to be made with privateering, Lindsay invested his own funds in privateering ventures. His records indicate that he was part owner of the Schooner Springbird, built in 1778, the brig Terrible, built in 1779, both specifically as privateers, and also show that he was involved in building the Oh starting in 1779. Nathaniel Jr. was also a
PRIVATEERING GLOSSARY
` Privateer:Umbrella term for a ship licensed by the government to attack and capture ` enemy ships, sail them into an agreed-upon port, and sell the ships’ cargoes ` Letter of marque: Term used to describe both the license granted by the government to a privateer vessel and also some of the privateering ships ` Prize, prize of war: The cargo and vessel of an enemy ship captured by a licensed privateer ` Libel: The first filing in the process to declare a prize ship and its cargo condemned. Once condemned, it was possible to liquidate the ship and its assets.
` Share: A portion of the net monetary gain from the sale of a prize and its cargo after deducting the amount due the government and all expenses for equipping the privateer. Shares were apportioned by rank of the seamen on board.
The substantial total cost of outfitting a privateer would be subtracted from the value of a captured ship after the new government took its allotted portion. The “prize” balance was then divided by the number of “shares” allocated to the investors and to each seaman on board the vessel.
Shares were portioned based on rank. On the Terrible, the captain, John Conway, was apportioned eight shares. Conway’s First Lieutenant, Josiah Leech, was apportioned five, as was the surgeon, Josiah Lord. The second lieutenant, Joseph Hibbert, and the master, William Steward, four each. The least skilled seaman might be apportioned ¼ of a share, but even that could amount to a sizeable sum by late 18th-century standards, since the total value of a captured prize could total in the tens of thousands.
mariner and was directly involved in privateering during the War of 1812 as captain of the privateer Growler. Several years after the war, he was captured by pirates in 1829 as captain of the Candace but survived to serve the town as a selectman and as tax collector in the mid 1830s.
Lindsey Sr.’s records for each of the ships he served as an attorney, agent, shareholder and/ or part owner are voluminous.
Purchasing goods and services, holding funds in escrow, and itemizing the detailed transactions involved, including the number and value of shares to be paid out at the end of a voyage, were among the many responsibilities Lindsey took on for his clients.
Guns, sails and rum
In the neat calligraphic hand typical of the day, Lindsey documented the sundry expenses involved in fitting out a privateer, whether by converting a former fishing boat or merchant vessel or purpose-building one.
Guns, of course, gunpowder, and cannon were a first order of business — enemy ships rarely surrendered without a fight, and good quality munitions were a critical need. A special type of cannon called a “swivel cannon” was typically mounted on fishing or merchant vessels converted to privateers.
Every piece of material for outfitting a ship for privateering during war was dutifully detailed in Lindsey’s records: sails, canvas, tar, rope, tools including knives and wrenches, pots and kettles, “duck” fabric, “tick” for bedding, clothing, shoes and other sundries for the seamen.
Food, including “flower,” “suger,” “pease,” “onyons,” oranges, apples and lemons, barrels of beef and pork, and of course rum, were counted among the staples required for a typical six month voyage.
Lindsey’s records kept close track of share values and documented when shares were sold or traded. Share trades were recorded prior to a privateer’s sailing and even negotiated onboard during a voyage. A fisherman could sell half his quarter share before he sailed, for a sum that would feed and house his family while he was away. Many eager buyers who’d heard of the profits from privateering considered purchasing a share portion a sure bet.
Nathaniel Lindsey Sr. was among those eager buyers. Several of his records show that he tendered cash (usually in pounds — money at that point was transitioning from British pounds to American dollars, with neither form of legal tender in abundance) for a portion of seamen’s shares. At times, the wives of seamen, perhaps desperate for income, would sell Lindsey portions of their husbands’ shares while men were still at sea.
On October 22, 1777, Sarah Thorner acknowledged receiving 15 pounds from Lindsey in exchange for “one quarter part of a full share of all the prize and prizes that is or shall be taken by the brig Freedom…as my husband William Thorner is Ingaged on Board said Brig.” Apparently not literate, she signed with an X noted as “Her Mark.” Many embarking mariners from Marblehead and Salem signed documents naming Lindsey their “lawfull attorney” to represent their rights to captured prizes on voyages which could last three to six months. Lindsey was trusted in town as a scrupulous man. And, as a businessman he was not above earning a commission on the ships he helped provision and protect.
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Up next: Nathaniel Lindsey Jr. and the Brown Family
Nathaniel Lindsey Sr. and Jr (left and right) were successful Marblehead privateers.
COURTESY PHOTOS / MARBLEHEAD MUSEUM
Ships like the Arbella, owned by Marblehead sea captain Robert Hooper, were used for privateering in the 1700s and 1800s.
Marine majesty: Humpbacks and finbacks spotted in local waters
BY RICK CUZNER
Here are a few more whale pics from a recent trip out of Marblehead, up toward Gloucester. In a couple of the photos, you can clearly see the windmills at Blackburn Industrial Park. I watched a pair of humpbacks work their way through the area as well as a finback. Seems like there has been an uptick in the number of local whale sightings lately, with whales seen around Misery Island, Bakers Island, Tinkers, the Swampscott coast and on into Boston Harbor.
ABOVE: A humpback whale dives near Gloucester, showing its fluke. RIGHT: Two humpback whales swim with off the coast of Gloucester.
Humpback and fin whales frequent the Massachusetts coast, particularly Stellwagen Bank (situated between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, about 25 miles east of
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Boston) from March to November. This area provides crucial feeding grounds for both species. Humpbacks are known for acrobatic displays like breaching, while fin
whales are faster and more elusive.
These whales play vital roles in the marine ecosystem. Humpbacks eat krill, small fish and plankton, while fin whales primarily consume schooling fish and krill. Their feeding habits
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COURTESY PHOTOS / RICK CUZNER